United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), to expand and intensify research and related activities on postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. Requires the Director of NIMH to conduct or support research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, such conditions. Directs the Secretary to make grants to establish, operate, and coordinate effective and cost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with such conditions and their families. Allows the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grant recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act - Establishes the Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans to examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Social Security Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal: (1) government pension offset requirements applicable to husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and mother's and father's insurance benefits with respect to OASDI payments; and (2) windfall elimination requirements with respect to computation of an individual's primary insurance amount.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Expresses the sense of the Congress that schools in the United States should honor the contributions of individuals from Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands by including such contributions in the teaching of U.S. history.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Urges the League of Arab States to: (1) declare the systematic torture, rape, and displacement of Darfurians a genocide; (2) pass a resolution to support and accept U.N. peacekeepers to enforce the ceasefire, protect civilians, and ensure access to humanitarian assistance in Darfur; and (3) work with the United Nations, the African Union, and the United States Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, to bring about peace and stability to Darfur, the refugee camps, and along the Chadian border.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that the portion of tax cuts enacted in or after 2001 that benefits the wealthiest 5% of Americans should be repealed and the revenues from such repeal should be used to alleviate poverty in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S. Postal Service should issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring former Representative Shirley Chisholm; and (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2006
Recognizes and honors the contributions of Edward R. Bradley as an award-winning American journalist. Expresses deepest condolences to his wife, Patricia Blanchet, surviving family members, and friends.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act - Amends the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 to repeal provisions authorizing the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to modify the frequency of submitting toxic chemical release forms. Requires the Administrator to establish the eligibility threshold regarding the use of a form A certification statement under the toxic release inventory program at not greater than 500 pounds for nonpersistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals. Prohibits the use of such form with respect to any chemical of special concern identified by the Administrator. Prohibits the Administrator from implementing the proposed rule dated October 4, 2005, to revise requirements under such program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Paper Ballot Act of 2006 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require a state, for a regularly scheduled general election for President and Vice President, to: (1) conduct the election using only paper ballots; and (2) ensure that the number of ballots cast at a precinct or equivalent location which are placed inside a single box or similar container does not exceed 500. Requires the ballots cast at a precinct or equivalent location to be counted by hand by election officials at the precinct. Allows a representative of each political party with a candidate on the ballot, as well as any interested member of the public, to observe the officials as they count the ballots. Amends federal law to move observation of Washington's Birthday to Election Day during presidential election years.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2006
Justice for the Unprotected Against Sexually Transmitted Infections among the Confined and Exposed Act of 2006 or the JUSTICE Act of 2006 - Requires the Attorney General to direct the Bureau of Prisons to allow community organizations to distribute sexual barrier protection devices (e.g., condoms) and to engage in sexually transmitted infection (STI) counseling and prevention education in federal correctional facilities. Prohibits a federal correctional facility from taking adverse action against a prisoner who possesses or uses a sexual barrier protection device. Expresses the sense of Congress that states should allow for the legal distribution of sexual barrier protection devices in their correctional facilities. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) conduct a survey of all educational, testing, and other programs in federal and state correctional facilities for reducing the spread of STIs; and (2) develop and implement a five-year strategy to reduce the prevalence and spread of STIs in such facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2006
