United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Homeland Security Education Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to award scholarships for the pursuit of bachelor degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and critical foreign languages. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary to award grants to: (1) school districts which upgrade their mathematics and science programs and work with private or state or local government entities willing to donate equipment, mentoring personnel, and higher education scholarships for students participating in the programs; (2) scientists and engineers who return to school to become teachers in their fields in needy schools; (3) partnerships between school districts and institutions of higher education working to enhance the recruitment and professional development of foreign language teachers; and (4) institutions of higher education which develop programs to immerse students in a foreign language while they study science, technology, or engineering here or abroad. Amends the David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 to alter the terms of the work agreements required of recipients of scholarships and graduate fellowships in studies or languages critical to national security. Includes the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State among the agencies where service may be rendered. Sets federal employment and teaching alternatives when priority positions are unavailable. Directs the Secretary to award grants enabling institutions of higher education, in collaboration with elementary and secondary schools, to establish language learning pathways training students from elementary through graduate education to be proficient in critical foreign languages. Requires the Secretary to award scholarships to individuals proficient in critical foreign languages who return to school to become foreign language teachers in needy elementary or secondary schools. Amends federal law to create a student loan repayment pilot program for federal employees with critical science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and foreign language skills.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Mine Safety Enforcement, Reporting, and Training Act - Amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to require a minimum $500 penalty for a violation of the Act. Requires an operator of a mine to promptly pay a civil penalty owed under this Act before contesting the penalty before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission or appealing the decision to the appropriate court. Directs the Secretary of Labor to submit an annual report to Congress detailing fines assessed and collected. Authorizes increased appropriations for assistance to states under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide emergency financial assistance to eligible agricultural producers (other than sugar cane and sugar beet producers) who have incurred qualifying 2005 crop losses due to weather or related conditions (including crop disease, insects, and delayed harvest). Directs the Secretary to provide: (1) payments through the 2002 livestock compensation program to livestock producers who have incurred 2005 losses in emergency-designated counties; (2) livestock indemnity payments to producers who have incurred 2005 livestock disaster losses, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, and anthrax; (3) indemnity payments to poultry producers in hurricane-affected counties; (4) compensation for certain owners of flooded crop and grazing land in North Dakota; (5) sugarcane and sugar beet disaster assistance for qualifying producers and first processors in Louisiana counties designated as disaster areas due to Hurricanes Katrina or Rita, or to qualifying producers and first processors in Florida for 2005 losses due to hurricanes, floods, rain, or storms; (6) assistance to specialty and nursery crop producers in hurricane-affected counties; (7) assistance to dairy producers in hurricane-affected counties; (8) assistance to producers and first handlers of cottonseed; (9) grants for agricultural promotion; (10) supplemental economic loss payments under a specified rate to producers who received crop year 2005 commodity assistance; and (11) assistance to tree producers (including Christmas, potted, ornamental, and nursery trees, shrubs, and vines) in hurricane-affected counties. Authorizes the Secretary to provide: (1) financial and technical assistance to remove debris and animal carcasses that could adversely affect health and safety on non-federal land in hurricane-affected counties; and (2) immunizations to Department of Agriculture employees involved in direct recovery work in hurricane-affected counties. Directs the Secretary to hire additional state and county Farm Service Agency personnel to assist in agricultural disaster and economic assistance programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Safe Foreign Investments Act of 2006 - Amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to direct the President or his designee, no later than seven days before the completion of an investigation of a proposed or pending merger, acquisition, or takeover (transaction) that could affect persons engaged in commerce in the United States or the national security, and before any such determination becomes effective, to submit to the congressional homeland security committees a draft report of its findings. Requires mandatory investigations of a transaction involving an entity controlled by or acting on behalf of a foreign person other than a foreign government only in the case in which the transaction involves critical infrastructure and could affect U.S. national security. States that the President's designee, for purposes of such investigations, shall be the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Considers five specified Illinois school districts to be local educational agencies (LEAs) for purposes of the Impact Aid program, which compensates LEAs for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their school districts. Considers federally connected students in such districts to be attending schools in one such district, North Chicago Community Unit School District 187, for the purpose of making that district eligible for Impact Aid. Conditions such treatment on the agreement of the five school districts to apportion such assistance equitably among all five of them, and to use it only for direct educational services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Recognizes the health, economic, and social benefits of breastfeeding. Urges states to take steps to: (1) protect a mother's right to breastfeed; and (2) remove the barriers faced by women who breastfeed.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2006
