United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Generate Retirement Ownership Through Long-Term Holding Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that no gain shall be recognized on the receipt of a capital gain dividend distributed by a regulated investment company if such dividend is automatically reinvested in additional shares of the company pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2005
Honors the victims of the 1975 through 1979 genocide in Cambodia. Welcomes the establishment of an international criminal tribunal to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act of 2005 - Requires a manufacturer of a motor vehicle sold or introduced into commerce in the United States to disclose to the vehicle owner or to a repair facility of the motor vehicle owner's choosing the information necessary to diagnose, service, or repair the vehicle. Sets forth protections for trade secrets. Instructs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe a uniform methodology for manufacturer disclosure in writing and on the Internet. Prohibits the FTC from prescribing rules that interfere with the authority of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding motor vehicle emissions control diagnostics systems. States that manufacturer noncompliance with this Act constitutes an unfair method of competition and an unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting commerce within the purview of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2005
Amends the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 to declare that, if the following conditions exist, the presumption of abuse guidelines do not apply and the bankruptcy court is prohibited from dismissing or converting a Chapter 7 petition based on any form of means testing: (1) while the debtor is on, and during the 180-day period after release from active duty in the U.S. military service; or (2) while the debtor is performing, and during the 180-day period after the debtor is no longer performing, a homeland defense activity performed for at least 60 days; and (3) if after September 11, 2001, the debtor was called to active duty or performed homeland defense activity, while a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces or a member of the National Guard.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 silver coins emblematic of the design selected by the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, in commemoration of disabled American veterans. Expresses the sense of Congress that, to the greatest extent possible, the coins should be struck at the United States Mint at West Point, New York, Limits the period for coin issuance to the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2010. Imposes a $10 surcharge per coin, to be distributed to the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation for the purpose of establishing an endowment to support the construction of American Veterans' Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Medicare Ambulance Payment Reform and Rural Equity Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) revise ambulance payment rates; and (2) provide additional payments for providers furnishing ambulance services in rural areas. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the system for adjusting payments for rural ambulance services to determine their adequacy and appropriateness. Amends SSA title XVIII with respect to a Secretary-specified uniform coding system identifying furnished ambulance services for purposes of a fee schedule. Directs the Secretary to establish a system or systems for the coding of claims for ambulance services for which payment is made, including a code set specifying the medical condition of the individual who is transported and the level of service that is appropriate for the transportation of an individual with that medical condition. Requires the code set to take into account the list of medical conditions developed in the course of the negotiated rulemaking process. (Current law authorizes the Secretary to require the claim for any ambulance services to include a code (or codes) under a uniform coding system specified by the Secretary, but does not require the establishment of such a coding system.)
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 gold coins and 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the San Francisco Old Mint Building, its importance to California and U.S. history, and its role in rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Requires that all surcharges received by the Secretary from such coin sales be promptly paid to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society for purposes of rehabilitating the Historic Old Mint in San Francisco as a city museum and an American Coin and Gold Rush Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations for FY2006-FY2007 to: (1) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide grants to programs in the United States to cover the costs of services provided by domestic treatment centers in the rehabilitation of victims of torture (including treatment of the physical and psychological effects of torture), social and legal services, and research and training of health care providers outside of treatment centers or programs to enable them to provide such services; (2) the President for grants to treatment centers and programs in foreign countries that carry out projects and activities specifically designed to treat victims of torture for the physical and psychological effects of torture; and (3) the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
Water for the Poor Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to U.S. water and sanitation assistance programs. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance for programs in developing countries to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation. Directs the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop a strategy to further the U.S. foreign assistance objective of providing affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2005