Stop AIDS in Prison Act of 2006 - Requires the Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to coordinate HIV/AIDS testing, treatment, and prevention for federal prison inmates. Requires such policy to include provisions for: (1) testing and counseling of inmates immediately following admission to a prison facility; (2) education regarding HIV/AIDS transmission and encouragement of behavior to reduce the risk; (3) HIV/AIDS testing annually or after exposure to HIV; (4) procedures for inmates to request HIV/AIDS counseling and tests confidentially; (5) comprehensive medical treatment of inmates who test positive and confidential counseling on managing their medical condition and preventing transmission to others; (6) testing, counseling, and referral prior to reentry into the community; and (7) noting but not penalizing an inmate's refusal of HIV/AIDS testing. Amends federal criminal code provisions relating to HIV/AIDS testing to: (1) make such testing available to all federal prison inmates upon intake and upon release regardless of length of sentence or risk factors; (2) allow inmates to decline such testing.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 415 South 5th Avenue in Maywood, Illinois, as the "Wallace W. Sykes Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Federal Living Wage Responsibility Act - Requires the Federal government and any employer under a Federal contract or subcontract exceeding $10,000 to pay each of their respective workers: (1) an hourly wage (or salary equivalent) necessary for such employee to earn, while working 40 hours a week on a full-time basis, not less than the amount of the Federal poverty level for a family of four; and (2) an additional amount, based on the locality in which a worker resides, sufficient to cover the costs to such worker to obtain specified fringe benefits not provided by the worker's employer. Exempts employers that are: (1) small business concerns; or (2) nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations, if the ratio of the total compensation of the chief executive officer to that of the full-time equivalent of their lowest-paid employee is not greater than 25 to 1. Directs the Secretary of Labor to enforce this Act. Makes federal contractors that are part of a pattern or practice of violations of such wage requirements subject to federal contract suspension, a five-year ineligibility period, and liability for government costs of obtaining a replacement contractor. Provides for judicial review of the Secretary's determinations, and authorizes the President to suspend the provisions of this Act in times of emergency. Allows an aggrieved worker to bring a civil action against an employer for appropriate relief for a violation of this Act, if the employer has not paid or reinstated the worker as a result of the administrative action.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10240 Roosevelt Road in Westchester, Illinois, as the "John J. Sinde Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Program for Real Energy Security Act or the PROGRESS Act - Establishes the National Commission on Energy Security and Transition to New Fuels. Sets forth the duties of the Commission, including to make recommendations to Congress and the President for: (1) preserving the national energy security in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster; and (2) reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil over a specified period. Establishes: (1) the New Manhattan Center for High Efficiency Vehicles; and (2) the Advisory Council on Federal Participation. Requires the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program of grants to federal and private sector researchers (including the Center) to research and develop alternative fuels and technologies to improve the productivity of U.S. automotive firms in the manufacture of high efficiency vehicles. Establishes a grant program to provide assistance to retail and wholesale motor fuel dealers or other entities to install, replace, or convert motor fuel storage and dispensing infrastructure for use in the storage and dispensing of biobased fuels. Sets forth requirements calling for: (1) the production and distribution of biobased fuels (ethanol) and deployment of new engine technologies for fuel-flexible, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and biodiesel vehicles; (2) greater use of alternative fuels in dual fueled vehicles operating in the federal fleet; and (3) the increase and expansion of employer-provided mass transit fringe benefits. Transit Rail Accommodation Improvement and Needs Act - Allows for the shared use of rail carrier trackage and rail rights-of-way by mass transportation authorities. Authorizes capital investment grants to improve intercity passenger rail service. Allows a tax credit to holders of qualified high-speed rail infrastructure bonds. Railroad Track Modernization Act of 2006 - Establishes a capital grant program for the rehabilitation, preservation, or improvement of railroad track of class II and class III railroads. Requires the issuance of regulations implementing reliability standards for the safe transportation of energy supplies by rail.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Prescription Coverage Now Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Service to provide for an expedited process for the qualification for low-income assistance through a request to the Secretary of the Treasury for tax return and other information sufficient to identify: (1) whether the individual involved is likely eligible for subsidies; and (2) the amount of premium and cost-sharing subsidies for which they would qualify based on such information. Increases the maximum permissible resource level for subsidy eligibility. Waives the late enrollment penalty for subsidy-eligible individuals for the first 24 months of non-enrollment.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Expresses support for the people still affected by Hurricane Katrina. Acknowledges deficiencies in the ability of Gulf Coast cities to provide social services and to attract the return of displaced residents. Reaffirms Congress's commitment to assist in rebuilding the Gulf Coast region, improving the quality of life for its residents, and ending poverty in America.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 950 Missouri Avenue in East St. Louis, Illinois, as the "Katherine Dunham Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2006
