United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Total Health Requires Improved Vaccination Efforts Act of 2005 or the THRIVE Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the Center for Disease Control's adult immunization program by: (1) authorizing additional appropriations for activities to increase immunizations rates for adults; and (2) making grants to states for demonstrations projects to provide influenza immunizations to uninsured adults at high risk for influenza. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) develop and disseminate guidelines to ensure that immunizations are routinely offered to adults by health care providers; and (2) provide for an educational campaign on the importance of adult immunizations. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to: (1) establish standards for adult influenza immunizations under the Medicare and Medicaid programs; (2) determine the feasibility and advisability of including such immunizations as a performance measure under program quality initiatives; and (3) establish standards for immunizations for influenza of health care workers. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to study the best practices of health insurers and managed care organizations to encourage the use of adult immunizations for influenza by enrollees. Requires the Secretary to determine the feasibility and advisability of requiring compliance with recommendations for immunizations for all health care workers for provider accreditation. Prohibits a contract or plan under the federal employees health benefit program from being made or approved which does not offer and waive the deductible for pneumococcal and influenza immunization services to high risk adult enrollees.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Promoting Responsible Interrogation Standards Enforcement Act of 2005 or PRISE Act of 2005 - Prohibits subjecting any person in U.S. custody to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment that is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution, laws, or treaties. Requires the Secretary of Defense to: (1) prescribe and submit to specified congressional committees the rules, regulations, or guidelines necessary to ensure compliance by members of the armed forces and by Department of Defense contractors; and (2) report to Congress at least twice each year on the circumstances surrounding any investigation of possible violations of such prohibition. Prohibits an officer or employee of the United States from: (1) providing assistance to a foreign government for the purpose of obtaining information from an individual held by that government if there is reason to believe that torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment will be utilized to obtain the information; and (2) encouraging or otherwise assisting such a government to transfer, render, expel, return, or extradite an individual to another country if there is reason to believe that the individual would be in danger of being subjected to torture.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Global Poverty Act of 2005 - States that a major priority of U.S. foreign policy is to vastly reduce global poverty and to eliminate extreme poverty in developing countries. Directs the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further such policy.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified maps as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character. Authorizes the Forest Service to modify such maps for the sole purpose of improving their accuracy or inclusiveness. Requires any substantial modification of those maps to be made through the national forest management planning process and documented in an environmental impact statement.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Leave No Abused or Neglected Child Behind Act - Amends the Social Security Act to revise requirements for foster care and adoption assistance and for child welfare services. Provides for: (1) a state-optional child and family services component in the state plan for foster care and adoption assistance, and related federal payments; (2) expanded eligibility for foster care and adoption assistance by eliminating certain income eligibility requirements, revising maintenance payments match rates, and authorizing Indian tribes to receive federal funds for such assistance; (3) state-optional kinship guardianship assistance payments for children, and related federal payments; (4) a state-optional separate standard for relative foster family homes; (5) application of certain care standards to all children in state custody; (6) child welfare service quality improvement grants to states; and (7) an increased payment rate to states for short-term training of certain child welfare agency staff and court personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Welcomes the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's recent attempts to establish private land use rights for some of its citizens, and hopes that these rights are expanded to all Vietnamese citizens. Calls on the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to more fully recognize its property restitution responsibility, and to direct local officials, particularly in the Central Highlands region, to resolve land confiscation complaints. Urges the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to: (1) form a national restitution claims commission; and (2) ensure that land use reforms do not result in increased land inequity, particularly for the poor and for those out of favor with the Communist Party. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should: (1) consider individual land use rights in determining whether the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; and (2) direct the Secretary of State to include the status of land use rights and restitution claims in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the annual country reports on human rights under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medicaid prospective payment system for federally-qualified health centers is critical to ensuring that both Medicaid recipients and the nation's uninsured population have access to quality affordable primary and preventive care services. Recognizes the critical role of such health centers as an essential source of care for millions of Medicaid recipients and uninsured Americans and supports continuation of the prospective payment system in helping to maintain this system of care.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Russian Federation should provide effective protection of intellectual property rights or it risks losing its eligibility to participate in the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Recognizes the centennial of sustained immigration from the Philippines to the United States. Acknowledges the achievements and contributions of Filipino Americans over the past century. Requests that the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe this milestone with appropriate celebratory and educational programs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2005
Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 through 2009 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2009 to carry out the activities of the Department of Justice. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to merge the Byrne grant program and the local law enforcement block grant program into an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to provide for the establishment of a secure telecommunications system for regional information sharing between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Establishes within the Office of Justice Programs: (1) an Office of Weed and Seed Strategies; (2) an Office of Audit, Assessment, and Management; (3) a Community Capacity Development Office; and (4) an Office of Applied Law Enforcement Technology. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) designate a senior Department official to assume primary responsibility for privacy policy; and (2) report annually to Congress on the status of U.S. persons or residents detained on suspicion of terrorism. Increases penalties for sexual abuse of a ward and abusive sexual contact in correctional facilities. Extends for one year a prison rape commission. Authorizes the Attorney General to use the services of the nonprofit Center for Criminal Justice Technology. Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Reauthorizes and expands the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. Sets forth provisions: (1) authorizing grants to improve court responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; (2) directing the Attorney General to establish a task force to review privacy and confidentiality issues, including developing a best practices model to prevent the release of personally identifying victim information; (3) authorizing grants for services and training to enhance community response where there is both child maltreatment and domestic violence, for programs to serve teenage youth, and to combat violent crime on college campuses; (4) authorizing grants to mitigate the effects of domestic violence on children and to reduce future victimization; and (5) authorizing grants to middle schools and high schools to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and their impact on students. Directs the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of State to promulgate regulations to implement the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding the treatment of the spouse and children of victims of trafficking. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) conduct a national study to examine violence against Indian women; and (2) establish the Safety for Indian Women Formula Grants program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Guardianship Assistance Promotion and Kinship Support Act - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to allow each state with an approved part E plan to enter into negotiated agreements to provide legal guardianship assistance payments (based on foster care maintenance payments) to individuals who have assumed legal guardianship of children for whom they have cared as foster parents and for whom they have committed to care on a permanent basis. Prohibits a legal guardianship assistance payment from being made with respect to a child who has attained 18 years of age, with certain exceptions such as for a child who is a full-time student in a secondary school. Authorizes the use of foster care independence program funds to provide independent living services, education and training vouchers, and room and board for children who exit foster care to guardianship or adoption after attaining age 14. Expands the definition of family support services to include assisting kinship caregivers or guardians in locating and accessing needed services. Allows state authorities to establish and maintain separate standards for foster family homes in which a foster parent is a relative of the foster child that, at a minimum, protect the safety of the child and provide for criminal records checks. Provides for: (1) notice to relatives when children enter foster care; and (2) expansion of eligibility for the foster care independence program. Allows the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to pay for the federal share of the cost of carrying out kinship navigator programs to help connect kinship caregivers with necessary services and assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
AMT Credit Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make unused alternative minimum tax credits more than four years old refundable at the greater of 20 percent annually or $5,000 per year; and (2) require corporations to provide stock option recipients with certain tax disclosures.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) over the past four decades Medicaid has been a core component of the American health system; (2) Medicaid has ensured that the vast majority of Medicaid beneficiaries did not join the ranks of the current 45 million Americans with no health insurance; and (3) Congress must continue and strengthen the state-federal partnership that provides this vital health insurance program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) for the past 40 years, Medicare has made significant medical, social, and economic contributions to our Nation; (2) the access to care provided by Medicare has changed the course of health outcomes for the elderly and those with disabilities, preventing physical deterioration and preventing more individuals from slipping into poverty; (3) the program standards set under Medicare have brought social benefits such as quality certification and oversight of medical facilities to the benefit of all Americans; and (4) Congress must continue to support and strengthen this vital federal health insurance program that guarantees all Medicare beneficiaries affordable quality health care that meets their needs..
