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United States · Official source
2,390 records where Sen. Santorum, Rick [R-PA] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include any meningococcal vaccine as a taxable vaccine for excise tax purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Colon Cancer Screen for Life Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to the use of and reimbursement for colorectal cancer screening tests covered under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (SSA). Amends SSA title XVIII to: (1) increase Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) reimbursement for colorectal cancer screening and diagnostic tests; (2) cover an outpatient office visit or consultation for the purpose of beneficiary education before a colorectal cancer screening test consisting of a colonoscopy, or in conjunction with the beneficiary's decision to obtain such a screening, regardless of whether the screening is medically indicated with respect to the beneficiary; and (3) waive the deductible for such tests.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Funding Our Risks With Appropriate Resource Disbursement Act of 2005 or the Homeland Security FORWARD Funding Act of 2005 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to set forth provisions governing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant funding for first responders pursuant to the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Urban Area Security Initiative, the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program, and the Citizen Corps Program. Makes eligible for a covered grant any state, region, or directly eligible tribe. Sets forth grant application procedures and requirements. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a Homeland Security Grants Board. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) clearly defined essential capabilities for state and local government preparedness for terrorism (sets forth factors to address in establishing such capabilities and lists critical infrastructure sectors and types of threats to specifically consider); and (2) a Task Force on Essential Capabilities. Directs the Secretary to promulgate national voluntary consensus standards for grant-funded first responder equipment and training. Lists authorized and prohibited uses of covered grants. Requires each covered grant recipient to submit quarterly and annual reports on homeland security spending. Establishes penalties for states that fail to pass through to local governments, first responders, and other local groups funds or resources as required by this Act within 45 days of receipt. Expresses the sense of Congress regarding interoperable communications and Citizen Corps councils. Requires the Secretary to: (1) ensure coordination of federal efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to acts of terrorism and other major disasters and emergencies among DHS divisions; and (2) study the feasibility of implementing a nationwide emergency telephonic alert notification system.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2005
Supports the participants of the historic meeting of the Assembly to Promote the Civil Society in Cuba in May 2005 in Havana. Urges the international community to support the Assembly's mission to bring democracy and human rights to Cuba. Encourages the international community to oppose any attempts by the Cuban Government to repress Assembly organizers and participants. Shares the Assembly's pro-democracy ideals and believes that the Assembly and its mission will advance Cuba's freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2005
Hospital Fair Competition Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to hospital payments. Provides for the use of estimated costs rather than average charges in establishing weighting factors for diagnosis-related groups under the inpatient hospital prospective payment system. Revises requirements for exceptions to the prohibition against certain physician self-referrals to specialty hospitals in which a physician has invested. Exempts from the limitation on such referrals, and any liability for criminal penalties, specified arrangements between hospitals and physicians.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2005
Approves the renewal of certain import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2005
Healthcare Tax Relief for the Uninsured Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a tax deduction for high deductible health plan premiums; (2) small employers (100 or fewer employees) a refundable tax credit for contributions to a health savings account of an employee who is covered by a high deductible health plan; and (3) a refundable tax credit for certain health insurance costs of uninsured taxpayers and their spouses and dependents. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a program for making advance payments of tax credit amounts for uninsured individuals to health insurance providers.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Suburban and Community Forestry and Open Space Program Act of 2005 - Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to establish in the Forest Service the Suburban and Community Forestry and Open Space Program, which shall provide cost-share grants to preserve private forest land, contain suburban sprawl, and support value-added forest product industries in States in which less than 25 percent of the land is owned by the United States. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to authorize a requesting State to permit a qualifying organization to acquire one or more conservation easements to carry out the Forest Legacy Program in such State.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Veterinary Workforce Expansion Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to improve public health preparedness through increasing the number of veterinarians in the workforce. Defines "eligible entities" as accredited public or nonprofit schools of veterinary medicine, departments of comparative medicine, departments of veterinary science, schools of public health, or schools of medicine that offer training for veterinarians in a public health practice area. Requires the Secretary to give preference to applicants that demonstrate a comprehensive approach by involving more than one eligible entity. Allows grantees to use funds to: (1) pay the costs associated with construction, the acquisition of equipment, and other capital costs relating to the expansion of existing schools or departments; and (2) pay the capital costs associated with the expansion of academic programs that offer postgraduate training for veterinarians or concurrent training for veterinary students in specific areas of specialization.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Savings for Working Families Act of 2005 - Allows certain low-income individuals between age 18 and 61 to establish tax-exempt individual development accounts (IDAs) to pay for certain qualified expenses, including education expenses, first-time homebuyer costs, and business capitalization or expansion costs. Sets forth rules for the establishment, maintenance, and termination of IDAs. Permits tax-free withdrawals from IDAs for qualified expenses, but requires IDA beneficiaries to complete one or more financial education courses prior to making an IDA withdrawal. Allows certain financial institutions, tax-exempt organizations, and Indian tribes to sponsor and administer IDAs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow such entities a business-related tax credit for the cost of administering IDAs and for making matching contributions to IDAs in parallel accounts. Provides that IDA amounts shall be disregarded for purposes of determining eligibility for assistance under certain means-tested federal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2005
