United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Recognizes that prostate cancer has created a health crisis for African American men. Declares the critical importance of the designation of increased funding for: (1) research to address and attempt to end the health crisis; and (2) efforts relating to education, awareness, and early detection at the grassroots levels to end the health crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Congratulates Andre Agassi on his esteemed professional tennis career and expresses thanks for his contributions to the community of Las Vegas, Nevada.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Recognizes efforts to educate, support, and provide hope for the Hispanic community, including efforts to: (1) honor outstanding Hispanic scientists in the United States at the annual National Hispanic Scientist of the Year Gala; and (2) organize a "Meet the Hispanic Scientist Day." Congratulates Dr. Ines Cifuentes for being honored as the National Hispanic Scientist of the Year for 2006 by the Museum of Science & Industry, in recognition of her dedication to training science and mathematics educators and encouraging young students to study the earth sciences.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Congratulates: (1) the Detroit Shock on winning the 2006 Women's National Basketball Association Championship; and (2) Detroit Shock guard Deanna Nolan for winning the 2006 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2006
Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act or the EAT Healthy America Act - Amends provisions with respect to: (1) specialty crops; (2) the tree assistance program; (3) the conservation reserve program; (4) the wetlands reserve program; (5) the farmland protection program; (6) the grassland reserve program; (7) the wildlife habitat incentive program; (8) the environmental qualities incentives program; (9) air quality improvement; (10) integrated pest management initiative; (11) native plant habitat restoration; (12) agricultural trade; (13) invasive pests and diseases; (14) nutrition; (15) agricultural research; and (16) renewable energy, including crop biomass waste.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006
Gulf Coast Housing Accessibility Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to allocate additional assistance for project-based housing vouchers for individuals and households located within the disaster areas of Hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma of 2005. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to set forth conditions for providing permanent and semipermanent housing units. Instructs the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) enter into a mission assignment with the Secretary for a transfer of FEMA Disaster Relief Funds into the Disaster Voucher Program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and (2) transfer into the Disaster Voucher Program individuals and households receiving transitional housing, rental, or other related assistance. Permits such individuals and families to opt-out of such a transfer.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006
Margaret Thatcher Congressional Gold Medal Act - Provides for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Margaret Thatcher in recognition of her dedication to the values of free markets and free minds.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2006
Justice for the Unprotected Against Sexually Transmitted Infections among the Confined and Exposed Act of 2006 or the JUSTICE Act of 2006 - Requires the Attorney General to direct the Bureau of Prisons to allow community organizations to distribute sexual barrier protection devices (e.g., condoms) and to engage in sexually transmitted infection (STI) counseling and prevention education in federal correctional facilities. Prohibits a federal correctional facility from taking adverse action against a prisoner who possesses or uses a sexual barrier protection device. Expresses the sense of Congress that states should allow for the legal distribution of sexual barrier protection devices in their correctional facilities. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) conduct a survey of all educational, testing, and other programs in federal and state correctional facilities for reducing the spread of STIs; and (2) develop and implement a five-year strategy to reduce the prevalence and spread of STIs in such facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2006
Recognizes the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, and salutes the outstanding service of its members and staff on behalf of agriculture and the people of North Carolina.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2006
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) Rural America Month be established; and (2) the President should issue a proclamation designating Rural America Month.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2006
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 39-25 61st Street in Woodside, New York, as the "Thomas J. Manton Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Linking Educators and Developing Entrepreneurs for Reaching Success (LEADERS) Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to support business incubation at institutions of higher education that award associate or baccalaureate degrees. Directs the Secretary to make competitive, matching awards to: (1) a nonprofit entity that manages or provides technical assistance to a degree-granting institution's affiliated incubator (or to the institution that manages in the absence of such an entity), for helping acquire or renovate space for incubators, and for developing curricula, providing services, or providing programming for entrepreneurs housed in an incubator; and (2) a degree-granting institution or a nonprofit local government or community development organization, for feasibility studies to determine the need for or siting of incubators. Requires the Secretary to reserve certain amounts for research regarding best practices for incubator programs, including the development of a benchmarking system based on uniform measures, and for dissemination of information regarding such practices. Authorizes contracts for such purposes with organizations with expertise in business incubation practices.