United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
Gang Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Act - Amends the federal criminal code to define "criminal street gang" and "gang crime" and to prohibit: (1) the commission of, or an attempt or conspiracy to commit, a gang crime to further the activities of a criminal street gang; and (2) the recruitment of another person to join a criminal street gang. Amends the Controlled Substances Act to impose criminal penalties for murder and other violent crimes committed in the course of a drug trafficking offense. Increases criminal penalties for possession of firearms by repeat criminal offenders. Prohibits the possession of firearms by individuals convicted of a gang-related misdemeanor or in contempt of a gang injunction order. Authorizes the Attorney General to deny the transfer of a firearm or a firearm permit to individuals who may use firearms for terrorist activities. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) designate certain areas in states as high intensity interstate gang activity areas and provide assistance to such areas; (2) expand the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to require U.S. attorneys to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal street gangs operating in their districts; (3) expand the Safe Streets Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to support criminal street gang enforcement teams; and (4) make grants to states to prevent abductions of children by family members. Establishes a grant program in the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice (DOJ) for crime prevention, research, and intervention services designed for gang members and at-risk youth. Establishes in the U.S. Marshals Service a Short-Term State Witness Protection Section to provide protection for witnesses in state and local trials involving homicide or other violent crimes. Expands the federal witness relocation and protection program to include protection for witnesses against criminal street gangs. Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants for juvenile offender reintegration projects and for employment programs for young adult gang members to reduce recidivism and promote long-term employability.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Mental Health in Schools Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make changes to the program to apply a public health approach to mental health services, including by revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. Makes only a consortium that includes at least one educational agency eligible for such funding. Allows such a consortium to: (1) include a community program, an agency that is involved in mental health, or a school; and (2) consist of a consortium in which the members select an agent (such as a local educational agency or community health care entity) to act on the consortium's behalf. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including assurances that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with relevant community-based entities that clearly states the responsibilities of each consortium member; (2) the program will include comprehensive staff development for school and community service personnel working in the school and training for children with mental health disorders, for family members of such children, and for concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
21st Century Servicemembers Protection Act - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow individuals called to military service to terminate or suspend a service contract, after the date of entry into service or the date of the military orders, if: (1) the service contract (such as phone, cable, Internet, or utilities) is executed before the individual is called to service for a period of at least 90 days; or (2) the person enters into the contract while in military service and thereafter receives orders for a change of permanent station to a location outside the United States, or to deploy with a military unit for a period of at least 180 days. Provides penalties against anyone who: (1) holds property or funds of a person in military service who lawfully terminates a contract; or (2) violates the 6% limit on interest rates charged to servicemembers during a period of military service.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2007 or the PRE-K Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to states to enhance or improve state-funded preschool programs. Sets forth a grant formula favoring states that: (1) have curricula aligned with state early learning standards; (2) follow nationally-established best practices for class size and teacher-to-student ratios; (3) require each teacher to hold at least an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field; and (4) have a plan for meeting the requirement, within five years of receiving such grant, that teachers hold at least a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education. Directs the Secretary to establish a competitive process for awarding grants to other states that demonstrate that they will meet such requirements within two fiscal years. Prohibits state grantees from reducing their preschool or child care expenditures. Includes among grant uses: (1) increasing the qualifications of, and benefits provided to, teachers, teacher aides, and program directors; (2) decreasing class size and improving teacher-to-student ratios; (3) providing certain comprehensive services that support healthy child development; (4) extending program hours per day and weeks per year; and (5) improving program monitoring and learning environments. Reserves funds for competitive grants to Indians for their preschool programs.