United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Afghan Women Empowerment Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the protection of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and their full participation in the reestablishment of democracy are essential to Afghanistan's reconstruction, and to achieve such reconstruction the U.S. government must commit resources to advance the rights of women throughout Afghanistan. Amends the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 to revise the provisions respecting assistance to women and girls in Afghanistan. Extends funding authority. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) condition the provision of such assistance on the recipient adhering to international standards for women's rights and human rights; and (2) ensure that Afghan women-led nongovernmental organizations with demonstrated experience in delivering services to Afghan women and children receive grants without ethnic, religious, or any other discrimination.
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
Amends the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act to authorize appropriations to the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Account for FY2010-FY2015.
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
Transparency and Accountability in Security Contracting Act of 2009 - 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 persons. Requires agency oversight in the performance of the covered contract. Requires the Secretary of Defense to establish and maintain a comprehensive security contracting database. Prohibits any agency from awarding a covered contract for performance of activities that require or involve: (1) direct participation by contractor personnel in hostilities with an enemy combatant or force; or (2) interrogation by contractor personnel of an individual who is a detainee or prisoner in the custody or under the effective control of the U.S. government. Directs the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to issue rules 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. Requires each agency awarding a covered contract: (1) for a contingency operation, to prescribe minimum standards for contract personnel, including hiring, training, and equipment standards; and (2) to issue guidance on equipment used for private security functions. Requires the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to designate a Theater Security Contract Coordinating Officer for each contingency operation with respect to which covered contracts are awarded. Requires the Secretary of State to work through appropriate existing or new international fora to achieve agreement on an international framework regulating the use of private contractors for security functions and facilitating cooperation on measures to ensure the transparency and legal accountability of security contractors.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Routine HIV Screening Coverage Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan to provide coverage for routine HIV screening under terms and conditions no less favorable than for other routine screenings. Prohibits such a plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Applies such requirements to health insurance coverage offered in the individual market and coverage offered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act or the SERV Act - Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to delegate to the Department of Justice (DOJ) the authority to administer the veteran's treatment courts program established by this Act. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to states and other entities: (1) to develop, implement, or enhance veteran's treatment courts or to expand operational drug courts to serve veterans; and (2) for programs that involve continuing judicial supervision over nonviolent offenders with substance abuse or mental health problems who have served in the U.S. military. Requires such programs to include mandatory periodic testing for the use of drugs, substance abuse and mental health treatment, opportunities for diversion, probation, or supervised release, and programmatic, offender management, and aftercare services. Directs the National Drug Court Institute to conduct national training programs for state and local communities to improve the professional skills of drug court practitioners and provide comprehensive technical assistance to adult, juvenile, and family dependency drug courts.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Interagency Council on Homelessness Reform Act of 2009 - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to declare that the mission of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is to: (1) coordinate the federal response to homelessness; and (2) create a national partnership at every level of government and with the private sector to reduce and end homelessness in the nation while maximizing the effectiveness of federal contributions to end homelessness. Adds to the membership of such Council the Commissioner of Social Security, the U.S. Attorney General, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), or their respective designees. Requires: (1) the Council to meet quarterly (currently, annually); and (2) rotation of the position of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson at the first meeting of each year. Requires the President (currently, the Council) to appoint an Executive Director of the Council, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the President Directs the Council to develop, make available for public comment, and submit to the President and Congress a biennial national plan to end homelessness for all Americans. Requires the Council to: (1) develop constructive alternatives to criminalizing homelessness and eliminate laws and policies that prohibit sleeping, feeding, sitting, resting, or lying in public spaces when there are no suitable alternatives; (2) evaluate the federal role in interacting and coordinating with state and local entities that address homelessness; and (3) conduct research and develop methods to improve pre-existing coordination between it and federal agencies.
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
Condemns official and unofficial sanctioning of anti-Semitic activity by any government and urges governments to take necessary steps to eradicate anti-Semitism and promote religious tolerance. Reaffirms support for the mandate of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Urges the Secretary of State to: (1) maintain the fight against anti-Semitism as a U.S. foreign policy priority; (2) appoint the Department of State's Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism; and (3) ensure that the Department's Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and International Religious Freedom Reports continue to document anti-Semitic incidents.
