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United States · Official source
6,511 records where Rep. Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ-10] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a day ought to be established to bring awareness to the issue of missing persons.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Commends public servants for their outstanding contributions to the nation during Public Service Recognition Week and throughout the year. Honors government employees who have given their lives in service to their country. Encourages efforts to promote public service careers.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Commends the performance of the Rutgers University women's basketball team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Condemns the horrific terrorist attacks that occurred in Casablanca, Morocco, on April 10 and 14, 2007, and in Algiers, Algeria, on April 11, 2007. Expresses condolences to the families and friends of those individuals who were killed in the attacks and expresses sympathies to those individuals who have been injured. Expresses: (1) the solidarity of the people and government of the United States with the people and governments of Morocco and Algeria; and (2) readiness to support the Moroccan and Algerian authorities' efforts to bring to justice the responsible individuals and to dismantle the networks that plan and carry out such attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Encourages all Americans to observe Negro Leaguers Recognition Day each year. Recognizes the teams and players of the Negro Baseball Leagues for their achievements, dedication, sacrifices, and contributions to both baseball and our nation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that Lionel Hampton should be honored for his contributions to American music and for his work as an ambassador of goodwill and democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Authorizes the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to accept any application or other filing made by an applicant for, or owner of, a patent or trademark after the applicable deadline, as the Director considers appropriate, if the applicant or owner files a petition within 30 days after such deadline showing that the delay was unintentional. Deems such a petition denied if the Director has not made a decision within 60 days. Provides that the Director's decision is not subject to judicial review. Deems that the 30-day period to file a petition after the deadline begins on the date of enactment of this Act for trademark applicants or owners.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish an Elder Justice program under title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services). Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC). Establishes the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to establish stationary and mobile forensic centers, to develop forensic expertise regarding, and provide services relating to, elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Directs the Secretary to provide incentives for individuals to train for, seek, and maintain employment providing direct care in a long-term care (LTC) facility. Directs the Secretary to make grants to LTC facilities to: (1) offer continuing training and varying levels of certification to employees who provide direct care to LTC facility residents; and (2) provide bonuses or other benefits to employees who achieve certification. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to assist LTC facilities in offsetting the costs for standardized clinical health care informatics systems designed to improve patient safety and reduce adverse events and health care complications resulting from medication errors. Directs the Secretary to ensure that HHS: (1) provides funding to state and local adult protective services services offices that investigate reports of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) collects and disseminates related data in coordination with the Department of Justice. Establishes a program of annual adult protective services grants to states. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to: (1) improve the capacity of state LTC ombudsman programs to respond to and resolve abuse and neglect complaints; and (2) conduct pilot programs with state or local LTC ombudsman offices. Directs the Secretary to establish programs to provide and improve ombudsman training for national organizations and state LTC ombudsman programs. Amends part A of SSA title XI to require each individual owner, operator, employee, manager, agent, or contractor of an LTC facility receiving certain federal support to report to the Secretary and local law enforcement entities any reasonable suspicion of crimes occurring in such facility. Requires the owner or operator of such an LTC facility to notify the Secretary and the appropriate state regulatory agency of a facility's impending closure, as well as a plan for the transfer and adequate relocation of facility residents. Directs the Secretary to study and report to the EJCC and appropriate congressional committees on establishing a national nurse aide registry. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) study and report to the EJCC, the Advisory Board, and Congress on state laws and practices relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) develop and implement a long-term plan for elder justice programs and related activities. Authorizes the Attorney General to award advocacy grants for study of elder abuse victim needs. Directs the Attorney General to award grants to provide training and other types of support to local and state prosecutors as well as police and other front line law enforcement responders handling elder justice-related cases. Requires increased Department of Justice support for federal cases involving elder justice. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to create a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to revise requirements for public housing agency inspections of each dwelling unit for which a housing assistance payment contract is established. Requires an initial inspection before any assistance payment is made. Allows such payments if failure to meet standards is a result only of non-life threatening conditions. Requires biennial inspections to determine compliance instead of the current annual inspections. Prescribes requirements for reviews and calculation of family income. Prescribes eligibility criteria for assistance based upon assets and income. Revises requirements governing: (1) assistance to low-income working families; (2) tenant-based contract renewals; (3) administrative fees; and (5) the home ownership downpayment grant program. Authorizes a public housing agency to report to certain consumer reporting agencies information regarding the past rent payment history of a family receiving housing choice vouchers. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish standards and procedures for assessing the performance of public housing agencies in carrying out the programs for tenant-based rental assistance and for homeownership assistance, including periodic assessments. Revises the rent calculation for housing assistance payment contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Extends the authorities provided to the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the Coastal Heritage Trail Route in New Jersey until September 30, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
