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United States · Official source
1,255 records where Sen. Corzine, Jon S. [D-NJ] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1560 Union Valley Road in West Milford, New Jersey, as the "Brian P. Parrello Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2005
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Action of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan or a health issuer offering group health insurance coverage that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan or issuer from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan or issuer for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan or issuer to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act; and (2) ensure that full coverage is provided for secondary consultations by specialists in the appropriate medical fields to confirm or refute a diagnosis of cancer. Applies such requirements to health insurance issuers offering coverage in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2005
Transit in Parks Act (or the TRIP Act) - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop cooperative relationships with the Secretary of the Interior providing for: (1) technical assistance in alternative transportation; (2) interagency and multidisciplinary teams to develop Federal land management agency (the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Bureau of Land Management) alternative transportation policy, procedures, and coordination; and (3) the development of procedures and criteria relating to the planning, selection, and funding of qualified planning or capital projects (carried out in or in the vicinity of any federally owned or managed park, refuge, or recreational area open to the general public), as well as implementation and oversight of the projects program. Sets forth requirements with respect to departmental cost sharing, financing, and selection of qualified projects. Requires projects of more than $25 million to be carried out through a full funding agreement. Requires the qualified participants of such projects to prepare a project management plan.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism Anti-Drilling Act, or the COAST Anti-Drilling Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in either the Mid-Atlantic or the North Atlantic planning areas.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
America Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement, and Education Act of 2005, or the ASPIRE Act of 2005 - Establishes a KIDS Account Fund in the Treasury. Establishes within the Fund a Kids Investment and Development Savings Account (KIDS Account). Makes eligible to contribute to such account, and to receive a matching Federal contribution, any U.S. citizen born after December 31, 2006, and under 18 years of age, whose modified adjusted gross income is below the applicable national median adjusted gross income amount. Creates the KIDS Account Fund Board to establish a default investment program under which, in a manner similar to a lifecycle investment program, sums in each KIDS Account are allocated to investment funds in the KIDS Account Fund based on the amount of time before the account holder attains the age of 18. States that, for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, each KIDS Account shall be treated in the same manner as a Roth IRA. Subjects the Board to the same statutory composition requirements, duties, and responsibilities as the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, to develop programs to promote the financial literacy of account holders of KIDS Accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2005 - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert; (3) the Grand Staircase and the Escalante Canyons; (4) Moab-LaSal Canyons; (5) Henry Mountains; (6) Glen Canyon; (7) San Juan-Anasazi; (8) Canyonlands Basin; (9) San Rafael Swell; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) filing by the Secretary of the Interior of a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees; (2) the exchange of State-owned lands within such areas; (3) Federal reservation of water rights; (4) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness; (5) authorized livestock grazing; and (6) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Human Cloning Ban and Stem Cell Research Protection Act of 2005 - Prohibits: (1) conducting or attempting to conduct human cloning; (2) shipping the product of nuclear transplantation in interstate or foreign commerce for the purpose of human cloning in the United States or elsewhere; or (3) exporting to a foreign country an unfertilized blastocyst if such country does not prohibit human cloning. Sets forth criminal and civil penalties for violations. Requires the Comptroller General to report to the relevant congressional committees on: (1) actions taken to enforce such prohibitions; (2) actions of State attorneys general to enforce similar State laws; (3) coordination of Federal, State, and local enforcement; and (4) international laws relating to human cloning. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require research involving nuclear transplantation to be conducted in accordance with applicable Federal regulations regarding the protection of human subjects and Institutional Review Boards. Prohibits: (1) a somatic cell nucleus from being transplanted into a human oocyte (egg) that has undergone or will undergo fertilization; (2) an unfertilized blastocyst from being maintained after more than 14 days from its first cell division, not counting storage times at temperatures less than zero degrees centigrade; (3) an oocyte from being used in nuclear transplantation research unless donated voluntarily with the donor's informed consent; (4) a human oocyte or unfertilized blastocyst from being acquired, received, or transferred for valuable consideration in interstate commerce; and (5) nuclear transplantation in a laboratory in which human oocytes are subject to assisted reproductive technology treatments or procedures. Sets forth civil penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act- Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require: (1) biennial (currently, annual) budget resolutions; (2) biennial appropriations Acts; and (3) biennial Government strategic and performance plans. Defines the budget biennium as the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to: (1) determine the impact and feasibility of changing the definition of a fiscal year and the budget process based on that definition to a two-year fiscal period with a biennial budget process based on such period; and (2) report the findings to the House and Senate Budget Committees.