In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

Q: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Highway Funding Equity Act of 
2005''.

SEC. 2. MINIMUM GUARANTEE.

    Section 105 of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a) and subsections (c) through 
        (f);
            (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (e);
            (3) by inserting after the section heading the following:
    ``(a) Guarantee.--
            ``(1) In general.--For each of fiscal years 2005 through 
        2009, the Secretary shall allocate among the States amounts 
        sufficient to ensure that the percentage for each State of the 
        total apportionments for the fiscal year for the National 
        Highway System under section 103(b), the high priority projects 
        program under section 117, the Interstate maintenance program 
        under section 119, the surface transportation program under 
        section 133, metropolitan planning under section 134, the 
        highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation program under 
        section 144, the congestion mitigation and air quality 
        improvement program under section 149, the recreational trails 
        program under section 206, the Appalachian development highway 
        system under subtitle IV of title 40, and the minimum guarantee 
        under this paragraph, equals or exceeds the percentage 
        determined for the State under paragraph (2).
            ``(2) State percentages.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), the percentage for each State 
                referred to in paragraph (1) is the percentage that is 
                equal to 95 percent of the ratio that--
                            ``(i) the estimated tax payments 
                        attributable to highway users in the State paid 
                        into the Highway Trust Fund (other than the 
                        Mass Transit Account) in the most recent fiscal 
                        year for which data are available; bears to
                            ``(ii) the estimated tax payments 
                        attributable to highway users in all States 
                        paid into the Highway Trust Fund (other than 
                        the Mass Transit Account) in the most recent 
                        fiscal year for which data are available.
                    ``(B) Exception.--In the case of a State having a 
                population density of less than 50 individuals per 
                square mile according to the 2000 decennial census, the 
                percentage referred to in paragraph (1) shall be the 
                greater of--
                            ``(i) the percentage determined under 
                        subparagraph (A); or
                            ``(ii) the percentage specified in 
                        subsection (e).
    ``(b) Treatment of Funds.--
            ``(1) Programmatic distribution.--The Secretary shall 
        apportion the amounts made available under this section that 
        exceed $2,800,000,000 so that the amount apportioned to each 
        State under this paragraph for each program referred to in 
        subsection (a)(1) (other than the high priority projects 
        program, metropolitan planning, the recreational trails 
        program, the Appalachian development highway system, and the 
        minimum guarantee under subsection (a)) is equal to the product 
        obtained by multiplying--
                    ``(A) the amount to be apportioned under this 
                paragraph; and
                    ``(B) the ratio that--
                            ``(i) the amount of funds apportioned to 
                        the State for each program referred to in 
                        subsection (a)(1) (other than the high priority 
                        projects program, metropolitan planning, the 
                        recreational trails program, the Appalachian 
                        development highway system, and the minimum 
                        guarantee under subsection (a)) for a fiscal 
                        year; bears to
                            ``(ii) the total amount of funds 
                        apportioned to the State for that program for 
                        the fiscal year.
            ``(2) Remaining distribution.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                Secretary shall apportion the remainder of funds made 
                available under this section to the States, and 
                administer those funds, in accordance with section 
                104(b)(3).
                    ``(B) Inapplicable requirements.--Paragraphs (1), 
                (2), and (3) of section 133(d) shall not apply to 
                amounts apportioned in accordance with this paragraph.
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit 
Account) such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for each 
of fiscal years 2005 through 2009.
    ``(d) Guarantee of 95 Percent Return.--
            ``(1) In general.--For each of fiscal years 2005 through 
        2009, before making any apportionment under this title, the 
        Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) determine whether the sum of the percentages 
                determined under subsection (a)(2) for the fiscal year 
                exceeds 100 percent; and
                    ``(B) if the sum of the percentages exceeds 100 
                percent, proportionately adjust the percentages 
                specified in the table contained in subsection (e) to 
                ensure that the sum of the percentages determined under 
                subsection (a)(1)(B) for the fiscal year equals 100 
                percent.
            ``(2) Eligibility threshold for adjustment.--The Secretary 
        may make an adjustment under paragraph (1) for a State for a 
        fiscal year only if the percentage for the State in the table 
        contained in subsection (e) is equal to or exceeds 95 percent 
        of the ratio determined for the State under subsection 
        (a)(1)(B)(i) for the fiscal year.
            ``(3) Limitation on adjustments.--Adjustments of the 
        percentages in the table contained in subsection (e) in 
        accordance with this subsection shall not result in a total of 
        the percentages determined under subsection (a)(2) that exceeds 
        100 percent.''; and
            (4) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by paragraph (2)), 
        by striking ``subsection (a)'' and inserting ``subsections 
        (a)(2)(B)(ii) and (d)''.

