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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 · 12 January 2007
Honor Our Commitment to Veterans Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to administer the health care enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs so as to enroll any eligible veteran who applies. (This directive in effect terminates an administrative freeze on the enrollment of veterans in the lowest priority enrollment category.)
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1700 Main Street in Little Rock, Arkansas, as the "Scipio A. Jones Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Christopher and Dana Reeve Quality of Life for Persons with 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 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 on Child Health and Human Development and the National Center for 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. Allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish Paralysis Research, Education and Clinical Care Centers; and (2) award grants to medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to translate clinical findings and recommendations on paralysis into evidence-based best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act of 2007, or the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the deduction from gross income of any attributable to domestic production activities. Excludes from domestic production gross receipts those derived from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of oil, natural gas, or any related primary product. (Thus denies a deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or their related primary products.) Increases from five to seven years the amortization schedule for geological and geophysical expenditures for certain major integrated oil companies. Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to agree to any lessee request to amend any lease issued for any Central and Western Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) tract during 1998 and 1999 to incorporate specified price thresholds applicable to royalty suspension provisions. Reaffirms the authority of the Secretary to vary, based on the price of production from a lease, the suspension of royalties under specified leases on the Outer Continental Shelf. Cites conditions for the issuance of new leases authorizing oil or natural gas production in the Gulf. Instructs the Secretary to establish conservation of resources fees for both producing and nonproducing federal oil and gas leases in the Gulf. Sets forth terms restricting the transfer of such leases. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal: (1) specified incentives for natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf; (2) royalty relief for deep water production in the Gulf; and (3) the prohibition on cost recovery fees for drilling-related permit application during the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to remove the Planning Areas offshore Alaska from the list of areas for which the Secretary is authorized to reduce or eliminate any royalty or net profit share set forth in the pertinent lease. Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to repeal provisions governing oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska regarding: (1) renewal of competitive oil and gas leases, with or without discoveries; and (2) waiver, suspension, or reduction of rental fees or royalties on leaseholds as exploration incentives. Establishes the Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve to hold federal receipts acquired as a result of the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Crack-Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to eliminate specified mandatory minimum penalties relating to the trafficking in, and possession, importation, or distribution of, crack cocaine.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Seniors' Tax Simplification Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make available a new Federal income tax Form 1040S (similar to Form 1040EZ) to individuals who have turned 65 as of the close of the taxable year. Allows the form to be used even if income includes: (1) social security benefits; (2) distributions from qualified retirement plans, annuities, or other such deferred payment arrangements; (3) interest and dividends; or (4) capital gains and losses.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
College Student Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to phase-in cuts in the interest rate charged undergraduate student borrowers under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Direct Loan (DL) programs, thereby reducing such rate from 6.8% in July 2006 to 3.4% in July 2011. Limits FFEL lender insurance to 95% of the unpaid balance of such loans. (Currently, 97% of a FFEL issued after June 2006 is federally-insured.) Provides for graduated reductions in the percentage of defaulted FFEL loan collections a guaranty agency is allowed to retain until, beginning in October 2010, it is equal to the average rate paid to collection agencies that have contracts with the Secretary of Education. Eliminates exceptional performer status for lenders, servicers, and guaranty agencies, which rewards such entities for high due diligence in FFEL collection. Reduces special allowance payments made to FFEL lenders to compensate them for the difference between FFEL interest rates and market rates. Exempts small lenders from such reduction. Increases the loan fee charged FFEL lenders from .5% to 1% of the principal amount of loans disbursed after June 2007. Prohibits its collection from borrowers. Increases, after June 2007, the rebate fee charged a holder of FFEL consolidated loans, provided that at least 90% of the total principal and accrued unpaid interest outstanding on loans held by such holder are such loans.