Simplification Through Additional Reporting Tax Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include within the reporting requirements of investment brokers the adjusted basis of any security owned by customers of such brokers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2006
Alternative Energy Extender Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2010: (1) the tax credit for electricity produced from certain renewable resources; (2) the tax credit for holders of clean renewable energy bonds and the national volume cap for such bonds; (3) the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings; (4) the tax credit for new energy efficient homes; (5) the tax credit for residential energy efficient property; (6) the tax credits for investment in qualified fuel cells, microturbine power plants, and solar energy property; and (7) the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel and alternative fuels and for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property. Increases the maximum tax credit amounts for the advanced coal and gasification project programs. Extends through 2012 the taxpayer election to expense certain crude oil refinery property. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to extend through 2010 the suspension of duties on mixtures of ethyl alcohol and ethyl tertiary-butyl ether.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2006
Amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to repeal provisions concerning presidential authority to review certain proposed mergers, acquisitions, or takeovers (transactions) of U.S. entities by foreign entities. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the President (or his designee) to undertake an investigation to determine the effects on national or homeland security of transactions which could result in foreign control of persons engaged in interstate commerce in the United States. Requires the President to first conduct a review of the proposed transaction to determine whether an investigation is warranted. Requires, with respect to any investigation conducted, the Director of National Intelligence to create a report consolidating the intelligence findings, assessments, and concerns of each of the relevant members of the intelligence community. Requires the President to conduct a mandatory investigation in any instance in which an entity controlled by or acting on behalf of a foreign government seeks to engage in any transaction which would result in control of a person engaged in interstate commerce in the United States. Establishes the Committee for Secure Commerce to act as the President's designee in the conduct of such investigations. Authorizes the President to suspend or prohibit a transaction if he finds that: (1) there is credible evidence to believe that the foreign interest exercising control might take action that threatens the national or homeland security; and (2) provisions of law other than the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act do not provide adequate and appropriate authority to protect the national or homeland security. States that the President's actions and findings shall not be subject to judicial review. Requires reports from the President to Congress: (1) each time an investigation is completed; and (2) quarterly on each transaction being reviewed.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2006
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) it is time for Bosnia and Herzegovina to work toward creation of a state with more self-sustaining institutions; (2) any agreement on constitutional reform should advance the principles of democracy and tolerance, and bring the country closer to European Union (EU) membership; (3) the United States supports the development of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a unified, democratic state on the path toward Euro-Atlantic integration; (4) all parties to negotiations on the reforms of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina should work together so that a first set of revisions to the Constitution can take effect before national elections in October 2006; (5) all groups responsible for past violence and atrocities in Bosnia and Herzegovina must accept responsibility for their actions and promote reconciliation; and (6) all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina must comply with the directives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), arrest persons indicted for war crimes, and turn over fugitives to face justice at the International Criminal Tribunal.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2006
Afghan Women Empowerment Act of 2006 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the protection of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and their full participation in the reestablishment of democracy are essential to Afghanistan's reconstruction, and to achieve such reconstruction the U.S. government must commit resources to advance the rights of women throughout Afghanistan. Amends the Afghan Freedom Support Act of 2002 to revise the provisions respecting assistance to women and girls in Afghanistan. Extends funding authority. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) condition the provision of such assistance on the recipient adhering to international standards for women's rights and human rights; and (2) ensure that Afghan women-led nongovernmental organizations with demonstrated experience in delivering services to Afghan women and children receive grants without ethnic, religious, or any other discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2006
Small Employers Health Benefits Program Act of 2006 - Directs the Office of Personnel Management to administer a separate health insurance program for non-federal employees who are either self-employed or employees of a small business with fewer than 100 employees. Allows the Office to contract with carriers to provide health insurance under this Act. Requires the Office to ensure that a range of health benefits plans are provided, including one that provides the same benefits as the government-wide plan available to federal employees. Requires a carrier to determine the amount of premiums to assess for coverage based on a community rate that may be annually adjusted based on geographic area, family status, and age. Prohibits varying premium rates based on health-status related factors, gender, class of business, or claims experience. Permits the Office to reimburse a carrier for costs that exceed premiums received by a specified percentage. Requires a carrier to make payments to a contingency reserve fund established by the Office if the carrier's costs are lower than expected by a specified percentage. Allows the Office to use such funds to provide assistance to carriers that experience unanticipated financial hardships. Requires the Office to establish a reinsurance fund to provide payments to carriers that experience a catastrophic claim (a claim over $50,000) for benefits provided to an individual enrolled under this Act. Allows a participating employer to offer supplemental coverage options to employees for excepted benefits that are not subject to the Public Health Service Act requirements for health plans. Authorizes the Office to contract with entities to administer this health program regionally. Allows certain benefits to be offered to Medicare beneficiaries. Requires the Office to implement a public education campaign regarding this health insurance program. Allows a refundable tax credit for health insurance expenses of small employers who pay a specific percentage of employee expenses under such a health plan.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2006
Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) support a peaceful, two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in accordance with the Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Roadmap), and oppose those organizations, individuals, and countries that support terrorism and violently reject such two-state solution; (2) promote democracy and the cessation of terrorism and incitement in institutions and territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA); and (3) urge members of the international community to avoid contact with and refrain from financially supporting the terrorist organization Hamas until it agrees to recognize Israel, renounce violence, disarm, and accept prior agreements, including the Roadmap. Amends the the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide assistance under such Act to the PA only during a period for which a presidential certification has determined that: (1) no PA ministry, agency, or instrumentality is controlled by Hamas unless Hamas has publicly acknowledged Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and is adhering to all previous agreements and understandings with the United States, Israel, and the international community, including agreements and understandings pursuant to the Roadmap; and (2) the PA has made demonstrable progress toward purging from its security services individuals with ties to terrorism, dismantling all terrorist infrastructure and cooperating with Israel's security services, halting anti-American and anti-Israel incitement, and ensuring democracy and financial transparency. Directs the President to make and transmit such certifications to Congress every six months. Provides for, and sets forth the conditions under which, the President may waive such limitations for national security reasons. Prohibits during a period in which a certification is is not in effect (period) with respect to the PA: (1) assistance under this Act to nongovernmental organizations for the West Bank and Gaza (exempts assistance for basic human needs, promotion of democracy, or for national security interests from such limitation); and (2) establishment of an office, headquarters, premises, or other facilities within U.S. jurisdiction at the direction of, or with funds provided by, the PA (with a national security waiver). Expresses the sense of Congress that during any such period the territory controlled by the PA should be deemed to be in use as a terrorist sanctuary for purposes of the Export Administration Act of 1979, and of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989. States that during any such period: (1) a visa should not be issued to any alien who is an official of, affiliated with, or serving as a PA representative, other than the President of the PA and his or her personal representatives, provided that the President of the PA and such personal representatives are not affiliated with Hamas or any other foreign terrorist organization; (2) the President should restrict the travel of PA and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) officials and representatives, other than the President of the PA and his or her personal representatives, provided that the President of the PA and such personal representatives are not affiliated with Hamas or any other foreign terrorist organization, who are stationed at the United Nations in New York City to a 25-mile radius of the U.N. headquarters building; and (3) the President should direct the executive director at each international financial institution to use U.S. influence to prohibit assistance to the PA (exempts assistance for basic human needs and promotion of democracy from such limitation). Prohibits funds for the State Department from being used by any U.S. officer or employee to negotiate with members or official representatives of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, or any other Palestinian terrorist organization (except in emergency or humanitarian situations) until such organization: (1) recognizes Israel's right to exist; (2) renounces terrorism; (3) dismantles the terrorist infrastructure; and (4) recognizes all previous agreements and understandings between Israel and the PA.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2006
Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) reduce from 30 to seven days after the issuance of a warrant the period in which notice must be given to the subject of the warrant that it was issued to search for and seize any property or material that constitutes evidence of a criminal offense; and (2) repeal provisions treating as conclusive the certification of the Attorney General or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that certain disclosures of information endanger national security. Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to: (1) authorize judicial review of nondisclosure orders (orders prohibiting persons from disclosing that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has sought information); (2) repeal the requirement prohibiting judicial review of production or nondisclosure orders until one year after such order. Requires a production order (an order from the FBI Director to produce any tangible thing, such a book, document, or record) to either: (1) pertain to a foreign power, agent of a foreign power, or an individual in contact with, or known to, a suspected agent of a foreign power; or (2) be relevant to the activities of a suspected agent of a foreign power who is the subject of the authorized investigation. Amends the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 to sunset, as of December 31, 2009, the national security letter authority provisions added to the federal criminal code, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Right to Financial Privacy Act, and the National Security Act of 1947.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2006
Designates the week of March 13-March 19, 2006, as National Safe Place Week. Calls on people and groups to promote awareness of, and volunteer involvement in, the Safe Place program (offers young people in early stages of crisis safe places where trained volunteers are available to counsel and advise them).
