United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2007
Raw Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct owners or operators of publicly owned treatment works to: (1) institute an alert system for sewer overflows; (2) notify the public of such overflows in areas where human health is potentially affected not later than 24 hours; (3) immediately notify public health authorities and other affected entities; and (4) provide specified reports to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the state. Makes the alert systems eligible for state water pollution control revolving fund assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2007
Recognizes the historical significance to the nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African Americans were free). Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and more effectively facing the challenges of the future; and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2007
Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to replace the term "navigable waters," throughout the Act, with the term "waters of the United States," defined to mean all waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, the territorial seas, and all interstate and intrastate waters and their tributaries, including lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, natural ponds, and all impoundments of the foregoing, to the fullest extent that these waters, or activities affecting them, are subject to the legislative power of Congress under the Constitution. Declares that nothing in such Act shall be construed as affecting the authority of the Secretary of the Army or the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act related to discharges: (1) composed entirely of agricultural return flows; (2) of stormwater runoff from oil, gas, and mining operations; or (3) of dredged or fill materials resulting from normal farming, silviculture, and ranching activities or from activities with respect to which a state has an approved program, or for the purposes of maintenance of currently serviceable structures or drainage ditches, construction or maintenance of farm or stock ponds, irrigation ditches, or farm, forest, or temporary roads for moving mining equipment, or construction of temporary sedimentation basins on construction sites.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2007
Equal Protection for All Workers Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act to specifically include any individual employed under contract among employees whose deaths resulting from employers' willful violations of standards under the Act subject such employers to criminal penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Colombian Catholic Church, and the Coalition for Human Rights and Internal Displacement should be commended for their initiative to declare the Year of the Rights of the Internally Displaced People in Colombia; (2) the government of Colombia and the international donor community should be encouraged to prioritize discussion of humanitarian assistance and internal displacement with the international donor community, especially within the context of the London-Cartagena Process; and (3) the government of the United States should increase the resources it makes available to provide emergency humanitarian assistance and protection through international and civilian government agencies and assist Colombia's internally displaced people in rebuilding their lives.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Proud to Be an American Citizen Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make funds available annually to the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or to approved public or private nonprofit entities to support public ceremonies for administering oaths of allegiance to naturalizing legal immigrants. States that such ceremonies shall: (1) be held on a date that is on or near Independence Day; and (2) include appropriate outreach, ceremonial, and celebratory activities. Specifies: (1) ceremony fund limits ($5,000); and (2) permitted fund uses.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Declares that the House of Representatives and the American people have lost confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Urges the President to request his resignation and to nominate a new candidate more capable of serving as the head of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Calls upon the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to condemn the atrocities taking place in Darfur, Sudan, and end military and economic assistance to the government of Sudan until Sudan stops civilian attacks and engages in peace negotiations. Recognizes the close relationship between the PRC and Sudan and urges the PRC to use its political, international, and economic influence to stop the violence in Darfur, Sudan. Recognizes that the spirit of the Olympics, which is to bring together nations and people from all over the world in peace, is incompatible with actions supporting acts of genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Luis Posada Carriles should be certified as a terrorist and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Student Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each state's public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy. Requires each system to do so through: (1) providing specified fundamentals of educational opportunity to students at each public elementary and secondary school; (2) providing educational services in school districts that receive funds for disadvantaged students that are, taken as a whole, at least comparable to educational services provided in school districts not receiving such funds; and (3) complying with any final federal or state court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the system. Requires withholding of specified portions of its federal funding for administrative expenses if a system: (1) fails to meet a yearly interim goal; (2) does not remedy, after two school years, a failure to provide comparable educational services to schools that receive funds for disadvantaged children; or (3) does not comply with a court order. Allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in federal district courts. Directs the Commissioner of Education Statistics to study the effects of educational disparities on economic growth and on national defense.