AmeriCare Health Care Act of 2006 - Adds a new title XXII to the Social Security Act (SSA) entitled "AmeriCare Health Benefits." Makes all U.S. residents eligible for AmeriCare benefits, including prescription drugs and biologicals. Requires the development of an AmeriCare enrollment mechanism that includes automatic enrollment at birth and the issuance of AmeriCare cards for identification and claims processing purposes. Provides that an individual may elect not to be enrolled for benefits under AmeriCare if the individual has health benefits coverage under a group health plan at least equivalent to AmeriCare coverage. Provides the same benefits under AmeriCare as are provided under parts A (Hospital Insurance) and B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of SSA title XVIII (Medicare). Provides additional AmeriCare coverage to children under age 24, pregnant women, and low-income individuals. Establishes the AmeriCare Trust Fund. Requires the modification of Medicaid (SSA title XIX), SCHIP (SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program), and other federal health programs to avoid their duplication of AmeriCare coverage. Provides for the regulation of AmeriCare supplemental policies. Establishes the general obligations for individuals and employers for the cost of health insurance coverage provided under this Act. Provides for additional premium subsidies.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2006
Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive Act of 2006 or the GROWTH Act of 2006 - Targets assistance for women in developing countries with respect to: (1) microenterprises; (2) small and medium enterprises; (3) private property rights and land tenure security; (4) employment access; (5) trade benefits; (6) exchanges with U.S. entrepreneurs; (7) Millennium Challenge Account assistance; and (8) indigenous women's organizations. Directs the Secretary of State to establish the Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive (GROWTH) Fund to enhance economic opportunities for very poor, poor, and low-income women in developing countries with a focus on: (1) increasing women-owned enterprise development; (2) increasing property rights for women; (3) increasing women's access to financial services; (4) increasing women in leadership in implementing organizations, such as indigenous nongovernmental organizations, community-based organizations, and regulated financial intermediaries; (5) improving women's employment benefits and conditions; and (6) increasing women's ability to benefit from global trade.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2006
Recognizes the importance of the Gulf Coast region to the national economy. Expresses support for those still affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to rebuilding that region and improving the quality of life for its residents.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2006
Unintended Pregnancy Reduction Act of 2006 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) prohibit a state from providing for medical assistance through enrollment of an individual with benchmark coverage or benchmark-equivalent coverage unless it includes certain family planning services and supplies; (2 ) include women who are not pregnant but who meet certain income eligibility standards in a mandatory categorically needy group for family planning services purposes; and (3) allow a state Medicaid plan to provide for making medical assistance available to such individuals during a presumptive eligibility period.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2006
United States Physician Shortage Elimination Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the National Health Service Corps Medical School Scholarship Program to ensure an adequate supply of physicians providing primary health services. Requires the Secretary to provide scholarships and accept individuals into the Corps in exchange for such individuals completing a residency in a specialty needed by the Corps and serving as a provider of primary health services in a health professional shortage area for six years. Allows the Secretary to make grants to: (1) increase the capacity of medical schools to accept students each year; (2) recruit students to participate in the Corps Scholarship Program; (3) increase the number of minority health professionals servicing medically underserved communities; and (4) establish new or alternative-campus accredited medical residency programs affiliated with accredited medical programs. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to make grants to community health centers to: (1) increase the number of medical service providers associated with such centers; and (2) increase primary care capabilities through the construction, expansion, or renovation of facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2006
Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a comprehensive program for reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans. Requires the program to include: (1) mandatory training for appropriate staff and contractors of the Department of Veterans Affairs who interact with veterans; (2) screening of veterans who receive medical care at a Department facility for suicide risk factors; (3) referral of at-risk veterans for counseling and treatment; (4) a suicide prevention counselor at each Department medical facility; (5) research for suicide prevention and for mental health care for veterans who have experienced sexual trauma while in military service; (6) 24-hour veterans' mental health care availability; and (7) a toll-free hotline. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem; and (2) the Secretary should take in the special needs of PTSD-afflicted veterans in developing and implementing the program.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006
Living American Wage (LAW) Act of 2006 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the federal minimum wage should be adjusted every four years so that a person earning such wage may earn an annual income of not less than 112% of the federal poverty threshold; and (2) Congress or the states may establish higher minimum wage requirements than that established in this Act. Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revise calculation of the federal minimum wage to be not less than $5.15 an hour beginning September 1, 1997, and not less than the minimum hourly wage sufficient for a person to earn an annual income that is 12% higher than the federal poverty threshold for a two person household, with one child under age 18 years of age, beginning January 1, 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006
