United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Clean Cities Program Authorization Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to carry out a Clean Cities program, as a partnership between government and industry, to encourage and accelerate the use of non-petroleum based fuels, alternative fuel vehicles, and other advanced vehicle technologies and practices that achieve significant reduction in the overall use of petroleum in the transportation sector. Requires the program to: (1) promote the establishment of vehicle and infrastructure projects that incorporate petroleum reduction technologies, including educational efforts on the benefits and advantages of using alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles; (2) provide training, technical assistance, and tools to end-users that adopt petroleum reduction technologies; (3) collaborate with and train fire officials, emergency first responders, and safety code officials; (4) undertake coordinating efforts between federal, local, and state agencies and the alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle industry; (5) facilitate the development of necessary refueling and service support infrastructure for petroleum reduction technologies; and (6) develop Internet-based tools and resources for the education and training of consumers and program stakeholders. Authorizes the Secretary to provide grants to local and state government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle stakeholders who are working with Clean Cities coalitions to support the deployment and use of alternative fuels and petroleum reduction technologies in on-road vehicles. Directs the Secretary to encourage and support the voluntary formation of local Clean Cities organizations around the country.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to set the policy of the United States regarding various aspects of the Internet, including access, consumer choice, competition, ability to use or offer content, applications, and services, discriminatory favoritism, and capacity. Makes it the duty of each Internet access service provider to: (1) not block, interfere with, discriminate against, impair, or degrade the ability of any person to use an Internet access service; (2) not impose certain charges on any Internet content, service, or application provider; (3) not prevent or obstruct a user from attaching or using any lawful device in conjunction with such service, provided the device does not harm the provider's network; (4) offer Internet access service to any requesting person; (5) not provide or sell to any content, application, or service provider any offering that prioritizes traffic over that of other such providers; and (6) not install or use network features, functions, or capabilities that impede or hinder compliance with these duties. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate related rules. Prohibits construing this Act to prohibit an Internet access provider from engaging in reasonable network management. Requires the FCC to: (1) promulgate rules to ensure that an Internet access service provider does not require a consumer, as a condition on the purchase of any Internet access service, to purchase any other service or offering; and (2) take certain actions, including regarding private transmission capacity services.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Mitochondrial Medicine Research and Treatment Enhancement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) an Office of Mitochondrial Medicine (OMM). Requires the OMM Director to develop, make publicly available, implement, and biennially update a written plan to facilitate research into mitochondrial medicine. Sets forth as plan objectives: (1) improving coordination of research related to mitochondrial medicine among the national research institutes and between NIH and outside researchers; (2) providing training to research scientists and health professionals engaged in research related to mitochondrial medicine; (3) providing training to health care providers regarding the diagnosis of mitochondrial disease and dysfunction; and (4) establishing scientific review groups with expertise in mitochondrial medicine to oversee relevant research projects in NIH. Requires the OMM Director to award at least five grants, annually, for each of the following: (1) integrated, multi-project research programs related to mitochondrial medicine; and (2) planning activities associated with such programs. Authorizes the Director to award grants to institutions or consortiums of institutions to establish Mitochondrial Medicine Centers of Excellence to promote interdisciplinary research and training related to mitochondrial medicine. Requires the Director to establish: (1) a national registry for the maintenance and sharing for research purposes of medical information collected from patients with mitochondrial disease or dysfunction; and (2) a national biorepository for the maintenance and sharing for research purposes of tissues and DNA collected from such patients.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
National Future Farmers of America Commemorative Coin Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold and silver coins in commemoration of the National Future Farmers of America Organization and the 85th anniversary of such Organization. Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one year period, beginning on January 1, 2012. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $25 per gold coin and $10 per silver coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National Future Farmers of America Foundation in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the creation of an endowment to enhance and expand programs that encourage the development of leadership skills, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education and the Future Farmers of America.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Calls upon all people in the United States to: (1) observe, annually, a National Day of Service and Remembrance in honor of those who lost their lives or were injured in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and in tribute to those who came to the aid of those in need; and (2) continue to live their lives throughout the year with the same spirit of unity, service, and compassion that was exhibited following the attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Immunization Awareness Month. Encourages: (1) local communities to raise awareness of the benefits of immunization; and (2) individuals to receive recommended immunizations. Recognizes: (1) health care professionals and researchers that have facilitated the success of immunizations in eradicating and drastically decreasing the incidence of several diseases; and (2) the nation's commitment to continued education regarding immunization and to furthering immunization opportunities.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States Postal Service should issue a postage stamp commemorating the War of 1812; and (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2009
