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United States · Official source
4,739 records where Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy to raise awareness about the importance of this critical issue, promote parent-child communication, and invest in programs that have been proven to reduce teen pregnancy.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2009
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Women's Health Week. Recognizes the importance of: (1) preventing diseases that commonly affect women; and (2) federally funded programs that provide research and collect data on common diseases in women. Calls on women to observe National Women's Check-Up Day by receiving preventive screenings.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2009
New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act - Authorizes the President to present gold medals, on behalf of Congress, to: (1) the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission to the surface of the moon, Neil A. Armstrong (the first human to walk on the moon), Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. (pilot of the lunar module Eagle and second person to walk on the moon), and Michael Collins (pilot of their command module Columbia) in recognition of the first lunar landing, on July 20, 1969; and (2) John Herschel Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, on February 20, 1962.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2009
National Health Care Quality Act - Establishes within the Executive Office of the President the Office of National Health Care Quality Improvement, headed by a Director of National Health Care Quality. Sets forth the duties of the Director, including: (1) advising the President on the quality of health care in the United States; (2) determining national priorities for improving health care quality; (3) establishing annual benchmarks for federal agencies to achieve national priorities for health care quality improvement; (4) developing an annual report card on the nation's health; and (5) posting on a website public information relating to national priorities for health care quality improvement and other information relating to health care quality. Establishes within the Office the Quality Interagency Coordinating Council to coordinate health care quality improvement efforts across all federal agencies. Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) make the position of Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality a presidential appointment; and (2) require the Agency to incorporate health care quality improvement priorities into research conducted under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), apply health care quality measures to HHS health programs, and conduct a public education campaign to educate health care providers and consumers about health care quality improvement. Establishes a National Quality Resource Center to assist health care providers in understanding and implementing health care quality improvement initiatives. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to award National Quality Support Extension grants to support and facilitate local health care quality improvement efforts throughout the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2009
Public Health Emergency Response Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to activate the coverage of short-term emergency health care services if the Secretary determines that there is a public health emergency. Sets forth factors for the Secretary to consider, including the degree to which the emergency is likely to overwhelm health care providers in the region. Requires the Secretary to establish a medical monitoring program for monitoring and reporting on the health care needs of the affected population over time. Limits eligibility for coverage of emergency health care services to: (1) uninsured or underinsured emergency victims who need health care services due to injuries or disease resulting from the public health emergency; or (2) uninsured individuals residing in the affected area whose ability to access care or medicine is disrupted as a result of the emergency. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a streamlined process for determining eligibility for emergency health care services; (2) report to Congress on the number and adequacy of volunteers enrolled in the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) who will be available to each state in the event of a public health emergency; and (3) conduct an outreach and public education campaign to inform health care providers and the general public about the availability of emergency health care coverage during the period of the emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) diplomatic efforts to address Iran's illicit nuclear efforts, unconventional and ballistic missile development programs, and support for international terrorism are more likely to be effective if the President is empowered with explicit authority to impose additional sanctions on the government of Iran; (2) U.S. concerns regarding Iran are strictly the result of that government’s actions; and (3) the people of the United States have feelings of friendship for the people of Iran and regret that developments in recent decades have created impediments to that friendship. States that it should be U.S. policy to: (1) support international diplomatic efforts to end Iran's uranium enrichment program and its nuclear weapons program; (2) encourage foreign governments to direct state-owned and private entities to cease all investment in, and support of, Iran's energy sector and all exports of refined petroleum products to Iran; (3) impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran and any other Iranian financial institution engaged in proliferation activities or support of terrorist groups; and (4) work with allies to protect the