United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Afghan Women Empowerment Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the protection of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and their full participation in the reestablishment of democracy are essential to Afghanistan's reconstruction, and to achieve such reconstruction the U.S. government must commit resources to advance the rights of women throughout Afghanistan. Amends the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 to revise the provisions respecting assistance to women and girls in Afghanistan. Extends funding authority. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) condition the provision of such assistance on the recipient adhering to international standards for women's rights and human rights; and (2) ensure that Afghan women-led nongovernmental organizations with demonstrated experience in delivering services to Afghan women and children receive grants without ethnic, religious, or any other discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Prepare All Kids Act of 2009 - Creates a part I (High Quality Prekindergarten Programs) under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Implements such part by requiring the Secretary of Education to establish a Prekindergarten Incentive Fund from which matching grants shall be awarded to states and, through them, subgrants to qualified prekindergarten providers to establish, expand, or enhance voluntary high quality full-day prekindergarten programs serving children ages three through five. Directs state grantees to set aside: (1) at least 15% of their grant for quality early childhood development programs for children ages zero through three; and (2) at least 10% of their grant to extend the hours of early childhood programs to create extended day and year programs. Requires prekindergarten subgrantees to: (1) maintain a maximum class size of 20 children, with at least 1 prekindergarten teacher per classroom; and (2) ensure that the ratio of children to prekindergarten teachers and teacher aides does not exceed 10 to 1.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Restoring the Partnership for County Health Care Costs Act of 2009 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to allow benefits under such titles for persons in custody in a public institution pending disposition of charges. States that, in the case of an otherwise eligible individual (or eligible spouse of such an individual) who is in custody pending disposition of charges, any benefits under SSA title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) which are otherwise otherwise payable shall: (1) be withheld until the individual is no longer either in custody pending disposition of charges or an inmate of a public institution; or (2) be paid to the individual's estate, if the individual dies before the pending charges are disposed of or while the individual is an inmate of a public institution.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Recognizes the special legal and political relationship the Indian tribes have with the United States and the solemn covenant with the land we share. Commends and honors the Native Peoples for the thousands of years that they have stewarded and protected this land. Recognizes that there have been years of official depredations, ill-conceived policies, and the breaking of covenants by the U.S. government regarding Indian tribes. Apologizes on behalf of the people of the United States to all Native Peoples for the many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on them by U.S. citizens. Expresses the regret of the United States for the ramifications of former wrongs and its commitment to build on the positive relationships of the past and present to move toward reconciliation. Urges the President to acknowledge the wrongs of the United States against Indian tribes in U.S. history. Commends the state governments that have begun reconciliation efforts with recognized Indian tribes located in their boundaries, and encourages all state governments to do the same. Prohibits anything in this Joint Resolution from authorizing or supporting any claim against the United States or serving as a settlement of any claim against the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2009
Crack-Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act of 2009 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to eliminate specified mandatory minimum penalties relating to the trafficking in, and possession, importation, or distribution of, crack cocaine.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Routine HIV Screening Coverage Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan to provide coverage for routine HIV screening under terms and conditions no less favorable than for other routine screenings. Prohibits such a plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Applies such requirements to health insurance coverage offered in the individual market and coverage offered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
SMA Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a national clinical trials network for spinal muscular atrophy by upgrading and unifying spinal muscular atrophy clinical trial sites and recruiting new investigators and sites. Requires the Director to ensure that such network: (1) conducts coordinated, multisite, clinical trials of therapies and clinical approaches to the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy; and (2) rapidly and efficiently disseminates scientific findings to the field. Requires the Director to: (1) establish a data coordinating center with respect to spinal muscular atrophy; and (2) expand and intensify NIH programs with respect to preclinical translation research related to spinal muscular atrophy. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to enhance and support a spinal muscular atrophy patient registry to provide for expanded epidemiological research towards improving awareness, management, treatment, and prevention of spinal muscular atrophy. Requires the Secretary to ensure the collection and analysis of longitudinal data related to individuals of all ages. Directs the Secretary to establish the Interagency Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Coordinating Committee. Sets forth the duties of the Committee, including to develop a comprehensive strategy related to spinal muscular atrophy research and other related neurological diseases and disorders. Requires the Secretary to establish a program to provide information and education on spinal muscular atrophy to health professionals and the general public.