United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2010
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week. Reaffirms the nation's commitment to combating multiple sclerosis by promoting awareness about its causes and risks, promoting new education programs, supporting research, and expanding access to medical treatment. Recognizes people living with multiple sclerosis and salutes the health care professionals and medical researchers who assist those so afflicted and continue to work to find cures and improve treatments.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and make available for sale not more than 2 million silver national medals, containing one ounce of silver each, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the establishment of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. Declares that all sales of medals under this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per medal, which shall be paid to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center to support its operations and maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
Commends the U.S. Army for its achievements in and commitment to environmental sustainability and energy security by exploring advanced technologies and energy-efficient processes and by "building green, buying green, and going green." Recognizes that energy efficiency is a critical means of increasing the Army's tactical advantage in contingency operations and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. Encourages the Army to build on such successes and take further steps toward achieving greater environmental sustainability and energy security.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 23 Genesee Street in Hornell, New York, as the "Zachary Smith Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2010
Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act - Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to provide that nothing in that Act shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance. Applies prohibitions against using unfair methods of competition to the business of health insurance without regard to whether such business is carried on for profit.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2010
Recognizes the plight of people with albinism in East Africa and condemns their murder and mutilation. Urges the governments of Tanzania and Burundi to prosecute and convict the perpetrators of these crimes. Calls for: (1) the education of East Africans about the realities of albinism; and (2) the United States to provide humanitarian assistance to people with albinism in East Africa.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Express Loans Improvements Act of 2009 - Amends provisions of the Small Business Act relating to the Express Loan Program (Program) to: (1) increase (for a two-year period) from 50% to 75% the maximum percentage of Program loans that may be guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA); (2) make such percentage 60% after such two-year period; and (3) increase from $350,000 to $1 million the maximum Program loan amount. Directs the SBA Administrator to: (1) issue regulations with respect to Program loan and lender eligibility and collateral requirements that minimize federal risk of loss; and (2) report annually to the congressional small business committees describing Program implementation, including actions taken to reduce default rates.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Supports the goals and ideals of RV Centennial Celebration Month to recognize and honor 100 years of enjoyment of recreational vehicles in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2010
Recognizes the efforts of the U.S. Armed Forces, local first responders, U.S. public servants, and other members of Operation Unified Response for their actions to meet the needs of Haiti's citizens and government and facilitate the evacuation and medical attention of U.S. citizens impacted by the earthquake in Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Expresses support for the designation of National Limb Loss Awareness Month. Recognizes: (1) the nation's commitment to advancing health policies aimed at preventing limb loss, promoting awareness about the causes of limb loss, and expanding access to devices, care, and rehabilitation aimed at allowing people with limb loss to lead independent, productive lives; (2) the people in the United States living with limb loss; and (3) the health care professionals and medical researchers who provide assistance to those so afflicted and who continue to work to prevent limb loss and to improve follow-up care and rehabilitation outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Elizabeth A. Connelly Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Public Health Service Act, the Health Professions Education Partnership Act of 1968, the National Sickle Cell Anemia Act, Cooley's Anemia, Tay-Sachs, and Genetic Diseases Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, and other federal enactments and regulations to change references to mental retardation to references to an intellectual disability.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Rural Broadband Initiative Act of 2010 - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to establish in the Department of Agriculture the Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives, to be headed by the Under Secretary for Rural Broadband Initiatives. States that the Under Secretary shall: (1) administer all rural broadband-related grant and loan programs previously administered by the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, including the rural broadband access loan and loan guarantee program and the community connect grant program; (2) conduct rural outreach; (3) foster development of a comprehensive rural broadband strategic vision; (4) assess relevant technologies; (5) serve as a single information source for all federal rural broadband programs and services; and (6) provide technical assistance to state, regional, and local governments to develop broadband deployment strategies. Directs the Under Secretary to submit: (1) a comprehensive rural broadband strategy report to the President and to Congress; and (2) a plan for a Rural Broadband Advisory Panel to Congress. Establishes in the Treasury the National Rural Broadband Innovation Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Expresses: (1) condolences and sympathy for the horrific loss of life and the physical and psychological damage caused by the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti; and (2) solidarity with Haitians, Haitian-Americans, and all those who have lost loved ones or have otherwise been affected by the tragedy. Commends the assistance efforts of: (1) the people of the United States, including the Haitian-American community; and (2) the men and women of USNS Comfort and the U.S. Navy.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2010
Expresses support for: (1) designation of a National Autism Awareness Month; and (2) devoting new resources to researching the root causes of autism, identifying the best methods of early intervention and treatment, expanding programs for individuals with autism, and promoting understanding of their special needs. Commends parents and relatives for providing for the special needs of children with autism. Stresses the need to begin early intervention services. Recognizes: (1) the shortage of appropriately trained teachers to teach, assist, and respond to special needs students; and (2) the importance of worker training programs tailored to the needs of developmentally disabled persons.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2010
Treats cash contributions made after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, for the relief of earthquake victims in Haiti as having been made on December 31, 2009, for purposes of the tax deduction for charitable contributions. Deems a contribution as meeting the recordkeeping requirements of the Internal Revenue Code if the taxpayer produces a telephone bill showing the name of the donee organization and the date and amount of the contribution.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2010
