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151 records in US in 2005
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Elimination of Barriers for Katrina Victims Act - Suspends temporarily the denial of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), food stamp, housing, and higher education benefits to victims of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita because of convictions for certain drug offenses.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
No Child Left Behind Improvement and Flexibility Act of 2005 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise certain requirements which were added by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, including ones relating to: (1) academic assessments and adequate yearly progress; (2) teacher qualifications; (3) special education students; and (4) rural schools.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
National Earthquake Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to meet the qualification requirements for their position by virtue of their emergency management experience, educational background, training, and professional contributions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable personal credit of 50% of up to $6,000 of qualified seismic retrofit expenses (principal residence earthquake retrofit expenses). Authorizes the issuance of qualified seismic retrofitting bonds. Provides an exemption from passive activity loss restrictions for seismic retrofitting activity. Amends the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 to authorize the FEMA Director to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to certain local governments, public or nonprofit private hospitals, or public institutions of higher education for earthquake disaster mitigation and recovery planning measures (including retrofitting and disaster recovery plans) with respect to critical facilities and public infrastructures. Establishes the Loss Reduction Trust Fund for grant payments. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Advanced National Seismic System should be funded at its authorization level in order to achieve the goal of deploying a nationwide network of over 7,000 earthquake sensor systems serving the entire United States and providing dense coverage in 26 at-risk urban areas.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Recognizes the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142). Acknowledges the many and varied contributions of children with disabilities and their parents, teachers, related services providers, and other educators. Reaffirms the support of Congress for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act so that all children with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005 - Provides for reconciliation of the budget for FY2006 pursuant to H.Con.Res. 95 (congressional budget resolution) by the Senate Committees on: (1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; (2) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (3) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (4) Energy and Natural Resources; (5) Environment and Public Works; (6) Finance; (7) Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and (8) the Judiciary. Agricultural Reconciliation Act of 2005 - Provides for: (1) reduction of commodity program payments; (2) a forfeiture penalty for nonrecourse sugar loans; (3) cotton competitiveness; (4) national dairy market loss payments; (5) advance direct payments; (6) a conservation reserve program; (7) a conservation security program; (8) environmental quality incentives program; and (9) an initiative for future agriculture and food systems. Safe and Fair Deposit Insurance Act of 2005 - Provides for: (1) establishment of the Deposit Insurance Fund; and (2) a merger of the Bank Insurance Fund and the Savings Association Insurance Fund into it. Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005 - Revises requirements for deposit insurance. FHA Asset Disposition Act of 2005 - Provides for Federal Housing Administration asset disposition. Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 - Provides for: (1) an extension of a television broadcast license that authorizes analog television service; (2) additional deadlines for the recovered analog spectrum; (3) supplemental license fees; (4) establishment of the Digital Transition and Public Safety Fund; and (5) additional funds for the essential air service program. Authorizes leasing, development, production, and transportation of oil and gas in and from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 Coastal Plain Area (ANWR). Makes technical corrections to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Amends the Social Security Act regarding: (1) payment for prescription drugs under Medicaid; (2) long-term care under Medicaid; (3) eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid; (3) state financing under Medicaid; (4) revising the Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance (SCHIP) programs; and (5) an option for Hurricane Katrina disaster states to delay application. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) with respect to student loans. Hurricane Katrina Higher Education Recovery Act - Requires waiver authority and modifications to certain HEA provisions with respect to certain students and institutions affected by Hurricane Katrina. Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Education to audit and investigate each program carried out by the Department that includes response and recovery activities related to Hurricane Katrina. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to revise Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) premiums. Higher Education Amendments of 2005 - Amends HEA with respect to specified higher education programs. Amends: (1) the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986; (2) the United States Institute of Peace Act; (3) the Higher Education Amendments of 1998; and (4) the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978. Navajo Nation Higher Education Act of 2005 - Reauthorizes the Navajo Community College Act. Changes the name of the Navajo Community College to Dine College. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to recapture unused employment-based immigrant visas and to impose fees for immigration services for intracompany transferees.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Suspends temporarily the application of specified provisions of the following laws which would deny federal benefits to victims of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita due to certain drug-related criminal activity that occurred before the disaster declarations for those hurricanes: (1) the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (regarding eligibility for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and food stamps); (2) the United States Housing Act of 1937 and the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (regarding eligibility for assisted housing); and (4) the Higher Education Act of 1965 (regarding eligibility for student assistance).
