United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2009
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 702 East University Avenue in Georgetown, Texas, as the "Kyle G. West Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2009
Environmental Design of Electrical Equipment Act (EDEE) Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 to establish uniform national standards for the use of lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, cadmium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in electroindustry products manufactured after July 1, 2010. Defines "electroindustry product" as any product or equipment that is used to facilitate the transmission, distribution, or control of electricity, or that uses electricity for arc welding, lighting, signaling protection and communication, medical imaging, or electrical motors and generators.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2009
Military Voting Protection Act of 2009 - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to direct the Secretary of Defense (the presidential designee) to establish procedures for: (1) collecting marked absentee ballots of absent overseas uniformed services voters in regularly scheduled general elections for federal office; and (2) delivering such ballots to the appropriate state election officials. Requires the designee to: (1) ensure that such ballots are delivered prior to the time established for the closing of the polls on the date of the election; (2) carry out delivery requirements by utilizing the express mail delivery services of the U.S. Postal Service, which shall include a mechanism for ballot tracking; (3) inform individuals who are anticipated to be absent overseas uniformed services voters in such an election of the procedures for collection and delivery of marked absentee ballots established pursuant to this Act; and (4) take steps to ensure that such voters are able to cast their votes in a private and independent manner, and that vote contents remain private while in the designee's possession or control.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2009
Strategy and Effectiveness of Foreign Policy and Assistance Act of 2009 - Directs the President to report to Congress regarding: (1) the organizational structures of the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign affairs agencies; and (2) the extent to which the organizational structures of such departments and agencies and U.S. foreign assistance programs, budget plans, personnel decisions, and diplomacy are related to long-term U.S. security strategy. Directs the President to take actions necessary to integrate the following offices and bureaus into a single Department office to be known as the Office of Long-Term Planning and Resource Management: (1) the Office of Policy Planning, the Office of Resource Management, and the Office of the Director of Foreign Assistance of the Department of State; and (2) the Bureau of Budget/Performance/Accountability of USAID.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2009
Requires the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) to: (1) design an educational display to explain the significance of the naming of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center; and (2) place the display in an appropriate location in Emancipation Hall.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2009
Health Promotion Funding Integrated Research, Synthesis, and Training Act or the Health Promotion FIRST Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a plan for health promotion that includes coordinating the health promotion activities of HHS and addressing how best to: (1) develop the basic and applied science of health promotion; (2) synthesize and disseminate health promotion research; (3) meet health promotion needs in rural and low-income inner city areas; (4) support and develop the health promotion and scientific community; and (5) modify or develop resources, policies, structure, and legislation to integrate health promotion into all health professions and sectors of society. Requires the Secretary to request other federal agencies to develop health promotion strategic plans. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, to: (1) develop a plan on how best to develop the science of health promotion through NIH agencies; and (2) conduct or support early research programs and research training regarding health promotion. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop a plan to establish a research agenda regarding health promotion for CDC. Requires the Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion to award grants to develop Health Promotion Research Centers. Requires the Secretary to modify the application process for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded under this Act to attract the most qualified individuals and organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2009
Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act with respect to the duties of users of consumer reports taking adverse actions on the basis of information contained in such reports. Excludes any health care practice with 20 or fewer employees from the meaning of creditor subject to Red Flag Guidelines regarding identity theft promulgated by the proper federal financial regulatory agency.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2009
Keep Terrorists Out of America Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that individuals currently detained at the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should not be transferred or released into the United States. Prohibits the President from transferring or releasing any such individual into the United States unless 60 days prior to such transfer: (1) the President submits to the governor and legislature of the state to which the President intends to transfer or release such an individual certification that the individual does not pose a security risk to the United States; (2) the governor and state legislature of the state in which the President intends to transfer an individual consent to the transfer; and (3) the President notifies the Congress of, among other things, the name of the individual being transferred, the installation the individual is being transferred to, a justification for the transfer, and a certification that the President has mitigated any risks to national security posed by the transfer.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2009
