United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2007
Condemns the assassination of Hrant Dink. Urges the government of Turkey to: (1) continue its investigation and prosecution of those individuals responsible for Hrant Dink's murder; and (2) protect freedom of speech in Turkey by repealing Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code and by opposing intolerance, intimidation, and violence against individuals who are exercising their right of freedom of speech.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2007 - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Program to assist eligible educational institutions in acquiring, and augmenting use of, digital and wireless networking technologies to improve the quality and delivery of educational services at such institutions. Defines as eligible institutions: (1) historically Black colleges or universities, (2) a Hispanic-, Alaskan Native-, or Native Hawaiian-serving institution; (3) a tribally controlled college or university; or (4) an institution with a sufficient enrollment of needy students as defined under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Outlines authorized assistance activities. Directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology to: (1) establish an advisory council to advise on the best approaches toward maximum Program participation by eligible institutions; and (2) ensure that grant awards are made to all types of eligible institutions. Requires Program assessment every three years by the National Academy of Public Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act) - Establishes the United States National Health Insurance (USNHI) Program (the Program) to provide all individuals residing in the United States and in U.S. territories with free health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, prescription drugs, emergency care, and mental health services. Prohibits an institution from participating in the Program unless it is a public or nonprofit institution. Allows nonprofit health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that actually deliver care in their own facilities to participate in the Program. Gives patients the freedom to choose from participating physicians and institutions. Prohibits a private health insurer from selling health insurance coverage that duplicates the benefits provided under this Act. Allows such insurers to sell benefits that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery benefits. Sets forth methods to pay hospitals and health professionals for services. Prohibits financial incentives between HMOs and physicians based on utilization. Establishes the USNHI Trust Fund to finance the Program with amounts deposited: (1) from existing sources of Government revenues for health care; (2) by increasing personal income taxes on the top 5% income earners; (3) by instituting a progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income; and (4) by instituting a small tax on stock and bond transactions. Requires the Program to give first priority in retraining and job placement and unemployment benefits to individuals whose jobs are eliminated due to reduced administration. Establishes a National Board of Universal Quality and Access to provide advice on quality, access, and affordability. Provides for the eventual integration of the Indian Health Service into the Program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of General Services to include in a prospectus submitted to Congress for approval of a proposed public facility a statement that the number of toilets in women's restrooms in such facility will exceed the number of toilets (including urinals) in men's restrooms by a ratio of two to one or a statement as to why such a ratio is not needed.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Taxpayer Abuse and Harassment Prevention Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into contracts with private collection agencies to collect unpaid taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Export Freedom to Cuba Act of 2007 - Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions ordinarily incident to such travel relating to: (1) accompanied personal baggage; (2) payment of living expenses and the acquisition of personal-use goods or services; (3) travel arrangements; (4) nonscheduled air, sea, or land voyage transactions (such provision does not permit the carriage of articles other than accompanied baggage into Cuba or the United States); and (5) normal banking transactions. States that such provision does not: (1) restrict presidential authority in time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba, or of imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers; and (2) authorize U.S. importation of personal consumption goods acquired in Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Honors the life and achievements of Dr. John Garang de Mabior. Reaffirms the House of Representatives' commitment to a lasting peace in the Republic of the Sudan, and calls for full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Supports the creation of a Dr. John Garang de Mabior Institute for Agriculture, Peace, and Economic Development. Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the Secretary of State with a request that the Secretary transmit it to Dr. Garang's widow, Rebecca Garang, and to the government of Southern Sudan, through the Office of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Expresses condolences to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala and recognizes the families' courage in seeking justice. Condemns the ongoing abductions and murders of women and girls in Guatemala. Urges the government of Guatemala to recognize domestic violence and sexual harassment as criminal acts and encourages the government of Guatemala to investigate the killings of women, prosecute those responsible, and eliminate the tolerance of violence against women. Supports efforts to identify perpetrators and unknown victims through forensic analysis, including DNA testing. Encourages the Secretary of State to urge the government of Guatemala to: (1) honor the victims of the brutal murders and to continue to include in the Department of State's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices all instances of improper investigatory methods, threats against human rights activists, and the use of torture with respect to cases involving the murder and abduction of women and girls in Guatemala; (2) hold accountable those law enforcement and judicial officials who fail to investigate and prosecute the murders adequately; and (3) take measures to ensure that the special Guatemalan police and prosecutorial units are adequately staffed and have sufficient resources. Recommends that the Secretary develop a comprehensive plan to combat the growing problem of violence against women in Latin America.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the full realization of the rights of women is vital to the development and well-being of people of all nations; and (2) the Senate should, therefore, give its advice and consent to the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
