United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2010
Celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the National Conference of Catholic Charities, now called Catholic Charities USA. Honors Catholic Charities USA for being a national leader in the efforts to fight poverty and to strengthen the United States in times of need and crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2010
Acknowledges 1810 as a critical year for the people of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela towards their march for independence as part of Hispanic Heritage Month commemorations. Recognizes the contributions that these Latin American countries have made.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2010
Commends the public servants of the federal agencies for their contributions to homeland security. Salutes the efforts of government officials, the private sector, and citizens across the country to prevent, deter, protect against, and prepare to respond to potential acts of terrorism. Expresses appreciation for the commitment of law enforcement and emergency response personnel in preventing and preparing to respond to acts of terrorism. Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Preparedness Month as they relate to the threat of terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 10 August 2010
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Requires a further additional Tier-5 period for deposits to an individual's EUCA if, at the time the amount added to such individual's account under the Act is exhausted or at any time thereafter, the individual's state is in an extended benefit period. Prescribes a formula for making such Tier-5 credits. Increases the figures in the basic EUC formula (the lesser of which shall be the amount credited): (1) from 24% to 80% of the total amount of regular compensation (including dependents' allowances) payable to the individual during the benefit year; and (2) from 6 to 20 times the individual's average weekly benefit amount for the benefit year. Prescribes a formula for determining if a state is in an extended benefit period. Allows the Tier-5 period augmentation to be applied to the individual's EUCA only once. Authorizes a state to pay extended compensation to an otherwise eligible individual before any further additional emergency unemployment compensation (EUC), if such individual claimed extended compensation for at least one week of unemployment after the exhaustion of additional EUC.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Paperwork Assistance Act - Requires a federal agency to inform any person receiving a collection of information from the agency of the agency's contact information, including a website and a telephone number, by which a person may obtain a specific contact person responsible for answering questions about the information collection and other information to assist in responding to the information collection. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to include in the Director's annual report on information policy activities: (1) the status of implementation by agencies of the requirements of this Act; and (2) a description of how each agency has responded to complaints related to the agency's compliance with such requirements. Makes this Act's contact information requirements applicable to new or revised collections of information approved by the Director beginning one year after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Recognizes the service and sacrifice of the 60th Air Mobility Wing, the 349th Air Mobility Wing, the 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force, and the 615th Contingency Response Wing civilians and families serving at Travis Air Force Base, California. Offers condolences to the families of the men and women of Team Travis who lost their lives defending the United States. Commends the actions of private citizens and organizations in the Travis Air Force Base community for their steadfast support of members of the Armed Forces and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Joins the people of Mexico in celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of Mexican independence and the centennial anniversary of the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. Recognizes the contributions that Mexican-Americans have made to life in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Declares that: (1) it is Congress's responsibility to determine the regulatory authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with respect to broadband Internet services; and (2) the FCC should suspend any further action on its proceeding to extend its traditional communications regulatory authority to include such services until Congress delegates such authority to the FCC.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2010
Clean Ports Act of 2010 - Declares that federal preemption of state and local law relating to a price, route, or service of any motor carrier of property shall not apply to the authority of a state, local government, or the political authority of two or more states to adopt requirements for motor carriers providing services at port facilities that are reasonably related to the reduction of environmental pollution, traffic congestion, the improvement of highway safety, or the efficient utilization of such port facilities, provided such requirements are in accordance with federal law. Declares that nothing in this Act shall limit the authority reserved to any state or political subdivision of such state under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2010
