United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2009
Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged Act or Keeping PACE Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to award grants to states for competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive school improvement funds under part A of title I of the Act to enable such LEAs to assist public elementary and secondary schools to hire and maintain Parent and Community Outreach Coordinators responsible for improving family and community involvement in such schools. Gives subgrant priority to LEAs targeting schools with the highest proportions of needy students or students failing to meet state academic performance standards. Requires each assisted school to appoint a committee of school officials, parents, and community members to screen Coordinator applicants and evaluate Coordinator performance. Directs state grantees to award competitive subgrants to partnerships between community-based organizations and public schools to connect integrated services and comprehensive supports to students and families to enhance student performance. Gives priority to applicants targeting schools with the highest proportions of needy students or students failing to meet state academic performance standards. Requires state grantees to award competitive matching subgrants to consortia composed of a school, LEA, mayor, and at least one other community partner to redesign schools as centers of communities that encourage family and community participation in students' education and provide community education. Authorizes the Secretary to contract with a nonprofit organization experienced in providing integrated student supports to: (1) provide technical assistance and training to this Act's grantees and subgrantees; and (2) establish a national information clearinghouse on effective parent, family, and community engagement practices and programs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2009
Post-9/11 Veterans' Job Training Act of 2009 - Amends requirements for the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program to entitle an eligible veteran of the Armed Forces (including eligible dependents) pursuing a full-time educational program of apprenticeship or other on-job training to a monthly benefit payment equal to: (1) 75% of the monthly benefit payment otherwise payable to such individual for each of the first six months of the program; (2) 55% of such payment for each of the second six months of the program; and (3) 35% of such payment for each of the months following the first 12 months of the program. Reduces the payment an individual receives in any month in which the individual fails to complete 120 hours of training under the program of education. Entitles an eligible veteran of the Armed Forces receiving such monthly benefit to receive also a monthly housing stipend equal to the basic allowance for housing payable for an Armed Forces member with dependents in pay grade E-5 residing in the military housing area that encompasses the ZIP code area in which the individual resides. Requires an individual's entitlement for each monthly benefit payment to be charged at the rate of: (1) 75% of a month for each of the first six months of the program; (2) 55% of a month for each of the second six months of the program; and (3) 35% of a month for each of the months following the first 12 months of the program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2009
Look-back Elimination Act of 2009 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to eliminate the requirement that, to be eligible for foster care maintenance payments, a child would have been eligible for aid under the former Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program (predecessor of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] program under part A of SSA title IV) at the time of removal from the home. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the AFDC eligibility requirement for federal foster care and adoption assistance benefits should be eliminated and replaced with income eligibility standards that are based on modern, balanced criteria that treat all children equally; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) should collaborate with Members of Congress and child welfare advocates in developing any modification standards.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2009
Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion, and Supporting Parents Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services ( HHS) to make matching grants for projects to provide comprehensive education on preventing teen pregnancies. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to reauthorize appropriations for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers and the Carol M. White Physical Education Program. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reauthorize appropriations for Federal TRIO Programs and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEARUP). Amends part A of title IV (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) (TANF) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to award grants to states for reducing teen pregnancy and teen births. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to require the Secretary to establish a national goal of reducing teen pregnancy by at least one-third over ten years. Authorizes the Secretary to make matching grants to assist entities in demonstrating innovative approaches to teen pregnancies, such as facilitating communication between parents and children. Requires the Secretary to award grants to organizations to establish and operate a national initiative for parents of adolescents to reduce teen pregnancy. Directs the Secretary of Education to award demonstration grants to community colleges for the purpose of developing and implementing innovative approaches to prevent unplanned pregnancy and promote healthy relationships among women and men in community colleges. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of SSA to expand coverage of family planning services. Expands and extends postpartum health care coverage for women under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP). Expands the definition of "low-income child" under CHIP. Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2009 - Authorizes appropriations for the establishment and operation of voluntary family planning projects. Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit individual health insurance issuers from imposing any preexisting condition exclusions relating to pregnancy as a preexisting condition. Requires such issuers to provide coverage for maternity services. Authorizes the HHS Secretary to make grants for the purchase of ultrasound equipment. Requires the HHS Secretary to make grants to enable states to better identify and treat women who are victims of, or at risk of, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sexual coercion, or stalking. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to institutions of higher education to assist students who have decided to carry their pregnancies to term in continuing their studies and graduating. Requires the HHS Secretary to award grants for a national information campaign to educate the public about adoption. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase and make refundable the tax credit for adoption expenses. Revises and authorizes appropriations for the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC program). Requires the HHS Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to study the range of choices women make in response to unintended pregnancy.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2009
Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2009 - Authorizes appropriations for conducting and supporting research on Alzheimer's disease in FY2010-FY2014. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute on Aging to: (1) give priority to conducting and supporting Alzheimer's disease research; (2) increase the emphasis on the need to conduct Alzheimer's disease prevention trials within the National Institutes of Health (NIH); (3) ensure that Alzheimer's disease is maintained as a high priority for NIH's neuroscience initiative; and (4) conduct and support cooperative clinical research regarding Alzheimer's disease. Requires the Director to conduct research related to: (1) the early detection, diagnosis, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and its potential precursors; (2) early onset Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; (3) the relationship of vascular disease and Alzheimer's disease; and (4) interventions designed to help caregivers and improve patient outcomes. Authorizes the Director to establish a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to facilitate collaborative research among the Alzheimer's Disease Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Expands the research of Alzheimer's Disease Centers to include outcome measures and disease management. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a National Summit on Alzheimer's Disease. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct activities related to risk factors and early recognition of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administration on Aging, to award a cooperative grant for the establishment and operation of an Alzheimer's Call Center. Extends and expands demonstration projects relating to Alzheimer's disease.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2009
Adult Education and Economic Growth Act of 2009 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1988 to revise requirements for statewide and local workforce investment systems to include adult education activities. Revises member composition of: (1) state workforce investment boards to include state representatives responsible for implementing adult education, literacy, and workplace skills programs under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA); and (2) youth councils established by local workforce investment boards to include representatives of adult education. Revises requirements for five-year state and local worker investment plans. Authorizes the use of funds for: (1) statewide and local youth activities to provide opportunities for career pathways for eligible youth as well as dual enrollment opportunities; and (2) training services for local adult and dislocated workers to include integration of adult education and training. Requires the Secretary to carry out specified employment and training demonstration and pilot projects. Amends the AEFLA to include among adult education and literacy services programs activities to assist adults with limited English proficiency through postsecondary education and training to improve their English and mathematical skills and to acquire an understanding of the American system of government and responsibilities of citizenship. Revises requirements for the allocation and reservation of AEFLA funds. Revises state distribution requirements with respect to grants and contracts to eligible providers of activities for adult education and literacy and corrections education of institutionalized individuals. Expands an eligible agency's use of funds for corrections education and education for other institutionalized individuals to include academic programs for: (1) integrated education and training; (2) career pathways; (3) dual enrollment; and (4) preparation for postsecondary education and training. Replaces the National Institute for Literacy with the National Institute for Adult Education, Literacy, and Workplace Skills (Institute). Requires national leadership activities to include activties to improve workplace skills programs nationwide. Requires the Secretary of Education to allocate grants to states for integrated English literacy and civics education programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants to assist states in developing a 21st century delivery system for adult education, literacy, and workplace skills services as well as adults in developing technology literacy. Requires the Institute to establish the National Adult Learning and Technology Resource Center. Requires the Secretary of Education to direct the Commissioner for Education Research of the National Center for Education Research to establish a national research and development center for adult education, literacy, and workplace skills. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an employer educational assistance program credit for 50% of the qualified educational assistance expenses (up to $5,250) paid per taxable year on behalf of an employee.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2009
Positive Aging Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and private nonprofit entities to: (1) demonstrate ways of integrating mental health services for older adults into primary care settings; and (2) support the establishment and maintenance of interdisciplinary geriatric mental health outreach teams in community settings where older adults reside or receive social services. Requires the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services to designate a Deputy Director for Older Adult Mental Health Services to develop and implement initiatives to address the mental health needs of older adults. Includes representatives of older adults or their families and geriatric mental health professionals on the Advisory Council for the Center. Directs the Secretary to give special consideration to providing treatment for older adults with substance abuse disorders when developing program priorities for addressing priority substance abuse treatment needs of regional and national significance. Requires state plans for community mental health services grants to describe: (1) the state's outreach to, and services for, older individuals, individuals who are homeless, and individuals living in rural areas; and (2) how community-based services will be provided to these individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2009