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Automobile Fuel Economy Act of 2005 - Specifies increased average fuel economy standards for certain light trucks, automobiles (up to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight), and certain classes of vehicles in the Federal fleet that are manufactured or purchased after specified dates.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Theodore Roosevelt Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 silver coins: (1) emblematic of the life and legacy of President Theodore Roosevelt, bearing his image as a Rough Rider on one side and an eagle design on the other side; and (2) bearing his image on horseback on one side and depicting a flaming sword of righteousness on the other side. Expresses the sense of Congress that the coins should be struck at the U.S. Mint at West Point, New York. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) issue such coins beginning on January 1, 2006; and (2) initiate coin sales before such date. (2006 will mark the 100th anniversary of Roosevelt's award of the Nobel Peace Prize.) Requires payment of $10 surcharges from the coin sales to the Theodore Roosevelt Association, to be used exclusively for educational programs at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, including a visitor's center.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Honors the life and contributions of Frederick C. Branch, and extends the Senate's sympathies to his family for the loss of a courageous and pioneering man.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for and enforcement of prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages to: (1) add nonretaliation requirements; (2) increase penalties; and (3) authorize the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretaries of Labor and Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to provide for certain studies, information, national summit, and guidelines, awards, and assistance for employer evaluations of job categories based on objective criteria. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect certain pay information. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey; (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity; and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Fair Pay Act of 2005 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin. (Allows payment of different wages under seniority systems, merit systems, systems that measure earnings by quantity or quality of production, or differentials based on bona fide factors that the employer demonstrates are job-related or further legitimate business interests.) Prohibits the discharge of or any other discrimination against an individual for opposing any act or practice made unlawful by this Act, or for assisting in an investigation or proceeding under it. Directs courts, in any action brought under this Act for violation of such prohibition, to allow expert fees as part of the costs awarded to prevailing plaintiffs. Allows any such action to be maintained as a class action. Directs the EEOC to: (1) undertake studies and provide information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning effective means available to implement this Act; and (2) carry on a continuing program of research, education, and technical assistance with specified components related to the purposes of this Act. Makes conforming amendments relating to congressional and executive branch employees to the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and the Presidential and Executive Office Accountability Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Employee Free Choice Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board to certify a bargaining representative without directing an election if a majority of the bargaining unit employees have authorized designation of the representative and there is no other individual or labor organization currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit. Sets forth special procedural requirements for reaching an initial collective bargaining agreement following certification or recognition. Revises enforcement requirements with respect to unfair labor practices during union organizing drives. Provides, under injunction provisions, for priority to be given to preliminary investigation of charges of violations by employers or other entities. Adds to remedies for such violations: (1) back pay plus liquidated damages; and (2) additional civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Combating Autism Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): (1) to develop a scientifically justified budget for research on autism spectrum disorders; (2) acting through the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, to provide for centers of excellence regarding research on autism; and (3) acting through the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Disorders, to provide for Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish: (1) regional centers of excellence in autism and pervasive developmental disabilities epidemiology; and (2) a clearinghouse for the collecting and storage of data generated. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) a program to provide information and education on autism and its risk factors to health professionals and the general public; and (2) the Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate autism related activities within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop statewide autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems. Requires the Director of NIH, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, to provide for centers of excellence regarding environmental health and autism.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2005
