United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007
21st Century High-Performing Public School Facilities Act - Requires the Secretary of Education to make grants in each fiscal year to local educational agencies (LEAs) in each state for the construction, modernization, or repair of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools to make them safe, healthy, high-performing, and technologically up-to-date. Gives priority to LEAs serving a high number or percentage of disadvantaged children and those whose public schools are in relatively poor condition. Requires LEAs to contribute funds toward the costs of the program, but uses a sliding scale that factors in the relative poverty of an LEA's service area. Requires the Secretary to make low-interest loans to LEAs in each fiscal year for the same purposes and with the same priorities given in the distribution of the grants. Establishes the School Construction, Modernization, and Repair Revolving Fund consisting of amounts derived from the low-interest loans and appropriations made to the Fund by this Act. Amends part D of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize and make appropriations for educational technology.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2007
Independent Health Record Trust Act of 2007 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe standards for the establishment, certification, operation, and interoperability of independent health record trusts (IHRTs). Establishes a fiduciary duty requiring an IHRT to act for the benefit and interest of participants and of the IHRT as a whole. Sets forth penalties for any knowing or reckless breach of such duty. Sets forth permitted uses for an electronic health record, including: (1) a primary use for purposes of the individual's self-care or care by health care professionals; and (2) a secondary use for purposes of public health research or related activities. Directs that participation in an IHRT, or authorizing access to information from such trust, is voluntary. Prohibits any person from requiring that an individual participate in, or authorize access to information from, an IHRT. Authorizes an IHRT to generate revenue to pay for operations through: (1) charging participants account fees; (2) charging authorized IHRT data users for accessing electronic health records; (3) the sale of information; and (4) any other activity determined appropriate by the FTC. Prohibits an IHRT from charging a fee for the transmittal of information from a health care provider to be included in an independent electronic health record. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an Interagency Steering Committee to coordinate the implementation of this Act. Requires the National Committee for Vital and Health Statistics to serve as an advisory committee for IHRTs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an energy tax credit and a residential energy efficient property tax credit for geothermal heat pump systems.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2007
Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 authorized the President to use the Armed Forces as appropriate to defend U.S. national security against the continuing threat posed by the government of Iraq at the time; (2) the government of Iraq which was in power at that time has been removed; (3) the current Iraqi government does not pose a threat to the United States; and (4) after more than four years of efforts by members of the Armed Forces and U.S. civilians, the government of Iraq must now be responsible for Iraq's future course. Directs the Secretary of Defense to commence the reduction of the number of Armed Forces in Iraq beginning no later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act and complete the reduction and transition to a limited presence in Iraq by no later than April 1, 2008 Directs the President, by January 1, 2008, to transmit to the congressional defense, appropriations, and foreign relations committees a comprehensive U.S. strategy for Iraq. Requires the President to update such strategy no later than July 1, 2008, and every 90 days thereafter, including a description of the number of Armed Forces deployed to Iraq and the missions for which they are so deployed.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
Housing Fairness Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to conduct, and report to Congress on, a nationwide testing program to: (1) detect and document differences in the treatment of persons seeking to rent or purchase housing or obtain or refinance a home mortgage loan; (2) measure patterns of adverse treatment because of the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability status, or national origin of a renter, home buyer, or borrower; and (3) measure the prevalence of such discriminatory practices across housing and mortgage lending markets. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 to reauthorize the fair housing initiatives program. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should: (1) fully comply with such Act's requirements to establish, design, and maintain a national education and outreach program for the development and dissemination of the fair housing rights of individuals who seek to rent, purchase, sell, or facilitate the sale of a home; (2) use all amounts appropriated for such program; and (3) promulgate regulations on the fair housing obligations of each recipient of federal housing funds to affirmatively further fair housing. Directs the Secretary to implement a competitive matching grant program to assist private nonprofit organizations in: (1) conducting comprehensive studies of specified aspects of the causes and effects of housing discrimination and segregation; and (2) implementing pilot projects that test solutions to help prevent or alleviate housing discrimination and segregation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812. Requires a coin design emblematic of the War of 1812, particularly the Battle for Fort McHenry that formed the basis for the Star-Spangled Banner . Authorizes the Secretary to issue the coins only during the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2012. Requires specified surcharges in sales of the coin, which shall be paid to the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission for: (1) the purpose of supporting bicentennial activities; and (2) preservation and improvement activities relating to the sites and structures relating to the War of 1812.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007 - Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to establish in the Treasury a National Affordable Housing Trust Fund available to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide assistance to states, Indian tribes, insular areas, and participating local jurisdictions to increase the supply of decent quality affordable housing, especially for low-income, extremely low-income, and very poor families.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
