United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2008
Removing Impediments to Students Education Act or the RISE Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to repeal a provision which makes persons convicted of drug offenses ineligible to receive federal student financial assistance for specified periods.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2008
Combat Veterans Debt Elimination Act of 2008 - Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting debts owed to the United States by certain members of the armed forces or veterans who die as a result of an injury incurred or aggravated on active duty in a war or a combat zone after September 11, 2001. Excepts any amounts owed the United States under federal housing and small business loan programs from such prohibition on debt collection.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2008
Honors Lieutenant General Russel L. Honore, United States Army, for his 37 years of service, and commends him for his dedication and commitment to the Army and his leadership in the post-Katrina recovery effort.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2008
Honors the 22nd anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger disaster. Celebrates the courage and bravery of the crew of the Challenger, and Christa McAuliffe and her passion for encouraging America's children to pursue careers in science and mathematics. Commits the House of Representatives and the Nation to using the lessons learned in inquiries into the space shuttle Challenger accident to ensure that the space agency always operates on a strong and stable foundation. Recognizes the continued dedication of the United States to the goal of space exploration for the benefit of all mankind.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2008
States that any formal agreement emerging from the "Declaration of Principles for a Long-term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship Between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America" shall not have the effect of force of law unless the agreement is approved by Congress after the date of enactment of this Act. Expresses the sense of Congress that any formal agreement emerging from such Declaration must be approved by the Iraqi legislature. Prohibits funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense (DOD) or any other U.S. department or agency from being used to enforce or implement any formal agreement emerging from such Declaration unless the agreement is approved by Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2008
Commends the Kenyan people for their commitment to democracy and respect for the democratic process as evidenced by the high voter turnout and peaceful voting on election day. Condemns the ongoing violence in Kenya and urges all parties concerned to immediately end use of violence as a means to achieve their political objectives. Calls on the two leading presidential candidates to accept offers of external and internal assistance to help find a solution to the current crisis which has the support of the people of Kenya. Calls on Kenyan security forces to refrain from using excessive force and to respect the human rights of Kenyan citizens. Calls for an immediate end to the restrictions on the media, and on the rights of peaceful assembly and association. Condemns threats to civil society groups, journalists, religious leaders, and human rights activists making every effort towards a peaceful, just, and equitable political solution to the current electoral crisis. Calls on the international community, United Nations aid organizations, and all neighboring countries to: (1) assist those affected by violence; and (2) use all the diplomatic means to persuade relevant political actors to commit to a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Urges the President to: (1) support diplomatic efforts to facilitate a dialogue between leaders of the Party of National Unity, the Orange Democratic Movement, and other relevant actors; (2) consider the imposition of targeted sanctions on such leaders who refuse to engage in meaningful dialogue to end the current crisis; and (3) review current U.S. aid to Kenya to restrict all non-humanitarian assistance to Kenya unless the parties are able to establish a peaceful political resolution to the crisis which is credible to the Kenyan people.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2008
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day; (2) full and equitable funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006; (3) development of a national AIDS plan to reduce new HIV infections; (4) appropriate funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment; (5) the strengthening of stable African-American communities; (6) reducing the impact of incarceration as a driver of new HIV infections within the African-American community; (7) HIV prevention education programs to promote the early identification of HIV through voluntary routine testing and to connect those in need to treatment as early as possible; (8) reducing the number of HIV infections in the African-American community resulting from injection drug use; and (9) efforts to link those infected with HIV to accessible care and treatment options. Applauds the codification of the Minority AIDS Initiative within the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Josh Miller Helping Everyone Access Responsive Treatment in Schools Act of 2007, or the Josh Miller HEARTS Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for use in their schools; and/or (2) provide training to meet the requirement that at least five adult employees or volunteers at each school with an AED successfully complete training in its use and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Requires LEA grant applicants also to demonstrate that: (1) the AEDs are integrated into the schools' medical emergency response procedures; and (2) emergency services personnel are notified of their locations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt prescription drugs that have been shipped directly from a state to the U.S. Virgin Islands from restrictions on importation of exported drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to back-date to September 11, 2001, the period of active duty or performed active service, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations, for