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary) to convey to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, all and interest of the United States in and to specified federal land in Pinal County, Arizona, in exchange for Resolution Copper conveying to the United States title to: (1) the Secretary to specified non-federal land in Gila, Yavapai, Maricopa, Pinal, and Coconino Counties, Arizona, and (2) the Secretary of the Interior to specified non-federal land in Pinal and Gila Counties, Arizona. Directs the Secretary to convey specified land in Pinal County to the town of Superior, Arizona. Instructs Resolution Copper to deliver to the Secretary an executed document reviewed by, and acceptable to, the Secretary which grants a permanent conservation easement to the easement area (the surface estate of the Apache Leap Natural and Cultural Resource Conservation Easement Area) to one or more of the following grantees: (1) a qualified unit of government or Indian tribe; or (2) a land trust or other qualified organization. Requires Resolution Copper and the grantee or grantees to determine whether the area covered by the easement should be managed to establish additional cultural and historic resource protections or measures. Directs: (1) the Secretary to construct in the Global Ranger District of the Tonto National Forest one or more replacement campgrounds for the Oak Flat Campground; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior to immediately convey to the Arizona State Parks Board approximately 2,000 acres of land under such Secretary's jurisdiction within the exterior boundary of the proposed Tam O'Shanter Area State Park for the establishment of such Park. Requires the Secretary of the Interior, immediately upon request by the Board, to grant the Board a right-of-way for a State Park access road across any federal lands on the Tam O' Shanter Access Road in order to provide public access to the proposed State Park.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2007
Travel Promotion Act of 2007 - Establishes the Corporation for Travel Promotion as a nonprofit corporation that is not an agency or establishment of the U.S. government. Makes the Corporation subject to the provisions of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act. Requires the Corporation, among other things, to provide useful information to people interested in traveling to the United States, identify and address perceptions in other countries regarding U.S. entry policies, and promote U.S. travel. Establishes in the Treasury the Travel Promotion Fund. Requires the transfer of Treasury funds to the Corporation, requiring nonfederal matching funds. Authorizes the U.S. government, if a fully automated electronic system is implemented to determine, in advance of travel, the eligibility of an alien to travel to the United States, to charge an applicant a system use fee. Amends the International Travel Act of 1961 to replace references to the United States National Tourism Organization with references to the Corporation. Modifies various requirements applicable to the Tourism Policy Council. Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 to remove provisions establishing the United States Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2007
Dog Fighting Prohibition Act - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to make it unlawful to: (1) knowingly sponsor or exhibit an animal in, or knowingly attend, a dog fighting venture; and (2) knowingly sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver, or receive for purposes of transportation any dog or other animal for the purposes of having the dog, animal, or offspring of the dog or other animal participate in a dog fighting venture. Provides for imprisonment for up to five years for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2007
Capital Gains and Estate Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Makes permanent the reduction in capital gains tax rates (from 20 to 15%) enacted by the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief and Reconciliation Act of 2003. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) restore the unified credit against gift tax liability; (2) provide for annual increases in the estate tax exclusion amount between 2010 and 2015 and establish a permanent exclusion amount of $5 million for 2015 and thereafter; (3) provide for an inflation adjustment to the estate tax exclusion amount after 2015; (4) reduce estate tax rate brackets; and (5) allow a surviving spouse to use the unused unified estate tax credit of a deceased spouse.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2007
Patient and Pharmacy Protection Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007, to limit to Controlled Substances Act schedule II narcotics the use of tamper-resistant prescription pads required under the Medicaid program for payment of amounts expended for covered outpatient drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2007
Commends the 1st Brigade Combat Team/34th Infantry Division of the Minnesota National Guard upon its completion of the longest continuous deployment of any U.S. military unit during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Recognizes the achievements of its members and their exemplary service to the United States.
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 · 28 June 2007
Provides that no automatic pay adjustment shall be considered to have taken effect in FY2008 in the rates of basic pay for Members of Congress under the statutory pay system (thus eliminating the pay adjustment for Members for such fiscal year).
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007
Veterans Education Tuition Support Act of 2007 or VETS Act of 2007 - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to require an institution of higher education, whenever a servicemember is called, activated, or ordered to military service and therefore withdraws or takes a leave of absence from such institution, to: (1) refund to the servicemember tuition and other fees paid for the portion of the program of education for which the servicemember did not receive academic credit after such withdrawal or leave; and (2) provide the servicemember an opportunity to reenroll at the institution with the same educational and academic status that the servicemember had when ordered to military service. Requires a provider of a student loan with respect to such a servicemember: (1) if the servicemember reenrolls in the program of education (or a comparable program) within 13 months following the period of military service, to disregard the entire period that the education was discontinued in determining the date on which student loan repayment is to begin; or (2) if the servicemember does not reenroll, to not require loan repayment to begin before the later of the last day of such 13-month period or the date the repayment was otherwise required to begin. Prohibits a court from granting a creditor relief from the 6% limit on interest charged against the indebtedness of a servicemember during a period of military service in the case of an obligation or liability incurred by a servicemember who is a student at an institution of higher education at the time of the call to service.
