United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2005
Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make Alzheimer's disease research a priority within the National Institute on Aging. Requires the Director of the Institute to: (1) undertake an Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Initiative to accelerate the discovery of new risk and protective factors, to rapidly identify therapies and preventive interventions, and to implement effective prevention and treatment strategies; (2) conduct and support cooperative clinical research regarding Alzheimer's; and (3) conduct research concerning early detection and diagnosis, the relationship between Alzheimer's and vascular disease, and interventions designed to help caregivers. Authorizes the Director to establish a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to facilitate collaboration among Alzheimer's Disease Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to educate the public and public health community regarding Alzheimer's disease. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop coordinated respite care programs on a statewide basis. Defines "respite care" to mean planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver of such child or adult. Directs the Secretary to award a grant or cooperative agreement to a public or private nonprofit entity to establish a National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a nonrefundable tax credit for each individual certified as having long-term care needs and for whom the taxpayer is acting as a caregiver; (2) a tax deduction for long-term care premiums paid under a qualified insurance contract; and (3) qualified long-term care insurance to be offered in a cafeteria plan and flexible spending arrangements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2005
Betty Dick Residence Protection Act - Allows Betty Dick to continue to occupy and use specified property for the remainder of her natural life, subject to certain requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2005
Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the desegregation of the Little Rock Central High School and its contribution to civil rights in America, beginning January 1, 2007. Terminates such minting authority after December 31, 2007. States that all sales shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin, to be equally divided and paid to: (1) the Jefferson National Parks Association for the purpose of providing support for programs and other developmental activities at the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site and support for the ongoing mission of the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior for site improvements at the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site, including the establishment of cooperative agreements to preserve and restore the historic character of the vicinity in the historic site's boundaries. States that Congress intends for such surcharges to supplement amounts provided to the Secretary in appropriation Acts for the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site, and are not intended to be a substitute for such appropriated amounts.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2005
Rocky Flats Special Exposure Cohort Act - Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to provide compensation (for beryllium- and radiation-related health conditions) for employees of the Department of Energy (DOE) or of a DOE contractor employed for an aggregate number of at least 250 work days before January 1, 2006, at the Rocky Flats (nuclear weapons production and testing) site in Colorado.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Voluntary Public Access and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program Act of 2005 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program under which States and tribal governments may apply for grants to encourage owners and operators of privately-held farm, ranch, and forest land to voluntarily make such land available for public access under State- and tribally-administered plans. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to exclude from excess base acreage computation for direct and counter-cyclical payment purposes certain conservation enrolled farm land not planted in an agricultural commodity.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that military retired pay should not be reduced because a military retiree is also eligible for veterans' disability compensation awarded for a service-connected disability. Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (currently, only a disability rated at 50 percent or more). Repeals provisions phasing in the full concurrent receipt of such pay through December 31, 2013. Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to designate Heartland Expressway from Denver, Colorado, through Wyoming and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Rapid City, South Dakota, as a high priority corridor on the National Highway System.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Designates March 8, 2005, as International Women's Day. Reaffirms the Senate's commitment to: (1) improve women's access to quality health care, including HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment; (2) prevent violence against women, including the trafficking of women and girls worldwide; (3) end discrimination and increase the participation of women in government and private sector decisionmaking positions; and (4) extend full economic opportunities to women.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify automatic fire sprinkler systems as five-year depreciable property. .
