United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Better Healthcare Through Information Technology Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology to develop a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the public-private American Health Information Collaborative to recommend to the President uniform policies to support the widespread adoption of health information technology and modifications to standards for the electronic exchange of health information. Requires the President to review and, if appropriate, provide for the adoption of such standards. Prohibits any federal agency from expending federal funds to purchase hardware, software, or support services that are inconsistent with adopted standards. Requires all federal agencies collecting health data to comply with the adopted standards. Requires the Secretary to develop criteria to: (1) ensure uniform and consistent implementation of any standards voluntarily adopted by private entities; and (2) ensure and certify hardware, software, and support services compliance with adopted standards. Allows the Secretary to award grants to: (1) facilitate the purchase and enhance the utilization of qualified health information technology systems; and (2) carry out demonstration projects to develop academic programs integrating qualified health information technology systems in the clinical education of health professionals. Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop quality measurement systems for the purposes of measuring the quality of care patients receive; and (2) study methods to create efficient reimbursement incentives for improving health care quality. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ), to develop a Center for Best Practices for the effective use health information technology. Allows the Director of AHRQ to establish a demonstration program to award grants or contracts to support health information network planning, implementation, and evaluation activities. Amends the Social Security Act to allow physicians to receive financial support regarding the electronic exchange of health information.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Domestic Partner Health Benefits Equity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to certain employer-provided health care benefits, to provide for the treatment of domestic partners on an equal basis with spouses and dependents by designating as a dependent any individual who is an eligible beneficiary under an employer's health care benefits plan.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
ALS Registry Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); and (2) establish a national registry for the collection and storage of ALS data. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish the Advisory Committee on the National ALS Registry to study and make recommendations to the Secretary concerning: (1) the development and maintenance of the registry; (2) the type of information to be included; (3) the manner in which data is to be collected; (4) the use and availability of such data; and (5) the collection of information about diseases and disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on ALS. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for public access to an electronic national database that accepts data from state registries, health care professionals, and others as recommended by the Advisory Committee in a manner that protects personal privacy. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information is made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2005
Justice for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2005 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to require administrative law judges in the Department of Health and Human Services involved with the Medicare appeals process to be bound only by applicable statutes, regulations, and rulings issued in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act. Declares that such judges shall not be required to give substantial deference to local coverage determinations, local medical review policies, or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services program guidance. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure, in providing for the geographic distribution of administrative law judges, that: (1) there is at least one site in each state, the District of Columbia, and each territory for in-person hearings before a judge; and (2) there are at least two such sites in the five states with the largest populations, geographically distributed within each state. Directs the Secretary to ensure that: (1) if an individual entitled to or enrolled for Medicare benefits requests a hearing before an administrative law judge, it shall be in-person unless he or she requests that it be conducted using tele- or video-conferencing technologies; and (2) the time frame to decide an appeal is not different for either kind of hearing. Delays from October 1, 2005, until October 1, 2006, the transfer of the adjudication authority of administrative law judges responsible for hearing Medicare cases from the Commissioner of Social Security and the Social Security Administration to the Secretary and the Department of Health and Human Services.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2005
Disapproves the rule submitted by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 15, 2005, relating to the removal of coal- and oil-fired electric generating units from the list of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2005
Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act or the IMPACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand an existing grant program for training for health profession students to include the treatment of overweight, obesity, and eating disorders. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for the training of primary care physicians and other health professions on how to identify, treat, and prevent obesity or eating disorders and aid individuals who are overweight, obese, or who suffer from eating disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting though the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants for the planning and implementation of programs that promote healthy eating behaviors and physical activity. Allows the Secretary, acting through the National Center for Health Statistics, to provide for the collection and analysis of data for determining the fitness levels and energy expenditures of children and data collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to review the research to determine if the information might be important for the health disparities report. Permits states to use preventive health and health services block grants for activities and community education programs designed to address and prevent obesity and eating disorders. Requires the Secretary to report to the relevant congressional committees on: (1) the causes and health implications of being overweight, obese, or having an eating disorder; and (2) the effectiveness of campaigns to change children's behaviors and reduce obesity.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2005
Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Therapy and Research Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract with qualified cord blood stem cell banks to assist in the collection and maintenance of cord blood to be made available for transplantation through the Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Cell Transplantation Program. Requires the Secretary to require that recipients of such contracts: (1) acquire and store donated units of human cord blood; and (2) make collected cord blood units available for stem cell transplantation or, if not appropriate for clinical use, available for peer-reviewed research. Requires the Secretary to establish a demonstration project for the collection and storage of cord blood units for a family where a relative has been diagnosed with a condition that will benefit from transplantation. Amends the Public Health Service Act to rewrite provisions requiring the Secretary to establish and maintain a National Bone Marrow Donor Registry to require the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish and maintain the Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Cell Transplantation Program to increase the number of transplants for recipients suitably matched to biologically unrelated donors of bone marrow and cord blood. Requires the Secretary to establish a related Advisory Council. Prescribes new requirements for the Program, including: (1) operating a system for listing, searching, and facilitating the distribution of donated cord blood units; (2) maintaining and expanding medical contingency response capabilities to prepare for and respond effectively to biological, chemical, or radiological attacks and other ublic health emergencies that can damage marrow; and (3) carrying out recruitment programs and educational activities. Requires the Secretary to: (1) enforce quality standards and donor selection criteria; (2) establish an office of patient advocacy; and (3) establish a scientific database of outcome information.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2005
Vests responsibility for the facilities management and operations of the Capitol Visitor Center in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), subject to congressional oversight by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and as determined separately by the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Uniting American Families Act or the Permanent Partners Immigration Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include permanent partners (as defined by this Act) within the scope of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2005
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly benefit of $1,000 to certain honorably-discharged veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946 (or to their survivors). Includes service in the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service. Exempts benefits paid under this Act from taxation. Provides for benefits for World War II Merchant Mariners under title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Health Technology to Enhance Quality Act of 2005 or the Health TEQ Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology to carry out programs and activities to develop a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure. Requires the Coordinator to establish a permanent Electronic Health Information Standards Development Working Group to review existing standards, identify deficiencies, and recommend modifications. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review and provide for the adoption by the federal government of any recommended modification or standard. Requires the Secretary to develop criteria to: (1) ensure uniform and consistent implementation of any standards voluntarily adopted by private entities; and (2) ensure and certify hardware, software, and support services compliance with adopted standards. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Coordinator, to direct and coordinate federal spending related to the electronic exchange of health information and the adoption of recommendations of the Working Group. Prohibits any federal agency from expending federal funds to purchase hardware, software, or support services for implementation of a standard related to the electronic exchange of health information that is not an adopted standard. Allows the Secretary to award grants for the implementation of regional or local health information plans. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) a safe harbor for group purchasing of hardware, software, and support services; and (2) guidelines that permit certain arrangements between health plans and issuers and health care providers. Requires the heads of relevant federal agencies to adopt and review uniform health care quality measures. Requires the Secretary to establish a Medicare value based purchasing pilot program and authorize waivers for states to establish value based purchasing programs for state Medicaid programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2005
Reiterates Senate support for the 1998 Good Friday Agreement as the blueprint for a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Irish Republican Army (IRA) must complete its decommissioning and cease to exist as a paramilitary organization; (2) the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland must share power with all parties according to the democratic mandate of the Agreement; (3) Sinn Fein must work with the Police Service of Northern Ireland; (4) the leadership of Sinn Fein must insist that those responsible for, and witnesses to, Robert McCartney's murder cooperate with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and be protected from IRA retaliation; and (5) the government of the United Kingdom (UK) must restore democratic institutions, complete demilitarization, and advance equality and human rights in Northern Ireland.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2005