A: Highway Funding Equity Act of 2005 - Amends Federal highway law to revise Federal highway minimum guarantee requirements.

Requires the Secretary of Transportation, for each of FY 2005 through 2009, to allocate among the States amounts sufficient to ensure that the percentage for each State of the total apportionments for the fiscal year for certain Federal-aid highway programs (including the basic minimum guarantee under this Act) equals or exceeds 95 percent of the ratio that the estimated gas tax payments attributable to highway users in the State paid into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) bears to such payments attributable to highway users in all States (with a specified exception for any State having a population density of less than 50 individuals per square mile).

Provides for: (1) the programmatic distribution of funds above $2.8 billion for certain Federal-aid highway programs; (2) the apportionment of the remainder of funds to the States; and (3) required adjustments where the sum of State percentages exceeds 100 percent.
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Q: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Mental Health Care Capacity 
Enhancement Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Mental health treatment capacity at community-based 
        outpatient clinics remains inadequate and inconsistent, despite 
        the requirement under section 1706(c) of title 38, United 
        States Code, that every primary care health care facility of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs develop and carry out a plan 
        to meet the mental health care needs of veterans who require 
        such services.
            (2) In 2001, the minority staff of the Committee on 
        Veterans' Affairs of the Senate conducted a survey of 
        community-based outpatient clinics and found that there was no 
        established systemwide baseline of acceptable mental health 
        service levels at such clinics.
            (3) In 2004, the Department of Veterans Affairs workgroup 
        on mental health care, which developed and submitted a 
        Comprehensive Mental Health Strategic Plan to the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs, found service and funding gaps within the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, and made 
        numerous recommendations for improvements. As of May 2005, 
        Congress had not received a final report on the workgroup's 
        findings.
            (4) In February 2005, the Government Accountability Office 
        reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs had not fully 
        met any of the 24 clinical care and education recommendations 
        made in 2004 by the Special Committee on Post-Traumatic Stress 
        Disorder of the Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health 
        Administration.

SEC. 3. REQUIRED CAPACITY FOR COMMUNITY-BASED OUTPATIENT CLINICS.

    (a) Strengthening of Performance Measures for Mental Health 
Programs.--Section 1706(b)(6) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(D) The Under Secretary shall include, as goals in the 
performance contracts entered into with Network Directors to prioritize 
mental health services--
            ``(i) establishing appropriate staff-patient ratio levels 
        for various programs (including mental health services at 
        community-based outpatient clinics);
            ``(ii) fostering collaborative environments for providers; 
        and
            ``(iii) encouraging clinicians to conduct mental health 
        consultations during primary care visits.''.
    (b) Inflationary Indexing of Capacity Requirements.--Section 
1706(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
    ``(7) For the purposes of meeting and reporting on the capacity 
requirements under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that the 
funding levels allocated for specialized treatment and rehabilitative 
services for disabled veterans are adjusted for inflation each fiscal 
year.''.
    (c) Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.--Section 1706(c) of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``The Secretary''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that not less than 90 percent of 
community-based outpatient clinics have the capacity to provide onsite, 
contract-referral, or tele-mental health services--
            ``(A) for at least 10 percent of all clinic visits by not 
        later than September 30, 2006; and
            ``(B) for at least 15 percent of all clinic visits by not 
        later than September 30, 2007.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall ensure that not less than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this paragraph--
            ``(A) each primary care health care facility of the 
        Department has the capacity and resources to provide not less 
        than 5 days of inpatient, residential detoxification services 
        onsite or at a nearby contracted or Department facility; and
            ``(B) a case manager is assigned to coordinate follow up 
        outpatient services at each community-based outpatient 
        clinic.''.
    (d) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than January 31, 2008, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit a report to Congress that--
            (1) describes the status and availability of mental health 
        services at community-based outpatient clinics;
            (2) describes the substance of services available at such 
        clinics;
            (3) includes the ratios between mental health staff and 
        patients at such clinics; and
            (4) includes the certification of the Inspector General of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs.

