United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2008
Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008 - Directs the Administrator of General Services to reimburse certain jurisdictions for the costs of: (1) converting from electronic or other voting systems to paper ballot voting systems for the general elections for federal office to be held in November 2008; and (2) providing emergency paper ballots if the jurisdiction uses a direct recording electronic voting system which happens to fail. Directs the Administrator to reimburse any state, county, or equivalent location for the documented reasonable costs it incurs in conducting manual audits or hand recounts of the results of any of the regularly scheduled elections for federal office in November 2008 (including, at state or local option, manual audits of state and local elections, ballot initiatives, and referenda). Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to study, test, and develop products and practices that ensure the accessibility of paper ballot verification and casting for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2008
Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from selling any oil and gas lease for any tract located in the Lease Sale 193 Area of the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region before the earlier of: (1) the listing of the polar bear as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and a final decision regarding the determination of its critical habitat; or (2) the date the Secretary publishes a determination that such listing is not warranted.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2008
Iraq Strategic Agreement Review Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and any other necessary representative of the executive branch of the U.S. government to begin consultations with the appropriate congressional committees and leadership on any potential long-term security, economic, or political agreement (agreement) with the government of Iraq. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) full Iraqi sovereignty is in the U.S. national interest; and (2) any agreement that is not in the form of a treaty with respect to which the Senate has given its advice and consent to ratification under Article II of the Constitution of the United States does not have the force and effect of law. Prohibits obligating or expending funds for the implementation of any agreement with the government of Iraq unless the agreement is in the form of a treaty with respect to which the Senate has given its advice and consent to ratification under Article II.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10250 John Saunders Road in San Antonio, Texas, as the "Cyndi Taylor Krier Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Senate should initiate a bipartisan process to give its advice and consent to ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2007 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of gold medals to Native American code talkers of specified Indian tribes. Defines "code talker" as a Native American who served in the Armed Forces during a foreign conflict and who participated in military communications using a native language. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and Indian tribes, to identify code talkers eligible for a gold medal.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Welcomes the recommendations contained in the March 2007 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) report "Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the Caribbean." Urges the United States, other drug-consuming countries, and the Caribbean countries to increase counter-narcotics efforts in the Caribbean region.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Honors the citizens of the Pacific Northwest for their courage in facing the storm and efforts in helping their neighbors in a time of great need. Honors the National Weather Service, state and local police officers, fire fighters, local rescue personnel, other first responders, and amateur radio operators for their efforts in the face of the severe storm. Extends the thoughts and prayers of the U.S. House of Representatives to those whose lives have been devastated, and who have lost their housing, transportation, communications, water, heat, or electricity. Extends its profound and deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who perished.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2007
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition of her courageous and unwavering commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and democracy in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2007
Presidential Funding Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to public financing of presidential election campaigns to: (1) quadruple (1:1 to 4:1) the matching rate for contributions to primary election candidates; (2) lower from $250 to $200 the limit on individual campaign contributions; (3) increase the presidential primary qualifying threshold from $5,000 to $25,000 in 20 states; (4) require presidential candidates to participate in the primary payment system to be eligible for general election payments; (5) move the starting date for payments to primary candidates from January 1 of a presidential election year to six months before the earliest state primary election; (6) allow additional payments and increased expenditure limits for candidates who face opponents who do not participate in public financing and who raise more than 20% of applicable spending limits; (7) designate the last Friday before the first Monday in September as the date for payments to eligible presidential candidates; and (8) increase from $3 to $10 the presidential campaign tax return check-off amount. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to: (1) increase expenditure limits for presidential primary campaigns and eliminate state primary spending limits; (2) limit political party general election campaign expenditures to $25 million, with an additional $25 million allowance after the party's candidate is nominated; (3) prohibit political parties from spending unregulated funds (soft money) on their national conventions; and (4) require presidential campaign committees to disclose information about bundled campaign contributions (series of contributions exceeding specified threshold amounts).