Student Fairness Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to rebate the amount of aid lost to students whose Pell Grants were reduced or eliminated for academic year 2005-2006 as a result of the update to the tables for state and other taxes in the student aid need analysis determination of expected family contribution.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Medical Education Affordability Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to revise specified regulations regarding student loan repayment deferment under certain programs of the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to borrowers who are in postgraduate medical or dental internship, residency, or fellowship programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Youth Service Scholarship Act of 2005 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a Public Service Incentives college scholarship program to reward low-income students who have, during high school, and who continue, during college, to make significant public service contributions to their communities. Requires 300 hours of public service by the student: (1) during each of two academic years of secondary school, to be eligible for a scholarship for the first year of college; and (2) during the preceding postsecondary academic year, to be eligible for a second, third, or fourth year. Requires such students to: (1) have been eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; and (2) be eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants in the year in which the scholarships are awarded. Sets the scholarship amount at $5,000 for any academic year during a student's first four years of undergraduate education, and provides for adjustments of such amount in the event of insufficient appropriations. Requires applications to demonstrate maintenance of satisfactory academic progress and at least a 3.0 grade point average. Requires program dissemination and promotion.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2005
Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2005 - Prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reallocating primary allocations of bands of frequencies of the amateur radio and amateur satellite services, diminishing the secondary allocations of such bands to such services, or making additional allocations within such bands that would substantially reduce their utility to the amateur radio or satellite service, unless the FCC provides equivalent replacement spectrum to amateur radio and satellite service.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable J. James Exon, former United States Senator for Nebraska. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on June 13, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Exon.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
National Oceans Protection Act of 2005 - Declares the purpose of this Act is to secure for future U.S. generations a full range of benefits of healthy marine ecosystems. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act - Specifies a national ocean policy. Establishes in federal law (as it already exists under Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Establishes: (1) a Council on Ocean Stewardship; and (2) a Presidential Panel of Advisers on Oceans and Climate. Requires the head of each federal agency that undertakes, authorizes, or funds an activity that affects U.S. ocean or coastal waters or resources to make a certification that such action will not harm the marine ecosystem. Directs the Administrator to develop and maintain a coordinated offshore permit program for certain non-extractive activities in federal waters. Establishes: (1) the Marine Resources Trust Fund; (2) a Committee on Ocean Science, Education, and Operations; and (3) a National Ocean Science and Technology Scholarship Program. Deep Sea Coral Protection Act - Requires the Administrator to: (1) research and map deep sea corals and sponges; and (2) compare areas open to bottom-tending mobile fishing gear with areas designated as a Coral Management Area (CMA). Authorizes the President to permit the Administrator to identify, with foreign entities, areas in international waters that would benefit from additional protection for deep sea corals and deep sea sponges. Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to establish a habitat protection program to protect seafloor habitats from the adverse impacts of bottom-tending mobile fishing gear and any other gear or practice that damages seafloor habitat. Requires the Secretary to prepare and provide guidance for the development of Fisheries Ecosystem Plans. Requires fishery management plans to: (1) establish and implement a bycatch monitoring and minimization plan; and (2) account for all direct and indirect sources of fishing mortality (including bycatch mortality) in stock assessments, in determining the maximum sustainable yield for the fishery, in establishing total allowable catch and other catch limits necessary to achieve the optimum yield, and in counting the catch. Cetacean and Sea Turtle Conservation Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary to enter into negotiations with countries that engage in commercial fishing operations that adversely impact cetaceans or sea turtles that result in agreements requiring such countries to reduce bycatch of such animals to at least sustainable levels. Provides grants to persons to carry out research and development (R&D) of appropriate fishing gear and methods for use in oceans inhabited by cetaceans or sea turtles. Revises individual fishing quota provisions to provide for establishment of a fishing quota system through a fishery management plan or amendment. Requires that such a plan: (1) include conservation management measures; (2) establish procedures for a Regional Fishery Management Council (or the Secretary) to review the quota system; (3) allocate, review, and limit or terminate quota shares in accordance with this Act; and (4) not require shares to be held by a person engaged in personal-use fishing, provided the plan designates a separate portion of the allowable catch for such purposes. Requires a Council to make a fair allocation of the total allowable catch limit as quota shares among existing categories of vessels, fishing gear types, or other appropriate qualifiers. Sets forth certain requirements for the allocation, transfer, or termination of a share issued under such a system. Fisheries Science and Management Enhancement Act of 2005 - Requires each science and statistical committee established by a Council to include a fishery and marine science subcommittee to determine biological catch limits that will prevent overfishing in a fishery and any protections required for threatened or endangered species. Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize the Secretary to establish a gear research mini-grant program for developing new types of fishing gear designed to eliminate or reduce the incidental taking of marine mammals. Establishes a Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Program. Establishes a Community-Based Restoration Program. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to require the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop criteria designed to help prevent development and substantial redevelopment in coastal areas. Establishes the NOAA National Office of Education. Ballast Water Management Act of 2005 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to revise certain aquatic invasive species prevention requirements to: (1) apply them to certain U.S. vessels and to certain foreign vessels that are en route to, or have departed from, a U.S. port; and (2) establish ballast water and sediment management standards for vessels of the armed forces. Sets forth protocols for the early detection and monitoring of recently established aquatic invasive species in U.S. waters. Requires certain administering agencies to conduct a marine and freshwater research program to assess rates of, patterns of, and conditions surrounding introductions of nonidigenous aquatic species in aquatic ecosystems. Requires the Invasive Species Council to coordinate with the Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force to combat aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force, the Council, and the Secretary of State to ensure that international efforts to prevent and control aquatic invasive species are coordinated with U.S. policies. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require the Administrator to: (1) conduct a program to monitor aquatic sediment quality; and (2) promulgate sediment quality criteria and standards protective of the most sensitive aquatic species at their most sensitive life stages. Requires a state whenever it has reviewed or adopted new water standards to adopt certain advanced wastewater treatment standards for the removal of nutrients from discharges into marine and estuarine water and freshwater. Authorizes a person to file a civil suit against any person (including the government) in U.S. district court for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Prevention and Recovery of Missing Children Act of 2005 - Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require each State reporting on missing children to: (1) ensure that no law enforcement agency within the State establishes or maintains any policy that requires the removal of an entry from its State law enforcement system or the National Crime Information Center computer network based solely on the person's age; and (2) provide that any relevant information shall be entered within two hours of receipt (currently, immediately). Revises the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act to require the responsible official to obtain from a sex offender who is required to register: (1) information regarding the offender's anticipated future residence, employer's name and address, license plate number and vehicle, and student enrollment; and (2) fingerprints and a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sample, unless they were obtained within the previous three months. Sets forth requirements regarding State: (1) procedures involving offenders intending to move to another State; (2) timetables for the verification of registry information and the taking of photographs; and (3) procedures requiring offenders to obtain a driver's license or identification card from the State department of motor vehicles at the time of registration. Requires States to: (1) designate a failure to comply with the registration and verification requirements as a felony and permit such failure to be grounds for the immediate issuance of an arrest warrant; and (2) consider a failure to comply as an ongoing offense and a failure to register each item of changed registry information as a separate offense.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Information Technology for Health Care Quality Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of Health Information Technology to: (1) improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery through the use of health information technology; (2) provide national leadership relating to such technology; (3) direct all federal health information technology activities; (4) facilitate the interaction between the federal government and the private sector relating to the development and use of such technology; and (5) develop a national strategy for improving the quality and enhancing the efficiency of health care through the use of such technology and the creation of a National Health Information Infrastructure. Requires the Director of the Office to approve or disapprove the policies of federal departments or agencies that would significantly affect the use of such technology, and provide for the adoption and dissemination of government standards that promote the efficient exchange of data between health information technology systems. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from purchasing any health care information technology system that is not in compliance with such standards. Requires the Director to guarantee payment of the principal and interest on loans made to eligible entities, and award competitive matching grants, to: (1) implement local health information infrastructure to facilitate the development of interoperability across health care settings; or (2) facilitate the purchase and adoption of health information technology. Requires the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish uniform health care quality measures and public reporting requirements across all federally supported health delivery programs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2005
