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Law· HRH.R. 3649 (109th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2005
Sportfishing and Recreational Boating Safety Amendments Act of 2005 - Amends the Sportfishing and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2005 (SRBA) to make October 1, 2005, the effective date of such Act in its entirety, not just its amendments to the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act. Preserves until the end of FY2005, as though unamended, certain provisions of law otherwise amended by SRBA. Increases the authorization of appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to the Secretary of Transportation for payment of expenses of the Coast Guard for personnel and activities directly related to coordinating and carrying out the national recreational boating safety program. Decreases the authorization of appropriations to the Secretary for activities to ensure compliance of safety standards for recreational vessels. Amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to extend through FY2005 the authorization of appropriations from the HTF for: (1) the national outreach and communications program; and (2) qualified projects under the Clean Vessel Act of 1992. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through FY2005 the authorization of expenditures from the Boat Safety Account to carry out state recreational boating safety programs.
Bill· SS. 1580 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act - FamilyCare Act of 2005 - Renames title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act as the FamilyCare Program and extends coverage to certain low-income adults. Establishes the National Commission for Expanded Access to Health Care. Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide limited English proficient individuals with improved access to health care, including by establishing the Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Healthcare. Provides for activities regarding: (1) health workforce diversity; (2) disparities in health and health care experienced by indigenous, racial, and ethnic minorities; and (3) data collection, analysis, and reporting by race, ethnicity, and primary language. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) the Office of Health Disparities within the Office of Civil Rights to prevent discrimination in federal programs; and (2) the Office of Minority Affairs within the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Restablishes the Indian Health Service as an agency of the Public Health Service to be administered by an Assistant Secretary of Indian Health. Minority Health and Genomics Act of 2005 - Establishes the Minority Health and Genomics Commission to study issues relating to genomics research as applied to minority groups. Establishes the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice and the Federal Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. Sets forth programs designed to improve the quality of and access to health care for minorities, including by establishing the Health Safety Net Infrastructure Trust Fund. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) the Annie Dodge Wauneka and Susan Laflesche-Picotte Native American Health and Wellness Foundation; and (2) a Joint Working Group on Telehealth. Authorizes integrative eldercare, American Indian and Alaska Native, and oral health telehealth demonstration projects.
Bill· SS. 1581 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Science Park Administration Act of 2005 - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) award grants for the development of feasibility studies and plans for the construction of new or expansion of existing science parks; (2) make grants to six regional centers for the development of existing science park infrastructure; (3) guarantee up to 80% of the loan amount for loans exceeding $10 million projects for the construction of such infrastructure; and (4) enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to tri-annually evaluate such development. Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (SBIA) to establish a Science Park Venture Capital Program. Sets forth eligibility requirements for science park venture capital companies to participate in the Program. Authorizes: (1) guaranteeing payment of principal and interest on the debentures of such companies; (2) the issuance of trust certificates and the guarantee of such certificates; and (3) grants to provide operational assistance. Requires reports. Permits banks to invest in any: (1) science park venture capital company; or (2) entity established to invest solely in such companies. Applies the SBIA provisions relating to New Market Venture Capital companies to science park venture capital companies. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) permit the expensing of certain investments in science parks; and (2) allow the credit for increasing research activities with respect to such parks.
Bill· SS. 1599 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Abolishing Aviation Barriers Act of 2005 - Amends federal transportation law to repeal the prohibition against an air carrier's operation of an aircraft nonstop in air transportation between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and another airport that is more than 1,250 statute miles away. Prohibits the obligation of federal funds to enforce the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey rule banning flights beyond 1,500 miles (or any other flight distance related restriction) from arrival or departure at New York LaGuardia Airport.
Bill· SS. 1607 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Solid Waste Environmental Regulation Clarification Affecting Railroads Act of 2005 - Excludes solid waste management facilities and the processing or sorting of solid waste from the jurisdiction of the Surface Transportation Board.
