United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2010
Ponzi Scheme Investor Protection Act of 2010 - Amends the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970 with respect to the duties of a trustee appointed for a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-registered broker or dealer undergoing liquidation. Instructs the trustee to take specified actions if the trustee determines that the debtor is a Ponzi scheme. Establishes procedures for an indirect Ponzi scheme investor to file a claim. Instructs the trustee to: (1) coordinate with Ponzi scheme investors to ensure proper payments to indirect Ponzi scheme investors; and (2) take specified actions to pay indirect Ponzi scheme investors. Prescribes the maximum aggregate amount of all cash and securities that may be awarded to each indirect Ponzi scheme investor. Prohibits the trustee of a Ponzi scheme from seeking to recover money and profits from any Ponzi scheme investor unless such investor's participation in the Ponzi scheme was either complicit or negligent. Requires the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) to: (1) advance to the trustee such moneys as may be required to pay claims and implement this Act; and (2) promulgate regulations modifying SIPC Fund assessment levels to ensure they are adequate to cover the anticipated costs of implementing this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2010
North Korean Refugee Adoption Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of State to develop a comprehensive strategy for facilitating the adoption of North Korean children by U.S. citizens.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2010
Coastal Jobs Creation Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to implement a Coastal Jobs Creation Grant Program which shall include: (1) cooperative research to collect and compile economic and social data related to recreational and commercial fisheries management: (2) establishment and implementation of state recreational fishing registry programs; (3) training and deploying observers authorized or required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; (4) preservation or restoration of coastal resources identified for their conservation, recreational, ecological, historic, or aesthetic values; (5) redevelopment of deteriorating and underutilized working waterfronts and ports; (6) research to develop, test, and deploy innovations and improvements in coastal and ocean observation technologies; (7) cooperative research to collect data to improve, supplement, or enhance fishery and marine mammal stock assessments; and (8) other specified activities. Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require the Secretary of Commerce to enter into contracts with, or provide grants to, states for the purpose of establishing and implementing a registry program to meet the requirements for the exemption from registration of a regional standardized fishing vessel registration and information management system program for state licensed recreational fishermen and charter fishing vessels when the Secretary determines that information from the state program is suitable for the Secretary's use in completing marine recreational fisheries statistical surveys or evaluating the effects of proposed conservation and management measures for marine recreational fisheries.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2010
Global Democracy Promotion Act - States that in determining eligibility for assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 foreign nongovernmental organizations shall not: (1) be ineligible for such assistance solely on the basis of health or medical services provided by such organizations with non-U.S. government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided and would not violate U.S. federal law if provided in the United States; and (2) be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving assistance under part I of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2010
Amends the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to make permanent the authority of the Broadcasting Board of Governors to make grants to operate Radio Free Asia.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2010
Healthy School Meals Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to select school food authorities to participate in a pilot program evaluating the use of plant-based alternate protein products and fluid milk substitutes under the school lunch and breakfast programs. Directs the Secretary to: (1) deliver plant-based alternate protein products and fluid milk substitutes to such food authorities at no cost for the preparation of meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs; and (2) assess which of such foods would be best for more general use in the school lunch and breakfast programs, and deliver them for general use under such programs, within two years of this Acts' enactment. Requires the Secretary, within two years of this Act's enactment, to promulgate regulations that: (1) reflect specific recommendations for increased consumption of plant-based foods; and (2) provide for the distribution of supplemental commodity assistance or cash in lieu thereof to states and certain school food authorities that offer a plant-based entree on their daily lunch menus, for the purchase of entirely plant-based commodity food products or fluid milk substitutes. Requires schools participating in the school lunch program to serve a nondairy beverage that is nutritionally equivalent to fluid milk and meets certain nutritional standards to students who cannot consume fluid milk because of a disability or medical or other special dietary need. (Eliminates the requirement that students who cannot consume fluid milk due to a disability provide schools with a statement from a physician that identifies such disability and specifies the fluid milk substitute.)
