United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Commends the late Constance Baker Motley, the first African-American woman appointed and confirmed for a federal judgeship and the former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, for her service on the court and her lifelong commitment to civil rights and social justice.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Cleanup of Inactive and Abandoned Mines Act - Includes among purposes of this Act to: (1) encourage the partial or complete remediation of inactive or abandoned mining sites for the public good by Good Samaritans; (2) provide appropriate protections for such Good Samaritans under applicable environmental laws; and (3) create an efficient permit process for remediation projects. Defines "Good Samaritan" as a person who is unrelated to an inactive or abandoned mining site, who had no role in the creation of such site or no significant role in the environmental pollution caused by such site, and who is not liable by law for the remediation of such site. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a permit to a Good Samaritan for a remediation project. Establishes eligibility requirements for permits, including that: (1) the principal purpose of the project is the reduction of pollution caused by historic mine residue; (2) a state remediation program be in effect prior to the issuance of a permit; and (3) a permit applicant provide specified information to the Administrator to demonstrate ability to complete the project. Requires the Administrator to: (1) consult with permit applicants; (2) maintain all records relating to permits and the permit process; (3) provide notice to the public about permit applications; and (4) monitor remediation projects. Imposes civil penalties for violations of permit requirements and authorizes injunctions to require compliance with a permit.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Treat Emergency Victims Fairly Act of 2005 - Declares it is unlawful for any seller of goods or services of any type (including food, transportation, housing, and energy supplies) to engage in price gouging, that is, the charging of an unreasonable and unconscionable price for such a good or service immediately before, during, or after a natural disaster or other emergency formally declared by federal or state authorities. Permits the federal government, through the Attorney General, or a state government acting through its attorney general, to bring an action in federal or state court to enforce this Act. Requires an action that is brought under this Act in federal court to receive expedited review. Permits the Attorney General of the United States and a state attorney general, respectively, to recover restitution or disgorgement of excess profits. States that this Act does not preempt or otherwise affect any state or local law.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Amends federal transportation law to require replacement tires to meet standards required for tires on new vehicles, including standards affecting fuel economy. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rulemaking regarding policies and procedures for testing and labeling such tires for fuel economy.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Medicare Informed Choice Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) provide for an extended period of open enrollment during all of 2006 without late enrollment penalty; (2) give Medicare beneficiaries the opportunity to make a one-time change in prescription drug plan enrollment at any point in 2006; and (3) provide protection from loss of employment-based retiree health coverage upon enrollment for Medicare prescription drug benefit, including a Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug benefit, during 2006.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Rapid Efficiency Credit Act of 2005 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to make certain energy-related income tax credits available for energy property placed in service after the enactment of this Act (instead of after December 31, 2005). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for Energy Star compliant compact fluorescent light bulbs used in a residence.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Reducing the Incentives to Guzzle Gas Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) include certain heavy vehicles (with a gross vehicle weight of between 6,000 and 14,000 pounds) as passenger vehicles to which the limitations on the depreciation allowed for luxury automobiles apply; (2) exempt vehicles used in a farming business from such depreciation limitations; (3) revise the limitation amounts for the depreciation of luxury automobiles; and (4) allow the expensing of up to $30,000 of the cost of vehicles used in a farming business.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
States that specified funds authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Colorado) shall be available to the Secretary for the purchase of essential mineral rights at Rocky Flats. Prescribes related conditions under which any natural resource damage liability claim shall be deemed to be satisfied. Exempts mineral rights purchased under this Act from the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Amends the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge Act of 2001 to repeal the mandate for a Memorandum of Understanding in connection with the transfer to the Secretary of the Interior of management responsibilities and jurisdiction over Rocky Flats. Repeals, also, the prohibiton against any reduction in funds available to the Secretary of Energy for cleanup and closure of Rocky Flats as a result of such transfer. Revises the composition of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge and excludes specified lands subject to certain essential mineral rights.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Reduce Government Fuel Consumption Act of 2005 - Amends the National Energy Conservation Policy Act to require each federal agency to take necessary action to reduce by at least 10% vehicle fuel consumption by agency employees (other than fuel used for military purposes).
