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United States · Official source
4,473 records where Rep. Abercrombie, Neil [D-HI-1] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include a bicycle commuting allowance as a qualified transportation fringe benefit, excludable from gross income.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2007
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to compensate states for incarcerating undocumented aliens charged with a felony or two or more misdemeanors.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2007
Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2007 - Establishes in the executive branch the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation to carry out this Act under the authorities of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. Requires the Foundation to award grants, increasingly for study in nontraditional study abroad destinations, to: (1) U.S. students; (2) nongovernmental institutions that provide and promote study abroad opportunities for U.S. students, in consortium with institutions of higher education (IHEs); and (3) IHEs, individually or in consortium.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2007
Fair and Speedy Treatment (FAST) of Medicare Prescription Drug Claims Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require prompt payment of clean claims to pharmacies by prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans (MA-PD Plans). Defines "prompt payment" as within 14 calendar days from submission for claims submitted electronically, and within 30 calendar days for claims submitted otherwise. Requires payment of interest, also, if a payment is not issued, mailed, or otherwise transmitted within the applicable number of calendar days. Makes it unlawful for a PDP sponsor to display on any explanatory prescription drug information and enrollee cards the name, brand, or trademark (co-branding) of any pharmacy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2007
Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act of 2007 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act and federal civil service law relating to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to cover qualified acupuncturist services.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2007
Disabled Veterans Fairness Act - Eliminates a $3 per round trip deductible charged by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in connection with the veterans beneficiary travel program (a program authorizing a travel allowance or reimbursement for beneficiaries providing transportation for veterans to obtain medical care). Directs the Secretary, in determining the amount of such allowance or reimbursement, to use the mileage reimbursement rates for the use of privately owned vehicles by government employees traveling on official business.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2007
Commuter Benefits Equity Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to equalize and increase to $200, with a modified cost-of-living adjustment, the tax exclusion for both transportation and parking fringe benefits. Extends such benefits to federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2007
Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit treatment limits or the imposition of financial requirements on mental health and substance-related disorder benefits in group health plans which are not similarly imposed on substantially all medical and surgical benefits in any category of items or services under such plans. Directs the Comptroller General to study the effect of the implementation of this Act on various aspects of the health care system, including the cost of and access to health insurance coverage, the quality of health care, Medicare, Medicaid, and state and local mental health and substance abuse treatment spending, and spending on public services.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2007
Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance for projects for the conservation of rare felids and rare canids. Authorizes the Secretary to convene an advisory group of individuals representing public and private organizations actively involved in the conservation of felids and canids. Restricts the use of grants for captive breeding or display purposes. Establishes in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund as a separate account the Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund. Defines "rare canid" to: (1) mean any canid species, subspecies, or population that is not native to the United States and Canada, and is included in the threatened or endangered lists of the World Conservation Union, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and (2) include such a subspecies or population of dhole, gray wolf, Ethiopian wolf, bush dog, or maned wolf. Defines "rare felid" to: (1) mean any felid species, subspecies, or population that is not native to the United States and Canada, and is included in the threatened or endangered lists of the World Conservation Union, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or the Endangered Species Act of 1973; and (2) include such a subspecies or population of lion, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, clouded leopard, cheetah, or Iberian lynx. Excludes any tiger.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2007
Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to revise the classification criterion used to determine whether a hospital or hospital unit is an inpatient rehabilitation facility under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Eliminates the current schedule of applicable percentages. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, instead, to require in the classification criterion a compliance rate no greater than the 60% compliance rate that became effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after July 1, 2006. Requires the Secretary, for cost reporting periods beginning on or after July 1, 2008, to include patients with comorbidity in the inpatient population that counts towards such 60% compliance rate. Requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Medicare fiscal intermediaries, Medicare administrative contractors, recovery audit contractors, and other government agents to use and apply the criteria established in HCFA Ruling 85-2, as issued on July 31, 1985, as the sole standard for determining the medical necessity of servivces provided by inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and units to Medicare beneficiaries. Directs the Secretary to report to specified congressional committees: (1) an examination of the impact of the 75% rule on the Medicare program, and specifically on Medicare beneficiaries; and (2) alternatives to the 75% rule policy for determining exclusion criteria for inpatient rehabilitation hospital and unit designation under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2007