Bill· SS. 1567 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Surface Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends federal transportation law to authorize appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for FY2006-FY2009 for: (1) administrative expenses of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA); and (2) FMCSA grant programs. Authorizes appropriations from the HTF for FY2006-FY2009 for grants to states for commercial motor carrier safety. Increases civil penalties for out-of-service, maximum hours of service, and recordkeeping and reporting violations by motor carriers and their employees. Establishes: (1) a motor carrier research and technology program; and (2) a program to ensure the safety of intermodal equipment used to transport intermodal containers. Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005 - Revises federal motor carrier requirements to require a registered motor carrier (except a motor private carrier) to file a bond with the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary). Establishes: (1) an on-line Federal Unified Carrier Registration System; (2) a Unified Carrier Registration Agreement (UCR Agreement) to govern the collection and distribution of registration and financial responsibility information provided and fees paid by motor carriers and others; and (3) a Unified Carrier Registration Plan to implement and administer the UCR Agreement. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to states for commercial driver's license program improvements. Highway and Vehicular Safety Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Authorizes appropriations from the HTF for FY2006-FY2009 for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for highway safety programs (including highway safety research and outreach programs). Sets forth certain vehicle safety-related requirements regarding: (1) vehicle rollover prevention and crash mitigation; (2) tire aging research; and (3) safety belt use technology. Hazardous Material Transportation Safety and Security Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Expands the scope of federal safe transportation of hazardous materials (hazmat) regulations to include persons who: (1) design or inspect a package for use in transporting hazardous material in commerce; (2) prepare or accept hazardous material for transportation in commerce; (3) are responsible for the safety of transporting it; (4) certify compliance with any requirement under such regulations; or (5) misrepresent whether they are engaged in such activities. Transfers from the Secretary to the Secretary of Homeland Security authority for the issuance of hazmat licenses for the transportation of hazardous materials. Sets forth various requirements governing the safe transportation of hazardous materials. Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to require shippers, motor vehicle or rail vehicle carriers, receivers, and other persons engaged in the transportation of food to use sanitary transportation practices prescribed by the Secretary of HHS to avoid adulteration. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish transportation safety inspection procedures to identify suspected incidents of contamination or adulteration of food, meat, and poultry products; and (2) train Department of Transportation (DOT) personnel in the appropriate use of the procedures. Household Goods Mover Oversight Enforcement and Reform Act of 2005 - Amends federal transportation law to require a carrier providing transportation for a shipment of household goods to give up possession of the household goods transported at the destination upon payment of the transportation charges. Provides for state enforcement of federal laws and regulations with respect to the transportation of household goods. Establishes a consumer complaint system and data base with respect to shipper complaints that relate to motor carrier transportation of household goods. Sportfishing and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2005 - Amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to authorize appropriations from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund (previously the Sport Fish Restoration Account) for each fiscal year available during the succeeding fiscal years. Earmarks an amount from the Account for FY2005 and each subsequent fiscal year for sport fish restoration projects under the multistate conservation grant program. Sets forth certain expenditures from the Boating Safety Account for FY2006-FY2010. Prescribes maintenance of effort requirements for state recreational boating safety programs.
Bill· HRH.R. 3620 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Directs the Secretary of Defense to make funds available for the renovation of the runway at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to make grants for the renovation and improvement of runways at Great Falls International Airport, Montana. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to work with the Secretary of Defense to temporarily open the runway at Malmstrom Air Force Base for aircraft operations.
Bill· HRH.R. 3634 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish between one and three National Transportation Security Research Centers at institutions of higher education to conduct research and education, and to develop or provide professional training (including the training of public transportation employees and public transportation-related professionals), with emphasis on utilization of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), technologies, and architectures.
Bill· SS. 1551 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Protecting Free Trade in Pharmaceuticals Act of 2005 - Amends the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 to include among the overall trade negotiating objectives of the United States avoiding negotiating trade agreements that could restrict, or be interpreted to restrict, the access of consumers in the United States to pharmaceutical imports from countries with a pharmaceutical infrastructure that is equivalent, or superior, to that of the United States: (1) by or through the use and development of the doctrine of international patent exhaustion, as interpreted or applied by U.S. courts on the enactment of this Act; or (2) by making it a violation for the United States to enact legislation permitting pharmaceutical imports without the consent of patent owners when the products involved have been sold outside the United States. Prohibits the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) from: (1) entering into a bilateral or multilateral trade agreement that, with respect to the importation of pharmaceutical products without the consent of the patent owners, includes provisions identical or similar to the provisions of the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement, or the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement; or (2) negotiating an agreement or understanding with respect to any of such provisions. Requires the USTR, with respect to the advisory committee on matters relating to intellectual property, to ensure that, for each meeting that relates or potentially relates to the importation of pharmaceutical products into the United States, at least 10% of the committee members represent the interests of consumers of such products.
Bill· SS. 1543 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Clinical Research Act of 2005 - Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to award clinical investigator advancement grants to eligible academic health centers to: (1) establish career development programs for new and mid-level clinician-investigators who are fully committed to academic clinical research careers; (2) support the translation of basic science to patient care by implementing and conducting all aspects of their clinical research mission; and (3) support activities leading to innovative ways to achieve such purposes in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Requires that health centers receive a proportionate share of the total grant money awarded based on the amount invested by the grantee in clinical research compared to the total clinical research investment of all grantees. Requires the Director to award clinical research infrastructure grants to eligible academic health centers to: (1) foster the use of information technology to facilitate the transformation of basic research findings on disease mechanisms into the development of new methodologies for diagnosis, therapy, and prevention; (2) devise, deploy, and support new technologies to improve the safety of human subjects, ensure the confidentiality of research data, and streamline the regulatory processes; (3) address the obstacles impeding the expeditious application of new science, including a lack of up-to-date information technology systems and an underrepresentation of some populations in clinical research; and (4) share clinical research infrastructure across academic health centers to enable and facilitate cross-center clinical research collaborations. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make up to five grants to eligible academic health centers to form partnerships with health care providers for carrying out clinical human subject research to demonstrate how academic research centers may collaborate with the practicing health care community.