William H. Frist Gift of Life Congressional Medal Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to design and strike a bronze medal to commemorate organ donors and their families. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to direct the entity holding the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to contract to establish an application procedure and determine eligibility. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Network contractor to provide duplicates of the medal to any recipient. Allows the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into an agreement with the Network contractor to collect funds to offset expenditures relating to the issuance of medals, which the Secretary shall deposit in the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2007 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain returning H-2B aliens (temporary nonagricultural worker) from annual numerical limitations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation on behalf of Congress of a gold medal of appropriate design to Dr. Muhammad Yunus in recognition of his many enduring contributions to the fight against global poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Ambulatory Surgical Center Medicare Payment Modernization Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the requirements and the formula for payments for services, including an implantable medical device, furnished to individuals in ambulatory surgical centers.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Gulf States Medicare Rehabilitation Unit Access Act of 2007 - Provides for certification of certain rehabilitation units of general acute care hospitals affected by Hurricane Katrina for purposes of the prospective payment system under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Authorizes a Katrina-affected hospital, if it seeks treatment as a rehabilitation unit of any such unit that is to be reopened, to provide a written certification that the inpatient population the hospital intends the unit to serve meets certain requirements, instead of showing that the unit has treated such a population during the hospital's most recent cost reporting period in the same manner as a hospital that seeks exclusion of a new rehabilitation unit may provide such a certification.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Children's Dental Health Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to states to improve dental services to children enrolled in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP); (2) include dental services as a basic service under SCHIP; and (3) allow states to provide wrap-around coverage under SCHIP for dental services to privately-insured children. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments for dental residency programs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish a grant program to expand the availability of primary dental care services in dental health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas. Authorizes retention bonuses for eligible dental officers of the Indian Health Service. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of HRSA and the Director of the Indian Health Service, to establish demonstration projects to increase access to dental services for children in underserved areas. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an oral health initiative to reduce disparities in oral health; and (2) Chief Dental Officers for Medicaid and SCHIP, HRSA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Requires the Director of the CDC to collect data on dental, craniofacial, and oral health. Requires the Secretary to identify populations at high risk for early childhood caries (tooth decay) and to develop prevention programs. Revises the eligibility requirements for the school-based dental sealant program to include Indian tribes. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to states and Indian tribes to improve their basic capacity to improve the oral health of children and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Medicare Independent Living Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the in-the-home restriction for Medicare coverage of mobility devices for individuals with expected long-term needs. Deems such devices to be durable medical equipment (DME) if they are used in customary settings for the purpose of normal domestic, vocational, or community activities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapies and Alternative Treatments and Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the Social Security Act to include coverage of hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms and alternative treatments for such therapy under Medicare (title XVIII of the Act). Includes alternative treatments for hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms under Medicaid (title XIX of the Act). Requires coverage of hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms and alternative treatments for such therapy on the same basis as outpatient prescription drugs under: (1) the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (group health plans and group and individual health insurance); (2) the Internal Revenue Code (group health plans);and (3) federal employee health benefit plans. Includes alternative treatments for hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms under veterans' benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Recognizes that prostate cancer has created a health crisis for African American men. Urges federal agencies to designate additional funds for research and education, awareness, and early detection efforts at the grassroots levels to end such crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Acknowledges the observance of March 8, 2007, as International Women's Day. Applauds the enactment of the Legal Capacity of Married Persons Act by the Kingdom of Lesotho. Lauds the Kingdom of Lesotho for demonstrating its commitment to improve gender equity. Commends the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for developing and implementing policies to advance gender equity in the Kingdom of Lesotho and other countries eligible for MCC financial assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a commemorative postage stamp honoring Rosa Louise McCauley Parks should be issued; (2) the provision requiring that an honoree must have died at least 10 years before this honor should be waived; and (3) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend that such a stamp be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Supports the goals and ideals of a National Suffragists Day to promote awareness of the women suffragists who worked for the right of U.S. women to vote.