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to permit the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): (1) acting through the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, to expand and coordinate NIH activities on paralysis research; (2) to award grants to plan, establish, improve, and provide basic operating support for Christopher Reeve Paralysis Research Consortia; (3) to educate and disseminate information and receive public comment on NIH programs and research regarding paralysis; (4) acting through the Director of the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development and the National Center for Rehabilitation Research, to expand and coordinate NIH research with implications for enhancing daily function for persons with paralysis; and (5) to make grants to plan, establish, improve, and provide basic operating support for multicenter clinical trial networks to design clinical rehabilitation intervention protocols and measures of outcomes on paralysis. Permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to study the health challenges associated with paralysis and other physical disabilities and carry out projects and interventions to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of individuals with such conditions. Permits the Secretary to award grants for activities related to paralysis, including to: (1) establish paralysis registries; and (2) disseminate information to the public. Allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish Paralysis Research, Education and Clinical Care Centers; and (2) award grants to medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to translate clinical findings and recommendations on paralysis into evidence-based best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2005
Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Act of 2005 - Establishes the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area in New Jersey. Designates the Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, Inc. as the Area's management entity. Directs the Association to submit, and to assist local governments, regional planing organizations, and nonprofit entities in implementing, an area management plan which includes strategies for conservation, funding, management, and development of the Area. Bars the Association from using Federal funds received under this Act to acquire real property, but allows it to use any other source of funding, including other Federal funding, intended for the acquisition of real property. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance to: (1) the Area to develop and implement the management plan; and (2) State or local government or nonprofit organizations for treatment of historical objects or structures eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Authorizes the Superintendent of Morristown National Historical Park to provide operational assistance supporting implementation of the management plan to public and private organizations within the Area, including the Association.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Military Families Leave Act of 2005 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and Federal law relating to the Armed Forces, to entitle eligible employees to certain leave because of any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that their spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a member of the Armed Forces who is serving on active duty in support of a contingency operation or has been notified of an impending call or order to such active duty.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Database Act of 2005 or Dru's Law - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) make publicly available in a registry via the Internet, from information contained in the National Sex Offender Registry, specified information about sexually violent predators and persons convicted of a sexually violent offense or a criminal offense against a minor, who are required to register with a minimally sufficient State sexual offender registration program; and (2) allow registry users to identify offenders who are currently residing within a radius of the location indicated by the user. Requires registry information to include the offender's name, address, date of birth, physical description, and photograph, the nature and date of commission of the offense, and the date on which the person is released from prison or placed on parole, supervised release, or probation Requires: (1) any State that provides for a civil commitment proceeding to notify the State attorney general of the impending release of a sexually violent predator or a person has been deemed to be at high-risk for recommitting any sexually violent offense or criminal offense against a minor; (2) the State attorney general to consider instituting a civil commitment proceeding; and (3) each State to intensively monitor, for at least a year, any such person who has been unconditionally released by the State and who has not been civilly committed. Makes a State that fails to implement Act requirements ineligible to receive 25 percent of funds that would otherwise be allocated to it under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require any pharmacy receiving prescription drugs or prescription devices in interstate commerce to: (1) ensure that any in stock prescription that one pharmacist refuses to fill on the basis of a personal belief is filled by another pharmacist employed by the pharmacy without delay; (2) ensure that any individual who presents a prescription for an item that is not in stock which one pharmacist refuses to order on the basis of a personal belief is immediately informed that the product can be ordered by the pharmacy and to order such product without delay; and (3) not employ any pharmacist who engages in any conduct with the intent to prevent or deter an individual from filling a valid prescription, including refusing to return a prescription form, refusing to transfer a prescription, or subjecting the individual to humiliation or harassment. Provides that this Act does not require the pharmacy to keep any particular product in stock nor does it apply with respect to a product for a health condition if the pharmacy does not keep in stock any product for such condition. Sets forth civil penalties. Allows a private cause of action for a violation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
