United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to a designated state agency for development of universal prekindergaten programs for all children three, four, and five years old in the state. Requires the state to: (1) match federal funds by at least 20%; and (2) submit with its grant application a plan to establish, coordinate, and implement a statewide universal prekindergarten program. Authorizes state agencies to set aside up to 5% of a grant for ongoing professional development activities for teachers and staff of prekindergarten programs that wish to participate.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2007
Declares that Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2007
Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the alternative minimum tax, the discharge of mortgage indebtedness, and tax administration and extends certain expiring tax credits, deductions, and other tax incentives. Extends through 2007: (1) offsets against the alternative minimum tax for certain nonrefundable income tax credits; and (2) increased alternative minimum tax exemptions for individual taxpayers. Extends through 2008 various expiring tax provisions primarily affecting individual taxpayers, including: (1) the tax deductions for state and local sales taxes, for qualified tuition and related expenses, for qualified conservation contributions, for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, and for the travel expenses of state legislators while away from home; (2) tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes; (3) the taxpayer election to include combat pay as earned income for purposes of the earned income tax credit; (4) special rules for qualified mortgage bonds to finance home purchases by veterans; and (5) tax-free distributions from retirement plans for individuals called to active military service. Extends through 2008 various expiring tax provisions primarily affecting businesses, including: (1) the tax credits for increasing research expenses, for hiring workers on Indian reservations, for investment in new markets, for railroad track maintenance, and for hiring workers in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina; (2) accelerated depreciation for qualified leasehold and restaurant improvements, for motorsports entertainment complexes, and for business property on Indian reservations; (3) expensing allowances for environmental remediation costs; (4) tax deductions for contributions of food and book inventories and for computer equipment for educational purposes; and (5) tax incentives for investment in the District of Columbia and American Samoa. Extends through 2008 authorities for: (1) issuing qualified zone academy bonds; (2) making disclosures of tax information to facilitate student loan repayments and for combating terrorist activities; and (3) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) undercover operations. Allows an exclusion from gross income for up to $2 million of the income attributable to discharges of home mortgage indebtedness incurred after January 1, 2007. Extends through 2014 the tax deduction for mortgage insurance premiums. Sets forth alternative criteria for qualifying a corporation as a cooperative housing corporation for purposes of the tax deduction for payments to such corporations. Limits the exclusion from gross income of gain from the sale of a principal residence by denying an exclusion of the gain that is allocable to a nonqualified use of such residence (i.e., use other than as a principal residence). Repeals the authority of the IRS to enter into private debt collection contracts. Delays until 2012 the requirement for federal, state, and local agencies to withhold 3% of payments for goods and services provided to such agencies. Revises tax administration provisions and rules relating to: (1) tax returns of certain U.S. Virgin Island residents; and (2) the tax treatment of high-income individuals who relinquish U.S. citizenship or residency to avoid U.S. taxation (expatriates). Repeals the 36-month suspension of interest and penalties on tax underpayments for taxpayers not notified of a tax deficiency by the IRS. Increases tax penalties for failure to file accurate tax information returns. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to provide that wine of the same color shall be deemed to be commercially interchangeable for purposes of the duty drawback for unused merchandise.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2007
Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to members of the uniformed services to: (1) make permanent provisions relating to the earned income tax credit, mortgage bond financing for veterans, tax-free distributions from the retirement plans of active duty military personnel, and the authority of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide tax return information to the Department of Veterans Affairs for benefit determinations; (2) enhance pension plan benefits for active duty personnel and their survivors; (3) allow volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders a tax exclusion for certain state benefits and payments; (4) allow tax-free rollovers of military death gratuities and life insurance benefits into survivor Roth individual retirement accounts (Roth IRAs) and education savings plans; and (5) allow Peace Corps volunteers a five-year suspension of the use and ownership requirements applicable to the tax exclusion of gain from the sale of a principal residence. Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled) of the Social Security Act to increase supplemental security income (SSI) benefits for members of the uniformed services. Excludes certain state annuity payments to blind veterans and cash or in-kind benefits paid to an AmeriCorps participant from SSI benefit determinations. Increases penalties for failure to file individual, partnership, and S corporation tax returns and other tax information returns.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2007