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
Renames the death gratuity, payable to survivors of members of the Armed Forces killed while serving on active duty or inactive duty training, as fallen hero compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2005
Darfur Accountability Act of 2005 - Directs the President to: (1) freeze the assets of persons (and family members) named by the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur to the United Nations (UN) Secretary General as perpetrators of crimes against humanity in Darfur, Sudan, and report such assets to the Office of Foreign Assets Control; (2) deny visas and entry to such persons, and to anyone the President determines has been, is, or may be involved in such activities in Darfur; and (3) report the names of such persons to the appropriate congressional committees.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2005
PILT and Refuge Revenue Sharing Permanent Funding Act - Provides permanent funding for the Bureau of Land Management's payment in lieu of taxes program (PILT) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's refuge revenue sharing program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2005
Broadband Rural Revitalization Act of 2005 - Establishes within the Department of Commerce, the Rural Broadband Office for the coordination of all Federal Government resources relating to the expansion of broadband technology into rural areas. Expresses the sense of Congress supporting full funding of the loan program for rural electrification established by the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow for expensing of broadband expenditures for rural communities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2005
Anti-phishing Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal criminal code to criminalize Internet scams involving fraudulently obtaining personal information (phishing). Imposes a fine or imprisonment for up to five years, or both, for a person who knowingly and with the intent to engage in an activity constituting fraud or identity theft under Federal or State law: (1) creates or procures the creation of a website or domain name that represents itself as a legitimate online business without the authority or approval of the registered owner of such business; and (2) uses that website or domain name to solicit means of identification from any person. Imposes a fine or imprisonment for up to five years, or both, for a person who knowingly and with the intent to engage in activity constituting fraud or identity theft under Federal or State law sends an electronic mail message that: (1) falsely represents itself as being sent by a legitimate online business; (2) includes an Internet location tool referring or linking users to an online location on the World Wide Web that falsely purports to belong to or be associated with a legitimate online business; and (3) solicits means of identification from the recipient.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2005
Designates the second week of March 2005 as Extension Living Well Week. Encourages the people of the United States to take advantage of the educational opportunities that Extension Family and Consumer Sciences educators provide.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2005
Crosby-Puller Combat Wounds Compensation Act - Requires a member of the Armed Forces who is wounded or otherwise injured while serving in a combat zone for which special pay is authorized to be paid monthly military pay, during the period in which the member recovers from such wound or injury, that is at least equal to the monthly pay received by the member immediately before receiving the wound or injury. Makes such requirement effective for pay periods beginning on or after September 11, 2001. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to continue during such recovery period the combat zone special pay income tax exclusion. Makes such requirement effective for months beginning on or after the above date.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2005
Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act of 2005 - Amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) to extend the terrorism risk insurance program from 2005 through 2007. Defines "Program Year 4" as calendar 2006 and "Program Year 5" as calendar 2007. Extends coverage for insured losses under a policy issued during Program Year 5 through December 31, 2008, at the latest. Increases the insurance marketplace aggregate retention amount for Program Years 4 and 5. Directs the Secretary to apply TRIA to providers of group life insurance. Instructs the Presidential Working Group on Financial Markets to report to Congress its recommendations for legislation to address the long-term availability and affordability of insurance for terrorism risk.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or STOP Underage Drinking Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking. Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to design, test, evaluate, and disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage drinking. Requires the Secretary to carry out activities toward the objectives of: (1) testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 for alcohol involvement; (2) obtaining new epidemiological data that identifies alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early adolescence; and (3) developing or identifying successful clinical treatment for youth with alcohol problems.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act - Prohibits a qualified civil liability action from being brought in any State or Federal court against a manufacturer or seller of a firearm, ammunition, or a component of a firearm that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce (or against a trade association of such manufacturers or sellers) for damages, punitive damages, injunctive or declaratory relief, abatement, restitution, fines, or penalties, or other relief, resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm. Requires pending actions to be dismissed. Excludes actions: (1) brought against persons who transfer a firearm knowing that it will be used to commit a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime, by a party directly harmed by such crime; (2) brought against a seller for negligent entrustment or negligence per se; (3) in which a manufacturer or seller of a firearm knowingly violated a State or Federal statute applicable to the sale or marketing of the firearm, and the violation was a proximate cause of the harm for which relief is sought; (4) for breach of contract or warranty in connection with the purchase of the firearm; or (5) for death, physical injuries, or property damage resulting directly from a defect in design or manufacture of the firearm when used as intended or in a reasonably foreseeable manner, except that where the discharge was caused by a volitional act that constituted a criminal offense, such act shall be considered the sole proximate cause of any resulting death, personal injuries, or property damage.