United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2005, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled adult children, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Requires each such increase to be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a tax deduction from gross income for long-term care insurance premiums; (2) include long-term care insurance in employee benefit cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements; (3) allow a tax credit for certain long-term care costs; (4) set forth certain consumer protections for long-term care insurance contracts; and (5) allow tax free exchanges of long-term care insurance contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends federal provisions concerning the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program to direct the Secretary of Defense to make a good-faith effort to notify the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces insured under such program if such member elects at any time to either reduce coverage amounts or name a beneficiary other than the spouse. Increases from $250,000 to $400,000 the maximum coverage that may be elected by an insured member, to be evenly divisible by $50,000. Increases from one to two years after separation from active duty (for an active-duty member) or release from active-duty assignment (for a member of the Ready Reserve) the duration of such coverage, if the member is totally disabled after such duty. Increases from $250,000 to $400,000 the maximum amount of Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) that may be elected by an insured veteran. States that interest rate adjustments, under a veterans' adjustable rate mortgage demonstration program offered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall be limited to such percentage as such Secretary may prescribe. (Currently, that adjustment is limited to a one percentage point increase or decrease.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable J. James Exon, former United States Senator for Nebraska. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on June 13, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Exon.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Realistic Roofing Tax Treatment Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) classify as 20-year property for depreciation purposes any roof system which meets the requirements of Standard 90.1-2004 of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers; and (2) require use of the straight line method for depreciation of such property.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Climate Change Technology Tax Incentives Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax credits for: (1) investment in a greenhouse gas intensity reduction project; (2) production from advanced nuclear power facilities; and (3) investment in nuclear power facilities. Authorizes the issuance of tax-exempt facility bonds for nuclear power facilities. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the tax credit for electricity produced from certain renewable resources should be extended through 2010; and (2) the tax credit for increasing research activities should be increased and made permanent. Terminates the tax credits proposed by this Act after 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2005
Veterans Health Care Act of 2005 - Provides a copayment exemption for: (1) veterans' hospice care; and (2) former prisoners of war for veterans' extended care services. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse certain veterans for expenses for which such veterans remain personally liable resulting from emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department of Veterans Affairs facility. Requires eligible veterans to: (1) be enrolled in a Department health care system; (2) have received veterans' health care during the 24 months preceding the furnishing of the emergency treatment; (3) be entitled to care or services under a health-plan contract that partially reimburses the cost of the emergency treatment; (4) be financially liable to the emergency care provider for costs not covered by the health-plan contract; and (5) be ineligible for reimbursement for medical care or services under other Department health-care provisions. Authorizes the Secretary to furnish care to a newborn child of a woman veteran receiving Department maternity care for up to 14 days after the birth of the child if the veteran delivered the child in a Department facility or facility under contract with the Department. Expands payer requirements for health care furnished to children of Vietnam veterans afflicted with spina bifida and associated birth disabilities. Makes permanent (currently terminates at the end of FY2005) the authority of the Secretary to make grants for certain assistance to homeless veterans. Outlines qualification requirements for Department marriage and family therapists. Requires a report on marriage and family therapy workloads. Directs the Secretary to expand and improve certain mental health services (including post-traumatic stress disorder) provided to veterans. Authorizes the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to exchange certain patient protected health information. Directs the Secretary to: (1) expand Department personnel employed under the Readjustment Counseling Service's Global War on Terrorism Outreach Program; (2) increase the number of Counseling Service facilities capable of providing health services and counseling through tele-health linkages with facilities of the Veterans Health Administration; and (3) report to the veterans' committees on mental health data maintained by the Department.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2005
