United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
Supports the goals of the Ten Commandments Commission and recognizes the vital contributions of America's tens of thousands of spiritual leaders, churches, synagogues, fellowships, ministries, and organizations participating in Ten Commandments Weekend. Congratulates the Ten Commandments Commission and all supporting spiritual leaders, churches, synagogues, fellowships, ministries, and organizations for their key role in promoting and ensuring recognition of the Ten Commandments as the cornerstone of Western law.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2007
HSA Improvement and Expansion Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to health savings accounts (HSAs) to: (1) allow HSAs to incorporate flexible spending and health reimbursement arrangements; (2) increase the annual HSA contribution limitation; (3) permit the use of HSAs to purchase health insurance; (4) allow the payment of certain medical expenses incurred before the establishment of an HSA; (5) allow veterans eligible for service-connected disability benefits to establish an HSA; and (6) allow spouses to make increased catch-up contributions to a single HSA.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2007
Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider certain criteria in making grants under the Healthy Start Initiative, including: (1) factors that contribute to infant mortality, such as low birthweight; and (2) the extent to which applicants for grants facilitate a community-based approach to the delivery of services and a comprehensive approach to women's health care to improve perinatal outcomes. Provides that the Secretary is not prohibited from awarding grants for special projects that are intended to address significant disparities in perinatal health indicators in communities along the United States-Mexico border, or in Alaska, Hawaii, or any U.S. possession or territory. Eliminates authority for the Secretary to make additional grants to: (1) assist communities with technical assistance, replication of successful projects, and state policy formation to reduce infant and maternal mortality and morbidity; and (2) conduct and support research and to provide additional health care services for pregnant women and infants. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2013 for the Healthy Start Initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2007
Travel Promotion Act of 2007 - Establishes the Corporation for Travel Promotion as a nonprofit corporation that is not an agency or establishment of the U.S. government. Makes the Corporation subject to the provisions of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act. Requires the Corporation, among other things, to provide useful information to people interested in traveling to the United States, identify and address perceptions in other countries regarding U.S. entry policies, and promote U.S. travel. Establishes in the Treasury the Travel Promotion Fund. Requires the transfer of Treasury funds to the Corporation, requiring nonfederal matching funds. Authorizes the U.S. government, if a fully automated electronic system is implemented to determine, in advance of travel, the eligibility of an alien to travel to the United States, to charge an applicant a system use fee. Amends the International Travel Act of 1961 to replace references to the United States National Tourism Organization with references to the Corporation. Modifies various requirements applicable to the Tourism Policy Council. Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 to remove provisions establishing the United States Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2007
National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the courage, pride, sacrifice, sense of duty, and history of the U.S. Infantry, in commemoration of the legacy of the U.S. Army Infantry and the establishment of the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. Expresses the sense of Congress that the coins should be struck at the U.S. Mint at West Point, New York, to the greatest extent possible. Restricts coin issuance to calendar year 2012. Requires a $10 surcharge per coin, and payment of all surcharges received to the National Infantry Foundation to establish an endowment to support the maintenance of the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2007
Extends condolences to the family of Marvin Harold Zindler (investigative journalist in Houston, Texas) and his Channel 13 KTRK family. Mourns his passing and honors him for his service to the people of Houston, American citizens, and the international community, particularly politically underrepresented, economically powerless, and physically ill and disabled people, through his entrepreneurial journalism.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that there should be established a National Watermelon Month to recognize watermelon's health benefits and importance to the U.S. agriculture industry.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2007
SCHIP Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2007 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to require the state SCHIP plan to specify how it will achieve coverage for 90% of targeted low-income children. Prohibits SCHIP payments for children with family income above 250% of the poverty line. Sets forth special rules for payment for children with family income above 200% of the poverty line. Provides for: (1) standardization of income determinations; (2) the application of citizenship documentation requirements; (3) an increased federal matching rate for citizenship documentation enforcement under Medicaid and SCHIP; and (4) temporary increase in federal matching rate for Medicaid and SCHIP administrative costs. Sets limitations on eligibility based on substantial net assets. Provides for easing administrative barriers to state cooperation with employer-sponsored insurance coverage. Requires the offering of alternative coverage options. Revises requirements for allotments to the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Prohibits redistribution of unused allotments. Reauthorizes SCHIP through FY2012.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2007
Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to redefine "electronic surveillance" as: (1) the installation or use of an electronic, mechanical, or other surveillance device for acquiring information by intentionally directing surveillance at a particular person believed to be in the United States when that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and a warrant would be required for law enforcement purposes; or (2) the intentional acquisition of the contents of any communication when that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and a warrant would be required for law enforcement purposes, if both the sender and all intended recipients are believed to be in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2007
Dental Health Promotion Act of 2007 - 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 · 19 July 2007
Expresses outrage over Hugo Chavez's recent actions respecting control of energy companies operating in Venezuela. Encourages the protection of investment and respect for the sanctity of property rights. Recognizes the hard work and contributions of American workers, engineers, and scientists abroad, without whom, projects in Venezuela would not exist. Urges: (1) American companies to stand up for their shareholders' property rights; and (2) the U.S. government to continue providing a model of public-private cooperation to the world in delivering on the energy needs of its citizens.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2007
No More Excuses Energy Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations for the taxpayer election to expense the cost of certain refinery property not later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow the issuance of tax exempt facility bonds for the financing of domestic use oil refinery facilities; (2) extend through 2018 the tax credit for producing electricity from wind facilities; and (3) allow tax credits for the production of electricity from nuclear energy, natural gas production, and carbon dioxide tertiary injectant processes. Requires the President to designate at least 10 sites for oil or natural gas refineries on federal lands and make such sites available to the private sector for construction of refineries. Prohibits the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from denying an application for nuclear waste disposal on the grounds of present or future insufficient capacity. Terminates all existing federal laws prohibiting expenditures to conduct oil and natural gas leasing and preleasing activities in the Outer Continental Shelf. American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish and implement a competitive oil and gas leasing program in the Coastal Plain of Alaska. Repeals the prohibition against producing oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Sets forth requirements for the sale of oil and natural gas leases in the Coastal Plain, environmental protection, transportation easements, and royalty payments to Alaska. Establishes in the Treasury the Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund to assist Alaska jurisdictions that are directly impacted by oil and gas exploration and production in the Coastal Plain.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2007
Revises corporate average fuel economy standards (CAFE standards) provisions for non-passenger and passenger automobiles to: (1) provide for increased average fuel economy standards for non-passenger and passenger automobiles; (2) permit separate average fuel economy standards for non-passenger and passenger automobiles based on vehicle attributes related to fuel economy; and (3) establish a corporate average fuel economy credit transferring program within a manufacturer's fleet. Provides for the establishment of a public education campaign to provide information to U.S. drivers about immediate measures that may be taken to conserve transportation fuel.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007
Recognizes the need to pursue research into the causes of, and a treatment and an eventual cure for, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Expresses support for: (1) the work of advocates and organizations in educating, supporting, and providing hope for individuals who suffer from the disease; and (2) designation of National Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week. Congratulates advocates and organizations for their efforts to educate the public about the disease.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2007
Supports the designation and goals of "National 9-1-1 Education Month." Requests that the President issue a proclamation designating such a month and calling for appropriate ceremonies, training events, and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2007
Secure Borders FIRST (For Integrity, Reform, Safety, and Anti-Terrorism) Act of 2007 - Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) border security; (2) detention of dangerous aliens; (3) removal of alien gang members; (4) grants to state and local law enforcement agencies assisting with borders security and immigration enforcement; and (5) expedited removal on criminal or security grounds. Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2007 - Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) social security identification; and (2) employer and recruiter requirements. Employment Eligibility Verification and Anti-Identity Theft Act - Establishes an employment eligibility and identity verification system. New IDEA (Illegal Deduction Elimination Act) - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (Code) to prohibit a deduction from gross income for wages paid to an unauthorized alien. Stop the Misuse of ITINs Act of 2007 - Amends the Code to require Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and employer notification of the employment status of individuals not authorized to work in the United States. Sets forth birth certificate security provisions. Provides for immigration enforcement sharing of social security information. Revises the temporary agricultural worker program. States that English shall be the official language of the U.S. government. Sets forth related English-language provisions. Prohibits federal agency acceptance for any official purpose of personal identification issued by a foreign government (with a passport exception).
