United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2008
Commercial Fishing Industry Health Care Coverage Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a grant program to assist commercial fishing states in establishing or strengthening programs to expand health care coverage and access for uninsured or underinsured workers in the commercial fishing industry and their families. Requires the Secretary to provide: (1) program planning grants for commercial fishing states and organizations within such states, including for initial research and planning to develop a qualified health care coverage program; and (2) implementation and administration grants for such states.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2008
Urges the Secretary of Defense to take immediate steps to establish a career path for doctors of chiropractic to be appointed as commissioned officers in all branches of the Armed Forces for purposes of providing chiropractic services.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2008
Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to declare that it is U.S. policy to: (1) maintain the freedom to use broadband telecommunications networks, including the Internet, without unreasonable interference from or discrimination by network operators; (2) enable the United States to preserve its global leadership in online commerce and technological innovation; (3) promote the open and interconnected nature of broadband networks that enable consumers to reach, and service providers to offer, content, applications, and services of their choosing; and (4) guard against unreasonable discriminatory favoritism for, or degradation of, content by network operators based upon its source, ownership, or destination on the Internet. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to commence a proceeding on broadband services and consumer rights, including assessing whether broadband network providers: (1) refrain from unreasonably interfering with the ability of consumers to access, use, send, receive, or offer content, applications, or services of their choice, and attach or connect their choice of devices; and (2) add charges for quality of service to certain Internet applications and service providers.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2008
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day. Recognizes and reaffirms the commitment to fighting heart disease and stroke by promoting awareness about the causes, risks, and prevention, supporting research, and expanding access to medical treatment. Encourages all Americans to learn about their risk for heart disease.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2008
Provides that, if the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) determined under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act without regard to this Act for a state for FY2008 is less than the FMAP as so determined for FY2007, the FY2007 FMAP shall be substituted for the FMAP for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY2008, before the application of this Act. Provides that, if the FMAP determined without regard to this Act for a state for FY2009 is less than the FMAP as so determined for FY2008, the FY2008 FMAP shall be substituted for the FMAP for the first, second, and third calendar quarters of FY2009, before the application of this Act. Provides that, for each eligible state for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY2008, and for the first, second, and third calendar quarters of FY2009, the FMAP shall be increased by 2.95 percentage points. Provides for an increase in the cap on Medicaid payments to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Declares that, only for FMAP computation purposes, any significant disproportionate employer pension or insurance fund contribution shall be disregarded in computing the per capita income of a state, but not in computing the per capita income for the continental United States (and Alaska) and Hawaii.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2008
Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, and Education Amendments of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to designate centers of excellence for research on various forms of muscular dystrophy as Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers. Requires the Muscular Dystrophy Interagency Coordinating Committee to give special consideration to enhancing the clinical research infrastructure required to test emerging therapies for the various forms of muscular dystrophy. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure that any data on patients that is collected as part of the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network (MD STARnet) is regularly updated to reflect changes in patient condition over time. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) report to the appropriate congressional committees on MD STARnet and data collection; and (2) provide prospective health outcome data on the health and survival of people with muscular dystrophy. Requires the Director of CDC, in carrying out a program to provide information and education on muscular dystrophy to health professionals and the general public, to: (1) partner with leaders in the muscular dystrophy patient community; and (2) widely disseminate the Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy care considerations. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to: (1) evaluate the available scientific evidence to develop and issue an initial set of care considerations for Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy and provide ongoing review and updates where appropriate; and (2) replicate the same methodology used to develop such care considerations as a model for other muscular dystrophies.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2008
Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2008 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit a creditor from using certain adverse information, including information in a consumer report or any change in a consumer's credit score, as the basis for increasing any annual percentage rate (APR) of interest on the consumer's outstanding balance under an open end consumer credit plan, except for actions or omissions of the consumer directly related to such account. (Thus eliminates the universal default for credit already outstanding.) Bars a creditor from changing any term of the contract or agreement of an open end consumer credit plan until contract renewal, except for specific material reasons already contained in the contract or agreement. Requires advance notice of credit card account rate increases. Authorizes a consumer who receives such notice to: (1) cancel the credit card without penalty or the imposition of any fee; and (2) pay any outstanding balance that accrued before the effective date of the increase at the APR and in the repayment period in effect before notice was received. Prohibits a creditor from imposing interest on credit repaid within the interest-free repayment time period. (Thus prohibits double cycle billing). Prohibits the imposition of fees on any outstanding balance on a credit card account attributable only to accrued interest on previously repaid credit. Requires each periodic statement of account to provide specified information on obtaining the payoff balance. Prohibits a creditor from furnishing information to a consumer reporting agency concerning a newly opened credit card account until the consumer has used or activated the credit card. Details mandatory pro rata payment allocations by a creditor. Authorizes a consumer to opt-out of creditor authorization of over-the-limit transactions if fees are imposed. Restricts the frequency of over-the-limit fees. Specifies the contents of credit card price and availability information the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System must collect and make public semiannually. Prescribes a standard for the initial issuance of subprime or "fee harvester" cards (accounts requiring first-year fee payments in excess of 25% of the total amount of credit authorized).