which members of Ready Reserve components of the armed forces shall receive credit in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Recognizes the need to pursue research into the causes, treatment, and a cure for primary lateral sclerosis. Commends: (1) hospitals, community clinics, educational institutes, and other organizations that are working to increase awareness of, and conducting research for methods to help patients suffering from, the disorder; and (2) the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation for its efforts to educate, support, and provide hope for individuals who suffer from the disorder, while funding research to help find a cure. Expresses support for the designation of a Hardy Brown Primary Lateral Sclerosis Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Supports the designation of a "Gospel Music Heritage Month" to recognize the great contributions to American culture that have derived from the rich heritage of gospel music and its artists.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S. government should reaffirm its commitment to Taiwan's democracy and security; and (2) international delegations should be encouraged to visit Taiwan to witness the March 2008 presidential elections.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2007
Reducing Over-Classification Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement a Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-wide strategy to prevent the over-classification of information within the scope of the information sharing environment established under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Requires the strategy to foster sharing of homeland security, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction information at DHS and to include: (1) requirements governing the classification of information, including requiring that information created by DHS be initially prepared in unclassified form before any version is created in classified form; (2) a sensitive and shared information program for the creation and sharing of unclassified information of a sensitive nature; (3) a system of incentives and disincentives to encourage DHS personnel to use classified and sensitive and shared information program markings properly; (4) a training program for DHS employees and contractors on classification markings, challenges, and declassification requests; (5) specified policies and procedures to encourage information to be provided in an unclassified form, with classified information at the beginning, or with a sensitive and shared marking; (6) a mechanism to audit compliance with classification requirements; (7) the creation of an independent DHS classification review board; and (8) an assessment of technologies to electronically identify classification employees and track documents. Directs the DHS Inspector General to conduct an annual audit of strategy implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2007 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of gold medals to Native American code talkers of specified Indian tribes. Defines "code talker" as a Native American who served in the Armed Forces during a foreign conflict and who participated in military communications using a native language. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and Indian tribes, to identify code talkers eligible for a gold medal.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Environmental Justice Access and Implementation Act of 2007 - Requires specified federal agencies to establish an Office of Environmental Justice pursuant to Executive Order 12898 (concerning federal actions to address environmental justice in minority and low-income populations). Defines "environmental justice" as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, educational level, or income in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations. Requires the inclusion of minority and low-income populations with health vulnerabilities and exposure to certain environmental conditions in criteria for defining an environmental justice community. Requires federal agencies to integrate the environmental justice strategy developed under Executive Order 12898 into their operations and missions and explicitly address compliance with this Act. Directs the Interagency Federal Working Group on Environmental Justice (Working Group) to coordinate an integrated environmental justice training plan for federal agencies. Requires federal agencies subject to the requirements of this Act to carry out certain outreach activities relating to environmental justice and to report on such activities to the Working Group. Directs federal agencies to fund and establish community technology centers to provide technical assistance and other services in the environmental justice area. Requires the President and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide certain reports to Congress relating to environmental justice.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Drug Sentencing Reform and Cocaine Kingpin Trafficking Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to increase the amount of a controlled substance or mixture containing a cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine) required for the imposition of mandatory minimum prison terms for crack cocaine trafficking to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. Eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum prison term for first-time possession of crack cocaine. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend, if appropriate, its sentencing guidelines for trafficking in a controlled substance to reflect the use of a dangerous weapon or violence in such crime and the culpability and the role of the defendant in such crime, taking into account certain aggravating and mitigating factors. Directs the Attorney General to make grants to improve drug treatment to offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to establish demonstration programs to reduce the use of alcohol and other drugs by substance abusers while incarcerated and until the completion of parole or court supervision. Increases monetary penalties for drug trafficking and for the importation and exportation of controlled substances. Authorizes appropriations to the Departments of Justice, the Treasury, and Homeland Security for FY2008-FY2009 for the prosecution of, and for supporting the prosecution of, high-level drug offenses.