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
Medicare IVIG Access Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect and review 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, 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 conduct two surveys, for reports to Congress, of Medicare and non-Medicare patients who need immune globulins in order to measure changes in patient access to those products (and providers furnishing them), as well as changes in the health care status of those patients.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812. Requires a coin design emblematic of the War of 1812, particularly the Battle for Fort McHenry that formed the basis for the Star-Spangled Banner . Authorizes the Secretary to issue the coins only during the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2012. Requires specified surcharges in sales of the coin, which shall be paid to the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission for: (1) the purpose of supporting bicentennial activities; and (2) preservation and improvement activities relating to the sites and structures relating to the War of 1812.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2007 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), notwithstanding any other provision of any Act, from having the authority to require broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance, commonly referred to as the Fairness Doctrine.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
Victims of Crime Act Preservation Fund Act of 2007 - Excludes receipts and disbursements of the Crime Victims Fund from executive and congressional budgets. Prohibits the consideration of any legislation in the House of Representatives or the Senate that would authorize the use of amounts in the Crime Victims Fund for a purpose not authorized by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. Allows the Senate to waive or suspend such prohibition by a three-fifths vote.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 - Prescription Drug User Fee Amendments of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to reauthorize the collection of prescription drug user fees for FY2008-FY2012. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assess and collect fees for advisory review of direct-to-consumer television advertisements of prescription drugs. Medical Device User Fee Amendments of 2007 - Reauthorizes the collection of medical device user fees for FY2008-FY2012. Sets forth provisions governing the inspection of medical device establishments by accredited persons. Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act of 2007 - Requires a person that submits an application for approval of a medical device to provide information on pediatric subpopulations that suffer from the disease or condition that the device is intended to treat, diagnose, or cure. Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2007 - Sets forth conditions under which the Secretary may grant waivers or deferrals of requirements that applicants submit a pediatric assessment for new drugs and biological products. Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act of 2007 - Makes changes to provisions regarding market exclusivity for conducting pediatric drug studies on new or already approved drugs. Establishes the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration as a nonprofit corporation to advance the mission of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to modernize medical, veterinary, food, food ingredient, and cosmetic product development, accelerate innovation, and enhance product safety. Provides for recruitment of potential members of FDA advisory committees. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and administer a clinical trial registry database and a clinical trial results database for drugs and devices. Authorizes the Secretary to require a responsible person for a drug to conduct a post-approval study on the basis of scientific information.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that a commemorative postage stamp be issued by the United States Postal Service to honor our nation's disabled veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2007
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate, establish, and operate at least six Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health-care facilities as locations for epilepsy centers of excellence. Requires the Under Secretary for Health of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to establish a peer review panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of proposals for the designation of such centers. Requires a VHA national coordinator for epilepsy programs to: (1) supervise the operation of the centers; (2) coordinate and support throughout the VA health-care system better access to diagnosis, research, care, and education for epilepsy and traumatic brain injury; and (3) conduct regular evaluations of the centers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2007
Reconstructive Surgery Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require a group health plan that provide coverage for surgery to also cover reconstructive surgery, including medically-necessary treatment for preoperative and postoperative care. Defines "reconstructive surgery" as any medically necessary and appropriate surgery performed to correct or repair abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease to: (1) improve functions; or (2) give the patient a normal appearance. Excludes cosmetic surgery that is performed to alter or reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve appearance. Applies such requirements to health insurance coverage offered in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2007
National Environment and Energy Development Act - Declares without force or effect all federal prohibitions against the expenditure of appropriated funds to conduct natural gas leasing and preleasing activities for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Revokes all withdrawals of federal submerged lands from leasing for natural gas exploration and production. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from: (1) granting a natural gas lease for any OCS located within 25 miles of a state coastline; or (2) issuing any lease for natural gas exploration or development in any OCS area located within 50 miles of a state coastline unless the state has enacted a law approving such lease. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing a lease for natural gas exploration or development in any OCS area located more than 50 miles and less than 100 miles from the coastline of a state if the state has enacted a law disapproving such lease issuance. Sets forth an allocation schedule (including designated reserve accounts) for revenues derived from bonus bids and royalties under qualified gas leases on submerged lands located within the seaward boundaries of a state. Modifies requirements for deeming state seaward boundaries. Authorizes the Secretary to issue leases for development and production of natural gas and associated condensate. Expresses the intent of Congress that this Act result in a healthy and growing American industrial, manufacturing, transportation, and service sector employing America's workforce to assist in the development of affordable energy from the OCS.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2007
CJ's Home Protection Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish federal manufactured home construction and safety standards. Amends the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 to require such standards to require each manufactured home delivered for sale to be supplied with a weather radio: (1) capable of broadcasting emergency information relating to local weather conditions; (2) equipped with a tone alarm and Specific Alert Message Encoding, or SAME technology; and (3) compliant with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) Standard 2009-A Performance Specification for Public Alert Receivers (or its current revision). Shields from liability the operator, owner, or employee of a mobile home community, or the mobile home manufacturer, with respect to any reminder, assistance, or instructions the community operator provides concerning the functionality of a manufactured home's weather radio or smoke detector.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2007
