United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005
Truth in Budgeting and Social Security Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) (BBEDC) to extend discretionary spending caps and pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to prescribe authority and criteria for designation of emergency requirements, as well as points of order against such a designation. Amends BBEDC to extend indefinitely certain budget enforcement mechanisms of discretionary spending limits (caps). Amends CBA to require: (1) proposed legislation to contain a projection by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of the cost of debt servicing for measures; (2) conference reports to contain amounts allocated to the Committee on Appropriations subcommittees; and (3) the CBO to report on proposed legislation or conference reports by any committee that contain cost riders that are likely to increase the cost path of a measure. Requires the President to report to specified congressional committees in January of each year on the fiscal exposures of the Federal Government and their implications for long-term financial health. Federal Insurance Budgeting Act of 2005 - Requires that, starting FY 2008, the President's budget submission to Congress be based upon the risk-assumed cost of Federal insurance programs for accrual budgeting purposes. Amends cost requirements of Federal insurance programs. Requires agencies responsible for Federal insurance programs to develop models to estimate their risk-assumed cost by year. Amends CBA to revise the Federal and congressional budget processes by establishing a two-year budgeting and appropriations cycle and timetable. Defines the budget biennium as the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. Establishes the Commission on Federal Budget Concepts.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
National Women's History Museum Act of 2005 - Requires the Administrator of General Services to enter into an occupancy agreement to make the Pavilion Annex (the building and specified immediate surroundings, including any land unoccupied as of the enactment of this Act) in Washington, D.C. available to the National Women's History Museum, Inc. (Museum Sponsor) for a National Women's History Museum, for at least 99 years or any lesser term agreed to by the Museum Sponsor.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005
National Invasive Species Council Act - Declares that no Federal agency may authorize, fund, or carry out any action that would likely cause or promote the introduction or spread of an invasive species in the United States or any other location, unless the agency head determines that: (1) the benefits outweigh the potential harm to the environment, economy, or human health; and (2) all feasible and practical measures to minimize the risk or harm will be taken. Requires the Council On Environmental Quality, in conjunction with the National Invasive Species Council, to develop guidelines for such measures. Establishes within the executive branch the National Invasive Species Council to ensure that Federal agency efforts concerning invasive species are coordinated, effective, complementary, and cost-efficient. Requires the Council to develop a National Invasive Species Management Plan that details and recommends performance-oriented goals. Requires the Council to create the Invasive Species Advisory Committee to provide information and advice for consideration by the Council. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to prepare and submit to Congress and the Council a yearly budget analysis and summary of all Federal programs relating to invasive species.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2005
Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act - Includes as a protected disclosure by a Federal employee: (1) any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure; and (2) the disclosure of information required to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs that the employee or applicant reasonably believes is direct evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement if such disclosure is made to a Member or employee of Congress who is authorized to receive information of the type disclosed. Sets forth provisions concerning review and appeal of actions concerning such disclosures. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide that, for purposes of provisions regarding the protection of voluntarily shared critical infrastructure information, a permissible use of independently obtained critical infrastructure information includes any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure. Requires agencies to inform employees on how to make a lawful disclosure of information.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005
Presidential Sites Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to award grants to owners or operators of Presidential sites for major maintenance and improvement projects. Defines "Presidential site" as a site related to a President of the United States that has national significance, is open to the public, and is owned or operated by a State or private institution, organization, or person. Establishes the Presidential Site Grant Commission to review applications for grants and to make recommendations for the awarding of grants under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2005
Child Custody Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit transporting a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion (deems such transporting to be a de facto abridgment of the right of a parent under any law in the minor’s state of residence that requires parental involvement in the minor’s abortion decision). Makes an exception for an abortion necessary to save the life of the minor. Protects from prosecution or civil liability the minor or the minor’s parents for violations of this Act. Makes it an affirmative defense to a prosecution or civil action under this Act that a defendant reasonably believed that before the minor obtained the abortion, the required parental consent or notification or judicial authorization took place. Authorizes any parent who suffers harm from a violation of this Act to seek relief in a civil action. Defines "parent" to include a guardian, legal custodian, or person standing in loco parentis.