Truth in Spending Act of 2010 - Requires the President's annual budget request to Congress to include the most recent reports of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regarding the difference between the actual costs and the estimated costs of direct spending legislation, including proposed legislative language, if any, in such reports. Requires OMB to submit annually for inclusion in the President's budget request reports (with follow-up reports every five fiscal years) on the total estimated cost and total actual cost of direct spending legislation for the then budget year and four outyears. Requires the President, within seven days after receiving an OMB report, to submit proposed legislative language, if any, set forth in the report to both chambers. Prescribes the procedure for fast track consideration of the legislation in both chambers.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2010
Condemns: (1) the violence and harassment faced by the villagers of Con Dau, Da Nang, Vietnam, for seeking to protect their land, the historic cemetery, and other parish properties; and (2) the arrests of parishioners and calls for the release of Nguyen Huu Liem, Phan Thi Nhan, Nguyen Thi The, Doan Cang, Le Thanh Lam, Tran Thanh Viet, Nguyen Thi Lieu, and Nguyen Huu Minh. Urges the government of Vietnam to consider the implications of its actions in Con Dau, as well as of other serious human rights violations, issues of police impunity, and corruption for the broader U.S.-Vietnam relationship. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the President should call on the United Nations Human Rights Council to appoint a Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Vietnam to investigate human rights violations in that country; (2) the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam should visit those detained, including, Nguyen Huu Liem, Phan Thi Nhan, Nguyen Thi The, Doan Cang, Le Thanh Lam, Tran Thanh Viet, Nguyen Thi Lieu, and Nguyen Huu Minh, as well as the family of Nguyen Nam, and other parishioners, and report its findings to Congress; (3) the Department of State should examine instances of property disputes in Vietnam which involve religious communities; and (4) the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom should visit the Con Dau parishioners and report to Congress on the violence and harassment faced by the Catholic villagers.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2010
Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act of 2010 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make formula grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish or enhance educational programs and related services that enable pregnant and parenting students to enroll in, attend, and succeed in school. Requires state grantees to: (1) designate a Coordinator for Education of Pregnant and Parenting Students who is to develop and implement a state plan for educating pregnant and parenting students; and (2) develop and implement high-quality professional development programs for LEAs and school personnel. Requires subgrantees to: (1) provide academic support services to pregnant and parenting students; (2) assist such students in accessing quality, affordable child care and early childhood education services; (3) provide transportation services or assistance to such students and their children; (4) educate students, parents and community members regarding the educational rights of such students; (5) train school personnel regarding the challenges facing pregnant and parenting students and their educational rights; and (6) revise school policies and practices that hinder or discourage such students from continuing their education. Gives subgrant priority to LEAs in geographic areas with teen pregnancy rates that: (1) exceed the state average; or (2) are below the state average, but higher than the state average for one or more racial or ethnic groups. Directs the Secretary to conduct national activities that include: (1) providing technical assistance to states and reviewing their plans for educating pregnant and parenting students; (2) evaluating subgrantees' programs and education program service delivery models for such students; and (3) gathering and disseminating information regarding the education of such students and best practices in facilitating it.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2010
World War II Merchant Mariner Service Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to consider certain methods for verifying that an individual performed honorable service as a member of the merchant marine during the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946, for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits under the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977. Requires such methods to include Social Security Administration (SSA) records and validated testimony in the case of the absence of Coast Guard shipping or discharge forms, ship logbooks, or other official employment records. Requires the Secretary to recognize masters of seagoing vessels or other command officers who were authorized to document an individual for purposes of hiring for the merchant marine or discharge therefrom, when determining whether to recognize service allegedly performed during such period.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2010
Recognizes the importance of engaging children in physical activity to combat the rising rate of childhood obesity. Recognizes the value of local parks in providing opportunities for children and families to engage in positive, healthy behaviors. Supports the annual designation of a Take a Child to a Park Week.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2010
United States Postal Service's CSRS Obligation Modification Act of 2010 - Prescribes the "average pay" and the appropriate percentage thereof to be used in determining annuities for civilian employment with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for purposes of provisions relating to future benefits attributable to such employment in order to calculate the amount of any Postal surplus or supplemental liability under the Civil Service Retirement System. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM): (1) within six months after enactment of this Act, to determine (or, if applicable, redetermine) the amount of such surplus or liability as of the close of the most recently ending fiscal year using the methodology required under this Act; and (2) if the result is a surplus, to transfer the surplus amount to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2010
