United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2007
Congratulates Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears and Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts for their accomplishments and for being the first African-American head coaches of National Football League teams to qualify for the Super Bowl.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Climate Stewardship Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a National Greenhouse Gas Database consisting of: (1) an inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by covered entities (specified entities that own or control a source of GHG emissions in the electric power, industrial, and commercial sectors of the U.S. economy that emit more than 10,000 metric tons of GHGs per year); and (2) a registry of GHG emission reductions and increased sequestration, applicable to both covered and noncovered entities. Establishes a program for the market-driven reduction of GHGs by covered entities through the use of tradeable emissions allowances. Requires the Administrator to establish a declining cap on tradeable allowances to reduce GHG emissions over time. Requires covered entities, beginning in 2012, to submit to the Administrator one tradeable allowance for every metric ton of GHGs emitted. Allows tradeable allowances to be sold, exchanged, purchased, retired, borrowed, offset, or otherwise used as authorized by this Act. Imposes civil penalties on covered entities that fail to submit allowances. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation (CCCC) to receive, manage, buy, and sell tradeable allowances. Directs the Administrator to make allocations of allowances to covered sectors and entities, and to the CCCC, providing initial allocations for early action and accelerated participation. Requires the CCCC to establish a program to provide financial support for: (1) technology to assist in compliance with this Act; (2) incentives for GHG emission reductions or net increases in sequestration on agricultural lands; and (3) the restoration of habitat to help fish and wildlife adapt to climate change. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) report to Congress on the oceanic and coastal impacts of climate change; and (2) assist certain coastal states in preparing persons to adapt to climate change. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to: (1) establish a program on adaptation technologies as part of the Climate Technology Challenge Program; and (2) perform regional infrastructure cost assessments of the impacts of climate change. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) submit a climate change adaptation plan to Congress; and (2) research the impact of climate change on low-income populations worldwide. Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to provide funding for the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Account that may be used by states to develop and implement climate change impact mitigation plans.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Restoring the Everglades, an American Legacy Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out the project for ecosystem restoration, water supply, flood control, and protection of water quality, Indian River Lagoon, South Florida, at a specified total cost, in accordance with the recommendations of the report of the Chief of Engineers, dated August 6, 2004. Deauthorizes certain projects authorized under the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 and the Flood Control Act of 1968. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out the project for ecosystem restoration, Picayune Strand, Collier County, Florida, at a specified total cost in accordance with section 601 of Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (relating to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan) and the report of the Chief of Engineers, September 15, 2006.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2007
Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Department of Defense (DOD) and the nation have a committed health benefits obligation to retired military personnel that exceeds the obligation of corporate employers to civilian employees; and (2) DOD has many additional options to constrain the growth of health care spending in ways that do not disadvantage beneficiaries, and should pursue such options rather than seeking large fee increases for beneficiaries. Prohibits an increase after: (1) April 1, 2006, in a premium, deductible, copayment, or other charge prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for medical and dental health care coverage for military personnel; and (2) September 30, 2007, in the dollar amount of a cost-sharing requirement under the DOD pharmacy benefits program. Prohibits: (1) charges for DOD inpatient care from exceeding $535 per day; and (2) beginning on April 1, 2006, an increase in premiums under TRICARE (a DOD managed health care program) for certain members of the Selected Reserve.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the allowable tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers to $400; (2) allow the deduction of professional development expenses; and (3) make such deduction permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 16150 Aviation Loop Drive in Brooksville, Florida, as the "Sergeant Lea Robert Mills Brooksville Aviation Branch Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction which is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the National Museum of the American Latino Act of 2007 - Establishes the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino to study and make recommendations to the President and the Congress on a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, DC.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Haitian Protection Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti as a country whose qualifying nationals may be eligible for temporary protected status. Provides for: (1) an initial 18-month designation period; and (2) authorization for temporary travel abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
States that: (1) the deployment of U.S. forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date; (2) a quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region; and (3) the United States shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Honors Mr. Britt "Max" Mayfield's 34 years of service and his commitment to improving the accuracy of hurricane forecasting as Director of the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction Center.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act of 2007 - Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to a hospital under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act or to a state, with respect to hospital services, under title XIX (Medicaid) of such Act, unless the hospital meets certain conditions related to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault, including that the hospital: (1) provides the woman with accurate and unbiased information about emergency contraception; (2) offers emergency contraception to the woman; (3) provides the woman such contraception at the hospital on her request; and (4) does not deny any such services because of the inability of the woman or her family to pay.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
