United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2010
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week. Reaffirms the nation's commitment to combating multiple sclerosis by promoting awareness about its causes and risks, promoting new education programs, supporting research, and expanding access to medical treatment. Recognizes people living with multiple sclerosis and salutes the health care professionals and medical researchers who assist those so afflicted and continue to work to find cures and improve treatments.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2010
Recognizes the 101st anniversary of the historic founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Honors and praises the NAACP on the occasion of its anniversary for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2010 - Directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (with respect to drugs, devices, cosmetics, and biological products), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) (with respect to consumer products), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (with respect to chemical substances, new chemical substances, and pesticides) to require foreign manufacturers and producers of such products (or components used to manufacture them), in excess of a minimum value or quantity, to establish a registered agent in the United States who is authorized to accept service of process on their behalf for the purpose of all civil and regulatory actions in state and federal courts. Requires the registered agent to be located in a state with a substantial connection to the importation, distribution, or sale of the products. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish, maintain, and make available to the public a registry of such agents. Deems a foreign manufacturer or producer of products covered under this Act that registers an agent to consent to the personal jurisdiction of the state or federal courts of the state in which the agent is located for the purpose of any civil or regulatory proceeding. Prohibits importation into the United States of a covered product (or component part that will be used in the United States to manufacture a covered product) if the product (or component part) or any part of the product (or component part) was manufactured or produced outside the United States by a manufacturer or producer who does not have a registered agent whose authority is in effect on the date of the importation. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to jointly study the feasibility and advisability of requiring foreign producers of food distributed in commerce to establish a registered agent in the United States who is authorized to accept service of process on behalf of such producers for the purpose of all civil and regulatory actions in state and federal courts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2010 - Amends federal bankruptcy law governing expenses and claims to increase to $20,000: (1) allowed unsecured claims in the fourth order of priority (wages, salaries, or commissions); and (2) the factor multiplied by the number of employees covered with respect to employee benefit plan contributions in the fifth order of priority. Includes within the scope of a claim in bankruptcy certain equity securities held in a defined contribution plan for the benefit of certain individuals, but only if an employer or plan sponsor who has commenced a case in bankruptcy has committed fraud regarding the plan or has otherwise breached a duty to the participant that has proximately caused the loss of value. Allows as an administrative expense: (1) severance pay owed to certain employees of the debtor for layoff or termination (which pay shall be deemed earned in full); and (2) damages as a result of violation of law by the debtor. Includes among prerequisites for confirmation of a business reorganization bankruptcy plan (Chapter 11) provision for: (1) recovery of damages payable for the rejection of a collective bargaining agreement, or other financial returns as negotiated by the debtor and the authorized representative; (2) continued payment of retiree benefits maintained or established by the debtor before the petition filing date if no modifications are made before confirmation of the plan; and (3) recovery of claims arising from the modification of retiree benefits or for certain financial returns, as negotiated by the debtor and the authorized representative. Revises requirements governing: (1) rejection of collective bargaining agreements; (2) payment of insurance benefits to retired employees, including benefit modifications proposed by the trustee; and (3) a trustee's administrative power to dispose of property. Requires the court, in approving a sale of business assets, to consider the extent to which a bidder has offered to maintain existing jobs, preserve terms and conditions of employment, and assume or match pension and retiree health benefit obligations in determining whether an offer constitutes the highest or best offer for such property. Requires the bankruptcy court to allow certain claims asserted by an active or retired participant, or by a labor organization representing such participant, for any shortfall in pension benefits accrued as a result of the termination of the plan and limitations upon the payment of certain statutory benefits. States that, if employees have not received wages and benefits for services rendered on and after the date of the commencement of the case in bankruptcy, such unpaid obligations shall be deemed necessary costs and expenses of preserving, or disposing of, property securing an allowed secured claim and shall be recovered even if the trustee has otherwise waived certain provisions under an agreement with the holder of the allowed secured claim. Allows reduction of a debtor's time frame for filing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan in the event of: (1) the filing of a motion seeking rejection of a collective bargaining agreement if a plan based upon an alternative proposal by the labor organization is reasonably likely to be confirmed within a reasonable time; or (2) the proposed filing of a plan by a proponent other than the debtor, which incorporates the terms of a settlement with a labor organization, if such plan is reasonably likely to be confirmed within a reasonable time. Modifies requirements for confirmation of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan to prohibit approval of: (1) payments or other distributions for the benefit of insiders, senior executive officers, and certain highly compensated employees or consultants providing services to the debtor, except as part of those generally applicable to the debtor's employees if the court determines that such payments are not excessive or disproportionate compared