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Interagency Council on Homelessness Reform Act of 2009 - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to declare that the mission of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is to: (1) coordinate the federal response to homelessness; and (2) create a national partnership at every level of government and with the private sector to reduce and end homelessness in the nation while maximizing the effectiveness of federal contributions to end homelessness. Adds to the membership of such Council the Commissioner of Social Security, the U.S. Attorney General, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), or their respective designees. Requires: (1) the Council to meet quarterly (currently, annually); and (2) rotation of the position of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson at the first meeting of each year. Requires the President (currently, the Council) to appoint an Executive Director of the Council, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the President Directs the Council to develop, make available for public comment, and submit to the President and Congress a biennial national plan to end homelessness for all Americans. Requires the Council to: (1) develop constructive alternatives to criminalizing homelessness and eliminate laws and policies that prohibit sleeping, feeding, sitting, resting, or lying in public spaces when there are no suitable alternatives; (2) evaluate the federal role in interacting and coordinating with state and local entities that address homelessness; and (3) conduct research and develop methods to improve pre-existing coordination between it and federal agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009 - Directs the President to develop and implement: (1) a National Strategy for Global Development to further the U.S. foreign policy objective of reducing poverty and contributing to economic growth in developing countries, including responding to humanitarian crises; and (2) a system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance. Expresses the sense of Congress that American taxpayers and foreign assistance recipients should have, to the maximum extent practicable, full access to U.S. foreign assistance information.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Safety, Efficiency, and Accountability in Transportation Projects Through Public Inspection Act of 2009 - Requires public employees to perform construction inspections on all surface transportation projects receiving federal funding.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Childhood Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to expand and intensify the CDC's cancer control programs, including programs for conducting surveillance activities or supporting state comprehensive cancer control programs. Requires the Director of the National Cancer Institute to coordinate the activities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with respect to cancer survivorship, including child cancer survivorship. Requires the Director of NIH, acting through the Director of the Institute, to make grants for research relating to: (1) childhood cancer survivors within minority populations; and (2) health disparities in cancer survivorship outcomes within minority or other medically underserved populations. Requires the Director of NIH to conduct or support research to evaluate systems of follow-up care for childhood cancer survivors. Directs the Secretary to make grants to establish or improve training programs for health care professionals to: (1) improve the quality of immediate and long-term follow-up care for survivors of childhood cancers and their families; and (2) ensure that such care is linguistically and culturally competent. Requires the Director of NIH to make grants to establish pilot programs to develop, study, or evaluate model systems for monitoring and caring for childhood cancer survivors. Requires the Secretary to make grants to: (1) establish and operate a clinic for comprehensive long-term follow-up services for childhood cancer survivors; and (2) improve physical and psychosocial care for childhood cancer survivors.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009 - Authorizes the President to provide assistance, including through multilateral, nongovernmental, and faith-based organizations, to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the educational, health, economic, social, and legal empowerment of girls and women. Sets forth priority assistance criteria. Directs the President, through the Secretary of State, to establish a multi-year strategy to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the empowerment of girls at risk of child marriage. Sets forth strategy elements. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that Department of State country reports on human rights practices include a description of the status of child marriage for countries with specified rates of child marriage. Defines "child marriage" as the marriage of a girl or boy not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Protecting America's Workers Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to expand its coverage to federal, state, and local government employees. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, under specified conditions, to cede OSHA jurisdiction to another federal agency with respect to certain occupational standards or regulations for such agency's employees. Declares OSHA inapplicable to working conditions covered by the Federal Mine Safety and Heath Act of 1977. Sets forth increased protections for whistle blowers under OSHA. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) the posting of employee rights; (2) a prohibition against the adoption or implementation of policies or practices by employers that discourage the reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses or that discriminate or provide for adverse action against any employee for reporting such injury or illness; (3) a prohibition against the loss of wages or employee benefits as a result of an employee participating in or aiding workplace inspections; (4) investigations of incidents in a place of employment resulting in a death or the hospitalization of two or more employees; (5) a prohibition against designating a citation for an occupational health and safety standard violation as an unclassified citation; (6) the rights of an employee who has sustained a work-related injury or illness that is the subject of an investigation; (7) an employer's right to contest citations and penalties; (8) the Secretary's assertion of an employer's failure to correct a serious hazard during an employer's contest to a citation; and (9) employee objections to modifications of citations. Increases civil and criminal penalties for certain OSHA violators. Requires a state that has an approved plan for the development and enforcement of occupational safety and health standards to amend its plan to conform to the