Financial Privacy Breach Notification Act of 2005 - Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to require a financial institution to promptly notify the following entities whenever a breach of personal information has occurred at such institution: (1) each customer affected by such breach; (2) certain consumer reporting agencies; and (3) appropriate law enforcement agencies. Requires any person that maintains personal information for or on behalf of a financial institution to promptly notify the institution of any case in which such customer information has been breached. Prescribes notification procedures. Authorizes a customer injured by a violation of this Act to institute a civil action to recover damages. Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to enforce compliance with this Act, including the assessment of fines for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Getting Results for Advanced Degrees Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize provisions relating to graduate student assistance. Extends and increases the authorization of appropriations for: (1) Jacob K. Javits Fellowships (Javits Fellows); and (2) graduate assistance in areas of national need. Sets the amount of a stipend under both such programs at the same level as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, without regard to financial need. Revises Board membership requirements under the Javits Fellows program. Establishes, and authorizes appropriations for, the Patsy T. Mink Fellowship program of awards to assist highly qualified minorities and women to acquire the doctoral degree, or highest possible degree available, in academic areas in which such individuals are underrepresented, to enable them to enter the higher education professoriate. Revises cost of attendance calculations for graduate students with one or more dependents to include actual living expenses incurred for dependents, including their room, board and health insurance (as well as, currently, dependent care). Increases unsubsidized Stafford loan limits for graduate and professional students. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat reasonable room, board, and special needs services allowances as part of permitted higher education expenses, in cases of qualified scholarships or of tuition reduction programs for teaching and research assistants. Amends HEA, as amended by the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004, to provide for further reduction of certain special allowances to lenders and holders of student loans. Directs the Secretary to use any funds made available thereby to carry out programs and activities under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2005
Violence Against Women Act of 2005 - Reauthorizes and increases funding under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 for grants to combat violence against women. Authorizes the Attorney General, through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, to award grants to improve court responses. Reauthorizes provisions of the Violence Against Women Acts of 2000 and 1994 concerning training and services for the elderly and the disabled and provisions of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act regarding funding for the national domestic violence hotline. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prevent cyber-stalking. Provides increased penalties for repeat domestic violence offenses and protection order violations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to: (1) fund programs serving domestic violence victims ages 12 to 24; (2) develop collaborative responses and services to families where there is both child maltreatment and domestic violence; (3) strengthen home visitation and health care system responses; and (4) develop long-term housing options for domestic violence victims who are homeless. Directs the Attorney General to award grants to reduce violence against women on college campuses. Authorizes limited emergency leave for a public employee who is a victim of domestic violence. Grants the Secretary of Homeland Security (currently, the Attorney General) authority to determine whether an alien is or has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking. Makes inapplicable a provision finding an alien inadmissible upon demonstrating a connection between the alien being a victim of a severe form of trafficking and that alien's unlawful presence in the United States. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) permit Indian law enforcement agencies to enter into, and obtain information from, federal criminal information databases, in cases of domestic violence; and (2) develop a national tribal sex offender registry and a tribal protection order registry. Establishes in the Office a Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2005
United States Workers Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to prohibit: (1) outsourced federal government work from being performed by a contractor or any subcontractor outside the United States unless federal employees previously performed such work outside the United States; (2) work on a contract from being performed outside the United States unless it is necessary in order to meet a requirement for the contract to be performed specifically at a location outside the United States or the President deems it necessary for national security reasons, or the head of the executive agency makes and reports a determination to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget that the property or services needed are available only outside the United States and no property or services available inside the United States would satisfy the agency's need; and (3) federal funds from being disbursed to a state until the Governor of the state has transmitted written certification that none of the funds will be spent for the performance of contracts outside the United States and if the Governor of such state determines that the property and services needed by the state are available only outside the United States and no property or services available inside the United States would satisfy the state's need and transmits a notification of such determination to the agency head administering the authority under which such funds are disbursed to or for such state.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2005
Calls on Congress, on the 40th anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut in which the Supreme Court held that married people have a constitutional right to use contraceptives, to take steps to ensure that all women have universal access to affordable contraception.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2005
Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2005 or Johanna's Law - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national campaign to increase the awareness and knowledge of women with respect to gynecologic cancers, which shall include: (1) maintaining a supply of written materials to provide information to the public on gynecologic cancers; and (2) developing and placing public service announcements to encourage women to discuss their risks of gynecologic cancers with their physicians. Requires the Secretary to award grants to nonprofit private entities to test different outreach and education strategies for increasing such awareness among women and health professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Stop Terminating Our Pensions Act - Imposes a six-month moratorium on terminations of certain pension plans, instituted under specified provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), in cases in which reorganization of contributing sponsors is sought in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under federal law or a felony under state or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the state or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one state and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist state, local, and Indian law enforcement officials with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to state and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Prohibits specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to study and provide sentencing enhancements for adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require the crime data to be collected and published by the Attorney General to include data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Directs the Secretary of Defense to permit any member of the Armed Forces to provide to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission testimony on the military value of a military installation inside the United States, for purposes of the consideration by such Commission of the Secretary's recommendations for the 2005 round of defense base closures and realignments under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990. Prohibits any retaliation or discrimination against a member providing or about to provide such testimony.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to revise the definition of dealer (in animals) to include: (1) sellers of dogs imported from outside the United States; and (2) persons who sell more than 25 dogs or cats or who whelp for sale more than six litters of dogs or cats annually. Defines "retail pet store" for purposes of the Act as a public retail establishment that sells animals commonly kept as pets in U.S. households (e.g., dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters). Excludes from such definition: (1) a person breeding animals to sell to the public as pets; (2) a person selling hunting, security, or breeding dogs; or (3) a person selling wild animals. Requires dealers and retail pet stores to provide the Secretary of Agriculture with source records relating to the purchase or acquisition of dogs and cats. Authorizes the Secretary to extend the period for the temporary suspension of a dealer license for a violation of the Act from 21 to 60 days, if the Secretary believes that such violation will continue past the initial 21-day period and will jeopardize the health of any animal. Authorizes the Secretary to apply directly to a U.S. district court for a temporary restraining order or injunction to address violations of the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should designate the week beginning September 11, 2005, as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) Congress is committed to achieving domestic hunger goals and ending hunger by 2015; (2) federal food and nutrition programs should receive adequate funding; and (3) the entitlement nature of the child and adult care food program, the food stamp program, the school breakfast and lunch programs, and the summer food service program should be preserved. Directs: (1) the American Communities Survey to collect and submit food security information to the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) the Secretary to conduct an annual study of hunger in the United States and develop recommendations on reducing domestic hunger. Directs the Secretary to make: (1) hunger-free communities collaborative grants to eligible public food program service providers or nonprofit organizations; (2) hunger-free communities infrastructure grants to eligible emergency feeding organizations; and (3) hunger-free communities training and technical assistance grants to eligible national or regional nonprofit organizations. (States that such grants' federal share shall not exceed 80 %.) Sets forth grant priorities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2005
Requires the Secretary of Defense, within seven days after the enactment of this Act, to submit to Congress all Department of Defense (DOD) documentation related to the 2005 round of defense base closures and realignments. Terminates the 2005 round if such documentation is not provided. Extends certain recommendation submission and related report dates under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 relating to the 2005 round of closures and realignments by the number of days after May 16, 2005, that the above documentation is submitted.
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
International and Foreign Language Studies Act of 2005 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for international education programs under title VI: (1) part A, international and foreign language studies; (2) part B, business and international education; and (3) part C, Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP). Authorizes the Secretary of Education to use up to 1% of title VI funds for program evaluation, outreach, and information dissemination. Revises VI-A to: (1) include support for instructors of less commonly taught languages among activities of national language and area centers and programs; (2) make undergraduate students eligible for fellowships for foreign language and area or international studies (in addition to graduate students under current law); (3) allow a portion of funds for undergraduate international studies and foreign language programs to be used for subgrants to undergraduate students for educational programs abroad that promote foreign language literacy and cultural knowledge, and are closely linked to grant program goals; (4) authorize the Secretary of Education to support data collection, analysis, and dissemination that helps achieve VI-A purposes; and (5) add to authorized uses of funds for technological innovation and cooperation for foreign information access. Revises VI-C to authorize the IIPP to provide summer stipends and Ralph Bunche scholarships for needy students to participate in IIPP programs. Authorizes: (1) waiver of an eligible recipient's match requirement for a professional development program; (2) broader institutional development; (3) advanced degrees in international relations; and (4) biennial reports.