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2005
Prohibits the interment or memorialization in a national cemetery of, or the performance of military funeral honors for, any person convicted of a federal or state capital crime for which a life sentence or the death penalty may be imposed. (Currently, such prohibition extends only to those so convicted who have been sentenced to death or life imprisonment without parole.) Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to prescribe regulations to ensure that a person is not interred in a national cemetery or provided funeral honors unless a good faith effort has been made to determine whether such person is ineligible for such interment or honors.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2005
Social Security COLA Protection Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to limit increases in the monthly Medicare premium, including the Medicare Advantage prescription drug program premium, to 25% of any Social Security cost of living increase.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2005
Recognizes: (1) the health risks associated with childhood obesity; (2) the spirit of Jacob Mock "Jack" Doub and others who have been actively promoting physical activity to combat childhood obesity; and (3) Doub's contribution to encouraging youth to be physically active and fit, especially through bicycling. Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, which is celebrated on the first Saturday in October.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2005
Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act of 2005 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President, if one or more chemicals or substances associated with potential acute or chronic human health effects are being or have been released in a disaster area, to carry out a program for the protection, assessment, monitoring, and study of the health and safety of workers or volunteers who respond to a major disaster or emergency, residents in a disaster area, or persons who are employed in, or who attend school, child care, or adult day care in, a disaster area.. Authorizes the President to carry out such a program through a cooperative agreement with a medical institution or a consortium of medical institutions, especially those located near the disaster area and any other area in which there reside groups of individuals that worked or volunteered in response to the disaster. Requires such an institution to have appropriate experience in the areas of environmental or occupational health, toxicology, and safety. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to enter jointly into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study and report on disaster area health and environmental protection and monitoring. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to extend to September 30, 2007, the authority for the predisaster hazard mitigation program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2005
Establishes in the legislative branch a bipartisan Katrina Commission to report to the President and Congress on : (1) the federal, state, and local response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Region of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other affected areas; (2) the circumstances surrounding the Hurricane's approach, and the extent of federal, state, and local government preparedness for and response to it; (3) planning necessary for future cataclysmic events that will require a significant marshaling of federal resources, mitigation, response, and recovery to avoid significant loss of life; (4) whether any decisions differed with respect to response and recovery for different communities, and what problems occurred as a result of a lack of a common plan, communication structure, and centralized command structure; and (5) immediate corrective measures that can be taken to prevent problems with federal response to future cataclysmic events.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2005
Fair Wages for Hurricane Katrina Recovery Workers Act - Reinstates the application of the wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act to all federal contracts in counties affected by Hurricane Katrina, notwithstanding the President's proclamation dated September 8, 2005, or any other provision of law.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2005
Energy Emergency Consumer Protection Act of 2005 - States that during any presidentially-declared energy emergency it is unlawful to sell crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum distillates in, or for use in, the area involved at a price that: (1) is unconscionably excessive; or (2) indicates the seller is taking unfair advantage of the circumstances to increase prices unreasonably. Makes it unlawful to: (1) report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) false or misleading data and information regarding the wholesale price of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum distillates; or (2) use or employ, in connection with the purchase or sale of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum distillates at wholesale, any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance, in contravention of FTC-prescribed rules and regulations. Authorizes the President to declare a federal energy emergency if the health, safety, welfare, or economic well-being of American citizens is at risk because there exists either: (1) an actual or imminent shortage of adequate supplies of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum distillates due to a disruption in the national distribution system; or (2) significant pricing anomalies in national energy markets for such products. Empowers the FTC and state attorneys general to enforce this Act. Prescribes maximum civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Instructs the FTC to: (1) facilitate price transparency in wholesale crude oil and petroleum product markets; and (2) conclude a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and other appropriate agencies relating to information sharing. Instructs the Comptroller General to investigate periodically the extent to which major oil companies and automobile manufacturers have invested in alternative fuels production, infrastructure, and technology development. Directs the National Academy of Sciences to review expenditures and activities by major U.S. companies to protect the energy supply system from terrorist attacks, international supply disruptions, and natural disasters, and ensure a stable and reasonably priced supply of such products to consumers.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a requirement that U.S. citizens obtain photo identification cards before being able to vote has not been shown to ensure ballot integrity and places an undue burden on citizens' legitimate voting rights; (2) the Department of Justice should vigorously enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and challenge any state law that limits a citizen's ability to vote based on discriminatory photo identification requirements; and (3) any effort to impose national photo identification requirements for voting should be rejected.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2005