requirements of this Act within 12 months after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish in the Treasury the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund for the deposit of income, gift, and estate taxes paid by or on behalf of taxpayers: (1) who are designated conscientious objectors opposed to participation in war in any form based upon their deeply held moral, ethical, or religious beliefs or training (within the meaning of the Military Selective Service Act); and (2) who have certified their beliefs in writing to the Secretary. Requires that: (1) amounts deposited in the Fund be allocated annually to any appropriation not for a military purpose; (2) the Secretary report to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on the total amount transferred into the Fund during the preceding fiscal year and the purposes for which such amount was allocated; and (3) the privacy of individuals using the Fund be protected. Expresses the sense of Congress that any revenue increase resulting from the creation of the Fund be allocated in a manner consistent with its purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Border Security and Responsibility Act 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary), the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with tribal, state, and local officials, to submit to Congress a border protection strategy for the international land borders of the United States. Specifies strategy elements. Amends the the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to revise international land border security provisions, including: (1) eliminating existing southwest border fencing requirements; (2) requiring that border control actions be in accordance with the border strategy required under this Act; and (3) giving priority to the use of remote cameras, sensors, removal of nonnative vegetation, incorporation of natural barriers, additional manpower, unmanned aerial vehicles, or other low impact border enforcement techniques. Prohibits construction of border fencing, physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, sensors, or other tactical infrastructure prior to 90 days after such border strategy's submission to Congress. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of appropriate state and tribal wildlife agencies, to implement a comprehensive monitoring and mitigation plan to address the ecological and environmental impacts of security infrastructure and activities along the international land borders of the United States. Specifies plan requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Calls for the adoption of a smart security platform for the 21st century that: (1) promotes security by strengthening international institutions and respect for the rule of law; (2) reduces the threat and stops the spread of weapons of mass destruction and reduces proliferation of conventional weapons; (3) addresses root causes of instability and violent conflict; (4) organizes U.S. foreign assistance in a manner that eliminates poverty and promotes security and peace; (5) shifts U.S. budget priorities to more effectively meet U.S. security needs; and (6) pursues to the fullest extent alternatives to war.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Urges the government of Afghanistan and President Hamid Karzai to declare the provisions of the Shi'ite Personal Status Law on marital rape and restrictions on women's freedom of movement unconstitutional. Encourages the Secretary of State, the Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Ambassador-at-Large for International Women's Issues, and the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan to address the status of women's rights and security in Afghanistan to ensure that these rights are not being eroded.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act of 2009 - Establishes the Salmon Stronghold Partnership as a cooperative, incentive-based, public-private partnership working across political boundaries and land ownerships to identify and conserve salmon strongholds. Requires that its board include representatives of Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state, as well as representatives from specified entities. Requires the Assistant Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to carry out specific information and assessment functions associated with salmon strongholds. Establishes a salmon stronghold watershed grants and technical assistance program. Authorizes the sharing of status and trends data, innovative conservation strategies, conservation planning methodologies, and other information with North Pacific countries, including Canada, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, and appropriate international entities to promote salmon conservation and habitat. Prohibits acquiring private property without the owner's consent.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
No Child Left Inside Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, approved by the Secretary of Education, for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Directs the Secretary to award Environmental Education Professional Development Grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, institutions of higher education (IHE), other educational entities, or federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, for activities involving, among other things, teacher training and the development of more rigorous environmental education curricula that advance the teaching of interdisciplinary courses. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, IHEs, other educational entities, federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, or park and recreation departments, for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards; (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs; and (3) research.