United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2009
Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2009 - Authorizes appropriations for conducting and supporting research on Alzheimer's disease in FY2010-FY2014. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute on Aging to: (1) give priority to conducting and supporting Alzheimer's disease research; (2) increase the emphasis on the need to conduct Alzheimer's disease prevention trials within the National Institutes of Health (NIH); (3) ensure that Alzheimer's disease is maintained as a high priority for NIH's neuroscience initiative; and (4) conduct and support cooperative clinical research regarding Alzheimer's disease. Requires the Director to conduct research related to: (1) the early detection, diagnosis, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and its potential precursors; (2) early onset Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; (3) the relationship of vascular disease and Alzheimer's disease; and (4) interventions designed to help caregivers and improve patient outcomes. Authorizes the Director to establish a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to facilitate collaborative research among the Alzheimer's Disease Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Expands the research of Alzheimer's Disease Centers to include outcome measures and disease management. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a National Summit on Alzheimer's Disease. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct activities related to risk factors and early recognition of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administration on Aging, to award a cooperative grant for the establishment and operation of an Alzheimer's Call Center. Extends and expands demonstration projects relating to Alzheimer's disease.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2009
Honors Koko Taylor for her significant contributions to both blues music and the entertainment industry as a whole, for serving as an influence and inspiration to future generations of musicians, and for bringing joy to millions of people around the world. Expresses profound sorrow at the death of Koko Taylor and condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2009
Student Breakfast and Education Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to award competitive grants to state or local educational agencies (LEAs) for the establishment or enhancement of school breakfast programs at, and through the provision of subgrants to, schools where at least 65% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches under the school lunch program. Authorizes schools to use the school breakfast subgrants to: (1) increase the quantity of local or fresh food available under their programs; (2) provide nutrition education and first-hand knowledge of food systems to students; (3) extend the period during which breakfast is available, including during the school day; (4) increase participation in their breakfast programs, including through the provision of universal free breakfasts; or (5) collaborate with institutions of higher education or other research entities in compiling data and reports on their breakfast programs. Gives priority to subgrant applicant schools at least 75% of whose students are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches and which intend to use the funds to procure local produce, provide universal free breakfasts, or provide breakfast during the school day. Directs grantees, at least 180 days before the end of a grant term, to evaluate whether it would be cost-effective for subgrantee schools to provide universal free breakfasts under the school breakfast program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2009
Congratulates Barnes Jewish Hospital, Henry Ford Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Integris Baptist Hospital for the completion of a successful 16-person kidney transplant.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2009
Congratulates Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., on 98 years of serving local communities and enriching the lives of collegiate men throughout the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2009
Supports granting temporary protected status to Haitian nationals currently residing in the United States. Acknowledges that it is in U.S. economic and security interests for Haiti to be a safe and productive country.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2009
Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to eliminate increased and mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenses involving mixtures or substances which contain cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine).
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2009
Adult Education and Economic Growth Act of 2009 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1988 to revise requirements for statewide and local workforce investment systems to include adult education activities. Revises member composition of: (1) state workforce investment boards to include state representatives responsible for implementing adult education, literacy, and workplace skills programs under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA); and (2) youth councils established by local workforce investment boards to include representatives of adult education. Revises requirements for five-year state and local worker investment plans. Authorizes the use of funds for: (1) statewide and local youth activities to provide opportunities for career pathways for eligible youth as well as dual enrollment opportunities; and (2) training services for local adult and dislocated workers to include integration of adult education and training. Requires the Secretary to carry out specified employment and training demonstration and pilot projects. Amends the AEFLA to include among adult education and literacy services programs activities to assist adults with limited English proficiency through postsecondary education and training to improve their English and mathematical skills and to acquire an understanding of the American system of government and responsibilities of citizenship. Revises requirements for the allocation and reservation of AEFLA funds. Revises state distribution requirements with respect to grants and contracts to eligible providers of activities for adult education and literacy and corrections education of institutionalized individuals. Expands an eligible agency's use of funds for corrections education and education for other institutionalized individuals to include academic programs for: (1) integrated education and training; (2) career pathways; (3) dual enrollment; and (4) preparation for postsecondary education and training. Replaces the National Institute for Literacy with the National Institute for Adult Education, Literacy, and Workplace Skills (Institute). Requires national leadership activities to include activties to improve workplace skills programs nationwide. Requires the Secretary of Education to allocate grants to states for integrated English literacy and civics education programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants to assist states in developing a 21st century delivery system for adult education, literacy, and workplace skills services as well as adults in developing technology literacy. Requires the Institute to establish the National Adult Learning and Technology Resource Center. Requires the Secretary of Education to direct the Commissioner for Education Research of the National Center for Education Research to establish a national research and development center for adult education, literacy, and workplace skills. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an employer educational assistance program credit for 50% of the qualified educational assistance expenses (up to $5,250) paid per taxable year on behalf of an employee.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2009
Provide a Return on Financial Investment for the Taxpayer Act of 2009 or the PROFIT Act of 2009 - Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to sell through a public auction any warrants associated with EESA assistance each time a financial institution makes a repayment of such assistance. Exempts from such requirement warrants associated with a repayment made by a financial institution that has received less than $250 million of such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2009
Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the maximum Pell Grant amount and tie future increases to increases in the Consumer Price Index, plus 1%. Increases funding for the College Access Challenge Grant program. Creates two new competitive grant programs that: (1) assist states, educational entities, and nonprofit organizations in implementing innovative programs that promote students' persistence in, and completion of, postsecondary education; and (2) assist states in developing information systems to track student progress in graduating and finding employment. Extends funding for grants to historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. Authorizes additional funding for Cooperative Education programs that provide students with alternating or parallel periods of study and employment. Alters title IV student aid need analyses, including by establishing an asset cap for need-based aid and excluding employee pension benefit plans from assets. Preserves the student aid eligibility of students convicted of possessing, rather than selling, controlled substances. Prohibits any new loans from being made or insured under the part B Federal Family Education Loan program after June 2010. Directs the Secretary of Education to award loan servicing contracts under the part D Direct Loan program to not-for-profit servicers that meet federal standards and agree to service such loans at competitive market rates. Makes graduate and professional students ineligible for subsidized Direct Stafford loans after June 2015. Establishes variable interest rates on Direct Loans made to undergraduate students after June 2012. Replaces the Perkins Loans program under part E, after June 2010, with a Direct Perkins Loans program under part D that provides loans that continue to carry a 5% interest rate, but have terms and conditions similar to those on Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans. Requires the Secretary of Education to make: (1) grants to states and, through them, local educational agencies (LEAs) for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools; (2) grants to LEAs in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama for the construction, modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, on the basis of each LEA's share of school damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina or Rita; and (3) grants to states for the construction, modernization, renovation, or repair of community college facilities. Directs grantees to use specified portions of such funding for construction, modernization, renovation, or repair that meets certain environmental or energy standards. Directs the Secretary to establish an Advisory Council on Green, High-Performing Schools to provide the Secretary with advice on the academic, health, energy, and environmental impact of such schools and assistance in facilitating their creation. Requires the Secretary to award competitive: (1) Quality Pathways grants to states to implement quality initiatives that increase the number of disadvantaged children in high-quality early learning programs and improve program oversight; and (2) Development grants to states to develop the components of a standards-based early learning system that will allow them to compete for Quality Pathways grants. Establishes two new competitive grant programs for states and junior and community colleges to improve graduation rates and employment-related outcomes for junior and community college students through activities that: (1) facilitate the transfer of credits between schools; (2) enhance student support services; and (3) blend academics and job training in a manner that equips students for high-wage occupations in high-demand industries. Authorizes the Secretary to fund the creation of: (1) free high-quality online training, high school, and postsecondary courses; (2) a Learning and Earning Research Center to research and evaluate junior and community colleges; and (3) cooperative agreements among states to develop, implement, and expand junior and community college longitudinal data systems.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2009
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to include among reasonable costs for Medicare payment to hospitals specified educational costs of a hospital and affiliated schools and settings attributable to expanded training of advanced practice nurses.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Equal Employment for All Act - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit a current or prospective employer from using a consumer report or an investigative consumer report, or from causing one to be procured, for either employment purposes or for making an adverse action, if the report contains information that bears upon the consumer's creditworthiness, credit standing, or credit capacity. Makes exceptions to such prohibition for employment: (1) which requires a national security or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) clearance; (2) with a state or local government agency which otherwise requires use of a consumer report; or (3) in a supervisory, managerial, professional, or executive position at a financial institution.