Medicare Independent Living Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the in-the-home restriction for Medicare coverage of mobility devices for individuals with expected long-term needs. Deems such devices to be durable medical equipment (DME) if they are used in customary settings for the purpose of normal domestic, vocational, or community activities.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Tax Relief for Educators Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase from $250 to $500 the allowable amount of the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; (2) make such deduction permanent; (3) revise the definition of "eligible educator" for purposes of such deduction to reduce from 900 to 450 the number of hours which such educators must spend in their positions and include as eligible educators teachers, instructors, counselors, or aides in an early childhood education program; and (4) allow an inflation adjustment to the amount of such deduction after 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2009
Expresses the profound sympathies of the House of Representatives for the victims of the tragic Metrorail accident on Monday, June 22, 2009, and for their families, friends, and associates.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct a comprehensive study to: (1) compare total health outcomes, including the risk of autism, between vaccinated and unvaccinated U.S. populations; and (2) determine whether vaccines or vaccine components play a role in the development of autism spectrum or other neurological conditions. Requires the Secretary to seek to include in the study U.S. populations that have traditionally remained unvaccinated for religious or other reasons.
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
Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to establish the Robert T. Matsui Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Health Care. Provides for health care workforce diversity activities, including the establishment of: (1) a national working group on workforce diversity; (2) an aggregated database on health professional students; and (3) the Advisory Committee on Health Professions Training for Diversity. Requires health-related programs of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect data on race, ethnicity, primary language, and sexual orientation. Directs each federal health agency to implement a strategic plan to eliminate disparities on the basis of race, ethnicity, and primary language and improve the health and health care of minority populations. Prohibits discrimination under any health care service or research program or activity receiving federal financial assistance on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status. Requires the establishment of: (1) an Office of Health Disparities within the Office of Civil Rights; (2) civil rights compliance offices in HHS agencies that administer health programs; and (3) an Office of Minority Health within specified agencies. Reestablishes the Indian Health Service within the Public Health Service of HHS to be administered by the Assistant Secretary of Indian Health. Directs the President to execute, administer, and enforce provisions to address environmental justice in minority and low-income populations. Health Empowerment Zone Act of 2009 - Provides for the establishment of health empowerment zones in communities that experience disproportionate disparities in health status and health care. Sets forth programs to reduce health disparities, including by: (1) expanding the Minority HIV/AIDS initiative; (2) establishing the Rural Health Quality Advisory Commission; and (3) revising eligibility requirements for federal assistance programs with respect to individuals lawfully present in the United States. Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary to implement the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Program to achieve a reduction of at least 25% in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2015. Provides for research and other activities with respect to diabetes in minority populations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Obesity Treatment and Wellness Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require Medicaid coverage of medical nutrition therapy to treat or prevent the progression of a chronic condition or disease which an individual is considered as having, or at risk of developing, as the result of being overweight and obese.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Expresses sympathy to Falun Gong practitioners and their family members who have suffered persecution and even death because of adherence to their personal beliefs. Calls upon: (1) the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to cease its campaign against Falun Gong practitioners, including harassment activities within the United States; (2) the Secretary of State to ensure that officials of foreign embassies and consulates are not engaged in activities in the United States that are incompatible with their diplomatic status; and (3) the President and Members of Congress to mark the 10th anniversary of Chinese official repression of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Medicare Adult Day Care Services Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of substitute adult day care services.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Recognizes the fifth anniversary of the congressional declaration of genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Expresses regret that such determination has not yielded effective action on the part of the United Nations and other nations which maintain significant influence in Sudan, including China and certain Arab League members. Urges: (1) the United States to work with other nations to support a negotiated settlement to the conflict; (2) U.N. member states to provide sufficient resources to support a fully capacitated African Union/United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID); and (3) the parties to the conflict in Darfur to cease attacks upon civilians and humanitarian and peacekeeping operations and to commit to finding a political solution in Darfur.