Congratulates the Town of New Milford, Connecticut, on the occasion of its 300th anniversary. Honors the town for its history, growth, and contributions to Connecticut and the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2007
Recognizes: (1) the importance of the federal government's continued support of Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA) research; and (2) that federal support of comprehensive centers for rare disease patients enhances the ability for experienced doctors to provide the most complete care for each patient. Commends: (1) Schneider Children's Hospital for providing the first DBA Comprehensive Clinical Care Center and developing the DBA Patient Registry; and (2) the Daniella Maria Arturi Foundation and the Diamon-Blackfan Anemia Foundation for their efforts to facilitate collaboration among the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to achieve a successful multidisciplinary approach aimed at shortening the life cycle of success realized between the laboratory and applied patient care. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the government has a responsibility to encourage further efforts to clarify the natural history of DBA, continue efforts to raise awareness and ease access to information about DBA, encourage research efforts that will advance treatment options and seek a cure, encourage NIH to develop a cross-institutional research initiative to study ribosomal protein deficiencies in rare inherited disease, and encourage continued federal support of the DBA Comprehensive Clinical Care Centers.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2007
Recognizes the historical and educational significance of the Freedom Schooner Amistad's Atlantic Freedom Tour. Declares that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that preserving the legacy of the Amistad should be regarded as a means of fostering multicultural dialogue, education, and cooperation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2007
Recognizes and congratulates Malaysia on its 50th anniversary of independence. Supports a strong bilateral relationship between the United States and Malaysia and continued cooperation in such important areas as counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, and trade.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2007
Michelle's Law - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit a group health plan from terminating coverage of a dependent child due to a medically necessary leave of absence from a postsecondary education institution or any other change in enrollment at that institution that commences while such child is suffering from a severe illness or injury and causes such child to lose full-time student status before that earlier of: (1) one year after the first day of the medically necessary leave of absence; or (2) the date on which such coverage would otherwise terminate under the terms of the plan. Requires certification by the child's attending physician. Applies such requirement to coverage offered in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2007
Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to declare that an unlawful employment practice occurs when a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted when an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice, or when an individual is affected by application of the decision or practice, including each time compensation is paid. Allows a person filing an action to challenge similar or related instances of compensation discrimination after an aggrieved person filed a charge without filing another charge. Accrues liability, and an aggrieved person may obtain relief including recovery of back pay for up to two years preceding the filing of the charge, where the unlawful employment practices that have occurred during the charge filing period are similar or related to practices that occurred outside the time for filing a charge. Applies the amendments of this paragraph to claims of compensation discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Amends the Age Discrimination Act of 1967 to declare that an unlawful practice occurs when a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted, when a person becomes subject to the decision or other practice, or when a person is affected by the decision or practice, including each time compensation is paid. Allows a person filing an action to challenge similar or related instances of compensation discrimination after an aggrieved person filed a charge without filing another charge with the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat as ordinary income (i.e., income taxed at regular income tax rates) income received by a partner from an investment services partnership interest. Defines "investment services partnership interest" as any interest in a partnership held by a person who provides services to a partnership by: (1) advising the partnership as to the value of specified assets (e.g., real estate, commodities, or options or derivative contracts); (2) advising the partnership about investing in, purchasing, or selling specified assets; (3) managing, acquiring, or disposing of specified assets; or (4) arranging financing with respect to acquiring specified assets.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2007