Extremely Hazardous Materials Rail Transportation Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to prescribe regulations that coordinate the efforts of Federal, State, and local agencies to prevent terrorist acts and respond to emergencies that may occur in connection with the transportation by rail of extremely hazardous materials. Defines extremely hazardous material as material that is toxic by inhalation, extremely flammable, highly explosive, a high-level radioactive waste, or otherwise designated by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary, in prescribing the regulations, to compile a list of area of concern communities, including those through or near which the rail transportation of extremely hazardous materials poses a serious risk to the public health and safety. Directs the Secretary to prescribe by regulation standards for ensuring the safety and physical integrity of pressurized rail tank cars used to transport extremely hazardous materials. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the safety and security of, and the threat posed by acts of terrorism to, the transportation by rail of extremely hazardous materials. Sets forth whistleblower protections for persons involved in the transportation of extremely hazardous materials. Sets forth civil penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Preserving Access to Affordable Drugs Act of 2005 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to permit a State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, at the option of the State operating it, to act as the authorized representative for any part D eligible individual residing in the State who is enrolled in the Program in order to select one or more preferred prescription drug plans to enroll such an individual, so long as the individual is afforded the authority to decline such enrollment. Revises the declaration that the coordination requirements for plans providing prescription drug coverage shall not impair or prevent a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor or Medicare Advantage (MA) organization from applying cost management tools (including differential payments) under its own methods of operation. Declares further that a PDP sponsor or MA organization may not require a State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program or an RX plan to apply such cost management tools when coordinating benefits. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to repeal current requirements governing the coordination of prescription drug benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
People-to-People Engagement in World Affairs Resolution - Expresses the sense of the Senate encouraging the active engagement of Americans in world affairs and urging the Secretary of State to coordinate with implementing partners in creating an online database of international exchange programs and related opportunities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Honors and memorializes the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 for their decisive actions and efforts of bravery on September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2005
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of not more than eight centers to conduct multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Requires each such center to: (1) be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence; (2) establish ongoing collaborations with community organizations; (3) be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions; (4) be supported under this Act for a period of not more than five years with additional periods allowed after review and recommendation; and (5) use innovative approaches to study unexplored areas of the environment and breast cancer. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel to make recommendations for and to review grants awarded under this Act
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2005
Lupus Research, Education, Awareness, Communication, and Healthcare Amendments of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to expand research on lupus to include: (1) basic research to discover the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the disease; and (2) research to validate lupus biomarkers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to work with a consortium of academic health institutions to undertake an epidemiological study to determine the prevalence and incidence of lupus in the United States. Requires the Director of CDC to: (1) enter into a cooperative agreement with such consortium to develop, implement, and manage a system for lupus data collection and analysis; and (2) ensure that such consortium represents different geographic areas and includes individuals of racial and ethnic backgrounds disproportionately affected by lupus. Requires the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study and make recommendations related to lupus, to include: (1) evaluating Federal and State activities related to lupus and recommending ways to expand such activities; (2) identifying gaps in Federal research; and (3) recommending ways to improve the quality of life for people with lupus. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office on Women's Health, to conduct and support a national lupus public awareness and health professional education campaign, with an emphasis on reaching populations at highest risk for the disease.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2005
Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Act of 2005- Amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to give States new options to: (1) cover low-income pregnant women; and (2) provide for coordination of SCHIP with the Maternal and Child Health Program under SSA title V. Provides for an increase in SCHIP income eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
