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United States · Official source
4,800 records where Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Reduces from 60 to 55 the minimum age for the receipt of military retired pay for non-regular service.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Taxpayer Abuse and Harassment Prevention Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into contracts with private collection agencies to collect unpaid taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Export Freedom to Cuba Act of 2007 - Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions ordinarily incident to such travel relating to: (1) accompanied personal baggage; (2) payment of living expenses and the acquisition of personal-use goods or services; (3) travel arrangements; (4) nonscheduled air, sea, or land voyage transactions (such provision does not permit the carriage of articles other than accompanied baggage into Cuba or the United States); and (5) normal banking transactions. States that such provision does not: (1) restrict presidential authority in time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba, or of imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers; and (2) authorize U.S. importation of personal consumption goods acquired in Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the full realization of the rights of women is vital to the development and well-being of people of all nations; and (2) the Senate should, therefore, give its advice and consent to the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Recognizes the 98th anniversary of the historic founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Honors and praises the NAACP for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2007
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) so long as all of the active members of such clubs are full-time students at the college or university with which such clubs are associated. Defines "collegiate housing and infrastructure grants" to include grants to provide, improve, operate, or maintain collegiate housing.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2007
American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 silver coins emblematic of the design selected by the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, in commemoration of disabled American veterans. Expresses the sense of Congress that, to the greatest extent possible, the coins should be struck at the U.S. Mint at West Point, New York. Limits the period for coin issuance to the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2010. Imposes a $10 surcharge per coin, to be distributed to the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation for the purpose of establishing an endowment to support the construction of American Veterans' Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Global Democracy Promotion Act - Declares that foreign nongovernmental organizations: (1) shall not be ineligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 solely on the basis of health or medical services (including counseling and referral services) provided by them with non-U.S. government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided, and would not violate U.S. federal law if provided in the United States; and (2) shall not be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4230 Maine Avenue in Baldwin Park, California, as the "Atanacio Haro-Marin Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Climate Stewardship Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a National Greenhouse Gas Database consisting of: (1) an inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by covered entities (specified entities that own or control a source of GHG emissions in the electric power, industrial, and commercial sectors of the U.S. economy that emit more than 10,000 metric tons of GHGs per year); and (2) a registry of GHG emission reductions and increased sequestration, applicable to both covered and noncovered entities. Establishes a program for the market-driven reduction of GHGs by covered entities through the use of tradeable emissions allowances. Requires the Administrator to establish a declining cap on tradeable allowances to reduce GHG emissions over time. Requires covered entities, beginning in 2012, to submit to the Administrator one tradeable allowance for every metric ton of GHGs emitted. Allows tradeable allowances to be sold, exchanged, purchased, retired, borrowed, offset, or otherwise used as authorized by this Act. Imposes civil penalties on covered entities that fail to submit allowances. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation (CCCC) to receive, manage, buy, and sell tradeable allowances. Directs the Administrator to make allocations of allowances to covered sectors and entities, and to the CCCC, providing initial allocations for early action and accelerated participation. Requires the CCCC to establish a program to provide financial support for: (1) technology to assist in compliance with this Act; (2) incentives for GHG emission reductions or net increases in sequestration on agricultural lands; and (3) the restoration of habitat to help fish and wildlife adapt to climate change. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) report to Congress on the oceanic and coastal impacts of climate change; and (2) assist certain coastal states in preparing persons to adapt to climate change. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to: (1) establish a program on adaptation technologies as part of the Climate Technology Challenge Program; and (2) perform regional infrastructure cost assessments of the impacts of climate change. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) submit a climate change adaptation plan to Congress; and (2) research the impact of climate change on low-income populations worldwide. Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to provide funding for the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Account that may be used by states to develop and implement climate change impact mitigation plans.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2007
Amends the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 to extend the period during which members of the Armed Forces deployed in connection with Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, or Iraqi Freedom may request and receive reimbursement for purchasing protective helmet pads.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2007
Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility, and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging studies and radiation therapy treatments. Imposes such standards on personnel who perform, plan, or evaluate, or verify patient doses for, medical imaging studies and radiation therapy procedures and not on the equipment used. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Directs the Secretary to ensure that individuals demonstrate compliance with such standards. Requires the Secretary to provide a method for the recognition of individuals whose training and experience are determined to equal or exceed that of: (1) a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty; or (2) an individual who is regularly eligible to take the licensure or certification examination for that discipline. Directs the Secretary to certify qualified nonprofit organizations as approved bodies to provide accreditation to individuals that demonstrate compliance with such standards. Requires individuals who provide medical imaging services relating to mammograms to continue to meet standards under the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992. Deems state standards for licensure or certification of personnel, accreditation of educational programs, or administration of examinations to be in compliance with the standards under this Act unless the Secretary determines otherwise. Requires the Secretary to establish a process by which a state may appeal such a determination. Requires the Secretary to ensure that all programs under the authority of the Secretary meet such standards. Authorizes the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas or health professional shortage areas as appropriate to assure access to quality medical imaging.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2007
Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution participating in any program under the Act to provide to all current students and employees, and to any applicant for enrollment or employment upon request, an annual fire safety report containing specified information about the campus fire safety practices and standards of that institution. Requires such institutions to: (1) record all on-campus fires, including the nature, date, time, and general location of each fire and all unwanted and false fire alarms; and (2) open such information to public inspection. Requires the institutions to report on such information annually to the campus community in a manner that will aid the prevention of similar occurrences. Directs each institution to require the national organizing bodies of the fraternities, sororities, and other student groups they recognize to collect specified fire safety information for each student housing facility they own, control, or occupy and report such information to the Secretary of Education, all current members, and to any interested party upon request. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on fire safety systems and standards in institution and student housing facilities, and on exemplary fire safety education and training programs at such institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2007
Honors the life of women's health advocate Cynthia Boles Dailard.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Water Quality Investment Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require projects receiving sewer overflow control grant assistance to be carried out subject to the requirements applicable to projects receiving assistance from state water pollution control revolving funds, except to the extent that the governor of the state in which the project is located determines that a revolving fund requirement is inconsistent with the purposes of the sewer overflow control grant program. Reauthorizes appropriations for sewer overflow control grants through FY2013. Modifies grant funding allocation provisions to reflect new dates of authorization and reauthorized amounts. Establishes a December 31, 2010, deadline for the Administrator's report to Congress on recommended funding levels for sewer overflow control grants.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Advanced Fuels Infrastructure Research and Development Act - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to implement a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of materials to be added to alternative biobased fuels and Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuels to make them more compatible with existing infrastructure used to store and deliver petroleum-based fuels to the point of final sale. Requires the Secretary to carry out a research, development, demonstration program on portable, low-cost, and accurate methods and technologies for testing sulfur content in fuel, including Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel and Low Sulfur Diesel. Directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a physical properties data base and standard reference materials for alternative fuels.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Home Ownership for America's Veterans Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the eligibility period of veterans for mortgage financing; and (2) require annual inflation adjustments after 2010 to limits on state veteran bond amounts based on the Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index (compiled by Freddie Mac).
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of items and services under a cardiac rehabilitation program and a pulmonary rehabilitation program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Recognizes the accomplishments and example of Cesar E. Chavez, founder of the National Farm Workers of America. Calls for: (1) establishment of a legal public holiday in his honor; and (2) public schools to provide classroom instruction on his life and work.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Honors the life of Percy Lavon Julian, a pioneer in the field of organic chemistry research and development, and the first and only African American chemist to be inducted into the National Academy of Sciences.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Full Funding for IDEA Now Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to set forth a mandatory minimum level of federal grant payments to states for assistance for education of all children with disabilities under IDEA part B. Entitles a state to receive such a minimum grant allotment in an amount determined by current formulas for maximum authorization levels in specified fiscal years (which such minimum entitlement replaces). Eliminates the current authorization of appropriations for specified fiscal years for such grants.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Vision Care for Kids Act of 2007 - Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to states to: (1) provide comprehensive eye examinations by a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist for children identified by a licensed health care provider or vision screener, with priority to children under age nine; (2) provide treatment or services to correct vision problems of such children; and (3) develop and disseminate educational materials on recognizing signs of visual impairment in children.