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Local Food and Farm Support Act - Amends the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a grant program to support value-added agricultural products which shall include a socially disadvantaged farmer and rancher component and may include a small and individual producer grant component. Directs the Secretary to establish a Family Rancher and Rancher Viability and Innovation Fund. Amends the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to direct the Secretary, through the Agricultural Marketing Service, to: (1) establish a grant program for eligible entities to conduct enterprise feasibility studies, including studies of consumer preference; and (2) provide loans and loan guarantees to eligible entities and individual producers to develop processing, distribution, and information infrastructure for locally or regionally produced food. Amends the Farmers-to-Consumers Direct Marketing Act of 1976 to direct the Secretary to carry out a direct to consumer marketing assistance program to make grants to eligible entities for projects to establish, expand, and promote farmers' markets and other farmer to consumer direct marketing opportunities. Extends: (1) the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) farmers' market nutrition program; (2) the senior farmers' market nutrition program; (3) the food stamp community food project program; and (4) the farm-to cafeteria program. Establishes: (1) the food stamp fruit and vegetable incentive program; and (2) the urban agriculture production program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Family and Workplace Balancing Act of 2007, or Balancing Act of 2007 - Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make five-year grants to a state or local government to pay for the federal share of projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to family caregiving needs, especially those related to the birth or adoption of a child. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and federal civil service law to allow employees covered by FMLA and civil servants to take specified additional leave for: (1) parental involvement in their children's or grandchildren's educational and extracurricular activities; and (2) routine family medical care needs. Amends FMLA to revise criteria for covered employees. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize additional funds for expanding child care activities for young children under age three. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, to make grants to enable states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to establish or expand quality programs of early childhood home visitation. Establishes: (1) the Child Care Provider Development and Retention Grant Program; and (2) the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program. Healthy Early Education Workforce Grant Program Act - Authorizes the HHS Secretary to allot funds to eligible states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to pay the federal share of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for: (1) eligible child care providers; and (2) at state option, the spouses, domestic partners, and dependents of such providers. Child Care Construction and Renovation Incentive Grants Act - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to provide for use of community development block grants to establish child care facilities. Amends the National Housing Act to provide for related mortgage insurance. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make technical and financial assistance grants for acquiring or improving such facilities or related equipment. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a business child care incentive grant program. Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the HHS Secretary to make grants to state agencies to develop full-day, full-year universal prekindergarten programs for all children three, four, and five years old. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a universal free school breakfast program without regard to family incomes. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program of healthy school nutrition environment incentive grants. Afterschool Education Enhancement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require state educational agencies to give priority to 21st century community learning centers program grant applications submitted jointly by eligible entities consisting of at least: (1) one local educational agency receiving funds under ESEA provisions for disadvantaged students; and (2) at least one community-based organization or other public or private entity. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for treatment of employees working at less than full-time under participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans and under group health plans, including certain individuals whose services are leased or contracted for. United States Business Telework Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a pilot program in up to five states to raise awareness about telework among employers and to encourage them to offer telework options to employees.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Deamonte's Law - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to federally qualified health centers to expand and improve the provision of pediatric dental services to medically underserved populations by: (1) recruiting dentists, pediatric dentists, or dentists with pediatric training to provide pediatric dental services; (2) purchasing or renting dental equipment; (3) constructing and expanding space; and (4) allowing contractual relationships between such health centers and private dental providers to increase access to dental care for adults. Requires the Secretary to make grants to schools of dentistry and hospitals with accredited training programs to increase the number of individuals who pursue academic programs in pediatric dentistry by: (1) establishing, maintaining, or improving pre- and post-doctoral academic programs in pediatric dentistry; (2) recruiting and training dental students to pursue training in pediatric dentistry; (3) strengthening training in pediatric dentistry within advanced education in general dentistry and general practice residencies in dentistry programs; or (4) recruiting and training practicing dentists through continuing education programs in pediatric dentistry.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