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2007
States that nothing in the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq of 2002 (P.L. 107-243), any act that serves as the statutory authority for Executive Order 13382 or Executive Order 13224, any resolution previously adopted, or any other provision of law including Executive Order 13382 or Executive Order 13224 shall be construed to authorize, encourage, or in any way address the use of the U.S. Armed Forces against Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the hanging of nooses for the purpose of intimidation is a horrible, and under certain circumstances, criminal act. Calls for federal investigation of such conduct and vigorous prosecution of any criminal violations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2007
Declares that House of Representatives has lost confidence in Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairwoman Nancy Nord and urges the President to request her resignation and to nominate a replacement.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2007
American Anti-Torture Act of 2007 - Amends the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 to prohibit any person in the custody or control of the United States (under current law, the Department of Defense) from being subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation not authorized by and listed in the U.S. Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation. Makes such prohibition inapplicable with respect to any person in the custody or control of the United States (under current law, the Department of Defense) pursuant to a U.S. criminal or immigration law.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2007
Declares that House of Representatives has lost confidence in Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairwoman Nancy Nord and urges the President to request her resignation and to nominate a replacement.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2007
Declares that House of Representatives has lost confidence in Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Acting Chairman Nancy Nord and urges the President to request her resignation and to nominate a new candidate more capable of serving as the CPSC head.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2007
Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2007 or the PACT Act - Amends the Jenkins Act to: (1) include smokeless tobacco as a regulated substance; (2) impose shipping and recordkeeping requirements on delivery sellers (sellers using the telephone, mails, or the Internet) of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco; (3) require common carriers of cigarette products to obtain age and identity verification upon delivery of such products; (4) require the Attorney General to compile and publish a list of delivery sellers of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco who have not complied with the registration or other requirements of such Act; (5) increase criminal penalties and impose new civil penalties for violations of this Act; (6) grant jurisdiction to U.S. district courts to restrain violations of such Act and direct the Attorney General to administer and enforce such Act; and (7) treat cigarettes and smokeless tobacco as nonmailable and prohibit such items from being deposited in or carried through the U.S. mails. Prohibits a tobacco product manufacturer or importer from selling or delivering in states cigarettes not in compliance with model or qualifying state statutes. Authorizes ATF officers to enter the premises of certain cigarette shippers to inspect records and inventories. Limits the applicability of this Act with respect to Indian tribes and certain tribal matters.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2007
Condemns violent attempts to resist the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and encourages all parties involved in the conflict to reach a lasting cease-fire. Encourages the U.S. government to state publicly its support for the disarmament and reintegration of forces loyal to General Nkunda into the national army. Condemns the infiltration of soldiers into the Virunga National Forest and the danger it poses to the mountain gorillas.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Allows employees of commercial passenger airlines who receive payments from a bankruptcy case filed between September 11, 2001, and January 1, 2007, as compensation for lost pension plan benefits to rollover such payments into an individual retirement account (IRA), except for a Roth IRA, without tax or tax penalty.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Prevention Through Affordable Access Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to revise requirements for the best price component of the formula for determination of the Medicaid rebate for a covered single source outpatient drug or a covered innovator multiple source outpatient drug. (Under current law, best prices shall not take into account prices that are merely nominal in amount.) Revises the list of entities to which sales by a manufacturer of covered outpatient drugs at nominal prices shall be considered to be sales at a nominal price, or merely nominal in amount (and thus excluded from computation of the best price for such drugs). Adds to such list any entity that is: (1) operated by a health center of an institution of higher education, primarily for its students (university-based clinic); or (2) a public or private nonprofit entity that provides family planning services under the Public Health Service Act (safety-net clinic).