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2006
Honest Leadership and Accountability in Contracting Act of 2006 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose fines and penalties on war profiteering and fraud. Requires revision of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide that no prospective contractor shall be considered to have a satisfactory record of integrity and ethics if it has a pattern of either overcharging the government or failing to comply with the law. Provides for the disclosure to Congress of audit reports issued by executive agencies. Requires the Federal Procurement Data System to be modified to include publication of information on specified federal contractor penalties and violations. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to prohibit awarding of certain monopoly federal contracts. Requires revision of the FAR to require competition for certain multiple award contracts. Denies protest rights for certain awards. Prohibits an agency from contracting for the performance of: (1) any inherently governmental function; or (2) acquisition functions closely associated with inherently governmental functions. Prescribes minimum requirements for political appointees holding public contracting and safety positions. Includes as a protected disclosure by a Federal employee: (1) any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure; and (2) the disclosure of information required to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs that the employee or applicant reasonably believes is direct evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement if such disclosure is made to a Member or employee of Congress who is authorized to receive information of the type disclosed. Sets forth provisions concerning review and appeal of actions concerning such disclosures. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide that, for purposes of provisions regarding the protection of voluntarily shared critical infrastructure information, a permissible use of independently obtained critical infrastructure information includes any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure. Requires agencies to inform employees on how to make a lawful disclosure of information.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2006
Nuclear Release Notice Act of 2006 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to condition the issuance of a license for a utilization facility on a requirement that, in the event of any unplanned release of either fission products or other radioactive substances, the licensee immediately notify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the state and county in which the facility is located.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2006
Congratulates Ray Brown, Willard Brown, Andy Cooper, Frank Grant, Pete Hill, Biz Mackey, Effa Manley, Joe Mendez, Alex Pompez, Cum Posey, Louis Santop, Mule Suttles, Ben Taylor, Cristobal Torriente, Sol White, J.L. Wilkinson, and Jud Wilson on being elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2006. Commends the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for their efforts to ensure such recognition.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2006
College Pathway Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to states to establish preschool through postsecondary (P-16) education stewardship commissions or systems consisting of such commissions and P-16 education data systems. Tasks each commission with reaching a consensus among statewide education stakeholders on the skills, knowledge, and patterns of coursework needed to successfully transition to and complete postsecondary education. Requires that state-level longitudinal P-16 data systems track the academic performance of each student so that the factors which correlate with such success may be identified and publicized.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2006
Foreign Investment Security Improvement Act of 2006 - Directs the President (or the President's designee) to investigate, under the Defense Production Act of 1950, the acquisition by Dubai Ports World (DP World), an entity owned or controlled by the Emirate of Dubai, of the Peninsular and Oriental (P&O) Steam Navigation Company, a national of the United Kingdom. Requires such investigation to be completed within 45 days after enactment of this Act. Directs the President to suspend any decision, under provisions of the Defense Production Act of 1950 permitting the President to stop the acquisition because it will impair national security, with respect to such acquisition made before the completion of the investigation, including any decision made before enactment of this Act. Specifies requirements for the investigation. Requires the President to: (1) report to Congress within 15 days after completion of the investigation; and (2) provide certain Members of Congress a detailed briefing on the contents of the report. Requires the President to take action necessary to prohibit the acquisition if the President does not stop the acquisition under the provisions of the Defense Production Act of 1950 permitting the President to stop the acquisition because it will impair national security if a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted into law within 30 days after Congress receives a report from the President that an acquisition will not be stopped. Requires, if such acquisition has been already been completed, the President to direct the Attorney General to seek divestment or other appropriate relief in US district courts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2006
Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging studies and radiation therapy treatments. Imposes such standards on personnel who perform, plan, or evaluate, or verify patient doses for, medical imaging studies and radiation therapy procedures and not on the equipment used. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Directs the Secretary to ensure that individuals demonstrate compliance with such standards. Requires the Secretary to provide a method for the recognition of individuals whose training and experience are determined to equal or exceed that of: (1) a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty; or (2) an individual who is regularly eligible to take the licensure or certification examination for that discipline. Directs the Secretary to certify qualified nonprofit organizations as approved bodies to provide accreditation to individuals that demonstrate compliance with such standards. Deems state standards for licensure or certification of personnel, accreditation of educational programs, or administration of examinations to be in compliance with the standards under this Act. Requires the Secretary to ensure that all programs under the authority of the Secretary meet such standards. Authorizes the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas or health professional shortage areas as appropriate to assure access to quality medical imaging.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2006