international financial system from deceptive and illicit practices by Iranian financial institutions involved in proliferation activities or support of terrorist groups. Amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to direct the President to impose two or more current sanctions under such Act if a person has, with actual knowledge, made an investment of $20 million or more (or any combination of investments of at least $5 million which in the aggregate equals or exceeds $20 million in any 12-month period) that directly and significantly contributed to Iran's ability to develop its petroleum resources. (Under current law the sanction thresholds are $40 million, $10 million, and $40 million, respectively.) Directs the President to impose: (1) sanctions established under this Act (in addition to any current sanctions imposed under the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996) if a person has, with actual knowledge, sold, leased, or provided to Iran any goods, services, technology, information, or support that would allow Iran to maintain or expand its domestic production of refined petroleum resources, including any assistance in refinery construction, modernization, or repair; and (2) sanctions established under this Act if a person has, with actual knowledge, provided Iran with refined petroleum resources or engaged in any activity that could contribute to Iran's ability to import refined petroleum resources, including providing shipping, insurance, or financing services for such activity. Establishes additional sanctions prohibiting specified foreign exchange, banking, and property transactions. Includes references to refined petroleum resources in a presidential report to Congress requesting waiver of sanctions for purposes of national interest. Requires that the President immediately investigate a person upon receipt of credible information that such person is engaged in prohibited investment or other activity. Defines "credible information" as public or classified information or reporting supported by other substantiating evidence. Includes among the exceptions to the imposition of sanctions a situation in which the President determines in writing that the person to which the sanctions would otherwise be applied is: (1) a citizen or resident of a country that is a participant in the Proliferation Security Initiative; or (2) a foreign person organized under the laws of such country and is a subsidiary of a U.S. person. Directs the President to report to the appropriate congressional committees every six months regarding any person who has: (1) provided Iran with refined petroleum resources; (2) sold, leased, or provided to Iran any goods, services, or technology that would allow Iran to maintain or expand its domestic production of refined petroleum resources; or (3) engaged in any activity that could contribute to the enhancement of Iran's ability to import refined petroleum resources. States that the term "petroleum resources" includes petroleum, petroleum by-products, oil or liquefied natural gas, oil or liquefied natural gas tankers, and products used to construct or maintain pipelines used to transport oil or compressed or liquefied natural gas. (Under current law the definition of the term "petroleum resources" is limited to petroleum and natural gas resources.) Defines "petroleum by-products" as gasoline, kerosene, distillates, propane or butane gas, diesel fuel, residual fuel oil, and other goods classified in headings 2709 and 2710 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Mercury Pollution Reduction Act - Declares that the United States should develop policies and programs that will reduce: (1) mercury use and emissions; (2) mercury releases from the reservoir of mercury currently in use or circulation; and (3) exposures to mercury, particularly of women of childbearing age and young children. Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit: (1) the manufacture of chlorine or caustic soda using mercury cells; and (2) the export of any mercury, mercury cells, mercury compounds, and mixtures containing mercury by the owner or operator of a chlor-alkali facility. Requires the owner or operator of each chlor-alkali facility to report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator and the state in which the facility is located on mercury waste, emissions, and content in products. Requires the Administrator to: (1) conduct a comprehensive mercury inventory covering the life and closure of chlor-alkali facilities that cease operations on or after January 1, 2009; and (2) obtain mercury purchase records and such other information from each such facility as are necessary to determine the magnitude and nature of mercury releases from the facility into air and other environmental media.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Green Communities Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce, through the Economic Development Administration, to make grants to municipalities to promote community greening initiatives (defined as programs increasing economic development through environmental improvements). Directs the Secretary to select 80 municipalities to receive grants. Requires an eligible program partner to develop and plan such an initiative, which may include revitalizing municipal parks and public spaces, tree plantings, green roof construction, and vacant lot management. Directs the Secretary to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, five nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance and training to eligible program partners in developing, planning, implementing, and assessing initiatives.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2009