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate, establish, and operate at least six Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health-care facilities as locations for epilepsy centers of excellence. Requires the Under Secretary for Health of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to establish a peer review panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of proposals for the designation of such centers. Requires a VHA national coordinator for epilepsy programs to: (1) supervise the operation of the centers; (2) coordinate and support throughout the VA health-care system better access to diagnosis, research, care, and education for epilepsy and traumatic brain injury; and (3) conduct regular evaluations of the centers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2007
Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to renewable energy sources and energy conservation. Extends: (1) the tax credit for producing electricity from renewable resources through 2012; (2) the energy tax credit for investment in solar energy and fuel cell property through 2016; (3) the special rule for treatment of gain from electronic transmission transactions by certain electric utilities through 2009; (4) the tax credit for installing nonhydrogen alternative fuel refueling property through 2010; (5) the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel used as fuel through 2010; and (6) the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial building expenditures through 2013. Allows new tax credits for: (1) investment in new clean renewable energy bonds, qualified energy conservation bonds, and residential energy efficiency assistance bonds; and (2) the production of plug-in hybrid motor vehicles, cellulosic alcohol fuel, and electricity from marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy sources. Allows a tax exclusion for bicycle commuting reimbursements. Revises certain tax incentives for investment in the New York Liberty Zone. Revises tax credit amounts for certain energy efficient household appliances produced after 2007. Allows a five-year recovery period for the depreciation of qualified energy management devices. Denies a tax deduction for income attributable to the domestic production of oil, natural gas, and any related products. Increases to seven years the amortization period for geological and geophysical expenditures for major integrated oil companies. Revises tax rules relating to foreign oil and gas extraction income and foreign produced fuel used or sold outside the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2007
Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2009-FY2013 for: (1) type I diabetes research; and (2) diabetes prevention and treatment through Indian health facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2007
Northern California Ocean and Coastal Protection Act - Prohibits oil and gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities in areas of the outer Continental Shelf located off the coast of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties in the state of California. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to exclude such areas from a mandatory inventory of reserves in the Outer Continental Shelf.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2007
Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 with respect to hours-of-service requirements airline flight crews must meet to qualify for leave under such Act. Declares that a flight attendant or flight crewmember will be considered to meet such requirements if he or she has been paid for or has worked 60% of the employer's monthly hour or trip guarantee, or the equivalent annualized over the preceding 12-month period.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2007
NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), to mint and issue $50 gold and $1 silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA and JPL. Requires all such coin sales to include a surcharge of $50 per $50 coin, and of $10 per $1 coin. Requires distribution of the first $4 million to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties. Requires distribution of: (1) one-half of the next $1 million of the remaining amounts to the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Educational (D.R.E.M.E.) Science Literacy Foundation and the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence; and (2) the remainder to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution for the preservation, maintenance, and display of space artifacts at the National Air and Space Museum (including the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center). Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the $50 gold coins.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2007
Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007 - Amends federal veterans' benefits provisions to entitle to educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill certain individuals who serve on active duty in the Armed Forces (including the reserves) on or after September 11, 2001. Requires such individuals to complete the requirements of a secondary school diploma (or its equivalent) before applying for such assistance. Establishes the duration of such assistance (in most cases 36 months) and assistance amounts. Requires programs of education pursued with such assistance to be approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Allows for the pursuit of an approved program of education while on active duty. Allows, under such assistance, for the pursuit of: (1) programs on less than a half-time basis; (2) apprenticeship or other on-job training; (3) correspondence courses; (4) flight training; (5) tutorial assistance; and (6) licensure and certification tests. Requires such educational assistance to be used within 15 years of the individual's discharge or release from active duty (with exceptions). Allows individuals currently under the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program to elect to participate in the post-9/11 educational assistance program with respect to any unused entitlement.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2007
Green McAdoo School National Historic Site Study Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the site of Green McAdoo School in Clinton, Tennessee, to evaluate the national significance, suitability, and feasibility of designating such site as a unit of the National Park System.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2007
Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2007 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit a person from possessing a firearm unless that person has been issued a firearm license under this Act or a state system certified under this Act and such license has not been invalidated or revoked. Prescribes license application, issuance, and renewal requirements. Prohibits transferring or receiving a qualifying firearm unless the recipient presents a valid firearms license, the license is verified, and the dealer records a tracking authorization number. Prescribes firearms transfer reporting and record keeping requirements. Directs the Attorney General to establish and maintain a federal record of sale system. Prohibits: (1) transferring a firearm to any person other than a licensee, unless the transfer is processed through a licensed dealer in accordance with national instant criminal background check system requirements, with exceptions; (2) a licensed manufacturer or dealer from failing to comply with reporting and record keeping requirements of this Act; (3) failing to report the loss or theft of the firearm to the Attorney General within 72 hours; (4) failing to report to the Attorney General an address change within 60 days; or (5) keeping a loaded firearm, or an unloaded firearm and ammunition for the firearm, knowingly or recklessly disregarding the risk that a child is capable of gaining access, if a child uses the firearm and causes death or serious bodily injury. Prescribes criminal penalties for violations of firearms provisions covered by this Act. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish and maintain a firearm injury information clearinghouse; (2) conduct continuing studies and investigations of firearm-related deaths and injuries; and (3) collect and maintain current production and sales figures of each licensed manufacturer. Authorizes the Attorney General to certify state firearm licensing or record of sale systems.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2007
Campaign Expenditure Transparency Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit authorized committees and leadership PACs of a candidate or individual holding federal office from making payments to the candidate's or individual's spouse for services provided to the committee or leadership PAC, except for reimbursements for travel. Requires the committee or PAC to report on disbursements (other than nominal reimbursements) made to an immediate family member of the candidate or individual, including travel reimbursements to his or her spouse. Provides for imposition of a penalty against candidates and officeholders for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2007
Skill Game Protection Act - Amends federal criminal law to exempt from the prohibition against transmission of wagering information the operation or participation in poker, chess, bridge, mahjong or any other game where success is predominantly determined by a player's skill, to the extent that: (1) the game provides for competition only between and among participants, and not against the person operating the game; and (2) the operator is in compliance with federal regulations governing games of skill. Amends federal law governing monetary transactions to instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations requiring each person who operates a game of skill on the Internet to maintain specified safeguards, including: (1) that the individual participant depositing funds is 18 years of age or older; (2) that the individual participant is physically located in a jurisdiction that does not bar participation in the particular Internet games of skill in which the individual participates; and (3) that all taxes relating to Internet games of skill due to federal and state governments and to Indian tribes from individual participants are collected at the time of any payment of any proceeds of Internet games of skill.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2007
Provides that if a Member of the House of Representatives, including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner, is indicted or otherwise formally charged with criminal conduct in a federal or state court, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall within 30 days: (1) empanel an investigative subcommittee to review the allegations; or (2) if the Committee does not take such action, report to the House on its reasons for not doing so, together with the actions, if any, the Committee has taken in response to the allegations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act - Identifies roadless areas within the National Forest System set forth in specified maps as National Forest Inventoried Roadless Areas, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to manage such Areas to maintain their roadless character. Authorizes the Forest Service to modify such maps for the sole purpose of improving their accuracy or inclusiveness. Requires any substantial modification of those maps to be made through the national forest management planning process and documented in an environmental impact statement.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Defend the American Dream Act of 2007 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require employers of H-1B (specialty occupations) nonimmigrants to use one of three specified methods (whichever results in the highest wages) to determine wages for purposes of required wage attestations. Requires such employers who previously employed one or more H-1B nonimmigrants to submit with their labor condition application (LCA) a copy of the W-2 Wage and Tax Statement filed with respect to those nonimmigrants. Extends to 180 days the period during which certain H-1B employers must show nondisplacement of U.S. workers. Requires such employers to actively engage in recruitment efforts. Prohibits such employers from outsourcing or otherwise contracting for the placement of an H-1B nonimmigrant with another employer, regardless of whether the other employer is H-1B dependent employer. Revises H-1B employer requirements with respect to: (1) job advertising on a free Department of Labor website (as required under this Act); (2) information sharing; (3) prohibiting H-1B-exclusive employment advertising; and (4) prohibiting an employer of not less than 50 employees in the United States from having more than 50% H-1B nonimmigrant employees. Eliminates the exemption from H-1B numerical admission limitations for certain aliens with a US master's or higher degree. Revises the H-1B definition of "specialty occupation." Requires the Secretary of Labor to be responsible for investigations of wage complaints and allegations of fraud in the filing of LCAs. Increases monetary penalties for LCA violations. Applies the nondisplacement requirement to all H-1B employers. Provides H-1B alien whistleblower protections.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