PACE Assessment Protection Act of 2010 - Directs the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) to adopt underwriting standards that are consistent with the Guidelines for Pilot PACE Financing Programs issued on May 7, 2010, by the Department of Energy (DOE). Provides that liens or other property obligations that secure property taxes or assessments under a PACE program and that are consistent with such standards shall be considered to comply with the Uniform Instruments of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and shall not constitute a default on an existing mortgage or trigger the exercise of lender's remedies for a property with such a lien. Defines a "PACE program" as a property assessed clean energy program under which a state or political subdivision levies taxes or assessments on real property to finance the installation of renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. Prohibits Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from requiring repayment of a PACE program tax or assessment in order for a property owner to finance, refinance, or transfer property that meets their underwriting criteria without consideration of the PACE program lien. Requires the underwriting standards to provide that, in the event that a tax or assessment under a PACE program is delinquent, only the unpaid delinquent amount along with applicable penalties, interest, and costs will be subject to foreclosure and not the entire amount. Prohibits the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and all federal agencies and entities chartered under federal law from discriminating against communities implementing or participating in a PACE program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2010
Honors the accomplishments and legacy of Paul Leo Locatelli, S.J., for his contributions to Santa Clara University and the Silicon Valley community through his leadership in fostering social justice and equality. Recognizes the sacrifices that those suffering from social injustice endure, so that we may unite with competence, conscience, and compassion.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2010
Calls on the President and the Department of State to: (1) use diplomatic pressure to urge the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to uphold and respect basic human rights; and (2) request the freedom of Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Pham Thanh Nghien.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2010
Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2010 - Amends the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 to authorize the Secretary of State to provide for the preparation and dissemination of information intended primarily for foreign audiences abroad about the United States, including about its people, its history, and the federal government's policies, through press, publications, radio, motion pictures, the internet, and other information media, and through information centers and instructors. (Under current law such authority is restricted to information disseminated abroad, with a limited domestic exception.) Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 to prohibit Department of State funds from being used to influence public opinion or propagandizing in the United States. (Under current law such provision applies to the United States Information Agency [USIA].) States that such provision shall: (1) not prohibit the Department from responding to inquiries about its operations, policies, programs, or program material, or making such information available to members of the media, public, or Congress; (2) not be construed to prohibit the Department from engaging in any medium of information on a presumption that a U.S. domestic audience may be exposed to program material; and (3) apply only to the Department and to no other federal department or agency.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2010
Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010 - Amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (this Act) to require the Secretary of Labor (Secretary), in conducting health and safety related accident investigations in coal or other mines, to: (1) determine why an accident occurred and whether there were violations of law, mandatory health and safety standards, or other requirements; (2) issue citations and penalties in case of violations, and in cases involving possible criminal actions, refer them to the Attorney General; and (3) make recommendations to avoid any recurrence. Requires an independent accident investigation by an independent panel appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for any accident: (1) involving three or more deaths; or (2) whose severity or scale merits an independent investigation. Authorizes: (1) the Secretary's representatives and attorneys to question any individual privately during an inspection or investigation; and (2) any individual willing to speak with or provide a statement to such representatives or attorneys to do so without the presence, involvement, or knowledge of the mine operator or mine operator's agents or attorneys. Allows the closest relative of a miner who is entrapped or otherwise prevented by an accident to designate a representative for the miner to participate in a mine inspection. Requires mine inspections to be conducted during various shifts and days of the week when miners are normally present. Prohibits an attorney from representing both a mine operator and miner during an inspection, investigation, or litigation, unless such miner knowingly waives all possible conflicts of interest. Prescribes requirements for mine operators having a pattern of recurring citations, withdrawal orders, accidents, injuries, or illnesses. Establishes in the