State and Local Law Enforcement Discipline, Accountability, and Due Process Act of 2005 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to set forth the due process rights, including procedures, that shall be afforded a law enforcement officer (officer) who is the subject of an investigation or disciplinary hearing. Declares that an officer shall not be: (1) prohibited from engaging in political activity or be denied the right to refrain from engaging in such activity, except when on duty or acting in an official capacity; and (2) prohibited from being a candidate for an elective office or from serving in such elective office solely because of the officer's status as an officer, with exceptions. Requires that: (1) each agency adopt and thereafter comply with a written complaint procedure that meets specified requirements; and (2) an investigation based on a complaint from outside the agency commence not later than 15 days after receipt of the complaint by the agency employing the officer against whom the complaint has been made, or any other agency charged with investigating such complaint. Directs that any officer who is the subject of an investigation be notified of the investigation 24 hours before the commencement of questioning. Establishes rights of officers before and during questioning, including the right to counsel. Requires questioning to be conducted at reasonable hours. Prohibits an officer from being compelled to submit to the use of a lie detector.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Security and Freedom Enhancement Act of 2005 or the SAFE Act - Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to modify provisions regarding roving wiretaps to require that: (1) an order approving electronic surveillance specify either the identity of the target or the place to be wiretapped; and (2) surveillance be conducted only when the suspect is present at that place. Limits the authority to delay notice of the issuance of a search warrant to circumstances where providing immediate notice will endanger the life or physical safety of an individual or result in flight from prosecution, the destruction of or tampering with evidence, or the intimidation of potential witnesses. Requires delayed notification to be issued within seven days (currently, within a "reasonable period") after execution, with 21-day extensions, subject to specified limitations. Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to require that there be specific and articulable facts giving reason to believe that the person to whom records pertain is a foreign power or agent for Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) access to business records for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations. Prohibits an order from: (1) containing any requirement that would be held unreasonable if contained in a subpoena issued by a U.S. court in aid of a grand jury investigation of espionage or international terrorism; or (2) requiring the production of documentary evidence that would be privileged from disclosure if demanded by such a subpoena. Prohibits an electronic communication service provider from disclosing that the FBI has sought access to telephone records for 90 days after receipt of such request, with exceptions (current law places no limits on nondisclosure). Makes similar changes to the Right to Financial Privacy Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act. Amends the Federal criminal code to redefine "domestic terrorism" to mean activities that involve acts dangerous to human life that constitute a Federal crime of terrorism (currently, that violate criminal laws).
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2005
Joins the world in mourning the death of Pope John Paul II, and pays tribute to him by pledging to be ever faithful to our national calling to be "one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,'' and to help our neighbors in immeasurable ways.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2005 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to modify the definition of "religion" for purposes of coverage under that Act by requiring employers to make an affirmative and bona fide effort to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of employees. Defines the term "perform the essential functions" to exclude practices having a temporary or tangential impact on an employee's ability to perform job functions, such as practices relating to clothing or taking time off work. Sets forth factors to consider in determining whether an accommodation causes undue hardship. Defines "employee" to require an ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Requires removal of the conflict between employment requirements and the employee's religious practices in order for an accommodation to be considered reasonable. Considers an employer's refusal to permit an employee's use of general leave to remove a religious conflict solely because the leave will be used to accommodate religious practices to be an unlawful employment practice. States that the amendments made by this Act do not apply with respect to conduct occurring prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act - Directs the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) created by this Act to establish a modern system for regulating rates and classes for market-dominant products. Specifies regulatory requirements for workshare discounts. Directs United States Postal Service (USPS) Governors to establish rates and classes for products in the competitive category of mail. Authorizes the USPS to conduct market tests of experimental products. Establishes a Postal Service Competitive Products Fund. Prohibits the USPS from engaging in unfair competition. Abrogates the USPS's immunity from suit for violations of the Trademark Act of 1946 and those provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act concerning unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Sets forth qualifications and requirements for Governors. Requires the appointment of a mediator (in lieu of current factfinding panel) in the event of USPS labor disputes. Authorizes USPS bonuses or other awards to Postal Service officers and employees in senior executive or equivalent positions. Replaces the Postal Rate Commission with the Postal Regulatory Commission. Postal Civil Service Retirement and Health Benefits Funding Amendments of 2004 - Modifies the USPS's contributions to the Civil Service Retirement System. Establishes a USPS Retiree Health Benefits Fund. Repeals a provision of the Postal Civil Service Retirement System Funding Reform Act of 2003 which addressed the disposition of savings under that Act. Addresses the temporary disability and disability retirement of postal employees. Expresses the sense of Congress regarding Postal Service purchasing reform.