Louis Braille Bicentennial--Braille Literacy Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of Louis Braille, whose design: (1) on the obverse shall bear a representation of the image of Louis Braille; and (2) on the reverse shall emphasize Braille literacy and include the word for Braille in Braille code. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins only during 2009. Subjects all coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin. Requires all surcharges to be promptly paid by the Secretary to the the National Federation of the Blind to further its programs to promote Braille literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to suspend royalty relief from any federal requirement to pay royalty (thus requiring the payment of royalties to the federal government) for production oil or natural gas from federal lands (including submerged land) during any period in which specified prices apply to either crude oil or natural gas. Instructs the Secretary to renegotiate certain existing leases authorizing production of oil or natural gas on federal land to conform with this Act. Conditions eligibility for renewal of such leases or new leases for existing lessees upon compliance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Social Security Number Protection Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Service to establish procedures to change the numerical identifier used to identify individuals entitled to benefits under part A (Hospital Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act or enrolled under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), so that the Social Security account number is not displayed on the individual's Medicare identification card, or on any explanation of Medicare benefits mailed to the individual.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to repeal the amendments made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 requiring documentation evidencing citizenship or nationality as a condition for receipt of medical assistance under the Medicaid program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Medicare Drug Honest Pricing Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to permit Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in prescription drug plans (PDP's) and Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plans that change their formularies or increase drug prices to enroll in other plans. Requires PDP sponsor, every November, to disclose to the Secretary of Health and Human Services the negotiated price of each covered part D drug for the following year, and the Secretary, the same month of every year, to make such disclosure available to the public through the Internet website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Requires each PDP sponsor also to inform, by January 10 of each year, part D eligible enrollees in its plan of such negotiated prices.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Living Kidney Organ Donation Clarification Act - Provides that for purposes of provisions of the National Organ Transplant Act that prohibit the transfer of any human organ for use in human transplantation for valuable consideration, kidney paired donation and kidney list donation do not involve such a transfer.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese Descent Act - Establishes the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese descent. Directs the Commission to: (1) extend the study of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians to investigate U.S. relocation, internment, and (in some cases) deportation to Axis countries of Latin Americans of Japanese descent held in U.S. custody from December 1941 through February 1948; and (2) recommend appropriate remedies to Congress based on preliminary findings by the original Commission and new discoveries. Terminates the Commission 90 days after submission of such report.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2006
Calls on U.S. citizens to observe Black History Month. Acknowledges the tragedies of slavery, lynching, and segregation and condemns them as an infringement on human liberty and equal opportunity. Honors citizens who: (1) risked their lives in the Underground Railroad and in other efforts to assist fugitive slaves and other African Americans; and (2) stood beside African Americans in the fight for equal opportunity. Reaffirms the Senate's commitment to the founding principles that all men are created equal and are endowed with certain inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Commits the Senate to addressing situations in which the African American community struggles with disparities in education, health care, and other areas where the federal government can help improve conditions for all citizens.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2006
Responsible Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act - Repeals the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (Division C of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006). Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Biodefense Injury Compensation Program to provide compensation for death or any injury, illness, disability, or condition that is likely to have been caused by the administration of a covered countermeasure pursuant to a declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or public health emergency makes such administration to a category of individuals advisable. Requires the Secretary: (1) after making such a declaration, to enter into a contract for the Institute of Medicine to provide its recommendations on the injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions likely to have been caused by the countermeasure; and (2) after receiving such recommendations, to specify those injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions deemed to be included in the Vaccine Injury Table. Sets the effective date for such Program as November 25, 2002. Extends liability protection for health professionals administering small pox countermeasures to include covered countermeasures under this Act. Excludes from such protection the administration by a qualified person of a covered countermeasure to an individual who was not within a category of individuals covered by the declaration where such qualified person did not have reasonable grounds to believe such individual was within a category. Makes the United States liable for any claims arising out of the manufacture, distribution, or administration of a covered countermeasure, including claims brought by U.S. military personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2006