Commonsense Consumption Act of 2005 - Prohibits new and dismisses pending civil actions by any person against a manufacturer, marketer, distributor, advertiser, or seller of food or a trade association for any injury related to a person's accumulated acts of consumption of food and weight gain, obesity, or any associated health condition, excluding actions alleging: (1) a breach of express contract or express warranty provided that the grounds of recovery are unrelated to a person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; (2) a knowing violation of a federal or state statute applicable to the marketing, advertisement, or labeling of food with intent for a person to rely on that violation, where such person relied on that violation, and where such reliance was the proximate cause of injury related to that person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; or (3) a violation brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the Federal Trade Commission Act or by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Requires in any excluded action: (1) a stay of discovery during the pendency of any motion to dismiss, unless necessary to preserve evidence or to prevent undue prejudice; and (2) evidence preservation during the stay. Requires the complaint in such an action to plead with particularity: (1) each element of the cause of action; (2) the Federal and State statutes that were allegedly violated; (3) the specific facts alleged to constitute the violation of law; and (4) the specific facts that are alleged to have caused the claimed injury.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
America Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement, and Education Act of 2005, or the ASPIRE Act of 2005 - Establishes a KIDS Account Fund in the Treasury. Establishes within the Fund a Kids Investment and Development Savings Account (KIDS Account). Makes eligible to contribute to such account, and to receive a matching Federal contribution, any U.S. citizen born after December 31, 2006, and under 18 years of age, whose modified adjusted gross income is below the applicable national median adjusted gross income amount. Creates the KIDS Account Fund Board to establish a default investment program under which, in a manner similar to a lifecycle investment program, sums in each KIDS Account are allocated to investment funds in the KIDS Account Fund based on the amount of time before the account holder attains the age of 18. States that, for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, each KIDS Account shall be treated in the same manner as a Roth IRA. Subjects the Board to the same statutory composition requirements, duties, and responsibilities as the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, to develop programs to promote the financial literacy of account holders of KIDS Accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Public Servant Retirement Protection Act of 2005 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to repeal the current windfall elimination provision (WEP) (that reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also have pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security) for individuals first performing non-covered service beginning one year after enactment of this Act. Establishes a new formula for the treatment of non-covered earnings in determining Social Security benefits. Applies such formula to individuals subject to the current WEP if the benefit under the new formula would be higher.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Puerto Rico Medicare Reimbursement Equity Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the formula for the Medicare inpatient hospital services payment rate for Puerto Rico hospitals to: (1) reduce the applicable Puerto Rico percentage from 25 percent to zero; and (2) increase the applicable Federal percentage from 75 percent to 100 percent.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Community Development Homeownership Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow homebuilders and investors a general business tax credit for building or substantially rehabilitating residences for low and moderate-income individuals in certain areas, including a rural area, an Indian reservation, or an area of chronic economic distress. Sets forth rules for the calculation of such credit and its administration and allocation by the States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Designates the week of May 9, 2005, as National Hepatitis B Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Honors the life and contributions of Frederick C. Branch, and extends the Senate's sympathies to his family for the loss of a courageous and pioneering man.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005 or the FAIR Act of 2005 - Establishes within the Department of Labor the Office of Asbestos Disease Compensation, to be headed by an Administrator responsible for processing claims for compensation for asbestos-related injuries and managing the Asbestos Injury Claims Resolution Fund (Fund) (established within such Office). Requires the Administrator to: (1) establish an Advisory Committee on Asbestos Disease Compensation; (2) establish a Medical Advisory Committee; (3) establish a comprehensive asbestos claimant assistance program that includes legal assistance; and (4) appoint physicians to claim-specific Physicians Panels. Stays all asbestos claims pending on the date of enactment of this Act (except for specified civil actions already at trial). Sets forth special procedures for the settlement of exigent health claims. Allows non-exigent claims to proceed in Federal or State court if the Fund is not certified as operational within 24 months of enactment. Establishes: (1) procedures for handling claims of asbestos-related disease and injury; (2) occupational exposure presumptions; (3) medical evidence auditing and review procedures and applicable medical criteria; and (4) award amounts and payment methods. Imposes a general five-year statute of limitations for filing claims, with special provisions for pending claims and multiple injuries. Specifies the funding allocation for asbestos defendants required to pay into the Fund. Establishes the Asbestos Insurers Commission to determine Fund payment obligations. Authorizes the Administrator to impose a pro rata surcharge on Fund participants if certain bankruptcy trust assets are unavailable to the Fund and borrowing is insufficient to ensure liquidity. Directs the Administrator to establish a program for the education, consultation, medical screening, and medical monitoring of persons with asbestos exposure. Vests exclusive jurisdiction to review, under expedited consideration: (1) final determinations regarding fund obligations and actions for declaratory and injunctive relief under this Act in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia; and (2) award decisions in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the claimant resides. Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit and establish penalties for fraud and false information in connection with Fund claims. Amends the bankruptcy code to state that Fund contribution obligations are not subject to an automatic stay or dischargeable in bankruptcy. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to preclude personal injury claims attributable to silica exposure where certain pleading and evidentiary requirements are met. Requires remedies provided by this Act to be the exclusive remedy for asbestos claims except with regard to specified civil actions already at trial. Addresses the effect of this Act on insurance and reinsurance contracts. Requires the sunset of specified provisions of this Act if the Administrator determines that the Fund has insufficient resources. Requires the Administrator to refer possible violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Clean Air Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to listed officials for possible civil or criminal penalties. Amends OSHA to enhance criminal penalties for willful violations of occupational standards for asbestos. Directs the Administrator to assess Fund contributions from individuals who have violated asbestos laws administered by the Department of Labor, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and their State counterparts. Requires the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review Federal sentencing guidelines to ensure that environmental crimes relating to asbestos are sufficiently punished. Prohibits discrimination in health insurance coverage against persons who participate in medical monitoring programs under this Act. Amends TSCA to require the Administrator of EPA to promulgate regulations prohibiting the manufacture, processing, or distribution in commerce of asbestos containing products, subject to specified exemptions.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Combating Autism Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): (1) to develop a scientifically justified budget for research on autism spectrum disorders; (2) acting through the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, to provide for centers of excellence regarding research on autism; and (3) acting through the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Disorders, to provide for Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish: (1) regional centers of excellence in autism and pervasive developmental disabilities epidemiology; and (2) a clearinghouse for the collecting and storage of data generated. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) a program to provide information and education on autism and its risk factors to health professionals and the general public; and (2) the Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate autism related activities within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants or cooperative agreements to develop statewide autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention programs and systems. Requires the Director of NIH, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, to provide for centers of excellence regarding environmental health and autism.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Jerusalem Resolution - Requires the U.S. Embassy in Israel to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem no later than 180 days before recognition by the United States of a Palestinian state. Prohibits U.S. recognition of a Palestinian state until the international community resolves the status of Jerusalem by recognizing it as the undivided capital of Israel. Expresses the sense of Congress that Israeli citizens should be allowed, as a fundamental human right, to worship freely and according to their traditions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2005
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to permit the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): (1) acting through the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, to expand and coordinate NIH activities on paralysis research; (2) to award grants to plan, establish, improve, and provide basic operating support for Christopher Reeve Paralysis Research Consortia; (3) to educate and disseminate information and receive public comment on NIH programs and research regarding paralysis; (4) acting through the Director of the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development and the National Center for Rehabilitation Research, to expand and coordinate NIH research with implications for enhancing daily function for persons with paralysis; and (5) to make grants to plan, establish, improve, and provide basic operating support for multicenter clinical trial networks to design clinical rehabilitation intervention protocols and measures of outcomes on paralysis. Permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to study the health challenges associated with paralysis and other physical disabilities and carry out projects and interventions to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of individuals with such conditions. Permits the Secretary to award grants for activities related to paralysis, including to: (1) establish paralysis registries; and (2) disseminate information to the public. Allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish Paralysis Research, Education and Clinical Care Centers; and (2) award grants to medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to translate clinical findings and recommendations on paralysis into evidence-based best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2005
Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln in commemoration of the bicentennial of his birth. Permits issuance of such coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2009. Subjects the coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2005
Designates the third week of April 2005 as National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2008, the duty on flat panel screen assemblies for use in televisions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2008, the duty on Liquid Crystal Device panel assemblies for use in Liquid Crystal Device direct view televisions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2008, the duty on electron guns for high definition cathode ray tubes (CRT's).