to distributions to the debtor's nonmanagement workforce; and (2) insider compensation unless approved by the court as reasonable according to specified criteria. Restricts: (1) certain executive compensation enhancements as part of the allowance of administrative expenses; (2) trustee assumption of certain deferred compensation arrangements for the benefit of insiders, senior executive officers, or certain highly compensated employees of the debtor; and (3) trustee assumption of retiree benefits for insiders, senior executive officers, or certain highly compensated employees of the debtor if the debtor has obtained relief to impose reductions in retiree benefits, or health benefits of active employees of the debtor, or has reduced or eliminated health benefits for active or retired employees within 180 days before the date of the commencement of the case. Requires the court, where a debtor has obtained relief by which it reduces the cost of its obligations under a collective bargaining agreement or a retiree plan, fund, or program of retiree benefits, to determine before granting relief the percentage diminution in the value of the obligations when compared to the debtor's obligations under the collective bargaining agreement, or with respect to retiree benefits. Authorizes the trustee in bankruptcy to avoid a transfer made in anticipation of bankruptcy to or for the benefit of an insider, including certain consultants who were formerly insiders and who are retained to provide services to an entity that becomes a debtor. Grants a labor organization creditor status for purposes of filing a proof of claim. Declares that the filing of a petition for relief does not operate as an automatic stay of the commencement or continuation of a dispute resolution proceeding established by a collective bargaining agreement that was or could have been commenced against the debtor before the filing of a petition, including payment or enforcement of an award or settlement under such proceeding.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and make available for sale not more than 2 million silver national medals, containing one ounce of silver each, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the establishment of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. Declares that all sales of medals under this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per medal, which shall be paid to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center to support its operations and maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
Low Income Housing Tax Credit Exchange Expansion and Job Creation Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make grants to: (1) state housing credit agencies in lieu of low-income credit allocations in 2010; and (2) states for bond-subsidized housing projects. Requires state housing credit agencies and states to use grants to make subawards to finance the construction or acquisition and rehabilitation of qualified low-income buildings. Requires the return of grant funds not used to make such subawards before January 1, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act - Prohibits the President from: (1) regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents or any transactions incident to such travel; and (2) restricting direct transfers from a Cuban financial institution to a U.S. financial institution executed in payment for a product authorized for sale under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. States that: (1) any regulation restricting or prohibiting such Cuban travel shall have no effect; and (2) such prohibition shall not apply in time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba, or of imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. citizens or legal residents. Amends the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 to define "payment of cash in advance" as the payment by the purchaser of an agricultural commodity or product and the receipt of such payment by the seller prior to: (1) the transfer of title of such commodity or product to the purchaser; and (2) the release of control of such commodity or product to the purchaser.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Lymphedema Diagnosis and Treatment Cost Savings Act of 2010 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend coverage to lymphedema diagnosis and treatment services.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Stop Outsourcing Security Act - Directs the Secretary of State to ensure that only government personnel provide security services at U.S. diplomatic or consular missions in Iraq or Afghanistan. Requires the President to report to Congress, by June 1, 2010, on the status of planning for the use, by January 1, 2011, of government and military personnel instead of private contractors for mission critical or emergency essential functions in all conflict zones where Congress has authorized the use of force. Directs any individual or entity under contract with the federal government to provide mission critical or emergency essential functions after such date to allow Congress to examine their accounting practices. Outlines additional requirements relating to renewals of such contracts. Authorizes specified congressional access to contracts and task orders in excess of $5 million entered into by the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of State, the Department of the Interior, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during the period beginning October 1, 2001, and ending on the last day of the month during which this Act is enacted for work to be performed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Requires certain reports to Congress regarding contracts for the performance of work in Iraq and Afghanistan.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Expresses support for the designation of Census Awareness Month. Encourages individuals to participate in the 2010 Census beginning April 1, 2010, and urges state, local, county, and tribal governments and other organizations to emphasize its importance.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2010
Foreclosure Mandatory Mediation Act of 2010 - Amends the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 to require the mortgagee of certain one- to four-family residences, as a prerequisite to a foreclosure proceeding or a sheriff sale, and at the mortgagee's expense, to conduct a one-time mediation with the affected mortgagor and a housing counseling agency.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2010
Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act - Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to provide that nothing in that Act shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance. Applies prohibitions against using unfair methods of competition to the business of health insurance without regard to whether such business is carried on for profit.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2010
