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United States · Official source
2,620 records where Rep. Baca, Joe [D-CA-43] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2010
Expresses support for the designation of National Influenza Vaccination Week and encourages people in the United States to get vaccinated.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2010
Encourages all individuals in the United States to pay tribute to the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through participation in community service projects on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Encourages the Members of the House of Representatives and colleagues to urge their constituents to participate in community service projects. Acknowledges that by serving one's country, one's community, and one's neighbor our nation makes progress in civility, equality, and unity consistent with the values and life's work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2009 - Amends the Hoover Power Plant Act of 1984 (HPPA) to modify, commencing October 1, 2017, certain statutory schedules governing contracts for delivery to specified localities in Arizona, California, and Nevada of hydroelectric power generated at Hoover Dam. Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) create, from certain apportioned allocations of contingent capacity and firm energy, a resource pool equal to 5% of the full rated capacity of 2.074 million kilowatts and associated firm energy; (2) offer Schedule D contingency capacity and firm energy to new allottees not receiving contingent capacity and firm energy for delivery commencing October 1, 2017; and (3) allocate through the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) for delivery, commencing October 1, 2017, 66.7% of Schedule D contingent capacity and firm energy to specified new allottees located within the marketing area for the Boulder City Area Projects. Requires each contract offered under HPPA to: (1) authorize and require WAPA to collect from new allottees a pro rata share of Hoover Dam repayable advances paid for by contractors before October 1, 2017, and to remit such amounts to the contractors that paid such advances in proportion to the amounts paid by them as specified in a certain Implementation Agreement; (2) permit transactions with an independent system operator; and (3) contain the same material terms included in those long-term contracts for purchases from the Hoover Power Plant that were made in accordance with HPPA and are in existence on the date of enactment of this Act. Subjects the contractual obligation of the Secretary to deliver contingent capacity and firm energy under HPPA to the availability of the water needed to produce such contingent capacity and firm energy. Continues through FY2067 the requirements of HPPA as the exclusive method for (in effect, congressional oversight of) the disposal of capacity and energy from Hoover Dam.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Program to award local government and federal government fellowships to qualified students from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Defines a "qualified student" as a student who is a U.S. citizen, domiciled in that Commonwealth, and enrolled in a degree or certificate program at an institution of higher education. Allows a fellow to receive either a specified stipend or academic credit toward graduation for participating in an internship.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Children's Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009 - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) promote the use of salad or fruit and vegetable bars in schools participating in the school lunch program; (2) provide training and technical assistance to states and schools on how to do so; and (3) provide grants to states for a one-time payment to schools for the cost of setting up and operating salad or fruit and vegetable bars. Directs the Secretary to identify and remove barriers to the equitable purchase of fruits and vegetables within the Secretary's procurement and distribution systems. Authorizes the Secretary to use administrative funds under the Act's fresh fruit and vegetable program to provide program participants with technical assistance and national and regional training conferences that emphasize best practices. Directs the Secretary, within two years of receiving the findings of the National Academy of Sciences' review of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program Meal Patterns and Nutrient Standards, to promulgate a final rule updating the nutrition standards and meal requirements for school meal programs so they are consistent with such findings. Requires the Secretary to allocate funds to states, in proportion to each state's administrative expense allocation under the school lunch and breakfast programs, so they can award competitive grants to school food authorities for the equipment needed to prepare, process, and store food for the school lunch program. Directs the Secretary to provide competitive matching grants and technical assistance to schools and nonprofit entities to carry out farm-to-school programs that improve the access of school lunch and breakfast program participants to local foods.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Federal Bailout for American Individuals and Families in Distress Today and Tomorrow Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make funds repaid to the Treasury by financial institutions under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) available in the following amounts: (1) $8 billion to the Secretary of Labor for certain activities under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, including $2 billion for grants to states for adult employment and training activities, $2 billion for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Programs, and $4 billion for benefits and services under the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers program; and (2) $2 billion to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for deposit into the Emergency Contingency Fund for State Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to reduce the matching funds requirement for participants in the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (providing services to small and mid-sized manufacturers) from not less than 50% of the costs incurred for the first three years and an increasing share for each of the last three years to no more than 50% of the costs incurred by a participating Regional Center for the Transfer of Manufacturing Technology. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish criteria to determine a Center's cost share.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Minority Diabetes Initiative Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to provide treatment for diabetes in minority communities. Requires the Secretary to ensure that such grants cover a variety of diabetes-related health care services, including routine care for diabetic patients, public education on diabetes prevention and control, eye care, foot care, and treatment for kidney disease and other complications of diabetes.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation of 2009 - Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to direct the Secretary of the Treasury, within the Paris Club of Official Creditors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and other defined international financial institutions, to: (1) provide for debt cancellation of eligible low-income countries to such institutions and to the United States; (2) ensure that the provision of debt cancellation to such countries is not followed by a reduction in the provision of any other development assistance; and (3) encourage such countries' governments to allocate at least 20% of their national budgets towards poverty-alleviation programs. Directs the Secretary to begin efforts to: (1) promote greater transparency within such institutions; (2) establish a responsible lending framework; and (3) ensure that debt cancellation to eligible low-income governments is subject only to specified conditions. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to: (1) audit the debt portfolios of previous governments in countries such as South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo where there is significant evidence that onerous or illegal loans were made to the government; and (2) report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs blind rehabilitation center in Long Beach, California, as the "Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center."
