United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2007
Compound 1080 and M-44 Elimination Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the manufacture, processing, possession, or distribution in commerce of sodium fluoroacetate (known as Compound 1080 or sodium monofluoroacetate). Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) conduct an inventory to identify stocks of Compound 1080 under federal control; (2) provide for the collection and destruction of all remaining stocks of Compound 1080 and the compensation of persons (other than federal entities) who transfer stocks of Compound 1080 to the Secretary; and (3) disseminate information to the public about the ban on Compound 1080 and the collection and compensation program under this Act. Prohibits any federal entity from using M-44. Defines "M-44" as sodium cyanide packaged in a dispenser designed to propel it when activated and any other form of sodium cyanide used for wildlife management or other animal control purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
End Racial Profiling Act of 2007 or ERPA - Prohibits law enforcement agents or agencies from engaging in racial profiling. Defines "racial profiling" as the practice of a law enforcement agent or agency relying, to any degree, on race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion in selecting which individual to subject to routine or spontaneous investigatory activities or in deciding upon the scope and substance of law enforcement activity following the initial investigatory procedure. Allows the United States, or individuals injured by racial profiling, to bring civil actions for declaratory or injunctive relief. Requires federal law enforcement agencies to: (1) maintain adequate policies and procedures for eliminating racial profiling; and (2) cease existing practices that permit racial profiling. Requires states, local governments, and Indian tribes applying for federal law enforcement assistance grants to certify that they: (1) maintain adequate policies and procedures for eliminating racial profiling; (2) have eliminated any existing practices of racial profiling; and (3) have established an administrative complaint procedure and independent auditor program for addressing complaints of racial profiling. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) carry out a two-year demonstration project to collect data on hit rates for stops and searches by law enforcement agents; (2) make grants to develop and implement best practice devices and systems to eliminate racial profiling; and (3) issue regulations for data collection and make reports on racial profiling.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Environmental Justice Access and Implementation Act of 2007 - Requires specified federal agencies to establish an Office of Environmental Justice pursuant to Executive Order 12898 (concerning federal actions to address environmental justice in minority and low-income populations). Defines "environmental justice" as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, educational level, or income in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations. Requires the inclusion of minority and low-income populations with health vulnerabilities and exposure to certain environmental conditions in criteria for defining an environmental justice community. Requires federal agencies to integrate the environmental justice strategy developed under Executive Order 12898 into their operations and missions and explicitly address compliance with this Act. Directs the Interagency Federal Working Group on Environmental Justice (Working Group) to coordinate an integrated environmental justice training plan for federal agencies. Requires federal agencies subject to the requirements of this Act to carry out certain outreach activities relating to environmental justice and to report on such activities to the Working Group. Directs federal agencies to fund and establish community technology centers to provide technical assistance and other services in the environmental justice area. Requires the President and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide certain reports to Congress relating to environmental justice.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Drug Sentencing Reform and Cocaine Kingpin Trafficking Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to increase the amount of a controlled substance or mixture containing a cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine) required for the imposition of mandatory minimum prison terms for crack cocaine trafficking to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. Eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum prison term for first-time possession of crack cocaine. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend, if appropriate, its sentencing guidelines for trafficking in a controlled substance to reflect the use of a dangerous weapon or violence in such crime and the culpability and the role of the defendant in such crime, taking into account certain aggravating and mitigating factors. Directs the Attorney General to make grants to improve drug treatment to offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to establish demonstration programs to reduce the use of alcohol and other drugs by substance abusers while incarcerated and until the completion of parole or court supervision. Increases monetary penalties for drug trafficking and for the importation and exportation of controlled substances. Authorizes appropriations to the Departments of Justice, the Treasury, and Homeland Security for FY2008-FY2009 for the prosecution of, and for supporting the prosecution of, high-level drug offenses.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Congratulates the 200th Anniversary of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Recognizes the school for training local, state, and world leaders and its outstanding work in the community.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Amends title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to create a new Part D: Promoting Youth Financial Literacy. Allows the Secretary of Education to provide grants to states to: (1) assist local educational agencies and public schools provide financial education programs to students in kindergarten through grade 12; and (2) implement financial education professional development programs for teachers and administrators. Requires a specified amount of the grant funds to be awarded competitively each fiscal year, with the remainder provided to each state on the basis of its share of students in kindergarten through grade 12. Directs the Secretary to make a grant to or contract with an institution of higher education or nonprofit organization that has substantial financial education experience to establish and operate a national clearinghouse of instructional materials and information on model financial education programs and best practices. Amends title V of the ESEA to direct the Secretary to set aside 2% of the funds appropriated for the Fund for the Improvement of Education program each fiscal year for financial literacy activities under such program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