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 · 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 · 9 February 2005
Bipartisan Commission on Medicaid Act of 2005 - Establishes the Bipartisan Commission on Medicaid to review: (1) each of Medicaid's major functional responsibilities; (2) issues that either threaten or improve the long-term financial condition of Medicaid; (3) Federal and State policies for Medicaid and Medicare enrollment (including enrollment sites), income eligibility, outreach, and documentation; (4) the operation and effectiveness of Medicaid premium assistance programs; and (5) Medicaid payment policies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2005
Iran Freedom and Support Act of 2005 - States that: (1) U.S. sanctions, controls, and regulations relating to weapons of mass destruction with respect to Iran shall remain in effect until the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that Iran has permanently and verifiably dismantled its weapons of mass destruction programs and has committed to combating such weapons' proliferation; and (2) such certification shall have no effect on other sanctions relating to Iranian support of international terrorism. Amends the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 to: (1) eliminate mandatory sanction provisions respecting Libya; (2) impose mandatory sanctions on a person or entity that aids Iran acquire or develop weapons of mass destruction or destabilizing types and numbers of conventional weapons; (3) revise multilateral regime reporting requirements, including provisions respecting sanctions on individuals aiding Iranian petroleum development; (4) enlarge the scope of sanctionable entities; and (5) eliminate the sunset provision. Declares that U.S. policy should support: (1) efforts by the Iranian people to exercise self-determination over their form of government; and (2) an internationally-overseen referendum in Iran. Authorizes the President to provide financial and political assistance to eligible foreign and domestic individuals and groups that support democracy and advocate nonproliferation in Iran. Directs the President to notify (which may be in classified form) the appropriate congressional committees not later than 15 days prior to designating an eligible opposition group. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should appoint a special assistant on Iranian matters; (2) U.S. representatives and officials in international fora should express support for democratic transition in Iran; (3) representatives of the Government of Iran should be denied access to U.S. Government buildings; (4) efforts to halt the Iranian nuclear weapons program should be intensified; and (5) U.S. officials and representatives should strongly support indigenous efforts in Iran calling for democratic elections.
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 · 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 · 3 February 2005
Children's Hospitals Educational Equity and Research Act or the CHEER Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments through FY 2010 (currently, through FY 2005) to children's hospitals for expenses associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs. Excludes reductions for unused resident positions when calculating the number of full-time residents in a children's hospital's approved training program for purposes of reimbursing direct expenses. Requires the Secretary to adjust the proportion of such a hospital's costs attributable to wages for differences in hospital wage levels by geographic area. Authorizes appropriations through FY 2010 for direct and indirect expenses associated with operating such programs. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) perinatal hospitals play an important role in providing quality care and ensuring the best possible outcomes for thousands of seriously ill newborns each year; and (2) medical training programs at perinatal hospitals give providers essential training in treating healthy mothers and babies as well as patients in neonatal intensive care units.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2005
Great Lakes Water Quality Indicators and Monitoring Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct the Great Lakes National Program Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with Canada and appropriate Federal agencies, to develop and implement a set of science-based indicators of water quality and related environmental factors in the Great Lakes, including measures of accumulated toxic pollutants. Directs the Program Office to establish a Federal network for continued monitoring and data collection with respect to such indicators. Requires biennial reporting of results and identification of any emerging problems.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2005
Recognizes that the people of Iraq elected a Transitional National Assembly and leaders of provincial and regional governments in an election that is a milestone in the democratic development of Iraq. Commends the people of Iraq on the election, and congratulates the new members of the Transitional National Assembly and the leaders of the provincial and regional governments. Urges the international community to help Iraq end the insurgency. Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to help the people of Iraq build a free and united Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Safe Importation of Medical Products and Other Rx Therapies Act of 2005 or Safe IMPORT Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow individuals to import Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription drugs from Canada for personal use. Permits the importation of prescription drugs from Canada by registered Internet pharmacies, pharmacies, or wholesalers in one year under specified conditions, including meeting proper labeling on all dispensed drugs to indicate that the drug has been imported. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate additional countries from which to allow importation in three years. Requires the Secretary to give high priority to improving the information management systems of the FDA to improve the detection of intentionally adulterated prescription drugs. Sets forth Internet pharmacy licensing requirements and procedures. Makes providers of interactive computer and advertising services liable for violations under this Act if such providers accept advertising: (1) for a prescription drug from an unlicensed Internet pharmacy; or (2) stating that an individual does not need a prescription to obtain a prescription drug. Requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations requiring designated payment systems, including credit card companies, to prevent sales by unlicensed Internet pharmacies. Allows the FDA to detain or temporarily hold prescription drug shipments based on credible information that a drug presents a risk to the public health. Allows the Secretary to: (1) suspend or debar importation of a particular drug or dosage that poses such a risk or by a particular importer who violates Act requirements; (2) require owners of prescription drugs that have been refused admission into the United States to indicate that information on the drug containers; and (3) authorize other Federal and State officials to conduct inspections to enforce compliance with this Act Deems to be misbranded a prescription drug offered for importation that has previously been refused admission, unless the person reoffering the drug affirmatively establishes that it complies with applicable requirements. Sets forth anti-counterfeiting provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Deems all contact lenses to be medical devices under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. (Currently, some non-corrective, decorative contact lenses are regulated as cosmetics).