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009 - Amends the the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to increase reimbursement rates for free, reduced price, and paid meals and snacks served under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) at nonresidential child care centers and family or group day care homes. Allows such providers to be reimbursed for the service of three meals and a snack. (Currently, reimbursement is provided for two meals and a snack.) Lowers the percentage of children or school children in an area that must be eligible for free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs to make family or group day care homes in the area eligible for higher CACFP reimbursement rates as tier I homes. Increases the maximum monthly administrative payment per home provided to sponsors of family or group day care homes. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to improve the ability of the CACFP to reach low-income families by streamlining program and paperwork requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Nonprofit Mortgage Licensing Clarification Act of 2009 - Amends the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 to permit a state to exempt from certain registration or licensing requirements any charitable organization exempt from federal tax (including their employees and agents acting as loan originators), if the organization: (1) executes loan originations in order to promote or facilitate homeownership for certain low-income, disabled, or other disadvantaged persons or families; (2) offers loans at interest rates lower than the bank prime loan rate, or that are no-interest loans or loans with interest rates significantly below those for loans to purchase generally available single-family housing; and (3) does not otherwise engage in the business of a loan originator or mortgage broker.
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 · 15 December 2009
Congratulates Flint native and running back Mark Ingram on winning the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Honors both his athletic and academic achievements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009
Encourages: (1) primary school and secondary school teachers to educate students about the accomplishments of Dr. Hector Garcia; and (2) all people of the United States to educate themselves about Dr. Garcia's legacy. Recognizes Dr. Garcia's leadership and historical contributions to the Hispanic community and his efforts to combat racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2009
Small Business Job Creation and Access to Capital Act of 2009 - Amends the Small Business Act to increase maximum amounts of loans under the following Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs: (1) the section 7(a) (general small business loans) guaranteed loan program; (2) the section 504 (state and local development company) program; and (3) the Microloan (small-scale loans to start-up, newly-established, and growing small businesses) program. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to extend through 2010 SBA authority to reduce or eliminate loan fees on section 7(a) and 504 loans. Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to apply single-business investment limits to SBA-recognized new markets venture capital companies. Directs the SBA Administrator to establish for prospective borrowers an alternative small business size standard that uses maximum tangible net worth and average net income as an alternative to the use of industry standards. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator should establish a website that: (1) lists SBA lenders and provides loan rate information; and (2) allows prospective borrowers to compare rates on SBA-guaranteed loans. Amends provisions of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 relating to the local development business loan program to allow a small business borrower under such program to refinance a previous business debt: (1) that was incurred no less than two years before application for the SBA loan; (2) that is a commercial loan; (3) that is not guaranteed by a federal agency; (4) the proceeds of which were used to acquire a fixed asset for the benefit of the small business; (5) that is collateralized by fixed assets; and (6) for which the borrower has been current on all payments for at least one year. Allows the Administrator to provide financing under such program for a borrower that meets certain job creation or retention goals. Provides an alternate job retention goal for which a borrower may qualify.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009
Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act - Authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the Pechanga Settlement Agreement. Directs the Secretary of the Department of the Interior to execute the Extension of Service Area Agreement, the Recycled Water Infrastructure Agreement, and the ESAA Capacity Agreement within 60 days of enactment of this Act. Ratifies, confirms, and declares valid the Tribal Water Right which shall be held in trust by the United States for the use and benefit of the Band and allottees. States that the Band shall: (1) have authority to use, allocate, and lease the Tribal Water Right; and (2) enact a Pechanga Water Code. Waives certain water rights and land claims of the Band and the United States with respect to the Santa Margarita River Watershed. Directs the Secretary to provide specified funds: (1) to fulfill the Band's obligations under the Recycled Water Infrastructure Agreement and the ESAA Capacity Agreement; (2) for the Storage Pond and the Demineralization and Brine Disposal Project; (3) to fulfill the Band's obligations under the Recycled Water Infrastructure Agreement for the Storage Pond's design and construction; and (4) for Interim Capacity and Permanent Capacity. Establishes in the Treasury the Pechanga Settlement Fund. Repeals this Act and voids any related agreements effective January 1, 2016, if the Secretary does not publish a statement of findings required under this Act by December 31, 2015. Returns any appropriations and unobligated amounts to the general fund of the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009
Ensuring All Students Year-round (EASY) Access to Meals and Snacks Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to reimburse private nonprofit and local government service institutions (other than public schools) under the school lunch program for up to one meal and one snack per child each day during after-school hours, weekends, and school holidays during the regular school calendar. (Currently, such institutions are reimbursed for meals and snacks served to children over the summer months or to children who are on vacation under a continuous school calendar.)