NAFTA Accountability Act - Provides that unless the specified conditions set forth in this Act are met: (1) Congress withdraws its approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) effective October 1, 2009; and (2) the President, not later than April 1, 2009, shall provide written notice of withdrawal to the governments of Canada and Mexico. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should not engage in negotiations to expand NAFTA to include other countries and that trade promotion authority should not be renewed with respect to the approval of any such NAFTA expansion.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Honors the citizens of the Pacific Northwest for their courage in facing the storm and efforts in helping their neighbors in a time of great need. Honors the National Weather Service, state and local police officers, fire fighters, local rescue personnel, other first responders, and amateur radio operators for their efforts in the face of the severe storm. Extends the thoughts and prayers of the U.S. House of Representatives to those whose lives have been devastated, and who have lost their housing, transportation, communications, water, heat, or electricity. Extends its profound and deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who perished.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2007
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition of her courageous and unwavering commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and democracy in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Mail Network Protection Act of 2007 - Requires the U.S. Postal Service to bargain with unions representing career Postal Service employees before entering into a contract for mail processing, mail handling, or surface transportation of mail if the contract, in a 12 month period, would involve work that would otherwise be performed by those employees and either: (1) involve more than a specified amount of work time; or (2) cost over $5 million.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Medicare Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2007- Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for the recognition of state- licensed or registered health care professionals who are certified diabetes educators as Medicare providers of diabetes outpatient self-management training services. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the barriers that exist for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes in accessing diabetes self-management training services under the Medicare program. Directs the Director of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality to develop a series of recommendations on effective outreach methods to educate primary care physicians and the public about the benefits of diabetes self-management training.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Amends the Dayton Aviation Heritage Preservation Act of 1992 to provide for the acquisition and inclusion of certain additional sites to the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make grants to partners of the Park, including the Aviation Trail, Inc., the Ohio Historical Society, and Dayton History, for projects not requiring federal involvement other than providing financial assistance, identifying the specific partner grantee and the specific project. Limits projects funded through these grants to construction and development on non-federal property within the boundaries of the Park. Instructs that any project funded by such grants support the purposes of the Park, be consistent with the Park's general management plan, and enhance public use and enjoyment of the park. Removes the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum, Wapakoneta, Ohio, from inclusion in the boundaries of the the National Aviation Heritage Area.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2007
Recognizes the pioneering career of Carl Stokes, who helped expand political opportunity for minorities by becoming the first African-American mayor of a major American city. Commemorates the 40th anniversary of the election of Carl Stokes as the Mayor of Cleveland and the first African-American mayor of a major American city, one of the most significant events in the American Civil Rights movement.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2007
Native American Heritage Day Act of 2007 - Makes specified findings, including that the Friday immediately succeeding Thanksgiving Day of each year would be an appropriate day to designate as Native American Heritage Day. Encourages educational institutions to develop model educational curricula, in consultation with Native American governmental leaders, for purposes of recognizing a Native American Heritage Day, emphasizing the contributions of Native Americans to the United States and the world. Encourages the people of the United States, as well as federal, state, and local governments and interested groups and organizations to observe a Native American Heritage Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2007
Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2007 - Amends part D (Miscellaneous) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) require each participating hospital to adopt and implement a staffing system that ensures a number of registered nurses on each shift and in each unit of the hospital to ensure appropriate staffing levels for patient care; (2) provide for the public reporting of certain staffing information, including a daily posting for each shift in the hospital of the current number of licensed and unlicensed nursing staff directly responsible for patient care; (3) prescribe recordkeeping, data collection, and evaluation requirements for participating hospitals; (4) specify civil monetary penalties for violations of such requirements; and (5) provide whistleblower protections.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2007