L-1 Nonimmigrant Reform Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise L-1 (intracompany transfers) nonimmigrant visa provisions. Prohibits entry of an L-1 worker unless the employer has filed a labor condition application with the Secretary of Labor which shall attest that: (1) wage and working condition comparability exists; (2) no strike or lockout exists in the occupational classification at the employment site; (3) the employer has notified the bargaining representative or the employees about the prospective L-1 hiring; (4) the L-1 application contains occupational classification and wage and working condition information; and (5) there has not been nor will there be any lay-off of U.S. workers 180 days before or after the L-1 hiring. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) establish processes for receipt, investigation, and disposition of violation claims; (2) establish a process to permit an L-1 alien who files a complaint to work for another employer; and (3) report annually on the use of L-1 workers. Sets forth employer violation provisions. Makes an employer liable for the return transportation costs of an L-1 worker dismissed from employment prior to the end of the authorized admission. Imposes a fee on an L-1 employer. Establishes in the Treasury the L-1 Nonimmigrant Petitioner Account, which shall be used for data processing, labor enforcement, and training and education of U.S. workers. Establishes an annual 35,000 L-1 visa limit. Eliminates L-1 blanket visa authority. Requires: (1) an L-1 worker to have a bachelor's degree or higher in his or her area of special knowledge; and (2) verification by the Secretary of State. Increases the prior foreign employment requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Medicare Secondary Payer and Workers' Compensation Settlement Agreements Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) create an exception to Medicare secondary payer requirements for certain workers' compensation settlement agreements; and (2) provide for the satisfaction of such requirements through use of qualified Medicare set-asides under workers' compensation settlement agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY2008 130 percent of the amount obligated during FY2006. Adjusts the amount provided for fiscal years after FY2008 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of other persons eligible but not enrolled who are provided care, multiplied by the per capita baseline amount for FY2006, as increased by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Prohibits the availability of such funds for: (1) construction, acquisition, or alteration of veterans' medical facilities (other than for repairs provided for before the date of enactment of this Act); or (2) grants for the construction of state home facilities for the furnishing of veterans' domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Nursing Facility Fire Safety Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to establish programs of direct loans and grants for retrofitting nursing facilities with automatic fire sprinkler systems. Gives priority to grant applications that demonstrate a need or hardship. Requires the Secretary to consult with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to determine if there are loan programs or other funds available for such retrofitting. Authorizes the Secretary to evaluate where a nursing facility may not have an adequate structure to retrofit the entire facility within a reasonable timeframe and work with the facility to identify other remedial actions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
America's Better Classrooms Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for investment in qualified public school modernization bonds, defined to include: (1) bonds for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of a public school facility or for the acquisition of land for such facility (qualified school construction bonds); and (2) bonds to finance certain academic programs below the postsecondary level in empowerment zones or enterprise communities (qualified zone academy bonds). Establishes a national limitation on the issuance of such bonds and provides for the allocation of bond amounts among the states according to a specified formula. Terminates the authority for issuance of such bonds after 2009. Amends the General Education Provisions Act to apply certain labor standards to public school construction projects financed by this Act. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require states to establish employment and training programs relating to the construction or reconstruction of public school facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Calls for the establishment of a National Youth Sports Week to promote awareness of the importance of youth sports and the need to restore the focus in youth sports on the child's experience and character development.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2007
Universal Higher Education and Lifetime Learning Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to replace the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits with a partially refundable Higher Education Tax Credit covering: (1) up to 50% of a taxpayer's higher education expenses for a taxable year that do not exceed $3,000; and (2) up to 30% of such expenses between $3,000 and $8,000. Sets a lifetime credit limitation of $12,000 per student. Applies the credit to no more than two years of graduate education. Repeals the tax deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses.