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Transplant Patients Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to remove time limitations on the coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for individuals who have received organ transplants. (Current law provides coverage for such drugs only for certain time periods after the transplant procedure.) Amends SSA title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) to: (1) continue entitlement to prescription drugs used in immunosuppressive therapy furnished to an individual who receives a kidney or other organ transplant for which payment is made under Medicare; and (2) extend Medicare secondary payer requirements for end stage renal disease beneficiaries. Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to set forth requirements for group health plans to provide coverage of immunosuppressive drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2005
Commemorates January 27, 2005, as the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp by Allied Forces during World War II. Calls on all Americans to remember the more than 1,000,000 innocent victims murdered at the Auschwitz extermination camp as part of the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2005 - Preserves specified Federal grant programs for traditional first responder missions that existed prior to September 11, 2001. Establishes the Interagency Committee to Coordinate and Streamline Homeland Security Grant Programs. Creates the position of Executive Director to head the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Office for State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (OSLGCP). Reconstitutes the DHS Office for Domestic Preparedness as a component of the OSLGCP (currently, within the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security) and gives it additional responsibility for managing the Homeland Security Information Clearinghouse. Establishes the Homeland Security Information Clearinghouse within the OSLGCP. Establishes a Threat-Based Homeland Security Grant Program for States and local governments. Requires grant applications to certify that the State has prepared and received the Secretary of Homeland Security's approval of a three-year State homeland security plan. Requires the Secretary to set national performance standards and to ensure that State homeland security plans are in conformance with those standards. Requires the Director of the Office for Domestic Preparedness to allow any State to request approval to reallocate funds received under the State Homeland Security Grant Program. Requires the Secretary to deny entry to commercial motor vehicles carrying municipal solid waste into the United States until the Secretary certifies to Congress that comparable screening of such waste for the presence of chemical, nuclear, biological, and radiological weapons as is used to screen for such materials in other items of commerce has been achieved.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2005
Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal judicial code to specify the calculation of contingent and other attorney's fees in proposed class action settlements that provide for the award of coupons to class members. Prohibits a Federal district court from approving: (1) a proposed coupon settlement absent a finding that the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate; (2) a proposed settlement involving payments to class counsel that would result in a net monetary loss to class members, absent a finding that the loss is substantially outweighed by nonmonetary benefits; or (3) a proposed settlement that provides greater sums to some class members solely because they are closer geographically to the court. Specifies requirements for notices of proposed settlements. Grants district courts original jurisdiction of any civil action in which the matter in controversy exceeds $5 million, exclusive of interest and costs, and is between citizens of different States, or citizens of a State and a foreign State or its citizens or subjects. Lists those factors pursuant to which a district court may decline to exercise jurisdiction over a class action, and specifies those circumstances in which a district court must decline jurisdiction. Sets forth provisions governing the removal of interstate class actions to Federal district court and the review on appeal of remand orders. Directs the Judicial Conference of the United States to report on class action settlements, incorporating recommendations for best court practices to ensure fairness for class members and appropriate fees for counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Clear Skies Act of 2005 - Amends the acid deposition control provisions of the Clean Air Act with respect to emissions limitations and allowances programs for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury by: (1) revising the allowance system and associated transfer, tracking, permit, compliance plan, and penalty requirements, including those for auctions; and (2) establishing new emissions limitations and trading programs (including implementation of a separate sulfur dioxide scheme for States in the Western Regional Air Partnership). Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) promulgate performance standards (limiting emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and mercury) for new boilers, integrated gasification combined cycle plants, and combustion turbines; and (2) conduct a comprehensive research and environmental assessment program to enhance understanding of health and environmental effects of particulate matter and mercury and to demonstrate the efficacy of emission reductions under this Act. Excludes the following units from consideration as major emitting facilities or major stationary sources (or parts thereof) for purposes of compliance with provisions concerning prevention of significant deterioration of air quality and plan requirements for nonattainment areas: those that achieve a specified limit on particulate matter emissions or certain national emissions standards for hazardous pollutants or those with properly operated and maintained equipment to limit particulate matter emissions and that use good combustion practices to minimize carbon monoxide emissions. Establishes procedures by which owners or operators may petition the Secretary of Energy for a determination that electricity reliability will likely be threatened by the need to install pollution control technology. Allows a compliance delay in the case of a successful petition. Requires States to ensure in implementation plans that: (1) in an attainment or unclassifiable area, any emissions increase from the construction or modification of an affected unit will not result in exceeding a national ambient air quality standard; and (2) in a nonattainment area, the emissions increase will not interfere with a program to assure the achievement of such a standard. Provides for designation of transitional areas under implementation plans and states requirements for emissions inventories, the attainment of standards by the end of 2015, and penalties for not meeting the eight-hour ozone or fine particles standard.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require an abortion provider, before beginning any abortion of a pain-capable unborn child (defined as an unborn child who has reached a probable stage of development of 20 weeks after fertilization), to: (1) make a specified statement to the pregnant woman that Congress has determined that there is substantial evidence that the process will cause the unborn child pain, and that the mother has the option of having pain-reducing drugs administered directly to the child; (2) provide to the woman an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure (unless she waives receipt) and an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Decision Form; and (3) obtain on the form the woman's signature and her explicit request for or refusal of the administration of drugs to the child. Creates an exception for certified medical emergencies. Establishes penalties for willfully failing to comply with this Act, including civil penalties, medical license suspension, or both. Authorizes: (1) specified officials to bring suit in federal court; and (2) private rights of action by a parent or guardian of a woman who is an unemancipated minor. Requires each state and state medical licensing authority to promulgate procedures for the revocation or suspension of a provider's license upon a court finding that the provider has violated this Act. Subjects a state that fails to implement such procedures to loss of Medicaid funding.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Community Choice in Real Estate Act - Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, and the Revised Statutes of the United States, to prohibit the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Secretary of the Treasury, respectively, from determining that real estate brokerage activity or real estate management activity is financial in nature, is incidental to any financial activity, or is complementary to a financial activity. (In effect, prohibits financial holding companies and national banks from engaging, directly or indirectly, in real estate brokerage or real estate management activities.) Exempts from such prohibition activities of a bank holding company (or any affiliate) that directly relate to managing any real property owned by national banks or their affiliates. States that activities that were authorized for financial holding companies and national banks on December 6, 2001, are not affected by the prohibitions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Child Custody Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit transporting a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion (deems such transporting to be a de facto abridgment of the right of a parent under any law in the minor’s state of residence that requires parental involvement in the minor’s abortion decision). Makes an exception for an abortion necessary to save the life of the minor. Protects from prosecution or civil liability the minor or the minor’s parents for violations of this Act. Makes it an affirmative defense to a prosecution or civil action under this Act that a defendant reasonably believed that before the minor obtained the abortion, the required parental consent or notification or judicial authorization took place. Authorizes any parent who suffers harm from a violation of this Act to seek relief in a civil action. Defines "parent" to include a guardian, legal custodian, or person standing in loco parentis.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Extends the U.S. Postal Service's authority to issue special postage stamps to help provide funding for breast cancer research through December 31, 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2005
Loan Forgiveness for Head Start Teachers Act of 2005 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend to certain Head Start teachers eligibility for cancellation of repayment obligations for specified types of student loans.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2005
Expresses: (1) sympathy for the victims and families of the earthquake and tsunami that struck communities throughout Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Eastern Africa on December 26, 2004; and (2) gratitude and respect for the work of all aid and relief personnel, including U.S. military personnel. Supports President George W. Bush's pledge of $350,000,000 in direct financial assistance, and additional indirect assistance, through the dispatch of U.S. military assets and personnel and through substantial voluntary and annual contributions to international organizations and bodies. Commends the ongoing international relief effort. Recognizes that U.S. Government assistance will be greatly supplemented by private U.S. donations and volunteers. Supports the long-term U.S. commitment to provide financial aid and other assistance to the impacted region.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2004