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should act to reduce risks posed by global climate change and to foster economic growth by: (1) participating in negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and leading efforts in other international fora with the objective of securing U.S. participation in agreements that advance and protect U.S. interests, that establish mitigation commitments by all countries that are major emitters of greenhouse gases, that establish flexible international mechanisms to minimize the cost of efforts by participating countries, and that achieve a significant long-term reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions; and (2) establishing a bipartisan observer group in the House of Representatives and the Senate to monitor international negotiations on climate change and to ensure that the advice and consent function of the Senate is exercised to facilitate timely consideration of any applicable treaty.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Colorectal Cancer Prevention, 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 and Indian tribes for colorectal cancer programs that include: (1) providing colorectal cancer screening to individuals who are over 50 years of age or at high risk for such cancer; (2) providing case management and referrals for medical treatment; (3) ensuring the full continuum of follow up and cancer care for individuals screened; (4) carrying out activities to improve the education, training, and skills of health professionals in the detection and control of colorectal cancer; and (5) developing and disseminating public information and education programs for the detection and control of colorectal cancer and promoting the benefits of receiving screenings through this program. Gives priority to low-income individuals who lack adequate coverage under health insurance and health plans with respect to screenings for colorectal cancer. Allows the Secretary to provide training and technical assistance with respect to the planning, development, and operation of programs funded by a grant under this Act. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow states to provide medical assistance to individuals who have been screened for colorectal cancer under this Act and who need treatment for complications due to screening or colorectal cancer. Applies provisions related to breast and cervical cancer programs to programs under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Workforce Health Improvement Program Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of employees: (1) the value of any on-premises employer-provided athletic facility; and (2) fees, dues, or membership expenses paid to an athletic or fitness facility by an employer for its employees, but not exceeding $900 per employee per year. Allows employers a tax deduction for fees, dues, or membership expenses paid to an athletic or fitness facility. Limits the amount of such deduction to $900 per employee per year.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to permit the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): (1) acting through the Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, to expand and coordinate NIH activities on paralysis research; (2) to award grants to plan, establish, improve, and provide basic operating support for Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Research Consortia; (3) to educate and disseminate information and receive public comment on NIH programs and research regarding paralysis; (4) acting through the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, to expand and coordinate NIH research with implications for enhancing daily function for persons with paralysis; and (5) to make grants to plan, establish, improve, and provide basic operating support for multicenter clinical trial networks to design clinical rehabilitation intervention protocols and measures of outcomes on paralysis. Permits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to study the health challenges associated with paralysis and other physical disabilities and carry out projects and interventions to improve the quality of life and long-term health status of individuals with such conditions. Permits the Secretary to award grants for activities related to paralysis, including to: (1) establish paralysis registries; and (2) disseminate information to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act with respect to payment rates for meals and meal supplements provided by service institutions under summer food service programs for children. Requires payments for administrative costs to be set at levels determined by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to a specified study. (Currently, payments to service institutions shall equal the full cost of food service operations, excluding administrative costs. Payments for administrative costs shall equal the full amount of state-approved administrative costs incurred, not to exceed the maximum allowable levels the Secretary determines pursuant to such study.) Repeals authority for simplified summer food pilot projects.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify automatic fire sprinkler systems as five-year depreciable property. Makes this Act applicable to property placed in service after April 11, 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Declares that the United States Postal Service (USPS) should discontinue the practice of contracting out mail delivery services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2007
Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act of 2007 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) pursue a global HIV prevention strategy that emphasizes the needs of married and unmarried women and girls and addresses the factors that lead to gender disparities in HIV infection rates; and (2) balance funding for HIV prevention methods. Directs the President to: (1) formulate and submit to the appropriate congressional committees, and make available to the public, a comprehensive and culturally appropriate global HIV prevention strategy that addresses the HIV vulnerability of married and unmarried women and girls and seeks to reduce the factors that lead to gender disparities in HIV infection rates; (2) ensure that the United States coordinates its overall HIV/AIDS policy and programs with foreign governments, international organizations, other donor countries, and indigenous organizations; and (3) provide clear guidance to U.S. field missions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2007
Latin America Military Training Review Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Army to suspend operation of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (Institute). Suspends the authority of the Secretary of Defense to operate such an education and training facility until submission of a report containing the results of an investigation in response to violations of human rights to which training at such Institute contributed. Establishes: (1) a joint congressional task force to assess appropriate education and training for DOD to provide to military personnel of Latin American nations; and (2) a commission to investigate activities of the United States Army School of the Americas and its successor institution, the Institute.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2007