9/11 Commission Full Funding Act - Requires the President to submit to Congress a report explaining each homeland security funding shortfall included in the budget submitted for FY 2006 and for every fiscal year thereafter, including the rationale for requesting less than the authorized funding level. Defines "homeland security funding shortfall" as a program authorized by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 for which: (1) the maximum specified authorization of appropriations is not requested in the President's budget; or (2) no amount of authorized appropriations is specified and the amount requested by the President is insufficient to operate the program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Foreign Felon Gun Prohibition Act - Amends the Federal criminal code to extend prohibitions against the sale, disposition, shipment, possession, transfer, or receipt of a firearm or ammunition by convicted felons to felons convicted in a foreign court.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), to expand and intensify research and related activities on postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. Requires the Director of NIMH to conduct or support research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, such conditions. Directs the Secretary to make grants to establish, operate, and coordinate effective and cost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with such conditions and their families. Allows the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grant recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to provide a minimum paid sick leave of: (1) seven days annually for those who work at least 30 hours per week; and (2) a prorated annual amount for those who work less than 30 but at least 20 hours a week, or less than 1,500 but at least 1,000 hours per year. Allows employees to use such leave to meet their own medical needs or to care for the medical needs of certain family members. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority with respect to this Act's provisions regarding employees covered by title I of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Provides that, for employees under their jurisdiction, such authority shall be exercised by the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, or the Merit Systems Protection Board. Declares that the requirements under this Act are minimum requirements, and are not to be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2005
Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for: (1) elimination of the lifetime limit on inpatient mental health services; (2) parity in treatment for outpatient mental health services; (3) coverage of intensive residential services under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) and of intensive outpatient services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance); (4) exclusion of clinical social worker services from coverage under the Medicare skilled nursing facility prospective payment system; and (5) coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on whether the criteria for coverage of any therapy service or any oupatient mental health care service under Medicare unduly restricts the access to such a service of any Medicare beneficiary with Alzheimer's disease or a related mental illness because the coverage criteria requires the Medicare beneficiary to display continuing clinicial improvement to continue to receive the service.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2005
Administrative Law Judges Retirement Act of 2005 - Sets forth separate provisions governing Government and employee contributions, annuity eligibility requirements (ten years of service and age 55), early retirement, and annuity computation (2.5 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively, of average pay for each year of service) for administrative law judges under the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees' Retirement System.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2005
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Action of 2005 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan or a health issuer offering group health insurance coverage that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan or issuer from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan or issuer for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan or issuer to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act; and (2) ensure that full coverage is provided for secondary consultations by specialists in the appropriate medical fields to confirm or refute a diagnosis of cancer. Applies such requirements to health insurance issuers offering coverage in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2005
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to V nonimmigrants (spouses or minor children of lawful permanent residents who are awaiting family-based immigrant visas) to: (1) extend the required filing deadline for family-based petitions from the date of enactment of the Legal Immigration Family Equity Act to January 1, 2011; and (2) reduce the required waiting period for family-based immigrant visas from three years to six months.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2005 - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert; (3) the Grand Staircase and the Escalante Canyons; (4) Moab-LaSal Canyons; (5) Henry Mountains; (6) Glen Canyon; (7) San Juan-Anasazi; (8) Canyonlands Basin; (9) San Rafael Swell; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) filing by the Secretary of the Interior of a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees; (2) the exchange of State-owned lands within such areas; (3) Federal reservation of water rights; (4) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness; (5) authorized livestock grazing; and (6) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Fueling the U.S.A. Through Unlimited Reliable Energy Act of 2005 - Declares that it shall be the policy of the United States to conduct research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities to provide for the scientific, engineering, and commercial infrastructure necessary to ensure that the United States is competitive with other nations in providing fusion energy for its own needs and the needs of other nations, including by demonstrating electric power or hydrogen production for the United States energy grid utilizing fusion energy at the earliest date possible. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to transmit to Congress a plan meeting specified requirements for carrying out such policy. Authorizes the Secretary, subject to certain guidelines, to negotiate an agreement for U.S. participation in ITER (international burning plasma fusion research project). Directs the Secretary to develop a plan for the participation of U.S. scientists in ITER that includes the U.S. research agenda for ITER, methods to evaluate whether ITER is promoting progress toward making fusion a reliable and affordable source of power, and a description of how work at ITER will relate to other elements of the domestic fusion program. Directs the Secretary to send to Congress a plan for implementing a domestic burning plasma experiment such as Fusion Ignition Research Experiment (FIRE), if at any time during the negotiations on ITER the Secretary determines that construction and operation of ITER is unlikely or infeasible.