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 · 27 June 2007
Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) make grants for conducting workshops in the performing arts, public speaking, writing, and culinary arts to further the readjustment of veterans; and (2) make emergency grants to repair or replace facilities used to provide care for homeless veterans. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a grant program to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in remote areas; (2) provide peer outreach services, peer support services, and readjustment and mental health services to veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom; (3) carry out a pilot program to assist returning war veterans who are at risk of not seeking mental health services; (4) ensure that at least one full-time employee of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is assigned to oversee and coordinate homeless veterans programs at the office of each of the VA regional health delivery networks; (5) annually increase the rate of payment for providing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services to homeless veterans; (6) carry out a demonstration program to prevent veterans who are at risk of homelessness after discharge or release from active military duty from becoming homeless; (7) carry out a pilot program for the provision of permanent housing for homeless veterans; and (8) provide financial assistance for the provision of supportive services for very low-income veteran families residing in permanent housing. Allows homeless veterans' comprehensive services grant funds to be used to provide funding for service center staff. Extends through FY2011 a program of referral and counseling for veterans transitioning from certain institutions who are at risk of homelessness. Repeals a provision limiting to FY2003 and FY2004 the funding for VA domiciliary care programs for homeless veterans. Requires the Secretary to ensure that such programs are adequate, with respect to capacity and safety, to meet the needs of women veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that a commemorative postage stamp be issued by the United States Postal Service to honor our nation's disabled veterans.
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 · 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
Solar Energy Research and Advancement Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a research and development program to provide lower cost and more viable thermal energy storage technologies to enable the shifting of electric power loads on demand and extend the operating time of concentrating solar power electric generating plants. Instructs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on methods to: (1) integrate concentrating solar power into regional electricity transmission systems, identifying new transmission or transmission upgrades needed to bring electricity from high concentrating solar power resource areas to growing electric power load centers throughout the United States; and (2) reduce the amount of water consumed by concentrating solar power systems.
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
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 · 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 · 5 June 2007
Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Coverage Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of home infusion therapy and home infusion drugs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement the Medicare home infusion therapy benefit in a manner that ensures that: (1) Medicare beneficiaries have timely and appropriate access to infusion therapy in their homes; and (2) there is rapid and seamless coordination between drug coverage under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) and home infusion therapy services coverage under Medicare part B (Supplemental Security Income).
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Bring Our Children Home Act - Amends the Missing Children's Assistance Act to expand the definition of "missing child." Requires the Attorney General to provide state and local law enforcement agencies with information for locating a child from a foreign country who has been abducted and is believed to be in the United States. Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require state missing children reports to include a statement specifying whether a missing child is believed to have been taken outside of the United States. Amends the International Child Abduction Remedies Act to provide funding for legal and technical assistance and training relating to international child abduction. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require the Secretary of State to report to Congress on the efforts of foreign countries to prohibit international child abduction. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to study and report to Congress on the cooperation of domestic and foreign airlines with the investigation of international child abduction cases. Authorizes additional funds for the investigation and prosecution of international parental kidnapping and for the extradition of individuals from foreign countries to the United States for violations of child abduction laws. Establishes a grant program to reimburse travel costs related to the return of abducted children to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to manage and implement the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and to enter into an agreement with Arizona, California, and Nevada providing for the use of water from the Lower Colorado River for habitat creation and maintenance, in accordance with the Habitat Conservation Plan, Biological Assessment and Biological and Conference Opinion, Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report, Funding and Management Agreement, Implementing Agreement. Permits any party to an agreement entered into with the United States pursuant to the Program to commence a civil action in U.S. district court to enforce the agreement or to declare the rights and obligations of the parties under the program documents. Grants the district court jurisdiction over any such action.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Genocide Accountability Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code allow the prosecution of acts constituting genocide committed by an alleged offender who is: (1) an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States; (2) a stateless person whose habitual residence is in the United States; or (3) brought into, or found in, the United States, even if the offense occurred outside the United States.