Stop Arming Iran Act - Prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from selling any parts for the F-14 fighter aircraft (parts), whether through the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service or through another DOD agency or element. Provides an exception with respect to the sale of such parts to a U.S. museum or similar organization involved in the preservation of F-14 fighter aircraft for historical purposes. Prohibits the issuance of any license for the export of such parts to a non-U.S. person or entity.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007
Reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the national program for traumatic brain injury registries to include grants for state traumatic brain injury surveillance systems. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , to conduct a study to: (1) determine the incidence of traumatic brain injury and prevalence of traumatic brain injury related disability; (2) report national trends in traumatic brain injury; (3) identify common therapeutic interventions which are used for the rehabilitation of individuals with such injuries; (4) identify interventions and therapies that can prevent or remediate the development of secondary neurologic conditions related to traumatic brain injury; and (5) develop practice guidelines for such rehabilitation. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2011 for the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) trauma research program. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), to make grants to states and American Indian consortia (currently, only states) to improve access to rehabilitation (currently, health) and other services regarding traumatic brain injury. Requires the Administrator and the Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities to coordinate the collection of data regarding protection and advocacy services. Directs the Administrator to make a grant for training and technical assistance to protection and advocacy systems, if funds permit.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007
Public Good IRA Rollover Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income distributions from individual retirement accounts for certain charitable purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007
Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2007- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain landowners whose property contains the habitat of an endangered or threatened species and who enter into a habitat protection agreement a tax credit for costs relating to habitat protection easements and restoration. Places limits on the amount of such credit for calendar years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Directs the Comptroller General of the United States to study and report to Congress on the effectiveness of such credit. Allows a tax deduction for expenditures related to recovery plans approved by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Excludes from gross income certain payments under: (1) the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program authorized by the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act; and (2) the Landowner Incentive Program, the State Wildlife Grants Program, and the Private Stewardship Grants Program authorized by the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007
Child Support Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to repeal a provision that prohibited federal matching funds to a state for expenditures from federal amounts paid to the state for child support and establishment of paternity to carry out an agreement for services of the Federal Parent Locator Service.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007
Citizenship Promotion Act of 2007 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise provisions respecting: (1) immigration service fees; and (2) naturalization testing. Prohibits an applicant or petitioner for U.S. permanent residence or citizenship from being required to use an electronic method to file any application for, or to access, a customer account. Requires: (1) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study and report on naturalization background checks; and (2) the Attorney General to make reasonable efforts to complete background checks of applicants for temporary or permanent residence or citizenship within 90 days. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a national citizenship promotion program to assist lawful permanent resident aliens become citizens.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007
Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit treatment limits or the imposition of financial requirements on mental health and substance-related disorder benefits in group health plans which are not similarly imposed on substantially all medical and surgical benefits in any category of items or services under such plans. Directs the Comptroller General to study the effect of the implementation of this Act on various aspects of the health care system, including the cost of and access to health insurance coverage, the quality of health care, Medicare, Medicaid, and state and local mental health and substance abuse treatment spending, and spending on public services.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007
Count Every Vote Act of 2007 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 with respect to : (1) voter verification and mandatory auditing by state officials; (2) provisional ballots and requirements for casting and counting them; (3) shortening of voter wait lines; (4) equitable allocation of voting systems, poll workers, and election resources; (5) absentee balloting; (6) training of poll workers; (7) standards for purging voters; (8) an election day registration grant program; (9) standards for early voting; (10) voter registration and identification; (11) prohibition of deceptive practices and certain campaign activities; (12) voting rights of individuals convicted of criminal offenses; (13) election day as a public holiday; and (14) the Election Assistance Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007
Teachers of English Language Learners Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a tax credit for full-time teachers in limited English proficient schools; and (2) a tax deduction for tuition and fees for courses required for certification to teach English to elementary or secondary school students who are limited English proficient, as defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007