Art and Collectibles Capital Gains Tax Treatment Parity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate the 28-percent capital gains tax rate for collectibles, thus allowing gain from the sale of collectibles (including art works) to be taxed at the 15-percent tax rate applicable to other investment property; (2) allow the creator of a literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly property a fair market value tax deduction for the donation of such property to a tax-exempt organization, if properly appraised and donated no sooner than 18 months after its creation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Idaho Land Enhancement Act - Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, if the State of Idaho offers to convey specified State land to the United States, to accept the offer, and on receipt of title to such land, simultaneously convey to the State specified Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Forest System land (the Federal land). Requires the value of the exchanged Federal and State lands to be: (1) equal; or (2) made equal by cash payment to the United States or the State. Sets forth requirements for the disposition and use of proceeds from cash equalization payments received by the United States. Requires the conveyance of certain easements or other rights-of-way. Directs the city of Boise, Idaho, to pay the administrative costs associated with such land exchange. Transfers administrative jurisdiction over specified BLM land in Shoshone County, Idaho, from the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of Agriculture. Considers the boundaries of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest and Clearwater National Forest, as modified by the exchange authorized by this Act, to be the boundaries of such Forests as of January 1, 1965. Revokes any public land orders withdrawing any of the Federal land from appropriation or disposal under the public land laws necessary to permit disposal of such land. Withdraws the Federal and State land from: (1) location, entry, and patent under the mining and public land laws; and (2) disposition under the mineral leasing laws and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to regulate the handling and purchase of ammonium nitrate to prevent its misappropriation or use in violation of law. Authorizes the Secretary to promulgate regulations that require: (1) handlers to register facilities, to sell or distribute ammonium nitrate only to handlers and purchasers registered under this Act, and to maintain records of sale or distribution that include the name, address, telephone number, and registration number of the immediate subsequent purchaser of ammonium nitrate; and (2) purchasers to be registered. Makes it unlawful for any person to: (1) fail to perform any duty required by this Act, including regulations promulgated under this Act; (2) violate the terms of registration under this Act; (3) fail to keep any record, make any report, or allow any inspection required by this Act; or (4) to violate any sale or distribution order issued under this Act. Provides penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies Act - Establishes the Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies to: (1) evaluate executive agencies and their programs; and (2) submit to Congress a plan recommending agencies and programs that should be realigned or eliminated and proposing implementing legislation. Directs the President to: (1) establish a systematic method for assessing the effectiveness and accountability of agency programs; and (2) submit to the Commission assessments of not less than 50 percent of the programs that use such method. Prohibits the implementation of such method until it has been reviewed and accepted by the Commission. Requires the Commission to consider submitted assessments in evaluating programs. Requires the President to identify common performance measures for programs having similar functions and provide the Commission with data on such measures.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Fair Treatment for Precious Metals Investors Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat bullion (e.g., gold, silver, platinum, and palladium) as a long-term capital asset (currently, treated as a collectible), eligible for preferential capital gains tax rates.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2005
College 529 InvEST Act of 2005 - Makes permanent the provision relating to qualified tuition programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA).
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Tax Simplification Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to replace the marginal income tax rates with a single rate of 19 percent (17 percent after December 31, 2007) on individual taxable income. Redefines "taxable income" to mean the amount by which wages, retirement distributions, and unemployment compensation exceed the standard deduction. Increases the basic standard deduction and includes an additional standard deduction for dependents. Includes in taxable income the taxable income of each dependent child under the age of 14. Replaces the current tax on corporations with a tax on every person engaged in a business activity equal to 19 percent (17 percent after December 31, 2007) of the business taxable income of such person. Makes the person engaged in the business activity liable for the tax, whether or not such person is an individual, a partnership, or a corporation. Imposes a tax of 19 percent (17 percent after December 31, 2007) on the value of excludable compensation provided during the year by an employer for the benefit of employees. Makes the employer liable for the tax. Repeals pension plan rules relating to : (1) non-discrimination; (2) contribution limits; and (3) restrictions on distributions. Revises rules relating to transfers of excess pension assets. Repeals: (1) the alternative minimum tax; (2) all income tax credits; (3) estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes; and (4) income tax provisions, except certain provisions relating to retirement distributions and tax-exempt organizations. Declares it not in order in the House of Representatives or the Senate, unless waived or suspended by a three-fifths vote, to consider any legislation that increases or adds an income tax rate, reduces the standard deduction, or provides any exclusion, deduction, credit, or other benefit that reduces federal revenues.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