Preserve America and Save America's Treasures Act - Establishes the Preserve America Program, under which the Secretary of the Interior, in partnership with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, shall provide competitive grants to specified entities to support preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education, and historic preservation planning activities. Sets forth provisions regarding the designation of communities, tribal areas, and neighborhoods as Preserve America Communities. Establishes the Save America's Treasures Program, under which the Secretary shall provide grants to eligible entities for projects to preserve nationally significant collections and historic properties. Provides for, of the amounts available for such grants, not less than 50% to be available for projects to preserve collections and historic properties, which shall be distributed through a competitive grant process. Requires a collection or historic property to be provided a competitive grant only if such collection or property is: (1) nationally significant; and (2) threatened or endangered. Requires historic properties, to be eligible for a grant, to be: (1) listed in the National Register of Historic Places at the national level of significance; or (2) designated as a National Historic Landmark. Sets forth the criteria under which grants shall be provided to projects for eligible collections and historic properties.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2007
Tax Reduction and Reform Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to individual income tax rates, the alternative minimum tax, partnerships and corporations and extends certain expiring tax credits, deductions, and other tax incentives. Increases and modifies: (1) the standard tax deduction for individual taxpayers; and (2) the earned income and child tax credits. Extends the increased alternative minimum tax exemptions for individual taxpayers through 2007. Repeals such tax after 2007. Imposes limitations on the itemized deductions and exemptions of taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes in excess of $250,000. Treats partnership income earned for providing investment management services (i.e., carried interest) as ordinary income. Extends through 2008 various expiring tax provisions primarily affecting individual taxpayers, including: (1) the tax deductions for state and local sales taxes, for qualified tuition and related expenses, for qualified conservation contributions, for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, and for mortgage insurance premiums; (2) tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes; (3) the taxpayer election to include combat pay as earned income for purposes of the earned income tax credit; (4) special rules for qualified mortgage bonds to finance home purchases by veterans; and (5) tax-free distributions from retirement plans for individuals called to active military service. Extends through 2008 various expiring tax provisions primarily affecting businesses, including: (1) the tax credits for increasing research expenses, for hiring workers on Indian reservations, for investment in new markets, and for railroad track maintenance; (2) accelerated depreciation for qualified leasehold and restaurant improvements, for motorsports entertainment complexes, and for business property on Indian reservations; (3) expensing allowances for environmental remediation costs; (4) tax deductions for contributions of food and book inventories and for computer equipment for educational purposes; and (5) tax incentives for investment in the District of Columbia and American Samoa. Extends through 2008 authorities for: (1) issuing qualified zone academy bonds; (2) making disclosures of tax information to facilitate student loan repayments, for combating terrorist activities, and for veterans programs purposes; and (3) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) undercover operations. Reduces the top marginal income tax rate for corporations from 35 to 30.5% and the tax deduction for dividends received by corporations. Repeals various provisions relating to corporate taxation, including the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities, the LIFO and the lower of cost or market accounting methods, interest allocation rules for U.S. corporations with foreign assets, and special rules relating to domestic international sales corporations. Makes permanent the increased expensing allowance ($125,000) for small business assets. Increases the amortization period for goodwill and other intangibles from 15 to 20 years. Sets forth rules for the application of the economic substance doctrine to tax transactions. Imposes enhanced penalties for underpayments of tax due to transactions lacking in economic substance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2007
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to reauthorize the CHIP program (also known as SCHIP) through FY2012 at increased levels. Revises requirements for: (1) CHIP allotments; (2) optional coverage of low-income pregnant women; (3) outreach and enrollment activities; (4) verification of U.S. citizenship or nationality for CHIP and Medicaid (SSA title XIX); (5) state option for providing premium assistance, including coordination with private coverage; (6) child health quality improvement activities; (7) access to dental and mental health benefits; and (8) program integrity and data collection, including the payment error rate measurement (PERM). Establishes in the Treasury the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund. Denies payments under CHIP for coverage of children with effective family income that exceeds 300% of the poverty line. Denies federal funding for illegal aliens. Prohibits initiation of new health opportunity account demonstration programs. Support for Injured Servicemembers Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to entitle the family member of a covered servicemember to a total of 26 workweeks of leave during a 12-month period to care for the servicemember. Expresses the sense of the Senate affirming its intent to enact legislation this year that improves access to affordable and meaningful health insurance coverage for employees of small businesses and individuals. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the excise tax on tobacco products, but allow a specified credit against such tax. Amends the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 to decrease the estimated tax rate for certain large corporations in the third quarter of 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2007