Family and Medical Leave Restoration Act - Requires the Secretary of Labor to revise regulations promulgated under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) governing coverage and employee leave entitlements. Repeals certain regulations promulgated on November 17, 2008, and restores those promulgated on January 6, 1996. Directs the Secretary to revise regulations regarding an employer's request for recertification of a medical condition whose minimum duration is more than 30 days for leave taken because of an employee's own serious health condition or the serious health condition of a family member. Requires the Secretary to permit an employer to require such a recertification no earlier than: (1) the expiration of the length of time indicated in the original certification; or (2) one year after obtaining the original certification, if the original certification indicated that the medical condition would last longer than one year. Directs the Secretary to revise the requirements for continuing treatment of a serious health condition to: (1) remove requirements for a specific number of periodic visits for treatment by a health care provider in order to qualify for leave; and (2) require only the treatment that the health care provider determines proper. Requires the Secretary to revise any medical certification form templates to conform with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2009
Expresses support for the designation of a National Donate Life Month. Expresses support and gratitude to all Americans who have communicated their intent to be organ and tissue donors upon their deaths. Urges Americans who are not already donors to consider their organ, blood, and tissue donation options.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009 - Directs the President to develop and implement: (1) a National Strategy for Global Development to further the U.S. foreign policy objective of reducing poverty and contributing to economic growth in developing countries, including responding to humanitarian crises; and (2) a system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance. Expresses the sense of Congress that American taxpayers and foreign assistance recipients should have, to the maximum extent practicable, full access to U.S. foreign assistance information.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Childhood Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to expand and intensify the CDC's cancer control programs, including programs for conducting surveillance activities or supporting state comprehensive cancer control programs. Requires the Director of the National Cancer Institute to coordinate the activities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with respect to cancer survivorship, including child cancer survivorship. Requires the Director of NIH, acting through the Director of the Institute, to make grants for research relating to: (1) childhood cancer survivors within minority populations; and (2) health disparities in cancer survivorship outcomes within minority or other medically underserved populations. Requires the Director of NIH to conduct or support research to evaluate systems of follow-up care for childhood cancer survivors. Directs the Secretary to make grants to establish or improve training programs for health care professionals to: (1) improve the quality of immediate and long-term follow-up care for survivors of childhood cancers and their families; and (2) ensure that such care is linguistically and culturally competent. Requires the Director of NIH to make grants to establish pilot programs to develop, study, or evaluate model systems for monitoring and caring for childhood cancer survivors. Requires the Secretary to make grants to: (1) establish and operate a clinic for comprehensive long-term follow-up services for childhood cancer survivors; and (2) improve physical and psychosocial care for childhood cancer survivors.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009 - Authorizes the President to provide assistance, including through multilateral, nongovernmental, and faith-based organizations, to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the educational, health, economic, social, and legal empowerment of girls and women. Sets forth priority assistance criteria. Directs the President, through the Secretary of State, to establish a multi-year strategy to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the empowerment of girls at risk of child marriage. Sets forth strategy elements. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that Department of State country reports on human rights practices include a description of the status of child marriage for countries with specified rates of child marriage. Defines "child marriage" as the marriage of a girl or boy not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
United States Public Service Academy Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Department of State a U.S. Public Service Academy for the instruction in and preparation for public service of selected individuals. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) key personnel positions; (2) faculty and departments; (3) student nominations, qualifications, and admission requirements; (4) curriculum standards; and (5) off-campus learning program requirements. Requires each Academy student to sign an agreement for not less than five years of public service following graduation. Imposes cost repayment requirements for students who fail to graduate or to complete such public service. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) public service assignments; and (2) graduate education and the additional service commitment. Establishes a Board of Visitors to oversee and inquire into the efficiency and effectiveness of Academy operations. Directs the President to determine the Academy's location by establishing an advisory commission and through specified procedures. Authorizes the President to acquire land and construct the Academy. Requires each Academy student's education to be fully subsidized by the Academy (or by an international student's home country).
