United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Federal Aviation Administration Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006 - Amends federal transportation law to revise certain federal aviation administration personnel management system requirements to prohibit the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from implementing any proposed change to the FAA personnel management system in cases where the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service do not lead to an agreement between the Administrator and FAA employees unless a bill is enacted into law by Congress that authorizes the change during the 60-day period beginning from the time Congress received the proposed change. (Current law does not require congressional action.) Requires the Administrator and FAA employee bargaining representatives to submit the proposed change to binding arbitration if Congress does not enact a bill into law within the 60-day period.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Tax Incentives Act of 2006 or the PACE-Finance Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) increase the rate of such credit from 20 to 40%; (3) expand such credit to include expenses of a research consortia; and (4) allow a business tax credit for the cost of employee continuing education in science or engineering. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) study and make recommendations on methods to expand the scope of the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) conduct an analysis of the U.S. tax system and its effect on innovation investment and related activities; and (3) report on such studies to the President and Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Energy Act of 2006 or PACE-Energy Act - Amends the Department of Energy Science Education Enhancement Act to direct the Secretary of Energy to: (1) appoint a Director of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education with principal responsibility for administering mathematics, science, and engineering education programs of the Department of Energy (DOE); and (2) establish a Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education Fund to carry out provisions under the Act relating to laboratory cooperative science centers and other authorized education activities and education partnerships. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a summer internship program for middle and secondary school students that shall provide them with internships at the national laboratories and promote experiential, hands-on learning in mathematics or science; (2) establish at each of the national laboratories a program to support a Center of Excellence in Mathematics and Science at one public secondary school located in the region of the national laboratory to provide assistance in accordance with this Act; (3) establish or expand summer institute programs at the national laboratories to provide additional training to strengthen the mathematics and science teaching skills of teachers employed at public schools in kindergarten through grade 12; (4) establish a program to support the appointment of distinguished scientists by the national laboratories; and (5) award grants to outstanding eligible early-career researchers to support the work of such researchers in DOE. Establishes the Advanced Research Projects Authority--Energy (ARPA-E). Requires the use of the Acceleration Fund for Research and Development of Energy Technologies established by this Act to award grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts supporting specified advanced energy research activities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Education and Research Act of 2006 - PACE-Education Act - Establishes programs to provide additional mathematics and science teachers in K-12 elementary and secondary education (teachers), including: (1) Department of Education (ED) grants to institutions of higher education (IHE's) for baccalaureate degree programs in mathematics, science, and engineering, with teacher certification, and for master's degree programs in mathematics and science education for teachers; (2) National Science Foundation (NSF) scholarships for recruiting and training new teachers, and fellowships for teachers; (3) ED grants to nonprofit entities to train additional teachers for Advanced Placement (AP), pre-AP, International Baccalaureate (IB), and pre-IB programs; (4) a National Clearinghouse on Mathematics and Science Teaching Materials; (5) Future American-Scientist Scholarships (ED); (6) Department of Energy graduate research fellowships in scientific areas of national need; and (7) NSF early-career research grants for scientists and engineers. Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy Matters to: (1) coordinate science, mathematics, and engineering education programs; (2) establish a National Coordination Office for Advanced Research Instrumentation and Facilities; (3) establish guidelines for federal agencies to allocate funds for high-risk, high-payoff research; and (4) award a President's Innovation Award. Directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to award early-career research grants. Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to direct the Department of Commerce to award grants for feasibility studies and plans for science parks, and for revolving loan funds to develop science park infrastructure. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) create a new visa category for doctorate students in mathematics, engineering, technology, or the physical sciences; and (2) exempt from numerical limitations on employment-based immigrants certain aliens who have received such advanced degrees and are working in a related field. Directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to award early-career research grants. Expresses the sense of Senate on: (1) policies to accelerate deployment of access to broadband Internet; (2) the visa process for foreign students at U.S. IHE's and foreign researchers engaging in scientific research in the United States; (3) patent reform; and (4) exemption of certain uses of technology from treatment as exports.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2006
Expresses support for the federal and state missions of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. Recommends that the Department of Defense (DOD) propose to fully fund the National Guard's equipment needs. Urges DOD to consult with the states' chief executive officers and Congress on any proposed changes to the National Guard force structure. Requests that: (1) any DOD plan regarding force structure take into account the National Guard role in homeland defense and other state missions; (2) DOD prepare budget projections that detail cost savings from any changes in force structure, as well as projected costs in the event large personnel increases are necessary to respond to a national emergency; and (3) DOD assure Congress and the chief executive officers that potential changes in force structure will not impact the safety and security of the U.S. people.