Haitian Emergency Life Protection Act of 2010 or the H.E.L.P. Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to V- visa nonimmigrants (spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents who come to the United States to wait for completion of the immigrant visa process) to include Haitian nationals whose petition for a family-sponsored immigrant visa was approved on or before January 12, 2010. Authorizes the Department of State to use secondary evidence to verify eligibility for such status or for immediate relative status. Sunsets the provisions of this Act two years after its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
International Violence Against Women Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of State to establish the Office for Global Women's Issues, to be headed by the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, to coordinate efforts regarding gender integration and empowerment of women in U.S. foreign policy. Establishes an Office for Women's Global Development (intended to replace the Office of Women in Development) in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to be headed by the Director of Women's Global Development, to coordinate USAID efforts to integrate gender in U.S. foreign assistance programs and policies. Directs the Secretary and the Administrator of USAID to develop a comprehensive five-year strategy for programs to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in countries with severe levels of such violence. Directs the Ambassador-at-Large and the Director to seek to coordinate efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally into existing foreign assistance programs. Authorizes funds to be awarded to community-based women's nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations in recipient countries to carry out such efforts. Authorizes the Secretary to provide guidance to the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to: (1) incorporate training on prevention and response into the basic training curricula of foreign military and police forces and judicial officials; and (2) ensure that U.S. assistance to units involved in regional or multilateral peacekeeping operations includes such training. Authorizes the Ambassador-at-Large to provide guidance to the Administrator and the Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in humanitarian relief, conflict, and post-conflict settings. Authorizes the Secretary to provide guidance on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls to the Secretary of DOD when U.S. military personnel, military contractors, and military observers are to be deployed in humanitarian relief, conflict, and post-conflict settings. Authorizes the Secretary and the Secretary of DOD to: (1) provide training in prevention and response to violence against women and girls internationally to U.S. military forces; (2) establish mechanisms for reporting incidences of violence against civilian women and girls committed by U.S. military forces; and (3) establish related public outreach efforts. Urges the Secretary to make U.S. financial, material, human, and other resources available to assist U.N. efforts to: (1) implement training programs in prevention and response to violence against women and girls for peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel; (2) enhance the deployment of military and civilian women in peacekeeping missions; and (3) improve protection mechanisms at U.N. managed refugee and internally displaced persons camps. Urges the Secretary to identify and take emergency measures to respond to critical outbreaks of violence against women and girls in situations of armed conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Honors Miep Gies for her bravery during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands and her dedication to preserving the memory of Anne Frank and the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2010
Calls upon the President and the Secretary of State to: (1) impress upon the Ugandan government the U.S. belief in the human dignity of all Ugandans regardless of sexual orientation; (2) express U.S. opposition to the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2009" introduced in the Ugandan Parliament; and (3) ensure that resources committed to the global HIV/AIDS response are utilized in a manner that is appropriate to the local epidemiology of the disease, including in Uganda.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (CEJA) of 2010 - Amends the federal criminal code to grant jurisdiction over and impose penalties on federal contractors and employees who commit certain crimes outside of the United States while employed by or accompanying any agency of the United States other than the Armed Forces. Sets forth the crimes under federal law that are covered by this Act. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) assign personnel and resources through Investigative Units for Contractor and Employee Oversight to investigate allegations of criminal offenses by federal contractors and employees; and (2) report to Congress annually on the number of criminal cases received, investigated, and referred for prosecution. Grants the Attorney General principal authority for the enforcement of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act of 2010 - Amends the the International Financial Institutions Act to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Directors at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other multilateral development institutions to: (1) cancel all debts owed by Haiti to such institutions; (2) suspend Haiti's debt payments to such institutions until the debts are canceled completely; and (3) provide additional assistance from such institutions to Haiti in grant form in order to avoid additional debt accumulation. Directs the Secretary to urge other bilateral, multilateral, and private creditors to cancel all debts owed by Haiti to such creditors.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Emergency Jobs Program and Assistance for Families Extension Act - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to extend for one year the Emergency Contingency Fund for State Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Programs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make a grant from the Fund for each calendar quarter in FY2010 or FY2011 to each requesting state whose total expenditures for work support services in the quarter, whether under the state program funded under TANF or as qualified state expenditures, exceeds the state's total such expenditures in the corresponding quarter in its emergency fund base year. Requires a grant to equal 80% of such excess.