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 · 24 May 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress and the President should: (1) increase basic pay for members of all military components by 3.5%, effective January 1, 2008; (2) increase basic pay for all such components during FY2009-FY2012 by at least one-half of 1% more than the raise calculated under the Employment Cost Index; and (3) provide a $40 special survivor indemnity allowance for persons affected by required Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity offsets for dependency and indemnity compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish an initiative for advancing health care information enterprise integration within the United States. Allows the Director to assist health care representatives and organizations and federal agencies in the development of technical roadmaps that identify the remaining steps needed to ensure that standards will be in place. Requires the Director to develop or adopting existing technology-neutral information technology infrastructure guidelines and standards to enable federal agencies to effectively select and utilize health care information technologies in a manner that is: (1) sufficiently secure and provides adequate privacy to meet needs; and (2) interoperable, to the maximum extent possible. Requires the Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology to establish a Senior Interagency Council on Federal Healthcare Information Technology Infrastructure to coordinate: (1) the development and deployment of health care information technology solutions; (2) the associated technology transfer to and from the private sector; and (3) federal funding and participation in private, voluntary standards development organizations as related to electronic health care records system. Requires the Director to establish a program of assistance to institutions of higher education to establish multidisciplinary Centers for Healthcare Information Enterprise Integration in order to: (1) generate innovative approaches to health care information enterprise integration; and (2) develop and use information technologies and other complementary fields. Directs the National High-Performance Computing Program to coordinate federal research and development programs related to the development and deployment of health information technology.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Montgomery GI Bill Second Chance Act of 2007 - Authorizes certain members of the Armed Forces to make an irrevocable election during October of any year beginning in 2005 to become entitled to basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill. Requires a reduction in basic pay of those members electing such educational assistance or, if the member is discharged or released from active duty prior to such reduction, the collection of specified amounts from the member or an equivalent reduction in retired or retainer pay. Requires the Secretary concerned, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, to provide notice of the opportunity created by this Act to elect educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Calls for establishment of a National Brain Cancer Awareness Month. Applauds the actions of those who strive to combat and raise public awareness of brain tumors and brain cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
Arizona National Scenic Trail Act - Amends the National Trails System Act to designate the Arizona Trail, extending approximately 807 miles across Arizona from the border between Arizona and Utah to the international border with Mexico, as the "Arizona National Scenic Trail."
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 · 9 May 2007
Disabled Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow members of the uniformed services whose retired pay in any taxable year is reduced due to an award of disability compensation by the Department of Veterans Affairs an extension of the three-year limitation period for filing tax refund claims until one year after the date of a disability determination. Limits the period for which such refund claims may be filed to taxable years beginning less than 15 years before the date of a disability determination.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Medicare Ambulance Payment Extension Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide an additional 5% increase in Medicare payments for ground ambulance services furnished on or after January 1, 2008, and before January 1, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Investment in America Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase from 12 to 20% the rate of the alternative simplified tax credit for research expenses; (2) make permanent the tax credit for increasing research activities; and (3) repeal the alternative incremental tax credit for research expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Thomas J. Manton Prostate Cancer Early Detection and Treatment Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to states to carry out: (1) prostate cancer prevention programs (including screening and referrals for treatment); and (2) demonstration projects to provide preventive health services with respect to prostate cancer (including blood pressure and cholesterol screenings). Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow states to provide medical assistance to individuals who have been screened for prostate cancer under this Act and who need treatment for prostate cancer. Applies provisions related to breast and cervical cancer programs to programs under this Act.