Assure Emergency and Interoperable Communications for First Responders Act of 2005 - Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to establish an Office for Emergency Communications, Interoperability, and Compatibility (OECIC) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), replacing the current Office for Interoperability and Compatibility. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the OECIC Director, to: (1) conduct a nationwide assessment of the achievement and needs of communications interoperability; (2) assess of the ability of communities to provide and maintain emergency communications among emergency response providers and government officials in a large-scale emergency; (3) list best practices among communities for doing so; and (4) study the feasibility and desirability of developing a mobile DHS communications capability, modeled on the Army Signal Corps, that could be deployed to support emergency communications at the site of a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or other large-scale emergency. Directs the Secretary to establish a comprehensive research and development program to promote emergency communications capabilities and communications interoperability among first responders. Requires the Secretary to establish at least two pilot projects to develop and evaluate strategies and technologies for emergency communications capabilities among emergency response providers and government officials in the event of a large-scale emergency in which there is significant damage to, or destruction of, critical infrastructure. Directs the Secretary, through the Office of Domestic Preparedness of the DHS Office of State and Local Government Preparedness and Coordination, to make grants to States and eligible regions for initiatives necessary to: (1) improve emergency communications capabilities; and (2) achieve solutions to statewide, regional, national and, where appropriate, international interoperability. Establishes an Interagency Committee on Emergency Communications and Interoperability.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2005
Emergency Health Care Relief Act of 2005 - Requires a state to provide medical assistance to eligible Hurricane Katrina survivors under a state Medicaid plan. Increases the federal medical assistance percentage for providing medical assistance under a state Medicaid plan to any individual residing in certain affected areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Amends title XI of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain requirements in any geographical area in which there are a significant number of evacuees from an emergency area. Establishes the Disaster Relief Fund for payments to: (1) Medicaid providers to offset costs incurred by such providers as a result of Hurricane Katrina; and (2) state insurance commissioners for making payments to health insurance issuers for health insurance premiums for eligible individuals or qualified employers. Amends the TANF Emergency Response and Recovery Act of 2005 to revise the definition of "needy state" for purposes of Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) block grants to include any direct impact states and any other states that provide benefits or services to a family that resided in a direct impact state and traveled to the state as a result of the hurricane. Increases the maximum amount of all TANF loans that can be made to a state. Allows the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama to enter into and participate in an agreement with the Secretary of Labor to make payments of temporary extended unemployment compensation to individuals who are not otherwise entitled to such compensation. Authorizes modifications to procurement procedures as necessary for the support of Hurricane Katrina rescue and relief operations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2005
Expresses the Senate's disapproval of the decision by the U.S. District Court in Newdow, et al. v. U.S. Congress, et al. (holding that the policy of daily teacher-led recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance by public school students violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution). Authorizes and instructs the Senate Legal Counsel to continue to cooperate fully with the Attorney General in such case to vigorously defend the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2005
Oversight of Vital Emergency Recovery Spending Enhancement and Enforcement Act of 2005 - Establishes within the Executive Office of the President the Office of Hurricane Katrina Recovery Chief Financial Officer (CFO), who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Makes the CFO responsible for the efficient and effective use of federal funds in all activities relating to the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Requires the CFO to strive to ensure that priority in the distribution of federal: (1) relief funds is given to individuals and organizations most in need of financial assistance; and (2) reconstruction funds is given to business entities based in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or Florida, or business entities that hire workers who resided in those States on August 24, 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2005