Land Between the Rivers Southern Illinois National Heritage Area Act of 2006 - Establishes the Land Between the Rivers National Heritage Area in Illinois. Designates the Southern Illinois University Carbondale as the management entity for the Area.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) supports efforts to identify, track, and pursue suspected foreign terrorists and their financial supporters by tracking terrorist money flows and uncovering terrorist networks here and abroad in accordance with existing applicable law, but notes that the expression of such support in this resolution should not be construed as providing additional authority for such efforts; and (2) expresses concern that the unauthorized disclosure of classified information may have made efforts to locate terrorists and terrorist networks, and disrupt their plans, more difficult.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2006
Patriot Corporations of America Act of 2006 - Grants a preference to Patriot corporations in the evaluation of bids or proposals for federal contracts. Defines " Patriot corporation" as a corporation which: (1) produces at least 90% of its goods and services in the United States; (2) does not pay its its management-level employees at a rate more than 10,000% of the compensation of its lowest paid employee; (3) conducts at least 50% of its research and development in the United States; (4) contributes at least 5% of its payroll to a portable pension fund for its employees; (5) pays at least 70% of its employee health insurance costs; (6) maintains a policy of neutrality in employee organizing drives; and (7) has not violated federal regulations, including regulations relating to the environment, workplace safety, labor relations, and consumer protections. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce the income tax rate for Patriot corporation; (2) reclassify foreign corporations created or organized to avoid federal taxation as domestic corporations for income tax purposes; and (3) increase, for the period between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2010, income taxes for individual taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes of $500,000 or more ($1 million or more for joint returns).
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2006
Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act of 2006 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) pursue a global HIV prevention strategy that emphasizes the needs of married and unmarried women and girls and addresses the factors that lead to gender disparities in HIV infection rates; and (2) balance funding for HIV prevention methods. Directs the President to: (1) formulate and submit to the appropriate congressional committees, and make available to the public, a comprehensive and culturally appropriate global HIV prevention strategy that addresses the HIV vulnerability of married and unmarried women and girls and seeks to reduce the factors that lead to gender disparities in HIV infection rates; (2) ensure that the United States coordinates its overall HIV/AIDS policy and programs with foreign governments, international organizations, other donor countries, and indigenous organizations; (3) provide clear guidance to U.S. field missions; and (4) implement a monitoring and evaluation system.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2006
Increases from $1,000 to $2,000 the monthly special pension paid to Medal of Honor recipients. Provides for payment of such pension to the surviving spouse of a deceased recipient as long as the surviving spouse was married to the recipient: (1) for one year or more; or (2) for any period of time if a child was born of the marriage or was born to them before the marriage.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2006
Urges: (1) the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), the Inter-American Development Bank, and other multilateral financial institutions to cancel Haiti's debts to them under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative; and (2) the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct U.S. Executive Directors at such institutions to use U.S. influence to accomplish this goal.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2006
Safe Climate Act of 2006 - Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate: (1) targets for a 2% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions each year from 2010-2050 ; and (2) regulations requiring reductions to meet such targets, including by setting caps on emissions of sources and sectors with the largest emissions or the best opportunities to reduce them, by issuing and authorizing trading of emission allowances, and by imposing penalties for excess emissions. Requires relevant federal agencies to finalize a rule to carry out the National Academies' recommendations for regulatory action needed to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations or explain their reasons for declining to act. Requires the President to submit to Congress a plan for the distribution of emission allowances (including through auctions) and the use of proceeds (to be deposited in a Climate Reinvestment Fund) for specified goals, including mitigating the effects of energy cost increases and climate change. Requires the EPA to ensure that emissions and allowances are accurately tracked, reported, and verified. Authorizes the emission reduction regulations to include: (1) additional requirements for any source or sector; and (2) performance standards, best management practices, and technology-based requirements. Requires such regulations to set standards for the reduction of greenhouse emissions from motor vehicles at least as quickly as the standards adopted by the California Air Resources Board at its September 2004 hearing. Requires the EPA to revise such standards in 2014 and every five years thereafter to further reduce emissions. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to direct the Secretary of Energy to: (1) require, beginning in 2009, an annual increase in the percentage of electric energy generated from renewable sources that is sold at the retail level in the United States and to require such percentage to be at least 20% of the total electricity sold by 2020; and (2) set end-user savings targets for retail electric-energy and natural gas suppliers. Authorizes DOE to: (1) increase the required percentage of end-user savings for years after 2020; and (2) allow suppliers to achieve the targets through a market-based trading system.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2006
Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to revise the prohibition on importing convict-made goods into the United States to make it unlawful to: (1) import into, or export from, the United States any sweatshop good; or (2) introduce into commerce, sell, trade, or advertise in commerce, offer to sell, or transport or distribute in U.S.commerce, any sweatshop good. Grants the President, for reasons of national interest, authority to recommend waiver of the applications set forth in this Act in connection with the goods of any country with respect to one or more of the principles and rights defined in this Act as a core labor standard. Sets forth procedures for consideration of such a waiver. Makes it unlawful for persons to introduce into commerce, sell, trade, or advertise in commerce, offer to sell or transport or distribute in commerce any sweatshop good. Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce this prohibition as if it were an unfair or deceptive act or practice proscribed under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Allows specified persons with standing to bring a civil action in U.S. district courts against sellers of goods, wares, articles, or merchandise on grounds of a violation of such prohibition. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 and federal law regarding the Armed Forces to prohibit executive agencies from entering into procurement contracts for sweatshop goods.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2006
Recognizes the importance of honoring the nation's senior citizens. Encourages children to set aside time to learn from them and to read about their contributions and urges all Americans to honor their service.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2006
Keeping Seniors Safe From Falls Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) oversee and support national education campaigns focusing on reducing falls among older adults, on preventing repeat falls, and on educating health professionals about falls risk, assessment, and prevention; and (2) award grants for local and state education campaigns. Directs the Secretary to conduct and support research to: (1) improve the identification of older adults who have a high risk of falling; (2) improve data collection and analysis to identify fall risk and protective factors; (3) design, implement, and evaluate the most effective fall prevention and medication management interventions; (4) tailor strategies to reduce falls to specific populations of older adults; (5) maximize the dissemination of proven, effective fall prevention interventions; (6) improve the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of elderly fall victims; and (7) assess the risks of falls occurring in various settings. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct research concerning barriers to the adoption of proven interventions, approaches to reduce falls among high-risk older adults living in long-term care facilities, and strategies in home modifications; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of community programs; (3) provide for a website to serve as an information clearinghouse; (4) oversee and support demonstration projects designed to reduce the risk of falls in frail older adults emphasizing projects that foster collaboration between health care providers and the aging services network or residential and institutional settings; and (5) report to Congress on the effects of falls on health care costs, the potential for reducing falls, and the most effective strategies for reducing associated health care costs.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2006
Guarantee of Medical Accuracy in Sex Education Act - Prohibits a federal agency from providing funds or assistance to an entity for the development of course material or the provision of instruction on human development and sexuality if such material or instruction will include medically inaccurate information. Directs such an agency to require a sufficient assurance that such material or instruction will not include medically inaccurate information. Defines "medically inaccurate information" as information related to medical, psychiatric, psychological, empirical, or statistical statements that is unsupported or contradicted by peer-reviewed research by leading medical, psychological, psychiatric, and public health organizations and agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2006
Declares that Congress: (1) recognizes that minorities and women still face unique challenges entering into and obtaining upper level positions within the financial services industry; and (2) encourages financial institutions to take specified steps to increase participation of women and minorities in the industry. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) active measures should be taken by employers and educational institutions to increase the demographic diversity of the financial services industry; and (2) diversity within the financial services industry is vitally important not only to promoting innovation and creativity in the industry but to developing a more inclusive workforce for a fair and just economy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2006
Comprehensive Veterans' Data Protection and Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2006 - Places upon the Secretary of Veterans Affairs an affirmative obligation to protect from any data breach the sensitive personal information of veterans and any other individuals that the Department of Veterans Affairs possesses, creates, or maintains, as well as information or tools (including passwords and encryption keys) used to protect the integrity of such data. Requires the Secretary to: (1) implement and maintain reasonable security policies and procedures to protect such information; and (2) prescribe policies and procedures regarding employee and third party access to, and use of, such information which the Department receives, maintains, or transmits. Directs the Secretary, upon discovery of a data breach, to: (1) notify the United States Secret Service, the Department's Inspector General, the congressional veterans' committees, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (2) notify each individual whose information was acquired or accessed by an unauthorized person; and (3) place a conspicuous notice on the Department's Internet website. Requires the Secretary, upon request of an affected individual, to: (1) include a fraud alert in the file of the individual with each nationwide consumer reporting agency; (2) apply a security freeze to the file of such individual; and (3) provide free damage mitigation services, including credit monitoring and annual copies of consumer credit reports. Establishes within the Department an Ombudsman for Data Security.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2006