HRIFA Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 to: (1) provide that determinations with respect to children shall be made using the age and status of an individual on October 21, 1998 (enactment date of the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998); (2) permit an application based upon child status to be filed by a parent or guardian if the child is present in the United States on such filing date; and (3) include document fraud among the grounds of inadmissibility which shall not preclude an otherwise qualifying Haitian alien from permanent resident status adjustment. Permits new status adjustment applications to be filed for a limited time period. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish procedures for reopening status adjustment applications that are affected by amendments made by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act of 2007, or the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the deduction from gross income of any attributable to domestic production activities. Excludes from domestic production gross receipts those derived from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of oil, natural gas, or any related primary product. (Thus denies a deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or their related primary products.) Increases from five to seven years the amortization schedule for geological and geophysical expenditures for certain major integrated oil companies. Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to agree to any lessee request to amend any lease issued for any Central and Western Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) tract during 1998 and 1999 to incorporate specified price thresholds applicable to royalty suspension provisions. Reaffirms the authority of the Secretary to vary, based on the price of production from a lease, the suspension of royalties under specified leases on the Outer Continental Shelf. Cites conditions for the issuance of new leases authorizing oil or natural gas production in the Gulf. Instructs the Secretary to establish conservation of resources fees for both producing and nonproducing federal oil and gas leases in the Gulf. Sets forth terms restricting the transfer of such leases. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal: (1) specified incentives for natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf; (2) royalty relief for deep water production in the Gulf; and (3) the prohibition on cost recovery fees for drilling-related permit application during the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to remove the Planning Areas offshore Alaska from the list of areas for which the Secretary is authorized to reduce or eliminate any royalty or net profit share set forth in the pertinent lease. Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to repeal provisions governing oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska regarding: (1) renewal of competitive oil and gas leases, with or without discoveries; and (2) waiver, suspension, or reduction of rental fees or royalties on leaseholds as exploration incentives. Establishes the Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve to hold federal receipts acquired as a result of the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
College Student Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to phase-in cuts in the interest rate charged undergraduate student borrowers under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Direct Loan (DL) programs, thereby reducing such rate from 6.8% in July 2006 to 3.4% in July 2011. Limits FFEL lender insurance to 95% of the unpaid balance of such loans. (Currently, 97% of a FFEL issued after June 2006 is federally-insured.) Provides for graduated reductions in the percentage of defaulted FFEL loan collections a guaranty agency is allowed to retain until, beginning in October 2010, it is equal to the average rate paid to collection agencies that have contracts with the Secretary of Education. Eliminates exceptional performer status for lenders, servicers, and guaranty agencies, which rewards such entities for high due diligence in FFEL collection. Reduces special allowance payments made to FFEL lenders to compensate them for the difference between FFEL interest rates and market rates. Exempts small lenders from such reduction. Increases the loan fee charged FFEL lenders from .5% to 1% of the principal amount of loans disbursed after June 2007. Prohibits its collection from borrowers. Increases, after June 2007, the rebate fee charged a holder of FFEL consolidated loans, provided that at least 90% of the total principal and accrued unpaid interest outstanding on loans held by such holder are such loans.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation of a congressional gold medal in commemoration of Alice Paul, to recognize her role in the women's suffrage movement and in advancing equal rights for women. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of such medal. Requires proceeds from the sale of such medals to be deposited into the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Recognizes the Reverend Waitstill Sharp and Martha Sharp as genuine American heroes, and pays tribute to them for having their names added to the Wall of Rescuers in the permanent exhibition of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on September 14, 2006. Commends the organization founded to support the Sharps' work, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, for its efforts to rescue Jews and opponents of the Nazi regime in Europe and for carrying on the Sharps' legacy by working to save the lives of the people of Darfur, Sudan, and to protect human rights worldwide.