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 · 23 June 2009
Success in the Middle Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to states, based on their proportion of poor children aged 5 to 17, to: (1) implement state middle grades needs analyses and, on the basis of such analyses, improvement plans that describe what students must master to complete successfully the middle grades and succeed in academically rigorous high school coursework; and (2) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or partnerships of LEAs and institutions of higher education, educational service agencies, or educational nonprofit organizations to implement a comprehensive middle school improvement plan for each eligible school. Favors LEAs, or partnerships that include LEAs, that serve high proportions of poor children and children attending eligible schools. Defines "eligible schools" as those where: (1) a high proportion of middle grade students matriculate to high schools with graduation rates below 65%; (2) more than 25% of the students who finish grade six, or the school's earliest middle grade level, exhibit key risk factors for failure; and (3) a majority of middle grade students are not rated proficient on required state assessments in mathematics, reading, or language arts. Permits states to make subgrants to LEAs and partnerships that did not receive a competitive subgrant to assist them in applying for competitive subgrants and developing comprehensive middle school improvement plans. Provides the Secretary with funding to: (1) contract for studies that identify promising practices for, and review existing research to identify factors that might lead to, the improvement of middle grades education; (2) create a national clearinghouse in best middle grade educational practices and a national database identifying factors that facilitate or impede middle grade student achievement; (3) require certain educational field research designed to enhance the performance of middle grade schools and students; (4) create a research and development center that addresses topics pertinent to the middle grades; and (5) provide grants to entities that partner with states and LEAs to develop, adapt, or replicate effective models for turning around low-performing middle grades.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain small manufacturers a tax credit for their computer hardware and software expenses. Limits such credit to the lesser of 50% of such expenses or $35,000. Terminates such credit after 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
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
Oncology Care Quality Improvement Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a pilot program of oncology care quality improvement (OCQI) under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to evaluate the impact of three provider-led approaches to improve the care quality and outcome for Medicare beneficiaries with cancer while addressing care cost drivers by creating greater efficiencies in the program. Specifies the three provider-led approaches as: (1) evidence-based guideline adherence; (2) patient education and care coordination services; and (3) end-of-life planning and counseling services. Directs the Secretary to appoint an advisory committee to collaborate with the Secretary on the creation and implementation of the OCQI program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Supports the designation of the week of December 7 as National Computer Science Education Week. Encourages: (1) identification by schools, teachers, researchers, universities, and policymakers of mechanisms for teachers to receive cutting edge professional development so that they can provide sustainable learning experiences in computer science; (2) exposure of students to computer science concepts; and (3) opportunities for females and underrepresented minorities in computer science. Supports research in computer science to address what would motivate increased participation in such field.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2009
Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2009 - Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), as soon as practicable after Congress completes action on any Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) legislation, to provide an estimate of its budgetary effects to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Requires OMB to maintain and make publicly available a document containing a PAYGO ledger and, within seven days (excluding weekends and legal holidays) after the enactment of any PAYGO legislation, record on such ledger its estimate of the legislation's budgetary effects in each fiscal year, applying the look-back and averaging requirements of this Act. Exempts from the requirements of this Act any PAYGO legislation designated as an emergency requirement by the President and enacted by Congress. (Requires OMB to display the budgetary effects of such legislation as an addendum in the document containing the PAYGO ledger but not record the budgetary effects in it.) Requires OMB: (1) to make publicly available an annual PAYGO report and publish a notice of it in the Federal Register, including information on how it can be obtained; and (2) if such report shows a debit on the PAYGO ledger for the budget year, to prepare and the President to issue a sequestration order for submission to Congress. Prescribes requirements for calculating a sequestration for certain nonexempt and Medicare mandatory programs. Sets forth a special temporary rule to address the scoring of legislation affecting current policy for: (1) payments made under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for physician services; (2) the Estate and Gift Tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) under the Internal Revenue Code; and (3) provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 or the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief and Reconciliation Act of 2003 that amended the Code extending middle-class tax cuts for individuals (or provisions in later statutes further amending such amendments). Makes such rule effective through December 31, 2010, or, in specified circumstances, until December 31, 2011. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to modify the assumptions used to calculate the baseline. Requires: (1) temporary mandatory funding and tax provisions related to major natural or man-made disasters to be assumed to expire on schedule, and discretionary funding for them to not be projected; and (2) the baseline to include a disaster allowance that is not designated as mandatory or discretionary and is not allocated to any congressional committee. Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to specify additional Social Security, veterans, Tier I Railroad Retirement benefits and other programs and activities exempt from a sequestration order as well as certain economic recovery programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2009
