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United States · Official source
4,004 records where Rep. Capps, Lois [D-CA-24] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of National Women's History Month. Recognizes and honors the women and organizations in the United States that have fought for and continue to promote the teaching of women's history.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2009
Recognizes the accomplishments and example of Cesar E. Chavez, founder and president of the United Farm Workers of America. Calls for: (1) establishment of a legal public holiday in his honor; and (2) public elementary and secondary schools to provide classroom instruction on his life and work.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2009
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow states to be compensated for incarcerating undocumented aliens who are charged with, or convicted of, a felony or two or more misdemeanors. (Current law requires a conviction.)
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2009
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2009
Recognizes the significant contributions of American citizens of Greek ancestry and Philhellenes to the United States. Commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Daughters of Penelope.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2009
Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009 - Repeals current Department of Defense (DOD) policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces. Prohibits the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation against any member of the Armed Forces or any person seeking to become a member. Authorizes the re-accession into the Armed Forces of otherwise qualified individuals previously separated for homosexuality, bisexuality, or homosexual conduct. Requires such Secretaries to ensure that regulations governing the personal conduct of members of the Armed Forces are written and enforced without regard to sexual orientation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2009
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Directs the Secretary to establish the Center for Tobacco Products to implement this Act. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Authorizes the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if appropriate for the protection of the public health. Sets forth limits on such regulations, including prohibiting establishment of a minimum age greater than 18 for product purchases. Prohibits: (1) cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee; or (2) a tobacco product manufacturer from using tobacco that contains a greater level of pesticide chemical residue than is specified by any tolerance applicable to domestically grown tobacco. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health. Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) banning all cigarettes, all smokeless tobacco products, all little cigars, all other cigars, all pipe tobacco, or all roll-your-own tobacco products; or (2) requiring the reduction of the nicotine yields of a tobacco product to zero. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Revises tobacco product warning labels and advertising requirements. Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends provisions related to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), including to provide for: (1) automatic enrollment of new employees; and (2) a Roth contribution program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2009
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Arnold Palmer (golf professional) in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2009
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the newborns and infants hearing loss program to include diagnostic services among the services provided. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to assist in the recruitment, retention, education, and training of qualified personnel and health care providers. Includes within the purposes of such program: (1) prompt evaluation and diagnosis of children referred from screening programs; (2) appropriate education, audiological, and medical interventions for children identified with hearing loss; (3) developing efficient models to ensure that newborns and infants who are identified with a hearing loss through screening receive follow-up by a qualified health care provider; and (4) ensuring an adequate supply of qualified personnel to meet the screening, evaluation, and early intervention needs of children. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, to establish a postdoctoral fellowship program to foster research and development in the area of early hearing detection and intervention. Amends the definition of "early intervention" to require that families be given the opportunity to obtain the full range of appropriate early intervention services, educational and program placements, and other options for their child from highly qualified providers.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2009
Public Good IRA Rollover Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income distributions from individual retirement accounts for certain charitable purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2009
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Program that may include: (1) research, investigations, demonstrations, training, and studies relating to the control, prevention, and surveillance of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases; (2) additional grant support to encourage the expansion of research related to the prevention and management of arthritis at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); (3) national education and outreach activities for arthritis and other rheumatic diseases; (4) emphasis on prevention, early diagnosis, and appropriate management of arthritis and opportunities for effective patient self-management; and (5) grants to states or Indian tribes for comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities related to arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Authorizes the Secretary to expand and intensify programs of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with respect to research and related activities concerning various forms of juvenile arthritis and related conditions. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to: (1) provide for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on juvenile arthritis; and (2) support the development of a national juvenile arthritis population-based database. Requires the Secretary to support activities that provide for: (1) an increase in institutional training grants to support pediatric rheumatology training; and (2) an expansion of public-private partnerships to promote education training and fellowship opportunities for pediatric rheumatologists. Directs the Secretary to establish and carry out a pediatric rheumatology loan repayment program, as needed.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2009
Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins emblematic of the design selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the Boards of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, in honor of the distinguished service of the American military men and women who have been Medal of Honor recipients. Limits the period for coin issuance to calendar year 2011. Imposes a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin and $10 per coin for the $1 coin, to be distributed to the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation to help finance educational, scholarship, and outreach programs of the Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2009
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act of 2009 - Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to a hospital under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act or to a state, with respect to hospital services, under title XIX (Medicaid) of such Act, unless the hospital meets certain conditions related to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault, including that the hospital: (1) provides the woman with accurate and unbiased information about emergency contraception; (2) offers emergency contraception to the woman; (3) provides the woman such contraception at the hospital on her request; and (4) does not deny any such services because of the inability of the woman or her family to pay.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2009
Supports the goals of International Women's Day. Recognizes and honors the women who have fought and continue to struggle for equality. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to ending discrimination and violence against women and girls, to ensuring their safety and welfare, and to pursuing policies that guarantee their basic rights. Encourages the President to: (1) reaffirm his commitment to pursue policies to protect the health and rights of women and girls; and (2) issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe International Women's Day.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins in recognition of five United States Army Five-Star Generals: George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry "Hap" Arnold, and Omar Bradley, alumni of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Requires the design of the coins to include portraits of the generals. Restricts the issuance of such coins to calendar 2013. Requires specified surcharges in the sale of such coins, which shall be paid promptly to the Command and General Staff College Foundation to help finance its support of the College.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit: (1) federal civilian and military retirees to pay Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis (i.e., exclude premiums from gross income); and (2) a tax deduction (available to itemizers and nonitemizers) for TRICARE supplemental premiums or enrollment fees. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the option of paying FEHBP and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis is available to federal civilian and military retirees for the first open enrollment period beginning not less than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to take certain actions regarding eating disorder research, including to: (1) implement a scientifically justified budget for research on eating disorders; (2) coordinate and evaluate NIH research activities and programs; (3) expand NIH research on eating disorders; (4) establish a task force on eating disorder research; and (5) provide for centers of excellence for research on eating disorders. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) provide for the collection, analysis, and reporting of epidemiological data on eating disorders; (2) establish a Center of Eating Disorders Epidemiology to collect and analyze information on eating disorders; and (3) establish a CDC clearinghouse for the collection and storage of data generated under this Act. Sets forth provisions providing for education and training on eating disorders, including requirements for: (1) developing and implementing a training program for health professionals on eating disorders; (2) establishing the Task Force on Eating Disorders Prevention in Educational Institutions to develop and provide training on eating disorders identification and prevention for students, faculty, coaches, and staff in schools; and (3) conducting public service announcements. Amends the PHSA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to also provide coverage for eating disorders. Applies such requirement to coverage offered in the individual market and coverage offered under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Safe Drug Disposal Act of 2009 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to direct the Attorney General to promulgate regulations to: (1) authorize an ultimate user or care taker (a person responsible for taking care of one or more individuals or animals) to dispose of a controlled substance in accordance with a prescribed state program; (2) include five model state programs providing for such disposal through delivery to a designated facility; and (3) allow a state to work with the Attorney General to devise an alternative disposal program that is consistent with this Act. Requires each such program to: (1) require a state to enact legislation as a prerequisite to its adoption and implementation; (2) protect the public safety; (3) allow disposal of controlled substances through persons other than law enforcement personnel; (4) incorporate environmentally sound practices for disposal; (5) be cost-effective; (6) include convenient take-back options for urban and rural locations; and (6) not restrict the funding a state may use to implement it. Allows such a program to apply similarly to a drug or biological product other than a controlled substance. Directs the Comptroller General to collect data on state take-back disposal programs and periodically report to Congress. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) in approving drug applications and in licensing biological products, to ensure that the drug or product labeling does not include any recommendation or direction to dispose of the drug by means of a wastewater treatment system, such as by flushing it down the toilet; and (2) to review the labeling of existing drugs and products and order revision of any labeling that includes such a recommendation or direction. Deems any drug or product whose labeling is in violation of such an order to be misbranded.