Protection of Consumer Credit and Consumer Choice Act of 2009 - Prohibits the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the National Credit Union Administration from taking any action to implement any rule relating to credit cards published in the Federal Register on January 29, 2009, or any substantially similar rule, on the basis of a determination by such agencies that practices relating to credit card practices constitute an unfair act or practice in or affecting commerce. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to direct the Board to issue regulations with respect to credit card accounts under an open end consumer credit plan to require a card issuer to provide clear and conspicuous disclosures pertaining to: (1) the time provided to make timely payments; (2) allocation of payments when different annual percentage rates (APRs) apply to different balances of such accounts; (3) increases in APRs; (4) two-cycle average daily balance method of balance calculation; and (5) fees that may be assessed at the opening of such accounts. Requires a credit card issuer to provide advance written notice of a change in such terms before it takes effect, with certain exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2009
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to revise the civil penalties for violations of firearms law and the procedures for assessing such penalties. Requires fines to be based upon the nature and severity of the violation, the size of the firearms business involved, and the prior record of the firearm's licensee. Prohibits consideration of the amount of fines or license revocations imposed by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in the retention, promotion, or transfer of such agents. Revises the definition of "willfully" for purposes of firearms violations and standards for criminal violations of firearms recordkeeping requirements. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) make preliminary determinations on firearms license applications and notify applicants in writing of a proposed denial; and (2) establish guidelines for ATF inspections, examinations, or investigations of possible firearms violations. Permits an owner of a firearms business whose license is expired, surrendered, or revoked 60 days to liquidate inventory. Allows purchasers of existing firearms businesses the right to cure firearms violations attributable to such businesses. Allows the transfer, possession, and importation of machineguns for industry testing, research and training, national security services, and motion picture or television production. Eliminates the requirement of written permission for the use of a handgun for lawful purposes by a minor (under age 18) where a parent or legal guardian is present at all times during such use. Prohibits the Attorney General from electronically retrieving inactive firearms licensee information by name or personal identification code. Directs the Attorney General to authorize the importation of all frames or receivers of rifles, or barrels for firearms other than handguns, if the importation is for repair or replacement purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2009
Celebrates the life of President Gerald Rudolph Ford. Recognizes: (1) the significance of his presidency and his legacy of substantial contribution to the United States and to the peoples of the world; and (2) the significance and support of Betty Ford as his confidant and First Lady.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2009
Health Care Price Transparency Promotion Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require state Medicaid plans to provide that the state will establish and maintain laws to require disclosure of information on hospital charges, to make such information available to the public, and to provide individuals with information about estimated out-of-pocket costs for health care services. Directs the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to research and report to Congress on: (1) the types of information on the charges and out-of-pocket costs for health care services that individuals find useful in making decisions about where, when, and from whom to receive care; (2) how such types of information vary by whether they have health benefits coverage, and what kinds; and (3) ways in which such information may be available on a timely basis and in easy-to-understand form to individuals facing such decisions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2009
Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009 - Includes as part of the Republic of Vietnam, for purposes of the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure by veterans to certain herbicide agents while in Vietnam, such Republic's inland waterways, ports, and harbors, waters offshore, and airspace above. Includes as veterans eligible for such presumption those who: (1) served on Johnston Island during the period beginning on April 1, 1972, and ending on September 30, 1977; or (2) received the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2009
Disapproves the totalization agreement between the United States and Mexico, establishing totalization arrangements between the Social Security Systems of the two countries, which was signed by the Commissioner of Social Security and the Director General of the Mexican Social Security Institute on June 29, 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Restoring the Partnership for County Health Care Costs Act of 2009 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to allow benefits under such titles for persons in custody in a public institution pending disposition of charges. States that, in the case of an otherwise eligible individual (or eligible spouse of such an individual) who is in custody pending disposition of charges, any benefits under SSA title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) which are otherwise otherwise payable shall: (1) be withheld until the individual is no longer either in custody pending disposition of charges or an inmate of a public institution; or (2) be paid to the individual's estate, if the individual dies before the pending charges are disposed of or while the individual is an inmate of a public institution.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2009