Calls for the adoption of a Sensible, Multilateral American Response to Terrorism (SMART) security platform for the 21st century that: (1) prevents future acts of terrorism 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 the proliferation of conventional weapons; (3) addresses root causes of terrorism and violent conflict; (4) shifts U.S. budget priorities to more effectively meet U.S. security needs; and (5) pursues to the fullest extent alternatives to war.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for and enforcement of prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages to: (1) add nonretaliation requirements; (2) increase penalties; and (3) authorize the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretaries of Labor and Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to provide for certain studies, information, national summit, and guidelines, awards, and assistance for employer evaluations of job categories based on objective criteria. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect certain pay information. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey; (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity; and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to revise the definition of "food of minimal nutritional value," the sale of which in areas where school meals are sold or eaten is prohibited as a condition for federal funding of school lunch and breakfast programs. Applies such definition (and prohibition) to all food sold outside such programs anywhere on school campuses at any time of the day, with the possible limited exemption of food sold at school fundraisers. Requires the Secretary, when revising such definition, to consider the recommendations of authoritative scientific organizations and evidence concerning the relationship between diet and health.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Health Centers Renewal Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 for health centers to meet the health care needs of medically underserved populations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an alternative motor vehicle tax credit for new qualified plug-in hybrid motor vehicles. Defines such a vehicle as any new qualified hybrid motor vehicle that: (1) is a passenger automobile or light truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of not more than 8,500 pounds; (2) meets or exceeds the Bin 5 Tier II emission standard established by the Environmental Protection Agency; (3) draws propulsion energy from a traction battery of not less than 4 kWh; and (4) is equipped with a means of recharging its energy storage system from an external source of electricity.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2007
Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to grant states the option of covering certain categories of eligible pregnant women and child resident aliens, including targeted low-income children, under the Medicaid and SCHIP programs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2007
Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to add a program for emergency retiree health benefit protections. Prohibits group health plans from reducing retiree health benefits after the retirement of a plan beneficiary. Requires such plans to adopt provisions barring post-retirement reductions in retiree health benefits. Requires group health plan sponsors to grant retired plan participants the option of benefit restoration. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to waive or vary requirements for benefit restoration if compliance with such requirements would: (1) be adverse to the interests of plan participants in the aggregate; (2) not be administratively feasible; and (3) cause substantial business hardship to plan sponsors. Establishes the Emergency Retiree Health Loan Guarantee Program. Authorizes the Program to guarantee loans provided by private financial institutions to assist plan sponsors in meeting benefit restoration obligations under this Act. Terminates loan guarantee authority after 2013. Authorizes the Secretary to assess civil penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Plan; and (2) acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct, support, and promote the coordination of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases research. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support arthritis-specific research projects at the Centers for Prevention Research by the CDC; (2) support state comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities; and (3) assist in the implementation of a national strategy for arthritis control and prevention. Requires the Secretary to coordinate a national education and outreach program on arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish an Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee to: (1) improve coordination of federal research activities related to arthritis and rheumatic diseases; and (2) convene a summit to provide a detailed overview of such current federal research. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify juvenile arthritis research. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to support juvenile arthritis data collection. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to support the development of a National Juvenile Arthritis Patient Registry. Requires the Secretary to promote and support pediatric rheumatology training, including by allowing the Secretary to establish a loan repayment program. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the economic impact of arthritis in the workplace.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2006 - Extends Federal recognition to: (1) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe; (2) the Chickahominy Indian Tribe - Eastern Division; (3) the Upper Mattaponi Tribe; (4) the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc.; (5) the Monacan Indian Nation; and (6) the Nansemond Indian Tribe. Sets forth the service areas of the various Tribes and requirements for the Tribes with respect to submission of a membership roll and governing documents and the governing body of each Tribe. Requires the Secretary of the Interior, upon certain land transfers, to take specified lands into trust for the various Tribes' benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2007 - Amends federal law regarding presidential archival depositories to require any presidential library fundraising organization to submit quarterly reports to the National Archives and Records Administration and specified congressional committees on every contributor who gave the organization a contribution or contributions (whether monetary or in-kind) totaling $200 or more for the quarterly period. Requires the Archivist of the United States to make such information available to the public through the Internet as soon as is practicable after each quarterly filing. Prohibits knowing and willful submissions of false information or omissions of material information by contributors or the fundraising organization. Prescribes criminal penalties for violation of such prohibitions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized under the Immigration Act of 1990 from worldwide or numerical limitations on immigrant visas.