Native American Full Access to Dental Care Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of individual taxpayers for income tax purposes loan repayments under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act in exchange for service as an dentist.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit up to $500 of unused health benefits in a plan or other arrangement that provides for a health flexible spending arrangement to be carried forward to the next year of such health flexible spending arrangement without affecting the status of such plan or arrangement as a tax-exempt employee benefit cafeteria plan. Terminates such carryforward after 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2007
Trade and Globalization Act of 2007 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to allow the filing of a petition with the Secretary of Labor for certification of eligibility to apply for trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by adversely affected workers in a service sector firm, a public agency, or subdivision. Revises group eligibility requirements for TAA to cover: (1) a shift, by such workers' firm or subdivision to a foreign country, of production of articles or in provision of services, like or directly competitive with articles which are produced, or services that are provided by the workers' firm or subdivision; or (2) instances where the workers' firm or subdivision obtains or is likely to obtain such articles or services from a foreign country. Provides for the certification for TAA of: (1) adversely affected workers in a public agency, its subdivision, or in a domestic industry; and (2) adversely affected secondary workers in a service sector firm or its subdivision. Prohibits TAA program benefits from being provided to an alien worker unless such worker is a lawful permanent resident living in the United States. Revises certain qualifying requirements for TAA for adversely affected workers. Increases: (1) the amount of payments for training of adversely affected workers; and (2) the maximum allowance to cover costs of such workers for job search expenses and relocation expenses. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the credit for health insurance costs of certain TAA and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) pension recipients. Sets forth requirements to prevent a lapse of health care coverage for TAA workers and their families. Establishes eligibility requirements for reemployment TAA for adversely affected older workers. Establishes the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance. Extends through FY2012 the TAA program for workers and farmers. Allows the filing of a petition with the Secretary of Commerce for certification of eligibility to apply for TAA by a service sector firm. Extends the TAA program for firms through FY2012. Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act - Amends the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Labor to make unemployment compensation modernization incentive payments in FY2008-FY2012 by certain transfers from the federal unemployment account to the accounts of the states in the Unemployment Trust Fund. Provides for the issuance of manufacturing redevelopment bonds (qualified tax credit bonds) and tax-exempt facility bonds and require the proceeds to be used for environmental remediation and public infrastructure improvements in manufacturing redevelopment zones. Increases the state low-income housing credit for buildings located in such zones. Allows a credit to holders of such qualified tax credit bonds.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2007
New Partnership for Development Act of 2007 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require the President to provide for the duty-free treatment of articles (without quantitative limitation) from qualified beneficiary countries that have been designated: (1) a least developed country (except Myanmar and Sudan); and (2) a sub-Saharan African country. (Effectively, providing an additional trade preference program for least developed countries.) Prohibits designation of a country as a qualified beneficiary country, and terminates such country's eligibility for preferential treatment, if it has: (1) not adopted and enforced certain human rights and fair labor practices; (2) failed to make progress to eliminate trade barriers and to establish a market-based economy and the rule of law; and (3) engaged in gross violations of internationally-recognized human rights. Prescribes requirements regarding: (1) rules of origin; (2) significant apparel suppliers; and (3) safeguards against the transshipment of textiles and apparels. Imposes additional duties, under specified conditions, on certain agricultural safeguard goods. Expresses the sense of Congress: (1) concerning the importance of the Generalized System of Preferences program; and (2) that preferential treatment provided under this Act can be improved if India, the People's Republic of China, and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries provide market access similar to that provided under this Act. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish: (1) an Office of Trade and Competitiveness for Least Developed Countries within the U.S. Agency for International Development; and (2) a workforce competitiveness program for least developed countries. Establishes an Aid for Trade Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2007
Recognizes the 20th anniversary of the Freedom Sunday Rally for Soviet Jews in Washington, DC, which embodies the American principle of citizen activism for the greater good.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2007
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth PROMISE Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity; and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Center for Proven Practices Research to provide PCCs and the public current research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention and intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to hire and train law enforcement officers as youth-oriented police to work with PCCs, other community-based organizations, and high-risk youths. Establishes a Center for Youth-Oriented Policing. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize grants for the creation and expansion of state, local, and tribal juvenile witness and victim protection programs. Extends and increases funding for juvenile accountability block grants through FY2013.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2007