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Trade Adjustment Assistance Improvement Act - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend trade adjustment assistance (TAA) to workers in a service sector firm, its subdivision, or a public agency. Revises group eligibility requirements for TAA to cover: (1) a shift, by a public agency to a foreign country, of production of articles or in provision of services, like or directly competitive with articles which are produced, or services which are provided by the workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency; and (2) the situation where the workers' firm, subdivision, or public agency obtains or is likely to obtain such services from a foreign country. Requires the Secretary of Labor to certify as eligible to apply for TAA any adversely affected secondary workers in a service sector firm, its subdivision, or a public agency. Specifies criteria for determination of the existence of increased imports of like or directly competitive articles or services. Increases the amount of payments for training of adversely affected workers under the Act. Authorizes the Secretary to waive training requirements for an individual receiving TAA if he or she has an advanced degree or postgraduate certification in a specialized field and there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future. Permits as a training program for an adversely affected worker continued enrollment for up to 104 weeks at an institution of higher education to obtain a degree, if there is a reasonable expectation of employment at equivalent wages in the foreseeable future. Modifies the demonstration project for alternative TAA for older workers. Directs the Secretary to implement a system to collect data on all adversely affected workers applying for or receiving TAA. Provides for industry-wide certification of workers, including agricultural commodity producers, for TAA where bilateral or other safeguard provisions are invoked or antidumping or countervailing duties have been imposed. Extends the TAA program through FY2012. Establishes the Office of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Advisor in the Department of Labor. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the credit for health insurance costs of certain TAA recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Strengthening American Citizenship Act of 2005 - Directs the Chief of the Office of Citizenship of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide grants (not to exceed $500) to assist legal U.S. residents who declare an intent to apply for citizenship in the United States to meet naturalization requirements. Provides such grants to an accredited institution of higher education or other qualified educational institution for tuition, fees, books, and other educational resources required by the English language course in which the legal resident is enrolled. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to provide that a legal U.S. resident who demonstrates English fluency will satisfy the residency requirement upon the completion of four (currently, five years) years of continuous U.S. legal residency. Directs the Secretary of DHS to: (1) establish an American citizenship grant program for qualified entities to provide civics, history, and English classes to promote the patriotic integration of prospective citizens; (2) establish the United States Citizenship Foundation to support the functions of the Office of Citizenship; and (3) implement a strategy to enhance public awareness of naturalization ceremonies. Amends INA to set forth a new oath of allegiance. Directs the Secretary to: (1) incorporate a knowledge and understanding of the oath of allegiance into the history and government citizenship test; and (2) notify the embassy of the country of which a new citizen was a citizen or subject that such citizen has renounced allegiance to that foreign country, and sworn allegiance to the United States. Establishes a new citizens award program to recognize citizens who: (1) have made an outstanding contribution to the United States; and (2) were naturalized during the ten-year period ending on the date of such recognition.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Requires the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as directed by the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004 (BBBFIRA), within 90 days after enactment of this Act, to establish an appeals process through which holders of a flood insurance policy may appeal decisions with respect to claims, proofs of loss, and loss estimates relating to such policy. Requires the FEMA Director also, as directed by BBBFIRA, within 90 days after enactment of this Act, to establish minimum training and education requirements for all insurance agents who sell flood insurance policies.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
School Energy Crisis Relief Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a grants program for eligible local educational agencies that have experienced the highest percentage increase (or expenditure increase) in transportation and heating fuel costs among all local educational agencies (LEA's) in a state for a specific time period during the 2005-2006 school year, in comparison to the same time period during the 2004-2005 school year. Authorizes the use of funds for: (1) the cost of transportation or heating fuel purchased by eligible LEA's; or (2) transportation fuel purchased by entities under contract to provide transportation services to such LEA's.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Family Asthma Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to award grants to eligible entities to conduct pilot projects to prevent and control asthma symptoms and to reduce asthma attacks in families. Requires the Secretary to give: (1) priority to entities that serve a medically underserved population; and (2) consideration to an adequate rural-urban distribution, so as to gain better information about asthma at the national level. Authorizes additional appropriations to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to develop a National Asthma Action Plan and to fund a report to Congress by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) collaborate with state and local health departments to conduct activities to inform and educate the public regarding asthma; (2) conduct asthma surveillance activities to collect data on the prevalence and severity of asthma, the effectiveness of public heath asthma intervention, and the quality of asthma management; and (3) compile and annually publish asthma data. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to establish Dr. Irving J. Selikoff individual and institutional training grants for education and training of health care providers on the role of environmental factors in the development and prevention of asthma and recurrent asthma attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2005
Repeals: (1) the income tax, including the tax on capital gains and the alternative minimum tax; (2) estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes; and (3) the Financing of Presidential Election Campaigns provisions. Imposes a sales tax of 8.4% on the use or consumption of taxable property or services, to be administered and collected by the states. Allows certain credits against such tax for, among other things, business use conversion, export sales, bad debt, insurance proceeds, and previously taxed property. Grants a family consumption allowance for certain low-income families. Repeals the corporate income tax and related provisions. Imposes a business tax of 8.4% of the annual gross profit on the sale of taxable property and services in the United States by a business entity. Defines "gross profits" as the taxable receipts of a business entity over the allowable deductible amounts for such entity, including the cost of business purchases and loss carryover deductions. Sets forth rules for the taxation of income from the non-exempt business activities of governmental entities. Revises the tax treatment of charitable and other nonprofit organizations. Imposes a tax of 8.4% of the customs value of all property brought into the United States for consumption, use, or warehousing. Revises tax administration provisions, including registration, accounting, penalty, and taxpayer rights provisions. Prohibits funding of the Internal Revenue Service after FY2010. Savings for Working Families Act of 2005 - Allows certain low-income individuals to establish individual development accounts (IDAs) to accumulate assets for, among other things, higher education expenses, first-time home purchases, and business capitalization or expansion costs. Provides for federal matching funds to certain financial institutions for investment in IDAs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2005