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Honors Muhammad Ali as a global humanitarian on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Kristen's Act Reauthorization of 2007- Directs the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to make grants to public agencies and/or nonprofit private organizations to: (1) maintain a national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and unidentified adults; (2) maintain a national, interconnected database for tracking missing adults who are determined by law enforcement to be endangered due to age, diminished mental capacity, or the circumstances of disappearance, when foul play is suspected or circumstances are unknown; (3) coordinate public and private programs that locate or recover missing adults or reunite missing adults with their families; (4) provide assistance and training to law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, elements of the criminal justice system, nonprofit organizations, and individuals in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of cases involving missing adults; (5) provide assistance to families in locating and recovering missing adults; and (6) assist in public notification and victim advocacy related to missing adults. Directs the Attorney General, through the Director, to: (1) coordinate Government-funded programs relating to missing adults; and (2) provide the public agencies or nonprofit private organizations receiving grants to maintain a national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and unidentified adults with access to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation of a congressional gold medal in commemoration of Alice Paul, to recognize her role in the women's suffrage movement and in advancing equal rights for women. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of such medal. Requires proceeds from the sale of such medals to be deposited into the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Disabled Veteran Housing Simplification Act of 2007 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to exempt from the community service requirement applicable to adult residents of a public housing project an individual who has been determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to be permanently and totally disabled, and who is unable to comply with such requirement, or is a primary caretaker of such individual.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax free rollovers of military death gratuities to Roth individual retirement accounts, health savings and Archer medical savings accounts, and Coverdell education savings accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
United States Physician Shortage Elimination Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 to: (1) carry out the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program and Loan Repayment Program to assure an adequate supply of physicians and other health professionals to provide primary health services; (2) assist schools in supporting programs of excellence in health professionals education for underrepresented minority individuals; and (3) assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake education to enter a health profession. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to community health centers to: (1) establish new or alternative-campus accredited medical residency training programs affiliated with a hospital or other health care facility; or (2) fund new residency positions within existing accredited medical residency training programs at the centers and their affiliated partners. Requires the Secretary to give preference to funding medical residency training programs focusing on primary health care. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to make grants to community health centers to: (1) increase the number of medical service providers associated with such centers; and (2) increase primary health care capabilities through the construction, expansion, or renovation of facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the abolition of modern-day slavery should be a high priority of U.S. foreign and domestic policy and the United States should assume a leadership role in a global campaign to eliminate all forms of modern-day slavery by 2017; (2) U.S. trade, aid, and investment policies of should reflect and advance the U.S. commitment to freedom for all people; (3) the United States should expand protection and legal options for victims of modern-day slavery; (4) the United States should bring together governments, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals to form a comprehensive coalition and forge a sustained global action plan to fight modern-day slavery; and (5) the abolition of modern-day slavery should be prioritized at the 2007 Group of 8 (G-8) Summit in Germany.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Transparency and Accountability in Security Contracting Act of 2007 - Requires each contract, subcontract, or task order awarded or issued by a federal agency that includes private security functions (covered contract) to require the contractor to provide to the agency contracting officer specified information, including the number of persons to perform the security functions and the hiring and training process for such employees. Requires agency oversight in the performance of the covered contract. Directs the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to issue rules of engagement regarding the circumstances under which force may be used by contractor personnel performing private security functions within the area covered by a contingency operation, and the types of force authorized. Provides for: (1) hiring, training, and equipment standards relating to private security contractors; and (2) coordination and communication between U.S. Armed Forces and contractor personnel. Provides for the legal status of contractor personnel with respect to investigations and prosecution of abuses by private security contractors. Requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for each theater of operations established in connection with a contingency operation in which contract personnel are carrying out work under a covered contract, to establish a Theater Investigative Unit to investigate allegations of contractor personnel criminal misconduct. Requires a study by the Comptroller General of the total federal costs of procuring security services through private contractors.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Notch Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act with respect to the benefit computation formula for individuals affected by the changes in benefit computation rules enacted in the Social Security Amendments of 1977 who became eligible (at age 62) for (early retirement) old-age insurance benefits after 1978 and before 1989 (and reached age 65 for full-retirement benefits after 1981 and before 1992). Sets forth a schedule of additional benefit increases for such beneficiaries (and related beneficiaries), with percentages declining from 55% to 5% keyed to the year an individual became eligible for (early retirement) benefits between 1978 and 1989. Provides for an election to receive such payments in a lump sum.