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Recognizes the 40th anniversary of the National Eye Institute. Expresses support for the designation of the Decade of Vision to maintain a sustained awareness of the public health challenges associated with vision impairment and eye disease and to emphasize the need for federal support for prevention and early detection, access to treatment and rehabilitation, and research. Commends the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research for its efforts to expand awareness of eye disease through its Decade of Vision 2010-2020 Initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Supports the designation of National Healthy Schools Day.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Restitution for the Exonerated Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants and supplemental funds to nonprofit organizations to be used only to provide support services (e.g., employment training, health care services, and legal assistance) to exonerees. Prohibits services for exonerees who have not demonstrated financial need or for a period of more than 24 months. 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 · 23 April 2009
Urges the government of Afghanistan and President Hamid Karzai to declare the provisions of the Shi'ite Personal Status Law on marital rape and restrictions on women's freedom of movement unconstitutional. Encourages the Secretary of State, the Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Ambassador-at-Large for International Women's Issues, and the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan to address the status of women's rights and security in Afghanistan to ensure that these rights are not being eroded.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
No Child Left Inside Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, approved by the Secretary of Education, for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Directs the Secretary to award Environmental Education Professional Development Grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, institutions of higher education (IHE), other educational entities, or federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, for activities involving, among other things, teacher training and the development of more rigorous environmental education curricula that advance the teaching of interdisciplinary courses. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, IHEs, other educational entities, federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, or park and recreation departments, for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards; (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs; and (3) research.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Eliminating Disparities in Diabetes Prevention Access and Care Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide for: (1) ongoing research and other activities with respect to pre-diabetes and diabetes in minority populations; and (2) programs to treat diabetes in minority populations. Requires the Director of NIH, through the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the National Diabetes Education Program, to provide for: (1) health care professionals' mentoring; and (2) minority health professionals' participation in diabetes-focused research programs. Requires the Director to make grants for a pipeline from high school to professional school that will increase minority representation in diabetes-focused health fields. Directs the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee to assess federal activities and programs related to diabetes in minority populations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) conduct research on diabetes in minority populations; (2) direct the Division of Diabetes Translation to educate the public on the causes and effects of diabetes in minority populations; and (3) carry out diabetes health promotion and prevention programs for minority populations. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to educate health professionals on the causes and effects of diabetes in minority populations. Sets forth additional requirements for the Secretary related to: (1) factors that may influence health promotion, diabetes management, and prevention; (2) data collection on diabetes treatment, care, prevention, and services to the American Indian population; (3) increased participation of minority populations in clinical trials; and (4) specialized care for children with diabetes.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single gold medal in honor of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) collectively, in honor of their pioneering military service and exemplary record, which forged revolutionary reform in the U.S. Armed Forces. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian Institution shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations associated with the WASP.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act to establish an Elder Justice program under title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services). Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC). Establishes the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to establish stationary and mobile forensic centers, to develop forensic expertise regarding, and provide services relating to, elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Directs the Secretary to provide incentives for individuals to train for, seek, and maintain employment providing direct care in a long-term care (LTC) facility. Directs the Secretary to make grants to LTC facilities to: (1) offer continuing training and varying levels of certification to employees who provide direct care to LTC facility residents; and (2) provide bonuses or other benefits to employees who achieve certification. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to assist LTC facilities in offsetting the costs for standardized clinical health care informatics systems designed to improve patient safety and reduce adverse events and health care complications resulting from medication errors. Directs the Secretary to ensure that HHS: (1) provides funding to state and local adult protective services services offices that investigate reports of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) collects and disseminates related data in coordination with the Department of Justice. Establishes a program of annual adult protective services grants to states. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to: (1) improve the capacity of state LTC ombudsman programs to respond to and resolve abuse and neglect complaints; and (2) conduct pilot programs with state or local LTC ombudsman offices. Directs the Secretary to establish programs to provide and improve ombudsman training for national organizations and state LTC ombudsman programs. Amends part A of SSA title XI to require each individual owner, operator, employee, manager, agent, or contractor of an LTC facility receiving certain federal support to report to the Secretary and local law enforcement entities any reasonable suspicion of crimes occurring in such facility. Requires the owner or operator of such an LTC facility to notify the Secretary and the appropriate state regulatory agency of a facility's impending closure, as well as a plan for the transfer and adequate relocation of facility residents. Directs the Secretary to study and report to the EJCC and appropriate congressional committees on establishing a national nurse aide registry. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) study, analyze, and report to Congress, the Secretary, and the states on state laws and practices relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) develop objectives, priorities, policies, and a long-term plan for elder justice programs and activities. Requires the Comptroller General to review and report to Congress on existing federal programs and initiatives in the federal criminal justice system relevant to elder justice. Authorizes the Attorney General to award victim advocacy grants to eligible entities to study the special needs of victims of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Directs the Attorney General to award grants to provide: (1) training, technical assistance, policy development, multidisciplinary coordination, and other types of support to local and state prosecutors and courts, as well as employees of state Attorneys General and Medicaid Fraud Control Units handling elder justice-related matters; and (3) similar types of support to police, sheriffs, detectives, public safety officers, corrections personnel, and other front line law enforcement responders who handle elder justice matters to fund specially designated elder justice positions or units designed to support front line law enforcement in elder justice matters. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to reauthorize the missing Alzheimer's Disease patient alert program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation on behalf of Congress of a gold medal of appropriate design to Dr. Muhammad Yunus in recognition of his many enduring contributions to the fight against global poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Congratulates Averett University in Danville, Virginia, for 150 years of service and leadership to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Congratulates the North Carolina Tar Heels for winning the 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Expresses the heartfelt condolences of the House of Representatives to the families and friends of the victims of the April 3, 2009, shooting in Binghamton, New York. Conveys the gratitude of the House to the city, county, state, and federal officials and agencies whose quick and comprehensive response helped save lives and start the long healing process. Honors the American Civic Association for the services it provides to assist people from across the world who seek the American dream.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009 - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert; (3) the Grand Staircase-Escalante; (4) Moab-La Sal Canyons; (5) Henry Mountains; (6) Glen Canyon; (7) San Juan-Anasazi; (8) Canyonlands Basin; (9) San Rafael Swell; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) filing by the Secretary of the Interior of a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees; (2) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas; (3) federal reservation of water rights; (4) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness; (5) authorized livestock grazing; and (6) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Transportation Security Workforce Enhancement Act of 2009 - Terminates certain authorities under the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel management system with respect to TSA employees under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act and related law, including all authority to establish or adjust a human resources management system. Subjects TSA employees (including screeners) to the protections of the federal civil service system, including the right to collective bargaining, compensation, leave, health, and other employee rights. Prohibits any reduction in rate of pay or certain other rights of TSA employees upon conversion from the TSA personnel system to the federal civil service system. Provides that nothing in this Act shall repeal laws against striking against the U.S. Government.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Presidential Commission on Women Act of 2009 - Establishes the Presidential Commission on Women to: (1) review the status of women nationwide; (2) review the role of the federal government in aid to, and the promotion of, women; (3) review data collection procedures with regard to women federal initiatives and procurement; and (4) hold a conference to assist in those reviews.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under federal law or a felony under state, local, or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim, or is a violation of the state, local, or tribal hate crime laws. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one state and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist state, local, and Indian law enforcement agencies with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to state and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit willfully causing bodily injury to any person because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of such person. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to expand data collection and reporting requirements under such Act to include: (1) crimes manifesting prejudice based on gender and gender identity; and (2) hate crimes committed by and against juveniles. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the exercise of constitutionally-protected free speech.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
The White House Conference on Food and Nutrition - Directs: (1) the President to call the White House Conference on Food and Nutrition to be convened in order to make fundamental policy recommendations on ways to end hunger and to improve nutrition in the United States; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of the Treasury to plan and conduct the Conference. Sets forth Conference provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Medicare Fracture Prevention and Osteoporosis Testing Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a national minimum payment amount for CPT code 77080 (relating to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, or DXA, the most widely accepted method of measuring bone mass to predict fracture risk) and CPT code 77082 (relating to vertebral fracture assessment, or VFA), and any successor to such codes as identified by the Secretary (bone mass scans). Directs the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies to study and report to the Secretary and Congress on: (1) the ramifications of Medicare reimbursement reductions for DXA and VFA on beneficiary access to bone mass measurement benefits; and (2) the methods to increase use of bone mass measurement by Medicare beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Health Workforce Investment Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the National Health Workforce Advisory Council to make recommendations to relevant agencies and congressional committees on health workforce issues, including on: (1) the supply and distribution of the U.S. health workforce; (2) current and future shortages or excesses of health workforce professionals; (3) issues relating to foreign medical and nursing school graduates; (4) deficiencies in existing databases concerning the supply and distribution of, and career, technical, and postsecondary education training programs for, health workforce professionals; (5) factors impacting practitioners' selection of specialty areas, including malpractice insurance costs; and (6) incentives to encourage primary care practice in underserved areas. Requires the Council to encourage entities providing graduate medical education to conduct activities to voluntarily address health workforce issues. Establishes the National Center for Health Workforce Information and Analysis to conduct and support statistical and epidemiological activities for the purpose of assessing and improving the supply, distribution, diversity, and development of the health workforce in the United States. Provides for protection of individually identifiable personal data. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states for: (1) ensuring access to health services for all individuals, particularly those with low incomes or limited access to health services, through an adequate health workforce; (2) improving the supply, distribution, diversity, and development of the health workforce; (3) creating state-specific health workforce goals and objectives consistent with health status goals and national health workforce objectives; and (4) establishing a state health workforce planning entity to establish statewide processes for state health workforce planning. Authorizes the Secretary to provide for research to identify best practices and innovative approaches to improving the health workforce. Requires the Secretary to develop national health workforce objectives.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Preserve Patient Access to Reputable DMEPOS Providers Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to declare that the surety bond requirement under the Medicare program for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) shall apply only to a state-licensed retail pharmacy if there has been a final adverse action that is not subject to administrative or judicial appeal taken against such pharmacy during the 10-year period preceding the issuance (or renewal) of the provider number involved. (Thus exempts from the surety bond requirement any state-licensed retail pharmacy that has not been subject to such an adverse action for at least 10 years. Such adverse actions refer to: (1) a Medicare-imposed revocation of any Medicare billing privileges; (2) suspension or revocation of a license to provide health care by any state licensing authority; (3) revocation or suspension by an accreditation organization; (4) conviction of a federal or state felony offense within the last 10 years preceding enrollment, revalidation, or re-enrollment; or (5) an exclusion or debarment from participation in a federal or state health care program.)