Haiti Action Initiative and Tax Incentive Act of 2010 - Treats cash contributions made during January 2010 for the relief of earthquake victims in Haiti as having been made on December 31, 2009, for purposes of the tax deduction for charitable contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2010
Veterans Employment Today Act of 2010 or the VET Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the work opportunity tax credit for the hiring of disabled and unemployed veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2-116th Street in North Troy, New York, as the "Martin G. 'Marty' Mahar Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2010
Commemorates the 65th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Honors the sacrifices of members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Commemorates the Allied victory.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize continued use of 2009 Medicare practice expense relative value units for certain cardiology services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to contract with an independent entity to study and report to Congress on the practice expense methodology used to determine relative value units under this Act to determine whether the cost finding, indirect cost allocation, scaling, and budget neutrality methodologies used: (1) are consistent with generally accepted accounting principles; (2) distribute the burden of any necessary budget neutrality adjustments proportionally among all physicians' services; and (3) result in allowances that accurately reflect the relative direct and indirect resources involved in the provision of various physicians' services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Thomas J. Manton Prostate Cancer Early Detection and Treatment Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), 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 · 16 December 2009
Green Energy Paper Manufacturing Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a general business tax credit, up to $25 million in a taxable year, for the production of energy from biomass fuels for a pulp, paper, or paperboard manufacturing facility located in the United States; and (2) advance payments of credit amounts for liquid biomass used as a fuel to produce steam or energy at any such facility.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the tax deduction for charitable contributions of qualified wild game meat by the processing fees paid with respect to such contributions; and (2) exclude from the gross income of meat processors processing fees paid by a charitable organization for the processing of donated wild game meat. Defines "qualified wild game meat" as the meat of any animal typically used for human consumption if: (1) such animal is killed in the wild by the individual making the charitable contribution; and (2) the meat is apparently wholesome and processed in accordance with applicable laws.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention and Control Act of 2009 - Amends title XI of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish specified enhanced program and provider protections against fraud under the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance programs under SSA titles XVIII, XIX, and XXI.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009
Post-9/11 GI Educational Fairness Act of 2009 -Amends the veterans' post-9/11 educational assistance program to remove the requirement that a program of education must be offered by an institution of higher learning in ordered to be approved. States that the purpose of this Act is to allow activities such as apprenticeship or other on-job training, entrepreneurship training, correspondence training, and flight training. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to approve for such program the pursuit of flight training if: (1) such training is generally accepted as necessary for the attainment of a vocational objective in aviation; (2) the individual possesses a valid private pilot certificate and meets medical requirements necessary for a commercial pilot certificate; and (3) the flight school course meets Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the guidelines of the United States Preventive Services Task Force would not prohibit an insurer from providing coverage for mammography services in addition to those recommended by the Task Force and should not be used by insurers to deny coverage for services that are not recommended on a routine basis; and (2) the National Cancer Institute should continue to invest and provide leadership regarding research to develop more effective breast cancer screening tools and strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2009
Small Business Job Creation and Access to Capital Act of 2009 - Amends the Small Business Act to increase maximum amounts of loans under the following Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs: (1) the section 7(a) (general small business loans) guaranteed loan program; (2) the section 504 (state and local development company) program; and (3) the Microloan (small-scale loans to start-up, newly-established, and growing small businesses) program. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to extend through 2010 SBA authority to reduce or eliminate loan fees on section 7(a) and 504 loans. Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to apply single-business investment limits to SBA-recognized new markets venture capital companies. Directs the SBA Administrator to establish for prospective borrowers an alternative small business size standard that uses maximum tangible net worth and average net income as an alternative to the use of industry standards. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator should establish a website that: (1) lists SBA lenders and provides loan rate information; and (2) allows prospective borrowers to compare rates on SBA-guaranteed loans. Amends provisions of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 relating to the local development business loan program to allow a small business borrower under such program to refinance a previous business debt: (1) that was incurred no less than two years before application for the SBA loan; (2) that is a commercial loan; (3) that is not guaranteed by a federal agency; (4) the proceeds of which were used to acquire a fixed asset for the benefit of the small business; (5) that is collateralized by fixed assets; and (6) for which the borrower has been current on all payments for at least one year. Allows the Administrator to provide financing under such program for a borrower that meets certain job creation or retention goals. Provides an alternate job retention goal for which a borrower may qualify.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009
Employment Benefit Act - Amends the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 to: (1) make the alien investor visa (EB-5) regional center program permanent; (2) establish a $2,500 regional center designation fee; and (3) increase visa set-asides for such program. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding EB-5 provisions to: (1) establish a $2,500 premium processing fee; (2) establish in the Treasury the Immigrant Entrepreneur Regional Account Center; (3) permit concurrent filing for EB-5 petitions and status adjustment applications; (4) expand the definition of "targeted employment area" for purposes of visa set-asides; and (5) expand EB-5 eligibility to include investors who have completed investment agreements with a qualified venture capital operating company or with an "angel investor" (U.S. citizen- or permanent resident-owned entity or an entity that has made specified commercial enterprise investments).