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2008
Expresses support for the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Program and its efforts to: (1) pay tribute to and express appreciation for hospitalized veterans; (2) increase community awareness of the role of the medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); and (3) encourage citizens to visit hospitalized veterans and become involved as volunteers. Declares that the House of Representatives will continue to work with veterans service organizations to support our veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2008
Montgomery GI Bill Educational Assistance Transferability Act of 2008 - Amends the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program to authorize the Secretary of the military department concerned to permit any member of the Armed Forces (currently, only members with critical military skills) entitled to basic educational assistance to elect to transfer a portion of such assistance to one or more dependents. Removes the 18-month limitation on the number of months of entitlement authorized to be transferred. Provides similar eligibility for the transfer of educational assistance for members of the Selected Reserve who have completed at least six years of service and enter into an agreement to remain a member of such Reserve for at least four more years.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2008
Justice for Victims of Torture and Terrorism Act - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (the Act) to remove the authority of the President to grant the government of Iraq immunity from actions by victims of terror seeking compensation for injuries caused by officials, employees, or agents of the government of Iraq during the time such government was classified as a state sponsor of terrorism if: (1) it is the interest of national security; (2) it promotes the reconstruction of, the consolidation of democracy in, and the relations of the United States with, Iraq; and (3) Iraq continues to be a reliable ally of the United States and partner in combating acts of international terrorism. Deems ineffective, on the date of the enactment of this Act, any such immunity granted to the government of Iraq by the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2008
Combat Veterans Debt Elimination Act of 2008 - Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting debts owed to the United States by certain veterans who die as a result of a service-connected disability incurred or aggravated on active duty in a war after the Persian Gulf War or a combat zone after September 11, 2001, if the Secretary determines, in his or her discretion, that the termination of collection is in the best interest of the United States. Excepts any amounts owed the United States under federal housing and small business loan programs from such prohibition on debt collection.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2008
Makes emergency appropriations for FY2008 for state and local law enforcement assistance under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2008
Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2008 - Amends federal bankruptcy law to cite circumstances under which a medically distressed debtor may elect to exempt from the property of the estate in bankruptcy up to $250,000 of the debtor's aggregate interest in specified real or personal property that the debtor (or debtor's dependent) uses as a residence, in a cooperative, or in a burial plot for the debtor or a dependent. Revises requirements for dismissal or conversion of a Chapter 7 case to prohibit the court or specified parties in interest from filing a motion to dismiss or convert to Chapter 11 or 13 if the debtor is a medically distressed debtor or an economically distressed caregiver.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2008
Honors the 22nd anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger disaster. Celebrates the courage and bravery of the crew of the Challenger, and Christa McAuliffe and her passion for encouraging America's children to pursue careers in science and mathematics. Commits the House of Representatives and the Nation to using the lessons learned in inquiries into the space shuttle Challenger accident to ensure that the space agency always operates on a strong and stable foundation. Recognizes the continued dedication of the United States to the goal of space exploration for the benefit of all mankind.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2008
Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008 - Directs the Administrator of General Services to reimburse certain jurisdictions for the costs of: (1) converting from electronic or other voting systems to paper ballot voting systems for the general elections for federal office to be held in November 2008; and (2) providing emergency paper ballots if the jurisdiction uses a direct recording electronic voting system which happens to fail. Directs the Administrator to reimburse any state, county, or equivalent location for the documented reasonable costs it incurs in conducting manual audits or hand recounts of the results of any of the regularly scheduled elections for federal office in November 2008 (including, at state or local option, manual audits of state and local elections, ballot initiatives, and referenda). Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to study, test, and develop products and practices that ensure the accessibility of paper ballot verification and casting for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2008
Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from selling any oil and gas lease for any tract located in the Lease Sale 193 Area of the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region before the earlier of: (1) the listing of the polar bear as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and a final decision regarding the determination of its critical habitat; or (2) the date the Secretary publishes a determination that such listing is not warranted.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2008