American Anti-Torture Act of 2007 - Amends the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 to prohibit any person in the custody or control of the United States (under current law, the Department of Defense) from being subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation not authorized by and listed in the U.S. Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation. Makes such prohibition inapplicable with respect to any person in the custody or control of the United States (under current law, the Department of Defense) pursuant to a U.S. criminal or immigration law.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2007
Stop Outsourcing Security Act - Directs the Secretary of State to ensure that only government personnel provide security services at U.S. diplomatic or consular missions in Iraq. Requires the President to report to Congress on the status of planning for the use of Government and military personnel instead of private contractors for mission critical or emergency essential functions by January 1, 2009, in all conflict zones where Congress has authorized the use of force. Authorizes Congress access to contracts and task orders in excess of $5 million entered into by the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of State, the Department of the Interior, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during the period beginning October 1, 2001, and ending on the last day of the month during which this Act is enacted for work to be performed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Requires certain reports to Congress regarding such contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2007
Migratory Bird Treaty Act Penalty and Enforcement Act of 2007 - Amends the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to: (1) make a person who intentionally takes any migratory bird by any manner not allowed by such Act guilty of a felony and subject to a fine of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for up to one year; and (2) make a person who intentionally commits any other act or omission in violation of such Act guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six months.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2007
Impeaches Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. Sets forth articles of impeachment stating that Vice President Cheney: (1) has purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress of the United States about a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, and about an alleged relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda, to justify the use of the U.S. Armed Forces against Iraq in a manner damaging to U.S. national security interests; and (2) has openly threatened aggression against Iran absent any real threat to the United States, and has done so with the U.S. proven capability to carry out such threats, thus undermining U.S. national security.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Amends the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 to prohibit the bankruptcy court from dismissing or converting a case based on means testing while the debtor: (1) is either on active duty or performing a homeland defense activity for at least 60 days; or (2) was either called to active duty or performed homeland defense activity as a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces or a member of the National Guard after September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Private Sector Whistleblower Protection Streamlining Act of 2007 - Sets forth whistleblower protections for private sector, state, and municipal employees who are retaliated or discriminated against by an employer for disclosing threats to public safety or violations of federal law. Authorizes a whistleblower who has been discharged or discriminated against by an employer to seek appropriate relief either by: (1) filing a complaint with the Secretary of Labor; or (2) bringing an action at law or equity in the appropriate U.S. district court. Prohibits restrictions on whistleblowing and relief provided under this Act. Establishes the Whistleblower Protection Office within the Employment Standards Administration of the Department of Labor. Makes conforming whistleblower amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Prevention Through Affordable Access Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to revise requirements for the best price component of the formula for determination of the Medicaid rebate for a covered single source outpatient drug or a covered innovator multiple source outpatient drug. (Under current law, best prices shall not take into account prices that are merely nominal in amount.) Revises the list of entities to which sales by a manufacturer of covered outpatient drugs at nominal prices shall be considered to be sales at a nominal price, or merely nominal in amount (and thus excluded from computation of the best price for such drugs). Adds to such list any entity that is: (1) operated by a health center of an institution of higher education, primarily for its students (university-based clinic); or (2) a public or private nonprofit entity that provides family planning services under the Public Health Service Act (safety-net clinic).
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to a designated state agency for development of universal prekindergaten programs for all children three, four, and five years old in the state. Requires the state to: (1) match federal funds by at least 20%; and (2) submit with its grant application a plan to establish, coordinate, and implement a statewide universal prekindergarten program. Authorizes state agencies to set aside up to 5% of a grant for ongoing professional development activities for teachers and staff of prekindergarten programs that wish to participate.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2007
Voter Access Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit an election official from requiring an individual to provide a photo identification as a condition for receiving or casting a ballot in any election for federal office.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2007
Amends the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 to prohibit the bankruptcy court from dismissing or converting a case based on means testing while the debtor: (1) is either on active duty or performing a homeland defense activity for at least 60 days; or (2) was either called to active duty or performed homeland defense activity as a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces or a member of the National Guard after September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2007
Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act - Amends federal transportation law to prohibit a state from prescribing or enforcing any regulation that allows a restricted property-carrying unit (any trailer, semi-trailer, container, or other property-carrying unit longer than 53 feet, except for a fire-fighting unit) to operate on the National Highway System (NHS) (including the Interstate System), unless the operation of such unit is authorized by the state on June 1, 2007, and in actual and lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including seasonal operations) on or before that date. Prohibits a state from allowing the operation of a commercial motor vehicle combination on the NHS (except a vehicle or load that cannot be dismantled or divided easily, and that has been issued a special permit under state law) with more than one property-carrying unit (excluding the truck tractor) whose property-carrying units are more than: (1) the maximum combination trailer, semi-trailer, or other type of length limitation allowed by state law on June 1, 2007; or (2) the length of the property-carrying units of those commercial motor vehicle combinations, by specific configuration, in actual and lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including continual seasonal operation) in such state on or before June 1, 2007. Amends federal highway law to prohibit a state from allowing the operation of a vehicle or combination (other than a longer combination vehicle) exceeding Interstate weight limits on the Interstate System unless its operation was lawful: (1) on July 1, 1956; (2) in the case of the overall gross weight of any group of two or more consecutive axles, on the date of enactment of the Federal-Aid Highway Amendments of 1974; or (3) under a special permit pursuant to state (grandfather) law. Declares that Interstate weight limitations on vehicles and combinations (other than longer combination vehicles) that operate on the Interstate System shall also apply to such vehicles and combinations that operate on non-Interstate segments of the NHS, unless: (1) such segments are subject to lower state weight limits; or (2) a state allows the operation of any vehicle or combination on an existing non-Interstate segment of the NHS that could be so operated lawfully on June 1, 2007.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2007
Federal Labor-Management Partnership Act of 2007 - Establishes the Federal Labor-Management Partnership Council to advise the President on matters involving labor-management relations in the executive branch. Includes among the Council's activities: (1) supporting the creation of local labor-management partnership councils that promote partnership efforts; (2) collecting and disseminating information about and providing guidance on such efforts; (3) using the expertise of individuals, inside and outside the federal government, to foster partnership arrangements in the executive branch; and (4) proposing statutory changes to improve the civil service to better serve the public and carry out the mission of the various agencies. Requires the President to designate a Council Chairperson. Requires the President to direct the head of each agency which is subject to labor-management relations provisions or any other authority permitting employees to select an exclusive representative, to: (1) create labor-management partnerships by forming labor-management committees or councils at appropriate levels or adapting existing committees or councils if such groups exist; (2) involve employees and their representatives as full partners with management representatives to improve the civil service to better serve the public and carry out the mission of the agency; (3) provide systemic training of appropriate employees in consensual methods of dispute resolution; (4) negotiate, at the request of the labor organization, on specified subjects and instruct subordinate officials to do the same; and (5) evaluate progress and improvements in organizational performance resulting from such labor-management partnerships.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2007
Income Equity Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) deny employers a tax deduction for payments of excessive compensation to any employee (i.e., more than 25 times the lowest compensation paid any other employee); and (2) require such employers to file a report on compensation paid to their employees with the Secretary of the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2007
Shortens the length of the obligated period of active duty service required of certain members of the Armed Forces to receive certain veterans' education benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2007
Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to make an administrative determination of the amount of unpaid minimum wages or unpaid overtime compensation and an additional equal amount as liquidated damages owed to employees by an employer for certain violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act committed in the New Orleans region after Hurricane Katrina. Authorizes the Secretary to bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to recover the amount of such wages and liquidated damages.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2007
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth PROMISE Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity; and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Center for Proven Practices Research to provide PCCs and the public current research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention and intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to hire and train law enforcement officers as youth-oriented police to work with PCCs, other community-based organizations, and high-risk youths. Establishes a Center for Youth-Oriented Policing. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize grants for the creation and expansion of state, local, and tribal juvenile witness and victim protection programs. Extends and increases funding for juvenile accountability block grants through FY2013.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2007