Urges the government of Saudi Arabia to reform its textbooks and education curriculum in a manner that promotes tolerance and peaceful coexistence, develops civil society, and encourages functionality in the global economy. Urges the President to: (1) direct the Secretary of State to use diplomacy, international visitor exchanges, professional development, and educational reform programs to focus on educational reform in Saudi Arabia; and (2) consider educational reform progress when determining the level and frequency of U.S.-Saudi relations. Expresses disappointment with the slow pace of education reform. Requests that the Secretary report to the appropriate congressional committees respecting such educational reform.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center Lease Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission to establish a joint partnership with respect to the management of the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center and, after entering into such a memorandum, lease space in such Memorial Center for use as a visitor center for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (the Lakeshore Center). Permits the Secretary to use Lakeshore employees to provide visitor information and education at the Lakeshore Center.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Gulf Coast Hurricane Emergency Environmental Protection Act of 2005 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use Hurricane Katrina disaster relief funding for: (1) cleanup activities: (2) reconstruction and rehabilitation of drinking water supplies and wastewater treatment plants; and (3) addressing threats to human health or the environment due to Hurricane Katrina. Requires the Administrator to prioritize cleanup activities based upon risks posed to human health or the environment. Directs the Administrator, in coordination with the governors of affected states and relevant governmental agencies, to develop a Comprehensive Environmental Sampling and Toxicity Assessment Plan (CESTAP) to determine health and environmental hazards posed by exposure to contaminants, hazardous materials, or infectious materials released into the environment due to hurricanes and resultant flooding. Requires CESTAP to include comprehensive environmental testing, risk assessment, notification to the public and public health officials of environmental risks, cleanup provisions, training for responders and cleanup workers, and public health assessments and long-term monitoring of health risks from environmental contaminants released by Hurricane Katrina. Establishes an Independent Advisory and Review Board to assist the Administrator in carrying out this Act. Habitability of Residential Homes, Schools, and Commercial Buildings Affected by Hurricane Katrina Act of 2005 - Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish a grant program for abatement and inspection activities for residences, commercial buildings, and schools affected by Hurricane Katrina; (2) issues guidelines for mold and mold spore limits in buildings; and (3) issue guidelines for contractor training and certification for mold remediation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2005
Nanoscience to Commercialization Institutes Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Under Secretary of Technology of the Department of Commerce to award grants to eligible entities to establish up to eight Nanoscience to Commercialization Institutes throughout the United States to assist in the commercialization of nanotechnology. Instructs the Under Secretary to ensure that each Institute is located at either a public university or federal laboratory. Requires grants awarded pursuant to this Act to be used to establish at least one Institute in each of the following areas of nanotechology or microtechnology: (1) energy; (2) printable electronics; (3) medical; (4) transportation; (5) textiles; and (6) agriculture. Specifies matching requirements for for-profit manufacturing companies conducting research and development in micro- and nanotechnologies. Makes any institution of higher education that has a federally funded nanotechnology center or that is the primary lead of a nanotechnology center not eligible for a grant under this Act. Directs the Under Secretary to establish a peer review committee to review the goals and progress made by each Institute. Requires each grant recipient to submit a report to such committee describing its Institute's accomplishments and goals as a condition of continued grant funding.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2005
Native American Small Business Development Act of 2005 - Amends the Small Business Act to establish within the Small Business Administration (SBA) the Office of Native American Affairs, headed by an Assistant Administrator, to implement SBA programs for the development of business enterprises by Native Americans (American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians). Requires the Office to assist Native American entrepreneurs to: (1) start, operate, and grow small businesses; (2) develop management and technical skills; (3) seek federal procurement opportunities; (4) increase Native American employment opportunities; and (5) increase Native American access to capital markets. Requires the SBA to provide financial assistance to tribal governments, tribal colleges, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Alaska Native corporations to create Native American business centers. Requires each business center to conduct five-year projects for business education aid to such entities. Requires each assistance applicant to submit a five-year plan on proposed assistance and training activities. Establishes a four-year pilot program under which the SBA is authorized to award Native American development grants to provide culturally-tailored business development training and related services to Native Americans and Native American small businesses. Establishes a four-year pilot program under which the SBA shall award at least three American Indian Tribal Assistance Center grants to establish joint projects to provide culturally-tailored business development assistance to prospective and current owners of small businesses on or near tribal lands.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Hurricane Katrina Elementary and Secondary Education Recovery Act - Provides elementary and secondary education assistance for schools and students affected by Hurricane Katrina. Encourages the Secretary of Education to exercise the maximum waiver authority available or exercise other actions for affected states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools with respect to waiver authority or authorization of actions provided under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Directs the Secretary to report on affected state and LEA requests for waivers under ESEA and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to states for subgrants to LEAs: (1) to provide supplemental educational services or additional programs and activities to displaced students or students attending a school in an affected disaster area; and (2) in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, to restart operations of schools serving affected disaster areas. Gives LEAS serving affected disaster areas special hold-harmless provisions for ESEA funding. Provides reciprocity for affected teachers and paraprofessionals with respect to standards of other states. Authorizes the Secretary to delay certain teacher personnel standards requirements for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama under ESEA and IDEA. Directs the Secretary to provide: (1) assistance to LEAs serving affected homeless children and youth; (2) grants to states for alternative education programs for affected displaced adolescent students; and (3) temporary emergency impact aid to states and LEAs for affected displaced students.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
American Parity Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make grants to states and local governments for assistance in making priority expenditures. Defines priority expenditures as ordinary and necessary maintenance and operating expenses for: (1) primary, secondary, or higher education; (2) public safety; (3) public health; (4) social services for the disadvantaged or aged; (5) roads, transportation, and water infrastructure; and (6) housing, as well as ordinary and necessary capital expenditures authorized by state law. Requires at least one third of grant amounts to be made available to local governments.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Railroad Security and Public Awareness Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and issue detailed guidance for a rail worker security training program to prepare front-line workers for potential threat conditions. Requires railroad carriers to develop a rail worker security training program that meets the Secretary's approval. Directs the Secretary to develop a national plan for public outreach and awareness of measures that the general public, railroad passengers, and railroad employees can take to increase railroad security. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to railroads (including intercity, heavy, and light rail), hazardous materials shippers, owners of hazardous materials rail cars, universities, colleges, and research centers, and state and local governments (for railroad facilities and infrastructure) for full or partial reimbursement of: (1) rail worker security training program costs; and (2) security upgrade costs incurred by a railroad to prevent or respond to acts of terrorism, sabotage, or other railroad security threats. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop timelines for completing the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) framework for analyzing risks to the U.S. rail system and other transportation sectors; (2) evaluate whether the risk assessment used by the Office for Domestic Preparedness should be leveraged to facilitate the completion of such risk assessments; (3) set timelines for completing the memorandum of understanding (MOU) modal agreements for rail, mass transit, and research and development (R&D), which DHS and the Department of Transportation (DOT) have agreed to pursue; (4) develop and issue rail security standards, including a plan for how Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rail inspectors will be used to enforce such standards; and (5) study select foreign rail security practices, including the cost of implementing selected best practices not currently used in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Family Education Reimbursement Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a Family Education Reimbursement Account Program for families of students displaced by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. Provides for reimbursing parents for costs of such students or preschool-age children attending schools or preschool programs, chosen by the parents, during the 2005–2006 school year. Requires the Secretary to make a contract with a nongovernmental entity to administer and operate the program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2005
Schools Safely Acquiring Faculty Excellence Act of 2005 - Directs the Attorney General, upon request of the chief executive officer of a state pursuant to a request by a local or state educational agency, to conduct fingerprint-based checks of the national and state (where possible) crime information databases on individuals under consideration for employment by the agency in a position in which the individual would work with or around children. Authorizes: (1) the Attorney General and the states to charge any applicable fees for such checks; and (2) an individual to release derived information only to a person legally authorized to receive it. Prohibits exceeding the authority under, or knowingly releasing information in violation of, this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2005
Flexibility in Assessments for Individuals Reform Act of 2005 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to revise certain requirements regarding student assessments and adequate yearly progress which were added by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2005
Hurricane First Responder Surviving Spouse Student Loan Relief Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to provide student loan forgiveness to the surviving spouses and parents of victims who were Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita first responders.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2005
Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center Lease Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint partnership with the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission and, after entering into such a memorandum, lease space in the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center for use as a visitor center for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Allows the Secretary to: (1) plan, design, construct, and install exhibits in the leased space related to the use and management of the resources at the Lakeshore, at a cost under $1.2 million; and (2) utilize park staff from the Lakeshore in the leased space to provide visitor information and education.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2005
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and make available to local educational agencies a voluntary policy to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools. Directs that such policy address: (1) a parental obligation to provide the school with information regarding a student's food allergy and anaphylaxis; (2) communication strategies between schools and emergency medical services; (3) strategies to reduce the risk of exposure in classrooms and common areas; (4) food allergy management training of school personnel; (5) authorization of school personnel to administer epinephrine when the school nurse is not immediately available; and (6) creation of an individual health care plan tailored to each child's risk for anaphylaxis.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2005
Teacher Education for Autistic Children Act of 2005, or TEACH Act of 2005 - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to require assisted local educational agencies to report on autism early intervention activities and personnel training. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Education, in making certain IDEA grants or contracts, shall give special consideration to: (1) the increased incidence of autism spectrum disorders among children; and (2) the increased demands placed on educational systems due to the complexity and symptoms of autism. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out an expanded student loan forgiveness program for teachers of autistic children; and (2) establish a Task Force on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Requires the Secretary, in cooperation with a specified Department of Health and Human Services official, to: (1) award grants or contracts to develop an outreach plan for populations and individuals underserved by early screening and diagnosis for neurodevelopmental delays; and (2) report on services provided to individuals with ASD in accordance with IDEA and the Head Start Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
SouthEast Crescent Authority Act of 2005 - Establishes a SouthEast Crescent Authority for all parts of the following southeastern states not eligible for assistance from the Appalachian Regional Commission or the Delta Regional Authority: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Directs the Authority to perform various functions, including: (1) formulating plans and programs to spur economic development, and approving grants to States and public and nonprofit entities toward that end; (2) establishing priorities in a development plan for the region; (3) supporting local development districts, and creating them where they do not exist; and (4) encouraging private investment in the region. Permits the Authority to request and receive Federal, State and local government personnel as employees. Stipulates that Authority grants for infrastructure development may be made only to State or local governments. Permits other Authority grants for job training, employment-related education, business development, assisting severely distressed and poor areas, or for other purposes in accordance with the Act. Allows the Authority to designate annually: (1) distressed counties; and (2) isolated areas of distress in nondistressed counties. Directs the Authority to garner public participation in the development, revision, and implementation of its plans and programs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Gulf Coast Hurricanes Student and School Relief Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to: (1) impacted local educational agencies (LEAs) serving major disaster areas because of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita (Gulf hurricanes) for immediate aid to restart public school operations; (2) receiving LEAs serving students who have relocated as a result of one of the Gulf hurricanes, for education and pupil services for such students; (3) receiving LEAs for assistance to public schools to provide special education and related services to such relocated children with disabilities; (4) eligible entities under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program in areas served by impacted or receiving LEAs, for activities at such centers; and (5) impacted and receiving LEAs for school facilities construction, modernization, or repair.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Setting Priorities in Spending Act of 2005 - Repeals provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 for: (1) ready-to-learn television; (2) the Star Schools Act; (3) Ready to Teach; (4) the Foreign Language Assistance Act of 2001; (5) community technology centers; (6) educational, cultural, apprenticeship, and exchange programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and their historical whaling and trading partners in Massachusetts; (7) arts in education; (8) parental assistance and local family information centers; and (9) the Women's Educational Equity Act of 2001. Repeals the Early Learning Opportunities Act. Repeals provisions of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 for: (1) occupational and employment information; and (2) Tech-Prep demonstration. Repeals provisions of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 for state grants for incarcerated youth. Prohibits the Secretary of Education from obligating any funds to carry out provisions of the National Literacy Act of 1991 for literacy for prisoners. .