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Enhanced Violent Crime Community Policing Act of 2009 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) allow the use of public safety and community policing grants to hire and train new career law enforcement officers for deployment in communities with high incidences of violent crime; (2) direct the Attorney General to make grants to local governments to hire and train new career law enforcement officers for deployment in high crime areas to enhance community policing in such areas; and (3) authorize the Attorney General to give preference to grant applications for the hiring and training of new career law enforcement officers for deployment in high crime areas. Specifies that grant amounts shall provide for a 5 to 10% increase in the size of a grantee's sworn police force.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Healthy Communities Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make five-year grants to community partnerships for programs to combat obesity. Sets forth eligibility requirements. Provides for an executive council and a steering committee. Requires a community obesity prevention program to address all the different components of fighting obesity and to include: (1) physical exercise and a physical activity environment; (2) nutritional counseling and nutritional environment activities; (3) education to provide to the community information about the importance of eating healthily and maintaining a balanced diet and of being physically fit and to provide strategies for addressing varying individual capabilities to attain physical fitness; and (4) an evidence-based curriculum using the National Institutes of Health's (NIH's) Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition (We Can) program and curriculum to guide the program. Requires a program to: (1) make use of evidence-based practices, strategies, programs, and policies in designing program guidelines; (2) develop a communications plan that involves the entire community; (3) have both in-school and workplace wellness programs; and (4) identify a Wellness Coordinator. Requires the executive council and the steering committee to: (1) perform an assessment of the obesity problem in each respective community; and (2) work with the Wellness Coordinator to lay out achievable short- and long-term goals for reducing childhood obesity. Directs the Secretary to: (1) prohibit a community partnership from using the grant to pay for administrative expenses, with exceptions; and (2) give preference in selecting grant recipients to communities with high levels of obesity and related chronic diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), upon a request by the chairman or ranking minority member of either congressional budget committee, to determine if a proposed measure would result in reductions in budget outlays in budgetary outyears through the use of preventive health and preventive health services. Requires CBO, if the measure would result in such substantial reductions, to include in any CBO projection a description and estimate of such reductions and a description of the basis for such conclusions. Authorizes CBO to prepare a budget projection that includes some or all of the budgetary outyears.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2009
Health Information Technology (IT) Public Utility Act of 2009 - Establishes within the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a Federal Consolidated Health Information Technology Board to facilitate the implementation of electronic health record systems among safety-net health care providers, particularly small, rural providers. Sets forth the duties of the Board, which include: (1) ensuring that there is a constant interoperability between VistA (the software program utilized by the Department of Veterans Affair [VA]) and the RPMS (the Resource and Patient Management System of the Indian Health Service); (2) updating VistA and RPMS open source software on a timely basis; (3) establishing a child-specific electronic health record; and (4) developing and integrating quality and performance measurements. Directs the Board to establish the 21st Century Health Information Technology (HIT) Grant Program to award competitive grants to eligible safety-net health care providers to enable such providers to fully implement VistA or RPMS with respect to the patients served by such providers. Directs the Board to give preference to applicants that: (1) are located in geographical areas that have a greater likelihood of serving the same patients and utilizing interoperability to promote coordinated care management; or (2) demonstrate the greatest need for such award. Authorizes the Board to award competitive grants to eligible long-term care providers for demonstration projects to implement VistA or RPMS with respect to the individuals served by such providers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2009
Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Honors the crew of the Apollo 11 mission: Neil Armstrong, "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Commends all those individuals and organizations who contributed to this historic achievement.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2009
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of Fragile X Awareness Day; (2) raising awareness and educating the public about fragile X syndrome and associated disorders; and (3) increased funding for research into the causes, treatment, and cure for fragile X syndrome. Applauds efforts to encourage awareness, promote research, and provide education, support, and hope to those impacted by fragile X syndrome. Recognizes the commitment of those dedicated to finding an effective treatment and cure. Urges physicians, health care providers, and specialists, with respect to the syndrome and related disorders, to: (1) learn the clinical signs and symptoms; (2) use diagnostic, developmental screening, and surveillance modalities for detection; (3) test individuals exhibiting signs of developmental delay or an autism spectrum disorder to determine the status of their FMR1 gene; (4) gain a full understanding of the genetic implications and make appropriate referrals to a geneticist or genetic counselor; and (5) provide diagnosed patients with supplemental information. Encourages health insurance entities to provide full coverage for screening technologies, appropriate follow-up referrals, and genetic counseling services. Recommends that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and related member institutes fully implement the research plan on fragile X syndrome and associated disorders developed by the Trans-NIH Fragile X Research Coordinating Group and Scientific Working Groups.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2009