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2004 - Amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to remove the President's authority to disestablish the Interagency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia. Requires the Task Force to consult with specified entities with expertise in coastal zone science and management. Directs the President to submit to Congress a report describing and evaluating the effectiveness of measures to protect the environment and public health from the impacts of harmful algal blooms. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to provide for local and regional scientific assessments of hypoxia and harmful algal blooms, as requested by States, Indian tribes, and local governments, or for affected areas as identified by the Secretary. Directs the Task Force to submit to Congress: (1) various scientific assessments; and (2) a plan for a national research program to develop and demonstrate prevention, control, and mitigation methods to reduce the impacts of harmful algal blooms on coastal ecosystems (including the Great Lakes), public health, and the economy. Authorizes the Secretary to make available to the University of Miami real property under the administrative jurisdiction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Virginia Key, Florida, for development by the University of a Marine Life Science Center. Authorizes the Secretary to convey to the Government of Mexico the NOAA vessel WHITING.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2004
National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2004 - Establishes the National Commission on the Infrastructure of the United States to ensure that U.S. infrastructure meets current and future demand and facilitates economic growth. Requires the Commission to study the state of U.S. infrastructure, including such matters as: (1) the capacity of infrastructure improvements to sustain economic development; (2) the age and condition of public infrastructure; (3) the methods used to finance the construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and maintenance of public works improvements; (4) investment requirements needed to maintain and to improve facilities and the projected share of investment requirements and expenditures on infrastructure facility improvements by Federal, State, and local governments; and (5) estimates of the return to the economy from public works investment. Directs the Commission to develop recommendations regarding: (1) a Federal infrastructure plan that will detail national infrastructure program priorities; (2) public works improvements and methods of delivering and providing for public work facilities; (3) analysis or criteria and procedures that may be used by Federal agencies and State and local governments in inventorying existing and needed public works improvements, assessing the condition of improvements, and developing uniform criteria and procedures; and (4) proposed guidelines for the uniform reporting by Federal agencies of data regarding infrastructure improvements.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2004
Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business tax credit for up to 50 percent of qualified remediation expenditures for contaminated sites (property used in a trade or business on which there has been a release (or threat of release) or disposal of any hazardous substance) in certain poverty-rated areas. Defines "qualified remediation expenditures" as expenditures for: (1) the abatement or control of any hazardous substance, petroleum, or any petroleum by-product at a contaminated site in accordance with a State-approved remediation and redevelopment plan; (2) the complete demolition of a structure; (3) the removal and disposal of property; and (4) the reconstruction of utilities on a contaminated site. Requires States to allocate credit amounts under an allocation plan that considers specified criteria, including: (1) poverty rates: (2) location of a contaminated site; and (3) the amount of new employment expected to result from redevelopment. Imposes a ceiling on the State environmental remediation credit and limits the national environmental remediation credit for each calendar year to $1 billion. Sets forth special rules for: (1) allocating unused environmental remediation credit carryover amounts among States: (2) adjusting the limitation on the national environmental remediation credit for inflation; (3) assigning portions of the credit; and (4) recapturing credit amounts if a taxpayer fails to properly complete environmental remediation under a State approved remediation and redevelopment plan.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2004
Declares that Congress: (1) recognizes the essential role of nuclear power in the national energy policy of the United States; and (2) supports the increased use of nuclear power and the construction and development of new and improved nuclear power generating plants as a means of contributing to national energy independence and maintaining a clean environment.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2004
Authorizes a State to provide to any entity a tax or fee credit or other tax incentive for investment in new machinery or equipment. Provides that any such action taken by a State shall be considered to be a reasonable regulation of commerce and shall not be considered to impose an undue burden on interstate commerce or to otherwise impair, restrain, or discriminate against interstate commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2004