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Head Start Improvements for School Readiness Act - Amends the Head Start Act to revise and reauthorize Head Start programs. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide financial assistance to Head Start agencies for five-year periods. Extends the authorization of appropriations for Head Start programs through FY 2010. Revises authorized uses of quality improvement funds to include outreach to homeless families, migrant and seasonal farmworker families, and families with children with a limited English proficiency. Directs the Secretary (who is currently authorized) to award collaboration grants for Head Start and other related-agencies within states. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations to require Head Start agencies to ensure that eligible homeless children are identified and prioritized for enrollment. Revises requirements for designation as a Head Start agency. Requires each agency to establish a governing body. Revises the additional educational performance standards included as program quality standards, and performance measures for program monitoring. Requires Head Start agencies to report to the Secretary monthly on enrollment in their Head Start programs. Directs the Secretary to develop plans to reduce or eliminate under-enrollment in program with an enrollment less than 95% of its funded enrollment. Requires each agency to enroll 100% of its funded enrollment, and to maintain an active waiting list and outreach to the community and underserved populations. Establishes a Centers of Excellence in Early Childhood program. Requires Head Start alignment with K-12 education. Changes the Head Start family income eligibility requirement from below the poverty line to below 130 percent of the poverty line. Exempts military housing from being counted as family income in determining a child's eligibility to enroll in a Head Start program. Revises Early Head Start programs, including requiring center-based staff to have specified qualifications. Requires each Head Start agency to ensure that all of its teachers receive ongoing training in language and emergent literacy. Establishes a Tribal Colleges and Universities Head Start Partnership program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish an independent panel of experts to study research on early childhood; and (2) study the status of children with limited English proficiency and their families in Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Requires Head Start agencies to obtain written parental consent before administering to a child, or referring a child for, a non-emergency intrusive physical examination.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act of 2005 - Restricts a State from imposing its income tax on the salary of a nonresident individual employed in such State to the period when such individual is physically present and working in such State. Prohibits a State from deeming such an individual to be present or working in such State on the grounds that such individual is present or working at home (in another State) for the individual's convenience.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2005
Honors the life and work of Sister Dorothy Stang, an advocate for the rights of rural workers and peasants in Brazil's Amazon rain forest who was murdered in February 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to provide a minimum paid sick leave of: (1) seven days annually for those who work at least 30 hours per week; and (2) a prorated annual amount for those who work less than 30 but at least 20 hours a week, or less than 1,500 but at least 1,000 hours per year. Allows employees to use such leave to meet their own medical needs or to care for the medical needs of certain family members. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority with respect to this Act's provisions regarding employees covered by title I of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Provides that, for employees under their jurisdiction, such authority shall be exercised by the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, or the Merit Systems Protection Board. Declares that the requirements under this Act are minimum requirements, and are not to be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2005
National Foreign Language Coordination Act of 2005 - Establishes the National Foreign Language Coordination Council to develop and implement a national foreign language strategy. Includes heads of certain federal agencies as members of the Council. Establishes a National Language Director, to be appointed by the President, to: (1) chair the Council; (2) develop and oversee implementation of the strategy; (3) establish formal relationships among major stakeholders, including federal, state, and local government agencies, academia, industry, labor, and heritage communities; and (4) coordinate and lead a public information campaign. Requires the Council to consult with states to provide for designation of state contact persons. Encourages formation of state interagency councils, or designation of state lead agencies, to coordinate with the Council and state and local agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2005 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Makes federal minimum wage requirements applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage there shall be gradually increased to equal the federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Amends the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 to postpone the 2005 round of defense base closures and realignments, as currently required under such Act, until the last of the following occurs: (1) the complete analysis, consideration, and implementation by the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) of the recommendations of the Commission on Review of Overseas Military Facility Structure of the United States; (2) the return from deployment in Iraq of substantially all major U.S. combat units and assets; (3) the receipt by the congressional defense committees of the report on the quadrennial defense review to be submitted by the Secretary in 2006; (4) the complete development and implementation by the Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security of the National Maritime Security Strategy; (5) the complete development and implementation by the Secretary of the Homeland Defense and Civil Support directive; and (6) the receipt by the defense committees of a report from the Secretary assessing military installation needs. States that, effective May 13, 2005, the list of recommendations for 2005 base closures and realignments submitted by the Secretary pursuant to such Act shall have no further force and effect.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2005