Vaccines for the New Millennium Act of 2005 - Directs the President to establish a strategy to accelerate efforts to develop vaccines and microbicides for neglected diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, which shall: (1) expand public-private partnerships; (2) create economic incentives for such vaccines' research, development, and manufacturing; (3) include the negotiation of advanced market commitments; (4) address related intellectual property and regulatory approval issues; (5) maximize U.S. capabilities to support clinical trials in developing countries; (6) expand the purchase and delivery of existing vaccines; and (7) address the challenges of advance delivery of vaccines in developing countries. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) enter into negotiations with the World Bank, the International Development Association, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations, and other interested parties to establish advanced market commitments to purchase such vaccines and microbicides; and (2) establish in the Treasury the Lifesaving Vaccine Purchase Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish business credits for: (1) vaccine research related to HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, or certain infectious diseases afflicting developing countries; and (2) certain sales of lifesaving vaccines to nonprofit organizations, or to foreign governments or instrumentalities for distribution in developing countries. Amends the Small Business Act to: (1) direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a four-year pilot program to encourage the development of such vaccines and microbicides, including program outreach activities; and (2) provide Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) funding for such vaccines and microbicides.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a per diem tax credit of $20 for taxpayers who provide housing to Hurricane Katrina evacuees between August 26 and December 31, 2005; and (2) waive the limitation on the tax deduction for charitable contributions for cash contributions made before January 1, 2010, to aid Hurricane Katrina victims.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2005
Recognizes September 15-October 15, 2005, as Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebrates the vast contributions of Hispanic Americans to the strength and culture of our Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2005
Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide emergency financial assistance to eligible agricultural 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 to livestock producers who have incurred 2005 losses in an emergency-designated county, with set-asides for the American Indian livestock program; (2) livestock indemnity payments to producers who have incurred 2005 livestock disaster losses, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, and anthrax; (3) additional assistance for the emergency conservation and the emergency watershed protection programs; (4) compensation for certain owners of flooded crop and grazing land in North Dakota; and (5) supplemental loss payments under a specified rate to producers who received crop year 2005 commodity assistance. Amends the Small Business Act to: (1) provide drought disaster relief authority for farm-related and non-farm-related small businesses; and (2) authorize FY2005-FY2008 drought disaster loans for non-farm-related small businesses. Directs the Secretary to use Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds for: (1) grants for agricultural promotion; (2) state-specified grants; and (3) additional grants for agricultural promotion, including food bank and nutrition program assistance, to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and any other state that is housing evacuees or suffering damage from Hurricane Katrina or a related condition. Directs the Secretary to extend the settlement date of certain marketing assistance loans. Transfers Treasury funds to the Secretary of Commerce for assistance to New England fisheries suffering from the red tide outbreak.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2005
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to take appropriate actions to ensure that each state, in its Homeland Security Strategy or other homeland security plan, provides detailed and comprehensive information regarding its pre-disaster and post-disaster plans for the evacuation of individuals with special needs in emergencies that would warrant their evacuation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2005
Hurricane Katrina Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 2005 - Applies the provisions of federal bankruptcy law, as in effect on August 29, 2005, to any case commenced (except under chapter 12) during the 12-month period beginning on October 17, 2005, (the effective date of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA)) by a debtor: (1) who on August 29, 2005, resided in any area declared by the President as a major disaster related to Hurricane Katrina; and (2) whose financial condition is materially adversely affected by such disaster. Authorizes the bankruptcy court to extend statutory deadlines governing debtor's submission of specified financial documentation if the debtor's status as a victim of a natural disaster necessitates such extension. Expands debtor's non-abusive monthly expenses to include actual reasonably necessary expenses incurred as a result of being a victim of a natural disaster. States that if the debtor is a victim of a natural disaster: (1) the presumption of bankruptcy abuse is inapplicable; and (2) the court may not dismiss or convert the case for either an individual (Chapter 7) or a business debtor (Chapter 11). Authorizes the court to grant an extension of time to comply with bankruptcy deadlines if it finds that: (1) it is warranted by a natural disaster in the case of a small business debtor; and (2) the debtor's status as a victim of a natural disaster necessitates such extension in the case of a chapter 13 debtor capable of making periodic payments. Amends the federal judicial code to permit a case in bankruptcy to be commenced in the district court for the district in which a person who is the victim of a natural disaster resides.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2005
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish necessary hospital care and medical services to each priority 8 veteran (low-priority, middle income veterans) affected by Hurricane Katrina as if such veteran was enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs annual patient enrollment system and was eligible for such care under certain higher priority standards. Prohibits the collection of copayments from such veterans for such care (including for medications).