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act of 2009 - Requires the manufacturer of a motor vehicle sold, leased, or otherwise introduced into U.S. commerce to: (1) provide to the vehicle owner and service providers all information necessary to diagnose, service, maintain, or repair the vehicle; (2) offer for sale to the vehicle owner and service providers any related tool or equipment; and (3) provide the information that enables aftermarket tool companies to manufacture tools with the same functional characteristics. Exempts trade secrets, so long as the information is not disclosed to authorized dealers or service providers. Authorizes enforcement of this Act by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and civil actions by state attorneys general, consumers, and service providers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Bottle Recycling Climate Protection Act of 2009 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit retailers and distributors from selling beverages in containers that do not display a statement of a refund value of five cents. Defines "beverage" as an alcoholic or non-alcoholic, carbonated or uncarbonated liquid that is intended for human consumption. Requires: (1) distributors to collect the refund value for each beverage sold to retailers by a deposit initiator; and (2) retailers to collect the refund value for each beverage sold to consumers. Requires: (1) retailers to pay the refund on returned unbroken containers of brands sold for up to a specified number of containers per day based on the square footage of the retailer's space (excluding any container contaminated by a hazardous waste); and (2) distributors to pay the refund on returned containers of brands sold, plus at least three cents per container for handling costs. Directs each deposit initiator to pay to a state, quarterly, unclaimed refund amounts, which shall be available to the state for programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Prohibits distributors and retailers from intentionally disposing of containers subject to this Act or any metal, glass, or plastic from such containers (other than the top or seal) in landfills or solid waste disposal facilities. Exempts states that have implemented laws requiring beverage container deposits or that have demonstrated achievement of specified recycling, reuse, or recovery rates for beverage containers. Prohibits states or political subdivisions that impose taxes on the sale of beverage containers from imposing any tax on the amount attributable to the refund value of such containers. Provides for the adjustment for inflation of the refund amounts at ten-year intervals. Prescribes civil penalties for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish the Office of Water within the Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade to: (1) give assistance to provide safe water and sanitation for people worldwide; and (2) be headed by a Director for Safe Water and Sanitation. Outlines the Director's duties. Requires the Secretary of State, in order to increase the capacity of the Department of State to address international issues regarding safe water, sanitation, integrated river basin management, and other international water programs, to establish a Special Coordinator for International Water. Outlines the Special Coordinator's duties. Amends the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 to: (1) revise requirements concerning the safe water and sanitation strategy; (2) provide for the establishment of a program to build the capacity of host country institutions and officials responsible for water and sanitation in countries that receive assistance to provide safe water and sanitation under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961; (3) expand the list of activities that may be supported by assistance furnished by the President for programs in developing countries to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation; and (4) require the report regarding water for peace and security to include an assessment of political tensions over water sources and a multidisciplinary assessment of the expected impacts of global climate change on water supplies in 10, 25, and 50 years.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Immigration Fraud Prevention Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to subject a person to fine, imprisonment, or both, who: (1) willfully and knowingly executes a scheme in connection with any federal immigration law-related matter to defraud a person, or to obtain money or anything else of value from a person by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises; or (2) willfully, knowingly, and falsely represents that such person is an attorney or an accredited representative in any federal immigration law-related matter. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) use the Executive Office of Immigration Review to investigate such immigration fraud crimes; and (2) educate immigrant communities about who may provide legal services and representation in immigration proceedings. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that: (1) aliens in removal proceedings be provided with a description of who may represent them, including notice that immigration consultants, visa consultants, and other unauthorized individuals may not provide such representation; and (2) the Attorney General provide for lists of persons who are prohibited from providing representation in immigration proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Veterans Entitlement to Service (VETS) Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to acknowledge the receipt of any claim for medical services, disability compensation, or pension under laws administered by the Secretary, or any other communication relating to such services, compensation, or pension, within 60 days after its receipt.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation on behalf of Congress of a gold medal of appropriate design to Dr. Muhammad Yunus in recognition of his many enduring contributions to the fight against global poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009 - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert; (3) the Grand Staircase-Escalante; (4) Moab-La Sal Canyons; (5) Henry Mountains; (6) Glen Canyon; (7) San Juan-Anasazi; (8) Canyonlands Basin; (9) San Rafael Swell; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) filing by the Secretary of the Interior of a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees; (2) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas; (3) federal reservation of water rights; (4) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness; (5) authorized livestock grazing; and (6) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Family Abduction Prevention Act of 2009 - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to states for projects involving: (1) the extradition of individuals suspected of committing a family abduction; (2) investigation by law enforcement agencies of family abduction cases; (3) training for law enforcement agencies in responding to family abductions and recovering abducted children; (4) outreach and media campaigns to educate parents on the dangers of family abductions; and (5) notifying law enforcement authorities of the name and address of anyone requesting the school records of an abducted child. Requires that not less than 50 percent of the cost of a project for which a grant is made be provided by non-federal sources.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of "marihuana." Defines "industrial hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-nine tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that does not exceed 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. Grants a state regulating the growing and processing of industrial hemp exclusive authority, in any criminal or civil action or administrative proceeding, to determine whether any such plant meets that concentration limit.