Pool and Spa Safety Act - Requires each swimming pool or spa drain cover manufactured, distributed, or entered into commerce in the United States to conform to specified ASME/ANSI entrapment protection standards. Considers that requirement to be a consumer product safety rule issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) under certain provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Act. Establishes a program of grants to states to: (1) hire and train enforcement personnel; and (2) educate pool construction, installation, and service companies, pool owners and operators, and other members of the public. Conditions grants on a state imposing certain requirements by statute, including: (1) enclosure of residential pools and spas to prevent small children from gaining unsupervised access; and (2) drain entrapment prevention devices and systems on all pools and spas. Requires the CPSC to establish and carry out a public education program on methods to prevent drowning and entrapment in pools and spas. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2007
Bulb Replacement in Government With High-Efficiency Technology Energy Savings Act of 2007 or the BRIGHT Energy Savings Act of 2007 - Requires each: (1) public building constructed or significantly altered by the Administrator of General Services to be equipped, to the maximum extent feasible (as specified under this Act), with lighting fixtures and bulbs that are energy efficient (as specified under this Act); and (2) lighting fixture or bulb that is replaced in the normal course of maintenance of public buildings to be replaced with an energy efficient fixture or bulb.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2007
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits denying or abridging equality of rights under the law by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2007
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of observing the National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness each year and all other efforts to raise awareness of and opposition to human trafficking.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2007
All Healthy Children Act of 2007 - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish under a new title XXII (All Healthy Children Program) a state-operated program receiving federal financial assistance to provide comprehensive health coverage for children and pregnant and postpartum women in place of benefits previously provided for them under SSA titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP). Establishes a Commission on Children's Health Coverage to: (1) evaluate annually for Congress the status of children's health coverage in the United States; and (2) report to Congress a legislative proposal that would assure health benefits coverage for all U.S. children. Provides for expedited congressional consideration of such proposal.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2007
National Liberty Memorial Act - Authorizes the National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. (previously, the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Foundation) to establish a memorial on specified federal land in the District of Columbia to honor the slaves and free persons who served as soldiers and sailors or provided civilian assistance during the American Revolution and to honor the men, women, and children who ran away from slavery or filed petitions with courts and legislatures seeking their freedom. Requires the National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to establish the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2007
Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations for FY2008-FY2009 to: (1) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide grants to programs in the United States to cover the costs of services provided by domestic treatment centers in the rehabilitation of victims of torture (including treatment of the physical and psychological effects of torture), social and legal services, and research and training of health care providers outside of treatment centers or programs to enable them to provide such services; (2) the President for grants to treatment centers and programs in foreign countries that carry out projects and activities specifically designed to treat victims of torture for the physical and psychological effects of torture; and (3) the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2007
Common Sense Budget Act of 2007 - Requires certain reductions in amounts appropriated for FY2008 for specified Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Energy (DOE) programs. Makes amounts from such reductions available for: (1) modernization of school facilities; (2) the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) under title XXI of the Social Security Act; (3) adult and dislocated worker employment and training activities; (4) programs to increase energy efficiency and conservation and increase investment in sustainable and renewable energy alternatives; (5) sustainable development and humanitarian assistance programs to alleviate global poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, disease, and disaster; (6) homeland security safeguard improvements; (7) deficit reduction; and (8) veterans health care.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2007
Training for Realtime Writers Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to make competitive grants to eligible entities to promote recruitment, training, and placement of individuals, including individuals who have completed a court reporting training program, as realtime writers providing closed captioning in video programming. Sets forth priorities in making grants. Limits grants to $1.5 million for a two-year period. Repeals this Act five years after funds are appropriated to carry it out.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2007
Fighting Gangs and Empowering Youth Act of 2007 - Reauthorizes programs for combating criminal gangs, including after-school programs, programs for safe and drug-free schools and communities, gang resistance education and training programs, and adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects. Establishes or increases funding for criminal gang-related programs, including: (1) demonstration grants to public and private entities for innovative approaches to combat gang activity; (2) programs that target certain at-risk youth and juvenile offenders ages 11 to 19; (3) state studies of parole or post-incarceration supervision violations and revocations; (4) substance abuse treatment; (5) mentoring grants to nonprofit organizations; (6) transition training for incarcerated youth offenders; (7) gang activity policing grants; (8) grants to prosecutors and law enforcement officials to combat violent crime and protect witnesses; and (9) the National Youth Gang Survey. Public and Assisted Housing Gang Elimination Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to public housing agencies and private, for-profit and nonprofit owners of federally assisted low-income housing for use in eliminating gang-related crime. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) designate and provide assistance to high-intensity gang activity areas; and (2) expand the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to require U.S. attorneys to identify and prosecute criminal street gangs in their respective districts. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) expand the definition of "criminal street gang"; (2) prohibit the recruitment or solicitation of persons to participate in a criminal street gang; (3) impose enhanced penalties for committing violent crimes in furtherance or in aid of a criminal street gang and for use of firearms by felons with multiple felony convictions for violent crimes and drug offenses; (4) increase penalties for use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire or other felony crimes of violence; and (5) increase penalties for violent crimes in aid of racketeering activities. Extends the limitation period for prosecuting certain noncapital violent crimes. Requires the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and revise guidelines relating to violent gang-related crimes. Provides for certain studies and reports relating to criminal gangs, including reports distinguishing criminal offenses committed by juveniles.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2007
