Expressing support for designation of September 23, 2009, as "National Job Corps Day".
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2009
Supports the designation of National Job Corps Day.
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United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2009
Supports the designation of National Job Corps Day.
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 · 26 June 2009
National Parents Corps Act of 2009 - Directs the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, subject to the availability of appropriations, to award a grant to a nonprofit entity (to be known as the NPCP Nonprofit Partner) to establish a National Parents Corps program to promote safety and combat youth violence and substance abuse in public middle or secondary schools. Requires the NPCP Nonprofit Partner to: (1) select for program participation annually schools that agree to host a Parent Leader for a number of years equal to the number of grade levels they offer; and (2) employ, after a background check, a Parent Leader from among the parents of students enrolled in the lowest grade at each participating school to work on a full-time basis with students, other parents, and school officials to treat, prevent, and reduce violence and drug, alcohol, and tobacco addiction among students. Urges participating schools to take the measures necessary to secure funding for the employment of Parent Leaders after federal funding becomes unavailable.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Global Food Security Act of 2009 - Directs the President to designate an individual to serve as the Special Coordinator for Food Security to: (1) advise the President on international food security issues; (2) ensure coordination of global food security efforts and U.S. programs; and (3) oversee implementation of a comprehensive food security strategy to be headed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Sets forth strategy elements. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to revise and extend bilateral agriculture, rural development, and nutrition assistance programs. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to implement program components through U.S. land-grant universities, other eligible universities, and public and private partners of U.S. and foreign universities for: (1) research on problems affecting food availability; (2) agricultural development and trade research and extension services, particularly for women and other vulnerable populations; (3) application of agricultural and nutritional sciences to solving food, health, nutrition, rural income, and environmental problems, especially among populations experiencing chronic food insecurity; and (4) rural population access to national and global markets. Establishes the higher education collaboration for technology, agriculture, research, and extension to provide assistance for policies and programs in eligible countries that advance agricultural productivity and hunger alleviation through partnerships with institutions of higher education. Authorizes the President to provide assistance under this Act or the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for unexpected urgent food assistance needs. Establishes a United States Emergency Rapid Response to Food Crisis Fund to carry out such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Jeremy Warriner Consumer Protection Act of 2009 - Requires an automobile manufacturer to purchase liability insurance from an insurance company if: (1) the federal government has an ownership interest in the manaufacturer; or (2) the manufacturer has an outstanding federal loan. Prescribes specifications for such product liability coverage. Declares null and void any defense to a liability claim that is predicated upon bankruptcy by an automobile manufacturer that is a named insured under a liability insurance plan. Requires the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to implement such insurance requirement. Authorizes the Administrator to impose against any automobile manufacturer for non-compliance with this Act a civil penalty of up to five times the amount it would have cost such manufacturer to purchase the requisite liability insurance.
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
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 · 26 June 2009
Recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hawaii's entry into the union as the 50th state.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Worker Eligibility Fairness Act of 2009 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to eliminate the provision making a federal, state, or local government employee who is dismissed for participating in a strike against the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state ineligible for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (formerly the food stamp 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
Financial Literacy for Youth Act of 2009 or the FLY Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Education to establish a pilot program awarding grants to 10 state or local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop financial literacy programs in elementary and secondary schools. Requires grant funds to be used to: (1) integrate financial literacy programs into elementary and secondary school curricula; (2) provide financial literacy teacher training; and (3) collect, analyze, and develop the information necessary to accomplish the pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Senior Financial Empowerment Act of 2009 - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): (1) to disseminate to seniors and their families and caregivers information on mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud targeting seniors, including on ways of referring complaints to appropriate law enforcement agencies; (2) in response to a request about a particular entity or individual, to provide publicly available information on any record of civil or criminal law enforcement action for such fraud; and (3) to maintain a website as a resource for such individuals on those kinds of fraud. Directs the Attorney General to establish and administer a competitive grant program for mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud prevention education programs for senior citizens. Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to public awareness of the impact of such fraud on senior citizens.
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
Medicare Hearing Health Care Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for direct access to qualified audiologists for Medicare beneficiaries, without regard to any requirement that the beneficiary be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or that such services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other health care practitioner. Covers audiology services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).
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 · 18 June 2009
Restorative and Enhanced Vision Access for Medicare Patients (REVAMP) Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover vision restoration therapy devices and associated software used in the patient's home to treat impaired visual function as durable medical equipment (DME).