Stopping Transactions which Operate to Promote Fraud, Risk, and Underdevelopment Act or the STOP FRAUD Act - Amends federal criminal law to make it unlawful for any mortgage professional (as defined by this Act) to execute, or attempt to execute, a scheme or artifice to: (1) defraud any natural person or financial institution in connection with the offer of consumer credit secured by an interest in real property, or in personal property used or expected to be used as a principal dwelling; or (2) falsely obtain any money or property from a natural person in connection with an extension of consumer credit secured by an interest in real property, or in personal property used or expected to be used as the principal dwelling of such natural person. Provides for: (1) fines and/or imprisonment for violations of such provisions; and (2) a private right of action. Includes within the definition of "financial institution" for specified federal monetary transaction provisions the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), mortgage appraisers, real estate accountants, real estate attorneys, real estate brokers, mortgage underwriters, mortgage processors, mortgage settlement and title companies, mortgage brokers, mortgage loan originators, and any other mortgage professional engaged in the mortgage industry. Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide tenants, homeowners, and other consumers with mortgage fraud counseling.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2006
Heart Disease Education, Analysis, and Research, and Treatment for Women Act or the HEART for Women Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act to require an application for approval or for investigation of a drug, device, or biological product to include information stratified by gender, race, and ethnicity, including any differences in safety and effectiveness. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) withhold approval of such an application or place a clinical hold on an investigation if such information is not included; and (2) report to the scientific community and make information available to the public on such stratified data upon approval of an application. Requires the Comptroller General to study the drug approval process to ensure compliance with this Act. Requires the Secretary to require that all nonidentifiable patient safety work product reported to a patient safety database be stratified by gender. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) the Social Security Act (SSA) to require the Secretary to make hospital quality data relating to the quality of care in inpatient settings available to the public stratified by gender. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to report to Congress concerning the quality of and access to care for women with heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. Requires utilization and quality control peer review organizations to offer quality improvement assistance aimed at eliminating gender disparities. Amends title IX (employment security provisions) of SSA to require that data be stratified by gender when collected and used in surveys evaluating whether Medicare providers meet applicable conditions of participation or coverage. Provides for an educational campaign relating to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases in women.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2006
Reconstruction Accountability and Fraud Prevention Act of 2005 - Prohibits, except as provided in this Act, any of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Meet Immediate Needs Arising From the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina, 2005, by the Second Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Meet Immediate Needs Arising From the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina, 2005, or through the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund from being obligated or spent in connection with a contract or covered task order entered into after enactment of this Act with a contractor that, during the previous five years: (1) has been found by an executive agency or any Inspector General to have overcharged or improperly billed the federal government by a total of at least $10 million through one or more overcharges; (2) has been found by such an agency or any Inspector General to have committed one or more fraudulent acts resulting in total costs or losses to the federal government of at least $10 million; or (3) has been suspended or debarred for at least a one-year period under the federal suspension and debarment regulations. Defines "covered task order" to mean a task order valued at more than $10 million entered into pursuant to a contract entered into before this Act's enactment. Allows the President to waive such restrictions if the President determines that it is in the national security interest of the United States and submits to the appropriate congressional authorities a report describing the reasons for such determination.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2006
Hurricane Katrina Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2006 - Increases the refundable portion of the child tax credit in 2006 and 2007 for taxpayers who had a primary residence in the Hurricane Katrina disaster area on August 28, 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2006
Congressional Tribute to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Act of 2006 - Authorizes The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design, to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, in recognition of his enduring contributions to the United States and the world.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2006