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
Remembers the lives of the women and men who have lost their fight with breast cancer and expresses support and admiration for those who have survived. Congratulates participants in the Global Race for the Cure to raise money for research and education. Urges Americans to walk this year and support their family and friends who participate. Honors the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner . Requires a coin design emblematic of the War of 1812, and in particular of, the Battle for Baltimore that formed the basis for the Star-Spangled Banner. Limits the period for coin issuance to calendar year 2012. Imposes a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coins and $10 per coin for the $1 coins, which shall be distributed to the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission for the purpose of supporting bicentennial activities, educational outreach activities, and preservation and improvement activities pertaining to the sites and structures relating to the War of 1812.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Protecting America's Workers Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to expand its coverage to federal, state, and local government employees. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, under specified conditions, to cede OSHA jurisdiction to another federal agency with respect to certain occupational standards or regulations for such agency's employees. Declares OSHA inapplicable to working conditions covered by the Federal Mine Safety and Heath Act of 1977. Sets forth increased protections for whistle blowers under OSHA. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) the posting of employee rights; (2) a prohibition against the adoption or implementation of policies or practices by employers that discourage the reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses or that discriminate or provide for adverse action against any employee for reporting such injury or illness; (3) a prohibition against the loss of wages or employee benefits as a result of an employee participating in or aiding workplace inspections; (4) investigations of incidents in a place of employment resulting in a death or the hospitalization of two or more employees; (5) a prohibition against designating a citation for an occupational health and safety standard violation as an unclassified citation; (6) the rights of an employee who has sustained a work-related injury or illness that is the subject of an investigation; (7) an employer's right to contest citations and penalties; (8) the Secretary's assertion of an employer's failure to correct a serious hazard during an employer's contest to a citation; and (9) employee objections to modifications of citations. Increases civil and criminal penalties for certain OSHA violators. Requires a state that has an approved plan for the development and enforcement of occupational safety and health standards to amend its plan to conform to the requirements of this Act within 12 months after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Pathways Advancing Career Training Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to make formula matching grants to states with approved plans for programs that provide preparatory and supportive services, information on career and technical education, training, pre-apprenticeship assistance, and related services, including tuition assistance, to: (1) single parents and displaced homemakers; and (2) individuals pursuing nontraditional training and employment in fields where individuals from one gender compose less than 25% of workers. Requires the Secretary, through the award of competitive grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with an independent institution of higher education, public or private nonprofit organization, or state agency, to conduct at least one multi-site evaluation of such programs. Requires eligible state agencies to administer such programs, make competitive subgrants to eligible entities, and identify certain core indicators of performance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Alert Laid Off Employees in Reasonable Time Act - Amends the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act to require an employer to give 60-day written notice to employees and to appropriate state and local government officials before ordering a mass layoff that results in an employment loss for a single employer at more than one site of employment during a 30-day period for: (1) at least 33% of the employees (excluding part-time employees); and (2) at least 50 or 500 employees (excluding part-time employees). Makes an employer who violates such notice requirements liable to each aggrieved employee for double the back pay (under current law, only the back pay) for each day of the violation for up to 60 days.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to educational organizations to carry out proposed or existing Holocaust education programs. Prohibits such grants from being used to supplant nonfederal funds the grantees would otherwise have used for Holocaust education programs.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Prevention, Awareness, and Research of Autoimmune Diseases Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, to award grants for research on environmental triggers that can cause the initiation of autoimmune diseases in genetically predisposed individuals. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to eligible entities to conduct public and professional awareness activities regarding autoimmune diseases. Allows grantees to use grant funds to: (1) promote increased awareness of early intervention and treatment to significantly improve the quality of life for people with autoimmune diseases; (2) target minority communities that may be underserved or disproportionately affected by such diseases; and (3) target women to help reduce the amount of time taken for correct diagnosis of such diseases. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to: (1) award grants to eligible entities for the education of health care providers on potential links between autoimmune diseases and cognitive and mood disorders, such as depression; and (2) establish an educational loan repayment program for physicians agreeing to conduct research on autoimmune diseases. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to: (1) conduct or support research on biomarkers of autoimmune diseases to prevent such diseases and to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of such diseases; and (2) establish a database on such biomarkers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Mercury Pollution Reduction Act of 2009 - 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. Requires the Secretary of Energy to develop a system for the storage of all mercury, mercury cells, mercury compounds, and mixtures containing mercury from 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 · 23 April 2009
Community College Technology Access Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to community colleges for the maintenance, administration, and improvement of computer labs to enhance student and public access to information technology training. Allows grantees to use grant funds to expand or build a computer lab facility if they ask and receive the Secretary's authorization to do so. Requires grantees to keep their computer labs open to the public for specified minimum periods and to offer the public free computer-related training while open.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Border Security and Responsibility Act 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary), the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with tribal, state, and local officials, to submit to Congress a border protection strategy for the international land borders of the United States. Specifies strategy elements. Amends the the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to revise international land border security provisions, including: (1) eliminating existing southwest border fencing requirements; (2) requiring that border control actions be in accordance with the border strategy required under this Act; and (3) giving priority to the use of remote cameras, sensors, removal of nonnative vegetation, incorporation of natural barriers, additional manpower, unmanned aerial vehicles, or other low impact border enforcement techniques. Prohibits construction of border fencing, physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, sensors, or other tactical infrastructure prior to 90 days after such border strategy's submission to Congress. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of appropriate state and tribal wildlife agencies, to implement a comprehensive monitoring and mitigation plan to address the ecological and environmental impacts of security infrastructure and activities along the international land borders of the United States. Specifies plan requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Calls for the adoption of a smart security platform for the 21st century that: (1) promotes security by strengthening international institutions and respect for the rule of law; (2) reduces the threat and stops the spread of weapons of mass destruction and reduces proliferation of conventional weapons; (3) addresses root causes of instability and violent conflict; (4) organizes U.S. foreign assistance in a manner that eliminates poverty and promotes security and peace; (5) shifts U.S. budget priorities to more effectively meet U.S. security needs; and (6) pursues to the fullest extent alternatives to war.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National STD Awareness Month. Recognizes the human toll of sexually transmitted infections and the importance of making the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of such infections an urgent public health priority. Urges all sexually active individuals to get tested for such infections and seek appropriate care.
