United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified maps as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character. Authorizes the Forest Service to modify such maps for the sole purpose of improving their accuracy or inclusiveness. Requires any substantial modification of those maps to be made through the national forest management planning process and documented in an environmental impact statement.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Marine Vessel Emissions Reduction Act of 2007 - Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate regulations that, effective beginning on December 31, 2010, require specified marine vessels to use fuel that contains not more than 1,000 parts per million of sulfur in their main and auxiliary engines. Authorizes the Administrator to promulgate interim regulations upon determining that compliance with such requirement is not technically feasible by such date. Authorizes the Administrator to provide for an alternative mechanism of compliance for a marine vessel if: (1) the vessel employs a control technology that reduces emissions of sulfur oxides and particulate matter to at least the same degree as the reduction that would be achieved through compliance with the applicable fuel sulfur content limitation; and (2) the emission reductions achieved are in addition to any reductions required to achieve compliance with an applicable engine emission standard. Requires: (1) the Administrator, no later than December 15, 2008, to establish and periodically revise standards for emissions of oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide from newly-manufactured and in-use main and auxiliary engines in oceangoing marine vessels that enter or leave a U.S. port or offshore terminal; and (2) such standards to require, beginning January 1, 2012, that the engines achieve the greatest degree of emission reduction achievable through the application of available technology. Directs the Administrator, upon determining that the maximum level of control required by regulations applicable to on-road, nonroad, and stationary engines or achieved by sources from which control technologies may be transferred, including sources that use advanced aftertreatment technologies, will not be technically achievable by January 1, 2012, to promulgate: (1) standards that require the level of control that will be technically achievable by that date; and (2) additional standards that require either such maximum level of control or the level that will be technically achievable beginning January 1, 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish new separate fee schedule areas for physicians' services in states with multiple fee schedule areas to improve Medicare physician geographic payment accuracy.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY2008 130 percent of the amount obligated during FY2006. Adjusts the amount provided for fiscal years after FY2008 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of other persons eligible but not enrolled who are provided care, multiplied by the per capita baseline amount for FY2006, as increased by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Prohibits the availability of such funds for: (1) construction, acquisition, or alteration of veterans' medical facilities (other than for repairs provided for before the date of enactment of this Act); or (2) grants for the construction of state home facilities for the furnishing of veterans' domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Amends the federal judicial code to declare that court in the western district of Washington shall be held at Vancouver (as well as the current locations at Bellingham, Seattle, and Tacoma).
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
America's Better Classrooms Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for investment in qualified public school modernization bonds, defined to include: (1) bonds for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of a public school facility or for the acquisition of land for such facility (qualified school construction bonds); and (2) bonds to finance certain academic programs below the postsecondary level in empowerment zones or enterprise communities (qualified zone academy bonds). Establishes a national limitation on the issuance of such bonds and provides for the allocation of bond amounts among the states according to a specified formula. Terminates the authority for issuance of such bonds after 2009. Amends the General Education Provisions Act to apply certain labor standards to public school construction projects financed by this Act. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require states to establish employment and training programs relating to the construction or reconstruction of public school facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain medical mobility devices approved as a class III medical device pursuant to a premarket approval application under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise provisions requiring centers to provide appropriate information, training, and technical assistance on youth suicide to require such information, training, and assistance on suicide among all ages, particularly for youth. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 for research, training, and technical assistance centers related to mental health, substance abuse, and the justice system and suicide. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure that a state does not receive more than one grant or cooperative agreement for the development of youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies at any one time. (Current law requires the Secretary to ensure that each state is awarded only one such grant or cooperative agreement.) Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 for such grants or cooperative agreements. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 for grants to institutions of higher education for services to students with mental and behavioral health problems.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Commends the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for working with leading scientists and researchers to organize the first NIH conference on hydrocephalus in September 2005 and the Inaugural Cerebellar Development: Bench to Bedside International Conference in November 2006. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Director of NIH should continue the current collaboration, with respect to Dandy-Walker syndrome, among the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Office of Rare Diseases; (2) further research into such syndrome should be conducted and supported; (3) NIH should take the lead in sponsoring an annual workshop to increase awareness and set national research priorities for such syndrome and hydrocephalus; (4) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should form a coordinating committee for such syndrome and hydrocephalus research; and (5) public awareness and professional education regarding Dandy-Walker research should increase through partnerships between the federal government and patient advocacy organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2007