Acknowledges the 30th anniversary of the election of Margaret Thatcher as the first female Prime Minister of Great Britain and pays tribute to her remarkable professional achievements. Expresses appreciation for the strong diplomatic relationship between the United States and Great Britain fostered by Prime Minister Thatcher.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Thanks and promotes the teaching profession to encourage students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to participate in National Teacher Appreciation Week.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Congressional Commission on Financial Accountability and Preparedness Act of 2009 - Establishes the Congressional Commission on Financial Accountability and Preparedness to review and report to Congress on the actions leading up to the 2008 breakdown in the financial markets and failures in the regulatory system. Requires the Commission to submit special reports on: (1) any corporate abuse of taxpayer funds the Commission finds occurred; (2) the current state of the regulatory system and its effectiveness in overseeing the participants in the financial system and protecting consumers; and (3) any fiduciary negligence, fraudulent behavior, poor corporate governance, obstructionism, or media manipulation that the Commission determines was engaged in by relevant corporate officers and elected or appointed government officials.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to require that assistance repayments from Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds be used to pay down the public debt.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Recognizes the 40th anniversary of the National Eye Institute. Expresses support for the designation of the Decade of Vision to maintain a sustained awareness of the public health challenges associated with vision impairment and eye disease and to emphasize the need for federal support for prevention and early detection, access to treatment and rehabilitation, and research. Commends the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research for its efforts to expand awareness of eye disease through its Decade of Vision 2010-2020 Initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Ambulatory Surgical Center Access Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the requirements and the formula for payments for services, including an implantable medical device, furnished to individuals in ambulatory surgical centers. Revises requirements for the reporting of data by ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to study and report to Congress on outpatient surgical services. Requires the expert outside advisory panel the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to consult with respect to the clinical integrity of the groups and payment weights to include at least one ambulatory surgical center representative. States that the conditions for coverage of ambulatory surgical center services specified by the Secretary shall not prohibit ambulatory surgical centers from providing individuals with any notice of rights or other required notice on the date of a procedure if more advanced notice is not feasible under the circumstances, including when a procedure is scheduled and performed on the same day.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single gold medal in honor of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) collectively, in honor of their pioneering military service and exemplary record, which forged revolutionary reform in the U.S. Armed Forces. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian Institution shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations associated with the WASP.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Medicare Patient IVIG Access Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect data on the differences, if any, between: (1) payments to physicians for immune globulins using average sales price payment methodology; and (2) costs incurred by physicians for furnishing these products. Requires the Secretary also to review data on the access of eligible individuals to immune globulins. Requires the Secretary, after completion of the review, to provide, if appropriate, an additional payment to such physicians for all items related to the furnishing of immune globulins as part of hospital outpatient services. Provides for Medicare coverage of and payment for intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) administered in the home. Directs the Secretary to contract for the collection of data on the practice of IVIG infusion if the Secretary determines that collection of additional data is necessary. Directs the Secretary to review data collected under such a contract as well as data submitted by members of the medical community related to the current infusion payment codes under part B (SupplementaryMedical Insurance) of SSA title XVIII. Requires the Secretary, upon completion of any data collection and review, to: (1) notify the appropriate Medicare administrative contractors regarding which existing infusion codes shall be used for purposes of part B IVIG reimbursement; or (2) report to Congress and the RBRVS Update Committee (RUC) on why an additional infusion payment code is necessary. Extends the meaning of durable medical equipment to include a disposable pump prescribed, instead of a non-disposable external infusion pump, for administration of a drug used as part of a chemotherapy regimen for treatment of colorectal cancer, if a non-disposable external infusion pump would have been covered to administer the same drug for the same indication as of July 1, 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of National Community College Month. Congratulates the Nation's community colleges, and their students, governing boards, faculty, and staff, for their contributions to education and workforce development, and for their vital role in ensuring a brighter, stronger future for the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the classification, for depreciation purposes, of any motorsports entertainment complex as seven-year property.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to consider a person born in the United States "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States for citizenship at birth purposes if the person is born in the United States of parents, one of whom is: (1) a U.S. citizen or national; (2) a lawful permanent resident alien whose residence is in the United States; or (3) an alien performing active service in the U.S. Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Medicare Fracture Prevention and Osteoporosis Testing Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a national minimum payment amount for CPT code 77080 (relating to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, or DXA, the most widely accepted method of measuring bone mass to predict fracture risk) and CPT code 77082 (relating to vertebral fracture assessment, or VFA), and any successor to such codes as identified by the Secretary (bone mass scans). Directs the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies to study and report to the Secretary and Congress on: (1) the ramifications of Medicare reimbursement reductions for DXA and VFA on beneficiary access to bone mass measurement benefits; and (2) the methods to increase use of bone mass measurement by Medicare beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Primary Care Dental Academic Workforce Development Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, programs of general dentistry or pediatric dentistry to plan, develop, and operate a loan repayment program to pay student loans in exchange for service as full-time faculty members. Requires the Secretary to: (1) encourage participating programs to use support to broadly recruit diverse faculty; and (2) establish appropriate financial penalties for individuals not completing their service obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Dental Health Promotion Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow reimbursement from flexible spending accounts for products used to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent the onset of tooth decay (caries), periodontal diseases, and conditions ailing the teeth, gums, and mouth, or affecting their functioning.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Crime Victim Restitution and Court Fee Intercept Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to direct the Secretary of the Treasury, upon receiving notice from a state judicial agency that a named person owes a past-due, legally enforceable state judicial debt, to pay such debt from any tax refund due to such person. Defines "state judicial debt" to include court costs, fees, fines, assessments, restitution to victims of crime, and other monies resulting from a judgment or sentence rendered by any court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction handling criminal or traffic cases in the state.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an excise tax credit through 2027 for alternative fuels and fuel mixtures involving compressed or liquefied natural gas; (2) allow an income tax credit through 2027 for alternative fuel motor vehicles powered by compressed or liquefied natural gas; (3) modify the tax credit percentage for alternative fuel vehicles fueled by natural gas or liquefied natural gas; (4) allow a new tax credit for the production of vehicles fueled by natural gas or liquefied natural gas; and (5) extend through 2027 the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures for refueling property relating to compressed or liquefied natural gas and allow an increased credit for such property. Requires 50% of all new vehicles purchased or placed in service by the U.S. government by December 31, 2014, to be capable of operating on compressed or liquefied natural gas. Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to make grants to manufacturers of light and heavy duty natural gas vehicles for the development of engines that reduce emissions, improve performance and efficiency, and lower cost.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions by individuals and corporations of real property interests for conservation purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Constitutional Amendment - States that the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right. States that neither the United States nor any state shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served. Provides that no treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this amendment.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009 or EARLY Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct a national evidence-based education campaign: (1) to increase public awareness regarding the threats posed by breast cancer to young women, including the particular risks faced by certain ethnic and cultural groups; and (2) focusing on awareness of risk factors and achieving early detection through community-centered informational forums, public service advertisements, and media campaigns. Directs the Secretary to award grants to entities to establish national multimedia campaigns that: (1) will encourage young women to be aware of their personal risk factors, strategies for increasing early detection and self awareness, evidence based preventative lifestyle changes, and other appropriate breast cancer early detection and risk reduction strategies; (2) will encourage young women of specific higher-risk populations to talk to their medical practitioners about those risks and methods for appropriate screening and surveillance; and (3) may include advertising through specified media. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) establish an advisory committee to assist in creating and conducting the public education campaign; (2) conduct an education campaign to increase awareness among health care professionals; and (3) conduct prevention research. Directs the Secretary to award grants to organizations and institutions to provide to young women diagnosed with breast cancer substantive assistance and health information from credible sources on: (1) education and counseling regarding fertility preservation; (2) social, emotional, psychosocial, financial, lifestyle, and caregiver support; (3) familial risk factors; and (4) risk reduction strategies to reduce recurrence or metastasis.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
Protection for Participants in Research Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require all human subject research conducted, supported, or otherwise subject to federal regulation, to be conducted in accordance with the Common Rule and the vulnerable-population rules, as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review and harmonize such regulations. Requires informed consent before an individual may be a subject of human research. Requires an Institutional Review Board to approve all human subject research proposals. Directs the Secretary to establish criteria for determining whether a human subject research project must be conducted in accordance with a data safety and monitoring plan. Prohibits grants or awards to a public entity or private academic institution that does not have a program to educate investigators and Board members on the protection of human research subjects. Prohibits the use of federal funds for classified human subject research if: (1) the Board has waived the informed consent requirement; or (2) the research is exempt from Board review. Establishes the Office of Human Research Protections within the Office of the Secretary. Requires the Director of the Office to: (1) provide for the protection of human research subjects; (2) establish criteria regarding assurance of compliance with Common Rule requirements; and (3) coordinate federal activities with respect to the protection of human research subjects. Authorizes the Director to make grants for a model education program. Requires the Secretary to: (1) promulgate regulations enhancing the protection of people with diminished decision-making capacity participating in human subject research; and (2) study whether the number of certain members of Institutional Review Boards should be increased.