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Juvenile Justice Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to: (1) revise and add definitions under such Act relating to the treatment of juveniles held in custody while awaiting trial for criminal offenses; (2) require state plans under such Act to separate juveniles from the adult prison population, monitor for and eliminate the use of dangerous practices, unnecessary isolation, unnecessary room time, and unreasonable restraint for holding juveniles in custody, and provide training of prison staff on techniques for effective behavior management of juvenile offenders; (3) provide incentive grants to states to adopt programs for the mental health treatment needs of juveniles in custody and for the placement of such juveniles in the least restrictive detention or correctional settings; and (4) prohibit the placement of juveniles who have not been charged with adult criminal offenses in secure detention or correctional facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
The White House Conference on Food and Nutrition - Directs: (1) the President to call the White House Conference on Food and Nutrition to be convened in order to make fundamental policy recommendations on ways to end hunger and to improve nutrition in the United States; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of the Treasury to plan and conduct the Conference. Sets forth Conference provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Modifies the requirement that the Secretary concerned provide preseparation counseling to members of the Armed Forces whose discharge or release from active duty is anticipated as of a specific date. Directs the Secretary concerned, including the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security, to require such members to receive, as part of their preseparation counseling, employment assistance, job training assistance, and other transitional services under a specified program established by the Secretary of Labor. Directs the Secretary concerned to require separating Armed Forces members to undergo a psychological evaluation (as well as a physical examination, as under current law).
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Juvenile Crime Reduction Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to allow the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to public agencies to: (1) provide training to individuals involved in making decisions regarding the disposition of cases involving youth who enter the juvenile justice system; and (2) develop a plan to address the service needs of juveniles with mental health or substance abuse disorders who come into contact with, or are at risk of coming into contact with, the justice system. Requires the Administrator to award matching grants to public agencies to implement such plan. Authorizes the Administrator to award grants for the establishment of four regional research, training, and technical assistance centers. Requires the Administrator to award grants to public agencies to reform their mental health and substance abuse policies with respect to juveniles who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. Requires states receiving juvenile justice grants to include in their state plan information regarding screening, assessment, and treatment of juveniles with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Requires the Administrator to: (1) distribute evidence-based practice bonuses to grant recipients if certain requirements are met; and (2) include in the Office's annual report to Congress information regarding the prevalence of mental health disorders among juveniles. Requires the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to examine and report on evidence-based practices for decreasing delinquency and recidivism among juveniles with mental health or substance abuse disorders. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure that a portion of grants awarded under programs to divert individuals with a mental illness from the criminal justice system specifically target juveniles if appropriations for such grants exceed a specified amount.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
California Ocean and Coastal Protection Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit oil and gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities in areas of the Outer Continental Shelf located off the coast of California.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act of 2009 or the STANDUP Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to award incentive grants to states with graduated driver licensing laws that include, for novice drivers under age 21, a two-stage licensing process before the grant of an unrestricted driver's license. Requires such laws, at a minimum, to include: (1) a learner's permit stage that commences at age 16 or older, lasts at least six months, prohibits the use of a cellular phone or other communications device in non-emergency situations, prohibits nighttime driving, and is in effect until commencement of the intermediate stage or when the driver attains age 18 or older; (2) an intermediate stage in effect until the driver attains age 18 or older that commences after expiration of the learner's permit stage, lasts at least six months, prohibits more than one non-familial passenger under age of 21 if there is no licensed driver age 21 or older present in the vehicle, prohibits nighttime driving, and prohibits the use of a cellular phone or other communications device in non-emergency situations; and (3) any other requirement that the Secretary may require. Directs the Secretary to withhold a certain percentage of federal-aid highway funds from states that do not comply with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow a surviving spouse of a U.S. citizen who was married for less than two years at the time of the citizen's death who proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the marriage was entered into in good faith and not for the purpose of obtaining an immigration benefit to self-petition (within the required two years) for continued immediate relative status. (Applies such provision to applications and petitions pending on or after the date of enactment of this Act.) Extends the petition filing deadline for two years after the date of the enactment of this Act if: (1) the alien's U.S. citizen spouse died before the date of the enactment of this Act; (2) the alien and the citizen spouse were married for less than two years at the time of the citizen spouse's death; and (3) the alien has not remarried.