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a pilot program designated as "Partnerships for Access to Laboratory Science" to award grants to partnerships to improve laboratories and to provide instrumentation as part of a comprehensive program to enhance the quality of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology instruction at the secondary school level. Requires grants awarded under this Act to be made to a partnership that: (1) includes an institution of higher education or a community college; (2) includes a high-need local educational agency; (3) includes a business or eligible nonprofit organization; and (5) may include a state educational agency, other public agency, national laboratory, or community-based organization.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction which is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Buildings for the 21st Century Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the allowable amount of the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial building costs; and (2) extend such deduction through 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the National Museum of the American Latino Act of 2007 - Establishes the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino to study and make recommendations to the President and the Congress on a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, DC.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Amends federal veterans' benefits provisions to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in providing counseling and other mental health services to a veteran who has limited proficiency in English, to ensure that such services are available in both English and a language in which that veteran is proficient, if requested by the veteran. Requires the Secretary to implement a system by which persons with limited English proficiency can access services provided by the Department of Veterans consistent with, and without unduly burdening, the Department's fundamental mission. Requires a report from the Secretary to the congressional veterans' committees on the implementation by the Department's Veterans Health Administration of a specified directive to implement prohibitions on discrimination on the basis of national origin for persons with limited English proficiency in federally-conducted programs and activities and in federal financial-assisted programs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
States that: (1) the deployment of U.S. forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date; (2) a quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region; and (3) the United States shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Honors Mr. Britt "Max" Mayfield's 34 years of service and his commitment to improving the accuracy of hurricane forecasting as Director of the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction Center.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2007
Amends federal civil service law, with respect to both the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), to require the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations that deny eligibility under CSRS or FERS for a Member convicted of certain felony offenses in which: (1) every act or omission of such individual that is needed to satisfy the elements of the offense occurs while the individual is a Member; (2) such act or omission relates to the performance of the individual's official duties as a Member; and (3) the offense is committed after the enactment of this Act. Requires refund of annuity contributions and deposits, excluding interest earned, to a convicted individual. Defines Member as the Vice President, a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, a Delegate to the House of Representatives, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2007
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5) to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reduce interest rates for student borrowers.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2007
States congressional belief that: (1) initiating military action against Iran without congressional approval does not fall within the President's "Commander-in-Chief" powers under the Constitution; and (2) seeking congressional authority prior to taking military action against Iran is not discretionary, but a legal and constitutional requirement. Rejects any suggestion that P.L. 107-40 (the authorization of force resolution approved in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001) or P.L. 107-243 (the authorization of force resolution approved by Congress to go to war with Iraq) extends to authorizing military action against Iran, including over its nuclear program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants for projects to prevent teen pregnancies in racial, ethnic minority, or immigrant communities with a substantial incidence or prevalence of cases of teen pregnancy as compared to the average number of such cases in communities in the state involved. Allows the Secretary to make grants to: (1) provide necessary social and cultural support services regarding teen pregnancy; (2) provide health and educational services related to the prevention of teen pregnancy; (3) promote better health and educational outcomes among pregnant teens; (4) provide training for individuals who plan to work in school-based support programs regarding the prevention of teen pregnancy; and (5) provide public education and increase awareness with respect to the issue of teen pregnancy and related social and emotional issues. Requires the Secretary to make grants to establish and operate a National Clearinghouse for Teen Pregnancy Prevention. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to conduct, support, and coordinate research on the prevention of teen pregnancy in such communities. Allows a grant to be made under this Act only if the applicant agrees that: (1) all information provided pursuant to the Act will be age-appropriate, factually and medically accurate and complete, and scientifically based; and (2) information, activities, and services under the grant will be provided in the language and cultural context that is most appropriate for individual groups.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Honor Our Commitment to Veterans Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to administer the health care enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs so as to enroll any eligible veteran who applies. (This directive in effect terminates an administrative freeze on the enrollment of veterans in the lowest priority enrollment category.)