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2010
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow a Member of Congress, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner to administer the oath of renunciation and allegiance to applicants for naturalization.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2010
Honors Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, on its 125th anniversary. Recognizes its unwavering commitment to liberal arts education. Expresses the House of Representatives' best wishes for its continued success.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2010
Recognizes the significant contributions of Irish-Americans in the history and progress of the United States. Supports the designation of Irish-American History Month.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2010
Recognizes the 150th anniversary of the birth of Will Keith Kellogg and his contributions to the citizens of the United States and the people of the world.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2010
Recognizes the life of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, whose death on February 23, 2010, highlights the lack of democracy in Cuba and the injustice of the treatment of more than 200 political prisoners by the government of Cuba. Calls for the release of all political prisoners in Cuba. Pays tribute to the courageous citizens of Cuba who are suffering abuses for engaging in peaceful efforts to exercise their basic human rights. Supports freedom of speech and the rights of journalists and bloggers in Cuba to express their views without government repression. Calls on the United States to continue policies that focus on respect for the fundamental tenets of freedom, democracy, and human rights in Cuba and encourage peaceful democratic change consistent with the aspirations of the people of Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2010
Stem Cell Research Advancement Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct and support research that utilizes human stem cells, including human embryonic stem cells. Limits such research to stem cells that meet the following requirements: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, were created for the purposes of reproductive treatment, and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) it was determined through consultation with the individuals seeking reproductive treatment that the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) the individuals seeking reproductive treatment donated the embryos with written informed consent and received no financial or other inducements. Requires the Secretary to maintain, review every three years, and update as scientifically warranted, guidelines applicable to the conduct or support of human stem cell research by HHS. Prohibits the Secretary from using any funds for the conduct or support of human cloning. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to include in its biennial report to Congress a summary of research activities on human stem cells.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2010
Local Jobs for America Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor, to provide for the allotment of funds to states, local government units, and community-based organizations to save and create local jobs through the retention, restoration, or expansion of services needed by local communities. Makes appropriations for this program. Prohibits the hiring of an individual for a position funded under this Act if: (1) it results in the layoff or partial displacement of an existing employee of a unit or organization, or (2) such individual will perform the same or substantially similar work that was performed by the previous employee of the unit or organization. Makes appropriations to: (1) the Department of Education for an Education Jobs Fund, (2) the Department of Justice for community oriented policing services, (3) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for firefighter assistance grants, and (4) the Department of Labor for ETA for on-the-job training and employment services.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2010
Supports the goals of World TB Day to raise awareness about tuberculosis. Commends the progress made by anti-tuberculosis programs, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to global tuberculosis control through the Lantos-Hyde U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2010
Aviation Jobs Outsourcing Prevention Act - Requires a domestic or a foreign air carrier to file with the Secretary of Transportation any agreement, a request to discuss cooperative arrangements, or a modification or cancellation of an agreement between the domestic or foreign air carrier and another air carrier, a foreign carrier, or another carrier. Requires the Secretary to disapprove or, after periodic review, end approval of, an agreement, a request to discuss cooperative arrangements, or a modification that provides for or permits the sharing or pooling of revenue or profits between participating carriers earned in covered operations, unless the Secretary finds that each participating air carrier's share of the pooled revenue or pooled profits (whichever is greater) contributed by covered operations in any consecutive 12-month period does not exceed 130% of the participating carrier's share of pooled available seat miles (ASMs) in covered operations during the period.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2010