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Requests the President to inform Congress and the Secretary General of the United Nations regarding U.S. efforts and measures taken with respect to implementation and observance of Article VI of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and certain U.N. resolutions calling for U.S. and world nuclear disarmament. Calls on the President to implement and observe all NPT obligations and commitments and to revise national policies on nuclear weapons accordingly. Urges the President, in the interests of protecting and advancing human, national, and global security, to: (1) declare that the United States will not use nuclear weapons first, and that pending their elimination, such weapons serve only to deter a nuclear attack by a hostile state or other entity; (2) initiate and conclude multilateral negotiations on verifiable steps nuclear states shall take to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons; (3) cooperate with the Russian Federation to remove from deployment nuclear weapons that are operational; (4) reaffirm the moratorium on nuclear testing and work for ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; (5) terminate all efforts to enhance U.S. military capabilities of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and to develop ballistic missile defenses; and (6) support initiatives to ban weapons in outer space.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Expresses the sense of Congress that it should be U.S. policy to promote the negotiation of an "Incidents At Sea Agreement" between the United States and Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
Independent Drug Education and Outreach Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to award grants or contracts for: (1) the development and production of educational materials concerning the evidence available on the relative safety, effectiveness, and cost of prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and nondrug interventions for treating selected conditions, to be distributed and presented to health care providers who prescribe such drugs and their patients; and (2) the development and implementation of a program to appropriately train and deploy health professionals to distribute such materials to, and otherwise educate, physicians and other drug prescribers concerning such drugs and interventions. Requires that grantees receive no support from any entity that manufactures products used to treat the medical conditions discussed.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of the Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools). Encourages each state, city, and local education authority to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Fair Elections Now Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) with respect to: (1) eligibility and qualifying contribution requirements and benefits of fair elections financing of House of Representatives election campaigns; (2) establishment of a Fair Elections Fund; (3) eligibility for Fund allocations; (4) contribution and expenditure requirements; (5) a public debate requirement; (6) certification of whether or not a federal election candidate is a participating candidate; (7) benefits for participating candidates; (8) matching payments for qualified small dollar contributions; (9) political advertising vouchers; (10) establishment of a Fair Elections Oversight Board; (11) civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements; (12) prohibition of joint fundraising committees with any political committee other than a candidate's authorized committee; and (13) a specified limitation on coordinated expenditures by political party committees with participating candidates. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the deposit into the Fair Elections Fund of 10% of the proceeds from competitive auctions for recovered analog spectrum. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow for designation of a certain amount of income tax liability to the Fair Elections Fund. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) prohibit the preemption of the use of a broadcasting station by a legally qualified House candidate who has purchased and paid for such use; (2) revise Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to revoke licenses for broadcasting stations who fail to provide access to House candidates; and (3) revise the formula for determining reduced broadcast rates for participating candidates in certain circumstances. Directs the FCC to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish a standardized form to be used by broadcasting stations to record and report the purchase of advertising time by or on behalf of a candidate for nomination for election, or for election, to federal elective office. Amends FECA to: (1) empower the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action; (2) require all designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed directly with the FEC, and in computer-accessible electronic form; and (3) reduce from 48 to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2777 Logan Avenue in San Diego, California, as the "Cesar E. Chavez Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Honors the life, legacy, and memory of Pedro Pablo Zamora y Diaz, an educator and activist and a pioneer in the battle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Expresses support for educators and activitists who adhere to a comprehensive sex education agenda that is rooted in empirical and scientific evidence, that is culturally competent, and that promotes the tolerance of sexual orientation and the destigmatization of HIV/AIDS. Expresses the House of Representatives' commitment to: (1) supporting prevention and treatment facilities and programs in areas that have high rates of HIV/AIDS infections and high uninsured rates; (2) supporting programs that address the disproportionate effect of HIV/AIDS on communities of color; and (3) investing in programs and initiatives that are dedicated to providing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender persons with the necessary support, resources, and tools to ensure that their civil rights, dignity, and health are protected.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2009