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Congratulates the Army Reserve on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the enactment of its original authorizing law on April 23, 1908. Recognizes and commends the Army Reserve for the service of its past and present citizen-soldiers whose personal courage, contributions, and sacrifices have helped preserve the freedom and advance the national security and homeland defense of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Small Business Regulatory Improvement Act - Revises the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Defines the "economic impact" of a rule to include any direct or indirect economic effects on small entities. Requires initial regulatory flexibility analyses of a proposed rule to contain a detailed statement describing the type of small entities to which the proposed rule will apply. Revises provisions requiring the publication by each agency of a plan for the periodic review of its rules that have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities to determine whether they should be continued, changed, or rescinded, including to: (1) limit to two years the amount of time the period for reviewing an agency's regulations may be extended; and (2) require each agency to report annually on review results to Congress and to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Requires an agency to notify the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration of any draft rules that may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities either: (1) when the agency submits a draft rule to the such Office, if submission is required; or (2) if no submission to the Office is so required, at a reasonable time before publication of the rule by the agency. Requires that final regulatory flexibility analyses include the agency's response to any comments filed on a rule by the Chief Counsel and a detailed statement of any changes made as a result.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Congratulates the 200th Anniversary of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Recognizes the school for training local, state, and world leaders and its outstanding work in the community.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Underage Drinking Prevention Act of 2007 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) understanding which programs are effective in reducing underage drinking will maximize scarce federal resources and help confront underage drinking in a more effective, cost-efficient manner; (2) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration should explore ways to expand and improve evaluation efforts; and (3) federal agencies should strive to evaluate all federally funded underage drinking programs and modify programs as needed to reach maximum effectiveness. Requires the Director of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs to award grants to states and local governments to implement and evaluate enforcement and public education programs aimed at reducing the provision of alcohol by social sources to underage drinkers as part of the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Program. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as Chair of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking, to: (1) work with members of that Committee to improve federal data collection by ensuring that federally funded surveys related to underage drinking collect and report data in a consistent manner; and (2) establish a federal data improvement committee. Requires the Secretary of Education to: (1) award grants on a competitive basis to local educational agencies to develop and implement innovative and effective programs to increase parental awareness and involvement in reducing underage drinking in elementary and secondary schools; and (2) identify existing, effective, national programs that increase parent-child interaction to prevent underage drinking and disseminate that information to such agencies for replication at the local level.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Prescribe A Book Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a Pediatric Early Literacy program under which the Secretary of Education awards matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of three-part models through which: (1) health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer them recommendations and strategies for doing so; (2) health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five-years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and (3) volunteers reading to children in health care facility waiting areas show parents the techniques and pleasures of reading aloud to children. Requires that the books provided to children under the program be obtained at a discount.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Recognizes the special legal and political relationship the Indian tribes have with the United States and the solemn covenant with the land we share. Commends and honors the Native Peoples for the thousands of years that they have stewarded and protected this land. Recognizes that there have been years of official depredations, ill-conceived policies, and the breaking of covenants by the U.S. government regarding Indian tribes. Apologizes on behalf of the people of the United States to all Native Peoples for the many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on them by U.S. citizens. Expresses the regret of the United States for the ramifications of former wrongs and its commitment to build on the positive relationships of the past and present to move toward reconciliation. Urges the President to acknowledge the wrongs of the United States against Indian tribes in U.S. history. Commends the state governments that have begun reconciliation efforts with recognized Indian tribes located in their boundaries, and encourages all state governments to do the same. Declares that nothing in this Joint Resolution authorizes or supports any claim against the United States or serves as a settlement of any claim against the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Welcomes the recommendations contained in the March 2007 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) report "Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the Caribbean." Urges the United States, other drug-consuming countries, and the Caribbean countries to increase counter-narcotics efforts in the Caribbean region.