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to revise provisions governing the importation of prescription drugs. Waives the limitation on importation of prescription drugs that have been exported from the United States. Prohibits the importation of a qualifying drug unless such drug is imported by: (1) a registered importer; or (2) an individual for personal use. Establishes registration conditions for importers and exporters. Requires the Secretary to inspect places of business, verify chains of custody, inspect facilities, and determine compliance with registration conditions. Sets forth provisions governing the importation of qualifying drugs that are different from U.S. label drugs, including standards for judging such differences. Prohibits manufacturers from: (1) discriminating against registered exporters or importers; (2) causing there to be a difference in a prescription drug distributed in the United States and one distributed in a permitted country; (3) engaging in actions to restrict, prohibit, or delay the importation of a qualifying drug; or (4) engaging in any action that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) determines discriminates against a person that engages or attempts to engage in the importation of a qualifying drug. States that the resale in the United States of prescription drugs that were properly sold abroad is not patent infringement. Requires the Secretary to educate consumers regarding prescription drug importation. Sets forth provisions governing the sale of prescription drugs through an Internet site. Includes the dispensing or selling of a prescription drug in violation of this Act as a prohibited act under FFDCA. Prohibits the introduction of restricted transactions with unregistered foreign pharmacies into a payment system or the completion of such transactions using a payment system.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Seasoned Customer CTR Exemption Act of 2007 - Amends federal money and finance law to: (1) repeal the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to exempt a depository institution from currency transaction reporting (CTR) requirements with respect to transactions between the depository institution and a qualified business customer; and (2) instruct the Secretary to prescribe regulations that exempt a depository institution from filing a CTR if the transaction is with a qualified customer. Defines qualified customer as any person that: (1) is incorporated or organized under federal or state law, including a sole proprietorship, or is registered as and eligible to do business within the United States or a state; (2) has maintained a deposit account with the depository institution for at least 12 months; and (3) has engaged, using such account, in multiple currency transactions subject to federal CTR requirements. Requires such regulations to require a depository institution to file a one-time notice of designation of exemption for each of its qualified customers. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) suspend, reject, or revoke any qualified customer exemption notice; and (2) establish conditions under which exempt qualified customers of an insured depository institution merged with or acquired by another insured depository institution will continue to be treated as designated exempt qualified customers of the surviving or acquiring institution. Requires the Secretary to submit a three-year review and report evaluating implementation of this Act. Requires the Secretary to review every five years: (1) the continuing appropriateness, relevance, and utility of each threshold amount or denomination established for any mandatory CTR; (2) adjust such amount for inflation, if any; and (3) report to Congress the review findings and conclusions, together with an explanation for any adjustment, or lack of adjustment, of any threshold amount or denomination.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Commends the University of Florida Gators for their victory in the 2006 Bowl Championship Series and for winning the national college football championship.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Commends the University of Florida Gators for winning the Bowl Championship Series National Championship. Recognizes the achievements of the players, coaches, students, and support staff who were instrumental in the victory.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Condemns Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statements and policies aimed at Israel's destruction. Calls on the U.N. Security Council to charge President Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and Article 2, Section 4, of the U.N. Charter. Calls on the Security Council and all U.N. member states to consider measures to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, which would be a dangerous violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a potential means of carrying out President Ahmadinejad's threats against Israel. Reaffirms the strategic U.S.-Israel partnership and reasserts the U.S. commitment to defend Israel's right to exist as a free and democratic state.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
NICS Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require: (1) the head of each federal agency that has records relating to persons for whom receipt of a firearm would violate federal or state law to provide that information to the Attorney General for inclusion in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS); (2) the agency, upon being made aware that the basis under which a record was made available no longer applies, to correct the record and notify the Attorney General; and (3) the Secretary of Homeland Security to make available to the Attorney General records relevant to a determination that a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm and information about a change in such person's status for removal from NICS, where appropriate. Directs the Attorney General to make grants to: (1) states and Indian tribal governments to establish or upgrade information and identification technologies for firearms eligibility determinations; and (2) states for use by the state court system to improve the automation and transmittal to federal and state record repositories of criminal history dispositions, records relevant to determining whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, court orders, and mental health adjudications or commitments. Requires: (1) the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to study and evaluate NICS operations and to report annually to Congress and to specified states regarding best practices; and (2) the Comptroller General to conduct an audit of the expenditure of all funds appropriated for criminal records improvement to determine how the funds were expended.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to prescription drug plan sponsors and Medicare Advantage organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals enrolled under a prescription drug plan or under a Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plan.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo. Limits such research to stem cells that meet the following ethical requirements: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007 - Provides for implementation of recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission). Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to set forth provisions governing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants for first responders to prevent, prepare for, respond to, mitigate against, or recover from terrorist attacks. Directs the DHS Secretary to: (1) evaluate and prioritize applications based on the degree to which applicants would lessen the threat to persons and critical infrastructure; and (2) ensure that each state receives no less than .25% of grant funds available in a fiscal year (.45% for international border states). Requires the Secretary to establish the Improve Communications for Emergency Response Grant Program. Requires state, local, and tribal governments to pre-identify sites where a unified command system can be quickly established. Establishes the Checkpoint Screening Security Fund. Directs the Secretary to establish a system to inspect 100% of cargo transported on passenger aircraft. Permits containers to enter the United States only if scanned with equipment, and secured by seals, that meet prescribed standards. Directs the Secretary to: (1) take specified actions regarding human trafficking and terrorist travel; and (2) report on international collaboration and a plan to accelerate implementation of an automated biometric system. Requires the Secretary to carry out a Fusion and Law Enforcement Education and Teaming Grant Program. Establishes in DHS the Border Intelligence Fusion Center Program. Homeland Security Information Sharing Enhancement Act of 2007 - Renames the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection as the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Directs the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis to implement a Homeland Security Advisory System. Establishes, within the Office, an Internal Continuity of Operations Plan. Homeland Security Information Sharing Partnerships Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative; and (2) establish a Homeland Security Information Sharing Fellows Program. Establishes, within DHS, an Office of Infrastructure Protection. Protection of Civil Liberties Act - Makes the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board an independent agency within the executive branch. Privacy Officer With Enhanced Rights Act of 2007 or the POWER Act - Sets forth provisions governing the DHS privacy officer's investigative authority. Directs the Secretary to prepare vulnerability assessments of critical infrastructure and to establish a National Asset Database, a National At-Risk Database, a National Asset Database Consortium. Requires the Secretary to establish a Strategic Transportation Security Information Sharing Plan. Directs the Secretary to implement a program to enhance private sector preparedness for acts of terrorism and other emergencies and disasters through the promotion of the use of voluntary consensus standards. Repeals or modifies limitations on assistance for preventing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should strive to expand and strengthen the Proliferation Security Initiative, including by working with the United Nations Security Council to authorize the Initiative under international law. Authorizes appropriations for the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and for the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration programs to prevent WMD proliferation and terrorism. Establishes: (1) within the Executive Office of the President the Office of the United States Coordinator for the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism; and (2) the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. Nuclear Black Market Counter-Terrorism Act of 2007 - Directs the President to impose sanctions for transfers of nuclear technology involving foreign persons and terrorists. Requires the President to: (1) identify nuclear proliferation network countries; and (2) suspend arms sales to such countries. 9/11 Commission International Implementation Act of 2007 - Declares U.S. policy regarding increasing the availability of modern basic education in Arab countries. Authorizes: (1) the President to establish an International Arab and Muslim Youth Opportunity Fund; and (2) the Secretary of State to fund a private, nonprofit Middle East Foundation. Sets forth authority for providing a surge capacity for international broadcasting activities to support U.S. foreign policy objectives. Requires reports on: (1) expanding U.S. scholarship, exchange, and library programs in Arab and predominantly Muslim countries; and (2) progress towards implementing 9/11 Commission recommendations for developing a common coalition approach toward the detention and humane treatment of captured terrorists. Sets forth statements of U.S. policy and strategy with respect to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Applies federal minimum wage requirements to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage in the Commonwealth shall be gradually increased to equal the federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly benefit of $1,000 to certain honorably-discharged veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946 (or to their survivors). Includes service in the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service. Exempts from taxation benefits paid under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 - Supports state, city, and university efforts to divest funds from, or restrict investments in, companies that conduct business operations in Sudan. Directs: (1) the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require all companies trading in registered securities that conduct business operations directly or through parent or subsidiary companies in Sudan to disclose the nature of such operations; and (2) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the existence and extent of such companies' Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board investments. Prohibits U.S. government contracts with such companies, with exceptions for companies whose activities are related to: (1) southern Sudan, southern Kordofan/Nuba Mountains State, Blue Nile State, or Abyei; (2) the implementation of the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement; (3) the provision of military equipment for nongovernmental organizations in the Darfur region of Sudan, the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), or the United Nations; or (4) the provision of humanitarian assistance that is of immediate and substantial benefit to the majority of people of the Darfur region of Sudan or the majority of people of eastern Sudan, including the Red Sea, Kassala, and Gedaref States. Authorizes a national security waiver of such prohibition on a case-by-case basis.