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act - Requires the Archivist of the United States to: (1) establish, as part of the National Archives, an electronically searchable database of historic records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction contained within federal agencies for genealogical and historical research; and (2) preserve relevant records. Requires the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to provide grants to states, colleges and universities, and genealogical associations to preserve records and establish databases of local records of such information.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Gifted and Talented Education Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include teacher quality enhancement programs relating to the needs of gifted and talented students among authorized uses of title II grants for states and partnerships.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to revise provisions governing the importation of prescription drugs. Waives the limitation on importation of prescription drugs that have been exported from the United States. Prohibits the importation of a qualifying drug unless such drug is imported by: (1) a registered importer; or (2) an individual for personal use. Establishes registration conditions for importers and exporters. Requires the Secretary to inspect places of business, verify chains of custody, inspect facilities, and determine compliance with registration conditions. Sets forth provisions governing the importation of qualifying drugs that are different from U.S. label drugs, including standards for judging such differences. Prohibits manufacturers from: (1) discriminating against registered exporters or importers; (2) causing there to be a difference in a prescription drug distributed in the United States and one distributed in a permitted country; (3) engaging in actions to restrict, prohibit, or delay the importation of a qualifying drug; or (4) engaging in any action that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) determines discriminates against a person that engages or attempts to engage in the importation of a qualifying drug. States that the resale in the United States of prescription drugs that were properly sold abroad is not patent infringement. Requires the Secretary to educate consumers regarding prescription drug importation. Sets forth provisions governing the sale of prescription drugs through an Internet site. Includes the dispensing or selling of a prescription drug in violation of this Act as a prohibited act under FFDCA. Prohibits the introduction of restricted transactions with unregistered foreign pharmacies into a payment system or the completion of such transactions using a payment system.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Expresses support for the goals of Catholic Schools Week, an event cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and established to recognize the vital contributions of America's thousands of Catholic elementary and secondary schools.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Declares that Marcus Mosiah Garvey (founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association): (1) was innocent of the charges brought against him by the U.S. government; and (2) should be recognized internationally as a leader and thinker in the struggle for human rights and dignity. Calls upon the President to endeavor to restore Garvey's honor and good name by granting him a full posthumous pardon that proclaims his conviction to have been unjust and affirms his innocence.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should not order an escalation in the total number of members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that James Brown should be recognized for his contributions as an American musical icon.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a special resource study to determine: (1) appropriate methods for preserving and interpreting certain sites in Arizona, California, and other states that are significant to the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and the farm labor movement in the western United States; and (2) whether any of the sites meets the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or designation as a national historic landmark.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Poverty Impact Trigger Act of 2007 - Amends Rule XXI (Restrictions on Certain Bills) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to make it out of order to consider a public bill or joint resolution authorizing an appropriation of $10 million or more, unless: (1) the accompanying committee report includes a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Poverty Impact Division impact statement; or (2) the chairman of the committee reporting the legislation submits such statement for publication in the Congressional Record before consideration of the measure. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish the CBO Poverty Impact Division to prepare and submit poverty impact statements to the chairmen of House committees.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Establishes in the legislative branch the Independent Commission on the 2004 Coup d'Etat in the Republic of Haiti. Directs the Commission to examine the U.S. government's role in the February 2004 coup d'etat in the Republic of Haiti. Terminates the Commission 60 days after submission of its final report to Congress and the President.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Recognizes and commends Ann Richards' extraordinary contributions to Texas and American public life.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) after more than 3,000 American casualties, over $300 billion in expenditures, and almost four years of fighting, an increase in the number of members of the U.S. Armed Forces deployed in Iraq is the wrong course of action and should not be done without an express authorization for the increase in an Act of Congress; and (2) a drastic shift in U.S. political and diplomatic strategy, as well as the mission of the U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq, is needed to secure and stabilize Iraq so that a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops can begin as soon as possible.