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 with respect to the state-established individual emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA). Extends the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program through December 31, 2010. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend through January 1, 2011: (1) federal-state agreements increasing regular unemployment compensation payments to individuals; and (2) requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Requires a further additional Tier-3 period for deposits to an individual's EUCA, using the current formula, 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 determining if a state is in an extended benefit period. Allows the Tier-3 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 EUC, if such individual claimed extended compensation for at least one week of unemployment after the exhaustion of additional EUC. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2010, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service and for those with less than 10. Makes additional appropriations to cover such cost. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to make additional appropriations to the Railroad Retirement Board to cover administrative expenses associated with such additional extended benefits. Amends title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of the Social Security Act to require information entered into the data base of the National Directory of New Hires to be deleted 48 (currently, 24) months after its entry. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to permit federal departments and agencies or their agents to use data in each component of the Federal Parent Locator Service and information reported by employers to assess the effectiveness of federal programs in achieving positive labor market outcomes. Allows personal identifiers to be provided to such entities, subject to certain privacy provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2009
Taxpayer Responsibility, Accountability and Consistency Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) require reporting to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of payments of $600 or more made to corporations; (2) set forth criteria and rules relating to the treatment of workers as employees or independent contractors; and (3) increase penalties for failure to file correct tax return information or comply with other information reporting requirements. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue an annual report on worker misclassification.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2009
Crime Victims Fund Preservation Act of 2009 - Amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to establish minimum funding levels for the Crime Victims Fund for each of FY2010-FY2014.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2009
Supports the designation of National School Psychology Week. Recognizes the contributions of school psychologists to the success of students in schools across this country.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2009
Protect America's Wildlife Act of 2009 - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to impose criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly violates any regulation prohibiting the shooting or harassing of birds, fish, or other animals from aircraft (airborne hunting). Increases the monetary penalty for airborne hunting from $5,000 to $50,000. Expands the exceptions to the prohibition against airborne hunting to include enhancing the propagation and survival of wildlife or preventing the extinction of a species threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2009
Recognizes Howard University School of Law, in Washington, D.C., for its profound achievements and unwavering commitment to social justice for all people. Encourages its continued dedication to the first-rate training of social engineers. Congratulates Howard University President, Sidney A. Ribeau, Ph.D., Howard University School of Law Dean, Kurt L. Schmoke, J.D., and the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Howard Law School on the occasion of its 140th anniversary.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2009
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) high school students should spend at least one week in September of their senior year learning about the U.S. Constitution, as knowledge of this country's founding document is critical to being an effective citizen; and (2) upon reaching voting age, high school seniors should demonstrate their understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship by petitioning the government on an issue of importance to them.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2009
Older Driver and Pedestrian Safety and Roadway Enhancement Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to implement a roadway safety enhancement program for older drivers and pedestrians to: (1) improve roadway safety infrastructure in states that is consistent with recommendations of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the "Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians"; and (2) achieve significant reductions in roadway fatalities and serious injuries among drivers and pedestrians 65 years old or older on all public roads. Sets forth project eligibility requirements and project identification and selection priorities. Requires the Secretary to finalize revision of the Handbook for publication. Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to repeal its program for roadway safety improvements for older drivers and pedestrians. Requires the Secretary to: (1) appoint a Special Assistant for Older Driver and Pedestrian Safety within the Office of the Secretary; and (2) establish national goals for increasing driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety for persons 65 years old or older. Requires the Secretary to revise the manual on uniform traffic control devices to include a standard for a minimum level of retroreflectivity for pavement markings on all public roads.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2009
FLTFA Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act to reauthorize the program for the completion of appraisals and satisfaction of other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of public land identified for disposal under approved land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Makes the Act non-applicable to land eligible for sale under specified public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2009
