United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2009
Equity for Our Nation's Self-Employed Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow self-employed individuals to deduct health insurance costs in computing the tax on self-employment income.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2009
Newborn, Child, and Mother Survival Act of 2009 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance to improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries. Directs the President to develop a comprehensive U.S. government strategy to reduce mortality and improve the health of newborns, children, and mothers in developing countries. Establishes the Interagency Task Force on Child Survival and Maternal Health in Developing Countries.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2009
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and make available to local educational agencies, schools, early childhood education programs, and other interested entities voluntary guidelines to develop plans for individuals to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools and early childhood education programs. Directs that such guidelines address: (1) parental obligation to provide the documentation of their child's allergies; (2) the creation of an individual food allergy management plan for each such child; (3) communication between schools or programs and emergency medical services; (4) reduction of exposure to anaphylactic causative agents; (5) food allergy management training; and (6) administration of epinephrine. Allows the Secretary to award matching grants to assist local educational agencies in implementing such food allergy and anaphylaxis management guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2009
Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009 - States that it is the policy of the United States to support the decision of state and local governments and educational institutions to divest from, and to prohibit the investment of assets they control in, persons that have investments of more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector. Authorizes a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, or prohibit the investment of assets they control in, such persons, including financial institutions which extend them credit to so invest. Amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to shield any registered investment company from civil, criminal, or administrative action based upon its divesting from, or avoiding investing in, securities issued by such persons. Expresses the sense of Congress that a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) may divest plan assets from, or avoid investing plan assets in, a person that has investments of more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector without breaching his or her fiduciary duties under ERISA, if such determination is based on credible information and in accordance with federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2009
Great Ape Protection Act of 2009 - Prohibits: (1) conducting invasive research on great apes; (2) knowingly breeding, possessing, renting, loaning, donating, purchasing, selling, housing, maintaining, leasing, borrowing, transporting, moving, delivering, or receiving a great ape for the purpose of conducting such research; or (3) using federal funds to conduct such research. Defines "invasive research" as research that may cause death, bodily injury, pain, distress, fear, injury, or trauma to great apes, including drug testing or exposure to a substance that may be detrimental to the ape's health or psychological well-being. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other appropriate federal authorities to provide for the permanent retirement of all great apes that are owned or under the control of the federal government and that are being maintained in any facility for the purpose of breeding for, holding for, or conducting invasive research. Sets forth civil penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2009
National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, to: (1) develop a system to collect data on multiple sclerosis (MS) and a system to collect data on Parkinson's disease; (2) establish a national surveillance system for the collection and storage of data for each such disease, including population-based registries of U.S. cases of MS and Parkinson's disease; (3) provide analysis regarding expansion of national disease surveillance systems for other neurological diseases and disorders; and (4) establish the Advisory Committee on Neurological Disease Registries. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to provide for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on MS and Parkinson's disease. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for research access to Parkinson's disease and MS data. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information collected are made available to agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2009
Fairness in Housing Recovery Act of 2009 - Shields a servicer from liability for entering into a loan modification or loss mitigation plan for certain mortgages pursuant to guidelines issued by the Secretary of the Treasury under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA), if such servicer acts consistent with the fiduciary duty of servicers of pooled residential mortgages required by the Truth in Lending Act. Amends the National Housing Act to replace the Hope for Homeowners Program with a program for insurance of home ownership retention mortgages. Amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to establish the Office of Housing Counseling Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide financial assistance to governmental entities and nonprofit organizations providing home ownership or rental counseling. Requires the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the root causes of default and foreclosure of home loans. Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to direct the Secretary periodically to prepare a consumer education booklet on real estate settlement practices for federally related mortgage loan applicants. Amends the National Housing Act to prescribe limitations upon participation in origination and mortgagee approval. Establishes Commission on the Foreclosure and Mortgage Lending Crisis to study and report to Congress on the current legal and regulatory framework governing the housing mortgage lending markets and how it contributed to the increased foreclosure rate. Authorizes appropriations to the Attorney General to combat mortgage fraud. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) and the Federal Credit Union Act (FCUA) to increase the maximum deposit insurance and borrowing authorities of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Amends the FDIA with respect to systemic risk special assessments. Amends the FCUA to direct the NCUA Board to establish a National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund restoration plan in specified circumstances. Amends the EESA to prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from making any purchase for which the Secretary receives control-diluting stock. Declares that for a taxpayer who holds an interest in a subsidized residence: (1) the exclusion of gain from sale of principal residence under the Internal Revenue Code shall not apply to any gain from the sale or exchange of such interest, and (2) a specified rate of tax on specified gain shall be twice the rate which would otherwise apply. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable general home buyer credit for residences purchased during 2009 or 2010. Prescribes general conditions for mortgage relief.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2009