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009
State Medicaid Assistance Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to extend for one year the period of temporary increase in the Medicaid federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act. Extends the entire recession adjustment period from December 31, 2010, through December 31, 2011. Requires the substitution for the FMAP for the first calendar quarter in FY2012 of the FMAP for either FY2008, FY2009, FY2010, or FY2011, as adjusted under ARRA, whichever is greatest, if the FY2012 FMAP is less than any of them.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009
Put America to Work Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to states, local government units, and Indian tribes to create employment opportunities for unemployed and underemployed residents of distressed communities. Specifies grant uses, including funding of fast-track jobs for: (1) painting and repair of schools, community centers, and libraries; (2) restoration of abandoned and vacant properties; (3) expansion of emergency food programs to reduce hunger; (4) augmentation of staffing in Head Start and other early childhood education programs; and (5) renovation and maintenance of parks, playgrounds, and other public spaces. Requires grant recipients to use remaining grant funds to make grants to public entities, nonprofit organizations, public-private partnerships, or small businesses to create employment opportunities in: (1) construction, rehabilitation, and improvements in energy efficiency of residences or public facilities; (2) the provision of human services; (3) remediation and demolition of vacant and abandoned properties; and (4) programs that provide opportunities for employment, education, and training for disadvantaged youth.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2009
Inland Empire Perchlorate Ground Water Plume Assessment Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), to complete a study of water resources in the Rialto-Colton Basin, California, including: (1) a survey of ground water resources in the Basin (including the identification of a recent surge in perchlorate concentrations in ground water); and (2) a characterization of surface and bedrock geology of the Basin, including the effect of the geology on ground water yield and quality.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2009
Borrowers' Right to Inspect Closing Documents Act of 2009 - Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (RESPA) to revise procedures governing the furnishing of closing documents to borrowers. Requires the lender to furnish to the settlement agent, at least four business days before the scheduled date of a real estate settlement, the completed promissory note, the mortgage instrument, and all other items needed to complete the uniform settlement statement, the final Truth-in-Lending Act disclosure, and the final closing instructions. Requires the settlement agent to furnish the borrower, at least three business days before the scheduled settlement date, with the completed documents and the completed uniform settlement statement, as long as the lender has timely provided the agent with those items. Shields the settlement agent from liability for the lender's noncompliance with this Act. Cites circumstances under which the settlement agent may correct the uniform settlement statement and related documents prior to the scheduled settlement date. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to exempt settlements from the requirements of this Act in certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2009
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 45300 Portola Avenue in Palm Desert, California, as the "Roy Wilson Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
Expresses commitment to the objectives of the Cairo Consensus as set forth at the International Conference on Population and Development. Encourages nongovernmental organizations, faith based organizations, community organizations, and private citizens to act to improve gender equality, end violence against women, expand access to reproductive, maternal, and other health services, lower childhood and maternal mortality rates, and eradicate world poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
Recognizes that the U.S. unemployment rate has reached the level of a national crisis and that saving and creating new jobs are matters of the highest national priority. Urges federal agencies to take specified actions to address such problems.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2009
Graduation Promise Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for differentiated high school improvement systems targeting support to schools with low student achievement and graduation rates after such schools fail for two consecutive years to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) pursuant to state academic performance standards. Allots grant funds to states pursuant to a formula that favors states with low graduation rates and a high percentage of students attending low-income LEAs. Requires state grantees to establish comprehensive school performance indicators and minimum annual improvement benchmarks for use, in addition to current AYP measures, in analyzing school performance and determining the improvement category into which a school is placed. Directs LEA subgrantees to: (1) categorize each of their schools that fail to make AYP for two consecutive years as needing targeted intervention, whole school reforms, or replacement; (2) convene a local school improvement team for each of such schools that will use performance indicators, AYP measures, and other relevant data to conduct a school needs assessment and develop a multiyear school improvement plan tailored to the school's need categorization; and (3) support the successful implementation of such plans and district-wide high school improvement strategies. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to LEAs, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education to develop and implement, or replicate, effective secondary school models for struggling students and dropouts.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2009