Treasury the Mines in Pattern Status Inspection Fund for deposit of fees collected from mines in pattern (of violation) status for the costs of additional inspections. Requires the Secretary to: (1) revoke the approval of mine operator plans or programs based on certain criteria; and (2) order withdrawal of all persons from a mine, and prohibit them from entering it, until the operator submits and the Secretary approves a new plan. Revises civil and criminal penalties and related administrative procedures. Revises certain miner protections against discrimination. Prohibits discriminating against a miner or other employee of a mine operator for refusing to perform duties out of a good-faith and reasonable belief that performing such duties would pose a safety or health hazard. Entitles a miner to full compensation by a mine operator at the regular rate of pay for the entire period for which the miner is idled because of a Secretary's withdrawal order. (Under current law, miners are entitled to full compensation only for the balance of their shift, and up to four hours of the next working shift if an order is not terminated beforehand.) Prohibits an underground coal mine operator from discharging (or constructively discharging) a miner paid on an hourly basis without reasonable job-related grounds based on certain failures to perform job duties satisfactorily if the miner has completed the employer's probationary period of up to six months. Allows a miner aggrieved by violation of this prohibition to file a complaint in federal district court for reinstatement and compensatory damages. Requires each underground coal mine operator to implement a communication program to ensure that each miner entering a mine is made aware, at the start of a shift, of current mine conditions. Prescribes additional requirements for the monitoring of coal dust in underground mines. Requires the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), acting through the Office of Mine Safety and Health Research, to issue recommendations to the Secretary regarding the use of atmospheric monitoring systems in the underground coal mining industry. Revises mine operator health and safety training program requirements. Increases from 8 to 9 the minimum number of hours of refresher training all miners must receive at least once every 12 months, including 1 hour of training on miners statutory rights and responsibilities. Requires the Secretary to order a mine operator to provide additional training to miners if a serious or fatal accident has occurred at a mine or it has experienced above-average accident and injury rates, citations, or withdrawal orders. Requires the Secretary to issue mandatory standards to establish certification requirements and procedures for persons authorized by a mine operator to perform duties or provide training under such Act. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to states to assist them in developing and implementing miner certification programs. Amends the Black Lung Benefits Act to require a mine operator to deliver within 14 days a complete copy of the examining physician's report to any miner required to submit to a medical examination. Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to revise certain employee protections against discrimination. Prescribes an employee's victim rights before the Secretary or before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission with respect to: (1) inspections or investigations of employer violations of federal occupational safety and health standards; or (2) a work-related bodily injury or death. Prescribes administrative requirements for an employer's correction of a serious, willful, or repeated violation of federal occupational safety and health standards pending contest and procedures for a stay. Increases civil penalties for such violations. Subjects to certain increased criminal penalties an employer who knowingly violates a federal occupational safety and health standard, or regulation prescribed by such Act, that causes or contributes to the death of an employee. Adds penalties for a knowing violation that causes or contributes to serious bodily harm to any employee but does not cause any employee's death.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2010
Simplifying the Ambiguous Law, Keeping Everyone Reliably Safe Act of 2010 or the STALKERS Act of 2010 - Amends the federal criminal code to revise the definition of the crime of stalking and extend criminal penalties for such crime to anyone who, with intent to kill, physically injure, harass, or intimidate a person, engages in any conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States that: (1) causes or attempts to cause bodily injury or serious emotional distress; or (2) occurs in circumstances where the conduct would be reasonably expected to cause emotional distress. Increases penalties for such crime if: (1) the offense involves conduct in violation of a protection order; or (2) the victim of the offense is under the age of 18. Requires the annual report of the Attorney General to include an evaluation of efforts to enforce laws relating to stalking and to identify and describe elements of such efforts that constitute the best practices for the enforcement of such laws.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2010
Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require the Secretary of Labor to award competitive grants to states to provide funds to local boards for provision of technical school training subsidies in local areas through one-stop delivery systems to pay tuition costs for the career and technical education of unemployed individuals enrolled or accepted at a technical school. Limits the aggregate amount of subsidies to an individual to $2,000.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2010