Expresses the profound sympathies of the House of Representatives for the victims of the tragic Metrorail accident on Monday, June 22, 2009, and for their families, friends, and associates.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act of 2009 or the IMPACT Act of 2009 - Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Commerce to award grants to states to establish revolving loan funds to provide loans to small and medium-sized manufacturers for producing clean energy technology and energy efficient products and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing facilities; and (2) include within the activities of Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manufacturing Technology the establishment of a clean energy manufacturing supply chain initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Food Desert Oasis Act of 2009 - Designates certain U.S. cities as Food Desert Zones. Defines a "qualified food desert business" as a wholesale or retail business that derives at least 25% of its gross receipts from the sale of fresh fruits and vegetables. Grants certain tax benefits to a qualified food desert business, including an increased tax credit rate for rehabilitation expenditures, empowerment zone status, and tax-exempt bond financing. Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to: (1) increase to 100% the federal share of costs associated with hunger-free communities program activities in a Food Desert Zone in FY2010-FY2015; and (2) extend the authorization of appropriations for such program through FY2015. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to submit annual reports to Congress on the Food Desert Oasis Pilot Program under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to establish the Robert T. Matsui Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Health Care. Provides for health care workforce diversity activities, including the establishment of: (1) a national working group on workforce diversity; (2) an aggregated database on health professional students; and (3) the Advisory Committee on Health Professions Training for Diversity. Requires health-related programs of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect data on race, ethnicity, primary language, and sexual orientation. Directs each federal health agency to implement a strategic plan to eliminate disparities on the basis of race, ethnicity, and primary language and improve the health and health care of minority populations. Prohibits discrimination under any health care service or research program or activity receiving federal financial assistance on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status. Requires the establishment of: (1) an Office of Health Disparities within the Office of Civil Rights; (2) civil rights compliance offices in HHS agencies that administer health programs; and (3) an Office of Minority Health within specified agencies. Reestablishes the Indian Health Service within the Public Health Service of HHS to be administered by the Assistant Secretary of Indian Health. Directs the President to execute, administer, and enforce provisions to address environmental justice in minority and low-income populations. Health Empowerment Zone Act of 2009 - Provides for the establishment of health empowerment zones in communities that experience disproportionate disparities in health status and health care. Sets forth programs to reduce health disparities, including by: (1) expanding the Minority HIV/AIDS initiative; (2) establishing the Rural Health Quality Advisory Commission; and (3) revising eligibility requirements for federal assistance programs with respect to individuals lawfully present in the United States. Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary to implement the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Program to achieve a reduction of at least 25% in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2015. Provides for research and other activities with respect to diabetes in minority populations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Obesity Treatment and Wellness Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require Medicaid coverage of medical nutrition therapy to treat or prevent the progression of a chronic condition or disease which an individual is considered as having, or at risk of developing, as the result of being overweight and obese.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Families for Orphans Act of 2009 - Establishes within the Department of State the Office for Orphan Policy Diplomacy and Development which shall support: (1) the preservation and reunification of families; and (2) the provision of permanent parental care for orphans. Directs the President to establish the Policy Coordinating Committee which shall monitor and support international efforts in family preservation, family reunification, and permanent parental care for orphans. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to foreign countries: (1) for family preservation, family reunification, and orphan care efforts; and (2) to meet minimum standards required for such assistance. Authorizes the Secretary of State to make grants to nongovernmental agencies to promote permanent parental care for orphans. Directs the Secretary to: (1) initiate a study to identify global best practices for preserving and reunifying families and providing permanent parental care for orphans; and (2) carry out a global best practices pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Balancing Act of 2009 - Family Leave Insurance Act of 2009 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a Family and Medical Insurance Program, which may involve contracts with state programs, under which, for specified reasons, an eligible employee of a covered employer shall be entitled to family and medical leave insurance benefits for a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month program. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to establish a similar Civil Service Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program for federal employees. Creates in the Treasury the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a family and medical leave premium on employees and employers. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends the FMLA to increase the number of employers to which it applies by reducing from 50 to 25 employees the threshold number triggering application of the Act. Entitles eligible employees and federal employees to take specified additional leave for parental involvement and family wellness. Domestic Violence Leave Act - Entitles eligible employees, including federal employees, to leave to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Includes within the purview of FMLA same-sex spouses and domestic partners and their children. Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers to provide paid sick time to their employees, including time to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits such employers from discriminating against employees for their legitimate use of paid sick time. Directs the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to compile specified information relating to use of paid sick time Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2009 [ sic ] - Amends the FMLA to increase the number of employers to which it applies by reducing from 50 to 25 employees the threshold number triggering application of the Act. Entitles eligible employees and federal employees to take specified additional leave for parental involvement and family wellness. Education Begins at Home Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to enable states, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, territories and possessions to establish or expand quality programs of early childhood home visitation, including to families with English language learners. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to make competitive grants to support and expand efforts to deliver services through high quality programs of early childhood home visitation to eligible families with a member in the military. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize additional funds for expanding child care activities for young children under age three. Authorizes the Secretary to allot funds to eligible states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations for the federal share of access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers. Establishes: (1) the Child Care Provider Development and Retention Grant Program; and (2) the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program. Healthy Early Education Workforce Grant Program Act - Requires a state receiving certain funds to expend them for the federal share of the cost of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers and, at state discretion, their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. Child Care Facilities Financing Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive technical and financial assistance grants to Department of the Treasury-certified community development financial institutions and other specified organizations for the acquisition, construction, or renovation of child care facilities. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to award competitive grants to assist states in providing incentive funds to encourage the establishment and operation of employer-operated child care programs. Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary to make grants to state agencies to develop high-quality full-day, full-year universal prekindergarten programs for all children three, four, and five years old. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the school breakfast program to provide free breakfasts to school children without regard to family income. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to deem a child who is eligible for reduced price lunches for any school year also eligible for free lunches for that school year. Repeals the limitation on reimbursement in ten states (thus allowing them full reimbursement) for afterschool meals served to at-risk school children. Afterschool Education Enhancement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 with respect to requirements for state applications for 21st century community learning center grants. Repeals the restriction in such applications to students attending schools: (1) eligible for certain schoolwide programs; (2) serving a high percentage of students from low-income families; or (3) in need of academic improvement. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require that certain employees working at less than full-time under participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans be treated as meeting full-time year-of-service criteria. Qualifies such workers for group health plans. Extends ERISA coverage to certain individuals whose services are leased or contracted for. United States Business Telework Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a pilot program in up to five states to raise awareness about telework among employers and to encourage them to offer telework options to employees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Forewarn Act - Amends the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (the Act) to: (1) redefine the terms "employer," "plant closing," and "mass layoff" for purposes of the Act; and (2) among other things, apply it to employers of 75 or more employees (currently, 100 employees), including any parent company of which the business enterprise is a subsidiary. Requires an employer to: (1) give 90-day written notice (currently, 60-day) to employees and appropriate state and local governments before ordering a plant closing or mass layoff; (2) notify the Secretary of Labor and the governor of the state in which the closing or layoff will occur; and (3) provide affected employees with information regarding benefits and services available to them, including unemployment compensation, trade adjustment assistance, COBRA benefits, onsite access to rapid response teams, and certain other services. Exempts from such notice requirements plant closings or mass layoffs which are due directly to a terrorist attack. Requires the Secretary to notify the appropriate U.S. Senators and Members of the House of Representatives who represent the area where such closing or mass layoff is to occur. Makes an employer who violates such notice requirements liable to the employee for, among other things, two days pay (currently, back pay for each day of violation) multiplied by the number of calendar days for which the employer was required but failed to provide notice, including interest on such pay. Authorizes an affected employee to file a complaint with the Secretary alleging a violation of the notice requirements. Requires the Secretary to investigate and attempt to resolve such complaints. Authorizes the Secretary to bring an action in court to recover on behalf of an affected employee any backpay (including interest), benefits, and liquidated damages due. Requires an employer to post conspicuously upon its premises pertinent provisions of this Act and information on the filing of a complaint. Requires the Secretary to maintain a guide on the benefits and services available to affected employees. Prohibits the waiver of rights and remedies provided under this Act (including the right to maintain a civil action) by any agreement or settlement negotiated on behalf of affected employees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Honors the valedictorians and graduating seniors of the class of 2009 for their academic achievements and contributions to their communities. Encourages all valedictorians and graduating seniors to continue their studies. Supports the continued social engagement of valedictorians and graduating seniors.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2009