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Preservation of the Second Amendment in National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges Act - Allows, except as provided under federal criminal law relating to the possession of firearms and other dangerous weapons in federal facilities, a person to possess, carry, and transport concealed, loaded, and operable firearms within a national park area or national wildlife refuge area in accordance with the laws of the state in which such area is located.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Amends the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act to exempt ordinary books from the lead limits on children's products. Defines "ordinary books" as books published on paper or cardboard, printed by conventional publishing methods, intended to be read, and lacking inherent play value.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Recognizes the 30th anniversary of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. Urges the governments of Egypt and Israel to strengthen the spirit of cooperation that emerged in 1979 as the Middle East faces new challenges. Encourages continued U.S. efforts to mitigate threats to a lasting Middle East peace. Calls for recognition of the Egypt-Israel peace treaty as a model mechanism upon which partner nations may build to overcome barriers to peace.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2009
Expresses support for the designation of, and the goals and ideals of, National Nutrition Month. Encourages: (1) local communities to raise awareness surrounding nutritional health; and (2) awareness about diseases and death caused by lack of nutrition. Recognizes health care professionals, such as registered dietitians, who spread the knowledge and importance of nutrition each day.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) conduct a five-year program of natural gas vehicle research, development, and demonstration; and (2) coordinate with the natural gas vehicle industry and with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding streamlined certification of natural gas conversion systems to federal certification requirements and in-use emission standards.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Supports the goals of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Encourages all road users to be more aware of motorcycles and motorcyclists' safety. Encourages all motorcycle riders receive appropriate training and practice safe riding skills.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2009
Patient-Focused Critical Care Enhancement Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to conduct research to assess: (1) the standardization of critical care protocols, intensive care unit layout, equipment interoperability, and medical informatics; and (2) the impact of differences in staffing, organization, size, and structure of intensive care units on access, quality, and efficiency of care. Requires the Secretary to undertake demonstration projects to: (1) optimize the provision of critical care services to Medicare beneficiaries through innovations in such areas as staffing and utilization of technology; and (2) measure and evaluate outcomes derived from a "family-centered" approach to the provision of inpatient critical care services that includes direct and sustained communication and contact with the beneficiary family members, involvement of family members in the critical care decisionmaking process, and responsiveness of critical care providers to family requests. Amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 to authorize appropriations for FY2010-FY2012 for augmenting the delivery of critical care services in the rural inpatient setting through the use of telecommunications systems that allow for consultation with critical care providers not located in the rural facility regarding the care of such patients. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to give preference in awarding telehealth grant funds to entities to develop plans for, or to establish, such critical care telehealth networks. Requires the Secretary to undertake an initiative to recruit providers of critical care services into the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2009
Amends the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 to exempt off-highway vehicles from children's product lead limits. Defines "off-highway vehicle" as: (1) any motorized vehicle designed to travel on two, three, or four wheels and having a seat designed to be straddled by the operator and handlebars for steering control; and (2) a snowmobile. Allows the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to exempt a specific product or material from the limits if it finds that lead in the product or material will not result in the absorption of lead (under current law, of any lead) into the human body, taking into account normal and reasonably foreseeable use and abuse of the product by a child.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2009
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) pursue every legal means to stay or recoup incentive bonuses and retention payments paid by American International Group, Inc. (AIG) to its executives and employees after September 16, 2008; (2) prohibit payments or other federal assistance to AIG unless current AIG executives and employees return to the Treasury any incentive bonuses and retention payments paid to them after September 16, 2008; and (3) require any financial institution that has received any assistance under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and that has not repaid such assistance in full within two weeks after the enactment of this Act to submit to the Secretary for approval plans for making any incentive bonuses or retention payments to its executives or employees and any contracts that require such payments.