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Declares that it is the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States has an obligation to improve the lives of the 36.95 million Americans living in poverty and the 15.928 million of those who live in extreme poverty; and (2) the President should immediately present to Congress a comprehensive plan to eradicate poverty by 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Expresses deepest condolences to the family of Patrick Finucane on his death, commends their steadfast pursuit of justice in his brutal murder, and thanks his wife Geraldine and son Michael for their willingness to testify on this matter before committees of the House of Representatives. Supports Administration efforts in seeking full implementation of the Weston Park Agreement and establishment of an independent judicial inquiry into Mr. Finucane's murder. Calls on the government of the United Kingdom to: (1) reconsider its position on the matter of an inquiry into Mr. Finucane's murder; (2) amend the Inquiries Act of 2005; and (3) take fully into account objections raised by Judge Cory, U.S. government officials, other governments and international bodies, and Mr. Finucane's family. Urges the government of the United Kingdom to establish a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry into Mr. Finucane's murder which would enjoy the support of his family, the people of Northern Ireland, and the international community as recommended by Judge Cory.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to prescription drug plan sponsors and Medicare Advantage organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals enrolled under a prescription drug plan or under a Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plan.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo. Limits such research to stem cells that meet the following ethical requirements: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat up to $1,000 of amounts paid annually for exercise equipment and physical exercise programs as tax deductible medical expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007 - Provides for implementation of recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission). Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to set forth provisions governing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants for first responders to prevent, prepare for, respond to, mitigate against, or recover from terrorist attacks. Directs the DHS Secretary to: (1) evaluate and prioritize applications based on the degree to which applicants would lessen the threat to persons and critical infrastructure; and (2) ensure that each state receives no less than .25% of grant funds available in a fiscal year (.45% for international border states). Requires the Secretary to establish the Improve Communications for Emergency Response Grant Program. Requires state, local, and tribal governments to pre-identify sites where a unified command system can be quickly established. Establishes the Checkpoint Screening Security Fund. Directs the Secretary to establish a system to inspect 100% of cargo transported on passenger aircraft. Permits containers to enter the United States only if scanned with equipment, and secured by seals, that meet prescribed standards. Directs the Secretary to: (1) take specified actions regarding human trafficking and terrorist travel; and (2) report on international collaboration and a plan to accelerate implementation of an automated biometric system. Requires the Secretary to carry out a Fusion and Law Enforcement Education and Teaming Grant Program. Establishes in DHS the Border Intelligence Fusion Center Program. Homeland Security Information Sharing Enhancement Act of 2007 - Renames the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection as the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Directs the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis to implement a Homeland Security Advisory System. Establishes, within the Office, an Internal Continuity of Operations Plan. Homeland Security Information Sharing Partnerships Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative; and (2) establish a Homeland Security Information Sharing Fellows Program. Establishes, within DHS, an Office of Infrastructure Protection. Protection of Civil Liberties Act - Makes the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board an independent agency within the executive branch. Privacy Officer With Enhanced Rights Act of 2007 or the POWER Act - Sets forth provisions governing the DHS privacy officer's investigative authority. Directs the Secretary to prepare vulnerability assessments of critical infrastructure and to establish a National Asset Database, a National At-Risk Database, a National Asset Database Consortium. Requires the Secretary to establish a Strategic Transportation Security Information Sharing Plan. Directs the Secretary to implement a program to enhance private sector preparedness for acts of terrorism and other emergencies and disasters through the promotion of the use of voluntary consensus standards. Repeals or modifies limitations on assistance for preventing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should strive to expand and strengthen the Proliferation Security Initiative, including by working with the United Nations Security Council to authorize the Initiative under international law. Authorizes appropriations for the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and for the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration programs to prevent WMD proliferation and terrorism. Establishes: (1) within the Executive Office of the President the Office of the United States Coordinator for the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism; and (2) the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. Nuclear Black Market Counter-Terrorism Act of 2007 - Directs the President to impose sanctions for transfers of nuclear technology involving foreign persons and terrorists. Requires the President to: (1) identify nuclear proliferation network countries; and (2) suspend arms sales to such countries. 