United States · United States Congress · 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 · 18 January 2006
Curtailing Lobbyist Effectiveness Through Advance Notification, Updates, and Posting Act or the CLEAN UP Act - Amends rule XXVII (Conference Committees, Reports, Open Meetings) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to require the joint explanatory statement by a conference committee to identify and explain separately each provision of the report in violation of the rule against inclusion of new or non-germane matter, and, if possible, identify the Member who proposed such provision. Makes it out of order to consider a conference report unless the senior managers from the majority and minority parties on the part of the Senate include in the accompanying statement of managers a signed statement that: (1) all Senate managers have been afforded an opportunity at a meeting of the conference committee to vote on all amendments and other propositions considered; (2) roll call votes have been held in public meetings of the conferees on the matter contained in any motion to instruct conferees passed by the Senate; and (3) the minority was offered an opportunity to submit dissenting or minority views for the joint statement. Declares that the reading in full of any bill, resolution, conference report, or amendment shall not be dispensed with unless such measure is available to all Members and made available to the general public by means of the Internet for at least 72 hours before its consideration. Prohibits consideration of an appropriation bill unless a list of all earmarks in the bill and accompanying reports is available in the same manner. Allows a waiver of such prohibitions by a two-thirds majority vote of Members.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2005
Amends the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 to extend from December 31, 2005, to July 1, 2006, provisions of that Act and the "lone wolf" provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. (The lone wolf provision redefined "agent of a foreign power" to permit issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) orders targeting terrorists without a showing that they are members of a terrorist group or agents of such a group or of any other foreign power.)
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2005
Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) establish criteria for designating chemical sources, using specified risk factors, and evaluating the types of facilities (other than Department of Defense or Department of Energy facilities) in consideration; and (2) designate chemical sources already in existence. Directs the Secretary to promulgate rules establishing a risk-based tier system of chemical sources, based on such criteria, which enables a chemical source to develop appropriate site-specific measures to meet the security performance standards established for the applicable tier. Requires such rules to provide guidance to the chemical source owner or operator on steps that would enable the source to move to a lower risk tier. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations that require chemical source owners or operators to make vulnerability assessments, site security plans, and emergency response plans. Requires chemical sources regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA-regulated facilities) to comply with this Act. Requires the Secretary to establish an office under the Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection that shall be responsible for implementing and enforcing this Act. Directs the Secretary to establish in each Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region an Infrastructure Protection Regional Security Office. Establishes Area Security Committees for geographic areas designated by the Secretary, which shall prepare Area Security Plans for the Secretary's approval. Directs the Secretary to conduct drills and exercises periodically in each area for which an Area Security Plan is required and under the site security plan and emergency response plans of relevant chemical sources. Authorizes the Secretary to order mandatory security measures for a chemical source if the Secretary determines that additional measures are necessary to respond to a threat assessment or to a specific threat against the chemical sector. Prescribes administrative, civil, and criminal penalties for failure to comply with an order or directive issued by the Secretary under this Act or with a site security plan.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Honors the memory of, and identifies, 2398 members of the Armed Forces who died in service to the United States in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as of December 12, 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Condemns recent statements by President Ahmadinejad of Iran that denied the occurrence of the Holocaust and supported moving the State of Israel to Europe, and demands an official apology for these anti-Semitic statements that ignore history, human suffering, and the loss of life during the Holocaust. Reaffirms the need for Iran to: (1) end its support for international terrorism; and (2) join other Middle Eastern countries in seeking a successful outcome of the Middle East peace process.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