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
National Weather Services Duties Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Weather Service (NWS), in order to protect life and property, to be responsible for: (1) the preparation and issuance of severe weather forecasts and warnings; (2) the preparation and issuance of hydrometeorological guidance and core forecast information; (3) the collection and exchange of meteorological, hydrological, climatic, and oceanographic data information; and (4) reports, forecasts, warnings, and other advice necessary for aircraft safety and efficiency. Prohibits the Secretary from providing or assisting other entities in providing a product or service (other than a product or service for the preparation and issuance of severe weather forecasts and warnings as described above) that is or could be provided by the private sector unless: (1) the private sector is unwilling or unable to provide such product or service; or (2) the U.S. Government is obligated to provide such product or service under international aviation agreements. Sets forth requirements for the issuance of all data, information, guidance, forecasts, and warnings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the NWS. Prohibits, as specified, disclosures by Federal employees of any weather data, information, guidance, forecast, or warning that might influence or affect the market value of a product, service, commodity, tradable, or business.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to suspend, through December 31, 2008, the duty on Liquid Crystal Device panel assemblies for use in Liquid Crystal Device projection type televisions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Constitutional Amendment - Grants Congress power to prohibit the physical desecration of the U.S. flag.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Math and Science Incentive Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Education to carry out a program of assuming the obligation to pay up to $10,000 of interest on certain student loans under the Higher Education Act of 1965, for certain borrowers who agree to serve for five years as: (1) teachers of science, technology, engineering or mathematics at an elementary or secondary school; or (2) mathematics, science or engineering professionals. Requires that selection of program participants from among eligible applicants be based on: (1) U.S. national security, homeland security, and economic security needs; and (2) the applicant's academic record or job performance. Allows other factors to be considered in such selection.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act of 2005 - States that a person (including a governmental or other entity) who donates fire control or fire rescue equipment to a volunteer fire company shall not be liable for State or Federal civil damages for personal injuries, property damage or loss, or death caused by the equipment after the donation. Waives such liability protection if: (1) the person's act or omission causing the injury, damage, loss, or death constitutes gross negligence or intentional misconduct; or (2) the person is the manufacturer of such equipment. Preempts State law unless such law provides additional protection from liability.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Designates April 15, 2005, as National Youth Service Day. Recognizes and commends the significant contributions of American youth. Encourages the cultivation of a common civic bond among young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their communities, and the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Honors and memorializes the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 for their decisive actions and efforts of bravery on September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2005
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of not more than eight centers to conduct multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Requires each such center to: (1) be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence; (2) establish ongoing collaborations with community organizations; (3) be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions; (4) be supported under this Act for a period of not more than five years with additional periods allowed after review and recommendation; and (5) use innovative approaches to study unexplored areas of the environment and breast cancer. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel to make recommendations for and to review grants awarded under this Act
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2005
Informed Choice Act - Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to nonprofit community based pregnancy help medical clinics for the purchase of ultrasound equipment. Requires each grantee to: (1) provide free ultrasound examinations to pregnant women; (2) show the visual image of the fetus from the ultrasound examination to each pregnant woman with a general anatomical and physiological description of the fetus; (3) give each pregnant woman the approximate age of the embryo or fetus; (4) provide information on abortion and alternatives to abortion, such as childbirth and adoption, and information concerning public and private agencies that will assist in those alternatives; and (5) obtain medical malpractice insurance. Limits each grant to the lesser of 50 percent of the purchase price of the ultrasound machine involved or $20,000.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Cotton Shirt Industry Tariff Relief and Technical Corrections Act - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to reduce, through December 31, 2005 or 2006 (as appropriate), the duty on certain cotton shirting fabrics. Limits the quantity of imported cotton woven fabric entered by or on behalf of each manufacturer of men's and boy's shirts. Provides for the issuance of import licenses subject to such limitation. Establishes the Pima Cotton Trust Fund within the Treasury, consisting of transfers from the general fund in amounts attributable to the duty received since January 1, 1994, on woven fabrics of cotten under specified headings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. Provides for annual distribution of amounts from such Fund to a nationally recognized association of shirting manufacturers for the promotion of U.S.-grown pima cotton, and to yarn spinners of such cotton .