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3701 Altamesa Boulevard in Fort Worth, Texas, as the "Master Sergeant Kenneth N. Mack Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2007
Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act - Establishes in the Department of Defense (DOD) an Office of the Victims' Advocate to facilitate access to services for victims of domestic or family violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the military. Directs the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Office, to require DOD policies for victim assistance, family advocacy, and equal opportunity programs to provide for a victims' advocates program within each military department. Authorizes the Secretary to award contracts to: (1) support DOD crisis intervention services for victims of such violence; and (2) provide training on prevention of such violence. Prohibits any person from restricting a member of the Armed Forces in communicating with the Office or from taking or withholding a personnel action in retaliation for making such a communication. Provides for: (1) employment of a sexual assault nurse examiner, a psychiatrist, and a complimentary clinical team at each DOD military treatment facility; and (2) DOD community level programs and shelter services for active duty members and their families who are victims of such violence shelter . Specifies the rights of victims of such violence reported to a military law enforcement agency. Directs a military commanding officer who receives a qualifying complaint alleging such violence to investigate it and report. Specifies circumstances under which military law enforcement officers shall arrest a person for committing domestic violence. Establishes a Director of Special Investigations in DOD to review investigations of allegations of such violence and refer cases for prosecution. Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice to: (1) include as "aggravated assault" and specify penalty limits for an assault involving domestic or family violence; and (2) provide for court-martial punishment of violations of no contact or protective orders. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) contract for treatment services for members of the Armed Forces who have committed such violence; and (2) ensure that sex offender treatment providers in the contracted program meet the state licensing or certification standards. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) ensure that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care providers receive training in the screening and referral of veterans who have suffered military sexual trauma; and (2) conduct related pilot programs. Prohibits the Secretary of the military department concerned from approving a financial award or a promotion for an officer or employee who has been convicted of or disciplined for committing such violence. Directs the Secretary to study: (1) the prevalence and nature of such violence, of intimate partner violence, and of child maltreatment, abuse, suicide, and homicide in the Armed Forces; and (2) military procedures after an incident is reported.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 797 Sam Bass Road in Round Rock, Texas, as the "Marine Corps Corporal Steven P. Gill Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2007
Food Import Safety Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to prohibit the importation of food from a particular country if there is a pattern of FFDCA violations. Requires the Secretary to establish a certification program to ensure that imported food meets U.S. food safety standards. Prohibits food from being imported unless there are facility and country certifications in effect. Directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs and other appropriate federal agencies to work with foreign countries that are major U.S. trading partners to establish certification programs. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to assist small businesses in developing countries in complying with this Act. Requires a person that has reason to believe that any food introduced into interstate commerce may be in violation of the FFDCA to immediately notify the Secretary of the identity and location of the food. Requires the Secretary, upon a determination that such food is in violation of the FFDCA and that there is a reasonable probability that the food, if consumed, would present a threat to the public health, to give appropriate persons an opportunity to: (1) cease distribution of the food; (2) notify all relevant persons to cease distribution of the food; (3) recall the food; and (4) provide notice to consumers and public health officials. Authorizes the Secretary to control and possess the food and to order the person to immediately cease distribution of the food if the person refuses or does not adequately carry out such actions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2007
Offshore Deferred Compensation Reform Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the inclusion in gross income for income tax purposes of employee compensation deferred under a nonqualified deferred compensation plan of a nonqualified foreign corporation when there is no substantial risk of forfeiture of the rights to such compensation. Defines "nonqualified foreign corporation" as any foreign corporation unless substantially all of its income is: (1) effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States; or (2) subject to an income tax imposed by a foreign country that has a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2007
Block Burmese JADE (Junta's Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act of 2007 - Amends the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 to: (1) waive the requirement that Congress annually enact renewal resolutions for the continuation of import restrictions against Burmese products; and (2) continue such sanctions until they are terminated by a joint resolution of Congress or by the President (under current law, until terminated by the President). Prohibits the importation of gemstones or rough unfinished geological material mined or extracted from Burma. Expands the ban on the issuance of visas and admission to the United States to former and present leadership of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) or the Union Solidarity Development Association (Burmese regime) to include Burmese military members (including their families) involved in the repression of protests in Burma in August, September, and October 2007, and Burmese officials who have engaged in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. Waives such ban only if the President certifies to Congress that it is in the national interests of the United States. Expands current law provisions providing for the freezing of assets in the United States of Burmese regime members to provide for the blocking of all property and assets in the United States: (1) that are owned by members of the Burmese regime and Burmese military and Burmese officials who have engaged in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights; and (2) of persons and financial institutions associated with such individuals. Sets forth, with specified exceptions, certain prohibited activities related to the blocking of such property. Subjects persons who violate such prohibitions to certain penalties. Denies tax deductions or tax credits with respect to amounts paid or incurred by the Burmese regime, or a joint production agreement involving the Yadana gas field or pipeline.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2007