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Authorizes the President, on behalf of Congress, to award a gold medal collectively to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Medicaid Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require State Medicaid plan coverage of community-based attendant services and supports for certain Medicaid-eligible individuals. Outlines requirements for: (1) an enhanced Federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for ongoing activities of early coverage States that enhance and promote the use of community-based attendant services and supports; and (2) increased Federal financial participation for certain expenditures incurred by the State for the provision of such services and supports. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) award grants to eligible States which have established a Consumer Task Force to assist the State in its development of real choice systems change initiatives; and (2) conduct a demonstration project for the purpose of evaluating service coordination and cost-sharing approaches with respect to the provision of community-based services and supports to non-elderly dually eligible individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management to provide Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member. Directs the Secretary to reimburse such eligible persons for pharmacy benefits received from a pharmacy that is not a TRICARE (Department of Defense managed health care plan) network pharmacy in the same manner as the Secretary would reimburse such person for such benefits received from a TRICARE network pharmacy. Requires such persons, in order to receive such reimbursement, to submit a certification from their physician stating that the person does not have access to a TRICARE network pharmacy due to physical or medical constraints. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to waive the monthly part B premium (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled) with respect to: (1) an individual who is entitled to military retired or retainer pay based upon service that began before December 7, 1956; and (2) the spouse, widow, or widower of such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2005
Disapproves the rule submitted by the Department of Agriculture relating to the establishment of minimal-risk zones for introduction of bovine spongiform encephalopathy into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2005
Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2005 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) offer one or more Medicare operated prescription drug plans nationally that offer qualified prescription drug coverage and access to negotiated prices, while allowing the plan to offer supplemental prescription drug coverage in the same manner as other qualified prescription drug coverage offered by other prescription drug plans; and (2) enter into negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce the purchase cost of covered Medicare part D drugs for eligible part D individuals, and encourage the use of more affordable therapeutic equivalents. Requires the monthly beneficiary premium charged under such a plan to be uniform nationally. Makes the premium for months in 2006 $35. Bases the premium for months in succeeding years on the average monthly per capita actuarial cost of offering the Medicare operated prescription drug plan for the year involved, including administrative expenses. Allows for adjustment of such premium amount in case of supplemental prescription drug coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2005
Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2005 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit an alien counted toward the numerical limitation applicable to H-2B nonimmigrants (temporary nonagricultural workers) during any of the three fiscal years prior to submission of an H-2B petition from being counted toward the limitation in the year of petition approval. Makes this provision effective as if enacted on October 1, 2004. Provides for its expiration on October 1, 2006. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to impose a fraud prevention and detection fee on employers filing H-2B petitions. Mandates the deposit of such fees into the Fraud Prevention and Detection Account. Authorizes additional penalties for a substantial failure to meet any condition of an H-2B petition or the willful misrepresentation of a material fact in such a petition. Requires the allocation of the numerical limitation on the issuance of H-2B visas (currently, 66,000) such that the total number of H-2B nonimmigrants entering the United States during the first six months of a fiscal year is not more than 33,000. Amends the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 to require the Secretary to submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate information regarding: (1) the numbers of aliens granted H-2B status or terminated from H-2B status, on a quarterly basis; and (2) the countries of origin, occupations of, and compensation paid to aliens granted H-2B status, the number of aliens terminated from such status, and the number of aliens provided such status during both the fiscal year reported and the preceding fiscal year, on an annual basis. Requires the Secretary of State to provide information relevant to such reports.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2005
Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant qualifying alien agricultural workers (and their spouses and minor children) temporary resident status and subsequently lawful permanent resident status upon the fulfillment of specified agricultural work and residency requirements. Sets forth provisions with respect to: (1) adjustment of status applications, including penalties for false statements; (2) the waiver of numerical limitations and certain grounds for inadmissibility; (3) the temporary stay of removal and work authorization; (4) administrative and judicial review; and (5) dissemination of program information. Amends the Social Security Act to provide for the correction of such aliens' social security records. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to set forth application requirements for H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) employers and employer associations, including assurances: (1) that the job opportunity is temporary or seasonal and is not the result of a labor dispute; (2) that attempts have been made to hire U.S. workers; and (3) respecting required wages and benefits and compliance with labor laws. Sets forth employment requirements with respect to H-2A worker wages, housing, and transportation reimbursement. Establishes the Commission on Agricultural Wage Standards under the H-2A program. Revises provisions respecting the admission and extension of stay of H-2A workers. Provides special rules for alien sheepherders. Sets forth worker protection and labor standards enforcement provisions for such aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2005
Next Generation Hispanic Serving Institutions Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise requirements for Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) under title V (Developing Institutions). Establishes a program of competitive grants to eligible HSIs that offer postbaccalaureate certifications or degrees (part B grants). Limits a part B grant award's duration to not more than five years. Prohibits the Secretary of Education from awarding more than one part B grant to an HSI in any one fiscal year. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the current part A program of grants to HSIs that offer baccalaureate degrees or are junior or community colleges; and (2) the new part B program of grants to HSIs that offer postbaccalaureate certifications or degrees. Eliminates the requirement that an eligible HSI provide assurances that at least 50 percent of its Hispanic students are low-income students. Includes, among authorized activities under part A grants, articulation agreements and student support programs to help transfers from two-year to four-year institutions. Eliminates the two-year wait-out period between any two five-year part A grants to an HSI.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2005
Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to revise provisions governing the importation of prescription drugs. Waives the limitation on importation of prescription drugs that have been exported from the United States. Prohibits the importation of a qualifying drug unless such drug is imported by: (1) a registered importer; or (2) an individual for personal use. Establishes registration conditions for importers and exporters. Requires the Secretary to inspect places of business, verify chains of custody, inspect facilities, and determine compliance with registration conditions. Sets forth provisions governing the importation of qualifying drugs that are different from U.S. label drugs, including standards for judging such differences. Prohibits manufacturers from: (1) discriminating against registered exporters or importers; (2) causing there to be a difference in a prescription drug distributed in the United States and one distributed in a permitted country; (3) engaging in actions to restrict, prohibit, or delay the importation of a qualifying drug; or (4) engaging in any action that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) determines discriminates against a person that engages or attempts to engage in the importation of a qualifying drug. States that the resale in the United States of prescription drugs that were properly sold abroad is not patent infringement. Requires the Secretary to educate consumers regarding prescription drug importation. Sets forth provisions governing the sale of prescription drugs through an Internet site. Includes the dispensing or selling of a prescription drug in violation of this Act as a prohibited act under FFDCA.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2005
Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2007 130 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2005. Adjusts the amount provided for fiscal years after FY 2007 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of other persons eligible but not enrolled who are provided care, multiplied by the per capital baseline amount for FY 2005, as increased by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Prohibits the availability of such funds for: (1) construction, acquisition, or alteration of veterans' medical facilities (other than for repairs provided for before the date of enactment of this Act); or (2) grants for the construction of State home facilities for the furnishing of veterans' domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2005
Voting Integrity and Verification Act of 2005 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to revise requirements for voting systems used in an election for Federal office, including to: (1) permit the voter to verify the accuracy of his or her ballot (in a private and independent manner) in an individual paper version before it is cast and counted; and (2) require the voting system to produce an individual permanent paper record for each ballot cast which meets specified requirements relating to manual audit capacity.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2005
Reaffirmation of State Regulation of Resident and Nonresident Hunting and Fishing Act of 2005 - Expresses the policy of Congress that it is in the public interest for each State to continue regulating the taking for any purpose of fish and wildlife. Prohibits congressional silence from being construed as imposing a commerce clause barrier to such regulation by a State or Indian tribe. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) limit the applicability or effect of any Federal law related to the protection or management of fish or wildlife or to the regulation of commerce; (2) limit the authority of the United States to prohibit hunting or fishing on U.S. lands; or (3) abrogate, abridge, affect, modify, supersede, or alter any treaty-reserved or other right of any Indian tribe as recognized by any other means.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2005