Recognizes the historical significance of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade to the world. Respects the memory of those who died as a result of slavery, including through exposure to the horrors of the Middle Passage and in resistance to enslavement.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the state-sponsored violence taking place in Zimbabwe represents a serious violation of fundamental human rights and the rule of law and should be condemned by all responsible governments, civic organizations, religious leaders, and international bodies; and (2) the government of Zimbabwe has not lived up to its commitments as a signatory to the Constitutive Act of the African Union and African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights. Condemns: (1) the government of Zimbabwe's violent suppression of political and human rights; (2) the harassment and intimidation of lawyers attempting to carry out their professional obligations to their clients and repeated failure by police to comply with court decisions; and (3) the harassment of foreign officials, journalists, human rights workers, and others. Commends U.S. Ambassador Christopher Dell and other U.S. officials and foreign officials for their support to political detainees and victims of torture and abuse while in police custody or in medical care centers. Calls on the government of Zimbabwe to end: (1) its violent campaign against fundamental human rights, respect the courts and members of the legal profession, and restore the rule of law; and (2) illegitimate interference in travel abroad by its citizens, especially for humanitarian purposes. Calls on the leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) to consult with all Zimbabwe stakeholders to intervene with the government of Zimbabwe while applying appropriate pressures to resolve the economic and political crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2007
Public Service Academy Act of 2007 - Establishes in the Department of Homeland Security a U.S. Public Service Academy for the instruction in and preparation for public service of selected individuals. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) key personnel positions and faculty and departments; (2) student qualifications and requirements for admission; (3) procedures for the appointment of students to the Academy by Members of Congress and the President; (4) curriculum standards; and (5) study abroad requirements. Requires each Academy student to sign an agreement with respect to length of public service. Imposes tuition and cost repayment requirements for Academy students who fail to graduate or accept or complete assigned public service. Establishes a Board of Visitors to inquire into the efficiency and effectiveness of the operations of the Academy. Requires the tuition of each Academy student to be fully subsidized. Provides for public (80%) and private funding for the Academy.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2007
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2007
Responsible Education About Life Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Expresses the sense of Congress that states are encouraged but not required to provide matching funds. Requires the Secretary to provide for a national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in changing adolescent sexual behavior, including delaying sexual and high-risk activity, preventing pregnancy and disease (including HIV/AIDS), and increasing contraceptive knowledge. Requires states receiving such grants to provide for an individual evaluation of the state's program by an external, independent entity.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2007
Re-Empowerment of Skilled and Professional Employees and Construction Tradesworkers (RESPECT) Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to revise the definition of "supervisor" in the following ways: (1) require the individual to have authority over employees for a majority of the individual's worktime; and (2) remove authority to assign other employees and to responsibly direct employees as conditions for being considered a supervisor.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2007
Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group coverage, that cover surgical benefits to also cover outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a congenital or developmental deformity, disease, or injury of a minor child (defined as child under the age of 22). Requires that such coverage: (1) be subject to pre-authorization or pre-certification requirements of the plan or issuer; and (2) include any surgical treatment deemed by the treating physician to be medically necessary to approximate a normal appearance. Defines "treatment" to include reconstructive surgical procedures that are performed on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease, including: (1) procedures that do not materially affect the function of the body part being treated; and (2) procedures for secondary conditions and follow-up treatment. Excludes cosmetic surgery performed to reshape normal structures of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2007
Graduation for All Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to establish a program that will provide grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish reading and writing programs to improve overall reading and writing performance among middle and high school students. Limits eligibility for subgrants to LEAs in a state that are among those that have the lowest graduation rates for public secondary school students. Includes among required uses of LEA subgrant funds: (1) hiring and inservice training of literacy coaches; (2) counseling for at-risk students; and (3) professional development for educators that addresses literacy needs of certain student groups. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include public secondary school graduation rates for all students under requirements for: (1) accountability for adequate yearly progress (AYP); and (2) annual state report cards. Amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act to require annual reports on the number participants who are 16, 17, or 18 years old in certain programs and services, disaggregated by certain attributes.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2007
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from prescribing regulations that preclude or deny any right of a state or political subdivision to adopt or enforce any regulation, requirement, or standard of performance regarding chemical facility security that is more stringent than a regulation prescribed by the Secretary.