Bill· HRH.R. 3561 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act - FamilyCare Act of 2005 - Renames title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act as the FamilyCare Program and extends coverage to certain low-income adults. Establishes the National Commission for Expanded Access to Health Care. Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide limited English proficient individuals with improved access to health care, including by establishing the Robert T. Matsui Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Healthcare. Provides for activities regarding: (1) health workforce diversity; (2) disparities in health and health care experienced by racial and ethnic minorities; and (3) data collection, analysis, and reporting by race, ethnicity, and primary language. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) the Office of Health Disparities within the Office of Civil Rights to prevent discrimination in federal programs; and (2) the Office of Minority Affairs within the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Restablishes the Indian Health Service as an agency of the Public Health Service to be administered by an Assistant Secretary of Indian Health. Minority Health and Genomics Act of 2005 - Establishes the Minority Health and Genomics Commission to study issues relating to genomics research as applied to minority groups. Establishes the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice and the Federal Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. Sets forth programs designed to improve the quality of and access to health care for minorities, including by establishing the Health Safety Net Infrastructure Trust Fund. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) the Annie Dodge Wauneka and Susan Laflesche-Picotte Native American Health and Wellness Foundation; and (2) a Joint Working Group on Telehealth. Authorizes integrative eldercare, American Indian and Alaska Native, and oral health telehealth demonstration projects.
Bill· HRH.R. 3565 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Ready, Willing, and Able Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting jointly, to establish a working group to assist their respective departments to: (1) promote the development of disaster plans that will protect the maximum number of citizens; (2) help state and local officials provide the necessary means and infrastructure for the American public to volunteer to assume a direct and influential role in community-based disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation planning efforts; and (3) develop standards to measure the success of a community's level of direct, participatory disaster planning efforts. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the requirements for a state application for a grant to improve state, local, and hospital preparedness for and response to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. Requires the application to include an assurance that the state will take specific steps to comply with any recommendations of the working group.
Bill· HRH.R. 3524 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Safe Communities Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide cost-sharing grants to states and local governments for: (1) development or revision of land use planning statutes, and state or local comprehensive planning documents, in those states or local governments that have not adequately incorporated strategies to mitigate natural and human-caused hazards, including terrorism; (2) creation or revision of state land use statutes and local comprehensive land use plans in those states or local governments that have land use statutes that incorporate risk-reduction and natural and human-caused hazard mitigation; and (3) development or revision of multi-state land use plans. Sets forth eligible grant purposes, including: (1) developing a comprehensive land use plan and integrating natural hazard mitigation and security plan elements into state and local comprehensive plans; (2) assessing, inventorying, or mapping critical public infrastructure; (3) developing geographical information systems; (4) acquiring scenario planning, or risk assessment technology; (5) reviewing building codes, zoning, land use regulations, and related state legislation; (6) implementing crime prevention through environmental design initiatives; (7) assessing land use risk; (8) incorporating mitigation and security elements in transportation plans, facilities, and operations; (9) encouraging interagency cooperation; particularly between first-responders and state and local planning agencies; and (10) identifying natural hazard areas and integrating them into comprehensive plan updates. Directs the Secretary to analyze comprehensive land use and community planning practices in order to reduce natural hazard and terrorism threats, including: (1) integration of federal facility security with local and regional plans; (2) examination of the impacts of security strategies, facilities, and design on a community's physical and social environment; and (3) integration of mapping and risk-assessment tools and strategies.
Bill· HRH.R. 3510 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Hazardous Materials Vulnerability Reduction Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to issue regulations for the rail shipment and storage of extremely hazardous materials by railroad owners and operators, including requirements relating to high threat corridors and protocols for the coordination of federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities in creating a plan to respond to a terrorist attack, sabotage, or accident involving a rail shipment of extremely hazardous materials that causes the release of such materials. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to local governments and owners and operators of railroads to conduct training in safety procedures for handling and responding to emergencies involving extremely hazardous materials. Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to experienced national nonprofit employee organizations to train railway HAZMAT workers. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the benefits and availability of technology and procedures that may be utilized to: (1) reduce the likelihood of a terrorist attack on a rail shipment of extremely hazardous materials; (2) reduce the likelihood of a catastrophic release of extremely hazardous materials in the event of a terrorist attack; and (3) enhance the ability of first responders to respond to a terrorist attack on a rail shipment of extremely hazardous materials. Prohibits discrimination against any employee of a railroad for disclosing to the Secretary, the Attorney General, or any federal supervisory agency a possible violation of this Act by a railroad owner or operator. Allows any state or local government to bring a civil action in a U.S. district court for redress of injuries caused by a violation of this Act against any person (other than an individual) who transports, loads, unloads, or is otherwise involved in the shipping of extremely hazardous materials by rail. Provides for administrative penalties of up to $1 million for each failure to comply with this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 3514 (109th)reported
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2005, Part VI - Extends, through August 14, 2005, the authorization of appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for: (1) administrative expenses for federal highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and transit programs; and (2) the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Prohibits, after August 14, 2005, the obligation of funds for any federal-aid highway program project until enactment of a multiyear law reauthorizing the federal-aid highway program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize until August 15, 2005, expenditures for obligations under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) from: (1) the HTF; (2) the Mass Transit Account; and (3) the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund. Repeals upon enactment of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users a provision directing the Secretary of the Air Force to open the airfield at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana.