MediKids Health Insurance Act of 2007 - Amends the Social Security Act to add a new title XXII (Medikids Program), which creates a program to guarantee comprehensive health care coverage, including prescription drugs for all children meeting specified age requirements. Creates the MediKids Trust Fund. Expands the membership of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to 19. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a MediKids premium for the taxable year, with an exemption for very low-income taxpayers; and (2) create a refundable tax credit providing a catastrophic limit on MediKids cost-sharing expenses. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to propose a gradual schedule of progressive tax changes to fund the Medikids program, as the number of enrollees grows in the out-years.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
School Safety Enhancements Act of 2007 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) allow the placement and use of surveillance equipment in schools under the matching grant program for public elementary and secondary school security; (2) allow the use of grant funds to establish hotlines or tiplines for reporting potentially dangerous students and situations and for making capital improvements to make school facilities more secure; (3) set the federal matching share of program costs at 80%; and (4) revise application requirements for school security grants. Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Secretary of Education to establish an interagency task force to develop and promulgate advisory school safety guidelines. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education participating in any program under title IV (Student Assistance) of that Act to: (1) conduct an annual campus safety assessment in consultation with local law enforcement officials; and (2) develop and implement a campus emergency response plan that addresses a comprehensive set of emergency situations, including natural disasters, active shooter situations, and terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Education Begins at Home Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) allot grants to states, Indians, territories, and possessions for programs of early childhood home visitation; and (2) make competitive grants to local educational agencies and other eligible applicants for early home visitation for families with English language learners. Directs the Secretary of Defense to make competitive grants to eligible applicants for early home visitation for military families. Amends the Head Start Act to direct the Secretary of HHS to establish standards for home visitor staff in Early Head Start programs with respect to their training, qualifications, and conduct of home visits. Revises Early Head Start programs to provide for: (1) training in parenting skills and child development; (2) certain home-based and family support services; (3) procedures for transition into Head Start or other local early childhood education programs; (4) staff communication and program coordination; and (5) professional development and personnel enhancement. Directs the Secretary of HHS to develop and implement a public information and educational campaign to inform the public and new parents about the importance of proper care for infants and children under five years of age.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Commodities Exchange Act to direct both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to prohibit purchase or sale of either securities or commodities for future delivery by a person in possession of material nonpublic information regarding pending or prospective legislative action if the information was obtained: (1) knowingly from a Member or employee of Congress; (2) by reason of being a Member or employee of Congress; and (3) other federal employees. Amends the Code of Official Conduct of the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit designated House personnel from disclosing material nonpublic information relating to any pending or prospective legislative action relating to either securities of a publicly-traded company or a commodity if such personnel has reason to believe that the information will be used to buy or sell the securities or commodity based on such information. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require formal disclosure of certain securities and commodities futures transactions to either the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate. Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to subject to its registration, reporting, and disclosure requirements political intelligence activities, contacts, firms, and consultants.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Abusive Tax Shelter Shutdown and Taxpayer Accountability Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise or add provisions relating to tax shelter activity, including provisions to: (1) define "economic substance" for purposes of evaluating tax shelter transactions; (2) increase penalties for large entities and high net-worth individuals for failure to disclose certain tax shelter transactions; (3) impose penalties for understatements of tax due to transactions lacking economic substance; (4) deny material tax advisors a claim of privilege as to the identity of a client; (5) revise standards for the penalty for understatement of tax liability by income tax return preparers and increase the penalties for such understatements; (6) revise and increase the penalties for frivolous tax submissions; (7) deny a tax deduction for interest on underpayments of tax due to nondisclosed reportable transactions and transactions lacking economic substance; (8) expand the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to disallow certain tax benefits arising from the acquisition of corporate stock; (9) modify certain passive loss rules for controlled foreign corporations; and (10) provide a rule for the reduction in basis of corporate stock for which certain extraordinary dividends are received.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Polar Bear Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit issuing permits for the importation of polar bear parts taken in a sport hunt.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