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Teach for America Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to Teach For America, Inc. to implement and expand its program of recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting new teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Extends through FY2007 authority to process in-country certain unmarried sons and daughters of qualified Vietnamese nationals for U.S. admission as refugees of special humanitarian concern. Requires such an alien to be at least 21 years old, and to have been unmarried as of the date of acceptance of the alien's parent for resettlement under the Orderly Departure Program or through the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. Defines "qualified national" as a Vietnamese national who: (1) was interned in a reeducation camp by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, or is the widow or widower of such a person; (2) qualified and is, or was, accepted under the Orderly Departure Program or through the Consulate for U.S. admission as a refugee or immediate relative status immigrant; and (3) is, or whose surviving spouse is, presently maintaining a U.S. residence, or is awaiting departure formalities from Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Free Flow of Information Act of 2005 - Prohibits a federal entity from compelling a "covered person" (i.e., a newspaper, television broadcast station, wire service, or other media outlet, and specified employees and contractors) to testify or produce any document unless a court determines that: (1) the party seeking to compel has unsuccessfully attempted to obtain such testimony or document from all other non-covered persons; (2) in a criminal matter, there are reasonable grounds to believe a crime has occurred and the testimony or document sought is essential to the investigation, prosecution, or defense of the crime; (3) in a non-criminal matter, the testimony or document is essential to a dispositive issue of substantial importance; and (4) in any matter in which testimony or a document could reveal the source's identity, disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent and actual harm to national security and such harm outweighs the public interest in protecting the free flow of information. Requires the content of compelled testimony or documents to be limited and narrowly tailored. Exempts certain commercial or financial information. Makes this Act applicable to testimony or documents that a third party or federal entity seeks from a communications service provider relating to business transactions with a covered person. Sets forth notice requirements. Permits a court to delay notice to a covered person upon determining that such notice would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of a criminal investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Emergency Contraception Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and disseminate to the public information on emergency contraception, including, at a minimum, a description of emergency contraception and an explanation of the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of such contraception. Requires that the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to develop and disseminate to health care providers information on emergency contraception. Requires that the information disseminated to health care providers include, at a minimum: (1) information describing the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of emergency contraception; (2) a recommendation regarding its use in appropriate cases; and (3) information explaining how to obtain copies of information from the CDC.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that an appropriate day should be established for the commemoration of the women suffragists who worked for the right of women to vote in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2005
Secure Transit and Rail Across America and Invest in National Security Act of 2005, or the Secure Trains Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) submit to Congress the National Strategy for Transportation Security within 30 days after enactment of this Act; and (2) develop certain supplemental requirements, including prioritized recommendations for improving public transportation and railroad security. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to improve the security of public transportation systems against acts of terrorism. Directs the Secretary to: (1) report to owners, operators, and providers of public transportation systems and specified others on best practices for the security of public transportation systems; (2) develop a national plan for public outreach and awareness of measures the public can take to increase such security; and (3) establish National Transportation Security Centers at institutions of higher education. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for Department of Homeland Security employees and federal contractors or subcontractors who provided information or otherwise assisted in an investigation of violations of any law or regulation related to national or homeland security, filed or participated in a proceeding related to such violation, or refused to violate or assist in the violation. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of such protections. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for freight and passenger rail (including hazardous materials transportation) security upgrades. Authorizes appropriations for Amtrak for certain fire and life-safety improvements to specified tunnels along the Northeast Corridor. Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve railroad security. Requires the Secretary to issue guidelines for a rail worker security training program. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for rail employees or other persons providing information about perceived security threats. Directs the Secretary to: (1) analyze the cost and feasibility of requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and cargo on passenger trains; (2) issue certain emergency responder training standards; and (3) provide grants to the Operation Respond Institute.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2005