SEC. 4. COOPERATION ON MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND PREVENTION.

    (a) Agreement.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall enter into a Memorandum of Understanding--
            (1) to ensure that separating servicemembers receive 
        standardized individual mental health and sexual trauma 
        assessments as part of separation exams; and
            (2) includes the development of shared guidelines on how to 
        conduct the assessments.
    (b) Establishment of Joint VA-DoD Workgroup on Mental Health.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish a joint workgroup 
        on mental health, which shall be comprised of not less than 7 
        leaders in the field of mental health appointed from their 
        respective departments.
            (2) Study.--Not later than 1 year after the establishment 
        of the workgroup under paragraph (1), the workgroup shall 
        analyze the feasibility, content, and scope of initiatives 
        related to--
                    (A) combating stigmas and prejudices associated 
                with servicemembers who suffer from mental health 
                disorders or readjustment issues, through the use of 
                peer counseling programs or other educational 
                initiatives;
                    (B) ways in which the Department of Veterans 
                Affairs can make their expertise in treating mental 
                health disorders more readily available to Department 
                of Defense mental health care providers;
                    (C) family and spousal education to assist family 
                members of veterans and servicemembers to recognize and 
                deal with signs of potential readjustment issues or 
                other mental health disorders; and
                    (D) seamless transition of servicemembers who have 
                been diagnosed with mental health disorders from active 
                duty to veteran status (in consultation with the 
                Seamless Transition Task Force and other entities 
                assisting in this effort).
            (3) Report.--Not later than June 30, 2007, the Secretary of 
        Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit a 
        report to Congress containing the findings and recommendations 
        of the workgroup established under this subsection.

SEC. 5. PRIMARY CARE CONSULTATIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH.

    (a) Guidelines.--The Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health 
Administration, shall establish systemwide guidelines for screening 
primary care patients for mental health disorders and illnesses.
    (b) Training.--Based upon the guidelines established under 
subsection (a), the Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health 
Administration, shall conduct appropriate training for clinicians of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out mental health 
consultations.

A: Veterans Mental Health Care Capacity Enhancement Act of 2005 - Requires the Under Secretary for Health for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs to include as goals in performance contracts for prioritizing mental health services to veterans: (1) establishing appropriate staff-patient ratio levels; (2) fostering collaborative environments for providers; and (3) encouraging clinicians to conduct mental health consultations during primary care visits.

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that not less than 90 percent of Department community-based outpatient clinics have the capacity to provide on-site, contract-referral, or tele-mental health services for at least: (1) ten percent of all clinic visits by no later than September 30, 2006; and (2) 15 percent of all clinic visits by no later than September 30, 2007.

Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to enter into a memorandum of understanding to ensure interdepartmental cooperation on mental health awareness and mental illness prevention.

Requires the Under Secretary to establish system-wide guidelines for screening primary care patients for mental health disorders and illnesses.
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Q: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Tax Return Preparer Competency Act 
of 2015''.

SEC. 2. MINIMUM COMPETENCY STANDARDS FOR TAX RETURN PREPARERS.