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Gulf Coast College Revitalization Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the assistance provided under this Act to revitalize institutions of higher education (IHE) affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita is a first step toward revitalizing and restoring the economic, social, and cultural prosperity of the entire Gulf Coast region. Directs the Secretary (of Education) to award grants to IHEs adversely affected by a Gulf hurricane disaster to assist the affected institutions in recruiting and retaining students and retaining faculty. Directs the Secretary to assume or cancel repayment obligations for qualified loan amounts under specified student loan programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 for certain borrowers who return to or enroll in such affected IHEs in academic years 2005–2006, 2006–2007, or 2007–2008, and obtain associate’s or bachelor’s degrees from such IHEs. Designates such provisions for institutional grants and student loan forgiveness under this Act as emergency requirements pursuant to specified budget provisions of H. Con. Res. 95 of the 109th Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Hurricane Education Assistance Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants for the 2005-2006 school year to eligible entities that serve students displaced by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita who enroll in elementary or secondary, including charter, schools served by or in such entities. Makes eligible for such grants: (1) the Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas state educational agency; and (2) other states' local educational agencies, or schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, if they enroll at least 10 displaced students. Directs the Secretary to make one-time emergency grants to state educational agencies to reimburse parents or guardians of displaced students who are attending private schools in such states for the 2005-2006 school year. Prohibits use of funds under this Act for: (1) school construction, except for minor remodeling as otherwise authorized; or (2) expenses covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or private insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the reduction in unusued medical residency positions as a component of the Secretary of Health and Human Services' payment of direct graduate medical education costs under the Medicare program. Makes an exception from this reduction for small family practice residency programs in hospitals located in rural areas or small urban areas.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Influenza Vaccine Security Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) determine an annual production target for influenza vaccine; (2) coordinate with the private market to encourage the production of such vaccine in amounts that will meet the annual target; and (3) establish an influenza vaccine buyback protocol to purchase excess stock of influenza vaccine. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary to award technical assistance grants to entities seeking to enter the U.S. influenza vaccine market, expand their vaccine production capacity, or improve their ability to remain within such market. Requires the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop a regulatory roadmap to address issues surrounding emergency use authorization of influenza vaccine. Requires the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to solicit proposals for research to improve technologies for influenza vaccine development. Requires the Director of the Institute to review current vaccine development research. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) establish an electronic tracking system for the influenza vaccine; and (2) revise and expand influenza-related education materials. Allows the Secretary to designate a qualified pandemic influenza technology during a public health emergency. Deems a covered person, such as a manufacturer, distributer, or licensed health care professional, to be an employee of the Public Health Service with respect to liability for personal injury or death related to such a qualified technology. Provides for an exclusive federal cause of action for such claims.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants for the 2005-2006 school year to eligible entities that serve students displaced by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita (a Gulf hurricane) who enroll in elementary or secondary, including charter, schools served by or in such entities. Makes eligible for such grants: (1) the Louisiana or Mississippi state educational agency; and (2) other states' local educational agencies, or schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, if they enroll displaced students. Directs the Secretary to make one-time, emergency grants to state educational agencies to reimburse parents or guardians of displaced students who are attending private schools in such states for the 2005-2006 school year. Authorizes the Secretary to make payments to state educational agencies or state agencies for higher education that serve a major disaster area related to a Gulf hurricane for: (1) restarting schools there; (2) assisting institutions of higher education there; and (3) assisting eligible private schools there. Provides that, of the amounts made available to the Department of Homeland Security for disaster relief under Public Law 109-62, not less than $3.3 billion shall be available to the appropriate federal agency heads to carry out the programs and activities authorized by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Declares that no limitation on the amount or percentage of assistance that may be provided in the form of a community disaster loan under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act shall apply to any community disaster loan to assist any local government with jurisdiction over a major disaster area relating to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. Declares that no prohibition or limitation on reimbursement of salaries shall apply with respect to reimburswement of straight- and regular-time salaries of public personnel that provide, on or after August 29, 2005, essential public services in Louisiana on behalf of that state. Authorizes FY2006 appropriations. Provides that, of the amounts made available to the Department of Homeland Security for disaster relief under Public Law 109-62, not less than $1.5 billion shall be available to the appropriate federal agency heads to carry out the programs and activities authorized by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Gulf Coast Infrastructure Redevelopment and Recovery Act of 2005 - Federal Infrastructure Preparedness Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the Army to establish a Federal Infrastructure Task Force to improve preparedness for the effects of extreme weather events on U.S infrastructure. Requires the Task Force to serve as the coordinating entity to distribute federal funding for infrastructure redevelopment required by Hurricane Katrina (Katrina). Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to obligate more than $100 million in a state for a fiscal year under the emergency relief program for projects for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads, and trails in response to Katrina. Emergency Water Infrastructure Assistance Act of 2005 - Authorizes Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi to provide additional subsidization to projects that receive funds through a revolving loan under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to repair, replace or rebuild publicly-owned treatment works in Katrina-affected areas or water quality projects directly related to relief efforts. Amends: (1) the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to authorize appropriations for post-disaster economic recovery; and (2) the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Delta Regional Authority to designate as a disaster area a county or parish that is affected by the declaration of a major disaster in response to Katrina. Directs the Authority to establish the Delta Regional Authority Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Directs: (1) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use specified funds for activities, including cleanup, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of drinking water supplies and wastewater treatment plants, and to report on hazardous materials releases; and (2) the Secretary, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to conduct an assessment of Corps infrastructure in the region to determine whether opportunities exist for project modifications that may reduce future hurricane impacts. National Levee Safety Program Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a program under which the Secretary inspects U.S. levees every 10 years; (2) establish the Interagency Committee on Levee Safety; (3) establish the National Levee Safety Review Board; and (4) establish and maintain a national levee safety program. Emergency Water Infrastructure Assistance Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Administrator of General Services to enter into an emergency lease, for up to five years, during a major disaster declared by the President or the head of a federal agency. Habitability of Residential Homes, Schools, and Commercial Buildings Affected by Hurricane Katrina Act of 2005 - Directs the Administrator to establish a grant program to pay the federal share of the cost of abatement and inspection activities for residential homes, commercial buildings, and schools affected by Katrina. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide reimbursement for the establishment of commuter assistance programs to improve worker access to assist in the rapid recovery of communities in response to a major disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Social Services Emergency Relief and Recovery Act of 2005 - Amends title IX (Employment Security) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer specified amounts from the federal unemployment account to the accounts of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi in the Unemployment Trust Fund. Allows any state, on or after August 28, 2005, to use any amounts it has received pursuant to title III (Unemployment Insurance) to assist in the administration of claims for compensation on behalf of any other state, if a major disaster was declared by reason of Hurricane Katrina with respect to such other state or any area within it under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Eliminates Medicare and Medicaid coverage under titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act of drugs used for the treatment of sexual or erectile dysfunction. Extends to December 31, 2005, the sunset date for transitional medical assistance (TMA). Extends through December 31, 2005, in the manner authorized for FY2005, activities authorized under the separate program for abstinence education under title V (Maternal and Child Health) of the Social Security Act. Makes appropriations for such purpose. Extends through September 2006 the qualified individual program. Prescribes additional allocations for such program for the extended period. Provides that, between the date of the enactment of this Act and August 31, 2006, any of the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama shall be considered a needy state for purposes of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) program's Contingency Fund for State Welfare Programs under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act, if it meets certain criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Pathways Advancing Career Training Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make formula matching grants to states with approved plans for programs of vocational education, training, employment counseling, and related services, including tuition assistance, for: (1) single parents and displaced homemakers; and (2) individuals receiving preparatory services and secondary and postsecondary students training for high-skill, high-wage nontraditional employment fields where individuals from one gender compose less than 25% of workers. Requires eligible state agencies to administer such programs, make competitive subgrants to eligible entities, and identify certain core indicators of performance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Hurricane Regulatory Relief Act of 2005 - Authorizes temporary regulatory relief and transfers of funds to facilitate delivery of services to individuals affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (Gulf hurricanes), under various specified programs of the Departments of Education, of Health and Human Services (HHS), and of Labor, in affected states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas) and other states serving such individuals. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to waive certain requirements with respect to affected individuals, institutions, and states in relation to: (1) programs administered by the Department of Education, except under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); (2) IDEA deadlines and paperwork; (3) charter schools; (4) teacher qualifications, among states, under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and (5) student financial assistance, institutional eligibility, loan cancellation or deferment, and Pell Grant eligibility information under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Authorizes the Secretary of HHS to waive a filing deadline under the Community Services Block Grant Act (CBGA) with respect to any affected state. Requires HHS to provide technical assistance, guidance, and resources to Head Start agencies in major disaster areas. Authorizes HHS waiver or modification of certain types of limitations and requirements under Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 for any affected state and any state serving significant numbers of affected individuals. Pension Flexibility for Displaced Workers Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to issue waivers, suspensions, or exemptions from requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) in the case of individual account pension plans, or persons or service providers involved with or dealing with such plans, that are affected by the Gulf hurricane disasters. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to: (1) recruit, train, and use the services of volunteers for Occupational Safety and Health Administration projects in response to the Gulf hurricanes; and (2) increase the size of a state grant under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Exempts from notice requirements under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act any plant closing or mass layoff due to a Gulf hurricane. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to permit transferability of funds, among youth, adult, and dislocated worker programs under the Worker Investment Act of 1998 and the Wagner-Peyser Act employment services program, by states and local workforce investment areas in which a Gulf hurricane disaster occurred or to which significant numbers of affected individuals have relocated.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Pays tribute to the Africa-America Institute (AAI) for its more than 50 years of service, through education, in nurturing and unleashing the productive capacities of African leaders. Embraces AAI's mission and supports its work.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2005