Authorizes the display in the Senate Lobby of portraits in the Senate Leadership Portrait Collection at the direction of the Senate Commission on Art in accordance with specified prescribed guidelines. Provides that such Collection shall consist of portraits, selected by the Commission, of Majority or Minority Leaders and Presidents pro tempore of the Senate. Requires any portraits acquired for such Collection on or after the date of adoption of this resolution to be of an appropriate size for display in the Senate Lobby, as determined by the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Children and Family HIV/AIDS Research and Care Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require that recipients of certain grants related to HIV research and services for women, infants, and children agree to provide coordinated, family-centered care. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants to provide health care and other supportive services to youth with HIV designed to recruit and retain youth in care. Requires that chief elected officials in eligible areas and states prioritize certain grant funds using HIV case data rather than AIDS case data. Requires the Secretary to report on the status of using such HIV case data and the impact of this transition on the resources directed to women, infants, children, and youth. Requires the Secretary to award demonstration grants to public and nonprofit private entities to conduct assessments of the effectiveness of certain strategies in reducing the mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Director of the Office of AIDS Research, to report on activities related to the testing of potential HIV vaccine candidates in relevant pediatric populations. Requires the Commission of Food and Drugs to issue guidance on the minimum requirements for obtaining Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to test an HIV vaccine in pediatric populations and for a pediatric indication of an HIV vaccine. Requires the Director of NIH to invest in domestic and international research on specified topics related to HIV and pediatric populations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
No Child Left Behind Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, to subject to school facility capacity requirements the obligation of a local educational agency (LEA) to provide a public school choice option for students to transfer under certain conditions. Authorizes school construction and renovation grants to LEAs experiencing school overcrowding, with priority to LEAs having difficulty in meeting public school choice requirements. Revises requirements for: (1) supplemental educational services personnel qualifications, and nondiscrimination in such services; and (2) state qualifications for teachers and paraprofessionals. Directs the Secretary of Education to improve coordination among teacher quality programs authorized under ESEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Higher Education Act of 1965, and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998. Directs the Secretary to require LEAs and state educational agencies (SEAs) to give schools and LEAs, respectively, an opportunity to request a review of a determination that they did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2002-2003 school year. Prohibits the Secretary, an SEA, or an LEA, with respect to subsequent determinations of whether a school is subject to school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring as a result of not making AYP, from taking into account a 2002-2003 non-AYP determination that was revised under this Act, if the school received a final determination of AYP for such school year. Authorizes competitive grants to SEAs for increasing state and local data system capacity for assessment and accountability. Requires competitive grants to SEAs or SEA consortia to collaborate with institutions of higher education and research organizations in designing, improving, and ensuring accurate assessments of academic content and achievement standards for students who are limited English proficient and students with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 - Amends Federal monetary law to set forth requirements for the redesign and issuance of circulating $1 coins emblematic of each President of the United States. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary) to issue bullion coins emblematic of the spouse of each such President during the same period in which the $1 coins are issued. Expresses the sense of Congress about the issuance of such coins. Instructs the Secretary to strike and issue for sale $20 gold bullion coins initially bearing the original designs by James Earle Fraser, which appear on the 5-cent coin commonly referred to as the "Buffalo nickel" or the "1913 Type 1." Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue 1-cent coins during the year 2009, whose obverse design continues to bear the Victor David Brenner likeness of President Abraham Lincoln, and whose reverse design bears four different designs each representing a different aspect of Lincoln's life.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2005
Calls upon the President to issue a proclamation: (1) recognizing the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe; (2) reasserting the U.S. commitment to full implementation of the Helsinki Final Act; and (3) urging all participating countries to abide by their Helsinki obligations. Calls upon the President to convey to all Helsinki signatories that respect for human rights, democratic principles, and economic liberty continue to be vital elements in promoting a new era of democracy, peace, and unity in the region covered by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) at the 57th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission the United States should remain firmly opposed to commercial whaling (including any linking of a Revised Management Scheme (RMS) to the lifting of the commercial whaling moratorium), and take other specified related steps; and (2) the United States should make full use of all appropriate diplomatic mechanisms, federal law, relevant international laws and agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms to implement these goals.
United States · United States Congress · 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.
![Official portrait of Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000388_200.jpg)