Keep Small Businesses Profitable Act of 2006 - Provides that the optional standard mileage rate used to calculate the tax deduction for business use of an automobile shall not be less than 48.5 cents per mile in 2006.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2006
Urges Congress and the executive branch to: (1) recognize the successful use of advanced imaging technologies in the fight against breast cancer; and (2) provide additional support for the research and development of technologies for prostate cancer detection and treatment comparable to mammograms.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2006
No Special Tax Subsidies for Gas Guzzlers Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose: (1) depreciation limits applicable to luxury automobiles on certain heavy vehicles (rated at 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight or less) and sport utility vehicles; and (2) the gas guzzler excise tax on such heavy vehicles and sport utility vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2006
Menu Education and Labeling Act or the MEAL Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require restaurants that are a part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same trade name to disclose: (1) in a statement adjacent to each menu item, the number of calories, grams of saturated fat plus trans fat, and milligrams of sodium in a standard food serving; (2) other information designed to enable the public to understand the significance of the nutrition information provided in the context of a total daily diet; (3) that such information shall be provided in writing upon request; and (4) in a statement adjacent to the name of the food on a menu board, the number of calories in a serving of the food. Exempts condiments, items placed on a table or counter for general use, daily specials, temporary menu items, and irregular menu items from these requirements. Requires restaurants that sell self-serve food, such as through salad bars or buffet lines, to place a sign that lists the number of calories per standard serving adjacent to each food offered. Permits retail food establishments to voluntarily provide, and states to require, additional nutritional information. Requires vending machine operators to provide a conspicuous sign disclosing the number of calories in each item of food offered.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006
Veterans' ID Theft Protection Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take specified actions in response to the May 2006 breach of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data security, including: (1) repairing the breach, restoring the security and confidentiality of the sensitive financial personal information involved and the integrity of data security safeguards, and improving data security policies and procedures; and (2) notifying affected persons, each nationwide consumer reporting agency, and any other third parties who will be required to act to protect such persons from fraud or identity theft. Makes the Secretary responsible for providing any notices and file monitoring required under this Act at no cost to the persons affected by the breach. Requires the Secretary to make available to a person affected, upon request, a service that monitors nationwide credit activity from a consumer reporting agency for six months for free.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006
Prohibits: (1) any of the funds made available to the Executive Office of the President, or to any executive agency, from any source from being used to produce, publish, or disseminate any statement made by the President contemporaneously with the signing of any bill or joint resolution presented for signing by the President; and (2) for purposes of construing or applying any Act enacted by Congress, a federal entity from taking into consideration any statement made by the President contemporaneously with the President's signing of the bill or joint resolution that becomes such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend, and the United States Postal Service to issue, a commemorative postage stamp to promote public awareness of, and additional research relating to, Crohn's Disease.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2006
Internet Gambling Study Commission Act - Establishes the Internet Gambling Study Commission to: (1) conduct a comprehensive study of Internet gambling, including the existing legal framework that governs such activities and transactions; (2) report to the President and Congress on study findings and conclusions; and (3) transmit a copy of such report to each state governor or chief executive officer and Native American tribal government.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2006
Veterans Identity Protection Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) certify in writing to Congress that any individual whose personal information is compromised due to lax data security at the VA has been appropriately notified in writing of such compromise; and (2) provide free of charge to each such individual credit monitoring services during the one-year period beginning on the date of this Act's enactment and a copy of the affected individual's credit report (in addition to any other credit report provided under otherwise applicable law) once annually during the two-year period beginning on the date on which the credit monitoring services terminate.
![Official portrait of Rep. Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [D-IL-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/j000283_200.jpg)