ALS Registry Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, or progress to ALS; and (2) establish a national registry for the collection and storage of such data. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish the Advisory Committee on the National ALS Registry to review information and make recommendations to the Secretary concerning: (1) the development and maintenance of the registry; (2) the type of information to be included; (3) the manner in which data is to be collected; (4) the use and availability of such data; and (5) the collection of information about diseases and disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on ALS and other motor neuron disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for research access to ALS data as recommended by the Advisory Committee in a manner that protects personal privacy. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information is made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
Striving Readers Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Education to provide peer-reviewed grants for literacy initiatives benefiting students in grades 4 through 12 to: (1) local educational agencies (LEAs) eligible for school improvement funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, if appropriations under this Act are less than $200 million; or (2) state educational agencies (SEAs), and through them, to LEAs, if appropriations equal or exceed such amount. Allots funds to SEAs on the basis of their relative proportion of needy children aged 5 to 17 and eighth graders underachieving in reading. Requires SEAs, in addition to providing subgrants, to use grant funds to: (1) provide professional development assistance to LEAs; (2) enhance public higher education for students preparing to teach any of grades 4 through 12; (3) recommend improvements to state licensure and certification standards for reading instruction in such grades; and (4) report to the Secretary of Education on SEA and LEA progress in improving adolescent literacy. Requires LEAs to use grant or subgrant funds on literacy initiatives that include: (1) student need and progress assessments and reports; (2) development of adolescent literacy plans for underperforming students that provide intensive, accelerated, and extended instruction for such students and professional development for teachers; and (3) initiative training for school leaders. Prohibits the use of subgrant funds on schools that do not meet specified need criteria. Authorizes the withholding of grant or subgrants funds from SEAs and LEAs making insufficient progress in improving adolescent literacy. Requires a national evaluation and the dissemination of information regarding the effectiveness of the grant and subgrant programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
Pay Veterans First Act - Prohibits for FY2007 the payment of a performance-based bonus to any officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) who is appointed by the President, by and with the consent of the Senate, or who is a senior politically appointed officer unless, at the time of the payment, fewer than 100,000 claims for veterans' disability compensation are pending before the VA. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct an audit of VA claims processing, and report audit results to Congress, for any quarter of FY2007 during which the percentage of disallowed claims exceeds by more than 10% the percentage that were disallowed during FY2006.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
Supports the goals and ideals of Caribbean-American Heritage Month (in the month of June). Affirms that: (1) the contributions of Caribbean-Americans are a significant part of the history, progress, and heritage of the United States; and (2) the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Mother's Day Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 400,000 $1 coins emblematic of the 100th anniversary of President Wilson's proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins beginning January 1, 2014, except that the Secretary may initiate sales of such coins, without issuance, before such date. Terminates such minting authority after December 31, 2014. Requires coin sales to include a $10 surcharge per coin, with distribution of such surcharges to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Osteoporosis Foundation for the purpose of furthering research.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2007 or NOPEC - Amends the Sherman Act to declare it to be illegal and a violation of the Act for any foreign state or instrumentality thereof to act collectively or in combination with any other foreign state or any other person, whether by cartel or any other association or form of cooperation or joint action, to limit the production or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product (petroleum), to set or maintain the price of petroleum, or to otherwise take any action in restraint of trade for petroleum, when such action has a direct, substantial, and reasonably foreseeable effect on the market, supply, price, or distribution of petroleum in the United States. Denies a foreign state engaged in such conduct sovereign immunity from the jurisdiction or judgements of U.S. courts in any action brought to enforce this Act. States that no U.S. court shall decline, based on the act of state doctrine, to make a determination on the merits in an action brought under this Act. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action in U.S. district court to enforce this Act. Makes an exception to the jurisdictional immunity of a foreign state in an action brought under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 - Applies this Act to any mining claim, millsite claim, or tunnel site claim located under the general mining laws. Conditions federal issuance of a patent for any mining claim located under the general mining laws upon specified determinations made by the Secretary of the Interior. Subjects production of locatable minerals from a mining claim to a royalty of 8 % of the net smelter return. Sets forth requirements governing: (1) lands open to location; (2) environmental protection standards, including reclamation, in connection with mineral activities on mining claims, millsite claims, or tunnel site claims; and (3) state or local law that meets or exceeds requirements of this Act. Establishes the Abandoned Locatable Minerals Mine Reclamation Fund and the Locatable Minerals Community Impact Assistance Fund. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretaries) to establish user fees to reimburse federal expenditures in administering this Act. Requires the Secretaries to inspect and monitor mineral activities to ensure compliance with the environmental protection requirements of this Act. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to subject oil shale claims to the reclamation requirements of this Act. Declares the Multiple Minerals Development Act, and specified federal law regarding unpatented mining claims, applicable to all mining claims located under the general mining laws and maintained in compliance with this Act. Subjects deposits of specified mineral materials to disposal only under the Materials Act of 1947.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2007
Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2007 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include lactation (breastfeeding, including expression of milk) as protected conduct under such Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a business tax credit for breast pumps and other equipment to assist employed mothers to breastfeed or express milk for their children and for consultation services relating to breastfeeding. Safe and Effective Breast Pumps Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) put into effect a performance standard for breast pumps irrespective of the class to which the breast pumps have been classified under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; and (2) issue a compliance policy guide which will assure that women who want to breastfeed a child are given full and complete information respecting breast pumps. Expands the definition of medical care in the Internal Revenue Code for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses to include qualified breastfeeding equipment and services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Statistics Act of 2007 - Amends the Hate Crime Statistics Act to include crimes against the homeless in the crime data collected by the Attorney General under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Teacher Excellence for All Children Act of 2007 - Revises and establishes programs relating to recruitment, preparation, distribution, and retention of public elementary and secondary school teachers and principals. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish: (1) teacher education assistance for college and higher education (TEACH ) grants for undergraduate and graduate students who agree to serve as teachers in high-need schools and fields; and (2) grants to recruit teachers with mathematics, science, or language majors. Extends the authorization of appropriations for HEA teacher quality enhancement grants for states and partnerships. Revises HEA student loan forgiveness requirements to: (1) extend permanently additional amounts for teachers in mathematics, science, or special education provided by the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004; (2) increase other amounts, making reading specialists eligible for such forgiveness; and (3) apply forgiveness in annual increments rather than in a lump sum at end of service. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to establish grant programs to improve teaching at high-need schools. Requires states to provide assurances of their reasonable progress toward equitable access to teacher quality as a condition of assistance under ESEA. Amends the Education Sciences Reform Act to direct the Statistics Commissioner to publish results of certain schools and staffing surveys. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from gross income up to $15,000 for compensation of teachers and principals in certain high-need schools or teaching certain high-need subjects; and (2) increase to a maximum of $500 and make permanent the above-the-line deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary schoolteachers.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Enforcement Act - Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to revise the definition of "hate crime" to include a crime against an individual based on such individual's actual or perceived homeless status.