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend through FY2012 the current authorization of appropriations for the national public awareness campaign for gynecologic cancers (Johanna's law). Authorizes appropriations in subsequent fiscal years at levels necessary to carry out such campaign. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) collaborate with nonprofit gynecologic cancer organizations to determine the best practices for providing gynecologic cancer information and outreach services to varied populations; and (2) make grants to nonprofit private entities to carry out demonstration projects to test outreach and education strategies to increase the awareness and knowledge of women and health care providers regarding gynecologic cancers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Travel Promotion Act of 2009 - Establishes the Corporation for Travel Promotion as a nonprofit corporation that is not an agency or establishment of the U.S. government. Makes the Corporation subject to the provisions of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Corporation should not engage in lobbying activities. Requires the Corporation, among other things, to provide useful information to people interested in traveling to the United States, identify and address perceptions regarding U.S. entry policy, and promote U.S. travel. Establishes in the Treasury the Travel Promotion Fund. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require (under current law, authorize) the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish and collect a fee for the use of an electronic data sharing system concerning the admissibility of certain aliens into the United States that will ensure recovery of the full costs of providing and administering such system. Terminates such fee following FY2014. Authorizes the Corporation to impose an annual assessment on U.S. members of the travel and tourism industry. Amends the International Travel Act of 1961 to: (1) revise the membership of the Tourism Policy Council; and (2) require the Council to provide the Corporation with certain information concerning U.S. admission procedures and travel promotion strategies. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study to assess barriers to entry into the United States by foreign travelers.
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 · 17 June 2009
Measuring American Poverty Act of 2009 - Amends part A of title XI of the Social Security Act to direct the Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau), in collaboration with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to calculate modern poverty thresholds and modern poverty rates for each calendar year. Directs the Census Bureau and the BLS to choose: (1) the most appropriate distribution of consumption expenditures on food, clothing, and shelter, which may, if appropriate, exclude families receiving subsidies for food, clothing, or shelter; and (2) the reference family for the modern poverty measure. Declares that the modern poverty threshold for a reference family shall be an amount equal to the average of 120% of the 33rd percentile of the distribution chosen, allowing for calculations to rely on a limited band converging on this percentile, during four or more of the most recent years for which data is available from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, a superior federal government source of data, or some combination of such sources. Prescribes requirements for determining modern poverty rates. Directs the Census Bureau, in collaboration with the BLS, to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to develop and publish methods of: (1) calculating a decent living standard threshold; and (2) measuring the extent to which the income of families in the United States is sufficient to meet it. Directs the Census Bureau, in collaboration with the BLS, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to contract with NAS to develop and publish a method of: (1) measuring the extent of medical care risk in the United States; and (2) calculating the number and percentage of individuals in the United States who lack adequate health insurance, leaving them at risk of being unable to afford needed treatment. Directs the Census Bureau to contract with NAS to develop a set of recommendations for methods to implement annual modern poverty measurement at the state and local level and a timeframe for the implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2009
Urges: (1) the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to grant clemency to Laura Ling and Euna Lee and return them to the United States; and (2) other nations to encourage North Korea to free Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee. Supports efforts by President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and others to secure the release of the journalists.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2009
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System should: (1) protect and enhance American consumers' and businesses' access to credit; (2) encourage credit card issuers, banks, and other creditors to recognize long-standing customers who are in good standing by not cutting their credit lines or raising their interest rates; and (3) reserve access to programs under the Federal Reserve Act and the Emergency Response Stabilization Act for those institutions that are working to increase consumer and business access to credit.
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
Improving Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2009 - Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act to disregard for SSI income eligibility purposes any compensation in the amount of the first $2,000 per year received by an individual for participation in clinical trials for rare diseases or conditions.
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 · 12 June 2009
Expresses support for Olympic Day. Encourages the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago, Illinois, as the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Public Corruption Prosecution Improvements Act - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) establish a six-year limitation period for the prosecution of certain public corruption crimes, including bribery, theft of government property, mail fraud, and racketeering; (2) expand the penalties for theft or bribery involving programs receiving federal funds; (3) expand the prohibition against theft of public money or property to include thefts in the District of Columbia; (4) include certain government theft and bribery offenses as predicates for racketeering and money laundering prosecutions and wiretaps; and (5) expand the definition of "official act" for purposes of the crime of bribery of public officials and witnesses. Authorizes appropriations for additional Department of Justice (DOJ) personnel to investigate and prosecute public corruption offenses.