Bill· HRH.R. 3521 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Rural Colorado Water Infrastructure Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to establish a pilot program to provide environmental assistance to non-federal interests in Colorado, which may be provided in the form of design and construction assistance for water-related environmental infrastructure and resource protection and development projects. Requires projects to be publicly owned as a prerequisite for assistance. Directs the Secretary to enter into local cooperation agreements with non-federal interests for project design and construction. Sets the federal share of project costs under local cooperation agreements at 75 percent. Sets the non-federal share of operation and maintenance costs for projects constructed with assistance under this Act at 100 percent.
Bill· HRH.R. 3509 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Workplace Goods Job Growth and Competitiveness Act of 2005 - Prohibits the filing of a civil action against a manufacturer or seller of a durable good (except a motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, or train that is used primarily to transport passengers for hire) more than 12 years after it was delivered to its first purchaser or lessee for: (1) damage to property arising out of an accident involving such good; or (2) damages for death or personal injury arising out of an accident involving such good if the claimant has received or is eligible to receive worker compensation and the injury does not involve a toxic harm (including, but not limited to, any asbestos-related harm). Declares that this Act: (1) shall not bar an action against a defendant who made an express warranty in writing as to the safety or life expectancy of a specific product for a period of more than 12 years (except that this Act shall apply at the expiration of such warranty); (2) does not affect the limitations period established by the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994; and (3) does not supersede or modify any statute or common law that authorizes an action for civil damages, cost recovery, or any other form of relief for remediation of the environment.
Bill· HRH.R. 3496 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
National Capital Transportation Amendments Act of 2005 - Amends the National Capital Transportation Act of 1969 to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to provide additional funding through grants to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to finance in part the capital and preventive maintenance projects included in the Capital Improvement Program. Prohibits funding to the Transit Authority until it notifies the Secretary that certain amendments to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact have taken effect. Establishes within the Transit Authority the Office of Inspector General. Sets forth certain prohibitions, conditions, and restrictions on the disposition or development of certain real properties by the Transit Authority. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the use of funds provided under this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 3567 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Northeast Corridor Rail Tunnel Safety Act - Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Transportation for Amtrak use, after the Secretary has received and approved a project engineering and financial plan, to complete New York tunnel life safety projects and to rehabilitate tunnels in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland.
Bill· HRH.R. 3517 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Greater Access to E-Governance Act - GATE Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to make grants to state and local governments to assist them in deploying broadband computer networks for the conduct of electronic governance transactions by citizens in local schools and libraries. Allows such grants to be used to: (1) hire contractors or nonprofit organizations to deploy and manage such networks; (2) acquire broadband infrastructure, computers, and other equipment for such networks; and (3) acquire related software and services to support such networks. Sets forth grant allocation criteria.
Bill· HRH.R. 3583 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Protecting Free Trade in Pharmaceuticals Act of 2005 - Amends the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 to include among the overall trade negotiating objectives of the United States avoiding negotiating trade agreements that could restrict, or be interpreted to restrict, the access of consumers in the United States to pharmaceutical imports from countries with a pharmaceutical infrastructure that is equivalent, or superior, to that of the United States: (1) by or through the use and development of the doctrine of international patent exhaustion, as interpreted or applied by U.S. courts on the enactment of this Act; or (2) by making it a violation for the United States to enact legislation permitting pharmaceutical imports without the consent of patent owners when the products involved have been sold outside the United States. Prohibits the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) from: (1) entering into a bilateral or multilateral trade agreement that, with respect to the importation of pharmaceutical products without the consent of the patent owners, includes provisions identical or similar to the provisions of the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement, or the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement; or (2) negotiating an agreement or understanding with respect to any of such provisions. Requires the USTR, with respect to the advisory committee on matters relating to intellectual property, to ensure that, for each meeting that relates or potentially relates to the importation of pharmaceutical products into the United States, at least 10% of the committee members represent the interests of consumers of such products.
Law· HRH.R. 3512 (109th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2005, Part VI - Extends, through August 14, 2005, the authorization of appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for: (1) administrative expenses for federal highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and transit programs; and (2) the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Prohibits, after August 14, 2005, the obligation of funds for any federal-aid highway program project until enactment of a multiyear law reauthorizing the federal-aid highway program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize until August 15, 2005, expenditures for obligations under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) from: (1) the HTF; (2) the Mass Transit Account; and (3) the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund.
Bill· HRH.R. 3596 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Local Participation in Railroad Operations Act - Amends federal transportation law to prohibit rail carriers from constructing, developing, or expanding railroad maintenance facilities, intermodal rail transfer facilities, railroad sidings, railroad bridges, railroad yards, or other railroad facilities unless the Surface Transportation Board determines that the carrier has: (1) provided affected local communities with notice and an opportunity to be heard with respect to such activities; and (2) conducted an assessment of negative environmental impacts and appropriate mitigation actions pursuant to state or local law. Prohibits a rail carrier from constructing an at-grade crossing over a public road without first obtaining approval from the local governmental entity with jurisdiction over the location of the proposed grade crossing. Prohibits the Board from approving the consolidation, merger, and acquisition of control of a rail carrier by one or more rail carriers unless it has received assurances that the rail carriers have addressed adequately and will continue to address adequately problems identified with respect to the quality of life and safety of persons who live, work, or are for any other reason near railroad tracks. Repeals a section of the Noise Control Act of 1972 regarding railroad noise emission standards upon the issuance of the final regulations under this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 3577 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Excludes solid waste management facilities and the processing or sorting of solid waste from the jurisdiction of the Surface Transportation Board.