Supports the designation of a National ESIGN Day. Recognizes the previous contribution made by Congress to the adoption of modern solutions that keep the United States on the leading technological edge. Reaffirms the commitment of Congress to facilitating interstate and foreign commerce in an increasingly digital world.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2010
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Attorney General should implement changes to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to identify endangered juveniles; (2) funds awarded under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program should be used to provide education, training, deterrence, and prevention programs relating to sex trafficking of minors; (3) states should treat minor victims of sex trafficking as crime victims rather than as criminal defendants or juvenile delinquents and adopt and amend laws to protect and provide compensation to such victims; and (4) demand for commercial sex with sex trafficking victims must be deterred through consistent law enforcement. Authorizes the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs to award one-year block grants to up to six state or local governments in different regions of the United States that have significant sex trafficking to combat such trafficking. Requires grant funds to be used to provide shelter and services to minor victims of sex trafficking and for training for service providers. Amends title IV of the Social Security Act (Grants to States for Needy Families with Children and for Child-Welfare Services) to require states to adopt procedures for reporting information on missing or abducted children for entry into the NCIC database. Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require: (1) the Attorney General's annual statistical summary under such Act to include the total number of missing child reports received and the total number of entries made to the NCIC database; and (2) state law enforcement agencies to update the record of a missing child with a photograph taken within the previous 180 days and to notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of each report of a child missing from a foster care family home or childcare institution.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2010
Judgment Evading Foreign States Accountability Act of 2010 - States the policy of the United States regarding: (1) advocacy within the governing bodies of international organizations and other foreign policy settings for the full compensation and fair treatment of persons in whose favor judgments have been awarded by U.S. courts; (2) protection of economic interests of persons and nations that benefit from a reliable flow of foreign capital by restricting the access to U.S. capital markets of judgment evading foreign states (foreign states that fail to fully satisfy a final judgment exceeding a certain amount for more than two years) and their state-owned corporations, warning of the dangers of dealing financially with such states and state-owned corporations, and congressional scrutiny of requests for aid made by such states; and (3) protection of the authority of the U.S. courts by preventing such states from willfully flouting the judgments of those courts. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to: (1) deny a judgment evading foreign state access to U.S. capital markets unless the proceeds of borrowing or securities issuance are to be used in the first instance to satisfy in full all final judgments that form the basis for such designation as such a state; and (2) require all periodic filings made by such a state with the SEC to prominently bear a warning describing its failure to satisfy outstanding judgments. Imposes similar restrictions on state-owned corporations of such states. Requires: (1) a proposal to extend bilateral or multilateral assistance to a judgment evading state to bear notice that such state is a judgment evading state; and (2) the Secretary of the Treasury to report annually to Congress identifying each such state.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2010
Prevention of Interstate Commerce in Animal Crush Videos Act of 2010 - Amends the federal criminal code to revise provisions prohibiting knowingly creating, selling, or possessing a depiction of animal cruelty to prohibit knowingly and for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain selling or distributing an animal crush video in interstate or foreign commerce. States that such prohibition does not prohibit the sale or distribution of any visual depiction of hunting, trapping, fishing, or customary and normal veterinary or agricultural husbandry practices. Defines "animal crush video" as any obscene photograph, motion-picture film, video recording, or electronic image that depicts actual conduct in which one or more living animals is intentionally crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, or impaled in a manner that would violate a criminal prohibition on cruelty to animals in the federal or state jurisdiction in which the depiction is created, sold, distributed, or offered for sale or distribution.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2010
Expresses support for: (1) Olympic Day and the goals that Olympic Day pursues; and (2) the goals of World Fit. Congratulates: (1) Team USA on their Vancouver 2010 accomplishments; and (2) World Fit's participants on the 2010 results.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2010
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National Infant Mortality Awareness Month 2010; (2) efforts to educate Americans about infant mortality and its contributing factors; and (3) efforts to reduce infant deaths, low-birth weight, pre-term births, and disparities in perinatal outcomes. Recognizes the critical importance of including efforts to reduce infant mortality and its contributing factors as part of prevention and wellness strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2010