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2005
Katrina Emergency Relief Act of 2005 - Temporary Medicaid Disaster Relief Act of 2005 - Allows states to provide medical assistance to Hurricane Katrina survivors under a state Medicaid plan without regard to eligibility requirements. Provides for grants to local educational agencies and states with a large influx of displaced students due to Hurricane Katrina. Requires the Secretary of Education to: (1) authorize higher education institutions to waive federal financial aid requirements for students affected by Hurricane Katrina; and (2) make payments to institutions for financial aid for such students. Helping to House the Victims of Hurricane Katrina Act of 2005 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide temporary rental assistance to individuals and families affected by Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Emergency Limitation on Payments (HELP) Act of 2005 - Prohibits certain penalties against a person affected by Hurricane Katrina for failing to make timely payments on a federal financial obligation. Allows the President to provide mortgage or rental payments to people affected by Hurricane Katrina. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to require the President to provide appropriate benefit assistance to any individual unemployed as a result of a major disaster. Provides tax relief to taxpayers affected by Hurricane Katrina, including disregarding a specified period in determining the tax liability of such taxpayers and excluding certain withdrawals from retirement plans from gross income. Hurricane Katrina Food Assistance Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to provide expedited and increased food stamp benefits for households in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Delays the changes to bankruptcy law for residents of a declared major disaster area in connection with Hurricane Katrina.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2005
Establishes in the legislative branch a bipartisan Katrina Commission to: (1) examine and report upon the federal, state, and local response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Region of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other affected areas; (2) evaluate and report on the information developed by all relevant governmental agencies related to Hurricane Katrina before it struck the United States and in the days and weeks following; (3) make a complete accounting of the circumstances surrounding the approach of Hurricane Katrina to the Gulf states, and the extent of the Government's preparedness for and response to it; (4) examine planning necessary for future cataclysmic events that will require a significant marshaling of federal resources, mitigation, response, and recovery to avoid significant loss of life; (5) analyze whether any decisions differed with respect to response and recovery for different communities and what problems occurred as a result of a lack of a common plan, communication structure, and centralized command structure; and (6) investigate and report to the President and Congress on immediate corrective measures that can be taken to prevent problems with federal response to future cataclysmic events.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2005
Acknowledges Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist's lifelong service to the United States. Commends his 33-year tenure on the U.S. Supreme Court and his many accomplishments as Chief Justice. Extends sympathy to his family and friends.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2005
Permits a Senator or employee of the Senate to: (1) solicit another Senator or employee of the Senate within Senate buildings for nonmonetary donations for the relief of victims of Hurricane Katrina; and (2) work with a nonprofit organization with respect to the delivery of such donations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2005
Declares that the Senate: (1) expresses the condolences of the Nation to the victims of Hurricane Katrina; (2) commends the resiliency and courage of the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama; and (3) commits to provide the necessary resources and to stand by the people of such states in the relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to undertake capital projects for the Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program through FY2010. Limits to $126 million the total costs of such projects.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Child Protection and Home Safety Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable tax credit for up to 25 percent of the cost of a qualified residential gun safe. Defines "qualified residential gun safe" as a container not intended for the display of firearms which is specifically designed to store or safeguard firearms from unauthorized access and which meets established performance standards. Limits the amount of such credit to $250.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Nurse Faculty Education Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a Nurse Faculty Education Program to ensure an adequate supply of nurse faculty through the awarding of grants to eligible entities to: (1) provide support for hiring new faculty, retaining existing faculty, and purchasing educational resources; (2) provide for increasing enrollment and graduation rates for students from doctoral programs; and (3) assist graduates in serving as nurse faculty in nursing schools. Sets forth provisions regarding eligibility requirements and permissible uses of grant funds. Directs the Secretary to give priority to entities from states and territories that have a lower number of employed nurses per 100,000 population. Directs the Secretary to award specified numbers and amounts of grants for FY2006-FY2010, subject to specified limitations. Directs: (1) the Secretary to evaluate and report to Congress on the results of activities carried out under such grants; and (2) the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress concerning activities to increase participation in the nurse educator program.