    (a) In General.--Subsection (a) of section 330 of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) regulate--
                    ``(A) the practice of representatives of persons 
                before the Department of the Treasury; and
                    ``(B) tax return preparers (as defined in section 
                7701(a)(36) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986); 
                and''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by inserting ``or tax return preparer'' after 
                ``representative'' each place it appears; and
                    (B) by inserting ``or in preparing their tax 
                returns, claims for refund, or documents in connection 
                with tax returns or claims for refund'' after ``cases'' 
                in subparagraph (D).
    (b) Failure To Meet Minimum Competency Standards.--Subsection (b) 
of section 330 of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``before the Department'';
            (2) by inserting ``or tax return preparer'' after 
        ``representative'' each place it appears; and
            (3) in paragraph (4), by striking ``misleads or threatens'' 
        and all that follows and inserting ``misleads or threatens--
                    ``(A) any person being represented or any 
                prospective person being represented; or
                    ``(B) any person or prospective person whose return 
                (as defined in section 6696(e)(1) of the Internal 
                Revenue Code of 1986), claim for refund (as defined in 
                section 6696(e)(2) of such Code), or document in 
                connection with a return or claim for refund, is being 
                or may be prepared.''.
    (c) Minimum Competency Standards for Tax Return Preparers.--
            (1) In general.--Section 330 of title 31, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(e) Tax Return Preparers.--
            ``(1) In general.--Any tax return preparer (as defined in 
        section 7701(a)(36) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) shall 
        demonstrate minimum competency standards under this subsection, 
        by--
                    ``(A) obtaining an identifying number for securing 
                proper identification of such preparer as described in 
                section 6109(a)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
                1986;
                    ``(B) satisfying the examination requirements 
                described in paragraph (2);
                    ``(C) satisfying the annual continuing education 
                requirements described in paragraph (3); and
                    ``(D) completing a background check as described in 
                paragraph (4).
            ``(2) Examination.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A tax return preparer shall 
                provide the Secretary with proof of successful 
                completion of an examination that evaluates the 
                knowledge and competency of the tax return preparer, as 
                prescribed by the Secretary through regulations, forms 
                or instructions, regarding--
                            ``(i) preparation of a return (as defined 
                        in section 6696(e)(1) of the Internal Revenue 
                        Code of 1986);
                            ``(ii) ethical standards for preparation of 
                        such returns; and
                            ``(iii) other topics as the Secretary may 
                        prescribe.
                    ``(B) Exceptions.--The Secretary shall exempt tax 
                return preparers from the examination requirements 
                under this paragraph pursuant to such requirements as 
                are determined appropriate by the Secretary, which 
                shall include any comparable examinations administered 
                by the Secretary or any comparable State licensing or 
                registration programs.
            ``(3) Continuing education.--A tax return preparer shall 
        complete continuing education on an annual basis, which shall 
        consist of not less than 15 hours of instruction, which shall 
        include not less than 2 hours of training relating to ethics 
        and not less than 3 hours relating to Federal tax law updates.
            ``(4) Background check.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A tax return preparer shall 
                demonstrate the requirements of subsection (a)(2) by 
                providing the Secretary with a report, as prescribed by 
                the Secretary through regulations, forms or 
                instructions.
                    ``(B) Exceptions.--The Secretary shall exempt tax 
                return preparers who have been subject to comparable 
                background checks administered by the Secretary or any 
                comparable State licensing or registration programs.''.
    (d) Contingency Fees.--The Secretary of the Treasury may not 
regulate, prohibit, or restrict the use of a contingent fee in 
connection with tax returns, claims for refund, or documents in 
connection with tax returns or claims for refund prepared on behalf of 
a taxpayer.
    (e) Public Database for Tax Return Preparers.--Not later than 1 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Treasury, shall ensure that the name and identification number (as 
described in section 6109(a)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) 
of any tax return preparer who satisfies the requirements under section 
330 of title 31, United States Code, is made publicly available through 
such measures as are determined appropriate by the Secretary, which may 
include the use of any publicly available database that has been 
established and operated by the Secretary on or before the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

A:
Tax Return Preparer Competency Act of 2015  This bill grants the Department of the Treasury authority to regulate the practice of tax return preparers and to sanction preparers for incompetency or misconduct. The bill also imposes minimum competency standards for tax return prepares and requires Treasury to make publicly available a database&nbsp;identifying qualified tax return preparers. 
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