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2009
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Directs the Secretary to establish the Center for Tobacco Products to implement this Act. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Authorizes the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if appropriate for the protection of the public health. Sets forth limits on such regulations, including prohibiting establishment of a minimum age greater than 18 for product purchases. Prohibits: (1) cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee; or (2) a tobacco product manufacturer from using tobacco that contains a greater level of pesticide chemical residue than is specified by any tolerance applicable to domestically grown tobacco. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health. Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) banning all cigarettes, all smokeless tobacco products, all little cigars, all other cigars, all pipe tobacco, or all roll-your-own tobacco products; or (2) requiring the reduction of the nicotine yields of a tobacco product to zero. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Revises tobacco product warning labels and advertising requirements. Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends provisions related to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), including to provide for: (1) automatic enrollment of new employees; and (2) a Roth contribution program.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2009
Congratulates the American Dental Association for its 150th anniversary. Commends its work to improve oral health and access to oral health care. Recognizes the dentists who provide charitable and uncompensated oral health care.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2009
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009 or the ABLE Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts for individuals with a disability to pay certain expenses of such individuals, including expenses for education, housing, transportation, employment support, medical care, and certain life necessities. Defines "individual with a disability" as an individual who is eligible to receive certain supplemental security income benefits under the Social Security Act. Allows individual taxpayers a tax deduction, up to $2,000 per year, for contributions to an ABLE account. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to Congress on the use of ABLE accounts and the effect of the tax deduction for contributions to such accounts. Requires ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid benefits and for purposes of determining eligibility for other means-tested federal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2009
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Program that may include: (1) research, investigations, demonstrations, training, and studies relating to the control, prevention, and surveillance of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases; (2) additional grant support to encourage the expansion of research related to the prevention and management of arthritis at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); (3) national education and outreach activities for arthritis and other rheumatic diseases; (4) emphasis on prevention, early diagnosis, and appropriate management of arthritis and opportunities for effective patient self-management; and (5) grants to states or Indian tribes for comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities related to arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Authorizes the Secretary to expand and intensify programs of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with respect to research and related activities concerning various forms of juvenile arthritis and related conditions. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to: (1) provide for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on juvenile arthritis; and (2) support the development of a national juvenile arthritis population-based database. Requires the Secretary to support activities that provide for: (1) an increase in institutional training grants to support pediatric rheumatology training; and (2) an expansion of public-private partnerships to promote education training and fellowship opportunities for pediatric rheumatologists. Directs the Secretary to establish and carry out a pediatric rheumatology loan repayment program, as needed.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2009
Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins emblematic of the design selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the Boards of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, in honor of the distinguished service of the American military men and women who have been Medal of Honor recipients. Limits the period for coin issuance to calendar year 2011. Imposes a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin and $10 per coin for the $1 coin, to be distributed to the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation to help finance educational, scholarship, and outreach programs of the Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2009
Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 - Repeals the authority of the Comptroller General to carry out an onsite examination of an open insured bank or bank holding company only if the appropriate federal regulatory agency has consented in writing. (Retains the authority of the Comptroller General to audit a federal agency.) Directs the Comptroller General to complete, before the end of 2010, an audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and of the federal reserve banks, followed by a detailed report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins in recognition of five United States Army Five-Star Generals: George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Henry "Hap" Arnold, and Omar Bradley, alumni of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Requires the design of the coins to include portraits of the generals. Restricts the issuance of such coins to calendar 2013. Requires specified surcharges in the sale of such coins, which shall be paid promptly to the Command and General Staff College Foundation to help finance its support of the College.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Safe Drug Disposal Act of 2009 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to direct the Attorney General to promulgate regulations to: (1) authorize an ultimate user or care taker (a person responsible for taking care of one or more individuals or animals) to dispose of a controlled substance in accordance with a prescribed state program; (2) include five model state programs providing for such disposal through delivery to a designated facility; and (3) allow a state to work with the Attorney General to devise an alternative disposal program that is consistent with this Act. Requires each such program to: (1) require a state to enact legislation as a prerequisite to its adoption and implementation; (2) protect the public safety; (3) allow disposal of controlled substances through persons other than law enforcement personnel; (4) incorporate environmentally sound practices for disposal; (5) be cost-effective; (6) include convenient take-back options for urban and rural locations; and (6) not restrict the funding a state may use to implement it. Allows such a program to apply similarly to a drug or biological product other than a controlled substance. Directs the Comptroller General to collect data on state take-back disposal programs and periodically report to Congress. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) in approving drug applications and in licensing biological products, to ensure that the drug or product labeling does not include any recommendation or direction to dispose of the drug by means of a wastewater treatment system, such as by flushing it down the toilet; and (2) to review the labeling of existing drugs and products and order revision of any labeling that includes such a recommendation or direction. Deems any drug or product whose labeling is in violation of such an order to be misbranded.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Military Spouses Residency Relief Act - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to prohibit, for purposes of voting for a federal, state, or local office, deeming a person to have lost a residence or domicile in a state, acquired a residence or domicile in any other state, or become a resident in or of any other state solely because the person is absent from a state because the person is accompanying the person's spouse who is absent from the state in compliance with military or naval orders. Prohibits a servicemember's spouse from either losing or acquiring a residence or domicile for purposes of taxation because of being absent or present in any U.S. tax jurisdiction solely to be with the servicemember in compliance with the servicemember's military orders if the residence or domicile is the same for the servicemember and the spouse. Prohibits a spouse's income from being considered income earned in a tax jurisdiction if the spouse is not a resident or domiciliary of such jurisdiction when the spouse is in that jurisdiction solely to be with a servicemember serving under military orders. Suspends land rights residency requirements for spouses accompanying servicemembers serving under military orders.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2009
COPS Improvements Act of 2009 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to expand the authority of the Attorney General to make grants for public safety and community policing programs (COPS ON THE BEAT grant program). Authorizes grants to: (1) hire school resource officers and establish local partnerships to combat crime, gangs, drug activities, and other problems in elementary and secondary schools; (2) establish and implement programs to reduce and prevent illegal drug activities, including the manufacturing, distribution, and use of methamphetamine; (3) establish criminal gang enforcement task forces; and (4) meet emerging law enforcement needs, as warranted. Authorizes the use of COPS ON THE BEAT grants to hire honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces to serve as career law enforcement officers. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants for: (1) assigning prosecutors to handle cases from specific geographic areas and to address counter-terrorism problems and violent crime in local communities; and (2) developing new technologies to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in crime prevention and training. Grants the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services exclusive authority to perform functions and activities under COPS ON THE BEAT grant program. Authorizes the Attorney General to extend grant periods and to renew grants if the grant recipient can demonstrate significant progress in achieving the objectives of the initial grant application. Increases and extends the authorization of appropriations for the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program for FY2009-FY2014. Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report to Congress on the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2009
Recognizes the sesquicentennial of the admission of Oregon into the Union and the contributions of Oregon residents to the economic, social, and cultural development of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2009
Promoting Health Information Technology Act of 2009 - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Establishes the Health Information Technology Resource Center to provide assistance for the adoption and use of interoperable health information technology. Amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, and Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for an expedited upgrade program to develop and approve additions and modifications to adopted standards for the electronic exchange of health information. Sets forth the process for such additions and modifications. Prohibits federal funds from being used for the purchase of any health information technology that has not been certified in compliance with such standards. Requires federal agencies to comply with standards. Requires the Secretary to study current federal security and confidentiality standards. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the limit on the amount a taxpayer may elect to expense for health care information technology as a depreciable asset. Requires the Secretary to encourage and facilitate the adoption of state reciprocity agreements for practitioner licensure in order to expedite the provision across state lines of telehealth services. Provides for studies related to telehealth services, including on expanding the list of Medicare telehealth originating sites, to include mental health facilities. Requires the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services to make federally qualified health centers eligible to participate in demonstration projects related to health records and heath information technology. Requires the Secretary to establish an interest-free loan program for hospitals to purchase and implement certified health information technology products.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2009
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 · 10 February 2009
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10355 Northeast Valley Road in Rollingbay, Washington, as the "John 'Bud' Hawk Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2009
Honors Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) for his success in encouraging children to discover the joy of reading. Honors the 12th anniversary of Read Across America Day, which occurs on March 2, 2009. Encourages parents to read with their children for at least 30 minutes on Read Across America Day.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2009
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009 - 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: (1) medical monitoring and treatment benefits to eligible emergency responders and recovery and cleanup workers who responded to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; and (2) initial health evaluation, monitoring, and treatment benefits to 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) implement a quality assurance program; (2) establish the WTC Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee; (3) establish the WTC Responders Steering Committee and the WTC Community Program Steering Committee; (4) provide for education and outreach on services under the WTC program; (5) provide for the uniform collection of data related to WTC-related health conditions; (6) conduct research on physical and mental health conditions that may be related to the September 11 terrorist attacks; and (7) 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 Department to address mental health needs relating to the terrorist attacks. Amends the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to: (1) make individuals eligible for compensation under the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 for harm as a result of debris removal; and (2) extend the deadline for making a claim for compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2009