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Uniting American Families Act of 2007 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include permanent partners (as defined by this Act) within the scope of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Amends the Clean Air Act to require: (1) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate low carbon fuel performance standards for fuels and other sources of energy used to propel vehicles; and (2) such standards to begin to apply in 2015. Sets forth a declining standard that represents a graduated percentage reduction in aggregate emissions of GHG per Btu for each five-year period beginning in 2015. Requires the Administrator to review available control technology, safety considerations, and land and other resources available for production of fuels and other sources of energy used to propel vehicles. Authorizes the Administrator to promulgate a more stringent standard if, based on such review, the Administrator determines it to be requisite to protect the public health and welfare from any known or anticipated adverse effects associated with GHG emissions. Requires the Administrator, not later than January 1, 2010, to promulgate a low carbon fuel performance standard for fuels and other sources of energy used by aircraft. Provides that such standard shall: (1) apply for 2015-2019; and (2) remain in effect unless, for each five-year period thereafter beginning in 2020, the Administrator and the Secretary of Transportation determine after a thorough review of available technology and safety considerations that a more stringent standard is necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. Sets forth provisions concerning compliance with the standard and calculations of the GHG emission rate per Btu. Requires the Administrator, not later than January 1, 2009, to identify and label low-carbon transportation fuels based on specified criteria. Prohibits transportation fuel sold in interstate commerce after January 1, 2010, from being derived from biomass from: (1) lands where ecosystem conversion has occurred after enactment of this Act; (2) sensitive lands; (3) specified lands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program or the wetlands reserves program; (4) specified national interest lands; (5) recyclable postconsumer waste paper, painted, treated, or pressurized wood, or wood contaminated with plastic or metals; (6) municipal solid waste; or (7) materials produced, harvested, acquired, transported, or processed pursuant to an exemption from otherwise applicable environmental laws. Requires the Administrator to ensure that no transportation fuel sold or introduced in interstate commerce after January 1, 2010, shall result in average per gallon vehicle emissions of air pollutants in excess of the 2007 emission levels or in a violation of any motor vehicle emission or fuel content limitation under such Act. Authorizes sums to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for a cooperative program of research and development relating to lower carbon alternatives for aircraft jet fuel and fuel for other vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Requires the President to close the Department of Defense (DOD) detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Requires all current detainees there to be: (1) transferred to a military or civilian detention facility in the United States (U.S. facility) and charged with a violation of U.S. or international law and tried before a regularly-constituted court; (2) transferred to a U.S. facility without being charged if the detainee may be held as an enemy combatant or pursuant to other legal authority; (3) transferred to an international tribunal operating under authority of the United Nations (UN) with jurisdiction to hold trials; (4) transferred to their country of citizenship or a different country for further legal process, provided that such country provides adequate assurances that the individual will not be subject to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; or (5) released from any further detention.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2007
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park Boundary Adjustment Act - Modifies the boundary of the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Ohio to include certain lands marked for inclusion in the Park. Permits the acqusition of lands added under this Act only from willing sellers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2007
Kinship Caregiver Support Act - Authorizes the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants to eligible entities to pay for the federal share of the cost of carrying out kinship navigator programs. Amends part E (Federal Payments for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to authorize all states to opt to enter agreements to provide kinship guardianship assistance payments on behalf of children to grandparents and other relatives who have assumed legal guardianship of children for whom they have cared as foster parents and have committed to care for on a permanent basis. Provides that adoptive parents of children with special needs remain eligible for adoption assistance, even if they receive kinship guardianship assistance. Authorizes the use of foster care independence program funds to provide independent living services and education and training vouchers for children who exit foster care to kinship guardianship or adoption after age 14. Directs the Secretary to enter into agreements with eligible entities to conduct demonstration kinship guardianship assistance projects. Requires states to: (1) notify all adult grandparents and other adult relatives (with exceptions due to family or domestic violence) when a child is removed from custody of a parent or parents; and (2) explain the options the relative has to participate in the child's care and placement. Allows state agencies to establish separate standards for foster family homes in which a foster parent is a relative of the foster child. Expands the definition of family support services to include assisting kinship caregivers or guardians in locating and accessing needed services. Requires that states inform case workers and families considering guardianship of all permanency options and service eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2007
Animal Protection Accountability Improvement Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit a person from using a live animal to: (1) demonstrate a medical device or product to a sales representative, or in a workshop or training session, for marketing purposes; (2) train a sales representative to use a medical device or product; or (3) create a multimedia recording for the purpose of marketing a medical device or product. Exempts from this requirement the training of medical personnel for a purpose other than marketing a medical device or product. Increases the cap on the fine for violations of humane standards and record keeping requirements at auction sales from $2,500 to $10,000 for each violation. Provides that each animal that is the subject of a violation shall be a separate offense. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to include in a report to Congress an identification of all research facilities, intermediate handlers, carriers, and exhibitors registered under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2007