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish programs related to mental health services for children and adolescents, to include: (1) entering into contracts with qualified individuals to pay educational loans in exchange for providing mental health services to children and adolescents; (2) awarding scholarships to students who agree to work as child and adolescent mental health service professionals after graduation or completion of residency or fellowship; (3) awarding competitive grants to higher education institutions to establish or expand internship or other field placement programs for students receiving specialized training or clinical experience in child and adolescent mental health; (4) awarding grants to state-licensed mental heath organizations to pay for programs for preservice or in-service training of paraprofessional child and adolescent mental health workers; and (5) awarding grants to higher education institutions to establish or expand graduate child and adolescent mental health programs. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to adjust the graduate medical education program to: (1) exclude a reasonable number of residents or fellows in child and adolescent psychiatry when calculating the maximum number of residents in the field of allopathic or osteopathic medicine for which the hospital may be paid; and (2) extend the period of board eligibility for residents and fellows in child and adolescent psychiatry. Directs the Administrator to study and report to Congress on the distribution of, and need for, child mental health service professionals and on a comparison of such distribution and need on a state-by-state basis.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Complete America's Great Trails Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for the fair market value of any National Scenic Trail conservation contribution. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to study and report to Congress on the efficacy of such tax credit in completing, extending, and increasing the number of National Scenic Trails.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Honors the life and achievements of Dr. John Hope Franklin. Encourages the nation to recognize his academic contributions, scholarship, and service to the American society and history.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
World War I Memorial and Centennial Act of 2009 - Designates the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the National World War I Memorial. Establishes the World War I Centennial Commission to: (1) plan, develop, and execute programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I; (2) encourage private organizations and state and local governments to organize and participate in such activities; (3) facilitate and coordinate such activities throughout the United States; and (4) serve as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about centennial events and plans.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
Quit Smoking for Life Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to cover diagnostic, therapy, and counseling services, furnished by or under a physician's supervision, for cessation of tobacco use. Provides for payment of 80% of the lesser of the actual charge or the fee schedule amount. Eliminates the deductible. Includes tobacco cessation agents as covered drugs under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program). Amends SSA titles V (Maternal and Child Health Services) and XIX (Medicaid) also to cover counseling and medication for cessation of tobacco use. Requires inclusion of anti-tobacco messages in health promotion counseling as part of quality maternal and child health services.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
Congratulates and salutes Hillerich and Bradsby Co. on the 125th anniversary of the Louisville Slugger.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Charlie Wolf Nuclear Workers Compensation Act - Amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to expand the diseases for which individuals who were exposed to radiation from nuclear testing may claim compensation to include chronic lymphocytic leukemia, posterior subcapsular cataracts, nonmalignant thyroid nodular disease, parathyroid adenoma, malignant tumors of the brain and central nervous system, brochio-alveolar carcinoma, and benign neoplasms of the brain and central nervous system. Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Compensation Program Act of 2000 to expand the definition of "atomic weapons employee" to include an individual employed by a contractor or subcontractor of an atomic weapons employer for purposes of compensation under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. Revises criteria used to determine established chronic beryllium disease compensable under the program. Expands the class of members of the Special Exposure Cohort to include any employee who is not covered by specified current requirements but was employed by the Department of Energy (DOE), or a DOE contractor or subcontractor, before January 1, 2006. Adds basal cell carcinoma and skin cancer to the list of compensable cancers. Changes the presumption for a finding of cancer compensable under the program to a standard of clear and convincing evidence that it was not sustained as a result of employment at the atomic weapons employer's facility. (Currently, a presumption for a finding of cancer will be made only if the cancer was at least as likely as not related to employment at the facility.) Requires that potential compensation claimants are given: (1) a list of physicians qualified to perform medical and impairment screenings; and (2) a written notice of benefits for which they may be eligible under the program. Requires site profiles (exposure assessments) of