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees). Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Prohibits related retaliation. Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations; and (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the Armed Forces. Declares that this Act does not repeal or modify any federal, state, territorial, or local law creating a special right or preference concerning employment for a veteran. Provides for the construction of this Act regarding: (1) enforcement by employers of rules and policies; (2) sexual harassment; (3) certain shared facilities such as showers or dressing facilities; (4) construction of new or additional facilities; (5) dress and grooming standards; and (6) provision of employee benefits to married vs. unmarried couples. Declares that, in this Act, "married" refers to a legal union between one man and one woman. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from collecting statistics from covered entities on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or compelling the collection by covered entities of such statistics. Provides for enforcement, including giving the EEOC, the Librarian of Congress, the Attorney General, and U.S. courts the same enforcement powers as they have under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and other specified laws. Allows actions and proceedings, subject to exception, against the United States and the states.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2009
Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2009 or the TRADE Act of 2009 - Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) review biennially certain free trade agreements (including Uruguay Round Agreements) between the United States and foreign countries to evaluate their economic, environmental, national security, health, safety, and other effects; and (2) report on them to the Congressional Trade Agreement Review Committee (established by this Act), including analyses of specified aspects of each agreement and certain information about agreement parties, such as whether the country has a democratic form of government, respects certain core labor rights and fundamental human rights, protects intellectual property rights, and enforces environmental laws. Declares that implementing bills of new trade agreements shall not be subject to expedited consideration or special procedures limiting amendment, unless such agreements include certain standards with respect to: (1) labor; (2) human rights; (3) environment and public safety; (4) food and product health and safety; (5) provision of services; (6) investment; (7) procurement; (8) intellectual property; (9) agriculture; (10) trade remedies and safeguards; (11) dispute resolution and enforcement; (12) technical assistance; (13) national security; and (14) taxation. Requires the President to submit to Congress a plan for the renegotiation of existing trade agreements to bring them into compliance with such standards. Establishes a Congressional Trade Agreement Review Committee. Expresses the sense of Congress that certain processes for U.S. trade negotiations should be followed when Congress considers legislation providing special procedures for implementing bills of trade agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2009
Julia Carson Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2009 - Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act to condition continued approval of a state plan upon state assessment of its policies with respect to barriers to employment and financial support of children. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states for an employment demonstration project involving a court- or state child support agency supervised-employment program for noncustodial parents who have barriers to employment and a history of nonpayment, so that they can pay their child support obligations. Directs the Secretary of Labor to award grants for transitional jobs programs and for public-private career pathways partnerships. Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to: (1) funding for responsible fatherhood programs; (2) activities promoting responsible fatherhood; and (3) elimination of a separate TANF work participation rate for two-parent families. Prohibits a state from conditioning receipt of TANF or certain other benefits on: (1) participation in a healthy marriage or responsible fatherhood program; or (2) assignment to the state of certain support rights. Amends SSA title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) to prohibit a state from collecting any amount owed it by reason of costs it has incurred for the birth of a child for whom support rights have been assigned. Requires a state to make a full distribution of collected child support to the family. Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 with respect to: (1) deductions from family income for child support received in order to qualify for food stamps; (2) verification of child support payments; and (3) inclusion of economic opportunities programs in qualifying work programs. Amends SSA title IV part A with respect to: (1) grants to healthy family partnerships for domestic violence intervention and prevention; and (2) grant recipients and their procedures for responding to the risks of domestic violence. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the credit percentage under the earned income tax credit for eligible individuals with no qualifying children; and (2) require information pertaining to the customer's adjusted basis in broker's returns in the case of securities transactions. Amends the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 with respect to the effective date of its leasing provisions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the economic substance doctrine.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain small manufacturers a tax credit for their computer hardware and software expenses. Limits such credit to the lesser of 50% of such expenses or $35,000. Terminates such credit after 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Bill to Underwrite Increased Lending to Domestic (BUILD) Manufacturing Act or BUILD Manufacturing Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should use all available powers to encourage financial institutions that are in receipt of federal financial support to immediately increase lending to the domestic manufacturing sector. Establishes within the Treasury the Manufacturing Loan Guarantee Program, headed by the Administrator of the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (established by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), to guarantee loans made by depository institutions to U.S. manufacturing companies. Prohibits any such loan from equaling or exceeding 1.5 times the gross net worth of the company receiving the loan. Allows a company to have more than one guaranteed loan, within aggregate dollar limits. Authorizes the Administrator to adjust Program loan guarantee percentages in order to maximize lending and to minimize default rates of participating manufacturers. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator should encourage participating depository institutions to focus on lending to small- and medium-sized manufacturers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Stop Very Unscrupulous Loan Transfers from Underprivileged Countries to Rich, Exploitive Funds Act or the Stop VULTURE Funds Act - Prohibits: (1) any U.S. person from engaging in sovereign debt profiteering, or any person at all from engaging in such profiteering in the United States; and (2) any U.S. court from issuing a summons, subpoena, writ, judgment, attachment, or execution in aid of a claim which would further sovereign debt profiteering. Sets forth required court disclosures in actions involving collection of sovereign debt.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Supports the designation of the week of December 7 as National Computer Science Education Week. Encourages: (1) identification by schools, teachers, researchers, universities, and policymakers of mechanisms for teachers to receive cutting edge professional development so that they can provide sustainable learning experiences in computer science; (2) exposure of students to computer science concepts; and (3) opportunities for females and underrepresented minorities in computer science. Supports research in computer science to address what would motivate increased participation in such field.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2009
Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2009 - Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), as soon as practicable after Congress completes action on any Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) legislation, to provide an estimate of its budgetary effects to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Requires OMB to maintain and make publicly available a document containing a PAYGO ledger and, within seven days (excluding weekends and legal holidays) after the enactment of any PAYGO legislation, record on such ledger its estimate of the legislation's budgetary effects in each fiscal year, applying the look-back and averaging requirements of this Act. Exempts from the requirements of this Act any PAYGO legislation designated as an emergency requirement by the President and enacted by Congress. (Requires OMB to display the budgetary effects of such legislation as an addendum in the document containing the PAYGO ledger but not record the budgetary effects in it.) Requires OMB: (1) to make publicly available an annual PAYGO report and publish a notice of it in the Federal Register, including information on how it can be obtained; and (2) if such report shows a debit on the PAYGO ledger for the budget year, to prepare and the President to issue a sequestration order for submission to Congress. Prescribes requirements for calculating a sequestration for certain nonexempt and Medicare mandatory programs. Sets forth a special temporary rule to address the scoring of legislation affecting current policy for: (1) payments made under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for physician services; (2) the Estate and Gift Tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) under the Internal Revenue Code; and (3) provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 or the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief and Reconciliation Act of 2003 that amended the Code extending middle-class tax cuts for individuals (or provisions in later statutes further amending such amendments). Makes such rule effective through December 31, 2010, or, in specified circumstances, until December 31, 2011. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to modify the assumptions used to calculate the baseline. Requires: (1) temporary mandatory funding and tax provisions related to major natural or man-made disasters to be assumed to expire on schedule, and discretionary funding for them to not be projected; and (2) the baseline to include a disaster allowance that is not designated as mandatory or discretionary and is not allocated to any congressional committee. Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to specify additional Social Security, veterans, Tier I Railroad Retirement benefits and other programs and activities exempt from a sequestration order as well as certain economic recovery programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2009
High School Athletics Accountability Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct coeducational elementary and secondary schools that participate in any ESEA program to annually: (1) report certain information on equality in their school athletic programs to the Commissioner for Educational Statistics; and (2) make such information available, upon request, to their students, potential students, and the public. Directs the Commissioner to ensure that such data are posted on the Department of Education's Web site within a reasonable period of time.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2009
Recognizes the historical significance to the nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African-Americans were free). Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and more effectively facing the challenges of the future; and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2009
Honors the sacrifice of Special Police Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns in his defense of the staff and visitors of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and views this special relationship as an opportunity for dialogue for all people who seek ways of fighting injustice and securing dignity for all. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the African-American and Jewish-American communities should continue to work together to combat all forms of hate-inspired violence; and (2) leaders and individuals in both communities should make an increased effort to meet regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Recidivism Reduction Act - Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income for Aged, Blind, and Disabled) (SSI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require the reinstatement upon release of an otherwise eligible disabled inmate for SSI benefits which were terminated owing to the inmate's incarceration in a jail, prison, penal institution, or correctional facility for a period of 12 or more consecutive months. Requires the inmate to apply for reinstatement and resumption of such benefits within 36 months after release. Allows application for reinstatement even before release. Permits provisional benefits to such an individual until the application is acted upon. Requires the reinstatement of SSI benefit eligibility for such an individual's spouse if the spouse was previously an SSI-eligible spouse. Amends SSA title II (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Benefits) (OASDI) to direct the Commissioner of Social Security to develop a system for prerelease application for resumption of suspended OASDI disability insurance benefits, or other benefits based on disability. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to require state Medicaid plans to provide that in the case of any individual enrolled for medical assistance immediately before becoming an inmate of a public institution: (1) the enrollment shall be reinstated upon the individual's release from such institution unless and until there is a determination that the individual is no longer eligible to be so enrolled; and (2) any period of continuous eligibility in effect on the date the individual became such an inmate shall be reinstated as of the release date and the duration of such period shall be determined without regard to the period in which the individual was such an inmate. Increases from 90% to 95% the federal matching rate for any state implementing a Medicaid reinstatement system. Authorizes case management services in order to engage in planning for services following an individual's release from a public institution.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2009
Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act - Designates a memorial that is under construction at March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California, as the Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial, in honor of current and former members of the armed forces who have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2009
Promoting Mortgage Responsibility Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit prepayment fees or penalties under any consumer credit transaction secured by the consumer's owner-occupied principal dwelling. Makes any prepayment penalty in violation of this prohibition unenforceable.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2009
United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 225th anniversary of the establishment of the United States Marshals Service, to mint and issue $5 gold and $1 silver coins emblematic of the 225 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of the U.S. Marshals Service. Requires all such coin sales to include a surcharge of: (1) $35 per $5 coin; and (2) $10 per $1 coin. Requires distribution of the first $5 million to the Director of the United States Marshals Service National Museum, for the preservation, maintenance, and display of artifacts and documents of the U.S. Marshals Service. Requires distribution of: (1) $1 million to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; (2) $1 million to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in support of the National Law Enforcement Museum and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial; (3) $1 million to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; (4) $500,000 to the William "Bill" Degan Scholarship Fund (provides scholarships for spouses and children of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty); (5) $500,000 to the Robert D. May Scholarship Fund (provides scholarships for spouses and children of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty); (6) $500,000 to the Community Oriented Policing Service; and (7) $500,000 to the Retired United States Marshals Service Association. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the $5 gold coins.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2009
Health Equity and Accountability through Research Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to rename the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities as the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities. Revises and expands the duties of the Director of such Institute relating to coordination of research activities conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and review of a strategic plan and budget for minority health disparity research.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act - Establishes in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) a voluntary Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program through which the Secretary of Transportation shall: (1) authorize the issuance of an electronic voucher to offset the purchase or lease price for a new fuel efficient automobile upon the surrender of an eligible trade-in vehicle to a participating dealer; (2) register dealers for Program participation; (3) make electronic payments to them for eligible transactions they accept between specified dates; and (4) establish and provide for the enforcement of measures to prevent and penalize fraud under the Program. Prescribes requirements, including combined fuel economy, for $3,500 and $4,500 vouchers to offset the purchase or lease price for a qualifying passenger automobile or truck. Limits the number of vouchers to one per customer, including joint registered owners of a single eligible trade-in vehicle. Requires a dealer to certify about each eligible trade-in vehicle that the dealer: (1) will arrange for transfer to the United States of the vehicle's title; (2) will accept possession of the vehicle on behalf of the United States; (3) has not and will not sell, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of the vehicle for use as an automobile anywhere in the world; and (4) will transfer, on behalf of the United States, the vehicle and its title to an entity that will ensure that the vehicle will be crushed or shredded within the Program period, and has not been, and will not be, sold, leased, exchanged, or otherwise disposed of for use as an automobile anywhere in the world. Prescribes standards which any regulations issued by the Secretary for the Program must meet. Makes it unlawful for any person to violate this Act or any regulations issued under it, particularly by fraud. Prescribes civil penalties for any such violation. Directs the Secretary to make Program information available on an Internet website and through other means.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009 - Prohibits an automobile manufacturer (manufacturer) in which the federal government has an ownership interest, or which receives loans from the federal government, from depriving an automobile dealer (dealer) of its economic rights. Requires the manufacturer to honor those rights as they existed for Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corporation dealers prior to the commencement of the bankruptcy cases of each corporation, including dealer rights to recourse under state law. Requires the appropriate manufacturer to restore the franchise agreement between the dealers and Chrysler LLC or General Motors that was in effect prior to the commencement of their respective bankruptcy cases, and to take assignment of such agreements. States that nothing in this Act is intended to make null and void the transfer of substantially all the assets of such corporations.
![Official portrait of Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [D-OH-11]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/f000455_200.jpg)