Citizenship and Immigration Backlog Reduction Act - Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly provide to the appropriate congressional committees a plan for ensuring that within 18 months of the date of enactment of this Act the National Name Check Program will no longer have any requested name checks from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in backlog status (as defined by this Act). States that beginning 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act the Program is not authorized to have any file in backlog status. Provides that after such date any name check request from USCIS held by the Program for longer than six months shall: (1) be referred to the Secretary who shall adjudicate interim benefits (unless there is reasonable cause to suspect that the applicant poses a threat to national security, otherwise poses a threat to the United States, or has broken U.S. immigration law); and (2) have the name check fee refunded.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2007
Condemns the September 2007 attacks on African Union (AU) peacekeepers that occurred in Haskanita, Darfur, Sudan. Expresses condolences and sympathies to the people and governments of Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, and Botswana and to the families and friends of those individuals who were killed, injured, or missing in the attacks. Expresses readiness to support efforts to bring to justice those individuals responsible for the attacks and to dismantle the networks that carry out such attacks. Expresses support for the people of Darfur, and encourages all parties involved in the conflict to commit to negotiate a final peace agreement at the peace talks scheduled for October 27, 2007, in Tripoli, Libya.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act of 2007 - Provides that, in the case of a member of the Armed Forces who is retired or separated for disability due to a combat-related injury, the Secretary of Defense shall require the continued payment of any bonuses or special pay to which the member: (1) was entitled to immediately before the retirement or separation; and (2) would continue to be entitled to if not retired or separated. Requires such payment in a lump sum within 30 days after such retirement or separation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Calls upon the President to develop within the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) a Women and Girls of Darfur Initiative to improve assistance to victims and potential victims of rape and sexual violence in Darfur, Sudan, eastern Chad, and the Central African Republic. Calls upon the Secretary General of the United Nations, the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the Arab League, and other nations to take steps to ensure that a fully funded and fully equipped U.N.-AU peacekeeping force (UNAMID) is deployed to Darfur, including an adequate number of female troops and police to properly manage incidents of rape and sexual violence. Calls upon the Security Council to: (1) find the government of Sudan in noncompliance with Security Council Resolution 1325; (2) call on the government of Sudan to provide legal protections to victims of rape and sexual violence and to bring to justice individuals responsible for such crimes; and (3) enforce the arrest warrants for Ahmad Muhammad Harun and Ali Muhammad Al Abd-Al-Raham, and further recognize the systematic rape of women and girls in Darfur as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2007
Instructs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: (1) ensure that the Arecibo Observatory, in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, is fully funded to continue its research on Earth's ionosphere, its research in radio astronomy, and research on the solar system; and (2) coordinate with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure that capabilities of the Arecibo Observatory continue to be available for NASA research in characterizing and mitigating Near Earth Objects, and other research as needed.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2007
Honors the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson's becoming the first African-American to win at Wimbledon and the U.S. Championship at Forest Hills in New York City. Encourages: (1) support of the Althea Gibson Foundation and other organizations that support under-privileged youth in their educational aspirations and athletic pursuits in tennis and golf; and (2) preservation of the memory, legacy, and well-being of pioneer athletes who served as inspirations for succeeding generations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Fair Medicaid Drug Payment Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to calculate the federal upper reimbursement limit as no less than 300% of the weighted average (based on utilization) of the most recent average manufacturer prices (AMPs) for pharmaceutically and therapeutically equivalent multiple source drug products available for purchase by retail community pharmacies on a nationwide basis. Directs the Secretary to implement a smoothing process for AMPs to ensure that federal upper reimbursement limits do not vary significantly from month to month as a result of rebates, discounts, and other pricing practices. Requires a state plan to subject to prior authorization all covered outpatient drug products that are innovator multiple source drugs, if such drug products are more expensive than other biologically and therapeutically equivalent drug products available for purchase in that state by retail community pharmacies. Revises requirements for monthly reports to the Secretary of price information by manufacturers subject to rebate agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Safety Assurance For Every Consumer Product Act or the SAFE Consumer Product Act - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to require (in current law, authorize) the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to prescribe consumer product testing programs. Requires nongovernmental, independent third party testing of children's products. Increases the actions the CPSC may take in ordering recalls of products presenting substantial hazards. Makes recalled product retail sale unlawful. Requires manufacturers to mark products or packaging to enable purchasers to determine the product's source, date, and production cohort. Removes the cap on Consumer Product Safety Act civil penalties. Removes a requirement that criminal penalties may only be imposed after noncompliance notice. Reduces the period after CPSC notification to manufacturers and private labelers