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) sponsoring or exhibiting a bird in a fighting venture in a state where it would not otherwise be in violation of the law, only if the person knew that any bird in the venture was knowingly bought, sold, delivered, transported, or received in interstate or foreign commerce for such purpose; or (2) knowingly sponsoring or exhibiting in an animal fighting venture any other animal that was moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Prohibits knowingly: (1) selling, buying, transporting, delivering, or receiving, for purposes of transportation in interstate or foreign commerce, any dog or other animal to participate in an animal fighting venture; (2) using interstate mail service for commercial speech promoting an animal fighting venture except as performed outside the limits of the states (with an exception for bird fights in states whose laws allow them); or (3) selling, buying, transporting, or delivering in interstate or foreign commerce a knife, gaff, or other sharp instrument to be attached to the leg of a bird for use in an animal fighting venture. Increases the penalties to a fine and up to three years' imprisonment for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Federal Election Integrity Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official to take active part in political management or in a political campaign with respect to any election for federal office over which the official has supervisory authority.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), to expand and intensify research and related activities on postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. Requires the Director of NIMH to conduct or support research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, such conditions. Directs the Secretary to make grants to establish, operate, and coordinate effective and cost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with such conditions and their families. Allows the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grant recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Social Security Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal: (1) government pension offset requirements applicable to husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and mother's and father's insurance benefits with respect to OASDI payments; and (2) windfall elimination requirements with respect to computation of an individual's primary insurance amount.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Urges the League of Arab States to: (1) declare the systematic torture, rape, and displacement of Darfurians a genocide; (2) pass a resolution to support and accept U.N. peacekeepers to enforce the ceasefire, protect civilians, and ensure access to humanitarian assistance in Darfur; and (3) work with the United Nations, the African Union, and the United States Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, to bring about peace and stability to Darfur, the refugee camps, and along the Chadian border.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S. Postal Service should issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring former Representative Shirley Chisholm; and (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2006
Geneva Distinctive Emblems Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the wearing or displaying of the Red Crescent or the Third Protocol Emblem (the Red Crystal) for the fraudulent purpose of claiming membership in an authorized national society using such emblems. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to six month for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2006
Condemns Iran's commitment to hold an international Holocaust denial conference in December 2006, and all anti-Semitic statements made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other Iranian leaders. Calls on: (1) the United Nations to officially and publicly repudiate all of Iran's anti-Semitic statements made at such conference and hold accountable U.N. member states that encourage or echo such statements; and (2) President George W. Bush to condemn President Ahmadinejad's stated intent to hold an international Holocaust denial conference. Calls on the U.N. Security Council to strengthen its commitment to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear power. Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to prevent a nuclear Iran. Reaffirms the long-standing friendship of the United States and Israel. Vows to never forget the murder of millions in the Holocaust and affirms that such genocide should never happen again.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2006
Designates Room H-139 of the Capitol as the "Henry J. Hyde Room." Makes this resolution effective on the day after Henry J. Hyde is no longer serving as a Member of the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Cost of Living Fairness Act of 2006 - Requires the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to develop and report to Congress and the Comptroller General on a methodology for determining the cost of living in each state which accounts for the costs of housing, goods, and services. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on how federal benefits provided to beneficiaries in each state under certain programs would be distributed if: (1) the cost of living in each state, as determined under the methodology, were a factor in the determination of such benefits; and (2) the methodology were applied so that federal benefits vary only to the extent that such determination would result in an increase of benefits to beneficiaries in a state. Specifies such benefit programs as all those providing vouchers, coupons, cash grants, or cash reimbursements based on the beneficiary's income.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Recognizes the Reverend Waitstill Sharp and Martha Sharp as genuine American heroes, and pays tribute to them as their names are added to the Wall of Rescuers in the permanent exhibition of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on September 14, 2006. Commends the organization founded to support the Sharps' work, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, for its efforts to rescue Jews and opponents of the Nazi regime in Europe and for carrying on the Sharps' legacy by working to save the lives of the people of Darfur, Sudan, and to protect human rights worldwide.