Commends the Real Salt Lake soccer club for winning the 2009 Major League Soccer Cup.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2009
School Environment Protection Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to require each local educational agency (agency) of a school district to implement an integrated pest management (IPM) program that: (1) applies to school buildings and school grounds; (2) establishes an IPM coordinator within the agency; and (3) follows an IPM plan for addressing school pest problems. Prohibits agencies or schools from using: (1) pesticides other than nontoxic or least toxic (as defined in this Act) pesticides; or (2) synthetic fertilizers. Permits an agency or school to use: (1) a least toxic pesticide as part of the IPM program only as a last resort and only if the area or room treated is unoccupied or not in use; and (2) only natural organic fertilizers. Authorizes a school to use a pesticide otherwise if: (1) the school or agency determines that a pest in the school or on school grounds cannot be controlled after having used the IPM program and least toxic pesticides and it is a public health emergency; (2) the IPM coordinator approves of the application of the pesticide product; (3) the area or room treated is vacant during the application and for 24-hours after the application; (4) the application is made by a certified pesticide applicator; and (5) the school notifies the parents or guardians of each student 24 hours before application of the pesticide. Sets forth requirements for such notification. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a National School Integrated Pest Management Advisory Board to: (1) establish uniform standards and criteria for developing IPM; and (2) develop standards for the use of least toxic pesticides in schools. Requires the Administrator to: (1) appoint an official for school pest management within EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs to coordinate the implementation of IPM programs in schools; and (2) publish an IPM plan and a list of products containing the least toxic pesticides and restrictions on their use. Requires each agency, state pesticide lead agency, and the Administrator to create school environments that are protected from pesticides that drift from treated land to school grounds. Establishes the Integrated Pest Management Trust Fund. Requires the Administrator to provide grants to agencies to implement IPM systems.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2009
Feed All Struggling Americans Act of 2009 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to exclude from household income for food stamp eligibility purposes any unemployment benefits received for a continuous period exceeding 26 weeks.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Hunger Free Schools Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to make performance awards to states that demonstrate outstanding performance or show substantial improvement in directly certifying as eligible for free meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs any children whose families are eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. (Direct certification eliminates the need for such families to submit applications for participation in the school lunch and breakfast programs.) Requires each state that directly certifies less than 95% of their children who are eligible for direct certification to implement: (1) a corrective action plan for the current school year; and (2) a direct certification improvement plan, approved by the Secretary, for the following school year. Requires direct certification of children who are members of a household that includes a child: (1) who is eligible for and receiving assistance under title XIX (Medicaid) or title XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program [CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP]) of the Social Security Act; and (2) whose income does not exceed 133% of the federal poverty level. Directs the Secretary to award grants to states to assist them in implementing such certification program. Allows local educational agencies (LEAs) to directly certify children whose household is eligible for a supplemental subsistence allowance for low-income members of the Armed Forces with dependents. Permits schools and LEAs to receive special assistance payments for free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs that are based not on applications for such meals, but on: (1) estimates, made from recent socioeconomic data, of the number of children eligible for such meals; or (2) if the school or LEA is from a high poverty area, the direct certification of a specified minimum percentage of their students as eligible for free meals due to their eligibility for certain other public assistance. Requires such schools and LEAs to provide free meals to all their students under the school lunch and breakfast programs and cover, from nonfederal sources, the costs of serving such meals that exceed the assistance received under such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Open Access to Courts Act of 2009 - Prohibits a U.S. district court from dismissing a complaint: (1) unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of the claim which would entitle the plaintiff to relief; or (2) on the basis of a determination by the judge that the factual contents of the complaint do not show the plaintiff's claim to be plausible or are insufficient to warrant a reasonable interference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to expand treatment services for patients with Alzheimer's disease and training and support services for families and caregivers of such patients.