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Primary Care Volunteer Incentive Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a loan repayment program to repay up to $5,000 each year of an individual's graduate educational loans in exchange for such individual serving without pay as a primary care physician for at least four hours per week for five consecutive years at a community health center with a shortage of primary care physicians. Directs the Secretary to give priority to individuals who agree to serve in community health centers in designated health professional shortage areas. Sets forth factors for the Secretary to consider in determining the amount to pay for each year of service. Directs the Secretary to provide additional reimbursements for the individual's tax liability resulting from such payments.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to states and Indian tribes for colorectal cancer programs that include: (1) providing colorectal cancer screening to individuals who are over 50 years of age or at high risk for such cancer; (2) providing case management and referrals for medical treatment; (3) ensuring the full continuum of follow up and cancer care for individuals screened; (4) carrying out activities to improve the education, training, and skills of health professionals in the detection and control of colorectal cancer; and (5) developing and disseminating public information and education programs for the detection and control of colorectal cancer and promoting the benefits of receiving screenings through this program. Gives priority to low-income individuals who lack adequate coverage under health insurance and health plans with respect to screenings for colorectal cancer. Allows the Secretary to provide training and technical assistance with respect to the planning, development, and operation of programs funded by a grant under this Act. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow states to provide medical assistance to individuals who have been screened for colorectal cancer under this Act and who need treatment for complications due to screening or colorectal cancer. Applies provisions related to breast and cervical cancer programs to programs under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 2009 - Establishes the United States Bipartisan Commission on Access to Emergency Medical Services to: (1) identify and examine factors in the health care delivery, financing, and legal systems that affect the effective delivery of screening and stabilization services furnished in hospitals that have emergency departments pursuant to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA); and (2) make specific recommendations to Congress with respect to federal programs, policies, and financing needed to assure the availability of such screening and stabilization services and the coordination of state, local, and federal programs for responding to disasters and emergencies. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for additional payments for certain physicians' emergency services furnished pursuant to EMTALA. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to convene a working group that includes experts in emergency care, inpatient critical care, hospital operations management, nursing, and other relevant disciplines to develop boarding and diversion standards for hospitals and guidelines, measures, and incentives for implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of such standards. Requires the CMS working group to: (1) identify barriers contributing to delays in timely processing of patients requiring admission as inpatients who initially sought care through the hospital's emergency department; (2) identify best practices to improve patient flow within hospitals; and (3) report to Congress and the Secretary a detailed description of the standards, guidelines, measures, and incentives developed, as well as identified barriers and best practices. Directs the Secretary to establish a mechanism to make public information regarding any hospital that fails to report information requested by the CMS working group.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Recognizes the contributions of nurses to the U.S. health care system. Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Expresses support for the observance of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month to provide a special opportunity to offer education on the importance of early detection and screening.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2009
Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 - Amends federal bankruptcy law governing a Chapter 13 debtor (adjustment of debts of an individual with regular income). Excludes from computation of debts the secured or unsecured portions of: (1) debts secured by the debtor's principal residence if the value of the residence as of the date of the order for relief is less than the applicable maximum amount of noncontingent, liquidated, secured debts; or (2) debts secured or formerly secured by the debtor's principal residence that was either sold in foreclosure or surrendered to the creditor, if the property's value as of the date of the order for relief was also less than the applicable maximum amount of noncontingent, liquidated, secured debts. Declares the credit counseling requirement inapplicable to a Chapter 13 debtor who certifies that he or she has received notice that the holder of a claim secured by the debtor's principal residence may commence a foreclosure on it. Requires the court to disallow a claim that is subject to any remedy for rescission under the Truth in Lending Act, notwithstanding the prior entry of a foreclosure judgment. Authorizes reduction of a claim secured by the debtor's principal residence, but only in specified circumstances, particularly if the debtor sells the residence. Permits a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan to: (1) modify the rights of claim holders with respect to a claim for a loan originated before the effective date of this Act and secured by a security interest in the debtor's principal residence that is the subject of a foreclosure notice; and (2) deny debtor liability for certain fees and charges incurred while the bankruptcy case is pending and arising from a debt secured by the debtor's principal residence, unless the claim holder observes specified requirements. Adds to conditions for court confirmation of a plan in bankruptcy that: (1) the holder of a claim secured by the debtor's principal residence retain the lien securing the claim until the later of the payment of the claim as reduced and modified or the discharge of a debtor from all debts; and (2) the plan modifies the claim in good faith and the court does not find that the debtor has been convicted of obtaining by actual fraud the extension, renewal, or refinancing of credit that gives rise to a modified claim. Excludes from the final discharge of a debtor from all debts any unpaid portion of such a claim as reduced. Amends the federal judicial code to prescribe standing trustee fees regarding certain payments received under a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan. Expands federal procedures governing default on veterans' housing loans. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in the event of a modification in bankruptcy, to pay the holder of the obligation the unpaid balance due as of the date of the filing of the bankruptcy petition, plus accrued interest, but only upon assignment, transfer, and delivery of all rights, interest, claims, evidence, and records regarding the loan. Amends the National Housing Act to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to: (1) pay Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance benefits for a mortgage modified under federal bankruptcy law; and (2) implement a program solely to encourage loan modifications for eligible delinquent mortgages through the payment of insurance benefits and assignment of the mortgage to the Secretary and the subsequent modification of the terms of the mortgage according to a loan modification approved by the mortgagee. Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to pay: (1) the guaranteed portion of any losses incurred by the holder of a note or the loan servicer resulting from a modification in a bankruptcy proceeding; and (2) for losses incurred by holders or servicers in the event of a modification pursuant to a bankruptcy proceeding. Declares unenforceable as contrary to public policy certain investment contracts between servicers and securitization vehicles or investors that require excess bankruptcy losses that exceed a certain dollar amount on residential mortgages. Shields servicers from liability for implementing mortgage loan modifications or loss mitigation plans if they are in compliance with fiduciary duties mandated by the Truth in Lending Act. Amends the National Housing Act to modify the HOPE for Homeowners Program (HOPE) to: (1) require mortgagor certification to HUD that the mortgagor has neither intentionally defaulted on an existing mortgage, nor provided false information; (2) ban from HOPE those mortgagors whose net worth exceeds $1 million; (3) authorize HUD to establish a payment to the loan servicer of the existing senior mortgage for every loan insured under HOPE that does not exceed $1,000; (4) direct HUD to establish, if feasible, an auction to refinance eligible mortgages on a wholesale or bulk basis; and (5) reduce Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds to offset costs of program changes. Sets limitations upon participation in origination and mortgagee approval. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) and the Federal Credit Union Act (FCUA) to: (1) increase deposit insurance coverage permanently to $250,000; and (2) increase the borrowing authority of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Amends the FDIA to: (1) extend to eight years the time period applicable to a Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) restoration plan; and (2) revise requirements for special assessments to recover the loss to the DIF arising from actions taken to contain systemic risk with respect to certain insured depository institutions. Amends the FCUA to direct the NCUA Board to establish a National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund Restoration Plan whenever the Board projects that the equity ratio of the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund will fall below a minimum designated equity ratio.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2009
COPS Improvements Act of 2009 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand the authority of the Attorney General to make grants for public safety and community policing programs (COPS ON THE BEAT grant program). Authorizes grants to: (1) hire school resource officers and establish local partnerships to combat crime, gangs, drug activities, and other problems in elementary and secondary schools; (2) establish and implement programs to reduce and prevent illegal drug activities, including the manufacturing, distribution, and use of methamphetamine; (3) establish criminal gang enforcement task forces; and (4) meet emerging law enforcement needs, as warranted. Authorizes the use of COPS ON THE BEAT grants to hire honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces to serve as career law enforcement officers. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants for: (1) assigning prosecutors to handle cases from specific geographic areas and to address counter-terrorism problems and violent crime in local communities; and (2) developing new technologies to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in crime prevention and training. Grants the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services exclusive authority to perform functions and activities under COPS ON THE BEAT grant program. Authorizes the Attorney General to extend grant periods and to renew grants if the grant recipient can demonstrate significant progress in achieving the objectives of the initial grant application. Increases and extends the authorization of appropriations for the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program for FY2009-FY2014. Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report to Congress on the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the allowable amount of the railroad track maintenance tax credit; (2) revise the types of expenditures eligible for such credit; and (3) extend such credit through 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth PROMISE Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity; and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with current research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention and intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to: (1) allow institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs; and (2) hire and train law enforcement officers as youth-oriented police to work with PCCs, other community-based organizations, and high-risk youth. Establishes a Center for Youth-Oriented Policing. Mynisha's Law - Authorizes any local government or Indian Tribe with a PCC to submit an application to the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for designation as a Comprehensive Gang Prevention and Relief Area. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to partnerships comprising state mental health authorities and local or private entities to prevent or alleviate the effects of youth violence in urban communities with a high or increasing incidence of such violence. Prevention Resources for Eliminating Criminal Activity Using Tailored Interventions in Our Neighborhoods Act of 2009 or the PRECAUTION Act - Establishes the National Commission on Public Safety Through Crime and Delinquency Prevention to: (1) carry out a comprehensive study of the effectiveness of certain crime and delinquency prevention and intervention strategies: and (2) make initial and final reports on such strategies to specified federal and state officials. Authorizes the Director of the National Institute of Justice to make three-year grants to public and private entities for the implementation and evaluation of innovative crime or delinquency prevention or intervention strategies. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize grants for the creation and expansion of state, local, and tribal juvenile witness and victim protection grants.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prescribe a regulation prohibiting advertisements accompanying video programming from: (1) being excessively noisy or strident; (2) having modulation levels substantially higher than the accompanying program; and (3) having an average maximum loudness substantially higher than that of the accompanying program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Student Privacy Protection Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise provisions for military recruiter access to secondary school student information. Requires ESEA-assisted local educational agencies (LEAs) to notify each secondary school student's parent of the option to consent to a release of the student's name, address, and telephone listing to military recruiters, and to give the parent the opportunity to provide such consent in writing. Requires such LEAs to provide military recruiters, upon their request, with access to such information on a student only if the student's parent has given such written consent.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Midwifery Care Access and Reimbursement Equity Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for the coverage of and payment for certified midwife services. (Currently only certified nurse-midwife services are covered.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover the services of a qualified respiratory therapist performed under the general supervision of a physician.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement 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 pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases; (2) establish the National PF Registry; and (3) establish the National Pulmonary Fibrosis Advisory Board. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to provide for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases that can be confused with, misdiagnosed as, and progress to pulmonary fibrosis. Requires the Secretary, in developing the Registry, to: (1) expand and coordinate existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure; and (2) provide for research access to pulmonary fibrosis data. Directs the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information are made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate Institute pulmonary fibrosis research activities. Requires the Director of CDC to prepare the National Pulmonary Fibrosis Action Plan. Requires the Secretary to: (1) convene a summit of individuals with expertise in research and care of pulmonary fibrosis to provide a detailed overview of NIH research activities and discuss potential collaborations between NIH and other federal health agencies; and (2) make information about NIH activities relating to pulmonary fibrosis publicly available.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2009 - Amends the Peace Corps Act to: (1) authorize appropriations for the Peace Corps; and (2) increase readjustment allowances for Peace Corps volunteers and volunteer leaders.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2009 - Amends specified Acts related to commercial fishing and marine resources, including the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Pacific Salmon Treaty Act of 1985, the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988, the High Seas Fishing Compliance Act of 1995, and the Antarctic Marine Living Resources Convention Act of 1984, to provide for increased interagency and international cooperation, as well as for increased penalties for violations of such acts and increased enforcement and inspection authorities relating to driftnet fishing, illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing, and bycatch of a protected living marine resource. Requires: (1) the development and publication of a list of vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing, including vessels identified by an international fishery management organization or an arrangement made pursuant to an international fishery agreement, whether or not the United States is a party to such organization or agreement; and (2) taking appropriate action against listed vessels. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to establish an international cooperation and assistance program, including grants, to provide assistance for international fishing capacity building efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Keep Our Promise to America's Children and Teachers Act or the Keep Our PACT Act - Makes appropriations for: (1) programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 for FY2009-FY2014; and (2) the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, including specified amounts for FY2009-FY2016 and an amount determined pursuant to a specified formula (based on the number of children who received special education, the average per-pupil expenditure, and the rate of change in a state's population) for FY2017 and thereafter. Requires such appropriated amounts to be expended consistent with pay-as-you-go requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Urges the U.S. Postal Service to take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of its six-day mail delivery service.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2009
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends the Port Chicago National Memorial Act of 1992 to require the Secretary of the Interior to administer the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial as a unit of the National Park System. Directs the Secretary of Defense to transfer a specified parcel of land within the proposed boundary on the map entitled "Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, Proposed Boundary," dated August 2005, to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior if: (1) the land is excess to military needs; and (2) all environmental remediation actions necessary to respond to environmental contamination have been completed. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the city of Concord, California, and the East Bay Regional Park District to establish and operate a facility for visitor orientation and parking, administrative offices, and curatorial storage for the Memorial. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should promptly remediate remaining environmental contamination related to the land. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretaries of Defense and the Interior should work together to: (1) repair storm damage to the Port Chicago site; and (2) develop a process by which future repairs and necessary modifications to the site can be achieved in as timely and cost-effective a manner as possible.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2009