Post-9/11 Veterans' Job Training Act of 2009 - Amends requirements for the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program to entitle an eligible veteran of the Armed Forces (including eligible dependents) pursuing a full-time educational program of apprenticeship or other on-job training to a monthly benefit payment equal to: (1) 75% of the monthly benefit payment otherwise payable to such individual for each of the first six months of the program; (2) 55% of such payment for each of the second six months of the program; and (3) 35% of such payment for each of the months following the first 12 months of the program. Reduces the payment an individual receives in any month in which the individual fails to complete 120 hours of training under the program of education. Entitles an eligible veteran of the Armed Forces receiving such monthly benefit to receive also a monthly housing stipend equal to the basic allowance for housing payable for an Armed Forces member with dependents in pay grade E-5 residing in the military housing area that encompasses the ZIP code area in which the individual resides. Requires an individual's entitlement for each monthly benefit payment to be charged at the rate of: (1) 75% of a month for each of the first six months of the program; (2) 55% of a month for each of the second six months of the program; and (3) 35% of a month for each of the months following the first 12 months of the program.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2009
Afterschool Flexibility to Expand Reimbursement for School Meals Act of 2009 or the AFTERSchool Meals Act of 2009 - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to make institutions in any state eligible for reimbursement for meals provided to at-risk school children under programs organized primarily to provide care to at-risk school children during after-school hours, weekends, or holidays during the regular school year. (Currently, reimbursement is limited to institutions in 10 states.) Assists states in providing meals and meal supplements to children participating in after-school programs in elementary and secondary schools. (Currently, assistance is provided for meal supplements.) Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to award grants to states to encourage institutions and schools to participate in these expanded programs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2009
Childcare Accountability and Responsibility Act of 2009 or the CARE for Kids Act of 2009 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to require a national criminal background check for employees of child care providers in any state that receives funds from the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program. Requires that such background check include: (1) a search of the national Sex Offender Registry, the National Crime Information Center, state criminal registries, and state-based abuse and neglect registries and databases; and (2) a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint check.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2009
Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2009 - Authorizes appropriations for conducting and supporting research on Alzheimer's disease in FY2010-FY2014. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute on Aging to: (1) give priority to conducting and supporting Alzheimer's disease research; (2) increase the emphasis on the need to conduct Alzheimer's disease prevention trials within the National Institutes of Health (NIH); (3) ensure that Alzheimer's disease is maintained as a high priority for NIH's neuroscience initiative; and (4) conduct and support cooperative clinical research regarding Alzheimer's disease. Requires the Director to conduct research related to: (1) the early detection, diagnosis, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and its potential precursors; (2) early onset Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; (3) the relationship of vascular disease and Alzheimer's disease; and (4) interventions designed to help caregivers and improve patient outcomes. Authorizes the Director to establish a National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to facilitate collaborative research among the Alzheimer's Disease Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Expands the research of Alzheimer's Disease Centers to include outcome measures and disease management. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a National Summit on Alzheimer's Disease. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct activities related to risk factors and early recognition of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administration on Aging, to award a cooperative grant for the establishment and operation of an Alzheimer's Call Center. Extends and expands demonstration projects relating to Alzheimer's disease.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2009
Student Breakfast and Education Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to award competitive grants to state or local educational agencies (LEAs) for the establishment or enhancement of school breakfast programs at, and through the provision of subgrants to, schools where at least 65% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches under the school lunch program. Authorizes schools to use the school breakfast subgrants to: (1) increase the quantity of local or fresh food available under their programs; (2) provide nutrition education and first-hand knowledge of food systems to students; (3) extend the period during which breakfast is available, including during the school day; (4) increase participation in their breakfast programs, including through the provision of universal free breakfasts; or (5) collaborate with institutions of higher education or other research entities in compiling data and reports on their breakfast programs. Gives priority to subgrant applicant schools at least 75% of whose students are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches and which intend to use the funds to procure local produce, provide universal free breakfasts, or provide breakfast during the school day. Directs grantees, at least 180 days before the end of a grant term, to evaluate whether it would be cost-effective for subgrantee schools to provide universal free breakfasts under the school breakfast program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2009