9/11 Commission International Implementation Act of 2007 - Declares U.S. policy regarding increasing the availability of modern basic education in Arab countries. Authorizes: (1) the President to establish an International Arab and Muslim Youth Opportunity Fund; and (2) the Secretary of State to fund a private, nonprofit Middle East Foundation. Sets forth authority for providing a surge capacity for international broadcasting activities to support U.S. foreign policy objectives. Requires reports on: (1) expanding U.S. scholarship, exchange, and library programs in Arab and predominantly Muslim countries; and (2) progress towards implementing 9/11 Commission recommendations for developing a common coalition approach toward the detention and humane treatment of captured terrorists. Sets forth statements of U.S. policy and strategy with respect to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Applies federal minimum wage requirements to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage in the Commonwealth shall be gradually increased to equal the federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Denounces, demands the cessation of, and condemns the perpetrators of the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, honor killings, acid burning, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) participation, protection, recognition, and independence of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society; (2) regardless of religion, geography, or form of government, women should not be denied equal rights, which should be defended; and (3) the United States should renew consideration of and ratify its signature on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Recognizes the 75th birthday of Desmond Mpilo Tutu, Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa. Honors the accomplishments of Desmond Mpilo Tutu to South Africa, the United States, and the international community.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that all workers deserve fair treatment and safe working conditions. Honors Dolores Huerta for her commitment to the improvement of working conditions for farm worker families and the rights of women and children.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of State to establish the Shirley Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Program under which scholars and secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students from the Caribbean would attend U.S. schools, participate in activities designed to promote a greater understanding of U.S. values and culture, and have the option to live with a U.S. host family. Directs the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop a comprehensive program that extends and expands existing primary and secondary school initiatives in the Caribbean to provide: (1) teacher training methods; and (2) increased community involvement in school activities.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Paterson Great Falls National Park Act of 2007 - Establishes in the city of Paterson in the county of Passaic in New Jersey, the Paterson Great Falls National Park as a unit of the National Park System. Requires the Park to be administered in partnership by the Secretary of the Interior, the state of New Jersey, the city of Paterson and its applicable subdivisions, and others. Establishes the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Partnership to coordinate the activities of federal, state, and local authorities and the private sector in the development, for the Secretary's approval, and implementation of an integrated resource management plan. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to establish a Paterson Great Falls National Park Advisory Council. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire land or interests within the boundaries of the Park by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Justice for the Unprotected Against Sexually Transmitted Infections among the Confined and Exposed Act of 2007 or the JUSTICE Act of 2007 - Requires the Attorney General to direct the Bureau of Prisons to allow community organizations to distribute sexual barrier protection devices (e.g., condoms) and to engage in sexually transmitted infection (STI) counseling and prevention education in federal correctional facilities. Prohibits a federal correctional facility from taking adverse action against a prisoner who possesses or uses a sexual barrier protection device. Expresses the sense of Congress that states should allow for the legal distribution of sexual barrier protection devices in their correctional facilities. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) conduct a survey of all educational, testing, and other programs in federal and state correctional facilities for reducing the spread of STIs; and (2) develop and implement a five-year strategy to reduce the prevalence and spread of STIs in such facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Action of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan or a health issuer offering group health insurance coverage that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan or issuer from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan or issuer for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan or issuer to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act; and (2) ensure that full coverage is provided for secondary consultations by specialists in the appropriate medical fields to confirm or refute a diagnosis of cancer. Applies such requirements to health insurance issuers offering coverage in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Chesapeake Bay Restoration Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to revise requirements for implementation and monitoring grants under the Chesapeake Bay Agreement and for reporting on federally-funded projects under such Agreement. Requires federal agencies that carry out activities within the watershed to: (1) participate in planning and restoration programs; and (2) ensure that such activities comply with the Chesapeake Bay Agreement and the Federal Agencies Chesapeake Ecosystem Unified Plan. Requires the President to submit as part of the annual federal budget information regarding each federal agency involved in Chesapeake Bay restoration. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to report on progress in achieving and maintaining nutrient and sediment reduction goals for each tributary basin. Sets forth the baseline for the report and reporting requirements. Requires the states of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia and the District of Columbia to submit to the Administrator information relating to nutrient and sediment reduction for each Chesapeake Bay tributary basin. Prohibits the Administrator from making a grant to any state which fails to provide required information. Requires the Administrator to request the Local Government Advisory Committee to report to EPA on measurable goals for local governments for nutrient and sediment reduction. Requires the Administrator: (1) to establish an implementation assistance program to support tributary strategies and other projects toward achievement of Chesapeake Bay Agreement goals; (2) to assist local governments and nonprofit organizations to implement tributary strategies and other complementary cooperative, locally based protection and restoration programs or projects under the technical assistance and assistance grants program; (3) in cooperation with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to provide capacity building assistance to enhance local governments' capabilities to carry out protection and restoration programs or projects within a tributary basin; and (4) to provide grants to implement tributary strategies that accelerate the reduction of nonpoint source nutrient and sediment pollution. Requires specified load allocations to be incorporated into discharge permits until applicable total maximum daily loads are established. Updates reporting deadlines for the study of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Authorizes appropriations through FY2012.