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act - Entitles domestic partners of federal employees to benefits available to spouses of federal employees. Specifies certifications required for benefit eligibility, filing requirements regarding partnership dissolution, and confidentiality requirements. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax exemption for employer contributions to accident and health plans to domestic partners under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2005
Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants or cooperative agreements to an agency, organization, or political subdivision to: (1) develop lifespan respite care at the state and local level; (2) provide respite care services for family caregivers caring for children or adults; (3) train and recruit respite care workers and volunteers; (4) provide information to caregivers about available respite or support services; and (5) assist caregivers in gaining access to such services. Defines "respite care" to mean planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver. Instructs the Secretary to work cooperatively with existing federal respite program officers to ensure coordination of services for family caregivers. Permits the use of funds for: (1) training programs for family caregivers; (2) other services essential to the provision of respite care; or (3) training and education for new caregivers. Limits grants to five years. Directs the Secretary to award a grant or cooperative agreement to a public or private nonprofit entity to establish the National Resource Center on Lifespan Respite Care to: (1) maintain a national database on lifespan respite care; (2) provide training and technical assistance to state, community, and nonprofit respite care programs; and (3) provide information, referral, and educational programs to the public on lifespan respite care.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2005
Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include, under the definition of independent student for financial need analysis purposes, individuals who were adopted from the foster care system when they were 13 years of age or older.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005 - Sets forth the sense of Congress with respect to the situation in Darfur, Sudan, including the sense of Congress that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur are genocide. Amends the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004 to direct the President, with waiver authority upon congressional notification, to block the assets and deny visas and entry to any individual (and family member) responsible for acts of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity in Sudan. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to reinforce the deployment and operations of an expanded African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). Directs the President to instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to advocate NATO reinforcement of AMIS, upon request of the African Union. Amends the Sudan Peace Act to include entry denial at U.S. ports to certain cargo ships or oil tankers among the measures available to the President if the government of Sudan fails to take specified peace measures in Darfur. Prohibits, with waiver authority, U.S. assistance to a country in violation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1556 and 1591(embargo on military assistance to Sudan). Directs the President to instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to urge the adoption of a Security Council resolution supporting AMIS' expansion.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Clarification of Federal Employment Protections Act - States that Congress, in order to dispel any public confusion, repudiates any assertion that federal employees are not protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Expresses the sense of the Congress that, in the absence of such prohibition, discrimination against federal employees and applicants for federal employment on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited under current federal law. Amends federal law to prohibit any federal employee who has authority to take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any personnel action, from discriminating for or against any federal employee or applicant for federal employment on the basis of sexual orientation.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Violence Against Women Act of 2005 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, VAWA of 2000 (VAWA-2000), the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (OCCSSA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), the Social Security Act (SSA), the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, the Safe Homes for Women Act of 1994, the United states Housing Act of 1937, the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000, and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to reauthorize, revise, and establish various programs for prevention and treatment of violence against women, including domestic violence, child abuse, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (violence). Establishes VAWA grant programs: (1) by the Department of Justice (Justice) for assisting children and youth exposed to violence, and for engaging men, women, and youth in preventing violence; and (2) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for services, education, protection, and justice for young victims of violence, and for research on effective interventions in the healthcare setting. Revises and reauthorizes: (1) grants under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 to reduce violence against women on campus; (2) safe havens for children under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. Reauthorizes PHSA rape prevention and education programs, including the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Establishes related PHSA grants. Establishes VAWA grant programs to address the housing needs of victims of violence. Supporting Teens through Education and Protection Act of 2005 - STEP Act - Authorizes the Attorney General, through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (Justice), to make grants to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in middle and high schools. Security and Financial Empowerment Act - Sets forth entitlement standards and implementation guidelines for employee use of emergency leave to address domestic or sexual violence. Authorizes state use of funds under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to provide nonrecurrent short-term emergency benefits for emergency leave precipitated by domestic or sexual violence . Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to approval of state unemployment compensation laws to prohibit denial of compensation where an individual is separated from employment due to circumstances resulting from the individual's experience of domestic or sexual violence. Victims' Employment Sustainability Act - Prohibits certain discriminatory employer practices relating to terms or conditions of employment in connection with victims of domestic or sexual violence. Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits denial or restriction of insurance coverage based on the status of the applicant or insured regarding abuse or abuse-related claims. Authorizes the Attorney General to provide a grant for a clearinghouse and resource center to provide information and assistance to employers, labor organizations, and advocates on behalf of victims of domestic or sexual violence. Immigrant Victims of Violence Protection Act of 2005 - Revises the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000 (under VAWA-2000) with respect to victims of violence, including victims of crimes of human trafficking, VAWA petitioners, and children. Prescribes requirements regarding the safety of Indian women. Best Help for Rape Victims Act - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to require the Attorney General to include within the national protocol on sexual assault forensic examinations a recommendation that a victim of sexual assault who is at risk of pregnancy from rape should be: (1) offered information about emergency contraception; and (2) provided with such contraception on site at the victim's request. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide various protections for victims of trafficking. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a special unit to investigate trafficking in persons.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Immigrant Victims of Violence Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended by the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (VAWA), with respect to T-visa (victims of severe form of trafficking in persons) and U-visa (victims of certain crimes) nonimmigrant aliens. Provides a range of immigration protections for abused aliens. Amends: (1) the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 to provide access to legal services for such aliens; and (2) the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to make such aliens eligible for certain public benefits. Amends INA, as amended by VAWA, to apply that Act's deportation protections for transitional relief to all VAWA petitioners. Amends the the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate the VAWA unit (as defined by this Act) as the administrative unit within the Department of Homeland Security with sole jurisdiction over VAWA case adjudication. Amends INA to waive certain grounds of inadmissibility for VAWA petitioners. Authorizes the Attorney General to award trafficking-related law enforcement training grants to state and local governments.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Children's Safety Act of 2005 - Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act - Requires: (1) each state, territory, and federally recognized Indian tribe to maintain a sex offender registry; and (2) each sex offender to register in the jurisdictions where the offender resides, is an employee, and is a student. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) maintain a National Sex Offender Registry at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); (2) establish a Sex Offender Management Assistance program; and (3) authorize sex offender apprehension grants. DNA Fingerprinting Act of 2005 - Amends: (1) the DNA Identification Act of 1994 to expand the scope of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) samples to be included in the Combined DNA Index System; and (2) the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to authorize the Attorney General to collect DNA samples from individuals who are arrested or detained under U.S. authority. Prevention and Deterrence of Crimes Against Children Act of 2005 - Increases penalties for violent crimes against persons under age 18, including death or life imprisonment if the crime results in the death of a person under that age. Protection Against Sexual Exploitation of Children Act of 2005 - Increases penalties for sexual offenses against children. Foster Child Protection and Child Sexual Predator Sentencing Act of 2005 - Requires background checks and checks of national crime information databases and state child abuse registries before approval of foster or adoptive placements. Establishes: (1) procedures for the civil commitment of sexually dangerous persons; and (2) mandatory minimum penalties for child sex trafficking.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Security and Financial Empowerment Act - Sets forth entitlement standards and implementation guidelines for employee use of emergency leave to address domestic or sexual violence. Permits victims of domestic or sexual violence to substitute existing leave in lieu of emergency leave. Authorizes state use of funds under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to provide nonrecurrent short-term emergency benefits for emergency leave precipitated by domestic or sexual violence . Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to approval of state unemployment compensation laws to prohibit denial of compensation where an individual is separated from employment due to circumstances resulting from the individual's experience of domestic or sexual violence. Amends the Social Security Act to include training under this Act for unemployment compensation personnel. Victims' Employment Sustainability Act - Prohibits certain discriminatory employer practices relating to terms or conditions of employment in connection with victims of domestic or sexual violence. Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits denial or restriction of insurance coverage based on the status of the applicant or insured regarding abuse or abuse-related claims. Authorizes the Attorney General to provide a grant for a clearinghouse and resource center to provide information and assistance to employers, labor organizations, and advocates on behalf of victims of domestic or sexual violence.