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Expresses the sense of Congress that the people of the United States should grieve for the loss of life that defined the Third Reich and celebrate the continued education efforts for tolerance and justice. Reaffirms U.S. commitment to the fight against intolerance and prejudice. Urges all members of the international community to honor those individuals of all races, creeds, and colors who perished at the hands of the Nazis. Honors the primacy of the rule of law, the pursuit of justice, and the struggle for universal freedom and human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Expresses support for the observance of World Stroke Awareness Day to offer education on the importance of prevention and treatment. Salute the volunteers and professionals who assist patients every day. Emphasizes the need to coordinate the efforts of all disease-oriented organizations to prevent the rise of underlying risk factors and promote healthy living behaviors around the world.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Congratulates: (1) the Detroit Shock on winning the 2006 Women's National Basketball Association Championship; and (2) Detroit Shock guard Deanna Nolan for winning the 2006 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Honors the life and accomplishments of the late Ann Richards, former Governor of Texas. Recognizes her contributions to the state of Texas, to the progress of women in politics, and to the progress of women throughout the United States. Expresses condolences to her family and loved ones.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006
Gulf Coast Housing Accessibility Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to allocate additional assistance for project-based housing vouchers for individuals and households located within the disaster areas of Hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma of 2005. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to set forth conditions for providing permanent and semipermanent housing units. Instructs the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) enter into a mission assignment with the Secretary for a transfer of FEMA Disaster Relief Funds into the Disaster Voucher Program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and (2) transfer into the Disaster Voucher Program individuals and households receiving transitional housing, rental, or other related assistance. Permits such individuals and families to opt-out of such a transfer.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2006
Expresses support for the observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to provide a special opportunity to offer education on the importance of monthly breast self-examinations and annual mammograms. Recognizes breast cancer survivors, the efforts of victims, volunteers, and professionals who combat breast cancer, and the work of national and community organizations in promoting breast cancer awareness, providing information, and offering treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2006
Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to provide education on preventing teen pregnancies. Provides for: (1) grants to prevent teen pregnancy; and (2) a national center for parents of adolescents to support parents in preventing teen pregnancy. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of Social Security Act to expand coverage of family planning services. Sets forth requirements for primary care clinics that receive federal financial assistance and provide abortion services. Expands state options to provide health care coverage to low-income pregnant women. Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2006 - Authorizes appropriations for voluntary family planning projects. Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit individual health insurance coverage from excluding pregnancy as a preexisting condition. Provides for: (1) grants for ultrasound equipment and prenatal testing for pregnant women; and (2) programs to better identify and treat pregnant women and mothers who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Allows the Secretary to make grants to public institutions of higher education to assist students who have decided to carry their pregnancies to term and parenting students in continuing their studies and graduating. Requires the Secretary to require that federally funded group homes for pregnant and parenting women provide, upon request, adoption counseling and counseling on parenting skills. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the tax credit for adoption expenses; (2) make such tax credit refundable; and (3) increase the exclusion from gross income for employer-paid adoption expenses. Provides for: (1) education of teen and first-time mothers through home visits by registered nurses; and (2) the collection and reporting of abortion surveillance data.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Program for Real Energy Security Act or the PROGRESS Act - Establishes the National Commission on Energy Security and Transition to New Fuels. Sets forth the duties of the Commission, including to make recommendations to Congress and the President for: (1) preserving the national energy security in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster; and (2) reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil over a specified period. Establishes: (1) the New Manhattan Center for High Efficiency Vehicles; and (2) the Advisory Council on Federal Participation. Requires the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program of grants to federal and private sector researchers (including the Center) to research and develop alternative fuels and technologies to improve the productivity of U.S. automotive firms in the manufacture of high efficiency vehicles. Establishes a grant program to provide assistance to retail and wholesale motor fuel dealers or other entities to install, replace, or convert motor fuel storage and dispensing infrastructure for use in the storage and dispensing of biobased fuels. Sets forth requirements calling for: (1) the production and distribution of biobased fuels (ethanol) and deployment of new engine technologies for fuel-flexible, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and biodiesel vehicles; (2) greater use of alternative fuels in dual fueled vehicles operating in the federal fleet; and (3) the increase and expansion of employer-provided mass transit fringe benefits. Transit Rail Accommodation Improvement and Needs Act - Allows for the shared use of rail carrier trackage and rail rights-of-way by mass transportation authorities. Authorizes capital investment grants to improve intercity passenger rail service. Allows a tax credit to holders of qualified high-speed rail infrastructure bonds. Railroad Track Modernization Act of 2006 - Establishes a capital grant program for the rehabilitation, preservation, or improvement of railroad track of class II and class III railroads. Requires the issuance of regulations implementing reliability standards for the safe transportation of energy supplies by rail.
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