Comprehensive Problem Gambling Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to establish and implement programs for the identification, prevention, and treatment of problem and pathological gambling. Requires the Secretary to carry out a national campaign to increase knowledge and raise awareness of problem gambling. Requires the Secretary to: (1) administer and coordinate the voluntary donation of resources to assist in implementing new programs and augmenting existing national campaigns to provide national strategies for dissemination of information intended to address problem gambling; (2) encourage media outlets to provide information aimed at preventing problem gambling; and (3) target radio and television audiences of, but not limited to, sporting events and gambling. Requires the President to: (1) establish and implement a national program of research on problem gambling; (2) appoint an advisory commission to coordinate federal research; and (3) consider the National Gambling Impact Study Commission's recommendations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to states, local, and tribal governments, and nonprofit agencies to provide comprehensive services with respect to treatment and prevention of, and education about, problem gambling. Directs the President, acting through the Administrator, to develop a Treatment Improvement Protocol for problem gambling Expresses the sense of Congress that every state should contribute a percentage of its revenue from gambling towards prevention and treatment of, and services and education about, problem gambling.
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 · 12 June 2009
Commends the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the occasion of its 125th anniversary for the exemplary service its administrators and employees provide in collecting and disseminating vital information for the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Recidivism Reduction Act - Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income for Aged, Blind, and Disabled) (SSI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require the reinstatement upon release of an otherwise eligible disabled inmate for SSI benefits which were terminated owing to the inmate's incarceration in a jail, prison, penal institution, or correctional facility for a period of 12 or more consecutive months. Requires the inmate to apply for reinstatement and resumption of such benefits within 36 months after release. Allows application for reinstatement even before release. Permits provisional benefits to such an individual until the application is acted upon. Requires the reinstatement of SSI benefit eligibility for such an individual's spouse if the spouse was previously an SSI-eligible spouse. Amends SSA title II (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Benefits) (OASDI) to direct the Commissioner of Social Security to develop a system for prerelease application for resumption of suspended OASDI disability insurance benefits, or other benefits based on disability. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to require state Medicaid plans to provide that in the case of any individual enrolled for medical assistance immediately before becoming an inmate of a public institution: (1) the enrollment shall be reinstated upon the individual's release from such institution unless and until there is a determination that the individual is no longer eligible to be so enrolled; and (2) any period of continuous eligibility in effect on the date the individual became such an inmate shall be reinstated as of the release date and the duration of such period shall be determined without regard to the period in which the individual was such an inmate. Increases from 90% to 95% the federal matching rate for any state implementing a Medicaid reinstatement system. Authorizes case management services in order to engage in planning for services following an individual's release from a public institution.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2009
Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2009 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to: (1) repeal the exemption from restrictions on underground injection of fluids near drinking water sources granted to hydraulic fracturing operations under such Act; and (2) require oil and gas companies to disclose the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations.
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
High Quality Teaching Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive five-year grants to up to 250 local educational agencies (LEAs) to recruit, support, and retain highly qualified and effective teachers through participation in the Targeted High Need Initiative program of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Gives priority to LEAs that have: (1) the highest number of disadvantaged students; (2) the highest number of schools identified for school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring; and (3) the lowest number of teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Requires LEAs to use such grants to: (1) partner with institutions of higher education or other appropriate entities in conducting grant activities; (2) provide teachers participating in the Targeted High Need Initiative program with training, mentoring, and technological resources; (3) cover the assessment fee for teachers who apply for certification by such Board and agree to teach at the participating school for at least three years after their certification; (4) provide specified monetary awards to teachers and their sponsoring schools after completion of the Targeted High Need Initiative program; and (5) conduct an independent evaluation of such program's affect on teaching quality and student performance.