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Amends title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to create a new Part D: Promoting Youth Financial Literacy. Allows the Secretary of Education to provide grants to states to: (1) assist local educational agencies and public schools provide financial education programs to students in kindergarten through grade 12; and (2) implement financial education professional development programs for teachers and administrators. Requires a specified amount of the grant funds to be awarded competitively each fiscal year, with the remainder provided to each state on the basis of its share of students in kindergarten through grade 12. Directs the Secretary to make a grant to or contract with an institution of higher education or nonprofit organization that has substantial financial education experience to establish and operate a national clearinghouse of instructional materials and information on model financial education programs and best practices. Amends title V of the ESEA to direct the Secretary to set aside 2% of the funds appropriated for the Fund for the Improvement of Education program each fiscal year for financial literacy activities under such program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2007
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition of her courageous and unwavering commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and democracy in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2007
Keeping Americans Warm Act of 2007 - Appropriates funds for FY2008 to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for emergency payments to states under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, notwithstanding such Act's requirement that funds be made available only after the President's submission to Congress of a formal budget request that includes a designation of the requested amount as an emergency requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2007
Recognizes the 20th anniversary of observing World AIDS Day. Commends the President and state and local governments for publicizing its importance and encouraging individuals to undergo HIV testing. Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of such Day; (2) continued funding for prevention, care, treatment services, and research programs for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States and for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; (3) providing universal access to comprehensive prevention, treatment, care, and support programs by 2010; and (4) efforts to address the factors that make populations vulnerable to HIV/AIDS by decreasing poverty, hunger, and childhood mortality and by empowering women.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Overseas Voting Practical Amendments Act of 2007 - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to rename the official post card form containing both an absentee voter registration application and an absentee ballot application the Federal Voter Registration and Ballot Application. Prohibits states from refusing to accept balloting materials on any of specified grounds, including that the materials are not printed on a post card, do not include certain information, are not notarized or witnessed by an authorized official, are not delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, or do not meet certain other nonessential requirements. Amends federal postal law with respect to postage markings on certain balloting materials mailed by the states. Amends UOCAVA to: (1) permit voters to request absentee ballots in all subsequent elections; (2) repeal the requirement to provide absentee ballots in subsequent elections to individuals with unknown addresses; (3) apply UOCAVA to individuals who have never resided in the United States (whose parents are overseas voters); (4) require prompt notification of rejection of a voter registration or absentee ballot request; and (5) provide for use of a U.S. State Department diplomatic pouch for returning completed absentee ballots.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Encourages health care providers to reduce the rate of occurrence of diabetes and its complications by engaging in a program to prevent, detect, and treat the disease, including through the use of: (1) a treatment regimen that includes minimum clinical practice recommendations published by the American Diabetes Association on January 1, 2007; and (2) measurements of body weight and other risk factors. Commends U.S. health care providers for their commitment to countering the diabetes epidemic.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2007
Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2007 or FOARAM Act - Establishes the Interagency Committee on Ocean Acidification to oversee the planning, establishment, and coordination of a plan to improve the understanding of the role of increased ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and to develop adaptation techniques to effectively conserve marine ecosystems as they cope with ocean acidification. Requires a triennial report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives containing a summary of federally funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities, an analysis of the progress made toward achieving certain goals and priorities, and recommendations for future activities, including policy recommendations. Requires the Committee to develop a strategic research and implementation plan for coordinated federal activities. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish and maintain an ocean acidification program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to implement such strategic research and implementation plan. Authorizes appropriations to NOAA to carry out this Act. Requires that, of amounts made available to carry out this Act: (1) the Secretary of Commerce make at least 60% available to other departments and agencies; and (2) at least 50% be allocated for competitive grants.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2007
Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely Redress Act of 2007 or the FAST Redress Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish: (1) a timely and fair process for individuals who believe they have been delayed or prohibited from boarding a commercial aircraft because they were wrongly identified as a threat; and (2) an Office of Appeals and Redress within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement, coordinate, and execute the process. Requires the process to include the establishment of a method for maintaining a Comprehensive Cleared List of individuals misidentified who have corrected erroneous information. Directs the Office to ensure that the List contains information determined to authenticate such individuals' identities. Directs the Secretary to: (1) transmit to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and specified other entities and air carriers that use the Terrorist Screening Database or the List, information necessary to resolve misidentifications and improve administration of the advanced passenger prescreening system and to reduce false positives; and (2) ensure that the List is considered when assessing an individual's security risk. Directs the Secretary, with DHS's Chief Privacy Officer, to require that DHS employees complete mandatory privacy and security training before being authorized to handle personally identifiable information. Requires the Office to establish at each airport at which DHS has a significant presence a process to provide information to passengers to begin the redress process.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2007
National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to codify provisions establishing in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System, under which the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide for a national network of standardized search and rescue resources to assist state and local governments in responding to structural collapses resulting from terrorist acts and other incidents. Directs the Secretary to: (1) select and designate task forces to participate in the System and determine criteria for participation; (2) enter into an agreement with the sponsoring agency of each task force regarding participation; and (3) maintain such management and technical teams as the Secretary deems necessary. Authorizes a task force to include states, local governments, private nonprofit organizations, and for-profit entities. Directs the Secretary (subject to specified limitations) to enter into, with each sponsoring agency: (1) an annual preparedness cooperative agreement; and (2) a response cooperative agreement, under which the Secretary agrees to reimburse agency costs incurred in responding to incidents. Authorizes the Secretary to appoint a System member for sponsored or sanctioned exercises, pre-incident staging, or major disaster, emergency response, or training events. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) appointment into federal service, including employment status, compensation, treatment as an employee in the event of personal injury, illness, disability, or death, liability, and employment and re-employment rights; and (2) licenses and permits. Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain an advisory subcommittee of the National Advisory Council.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2007
Overseas Voting Education and Reform, Safeguarding Every American's Vote Act, or OVERSEAS Vote Act - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to prohibit a state from refusing to accept or process any otherwise valid absentee ballot submitted by an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter on the grounds that the envelope in which the ballot is submitted is not notarized or witnessed by a notary public or other official authorized to administer oaths. Repeals the requirement to apply for state absentee ballot as a condition for use of a federal write-in absentee ballot. Permits voters to request absentee ballots in all subsequent elections. Directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to establish and operate a program of grants to eligible nonpartisan organizations for activities to: (1) assist overseas civilian voters in voting in federal elections; and (2) increase turnout by providing them with information in advance of an election on how to cast absentee ballots. Requires the head of each office of the federal government with employees whose designated post of duty is outside the United States to notify them of the rights provided by UOCAVA to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters. Directs the Secretary of State to ensure that each passport issued after enactment of this Act describes such rights. Extends application of UOCAVA to certain individuals who have never resided in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2007
Native American Heritage Day Act of 2007 - Makes specified findings, including that the Friday immediately succeeding Thanksgiving Day of each year would be an appropriate day to designate as Native American Heritage Day. Encourages educational institutions to develop model educational curricula, in consultation with Native American governmental leaders, for purposes of recognizing a Native American Heritage Day, emphasizing the contributions of Native Americans to the United States and the world. Encourages the people of the United States, as well as federal, state, and local governments and interested groups and organizations to observe a Native American Heritage Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2007
Declares that House of Representatives has lost confidence in Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairwoman Nancy Nord and urges the President to request her resignation and to nominate a replacement.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2007
Requires the determination of whether a veteran can be transferred to a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility after receiving emergency medical treatment in a non-Department facility to be based both on the condition of the veteran and on the availability of a bed in a Department facility that is not geographically inaccessible to the veteran.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2007
Designates the portion of California State Route 91 located in Los Angeles County, California, from post mile 10.4 to post mile 11.1 as the "Juanita Millender-McDonald Highway."