Shareholder Protection Act of 2010 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that any solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any security of an issuer: (1) describe the specific nature and total amount of expenditures proposed for political activities for the forthcoming fiscal year; and (2) provide for a separate shareholder vote to authorize such proposed expenditures. Prohibits an issuer from making an expenditure for political activities in any fiscal year unless: (1) such expenditure is of the nature of those proposed by the issuer according to the requirements of this Act; and (2) authorization for such expenditure has been granted by votes representing a majority of outstanding shares. Deems a violation of this requirement to be a breach of the fiduciary duty of the officers and directors who authorized such expenditure. Subjects officers and directors who authorize the expenditure without prior shareholder authorization to joint and several liability to any shareholder or class of shareholders for the amount of such expenditure. Requires certain institutional investment managers to disclose annually in mandatory reports how they voted (proxies) in certain shareholder votes. Prohibits any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against an institutional investment manager, or any of its employees, officers, or directors, based solely upon the investment manager's decision to divest from, or not to invest in, securities of an issuer because of expenditures for political activities made by that issuer. Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to direct the national securities exchanges and national securities associations to prohibit the listing of any equity security of an issuer whose corporate bylaws do not expressly provide for a vote of the issuer's directors on any individual expenditure for political activities in excess of $50,000. Requires an issuer to make public, within 48 hours, the individual votes of the directors regarding any such expenditure. Directs the SEC to: (1) require issuers to disclose expenditures for political activities made during the preceding quarter and the individual votes by board members authorizing such expenditures; and (2) make such reports publicly available through the SEC website. Requires the Comptroller General to make annual studies of: (1) the compliance by public corporations and their management with the requirements of this Act; and (2) the effectiveness of SEC oversight of its reporting and disclosure requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2010
Commends the Community of Democracies for its achievements. Applauds the establishment of the Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies and expresses appreciation to the government of Poland for the support it has extended to the Permanent Secretariat. Welcomes the initiative of the Lithuanian Presidency supported by the Convening Group and the Permanent Secretariat to reestablish the Working Groups within the Community of Democracies. Endorses the Krakow Conference.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2010
Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act - Declares that it is U.S. policy that the raising of livestock for food production shall be consistent with the basic principles of animal welfare. Prohibits a federal agency from purchasing any food product derived from a pig during pregnancy, a calf raised for veal, or an egg-laying hen used or intended for use in food production (covered animal) unless that animal, during the entire period covered by that definition, was provided adequate space to stand up, lie down, turn around freely, and fully extend all limbs. Exempts a covered animal: (1) during lawful transport; (2) during the slaughter of the animal in compliance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958 and other applicable law and regulations; (3) in lawful rodeo exhibitions, state or county fair exhibitions, or other similar exhibitions; (4) in lawful scientific or agricultural research; (5) while undergoing an examination, test, treatment, or operation for individualized veterinary purposes to improve the animal's well-being; or (6) in the case of a pig during pregnancy, during the seven-day period immediately before the date the pig is expected to give birth. Provides that nothing in this Act shall modify, limit, or repeal any law or preempt any state or local law.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2010
National Alzheimer's Project Act - Establishes in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Office of the National Alzheimer's Project to: (1) accelerate the development of treatments that would prevent, halt, or reverse the course of Alzheimer's; (2) create and maintain an integrated national plan to overcome Alzheimer's; (3) help to coordinate the health care and treatment of citizens with Alzheimer's; (4) ensure the inclusion of ethnic and racial populations that are at higher risk for Alzheimer's or that are least likely to receive care in clinical, research, and service efforts with the purpose of decreasing health disparities; (5) coordinate with international bodies to integrate and inform the fight against Alzheimer's globally; and (6) provide information and coordination of Alzheimer's research and services across all federal agencies. Sets forth the duties of the Director of the Office, including to use discretionary authority to evaluate all federal programs concerning Alzheimer's. Establishes in the Office an Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research and Treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2010
Honors Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) for his success in encouraging children to discover the joy of reading. Honors the 13th anniversary of Read Across America Day, which occurs on March 2, 2010. Encourages parents to read with their children for at least 30 minutes on Read Across America Day.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and make available for sale not more than 2 million silver national medals, containing one ounce of silver each, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the establishment of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. Declares that all sales of medals under this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per medal, which shall be paid to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center to support its operations and maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 23 Genesee Street in Hornell, New York, as the "Zachary Smith Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Commemorates the 20th anniversary of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela's release from 27 years of unjust imprisonment. Recognizes Nelson Mandela's pivotal role in ending apartheid and as a figure of progress and reconciliation in South Africa and in the global community.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2010
Help Small Businesses Start and Grow Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an increased tax deduction for business start-up expenditures in 2009, 2010, or 2011; (2) allow a standard tax deduction for the business use of a home; (3) increase the rate of the tax deduction for business meals and entertainment expenses; and (4) extend bonus depreciation allowances through 2012. Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to: (1) establish and carry out a small business direct lending program; (2) report to the House and Senate Small Business Committees on the loan program, including the number and amount of loans made under the program. Requires the Comptroller General to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and identify any waste or abuse relating to the program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2010
Corporate Politics Transparency Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that quarterly and annual reports of an issuer, any proxy solicitation or consent or authorization in respect of any security, and the issuer's registration statement disclose total independent expenditures in support of or in opposition to any candidate for federal, state, or local public office made by the issuer during the preceding six-year period. Requires such disclosures to include: (1) the name and political party affiliation of each candidate in support of whom or in opposition to whom an independent expenditure was made; (2) the amount of each such expenditure; (3) the public office that such candidate was or is seeking; (4) the relevant state, city, or district; and (5) a statement of the issuer's interest in and reason for making such expenditure.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2010
Recognizes the importance of the 2010 Census and encourages full participation. Encourages each community within Indian Country to name an elder to be the first member of that community to answer the Census.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Renewable Energy Expansion Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow taxpayers an election to receive a direct payment for investing in or producing specified energy property in lieu of existing energy tax credits; and (2) extend eligibility for such payments until January 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
International Violence Against Women Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of State to establish the Office for Global Women's Issues, to be headed by the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, to coordinate efforts regarding gender integration and empowerment of women in U.S. foreign policy. Establishes an Office for Women's Global Development (intended to replace the Office of Women in Development) in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to be headed by the Director of Women's Global Development, to coordinate USAID efforts to integrate gender in U.S. foreign assistance programs and policies. Directs the Secretary and the Administrator of USAID to develop a comprehensive five-year strategy for programs to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in countries with severe levels of such violence. Directs the Ambassador-at-Large and the Director to seek to coordinate efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally into existing foreign assistance programs. Authorizes funds to be awarded to community-based women's nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations in recipient countries to carry out such efforts. Authorizes the Secretary to provide guidance to the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to: (1) incorporate training on prevention and response into the basic training curricula of foreign military and police forces and judicial officials; and (2) ensure that U.S. assistance to units involved in regional or multilateral peacekeeping operations includes such training. Authorizes the Ambassador-at-Large to provide guidance to the Administrator and the Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in humanitarian relief, conflict, and post-conflict settings. Authorizes the Secretary to provide guidance on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls to the Secretary of DOD when U.S. military personnel, military contractors, and military observers are to be deployed in humanitarian relief, conflict, and post-conflict settings. Authorizes the Secretary and the Secretary of DOD to: (1) provide training in prevention and response to violence against women and girls internationally to U.S. military forces; (2) establish mechanisms for reporting incidences of violence against civilian women and girls committed by U.S. military forces; and (3) establish related public outreach efforts. Urges the Secretary to make U.S. financial, material, human, and other resources available to assist U.N. efforts to: (1) implement training programs in prevention and response to violence against women and girls for peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel; (2) enhance the deployment of military and civilian women in peacekeeping missions; and (3) improve protection mechanisms at U.N. managed refugee and internally displaced persons camps. Urges the Secretary to identify and take emergency measures to respond to critical outbreaks of violence against women and girls in situations of armed conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Honors Miep Gies for her bravery during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands and her dedication to preserving the memory of Anne Frank and the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2010