Commends Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros for reaching 3,000 base hits as a Major League Baseball player and for his outstanding service to the community through his charitable work and dedication to the Houston Astros organization.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2007
Public Servant Retirement Protection Act of 2007 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to repeal the current windfall elimination provision (WEP) (that reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also have pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security) for individuals first performing non-covered service beginning one year after enactment of this Act. Establishes a new formula for the treatment of non-covered earnings in determining Social Security benefits. Applies such formula to individuals subject to the current WEP if the benefit under the new formula would be higher.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2007
Expresses the House of Representatives' belief respecting specified immigration-related steps that the Administration should take that will reduce illegal immigration and improve U.S. border security.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2007
NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), to mint and issue $50 gold and $1 silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA and JPL. Requires all such coin sales to include a surcharge of $50 per $50 coin, and of $10 per $1 coin. Requires distribution of the first $4 million to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties. Requires distribution of: (1) one-half of the next $1 million of the remaining amounts to the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Educational (D.R.E.M.E.) Science Literacy Foundation and the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence; and (2) the remainder to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution for the preservation, maintenance, and display of space artifacts at the National Air and Space Museum (including the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center). Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the $50 gold coins.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 South Getty Street in Uvalde, Texas, as the "Dolph S. Briscoe, Jr. Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2007
Physician Workforce and Graduate Medical Education Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a loan program that provides loans to eligible hospitals to establish residency training programs. Requires that such program be an allopathic or osteopathic residency program in family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, obstetrics or gynecology, or general surgery. Requires the Administrator to give preference to hospitals in a rural area or an urban area that is not a large urban area.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2007
Amends the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act to extend through 2012 the authority of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to collect fees sufficient to implement and enforce provisions relating to the "do-not-call" registry of the Telemarketing Sales Rule.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2007
High-Need Physician Workforce Incentives Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to make grants to critical shortage health facilities for scholarships to individuals agreeing to serve as a physician at such facility after completing residency in the fields of family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, general surgery, or obstetrics-gynecology. Excludes such scholarship funds from an individual's gross income. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to: (1) establish a loan repayment program for individuals agreeing to serve as physicians in specified fields in areas that are not health professional shortage areas, but that have a critical shortage of physicians in such field; (2) make grants to states to provide care management fees to physicians in medically underserved communities to support the provision of targeted, accessible, continuous, coordinated, and patient-centered care through a qualified medical home; and (3) make grants to board-certified entities to establish or expand geriatric fellowship programs to train physicians practicing in rural areas or in specified fields in geriatric medicine. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from an individual's gross income compensation received by a physician from a local government for medical care performed: (1) in a medically underserved community; and (2) under a contract with the local government for a period of not less than four years.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2007
Ensuring the Future Physician Workforce Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to the formula for calculating payments for physicians' services. Resets to 2007 the base year for application of the sustainable growth rate formula, which shall be eliminated in 2010. Extends the current quality reporting system. Amends the Medicare Improvement and Extension Act of 2006 to extend and increase transitional bonus incentive payments. Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish a new physician quality incentive system; and (2) create standards for health information technology (HIT) payment incentives. Amends SSA title XI to create safe harbors to antikickback and civil and criminal penalties for provision of HIT and training services. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the impact of such safe harbors. Amends SSA title XVIII to create an exception to the limitation on certain physician referrals for the provision of HIT and training services to health care professionals. Directs the Secretary to report annually to: (1) each physician information on the physician's total Medicare billings; and (2) each individual entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) and part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) on the amount of Medicare payments made to or on behalf of the individual during the year involved. Directs the Secretary to collect data on annual savings in expenditures in the Medicare program due to physicians' services that resulted in hospital or in-patient diversion. Requires the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund to monitor and examine the extent to which the different funding mechanisms under Medicare parts A, B, and D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) provide an appropriate alignment with the program goals of the respective parts. Directs the Secretary to arrange for a study of price inputs and relative values for physicians' services recommended by the AMA/Speciality Society Relative Value Unit Scale Update Committee process. Requires the Secretary to provide for a study of, and report to Congress on, health care disparities in high-risk health condition areas and minority communities with respect to the impact reporting requirements may have on physician penetration in such communities. Amends SSA title XVIII to accelerate the deadline for nationwide implementation of the recovery audit contractor element of the Medicare Integrity Program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2007