Wakefield Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend by one year the length of time for which a grant may be awarded under the emergency medical services for children grant program, which allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states or schools of medicine to support projects to expand and improve emergency medical services for children who need treatment for trauma or critical care. Sets forth as the purpose of the program the reduction of child and youth morbidity and mortality by supporting improvements in the quality of all emergency medical care children receive. Requires the Secretary to support emergency medical services for children by supporting projects that: (1) develop and present scientific evidence; (2) promote existing innovative technologies appropriate for the care of children; and (3) provide information on health outcomes and effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Directs that such program: (1) strive to enhance the pediatric capability of emergency medical service systems; and (2) be coordinated with all research, evaluations, and awards undertaken by the federal government related to emergency medical services for children.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2007
Raw Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct owners or operators of publicly owned treatment works to: (1) institute an alert system for sewer overflows; (2) notify the public of such overflows in areas where human health is potentially affected not later than 24 hours; (3) immediately notify public health authorities and other affected entities; and (4) provide specified reports to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the state. Makes the alert systems eligible for state water pollution control revolving fund assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2007
Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to replace the term "navigable waters," throughout the Act, with the term "waters of the United States," defined to mean all waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, the territorial seas, and all interstate and intrastate waters and their tributaries, including lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, natural ponds, and all impoundments of the foregoing, to the fullest extent that these waters, or activities affecting them, are subject to the legislative power of Congress under the Constitution. Declares that nothing in such Act shall be construed as affecting the authority of the Secretary of the Army or the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act related to discharges: (1) composed entirely of agricultural return flows; (2) of stormwater runoff from oil, gas, and mining operations; or (3) of dredged or fill materials resulting from normal farming, silviculture, and ranching activities or from activities with respect to which a state has an approved program, or for the purposes of maintenance of currently serviceable structures or drainage ditches, construction or maintenance of farm or stock ponds, irrigation ditches, or farm, forest, or temporary roads for moving mining equipment, or construction of temporary sedimentation basins on construction sites.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Colombian Catholic Church, and the Coalition for Human Rights and Internal Displacement should be commended for their initiative to declare the Year of the Rights of the Internally Displaced People in Colombia; (2) the government of Colombia and the international donor community should be encouraged to prioritize discussion of humanitarian assistance and internal displacement with the international donor community, especially within the context of the London-Cartagena Process; and (3) the government of the United States should increase the resources it makes available to provide emergency humanitarian assistance and protection through international and civilian government agencies and assist Colombia's internally displaced people in rebuilding their lives.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Proud to Be an American Citizen Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make funds available annually to the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or to approved public or private nonprofit entities to support public ceremonies for administering oaths of allegiance to naturalizing legal immigrants. States that such ceremonies shall: (1) be held on a date that is on or near Independence Day; and (2) include appropriate outreach, ceremonial, and celebratory activities. Specifies: (1) ceremony fund limits ($5,000); and (2) permitted fund uses.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Montgomery GI Bill Second Chance Act of 2007 - Authorizes certain members of the Armed Forces to make an irrevocable election during October of any year beginning in 2005 to become entitled to basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill. Requires a reduction in basic pay of those members electing such educational assistance or, if the member is discharged or released from active duty prior to such reduction, the collection of specified amounts from the member or an equivalent reduction in retired or retainer pay. Requires the Secretary concerned, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, to provide notice of the opportunity created by this Act to elect educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Calls for establishment of a National Brain Cancer Awareness Month. Applauds the actions of those who strive to combat and raise public awareness of brain tumors and brain cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Declares that the House of Representatives and the American people have lost confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Urges the President to request his resignation and to nominate a new candidate more capable of serving as the head of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Calls upon the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to condemn the atrocities taking place in Darfur, Sudan, and end military and economic assistance to the government of Sudan until Sudan stops civilian attacks and engages in peace negotiations. Recognizes the close relationship between the PRC and Sudan and urges the PRC to use its political, international, and economic influence to stop the violence in Darfur, Sudan. Recognizes that the spirit of the Olympics, which is to bring together nations and people from all over the world in peace, is incompatible with actions supporting acts of genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Luis Posada Carriles should be certified as a terrorist and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Family and Workplace Balancing Act of 2007, or Balancing Act of 2007 - Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make five-year grants to a state or local government to pay for the federal share of projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to family caregiving needs, especially those related to the birth or adoption of a child. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and federal civil service law to allow employees covered by FMLA and civil servants to take specified additional leave for: (1) parental involvement in their children's or grandchildren's educational and extracurricular activities; and (2) routine family medical care needs. Amends FMLA to revise criteria for covered employees. 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. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, to make grants to enable states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to establish or expand quality programs of early childhood home visitation. 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 - Authorizes the HHS Secretary to allot funds to eligible states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to pay the federal share of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for: (1) eligible child care providers; and (2) at state option, the spouses, domestic partners, and dependents of such providers. Child Care Construction and Renovation Incentive Grants Act - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to provide for use of community development block grants to establish child care facilities. Amends the National Housing Act to provide for related mortgage insurance. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make technical and financial assistance grants for acquiring or improving such facilities or related equipment. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a business child care incentive grant program. Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the HHS Secretary to make grants to state agencies to develop full-day, full-year universal prekindergarten programs for all children three, four, and five years old. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a universal free school breakfast program without regard to family incomes. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program of healthy school nutrition environment incentive grants. Afterschool Education Enhancement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require state educational agencies to give priority to 21st century community learning centers program grant applications submitted jointly by eligible entities consisting of at least: (1) one local educational agency receiving funds under ESEA provisions for disadvantaged students; and (2) at least one community-based organization or other public or private entity. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for treatment of employees working at less than full-time under participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans and under group health plans, including 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 · 17 May 2007
MediKids Health Insurance Act of 2007 - Amends the Social Security Act to add a new title XXII (Medikids Program), which creates a program to guarantee comprehensive health care coverage, including prescription drugs for all children meeting specified age requirements. Creates the MediKids Trust Fund. Expands the membership of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to 19. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a MediKids premium for the taxable year, with an exemption for very low-income taxpayers; and (2) create a refundable tax credit providing a catastrophic limit on MediKids cost-sharing expenses. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to propose a gradual schedule of progressive tax changes to fund the Medikids program, as the number of enrollees grows in the out-years.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Responsible Renewable Energy Tax Credit Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disallow the tax credit for renewable diesel used as fuel for any fuel derived from coprocessing biomass with a feedstock that is not biomass.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Teacher Education for Autistic Children Act of 2007 or the TEACH Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable income tax credit for up to $10,000 of the annual education expenses (e.g., tuition, books, student loan interest) incurred by individuals studying to become teachers of children or adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Terminates such credit after 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Financial Security Accounts for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt financial security accounts for individuals with disabilities to pay certain expenses of such individuals, including expenses for education, medical care, and employment training.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Recognizes the public service of Tony Blair during his tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Expresses appreciation to Mr. Blair for his support for the United States and Britain's invaluable alliance to our nation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
School Safety Enhancements Act of 2007 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) allow the placement and use of surveillance equipment in schools under the matching grant program for public elementary and secondary school security; (2) allow the use of grant funds to establish hotlines or tiplines for reporting potentially dangerous students and situations and for making capital improvements to make school facilities more secure; (3) set the federal matching share of program costs at 80%; and (4) revise application requirements for school security grants. Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Secretary of Education to establish an interagency task force to develop and promulgate advisory school safety guidelines. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education participating in any program under title IV (Student Assistance) of that Act to: (1) conduct an annual campus safety assessment in consultation with local law enforcement officials; and (2) develop and implement a campus emergency response plan that addresses a comprehensive set of emergency situations, including natural disasters, active shooter situations, and terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Education Begins at Home Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) allot grants to states, Indians, territories, and possessions for programs of early childhood home visitation; and (2) make competitive grants to local educational agencies and other eligible applicants for early home visitation for families with English language learners. Directs the Secretary of Defense to make competitive grants to eligible applicants for early home visitation for military families. Amends the Head Start Act to direct the Secretary of HHS to establish standards for home visitor staff in Early Head Start programs with respect to their training, qualifications, and conduct of home visits. Revises Early Head Start programs to provide for: (1) training in parenting skills and child development; (2) certain home-based and family support services; (3) procedures for transition into Head Start or other local early childhood education programs; (4) staff communication and program coordination; and (5) professional development and personnel enhancement. Directs the Secretary of HHS to develop and implement a public information and educational campaign to inform the public and new parents about the importance of proper care for infants and children under five years of age.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act regarding disposition of moneys received from certain sales, bonuses, and royalties. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 regarding: (1) prohibition on fee increases; (2) energy rights-of-way corridors on federal land; (3) leasing of oil shale and tar sands; and (4) limitations on royalty in-kind. Federal Consistency Appeals Decision Refinement Act - Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to revise appeal decision time periods and information requirements. Amends the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 to revise requirements governing interest on payments, obligation period, tolling agreements, subpoenas, and liability for royalty payments. Preconditions exploration and drilling for certain federally owned oil and gas resources upon a specified agreement with nonfederal surface owners. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act regarding: (1) reclamation and bonding for oil or gas production; and (2) water resources protection. Subjects wind energy projects to wildlife safety requirements. Prescribes requirements governing energy transmission by power marketing administrations. Establishes specified alternative energy and efficiency grant programs. National Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacity Assessment Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary to: (1) assess geological storage capacity for carbon dioxide; (2) maintain an inventory of carbon dioxide stored from federal leases; and (3) report to Congress on a framework for geological carbon sequestration on federal lands. Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act - Establishes: (1) a national strategy for mitigating the impacts of global warming on wildlife populations in the United States; and (2) a state and tribal wildlife grant program. Instructs the Secretary to establish a Climate Change Adaptability Intra-Governmental Panel. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to administer an Ocean Policy and Global Warming Program. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal climate change resiliency planning and response program. National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation Act of 2007 - Instructs the President to establish a National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Cancer Screening, Treatment, and Survivorship Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make matching grants to states or Indian tribes for: (1) cancer screening and referrals; (2) developing and disseminating public information and education programs for the detection and control of certain cancers; (3) improving the education, training and skills of health professionals in detecting certain cancers; and (4) establishing mechanisms to monitor the quality of screening procedures. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow states to provide coverage under Medicaid for individuals not otherwise eligible who are under the age 65 and who: (1) have been screened for cancer and have been referred for treatment; or (2) have been diagnosed or treated for cancer. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to expand research programs to identify and improve cancer screening and testing protocols and tools, with particular emphasis on those cancers with the highest incidence of mortality and disability. Directs the Secretary to award grants for activities to raise public awareness to ensure widespread use of cancer screening programs and access to the best available screening and testing services. Requires the Director of NIH to: (1) expand cancer survivorship research activities at NCI-designated cancer centers; and (2) provide assistance to such centers for research to evaluate models of survivorship care.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Abusive Tax Shelter Shutdown and Taxpayer Accountability Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise or add provisions relating to tax shelter activity, including provisions to: (1) define "economic substance" for purposes of evaluating tax shelter transactions; (2) increase penalties for large entities and high net-worth individuals for failure to disclose certain tax shelter transactions; (3) impose penalties for understatements of tax due to transactions lacking economic substance; (4) deny material tax advisors a claim of privilege as to the identity of a client; (5) revise standards for the penalty for understatement of tax liability by income tax return preparers and increase the penalties for such understatements; (6) revise and increase the penalties for frivolous tax submissions; (7) deny a tax deduction for interest on underpayments of tax due to nondisclosed reportable transactions and transactions lacking economic substance; (8) expand the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to disallow certain tax benefits arising from the acquisition of corporate stock; (9) modify certain passive loss rules for controlled foreign corporations; and (10) provide a rule for the reduction in basis of corporate stock for which certain extraordinary dividends are received.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Polar Bear Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit issuing permits for the importation of polar bear parts taken in a sport hunt.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for an individual who is either: (1) age 55 or older; or (2) is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Celebrates: (1) the accomplishments of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in increasing opportunities for women and girls in all facets of education; and (2) the magnificent accomplishments of women and girls in sports.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Supports implementation of the July 8, 2006, U.N.-brokered agreement between President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat relating to the reunification of Cyprus.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