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Observes the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Republic of Vietnam to the Communist forces of North Vietnam. Supports all individuals taking part in events in Washington, D.C. and across the United States to observe this tragic event.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Recognizes the valuable and significant contributions of Indian Americans to American society. Honors the economic innovation attributable to graduates of the Indian Institutes of Technology. Urges all Americans to recognize the contributions of Indian Americans and have a greater appreciation of the role they have played in helping to advance and enrich American society.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2005
Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the maritime boundaries established in the 1923 Lausanne Treaty of Peace, the 1932 Convention and Protocol Between Italy and Turkey, and the 1947 Paris Treaty of Peace, under which the Dodecanese islands and adjacent islets were ceded by Italy to Greece, are the borders between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea; and (2) any party, including Turkey, objecting to such boundaries should seek redress in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Investment in America Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) increase the rates of the alternative incremental tax credit for research expenses; and (3) permit a taxpayer election of an alternative simplified tax credit for research expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) a postage stamp should be issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in commemoration of Diwali, a festival celebrated by people of Indian origin; and (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee of the USPS should recommend to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Second Chance Act of 2005: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention or the Second Chance Act of 2005 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions regarding adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects, including by authorizing funds to: (1) provide structured post-release housing and transitional housing; (2) facilitate specified collaboration to promote the employment of people released from prison and jail; (3) carry out programs that support children of incarcerated parents; and (4) establish or expand the use of reentry courts. Sets forth grant priorities and requirements, including that each state, territory, tribe, or local government recipient establish a Reentry Task Force or other authority. Authorizes the Attorney General to make a grant to provide for the establishment of a National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center. Directs the Attorney General to establish an interagency task force on federal programs regarding offender reentry. Authorizes the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research on offender reentry. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the role of state child protective services at the time of arrest and establish services for the preservation of families impacted by the incarceration of a family member; and (2) the Secretary of Labor to implement a program to educate employers about one-stop centers, existing incentives for the hiring of former prisoners, and tax credits, and to make grants to nonprofit organizations to provide transitional services. Amends the federal criminal code to direct a court to revoke a term of supervised release or a sentence of probation for a defendant who commits a crime of violence against, or an offense of unlawful sexual contact with, a person who has not attained the age of 16 years.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act of 2005 - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on State taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act - Declares it is U.S. policy to protect and preserve living and other resources of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (Farallones NMS) and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Cordell Bank NMS) marine environments. Makes certain adjustments to expand the boundaries of the Farallones NMS and the Cordell NMS. Prohibits within the Farallones NMS and the Cordell Bank NMS: (1) the leasing, exploration, development, production, or transporting by pipeline of minerals or hydrocarbons; (2) the conduct of aquaculture (with exceptions); and (3) the discharge of materials and substances or a change in the salinity. Prohibits the conduct of aquaculture within Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to complete an interim supplemental management plan for each sanctuary that focuses on protective resource management in the areas added by this Act. Requires the Secretary to review the operations of the Farallones NMS to determine whether area added to it by this Act shall be designated as a new and separate NMS.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Internet Consumer Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on State taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. Repeals provisions permitting States with Internet tax laws enacted prior to the ban on Internet taxes to continue enforcing such laws.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Prevention First Act - Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2005 - Authorizes appropriations for family planning services grants and contracts under the Public Health Service Act (PHSA). Family Planning State Empowerment Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide family planning services and supplies to certain individuals not otherwise eligible for Medicaid. Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and PHSA to prohibit a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage, from excluding or restricting benefits in any way for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services. Amends PHSA to apply those prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market. Emergency Contraception Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information on emergency contraception to the public and to health care providers. Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving Federal funds, to offer and to provide, upon request, emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Preventing Teen Pregnancy Act - Amends PHSA to authorize the Secretary to award grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teenage pregnancy prevention programs. Truth in Contraception Act - Requires that any information concerning the use of a contraceptive provided through specified federally funded education programs be medically accurate and include health benefits and failure rates.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Employee Free Choice Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board to certify a bargaining representative without directing an election if a majority of the bargaining unit employees have authorized designation of the representative and there is no other individual or labor organization currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit. Sets forth special procedural requirements for reaching an initial collective bargaining agreement following certification or recognition. Revises enforcement requirements with respect to unfair labor practices during union organizing drives. Provides, under injunction provisions, for priority to be given to preliminary investigation of charges of violations by employers or other entities. Adds to remedies for such violations: (1) back pay plus liquidated damages; and (2) additional civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2005
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for and enforcement of prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages to: (1) add nonretaliation requirements; (2) increase penalties; and (3) authorize the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretaries of Labor and Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to provide for certain studies, information, national summit, and guidelines, awards, and assistance for employer evaluations of job categories based on objective criteria. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect certain pay information. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey; (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity; and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Workforce Health Improvement Program Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of employees: (1) the value of any on-premises employer-provided athletic facility; and (2) fees or membership expenses paid to an athletic or fitness facility by an employer for its employees. Allows employers a tax deduction for fees or dues paid to an athletic or fitness facility.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Payday Borrower Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit the business of making deferred deposit loans (payday loans) in any state unless expressly authorized by state law that meets the requirements of this Act. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to prohibit insured depository institutions from making: (1) payday loans except in full compliance with state law and at an interest rate no more than the lesser of 36% or the maximum annual percentage rate allowable in the state; or (2) any loan to a payday lender to finance payday loans unless that lender is in full compliance with specified Federal and state law. Sets forth state licensing and regulatory requirements for payday loans, including civil and criminal penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require any pharmacy receiving prescription drugs or prescription devices in interstate commerce to: (1) ensure that any in stock prescription that one pharmacist refuses to fill on the basis of a personal belief is filled by another pharmacist employed by the pharmacy without delay; (2) ensure that any individual who presents a prescription for an item that is not in stock which one pharmacist refuses to order on the basis of a personal belief is immediately informed that the product can be ordered by the pharmacy and to order such product without delay; and (3) not employ any pharmacist who engages in any conduct with the intent to prevent or deter an individual from filling a valid prescription, including refusing to return a prescription form, refusing to transfer a prescription, or subjecting the individual to humiliation or harassment. Provides that this Act does not require the pharmacy to keep any particular product in stock nor does it apply with respect to a product for a health condition if the pharmacy does not keep in stock any product for such condition. Sets forth civil penalties. Allows a private cause of action for a violation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2005 - Prohibits cruise vessels entering U.S. ports from discharging sewage, graywater, or bilge water into the waters of the United States, with specified exceptions, including when in compliance with effluent limits and management standards. Requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue regulations establishing effluent limits for sewage and graywater discharged by cruise vessels. Requires the Commandant to issue regulations implementing an inspection, sampling, and testing program sufficient to verify compliance with this Act and other specified laws. Prohibits employment discrimination against persons who institute or testify in proceedings under this Act. Authorizes interested persons to file a petition in U.S. circuit court requesting review of the Commandant's action in promulgating effluent limits or carrying out inspections, sampling, or testing under this Act. Establishes administrative, civil, and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Authorizes rewards for information leading to the payment of such penalties. Establishes in rem liability for cruise vessels violating this Act. Authorizes citizen suits in the U.S. district courts against those who violate this Act or related regulations and orders, or against the Administrator or Commandant for an alleged failure to perform. Establishes special compliance deadlines for Alaskan cruise vessels with advanced treatment systems. Establishes the Cruise Vessel Pollution Control Fund. Requires the Commandant to establish and collect fees from cruise vessels to carry out this Act and to deposit fees in the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the 15-year recovery period for the depreciation of qualified leasehold improvement property (property held and improved by a lessor).