Fort Carson Conservation Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the Army to carry out a pilot project at Fort Carson, Colorado, to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing conservation easements and leases granted by one or more willing sources to limit development and preserve habitat on real property in the vicinity of, or ecologically related to, military installations in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2005
Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Act of 2005 - Amends the Soviet Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 1991, the Cooperative Threat Reduction Act of 1993, and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, respectively, to repeal specified restrictions on the use of Cooperative Threat Reduction program (program) funds and activities. Amends the the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 to modify authority to use program funds outside the former Soviet Union, including transferring such authority from the President to the Secretary of Defense. Directs the Secretary of State to report on each country in which a program is being carried out, including its adherence to arms control and nonproliferation agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit up to $500 of unused health benefits in a plan or other arrangement that provides for a health flexible spending arrangement to be carried forward to the next year of such health flexible spending arrangement or be contributed to a health savings account without affecting the status of such plan or arrangement as a tax-exempt employee benefit cafeteria plan.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2005
Declares the sense of Congress that the U.S. Air Force should continue to honor and learn from the example provided by the Tuskegee Airmen as it faces the challenges of the 21st century and the war on terror.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2005
Medicare Rural Home Health Payment Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to provide for a two-year extension of the temporary Medicare payment increase for home health services furnished in a rural area.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2005
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to expand the prohibition against discrimination by group health plans and health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets on the basis of genetic information or services to prohibit: (1) enrollment and premium discrimination based on information about a request for or receipt of genetic services; and (2) requiring genetic testing. Sets forth penalties for violations. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit issuers of Medicare supplemental policies from discriminating on the basis of genetic information. Extends medical privacy and confidentiality rules to the disclosure of genetic information. Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or training program to discriminate against an individual or deprive such individual of employment opportunities because of genetic information. Prohibits the collection and disclosure of genetic information, with certain exceptions. Establishes a Genetic Nondiscrimination Study Commission to review the developing science of genetics and advise Congress on the advisability of providing for a disparate impact cause of action under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2005
Expresses support for the goals and ideas of National Time Out Day (June 22, 2005) to promote the adoption of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' universal protocol for preventing errors in the operating room. Congratulates perioperative nurses and representatives of surgical teams for working together to reduce medical errors.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2005
Commends the people of Iraq on the January 2005 elections, and congratulates the new members of the Transitional National Assembly and the leaders of the provincial and regional governments. Urges the new leadership of Iraq to move forward with drafting the constitution, upholding the law, and holding a referendum on the new constitution. Honors the sacrifices made for freedom by the people of Iraq. Commends the Iraqi security forces and the U.S. Armed Forces and Coalition forces who ensured the elections could be conducted in a relatively safe and credible manner. Condemns all acts of violence and intimidation by members of the former Iraqi regime, insurgents, and other extremists and terrorists. Declares that it is in the interest of the people of Iraq, the Middle East, the United States, and the international community that Iraq transitions to a democratic state and serves as a catalyst for regional peace and stability. Calls on the international community, particularly Arab states, countries with predominantly Muslim populations, and all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members, to provide military and police personnel to train Iraqi security forces and to otherwise assist in Iraq's political and economic development. Encourages the newly-elected transitional government of Iraq to ensure that all Iraqis, including members of the Sunni community, are represented in the Constitution-writing process and in the new Iraqi cabinet.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2005
Declares that the Senate: (1) apologizes to the victims and survivors of lynching for its failure to enact anti-lynching legislation; (2) expresses its deepest sympathies and most solemn regrets to the descendants of such victims whose ancestors were deprived of life, human dignity, and the constitutional protections accorded all other U.S. citizens; and (3) remembers the history of lynching, to ensure that these personal tragedies will be neither forgotten nor repeated.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