Amends the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 to extend from December 31, 2005, to March 31, 2006, the surveillance provisions of that Act and the "lone wolf" provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (permits issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 orders targeting terrorists without showing they are agents of a terrorist group or any other foreign power). Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to set forth restrictions and requirements regarding the retail sale of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine base in a scheduled listed chemical product with respect to: (1) the quantity that may be sold daily to any customer; (2) packaging of nonliquid forms; (3) customer access; (4) recordkeeping; (5) seller training; (6) sales information disclosure and access; (7) mail order sales; (8) production and manufacturing quotas; and (9) importation, exportation, and international regulation (including chain of distribution and illicit diversion provisions). Increases penalties or lowers applicable thresholds for methamphetamine or precursor chemical violations. Requires reports on the regulation of byproducts of methamphetamine production as hazardous materials. Sets forth requirements for drug testing for, and funding of, a feasibility study on federal drug courts. Reducing Crime and Terrorism at America's Seaports Act of 2005 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) entry by false pretenses to a secure area of a seaport; (2) knowingly failing to obey an order to heave to, obstructing, or providing false information to a vessel boarding federal officer; (3) violence against maritime navigation; (4) transporting aboard any vessel a terrorist or dangerous material to be used to commit terrorism; (5) destruction of, or interference with, vessels or maritime facilities; and (6) bribery affecting port security. Increases penalties for smuggling goods into, and establishes penalties for smuggling goods from, the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable William Proxmire, a former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 15, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Proxmire.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that each state should require any candidate for a driver's license to demonstrate, as a condition of obtaining one, an ability to: (1) associate the use of the white cane and guide dog with visually impaired individuals; and (2) exercise greatly increased caution when driving in proximity to a potentially visually impaired individual.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area Technical Amendments Act of 2005 - Amends the Cache La Poudre River Corridor Act to redesignate the Cache La Poudre Corridor as the "Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area." Designates the Poudre Heritage Alliance as the management entity for the Area. Provides for the removal of private property included within the boundary of the Area upon request from the owner. Prohibits the Alliance from using federal funds received under this Act to acquire real property. Bars the acquisition of any land or interest in land by the Secretary of the Interior or the Alliance under this Act without the owner's consent. Requires the Alliance to prepare and submit a management plan for the Area. Allows the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with the Alliance for the purpose of carrying out the plan. Prohibits any private property from being preserved, conserved, or promoted under the plan until: (1) the Alliance notifies the owner; and (2) the owner provides to the Alliance consent for the preservation, conservation, or promotion. Specifies private property protections. Terminates the authority of the Secretary to provide financial assistance to the Alliance (excluding technical assistance and administrative oversight) under the Act ten years after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2005
Amends the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 to extend from December 31, 2005, to March 31, 2006, provisions of that Act and the "lone wolf" provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. (The lone wolf provision redefined "agent of a foreign power" to permit issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) orders targeting terrorists without a showing that they are members of a terrorist group or agents of such a group or of any other foreign power.)