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
Expresses the House of Representatives' support for the National Day on Writing. Encourages participation in the National Gallery of Writing, which is maintained by the National Council of Teachers of English and contains examples of writing by individuals throughout our country. Encourages educational institutions to submit the compositions of their students and employees to such Gallery and support the efforts of community members to submit compositions to the Gallery.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
Equal Rights for Health Care Act Title 42 - Prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status against any person in the United States under any health care service or research program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
Expands the urbanized area formula grants program to include public transit projects: (1) in urbanized areas with a population of at least 200,000, and urbanized areas with a population of between 200,000 and 400,000, if the state or regional authority that provides public transportation for the area operates less than 100 buses in fixed-route service in the area during peak service hours; and (2) in urbanized areas with graduated populations of between 400,000 and capping out at 1 million or more. Establishes certain grant limits for such projects. Revises grant eligibility requirements for FY2010-FY2015 for such projects in urbanized areas with a population of at least 200,000.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
Congratulates the University of Washington women's softball team for winning the 2009 Women's College World Series.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2009
Child Protection Compact Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of State, through the Ambassador-at-Large of the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, to provide assistance (grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts) for an eligible country with a significant prevalence of trafficking in children that enters into a Child Protection Compact with the United States to support policies and programs to eradicate the trafficking of children.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2009
Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Act of 2009 - Requires the President to establish, in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, a Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (STEM education) within the National Science and Technology Council. Establishes an Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education in the Department of Education, to be administered by an Assistant Secretary. Requires the Assistant Secretary to conduct at least every five years an evaluation of the STEM education programs administered by the department. Requires the Secretary of Education to award a grant to establish a voluntary State Consortium on STEM Education and a grant to the National Science Digital Library to establish the STEM Education Resource Alliance.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2009
Expresses support for full U.S. participation in the Shanghai 2010 Expo, including construction of a national pavilion to showcase U.S. innovations and culture.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2009
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Muhammad Ali in recognition of his contributions to the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2009
Expresses the House of Representatives' support for Hillel's mission of service to Jewish college students and partnership with the campus community. Congratulates the students, lay leaders, and professionals of the Hillel movement on reaching its 85th birthday.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Homeowners' Defense Act of 2009 - Establishes the National Catastrophe Risk Consortium as a nonprofit, nonfederal entity to: (1) maintain an inventory of catastrophe risk obligations held by state reinsurance funds, state residual insurance market entities, and state-sponsored providers of natural catastrophe insurance; (2) issue, on a conduit basis, securities and other financial instruments linked to catastrophe risks insured or reinsured through Consortium members; (3) coordinate reinsurance contracts; (4) act as a centralized repository of state risk information accessible by certain private-market participants; and (5) establish a database to perform research and analysis that encourages standardization of the risk-linked securities market. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to guarantee holders of debt against loss of principal or interest, or both, on any such debt issued by eligible state programs for purposes of promoting the availability of private capital to provide liquidity and capacity to state catastrophe insurance programs and expediting the payment of claims under such programs and better assist the financial recovery from significant natural catastrophes. Provides separate limits on the total principal amount of such obligations for programs that cover earthquake peril and those that cover all other perils. Directs the Secretary to make contracts for reinsurance coverage available for purchase by eligible state programs. Provides pricing guidelines and a limit on aggregate potential federal liability. Establishes a Federal Natural Catastrophe Reinsurance Fund in the Treasury to be funded by amounts received from the sale of reinsurance coverage contracts, amounts appropriated for liability for claims payment, and earnings on investments. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish and carry out a program of grants to eligible entities to develop, enhance, or maintain programs to prevent and mitigate losses from natural catastrophes. Requires a study of the need for and impact of expanding the programs established by this Act to apply to insured losses of eligible state programs for losses arising from commercial insurance policies that provide coverage for properties composed predominantly of residential rental units.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Positive Behavior for Safe and Effective Schools Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to allow states to allocate school improvement funds under title I of the ESEA for coordinated, early intervention services for all students. Includes among such services, schoolwide positive behavior supports, defined as a systematic approach to embed proven practices for early intervention services in order to achieve important social outcomes and increase student learning, while preventing problem behaviors. Requires improvements in schoolwide learning climates, including schoolwide positive behavior supports, to be a target of: (1) technical assistance provided by states to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools, and by LEAs to schools identified as needing improvement; (2) schoolwide programs that allow LEAs to consolidate educational funds to upgrade the entire educational program of schools that serve a high proportion of low-income families; (3) professional development funding; (4) funding under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program; and (5) elementary and secondary school counseling programs. Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to establish, within the Department of Education, an Office of Specialized Instructional Support Services to oversee, implement, and ensure adequate evaluation of, the provision of specialized instructional support services in schools by school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other qualified professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Paid Vacation Act of 2009 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to require: (1) upon enactment of this Act, each employer who employs 100 or more employees to provide each employee one week of paid vacation during each 12-month period; and (2) beginning three years after enactment of this Act, each employer who employs 50 or more employees to provide each employee one week of paid vacation during each 12-month period, and each employer that employs 100 or more employees to provide each employee two weeks paid vacation during each 12-month period, beginning on the employee's first anniversary of employment. Requires an employee to provide the employer not less than 30 days' prior notice of his or her intent to take paid vacation, including the date the paid vacation will begin. Requires the Secretary of Labor to conduct: (1) a public awareness campaign, through the Internet and other media, to inform the public of the entitlement to paid leave under the Act; and (2) a study on workplace productivity and the effect of paid leave on such productivity.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Help Student Soldiers Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to waive the application of the requirement that students return title IV funds which were unearned due to their withdrawal from school to students whose withdrawal is necessitated by service in the Armed Forces. Provides loan forgiveness under the Federal Family Education Loan, Direct Loan, and Perkins Loan programs to students for that portion of loan assistance which is unearned due to their withdrawal from school for service in the Armed Forces and which is not returned to such programs by their schools.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Securing American Families by Educating and Training Youth (SAFETY) Through Nonviolence Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to state or local governments, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and faith-based entities to prevent or alleviate the effects of community violence by educating, mentoring, and counseling youth regarding the principles and application of nonviolence in conflict resolution. Gives grant priority to applicants that agree to use the funds in communities experiencing an increase in violence, but lacking the resources to address violence prevention.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from an employee's gross income employer-provided accident and health plan benefits extended to a domestic partner or non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiary eligible to receive such benefits under an employer plan (i.e., "eligible beneficiary"); (2) exempt such benefits paid to eligible beneficiaries from applicable employment and unemployment taxes; (3) allow self-employed individuals a tax deduction for the health insurance costs of their eligible beneficiaries; (4) allow tax-exempt volutary employees' beneficiary associations to provide sick and accident benefits to the domestic partners and non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiaries of their members; and (5) allow reimbursement of the medical expenses of an eligible beneficiary from a health savings account (HSA). Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide guidance relating to reimbursements from a flexible spending arrangement and a health reimbursement arrangement attributable to an eligible beneficiary as defined by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Latin America Military Training Review Act - Directs the Secretary of the Army to suspend operation of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (Institute). Suspends the authority of the Secretary of Defense to operate such an education and training facility until submission of a report containing the results of an investigation in response to violations of human rights to which training at such Institute contributed. Establishes: (1) a joint congressional task force to assess appropriate education and training for DOD to provide to military personnel of Latin American nations; and (2) a commission to investigate activities of the United States Army School of the Americas and its successor institution, the Institute.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Renewable Energy Parity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate after 2010 the reduction in the rate of the tax credit for electricity produced from open-loop biomass, small irrigation power, landfill gas, trash combustion, and hydropower facilities (thus allowing the same credit rate for all renewable resource facilities).
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2009
Allows, for a two-year period, any financing approved under title V of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (Small Business Administration [SBA] guaranteed small business loans) to include debt refinancing relating to a conventional loan that is not SBA-guaranteed, if certain conditions are met.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2009
Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009 - Authorizes the government of Puerto Rico: (1) to conduct a plebiscite giving voters the option to vote to continue Puerto Rico's present political status or to have a different political status; (2) if a majority of ballots favor continuing the present status, to conduct additional such plebiscites every eight years; and (3) if a majority of ballots favor having a different status, to conduct a plebiscite on the options of becoming fully independent from the United States, forming with the United States a political association between sovereign nations that will not be subject to the Territorial Clause of the Constitution, or being admitted as a state of the Union. Prescribes the eligibility requirements for voting in the plebiscite. Requires the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission to certify plebiscite results to the President and Congress.