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act of 2007 - Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to a hospital under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act or to a state, with respect to hospital services, under title XIX (Medicaid) of such Act, unless the hospital meets certain conditions related to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault, including that the hospital: (1) provides the woman with accurate and unbiased information about emergency contraception; (2) offers emergency contraception to the woman; (3) provides the woman such contraception at the hospital on her request; and (4) does not deny any such services because of the inability of the woman or her family to pay.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act of 2007, or the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the deduction from gross income of any attributable to domestic production activities. Excludes from domestic production gross receipts those derived from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of oil, natural gas, or any related primary product. (Thus denies a deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or their related primary products.) Increases from five to seven years the amortization schedule for geological and geophysical expenditures for certain major integrated oil companies. Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to agree to any lessee request to amend any lease issued for any Central and Western Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) tract during 1998 and 1999 to incorporate specified price thresholds applicable to royalty suspension provisions. Reaffirms the authority of the Secretary to vary, based on the price of production from a lease, the suspension of royalties under specified leases on the Outer Continental Shelf. Cites conditions for the issuance of new leases authorizing oil or natural gas production in the Gulf. Instructs the Secretary to establish conservation of resources fees for both producing and nonproducing federal oil and gas leases in the Gulf. Sets forth terms restricting the transfer of such leases. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal: (1) specified incentives for natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf; (2) royalty relief for deep water production in the Gulf; and (3) the prohibition on cost recovery fees for drilling-related permit application during the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to remove the Planning Areas offshore Alaska from the list of areas for which the Secretary is authorized to reduce or eliminate any royalty or net profit share set forth in the pertinent lease. Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to repeal provisions governing oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska regarding: (1) renewal of competitive oil and gas leases, with or without discoveries; and (2) waiver, suspension, or reduction of rental fees or royalties on leaseholds as exploration incentives. Establishes the Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve to hold federal receipts acquired as a result of the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) exclude and defer from the pooled reimbursable costs of the Central Valley Project the reimbursable capital costs of the unused capacity of the Folsom South Canal, Auburn-Folsom South Unit, of such Project; and (2) calculate the amount to be assigned to deferred use, which shall be reflected in future years' water rates. Sets forth a formula for calculating such excluded reimbursable cost. Provides that as long as an entity that is allocated and that pays capital, interest, and operation and maintenance costs associated with an amount of Project water historically assigned to the Canal does not use the Canal for the conveyance of Project water, that entity shall be entitled to convey an equivalent amount of non-Project water through the Canal without additional cost.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
College Student Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to phase-in cuts in the interest rate charged undergraduate student borrowers under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Direct Loan (DL) programs, thereby reducing such rate from 6.8% in July 2006 to 3.4% in July 2011. Limits FFEL lender insurance to 95% of the unpaid balance of such loans. (Currently, 97% of a FFEL issued after June 2006 is federally-insured.) Provides for graduated reductions in the percentage of defaulted FFEL loan collections a guaranty agency is allowed to retain until, beginning in October 2010, it is equal to the average rate paid to collection agencies that have contracts with the Secretary of Education. Eliminates exceptional performer status for lenders, servicers, and guaranty agencies, which rewards such entities for high due diligence in FFEL collection. Reduces special allowance payments made to FFEL lenders to compensate them for the difference between FFEL interest rates and market rates. Exempts small lenders from such reduction. Increases the loan fee charged FFEL lenders from .5% to 1% of the principal amount of loans disbursed after June 2007. Prohibits its collection from borrowers. Increases, after June 2007, the rebate fee charged a holder of FFEL consolidated loans, provided that at least 90% of the total principal and accrued unpaid interest outstanding on loans held by such holder are such loans.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week and its aims. Declares that the House of Representatives will work with the engineering community to make sure that the creativity and contribution of that community can be expressed through research, development, standardization, and innovation.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Observes the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and pledges to advance his legacy. Encourages the U.S. people to observe his birthday, commemorate his legacy, remember his message, and rededicate themselves to his goal of a free and just United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation of a congressional gold medal in commemoration of Alice Paul, to recognize her role in the women's suffrage movement and in advancing equal rights for women. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of such medal. Requires proceeds from the sale of such medals to be deposited into the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Transparency and Accountability in Security Contracting Act of 2007 - Requires each contract, subcontract, or task order awarded or issued by a federal agency that includes private security functions (covered contract) to require the contractor to provide to the agency contracting officer specified information, including the number of persons to perform the security functions and the hiring and training process for such employees. Requires agency oversight in the performance of the covered contract. Directs the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to issue rules of engagement regarding the circumstances under which force may be used by contractor personnel performing private security functions within the area covered by a contingency operation, and the types of force authorized. Provides for: (1) hiring, training, and equipment standards relating to private security contractors; and (2) coordination and communication between U.S. Armed Forces and contractor personnel. Provides for the legal status of contractor personnel with respect to investigations and prosecution of abuses by private security contractors. Requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for each theater of operations established in connection with a contingency operation in which contract personnel are carrying out work under a covered contract, to establish a Theater Investigative Unit to investigate allegations of contractor personnel criminal misconduct. Requires a study by the Comptroller General of the total federal costs of procuring security services through private contractors.