Green Routes to Work Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) equalize and increase to $230 the tax exclusion for both transportation and parking fringe benefits; (2) make the increased transportation fringe benefit available to federal employees; (3) make self-employed individuals eligible for transit pass fringe benefits; (4) include employer-established parking cash-out programs as a qualified transportation fringe benefit; (5) allow a general business tax credit for 10% of the cost of a commuter van , with a seating capacity of between 8 and 15 adults that is placed in service before 2013; (6) allow employers a refundable tax credit for providing tax-free transit passes to employees; (7) allow a general business tax credit for expenditures to improve access for bicycle commuters; (8) allow employees to receive transit passes and reimbursements of bicycle commuting expenses as tax-exempt employer-provided fringe benefits in the same month; (9) allow an empoyer's election to expense the cost of removing architectural and transportation barriers to bicycle commuter access to employer facilities; and (10) allow a tax credit for teleworking expenses, up to $400 per year.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2009
Recognizes Project HOPE for 50 years of exceptional service to improve and save the lives of children and adults in developing nations through humanitarian assistance and health education.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2009
Federal Internship Improvement Act - Directs the head of each federal agency operating an internship program to: (1) appoint an internship coordinator within the agency; and (2) make publicly available on the Internet such coordinator's name and contact information and information regarding application procedures and deadlines for the program. Directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to: (1) make publicly available on the Internet links to the websites where such information is displayed; and (2) establish and maintain a centralized electronic database that contains the names, contact information, and relevant skills of individuals who have completed or are nearing completion of an internship program and are currently seeking full-time federal employment. Authorizes agencies to make noncompetitive appointments leading to conversion to term, career, or career-conditional employment of individuals who have completed an internship program. Permits an intern appointed to term employment to subsequently be converted noncompetitively to a career or career-conditional appointment before the term appointment expires. Directs each agency to report to OPM annually on its internship program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2009
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1210 West Main Street in Riverhead, New York, as the "Private First Class Garfield M. Langhorn Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2009
Adult Education and Economic Growth Act of 2009 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1988 to revise requirements for statewide and local workforce investment systems to include adult education activities. Revises member composition of: (1) state workforce investment boards to include state representatives responsible for implementing adult education, literacy, and workplace skills programs under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA); and (2) youth councils established by local workforce investment boards to include representatives of adult education. Revises requirements for five-year state and local worker investment plans. Authorizes the use of funds for: (1) statewide and local youth activities to provide opportunities for career pathways for eligible youth as well as dual enrollment opportunities; and (2) training services for local adult and dislocated workers to include integration of adult education and training. Requires the Secretary to carry out specified employment and training demonstration and pilot projects. Amends the AEFLA to include among adult education and literacy services programs activities to assist adults with limited English proficiency through postsecondary education and training to improve their English and mathematical skills and to acquire an understanding of the American system of government and responsibilities of citizenship. Revises requirements for the allocation and reservation of AEFLA funds. Revises state distribution requirements with respect to grants and contracts to eligible providers of activities for adult education and literacy and corrections education of institutionalized individuals. Expands an eligible agency's use of funds for corrections education and education for other institutionalized individuals to include academic programs for: (1) integrated education and training; (2) career pathways; (3) dual enrollment; and (4) preparation for postsecondary education and training. Replaces the National Institute for Literacy with the National Institute for Adult Education, Literacy, and Workplace Skills (Institute). Requires national leadership activities to include activties to improve workplace skills programs nationwide. Requires the Secretary of Education to allocate grants to states for integrated English literacy and civics education programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants to assist states in developing a 21st century delivery system for adult education, literacy, and workplace skills services as well as adults in developing technology literacy. Requires the Institute to establish the National Adult Learning and Technology Resource Center. Requires the Secretary of Education to direct the Commissioner for Education Research of the National Center for Education Research to establish a national research and development center for adult education, literacy, and workplace skills. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an employer educational assistance program credit for 50% of the qualified educational assistance expenses (up to $5,250) paid per taxable year on behalf of an employee.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2009
Community Gardens Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to eligible entities to establish, build, or operate community gardens.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2009
Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the maximum Pell Grant amount and tie future increases to increases in the Consumer Price Index, plus 1%. Increases funding for the College Access Challenge Grant program. Creates two new competitive grant programs that: (1) assist states, educational entities, and nonprofit organizations in implementing innovative programs that promote students' persistence in, and completion of, postsecondary education; and (2) assist states in developing information systems to track student progress in graduating and finding employment. Extends funding for grants to historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. Authorizes additional funding for Cooperative Education programs that provide students with alternating or parallel periods of study and employment. Alters title IV student aid need analyses, including by establishing an asset cap for need-based aid and excluding employee pension benefit plans from assets. Preserves the student aid eligibility of students convicted of possessing, rather than selling, controlled substances. Prohibits any new loans from being made or insured under the part B Federal Family Education Loan program after June 2010. Directs the Secretary of Education to award loan servicing contracts under the part D Direct Loan program to not-for-profit servicers that meet federal standards and agree to service such loans at competitive market rates. Makes graduate and professional students ineligible for subsidized Direct Stafford loans after June 2015. Establishes variable interest rates on Direct Loans made to undergraduate students after June 2012. Replaces the Perkins Loans program under part E, after June 2010, with a Direct Perkins Loans program under part D that provides loans that continue to carry a 5% interest rate, but have terms and conditions similar to those on Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans. Requires the Secretary of Education to make: (1) grants to states and, through them, local educational agencies (LEAs) for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools; (2) grants to LEAs in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama for the construction, modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, on the basis of each LEA's share of school damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina or Rita; and (3) grants to states for the construction, modernization, renovation, or repair of community college facilities. Directs grantees to use specified portions of such funding for construction, modernization, renovation, or repair that meets certain environmental or energy standards. Directs the Secretary to establish an Advisory Council on Green, High-Performing Schools to provide the Secretary with advice on the academic, health, energy, and environmental impact of such schools and assistance in facilitating their creation. Requires the Secretary to award competitive: (1) Quality Pathways grants to states to implement quality initiatives that increase the number of disadvantaged children in high-quality early learning programs and improve program oversight; and (2) Development grants to states to develop the components of a standards-based early learning system that will allow them to compete for Quality Pathways grants. Establishes two new competitive grant programs for states and junior and community colleges to improve graduation rates and employment-related outcomes for junior and community college students through activities that: (1) facilitate the transfer of credits between schools; (2) enhance student support services; and (3) blend academics and job training in a manner that equips students for high-wage occupations in high-demand industries. Authorizes the Secretary to fund the creation of: (1) free high-quality online training, high school, and postsecondary courses; (2) a Learning and Earning Research Center to research and evaluate junior and community colleges; and (3) cooperative agreements among states to develop, implement, and expand junior and community college longitudinal data systems.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions of food inventory by certain noncorporate taxpayers; (2) set forth rules for determining the basis and fair market value of contributed food; and (3) limit the reduction of such deduction in 2009 and 2010 to the amount by which the fair market value of the contributed food exceeds twice the basis of such food.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2009
Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education, and Awareness Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants for: (1) improving state comprehensive death scene investigations for sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) and sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC); and (2) increasing the rate of comprehensive and standardized autopsies for such deaths. Requires the Director to: (1) develop national guidelines for a standard autopsy protocol for such deaths; and (2) commission a study on the benefits and appropriateness of genetic testing for infant and early childhood deaths that remain unexplained after investigation and autopsy. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) award grants for death scene investigation training; (2) establish a population-based case registry for SUID and SUDC deaths; (3) conduct a needs assessment for investigations and determinations of such deaths; and (4) develop public education and prevention programs to reduce stillbirths and address the racial and ethnic disparities in occurrence. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to: (1) award grants for death review programs and prevention strategies; (2) establish a public health awareness and education campaign on SUID and SUDC; and (3) award grants for support services to families who have experienced SUID, SUDC, or stillbirth. Provides for surveillance and data collection on stillbirths. Requires the Secretary to establish a task force to develop a national research plan to determine the causes of, and how to prevent, stillbirths.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2009
Positive Aging Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and private nonprofit entities to: (1) demonstrate ways of integrating mental health services for older adults into primary care settings; and (2) support the establishment and maintenance of interdisciplinary geriatric mental health outreach teams in community settings where older adults reside or receive social services. Requires the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services to designate a Deputy Director for Older Adult Mental Health Services to develop and implement initiatives to address the mental health needs of older adults. Includes representatives of older adults or their families and geriatric mental health professionals on the Advisory Council for the Center. Directs the Secretary to give special consideration to providing treatment for older adults with substance abuse disorders when developing program priorities for addressing priority substance abuse treatment needs of regional and national significance. Requires state plans for community mental health services grants to describe: (1) the state's outreach to, and services for, older individuals, individuals who are homeless, and individuals living in rural areas; and (2) how community-based services will be provided to these individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2009
Medicare Independent Living Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the in-the-home restriction for Medicare coverage of mobility devices for individuals with expected long-term needs. Deems such devices to be durable medical equipment (DME) if they are used in customary settings for the purpose of normal domestic, vocational, or community activities.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2009