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Children's Health Month. Reaffirms our nation's commitment to providing access to health care, ensuring preventative care, seeking cures for debilitating diseases and chronic conditions, and promoting healthy living habits for America's children. Salutes: (1) health care professionals who provide care and treatment for childhood illnesses; and (2) officials who protect children from environmental health and safety risks, and who educate parents, schools, and communities about health risks for children. Encourages states, territories, and possessions of the United States to educate children about healthy living habits when they are young.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2007
Condemns the September 2007 attacks on African Union (AU) peacekeepers that occurred in Haskanita, Darfur, Sudan. Expresses condolences and sympathies to the people and governments of Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, and Botswana and to the families and friends of those individuals who were killed, injured, or missing in the attacks. Expresses readiness to support efforts to bring to justice those individuals responsible for the attacks and to dismantle the networks that carry out such attacks. Expresses support for the people of Darfur, and encourages all parties involved in the conflict to commit to negotiate a final peace agreement at the peace talks scheduled for October 27, 2007, in Tripoli, Libya.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2007
Relocation Empowerment and Placement Assistance for Iraqi Refugees Act of 2007 or REPAIR Act of 2007 - Waives visa and related fees relating to special immigrant status for Afghan or Iraqi nationals who worked with the U.S. Chief of Mission or the U.S. Armed Forces as interpreters or translators. Waives numerical limitations with respect to such special immigrants. Expands such category to include persons who: (1) performed such services with a U.S. contractor; or (2) performed other services. Makes additional U.S. military officers eligible to recommend such nationals for special immigrant status. Directs the Secretary of State (Secretary) to make every effort to ensure that aliens applying for special immigrant status and visas, and aliens applying for refugee status and visas, may apply and interview within Iraq in Baghdad and Irbil through in-country processing mechanisms. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense to jointly establish a program to offer federal employment to relocated Iraqi special immigrants as translators, interpreters, and cultural awareness instructors. States that such special immigrants shall be eligible for the same resettlement assistance as refugees. Directs the Secretary to provide such special immigrants with computer literacy and vocational training, English language training, and employment and counseling services. Expresses the sense Congress that the United States should provide an orientation into life in the United States for Iraqi special immigrants and should make all reasonable efforts to provide temporary safe haven for alien applicants who are in imminent danger in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2007
Congratulates Vice President Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for receiving the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and commends the Norwegian Nobel Committee for selecting them. Recognizes: (1) Vice President Al Gore's work to increase awareness about the dangers of global warming; and (2) the Panel's work to create an informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming. Recommends that the public takes action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Encourages Congress and the President to enact climate change legislation to substantially reduce U.S. contributions to GHG emissions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act of 2007 - Provides that, in the case of a member of the Armed Forces who is retired or separated for disability due to a combat-related injury, the Secretary of Defense shall require the continued payment of any bonuses or special pay to which the member: (1) was entitled to immediately before the retirement or separation; and (2) would continue to be entitled to if not retired or separated. Requires such payment in a lump sum within 30 days after such retirement or separation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
New Diplomatic Offensive for Iraq Act - Directs the President to implement a regional diplomatic plan in conjunction with the U.N. Security Council to: (1) curtail the ongoing civil war in Iraq; (2) prevent the spread of violence from Iraq into neighboring countries; (3) prevent the establishment of safe havens for al-Qa'ida and other terrorist organizations; (4) prevent regional conflict; (5) prevent genocide, ethnic cleansing, and other crimes against humanity; and (6) promote a national process of reconciliation within Iraq. States that it is U.S. policy to: (1) undertake a sustained diplomatic effort to engage the governments of regional nations on issues that impact the situation in Iraq; (2) continue and expand U.S. direct bilateral talks with nations neighboring Iraq on issues of mutual interest; (3) support the goals specified in the International Compact for Iraq; and (4) encourage the increased engagement of international organizations in working to achieve stability and security in Iraq. Directs the President to appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for Iraq Regional Security whose duties shall include: (1) discussions with the government of Iraq and governments of neighboring countries to support Iraq's efforts to achieve peace and stability and to take necessary actions to prevent regional instability, including organizing a related Iraq Support Group; and (2) working with Iraqi officials and other domestic stakeholders to organize a forum for negotiations on national reconciliation. Directs the Secretary of State to organize an international donors conference to solicit additional international commitments of funding and support for reconstruction and economic development in Iraq. Directs the President direct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to seek a Security Council resolution that: (1) supports regional and international cooperation in promoting stability and development in Iraq; (2) encourages increased support for efforts to rebuild and expand Iraq's economy and critical infrastructure; and (3) authorizes renewed U.N. assistance to promote security and political reconciliation in Iraq, including a commitment to an increased U.N. role following the beginning of a U.S. Armed Forces' redeployment from Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Calls upon the President to develop within the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) a Women and Girls of Darfur Initiative to improve assistance to victims and potential victims of rape and sexual violence in Darfur, Sudan, eastern Chad, and the Central African Republic. Calls upon the Secretary General of the United Nations, the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the Arab League, and other nations to take steps to ensure that a fully funded and fully equipped U.N.