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Law Enforcement Officers Flag Memorial Act - Allows the family of a deceased law enforcement officer to request, and the Attorney General to provide, a U.S. flag flown over the Capitol in honor of the officer, to be supplied by the Architect of the Capitol. Directs that the family pay the cost of such flag, including shipping.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Lumbee Recognition Act - Extends federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Oceans Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act - Establishes a national policy to protect, maintain, and restore the health of marine ecosystems and requires that federal agencies administer U.S. policies and laws accordingly. Allows more stringent federal and state requirements. States that there shall be an agency known as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), declares that Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970 (concerning NOAA) shall have no further force or effect, and sets forth NOAA's mission and functions. (Reestablishes NOAA and requires a reorganization plan.) Creates an Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and makes that person the Administrator of NOAA. Requires maintenance within NOAA of: (1) the National Weather Service; (2) programs to protect, maintain, and restore the health and sustainability of coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes resources; (3) the Office of Education; and (4) a Science Advisory Board. Establishes: (1) a National Oceans Advisor; (2) a Committee on Ocean Policy; and (3) the Council of Advisors on Oceans Policy. Designates certain ocean regions for ecosystem-based management and establishes a Regional Ocean Partnership for each region. Requires the Administrator to establish a network of regional ocean ecosystem resource information systems for each ocean region and other specified bodies of water. Authorizes related contracts. Establishes in the Treasury the Ocean and Great Lakes Conservation Trust Fund. Requires payments to coastal states for development and implementation of Regional Ocean Strategic Plans. Requires the U.S. Postal Service to provide for a special postage stamp to afford the public a convenient way to support efforts to protect, maintain, and restore marine ecosystems.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly benefit of $1,000 to certain honorably-discharged veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946 (or to their survivors). Includes service in the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service. Exempts from taxation benefits paid under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 - Supports state, city, and university efforts to divest funds from, or restrict investments in, companies that conduct business operations in Sudan. Directs: (1) the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require all companies trading in registered securities that conduct business operations directly or through parent or subsidiary companies in Sudan to disclose the nature of such operations; and (2) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the existence and extent of such companies' Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board investments. Prohibits U.S. government contracts with such companies, with exceptions for companies whose activities are related to: (1) southern Sudan, southern Kordofan/Nuba Mountains State, Blue Nile State, or Abyei; (2) the implementation of the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement; (3) the provision of military equipment for nongovernmental organizations in the Darfur region of Sudan, the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), or the United Nations; or (4) the provision of humanitarian assistance that is of immediate and substantial benefit to the majority of people of the Darfur region of Sudan or the majority of people of eastern Sudan, including the Red Sea, Kassala, and Gedaref States. Authorizes a national security waiver of such prohibition on a case-by-case basis.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) sponsoring or exhibiting a bird in a fighting venture in a state where it would not otherwise be in violation of the law, only if the person knew that any bird in the venture was knowingly bought, sold, delivered, transported, or received in interstate or foreign commerce for such purpose; or (2) knowingly sponsoring or exhibiting in an animal fighting venture any other animal that was moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Prohibits knowingly: (1) selling, buying, transporting, delivering, or receiving, for purposes of transportation in interstate or foreign commerce, any dog or other animal to participate in an animal fighting venture; (2) using interstate mail service for commercial speech promoting an animal fighting venture except as performed outside the limits of the states (with an exception for bird fights in states whose laws allow them); or (3) selling, buying, transporting, or delivering in interstate or foreign commerce a knife, gaff, or other sharp instrument to be attached to the leg of a bird for use in an animal fighting venture. Increases the penalties to a fine and up to three years' imprisonment for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Housing Opportunities Made Easier Act, or the HOME Act - Instructs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to: (1) provide 150,000 incremental vouchers to public housing agencies in FY2008 for tenant-based rental housing assistance under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937; and (2) renew such vouchers in each ensuing fiscal year.