Congratulates Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens on its 50th anniversary and honors it for its commitment to sharing its history, gardens, and art collections with the public.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Feeding America's Families Act of 2007 - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 with respect to: (1) inflation adjustments; (2) standard deduction increases; (3) combat pay, retirement account, and education account exclusions; (4) minimum benefit increases; (5) countable resource increases; (6) legal immigrant eligibility; (7) work requirements; (8) state option to provide food assistance to foster community reintegration; (9) program administration; (10) cash payment pilot projects; (11) food stamp program reauthorization; (12) block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa; (13) outreach; (14) food stamp use at farmers' markets; (15) community food projects, community food assistance, and food bank infrastructure; (16) creation of the national food for the hungry transportation, self-help, and job-training fund; and (17) hunger-free communities collaborative grants. Establishes in the Department of Agriculture the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship Program and the Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowship Program. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to repeal the hunger fellowship program. Amends the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to extend the commodity supplemental food program.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require hospitals to implement staffing plans that meet specified ratios for direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing levels for each unit and other requirements, including for receiving input from nurses. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to further limit such ratios as needed to ensure public safety and to establish ratios for units not specified. Provides an exception to such staffing requirements for a declared state of emergency. Requires hospitals to provide the Secretary with their staffing plan and annual updates. Requires the Secretary to conduct audits to ensure the implementation of adequate staffing plans. Requires the Secretary: (1) acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to complete a study of licensed practical nurse staffing and its effects on patient care in hospitals; and (2) to establish requirements for hospitals based on the outcome of the study. Requires the Secretary to adjust payments to cover additional Medicare costs that are attributable to this Act. Requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to submit to Congress and the Secretary a report estimating total costs and savings attributable to compliance with nurse staffing requirements. Provides nurses with the right to refuse to accept assignments that would violate staffing requirements or for which they are not prepared. Prohibits retaliation by hospitals for such refusals or for reporting violations of staffing requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (popularly known as the Clean Water Act) to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to place limitations on mandatory overtime for nurses, prohibit retaliation against them in any manner with respect to any aspect of employment, and establish civil money penalties for violations of this Act. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on standards to establish for the maximum number of hours that a nurse may work without compromising the safety of patients. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to study and report to Congress on the extent to which federally operated medical facilities have in effect practices and policies for overtime requirements for nurses that are inconsistent with the requirements added by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Teri Zenner Social Worker Safety Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to states to provide safety measures to social workers and other professionals working with violent, drug-using, or other at-risk populations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Recognizes National Physical Education and Sports Week and the central role of physical activity and sports in creating a healthy lifestyle for all children and youth. Urges communities to work with schools and key stakeholders of the community to craft and implement a local wellness plan, as required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, that includes goals for physical activity, nutrition education, and other school-based activities to promote physical education, as well as nutrition guidelines for foods sold in schools, implementation plans, and measures to determine effectiveness. Encourages schools to offer physical education classes to students and work with community partners to provide opportunities and safe spaces for physical activities before and after school and during the summer for all children and youth.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Financial Services Diversity Initiative - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) active measures should be taken by employers and educational institutions to increase the demographic diversity of the financial services industry; and (2) diversity within the financial services industry is vitally important not only to promoting innovation and creativity in the industry but to developing a more inclusive workforce for a fair and just economy.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2007