Iraq Strategic Agreement Review Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and any other necessary representative of the executive branch of the U.S. government to begin consultations with the appropriate congressional committees and leadership on any potential long-term security, economic, or political agreement (agreement) with the government of Iraq. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) full Iraqi sovereignty is in the U.S. national interest; and (2) any agreement that is not in the form of a treaty with respect to which the Senate has given its advice and consent to ratification under Article II of the Constitution of the United States does not have the force and effect of law. Prohibits obligating or expending funds for the implementation of any agreement with the government of Iraq unless the agreement is in the form of a treaty with respect to which the Senate has given its advice and consent to ratification under Article II.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Josh Miller Helping Everyone Access Responsive Treatment in Schools Act of 2007, or the Josh Miller HEARTS Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for use in their schools; and/or (2) provide training to meet the requirement that at least five adult employees or volunteers at each school with an AED successfully complete training in its use and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Requires LEA grant applicants also to demonstrate that: (1) the AEDs are integrated into the schools' medical emergency response procedures; and (2) emergency services personnel are notified of their locations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 1940 to extend from 90 days to one year the period following release from active duty during which a member of the Armed Forces shall be protected from mortgage foreclosure.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Helping Our Veterans to Keep Their Homes Act of 2008 - Increases from 90% to 100% of the reasonable value of a veteran's dwelling or farm residence the amount of the loan to be guaranteed or made in the case of a loan to refinance certain loans. Repeals the current fee schedule with respect to veterans' housing and small business loans. Changes the loan fee for such loans to 1% of the total amount of the loan guaranteed, insured, or made, or in the case of a loan assumption, the unpaid principal balance of the loan on the date of the transfer of the property. Extends the demonstration projects involving: (1) adjustable rate mortgages through FY2018; and (2) hybrid adjustable rate through FY2012. Increases the maximum loan guaranty amount of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) conforming limit limitation determined for a single-family residence, as adjusted for the year involved. Provides for an annual inflation increase in home loan guaranty amounts. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to review and streamline the process of guaranteeing home loans for the purchase of a condominium.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize appropriations for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) for FY2009-FY2012. Authorizes the Superintendent of the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control to include within fire service personnel training: (1) response, tactics, and strategies for dealing with non-terrorist-caused national catastrophes; (2) applying new technology and developing strategies and tactics for fighting wildfires; (3) response, tactics, and strategies for fighting large-scale or multiple fires in a general area that cross jurisdictional boundaries, fires occurring at the wildland-urban interface, and fires involving hazardous materials; and (4) advanced emergency medical services training. Requires the Administrator of USFA to include in triennial reports information about changes made to the National Fire Academy curriculum. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) contract with a nationally recognized organization that meets specified requirements to facilitate the delivery of education and training programs directly to fire service personnel; and (2) assist the nation's fire services to sponsor and encourage research to improve fire prevention and control in the wildland-urban interface. Directs the Administrator to: (1) use specified funds during FY2009-FY2011 to update the National Fire Incident Reporting system to an Internet-based, real-time incident reporting database: (2) make available to the public information about fire-related research through a regularly updated Internet-based database; (3) promote adoption by fire services of voluntary national consensus standards for firefighter health and safety; and (4) provide liaison to assure coordination of fire service-based emergency medical services programs.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2007 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of gold medals to Native American code talkers of specified Indian tribes. Defines "code talker" as a Native American who served in the Armed Forces during a foreign conflict and who participated in military communications using a native language. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and Indian tribes, to identify code talkers eligible for a gold medal.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Condemns the Saudi judiciary for convicting the "Qatif Girl" on the charge of being alone in a car with a man she is not related to, as well as for the inhumane punishment to which she was sentenced. Calls on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to: (1) overturn the conviction and to drop all charges against the Saudi rape victim known as the "Qatif Girl" and (2) abolish such law as well as other laws that compromise women's freedom, dignity, and equality. Expresses sympathy for the "Qatif Girl."