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 · 22 April 2009
Nurse Education, Expansion, and Development Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award a grant to each eligible school of nursing to increase the number of nursing faculty and students. Requires such schools to formulate and implement a plan to accomplish at least two of specified goals, which include: (1) establishing or significantly expanding an accelerated baccalaureate degree nursing program designed to graduate new nurses in 12 to 18 months; (2) establishing cooperative interdisciplinary training between schools of nursing and other specified health related fields; (3) increasing admissions, enrollment, and retention of qualified individuals who are financially disadvantaged; (4) increasing enrollment of minority and diverse student populations; (5) increasing enrollment of new graduate baccalaureate nursing students in graduate programs that educate nurse faculty members; (6) developing post-baccalaureate residency programs to prepare nurses for practice in specialty areas where nursing shortages are more severe; and (7) increasing integration of geriatric content into the core curriculum. Requires the Comptroller General to study ways to increase participation in the nurse faculty profession and to submit a report to Congress that includes: (1) a discussion of the master's degree and doctoral degree programs that are successful in placing graduates as faculty in schools of nursing; and (2) an examination of compensation disparities throughout the nursing profession and between higher education instructional faculty generally and higher education instructional nursing faculty.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish the Office of Water within the Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade to: (1) give assistance to provide safe water and sanitation for people worldwide; and (2) be headed by a Director for Safe Water and Sanitation. Outlines the Director's duties. Requires the Secretary of State, in order to increase the capacity of the Department of State to address international issues regarding safe water, sanitation, integrated river basin management, and other international water programs, to establish a Special Coordinator for International Water. Outlines the Special Coordinator's duties. Amends the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 to: (1) revise requirements concerning the safe water and sanitation strategy; (2) provide for the establishment of a program to build the capacity of host country institutions and officials responsible for water and sanitation in countries that receive assistance to provide safe water and sanitation under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961; (3) expand the list of activities that may be supported by assistance furnished by the President for programs in developing countries to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation; and (4) require the report regarding water for peace and security to include an assessment of political tensions over water sources and a multidisciplinary assessment of the expected impacts of global climate change on water supplies in 10, 25, and 50 years.
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
First-Time Homebuyer Credit Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the first-time homebuyer tax credit and the waiver of recapture requirements for such credit through 2010; and (2) expand the election to treat a purchase of a principal residence as made in a prior taxable year for purposes of such credit.
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
Supports the observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in order to increase awareness of child maltreatment and encourage individuals and communities to support children and families. Recognizes and applauds the national and community organizations for their work in promoting awareness about child maltreatment, including identifying risk factors and developing prevention strategies. Urges families and individuals to report abuse or get help by calling the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453).