Fusion Engineering Science and Fusion Energy Planning Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to enhance the U.S. capability in fusion engineering science (materials science and technology that focus on fusion energy plasmas) in order to ensure: (1) full U.S. benefit from the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project; and (2) U.S. leadership in fusion engineering science and in the next steps toward the development of a fusion energy facility. Directs the Secretary, in response to recent study and planning activities undertaken by the Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee and the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, to develop and provide to Congress a comprehensive plan identifying the full range of research and development, including fusion engineering science, and the facilities needed to achieve practical fusion energy.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Dairy Fairness Act of 2009 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to annually index for inflation payments under the milk income loss contract program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to carry out a research and development program to: (1) improve the energy efficiency, reliability, and capacity of wind turbines; (2) optimize the design and adaptability of wind energy systems to the broadest practical range of atmospheric conditions; and (3) reduce the cost of construction, generation, and maintenance of wind energy systems. Requires the program to focus on research and development of specified areas, including: (1) new materials and designs to make larger, lighter, less expensive, and more reliable rotor blades; (2) technologies to improve gearbox performance and reliability; (3) automation, materials, and assembly of large-scale components to reduce manufacturing costs; (4) advanced generators; (5) wind technology for offshore applications; (6) methods to assess and mitigate the effects of wind energy systems on radar and electromagnetic fields; and (7) wind turbines with a maximum electric power production capacity of 100 kilowatts or less. Directs the Secretary to conduct a wind energy demonstration program that: (1) is of sufficient size to measure wind energy system performance under the full productive range of wind conditions in the United States; and (2) includes demonstration projects conducted in collaboration with industry that yield data that is useful for the research and development program. Requires the Secretary to carry out such demonstration program in compliance with provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 regarding cost sharing and merit review of proposals.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Tax Relief for Educators Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase from $250 to $500 the allowable amount of the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; (2) make such deduction permanent; (3) revise the definition of "eligible educator" for purposes of such deduction to reduce from 900 to 450 the number of hours which such educators must spend in their positions and include as eligible educators teachers, instructors, counselors, or aides in an early childhood education program; and (4) allow an inflation adjustment to the amount of such deduction after 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Young Adults Financial Literacy Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to make competitive grants to, and enter contracts with, eligible institutions to establish centers of excellence to support research, development and planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective programs in financial literacy education for young adults and families ages 15-24 years old. Defines "eligible institution" as any partnership consisting of an institution of higher education and any of the following: (1) one or more local educational agencies; (2) a nonprofit agency, organization, or association; (3) a community-based organization; or (4) a financial institution.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2009
Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 to extend the grant program for investment in renewable energy property, including renewable resources used to produce electricity and fuel cell, solar, wind, geothermal, and microturbine property, in lieu of tax credits, by extending the placed-in-service deadline for such property through 2012. Extends through September 30, 2013, the deadline for submitting grant applications for such program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2009
Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Honors the crew of the Apollo 11 mission: Neil Armstrong, "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Commends all those individuals and organizations who contributed to this historic achievement.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2009
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of Fragile X Awareness Day; (2) raising awareness and educating the public about fragile X syndrome and associated disorders; and (3) increased funding for research into the causes, treatment, and cure for fragile X syndrome. Applauds efforts to encourage awareness, promote research, and provide education, support, and hope to those impacted by fragile X syndrome. Recognizes the commitment of those dedicated to finding an effective treatment and cure. Urges physicians, health care providers, and specialists, with respect to the syndrome and related disorders, to: (1) learn the clinical signs and symptoms; (2) use diagnostic, developmental screening, and surveillance modalities for detection; (3) test individuals exhibiting signs of developmental delay or an autism spectrum disorder to determine the status of their FMR1 gene; (4) gain a full understanding of the genetic implications and make appropriate referrals to a geneticist or genetic counselor; and (5) provide diagnosed patients with supplemental information. Encourages health insurance entities to provide full coverage for screening technologies, appropriate follow-up referrals, and genetic counseling services. Recommends that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and related member institutes fully implement the research plan on fragile X syndrome and associated disorders developed by the Trans-NIH Fragile X Research Coordinating Group and Scientific Working Groups.