527 Reform Act of 2006 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to subject to its requirements as a political committee any applicable 527 organization. Excludes from the meaning of 527 organization for these purposes any committee, club, association, or other group of persons organized to influence: (1) the selection, nomination, election, appointment, or confirmation of one or more candidates to non-federal or non-elected office; or (2) any state or local ballot measure. Denies exception from treatment as an applicable 527 organization to any such a committee, club, association, or other groups of persons which makes disbursements aggregating more than $1,000 for: (1) a public communication that promotes, supports, attacks, or opposes a clearly identified candidate for federal office during the one year period ending on the date of the general election for the office sought by the clearly identified candidate; or (2) certain voter drive activity. Sets forth rules for allocation and funding by a political committee for certain expenses relating to federal and non-federal activities.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2005
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to extend the Act through FY2013. Revises requirements regarding the merchantable material contracting pilot program. Requires counties participating in county projects to submit a specified notification for each project for which the participating county obligated county funds. Provides for the review of such notifications.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make Federal provisions which prohibit the obligation or expenditure of funds either in excess of appropriated amounts or in violation of sequestration orders under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1986 inapplicable to: (1) any amount collected or received as Federal universal service contributions; or (2) the expenditure or obligation of amounts attributable to such contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Critical Access to Clinical Lab Services Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide that clinical diagnostic laboratory services furnished by a critical access hospital shall be treated as being furnished as part of outpatient critical access services without regard to whether: (1) the individual for whom the services are furnished is physically present in the critical access hospital at the time the specimen is collected; (2) such individual is registered as an outpatient on the records of, and receives such services directly from, the critical access hospital; or (3) payment is available for such services under the fee schedule established for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2005
Medicare Enhancements for Needed Drugs Act of 2005 - Directs the Comptroller General to review and report to Congress on the retail cost of prescription drugs in the United States during 2000 and 2003, and through April 1, 2006, with an emphasis on the prescription drugs most utilized for individuals age 65 or older. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct an ongoing study that compares the average retail cost in the United States for each of the 20 most utilized prescription drugs for individuals age 65 or older with: (1) the average prices at which private health plans, the Department of Defense under the Defense Health Program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs acquire each such drug; and (2) the average negotiated price for each such drug that eligible beneficiaries have access to under a Medicare prescription drug plan providing only basic prescription drug coverage. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to include in the comparative plan information for beneficiaries under new Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) a comparison of average aggregate prescription drug plan beneficiary costs and savings with such costs for a beneficiary with no prescription drug plan. Repeals the prohibition against interference by the Secretary with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors, as well as the requirement of a particular formulary to institute a price structure for the reimbursement of Medicare part D covered drugs. Authorizes the Secretary instead, like other Federal entities that purchase prescription drugs in bulk, to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2005
Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to each State to carry out a program in the Administration on Children and Families for making available throughout that State the 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services. Requires a participating State to ensure that at least 50 percent of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be derived from other sources. Requires a State seeking a grant to carry out its activities through a lead entity to be known as a 2-1-1 Collaborative. Requires grant amounts to be used solely to make available to a State 2-1-1 telephone service for community information and referral on human services to all citizens of that State with phone access, including telephone connections between families and individuals seeking services and the service providers. Requires grant recipients to: (1) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers; and (2) collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services with which to provide information or referral to individuals utilizing the 2-1-1 service.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary), acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation and in cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Defense, to carry out a salt cedar (Tamarix spp) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) assessment and demonstration program to: (1) assess the extent of the infestation by salt cedar and Russian olive trees in the western United States; (2) demonstrate strategic solutions for the long-term management of such trees and the reestablishment of native vegetation; and (3) assess economic means to dispose of biomass created as a result of removal of those trees. Requires the Secretary to: (1) complete an assessment of the extent of the infestation on public and private land; (2) identify and document long-term management and funding strategies that could be implemented by federal, state, and private land managers in addressing the infestation and that should be tested as components of specified demonstration projects; and (3) establish a program that selects and funds at least five projects proposed by and implemented in collaboration with federal agencies, state and local governments, national laboratories, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, individuals, organizations, or soil and water conservation districts to demonstrate and evaluate the most effective methods of controlling salt cedar and Russian olive trees.
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