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Recognizes that prostate cancer has created a health crisis for African American men. Urges federal agencies to designate additional funds for research and education, awareness, and early detection efforts at the grassroots levels to end such crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
National Black Clergy for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Director of the Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public health agencies and faith-based organizations to conduct HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and related outreach activities to reduce HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. Authorizes the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to: (1) make grants to public health agencies and faith-based organizations to conduct HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted disease outreach, prevention, and testing activities targeted to the African-American community; and (2) provide family reunification services, mental health counseling, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted disease, and substance abuse testing and treatment to runaway or homeless youth or youth who are HIV positive or at risk for HIV/AIDS. Authorizes the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to make grants to faith-based organizations for public health intervention and prevention activities in the African-American community to reduce HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis. Requires the Director to: (1) expand and intensify HIV/AIDS activities in that community; (2) expand funding to build the capacity of African-American communities to respond to HIV/AIDS; and (3) implement a national media outreach campaign to urge sexually active individuals to be tested for and know their HIV/AIDS status. Authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research strategies to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. Authorizes the Director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities to make grants for the study of biological and behavioral factors that lead to increased HIV/AIDS prevalence in the African-American community. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration to award grants to health care professionals to treat individuals with HIV/AIDS. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) submit an annual report to Congress and the President on the impact of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community; and (2) study and report on the status of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among African-Americans. Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to: (1) National Black Clergy HIV/AIDS Awareness Sunday; (2) prevention of, testing for, and treatment of HIV/AIDS by all federal agencies; and (3) HIV testing of federal inmates by the Bureau of Prisons.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Drywall Safety Act of 2009 - Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to: (1) study drywall that was imported from China from 2004 through 2007 and used in U.S. residences; and (2) initiate a proceeding on whether a consumer product safety standard regulating drywall materials is necessary. Requires the CPSC to: (1) designate drywall containing over 5% organic compounds by weight as a product with a product defect which constitutes a substantial product hazard; and (2) order manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of such drywall to cease distribution and notify all persons who handle such product to cease distribution. Requires that the order remain in effect until: (1) the CPSC publishes a determination that such a standard is not necessary; or (2) such a standard takes effect.
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
Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of "marihuana." Defines "industrial hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-nine tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that does not exceed 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. Grants a state regulating the growing and processing of industrial hemp exclusive authority, in any criminal or civil action or administrative proceeding, to determine whether any such plant meets that concentration limit.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Juvenile Justice Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to: (1) revise and add definitions under such Act relating to the treatment of juveniles held in custody while awaiting trial for criminal offenses; (2) require state plans under such Act to separate juveniles from the adult prison population, monitor for and eliminate the use of dangerous practices, unnecessary isolation, unnecessary room time, and unreasonable restraint for holding juveniles in custody, and provide training of prison staff on techniques for effective behavior management of juvenile offenders; (3) provide incentive grants to states to adopt programs for the mental health treatment needs of juveniles in custody and for the placement of such juveniles in the least restrictive detention or correctional settings; and (4) prohibit the placement of juveniles who have not been charged with adult criminal offenses in secure detention or correctional facilities.
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
Primary Care Dental Academic Workforce Development Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, programs of general dentistry or pediatric dentistry to plan, develop, and operate a loan repayment program to pay student loans in exchange for service as full-time faculty members. Requires the Secretary to: (1) encourage participating programs to use support to broadly recruit diverse faculty; and (2) establish appropriate financial penalties for individuals not completing their service obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Patriot Corporations of America Act of 2009 - Grants after 2009 a preference to Patriot corporations in the evaluation of bids or proposals for federal contracts. Defines " Patriot corporation" as a corporation which: (1) produces at least 90% of its goods and services in the United States; (2) does not pay its its management-level employees at a rate more than 10,000% of the compensation of its lowest paid employee; (3) conducts at least 50% of its research and development in the United States; (4) contributes at least 5% of its payroll to a portable pension fund for its employees; (5) pays at least 70% of its employees' health insurance costs; (6) maintains a policy of neutrality in employee organizing drives; (7) provides full differential salary and insurance benefits for all National Guard and Reserve employees who are called to active duty; and (8) has not violated federal regulations, including regulations relating to the environment, workplace safety, labor relations, and consumer protections. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce the income tax rate for Patriot corporations; (2) reclassify foreign corporations created or organized to avoid federal taxation as domestic corporations for income tax purposes; and (3) increase, for the period between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010, the income tax rate for individual taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of $500,000 or more ($1 million or more for joint returns).
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to consolidate housing assistance programs for homeless persons. Declares that the mission of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and to create a national partnership at every level of government and with the private sector to reduce and end homelessness in the nation while maximizing the effectiveness of federal contributions to end homelessness. Prescribes requirements for the selection of community homeless assistance planning boards, particularly for collaborative applicants. Requires the relevant parties in a geographic area to establish a collaborative applicant to apply for a homeless assistance grant. Requires a collaborative applicant to: (1) design a collaborative process to develop such grant applications and evaluate project outcomes; (2) establish priorities for funding projects; (3) participate in the Consolidated Plan for the geographic area served by the applicant; (4) ensure operations of, and consistent participation by, project sponsors in a community-wide homeless management information system (HMIS); and (5) act as a unified funding agency to distribute HUD funds to other project sponsors in the applicable geographic area funds for their projects. Prescribes requirements for: (1) an emergency solutions grants program; (2) a continuum of care grants program; (3) designation of high-performing communities; and (4) a rural housing stability assistance program. Increases from 5% to 7.5% the amount of any emergency solutions grant a recipient may use for administrative purposes. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on: (1) appropriate administrative costs for implementing the emergency solutions grants program; and (2) homelessness and homeless assistance in rural areas.
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.
![Official portrait of Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_il_9_schakowsky_janice_200.jpg)