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Energy Assistance for American Families Act - Amends the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to authorize appropriations for FY2011-FY2014. Permits a state to use any allotment from such appropriations to assist households whose income does not exceed 75% of the state median income.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Physical Education to Create a Healthier Nation Act - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states and local educational agencies that receive school improvement funds under such part to ensure that their schools provide: (1) 150 minutes of physical education per week for elementary school students; (2) 225 minutes of physical education per week for middle and secondary school students; and (3) disabled students with such physical education as is determined appropriate under their individualized education programs.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Constitutional Amendment - Permits Congress and the states to regulate the expenditure of funds for political speech by any corporation, limited liability company, or other corporate entity.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Recognizes the 10th anniversary of the founding of Sojourn to the Past. Praises that organization for its work in educating the next generation of people in the United States about the civil rights movement and the importance of social justice.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage to the following eligible beneficiaries: (1) a member or former member of the Armed Forces entitled to military retired or retainer pay; (2) an unremarried former spouse who was married to a member for at least 20 years, during which such member performed at least 20 years of retirement-creditable military service; (3) a dependent of a deceased qualifying member or former member; (4) a dependent of a living member or former member; and (5) a family member. Directs the Secretary to reimburse such eligible persons for pharmacy benefits received from a pharmacy that is not a TRICARE (Department of Defense [DOD] managed health care plan) network pharmacy in the same manner as the Secretary would reimburse such person for such benefits received from a TRICARE network pharmacy. Requires such persons, in order to receive such reimbursement, to submit a certification from their physician stating that the person does not have access to a TRICARE network pharmacy due to physical or medical constraints.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Elizabeth A. Connelly Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Public Health Service Act, the Health Professions Education Partnership Act of 1968, the National Sickle Cell Anemia Act, Cooley's Anemia, Tay-Sachs, and Genetic Diseases Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, and other federal enactments and regulations to change references to mental retardation to references to an intellectual disability.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to study and report to Congress on methods by which blind consumers can gain nonvisual access to consumer electronic devices, electronic kiosks, home appliances, or office technology devices. Requires the Secretary to promulgate a minimum nonvisual access standard for each type of covered device that will ensure nonvisual access to such device by blind consumers. Applies a minimum nonvisual access standard to a covered device that is manufactured after the date that is two years after the date on which such standard is promulgated. Directs the Secretary to establish an Office of Nonvisual Access Compliance to assist the Secretary, educate manufacturers, and conduct investigations. Imposes civil penalties in certain circumstances. Allows civil suits by blind consumers against manufacturers for monetary damages and equitable relief. Allows punitive damages for willful or repeated violations. Prohibits construing this Act to limit the rights of blind or low-vision individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Student Nondiscrimination Act of 2010 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Recognizes the significance of Black History Month as an important time to recognize the contributions of African-Americans in the nation's history. Encourages the continued celebration of this month to provide an opportunity for all peoples of the United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the nation. Recognizes that the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Commemorates the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Honors the victims of Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration and extermination camps, and all those who perished at the hands of the Nazis. Expresses gratitude to the Allied soldiers, underground fighters, and all those whose efforts helped defeat the Nazi regime and liberate Auschwitz and other concentration and extermination camps during World War II. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to enhance Holocaust education at home and abroad and to ensure that what happened in Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration and extermination camps is never allowed to happen again. Urges all countries to enhance their efforts to combat bigotry, racism, intolerance, and anti-Semitism.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day; (2) development of a national AIDS strategy to reduce new HIV infections; (3) the strengthening of stable African-American communities; (4) reducing the impact of incarceration as a driver of new HIV infections within the African-American community; (5) reducing the number of HIV infections in the African-American community resulting from injection drug use; (6) comprehensive HIV prevention education programs to promote the early identification of HIV through voluntary routine testing and to connect those in need to treatment and care as early as possible; and (7) appropriate funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and housing. Encourages state and local governments to recognize such day and to encourage individuals, especially African-Americans, to get tested for HIV.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2010
Colonel Charles Young Home Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Colonel Charles Young Home, a National Historic Landmark in Xenia, Ohio, to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Home as a unit of the National Park System. (Colonel Charles Young was a distinguished African-American officer in the U.S. Army, a pioneer of techniques in military intelligence, as well as a commander of troops in combat in the Spanish-American War and the Mexican expedition against Pancho Villa.)