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Program for Real Energy Security Act or the PROGRESS Act - Establishes the National Commission on Energy Security and Transition to New Fuels. Sets forth the duties of the Commission, including to make recommendations to Congress and the President for: (1) preserving the national energy security in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster; and (2) reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil over a specified period. Establishes: (1) the New Manhattan Center for High Efficiency Vehicles; and (2) the Advisory Council on Federal Participation. Requires the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program of grants to federal and private sector researchers (including the Center) to research and develop alternative fuels and technologies to improve the productivity of U.S. automotive firms in the manufacture of high efficiency vehicles. Establishes a grant program to provide assistance to retail and wholesale motor fuel dealers or other entities to install, replace, or convert motor fuel storage and dispensing infrastructure for use in the storage and dispensing of biobased fuels. Sets forth requirements calling for: (1) the production and distribution of biobased fuels (ethanol) and deployment of new engine technologies for fuel-flexible, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and biodiesel vehicles; (2) greater use of alternative fuels in dual fueled vehicles operating in the federal fleet; and (3) the increase and expansion of employer-provided mass transit fringe benefits. Transit Rail Accommodation Improvement and Needs Act - Allows for the shared use of rail carrier trackage and rail rights-of-way by mass transportation authorities. Authorizes capital investment grants to improve intercity passenger rail service. Allows a tax credit to holders of qualified high-speed rail infrastructure bonds. Railroad Track Modernization Act of 2006 - Establishes a capital grant program for the rehabilitation, preservation, or improvement of railroad track of class II and class III railroads. Requires the issuance of regulations implementing reliability standards for the safe transportation of energy supplies by rail.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Prescription Coverage Now Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Service to provide for an expedited process for the qualification for low-income assistance through a request to the Secretary of the Treasury for tax return and other information sufficient to identify: (1) whether the individual involved is likely eligible for subsidies; and (2) the amount of premium and cost-sharing subsidies for which they would qualify based on such information. Increases the maximum permissible resource level for subsidy eligibility. Waives the late enrollment penalty for subsidy-eligible individuals for the first 24 months of non-enrollment.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Supports the goals and ideals of Financial Planning Week, and encourages Americans to observe it with appropriate programs and activities. Recognizes the significant impact that sound financial planning can have on securing financial independence and achieving life's goals and dreams.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Expresses support for the people still affected by Hurricane Katrina. Acknowledges deficiencies in the ability of Gulf Coast cities to provide social services and to attract the return of displaced residents. Reaffirms Congress's commitment to assist in rebuilding the Gulf Coast region, improving the quality of life for its residents, and ending poverty in America.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2006
Minority Entrepreneurship and Innovation Pilot Program of 2006 - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to make grants to historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal Colleges, and Hispanic serving institutions, or to any entity formed by a combination of such institutions: (1) to assist in establishing an entrepreneurship curriculum for undergraduate or graduate studies; and (2) for the placement of small business development centers on the physical campus of the institution. Requires an institution of higher education receiving a grant to: (1) develop a curriculum that includes training in various skill sets needed by successful entrepreneurs; and (2) open a small business development center. Limits this pilot program to two fiscal years, and a grant to $1 million per fiscal year for any one institution of higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2006
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income up to 25 percent of the wages earned by a certified master teacher in certain schools identified as in need of improvement or in a Head Start program. Defines "certified master teacher" as a teacher who: (1) has at least five years teaching experience in a public elementary or secondary school; (2) is highly qualified as defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; (3) has a master's degree; and (4) has advanced certification in the applicable State licensing system. Terminates such exclusion after 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2006
National Institute of Food and Agriculture Act of 2006 - Establishes within the Department of Agriculture the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which shall be an agency composed of a Director (who shall be an agricultural researcher and scientist) and a Standing Council of Advisors. Authorizes the Director to establish standing committees. Requires the Director to establish: (1) an Office of Advanced Science and Application which shall monitor national needs and advances in research to identify problems for which solutions are realistically achievable through research; (2) an Office of Scientific Assessment and Liaison which shall monitor programs and expenditures; and (3) an Office of Scientific Personnel which shall assess the number of, and need for additional, agricultural scientists in the United States. Directs the Institute to provide grants to support and promote the highest quality of fundamental agricultural research, including grants to fund research proposals submitted by: (1) individual scientists; (2) research centers composed of a single institution or multiple institutions; and (3) other individuals and entities from the private and public sectors, including Department and other federal researchers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2006
Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2006 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants for projects to prevent teen pregnancies in racial, ethnic minority, or immigrant communities with a substantial incidence or prevalence of cases of teen pregnancy as compared to the average number of such cases in communities in the state involved. Allows the Secretary to make grants to: (1) provide necessary social and cultural support services regarding teen pregnancy; (2) provide health and educational services related to the prevention of teen pregnancy; (3) promote better health and educational outcomes among pregnant teens; (4) provide training for individuals who plan to work in school-based support programs regarding the prevention of teen pregnancy; and (5) provide public education and increase awareness with respect to the issue of teen pregnancy and related social and emotional issues. Requires the Secretary to make grants to establish and operate a National Clearinghouse for Teen Pregnancy Prevention. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to conduct, support, and coordinate research on the prevention of teen pregnancy in such communities. Allows a grant to be made under this Act only if the applicant agrees that: (1) all information provided pursuant to the Act will be age-appropriate, factually and medically accurate and complete, and scientifically based; and (2) information, activities, and services under the grant will be provided in the language and cultural context that is most appropriate for individual groups.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2006
Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a comprehensive program for reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans. Requires the program to include: (1) mandatory training for appropriate staff and contractors of the Department of Veterans Affairs who interact with veterans; (2) screening of veterans who receive medical care at a Department facility for suicide risk factors; (3) referral of at-risk veterans for counseling and treatment; (4) a suicide prevention counselor at each Department medical facility; (5) research for suicide prevention and for mental health care for veterans who have experienced sexual trauma while in military service; (6) 24-hour veterans' mental health care availability; and (7) a toll-free hotline. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem; and (2) the Secretary should take in the special needs of PTSD-afflicted veterans in developing and implementing the program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2006
Expresses condolences to the people of India and the victims and their families for the July 11, 2006, terrorist attacks that occurred in Mumbai, and condemns these heinous attacks on the people of Mumbai. Expresses U.S. resolve to strengthen the newly-expanded relationship with India, a friend and democratic ally of the United States. Calls upon the international community to strengthen efforts to: (1) combat the social injustice, oppression, poverty, and extremism that breeds terrorism; (2) defeat terrorists in all countries by defeating the ideology and the terrorist networks that train and carry out attacks; and (3) increase international cooperation to advance human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006
Living American Wage (LAW) Act of 2006 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the federal minimum wage should be adjusted every four years so that a person earning such wage may earn an annual income of not less than 112% of the federal poverty threshold; and (2) Congress or the states may establish higher minimum wage requirements than that established in this Act. Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revise calculation of the federal minimum wage to be not less than $5.15 an hour beginning September 1, 1997, and not less than the minimum hourly wage sufficient for a person to earn an annual income that is 12% higher than the federal poverty threshold for a two person household, with one child under age 18 years of age, beginning January 1, 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) supports efforts to identify, track, and pursue suspected foreign terrorists and their financial supporters by tracking terrorist money flows and uncovering terrorist networks here and abroad in accordance with existing applicable law, but notes that the expression of such support in this resolution should not be construed as providing additional authority for such efforts; and (2) expresses concern that the unauthorized disclosure of classified information may have made efforts to locate terrorists and terrorist networks, and disrupt their plans, more difficult.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the government of Iraq should not grant blanket amnesty to persons known to have attacked, wounded, or killed members of the U.S. Armed Forces; (2) the President should immediately notify the Iraq government that the United States strongly opposes such amnesty; and (3) the government of Iraq should be encouraged to inform and educate the Iraqi people about the civic-minded and selfless nature of American military personnel serving in Iraq who have risked their lives to secure a future of peace and freedom for the men, women, and children of Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2006
Congratulates Avery Johnson for being named the 2006 National Basketball Association (NBA) Coach of the Year and for leading the Dallas Mavericks to their first Western Conference Championship.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2006
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a commemorative postage stamp should be issued by the U.S. Postal Service honoring Varian Fry; and (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2006
Honors the town of Nicodemus, Kansas, for its contribution to American history. Commends and encourages the preservation efforts of the National Park Service and the residents of Nicodemus.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2006
Recognizes the importance of honoring the nation's senior citizens. Encourages children to set aside time to learn from them and to read about their contributions and urges all Americans to honor their service.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2006
Solar Utilization Now Demonstration Act of 2006 or the SUN Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program of grants to states to demonstrate advanced photovoltaic technology.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2006
Declares that Congress: (1) recognizes that minorities and women still face unique challenges entering into and obtaining upper level positions within the financial services industry; and (2) encourages financial institutions to take specified steps to increase participation of women and minorities in the industry. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) active measures should be taken by employers and educational institutions to increase the demographic diversity of the financial services industry; and (2) diversity within the financial services industry is vitally important not only to promoting innovation and creativity in the industry but to developing a more inclusive workforce for a fair and just economy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2006