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Amends title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to create a new Part D: Promoting Youth Financial Literacy. Allows the Secretary of Education to provide grants to states to: (1) assist local educational agencies and public schools provide financial education programs to students in kindergarten through grade 12; and (2) implement financial education professional development programs for teachers and administrators. Requires a specified amount of the grant funds to be awarded competitively each fiscal year, with the remainder provided to each state on the basis of its share of students in kindergarten through grade 12. Directs the Secretary to make a grant to or contract with an institution of higher education or nonprofit organization that has substantial financial education experience to establish and operate a national clearinghouse of instructional materials and information on model financial education programs and best practices. Amends title V of the ESEA to direct the Secretary to set aside 2% of the funds appropriated for the Fund for the Improvement of Education program each fiscal year for financial literacy activities under such program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2007
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition of her courageous and unwavering commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and democracy in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2007
Keeping Americans Warm Act of 2007 - Appropriates funds for FY2008 to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for emergency payments to states under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, notwithstanding such Act's requirement that funds be made available only after the President's submission to Congress of a formal budget request that includes a designation of the requested amount as an emergency requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Mail Network Protection Act of 2007 - Requires the U.S. Postal Service to bargain with unions representing career Postal Service employees before entering into a contract for mail processing, mail handling, or surface transportation of mail if the contract, in a 12 month period, would involve work that would otherwise be performed by those employees and either: (1) involve more than a specified amount of work time; or (2) cost over $5 million.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Ensuring Medicare Access to Recreational Therapy Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking, or a transmittal amending the Medicare Benefits Policy Manual, or both, specifying that: (1) recreational therapy is a covered service under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act in inpatient rehabilitation facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs); (2) recreational therapy is a skilled rehabilitative modality included in the bundle of services as part of the payment rates for such facilities under Medicare's respective prospective payment systems (PPS) for these inpatient settings; and (3) any recreational therapy that is provided to a Medicare beneficiary in such a facility prescribed by a physician as part of the facility's plan of care for the patient must be provided by a qualified recreational therapist.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Medicare Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2007- Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for the recognition of state- licensed or registered health care professionals who are certified diabetes educators as Medicare providers of diabetes outpatient self-management training services. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the barriers that exist for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes in accessing diabetes self-management training services under the Medicare program. Directs the Director of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality to develop a series of recommendations on effective outreach methods to educate primary care physicians and the public about the benefits of diabetes self-management training.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Reconnecting Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act of 2007 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require State part E plans to provide that the state shall have in effect such laws and procedures as are necessary to ensure that: (1) a child may not be placed in foster care under state responsibility solely because the family with which the child is living is homeless or living in substandard housing; and (2) the state will work with the family and state housing authorities to secure permanent housing for any family that includes a minor child and is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Requires the Comptroller General to report to appropriate congressional committees on state policies and practices regarding: (1) access to federally funded child welfare services by children who have attained age 13; and (2) consideration of runaway and homeless situations as risk assessment factors for determining the appropriateness of placement in the child welfare system. Requires state part E plans to describe state policies and procedures regarding runaway or missing foster children. Provides for extension of child welfare services to emancipated youth between ages 18 and 21. Revises the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program. Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to revise the requirement that the state provide adult-supervised living arrangements for teenage parents not yet living in such an arrangement. Suspends the five-year time limit on TANF assistance for parents under age 21 who are involved in education or training. Prohibits the imposition of sanctions under TANF with respect to minor parents unless the state has established procedures that help TANF recipients understand, avoid, or end sanctions, and has applied the procedures to the recipient. Requires the Secretary to study and report to Congress on: (1) TANF recipients who are parents and have not attained age 20; and (2) a representative sample of low-income teen parents who are not TANF recipients. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include homeless youth as a qualified targeted population for the work opportunity business income tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2007