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2005
Prohibits the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) from modifying the list of items prohibited from being carried aboard a passenger aircraft operated by a domestic or foreign air carrier in order to permit any item on the list as of December 1, 2005, to be carried aboard such an aircraft.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Eugene J. McCarthy, a former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 12, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator McCarthy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Assistant United States Attorney Retirement Benefit Equity Act of 2005 - Grants an assistant United States attorney the same civil service retirement benefits as a law enforcement officer, except as specified. Includes within the definition of "assistant United States attorney" any other attorney employed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) occupying a position designated by the Attorney General upon finding that the position: (1) involves routine employee responsibilities that are substantially similar to those of assistant U.S. attorneys; and (2) is critical to DOJ's successful accomplishment of an important mission. Sets forth provisions regarding the designation of attorneys as assistant U.S. attorneys. Requires DOJ to take measures reasonably designed to provide notice to incumbent assistant U.S. attorneys on their election rights and on the effects of making or not making a timely election. Allows an incumbent to elect, for all purposes, to be treated in accordance with this Act or to be treated as if this Act had never been enacted. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) time limits for making an election; (2) retroactive effects; and (3) individual contributions for prior service.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Calls on the President: (1) to ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution; and (2) in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide to accurately characterize the systematic annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide and to recall the history of U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area in Colorado. Designates the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Board of Directors as the management entity for the Heritage Area. Requires the Board to prepare and submit a management plan for the Heritage Area.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2005 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct the Attorney General to assume the obligation to repay student loans for borrowers who agree to remain employed, for at least three years, as: (1) state or local criminal prosecutors; or (2) state, local, or federal public defenders in criminal cases. Allows a borrower and the Attorney General to enter into an additional loan repayment agreement, after the required three-year period, for a successive period of service which may be less than three years. Limits the amount paid under such program on behalf of any borrower to $10,000 per calendar year and $60,000 total.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Mass Evacuation Exercise Assistance Act of 2005 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide for grants for mass evacuation exercises for urban and suburban areas and for the execution of emergency response plans. Requires each state or local government receiving such a grant to develop detailed and comprehensive mass evacuation plans for each area in its respective jurisdiction. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to assist states and local governments in developing and maintaining such plans.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medicaid prospective payment system for the federally-qualified health center program is critical to ensuring that both Medicaid recipients and the nation's uninsured population have access to quality affordable primary and preventive care services. Recognizes the critical role of such health centers as an essential source of care for millions of Medicaid recipients and uninsured Americans, and supports continuation of the prospective payment system in helping to maintain this system of care.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Vehicle and Fuel Choices for American Security Act - Instructs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to publish in the Federal Register an oil savings target and action plan for specified calendar years. Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop a national tire fuel efficiency program for passenger cars and light trucks. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a national testing and assessment program to determine the fuel economy of heavy duty vehicles. Instructs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) prescribe average heavy duty vehicle fuel economy standards; and (2) conduct a research and development program for electric drive transportation technology. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a lightweight material research and development program. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of Energy to accelerate efforts to improve hybrid technologies. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow an advanced technology motor vehicles manufacturing tax credit. Terminates the limitation on the number of qualified hybrid and advanced lean burn technology vehicles eligible for the alternative motor vehicle credit. Directs the Secretary of Energy to issue regulations requiring that by FY2016 each federal agency achieve at least a 30% reduction in its fleet petroleum consumption. Amends the IRC to: (1) establish a fuel-efficient tax credit for private fleets; (2) subject heavy vehicles to the depreciation limitation for certain luxury automobiles; and (3) increase the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit. Requires certain minimum percentages of light-duty motor vehicles manufactured for model years 2012 and beyond to use specified propulsion technologies and fuels. Amends federal transportation law to establish the Alternative Fueling Infrastructure Trust Fund. Amends the Clean Air Act to prescribe minimum annual quantities of renewable fuel from cellulosic biomass and sugar. Amends the the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a low-interest loan and grant program for farmer-owned ethanol producers to develop infrastructure, including pump stations, for the retail delivery of any fuel containing at least 85% ethanol. Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop a program to designate Transit-Oriented Development Corridors. Directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a national media campaign to decrease oil consumption in the United States over the next decade.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2005