Bill· HRH.R. 3519 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Airport Emergency Reimbursement Act of 2005 - Amends federal aviation law to provide a credit to an owner or operator of an airport that allows the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the head of a state or local agency to utilize the airport to respond to a disaster or emergency. Allows application of such credit toward the non-federal share of allowable costs for projects under the airport improvement program. Requires such credit to equal the revenues the airport lost, including operational costs incurred by the owner or operator, during the period of such utilization.
Bill· SS. 1516 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2005 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2011 for: (1) Amtrak capital and operating grants, including state capital grants; (2) the Federal Railroad Administration; (3) Amtrak repayment of long-term debt and capital leases; (4) excess Amtrak railroad retirement payments to the Railroad Retirement Account; (5) the rail cooperative research program; and (6) grants to Amtrak and states participating in the Next Generation Corridor Train Equipment Pool Committee. Amends federal transportation law to make certain Amtrak reforms and operational improvements, including: (1) state funding of Amtrak rail routes; (2) establishment of improved financial accounting system; (3) development of a five-year financial plan; (4) improvement of passenger train performance; (5) establishment of an alternative passenger rail service program; (6) employee transition assistance; and (7) development of a Northeast Corridor state-of-good-repair plan. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to an applicant state, Interstate Compact, or public agency to assist in financing the capital costs of facilities and equipment necessary to provide intercity passenger rail transportation. Establishes: (1) a Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee; and (2) a rail cooperative research program. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to Amtrak for certain systemwide security upgrades. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to Amtrak for fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to tunnels on the Northeast Corridor. Directs Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to report to Congress an assessment of the current system for preclearance and screening of rail and airline passengers and baggage, as well as freight railroad traffic, between the United States and Canada. Allows a tax credit to holders of rail infrastructure (intercity rail facility) bonds issued by a state, interstate compact, or Amtrak to finance or refinance certain rail improvement projects.
Bill· SS. 4 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Healthy America Act of 2005 - Patients First Act of 2005 - Sets forth provisions governing health care lawsuits, including provisions establishing a statute of limitations and limiting recovery of non-economic damages and punitive damages. Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish an Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology to develop a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish the public-private American Health Information Collaborative; and (2) facilitate the electronic exchange of health information. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary to: (1) develop quality measurement systems to provide value-based payments to providers; (2) establish a value-based purchasing pilot program; and (3) authorize waivers for states to establish such programs for state Medicaid programs. Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary to maintain a patient safety network of databases to accept, aggregate, and analyze non-identifiable patient safety data voluntarily reported by patient safety organizations. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) an advanceable credit for health insurance; (2) a deduction for premiums under a high deductible health plan; and (3) a credit for a small employer's contribution to an employee's health savings account. Reauthorizes grants to states to create and operate high risk health insurance pools. Covering Kids Act of 2005 - Amends Title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to provide awards for innovative outreach and enrollment efforts. Allows the Secretary to make grants for qualified integrated health care systems that provide care to medically underserved populations. Provides coverage under Medicare and Medicaid for integrated health center services. Allows a forbearance on student loans for volunteering at a free clinic.
Bill· HRH.R. 3469 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Coral Reef Conservation and Protection Act of 2005 - Makes it unlawful to: (1) take any covered coral reef species within U.S. waters; (2) import into or export from the United States any covered coral reef species; (3) possess, sell, purchase, deliver, carry, transport, or receive in interstate or foreign commerce any covered coral reef species taken or imported illegally; or (4) attempt a prohibited act involving a covered coral reef species. Defines "covered coral reef species" to include any species of coral or ornamental reef fish listed in or added to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Exempts from the prohibitions of this Act covered coral reef species taken incidentally or for: (1) a qualified scientifically-based management plan; (2) a cooperative breeding program; (3) an aquaculture and mariculture facility; (4) scientific, museum, or zoological purposes; or (5) personal consumption. Denies an exemption for species taken using any destructive collection practice (e.g., reef-dredging, explosions, or poisons). Authorizes the Secretary of State to consult with foreign governments to encourage the protection of coral reef species and to take steps to eliminate destructive collection practices. Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and of Commerce to coordinate with the Coral Reef Task Force for the conservation and management of coral reef ecosystems. Establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 3465 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Capitol Airspace Enforcement Act - Amends federal transportation law to increase civil penalties for pilots who violate flight restrictions established by the District of Columbia metropolitan area Flight Restricted Zone (DC FRZ) and the District of Columbia metropolitan area Air Defense Identification Zone (DC ADIZ) for the national capital region airspace. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require specialized pilot instruction on proper airspace use and compliance with flight restrictions in and around special flight rules areas established by the FAA, including pilot testing on such rules and restricted airspace and timely notices to airmen (NOTAMs) regarding national capital region airspace.