Uniting American Families Act of 2009 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include a "permanent partner" within the scope of such Act. Defines a "permanent partner" as an individual 18 or older who: (1) is in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 or older in which both individuals intend a lifelong commitment; (2) is financially interdependent with the other individual; (3) is not married to, or in a permanent partnership with, any other individual other than the individual; (4) is unable to contract with the other individual a marriage cognizable under this Act; and (5) is not a first, second, or third degree blood relation of the other individual. Defines a "permanent partnership" as the relationship existing between two permanent partners.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2009
Heart Disease Education, Analysis Research, and Treatment for Women Act or the HEART for Women Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to deny a new drug application if the application fails to include required information on clinical investigations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) require that a new drug application include any clinical data possessed by the applicant that relates to the safety and effectiveness of the drug involved by gender, age, and racial subgroup; and (2) develop guidance for the staff of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that new drug applications are adequately reviewed to determine whether they include the required clinical data. Authorizes the Secretary to place a clinical hold on an investigation under an investigational new drug application if the sponsor of the investigation fails to meet the requirements of an annual report on the status of each study in progress. Applies provisions relating to clinical data submission for new drug applications to applications for an investigational new drug, a biologics license for a biological product, premarket approval for a class III device, and investigational use of a device. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to provide that all nonidentifiable patient safety work product reported to and among the network of patient safety databases be identified by sex. Directs that analyses of statistics of information reported to the network of patient safety databases take into account data that specifically relates to women and any disparities between treatment and the quality of care between males and females. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to support research and demonstrations to identify and evaluate clinical and organizational strategies to improve the quality of and access to care for women with heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. Requires the Secretary to: (1) distribute to females age 65 or older and appropriate health care professionals educational materials relating to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases in women; and (2) conduct an education and awareness campaign for health care professionals relating to such diagnosis and treatment. Expands the grant program authorizing the Secretary to award grants for preventive health services to all states.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2009
Tom Lantos Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Education Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, should continue aggressive work on pulmonary hypertension; and (2) the Director of the Institute should continue research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, pulmonary hypertension. Requires inclusion of information on the status of pulmonary hypertension research at NIH in biennial reports to Congress. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to carry out an educational campaign to increase public awareness of pulmonary hypertension, which may include information on: (1) pulmonary hypertension and its symptoms; (2) the incidence and prevalence of pulmonary hypertension; (3) diseases and conditions that can lead to pulmonary hypertension as a secondary diagnosis; (4) the importance of early diagnosis; and (5) the availability of a range of treatment options. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Director of CDC, to carry out an educational campaign to increase awareness of pulmonary hypertension among health care providers, which may include information on: (1) the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension; (2) the importance of early diagnosis; (3) current diagnostic criteria; and (4) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies for the disease. Requires such campaign to target health care providers, including cardiologists, pulmonologists, rheumatologists, primary care physicians, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2009
Honors the life and remembers and condemns the murder of Lawrence King. Encourages: (1) efforts to address anti-lesbian, -gay, -bisexual, and -transgender name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination on school campuses; (2) training to enable school staff to identify and address such actions effectively and in a timely way; (3) the implementation of age-appropriate, inclusive curricula to help students understand and respect difference within the school community and society as a whole; and (4) each state, city, and local education authority to adopt laws and policies to prohibit such actions against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2009
Mammogram and MRI Availability Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require a group health plan that provides coverage for diagnostic mammography for any woman 40 years old or older to provide no less favorable coverage for annual screening mammography for such a woman, and diagnostic mammography, annual screening mammography, and annual magnetic resonance imaging for any high risk woman. Prohibits a group health plan from denying enrollment or renewal solely to avoid the requirements of this Act, providing monetary incentives to encourage women to accept less than such minimum protections, penalizing providers for providing care in accordance with this Act, or providing incentives to induce providers to provide care in a manner inconsistent with this Act. Applies such requirements and prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2009
Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act of 2009 - Places specified restrictions on the use of cluster munitions. Directs the President, within 90 days after the use of such munitions, to submit to the congressional defense, appropriations, and foreign relations committees a plan for cleaning up any such munitions or submunitions which fail to explode and continue to pose a hazard to civilians.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2009
Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act - Designates the following lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (System): (1) Greater Glacier/Northern Continental Divide ecosystem; (2) Greater Yellowstone ecosystem; (3) Greater Salmon/Selway ecosystem; (4) Greater Cabinet/Yaak/Selkirk ecosystem; (5) Greater Hells Canyon ecosystem; (6) Islands in the Sky Wilderness; and (7) Blackfeet Wilderness. Designates: (1) specified wild land areas as Biological Connecting Corridors to protect the life flow of the Northern Rockies Bioregion; (2) the inventoried roadless areas identified as part of the Corridors as wilderness and components of the System; and (3) certain biological connecting corridors as special corridor management areas. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Establishes the National Wildland Restoration and Recovery System and the National Wildland Recovery Corps. Requires the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to assure nonexclusive access to the specified areas and corridors designated by this Act by Native Americans for traditional cultural and religious purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2009
Declares that Congress commits to passing, within 18 months, legislation that guarantees health care for women and all individuals and that establishes coverage that enables women to attain good health that they can maintain during their reproductive years and throughout their lives. Requires such legislation to: (1) recognize the role of women as health care consumers, caregivers, and providers; (2) guarantee a level of benefits and care necessary to achieve and maintain good health throughout a woman's lifetime and lessen the burdens caused by poor health; (3) promote primary and preventive care; (4) provide a choice of public and private insurance plans and direct access to a choice of health care providers to ensure continuity of coverage and a delivery system that meets the needs of women; (5) eliminate disparities in health coverage, treatment, and outcomes on the basis of gender, culture, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health status, or sexual orientation; (6) share financing responsibility among employers, individuals, and the government while taking into account small business needs; (7) ensure affordable access to health care; (8) enhance health care quality and patient safety; (9) ensure a sufficient supply of qualified providers through expanded medical and public health education and adequate reimbursement; (10) ensure every woman access to a women's medical home, including direct access to women's health care providers and care coordination, throughout each woman's lifetime; (11) recognize and promote the role of women as providers of health care; and (12) promote administrative efficiency and ease of use. Urges the President sign such legislation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2009
Conveys to the government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands submerged lands surrounding such Islands and extending three geographical miles outward from their coastlines. States that P.L. 93-435 is intended to be applied in a consistent manner to Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, except to the extent that there is a specific and express exception regarding its application to one or more of these territories.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2009
Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2009 - Provides that: (1) specified diseases, including heart disease, lung disease, tuberculosis, hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and specified cancers, of federal employees in fire protection activities shall be presumed to be proximately caused by such employment; (2) the disability or death of such an employee due to such a disease shall be presumed to result from personal injury sustained while in the performance of duty; and (3) such presumptions may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence. Defines an "employee in fire protection activities" as a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous material worker, who: (1) is trained in fire suppression; (2) has the legal authority and responsibility to engage in fire suppression; (3) is engaged in the prevention, control, and extinguishment of fires or response to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk; and (4) performs such activities as a primary responsibility of his or her job. Directs the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to examine the implementation of this Act and appropriate scientific and medical data related to the health risks associated with firefighting and to report to Congress on: (1) an analysis of the injury claims made under this Act; (2) an analysis of the available research related to the health risks associated with firefighting; and (3) recommendations for any administrative or legislative actions necessary to ensure that those diseases most associated with firefighting are included in the presumption created by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2009
Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Research, Cure, and Care Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to continue to expand and intensify research and related NIH activities with respect to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Requires the Directors of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to continue to conduct and support research to expand understanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to undertake psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis data collection and develop a psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patient registry. Encourages the Secretary to convene a summit on federal efforts regarding psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research, treatment, education, quality-of-life, and data collection. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Institutes of Medicine to study insurance coverage of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2009
Requires the total service of an employee who retires eligible for an annuity under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) (currently, an employee who retires on an immediate FERS annuity from the position of a registered nurse with the Veterans Health Administration), or who dies leaving a survivor entitled to benefits, to include the employee's days of unused sick leave for annuity computation purposes. Provides that those days will not be counted in determining average pay or annuity eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2009
Preventive Medicine and Public Health Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to or enter into contracts with certain eligible entities to provide training to graduate medical residents in preventive medicine specialties. Requires grant funds to be used for: (1) residency programs for preventive medicine or public health; (2) financial assistance to resident physicians who plan to specialize in preventive medicine or public health; (3) preventive medicine or public health program costs, including curriculum development and practicum costs; and (4) the improvement of academic administrative units.