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide funds to States to enable them to increase the wages paid to targeted direct support professionals in providing services to individuals with disabilities under the Medicaid program. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, to audit a sample from among the States in order to assess the effectiveness of progress made in reducing or eliminating the wage gap between targeted and reference direct support professionals through funds under this Act. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the wage equalization and recruitment and retention of direct support professionals who are providing services and supports to individuals with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
American Dream Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States before his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth requirements respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) confidentiality; (3) fee prohibitions; (4) higher education assistance; and (5) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Program for Real Energy Security Act or the PROGRESS Act - Establishes the National Commission on Energy Security and Transition to New Fuels. Sets forth the duties of the Commission, including to make recommendations to Congress and the President for: (1) preserving the national energy security in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster; and (2) reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil over a specified period. Establishes: (1) the New Manhattan Center for High Efficiency Vehicles; and (2) the Advisory Council on Federal Participation. Requires the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program of grants to federal and private sector researchers (including the Center) to research and develop alternative fuels and technologies to improve the productivity of U.S. automotive firms in the manufacture of high efficiency vehicles. Establishes a grant program to provide assistance to retail and wholesale motor fuel dealers or other entities to install, replace, or convert motor fuel storage and dispensing infrastructure for use in the storage and dispensing of biobased fuels. Sets forth requirements calling for: (1) the production and distribution of biobased fuels (ethanol) and deployment of new engine technologies for fuel-flexible, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and biodiesel vehicles; (2) greater use of alternative fuels in dual fueled vehicles operating in the federal fleet; and (3) the increase and expansion of employer-provided mass transit fringe benefits. Transit Rail Accommodation Improvement and Needs Act - Allows for the shared use of rail carrier trackage and rail rights-of-way by mass transportation authorities. Authorizes capital investment grants to improve intercity passenger rail service. Allows a tax credit to holders of qualified high-speed rail infrastructure bonds. Railroad Track Modernization Act of 2007 - Establishes a capital grant program for the rehabilitation, preservation, or improvement of railroad track of class II and class III railroads. Requires the issuance of regulations implementing reliability standards for the safe transportation of energy supplies by rail.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to list permissible sources of dogs and cats used by research facilities to include dogs and cats obtained: (1) from a licensed dealer; (2) from a publicly owned and operated pound or shelter that meets specified requirements; (3) by donation from a person who bred and raised the dog or cat and owned it for not less than one year; or (4) from a research facility licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Sets forth additional monetary penalties for related violations. Prohibits federal facilities from purchasing or otherwise acquiring dogs or cats for exhibition purposes except from: (1) the operator of an auction that comports with legal requirements; or (2) a person holding a valid dealer or exhibitor license. Prohibits dealers from selling or otherwise providing a research facility with random source dogs or cats unless specified certification requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Medigap Access Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for guaranteed issue of replacement Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policies for beneficiaries under age 65 upon first enrolling under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of Medicare.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2007 - Repeals current Department of Defense (DOD) policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces. Prohibits the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation against any member of the Armed Forces or any person seeking to become a member. Authorizes the re-accession into the Armed Forces of otherwise qualified individuals previously separated for homosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexual conduct. Requires such Secretaries to ensure that regulations governing the personal conduct of members of the Armed Forces are written and enforced without regard to sexual orientation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a geography education grant program under title II, Teacher Quality Enhancement. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to a national nonprofit educational organization or consortium, with 75% to be used for subgrants to institutions of higher education associated with state geographic alliances, nonprofit educational organizations, or state or local educational agencies. Requires various grantee and subgrantee activities designed to expand geographic literacy among kindergarten through grade 12 students by improving their teachers' professional development programs offered through institutions of higher education. Includes among such activities state-based conferences to assess geographic literacy and identify improvement strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
Cytology Proficiency Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise national quality assurance standards to assure consistent performance by laboratories of valid and reliable cytology services, to include requirements that each clinical laboratory: (1) ensure that all individuals involved in screening and interpreting cytological preparations participate annually in an approved continuing medical education program in gynecologic cytology that provides each participant with gynecologic cytologic preparations designed to improve locator, recognition, and interpretive skills; and (2) maintain a record of program results. Requires the Secretary to terminate individual proficiency testing that was in effect before enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