Law· HRH.R. 3453 (109th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2005, Part V - Extends authorizations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for federal highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and transit programs through July 30, 2005. Prohibits, after July 30, 2005, the obligation of funds for any federal-aid highway program project until enactment of a multi-year law reauthorizing the federal-aid highway program. Amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to extend through July 30, 2005, funding for national outreach and communications programs related to sport fishing and boating safety. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize until July 31, 2005, expenditures for obligations under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) from: (1) the HTF; (2) the Mass Transit Account; and (3) the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund.
Bill· SS. 1503 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Healthy America Act of 2005 - Patients First Act of 2005 - Sets forth provisions governing health care lawsuits, including provisions establishing a statute of limitations and limiting recovery of non-economic damages and punitive damages. Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish an Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology to develop a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish the public-private American Health Information Collaborative; and (2) facilitate the electronic exchange of health information. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary to: (1) develop quality measurement systems to provide value-based payments to providers; (2) establish a value-based purchasing pilot program; and (3) authorize waivers for states to establish such programs for state Medicaid programs. Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary to maintain a patient safety network of databases to accept, aggregate, and analyze non-identifiable patient safety data voluntarily reported by patient safety organizations. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) an advanceable credit for health insurance; (2) a deduction for premiums under a high deductible health plan; and (3) a credit for a small employer's contribution to an employee's health savings account. Reauthorizes grants to states to create and operate high risk health insurance pools. Covering Kids Act of 2005 - Amends Title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to provide awards for innovative outreach and enrollment efforts. Allows the Secretary to make grants for qualified integrated health care systems that provide care to medically underserved populations. Provides coverage under Medicare and Medicaid for integrated health center services. Allows a forbearance on student loans for volunteering at a free clinic.
Bill· HRH.R. 3442 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Inhumane Trapping Prevention Act - Makes it unlawful to: (1) import, export, or transport in interstate commerce conventional steel jawed leghold traps and articles of fur derived from animals trapped in such traps; or (2) sell or acquire such a trap transported in violation of such provision. Prescribes criminal penalties for violations. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to reward persons (other than government employees performing official duties) for information leading to a conviction under this Act. Empowers enforcement officials to detain, search, and seize suspected containers or merchandise and any accompanying documents, to make arrests without warrants with probable cause, and to execute warrants. Subjects seized merchandise to forfeiture.
Bill· SS. 1442 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Coordinated Environmental Health Network Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish and operate the Coordinated Environmental Health Network. Directs the Secretary, in establishing and operating the Network, to:: (1) expand and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure; (2) provide for public access to an electronic national database on priority chronic conditions and relevant environmental and other factors; (3) operate a National Environmental Health Rapid Response Service to develop strategies to respond to and investigate higher than expected incidence and prevalence rates of priority chronic conditions and environmental exposures; (4) award grants for the establishment and operation of State Environmental Health Networks; (5) develop minimum standards and procedures for data collection and reporting for State Networks; (6) enter into a cooperative agreement with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to train and place applied epidemiology fellows in state and local health departments; and (7) enter into cooperative agreements for the establishment and operation of regional biomonitoring laboratories. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish an Advisory Committee for the Network; (2) award John H. Chafee Public Health Scholarships to eligible students enrolled in an accredited school of public health or medicine; and (3) expand the scope and amount of biomonitoring data collected by CDC on environmental exposures. Allows the Secretary to award grants to accredited schools or programs of public heath to establish and operate Centers of Excellence for research and demonstration with respect to chronic conditions and relevant environmental factors.
Bill· HRH.R. 3397 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
General Aviation Security Act of 2005 - Amends federal transportation law to require a person who desires to operate a private-use or public-use airport to register and submit a written security plan with the Secretary of Homeland Security so as to enhance the security at U.S. general aviation airports. Requires an airport in developing the security plan to consider applicable security enhancement recommendations contained in the most recent security guidelines for general aviation airports published by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Requires private-use and public-use airports to meet certain security requirements.
Bill· HRH.R. 3383 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
What's Love Got to Do With It Act - Provides that if law takes effect that makes Love Field in Dallas, Texas ineligible to hold an airport operating certificate, the Des Moines International Airport in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Tulsa International Airport in Tulsa,Oklahoma, shall be ineligible to hold such certificates.
Law· HRH.R. 3377 (109th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2005, Part IV - Extends authorizations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for federal highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and transit programs through July 27, 2005. Prohibits, after July 27, 2005, the obligation of funds for any federal-aid highway program project until enactment of a multi-year law reauthorizing the federal-aid highway program. Amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to extend through July 27, 2005, funding for national outreach and communications programs related to sport fishing and boating safety. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize until July 28, 2005, expenditures for obligations under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) from: (1) the HTF; (2) the Mass Transit Account; and (3) the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund.
Bill· SS. 1424 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
American Right to Fly Act - Amends the International Air Transportation Competition Act of 1979 to add specified states to the number for which air transportation is authorized between Love Field, Texas, and one or points within such states. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed as altering or preempting any valid exercise of proprietary powers contained in a lawfully adopted Airport Master Plan for Dallas Love Field.
Bill· SS. 1425 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
True Competition Act - Makes Love Field airport, in Dallas, Texas, ineligible to hold an airport operating certificate (effectively, terminating scheduled passenger air service to such airport).