Securing Protections for the Injured from Limitations on Liability Act - Amends the Death on the High Seas Act to permit a decedent's spouse, parent, child, or dependent relative (the decedent's personal representative under current law) to bring a civil action in admiralty or law (limited to admiralty under current law) against the person or vessel responsible for the decedent's death when the death was caused by wrongful act, neglect, or default occurring on the high seas beyond 12 nautical miles (3 nautical miles under current law) from the shore of the United States. Allows recovery in such an action for fair compensation for nonpecuniary loss (limited to pecuniary loss under current law), plus a fair compensation for the decedent's pain and suffering. Defines "nonpecuniary loss" as loss of care, comfort, and companionship. Allows substitution of the decedent's spouse, parent, child, or dependent relative (personal representative under current law) as a plaintiff in an action for personal injury caused by wrongful act, neglect, or default under the Act, if the plaintiff dies during the action as a result of the wrongful act. Amends the Jones Act to allow recovery for the loss of the care, comfort, and companionship of a seaman who died in the course of employment Repeals specified general limitations on a shipowner's liability (the Limitation of Liability Act) for personal injury or death on seagoing vessels. Amends the federal judicial code with respect to the right to remove class actions and mass actions to federal court (the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005) to deny such right with respect to any action brought by a state or a state subdivision in its own state court on behalf of its citizens. Declares void and unenforceable any agreement, promise, or directive to restrict the dissemination of information (except by a government agency to protect public health or safety) regarding the cause, nature, or extent of, or damage caused by, or efforts to remediate any discharge into waters off the U.S. shore of a substance that contaminates a marine or coastal environment or endangers public health. Amends the bankruptcy code to prohibit a trustee in bankruptcy from selling or leasing, except in the ordinary course of business, any property of the estate of a debtor that is liable for a claim arising from an incident under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, to a purchaser (together with any affiliate) in an aggregate dollar amount exceeding a specified amount under the Clayton Act unless: (1) the purchaser (and affiliate) agree as a condition of the sale to pay the amount of allowed unsecured claims arising from the incident not paid by the debtor; or (2) all classes of unsecured claims approve the sale of such assets.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2010
Expresses support for the designation of Blood Cancer Awareness Month. Encourages participation in voluntary activities to support blood cancer research and education.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2010
Calls for an end to the violence, arrests, torture, and ill treatment perpetrated against Iranian citizens as well as the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Iran. Calls upon the U.S. government, the President, and the Secretary of State to condemn human rights violations in Iran and support the Iranian people's endeavors towards democracy. Calls for an end to a selective approach to Iranian opponents who struggle for democracy and human rights and invites the Secretary, in coalition with British and European allies, to remove the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran from the State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Calls for the adoption of measures by the President to impose sanctions while welcoming the U.S. government's efforts to create an international consensus to deal with Iran's nuclear program. Calls on the President to persuade U.S. allies and other countries to enact appropriate measures aimed at depriving Iranian banks and financial institutions involved in nuclear activities and backing of terrorist groups from access to the international monetary system.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2010
Honors Juan Antonio "Chi Chi" Rodriguez for his contributions to the successful programs of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute for Latino youth and his lifelong leadership in shaping the lives of at-risk youth.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2010
Check the Debt Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers (other than nonresident aliens) to designate $3 or more of their tax liability ($6 for married couples filing a joint tax return) to reduce the public debt.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2010
Honors the life of John Wooden and his exceptional career as a coach, basketball player, educator, and mentor, including his unrivaled achievements during his tenure at UCLA.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2010
Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act and Christopher's Law - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require private educational lenders and institutions of higher education (IHEs) that provide student loan counseling to discuss the benefits of advanced directives with the signers and cosigners of student loans. Requires lenders of private educational loans for which cosigners are held jointly liable to clearly and concisely define the terms of cosigners' obligations regarding such loans. Directs lenders of private educational loans which are cosigned to inform the signers and cosigners regarding the benefits of purchasing credit insurance; but prohibits such lenders from conditioning or varying the terms of such loans on the basis of whether or not credit insurance is purchased. Directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System by regulation to set standards for determining when a private educational loan signer or cosigner has died or become incapacitated or disabled. Requires such regulations to treat a determination by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) that a borrower is unemployable due to a service-connected condition as proof that such borrower is incapacitated or disabled. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require: (1) prospective borrowers of federal PLUS and consolidated loans to be informed about creation of advanced directives; and (2) borrowers of federal educational loans to be provided entrance counseling regarding the creation of advanced directives and the effect their death, incapacitation, or disability would have on their federal and private educational loans.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3894 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the "Tom Bradley Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2010