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal in recognition of Constantino Brumidi's contributions to the Nation as a designer and decorator of the U.S. Capitol. Requires the Architect of the Capitol to arrange for the gold medal to be displayed in the Capitol Visitor Center as part of an exhibit honoring Constantino Brumidi.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Observes and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Reaffirms the Senate's commitment to advancing the legacy of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to ensure the continued effectiveness of the Act in protecting the voting rights of all citizens of the United States. Encourages the people of the United States to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) for the past 40 years, Medicare has made significant medical, social, and economic contributions to our Nation; (2) the access to care provided by Medicare has changed the course of health outcomes for the elderly and those with disabilities preventing phsical deterioration and preventing more individuals from slipping into poverty; and (3) Congress must continue to support, strengthen, and enhance the quality of care in this vital federal health insurance program that guarantees all Medicare beneficiaries affordable health care that meets their needs.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) over the past four decades Medicaid has been a core component of the American health system; (2) Medicaid has ensured that the vast majority of Medicaid beneficiaries did not join the ranks of the current 45 million Americans with no health insurance; and (3) Congress must continue and strengthen the state-federal partnership that provides this vital health insurance program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Medical Malpractice Insurance Antitrust Act of 2005 - Provides that: (1) nothing in the McCarran-Ferguson Act shall be construed to permit commercial insurers to engage in any form of price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocations in connection with the conduct of the business of providing medical malpractice insurance; and (2) such provision shall not apply to the information gathering and rate setting activities of any state insurance commissions or any other state regulatory body with authority to set insurance rates.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Human Cloning Ban Act of 2005 - Prohibits any person or private or public legal entity from: (1) conducting or attempting to conduct human cloning; (2) shipping the product of nuclear transplantation in interstate or foreign commerce for the purpose of human cloning; or (3) exporting to a foreign country an unfertilized blastocyst if such country does not prohibit human cloning. Sets forth criminal and civil penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Colorado Northern Front Range Mountain Backdrop Protection Study Act - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to conduct a study of the lands within the study area (certain lands in or adjacent to the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in southern Boulder, northern Jefferson, and northern Gilpin Counties, Colorado) and report to Congress on: (1) the ownership of such lands; (2) any undeveloped land that may be at risk of development; and (3) actions that could be taken by the United States, Colorado, or any other parties to preserve the open and undeveloped character of such lands.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Act - Designates certain lands in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, which shall be known as the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require Senate candidates to file election-related designations, statements, and reports in electronic form. Requires the Secretary of the Senate to forward a copy of any electronically filed designation, statement, or report to the Federal Election Commission within one working day (instead of the current two working days) after receiving it.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Internet Safety and Child Protection Act of 2005 - Requires: (1) an operator of a regulated pornographic website to verify (using Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-certified software) that any user attempting to access its site is age 18 or older; (2) a bank, credit card company, third-party merchant, Internet payment service provider, or business that performs financial transactions for such a website to only process age-verified Internet pornography credit card transactions; (3) the FTC to require use of appropriate age-screening software and maintain a list of websites that do not comply; and (4) violations of the age verification requirement to be treated as a Federal Trade Commission Act violation. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose upon the operator of a regulated pornographic website for any Internet pornography display or distribution a tax equal to 25 percent of the amounts charged. Establishes in the Treasury the Internet Safety and Child Protection Trust Fund into which such taxes shall be deposited. Requires Fund amounts to be allocated (in order of priority) for: (1) federal agencies to enforce this Act; (2) the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to ensure that the cyber tip line is fully operational and staffed 24 hours a day; (3) states to support Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces; (4) companies to support research and development into new filtering technologies; (5) state agencies to support educational training; and (6) specified federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and nonprofits to support child Internet safety activities, including combating sex trafficking and sex crimes against children.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend, and the United States Postal Service to issue, a commemorative postage stamp to promote public awareness of Down syndrome.
![Official portrait of Sen. Salazar, Ken [D-CO]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001163_200.jpg)