contaminated DOE facilities to identify: (1) by trade name (if any) any toxic substances or processes commonly used in such sites; and (2) the time frame during which the potential for exposure to toxic substances existed. Requires the Secretary of Labor to provide the public with site profiles and other information used to evaluate claims for compensation, as well as statistical data regarding the number of claims filed and the length of time to process them. Specifies covered illnesses to include all forms of cancer, silicosis, asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung fibrosis, chronic constructive pulmonary disease, chronic renal insufficiency, peripheral neuropathy, chronic encepathalopathy, occupational asthma, and pneumoconiosis. Replaces the current requirements for compensation to the survivors of a contractor employee to require payment to them of the compensation the deceased contractor employee would otherwise have been paid. Requires payment of the compensation, if no survivors exist, to a claimant's estate. Includes radiation and heavy metals, or a combination of them, as toxic substances exposure to which may cause a covered illness. Extends from 60 days to one year after an adverse decision the statute of limitation period for filing a petition for judicial review in federal district court of any denial of a compensation claim. Expands the duties of the Office of the Ombudsman in the Department of Labor to include: (1) assisting individuals in making claims; and (2) functioning as an advocate on behalf of individuals seeking benefits. Authorizes the Ombudsman to contract for expert services. Requires the promulgation of regulations for: (1) the direct payment to providers of the costs of personal care services and transportation expenses for claimants who receive medical benefits under the Act; (2) clear, concise, and easily understandable explanations of the claims process, including claim denials; and (3) the retention of records in DOE and the Department of Labor that might be used by claimants in the claims process. Requires claimants under the Act 120 days to respond to a request for information from the Secretary of Labor.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions by individuals and corporations of real property interests for conservation purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Honors the life, legacy, and memory of Pedro Pablo Zamora y Diaz, an educator and activist and a pioneer in the battle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Expresses support for educators and activitists who adhere to a comprehensive sex education agenda that is rooted in empirical and scientific evidence, that is culturally competent, and that promotes the tolerance of sexual orientation and the destigmatization of HIV/AIDS. Expresses the House of Representatives' commitment to: (1) supporting prevention and treatment facilities and programs in areas that have high rates of HIV/AIDS infections and high uninsured rates; (2) supporting programs that address the disproportionate effect of HIV/AIDS on communities of color; and (3) investing in programs and initiatives that are dedicated to providing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender persons with the necessary support, resources, and tools to ensure that their civil rights, dignity, and health are protected.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2009
Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) Program Act - Requires: (1) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and implement standards for a national energy and environmental building retrofit policy for single-family and multifamily residences; (2) the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to develop and implement standards for a national energy and environmental building retrofit policy for commercial buildings; and (3) the program to implement such policies to be known as the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP) program. Requires the REEP program to: (1) facilitate the retrofitting of existing buildings to achieve maximum cost-effective energy efficiency improvements and significant improvements in water use and other environmental attributes; and (2) provide financial assistance to states, to be administered through the State Energy Program, for management and accomplishment of the program's objectives at the individual building level. Authorizes states and local agencies to offer free or low-cost building audits, incentives, technical assistance, training, incentive financing, and other forms of assistance to individual building owners. Requires the Administrator and the Secretary to assist states and local agencies in establishing revolving loan funds or other forms of financial assistance. Sets forth: (1) REEP program elements; and (2) requirements for states to follow in order to receive program funding. Requires the Secretary and the Administrator to support the implementation, through state REEP programs, of alternative means of creating incentives for, or reducing financial barriers to, improved energy and environmental performance in buildings. Authorizes states and local REEP programs to make per-building direct expenditures for retrofit improvements, or the equivalent in indirect financial support, for specified residential program awards, commercial program awards, and awards for historic buildings. Authorizes appropriated funding provided to a state energy program that is not specifically required to be expended for a different federally designated purpose to be used to support a REEP program.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2009
Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009 - Allows a state to authorize the operation of a vehicle with a maximum gross weight (including enforcement tolerances) in excess of certain federal weight limitations on Interstate Highway System (IHS) routes in the state if: (1) the vehicle is equipped with at least six axles; (2) the weight of any single axle does not exceed 20,000 pounds; (3) the weight of any tandem axle does not exceed 34,000 pounds; (4) the weight of any group of three or more axles does not exceed 51,000 pounds; and (5) the gross weight of the vehicle does not exceed 97,000 pounds. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a safe and efficient vehicle bridge infrastructure improvement program. Requires the Secretary to apportion amounts from the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund to states for eligible bridge replacement or rehabilitation projects. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose an overweight vehicle tax on any vehicles that exceed federal weight limitations operating on the IHS; and (2) establish the Safe and Efficient Vehicle Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2009
Celebrates the life and accomplishments of John Hope Franklin and honors his contributions to American society.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
American Dream Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States before his or her 16th birthday and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth requirements respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) confidentiality; (3) fee prohibitions; (4) higher education assistance; and (5) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009 or EARLY Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct a national evidence-based education campaign: (1) to increase public awareness regarding the threats posed by breast cancer to young women, including the particular risks faced by certain ethnic and cultural groups; and (2) focusing on awareness of risk factors and achieving early detection through community-centered informational forums, public service advertisements, and media campaigns. Directs the Secretary to award grants to entities to establish national multimedia campaigns that: (1) will encourage young women to be aware of their personal risk factors, strategies for increasing early detection and self awareness, evidence based preventative lifestyle changes, and other appropriate breast cancer early detection and risk reduction strategies; (2) will encourage young women of specific higher-risk populations to talk to their medical practitioners about those risks and methods for appropriate screening and surveillance; and (3) may include advertising through specified media. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) establish an advisory committee to assist in creating and conducting the public education campaign; (2) conduct an education campaign to increase awareness among health care professionals; and (3) conduct prevention research. Directs the Secretary to award grants to organizations and institutions to provide to young women diagnosed with breast cancer substantive assistance and health information from credible sources on: (1) education and counseling regarding fertility preservation; (2) social, emotional, psychosocial, financial, lifestyle, and caregiver support; (3) familial risk factors; and (4) risk reduction strategies to reduce recurrence or metastasis.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Acknowledges the importance of assistance dogs in helping combat-wounded veterans live happier and more independent lives. Applauds the work of the Tower of Hope in providing such dogs to such veterans. Expresses gratitude and support to volunteers and donors who offer time and funds to such program. Encourages the public to support wounded veterans by volunteering or donating to help train assistance dogs. Calls for the vigorous promotion of the benefits of assistance animals. Supports creation of a Tower of Hope Day in honor of wounded veterans and their service dogs, the work of the Tower of Hope, and the many generous donors.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
Protection for Participants in Research Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require all human subject research conducted, supported, or otherwise subject to federal regulation, to be conducted in accordance with the Common Rule and the vulnerable-population rules, as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review and harmonize such regulations. Requires informed consent before an individual may be a subject of human research. Requires an Institutional Review Board to approve all human subject research proposals. Directs the Secretary to establish criteria for determining whether a human subject research project must be conducted in accordance with a data safety and monitoring plan. Prohibits grants or awards to a public entity or private academic institution that does not have a program to educate investigators and Board members on the protection of human research subjects. Prohibits the use of federal funds for classified human subject research if: (1) the Board has waived the informed consent requirement; or (2) the research is exempt from Board review. Establishes the Office of Human Research Protections within the Office of the Secretary. Requires the Director of the Office to: (1) provide for the protection of human research subjects; (2) establish criteria regarding assurance of compliance with Common Rule requirements; and (3) coordinate federal activities with respect to the protection of human research subjects. Authorizes the Director to make grants for a model education program. Requires the Secretary to: (1) promulgate regulations enhancing the protection of people with diminished decision-making capacity participating in human subject research; and (2) study whether the number of certain members of Institutional Review Boards should be increased.