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2005
Nonproliferation Treaty Enhancement Resolution of 2005 - Reaffirms congressional support for the objectives of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and expresses support for appropriate measures to strengthen the NPT. Calls on all parties participating in the Seventh Review Conference on the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons to make good faith efforts to: (1) establish more effective controls on critical technologies that can be used to produce nuclear weapons material; (2) ensure universal adoption of the Additional Protocol to the NPT and support the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) authority to monitor nonproliferation compliance; (3) use diplomacy and economic leverage to halt uranium enrichment and other nuclear fuel cycle activities in Iran, and verifiably dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons capacity; (4) accelerate programs to eliminate nuclear weapons and to safeguard nuclear weapons-grade fissile materials; (5) establish procedures to ensure that a state cannot retain access to controlled nuclear materials, equipment, technology, and components acquired for peaceful purposes or avoid United Nations (UN) sanctions for violations of the NPT by withdrawing from the NPT; and (6) implement the NPT-related disarmament obligations. Affirms congressional support for the Proliferation Security Initiative, and urges additional nations to join the Initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act - Recognizes the suffering and the loyalty of the people of Guam during the Japanese occupation of Guam in World War II. Establishes in the Treasury the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Fund (which shall terminate on the later of three years after the date of enactment of this Act or one year after disbursement of all Fund payments). Directs: (1) the Secretary of the Interior to make specified payments to eligible family members as successor claimants to persons who were killed, injured, interned, or subjected to forced labor or marches resulting from, or incident to, such occupation and subsequent liberation; (2) the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States (FCSC) to establish the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Commission to adjudicate such claims; and (3) the Secretary to establish the non-profit Guam World War II Remembrance Trust Fund, which shall undertake educational, medical, and other endeavors to benefit the people of Guam.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
Comprehensive Assistance for Veterans Exposed to Traumatic Stressors Act of 2005 - Extends eligibility for readjustment counseling services for Vietnam-era veterans. Requires implementation of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-Department of Defense (DOD) Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund. Requires: (1) the DOD to assist the VA with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health-related data collection; (2) substance use disorder questions in pre- and post-deployment screens and related treatment protocols; and (3) routine preventative maintenance intervention for returning members of the Armed Forces. Requires a study of factors that decrease the likelihood of developing combat-related chronic PTSD. Extends the enhanced eligibility period for VA health services for certain veterans. Provides for a joint demonstration project that stations VA psychologists and psychiatrists at major demobilization sites and military treatment facilities. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop model programs to address mental health disorders prevalent among veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Requires: (1) performance measures that ensure appropriate deployment of resources to implement the Iraq war clinical practice guidelines; (2) establishment of the DOD/VA Council on Post-Deployment Mental Health; (3) a plan for expanded access to specialized PTSD care; and (4) additional mental health services personnel for certain VA programs and locations. Requires counseling for immediate family members of disabled veterans and Armed Forces personnel killed in action. Establishes a National Steering Committee on PTSD Education. Addresses deficiencies in compensation and pension examinations with regard to PTSD. Requires development of criteria for determining which medical conditions are likely associated with PTSD and when secondary service-connection should be granted for those conditions. Provides for an outreach program to enhance PTSD awareness.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
Grants for DNA Backlog Prosecutions Act - Amends the Justice for All Act of 2004 to direct the Attorney General to make grants to train and employ personnel to help prosecute cases cleared through the use of funds provided for DNA backlog elimination.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2005 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish aquatic invasive species prevention requirements for all vessels operating in U.S. waters. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to promulgate regulations for ballast water management standards and certification procedures. Directs the Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force to establish a priority pathway management program that identifies those pathways that pose the highest risk for the introduction of aquatic invasive species unless further managed. Prohibits the importation of live aquatic organisms of a species not in trade without specified screening and approval. Requires the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a national system of ecological surveys for rapid early detection and monitoring of invasive species. Requires the Task Force to review and approve State rapid response contingency strategies. Requires the Invasive Species Council to establish a Federal rapid response team for each of the ten Federal regions. Requires the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) to complete construction of and operate the Chicago River Ship and Sanitary Canal dispersal barrier project to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Requires the Invasive Species Council to coordinate with the Task Force to combat aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force to recommend to appropriate Federal agencies additions to the list of aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force, the Council, and the Secretary of State to coordinate activities to ensure that international efforts to prevent and manage aquatic invasive species are coordinated with U.S. policies.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2005