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 · 4 June 2009
Veterans and Survivors Behavioral Health Awareness Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide scholarships to individuals pursuing education or training in behavioral health care specialties that are critical to the operations of Vet Centers (centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans) in order to recruit and retain individuals with such specialties for service in Vet Centers. Conditions the scholarship on the recipient's agreeing to serve in such a capacity for whatever period the Secretary specifies in the agreement. Directs the Secretary, on receipt of a request for counseling from an individual who has been discharged or released from active service, to: (1) provide referrals to assist the individual in obtaining mental health care and services outside the VA; and (2) if pertinent, advise such individual of the individual's rights to apply for review of the discharge or release. Directs the Secretary to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide emotional support services for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces and deceased veterans through the survivors' peers.
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
Supports the goals of National Dairy Month (June). Recognizes the dairy industry's important role in the economic and nutritional well being of Americans. Commends dairy farmers for their hard work and commitment to the U.S. economy and to the preservation of open space.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2009
Offers the condolences of the House of Representatives to the family of Dr. George Tiller. Declares that the House commits to the American principle that tolerance must always be superior to intolerance, and that violence is never an appropriate response to a difference in beliefs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2009
Recognizes that: (1) the current payment mechanisms for Federally-Qualified Health Centers in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP), and Medicare are essential to assuring access to quality, affordable, primary, and preventive care servies; and (2) any expansion of private insurance must include mechanisms to ensure the full participation of, and appropriate reimbursement to, such Centers to ensure adequate access to care for the medically underserved and disenfranchised. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) everyone should have the choice of a community health center as their health care home and every center should be appropriately reimbursed for the care it provides; and (2) health care reform should include measures to expand community health centers.
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
Pathways to College Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive five-year grants to local educational agencies that serve mostly high-need high schools for programs to increase the number of students from low-income families who attend college. Defines "high-need high schools" as those where at least one-half of the students are from low-income families. Requires grantees to use such funds to: (1) train teachers and counselors to provide students with advice concerning postsecondary education; (2) implement a comprehensive college guidance program for all students which exposes them to postsecondary information and planning assistance before the end of their first semester of high school; (3) ensure that their schools develop comprehensive, school-wide plans of action to strengthen their college-going culture; (4) create or maintain a postsecondary access center in each school that provides information on colleges and universities, career opportunities, and financial aid options; and (5) provide a setting in which professionals working in college access programs can meet with students. Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grantees in calculating and analyzing their college-going rates and adopting best practices for elevating such rates. Requires grantees periodically to evaluate the success of their grant activities and use the evaluations to refine such activities and their performance measures. Directs the Secretary to conduct an independent evaluation of the grant program which includes an assessment of the program's affect on high school graduation and college-going rates.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Keep America's Waterfronts Working Act of 2009 - Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to establish a Working Waterfront Grant Program to make a grant, through a regionally equitable, competitive funding process, to any coastal state to implement a plan to preserve and expand access to coastal waters for persons engaged in commercial fishing, recreational fishing, aquaculture, boatbuilding, or other water-dependent coastal-related business. Authorizes the Secretary to award planning grants to coastal states to develop or revise comprehensive working waterfront plans.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem a banned mercury-containing vaccine to be adulterated. Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide that a vaccine is a banned mercury-containing vaccine if one dose of the vaccine contains one or more micrograms of mercury in any form. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to declare that an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or other public health emergency makes the administration of such vaccines advisable for a specified period. Requires the Secretary to prohibit the distribution of banned mercury-containing influenza vaccines that are approved as biological products to: (1) any child under the age of three years old (effective July 1, 2009); (2) pregnant women if the vaccine contains thimerosal (effective July 1, 2009); and (3) any child under the age of six (effective July 1, 2010). Requires the Secretary to revise the vaccine information included with mercury-containing vaccines to include: (1) a statement that indicates the presence of mercury in the vaccine; (2) information on the availability of any mercury-free or mercury-reduced alternative vaccine and instructions on how to obtain such an alternative vaccine; and (3) a recommendation against administration of any mercury-containing vaccine to a pregnant woman. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should disseminate, with any vaccine-related information, a recommendation against administration of any thimerosal-containing vaccine to a pregnant woman.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Medicare Lung Cancer Early Detection Promotion Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prescribe an increased radiologist service payment for chest radiography (x-ray) services that use Computer Aided Detection technology for the early detection of lung cancer.
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.
![Official portrait of Rep. Kennedy, Patrick J. [D-RI-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000113_200.jpg)