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 · 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 · 17 May 2007
Responsible Renewable Energy Tax Credit Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disallow the tax credit for renewable diesel used as fuel for any fuel derived from coprocessing biomass with a feedstock that is not biomass.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Recognizes the contributions made during the Civil War by soldiers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. Honors the two most documented of those soldiers, Edward Day Cohota and Joseph L. Pierce, for their distinguished and dedicated service.
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
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
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for an individual who is either: (1) age 55 or older; or (2) is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 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 · 10 May 2007
Bail Bond Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a judicial officer from declaring forfeited a bail bond for violation of specified collateral release conditions other than failing to appear in court. Makes forfeiture of a bail bond for violation of such collateral release conditions unavailable as a sanction. Amends the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to provide that if a defendant fails to appear physically before the court (currently, if there is a breach of a condition of a bond), the court shall declare a forfeiture of the bail.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
United States Commitment to Global Child Survival Act of 2007 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance to improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries. Directs the President to develop a comprehensive U.S. government strategy to reduce mortality and improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries. Establishes the Interagency Task Force on Child Survival and Maternal Health in Developing Countries.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Eliminate Gas Price Discrimination Act - Amends the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act to prohibit a franchise from placing a limitation on the source from which a franchisee may obtain motor fuel. Permits a franchise, however, to require the franchisee to obtain only motor fuels with respect to which the franchisor, or the refiner that supplies the franchisor, owns or controls a trademark.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Responsibility to Iraqi Refugees Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide special immigrant status to an Iraqi national (and spouse or child of such alien) who: (1) worked directly with the U.S. government, the United Nations, certified government or U.N. contractor or subcontractor, or U.S.-based nongovernmental organization for at least one year; and (2) has a not manifestly unfounded fear of persecution, violence, or harm to the alien or the alien's family because of such work. Sets forth annual entry limits through FY2011 for such aliens. Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) provide such aliens who are in imminent danger with protection, including temporary housing on U.S. military bases or at provincial reconstruction team offices or immediate removal from Iraq; and (2) establish at least five alien processing facilities in Iraq. Establishes in the Department of State a Special Coordinator for Iraqi Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, to be based at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. States that the Special Coordinator shall be responsible for the development and implementation of policies and programs for Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons, and shall establish a related inter-agency task force. Directs the Secretary of State to seek to negotiate a bilateral refugee resettlement agreement with each country containing a significant population of displaced Iraqis, including Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and Lebanon. Increases FY2007-FY2008 refugee admissions for persons who are not not firmly settled in a foreign country and who are of humanitarian concern to the United States in order to admit Iraqi refugees. Sets forth priority groups. Revises the authority of the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security to determine that security and related grounds for inadmissibility shall not apply to an individual or a group. Waives the FY2008-FY2009 funding cap for the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund. Authorizes appropriations to specified entities and agencies for Iraqi refugee-related assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 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.
![Official portrait of Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000557_200.jpg)