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
State and Local Law Enforcement Discipline, Accountability, and Due Process Act of 2005 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to set forth the due process rights, including procedures, that shall be afforded a law enforcement officer (officer) who is the subject of an investigation or disciplinary hearing. Declares that an officer shall not be: (1) prohibited from engaging in political activity or be denied the right to refrain from engaging in such activity, except when on duty or acting in an official capacity; and (2) prohibited from being a candidate for an elective office or from serving in such elective office solely because of the officer's status as an officer, with exceptions. Requires that: (1) each agency adopt and thereafter comply with a written complaint procedure that meets specified requirements; and (2) an investigation based on a complaint from outside the agency commence not later than 15 days after receipt of the complaint by the agency employing the officer against whom the complaint has been made, or any other agency charged with investigating such complaint. Directs that any officer who is the subject of an investigation be notified of the investigation 24 hours before the commencement of questioning. Establishes rights of officers before and during questioning, including the right to counsel. Requires questioning to be conducted at reasonable hours. Prohibits an officer from being compelled to submit to the use of a lie detector.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce from $18 to $9 (its pre-1991 level) the per-barrel tax on beer.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Natural Gas Price Reduction Act of 2005 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to prescribe implementation guidelines for broad-based energy conservation and energy efficiency programs that include: (1) reducing residential demand and expanded appliance and equipment efficiency standards; (2) deployment for distributed generation, solar energy technologies, and biomass; (3) hydrogen and fuel cell initiative; and (4) demand side management that provides smart metering and net metering. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to cite circumstances for the termination of mandatory sale and purchase requirements with respect to electric power from a qualifying cogeneration facility or a qualifying small power production facility. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations to revise the permitting requirements of the Clean Air Act. Prescribes guidelines for expedited review of preconstruction requirements under such Act. Sets forth a broad-based oil and gas lease production program that includes: (1) royalty relief for deep water production; (2) coastal impact assistance program; (3) Rocky Mountain gas production; (4) gas methane research; (5) gas hydrate production incentives; and (6) marginal property production incentives. Directs the President to establish an Office of Federal Energy Project Coordination. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) review current Federal onshore oil and gas leasing and permitting practices; and (2) establish a Federal permit streamlining pilot project. Prescribes guidelines for an energy infrastructure that includes: (1) siting, construction, and operation of natural gas importation and exportation, including offshore facilities; (2) natural gas pipeline infrastructure; and (3) natural gas storage facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes and which make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to continue to be treated as tax-exempt organizations so long as all of the active members of the recipient organization are full-time students at the college or university with which the recipient organization is associated.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Tax Incentives for the Natural Gas Price Reduction Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for: (1) investment in combined heat and power system property; (2) 30 percent of qualified photovoltaic property or solar heating property expenditures, up to $7,500; (3) 20 percent of qualified fuel cell property installed in residences and businesses; (4) up to 20 percent for qualified energy efficiency improvements to existing homes; (5) the installation of energy efficient property installed in new homes; (6) energy efficient appliances; and (7) investment in qualifying gasification combined cycle technology facilities. Increases the energy tax credit for solar equipment to 30 percent in 2006 through 2010. Extends until 2007 the tax credit for the production of electricity from renewable resources. Permits specified organizations, including tax-exempt organizations, public utilities, States and local governments, Indian tribal governments, or the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to transfer tax credit amounts for investment in gasification combined cycle technology facilities to any person without regard to the tax-exempt status of such person. Allows a tax deduction for the cost of energy efficient commercial building property. Limits the amount of such deduction to $1.50 times the square footage of the building.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Recognizes the achievements of Dr. Jonas Salk and his team of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh in developing the Salk polio vaccine on the 50th anniversary of its approval and use.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2005