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 · 26 April 2007
Medicare Anesthesiology Teaching Funding Restoration Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) to set forth a special payment rule of 100% of the fee schedule amount for teaching anesthesiologists involved in the training of physician residents, if certain presence and availability requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2007
Internet Radio Equality Act - Declares to be ineffective: (1) the March 2, 2007, Determination of Rates and Terms of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Judges regarding rates and terms for the digital performance of sound recordings and ephemeral recordings; (2) the April 17, 2007, modification of that determination by an order denying motions for rehearing; and (3) any subsequent modification by the Copyright Royalty Judges published in the Federal Register. Replaces standards for determining reasonable rates and terms of royalty payments for public performances of sound recordings by means of eligible nonsubscription transmission services and new subscription services with a requirement that such rates and terms be established in accordance with stated objectives of the Copyright Royalty Judges. (Currently, rates and terms are required to distinguish among different types of eligible nonsubscription transmission services and include a minimum fee for each type.) Allows a minimum annual royalty for each provider subject to such rates and terms. Provides a transition rule for payment of royalties by providers of digital audio transmissions that would have been subject to the rates and terms nullified by this Act. Revises royalty payment provisions concerning the use of certain works in noncommercial broadcasting to include: (1) sound recordings; and (2) performance or display by nonprofit organizations and public broadcasting entities. Provides a transition rule for the payment by a public broadcasting entity to owners of copyrights in sound recordings. Requires a report to the Copyright Royalty Judges by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information on the competitiveness of the Internet radio marketplace and the effect on Internet radio providers of proposed rate determinations in proceedings concerning: (1) public performances of sound recordings by means of the services described above; or (2) the use of certain works in noncommercial broadcasting. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), upon publication of the commencement of proceedings of the Copyright Royalty Judges to determine rates and terms under the statutory license described in this Act, to report on the effect of such proposals on localism, diversity, and competition in the Internet radio marketplace (including in rural areas). Requires a report to Congress and the Copyright Royalty Judges by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) on the effect of such proposals upon public broadcasting licensees and permittees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2007
Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue, during 2014, up to 350,000 one-dollar coins designed to be emblematic of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its contribution to civil rights in America. Requires sales to include a $10 surcharge per coin, which shall be paid to the United Negro College Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2007
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month; and (2) President Bush's Commission on Mental Health, including funding of it's 2003 findings that the failure to prioritize mental health is a national tragedy. Recognizes that mental well-being is equally as important as physical well-being and must be treated with parity to other illnesses. Applauds the new coalescing of national and community organizations and their work in promoting public awareness to reduce the stigma of mental health treatment and in providing critical information to support the people and families of those dealing with mental illness. Urges all organizations and health practitioners to promote information to reduce and eliminate stigma and to focus on mental well-being awareness, ensure access to appropriate services, and support overall quality of life for those living with mental illness.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2007
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees). Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Prohibits related retaliation. Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations; and (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the armed forces. States that this Act does not repeal or modify any federal, state, territorial, or local law creating a special right or preference concerning employment for a veteran. Provides for the construction of this Act with regard to: (1) enforcement by employers of rules and policies; (2) sexual harassment; (3) certain shared facilities such as showers or dressing facilities; (4) dress and grooming standards; and (5) certain matters relating to marriage. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from collecting statistics from covered entities on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or compelling the collection by covered entities of such statistics. Provides for enforcement, including giving the EEOC, the Librarian of Congress, the Attorney General, and U.S. courts the same enforcement powers as they have under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and other specified laws. Allows actions and proceedings against state governments and, subject to limitation, the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2007
Optometric Equity in Medicaid Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require Medicaid coverage of medical and surgical services of optometrists that are otherwise covered when furnished by a physician.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2007
Honors the sacrifice of the men and women who lost their lives in service of the United States during the Vietnam War. Recognizes the service of all men and women who were members of the Armed Forces during such War. Commemorates the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2007
Freedom of Choice Act - Declares that it is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to: (1) bear a child; (2) terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or (3) terminate a pregnancy after fetal viability when necessary to protect her life or her health. Prohibits a federal, state, or local governmental entity from: (1) denying or interfering with a woman's right to exercise such choices; or (2) discriminating against the exercise of those rights in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information. Provides that such prohibition shall apply retroactively. Authorizes an individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act to obtain appropriate relief, including relief against a governmental entity, in a civil action.
![Official portrait of Rep. Mitchell, Harry E. [D-AZ-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/cb358b7628278b3a1321fbc219522fcb_200.jpg)