Human and Pet Food Safety Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to require a person that has reason to believe that any food introduced into interstate commerce may be in violation of the FFDCA to immediately notify the Secretary of the Health and Human Services of the identity and location of the food. Requires the Secretary, upon a determination that such food is in violation of the FFDCA and that there is a reasonable probability that the food, if consumed, would present a threat to the public health, to give appropriate persons an opportunity to: (1) cease distribution of the food; (2) notify all relevant persons to cease distribution of the food; (3) recall the food; and (4) provide notice to consumers and public health officials. Authorizes the Secretary to control and possess the food and to order the person to immediately cease distribution of the food if the person refuses or does not adequately carry out such actions. Sets forth certification and inspection requirements for foreign governments and foreign firms seeking to import food into the Unites States. Directs the Secretary to take certain action during an ongoing recall of human or pet food, including posting information regarding recalled products on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) processing and ingredient standards for feed, pet food, animal waste, and ingredient definitions; (2) update standards for pet food labeling that includes nutritional information and ingredient information; and (3) an early warning and surveillance system to identify contaminations of the pet food supply and outbreaks of illness from pet food.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2007
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Pilots Equitable Treatment Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), with regard to both single-employer and multiemployer plan guaranteed benefits, to require the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in the case of commercial airline pilots required by Federal Aviation Administration regulation to retire before age 65, to compute the actuarial value of monthly benefits in the form of a life annuity commencing at the required retirement age.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 - Establishes the Federal Railroad Safety Administration within the Department of Transportation (effectively replacing the Federal Railroad Administration). Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop a long-term strategy for improving railroad safety. Redefines "signal employee" to eliminate the requirement that such individual be employed by a railroad carrier. Revises hours of service requirements for a signal employee and a train employee to prohibit, except in an emergency, a railroad carrier from requiring or allowing such employee to remain or go on duty: (1) unless the employee has had at least 10 consecutive hours off duty during the prior 24 hours; (2) for a period in excess of 12 consecutive hours; or (3) unless the employee has had at least one period of at least 24 consecutive hours off duty in the past seven consecutive days. Requires each railroad carrier to submit to the Secretary a fatigue management plan to reduce accidents and injuries caused by fatigue. Sets forth additional whistleblower protections for those who provide notification of a work-related injury or illness, who cooperate with a safety investigation, who furnish rail accident information, who accurately report hours of duty, or who refuse to authorize the use of safety equipment, track, or structures that are in a hazardous condition. Entitles a prevailing employee who alleges discrimination to damages. Sets forth criminal penalties for violations of such requirements. Revises emergency notification of grade crossing problems provisions to require each railroad carrier to establish a toll-free telephone service for the public to report malfunctions of signals and disabled vehicles blocking railroad tracks at grade crossings. Increases penalties for violations of rail safety regulations prescribed or orders issued by the Secretary, including violations related to rail accident reporting and hours of service. Makes it unlawful for a person to knowingly interfere with a rail accident investigation. Sets forth rail safety requirements concerning: (1) positive train control systems; (2) warnings in nonsignaled areas; (3) track management; (4) conductor certification; (5) employee training; (6) treatment of employee injuries; (7) emergency breathing apparatus; and (8) the locomotive cab environment. Rail Passenger Disaster Family Assistance Act of 2007 - Directs the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to provide certain assistance to families of passengers involved in a rail passenger accident that results in a major loss of life. Requires each rail passenger carrier to submit to the Secretary and the NTSB a plan for addressing the needs of such families.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Urges Congress and the executive branch to: (1) recognize the successful use of advanced imaging technologies in the fight against breast cancer; and (2) provide additional support for the research and development of technologies for prostate cancer detection and treatment comparable to mammograms.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that, as the leaders of the United States and the Republic of India have expressed commitment to the values of human freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, it is in U.S. interests to address the treatment of the Dalits and Tribals in India by: (1) raising the issue of caste discrimination and untouchability; (2) inviting Dalit organizations to participate in the planning and implementation of U.S. development projects; (3) prioritizing funding for projects that positively impact Dalit and Tribal communities, especially women; (4) ensuring that anyone receiving U.S. government funds in India is aware that it is U.S. policy that caste discrimination is unacceptable; (5) ensuring that qualified Dalits are not discouraged from working with the U.S. government or U.S.-funded organizations in India; and (6) discussing the issue of caste in the context of congressional delegations.
![Official portrait of Rep. Kucinich, Dennis J. [D-OH-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000336_200.jpg)