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2009 - 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 requirements: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, were created for the purposes of fertility treatment, and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) prior to donation, it was determined that the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) the individuals seeking fertility treatment donated the embryos with written informed consent and received no financial or other inducements.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2009
Expresses support for the mission and goals of the 2009 National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Recognizes the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2009
Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act - Repeals certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military retired pay or who would be entitled to retired pay except for being under 60 years of age. Prohibits requiring repayment of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund. Repeals the optional authority of (and instead requires) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member's dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse. Directs the Secretary concerned to restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to a surviving child or children of a member.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2009
Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and implement a Pancreatic Cancer Initiative to assist in coordinating activities to address the high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to establish the Interdisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Coordinating Committee to: (1) provide advice on overall research objectives and benchmarks for pancreatic cancer research; (2) develop and annually update a strategic plan for pancreatic cancer research awareness; and (3) conduct evaluations and make recommendations to the Secretary, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Director of the National Cancer Institute regarding the prioritization and award of NIH research grants relating to pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to develop a primary care provider education program on pancreatic cancer. Requires the Director of NIH and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a communication tool kit for patients and their families that focuses on specific pancreatic cancer issues relating to patient choices and patient care. Allows the Secretary to award grants to research institutions for use in developing innovative compounds or technologies for the prevention, early detection, or treatment of those cancers with five-year survival rates of less than 50%. Requires the Secretary to focus on pancreatic cancer during the initial five fiscal years of awarding such grants. Allows the Secretary to designate two additional Specialized Programs of Research Excellence focusing solely on pancreatic cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2009
Pediatric Research Consortia Establishment Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements for planning, establishing, and providing basic operating support for up to 20 national pediatric research consortia. Requires each such consortium to: (1) supplement, but not replace, the establishment of a comprehensive pediatric research portfolio; (2) conduct basic, clinical, behavioral, social, and translational research; and (3) conduct training and demonstration of advanced diagnostic and treatment methods relating to pediatrics. Requires the Director of NIH to provide for the coordination of information and ensure regular communication between consortia.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2009
Modernize Our Bookkeeping In the Law for Employee's Cell Phone Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to remove certain limitations on the tax deduction for employee use of cellular telephones.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2009
Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 350,000 $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Requires the coin design to be emblematic of the 100 years of the organization. Restricts issuance of such coins to calendar year 2011. Subjects coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin. Requires payment of such surcharges to the Girl Scouts of the United States of America for Girl Scout program development and delivery.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2009
Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Coverage Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of home infusion therapy and home infusion drugs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement the Medicare home infusion therapy benefit in a manner that ensures that: (1) Medicare beneficiaries have timely and appropriate access to infusion therapy in their homes; and (2) there is rapid and seamless coordination between drug coverage under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) and home infusion therapy services coverage under Medicare part B (Supplemental Security Income).
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2009
Congratulates Tony Dungy: (1) on his successful playing and coaching career and historic coaching accomplishments; and (2) for his compassion, integrity, and commitment to his faith, family, and community.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2009
Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to three years for possessing, shipping, transporting, purchasing, selling, delivering, or receiving any horse, horse flesh, or carcass with the intent that it be used for human consumption. Reduces the prison term to one year if the offense involves less than five horses or less than 2,000 pounds of horse flesh or carcass and the offender has no prior conviction for this offense.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2009
Wakefield Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) extend by one year the length of time for which a grant may be awarded under the emergency medical services for children grant program, which allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states or schools of medicine to support projects to expand and improve emergency medical services for children who need treatment for trauma or critical care; and (2) authorize appropriations for such grant program for FY2010-FY2014.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2009
Victims of Crime Act Preservation Fund Act of 2009 - Excludes receipts and disbursements of the Crime Victims Fund from executive and congressional budgets. Prohibits the consideration of any legislation in the House of Representatives or the Senate that would authorize the use of amounts in the Crime Victims Fund for a purpose not authorized by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. Allows the Senate to waive or suspend such prohibition by a three-fifths vote.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2009
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of a National Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month; and (2) increased funding for research into the causes, treatment, and cure for Prader-Willi syndrome.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2009
Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2009 - Provides collective bargaining rights for public safety officers employed by states or local governments. Directs the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine whether state law provides specified rights and responsibilities for public safety officers, including: (1) granting public safety employees the right to form and join a labor organization which excludes management and supervisory employees, and which is, or seeks to be, recognized as the exclusive bargaining agent for such employees; and (2) requiring public safety employers to recognize and agree to bargain with the employees' labor organization. Requires the Authority to issue regulations establishing rights and responsibilities for public safety employers and employees in states that do not substantially provide for such public safety employee rights and responsibilities. Directs the Authority, in such cases, to: (1) determine the appropriateness of units for labor organization representation; (2) supervise or conduct elections to determine whether a labor organization has been selected as an exclusive representative by a voting majority of the employees in an appropriate unit; (3) resolve issues relating to the duty to bargain in good faith; (4) conduct hearings and resolve complaints of unfair labor practices; and (5) resolve exceptions to arbitrator's awards. Grants a public safety employer, employee, or labor organization the right to seek enforcement of Authority regulations and orders, as well as prohibitions against lockouts or strikes, through appropriate state courts. Prohibits public safety employers, employees, and labor organizations from engaging in lockouts or strikes. Provides that existing collective bargaining units and agreements shall not be invalidated by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2009
Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a competitive research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program to provide between three and seven grants of up to $3 million per year each to applicants to carry out projects to advance research and development and to demonstrate technologies, including plug-in hybrid technology, for advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicles. Requires that each grant recipient complete two phases: (1) phase one, research and demonstration of advanced hybrid technology by producing or retrofitting one or more advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicles; and (2) phase two, demonstration of advanced manufacturing processes and technologies by producing or retrofitting 50 advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicles. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct research into alternative power train designs for use in advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicles; and (2) establish a pilot program through the National Laboratories and Technology Centers of the Department of Energy to research and test the effects on the domestic electric power grid of the widespread use of plug-in hybrid vehicles, including plug-in hybrid vehicles that are advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicles. Amends the United States Energy Storage Competitiveness Act of 2007 to direct the Secretary to conduct an applied research program on energy storage systems to support vehicles with a gross weight over 16,000 pounds.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2009
National Landscape Conservation System Act - Establishes in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) the National Landscape Conservation System (thus, enacting into law the National Landscape Conservation System [NLCS] created by BLM in 2000) in order to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2010 the tax credit for increasing research activities and increase and make permanent the alternative simplified research tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2009
Expresses support for the goals of Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor federal, state, and local peace officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2009
Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2009 - Prohibits a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another. Sets forth civil penalties for persons who knowingly violate such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2009
Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act - Amends federal military retired pay provisions to: (1) permit veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to concurrently receive both retired pay and disability compensation; (2) eliminate provisions requiring a phase in between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2013, of concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation; (3) eliminate the four-year phase-in of concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability compensation for disabled veterans determined to be individually unemployable; and (4) require a limited reduction in retired pay for combat-related disability retirees with less than 20 years of retirement-creditable service.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2009
Expresses commitment to the welfare and survival of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders and recognizes its right to act in self-defense. Reiterates that Hamas must end the rocket and mortar attacks against Israel, recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence, agree to accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. Encourages the Administration to work to support a sustainable cease-fire in Gaza that prevents Hamas from retaining or rebuilding its terrorist infrastructure. States that the lives of innocent civilians must be protected to the maximum extent possible. Calls on all nations to: (1) condemn Hamas for embedding its fighters, leaders, and weapons in private homes, schools, mosques, hospitals, and otherwise using Palestinian civilians as human shields while simultaneously targeting Israeli civilians; and (2) lay blame for the breaking of the calm and for subsequent civilian casualties on Hamas. Supports efforts to diminish the influence of extremists in the Palestinian territories. Calls: (1) on Egypt to intensify its efforts to halt smuggling between Gaza and Egypt; and (2) for the release of the kidnaped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Reiterates support for a two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2009
Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), notwithstanding any other provision of any Act, from having the authority to require broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance, commonly referred to as the Fairness Doctrine.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to each state to carry out a program for making available throughout that state the 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services. Requires a participating state to ensure that at least 50% of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be derived from other sources. Requires a state seeking a grant to carry out its activities through a lead entity to be known as a 2-1-1 Collaborative. Requires grant amounts to be used solely to make available to a state 2-1-1 telephone service for community information and referral on human services to all citizens of that state with phone access, including telephone connections between families and individuals seeking services and the service providers. Requires grant recipients to: (1) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers; and (2) collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services with which to provide information or referral to individuals utilizing the 2-1-1 service.