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Mandatory IDEA Full Funding Compromise Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reauthorize part B programs of education of all children with disabilities. Authorizes appropriations in specified amounts for part B for FY2006-FY2012 and thereafter, according to a certain formula. (Provides phased-in increases of such authorized funding designed to reach a promised 40% federal share by FY2011.) Makes appropriations in specified amounts (which are less than the amounts this Act authorizes to be appropriated) for part B for FY2006-FY2012 and thereafter.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2005 - Prohibits U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to the government of Vietnam (except for any program assisted in FY2005) unless the President certifies to Congress that: (1) the government of Vietnam has made substantial progress toward releasing all political and religious prisoners from imprisonment, including respecting freedom of religion and the human rights of members of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands or elsewhere in Vietnam; and (2) neither any official of the government of Vietnam nor any entity owned by such government was complicit in a severe form of trafficking in persons (or the government of Vietnam took appropriate steps to end such complicity). Authorizes the President to waive such requirements if increased U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance would promote the purposes of this Act or is otherwise in the U.S. national interest. Authorizes the President to provide U.S. assistance, through appropriate nongovernmental organizations, for the support of individuals and organizations to promote human rights and nonviolent democratic change in Vietnam. Declares it is U.S. policy: (1) to take such measures as are necessary to overcome the jamming of Radio Free Asia by the government of Vietnam; and (2) that educational and cultural exchange programs with Vietnam should promote progress toward freedom and democracy. Declares it is U.S. policy to offer refugee resettlement to Vietnam nationals (including members of the Montagnard ethnic minority groups) who are eligible for the Orderly Departure Program, (ODP), Resettlement Opportunities for Vietnamese Returnees (ROVR), the Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1988, or any other U.S. refugee program, but who were deemed ineligible for reasons of administrative error or certain circumstances beyond their control. Directs the Secretary of State to report annually on progress toward democracy in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Assistant United States Attorney Retirement Benefit Equity Act of 2005 - Grants an assistant United States attorney the same civil service retirement benefits as a law enforcement officer, except as specified. Includes within the definition of "assistant United States attorney" any other attorney employed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) occupying a position designated by the Attorney General upon finding that the position: (1) involves routine employee responsibilities that are substantially similar to those of assistant U.S. attorneys; and (2) is critical to DOJ's successful accomplishment of an important mission. Sets forth provisions regarding the designation of attorneys as assistant U.S. attorneys. Requires DOJ to take measures reasonably designed to provide notice to incumbent assistant U.S. attorneys on their election rights and on the effects of making or not making a timely election. Allows an incumbent to elect, for all purposes, to be treated in accordance with this Act or to be treated as if this Act had never been enacted. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) time limits for making an election; (2) retroactive effects; and (3) individual contributions for prior service.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Iraq Sovereignty Promotion Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States supports: (1) the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, the people of Iraq, and the leaders of Iraq's elected government; and (2) the Iraqi people's desire to rebuild Iraq as a fully sovereign, stable, and peaceful democratic country. States as U.S. policy not to maintain a long-term or permanent military presence in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Declares that it is U.S. policy not to enter into any base agreement with the government of Iraq that would lead to a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2005
Cybersecurity Education Enhancement Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Cybersecurity, to establish, in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, a program to award grants to institutions of higher education for: (1) cybersecurity professional development programs; (2) associate degree programs in cybersecurity; and (3) the purchase of equipment to provide training in cybersecurity for either professional development or degree programs. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to operate the program. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary to establish an e-security fellowship program to bring state, local, tribal, and private sector officials to participate in the work of the National Cybersecurity Division in order to become familar with Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity missions and capabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2005
Commemorates the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. Calls upon: (1) the President to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide; and (2) the government of the Republic of Turkey to acknowledge the culpability of its predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire, for the Armenian Genocide, and to promote rapprochement with the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people. Supports the Republic of Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU) if Turkey acknowledges culpability, pursues rapprochement, and meets other EU accession criteria, and calls upon the EU to look with favor upon such actions by the government of the Republic of Turkey. Calls upon the President, the Secretary of State, the EU, and others to assist the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people in this process.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2005