American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007 - Repeals the Military Commissions Act of 2006. Authorizes the President to establish military commissions for the trial of war crimes only in places of active hostilities against the United States where an immediate trial is necessary to preserve fresh evidence or to prevent local anarchy. Prohibits the President from detaining any individual indefinitely as an unlawful enemy combatant absent proof by substantial evidence that the individual has directly engaged in active hostilities against the United States. Prohibits the detention of any U.S. citizen as an unlawful enemy combatant. Entitles any individual detained as an enemy combatant by the United States to petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Prohibits any civilian or military tribunal of the United States from admitting as evidence statements extracted from the defendant by torture or coercion. Prohibits any federal agency from gathering foreign intelligence in contravention of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Subordinates the President's constitutional power to gather foreign intelligence to such prohibition. Gives the House of Representatives and Senate standing to file a declatory judgment action in an appropriate federal district court to challenge the constitutionality of a presidential signing statement that declares the president's intent to disregard provisions of a bill he has signed into law because he believes they are unconstitutional. Prohibits any U.S. officer or agent from kidnapping, imprisoning, or torturing any person abroad based soley on the president's belief that the subject of the action is a criminal or enemy combatant. Allows kidnapping if undertaken with the intent of bringing the kidnapped person for prosecution or interrogation to gather intelligence before a tribunal that meets international standards of fairness and due process. Provides that nothing in the Espionage Act of 1917 shall prohibit a journalist from publishing information received from the executive branch or Congress unless the publication would cause direct, immediate, and irreparable harm to U.S. national security. Prohibits the use of secret evidence by the President or any other member of the executive branch to designate an individual or organization with a U.S. presence as a foreign terrorist or foreign terrorist organization for purposes of the criminal law or civil sanctions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Early Warning and Health Care for Workers Affected by Globalization Act - Amends the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (the Act) to redefine the terms "employer," "plant closing," and "mass layoff" for purposes of the Act. Requires an employer to: (1) give 90-day written notice (under current law, 60-day) to employees and appropriate state and local governments before ordering a plant closing or mass layoff; (2) notify the Secretary of Labor of such closing or layoff; and (3) provide affected employees with information regarding benefits and services available to them, including unemployment compensation, trade adjustment assistance, COBRA benefits, and certain other services. Requires the Secretary to notify the appropriate U.S. Senators and Members of the House of Representatives who represent the area where such closing or mass layoff is to occur. Makes an employer who violates such notice requirements liable to the employee for, among other things, interest on back pay due the affected employee and an additional amount as liquidated damages for each day of the violation for up to 90 days (under current law, 60 days). Authorizes an affected employee to file a complaint with the Secretary alleging a violation of the notice requirements. Requires the Secretary to investigate and attempt to resolve complaints of violations committed by an employer. Authorizes the Secretary to bring an action in court to recover on behalf of an affected employee any backpay (including interest), benefits, and liquidated damages due to the employee. Requires an employer to post conspicuously upon its premises pertinent provisions of this Act and information on the filing of a complaint. Requires the Secretary to maintain a guide on the benefits and services available to affected employees. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to extend COBRA continuation coverage for certain qualified Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) eligible employees.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2007 - Allows federal employees to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay available for either the: (1) birth of a child; or (2) placement of a child with the employee for either adoption or foster care. Makes available for any of the 12 weeks of leave an employee is entitled to for such purposes: (1) eight administrative weeks of paid leave in connection with the birth or placement involved; and (2) any accumulated annual or sick leave. Amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to allow the same substitution for covered congressional employees.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance, including through international or nongovernmental organizations, for programs to improve human health care capacity in sub-Saharan Africa. Directs the President to develop and transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for coordinating, implementing, and monitoring assistance programs for human health care capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Expresses support and sympathy for the victims of the flooding that occurred across much of Ohio and the surrounding region in August 2007. Conveys gratitude to those who responded to this emergency and who continue working to restore normalcy. Commends the people of Ohio for their indomitable spirit and for the grace and magnanimity with which they have supported one another during the flooding and continuing recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Calls upon the President to develop within the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) a Women and Girls of Darfur Initiative to improve assistance to victims and potential victims of rape and sexual violence in Darfur, Sudan, eastern Chad, and the Central African Republic. Calls upon the Secretary General of the United Nations, the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the Arab League, and other nations to take steps to ensure that a fully funded and fully equipped U.N.-AU peacekeeping force (UNAMID) is deployed to Darfur, including an adequate number of female troops and police to properly manage incidents of rape and sexual violence. Calls upon the Security Council to: (1) find the government of Sudan in noncompliance with Security Council Resolution 1325; (2) call on the government of Sudan to provide legal protections to victims of rape and sexual violence and to bring to justice individuals responsible for such crimes; and (3) enforce the arrest warrants for Ahmad Muhammad Harun and Ali Muhammad Al Abd-Al-Raham, and further recognize the systematic rape of women and girls in Darfur as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2007
Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act - Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish within OPM the Senior Executive Service Resource Office to make recommendations to the Director with respect to regulations, and to provide guidance to agencies, concerning the structure, management, and diverse composition of the Senior Executive Service (SES). Makes it the Office's mission to: (1) improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity of the SES through policy formulation and oversight; (2) advance the professionalism of the SES; and (3) ensure that, in seeking to achieve an SES reflective of the nation's diversity, recruitment is from qualified individuals from appropriate sources. Requires the Office to make statistics concerning career reserved positions accessible to the public through a website. Requires each agency to establish one or more SES evaluation panels, with respect to any SES position for which a vacancy announcement is posted, to: (1) review the qualifications of each candidate for a position which is to be filled by a career appointee; and (2) certify to the executive resources board the names of the best qualified candidates.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2007
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Improvement and Enhancement Act of 2007 - Prescribes the federal law provisions governing domestic electronic surveillance. Directs the President to brief each member of the congressional intelligence committees on: (1) the Terrorist Surveillance Program of the National Security Agency (NSA); and (2) any program which involves the electronic surveillance of U.S. persons in the United States for foreign intelligence purposes which is conducted by any federal department or entity without fully complying with the prescribed federal law provisions. Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) concerning electronic surveillance to: (1) extend the period for the application for orders for emergency electronic surveillance; (2) increase the number of judges with jurisdiction to hear applications for and grant orders approving electronic surveillance within the United States; and (3) provide for the acquisition of foreign communications between or among non-U.S. persons. Provides for the implementation of a document management system for, and authorizes additional personnel for the preparation and consideration of, electronic surveillance applications. Expands electronic surveillance authority under specified conditions, including when Congress is unable to convene because of an attack upon the United States. Repeals the Protect America Act. States that on December 31, 2009: (1) this Act shall cease to have effect; and (2) the provisions of law amended by this Act are amended to read as they read before this Act's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2007
Instructs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: (1) ensure that the Arecibo Observatory, in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, is fully funded to continue its research on Earth's ionosphere, its research in radio astronomy, and research on the solar system; and (2) coordinate with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure that capabilities of the Arecibo Observatory continue to be available for NASA research in characterizing and mitigating Near Earth Objects, and other research as needed.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2007
Honors the life and accomplishments of Luciano Pavarotti and recognizes the significant and positive impact of his astounding musical talent, his achievement in raising the profile of opera with audiences around the world, and his commitment to charitable causes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2007
Commends Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre for establishing a National Football League record for most career touchdown passes. Recognizes Favre for his outstanding community service in Wisconsin and Mississippi and his 16 consecutive years of dedicated service with the Packers.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2007
Recognizes the service of all members of the Armed Forces serving in good standing and with honor to defend the United States, and the personal sacrifices made by them and their families. Commits to judge the merits of opinions of such members regarding the policies of the United States, including those related to military actions in Iraq, without prejudice or personal bias, including refraining from unwarranted personal attacks. Condemns the personal attacks made by broadcaster Rush Limbaugh impugning the integrity and professionalism of members who have expressed opinions regarding military actions in Iraq. Honors all members and civilian personnel serving in harm's way, as well as their families. Pledges to debate any supplemental funding request or any policy decisions regarding the war in Iraq with the solemn respect and commitment to integrity that the sacrifices of these members and civilian personnel deserve.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Fair Disclosure for Homeowners Act of 2007 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require the creditor or servicer of a loan to disclose specified financial information in writing to a consumer concerning the interest rate in effect during the introductory period of a hybrid adjustable rate mortgage which adjusts or resets to a variable interest rate. Requires such disclosure to include: (1) any index or formula used in making adjustments to or resetting the interest rate and a source of information about the index or formula; (2) an explanation of how the new interest rate and payment would be determined; (3) the best estimate of the creditor or servicer of the amount of the monthly payment that will apply after the date of the adjustment or reset, and the assumptions on which this estimate is based; and (4) a list of alternatives consumers may pursue before the date of adjustment or reset, and descriptions of the actions consumers must take to pursue these alternatives. Requires periodic statements provided to a consumer by a creditor or servicer, regarding a hybrid adjustable rate mortgage, to include clearly and conspicuously the date on which such mortgage adjusts or resets from a fixed interest rate during the introductory period to a variable rate.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Recognizes Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh for his contributions to the civil rights movement, his tireless work to prevent nuclear conflict, and his efforts to secure the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Urges the President to: (1) call upon associates and appointees who have asserted executive privilege to come forward and testify before Congress; and (2) use all legal means at his disposal to compel people to cooperate with a congressional investigation.
![Official portrait of Rep. Kucinich, Dennis J. [D-OH-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000336_200.jpg)