Calls upon the President and the Secretary of State to: (1) impress upon the Ugandan government the U.S. belief in the human dignity of all Ugandans regardless of sexual orientation; (2) express U.S. opposition to the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009" introduced in the Ugandan Parliament; and (3) ensure that resources committed to the global HIV/AIDS response are utilized in a manner that is appropriate to the local epidemiology of the disease, including in Uganda.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Honors the bravery and dedication of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance supported urban search and rescue teams deployed to Haiti in the aftermath of the January 12, 2010 earthquake. Congratulates the 511 U.S. rescue workers for the lives they helped save. Recognizes the contribution of these teams not only in the lives that they directly saved, but to the international teams that they trained and to the people of Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Shareholder Protection Act of 2010 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to prohibit an issuer from making any expenditure for political activities in excess of $10,000 in any fiscal year without first obtaining the written affirmative authorization for such expenditure by a majority of all shareholders. Deems a violation of this requirement to be a breach of the fiduciary duty of the officers and directors who authorized such expenditure. Subjects to joint and several liability to any shareholder or class of shareholders for the amount of such expenditure the officers and directors who authorize it without prior shareholder authorization. Prohibits rules and guidelines established by any national securities exchange or by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from considering as a routine corporate matter a decision to make a contribution or expenditure for political activities in excess of $10,000. Exempts from the shareholder prior approval requirement an issuer whose sole business is the publication or broadcasting of news, commentary, literature, music, entertainment, artistic expression, scientific, historical or academic works, or other forms of information. Directs the SEC to require issuers to disclose quarterly any expenditure for political activities made during the preceding quarter. Requires such report to be filed with the SEC, provided to shareholders, and be made publicly available through the SEC website.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Student Nondiscrimination Act of 2010 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2010
Treats cash contributions made after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, for the relief of earthquake victims in Haiti as having been made on December 31, 2009, for purposes of the tax deduction for charitable contributions. Deems a contribution as meeting the recordkeeping requirements of the Internal Revenue Code if the taxpayer produces a telephone bill showing the name of the donee organization and the date and amount of the contribution.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2-116th Street in North Troy, New York, as the "Martin G. 'Marty' Mahar Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act - States that it is U.S. policy that all nonambulatory cattle in interstate and foreign commerce be immediately and humanely euthanized when such cattle become nonambulatory. Amends the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations providing for the humane treatment, handling, and disposition of nonambulatory cattle by a covered entity, including a requirement that nonambulatory cattle be humanely euthanized. Requires an entity to: (1) humanely euthanize nonambulatory cattle (while not limiting the Secretary's ability to test nonambulatory cattle for disease, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy); and (2) not move nonambulatory cattle while such cattle is conscious, and ensure that such cattle remains unconscious until death. Prohibits an inspector at an establishment covered by the Federal Meat Inspection Act to pass nonambulatory cattle, carcass, or carcass parts through inspection. Requires an inspector or other employee at such establishment to label such material as "inspected and condemned."
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
American Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a two-phased program to: (1) award funds for the manufacture, testing, and delivery of at least 20,000 electric drive U.S. Postal Service Long Life Vehicles or other road vehicles for local postal delivery; and (2) further the deployment of electric drive vehicles and the development of grid services using them, including Vehicle-to-Grid. Prescribes Phase I program requirements to direct the Secretary to award funds for the production and delivery of: (1) 2,000 all-electric trucks (including an additional number of Electric Vehicle Battery Packs) to the U.S. Postal Service; (2) 4,000 new electric U.S. Postal Service Long Life Vehicles, including 200 new Derivative Electric Vehicles, to replace existing U.S. Postal Service Long Life Vehicles; (3) 1,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle powertrains and 2,000 all-electric powertrains for converting existing U.S. Postal Service Long Life Vehicles; and (4) 1,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to the U.S. Postal Service. Requires: (1) installation of 12,000 charging stations at U.S. Postal Service facilities; (2) the deployment of Smart Grid technologies, principally Vehicle-to-Grid; (3) activities to increase lithium ion battery repurposing and lithium ion battery recycling infrastructure; and (4) the development of standards and safety policies for the deployment of the Phase I vehicle test fleet. Establishes the Postal Service Sustainability Fund. Directs the Secretary, based on a Phase I performance report and on recommendations of the Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service, to select one or more recipients for the award of funds for Phase II of the program for the production and delivery of 10,000 electric postal delivery vehicles and 12,000 charging stations. Requires the Secretary to establish a public information clearinghouse for all data collected under this Act. Requires the Secretary to give priority in the awarding of funds for Phase I and Phase II to applicants that comply with Buy America Act requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize continued use of 2009 Medicare practice expense relative value units for certain cardiology services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to contract with an independent entity to study and report to Congress on the practice expense methodology used to determine relative value units under this Act to determine whether the cost finding, indirect cost allocation, scaling, and budget neutrality methodologies used: (1) are consistent with generally accepted accounting principles; (2) distribute the burden of any necessary budget neutrality adjustments proportionally among all physicians' services; and (3) result in allowances that accurately reflect the relative direct and indirect resources involved in the provision of various physicians' services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Thomas J. Manton Prostate Cancer Early Detection and Treatment Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to states to carry out: (1) prostate cancer prevention programs (including screening and referrals for treatment); and (2) demonstration projects to provide preventive health services with respect to prostate cancer (including blood pressure and cholesterol screenings). Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow states to provide medical assistance to individuals who have been screened for prostate cancer under this Act and who need treatment for prostate cancer. Applies provisions related to breast and cervical cancer programs to programs under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Freedom from Discrimination in Credit Act of 2009 - Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to prohibit discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity when extending credit. Defines: (1) "gender identity" as the gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual with or without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth; (2) "person" as a natural person, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, trust, estate, partnership, cooperative, or association; and (3) "sexual orientation" as homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009
Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform ASAP Act of 2009, or the CIR ASAP Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) (Secretary) to: (1) develop and submit to Congress a National Strategy for Border Security; (2) increase the number of Customs and Border Protection officers, agriculture specialists, and border security support personnel, and enhance related equipment, assets, and technology; (3) develop a comprehensive land and maritime border surveillance plan, including aerial and integrated surveillance demonstration programs; (4) issue a rule for electronic device searches and related agent training; (5) improve coordination efforts to combat human smuggling; (6) establish a Border Communities Liaison Office in every Border Patrol sector at the southern and northern borders; (7) carry out a ports of entry technology demonstration program; and (8) establish a Southern Border Security Task Force. Authorizes appropriations for border security improvements at U.S. ports of entry. Authorizes border relief grants for tribal, state, or local law enforcement and related agencies in proximity to the border or in a designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Provides reimbursement for state and county prosecutors in border states for prosecuting federally initiated and referred drug cases. Suspends the Operation Streamline program pending an evaluation of its viability. Expands resources for Project Gunrunner and for Operation Armas Cruzadas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Establishes the United States-Mexico Border Enforcement Commission. Prohibits the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard, from assisting in non-emergency federal, state, local, and civilian law enforcement of immigration laws. Directs the Secretaries of DHS, Interior, Agriculture, Defense, and Commerce to develop: (1) a land border protection strategy; and (2) a borderlands environmental monitoring plan. Provides for: (1) enhanced border cooperation with Mexico; and (2) expansion of Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism programs. Sets forth detention conditions. Directs the Secretary to appoint an Immigration Detention Commission. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) immigration enforcement protections; (2) unlawful detentions; (3) protections for vulnerable populations; (4) apprehension procedures for families and family detention; (5) welfare requirements for children separated from detained or removed parents; (6) unaccompanied alien children; and (7) female detainees. Provides a stay of removal and work authorization for detained alien workers who are witnesses or necessary for workplace prosecution claims. Eliminates, with specified exceptions, DHS authority to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to perform immigration law enforcement functions. Establishes in DHS an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Ombudsman. Eliminates the one-year asylun filing requirement. Provides for federal court review of DHS orders of removal currently exempt from such review. Establishes an alien employment verification system which requires employers to comply with: (1) document verification requirements; and (2) a phased-in electronic employment verification system. Sets forth backlog reduction provisions respecting family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant levels. Revises the definition of "immediate relative" to: (1) include the spouse and child of a lawful permanent resident; and (2) permit a qualifying widow/widower and the child or parent of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to maintain such status while filing for permanent resident status. Increases: (1) per-country limits for family-sponsored and employment-based immigrants; and (2) specified family-unity exceptions to unlawful presence-based inadmissibility. Prohibits the removal from the United States of an individual who: (1) fled his or her homeland while under the age of 12 years old; and (2) was later admitted to the United States as a refugee, parolee, or asylee. Exempts the sons and daughters of certain naturalized Filipino World War II veterans from worldwide or numerical immigrant visa limits. Makes a minor child of an alien fiancee/fiance or of an alien spouse of a U.S. citizen eligible for derivative K-visa status under specified circumstances. Redefines "child" to include a stepchild under 21 years old. Amends the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 to: (1) require determinations with respect to children to be made using the age and status of an individual on October 21, 1998; and (2) permit an application based upon child status to be filed by a parent or guardian if the child is present in the United States on such filing date. Permits new status adjustment applications to be filed for a limited time period. Reduces the required support level for immigrant sponsorship. Establishes the Prevent Unauthorized Migration Visa (PUM Visa) program which shall provide for: (1) 100,000 PUM conditional permanent resident visas annually, for three years, to persons from countries (transitional visa admission states) which represent at least 5% of the total unauthorized migration population to the United States for the past five years; and (2) a process to adjust to permanent resident status. Exempts specified categories of U.S.