Bill· HRH.R. 3344 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Offshore Infrastructure Emergency Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to encompass the Outer Continental Shelf within the definition of "United States," thus authorizing its inclusion in presidentially declared disaster areas.
Bill· HRH.R. 3330 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2005, Part III - Extends the authorization of appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for administrative expenses for federal highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and transit programs through July 21, 2005. Prohibits, after July 21, 2005, the obligation of funds for any federal-aid highway program project until enactment of a multi-year law reauthorizing the federal-aid highway program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize until July 22, 2005, expenditures for obligations under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) from: (1) the HTF; (2) the Mass Transit Account; and (3) the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund.
Law· HRH.R. 3332 (109th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2005, Part III - Extends authorizations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for federal highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and transit programs through July 21, 2005. Prohibits, after July 21, 2005, the obligation of funds for any federal-aid highway program project until enactment of a multi-year law reauthorizing the federal-aid highway program. Amends the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to extend through July 21, 2005, funding for national outreach and communications programs related to sport fishing and boating safety. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize until July 22, 2005, expenditures for obligations under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) from: (1) the HTF; (2) the Mass Transit Account; and (3) the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund.
Bill· HRH.R. 3337 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Amends federal transportation law to extend the Department of Homeland Security's authority to compare passenger information for any international flight that overflies the United States against the consolidated and integrated terrorist watchlist maintained by the federal government before departure of the flight.
Bill· HRH.R. 3336 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Safe Aviation and Flight Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations requiring all commercial aircraft that must carry both a cockpit voice recorder and digital flight data recorder to be equipped with a second recorder system that utilizes deployable combination cockpit voice and digital flight data recording technology. Requires the second deployable recorder system to be mounted as far rear on the airframe as practicable. Sets forth minimum deployable recorder capabilities. Directs the Secretary to: (1) purchase and make available, at no cost, to an air carrier such deployable recorder systems as may be necessary for it to comply with regulations; and (2) reimburse aircraft manufacturers owned or controlled by a U.S. citizen for engineering, certification, and installation costs incurred in developing and installing deployable recorder systems to comply with regulations.
Bill· SS. 1418 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Wired for Health Care Quality Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology to develop a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish the public-private American Health Information Collaborative to recommend uniform policies to support the widespread adoption of health information technology; and (2) adopt recommended modifications to standards for the electronic exchange of health information. Prohibits any federal agency from expending federal funds to purchase health information technology that is inconsistent with adopted standards and requires all federal agencies collecting health data to comply with such standards. Requires the Secretary to develop criteria to: (1) ensure uniform and consistent implementation of any standards voluntarily adopted by private entities; and (2) ensure and certify hardware, software, and support services compliance with adopted standards. Allows the Secretary to award grants to: (1) facilitate the purchase and enhance the utilization of qualified health information technology systems; (2) implement regional or local health information plans; and (3) develop academic programs integrating qualified health information technology systems in the clinical education of health professionals. Requires the heads of specified federal agencies to develop a system to measure the quality of care patients receive. Requires the Secretary to: (1) adopt and utilize such system; (2) disseminate recommendations and best practices derived from the analysis of quality measures; and (3) study methods to create efficient reimbursement incentives for improving health care quality. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ), to develop a Center for Best Practices to provide technical assistance and develop best practices to support and accelerate efforts to adopt, implement, and effectively use interoperable health information technology. Reauthorizes appropriations for grants to reduce statutory and regulatory barriers to telemedicine.
Bill· SS. 1400 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Water Infrastructure Financing Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to: (1) establish a grant program for technical assistance to rural and small system water treatment works; (2) expand the list of projects eligible for state water pollution control revolving loan fund assistance; (3) provide assistance, including loan forgiveness, for disadvantaged communities; (4) allow a transfer of capitalization grants between revolving loan funds for water pollution control and safe drinking water treatment; and (5) establish a priority system for providing financial assistance from state water pollution control revolving funds. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish grant programs for: (1) watershed restoration through the protection or improvement of water quality; and (2) assisting community water systems in meeting the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to: (1) increase and extend through FY2010 the authorization of appropriations for state drinking water treatment revolving loan funds; and (2) establish a small system revolving loan fund program. Directs the Administrator to: (1) conduct a study of lead contamination in drinking water; (2) establish a nationwide demonstration grant program for water quality enhancement and management; (3) provide capitalization grants to states for agricultural pollution control technology revolving funds; (4) identify ways to improve the state revolving fund review process; and (5) contract with the National Academy of Sciences for a cost of service study of public water systems and treatment works. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct biennial assessments of water resources in the United States. Authorizes appropriations for lead service line replacement in the District of Columbia.
Bill· SS. 1404 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Amends federal transportation law to provide that a terminal development project at a nonhub primary airport shall remain as an allowable cost, as well as eligible for funding from the discretionary fund and the small airport fund, even though its status changes to a small hub primary airport at the time when the airport has received discretionary funds for such project, and the project is not yet completed.