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2007
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a $300 plot allowance to a state for spouses and children of certain veterans who are buried in state cemeteries.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2007
Congratulates: (1) the Colorado Rockies on winning the National League Championship and advancing to the 2007 World Series; and (2) the Boston Red Sox for winning the 2007 World Series.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2007
Roofing Energy Efficiency Tax Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) classify as 20-year property for depreciation purposes any roof system which meets the requirements of Standard 90.1-2004 of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers and is on nonresidential real property; and (2) require use of the straight line method for depreciation of such property.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2007
Declares that House of Representatives has lost confidence in Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairwoman Nancy Nord and urges the President to request her resignation and to nominate a replacement.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) should incorporate consideration of the effects of global warming and sea-level rise into the comprehensive conservation plan for each coastal national wildlife refuge. Calls for such plans to address how global warming and sea-level rise will affect: (1) the ecological integrity, archaeological and cultural values, and distribution, migration patterns, and abundance of fish, wildlife, and plant populations and related habitats of the refuge; (2) areas within the refuge that are suitable for use as administrative sites or visitor facilities; and (3) opportunities for compatible wildlife-dependent recreational uses of the refuge. Calls for the Director of the USFWS to conduct an assessment of the potential impacts of global warming and sea-level rise on coastal national wildlife refuges.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2007
Disabled Veterans Right to Commissaries and Space Available Travel Act - Requires veterans with disabilities rated at 30% or more to be permitted to use commissary and exchange stores on the same basis as members of the Armed Forces eligible for retired or retainer pay. Extends such benefit to dependents on the same basis. Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide transportation on Department of Defense aircraft on a space-available basis for any veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 50% or more on the same basis as members entitled to retired or retainer pay. Extends such benefit to dependents on the same basis.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2007
Safe and Healthy Emergency Housing Act of 2007 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide a temporary housing unit to an individual or household only if it complies with regulations of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development that establish formaldehyde emissions requirements applicable to manufactured homes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Amends the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 to prohibit the bankruptcy court from dismissing or converting a case based on means testing while the debtor: (1) is either on active duty or performing a homeland defense activity for at least 60 days; or (2) was either called to active duty or performed homeland defense activity as a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces or a member of the National Guard after September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Restitution for the Exonerated Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants, including emergency grants, to nonprofit organizations for programs to provide support services (e.g., employment training, health care services, and legal assistance) to exonerees. Defines "exoneree" as an individual who has been convicted of a crime carrying a prison sentence of one year or more, has served at least six months of such prison sentence, and has been determined to be factually innocent of the crime.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to a designated state agency for development of universal prekindergaten programs for all children three, four, and five years old in the state. Requires the state to: (1) match federal funds by at least 20%; and (2) submit with its grant application a plan to establish, coordinate, and implement a statewide universal prekindergarten program. Authorizes state agencies to set aside up to 5% of a grant for ongoing professional development activities for teachers and staff of prekindergarten programs that wish to participate.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2007
Unemployment Insurance for Survivors Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Unemployment Tax Act) to add as a condition for approval of a state unemployment compensation law that it does not deny unemployment compensation to individuals separated from employment because of circumstances resulting from the experience of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits states from imposing additional conditions restricting the individual's eligibility for or receipt of unemployment benefits beyond those required of other individuals forced to leave their jobs or deemed to have good cause for voluntary separating from a job. Amends title III (Grants to States for Unemployment Compensation Administration) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to prohibit the Secretary of Labor from providing grants to states for unemployment compensation administration unless: (1) unemployment compensation applicants are notified of the requirements of this Act; and (2) claims reviewers and hearing personnel are adequately trained in the nature and dynamics of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and in methods of ascertaining and keeping confidential information about such applicants' possible experiences. Amends SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) (TANF) to require a state TANF plan to require the state's chief officer to certify that the state has established and is enforcing standards and procedures to: (1) notify TANF applicants of the requirements of this Act and related assistance; and (2) ensure that TANF personnel receive adequate related training. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award development grants for model training programs under this Act to a national victim services organization and to state, tribal, or local agencies.