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act - Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 to: (1) the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for support of basic research activities in the physical sciences, mathematics and computer sciences, and engineering; and (2) the Department of Defense (DOD) for support of basic research activities. Makes at least 8% of such amounts available for high-risk, potentially high-payoff research. Requires the Director of the NSF and the Director of the Office of Science of the DOE to carry out a program to award grants to scientists and engineers at the early stage of their careers at institutions of higher education and certain research organizations, such as museums, observatories, or research laboratories, to conduct research in fields relevant to NSF's mission. Directs the President to periodically present the Presidential Innovation Award to individuals who develop one or more unique scientific or engineering ideas in the national interest. Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a National Coordination Office for Research Infrastructure to: (1) identify and prioritize deficiencies in research facilities and instrumentation in academic institutions and national laboratories; and (2) make recommendations for resource allocation. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 to NSF and DOE for construction and maintenance of research facilities at institutions of higher education or national laboratories and other physical resources for performing leading-edge research.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) within the Department of Energy to reduce the amount of energy the United States imports from foreign sources by 20% over the next 10 years. Establishes the Energy Independence Acceleration Fund, administered by the ARPA-E Director for the award of competitive grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to institutions of higher education, companies, or consortia, including federally funded research and development centers, to achieve specified goals through targeted acceleration of: (1) energy-related research; (2) development of resultant techniques, processes, and technologies, and related testing and evaluation; and (3) demonstration and commercial application of the most promising technologies and research applications. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures and criteria for recoupment of the federal share of each project supported under this Act. Requires the President's Committee on Science and Technology to evaluate for Congress and the public how well ARPA-E is achieving its goals and mission.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act - Amends the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to revise requirements for the Robert Noyce Scholarship program, which provides scholarships, stipends, and teacher training to science, mathematics, and engineering students and professionals in exchange for service as elementary or secondary school teachers. Extends the use of funds to summer internships for freshmen students. Increases the duration of the scholarships and stipends, and the minimum yearly scholarship amount. Eliminates the requirement that scholarship recipients serve in high-need areas, but reduces their service obligation for doing so. Authorizes the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to accept private donations for the program. Revises requirements for the Mathematics and Science Education Partnerships program, which provides grants to IHEs or nonprofit institutions for the improvement of elementary and secondary mathematics and science instruction. Provides for: (1) prioritizing applications that focus on teacher training; (2) requiring the availability of master's degree programs for in-service teachers; and (3) allowing teacher training in the provision of advanced placement courses. Sets minimum and maximum grant amounts. Provides funding for: (1) teacher institutes or workshops and master's degree programs, under the Partnerships program; and (2) the Laboratory Science Teacher Professional Development program. Requires the Director to convene a panel of experts to identify, collect, and recommend the development of kindergarten through grade 12 mathematics and science teaching materials. Revises the Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Talent Expansion program to require the Director to issue grants for the creation of centers to develop and disseminate curriculum, teaching methods, and ways to better train professors and teacher assistants to increase the number and performance of undergraduate students in such courses.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish: (1) voluntary guidelines, based on the best currently available scientific knowledge, for the remediation of former methamphetamine laboratories, including guidelines regarding preliminary site assessment and the remediation of residual contaminants; and (2) a program of research to support the development and revision of such guidelines. Directs the Administrator to: (1) periodically convene a conference of appropriate state agencies, as well as individuals or organizations involved in research and other activities directly related to the environmental or biological impacts of former methamphetamine laboratories; and (2) enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study of the status and quality of research on the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to support a research program to develop: (1) new methamphetamine detection technologies, with an emphasis on field test kits and site detection; and (2) appropriate standard reference materials and validation procedures for methamphetamine detection testing.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that it is the goal of the United States that not later than January 1, 2025, U.S. agricultural, forestry, and working land should provide from renewable resources not less than 25% of total U.S. energy consumption and continue to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed, and fiber.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Prohibits the U.S. government from obligating or expending funds to increase the number of U.S. forces in Iraq above the number for such forces which existed as of January 9, 2007, without a specific congressional authorization for such increase.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem; and (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into consideration the special needs of such veterans and of elderly veterans who are at high risk for depression and experience high rates of suicide in developing and implementing the comprehensive program outlined in this Act. Directs the Secretary to develop and carry out a comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. Requires the program to include: (1) mandatory training for appropriate staff and contractors of the Department of Veterans Affairs who interact with veterans; (2) screening of veterans who receive medical care at a Department facility for suicide risk factors; (3) referral of at-risk veterans for counseling and treatment; (4) a suicide prevention counselor at each Department medical facility; (5) research for suicide prevention and for mental health care for veterans who have experienced sexual trauma while in military service; (6) 24-hour veterans' mental health care availability; and (7) a toll-free hotline.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act - Amends federal military retired pay provisions to: (1) permit veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to claim both retired pay and disability compensation; (2) eliminate provisions requiring a phase in between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2013, of concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation; (3) provide a special reduction rule with respect to the concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation in the case of disability retirees with less than 20 years of creditable service; and (4) extend combat-related special compensation to certain veterans with less than 20 years of service who have a combat-related disability.