Kidney Patient More Frequent Dialysis Quality Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish final regulations for equivalent per treatment prospective payment rates for more frequent hemodialysis treatments furnished to qualified individuals at home and in a facility (commonly known as composite Method I and Method II Cap rates), and prospective payment rates for in-facility training for more frequent hemodialysis.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2005
Mortgage Insurance Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax deduction for mortgage insurance premiums. Reduces the amount of such deduction for taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes exeeding $100,000. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to require informational returns from any individual who receives payment of more than $600 in mortgage insurance premiums.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2005
WISEWOMAN Expansion Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) remove the limit on the number of states that may receive preventive heath services grants; (2) require a competitive review process; and (3) include among the uses for such grants health education, counseling, and interventions for behavioral risk factors and diseases. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2005
Privacy Officer With Enhanced Rights Act of 2005 or POWER Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 with respect to the authorities of the privacy officer of the Department of Homeland Security. Specifies the privacy officer's investigative authority to: (1) have access to all records and other materials available to the Department relating to programs and operations for which the privacy officer has responsibilities; (2) make necessary or desirable investigations and reports on the administration of Department programs and operations; (3) require by subpoena the production, by persons other than Federal agencies, of all information and other data and documentary evidence necessary to performance of the privacy officer's functions; (4) administer oaths, affirmations, or take affidavits; and (5) take any other action that may be taken by the Inspector General of the Department, as necessary to require Department employees to produce documents and answer questions relevant to performance of the privacy officer' s functions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2005
Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2005 - Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of uterine fibroids research. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and disseminate to the public information regarding uterine fibroids, including information on: (1) the incidence and prevalence of uterine fibroids among women; (2) the elevated risk for minority women; and (3) the availability of a range of treatment options. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to develop and disseminate uterine fibroids information to health care providers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Establishes in the legislative branch the Independent Commission on the Investigation of Detainee Abuses to conduct a full, complete, independent, and impartial investigation of the abuses of detainees in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, or any operation within the Global War on Terrorism, including, but not limited to: (1) the extent of the abuses; (2) why the abuses occurred; and (3) who is responsible. Directs the Commission, in connection with the investigation, to assess, analyze, and evaluate relevant persons, policies, procedures, reports, and events. Authorizes the Commission to report interim findings, conclusions, and recommendations to Congress and the President. Requires a final report containing recommendations for corrective measures. Terminates the Commission 60 days after its final report.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Pulmonary Hypertension Research Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of the Institute with respect to research on pulmonary hypertension and to coordinate the Director's activities with related activities of other national research institutes and National Institutes of Health (NIH) agencies. Requires the Director to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of centers to conduct research and programs on pulmonary hypertension, including: (1) basic and clinical research into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, and treatment of the disease; (2) training programs for scientists and health professionals; (3) programs to provide information and continuing education to health professionals; and (4) programs for the dissemination of information to the public. Requires the Director to establish: (1) a data system for the collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of data derived from patient populations with pulmonary hypertension; and (2) an information clearinghouse to facilitate and enhance knowledge and understanding of pulmonary hypertension by health professionals, patients, industry, and the public.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Uniting American Families Act or the Permanent Partners Immigration Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include permanent partners (as defined by this Act) within the scope of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2005
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Night Out. Requests that the President: (1) focus appropriate attention on neighborhood crime prevention, community policing, and reduction of school crime by delivering speeches, convening meetings, and directing the Administration to make crime reduction an important priority; and (2) coordinate the efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the USA Freedom Corps, the Citizen Corps, the National Senior Service Corps, and AmeriCorps to participate by supporting local efforts, neighborhood watches, and local officials, including law enforcement personnel, to provide homeland security and combat terrorism in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the tax deduction for state and local income and property taxes as an adjustment in computing alternative minium taxable income.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2005
Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the allowable tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers to $400; (2) allow the deduction of professional development expenses; and (3) make such deduction permanent.
![Official portrait of Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/671024d7ec807bca66057fcb_200.jpg)