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2010
Nanotechnology Education Act - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a nanotechnology in the schools program awarding matching grants to certain eligible institutions for the purchase of nanotechnology equipment and software and the provision of nanotechnology education to students and teachers. Lists as eligible grantees: (1) public, private, parochial, and charter secondary schools that offer advanced or international baccalaureate science courses; (2) community colleges; (3) four-year institutions of higher education; and (4) informal learning science and technology centers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2010
Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study alternatives for the commemoration and interpretation of the role of the Buffalo Soldiers (African-American troops who, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, came to be known as the Buffalo Soldiers) in the early years of the National Parks, which shall include an evaluation of the suitability and feasibility of establishing a national historic trail commemorating the route traveled by the Buffalo Soldiers from their post in the Presidio in San Francisco to the Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks and to any other National Parks where they may have served.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2010
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat securities and nonqualified preferred stock paid to a parent corporation by a subsidiary in a corporate reorganization as cash payments, thus subjecting the gain attributable to such payments to tax.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2010
Congratulates the National Federation of the Blind for 70 years of outstanding service to the blind, especially its fight for an equal education and access to Braille for all blind children in this country. Supports the designation of National Braille Literacy Month. Calls upon the people of this country to recognize the central role that Braille plays in the lives of blind people and to support the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to promote Braille literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2010
Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Education to reserve 1% to 5% of the amount reserved from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund for the State Incentive Grant program for a FY2010 grant to the Bureau of Indian Education of the Department of the Interior to carry out activities for Indian children that are consistent with that program. (That program makes incentive grants to states that make significant progress in addressing inequities in teacher distribution, establishing longitudinal education data systems, improving educational standards and assessments, and ensuring the improvement of failing schools.) Requires the Secretary to reserve 1% to 5% of the amount reserved from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund for the creation of an Innovation Fund for an award to the Bureau of Indian Education to carry out activities for Indian children that are consistent with the objectives of the Innovation Fund. (The Innovation Fund rewards certain educational entities that make significant progress in closing student achievement gaps.)
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2010
Military Personnel Toxic Exposure Registry Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to establish and administer a system to identify members of the Armed Forces who were potentially exposed to a hazardous disposal site, as well as any negative health effects that may be related to such exposure. Requires the Secretary to: (1) administer the system using existing medical surveillance systems; (2) notify a member and his or her commanding officer of a potential exposure; (3) for each member notified, collect information for purposes of the system; (4) for each member notified, annually provide a complete physical examination and related consultation and counseling; and (5) report annually to the congressional defense committees on the status of system implementation and incidences of illnesses which may have been caused by such exposure. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 to: (1) include solid waste containing plastics within the definition of "covered waste" for purposes of a prohibition against the disposal by the Armed Forces of covered waste in open-air burn pits during contingency operations; and (2) include in a required report concerning the use of such pits those situations in which such pits were used to dispose of waste during military exercises and operations worldwide during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2010
Expresses: (1) condolences and sympathy for the loss of life and the physical and psychological damage in Haiti caused by the January 2010 earthquake; and (2) solidarity with Haitians, Haitian Americans, and those who have lost loved ones or have otherwise been affected by the tragedy. Commends the efforts of the governments of Haiti and the United States, the United Nations and the international community, and the American people. Supports: (1) Administration efforts to provide and coordinate international humanitarian assistance and to provide relief to affected communities; and (2) long-term reconstruction efforts for Haiti. Urges countries and institutions that hold debt against Haiti to suspend debt payments and cancel all remaining debt. Urges the President to make necessary resources available for current and long-term assistance to Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2010
Honors the life and sacrifice of Medgar Evers and recognizes the important role he played in securing civil rights for all people in the United States. Congratulates the United States Navy for honoring Medgar Evers by naming the United States Naval Ship Medgar Evers after him.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2010
Treats cash contributions made after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, for the relief of earthquake victims in Haiti as having been made on December 31, 2009, for purposes of the tax deduction for charitable contributions. Deems a contribution as meeting the recordkeeping requirements of the Internal Revenue Code if the taxpayer produces a telephone bill showing the name of the donee organization and the date and amount of the contribution.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2010
Requests the Senate to adjust its rules to reflect the intent of the framers of the Constitution by amending the Senate's filibuster rule, Rule 22, to facilitate the consideration of bills and amendments.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2010