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009
Amends federal provisions concerning the provision of educational assistance for veterans and members of the reserves to allow an individual eligible for such assistance to be paid on an accelerated basis if: (1) the individual is enrolled in an approved program of education; (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) or of the military department concerned (in case of a reserve member) has not paid the established charges to the institution of higher learning within seven days after the academic quarter, semester, or term begins; and (3) failure to pay the established charges is through no fault of the individual. Requires: (1) the institution to certify the amount of established charges; (2) payment of the accelerated amount within 14 days after receipt of such certification; and (3) individuals to be charged against their educational assistance entitlement for any accelerated payments received.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretaries of the military departments, in conjunction with aircraft training and cargo missions, should maximize opportunities for space-available travel for members of the Armed Forces in a leave or pass status who are traveling between December 18, 2009, and January 3, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2009
Stop the Automatic Pay Raise for Members of Congress in Fiscal Year 2011 Act - Declares that no automatic pay adjustment shall be considered to have taken effect in FY2011 in the rates of basic pay for Members of Congress under the General Schedule (thus eliminating the pay adjustment for Members for such fiscal year).
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2009
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), in lieu of making payments to state homes for furnishing nursing home care to veterans, to enter into agreements with such homes to furnish such care under federal provisions which allow the Secretary to transfer to non-VA homes (at the expense of the United States) veterans who have been furnished such care in a facility under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Replaces provisions providing for payment of nursing home care at the lesser of the prevailing rate or the cost of daily care with provisions providing for payment at the rate determined for a state home that is the applicable or prevailing rate payable in the geographic area in which the state home is located.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States remains deeply concerned about the plight of specified vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities of Iraq; (2) the U.S. government and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) should urge the government of Iraq to enhance security at places of worship in Iraq, particularly where religious minorities are known to be at risk; Urges the U.S. government to continue to work with the government of Iraq to: (1) train and deploy into the Iraqi police and security forces members of vulnerable minority communities in Iraq; and (2) ensure that members of such communities suffer no discrimination in recruitment, employment, or advancement in such forces, and be assigned to their locations of origin, rather than transferred to other areas. Urges the government of Iraq, with U.S. government assistance, to: (1) ensure that the upcoming national elections in Iraq are safe, fair, and free of intimidation and violence so that all Iraqis, including religious minorities, can participate in them; and (2) permit and facilitate election monitoring by experts from local and international nongovernmental organizations, the international community, and the United Nations, particularly in minority areas. Encourages the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan regional government to work towards a peaceful and timely resolution of disputes over territories. Encourages the U.S. government and UNAMI to urge the government of Iraq to work with minority communities and their representatives to develop measures to implement article 125 of the Iraq Constitution. Urges the government of Iraq to take affirmative measures to reverse the legal, political, and economic marginalization of religious minorities in Iraq. Urges the U.S. government to: (1) direct assistance to projects that develop the ability of ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq to organize themselves civically and politically to effectively convey their concerns to government; and (2) continue to fund capacity-building programs for the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights (IMHR), the independent national Human Rights Commission, and a new independent minorities committee whose membership is selected by minority communities of Iraq. Urges the government of Iraq to: (1) direct the IMHR to investigate and report on abuses against and the marginalization of minority communities in Iraq, making recommendations to address such abuses; and (2) help ensure that displaced Iraqis considering return to Iraq have the proper information needed to make informed decisions regarding such return. Urges the U.S. government and international organizations to continue to work with the government of Iraq to develop the legal framework necessary to address property disputes resulting when displaced Iraqis attempt to return to their homes in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to expand treatment services for patients with Alzheimer's disease and training and support services for families and caregivers of such patients.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) aviators who were shot down over or otherwise forced to land in hostile territory yet evaded enemy capture, or were captured but subsequently escaped to return to their units and resume their service to the United States, should be recognized for their extraordinary service; and (2) the Secretaries of the military departments should consider these aviators for appropriate recognition within their branch of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Expresses the gratitude of the House of Representatives to the members of the Army National Guard of the state of Illinois and their families for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States. Commends the members of the 33rd Brigade Combat Team of the Illinois Army National Guard on the completion of their deployment to Afghanistan. Recognizes that Team's achievements and all other formerly and presently deployed Illinois Army National Guard members for their exemplary service.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2009