Help Efficient, Accessible, Low Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2007 - Sets conditions for lawsuits arising from health care liability claims regarding health care goods or services or any medical product affecting interstate commerce. Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions. Provides that nothing in this Act limits recovery of the full amount of available economic damages. Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility. Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded. Allows the introduction of collateral source benefits and the amount paid to secure such benefits as evidence. Prohibits a provider of such benefits from recovering any amount from an award in a health care lawsuit involving injury or wrongful death. Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000. Denies punitive damages in the case of products approved, cleared, or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or otherwise considered in compliance with FDA standards. Provides for periodic payments of future damages.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Commends the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for working with leading scientists and researchers to organize the first NIH conference on hydrocephalus in September 2005 and the Inaugural Cerebellar Development: Bench to Bedside International Conference in November 2006. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Director of NIH should continue the current collaboration, with respect to Dandy-Walker syndrome, among the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Office of Rare Diseases; (2) further research into such syndrome should be conducted and supported; (3) NIH should take the lead in sponsoring an annual workshop to increase awareness and set national research priorities for such syndrome and hydrocephalus; (4) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should form a coordinating committee for such syndrome and hydrocephalus research; and (5) public awareness and professional education regarding Dandy-Walker research should increase through partnerships between the federal government and patient advocacy organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2007
Wakefield Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend by one year the length of time for which a grant may be awarded under the emergency medical services for children grant program, which allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states or schools of medicine to support projects to expand and improve emergency medical services for children who need treatment for trauma or critical care. Sets forth as the purpose of the program the reduction of child and youth morbidity and mortality by supporting improvements in the quality of all emergency medical care children receive. Requires the Secretary to support emergency medical services for children by supporting projects that: (1) develop and present scientific evidence; (2) promote existing innovative technologies appropriate for the care of children; and (3) provide information on health outcomes and effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Directs that such program: (1) strive to enhance the pediatric capability of emergency medical service systems; and (2) be coordinated with all research, evaluations, and awards undertaken by the federal government related to emergency medical services for children.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2007
Amends corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards provisions to include B20 biodiesel blend as an alternative fuel for purposes of such standards.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Deamonte's Law - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to federally qualified health centers to expand and improve the provision of pediatric dental services to medically underserved populations by: (1) recruiting dentists, pediatric dentists, or dentists with pediatric training to provide pediatric dental services; (2) purchasing or renting dental equipment; (3) constructing and expanding space; and (4) allowing contractual relationships between such health centers and private dental providers to increase access to dental care for adults. Requires the Secretary to make grants to schools of dentistry and hospitals with accredited training programs to increase the number of individuals who pursue academic programs in pediatric dentistry by: (1) establishing, maintaining, or improving pre- and post-doctoral academic programs in pediatric dentistry; (2) recruiting and training dental students to pursue training in pediatric dentistry; (3) strengthening training in pediatric dentistry within advanced education in general dentistry and general practice residencies in dentistry programs; or (4) recruiting and training practicing dentists through continuing education programs in pediatric dentistry.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a process for determining whether a geographic area is sufficiently served by the national cemeteries located in that area, taking into account, among other things: (1) the number of veterans living in the area; and (2) the average distance a resident of the area must travel to reach the nearest national cemetery. Requires the Secretary, in case of an area with insufficient land to establish a cemetery, to consider alternatives such as establishing a mausoleum.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Medicare Osteoporosis Measurement Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of bone mass measurements for all individuals at clinical risk for osteoporosis.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Polar Bear Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit issuing permits for the importation of polar bear parts taken in a sport hunt.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Syria Accountability and Liberation Act - States that U.S. sanctions, controls, and regulations relating to Syria shall remain in effect until the President certifies that Syria has ceased support for terrorism, has dismantled biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons programs and has committed to combat their proliferation, respects the boundaries and sovereignty of all neighboring countries, and upholds human rights and civil liberties. Imposes specified trade, assistance, and military sanctions, as appropriate, on persons or countries that transfer goods or technology so as to contribute to Syria's biological, chemical, nuclear, or advanced conventional weapons programs. Imposes specified sanctions aimed at Syria's energy sector. Sets forth diplomatic measures intended to isolate the government of Syria. Directs the President to provide assistance to support a democratic transition in Syria. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
ALS Registry Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, or progress to ALS; and (2) establish a national registry for the collection and storage of such data. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish the Advisory Committee on the National ALS Registry to review information and make recommendations to the Secretary concerning: (1) the development and maintenance of the registry; (2) the type of information to be included; (3) the manner in which data is to be collected; (4) the use and availability of such data; and (5) the collection of information about diseases and disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on ALS and other motor neuron disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for research access to ALS data as recommended by the Advisory Committee in a manner that protects personal privacy. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information is made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Mother's Day Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 400,000 $1 coins emblematic of the 100th anniversary of President Wilson's proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins beginning January 1, 2014, except that the Secretary may initiate sales of such coins, without issuance, before such date. Terminates such minting authority after December 31, 2014. Requires coin sales to include a $10 surcharge per coin, with distribution of such surcharges to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Osteoporosis Foundation for the purpose of furthering research.
![Official portrait of Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001248_200.jpg)