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 · 19 November 2009
Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act of 2009 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) require states receiving Edward Byrne Memorial justice assistance grants to certify the implementation of a policy for requiring all rape kits (DNA evidence relating to sexual assault) to be sent to crime laboratories for forensic analysis: (2) adjust the amount of such grants based upon compliance and noncompliance with rape kit backlog reduction requirements under this Act; (3) eliminate rape kit repayment requirements for sexual assault victims; and (4) provide for sexual assault forensic medical personnel examiners to collect and preserve evidence, provide expert testimony, and provide treatment of trauma relating to sexual assault. Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to: (1) authorize funding to eliminate rape kit backlogs and ensure that DNA analyses of samples from rape kits are carried out in a timely manner; and (2) require states and local governments to adopt performance measures for reducing rape kit backlogs. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the availability of sexual assault nurse examiners and trained examiners at all Indian Health Service facilities operated under contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Increasing Access to Voluntary Screening for HIV/AIDS and STIs Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) allow a higher payment to states for routine HIV/AIDS and STI (sexually transmitted infections recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]) screening services; and (2) require coverage of low-income HIV/AIDS infected individuals. Directs the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to adopt a broad policy for voluntary HIV/AIDS and STI screening for all Medicare beneficiaries who are 13 years of age or older. Authorizes the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to federally qualified health centers to provide voluntary HIV/AIDS and STI screening. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require group and individual health plans to provide routine HIV/AIDS and STI screening. Requires the Director of the CDC to: (1) track national HIV/AIDS and STI screening trends and the burdens of HIV/AIDS and STIs among people with disabilities; (2) make sex education materials that promote voluntary screening for HIV/AIDS and STIs accessible to the deaf and hearing loss community and to people with intellectual disabilities; (3) ensure that national screening guidelines for cervical cancer state that women who have sex with women should have the same guidelines as women who have sex only with men; and (4) improve information collection concerning the transmission, morbidity, and screening for HIV/AIDS and STIs in transgender communities.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Recognizes the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery and the 60th anniversary of the adoption by the U.N. General Assembly of the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. Encourages member states of the United Nations and international organizations to devote additional resources to prosecute persons engaged in human trafficking and to dismantle related criminal enterprises. Commends the Frederick Douglass Family Foundation for preserving the legacy of Frederick Douglass by continuing his struggle for freedom for all persons and seeking to abolish all forms of modern-day slavery and trafficking in persons. Encourages the people of the United States to observe the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery by participating in activities designed to heighten public awareness of the prevalence of human trafficking and commends the example of children engaged in such projects at the following schools: Brentwood School of Los Angeles, California; Las Vegas Area School of Las Vegas, Nevada; North Lawndale College Preparatory Charter High School of Chicago, Illinois; Booker T. Washington High School of Atlanta, Georgia; Roosevelt Middle School of New Bedford, Massachusetts; New Era Academy of Baltimore, Maryland; Edmund Burke School of Washington, DC; Frederick Douglass Academy IV and the United Nations International School of New York, New York; and Wilson Foundation Academy of Rochester, New York.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2009
Low Income Housing Tax Credit Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the low income housing tax credit, to increase the offset of such credit against regular income tax liability and permit a five-year carryback of credit amounts.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2009
Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act of 2009 - Increases the authorized allowance for burial and funeral expenses for deceased veterans who: (1) at the time of death were in receipt of veterans' disability compensation or veterans' pension benefits; or (2) were veterans of any war or were discharged or released from active military service for a service-connected disability and for whom there is no next of kin or sufficient resources to cover funeral and burial costs. Increases the burial plot allowance for veterans who, at the time of death, were receiving hospital or nursing home care in or through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Authorizes the annual adjustment of such allowances by the same percentage increase as adjustments to benefit amounts payable under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2009
Congratulates the 2009 Major League Baseball World Series Champions, the New York Yankees, for an outstanding season and a record 27th World Series Championship win.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2009