Recognizes the Croatian Fraternal Union of America on the occasion of its 110th anniversary. Congratulates the members of the Croatian Fraternal Union on reaching this significant milestone.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 - Establishes as an independent executive entity the National Intelligence Authority (Authority), headed by a National Intelligence Director (Director), to, among other things: (1) unify and strengthen efforts of the intelligence community (IC); (2) operate the National Counterterrorism Center and national intelligence centers; and (3) establish clear responsibility and accountability for counterterrorism and other intelligence matters relating to U.S. national security. Requires the Director to: (1) serve as the head of the IC; (2) advise the President on intelligence related to national security; and (3) direct and oversee the National Intelligence Program (formerly the National Foreign Intelligence Program). Authorizes the Director to establish and train a National Intelligence Reserve Corps for the temporary reemployment of former IC employees during periods of emergency. Establishes in the Treasury the Reserve for Contingencies of the National Intelligence Director. Establishes a National Intelligence Council (Council) to produce national intelligence estimates for the U.S. Government and evaluate the collection and production of intelligence by the IC. Establishes a National Counterterrorism Center to, among other things: (1) unify strategy for U.S. civilian and military counterterrorism efforts; and (2) integrate counterterrorism intelligence and operations across agency boundaries, both inside and outside the United States. Authorizes the Director to establish within the Authority one or more national intelligence centers to address intelligence priorities established by the Council. Requires the Director to establish the Intelligence Community Scholarship Program to award scholarships designed to recruit and prepare students for civilian careers in the IC. Requires the President to publicly disclose certain intelligence funding information for fiscal years after 2005. Merges the Homeland Security Council into the Council. Establishes a Joint Intelligence Community Council to assist the Director in developing and implementing a joint, unified national intelligence effort to protect national security. Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to develop and maintain within the FBI a national security workforce of agents, analysts, linguists, and surveillance specialists. Federal Bureau of Investigation Intelligence Career Service Authorization Act of 2005 - Authorizes the FBI Director to establish an FBI Intelligence Career Service for FBI intelligence analysts. Directs the President to establish an information sharing network to promote the sharing of intelligence and homeland security information among all relevant Federal departments and agencies, State, tribal, and local authorities, and private sector entities. Establishes an Executive Council on Information Sharing. Establishes within the Executive Office of the President a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Requires the congressional intelligence committees to be provided all intelligence estimates and assessments other than those prepared exclusively for the President.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2004
National Heritage Area Extension Act of 2004 - Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to extend to September 30, 2027, the authorization for making grants or providing assistance with respect to the National Coal Heritage Area, Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area, Steel Industry Heritage Project (the Steel Industry American Heritage Area), Essex National Heritage Area, Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor (redesignated by this Act as the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway), and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. National Aviation Heritage Area Act - Establishes within the States of Ohio and Indiana the National Aviation Heritage Area. Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, to: (1) make additions to the National Coal Heritage Area; (2) provide specified assistance to the National Coal Heritage Area Authority; (3) make resources within Lincoln County and Paint Creek and Cabin Creek also eligible for assistance; (4) provide for the Authority to submit a Coal Heritage Management Plan for the Area; and (5) require the Plan to set forth responsibilities of the Authority. Reauthorizes appropriations for the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Act Amendments of 2004 - Provides for the designation, upon the termination of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission, of the Canal Corridor Association to be the management entity for the Corridor. Oil Region National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Oil Region National Heritage Area in Pennsylvania. Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Act of 2004 - Establishes the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area in New Jersey. Western Reserve Heritage Areas Study Act - Provides for a study regarding the establishment of the Western Reserve Heritage Area in specified Ohio counties. Provides for updating the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor plan.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2004
Congratulates the citizens of Greece, the members of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the International Olympic Committee, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the members, coaches, and officials of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, athletes from around the world, and the security personnel and volunteers who ensured that the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens was a great success for a job well done.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2004
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should designate the week beginning September 12, 2004, as "National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week".