-educated aliens from employment-based immigration limits. Permits a nonimmigrant alien whose employer has petitioned for an employment-based green card for such alien to file an application for adjustment of status regardless of whether an immigrant visa is immediately available. (Requires visa availability before such application may be approved.) Return of Talent Act - Establishes the Return of Talent Program to permit an eligible alien (and certain family members) to return to the alien's country of citizenship for up to two years in order to contribute to such country's postconflict or natural disaster reconstruction activities. (During such absence the alien and family members shall be considered to be continuously present and residing in the United States for naturalization purposes.) Establishes a conditional nonimmigrant status for qualifying aliens and their dependents who are illegally present or out of status in the United States and who register and meet the requirements for such status. Authorizes: (1) adjustment from conditional to permanent resident status at the earlier of six years after enactment of this Act or 30 days after specified immigrant visas become available (with exceptions to such time frame for certain students, military personnel, and employed individuals); and (2) naturalization three years after permanent resident status adjustment. Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2009 or the AgJOBS Act of 2009 - Confers "blue card status" upon an alien who: (1) during the 24-month period ending on December 31, 2008, has performed specified lengths of, or earned a specified amount from, agricultural employment in the United States; (2) applied for such status during the 18-month application period; (3) is otherwise admissible to the United States; and (4) has not been convicted of specified felonies or misdemeanors. Limits the number of blue cards that may be issued during the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. Provides for adjustment of blue card status to permanent resident status based upon completed periods of agricultural employment. Revises H-2A visa (agricultural labor or temporary or seasonal services) provisions. Replaces the existing labor certification requirement with a labor attestation requirement containing: (1) a description of the nature and location of the job; (2) the job's expected beginning and ending dates; (3) the number of jobs; and (4) specified labor assurances respecting job opportunities covered by collective bargaining agreements and non-covered job opportunities. Establishes: (1) the Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets; and (2) the Security and Prosperity Account in the Treasury. Requires each State Workforce Agency (SWA) to establish an Internet-based American Worker Recruit and Match program. Requires employers and foreign labor contractors to provide workers recruited abroad with specified employment-related information. Amends H-1B visa (specialty occupation) employer application requirements to: (1) revise wage determination requirements; (2) require Internet posting and description of employment positions; (3) lengthen U.S. worker displacement protection; (4) apply certain requirements to all H-1B employers rather than only to H-1B dependent employers; (5) prohibit employer advertising that makes a position available only to, or gives priority to, H-1B nonimmigrants; and (6) limit the number of H-1B and L-1 visa (intracompany transfer) employees that an employer of 50 or more workers in the United States may hire. Authorizes the Department of Labor (DOL) to: (1) investigate applications for fraud; and (2) conduct H-1B compliance audits. Prohibits an employer from hiring an L-1 nonimmigrant for more than one year who will: (1) serve in a capacity involving specialized knowledge; and (2) be stationed primarily at the worksite of another employer. Specifies L-1: (1) employer petition requirements for employment at a new office; (2) wage rates and working conditions; and (3) employer penalties. Authorizes: (1) DOL to enforce federal labor laws with respect to employers of H-2B nonagricultural temporary workers; and (2) a private right of action against such employers. Specifies employer actions to recruit U.S. workers prior to filing for H-2B admissions. Sets forth H-2B and U.S. worker protections. Amends EB-5 visa (alien investor) provisions to: (1) increase EB-5 eligibility; (2) make the regional center program permanent; (3) establish $2,500 regional center designation and premium processing fees; (4) permit concurrent filing for EB-5 petitions and status adjustment applications; (5) establish in the Treasury the Immigrant Entrepreneur Regional Center Account; and (6) increase employment creation-related visas. Revises provisions regarding: (1) immigration service fees; (2) the naturalization age-based English language proficiency exemption; and (3) citizenship application background checks. Establishes the New Americans Initiative grants program to to assist lawful permanent resident aliens to become citizens. Authorizes grants for: (1) public education and community training regarding the provisions of this Act; (2) community-based organizations to assist naturalization applicants (initial entry, adjustment, and citizenship assistance grants); and (3) states to form New American Councils. Provides for the naturalization of certain graduates of U.S. high schools who are under 25 years of age on the date of application for naturalization. Establishes: (1) a tax credit and a deduction for certification expenses for teachers of English language learners; and (2) a tax credit for employer-provided adult English literacy and basic education programs. Makes funds available for oath of allegiance ceremonies.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the guidelines of the United States Preventive Services Task Force would not prohibit an insurer from providing coverage for mammography services in addition to those recommended by the Task Force and should not be used by insurers to deny coverage for services that are not recommended on a routine basis; and (2) the National Cancer Institute should continue to invest and provide leadership regarding research to develop more effective breast cancer screening tools and strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009