Comprehensive Veterans' Data Protection and Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2006 - Places upon the Secretary of Veterans Affairs an affirmative obligation to protect from any data breach the sensitive personal information of veterans and any other individuals that the Department of Veterans Affairs possesses, creates, or maintains, as well as information or tools (including passwords and encryption keys) used to protect the integrity of such data. Requires the Secretary to: (1) implement and maintain reasonable security policies and procedures to protect such information; and (2) prescribe policies and procedures regarding employee and third party access to, and use of, such information which the Department receives, maintains, or transmits. Directs the Secretary, upon discovery of a data breach, to: (1) notify the United States Secret Service, the Department's Inspector General, the congressional veterans' committees, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (2) notify each individual whose information was acquired or accessed by an unauthorized person; and (3) place a conspicuous notice on the Department's Internet website. Requires the Secretary, upon request of an affected individual, to: (1) include a fraud alert in the file of the individual with each nationwide consumer reporting agency; (2) apply a security freeze to the file of such individual; and (3) provide free damage mitigation services, including credit monitoring and annual copies of consumer credit reports. Establishes within the Department an Ombudsman for Data Security.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2006
Urges Congress and the executive branch to: (1) recognize the successful use of advanced imaging technologies in the fight against breast cancer; and (2) provide additional support for the research and development of technologies for prostate cancer detection and treatment comparable to mammograms.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2006
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) diplomatic engagement should continue to be the primary means to resolve the crisis regarding Iran's nuclear program; (2) as part of the diplomatic effort the United States should consider other options, including the restriction of gasoline to Iran; and (3) such restriction should be administered by a multilateral coalition to enforce Iran's nonproliferation commitments, including nonproliferation commitments under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2006
Expresses the sense of Congress that it is the goal of the United States that by January 1, 2025, U.S. agricultural, forestry, and working land should provide from renewable resources not less than 25% of the total U.S. energy consumption and continue to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed, and fiber.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006
Amends federal veterans' benefits provisions to: (1) make permanent (currently, terminates on December 31, 2006) the authority for the provision by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of government markers or memorial headstones for the marked graves of veterans buried in private cemeteries; and (2) terminate a reporting requirement on the use of such authority. Amends the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001 to make eligible for such markers or headstones certain veterans dying on or after November 1, 1990 (currently, September 11, 2001).
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2006
Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of comprehensive cancer care planning services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a two-year demonstration project for Medicare payment for comprehensive cancer care symptom management services furnished by an eligible entity in accordance with a described plan. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for establishing a new, or expanding an existing, palliative care and symptom management program for cancer patients. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to improve the quality of graduate and postgraduate training of physicians, nurses, and other health care providers, as well as continuing professional education, in palliative care and symptom management for such patients. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health to establish a program of grants for research on palliative care, symptom management, communication skills, and other end-of-life topics for such patients.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2006
Student Savings Act of 2006 - Repeals the provision of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 which subjects the passive income of minor children under the age of 18 (formerly, under the age of 14) to the marginal income tax rates of their parents. Imposes a surtax on individual adjusted gross income over $1 million to compensate for revenue losses resulting from such repeal.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2006
Honors the members of the Armed Forces serving as health care professionals in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognizes the research and advancements achieved by military health care professionals in the area of battlefield medical care and the direct applications and benefits such research and advancement will have to civilian medical care.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2006
Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)) to establish and support demonstration, education, and other programs for cancer survivorship. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to: (1) expand and coordinate NIH cancer survivorship research activities; (2) establish a Division of Cancer Survivorship within NCI; and (3) provide for the expansion of cancer survivorship research activities at NCI-designated cancer centers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) expand the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program; (2) study the unique health challenges associated with cancer survivorship; and (3) carry out projects and interventions to improve the long-term health status of cancer survivors. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish programs that demonstrate how to prevent and control cancer and improve access to quality cancer care among racial and ethnic minorities and medically underserved populations with disproportionate incidence of, or death from, cancer; (2) promote cancer education, prevention, and early detection of cancer; (3) award grants for cancer control and prevention; and (4) establish the National Commission on Cancer Survivorship. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Directors of CDC and NCI, to make grants to monitor and evaluate the quality of cancer care, develop information concerning the quality of care, and monitor cancer survivorship.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2006