Honors women who have served and are currently serving as members of the Armed Forces. Commends female members serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere while protecting the United States and fighting terrorism. Recognizes that female members are making history every day as they fight beside male members and are an integral and invaluable part of the Armed Forces. Urges the Secretary of Defense to ensure that female members receive adequate combat training to prepare them for the nature of current wars and their role in those wars. Recognizes that the United States must continue to encourage and support female members as they fight for and defend the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2009
Business Checking Fairness Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Reserve Act, the Home Owners' Loan Act, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to repeal the prohibition against the payment of interest on demand deposits.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2009
Veterans to Work Pilot Program Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to establish the Veterans to Work pilot program to determine: (1) the maximum extent to which apprentices may be employed on designated military construction projects; (2) the maximum extent to which such apprentices are veterans; and (3) the feasibility of expanding the employment of apprentices to military construction projects other than those designated. Requires the Secretary, for each of FY2011-FY2015, to designate for the pilot program at least 20 military construction projects, taking into account specified considerations. Requires each contractor or subcontractor on a designated project to assure that it participates in a qualified apprenticeship or other training program for each craft or trade classification of worker that it intends to employ on the construction project.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2009
Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act of 2009 - Increases the authorized allowance for burial and funeral expenses for deceased veterans who: (1) at the time of death were in receipt of veterans' disability compensation or veterans' pension benefits; or (2) were veterans of any war or were discharged or released from active military service for a service-connected disability and for whom there is no next of kin or sufficient resources to cover funeral and burial costs. Increases the burial plot allowance for veterans who, at the time of death, were receiving hospital or nursing home care in or through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Authorizes the annual adjustment of such allowances by the same percentage increase as adjustments to benefit amounts payable under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2009
Makes eligible for a $300 plot allowance for burial in a cemetery other than a national cemetery a veteran who is eligible for burial in a national cemetery and who: (1) was discharged from active service for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty; or (2) is a veteran of any war. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in lieu of furnishing a headstone or marker for an individual so entitled, to reimburse the person entitled to request such headstone or marker for acquiring a non-government headstone or marker for placement in any cemetery other than a national cemetery in connection with the burial or memorialization of the deceased individual.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of a Cold War Veterans Recognition Day to honor the sacrifices and contributions made by members of the Armed Forces during the Cold War. Encourages the people of the United States to participate in local and national activities honoring such sacrifices and contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2009
Congratulates the 2009 Major League Baseball World Series Champions, the New York Yankees, for an outstanding season and a record 27th World Series Championship win.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2009
Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a study of the Hudson River Valley in the state of New York to evaluate: (1) the national significance of the part of the Hudson River that flows from Rodgers Island at Fort Edward to the southern-most boundary of Westchester County, New York, including any relevant sites and landscapes within counties in New York that abut that part of the River (the study area); and (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Park System.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2009
Supports the initiatives of the Leave No Child Inside initiative of the Chicago Wilderness regional alliance in Illinois. Encourages: (1) the President to issue a proclamation in support of the goals and ideals of the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights; (2) other states and U.S. territories to support the goals and ideals of the Leave No Child Inside initiative; and (3) media and press organizations to participate in the No Child Left Inside Month. Recognizes and encourages the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights commitment to fight obesity, physical disorders, and unawareness of natural amenities by promoting quality outdoor activities for children and adults.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of National Military Family Month. Recognizes the sacrifices and dedication of military families and their contributions to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2009
Recognizes the commissioning of the USS New York LPD 21. Congratulates the captain and commissioning crew of the USS New York LPD 21 on the occasion of their vessel entering into the service of the U.S. Navy. Honors those who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001. Recommits the House of Representatives to the counter-terrorism mission of the USS New York LPD 21 and all the members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2009
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) grave concerns exist concerning the ballistic missile deployment by the People's Republic of China (PRC) directed toward Taiwan which threatens security and stability in the Taiwan Strait; (2) the President of the United States should seek a renunciation from the PRC of any threat or use of force against Taiwan; and (3) Taiwan's future should be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and with the consent of Taiwan's people.
![Official portrait of Rep. Murphy, Scott [D-NY-20]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001178_200.jpg)