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Caring for an Aging America Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish a Geriatric and Gerontology Loan Repayment Program to enter into contracts with qualified physicians, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, pharmacists, social workers, physician assistants, and psychologists to pay educational loans in exchange for providing full-time clinical practice and service to older adults; and (2) establish the National Advisory Council on the Geriatric and Gerontology Loan Repayment Program. Requires the Secretary to ensure that individuals eligible for the nurse loan repayment program include registered nurses who complete specialty training in geriatrics or gerontology and who elect to provide nursing services to older adults in home and long-term care settings. Authorizes the Secretary to award nursing education grants and enter into contracts for programs that focus on specialty training in providing long-term care services for nursing personnel who provide services in home and long-term care settings. Requires the Secretary to establish a Health and Long-Term Care Workforce Advisory Panel to: (1) examine, and provide advice on, workforce issues related to health and long-term care for the aging population; and (2) conduct a research project to identify incentives for recruitment and retention of clinicians and providers who agree to serve vulnerable older adults in geriatric and long-term care settings.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a hazardous waste electronic manifest system that may be used by a hazardous waste generator or transporter, an owner or operator of a hazardous waste treatment, storage, recycling, or disposal facility, or any other person that: (1) is required to use a manifest to comply with any federal or state requirement to track the shipment, transportation, and receipt of hazardous waste or other material shipped from the generation site to an off-site facility for treatment, storage, disposal, or recycling; and (2) elects to use the system to complete and transmit an electronic manifest format; or (3) submits to the system for data processing purposes a paper copy of the manifest (or data from such a paper copy). Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) impose service fees on users to pay for developing, operating, maintaining, and upgrading the system, including any costs incurred in collecting and processing data from any paper manifest submitted to the system after the date on which the system enters operation; (2) deposit the fees into the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund (established by this Act); and (3) enter into information technology contracts with appropriate entities for the provision of system-related services. Requires the Administrator to: (1) establish the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Advisory Board; and (2) carry out this Act in each state unless the state program is fully authorized to do so. Requires a designated facility that receives waste, in cases in which the state in which waste is generated or transported to such facility requires that the waste be tracked through a hazardous waste manifest, to: (1) complete the facility portion of the applicable manifest; (2) sign and date the facility certification; and (3) submit to the system a final copy of the manifest.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
National Parents Corps Act of 2009 - Directs the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, subject to the availability of appropriations, to award a grant to a nonprofit entity (to be known as the NPCP Nonprofit Partner) to establish a National Parents Corps program to promote safety and combat youth violence and substance abuse in public middle or secondary schools. Requires the NPCP Nonprofit Partner to: (1) select for program participation annually schools that agree to host a Parent Leader for a number of years equal to the number of grade levels they offer; and (2) employ, after a background check, a Parent Leader from among the parents of students enrolled in the lowest grade at each participating school to work on a full-time basis with students, other parents, and school officials to treat, prevent, and reduce violence and drug, alcohol, and tobacco addiction among students. Urges participating schools to take the measures necessary to secure funding for the employment of Parent Leaders after federal funding becomes unavailable.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Food Desert Oasis Act of 2009 - Designates certain U.S. cities as Food Desert Zones. Defines a "qualified food desert business" as a wholesale or retail business that derives at least 25% of its gross receipts from the sale of fresh fruits and vegetables. Grants certain tax benefits to a qualified food desert business, including an increased tax credit rate for rehabilitation expenditures, empowerment zone status, and tax-exempt bond financing. Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to: (1) increase to 100% the federal share of costs associated with hunger-free communities program activities in a Food Desert Zone in FY2010-FY2015; and (2) extend the authorization of appropriations for such program through FY2015. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to submit annual reports to Congress on the Food Desert Oasis Pilot Program under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Consumer Product and Food Safety Information Act of 2009 - Requires the head of each federal product safety enforcement agency to design and implement a public information plan to use agency and media resources to provide information to the public concerning: (1) the role of the agency in ensuring product safety; (2) steps consumers can take to enhance their safety while using regulated products; (3) product recalls; and (4) additional information to enhance consumer safety. Requires such plan to include procedures for developing and distributing product safety information to the public. Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to establish: (1) a clearinghouse to collect and distribute product recall and safety information to government entities and the public; (2) a toll-free number for such information; and (3) a public website to provide recall information to the public. Requires the head of each enforcement agency to issue: (1) national public service announcements that contain information on the public safety role of the agency, available resources, and product safety information; and (2) posters and other printed material on the public safety role of the agency. Sets forth requirements for product recall notifications and quarterly reporting. Requires any manufacturer or distributor of a product who voluntarily initiates a product recall as a result of safety concerns to provide notice of such recall to the relevant enforcement agency within 10 days.
![Official portrait of Rep. Sestak, Joe [D-PA-7]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001169_200.jpg)