District of Columbia Personal Protection Act - Amends specified law prohibiting the killing of wild birds and wild animals in the District of Columbia to declare that nothing in it or any other provision of law shall authorize or be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise not prohibited from possessing firearms under Federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by Federal law nor subject to the National Firearms Act. Denies the District any authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms. Amends the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 to repeal the definition of a machine gun as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading. (Thus repeals the ban on semiautomatic weapons.) Redefines "machine gun" to include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person. Repeals the District's: (1) registration requirement for possession of firearms; (2) prohibition on possession of handgun restricted pistol bullets; and (3) requirement that, under certain conditions, firearms in the possession of certain individuals must be kept unloaded, disassembled, or with the trigger locked. Repeals the definition of restricted pistol bullet as any bullet designed for use in a pistol which, when fired from a pistol with a barrel of five inches or less in length, is capable of penetrating commercially available body armor with a penetration resistance equal to or greater than that of 18 layers of kevlar. Maintains the current ban on the possession and control of a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, or short-barreled rifle. Eliminates criminal penalties for possessing an unregistered firearm. Amends Federal law to eliminate criminal penalties for carrying a pistol whether loaded or unloaded in one's dwelling house, place of business, or on land possessed by such person. Amends the District of Columbia Code to extend to firearms generally (currently, only to pistols) the prohibition against carrying such a weapon either openly or concealed within the District without a license issued pursuant to D.C. law. Specifies exceptions to the prohibition against carrying concealed weapons in the District.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for an individual who is either: (1) age 55 or older; or (2) is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Designates June 2005 as National Internet Safety Month. Recognizes that National Internet Safety Month provides an opportunity to educate the American people about the dangers and the importance of being safe and responsible online. Commends national and community organizations for their work in promoting such awareness and for providing information and training to develop the critical thinking and decision making skills needed to be safe online. Calls on Internet safety organizations, law enforcement, educators, community leaders, parents, and volunteers to increase their efforts to raise online safety awareness.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 - Amends Federal monetary law to set forth requirements for the redesign and issuance of circulating $1 coins emblematic of each President of the United States. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) to issue bullion coins emblematic of the spouse of each such President during the same period in which the $1 coins are issued. Expresses the sense of Congress about the issuance of such coins. Instructs the Secretary to strike and issue for sale $20 gold bullion coins initially bearing the original designs by James Earle Fraser, which appear on the 5-cent coin commonly referred to as the "Buffalo nickel" or the "1913 Type 1." Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue 1-cent coins during the year 2009, whose obverse design continues to bear the Victor David Brenner likeness of President Abraham Lincoln, and whose reverse design bears four different designs each representing a different aspect of Lincoln's life.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2005
Code Talkers Recognition Act - Requires 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 commemorative medals of appropriate design to Sioux, Comanche, Choctaw, Sac and Fox, and any other Native American Code Talkers during World War I, World War II, and any other foreign conflict in which the United States was involved during the 20th Century in recognition of their contributions to the United States. Allows the posthumous award of a medal authorized by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to extend 19 listed water contracts in Idaho, unless a non-federal party to the contract objects, until the earlier of: (1) the expiration of the two-year period beginning on the date on which the contract would expire but for this Act; or (2) the date the parties execute a new contract.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Supports the participants of the historic meeting of the Assembly to Promote the Civil Society in Cuba in May 2005 in Havana. Urges the international community to support the Assembly's mission to bring democracy and human rights to Cuba. Encourages the international community to oppose any attempts by the Cuban Government to repress Assembly organizers and participants. Shares the Assembly's pro-democracy ideals and believes that the Assembly and its mission will advance Cuba's freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
Jobs Protection and Estate Tax Reform Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to accelerate the repeal of the tax on estates and generation-skipping transfers to January 1, 2005, and to make such repeal permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Volunteer Pilot Organization Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to exempt from liability a nonprofit volunteer pilot organization that flies for public benefit, its staff members, and its volunteers for harm caused by a volunteer while flying, in furtherance of the purpose of the organization, an aircraft for which the volunteer was properly licensed and insured. Directs the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on the availability of insurance to nonprofit volunteer pilot organizations that fly for public benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Railroad Competition Act of 2005 - Amends Federal transportation law to specify the primary objectives of U.S. rail transportation policy. Requires a rail carrier, upon shipper request, to establish a rate for transportation and provide requested service between any two points on the carrier's system where traffic originates, terminates, or may reasonably be interchanged. Specifies matters the carrier must disregard when establishing such rate. Prohibits the Surface Transportation Board (STB) from issuing a certificate authorizing construction and operation of railroad lines, or exempt from such certificate requirement any related activity, that involves a transfer of interest in a line of railroad, from a Class I rail carrier to a Class II or III rail carrier, if the activity directly or indirectly would result in a restriction of: (1) the ability of the Class II or Class III rail carrier to interchange traffic with other carriers; or (2) competition between or among rail carriers in the region affected by the activity in a manner or to an extent that would violate Federal antitrust laws. Prescribes a procedure for shipper petition and STB review of any activity alleged to have resulted in a restriction of competition for at least ten years. Changes from discretionary to mandatory the authority of the STB to require rail carriers to enter into reciprocal switching agreements. Prohibits the STB from requiring evidence of anticompetitive conduct by a rail carrier from which access is sought. Requires the STB to designate any State or part of a State as an area of inadequate rail competition after making certain findings. Requires the STB to post rail service complaints on its website. Requires submission to arbitration of certain rail rate, service, and other disputes. Requires the STB, with respect to the filing of a complaint, to adopt an alternative method of determining the reasonableness of rail rates using the railroad's actual costs. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish within the Department of Agriculture an Office of Rail Customer Advocacy with respect to rail transportation of agricultural and forestry commodities or products. Amends the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 to make mandatory the Secretary's authority to provide direct loans and loan guarantees to State and local governments, approved agreements or interstate compacts, sponsored authorities and corporations, railroads, and joint ventures that include at least one railroad for railroad rehabilitation and improvement projects.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2005
Commonsense Consumption Act of 2005 - Prohibits new and dismisses pending civil actions by any person against a manufacturer, marketer, distributor, advertiser, or seller of food or a trade association for any injury related to a person's accumulated acts of consumption of food and weight gain, obesity, or any associated health condition, excluding actions alleging: (1) a breach of express contract or express warranty provided that the grounds of recovery are unrelated to a person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; (2) a knowing violation of a federal or state statute applicable to the marketing, advertisement, or labeling of food with intent for a person to rely on that violation, where such person relied on that violation, and where such reliance was the proximate cause of injury related to that person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; or (3) a violation brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the Federal Trade Commission Act or by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Requires in any excluded action: (1) a stay of discovery during the pendency of any motion to dismiss, unless necessary to preserve evidence or to prevent undue prejudice; and (2) evidence preservation during the stay. Requires the complaint in such an action to plead with particularity: (1) each element of the cause of action; (2) the Federal and State statutes that were allegedly violated; (3) the specific facts alleged to constitute the violation of law; and (4) the specific facts that are alleged to have caused the claimed injury.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2005
Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2005 - Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions ordinarily incident to such travel relating to: (1) accompanied personal baggage; (2) payment of living expenses and the acquisition of personal-use goods or services; (3) travel arrangements; (4) nonscheduled air, sea, or land voyage transactions (such provision does not permit the carriage of articles other than accompanied baggage into Cuba or the United States); and (5) normal banking transactions. States that such provision does not: (1) restrict presidential authority in time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba, or of imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers; and (2) authorize U.S. importation of personal consumption goods acquired in Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Climate Change Technology Deployment in Developing Countries Act of 2005 - Amends the Global Environmental Protection Assistance Act of 1989 to consider the Department of State as the lead agency for integrating into U.S. foreign policy the goal of reducing greenhouse gas intensity in developing countries. Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) provide assistance to developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas intensity; (2) inventory greenhouse gas intensity reducing technologies and identify appropriate technologies for developing countries; (3) develop a technology strategic plan and carry out demonstration projects in at least ten countries; and (4) carry out fellowship and exchange programs for officials from developing countries to acquire U.S. expertise in greenhouse gas intensity reduction practices. Directs the U.S. Trade Representative to seek to eliminate foreign trade barriers to the export of U.S. greenhouse gas intensity reducing technologies and practices. Establishes an interagency working group to carry out a greenhouse gas intensity reducing technology export initiative. Terminates programs under this Act as of December 31, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Climate Change Technology Deployment and Infrastructure Credit Act of 2005 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to direct the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a national strategy to promote greenhouse gas intensity reducing technologies and practices developed through research and development programs conducted by National Laboratories, other Federal research facilities, universities, and the private sector. Directs the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to establish: (1) an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Climate Change Technology (Committee) to coordinate Federal climate change activities and programs; (2) the Climate Change Technology Program; and (3) Climate Change Technology Working Group. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish within the Department of Commerce the Climate Change Science Program. Directs the Committee to develop and propose standards and best practices for calculating, monitoring, and analyzing greenhouse gas intensity. Directs the Secretary to make financial assistance available to eligible project developers and project owners to supplement private sector financing for eligible projects. Instructs the Secretary to establish a Energy Climate Credit Board to implement the greenhouse gas intensity reducing technology deployment program. Sets forth parameters regarding Board assistance, determination of eligibility and project selection.