before public disclosure of information obtained under the Act. Requires any person who must give public notice of a substantial product hazard to post a notice on the Internet. Declares any children's product containing more than a specified amount of lead to be a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, allowing a temporary exception for electronic devices. Requires certain actions to facilitate recalls of children's products and authorizes the CPSC to extend the requirements to consumer products other than children's products. Requires children's product's warning labels to be included in Internet advertisements. Removes provisions requiring a minimum number of CPSC members to transact business. Modifies rulemaking notice requirements. Declares the sense of Congress that the full complement of five CPSC members is necessary to conduct CPSC business and the President should fill vacancies expeditiously. Prohibits any consumer product safety standard or other CPSC action after enactment of this Act from containing a preemption provision which affects any action under state statutory or common law unless the provision is expressly authorized by statute.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Declares that the House of Representatives strongly condemns the Ku Klux Klan for its long history of hate and for its most recent expression through the targeting of immigrant groups.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2007
TMA, Abstinence Education, and QI Programs Extension Act of 2007 - Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, as amended, to extend transitional medical assistance (TMA) and the abstinence education program through December 31, 2007. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend through December 2007: (1) the qualifying individual (QI) program; and (2) a specified allocation of funds for state coverage of Medicare cost-sharing for additional low-income Medicare beneficiaries. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for FY2008-FY2012, to provide for the application to asset eligibility determinations under the Medicaid program of the automated, secure, web-based asset verification request and response process being applied for determining eligibility for Supplemental Security Income benefits under a specified demonstration project authorized by SSA title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) Amends the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 to delay for six months, from September 30, 2007, through March 31, 2008, the effective date of the requirement to use tamper-resistant prescription pads to prescribe covered outpatient drugs under the Medicaid program. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to provide additional funding for the Medicare Physician Assistance and Quality Initiative Fund. Limits the implementation for FY2008-FY2009 of prospective documentation and coding adjustments (made in response to the implementation of the Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) system under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services).
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from gross income amounts attributable to a discharge of mortgage indebtedness on a principal residence; (2) extend through 2014 the tax deduction for mortgage insurance premiums; (3) expand the definition of cooperative housing corporation for purposes of the tax deduction for payments to such corporations; and (4) limit the exclusion from gross income of gain from the sale of a principal residence by denying an exclusion of the gain allocated to a nonqualified use of such residence. Amends the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 to increase (from 114.75% to 116.50%) in the third quarter of 2012 the estimated tax rate for corporations with assets of not less than $1 billion.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2007
Protect America's Wildlife Act of 2007 - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to add to airborne hunting offenses a prohibition against any person shooting or attempting to shoot any bird, fish, or other animal before 3:00 a.m. following a day on which the person has traveled by aircraft other than on a regularly scheduled commercial aircraft. Increases the fine for such offenses to not more than $50,000 (currently, $5,000). Prohibits a state from authorizing or undertaking any action otherwise prohibited under such Act for the purpose of increasing any game population or sport hunting. Authorizes a state to shoot predators from an aircraft to prevent a biological emergency, if: (1) the head of the state's fish and wildlife agency determines that such an emergency is imminent and there is no other means available to eliminate the emergency; (2) the shooting is conducted by an officer or employee of such agency or of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); (3) the shooting occurs only in the area where the emergency exists; and (4) the shooting removes only the minimum number of predators necessary to eliminate the emergency. Allows the Secretary of the Interior to authorize an otherwise prohibited action to prevent the extinction of any endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 if there is no other means available to address the threat of extinction. Authorizes citizen suits under the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2007
Honors the accomplishments of Barrington Irving, the youngest pilot and first African-American to fly solo around the world and founder of Experience Aviation, Inc., a nonprofit organization that inspires youth and minorities to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace. Encourages museums throughout the United States related to aviation, including the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum, to commemorate the historic achievements of Captain Barrington Irving.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2007