National Emergency Management Reform and Enhancement Act of 2006 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for the establishment within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of a Directorate of Emergency Management (DEM) (replacing the Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response). Requires DEM to be headed by an Under Secretary for Emergency Management and to include Deputy Under Secretaries for: (1) Emergency Preparedness and Mitigation; and (2) Emergency Response and Recovery. Directs the Under Secretary to serve as a Cabinet Officer during an Incident of National Significance. Establishes within DEM: (1) an Office of State, Local, and Tribal Government Coordination and an Office of Public and Community Preparedness; (2) a National Citizen Corps Council; (3) a National Incident Management System and National Response Plan Integration Center; and (4) a National Urban Search and Rescue Response System. Establishes in DHS Offices of Grants and Planning, Training and Exercises, Emergency Communications, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity and Telecommunications. Establishes the Emergency Communications Preparedness Center. Directs the Secretary of DHS to: (1) regularly update, revise, or replace essential capabilities for state, local, and tribal government emergency preparedness; (2) require any state or urban area that applies for federal homeland security assistance to maintain a catastrophic emergency plan; (3) establish the National Advisory Council on Emergency Management, a System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders Program, a Homeland Security Education Program in the National Capital Region, a Prepositioned Equipment Program, and a National Asset Inventory Program; (4) develop an integrated national public alert and warning system; and (5) establish within DHS a Gulf Coast Long-Term Recovery Office. Redesignates the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection as the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Requires the Secretary to: (1) ensure that all programs within DEM administering federal assistance maintain proper internal management controls to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse; and (2) annually certify that such controls are in place. Provides for the establishment within DHS of a Deputy Inspector General for Response and Recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2006
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month; and (2) President Bush's Commission on Mental Health's finding that the failure to prioritize mental health is a national tragedy.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2006
Library of Congress Employee Transition Assistance Act of 2006 - States that any employee of the Library of Congress who at any time before or after this Act's enactment has satisfactorily completed a probationary period with the Library under a nontemporary appointment acquires a competitive status for appointment to any position in the competitive service for which such employee possesses the required qualifications. Prohibits an employee who acquires a competitive status under this Act from being required to complete a probationary period upon appointment to a position in the competitive service. Treats a displaced Library of Congress employee as an employee of an executive department, government corporation, or independent establishment who is eligible for a special selection priority under the career transition assistance program for surplus and displaced federal employees administered by the Director of the Office Personnel Management (OPM). Defines such employees as certain employees, or former employees, of the Library of Congress who were separated from employment not more than 90 days prior to the date of the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2006
Restoring Emergency Services to Protect Our Nation From Disasters Act of 2006 or the RESPOND Act of 2006 - Reestablishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a cabinet-level independent establishment in the executive branch to be headed by a Director appointed by the President. Requires FEMA to: (1) include all functions and authorities prescribed by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act; (2) carry out its mission by leading and supporting the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system; and (3) be the lead agency for the National Response Plan. Provides for an Office of the Inspector General within FEMA. Requires the Director to develop a human capital strategy. Establishes within FEMA a disaster workforce reserve cadre to meet surge requirements during emergencies. Requires the Director to: (1) establish a program to assist states and local governments representing areas at substantial risk for a catastrophic incident; (2) maintain and operate a national emergency operations center; (3) develop an efficient, transparent, and flexible logistics system for procurement and delivery of goods and services; and (4) establish and maintain an interoperable communications capability. Amends the Stafford Act to require the President, acting through the Director, to establish at least three national response teams, sufficient regional and other response teams, and a national emergency preparedness goal and system. Requires the Director to: (1) carry out a grant program to improve state and local government emergency response capabilities; (2) establish a comprehensive system to assess the nation's overall emergency preparedness; and (3) establish a National Emergency Preparedness Task Force. Establishes a national incident management system.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2006
Small Business Health Plans Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a small business health benefits program (SBHBP) under which small businesses may offer health insurance coverage to employees and their dependents. Outlines program elements and coverage requirements. Requires the Secretary to establish a program of premium assistance for small employers under the SBHBP. Allows for reinsurance for catastrophic costs for certain health insurance issuers. Defines a "small employer" for SBHBP purposes as an employer with 50 or fewer employees. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Labor to provide for the establishment of a national health pooling arrangement for eligible small employers under the SBHBP.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006
Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize the Assistant Secretary for Aging to make grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations experienced in administering volunteer programs to provide $1,000 scholarships to older individuals who perform at least 600 hours of volunteer service with such agencies or organizations within a 12-month period. Allows the proration of such scholarships when an individual, due to compelling personal circumstances, cannot perform 600, but performs at least 300, hours of service within such period. Allows a scholarship recipient to designate another individual to use such scholarship.
![Official portrait of Rep. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001251_200.jpg)