Perpetual Purple Heart Stamp Act - Directs the Postmaster General to provide for the issuance of a forever stamp (a stamp that meets first-class postage requirements even if postage rates increase) to honor the sacrifices of the men and women of the Armed Forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
Supports the goals and ideals of National Trails Day. Honors the contributions National Trails Day has made to inspire the public and trail enthusiasts to discover, learn about, maintain, and celebrate trails.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
Supports the goals and ideals of Caribbean-American Heritage Month (in the month of June). Affirms that: (1) the contributions of Caribbean-Americans are a significant part of the history, progress, and heritage of the United States; and (2) the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
United States Commitment to Global Child Survival Act of 2007 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance to improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries. Directs the President to develop a comprehensive U.S. government strategy to reduce mortality and improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries. Establishes the Interagency Task Force on Child Survival and Maternal Health in Developing Countries.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Eliminate Gas Price Discrimination Act - Amends the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act to prohibit a franchise from placing a limitation on the source from which a franchisee may obtain motor fuel. Permits a franchise, however, to require the franchisee to obtain only motor fuels with respect to which the franchisor, or the refiner that supplies the franchisor, owns or controls a trademark.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Food and Drug Administration Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to require that all fees collected for the review of applications for human drugs, devices, and animal drugs be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury. Makes available amounts necessary for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review such applications. Prohibits the Secretary from entering into agreements with persons from whom such fees are collected and terminates any existing agreements. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish the Center for Postmarket Drug Safety and Effectiveness within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate approved drugs; and (2) transfer to the Center all responsibilities for such regulation from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Allows the Secretary to require manufacturers of approved drugs to conduct studies of an identified significant safety issue with the drug. Deems a drug to be misbranded if it does not meet the Secretary's requirements, including requirements for labeling and conducting postmarket studies. Requires the Secretary to follow the interpretation that the FDA used in 1999 that the FFDCA and Public Health Service Act establish minimal standards but do not preclude additional state requirements. Requires the Secretary to cease intervening in product liability civil actions to argue another interpretation. Sets forth procedures for advisory committee meetings to ensure that the committee is fairly balanced. Prohibits any exemptions from being granted to advisory committee members from rules prohibiting members from having a personal financial interest in the outcome. Requires doctors to inform patients and obtain consent to prescribe an approved drug for a purpose that has not been approved by the FDA.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 - Applies this Act to any mining claim, millsite claim, or tunnel site claim located under the general mining laws. Conditions federal issuance of a patent for any mining claim located under the general mining laws upon specified determinations made by the Secretary of the Interior. Subjects production of locatable minerals from a mining claim to a royalty of 8 % of the net smelter return. Sets forth requirements governing: (1) lands open to location; (2) environmental protection standards, including reclamation, in connection with mineral activities on mining claims, millsite claims, or tunnel site claims; and (3) state or local law that meets or exceeds requirements of this Act. Establishes the Abandoned Locatable Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund and the Locatable Minerals Community Impact Assistance Fund. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretaries) to establish user fees to reimburse federal expenditures in administering this Act. Requires the Secretaries to inspect and monitor mineral activities to ensure compliance with the environmental protection requirements of this Act. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to subject oil shale claims to the reclamation requirements of this Act. Declares the Multiple Minerals Development Act, and specified federal law regarding unpatented mining claims, applicable to all mining claims located under the general mining laws and maintained in compliance with this Act. Subjects deposits of specified mineral materials to disposal only under the Materials Act of 1947.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Responsibility to Iraqi Refugees Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide special immigrant status to an Iraqi national (and spouse or child of such alien) who: (1) worked directly with the U.S. government, the United Nations, certified government or U.N. contractor or subcontractor, or U.S.-based nongovernmental organization for at least one year; and (2) has a not manifestly unfounded fear of persecution, violence, or harm to the alien or the alien's family because of such work. Sets forth annual entry limits through FY2011 for such aliens. Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) provide such aliens who are in imminent danger with protection, including temporary housing on U.S. military bases or at provincial reconstruction team offices or immediate removal from Iraq; and (2) establish at least five alien processing facilities in Iraq. Establishes in the Department of State a Special Coordinator for Iraqi Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, to be based at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. States that the Special Coordinator shall be responsible for the development and implementation of policies and programs for Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons, and shall establish a related inter-agency task force. Directs the Secretary of State to seek to negotiate a bilateral refugee resettlement agreement with each country containing a significant population of displaced Iraqis, including Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and Lebanon. Increases FY2007-FY2008 refugee admissions for persons who are not not firmly settled in a foreign country and who are of humanitarian concern to the United States in order to admit Iraqi refugees. Sets forth priority groups. Revises the authority of the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security to determine that security and related grounds for inadmissibility shall not apply to an individual or a group. Waives the FY2008-FY2009 funding cap for the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund. Authorizes appropriations to specified entities and agencies for Iraqi refugee-related assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2007
Clarification of Federal Employment Protections Act - Repudiates, in order to dispel any public confusion, any assertion that federal employees are not protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Prohibits any federal employee who has authority to take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any personnel action, from discriminating for or against any federal employee or applicant for federal employment on the basis of sexual orientation. Affirms that, in the absence of such prohibition, discrimination against federal employees and applicants for federal employment on the basis of sexual orientation is already prohibited under current law.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement and Long-Term Support Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish a program to screen veterans eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, medical, and nursing home care for symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI); (2) develop and carry out a program of long-term care for post-acute TBI rehabilitation; (3) establish a TBI transition office at each VA polytrauma network site to coordinate the provision of health care and services to veterans who suffer from moderate to severe TBI and are in need of health care and services not immediately offered by the VA; (4) establish and maintain the Traumatic Brain Injury Veterans' Health Registry; (5) establish and operate centers for TBI research, education, and clinical activities; (6) establish the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury; (7) carry out a pilot program to provide veterans' readjustment counseling and related mental health services through mobile Vet Centers; and (8) establish the Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Uniting American Families Act of 2007 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include permanent partners (as defined by this Act) within the scope of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Amends the Clean Air Act to require: (1) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate low carbon fuel performance standards for fuels and other sources of energy used to propel vehicles; and (2) such standards to begin to apply in 2015. Sets forth a declining standard that represents a graduated percentage reduction in aggregate emissions of GHG per Btu for each five-year period beginning in 2015. Requires the Administrator to review available control technology, safety considerations, and land and other resources available for production of fuels and other sources of energy used to propel vehicles. Authorizes the Administrator to promulgate a more stringent standard if, based on such review, the Administrator determines it to be requisite to protect the public health and welfare from any known or anticipated adverse effects associated with GHG emissions. Requires the Administrator, not later than January 1, 2010, to promulgate a low carbon fuel performance standard for fuels and other sources of energy used by aircraft. Provides that such standard shall: (1) apply for 2015-2019; and (2) remain in effect unless, for each five-year period thereafter beginning in 2020, the Administrator and the Secretary of Transportation determine after a thorough review of available technology and safety considerations that a more stringent standard is necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. Sets forth provisions concerning compliance with the standard and calculations of the GHG emission rate per Btu. Requires the Administrator, not later than January 1, 2009, to identify and label low-carbon transportation fuels based on specified criteria. Prohibits transportation fuel sold in interstate commerce after January 1, 2010, from being derived from biomass from: (1) lands where ecosystem conversion has occurred after enactment of this Act; (2) sensitive lands; (3) specified lands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program or the wetlands reserves program; (4) specified national interest lands; (5) recyclable postconsumer waste paper, painted, treated, or pressurized wood, or wood contaminated with plastic or metals; (6) municipal solid waste; or (7) materials produced, harvested, acquired, transported, or processed pursuant to an exemption from otherwise applicable environmental laws. Requires the Administrator to ensure that no transportation fuel sold or introduced in interstate commerce after January 1, 2010, shall result in average per gallon vehicle emissions of air pollutants in excess of the 2007 emission levels or in a violation of any motor vehicle emission or fuel content limitation under such Act. Authorizes sums to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for a cooperative program of research and development relating to lower carbon alternatives for aircraft jet fuel and fuel for other vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Women's Health Week. Recognizes the importance of: (1) preventing diseases that commonly affect women; and (2) federally funded programs that provide research and collect data on common diseases in women. Calls on women to observe National Women's Check-Up Day by receiving preventive screenings.
![Official portrait of Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [D-NY-22]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h000627_200.jpg)