Bill· HRH.R. 3264 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2005
Railroad Track Modernization Act of 2005 - Amends federal rail transportation law to replace the Secretary of Transportation's discretionary program of grants to states for light density rail line pilot projects with a mandatory program of capital grants for railroad track. Directs the Secretary to establish a program of capital grants to class II and class III railroads (or, with the concurrence of such a railroad, to a state or local government) to rehabilitate, preserve, or improve railroad track (including roadbed, bridges, and related track structures) used primarily for freight transportation. Requires rehabilitation, preservation, or improvement to a standard ensuring that the track can be operated safely and efficiently and accommodate 286,000 pound rail cars. Sets forth certain employee protection and prevailing wage requirements with respect to grant projects. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on such projects to determine the public interest benefits associated with the light density railroad networks in the states and their contribution to a multimodal transportation system.
Bill· HRH.R. 3270 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2005
Secure Transit and Rail Across America and Invest in National Security Act of 2005, or the Secure Trains Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) submit to Congress the National Strategy for Transportation Security within 30 days after enactment of this Act; and (2) develop certain supplemental requirements, including prioritized recommendations for improving public transportation and railroad security. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to improve the security of public transportation systems against acts of terrorism. Directs the Secretary to: (1) report to owners, operators, and providers of public transportation systems and specified others on best practices for the security of public transportation systems; (2) develop a national plan for public outreach and awareness of measures the public can take to increase such security; and (3) establish National Transportation Security Centers at institutions of higher education. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for Department of Homeland Security employees and federal contractors or subcontractors who provided information or otherwise assisted in an investigation of violations of any law or regulation related to national or homeland security, filed or participated in a proceeding related to such violation, or refused to violate or assist in the violation. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of such protections. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants for freight and passenger rail (including hazardous materials transportation) security upgrades. Authorizes appropriations for Amtrak for certain fire and life-safety improvements to specified tunnels along the Northeast Corridor. Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve railroad security. Requires the Secretary to issue guidelines for a rail worker security training program. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for rail employees or other persons providing information about perceived security threats. Directs the Secretary to: (1) analyze the cost and feasibility of requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and cargo on passenger trains; (2) issue certain emergency responder training standards; and (3) provide grants to the Operation Respond Institute.
Bill· SS. 1380 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2005
Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish an automated video image analysis pilot program in states with the highest rates of accidents at highway-rail grade crossings to record motorist violations at crossings equipped with automatic warning devices. Requires the Secretary to submit to Congress a plan to eliminate highway-rail grade crossings, with priority given to crossings where the number of accidents are high or there is insufficient or outdated protective equipment. Directs the Secretary to: (1) review the safety of all public railway-highway grade crossings in the United States; and (2) compile and submit to Congress, based on such review, a list of the 5,000 railway-highway grade crossings most in need of safety improvements. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to states to make necessary improvements to crossings identified for elimination and improvement. Requires the Secretary, in awarding such grants, to: (1) give priority to projects to install automated warning systems at crossings in states with the highest number of accidents; and (2) strive to reduce the number of crossings without automated warning systems by not less than 50%. Directs the Secretary to: (1) analyze all laws for preventing trespassing and vandalism on railroad property; and (2) develop model legislation providing for civil and criminal penalties for individuals who violate grade crossing signs, signals, or gates. Requires the Secretary to inspect annually at least 2% of all highway-rail grade crossings in the 10 states with the highest rates of collisions at such crossings. Requires the Secretary to investigate, and report to Congress, all fatal accidents in the United States (including fatal railroad accidents) that occur on or after enactment of this Act.
Bill· SS. 1379 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2005
Rail Security Act of 2005 - Directs the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security to complete, and make prioritized recommendations regarding, a vulnerability assessment of freight and passenger rail transportation for identification of: (1) critical assets and infrastructures and the threats to them; (2) vulnerabilities specific to the transportation of hazardous materials via railroad; and (3) security weaknesses in passenger and cargo security, transportation infrastructure, protection systems, procedural policies, communications systems, employee training, emergency response planning, and any other area. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to review existing Department of Transportation (DOT) rail regulations to identify areas for revision to improve rail security. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on the rail passenger transportation security programs in Japan, member nations of the European Union (EU), and other foreign countries in order to identify effective rail transportation security measures. Directs the Under Secretary to: (1) analyze the cost and feasibility of requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and cargo on passenger trains; and (2) conduct a pilot program of random security screening of passengers and baggage at a specified number of passenger rail stations served by Amtrak. Authorizes appropriations for certain fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to Amtrak tunnels on the Northeast Corridor. Amends federal transportation law to direct Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Secretary of Transportation a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents. Authorizes the Under Secretary to make grants for certain system-wide Amtrak security upgrades and freight and hazardous materials transportation and passenger rail security upgrades. Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve freight and intercity passenger rail security. Directs the Federal Railroad Administration to prescribe standards for welded rail and tank car safety improvements. Requires the Under Secretary to report to specified congressional committees: (1) an assessment of the current system for preclearance and screening of rail and airline passengers and baggage, as well as freight railroad traffic, between the United States and Canada; and (2) information on progress toward finalizing a protocol with Canada on preclearance of rail passengers between the two countries. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to study and report to Congress on the impact of blocked highway-railroad grade crossings on the ability of first responders to perform their duties in the event of a terrorist attack. Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for rail employees or other persons providing information about perceived security threats.