Meeting the Housing and Service Needs of Seniors Act of 2005 - Establishes in the executive branch the independent Interagency Council on Meeting the Housing and Service Needs of Seniors, which shall identify and promote coordination of senior citizen housing, health care, and service needs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2005
Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to design national strategies for providing services in supportive housing that will assist in ending chronic homelessness and to implement programs that address chronic homelessness. Requires the Secretary to make matching grants to eligible entities to provide services that promote recovery and self-sufficiency and that address barriers to housing stability to chronically homeless individuals in, or who are scheduled to become residents of, permanent supportive housing and to other individuals and families who have voluntarily chosen to seek other housing opportunities after a period of tenancy in supportive housing. Directs the Secretary to require grantees to report data regarding the performance outcomes of projects carried out under this Act, which shall include measuring and reporting specific performance outcomes related to the long-term goals of: (1) increasing stability within the community for people who have been chronically homeless; and (2) decreasing recurrence of periods of homelessness.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2005
Joins the world in mourning the death of Pope John Paul II, and pays tribute to him by pledging to be ever faithful to our national calling to be "one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,'' and to help our neighbors in immeasurable ways.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2005
New Shipper Review Amendment Act of 2005 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 with respect to reviews by the administering authority to establish an individual weighted average dumping margin or an individual countervailing duty rate (as the case may be) for a new exporter or producer that: (1) did not export the merchandise that was the subject of an antidumping duty or countervailing duty order to the United States during the period of investigation; and (2) was not affiliated with any exporter or producer who did. Suspends, until three years after enactment of this Act, the requirement that the administering authority direct the Customs Service to allow, at the option of the importer of such merchandise, the posting, until completion of the review, of a bond or security in lieu of a cash deposit for each entry of the subject merchandise (bonding privileges).
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2005
Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to prohibit U.S. courts from recognizing, enforcing, or otherwise validating any assertion of rights by an individual (currently, by a designated Cuban national) of a mark, trade name, or commercial name that was used in connection with a business or assets that were confiscated by the Cuban government unless the original owner of such mark or name, or such owner's bona fide successor, has expressly consented. Applies such prohibition only if the individual asserting the rights knew or had reason to know at the time of acquiring the rights asserted that the mark or name was the same or substantially similar to the mark or name used in connection with the business or assets that were confiscated.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2005
Grants jurisdiction to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida to hear, determine, and render judgment on a suit or claim by or on behalf of Theresa Marie Schiavo for the alleged violation of any right of hers under the U.S. Constitution or laws relating to the withholding or withdrawal of food, fluids, or medical treatment necessary to sustain her life.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2005 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to modify the definition of "religion" for purposes of coverage under that Act by requiring employers to make an affirmative and bona fide effort to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of employees. Defines the term "perform the essential functions" to exclude practices having a temporary or tangential impact on an employee's ability to perform job functions, such as practices relating to clothing or taking time off work. Sets forth factors to consider in determining whether an accommodation causes undue hardship. Defines "employee" to require an ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Requires removal of the conflict between employment requirements and the employee's religious practices in order for an accommodation to be considered reasonable. Considers an employer's refusal to permit an employee's use of general leave to remove a religious conflict solely because the leave will be used to accommodate religious practices to be an unlawful employment practice. States that the amendments made by this Act do not apply with respect to conduct occurring prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2005
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemoration Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide a grant to the Franklin Institute to: (1) rehabilitate the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial (including the Franklin statue) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and (2) develop an interpretive exhibit relating to Benjamin Franklin, to be displayed at a museum adjacent to the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. Declares that the Secretary shall require the Franklin Institute to match any amounts provided to the Franklin Institute under this Act.