Salmon Planning Act - Requires the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for scientific analysis of Federal salmon and steelhead recovery efforts. Requires the Comptroller General to study the potential effects of partially removing the four lower Snake River dams, including those on: (1) the economy of surrounding communities; (2) water transportation; (3) irrigation; (4) energy production; and (5) the extinction of salmon and steelhead populations in Snake River. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Corps of Engineers, to partially remove the dams if found necessary by: (1) the Secretary to restore Snake River salmon and steelhead populations to meet obligations under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; (2) the Secretary of the Interior to meet treaty obligations to Indian tribes or other sovereign nations; or (3) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to meet requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to permit the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): (1) acting through the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, to expand and coordinate NIH activities on paralysis research; (2) to award grants to plan, establish, improve, and provide basic operating support for Christopher Reeve Paralysis Research Consortia; (3) to educate and disseminate information and receive public comment on NIH programs and research regarding paralysis; (4) acting through the Director of the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development and the National Center for Rehabilitation Research, to expand and coordinate NIH research with implications for enhancing daily function for persons with paralysis; and (5) to make grants to plan, establish, improve, and provide basic operating support for multicenter clinical trial networks to design clinical rehabilitation intervention protocols and measures of outcomes on paralysis. Permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to study the health challenges associated with paralysis and other physical disabilities and carry out projects and interventions to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of individuals with such conditions. Permits the Secretary to award grants for activities related to paralysis, including to: (1) establish paralysis registries; and (2) disseminate information to the public. Allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish Paralysis Research, Education and Clinical Care Centers; and (2) award grants to medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to translate clinical findings and recommendations on paralysis into evidence-based best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to set forth provisions governing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant funding for first responders pursuant to the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Urban Area Security Initiative, the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program, and the Citizen Corps Program. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish clearly defined essential capabilities for State and local government preparedness for terrorism. Sets forth factors to address in establishing such capabilities. Lists critical infrastructure sectors and types of threats that the Secretary shall specifically consider. Directs the Secretary to establish a Task Force on Essential Capabilities for First Responders. Makes eligible for a covered grant any State, region, or directly eligible tribe. Sets forth grant application procedures and requirements. Requires the Secretary to establish a First Responder Grants Board. Lists authorized uses of covered grants. Sets the Federal share of the costs of activities carried out under covered grants at 100 percent of the total for the two-year period following enactment of this Act and at 75 percent thereafter. Requires each covered grant recipient to submit annual reports on homeland security spending. Establishes penalties for States that fail to pass through to local governments, first responders, and other local groups funds or resources as required by this Act within 45 days of receipt. Directs the Secretary to promulgate national voluntary consensus standards for grant-funded first responder equipment and training. Expresses the sense of Congress regarding Citizen Corps councils.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Childhood Adoption Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the tax credit for adoption expenses from $10,000 to $15,000; (2) make such tax credit refundable; and (3) increase the exclusion from gross income for employer-paid adoption expenses from $10,000 to $15,000. Amends title IV, part E (Federal Payments for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of the Social Security Act to increase: (1) levels of adoption incentive payments payable to States under the adoption assistance program; and (2) funding for adoption incentive payments for FY 2006 through 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) so long as all of the active members of such clubs are full-time students at the college or university with which such clubs are associated. Defines "collegiate housing and infrastructure grants" to include grants to provide, improve, operate, or maintain collegiate housing.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2005
Renewing the Dream Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow homebuilders and investors a general business tax credit for building or substantially rehabilitating residences for low and moderate-income individuals in certain areas, including a rural area, an Indian reservation, or an area of chronic economic distress. Sets forth rules for the calculation of such credit and its administration and allocation by the States.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2005
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to make grants and create a program within the National Park Service to support and work in partnership with citizens, governmental and tribal organizations, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of identifying, protecting, and acquiring historic confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II in order to gain inspiration from these sites and to demonstrate the Nation's commitment to equal justice. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Japanese American National Heritage Coalition, to make grants to citizens, States, local, and tribal governments, other public entities, educational institutions, and private nonprofit organizations to assist in carrying out the actions described above. Provides for the Secretary to require a 25 percent non-Federal match for funds provided under this Act. Terminates the force and effect of this Act two years after the disbursement to grantees of the total amount of funds authorized to be appropriated under this Act.
![Official portrait of Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/671024d7ec807bca66057fcb_200.jpg)