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Elder Justice) to establish: (1) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Elder Justice (OEJ); (2) within the Office of the Secretary the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to make recommendations to the Secretary and the Attorney General for the coordination of activities of HHS, the Department of Justice, and other relevant federal, state, local, and private agencies and entities, relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and other crimes against elders; and (3) the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Prescribes requirements for uniform collection, maintenance, and dissemination of national data relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including an Elder Justice Resource Center in OEJ. Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award grants for: (1) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) five Centers of Excellence nationwide specializing in research, clinical practice, and training relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (3) six diverse communities to examine various types of elder shelters and test various models for establishing safe havens; (4) nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations to establish or continue volunteer programs focusing on the issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, or providing related services; and (5) various multidisciplinary elder justice activities. Provides for: (1) reporting to law enforcement of crimes occurring in federally-funded long-term care facilities; (2) revising the quality of long-term care; and (3) increasing consumer information about long-term care, including an HHS long-term care consumer clearinghouse. Amends: (1) the Older Americans Act of 1965 with respect to the long-term care ombudsman program; (2) part A (General Provisions) of SSA title XI to establish an adult protective services grant program; (3) SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to assure safety of residents when nursing facilities close; and (4) part E (Miscellaneous) to apply skilled nursing facility preventive abuse requirements to long-term care facilities and providers. Establishes within the Department of Justice an Office of Elder Justice. Authorizes the Attorney General to award: (1) victim advocacy grants; and (2) grants for specified support to local and state prosecutors handling elder justice-related cases. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2005
National Commission on Health Care Act - Establishes in the legislative branch the National Commission on Health Care to conduct a study that investigates: (1) problems within the sphere of health care; (2) the rising costs of health care; (3) the impact of such rising costs on American businesses; (4) the provision of health care by state and local health care agencies; (5) the effects of increases in insurance premiums on health care coverage for businesses; (6) the private health insurance industry; (7) public health programs; (8) innovations and reforms necessary to increase the provision of affordable, quality health care to all Americans; (9) the role of congressional oversight and resource allocation; and (10) other relevant areas of the public and private sectors. Directs the Commission to identify, review, evaluate, and report on the lessons learned from past legislative structuring of health care, coordination, management policies, and procedures of the federal government and, when appropriate, state and local governments and nongovernmental entities relative to administering, representing, implementing, and receiving health care .
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Stolen Valor Act of 2005 - Amends the federal criminal code to expand the prohibition against wearing, manufacturing, or selling military decorations or medals without legal authorization to prohibit purchasing, soliciting, mailing, shipping, importing, exporting, producing blank certificates of receipt for, advertising, trading, bartering, or exchanging such decorations or medals without authorization. Prohibits falsely representing oneself as having been awarded any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces or any of the service medals or badges. Increases penalties for violations if the offense involves a distinguished service cross, an Air Force Cross, a Navy Cross, a silver star, or a Purple Heart.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Veterans Day 2005 shall be commemorated with appropriate tributes to all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the conferees for any budget reconciliation bill of the 109th Congress shall not report a reconciliation bill that would: (1) allow States to reduce coverage for medically necessary health care for poor or low-income children or impose premiums, deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance on them; (2) reduce coverage of, or payment for, medical case management services under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act for children in foster care, including targeted case management services; or (3) allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to undertake any Health Opportunity Account demonstrations involving such children.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2005
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, consisting of: (1) the Center for Domestic Preparedness; (2) the National Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; (3) the National Center for Bio-Medical Research and Training, Louisiana State University; (4) the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center, Texas A&M University; (5) the National Exercise, Test, and Training Center, Nevada test site; and (6) the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado. Requires the Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, to the fullest extent possible, to use the Consortium to support cooperative programs to achieve cost-effective delivery of equipment, technical assistance, training, and situational exercises.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the conferees for any budget reconciliation bill of the 109th Congress shall not report a reconciliation bill that would with respect to low-income children, pregnant women, disabled individuals, elderly individuals, individuals with chronic illnesses like HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes, individuals with mental illnesses, and other Medicaid beneficiaries: (1) impair access to Medicaid services; (2) undermine eligibility for such beneficiaries; (3) make Medicaid services unaffordable, hence unavailable, to them; or (4) cut health care services them. Expresses the sense of the Senate, also, that the conferees shall not report a reconciliation bill that would undermine the federal guarantee of health insurance coverage that the Medicaid program provides, which would threaten not only the health care safety net of the United States, but the entire health care system of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Henry Giugni, former Sergeant-at-Arms of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on November 3, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Henry Giugni.