Strengthening Physical Education Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include physical education among the subjects for which states are required to have academic content and achievement standards for all public school students, beginning in school year 2007-2008. Requires physical education assessment to begin by school year 2009-2010, including measurement of students' proficiency at least one time during: (1) grades 3 through 6; (2) grades 6 through 9; and (3) grades 10 through 12. Directs the Secretary of Education to identify model state and local physical education programs, evaluate their safety and effectiveness, and publish information on such programs. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to states to: (1) establish or revise physical education standards; (2) develop assessment tools; (3) establish or revise physical education curricula to meet minimum content and performance standards established by the Secretary; and (4) support the development of model programs. Gives grant priority to high-need states. Requires non-federal matching contributions equal to 20% of the grant.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
Kidney Disease Educational Benefits Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of kidney disease education services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2007
Drug Endangered Children Act of 2007- Amends the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 to extend the grant program for drug-endangered children.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2007
Kidney Care Quality and Education Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish demonstration projects to: (1) increase public awareness about the factors that lead to chronic kidney disease, how to prevent it, how to treat it, and how to avoid kidney failure, as well as enhance surveillance systems and expand research to better assess the prevalence and incidence of kidney disease; and (2) enable individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) to develop self-management skills. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for Medicare coverage of kidney disease patient education services. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish blood flow monitoring demonstration projects; and (2) arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the barriers to increasing the number of individuals with ESRD who elect to receive home dialysis services or other treatment modalities under Medicare. Sets forth required training for patient care dialysis technicians. Directs the Secretary to establish an independent, multidisciplinary, nonpartisan End-Stage Renal Disease Advisory Committee. Establishes the annual update framework for the Medicare ESRD composite rate. Directs the Secretary to establish a three-year continuous quality improvement initiative under which quality payments are provided to renal dialysis facilities, providers of services, and physicians that: (1) provide items and services to individuals with ESRD enrolled under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance); and (2) meet quality benchmarks and demonstrate quality improvements. Requires the Secretary to make quality incentive payments to facilities and providers whose services to individuals with ESRD have substantially improved or exceeded a certain threshold. Extends Medicare as secondary payer with respect to individuals with ESRD.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2007
Coral Reef Conservation Amendments Act of 2007 - Amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to extend the award of remaining coral reef conservation program grant funds, in addition to projects addressing emerging priorities or threats, to other appropriate projects, including monitoring and assessment, research, pollution reduction, education, and technical support. Authorizes the Administrator to undertake or authorize actions to prevent or minimize injury to coral reefs or coral ecosystems from vessel impacts, derelict fishing gear, vessel anchors and anchor chains, or unforeseen or disaster-related circumstances. Includes activities designed to minimize the likelihood of physical reef damage in the activities that may be taken under an existing program to conserve coral reefs and reef ecosystems. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) make community-based planning grants to certain entities that have received a coral reef conservation grant to work with local communities and federal and state entities to implement plans for increased protection of high priority coral reefs; (2) maintain an inventory of all vessel grounding incidents involving coral reefs; (3) identify coral reefs outside National Marine Sanctuaries with many vessel impacts; (4) identify measures to reduce impacts; and (5) make multiyear cooperative agreements to carry out the national coral reef action strategy. Establishes the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to coordinate federal actions to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems. Authorizes appropriations to provide funds to administer a marine science facility at the American Samoa Community College and to the University of Guam for coral reef research and protection. Reauthorizes the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 and authorizes appropriations through FY2010 for: (1) the coral reef conservation program; and (2) community-based planning grants.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2007
Lupus Research, Education, Awareness, Communication, and Healthcare Amendments of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to expand research on lupus to include: (1) basic research to discover the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the disease; and (2) research to validate lupus biomarkers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to work with a consortium of academic health institutions to undertake an epidemiological study to determine the prevalence and incidence of lupus in the United States. Requires the Director of CDC to: (1) enter into a cooperative agreement with such consortium to develop, implement, and manage a system for lupus data collection and analysis; and (2) ensure that such consortium represents different geographic areas and includes individuals of racial and ethnic backgrounds disproportionately affected by lupus. Requires the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study and make recommendations related to lupus, to include: (1) evaluating federal and state activities related to lupus and recommending ways to expand such activities; (2) identifying gaps in federal research; and (3) recommending ways to improve the quality of life for people with lupus. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office on Women's Health, to conduct and support a national lupus public awareness and health professional education campaign, with an emphasis on reaching populations at highest risk for the disease.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2007
Acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow. Apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the U.S. people for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors. Commits to rectifying the lingering consequences of slavery and Jim Crow and to stopping future human rights violations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Student Achievement and Successful Schools Act of 2007 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) full funding should be provided to schools to allow them to satisfy federal mandates required under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA), which amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA); and (2) states and school districts should have the necessary flexibility in implementing NCLBA to ensure that all students are successful and achieve all of the goals of the law. Amends ESEA to revise requirements relating to: (1) adequate yearly progress (AYP); (2) measurements of student achievement, allowing such measurements to be made on a longitudinal basis; (3) supplemental educational services; (4) deadlines for evaluating teachers and paraprofessionals as highly qualified; and (5) the process by which teachers of multiple subjects may demonstrate such competence. Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) allocate federal funds to pay for administrative costs of demonstrating AYP and for paraprofessional training; and (2) make performance bonus grants to eligible states for non-administrative functions by schools that have closed achievement gaps to a certain degree between specified subgroups. Authorizes state and local educational agencies and schools to defer implementation of certain ESEA requirements in any fiscal year when the amount appropriated under ESEA and the Individuals with Disabilities Act does not equal or exceed a specified authorized amount. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report on certain topics concerning how costs of NCLBA mandates may affect adequate funding for ESEA.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Enhancement Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to expand, intensify, and coordinate the Institute's research activities on inflammatory bowel disease, with an emphasis on: (1) genetic research on susceptibility for inflammatory bowel disease; (2) research targeted to increase knowledge about the causes and complications of inflammatory bowel disease in children; (3) animal model research; (4) clinical research; (5) expansion of the Institute's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centers program with a focus on pediatric research; and (6) other research initiatives identified in specified documents. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease; (2) establish the National Pediatric IBD Registry; and (3) establish the Advisory Committee on Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease to study and make recommendations relating to the Registry. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prepare a National Inflammatory Bowel Disease Action Plan to: (1) address the burden of inflammatory bowel disease in both adult and pediatric populations; (2) address strategies for determining the unique demographic, geographic, and environmental-exposure characteristics of the inflammatory bowel disease population; (3) focus on strategies for increasing awareness about the disease within the general public and the health care community; and (4) address mechanisms designed to prevent the progression of the disease and the development of complications.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of centers to conduct multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Requires each such center to: (1) be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence; (2) include community organizations in the geographic area served by the center; (3) be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions and community groups; and (4) be supported under this Act for a period of not more than five years, with additional periods allowed after review and recommendation. Requires the Secretary to establish a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel to: (1) develop a comprehensive research strategy for centers; (2) make recommendations with respect to the mechanisms, peer review criteria, and allocations under this Act; (3) assist in the overall program evaluations; and (4) make recommendations for the dissemination of information on program process. Requires the Director of NIH to provide for coordination of information among, and an equitable geographical distribution of, centers.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 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 Michael Ellis DeBakey, M.D. (who performed the first successful coronary bypass, pioneered the field of telemedicine, was elected the first President of Baylor College of Medicine, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction and the National Medal of Science) in recognition of his many outstanding contributions to the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Kids Come First Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX of the Social Security Act (SSA) to give states the option to receive 100% Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAPs) for medical assistance for children in poverty in exchange for expanded coverage of children in working poor families under Medicaid (SSA title XIX) or SCHIP (SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance)). Eliminates the cap on SCHIP funding for states that expand eligibility for children. Gives states the option to: (1) provide wrap-around SCHIP coverage to children who have other health coverage; (2) enroll low-income children of state employees in SCHIP; (3) provide optional coverage of legal immigrant children under Medicaid and SCHIP; and (4) provide for passive renewal of eligibility for children under Medicaid and SCHIP. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for: (1) a refundable income tax credit for health insurance coverage of children; and (2) forfeiture of the personal tax exemption for any child not covered by health insurance. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to require group market health insurers to offer a dependent coverage option for workers and other individuals with children.