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide assistance to combat HIV/AIDS in India.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Childproof Handgun Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit any person who is not a licensed collector from manufacturing, selling, delivering, or transferring a handgun that cannot be personalized, with exceptions for individuals acting under the authority of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision. Defines "personalized" to mean a handgun that incorporates a device or feature that: (1) allows the handgun to be fired only by a particular individual; (2) is not capable of being readily deactivated; and (3) may allow the handgun to be personalized to one or more additional individuals. Directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study to determine whether the technology involved in personalizing firearms will be commercially feasible within five years considering criteria including the reliability of the technology and the difference in price for personalized firearms and equivalent firearms that are not personalized.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration, including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Allows the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. Prohibits such regulations from: (1) limiting product sales or distribution to authorization of a practitioner licensed to prescribe medical products; (2) prohibiting product sales in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases. Prohibits cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health, but reserves to Congress the power to ban any tobacco products or reduce the nicotine level to zero. Allows the Secretary to take specified actions, including public notification and recall, against unreasonably harmful products. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) judicial review; (2) coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (3) congressional review of regulations; and (4) state and local authority. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to change cigarette warning label and advertising requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to change smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Designates April 2005 as Financial Literacy Month to raise public awareness about the importance of financial education in the United States and the serious consequences that may be associated with a lack of understanding about personal finances.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Designates the week of May 1, 2005, as Holocaust Commemoration Week. Commemorates the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II and the liberation of the concentration camps. Encourages all Americans to commemorate this occasion through reflection, acts of compassionate caring, and learning about the terrible consequences and lessons of the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Expresses support for the designation of National Brain Injury Awareness Month (March has been recognized as such by the Brain Injury Association of America).
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the design selected by the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, in commemoration of disabled American veterans. Restricts such coin issuance period to the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2010. Requires a $10 dollar surcharge from such coin sales to be paid to the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation in order to establish an endowment to support the construction of the American Veterans' Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
Ferry Transportation Enhancement Act - Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to authorize appropriations for FY 2004 through 2009 for construction of ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities. Amends Federal highway law to make ferry maintenance (currently, only terminal) facilities eligible for Federal funding. Amends Federal transportation law to include ferries within the Federal clean fuels program. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) establish a Ferry Joint Program Office to coordinate Federal programs affecting ferry boat and facility construction, maintenance, and operation, and to promote ferry service as a component of the Nation's transportation system; (2) maintain a national ferry database containing ferry routes, vessels, passengers and vehicles carried, funding sources, and related information; and (3) make grants to an institution of higher education to establish a National Ferry Transportation Institute for research, development, and training programs, relating to U.S. ferry transportation systems.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal criminal code to reinstate the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act's assault weapons ban to prohibit: (1) the manufacture, transfer, or possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon; (2) the transfer, possession, or importation of a large capacity ammunition feeding device; (3) the transfer of any assault weapon with such a device. Specifies models and features of banned weapons. Sets forth exceptions to such ban, including: (1) firearms or devices lawfully possessed under Federal law on the date of enactment of this Act; (2) any firearm that is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action that has been rendered permanently inoperable or is an antique firearm; and (3) firearms manufactured for, transferred to, or possessed by a Federal, State, or local government agency or for law enforcement. Prohibits: (1) any person from transferring a semiautomatic assault weapon to which the ban does not apply, except through a licensed dealer or a State or local law enforcement agency; or (2) a licensed manufacturer, importer, or dealer who transfers a device manufactured before enactment of this Act to fail to certify such date of manufacture. Requires the serial number of any weapon or device manufactured after the enactment of this Act to clearly show the date of manufacture. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) maintain, submit to Congress, and make publicly available a record of any semiautomatic assault weapon used in relation to a crime; and (2) study and report to Congress on the effects of this Act on violent and drug trafficking crime. Prohibits the transfer of such a weapon or device to a juvenile.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act of 2005 - Directs the Office of Personnel Management to administer a separate health insurance program for non-Federal employees who are either self-employed or employees of a small business with fewer than 100 employees. Allows the Office to contract with carriers to provide health insurance under this Act. Requires rates charged to reasonably and equitably reflect the costs of the benefits provided. Requires a carrier to determine the amount of premiums to assess for coverage based on a community rate that may be annually adjusted based on geographic area, family status, and age. Permits the Office to reimburse a carrier for costs that exceed premiums received by a specified percentage. Requires a carrier to make payments to a contingency reserve fund established by the Office if the carrier's costs are lower than expected by a specified percentage. Allows the Office to use such funds to provide assistance to carriers that experience unanticipated financial hardships. Requires the Office to establish a reinsurance fund to provide payments to carriers that experience a catastrophic claim (a claim over $50,000) for benefits provided to an individual enrolled under this Act. Allows a participating employer to offer supplemental coverage options to employees for excepted benefits that are not subject to the Public Health Service Act requirements for health plans. Authorizes the Office to contract with entities to administer this health program regionally. Allows certain benefits to be offered to Medicare beneficiaries. Requires the Office to implement a public education campaign regarding this health insurance program. Allows a refundable tax credit for health insurance expenses of small employers who pay a specific percentage of employee expenses under such a health plan.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2005
Reduces from 60 to 55 the minimum age for the receipt of military retired pay for non-regular service.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Investment in America Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) increase the rates of the alternative incremental credit for certain research expenses; and (3) permit a taxpayer election of an alternative simplified tax credit for research expenses in lieu of the standard tax credit for increasing research activities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2005
Constitutional Amendment - States that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2005
Social Security Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal: (1) Government pension offset requirements applicable to husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and mother's and father's insurance benefits with respect to OASDI payments; and (2) windfall elimination requirements with respect to computation of an individual's primary insurance amount.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2005
Medicare Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize expansion of Medicare coverage of medical nutrition therapy services to diseases, conditions, or disorders other than diabetes or a renal disease.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make Alzheimer's disease research a priority within the National Institute on Aging. Requires the Director of the Institute to: (1) undertake an Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Initiative to accelerate the discovery of new risk and protective factors, to rapidly identify therapies and preventive interventions, and to implement effective prevention and treatment strategies; (2) conduct and support cooperative clinical research regarding Alzheimer's; and (3) conduct research concerning early detection and diagnosis, the relationship between Alzheimer's and vascular disease, and interventions designed to help caregivers. Authorizes the Director to establish a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to facilitate collaboration among Alzheimer's Disease Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to educate the public and public health community regarding Alzheimer's disease. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop coordinated respite care programs on a statewide basis. Defines "respite care" to mean planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver of such child or adult. Directs the Secretary to award a grant or cooperative agreement to a public or private nonprofit entity to establish a National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a nonrefundable tax credit for each individual certified as having long-term care needs and for whom the taxpayer is acting as a caregiver; (2) a tax deduction for long-term care premiums paid under a qualified insurance contract; and (3) qualified long-term care insurance to be offered in a cafeteria plan and flexible spending arrangements.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Recognizes: (1) Yad Vashem as a trustee of the World's conscience, so that the meaning of ``never again'' becomes the living foundation of our collective humanity; and (2) that March 15, 2005, the date of the dedication of Yad Vashem's expanded facilities, is a date of historical significance that will be remembered as such by future generations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Condemns the continued civilian attacks in Darfur, Sudan, and calls on the Government of Sudan to withdraw all military aircraft from the region and disarm the janjaweed militias. Commends the Africa Union Mission in Sudan for its actions in monitoring the implementation of the N'Djamena cease-fire agreement in Darfur. Urges the President to direct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to propose that NATO assess the effectiveness of a NATO-enforced no-fly zone across Darfur.