Overseas Voting Practical Amendments Act of 2007 - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to rename the official post card form containing both an absentee voter registration application and an absentee ballot application the Federal Voter Registration and Ballot Application. Prohibits states from refusing to accept balloting materials on any of specified grounds, including that the materials are not printed on a post card, do not include certain information, are not notarized or witnessed by an authorized official, are not delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, or do not meet certain other nonessential requirements. Amends federal postal law with respect to postage markings on certain balloting materials mailed by the states. Amends UOCAVA to: (1) permit voters to request absentee ballots in all subsequent elections; (2) repeal the requirement to provide absentee ballots in subsequent elections to individuals with unknown addresses; (3) apply UOCAVA to individuals who have never resided in the United States (whose parents are overseas voters); (4) require prompt notification of rejection of a voter registration or absentee ballot request; and (5) provide for use of a U.S. State Department diplomatic pouch for returning completed absentee ballots.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2007
Declares that House of Representatives has lost confidence in Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairwoman Nancy Nord and urges the President to request her resignation and to nominate a replacement.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2007
College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to revise and reauthorize various programs. Revises the definition of institutions of higher education (IHEs) to include schools that enroll students who are also enrolled in secondary school. Establishes new college cost and assistance information resources for students, parents, and the public. Bars certain business arrangements, inducements, and conflicts of interests between IHEs and student loan providers. Establishes a new Teacher Quality Partnership grant program under title II for high-need local educational agencies (LEAs), high-need schools, and IHEs, replacing the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants for States and Partnerships program. Creates a new Part C (Enhancing Teacher Education) to title II providing grants for: (1) a Recruiting Teachers With Math, Science, or Language Majors program; (2) a Community Colleges as Partners in Teacher Education Grants program; (3) a Centers of Excellence program for teacher education at certain minority-serving institutions; (4) a Teach For America program; and (5) the establishment of State Early Childhood Education Professional Development and Career Task Forces. Revises title III Institutional Aid programs providing grants to IHEs serving high percentages of minority and low-income students to establish new grant programs for Predominantly Black Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, and Native American-serving nontribal institutions. Establishes a YES Partnerships grant program to engage minority youth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Revises and reauthorizes title IV Student Assistance programs. Alters the Pell grant maximum and allows year-round grants. Broadens the array of students eligible for Academic Competitiveness grants and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) grants. Eliminates Academic Achievement Incentive Scholarships and Learning Anytime Anywhere Partnerships programs. Turns the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship program into: (1) scholarship and loan forgiveness programs for mathematics and science students; and (2) a program providing grants to partnerships between IHEs and LEAs to improve the teaching and learning of critical foreign languages. Increases the information to be provided to federal student loan borrowers by IHEs, lenders, and guaranty agencies. Expands the child care provider loan forgiveness program under the Federal Family Education Loan and Direct Loan programs to include individuals employed in certain areas of national need. Expands the types of public service occupations for which Perkins loans may be canceled. Excludes certain military housing benefits from title IV need analyses. Requires the development of simplified and electronic student aid application forms and a system providing students and parents with early aid information and eligibility estimates. Establishes a program to encourage the development of articulation agreements among IHEs within states and across state lines. Establishes an Accreditation Ombudsman to address the grievances of those involved in the accreditation process. Revises the title V Developing Institutions grant program for Hispanic-serving institutions. Establishes a new grant program for graduate programs at such institutions. Revises and reauthorizes title VI International Education programs. Establishes a new: (1) Preparing for Early Foreign Language Instruction program providing grants to partnerships between IHE foreign language departments and LEAs; and (2) Science and Technology Advanced Foreign Language Education grant program for IHEs. Revises and reauthorizes title VII Graduate and Post-Secondary Improvement programs. Establishes Patsy T. Mink graduate fellowships for women and minorities studying to enter the professoriate. Establishes new Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education programs. Replaces the Urban Community Service grant program with an Urban-Serving Research Institutions grant program. Establishes programs to support disabled students' access and transition to postsecondary education. Creates grant programs to increase nursing school capacity and provide nurses with the scholarships and release time needed to qualify as nursing school faculty. Establishes a new title VIII creating additional HEA programs to: (1) reward IHEs that make no more than inflationary adjustments to their tuition; (2) provide students with work experiences related to their educational objectives; (3) assist IHEs in implementing articulation agreements; (4) help low-income students complete postsecondary education and training; (5) help students move from developmental studies into, and through, occupational studies; (6) assist Project Grad USA implement education reform services; (7) improve the college enrollment rates of secondary schools; (8) thwart diploma mills; (9) enhance student safety and emergency management at IHEs, and provide IHEs with disaster loans; (10) promote rural development through partnerships between rural IHEs and other rural entities; (11) improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, especially for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students; (12) create a national database on financial assistance for STEM studies; (13) promote the training and job placement of real time writers; (14) assist IHEs in implementing model programs to address veterans' needs in postsecondary education; (15) support IHE sustainablity programs; and (16) promote the study of modeling and simulation. Revises and reauthorizes various programs under the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986, the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, and the Navajo Community College Act. Creates a grant program for two tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical institutions under the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978. Repeals certain programs under the Higher Education Amendments of 1998. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish a loan forgiveness program for prosecutors and public defenders. Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to establish a Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity program at the Department of Commerce. Private Student Loan Transparency and Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to impose specified consumer protection and disclosure requirements on private educational lenders.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2007
American Anti-Torture Act of 2007 - Amends the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 to prohibit any person in the custody or control of the United States (under current law, the Department of Defense) from being subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation not authorized by and listed in the U.S. Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation. Makes such prohibition inapplicable with respect to any person in the custody or control of the United States (under current law, the Department of Defense) pursuant to a U.S. criminal or immigration law.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2007
Preserving Crime Victims' Restitution Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to establish guidelines for cases in which a defendant in a criminal prosecution dies prior to the final adjudication of guilt. Sets forth rules for restitution to victims, appeals, motions, petitions, and civil forfeiture in such cases. Provides, as a general rule, that the death of a defendant who has been convicted of a federal criminal offense shall not be the basis for abating or otherwise invalidating a plea of guilty or nolo contendere accepted, a verdict returned, a sentence announced, or a judgment entered prior to the death of such defendant, or for dismissing or otherwise invalidating the indictment, information, or complaint, except as provided by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2007
Restitution for Victims of Crime Act of 2007 - Collection of Restitution Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code relating to restitution for victims of crime to: (1) require courts to enter an order for immediate restitution at the sentencing of a convict; (2) allow prosecutors to obtain from the U.S. Probation Office, without a court order, financial information about a convict who owes restitution; (3) require identifying information about convicts to be included in restitution orders of more than $100; and (4) allow crime victims reimbursement of attorney fees incurred in seeking restitution. Preservation of Assets for Restitution Act of 2007 - Requires courts to issue protective orders for preservation of assets available to satisfy restitution claims. Provides for prejudgment remedies to protect assets available to satisfy restitution claims. Environmental Crimes Restitution Act of 2007 - Provides for orders of restitution for victims of certain environmental crimes at the sentencing of a convict.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2007
Declares that House of Representatives has lost confidence in Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairwoman Nancy Nord and urges the President to request her resignation and to nominate a replacement.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2007
Remembers, honors, and commends the achievements of the U.S. Marine Corps in serving and defending the United States on the 232nd anniversary of its creation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2007
Condemns violent attempts to resist the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and encourages all parties involved in the conflict to reach a lasting cease-fire. Encourages the U.S. government to state publicly its support for the disarmament and reintegration of forces loyal to General Nkunda into the national army. Condemns the infiltration of soldiers into the Virunga National Forest and the danger it poses to the mountain gorillas.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Amends the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 to prohibit the bankruptcy court from dismissing or converting a case based on means testing while the debtor: (1) is either on active duty or performing a homeland defense activity for at least 60 days; or (2) was either called to active duty or performed homeland defense activity as a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces or a member of the National Guard after September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Private Sector Whistleblower Protection Streamlining Act of 2007 - Sets forth whistleblower protections for private sector, state, and municipal employees who are retaliated or discriminated against by an employer for disclosing threats to public safety or violations of federal law. Authorizes a whistleblower who has been discharged or discriminated against by an employer to seek appropriate relief either by: (1) filing a complaint with the Secretary of Labor; or (2) bringing an action at law or equity in the appropriate U.S. district court. Prohibits restrictions on whistleblowing and relief provided under this Act. Establishes the Whistleblower Protection Office within the Employment Standards Administration of the Department of Labor. Makes conforming whistleblower amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Prevention Through Affordable Access Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to revise requirements for the best price component of the formula for determination of the Medicaid rebate for a covered single source outpatient drug or a covered innovator multiple source outpatient drug. (Under current law, best prices shall not take into account prices that are merely nominal in amount.) Revises the list of entities to which sales by a manufacturer of covered outpatient drugs at nominal prices shall be considered to be sales at a nominal price, or merely nominal in amount (and thus excluded from computation of the best price for such drugs). Adds to such list any entity that is: (1) operated by a health center of an institution of higher education, primarily for its students (university-based clinic); or (2) a public or private nonprofit entity that provides family planning services under the Public Health Service Act (safety-net clinic).
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2007
Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act - Makes any children's consumer product containing more than specified amounts of lead a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Lowers the lead level at which paint is a banned hazardous product under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Requires independent third party testing of children's products. Provides for a variety of measures to facilitate identifying a product's source, intermediate parties, and end user. Requires replacing durable infant or toddler product voluntary standards with consumer product safety rules. Requires, in certain circumstances, that choking warnings be included in associated advertising. Authorizes appropriations: (1) to carry out the Consumer Product Safety Act and any other provision of law the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) carries out; and (2) for capital improvements to the Commission's research, development, and testing facility. Allows the CPSC to transact business with two members, if they are not of the same political party, until August 3, 2008. Modifies procedures for promulgating rules and regulations under the Consumer Product Safety Act and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Modifies procedures regarding the public disclosure by the CPSC of information regarding a consumer product. Allows the CPSC to prohibit product stockpiling. Requires notice to the CPSC if a consumer product fails to comply with a rule under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the Flammable Fabrics Act, or the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. Modifies requirements regarding action plans of manufacturers, distributors, or retailers to deal with products that present a substantial hazard. Requires manufacturers, distributors, or retailers to give public notice of a substantial product hazard on their Internet website and to third party Internet websites on which the product was for sale. Authorizes the CPSC to prohibit the export of, and makes it unlawful to sell, a product or substance that is not in conformity with applicable requirements. Increases the maximum civil penalties under the Consumer Product Safety Act, the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, and the Flammable Fabrics Act. Authorizes the forfeiture of assets associated with the violation of any Act enforced by the CPSC. Authorizes the CPSC, in certain circumstances, to make certain information obtained by the Commission available to any federal, state, local, or foreign government agency.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2007
Universal Homeowners' Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an additional standard tax deduction (available to taxpayers who do not itemize) for state and local real property taxes paid before January 1, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2007
Declares that Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.
![Official portrait of Rep. Shea-Porter, Carol [D-NH-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001170_200.jpg)