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Second Chance Act of 2005: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention or the Second Chance Act of 2005 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions regarding adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects, including by authorizing funds for grants to: (1) provide structured post-release housing and transitional housing; and (2) establish or expand the use of reentry courts. Sets forth grant priorities and requirements, including that each applicant establish or empower a Reentry Task Force or other authority. Authorizes the Attorney General to make a grant to provide for the establishment of a National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center. Directs the Attorney General to establish an interagency task force on federal offender reentry programs. Authorizes research on offender reentry. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the role of state child protective services at the time of arrest; and (2) the Secretary of Labor to implement a program to educate employers and one-stop center workforce development providers about existing incentives and tax credits for hiring former prisoners. Amends the federal criminal code to direct a court to revoke a term of supervised release or a sentence of probation for a defendant who commits a crime of violence against, or an offense of unlawful sexual contact with, a person under age 16. Requires: (1) the Department of Justice to modify existing procedures and policies to enhance case planning and improve the transition of persons from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons to the community, including placement of such individuals in community corrections facilities; and (2) the Bureau to establish reentry planning procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
States that it is the policy of the United States to continue to transition to an intercontinental ballistic missile force with 500 missiles each equipped with a single nuclear warhead.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Declares that Congress honors the trail-blazing life and pioneering accomplishments of Congressman Edward Roybal from California and expresses its condolences on his passing.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Repudiates the anti-Israel sentiments expressed by the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on October 26, 2005. Calls on the President, on behalf of the United States, to repudiate Mr. Ahmadinejad's statement in the strongest possible terms.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2005
Directs: (1) the U.S. Trade Representative to certify to Congress by December 15, 2005, that Japan is no longer prohibiting the importation of U.S. beef; (2) the Secretary of the Treasury, if such certification is not made, to impose additional tariffs (which shall continue until the certification is submitted to Congress) on Japan by December 31, 2005; and (3) the Secretary of Agriculture to begin negotiations with Japan to end such beef import prohibitions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2005
Recognizes efforts to educate, support, and provide hope for the Hispanic community, including efforts to honor outstanding Hispanic scientists at the annual National Hispanic Scientist of the Year Gala and to organize a "Meet the Hispanic Scientist Day. " Congratulates Dr. Edmond Jose Yunis for being honored as the National Hispanic Scientist of the Year for 2005 by the Museum of Science & Industry, in recognition of the research conducted by Dr. Yunis in relation to organ and stem cell transplants in the areas of immune responses, aging, autoimmune diseases, and genetics.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating impact on families.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2005
San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 gold coins and 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the San Francisco Old Mint Building, its importance to California and U.S. history, and its role in rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Requires that all surcharges received by the Secretary from such coin sales be promptly paid to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society to rehabilitate the Historic Old Mint in San Francisco as a city museum and an American Coin and Gold Rush Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) rebirthing, an attachment therapy technique that reenacts the birth process by physically restraining a child and forcing the child to emerge unaided, is dangerous, potentially life-threatening, and unsupported by scientific evidence; and (2) each state should enact laws prohibiting the use of rebirthing techniques.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Energy-Water Efficiency Technology Research, Development, and Transfer Program Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a National Laboratories energy-water efficiency and supply technology research, development, and transfer program for the transfer and commercialization of economically viable and cost-effective energy-water efficiency and supply technologies. Designates the following as Program Lead Laboratories: (1) Sandia National Laboratory, New Mexico; (2) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee; and (3) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California. Prescribes guidelines for water supply technology assessment. Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) establish the Energy-Water Efficiency and Supply Technology Advisory Panel; (2) provide competitive grants to entities with expertise in the conduct of energy-water efficiency and supply technology projects; and (3) enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct periodic peer reviews of the program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act - Instructs the Secretary of Energy, in implementing the Agreement between the Department of Energy of the United States of America and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of Israel Concerning Energy Cooperation, to establish a grant program to support research, development, and commercialization of alternative renewable energy sources. Authorizes grants to promote the following: (1) solar energy; (2) biomass energy; (3) energy efficiency; (4) wind energy; and (5) fossil energy. Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory board to: (1) monitor how such grants are awarded; and (2) provide periodic performance reviews of actions taken to carry out the grant program.
![Official portrait of Sen. Salazar, Ken [D-CO]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001163_200.jpg)