Caregiver Assistance and Relief Effort Act of 2006 or the CARE Act of 2006 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to increase and extend, through FY2006, the authorization of appropriations for the national family caregiver support program, including caregiver support programs for Native Americans. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow caregivers a tax credit for family members with long-term care needs; (2) allow a tax deduction for long-term care insurance premiums; and (3) apply certain consumer protection provisions to long-term care insurance contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2006
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to revise regulations prescribed pursuant to the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to require coal mine operators to expeditiously provide notification of any accident where rescue and recovery work is necessary. Requires the Secretary to revise regulations regarding mine rescue teams to: (1) address training and qualifications for team members, rescue equipment and technology, the structure and organization of teams, and the guidelines about liability and insurance issues; and (2) require that mine operators employ rescue teams to provide a rapid response and have a plan for coordination and communication between the rescue teams and local emergency response personnel. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations to require: (1) each coal mine to maintain at strategic locations sufficient emergency supplies of air and self-contained breathing equipment, and independent means of communication with the surface, for people awaiting rescue; and (2) each operator to implement a communication and electronic tracking system to assist in rescue and to equip each person that enters a mine with certain communication and tracking devices. Requires the Secretary to revise regulations in order to prohibit belt haulage entries from being used to ventilate active working places in any coal mine. Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations to establish minimum civil penalties for violations: (1) where the operator displays negligence or reckless disregard of a mandatory health or safety standard; and (2) of rescue notification requirements. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish an Office of Science and Technology Transfer within the Mine Safety and Health Administration to conduct research and development to apply advancing sciences and technologies to mines and miner health and safety; (2) review and revise mine health and safety standards with regard to implementing such technologies. Establishes the position of Miner Ombudsman within the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Labor to be responsible for ensuring the safety of mines through information collection and sharing.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2006
Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2006 - Authorizes the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Constance Baker Motley, in recognition of her enduring contributions and service to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2006
Expresses admiration for Mrs. Coretta Scott King's lifelong commitment to social justice and peace. Recognizes her role as a leading participant in the American civil rights movement and her support to democracy movements worldwide.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Federal Aviation Administration Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006 - Amends federal transportation law to revise certain federal aviation administration personnel management system requirements to prohibit the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from implementing any proposed change to the FAA personnel management system in cases where the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service do not lead to an agreement between the Administrator and FAA employees unless a bill is enacted into law by Congress that authorizes the change during the 60-day period beginning from the time Congress received the proposed change. (Current law does not require congressional action.) Requires the Administrator and FAA employee bargaining representatives to submit the proposed change to binding arbitration if Congress does not enact a bill into law within the 60-day period.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Expresses support for the federal and state missions of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. Recommends that the Department of Defense (DOD) propose to fully fund the National Guard's equipment needs. Urges DOD to consult with the states' chief executive officers and Congress on any proposed changes to the National Guard force structure. Requests that: (1) any DOD plan regarding force structure take into account the National Guard role in homeland defense and other state missions; (2) DOD prepare budget projections that detail cost savings from any changes in force structure, as well as projected costs in the event large personnel increases are necessary to respond to a national emergency; and (3) DOD assure Congress and the chief executive officers that potential changes in force structure will not impact the safety and security of the U.S. people.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2006
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006 - Extends from one to two years the ban on former senior and very senior executive personnel, former Members of Congress, and officers and employees of the legislative branch from making lobbying contacts with any officer or employee of the entity in which such person served before his or her tenure terminated. Eliminates floor privileges for a former Senator or Senator-elect who is a registered lobbyist. Requires public disclosure by Members of Congress and senior congressional staff of employment negotiations. Subjects to fines and penalties a Member of Congress or a congressional employee who wrongfully influences, on a partisan basis, an entity's employment decisions or practices. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to require: (1) quarterly instead of semiannual filing of lobbying disclosures reports; (2) electronic filing; (3) disclosure of registered lobbyist contributions and payments; (4) disclosure of paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying; (5) disclosure by registered lobbyists of all past executive and congressional employment; and (6) maintenance of certain lobbying disclosure information in an electronic data base, available to the public free of charge over the Internet. Amends the Standing Rules of the Senate to: (1) exclude gifts from lobbyists from the gift ban exceptions; and (2) prohibit privately funded travel by a Member, officer, or employee. Prohibits such individuals from accepting transportation or lodging on trips sponsored by non-profit organizations that are planned, organized, requested, arranged, or financed in whole or in part by a lobbyist or foreign agent, or in which a lobbyist participates. Requires a Member, officer, or employee of the Senate to disclose certain information regarding noncommercial air travel. Requires the Committee on Rules and Administration to develop and revise guidelines on reasonable expenses or expenditures for official government travel. Establishes the Senate Office of Public Integrity. Amends the LDA to increase the penalty for failure to comply with lobbying disclosure requirements. Requires certification that congressional travel meets certain conditions. Establishes civil fines for false certifications. Establishes mandatory annual ethics training for congressional employees. Amends the Standing Rules to require: (1) actual voting in a conference committee meeting on the full text of the proposed conference report; and (2) availability of such report on the Internet for at least 24 hours before its consideration.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2006
Requiring Emergency Pharmaceutical Access for Individual Relief (REPAIR) Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to transition requirements. Authorizes a pharmacy to fill prescriptions on a renewable 30-day basis for full-benefit dual eligible individuals during 2006 when a reasonable search by the pharmacy to locate or verify an individual's enrollment fails. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services and a prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice) to identify clearly all full-benefit dual eligible individuals in their data records. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to prohibit conditioning Medicaid eligibility for individuals enrolled in certain creditable prescription drug coverage on enrollment in the Medicare part D drug program. Requires the Secretary to establish process to ensure that full-benefit dual eligible individuals are not overcharged. Requires reimbursement to states for 2006 transition costs. Directs the Secretary to provide for outreach and education to every pharmacy participating in the Medicaid program, on the needs of full-benefit dual eligible individuals and the transition from Medicaid prescription drug coverage to part D coverage. Directs the Secretary to ensure that an employee of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is stationed at each state health insurance counseling program to assist Medicare beneficiaries and counselors regarding the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. Authorizes state coverage of non-formulary prescription drugs for full-benefit dual eligible individuals during 2006. Prohibits the Secretary from terminating coverage of a full-benefit dual eligible individual unless such individual has functioning access to a prescription drug plan under part D or an MA-PD plan.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2006
Consumer Telephone Records Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) the obtaining by fraud or other unauthorized means of confidential phone records information from a telecommunications carrier or IP-enabled voice service provider (covered entity); and (2) the sale of such records by any person, including any employee of a covered entity. Exempts law enforcement agencies. Imposes a fine and/or imprisonment for up to five years. Doubles such penalties for violations occurring in a 12-month period involving more than $100,000 or more than 50 customers of a covered entity.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2006
Phone Records Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the intentional sale or fraudulent transfer or use of the records of a customer of a telephone service provider. Imposes a fine and/or imprisonment of up to 10 years. Exempts law enforcement agencies. Defines "telephone service" to include cellular phones, broadband, and specialized mobile radio service.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2006
Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness Through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act or the CLEAN UP Act - Amends rule XXVII (Conference Committees, Reports, Open Meetings) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to require the joint explanatory statement by a conference committee to identify and explain separately each provision of the report in violation of the rule against inclusion of new or non-germane matter, and, if possible, identify the Member who proposed such provision. Makes it out of order to consider a conference report unless the senior managers from the majority and minority parties on the part of the Senate include in the accompanying statement of managers a signed statement that: (1) all Senate managers have been afforded an opportunity at a meeting of the conference committee to vote on all amendments and other propositions considered; (2) roll call votes have been held in public meetings of the conferees on the matter contained in any motion to instruct conferees passed by the Senate; and (3) the minority was offered an opportunity to submit dissenting or minority views for the joint statement. Declares that the reading in full of any bill, resolution, conference report, or amendment shall not be dispensed with unless such measure is available to all Members and made available to the general public by means of the Internet for at least 72 hours before its consideration. Prohibits consideration of an appropriation bill unless a list of all earmarks in the bill and accompanying reports is available in the same manner. Allows a waiver of such prohibitions by a two-thirds majority vote of Members.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2005
Amends the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 to extend from December 31, 2005, to July 1, 2006, provisions of that Act and the "lone wolf" provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. (The lone wolf provision redefined "agent of a foreign power" to permit issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) orders targeting terrorists without a showing that they are members of a terrorist group or agents of such a group or of any other foreign power.)
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