Recognizes the exemplary service of members of the 111th Fighter Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard (111th). Honors and thanks all members of the 111th, past and present, for their tremendous contributions to the defense and security of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2010
Baggage Fee Fairness Act of 2010 - Requires air carriers to refund passenger baggage fees within 30 days after the arrival of any passenger flight in which a piece of baggage is lost, delayed, or damaged. Makes it an unfair or deceptive practice for a domestic air carrier, foreign air carrier, or ticket agent to sell a ticket for air transportation but fail, before sale of the ticket, to: (1) ask the ticket purchaser if he or she has one or more pieces of baggage to check; and (2) inform him or her of the cost of checking each piece of baggage.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2010
Recognizes the historical importance of the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, which began on June 25, 1950. Honors the noble service and sacrifice of the U.S. Armed Forces and the armed forces of allied countries that served in Korea since 1950 to the present. Encourages all Americans to participate in commemorative activities to pay solemn tribute to, and to never forget, the veterans of the Korean War. Calls upon the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and commemorating National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to its alliance with the Republic of Korea for the betterment of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2010
Welcomes the Portuguese ship Sagres to the United States. Recognizes the Sagres' crew as representatives of the cultural and historic ties that bind the peoples of the United States and Portugal.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2010
Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Act of 2010 - Requires the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Social Security, and the Secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury (agency head), in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to: (1) identify existing federal laws and regulations that may impede the ability to decrease waste, fraud, and abuse of funds appropriated to their agencies; and (2) develop appropriate performance metrics to measure success in decreasing waste, fraud, and abuse. Directs each agency head, in developing performance metrics, to: (1) ensure that such metrics accurately demonstrate the effectiveness of specified programs and activities in decreasing waste, fraud, and abuse; (2) provide estimates for points of diminishing returns on the funds provided under this Act to increase program integrity efforts; (3) identify optimal baselines for each of the metrics developed and appropriate methods to measure variations from such baselines; and (4) set performance targets for each of FY2012-FY2020. Requires each agency head to make appropriate accommodations for innovation and development to address the program integrity efforts for programs and activities identified by this Act. Requires: (1) each agency head to submit an interim and final report to Congress at specified intervals and to publish in the Federal Register and make available on the agency website the performance metrics set forth in the final report; and (2) the Director of OMB to report annually measuring success in decreasing waste, fraud, and abuse of funds appropriated to an agency.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2010
Honors the accomplishments and legacy of Norman Yoshio Mineta for his groundbreaking contributions to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and for his dedication and service to the United States. Memorializes the sacrifices and suffering that many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders endured in the pursuit of truth, liberty, justice, and equality for all.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2010
Fairness and Accuracy in Employment Background Checks Act of 2010 - Requires the Attorney General to: (1) establish and enforce procedures to ensure the prompt release of accurate federal criminal background records and information exchanged for employment-related purposes; and (2) report to Congress on the exchange of records or information for employment-related purposes under this Act and on all federal statutes, regulations, and policies providing employment restrictions and disqualifications based on criminal records.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2010
Recognizes the contribution made by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction by training the next generation of nonproliferation specialists and disseminating timely information and analysis. Commends the Center on its 20th anniversary.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3270 Firestone Boulevard in South Gate, California, as the "Henry C. Gonzalez Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2010
Supports the goals of Taiwanese American Heritage Week. Recognizes the contributions of Taiwanese Americans and the important role that Taiwanese Americans play in strengthening U.S. society. Remains committed to enhancing peace, stability, and prosperity in Taiwan and across the Taiwan Strait.