Reengaging Americans in Serious Education by Uniting Programs Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to award competitive, renewable, five-year grants to eligible partnerships to assist them in providing disadvantaged youth with the support needed to: (1) attain a secondary school diploma; (2) attain a postsecondary credential, including those offered by institutions of higher education, industry groups, or registered apprenticeship programs; and (3) secure and succeed in a family-supporting career. Requires each eligible partnership to include: (1) the head of the local government assisted by the grant; (2) representatives from certain state and local service agencies; (3) representatives from certain educational entities; and (4) a representative from a community-based organization, a business, and a secondary school or labor-management committee; and (5) disadvantaged youth and their caregivers. Requires grantees to award subgrants and contracts to community-based organizations and other entities for the provision of a comprehensive array of coordinated services to disadvantaged youth that include workforce preparation, education support, and youth support services. Directs the Secretary to award planning grants to eligible partnerships to enable them to submit competitive applications for grants to support disadvantaged youth. Establishes an accountability system for measuring the performance of each grantee against specified interim, transitional, and long-term indicators of success. Directs the Secretary to: (1) award a grant or contract to an entity outside the Department of Labor for an evaluation of grant-assisted activities; (2) disseminate best practices that emerge from the partnership grant program; and (3) provide training, technical assistance, and professional development for organizations serving disadvantaged youth, including organizations that do not receive funding under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2009
Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop, implement, and update a plan for the prevention, control, and medical management of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to implement programs to increase awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to: (1) support the integration of voluntary hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing programs into existing clinical and public health programs; (2) provide increased support to Adult Viral Hepatitis Coordinators to integrate prevention and control activities into existing health programs; (3) support the establishment of a hepatitis B and hepatitis C surveillance program; and (4) report on seroprevalence studies and the impact of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Directs the Secretary to support state, local, territorial, and tribal efforts to: (1) provide counseling and education on hepatitis B and hepatitis C; (2) expand the current vaccination programs for hepatitis B; and (3) provide referrals for treatment to individuals with hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, the Director of the National Cancer Institute, and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct research on hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, governmental and nonprofit entities that have special expertise relating to hepatitis B and hepatitis C to support prevention activities. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of SAMHSA, to develop educational materials and intervention strategies to reduce the risks of hepatitis among substance abusers and individuals with mental illness.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2009
Test Prep for Heroes Act - Authorizes the use of entitlement assistance under the Post-9/11 veterans' educational assistance program for payment for a test preparatory course in connection with licensing or certification in a vocation or profession.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2009
Surveillance, Tracking, Observation, and Prevention of Obesity Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) make grants to 10 states for demonstration projects for the expansion of state registries on childhood immunization or health to include data on body mass index, collected and submitted to the state by health care providers; (2) require such registries to meet data standards and to be interoperable to ensure that registry data can be analyzed by the federal government and by other state governments; and (3) study and report on the effectiveness of such demonstration projects.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2009
Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers Enhancement Act - Amends the Troops-to-Teachers program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (which provides veterans with teacher certification stipends in exchange for three years of service in a high-need local educational agency [LEA] or public charter school). Expands program eligibility to cover certain individuals: (1) who, on or after September 11, 2001, serve at least 90 continuous days on active duty in the Armed Forces before being honorably released from such service; or (2) who, on or after January 8, 2002, are separated or released from active duty after at least four (currently, six) years of continuous active duty immediately preceding such separation or release, and agree to serve in the Armed Forces Reserves for at least three years. Makes any LEA that is receiving school improvement funds eligible to host Troops-to-Teachers program participants. Directs the Secretary of Education to establish an Advisory Board, composed of federal, state, and veteran service organization representatives, to collect, study, and disseminate feedback from the program and report to Congress on how the program is operating and might be improved. Reserves specified funding to carry out the Troops-to-Teachers program through FY2014.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2011 the taxpayer election to expense qualified film or television production costs in the current taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2009
Considers the "Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict" (Goldstone Report) to be biased and unworthy of further consideration or legitimacy. Supports the Administration's efforts to combat anti-Israel bias at the United Nations (U.N.). Calls on the President and the Secretary of State to oppose endorsement of, and measures stemming from, the Report. Reaffirms support for Israel's right to defend its citizens from violent militant groups and their state sponsors.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2009
Congratulates President Barack Hussein Obama for winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, on behalf of all the people of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2009
Every Person Counts Act - Requires the decennial census to tabulate the total number of persons in each state. Prohibits such census from including any question or otherwise eliciting any information regarding U.S. citizenship or immigration status.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2009
Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for Aged and Disabled) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare competitive acquisition program for durable medical equipment and prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS).