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
Democracy Restoration Act of 2009 - Declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility. Provides for enforcement and remedies for violations of this Act. Specifies that: (1) nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit a state from enacting any state law that affords the right to vote in any election for federal office on terms less restrictive than those terms established by this Act; and (2) the rights and remedies established by this Act shall be in addition to all other rights and remedies provided by law, and shall not supersede, restrict, or limit the application of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Prohibits any state, unit of local government, or other person from receiving or using any federal grant amounts to construct or improve a place of incarceration unless that person has a program to notify each U.S. citizen incarcerated in that person's jurisdiction, on release from such incarceration, of that individual's rights under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2009
Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of State to carry out, in cooperation with the government of India, the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative comprised of educational, scholarly, and professional exchange programs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2009
Look-back Elimination Act of 2009 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to eliminate the requirement that, to be eligible for foster care maintenance payments, a child would have been eligible for aid under the former Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program (predecessor of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] program under part A of SSA title IV) at the time of removal from the home. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the AFDC eligibility requirement for federal foster care and adoption assistance benefits should be eliminated and replaced with income eligibility standards that are based on modern, balanced criteria that treat all children equally; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) should collaborate with Members of Congress and child welfare advocates in developing any modification standards.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2009
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 440 South Gulling Street in Portola, California, as the "Army Specialist Jeremiah Paul McCleery Post Office Building."
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 · 23 July 2009
Child Care Criminal Background Check Act of 2009 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to require child care providers that are licensed by a state or receive funds under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program to: (1) obtain a comprehensive criminal background check of each employee who provides child care services, each applicant for employment, and each family child care provider who provides or applies to provide such services; and (2) refuse to employ individuals convicted of crimes of violence or crimes against children. Reduces by 10% allotments to states that fail to comply with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2009
Justice for the Wrongly Accused Act - Amends the federal judicial code to make an exception to the requirement of a motion to the court of appeals before the filing of certain second or subsequent petitions for habeas corpus. Declares that the motion requirement does not apply if the second or subsequent petition application rests solely on a claim of actual innocence arising from: (1) newly discovered evidence from forensic testing; (2) exculpatory evidence withheld from the defense at trial; or (3) newly discovered accounts by credible witnesses who recant prior testimony or establish improper action of state or federal agents. States also that the exhaustion of remedies requirement does not apply, if the application for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of a person in custody pursuant to a state court judgment is based on a claim that the police or prosecution withheld exculpatory, impeachment, or other evidence favorable to the defendant. Requires the court to hold an evidentiary hearing to determine the facts relating to a claim of actual innocence if the applicant makes a credible proffer of evidence supporting the claim based on certain circumstances. Prescribes a standard for the admissibility of a witness' evidentiary hearing testimony.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2009
Supports the right of the citizens of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to access websites of their choosing and to have the freedom to share and publish information over the Internet. Calls on Vietnam to: (1) repeal Circular 07, Article 88, and similar statutes that restrict the Internet, so as to be in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Vietnam is a signatory; (2) become a responsible member state of the international community by respecting individuals' freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of political association; and (3) release all political prisoners, including but not limited to 18 named bloggers and cyber activists.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2009
Removing Impediments to Students Education Act of 2009 or the RISE Act of 2009 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to repeal a provision which makes persons convicted of drug offenses ineligible to receive federal student financial assistance for specified periods. Requires institutions of higher education to notify students who lost eligibility for such assistance due to a drug conviction and had not regained it prior to this Act's enactment that they are now eligible for such assistance.
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
Congratulates Barnes Jewish Hospital, Henry Ford Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Integris Baptist Hospital for the completion of a successful 16-person kidney transplant.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2009
Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act of 2009 - Amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (the Act) to allow state leadership activities grants to be used to provide technical assistance to faith and community-based organizations desiring grants under the Act. Directs the National Institute for Literacy to: (1) disseminate information regarding integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs; and (2) study the effectiveness of distance learning or self-study programs for English language learners. Makes integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs eligible for assistance under the Secretary of Education's national leadership activities program. Requires the Secretary to award grants to states for integrated English literacy, U.S. history, and civics education programs, with each state's grant amount tied to the size and growth of their recent immigrant population. Amends the Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to replace references to individuals of limited English proficiency with references to English language learners. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide: (1) tax credits to teachers of English language learners; (2) tax deductions for the expenses of becoming certified as such teachers; and (3) tax credits for employers' expenses in making adult education and literacy services available to their employees. Requires the Commissioner for Education Research of the National Center for Education Research to establish a national research and development center for adult education and literacy, or include adult education if a center for adult literacy has already been established. Establishes the Presidential Award for Business Leadership in Promoting United States Citizenship to be awarded to companies and other organizations that make extraordinary efforts in assisting their employees and members to learn English and increase their understanding of U.S. history and civics. Renames the Office of Citizenship within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security the Office of Citizenship and Immigrant Integration (the Office). Includes among its functions, furthering the integration of immigrants into this country. Permits the Office to accept donations in support of its activities. Authorizes the Chief of the Office to provide grants to states to: (1) form State New American Councils to develop and implement comprehensive immigrant introduction plans and disseminate information pertaining to effective English acquisition and civics education programs; and (2) award subgrants, through such Councils, to local governments to assist them in integrating immigrants into communities pursuant to such plans. Establishes a New Citizens Award program authorizing the President to present a medal to up to 10 new citizens per year who make an outstanding contribution to this country.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2009
Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to eliminate increased and mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenses involving mixtures or substances which contain cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine).
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 · 14 July 2009
America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 - Sets forth provisions governing health insurance plans and issuers, including: (1) exempting grandfathered health insurance coverage from requirements of this Act; (2) prohibiting preexisting condition exclusions; (3) providing for guaranteed coverage to all individuals and employers and automatic renewal of coverage; (4) prohibiting premium variances, except for reasons of age, area, or family enrollment; and (5) prohibiting rescission of health insurance coverage without clear and convincing evidence of fraud. Requires qualified health benefits plans to provide essential benefits. Prohibits an essential benefits package from imposing any annual or lifetime coverage limits. Lists required covered services, including hospitalization, prescription drugs, mental health services, preventive services, maternity care, and children's dental, vision, and hearing services and equipment. Limits annual out-of-pocket expenses to $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family. Establishes the Health Choices Administration as an independent agency to be headed by a Health Choices Commissioner. Establishes the Health Insurance Exchange within the Health Choices Administration in order to provide individuals and employers access to health insurance coverage choices, including a public health insurance option. Requires the Commissioner to: (1) contract with entities to offer health benefit plans through the Exchange to eligible individuals; and (2) establish a risk-pooling mechanism for Exchange-participating health plans. Provides for an affordability premium credit and an affordability cost-sharing credit for low-income individuals and families participating in the Exchange. Requires employers to offer health benefits coverage to employees and make specified contributions towards such coverage or make contributions to the Exchange for employees obtaining coverage through the Exchange. Exempts businesses with payrolls below $250,000 from such requirement. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on: (1) an individual without coverage under a health benefits plan; and (2) an employer that fails to satisfy health coverage participation requirements for an employee. Imposes a surtax on individual modified adjusted gross income exceeding $350,000. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise provisions relating to payment, coverage, and access, including to: (1) reduce payments to hospitals to account for excess readmissions; (2) limit cost-sharing for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries; (3) reduce the coverage gap under Medicare Part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program); (4) provide for increased payment for primary health care services; and (5) prohibit cost-sharing for covered preventive services. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide for the development of quality measures for the delivery of health care services in the United States. Establishes a Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research within the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, financed by a tax on accident and health insurance policies, to conduct and support health care services effectiveness research. Sets forth provisions to reduce health care fraud. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) expand Medicaid eligibility for low-income individuals and families; (2) require coverage of additional preventive services; and (3) increase payments for primary care services. Sets forth provisions relating to the health workforce, including: (1) addressing health care workforce needs through loan repayment and training; (2) establishing the Public Health Workforce Corps; (3) addressing health care workforce diversity; and (4) establishing the Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment. Sets forth provisions to: (1) provide for prevention and wellness activities; (2) establish the Center for Quality Improvement; (3) establish the position of the Assistant Secretary for Health Information; (4) revise the 340B drug discount program (a program limiting the cost of covered outpatient drugs to certain federal grantees); (5) establish a school-based health care program; and (6) establish a national medical device registry.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2009
Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish in the Treasury the Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund (Trust Fund) to support investments in clean water and drinking water infrastructure. Imposes through 2015: (1) an excise tax on the sale of containers of water-based beverages, water disposal products, and pharmaceutical products; and (2) a clean water tax on corporations. Appropriates revenues raised from such taxes to the Trust Fund. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allocate amounts from the Trust Fund for specified clean and safe drinking water programs. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act to: (1) expand the types of projects eligible for funding by state revolving loan funds; and (2) set forth additional criteria for states in developing priorities for assistance under such Acts; and (3) provide for technical assistance to community water systems and small water treatment works. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to: (1) increase the security of community water systems and water treatment works; (2) hire certified wastewater treatment operators; and (3) control sewer overflow. Requires the Administrator to make grants to: (1) support efforts by water systems to increase energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigate the impacts of climate change; (2) establish a national water infrastructure research, development, and demonstration program and regional university water research centers; and (3) take back and dispose of prescription and over-the-counter drugs in an environmentally sound manner.
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
Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Act - Includes in the determination of a federal firefighter's average pay for purposes of computing retirement and annuity benefits one-half of a firefighter's basic hourly rate times the number of overtime hours included in such firefighter's regular tour of duty for a year.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2009
Affordable Food and Fuel for America Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to phaseout the income and excise tax credits for alcohol-based fuels and eliminate such credits in 2014. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to phaseout the tariff on ethanol and provide duty free treatment of ethanol in 2014. Expresses the sense of Congress that the savings achieved by this Act should be used to combat hunger in the United States and to develop domestic supplies of cellulosic and advanced biofuels.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2009
United States Optimal Use of Trade to Develop Outerwear and Outdoor Recreation Act or U.S. OUTDOOR Act - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide for the duty-free treatment of certain recreational performance outerwear. Establishes the Sustainable Textile and Apparel Research Fund (STAR Fund). Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to charge and collect, with specified exceptions, a fee of 1.5% of the appraised value of imported recreational performance outerwear and to deposit amounts collected into the STAR Fund. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to make quarterly distributions from the STAR Fund to one or more appropriate organizations to conduct applied research, development, and education activities to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses in clean, eco-friendly apparel, other textile and apparel products, and sewn-product design and manufacturing.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Equal Employment for All Act - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit a current or prospective employer from using a consumer report or an investigative consumer report, or from causing one to be procured, for either employment purposes or for making an adverse action, if the report contains information that bears upon the consumer's creditworthiness, credit standing, or credit capacity. Makes exceptions to such prohibition for employment: (1) which requires a national security or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) clearance; (2) with a state or local government agency which otherwise requires use of a consumer report; or (3) in a supervisory, managerial, professional, or executive position at a financial institution.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Enhanced Violent Crime Community Policing Act of 2009 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) allow the use of public safety and community policing grants to hire and train new career law enforcement officers for deployment in communities with high incidences of violent crime; (2) direct the Attorney General to make grants to local governments to hire and train new career law enforcement officers for deployment in high crime areas to enhance community policing in such areas; and (3) authorize the Attorney General to give preference to grant applications for the hiring and training of new career law enforcement officers for deployment in high crime areas. Specifies that grant amounts shall provide for a 5 to 10% increase in the size of a grantee's sworn police force.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2009
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 867 Stockton Street in San Francisco, California, as the "Lim Poon Lee Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to define: (1) "disability" to have the meaning given the term under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; (2) "advanced communications" as interconnected VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service, non-interconnected VoIP service, electronic messaging, and video conferencing; and (3) other specified terms. Requires that equipment providing advanced communications via a built-in speaker provide an internal means for hearing aid use. Redefines "telecommunications relay services." Requires interconnected and non-interconnected VoIP providers to contribute to the Telecommunications Relay Services Fund. Requires, unless it would be an undue burden (significant difficulty or expense), that equipment and services for advanced communications be usable by individuals with disabilities. Requires, if that requirement is an undue burden, that the equipment or service be compatible with existing commonly used peripheral devices or specialized customer equipment, unless that requirement would be an undue burden. Establishes an accessible products and services clearinghouse that is publicly available. Authorizes Lifeline and Link Up programs and other federal universal service support mechanisms to be used for those telecommunications services, Internet access services, and advanced communications that are needed by individuals with disabilities. Defines as eligible for universal service support certified programs that distribute equipment to make telecommunications service, Internet services, and advanced communications accessible by deaf-blind individuals. Requires every provider of Internet access service and every manufacturer of Internet access equipment, unless it would be an undue burden, to make user interfaces accessible to individuals with disabilities. Requires that apparatus that receives or plays back video programming and has a picture screen of any size be capable of decoding closed captioning, transmitting and delivering video description, and conveying emergency information. (Current law: (1) requires closed caption decoders only for apparatus having a picture screen that is at least 13 inches; and (2) does not require video description or emergency information conveyance capability.) Requires that apparatus to record video programming retain and pass through closed captions and video descriptions. Ratifies and considers in full force and effect the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) video description regulations contained in a specified Report and Order. Defines, for certain portions of this Act, "video programming" as including programming distributed over the Internet or by other means. Requires video programming owners, providers, and distributors to convey emergency information accessibly to blind or visually-impaired individuals. Requires that apparatus to receive or play back video, including using the Internet, allow control by individuals with disabilities and that on-screen menus be accompanied by integrated or peripheral audio output to enable control by blind or visually impaired individuals. Requires each provider or owner of video programming and each multichannel programming distributor to ensure that video programming information and selection provided by means of a navigational device, guide, or menu is accessible in real-time by individuals with disabilities who are unable to read the visual display.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2009
Global Food Security Act of 2009 - Directs the President to designate an individual to serve as the Special Coordinator for Food Security to: (1) advise the President on international food security issues; (2) ensure coordination of global food security efforts and U.S. programs; and (3) oversee implementation of a comprehensive food security strategy to be headed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Sets forth strategy elements. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to revise and extend bilateral agriculture, rural development, and nutrition assistance programs. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to implement program components through U.S. land-grant universities, other eligible universities, and public and private partners of U.S. and foreign universities for: (1) research on problems affecting food availability; (2) agricultural development and trade research and extension services, particularly for women and other vulnerable populations; (3) application of agricultural and nutritional sciences to solving food, health, nutrition, rural income, and environmental problems, especially among populations experiencing chronic food insecurity; and (4) rural population access to national and global markets. Establishes the higher education collaboration for technology, agriculture, research, and extension to provide assistance for policies and programs in eligible countries that advance agricultural productivity and hunger alleviation through partnerships with institutions of higher education. Authorizes the President to provide assistance under this Act or the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for unexpected urgent food assistance needs. Establishes a United States Emergency Rapid Response to Food Crisis Fund to carry out such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Balancing Act of 2009 - Family Leave Insurance Act of 2009 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a Family and Medical Insurance Program, which may involve contracts with state programs, under which, for specified reasons, an eligible employee of a covered employer shall be entitled to family and medical leave insurance benefits for a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month program. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to establish a similar Civil Service Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program for federal employees. Creates in the Treasury the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a family and medical leave premium on employees and employers. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends the FMLA to increase the number of employers to which it applies by reducing from 50 to 25 employees the threshold number triggering application of the Act. Entitles eligible employees and federal employees to take specified additional leave for parental involvement and family wellness. Domestic Violence Leave Act - Entitles eligible employees, including federal employees, to leave to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Includes within the purview of FMLA same-sex spouses and domestic partners and their children. Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers to provide paid sick time to their employees, including time to address domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits such employers from discriminating against employees for their legitimate use of paid sick time. Directs the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to compile specified information relating to use of paid sick time Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2009 [ sic ] - Amends the FMLA to increase the number of employers to which it applies by reducing from 50 to 25 employees the threshold number triggering application of the Act. Entitles eligible employees and federal employees to take specified additional leave for parental involvement and family wellness. Education Begins at Home Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to enable states, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, territories and possessions to establish or expand quality programs of early childhood home visitation, including to families with English language learners. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to make competitive grants to support and expand efforts to deliver services through high quality programs of early childhood home visitation to eligible families with a member in the military. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to authorize additional funds for expanding child care activities for young children under age three. Authorizes the Secretary to allot funds to eligible states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations for the federal share of access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers. Establishes: (1) the Child Care Provider Development and Retention Grant Program; and (2) the Child Care Provider Scholarship Program. Healthy Early Education Workforce Grant Program Act - Requires a state receiving certain funds to expend them for the federal share of the cost of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers and, at state discretion, their spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. Child Care Facilities Financing Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive technical and financial assistance grants to Department of the Treasury-certified community development financial institutions and other specified organizations for the acquisition, construction, or renovation of child care facilities. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to award competitive grants to assist states in providing incentive funds to encourage the establishment and operation of employer-operated child care programs. Universal Prekindergarten Act - Directs the Secretary to make grants to state agencies to develop high-quality full-day, full-year universal prekindergarten programs for all children three, four, and five years old. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the school breakfast program to provide free breakfasts to school children without regard to family income. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to deem a child who is eligible for reduced price lunches for any school year also eligible for free lunches for that school year. Repeals the limitation on reimbursement in ten states (thus allowing them full reimbursement) for afterschool meals served to at-risk school children. Afterschool Education Enhancement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 with respect to requirements for state applications for 21st century community learning center grants. Repeals the restriction in such applications to students attending schools: (1) eligible for certain schoolwide programs; (2) serving a high percentage of students from low-income families; or (3) in need of academic improvement. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require that certain employees working at less than full-time under participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans be treated as meeting full-time year-of-service criteria. Qualifies such workers for group health plans. Extends ERISA coverage to certain individuals whose services are leased or contracted for. United States Business Telework Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a pilot program in up to five states to raise awareness about telework among employers and to encourage them to offer telework options to employees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Medicare Adult Day Care Services Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of substitute adult day care services.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to repeal the denial to drug felons of eligibility for benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2009
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees). Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Prohibits related retaliation. Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations; and (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the Armed Forces. Declares that this Act does not repeal or modify any federal, state, territorial, or local law creating a special right or preference concerning employment for a veteran. Provides for the construction of this Act regarding: (1) enforcement by employers of rules and policies; (2) sexual harassment; (3) certain shared facilities such as showers or dressing facilities; (4) construction of new or additional facilities; (5) dress and grooming standards; and (6) provision of employee benefits to married vs. unmarried couples. Declares that, in this Act, "married" refers to a legal union between one man and one woman. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from collecting statistics from covered entities on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or compelling the collection by covered entities of such statistics. Provides for enforcement, including giving the EEOC, the Librarian of Congress, the Attorney General, and U.S. courts the same enforcement powers as they have under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and other specified laws. Allows actions and proceedings, subject to exception, against the United States and the states.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2009
Ending LGBT Health Disparities Act - Sets forth provisions concerning the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax exclusion for employer-provided health care benefits to eligible beneficiaries of the employee and the qualifying children of such beneficiaries. Limits preexisting condition exclusions. Requires parity in the rights and obligations of a federal employee (defined to exclude members of the uniformed services) with a domestic partner and a married employee and the spouse. Expands the definition of "spouse" and "married" for purposes of Medicare. Phases out the 24-month waiting period for eligibility for hospital insurance benefits under Medicare. Prohibits discrimination: (1) on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity under Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP), Medicare, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; and (2) on the basis of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation by the Secretary of Defense against a former member of uniformed services entitled to medical care, and by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support demonstration projects to improve the health and health care of sexual or gender minorities. Establishes within the Office of Minority Health an Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health to be headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary for LGBT Health. Requires the HHS Secretary, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary, to establish the Center for Cultural Competence in Health Care. Provides for expanded research concerning sexual and gender minority individuals and the collection of sexual or gender minority data in health programs and surveys. Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to provide benefits to surviving same-sex parents.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend through FY2012 the current authorization of appropriations for the national public awareness campaign for gynecologic cancers (Johanna's law). Authorizes appropriations in subsequent fiscal years at levels necessary to carry out such campaign. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) collaborate with nonprofit gynecologic cancer organizations to determine the best practices for providing gynecologic cancer information and outreach services to varied populations; and (2) make grants to nonprofit private entities to carry out demonstration projects to test outreach and education strategies to increase the awareness and knowledge of women and health care providers regarding gynecologic cancers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Travel Promotion Act of 2009 - Establishes the Corporation for Travel Promotion as a nonprofit corporation that is not an agency or establishment of the U.S. government. Makes the Corporation subject to the provisions of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Corporation should not engage in lobbying activities. Requires the Corporation, among other things, to provide useful information to people interested in traveling to the United States, identify and address perceptions regarding U.S. entry policy, and promote U.S. travel. Establishes in the Treasury the Travel Promotion Fund. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require (under current law, authorize) the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish and collect a fee for the use of an electronic data sharing system concerning the admissibility of certain aliens into the United States that will ensure recovery of the full costs of providing and administering such system. Terminates such fee following FY2014. Authorizes the Corporation to impose an annual assessment on U.S. members of the travel and tourism industry. Amends the International Travel Act of 1961 to: (1) revise the membership of the Tourism Policy Council; and (2) require the Council to provide the Corporation with certain information concerning U.S. admission procedures and travel promotion strategies. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study to assess barriers to entry into the United States by foreign travelers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009 - Prohibits the imposition of any penalty under an Act of Congress for the possession of marijuana for personal use or for the not-for-profit transfer between adults of marijuana for personal use. Deems the possession of 100 grams or less of marijuana as personal use (one ounce or less for a not-for-profit transfer between adults). Allows the imposition of a civil penalty under the Controlled Substances Act for the public use of marijuana if such penalty does not exceed $100.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Stop Very Unscrupulous Loan Transfers from Underprivileged Countries to Rich, Exploitive Funds Act or the Stop VULTURE Funds Act - Prohibits: (1) any U.S. person from engaging in sovereign debt profiteering, or any person at all from engaging in such profiteering in the United States; and (2) any U.S. court from issuing a summons, subpoena, writ, judgment, attachment, or execution in aid of a claim which would further sovereign debt profiteering. Sets forth required court disclosures in actions involving collection of sovereign debt.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2009
Measuring American Poverty Act of 2009 - Amends part A of title XI of the Social Security Act to direct the Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau), in collaboration with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to calculate modern poverty thresholds and modern poverty rates for each calendar year. Directs the Census Bureau and the BLS to choose: (1) the most appropriate distribution of consumption expenditures on food, clothing, and shelter, which may, if appropriate, exclude families receiving subsidies for food, clothing, or shelter; and (2) the reference family for the modern poverty measure. Declares that the modern poverty threshold for a reference family shall be an amount equal to the average of 120% of the 33rd percentile of the distribution chosen, allowing for calculations to rely on a limited band converging on this percentile, during four or more of the most recent years for which data is available from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, a superior federal government source of data, or some combination of such sources. Prescribes requirements for determining modern poverty rates. Directs the Census Bureau, in collaboration with the BLS, to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to develop and publish methods of: (1) calculating a decent living standard threshold; and (2) measuring the extent to which the income of families in the United States is sufficient to meet it. Directs the Census Bureau, in collaboration with the BLS, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to contract with NAS to develop and publish a method of: (1) measuring the extent of medical care risk in the United States; and (2) calculating the number and percentage of individuals in the United States who lack adequate health insurance, leaving them at risk of being unable to afford needed treatment. Directs the Census Bureau to contract with NAS to develop a set of recommendations for methods to implement annual modern poverty measurement at the state and local level and a timeframe for the implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2009
Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2009 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to revise requirements for the audit capacity of voting systems, particularly those for a permanent paper record. Requires the voting system to require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot of the voter's vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection by the voter before the voter's vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical scanner or other counting device. Requires the voting system to provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any system-made error in the voter-verified paper ballot before it is permanently preserved. Requires each paper ballot used to be: (1) suitable for a manual audit; and (2) counted by hand in any recount or audit conducted with respect to any federal election. Sets forth a special rule for treatment of disputes when paper ballots have been shown to be compromised. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Specifies additional voting system requirements and prohibitions. Requires the NSF Director to make grants to eligible entities to conduct research on the development of election-dedicated voting system software. Makes available additional funding to enable states to meet the costs of the requirements imposed by this Act. Provides for complaints to the Attorney General by persons aggrieved by violations of HAVA. Requires each state to administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots. Makes an exception from this requirement for elections in which the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the vote total. Prescribes requirements for determination of the number of ballots counted under the audit. Prescribes the process for administering audits. Requires the Election Auditor of a state, as soon as practicable after the completion of an audit, to submit the results to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) for publication. Prohibits certification of the results of any election until completion of audits. Provides for payments to states for the costs of conducting audits. Exempts from this Act any election for which a recount under state law will commence before certification of the election results. Repeals the EAC's exemption from certain federal government contracting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2009
High School Athletics Accountability Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct coeducational elementary and secondary schools that participate in any ESEA program to annually: (1) report certain information on equality in their school athletic programs to the Commissioner for Educational Statistics; and (2) make such information available, upon request, to their students, potential students, and the public. Directs the Commissioner to ensure that such data are posted on the Department of Education's Web site within a reasonable period of time.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2009
Recognizes the Day of the African Child. Salutes the health professionals and community health workers in Africa who are extending health care and hope to families across the continent. Reaffirms the importance of U.S. partnership with African leaders and communities in reducing child, newborn, and maternal deaths.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2009
Improving Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2009 - Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act to disregard for SSI income eligibility purposes any compensation in the amount of the first $2,000 per year received by an individual for participation in clinical trials for rare diseases or conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2009
Recognizes the historical significance to the nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African-Americans were free). Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and more effectively facing the challenges of the future; and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2009
Special Disability Workload Liability Resolution Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with each state to reach an agreement on the amount of a payment for the state related to the Medicare program liability under title XVIII of the Social Security Act as a result of the Special Disability Workload project. (The special workload was the result of discovering a substantial number of recipients of Supplemental Security Income [SSI] benefits whose disability insured status under the title II [OASDI] Disability Insurance program was not previously recognized.) Prohibits any such payment to a state unless it: (1) waives the right to file a civil action (or to be a party to any action) in federal or state court in which the relief sought includes a payment to the state from the United States related to such Medicare liability; and (2) releases the United States from any further claims for reimbursement of state expenditures as a result of the Special Disability Workload project.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act - Transfers marijuana from schedule I to schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act. Provides that no provision of the Controlled Substances Act or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act shall prohibit or otherwise restrict, in a state in which marijuana may, under state law, be prescribed or recommended by a physician for medical use: (1) a physician from prescribing or recommending marijuana for medical use; (2) an individual from obtaining, possessing, transporting, manufacturing, or using marijuana in accordance with such a prescription or recommendation; (3) an individual authorized under state law to do so from obtaining, possessing, transporting, or manufacturing marijuana on an authorized patient's behalf; (4) a pharmacy or other entity authorized to do so from obtaining, possessing, or distributing marijuana to such patients; or (5) an entity established by such a state or local government thereof to do so from producing, possessing, or distributing marijuana for such a prescription or recommendation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Recidivism Reduction Act - Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income for Aged, Blind, and Disabled) (SSI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require the reinstatement upon release of an otherwise eligible disabled inmate for SSI benefits which were terminated owing to the inmate's incarceration in a jail, prison, penal institution, or correctional facility for a period of 12 or more consecutive months. Requires the inmate to apply for reinstatement and resumption of such benefits within 36 months after release. Allows application for reinstatement even before release. Permits provisional benefits to such an individual until the application is acted upon. Requires the reinstatement of SSI benefit eligibility for such an individual's spouse if the spouse was previously an SSI-eligible spouse. Amends SSA title II (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Benefits) (OASDI) to direct the Commissioner of Social Security to develop a system for prerelease application for resumption of suspended OASDI disability insurance benefits, or other benefits based on disability. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to require state Medicaid plans to provide that in the case of any individual enrolled for medical assistance immediately before becoming an inmate of a public institution: (1) the enrollment shall be reinstated upon the individual's release from such institution unless and until there is a determination that the individual is no longer eligible to be so enrolled; and (2) any period of continuous eligibility in effect on the date the individual became such an inmate shall be reinstated as of the release date and the duration of such period shall be determined without regard to the period in which the individual was such an inmate. Increases from 90% to 95% the federal matching rate for any state implementing a Medicaid reinstatement system. Authorizes case management services in order to engage in planning for services following an individual's release from a public institution.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2009
Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2009 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to: (1) repeal the exemption from restrictions on underground injection of fluids near drinking water sources granted to hydraulic fracturing operations under such Act; and (2) require oil and gas companies to disclose the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations.
![Official portrait of Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000810_200.jpg)