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 · 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 · 18 April 2005
Senior Elder Care Relief and Empowerment (SECURE) Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit for 50 percent of expenses exceeding $1,000 that are incurred for the care of chronically ill individuals who have attained normal retirement age (as determined under the Social Security Act). Allows the credit for certain long-term care services, respite care, or adult day care, but disqualifies expenses that are compensated by insurance or paid to a nursing facility.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2005
Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2005 - Authorizes the presiding judge of a U.S. appellate court or U.S. district court to permit the photographing, electronic recording, broadcasting, or televising to the public of court proceedings over which that judge presides. Directs: (1) a district court, upon the request of any witness in a trial proceeding other than a party, to order the face and voice of the witness to be disguised or otherwise obscured to render the witness unrecognizable to the broadcast audience of the trial proceeding; and (2) the presiding judge in a trial proceeding to inform each witness who is not a party of his or her right to make such request. Authorizes the Judicial Conference of the United States to promulgate advisory guidelines to which a presiding judge may refer in making decisions regarding the management and administration of photographing, recording, broadcasting, or televising described in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2005
Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln in commemoration of the bicentennial of his birth. Permits issuance of such coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2009. Subjects the coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
National Drought Preparedness Act of 2005 - Establishes in the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture the National Drought Council which shall develop a comprehensive National Drought Policy Action Plan, evaluate and coordinate Federal drought-related programs, establish and improve the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), and undertake public awareness activities. Terminates the Council eight years after enactment of this Act. Directs the Secretary to establish the National Office of Drought Preparedness to assist the Council. Establishes in the Treasury the Drought Assistance Fund, which shall be used to pay the cost of technical and financial assistance to States, Indian tribes, local governments, watershed groups, and critical service providers for: (1) drought preparedness plans and drought mitigation; (2) expanding the technology transfer of drought and water conservation strategies and innovative water supply techniques; (3) developing post-drought evaluations and recommendations; and (4) supplementing the costs of implementing NIDIS-related actions undertaken pursuant to this Act. Directs the Secretary to issue related implementing guidelines, including special requirements applicable to interstate watersheds. Requires Federal agencies to develop and implement drought preparedness plans. Authorizes States, Indian tribes, local governments, watershed groups, and regional water providers to develop and implement such plans. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to require the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse States for costs of prepositioning wildfire suppression resources.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to require that a member insured under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program be automatically issued a traumatic injury protection rider that will provide a payment of up to $100,000 per event if the member, while so insured, sustains a traumatic injury that results in: (1) a loss of sight, limbs, movement, speech, or hearing; (2) certain burns; or (3) a coma or the inability to carry out certain daily living activities. Provides coverage exceptions, including attempted suicide or self-inflicted injury, committing or attempting to commit a felony, being legally intoxicated, or willful misconduct. Provides specific payment amounts with respect to each type of injury or loss. Requires the payment, while a member is serving on active or reserve duty, of premiums for such additional coverage. Terminates such coverage upon separation from the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Enhanced Safety from Wildfire Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 with respect to fires that spread from forested Federal lands onto nonfederal lands and cause injuries or property loss. Assumes Federal responsibility for injuries or property loss resulting from such fires under the Federal Tort Claims Act and other Federal law pertaining to the United States as a defendant in District Court. Provides for exceptions in certain cases, including if: (1) the nonfederal land exceeds 6,400 acres and is being used for commercial timber production (unless the nonfederal land was being managed to achieve or maintain condition class 1 health status immediately before the fire); (2) the Federal land is a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System; or (3) the Federal land comprises less than 6,400 acres and is not contiguous to other Federal lands. States that Federal responsibility will apply in the case of injuries or property loss from a fire originating on National Forest System or Bureau of Land Management lands administered under the authorities of the O&C Sustained Yield Act of 1937 and that comprise less than 6,400 acres.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
Workforce Health Improvement Program Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of employees: (1) the value of any on-premises employer-provided athletic facility; and (2) fees, dues, or membership expenses paid to an athletic or fitness facility by an employer for its employees, but not exceeding $900 per employee per year. Allows employers a tax deduction for fees, dues, or membership expenses paid to an athletic or fitness facility. Limits the amount of such deduction to $900 per employee per year.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area Act - Renames the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in Idaho as the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in honor of the late Morley Nelson, an international authority on birds of prey, who was instrumental in the establishment of this National Conservation Area.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Designates April 15, 2005, as National Youth Service Day. Recognizes and commends the significant contributions of American youth. Encourages the cultivation of a common civic bond among young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their communities, and the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes and which make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to continue to be treated as tax-exempt organizations so long as all of the active members of the recipient organization are full-time students at the college or university with which the recipient organization is associated.
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
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal specified occupational taxes relating to distilled spirits, wine, and beer. Revises recordkeeping requirements for wholesale and retail liquor dealers. Requires liquor dealers who are subject to recordkeeping requirements to register with the Secretary of the Treasury. Makes it unlawful for any liquor dealer to purchase distilled spirits for resale from any person other than a wholesale dealer in liquor subject to recordkeeping requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2005
Rural Schools Geography Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide that a local educational agency shall not be required, under certain requirements added by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to give a student the option to transfer to another school if such option is impractical owing to the distance to be traveled, a geographical barrier or hazard, the duration of the travel, or an unusually high cost of travel.
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.
![Official portrait of Sen. Craig, Larry E. [R-ID]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c000858_200.jpg)