Strengthening American Citizenship Act of 2005 - Directs the Chief of the Office of Citizenship of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide grants (not to exceed $500) to assist legal U.S. residents who declare an intent to apply for citizenship in the United States to meet naturalization requirements. Provides such grants to an accredited institution of higher education or other qualified educational institution for tuition, fees, books, and other educational resources required by the English language course in which the legal resident is enrolled. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to provide that a legal U.S. resident who demonstrates English fluency will satisfy the residency requirement upon the completion of four (currently, five years) years of continuous U.S. legal residency. Directs the Secretary of DHS to: (1) establish an American citizenship grant program for qualified entities to provide civics, history, and English classes to promote the patriotic integration of prospective citizens; (2) establish the United States Citizenship Foundation to support the functions of the Office of Citizenship; and (3) implement a strategy to enhance public awareness of naturalization ceremonies. Amends INA to set forth a new oath of allegiance. Directs the Secretary to: (1) incorporate a knowledge and understanding of the oath of allegiance into the history and government citizenship test; and (2) notify the embassy of the country of which a new citizen was a citizen or subject that such citizen has renounced allegiance to that foreign country, and sworn allegiance to the United States. Establishes a new citizens award program to recognize citizens who: (1) have made an outstanding contribution to the United States; and (2) were naturalized during the ten-year period ending on the date of such recognition.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2005
Condemns the reprehensible statements of September 28, 2005 by William J. Bennett, a former Secretary of Education.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2005
Louisiana Katrina Reconstruction Act - Makes emergency supplemental appropriations for FY2005 related to Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. Makes appropriations for interoperable communications. Provides for reconstruction/repair of the New Orleans Regional VA Hospital. Directs the Secretary of the Navy to convey the Naval Support Activity to the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, or the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana, to facilitate their development and expansion. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act with respect to hazard mitigation measures in a major disaster area. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to reimburse all costs associated with the restoration of privately-owned utility infrastructure damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Helping to House the Victims of Hurricane Katrina Act - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 with respect to Hurricane Katrina Emergency Assistance Vouchers. Prescribes requirements under the Home Program for families displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Establishes in the Treasury the Home Business and Mortgage Protection Fund. Amends the TANF Emergency Response and Recovery Act of 2005 with respect to reimbursement of states for benefits under title IV (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) part A of the Social Security Act (SSA)) provided to assist families from other states affected by Hurricane Katrina. Requires a state to provide medical assistance under SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to Disaster Relief Medicaid (DRM)-eligible Katrina Survivors under a plan established during the DRM coverage period. Provides for 100% federal matching payments for medical assistance provided in direct impact parishes. Establishes in the Treasury the United States Disaster Relief Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to make Katrina survivors eligible for: (1) a refundable income tax credit for 100% of health insurance costs; and (2) assistance with health insurance coverage under national emergency grants. Provides that an area in which the President has declared that a major disaster exists shall be designated as a health professional shortage area. Waives, during the disaster relief period, certain quality reporting requirements under SSA title XVIII (Medicare) for hospitals located in any parish affected by Hurricane Katrina. Amends the federal bankruptcy code with respect to debtors who are victims of a natural disaster. Amends SSA title IX (Employment Security) to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer from the federal unemployment account to a state's account in the Unemployment Trust Fund an amount appropriate to ensure that the state account is not insolvent. Authorizes the use of certain Department of Defense (DOD) and Louisiana National Guard funds for the payment of: (1) departure allowances in connection with the relocation of dependents of members of the uniformed services serving on active duty or of members of reserve components deployed in state service; and (2) claims for personal property damage and losses incurred by such members. Declares that the departure of civilian DOD employees and their dependents from Louisiana parishes designated as major disaster areas on or after August 28, 2005, shall be considered an evacuation for the purpose of federal government payment for transportation to a location of the employee's choice. Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to authorize the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to guarantee the timely payment of any debenture issued for purposes of rebuilding or resuming operations in a damaged area. Amends the Small Business Act with respect to Supplemental Emergency Loans after Hurricane Katrina. Louisiana Hurricane Katrina Agriculture Disaster Relief Act of 2005 - Prescribes requirements for certain crop disaster assistance. Privately Owned Utility System Restoration Act of 2005 - Directs the President to compensate privately owned utilities in Louisiana for losses incurred as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Establishes a Protecting Essential Louisiana Infrastructure, Citizens, and Nature Commission (Pelican Commission). Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program of grants for activities relating to transition, recovery, and relocation for federal and state agencies, businesses, institutions of higher education, and public-private partnerships in Louisiana that have been affected by Hurricane Katrina or a related condition. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for emergency grants for construction of public telecommunications facilities damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Provides relief for the crawfish industry. Directs the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to report on the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on fisheries in affected states. Establishes an entrepreneurship redevelopment program to be administered by the Economic Development Administration to rebuild and diversify New Orleans and the ten surrounding parishes. Requires the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to establish grant programs to: (1) construct, maintain, and repair evacuation and energy supply routes; (2) expand road and transit capacity in the community; (3) restore, protect, and improve the infrastructure of the Port of New Orleans and other affected ports. Authorizes appropriations to the Federal Aviation Administration for reimbursements to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport for anticipated revenue shortfalls. AmeriCorps Disaster Relief Corps Act of 2005 - Establishes an AmeriCorps Disaster Relief Corps to carry out projects in a major disaster or emergency area that provide food, clothing, shelter, and other humanitarian assistance for disaster victims. Domestic Offshore Energy Reinvestment Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make payments to coastal states from certain offshore energy-related amounts for hurricane protection and protection of resources from natural disasters. Offshore Fairness Act of 2005 - Extends the seaward boundaries of Gulf of Mexico states from three geographical miles to three marine leagues if certain conditions are met. Louisiana Restoration Stamp Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue a Louisiana Restoration Stamp and establish the Louisiana Restoration Stamp Fund to hold sale proceeds for coastal and wetland restoration activities. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize appropriations for the restoration of the Lake Pontchartrain basin. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe or revise emergency tax relief measures for residents of the Hurricane Katrina disaster area, including specified tax credits and deductions from gross income. Provides for suspension of air transportation excise taxes. Special Inspector General for Relief and Reconstruction Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction to continue to serve as the Special Inspector General for Relief and Reconstruction in order to audit and investigate use of funds made available for Hurricane Katrina recovery. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to track and report to Congress quarterly on spending of Hurricane Katrina emergency supplemental appropriations. Amends the federal criminal code to create a federal crime of interfering with federal disaster relief efforts. Shields volunteers from lawsuits arising out of their rendering of aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2005
Responsibility in Drug Advertising Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit any person from conducting direct-to-consumer advertising of a prescription drug for three years after approval of such drug. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) waive such prohibition if such advertising will have an affirmative value to public health; or (2) extend such prohibition for subsequent years if the drug has significant adverse effects. Provides for civil penalties for violations relating to prescription drug advertisement or promotion. Allows the Secretary to require distribution of corrective information to notify the public and medical community of the violation. Allows the Secretary to: (1) require information to be included in the labeling of a drug if such information is necessary to ensure the safe and effective use of the drug; and (2) require the manufacturer of a drug to notify the public and the medical community of the labeling change. Deems a drug to be misbranded if such labeling or notification requirements are not met. Requires the Secretary to conduct an education campaign to increase public awareness of risks that may outweigh the benefits of using a particular drug, whether such risks are known at the time of the approval of the drug or become known later.
United States · United States Senate · 28 September 2005
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2005
CARE Act of 2005 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to charitable giving, including to: (1) allow nonitemizing taxpayers to claim a tax deduction for charitable contributions; (2) permit tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes; (3) expand the tax deductions for charitable contributions of food and book inventories; (4) allow an increased tax deduction for charitable contributions of literary, musical, artistic, and scholarly compositions; and (5) exclude from gross income reimbursements to volunteers for the charitable use of an automobile. Revises various disclosure and oversight requirements relating to tax-exempt organizations. Restores and increases funding for the Social Services Block Grant Program. Savings for Working Families Act of 2005 - Allows certain low income individuals to establish individual development accounts (IDAs) to accumulate assets for homeownership, education, business startup, and other purposes. Allows an investment tax credit for contributions to an IDA. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the U.S. Attorney General, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to award grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, nongovernmental organizations to assist nonprofit community-based organizations in delivering social services. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract for an evaluation of maternity group homes under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2005
Recognizes the contributions of Sandra Feldman to public education. Mourns her death and expresses condolences to those who knew and loved her.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2005
Universal Education Act - Establishes the Universal Education Corporation to promote global education reform. Authorizes the Corporation's Board of Directors, through its Chief Executive Officer, to provide assistance for eligible countries that enter into Universal Education Compacts with the United States. Allows such assistance to be in the form of grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to or with national, regional, or local governments or nongovernmental organizations or private entities; but prohibits loan assistance. Sets forth criteria for: (1) low-income countries or lower-middle-income countries to be candidate countries; (2) the Board's determination that a candidate country is an eligible country; and (3) elements of Compacts. Requires the U.S. government, in entering into a Compact, to seek to ensure that the eligible country's government: (1) considers local perspectives of that country's rural and urban poor, including women; and (2) consults with private and voluntary organizations, the business community, and other donors in that country. Requires the Corporation to coordinate its activities with those of the Agency for International Development (AID). Directs the AID Administrator to seek to ensure that appropriate AID programs play a primary role in preparing candidate countries to become eligible countries.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2005
Medicare Cost-Sharing and Welfare Extension Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend through September 2006 the program of cost-sharing assistance to qualifying individuals for the Medicare Part B premium (QI program). Sets the total amount available for allocation for the QI program for the: (1) period that begins on October 1, 2005, and ends on December 31, 2005, at $100 million; and (2) period that begins on January 1, 2006, and ends on September 30, 2006, at $300 million. Extends through March 31, 2006: (1) the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) under SSA title IV part A; (2) the separate program for abstinence education; (3) additional grants for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa; (4) supplemental grants for population increases in certain states; and (5) the Transitional Medical Assistance program under Medicaid. Makes appropriations. Extends the National Random Sample Study of Child Welfare and Child Welfare Waiver Authority through March 31, 2006.