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the elimination of poverty and hunger should remain key foreign and domestic U.S. policy goals; and (2) the President should implement a Global Marshall Plan to increase U.S. assistance towards the elimination of poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2010
Responsible Banking Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a 75% tax for the next five years on any bonus for services performed for the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), any financial institution, insurance company, hedge fund, financial adviser, or broker or dealer in securities, and any lending or finance business.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2010
Wall Street Bonus Tax Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a tax on current or former employees of recipients of financial assistance under the Trouble Asset Relief Program (TARP) for 50% of any bonus exceeding $50,000 paid to them during 2010; and (2) establish in the Treasury the Small Business Growth Fund to hold revenues from such tax. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish and carry out a program to make loans directly to small business concerns. Makes amounts from such Fund available to carry out such program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2009
Expresses support for the designation of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Recognizes the importance of preventing childhood obesity and decreasing its prevalence in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Children's Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009 - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) promote the use of salad or fruit and vegetable bars in schools participating in the school lunch program; (2) provide training and technical assistance to states and schools on how to do so; and (3) provide grants to states for a one-time payment to schools for the cost of setting up and operating salad or fruit and vegetable bars. Directs the Secretary to identify and remove barriers to the equitable purchase of fruits and vegetables within the Secretary's procurement and distribution systems. Authorizes the Secretary to use administrative funds under the Act's fresh fruit and vegetable program to provide program participants with technical assistance and national and regional training conferences that emphasize best practices. Directs the Secretary, within two years of receiving the findings of the National Academy of Sciences' review of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program Meal Patterns and Nutrient Standards, to promulgate a final rule updating the nutrition standards and meal requirements for school meal programs so they are consistent with such findings. Requires the Secretary to allocate funds to states, in proportion to each state's administrative expense allocation under the school lunch and breakfast programs, so they can award competitive grants to school food authorities for the equipment needed to prepare, process, and store food for the school lunch program. Directs the Secretary to provide competitive matching grants and technical assistance to schools and nonprofit entities to carry out farm-to-school programs that improve the access of school lunch and breakfast program participants to local foods.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Securing Patriots Access to Convenient and Economic Air Travel Act of 2009 or SPACE-A Travel Act of 2009 - Requires transportation on Department of Defense (DOD) aircraft, on a space-available basis and on the same basis as a spouse of a retired member of the Armed Forces, for: (1) the unremarried surviving spouse of a retired member; (2) the unremarried surviving spouse of a former member who is entitled to dependency and indemnity compensation; and (3) any dependents accompanied by such surviving spouses.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Decabromine Elimination and Control Act of 2009 - Makes it unlawful, beginning January 1, 2013, to produce for distribution in commerce, distribute in commerce, import, or export decabromodiphenyl ether, CAS No. 1163-19-5, either pure or in commercial mixtures which are predominantly decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) or decaBDE mixtures or products. Phases in such ban through a series of annual quotas through 2012. Requires each entity that engaged in such decaBDE activities during 2009 to report on them, including the amount of decaBDE and decaBDE mixtures used, and to then report annually. Requires an entity that engages in decaBDE activities to: (1) disclose to any entity that receives decaBDE, decaBDE mixtures, or decaBDE products that these contain decaBDE; and (2) disclose to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) any articles that contain decaBDE. Applies to violations of this Act the enforcement procedures applicable to violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Allows citizens' civil actions to restrain violations. Provides exceptions from the restrictions imposed by this Act relating to critical uses, recycled articles, resale, and low-concentration articles. States as policy that decaBDE shall be replaced by safer alternatives and prohibits use of any alternative determined to contain a chemical substance that is a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemical. Directs the Administrator to: (1) require any entity that produces a chemical substance that is a substitute for decaBDE to provide all existing information about the hazard and exposure characteristics of the chemical substance that is known to, in the possession or control of, or reasonably ascertainable by the entity and that has not previously been submitted; and (2) require any such entity to notify the Administrator at least 90 days before new or existing chemicals are introduced into interstate commerce for significant new uses as decaBDE substitutes.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Transportation Equity Act of 2009 - Addresses certain Federal Transit Administration (FTA) adjustments that require a "medium" for the cost-effectiveness rating used to evaluate fixed guideway projects for recommendation for Federal New Starts funding. Prohibits such adjustments from applying to new fixed guideway capital projects evaluated for: (1) major capital investment grants of $75 million or more; or (2) capital investment grants of less than $75 million, where the total estimated net capital project cost is less than $250 million.
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