-AU peacekeeping force (UNAMID) is deployed to Darfur, including an adequate number of female troops and police to properly manage incidents of rape and sexual violence. Calls upon the Security Council to: (1) find the government of Sudan in noncompliance with Security Council Resolution 1325; (2) call on the government of Sudan to provide legal protections to victims of rape and sexual violence and to bring to justice individuals responsible for such crimes; and (3) enforce the arrest warrants for Ahmad Muhammad Harun and Ali Muhammad Al Abd-Al-Raham, and further recognize the systematic rape of women and girls in Darfur as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2007
Military Valor Roll of Honor Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish the Military Valor Roll of Honor registry which shall: (1) contain the names and citations of all members of the Armed Forces, members of the U.S. merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service), and civilians affiliated with the Armed Forces who have been awarded the medal of honor or any other medal authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces, the U.S. merchant marine, or affiliated civilians; and (2) be a publicly available database.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2007
Methamphetamine Prevention Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to establish a Drug-Free Workplace Information Clearinghouse. Requires the Clearinghouse Director to: (1) serve as a resource for employers maintaining or attempting to establish a drug-free workplace policy; (2) provide assistance to employers and employees in resolving complaints, grievances, and requests for information regarding drug-free workplaces and in understanding rights and responsibilities under federal employment laws pertaining to drug-free workplace policies; and (3) conduct an educational campaign for employers on federal drug-free workplace standards or guidelines and on federal assistance available to employers to establish or maintain a drug-free workplace. Requires the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment to: (1) make grants to medical associations, health care providers, and health care facilities to conduct training for health care providers on recognizing the signs of methamphetamine addiction and recognizing vulnerable populations for purposes of preventing and treating such addiction; (2) conduct an educational campaign on the public health effects of methamphetamine addiction; and (3) make grants to schools, community organizations, and local governmental entities to establish or maintain a methamphetamine awareness project consisting of after-school or extracurricular activities in which students learn about the dangers of methamphetamine through hands-on advertising or video production exercises.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2007
Qualified Personal Service Corporations Clarification Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the criteria for determining whether a corporation is a qualified personal service corporation. Includes within the definition of qualified personal service corporation a qualifying corporation substantially all of whose stock is held by certain former employees (thus permitting such corporation to use the cash method of accounting).
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2007
Instructs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: (1) ensure that the Arecibo Observatory, in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, is fully funded to continue its research on Earth's ionosphere, its research in radio astronomy, and research on the solar system; and (2) coordinate with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure that capabilities of the Arecibo Observatory continue to be available for NASA research in characterizing and mitigating Near Earth Objects, and other research as needed.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2007
Recognizes and honors the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum on October 9, 2007, as well as completion of phase one of the museum restoration program. Recognizes also the many supporters and contributors whose efforts have helped maintain and improve the Library and Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1190 Lorena Road in Lorena, Texas, as the "Marine Gunnery Sgt. John D. Fry Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 424 Clay Avenue in Waco, Texas, as the "Army PFC Juan Alonso Covarrubias Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Fair Medicaid Drug Payment Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to calculate the federal upper reimbursement limit as no less than 300% of the weighted average (based on utilization) of the most recent average manufacturer prices (AMPs) for pharmaceutically and therapeutically equivalent multiple source drug products available for purchase by retail community pharmacies on a nationwide basis. Directs the Secretary to implement a smoothing process for AMPs to ensure that federal upper reimbursement limits do not vary significantly from month to month as a result of rebates, discounts, and other pricing practices. Requires a state plan to subject to prior authorization all covered outpatient drug products that are innovator multiple source drugs, if such drug products are more expensive than other biologically and therapeutically equivalent drug products available for purchase in that state by retail community pharmacies. Revises requirements for monthly reports to the Secretary of price information by manufacturers subject to rebate agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Safety Assurance For Every Consumer Product Act or the SAFE Consumer Product Act - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to require (in current law, authorize) the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to