National Security Letters Reform Act of 2009 - Prohibits a national security letter (letter) (a request for information sought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a criminal investigation) from being issued unless the issuing official certifies specific facts providing reason to believe that the information or records sought pertain to a foreign power or agent thereof. Prohibits a letter from being issued in connection with an investigation of a U.S. person solely upon the basis of activities protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Prohibits: (1) a letter from containing unreasonable requirements or requiring privileged matter; or (2) disclosing to a person that the FBI has sought or obtained access to information under a letter for 30 days after receipt of the FBI's request for such information. Authorizes judicial review for the modification or revocation of a letter. Provides limited uses of information acquired through a letter. Allows persons against whom evidence obtained from a letter is to be used to file a motion to suppress. Provides a civil cause of action for the misuse of letters. Requires the authority to issue letters to revert, five years after the enactment of this Act, to that provided by law on October 25, 2001. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) undertake minimization and destruction procedures with respect to information acquired through letters; and (2) report semiannually on the number and use of letters. Requires the disposal of wrongly acquired information. Revises requirements relating to claims of emergency in connection with certain letters.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
American Dream Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States before his or her 16th birthday and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth requirements respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) confidentiality; (3) fee prohibitions; (4) higher education assistance; and (5) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Helping Homeowners in Distressed Communities Act of 2009 - Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from using any amounts of homeowner assistance provided to or for any financial institution that are voluntarily returned to the Secretary. Permits the use of such amounts, however, to refinance and modify mortgages of homeowners in accordance with the Making Home Affordable Program established by the Secretary. Limits the allocation of any such returned amounts to areas disproportionately affected by home mortgage foreclosures.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009 or EARLY Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct a national evidence-based education campaign: (1) to increase public awareness regarding the threats posed by breast cancer to young women, including the particular risks faced by certain ethnic and cultural groups; and (2) focusing on awareness of risk factors and achieving early detection through community-centered informational forums, public service advertisements, and media campaigns. Directs the Secretary to award grants to entities to establish national multimedia campaigns that: (1) will encourage young women to be aware of their personal risk factors, strategies for increasing early detection and self awareness, evidence based preventative lifestyle changes, and other appropriate breast cancer early detection and risk reduction strategies; (2) will encourage young women of specific higher-risk populations to talk to their medical practitioners about those risks and methods for appropriate screening and surveillance; and (3) may include advertising through specified media. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) establish an advisory committee to assist in creating and conducting the public education campaign; (2) conduct an education campaign to increase awareness among health care professionals; and (3) conduct prevention research. Directs the Secretary to award grants to organizations and institutions to provide to young women diagnosed with breast cancer substantive assistance and health information from credible sources on: (1) education and counseling regarding fertility preservation; (2) social, emotional, psychosocial, financial, lifestyle, and caregiver support; (3) familial risk factors; and (4) risk reduction strategies to reduce recurrence or metastasis.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Extends condolences to the families and loved ones of Oakland, California, Police Department Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans, Sergeant Daniel Sakai, and Officer John Hege (killed in the line of duty).
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
National Women's History Museum Act of 2009 - Directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to convey to the National Women's History Museum, Inc. (the Museum) the northern part of specified property in the District of Columbia, which the Administrator and the Museum deem appropriate for a museum facility. Grants the Administrator the authority to convey the southern part of such property to the Museum. Requires the Administrator to enter into an agreement with the Museum for the conveyance. Permits separate conveyance of the northern and southern parts. Requires the northern part to be dedicated for use as a site for a national women's history museum for a 99-year period and allows the southern part to be used for any purposes permitted by applicable laws and regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
Family Leave Insurance Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a Family and Medical Insurance Program, mandatory for certain covered employers. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) contract with a state to establish a state Family and Medical Insurance Program to provide specified leave benefits, or expand a pre-existing state program; or (2) at a governor's request enter an interagency agreement with the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration to establish a state Family and Medical Insurance Program. Entitles eligible employees to Program benefits that include specified percentages of their daily earnings for 12 workweeks of leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 during any 12-month period. Authorizes any employer, with the Secretary's approval, to establish a voluntary plan meeting specified criteria. Specifies prohibited acts by an employer, and penalties for violations. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish a Civil Service Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program with the same Program benefits for certain federal agency employees. Establishes the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund in the Treasury. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a family and medical leave premium on every individual and every employer to finance a Family and Medical Leave Trust Fund in the Treasury for Program benefits. Exempts from such premium: (1) employers or self-employers with voluntary plans approved by the Secretary as equivalent or better than the Program; and (2) small employers who have elected not to participate in it.
![Official portrait of Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [D-CA-13]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000810_200.jpg)