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Children's Health Protection and Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the extended availability through FY 2004 of SCHIP allotments for FY 1998 through 2001. Specifies formulae for amounts to be used in computing redistributions for FY 2003, 2003, and 2004. Provides for reallocation of 70 percent of the expiring FY 1998, 1999, and 2000 funds to States that have fully expended their annual allotments. Extends the availability of the remaining 30 percent of such expiring funds with the States that currently have them. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2002 SCHIP allotments to remain available through FY 2006. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2003 and 2004 SCHIP allotments to remain available through the end of FY 2007. Requires redistribution of the other 50 percent of such funds to States that have fully spent their allotments during the three-year period they were available. Requires a second redistribution according to the same 70-30 formula of any retained or redistributed funds still unexpended at the end of the two-year extention or redistribution. Provides for continued authority for qualifying States to use certain funds for Medicaid expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Amends the Exchange Rates and International Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988 with respect to the conditions for required actions by the Secretary of the Treasury to initate expedited negotiations for exchange rate adjustments by a foreign country the Secretary considers to be manipulating the rate of exchange between its currency and the U.S. dollar in order to prevent effective balance of payments adjustments or gain unfair competitive advantage in international trade. Repeals the requirement that such a country have a material global account surplus as well as a significant bilateral trade surplus with the United States. (Thus requires only that it have a significant bilateral trade surplus with the United States; that is, the Secretary is required to take action to initiate exchange rate adjustment negotiations with any country that has a significant bilateral trade surplus with the United States, regardless of its material global account status.) Requires the Secretary's annual report to specified congressional committees to contain a detailed explanation of the test used to determine if a country is manipulating the rate of exchange between its currency and the dollar for such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
States that the Senate recognizes Israel's right of self-defense against Palestinian terrorist attacks, and supports the construction of a security fence, the route of which, with the support of the Government of Israel, takes into account the need to minimize Palestinian land confiscation and the imposition of hardships on the Palestinian people. Condemns the decision of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the security fence. Urges the United States to vote against any further United Nations action that could delay or prevent the construction of the security fence and to engage in a diplomatic campaign to persuade other countries to do the same.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2004
Federal Employee Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement Act of 2004 - Sets forth provisions for the establishment of programs through which current and retired Federal employees and their family members and dependents may obtain enhanced dental and vision benefits to supplement those available under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB). Urges Congress to evaluate such supplemental plans to determine the options for, and feasibility of, providing an employer contribution. Directs the Office of Personnel Management to submit a report to Congress describing and evaluating options whereby health insurance coverage under FEHB could be made available to unmarried dependent children under twenty five years of age who are enrolled as full-time students at institutions of higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise provisions regarding Federal assistance for programs to reduce suicide among children and adolescents. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants or cooperative agreements to: (1) develop and implement State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies in schools, educational institutions, juvenile justice systems, substance abuse programs, mental health programs, foster care systems, and other child and youth support organizations; (2) support public organizations actively involved in State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies and in the development and continuation of such intervention and prevention strategies; (3) collect and analyze data on State-sponsored statewide or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention services that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of such services and for research, technical assistance, and policy development; and (4) assist eligible entities in achieving their targets for youth suicide reductions. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to award a grant or contract to establish the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Requires the Secretary to award grants to institutions of higher education to expand mental and behavior health services to students, to provide such services, and to develop best practices for the delivery of such services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Federal Employee Protection of Disclosures Act - Includes as a protected disclosure by a Federal employee: (1) any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure; and (2) the disclosure of information required to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs that the employee or applicant reasonably believes is direct evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement if such disclosure is made to a Member or employee of Congress who is authorized to receive information of the type disclosed. Sets forth provisions concerning review and appeal of actions concerning such disclosures. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide that, for purposes of provisions regarding the protection of voluntarily shared critical infrastructure information, a permissible use of independently obtained critical infrastructure information includes any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure. Requires agencies to inform employees on how to make a lawful disclosure of information.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2004
Calls for the President to designate the week of November 7-13, 2003, as National Veterans Awareness Week to emphasize educational programs for elementary and secondary school students regarding the contributions and sacrifices of veterans.
![Official portrait of Sen. Voinovich, George V. [R-OH]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/v000126_200.jpg)