Mechanical Insulation Installation Incentive Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax deduction for a specified percentage of the cost, including labor costs, of installing and maintaining mechanical insulation property. Defines "mechanical insulation property" as insulation materials, facings, and accessory products placed in service in connection with a mechanical system which is utilized for thermal, acoustical, and personnel safety requirements for mechanical piping and equipment, hot and cold applications, and heating, venting and air conditioning applications which can be used in a variety of facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2009
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), in lieu of making payments to state homes for furnishing nursing home care to veterans, to enter into agreements with such homes to furnish such care under federal provisions which allow the Secretary to transfer to non-VA homes (at the expense of the United States) veterans who have been furnished such care in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Replaces provisions providing for payment of nursing home care at the lesser of the prevailing rate or the cost of daily care with provisions providing for payment at the rate determined for a state home that is the applicable or prevailing rate payable in the geographic area in which the state home is located.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2009
Grants U.S. district courts original jurisdiction over any civil action for damages for personal injury or death that: (1) arose from the deportation of persons to Nazi concentration camps between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1944; and (2) is brought by or on behalf of such person against a railroad that owned or operated the trains on which the persons were deported and that was organized as a separate legal entity. Provides that: (1) no law limiting the jurisdiction of the U.S. courts shall preclude any such action; and (2) no such action shall be barred because a statute of limitations has expired. Makes this Act applicable to any action pending on or commenced after January 1, 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2009
Helping Unemployed Workers Act - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through March 31, 2011. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend through April 1, 2011: (1) federal-state agreements increasing regular unemployment compensation payments to individuals; and (2) requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Requires the Secretary of Labor to establish a program under which the Secretary shall make payments to any state unemployment trust fund (including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) to be used for the payment of unemployment compensation if the Secretary approves an application to receive 100% reimbursement for up to 26 weeks for a short-time compensation program. Bars payments to a state for benefits paid to an individual who is employed by an employer: (1) whose workforce during the three months preceding the date of the submission of the employer's short-time compensation plan has been reduced by temporary layoffs of more than 20%; (2) on a seasonal, temporary, or intermittent basis; or (3) engaged in a labor dispute.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2009
Honest and Open Testimony Act - Includes within communications by a member of the Armed Forces that are protected from retaliatory personnel actions any testimony provided in a congressional hearing regarding the disclosure of sexual orientation, including that the member is homosexual, bisexual, or transgender.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2009 - Provides that if a veteran claimant submits evidence in support of a case for which a substantive appeal has been filed to the Board of Veterans' Appeals, such evidence shall be submitted directly to the Board and not to a regional office of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), unless the claimant requests that the evidence first be reviewed by the regional office. Empowers the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to affirm, modify, reverse, remand, or vacate and remand a decision of the Board after deciding all relevant assignments of error raised on appeal. Provides that whenever the Court reverses a decision on the merits of a particular claim and orders an award of benefits, the Court need not decide any additional assignments of error relating to that claim. Establishes the Veterans Judicial Review Commission to evaluate and make specific decisions to improve the administrative and judicial appellate review processes of veterans' and survivors' benefits determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2009
Energy Efficiency Modernization Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make: (1) payments (green dividends) to owners of assisted multifamily rental housing projects who undertake utility cost-saving measures; and (2) loans funded from residual receipts to owners of assisted multifamily rental housing projects for undertaking green retrofit measures for such projects. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study and report to Congress on the benefits of a federal statutory exemption from compliance with state and local building codes to enable and encourage the construction and installation in assisted multifamily rental housing projects of distributive energy generation and water efficiency measures. Requires owners of assisted multifamily rental housing projects to report to the Secretary on consumption of electricity, water, gas, and other utilities by such projects.
![Official portrait of Rep. Ackerman, Gary L. [D-NY-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/a000022_200.jpg)