Calls for the President to grant a pardon, posthumously, to Jack Johnson (the first African-American professional boxer to hold the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World) to expunge from the annals of American criminal justice a racially motivated abuse of the federal government's prosecutorial authority and to recognize his athletic and cultural contributions to society.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health the World Trade Center Health Program (WTC program) to provide medical monitoring and treatment benefits to: (1) eligible emergency responders and recovery and cleanup workers who responded to the New York City terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; and (2) residents and other building occupants and area workers who were directly impacted and adversely affected by such attacks. Requires the WTC program administrator to: (1) establish the WTC Health Program Steering Committee and the WTC Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee; (2) institute a program that provides education and outreach on the existence and availability of services under the WTC program; and (3) provide for the uniform collection of data related to WTC-related health conditions. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish similar programs with respect to the terrorist attack at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Requires the administrator to conduct or support research on: (1) physical and mental health conditions that may be related to the September 11 terrorist attacks; and (2) diagnosing and treating WTC-related health conditions. Requires the administrator to extend and expand arrangements with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide for the World Trade Center Health Registry. Authorizes the administrator to make grants to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to address mental health needs relating to the terrorist attacks. Amends the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to provide, under certain circumstances, for an extension of time for filing claims under the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
Airport and Airway Trust Fund Financing Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose an excise tax on aviation-grade kerosene; (2) increase the tax rate for aviation gasoline; (3) extend through FY2011 excise taxes on transportation by air of persons and property and on aviation gasoline and aviation-grade kerosene; (4) extend through FY2011 the expenditure authority for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund; and (5) dedicate increased revenues resulting from this Act to air traffic control modernization.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through December 31, 2007: (1) the excise taxes on aviation fuels and air transportation of persons and property for funding the Airport and Airway Trust Fund; and (2) the expenditure authority for such Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) nonviolence and Mahatma Gandhi's teachings remain relevant in today's world; (2) our nation should take an active role in disseminating the message of nonviolence; and (3) the President should request the American people to observe the International Day of Non-Violence.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that the internationally renowned artist Romare Bearden should be honored for his contributions to the collective American aesthetic anthology which reflect the complexity and richness of African American life in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2007
Public and Teaching Hospital Preservation Act - Amends the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 2007 to extend by one year the moratorium on: (1) implementation of a rule relating to the federal-state financial partnership under titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act; and (2) finalization of a Medicaid rule regarding the treatment of graduate medical education (GME).
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2007
Regional Presidential Primary and Caucus Act of 2007 - Divides the United States into four regions of specified states (including the District of Columbia) for holding presidential primaries in each presidential election year. Requires four successive presidential primaries in each such year, to be held during the period beginning on the first Tuesday of March, April, May, and June and ending on the sixth day following such Tuesday. Directs the Election Assistance Commission to establish procedures for the conduct of a lottery by March 1, 2010, to select which of four regions will hold the first primary. Sets forth a rule for subsequent election cycles. Provides that, in the case where a state elects to select delegates to a political party's national presidential nominating convention through a caucus, the state shall hold a caucus during the period in which its region is scheduled to hold a primary.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2007
Support for Injured Servicemembers Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to entitle an eligible employee who is the spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin of a covered servicemember to a total of 26 workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for the servicemember. Defines covered servicemember as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or a Reserve, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in medical hold or medical holdover status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness incurred in the line of duty on active duty that may render the member medically unfit to perform his or her duties. Provides for the substitution of accrued paid vacation, personal, family leave, or medical or sick leave for any part of the 26-week period. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the availability of such leave during any other 12-month period. Amends federal civil service law to entitle civilian federal employees to the same leave allowance. Provides for the substitution of accrued paid annual or sick leave for any part of the 26-week period.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Education Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate the Institute's pulmonary hypertension research activities. Requires the Director to establish a Pulmonary Hypertension Clinical Research Network to conduct clinical trials to evaluate new treatment approaches for pulmonary hypertension and facilitate collaboration among investigators with expertise in pulmonary hypertension. Directs the network to include: (1) a steering committee; and (2) an Institute project scientist. Provides for the establishment of a national Pulmonary Hypertension Preceptorship and Training Program to facilitate the direct education and training of medical professionals by experienced pulmonary hypertension specialists in clinical settings. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and disseminate to the public information regarding pulmonary hypertension. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Director of CDC, to develop and disseminate to health care providers information on pulmonary hypertension to ensure that providers remain informed about the disease, its presenting symptoms, and current treatment options. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the coverage standards that apply to individuals with pulmonary hypertension under Medicare and Medicaid.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to prohibit the President from revoking any waiver of the competitive need limitation in effect, on or after June 20, 2007, with respect to an article from a beneficiary developing country under the Generalized System of Preferences program unless certain conditions are met.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Pension Protection Technical Corrections Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Pension Protection Act of 2006, to make changes regarding defined benefit pension plans, including to: (1) revise rules concerning amendments of a plan while a waiver of minimum funding standards is in effect; (2) amend provisions that allow the Secretary of Treasury to provide a transition rule for estimating an at-risk plan's funding target attainment percentage; (3) exclude from the definition of prohibited payment for purposes of limitations on accelerated benefit distributions a payment that may be immediately distributed without the consent of the participant; (4) extend exemption from fiduciary liability during a blackout period to otherwise qualified blackout periods of less than three days; and (5) revise deduction rules for employer contributions to one or more defined contribution plans.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
200th Anniversary Commemoration Commission of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Act of 2007 - Establishes the Transatlantic Slave Trade 200th Anniversary Commission. Sets forth Commission duties, including: (1) plan activities appropriate to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade; (2) encourage civic, historical, educational, religious, economic entities, as well as state and local governments to participate in anniversary activities; (3) facilitate the convening of a joint meeting or joint session of the Congress for related ceremonies and activities; (4) promote the sponsorship of related conferences and exhibitions; and (5) examine reports and raise public awareness of of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. Terminates the Commission on December 31, 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
National Homelessness Task Force Act of 2007 - Establishes in the legislative branch a National Homelessness Task Force to: (1) analyze reports by federal, state, and local agencies and academic institutions relating to homelessness; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of federal programs addressing homelessness, particularly their interaction with state and local entities which also address homelessness; (3) analyze options and make recommendations to alleviate the causes and effects of such homelessness; and (4) conduct related research and develop methods to improve, federal, state, and local agency coordination.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Emergency Contraception Education Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and disseminate to the public information on emergency contraception, including, at a minimum, a description of emergency contraception and an explanation of the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of such contraception. Requires that the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to develop and disseminate to health care providers, including pharmacists, information on emergency contraception that includes, at a minimum: (1) information describing the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of emergency contraception; (2) a recommendation regarding its use in appropriate cases; and (3) information explaining how to obtain copies of information from the CDC.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to give states the option of providing Medicaid coverage for certain low-income HIV-infected individuals. Provides states taking advantage of this option with an enhanced federal Medicaid match.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
Recognizes India as a long-term U.S. strategic partner. Applauds the Indian-American community for the important role it plays in the U.S.-India relationship. Extends best wishes to the people of India as they celebrate the 60th anniversary of India's independence from the British Empire.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2007
Single Parent Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow individual taxpayers who are entitled to receive child support a refundable tax credit for any unpaid portion of such support; and (2) increase the income tax liability of any individual required to pay child support by the amount of the unpaid child support allowed as a tax credit by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2007
Travel Promotion Act of 2007 - Establishes the Corporation for Travel Promotion as a nonprofit corporation that is not an agency or establishment of the U.S. government. Makes the Corporation subject to the provisions of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act. Requires the Corporation, among other things, to provide useful information to people interested in traveling to the United States, identify and address perceptions in other countries regarding U.S. entry policies, and promote U.S. travel. Establishes in the Treasury the Travel Promotion Fund. Requires the transfer of Treasury funds to the Corporation, requiring nonfederal matching funds. Authorizes the U.S. government, if a fully automated electronic system is implemented to determine, in advance of travel, the eligibility of an alien to travel to the United States, to charge an applicant a system use fee. Amends the International Travel Act of 1961 to replace references to the United States National Tourism Organization with references to the Corporation. Modifies various requirements applicable to the Tourism Policy Council. Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 to remove provisions establishing the United States Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000053_200.jpg)