prescribe consumer product testing programs. Requires nongovernmental, independent third party testing of children's products. Increases the actions the CPSC may take in ordering recalls of products presenting substantial hazards. Makes recalled product retail sale unlawful. Requires manufacturers to mark products or packaging to enable purchasers to determine the product's source, date, and production cohort. Removes the cap on Consumer Product Safety Act civil penalties. Removes a requirement that criminal penalties may only be imposed after noncompliance notice. Reduces the period after CPSC notification to manufacturers and private labelers before public disclosure of information obtained under the Act. Requires any person who must give public notice of a substantial product hazard to post a notice on the Internet. Declares any children's product containing more than a specified amount of lead to be a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, allowing a temporary exception for electronic devices. Requires certain actions to facilitate recalls of children's products and authorizes the CPSC to extend the requirements to consumer products other than children's products. Requires children's product's warning labels to be included in Internet advertisements. Removes provisions requiring a minimum number of CPSC members to transact business. Modifies rulemaking notice requirements. Declares the sense of Congress that the full complement of five CPSC members is necessary to conduct CPSC business and the President should fill vacancies expeditiously. Prohibits any consumer product safety standard or other CPSC action after enactment of this Act from containing a preemption provision which affects any action under state statutory or common law unless the provision is expressly authorized by statute.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Urges the President to: (1) call upon associates and appointees who have asserted executive privilege to come forward and testify before Congress; and (2) use all legal means at his disposal to compel people to cooperate with a congressional investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2007
Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2007 - Amends federal bankruptcy law to increase the maximum amount per individual or corporationof unsecured claims ranked in the fourth (wages, salaries, or commissions) and fifth (employee benefit plan contributions) order of priority. Includes within the scope of a claim in bankruptcy certain equity securities held in a defined contribution plan for the benefit of certain individuals. Ranks in sixth order of priority the diminished value of debtor's equity securities held in a defined contribution plan if the employer or plan sponsor committed fraud regarding the plan. Permits within administrative expenses certain severance pay for termination or layoffs. Prohibits certain senior executive compensation from being disproportionate in light of economic concessions by debtor's nonmanagement workforce. Disallows as an administrative expense specified executive compensation enhancements. Revises requirements governing: (1) rejection of collective bargaining agreements; (2) insurance benefits for retired employees; and (3) the status of certain employee benefits in a sale of business assets. Allows defined benefit plan participants to file claims for certain shortfalls in pension benefits. Permits inclusion within the necessary costs and expenses of preserving property the mandatory recovery of unpaid obligations owed to employees. Directs the court to consider the extent to which alternative reorganization plans maintain: (1) jobs; (2) defined benefit plans; and (3) retiree health benefits. Prohibits assumption of deferred compensation for the benefit of insiders or senior management if an employee defined benefit plan has been terminated. Limits the recovery of executive compensation if the debtor has reduced its contractual obligations under either a collective bargaining agreement or retiree benefits plan. Excepts from an automatic stay: (1) a dispute resolution proceeding established by a collective bargaining agreement prior to commencement of bankruptcy; or (2) an award or settlement under such proceeding. Authorizes the bankruptcy trustee to avoid transfers made for the benefit of an insider or certain consultants in anticipation of bankruptcy. Revises prerequisites to court confirmation of a business reorganization plan which continues retiree benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2007
Emergency Home Ownership and Mortgage Equity Protection Act of 2007 - Amends federal bankruptcy law governing a chapter 13 debtor (adjustment of debts of an individual with regular income) to prohibit the holder of a claim in bankruptcy which is secured by debtor's principal residence from adding fees, costs, or charges while the case is pending, unless such claimholder gives timely notice to both debtor and the bankruptcy trustee. Revises requirements for the discretionary features of a chapter 13 debtor's plan. Removes the prohibition against modification of the rights of a holder of a claim secured only by an interest in real property that is the debtor's principal residence. (Thus allows a plan to modify such rights.) Authorizes a chapter 13 bankruptcy plan to provide for payment of allowed claims secured by the debtor's principal residence over a period that exceeds a specified time frame. Eliminates the pre-petition credit counseling requirement for a chapter 13 debtor facing foreclosure if the debtor submits a certification to the court that the holder of a claim secured by the debtor's principal residence has initiated foreclosure on that residence. Adds to conditions for court confirmation of a plan in bankruptcy that the holder of an allowed claim secured by the debtor's principal residence shall retain the lien securing such claim until the claim is paid. Excludes from final discharge of a debtor from all debts any allowed claim secured by the debtor's principal residence before such claim is paid.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) members of the International Cruise Victims Association, the National Center for Victims of Crime, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network are to be commended for their leadership in highlighting the problem of crimes against Americans on cruise ships; (2) Americans who are victims of crime on a cruise ship should have ready access to justice and additional steps should be taken to ensure that the perpetrators of such crimes are brought to justice; (3) the cruise industry should provide information to passengers about security risks and maintain necessary security personnel on each ship; and (4) Congress should provide oversight to ensure the safety and security of American passengers.
![Official portrait of Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000399_200.jpg)