Recognizes the 98th anniversary of the historic founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Honors and praises the NAACP for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2007
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) so long as all of the active members of such clubs are full-time students at the college or university with which such clubs are associated. Defines "collegiate housing and infrastructure grants" to include grants to provide, improve, operate, or maintain collegiate housing.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2007
Congratulates Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears and Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts for their accomplishments and for being the first African-American head coaches of National Football League teams to qualify for the Super Bowl.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
FAFSA Fix for Homeless Kids Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to deem a student independent for financial aid purposes if such student has been verified as both a homeless child or youth and an unaccompanied youth by: (1) a local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youth; (2) a director of a homeless shelter, transitional shelter, or independent living program; or (3) a financial aid administrator. Requires such a verification to take place during the school year in which the application for such aid is submitted.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4230 Maine Avenue in Baldwin Park, California, as the "Atanacio Haro-Marin Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Free Trade With Cuba Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to repeal the embargo on trade with Cuba. Prohibits the exercise by the President with respect to Cuba of certain authorities conferred by the Trading With the Enemy Act and exercised on July 1, 1977, as a result of a specified national emergency. Declares that any prohibition on exports to Cuba under the Export Administration Act of 1979 shall cease to be effective. Authorizes the President to impose export controls with respect to Cuba and exercise certain authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act only on account of an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security that did not exist before enactment of this Act. Repeals: (1) the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992; (2) the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996; (3) the prohibition under the Food Security Act of 1985 against allocation of the annual sugar quota to any country unless its officials verify that it does not import for reexport to the United States any sugar produced in Cuba; and (4) the prohibition under the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 on transactions or payments respecting certain U.S. intellectual property. Amends the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism subject to agricultural and medical export restrictions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate the denial of foreign tax credit with respect to Cuba. Authorizes common carriers to install and repair telecommunications equipment and facilities in Cuba, and otherwise provide telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba. Prohibits regulation or banning of travel to and from Cuba by U.S. citizens or residents, or of any transactions incident to travel. Directs the U.S. Postal Service to provide direct mail service to and from Cuba. Urges the President to take all necessary steps to conduct negotiations with the Government of Cuba to: (1) settle claims of U.S. nationals against Cuba for the taking of property; and (2) secure protection of internationally recognized human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Climate Stewardship Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a National Greenhouse Gas Database consisting of: (1) an inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by covered entities (specified entities that own or control a source of GHG emissions in the electric power, industrial, and commercial sectors of the U.S. economy that emit more than 10,000 metric tons of GHGs per year); and (2) a registry of GHG emission reductions and increased sequestration, applicable to both covered and noncovered entities. Establishes a program for the market-driven reduction of GHGs by covered entities through the use of tradeable emissions allowances. Requires the Administrator to establish a declining cap on tradeable allowances to reduce GHG emissions over time. Requires covered entities, beginning in 2012, to submit to the Administrator one tradeable allowance for every metric ton of GHGs emitted. Allows tradeable allowances to be sold, exchanged, purchased, retired, borrowed, offset, or otherwise used as authorized by this Act. Imposes civil penalties on covered entities that fail to submit allowances. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation (CCCC) to receive, manage, buy, and sell tradeable allowances. Directs the Administrator to make allocations of allowances to covered sectors and entities, and to the CCCC, providing initial allocations for early action and accelerated participation. Requires the CCCC to establish a program to provide financial support for: (1) technology to assist in compliance with this Act; (2) incentives for GHG emission reductions or net increases in sequestration on agricultural lands; and (3) the restoration of habitat to help fish and wildlife adapt to climate change. Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to require the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) report to Congress on the oceanic and coastal impacts of climate change; and (2) assist certain coastal states in preparing persons to adapt to climate change. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to: (1) establish a program on adaptation technologies as part of the Climate Technology Challenge Program; and (2) perform regional infrastructure cost assessments of the impacts of climate change. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) submit a climate change adaptation plan to Congress; and (2) research the impact of climate change on low-income populations worldwide. Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to provide funding for the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Account that may be used by states to develop and implement climate change impact mitigation plans.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2007
Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution participating in any program under the Act to provide to all current students and employees, and to any applicant for enrollment or employment upon request, an annual fire safety report containing specified information about the campus fire safety practices and standards of that institution. Requires such institutions to: (1) record all on-campus fires, including the nature, date, time, and general location of each fire and all unwanted and false fire alarms; and (2) open such information to public inspection. Requires the institutions to report on such information annually to the campus community in a manner that will aid the prevention of similar occurrences. Directs each institution to require the national organizing bodies of the fraternities, sororities, and other student groups they recognize to collect specified fire safety information for each student housing facility they own, control, or occupy and report such information to the Secretary of Education, all current members, and to any interested party upon request. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on fire safety systems and standards in institution and student housing facilities, and on exemplary fire safety education and training programs at such institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
National Security Foreign Investment Reform and Strengthened Transparency Act of 2007 - Amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA) to direct the President, upon receiving written notification of a possible merger, acquisition, or takeover which could result in foreign control of any person engaged in interstate commerce (covered transaction), or upon a motion of the President, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), or a committee member, to review such covered transaction to determine its effects on national security. Requires CFIUS to investigate a covered transaction which it determines is a foreign government-controlled transaction. Directs the President to conduct an investigation of the effects of certain covered transactions on national security and to take any necessary steps to protect national security. Requires any review or investigation of a covered transaction to be approved by a majority roll call vote of CFIUS members and be signed by the Secretaries of the Treasury, Homeland Security, and Commerce. Requires the Director of National Intelligence to conduct an analysis of any threat to national security posed by a covered transaction. Establishes CFIUS as a multi-agency statutory committee and revises the membership of such committee. Makes the consideration of specified factors in evaluating a covered transaction mandatory (currently, discretionary with the President). Adds to the list of such factors. Authorizes CFIUS to: (1) enter into agreements with parties to a covered transaction to mitigate any threat to national security; and (2) designate a lead federal agency to negotiate, modify, monitor, and enforce such agreements. Establishes a method of tracking covered transactions which are withdrawn from the review or investigation process and a process for setting interim protections to address specific national security concerns relating to such transactions. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to study investments in the United States, especially investments in critical infrastructure and industries affecting national security by foreign governments or their agents which comply with any boycott of Israel or which do not ban foreign terrorist organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Waives certain time limitations with respect to the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor to Doris Miller for acts of heroism during World War II as a member of the United States Navy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Home Ownership for America's Veterans Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the eligibility period of veterans for mortgage financing; and (2) require annual inflation adjustments after 2010 to limits on state veteran bond amounts based on the Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index (compiled by Freddie Mac).
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day; (2) full and equitable funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006; (3) expansion of HIV/AIDS funding under Medicare and Medicaid; (4) the strengthening of stable African-American communities by addressing the need for more affordable housing; (5) taking specified measures to reduce the impact of incarceration as a driver of new HIV infections within the African-American community; (6) the expansion of HIV prevention education programs to promote the early identification of HIV through voluntary routine testing and to connect those in need to treatment as early as possible; (7) reducing the number of HIV infections in the African-American community resulting from injection drug use by expanding substance abuse prevention programs, drug treatment and recovery services, and innovative harm reduction programs; and (8) efforts to link those infected with HIV to accessible care and treatment options. Applauds the codification of the Minority AIDS Initiative within the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Bring the Troops Home and Iraq Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2007 - Declares that it is U.S. policy to: (1) end the occupation of Iraq; (2) accelerate the training and equipping of Iraq's military and security forces; (3) pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy; (4) help preserve the territorial integrity of Iraq as a nation state; (5) account for any missing U.S. Armed Forces personnel or U.S. citizens in Iraq; and (6) turn over internal security activities and military operations in Iraq to the elected government of Iraq within six months. Repeals the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. Requires the withdrawal from Iraq of all U.S. Armed Forces and contractor security forces within six months. Prohibits, with exceptions, fund use to continue deployment of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq. Prohibits: (1) the construction of permanent U.S. military installations in Iraq; and (2) production sharing agreements for Iraqi petroleum resources. Limits the total number of personnel at the U.S. embassy in Iraq. Authorizes the President to: (1) support the deployment of international stabilization forces in Iraq; (2) provide assistance for an Iraqi reconstruction corps, mine and ordinance clearing, cultural and historical restoration, and for an Iraqi institute of peace; and (3) establish international funds to redevelop Iraqi civic and health institutions. Revises authorities respecting the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. Provides for compensation of Iraqi noncombatant civilian casualties. Provides funding availability for veterans health care. Establishes the Joint Select Committee to Review the Origins and Conduct of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Retirement Security Education Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to provide financial education programs to mid-life and older individuals who reside in local communities in order to: (1) enhance their financial and retirement knowledge; and (2) reduce financial abuse and fraud, including telemarketing, mortgage, and pension fraud, among them. Authorizes the Secretary to award a grant to one or more eligible entities to: (1) create and make available instructional materials and information that promote financial education; and (2) provide training and other related assistance regarding the establishment of financial education programs. Expresses the sense of Congress that organizations with demonstrated experience in providing financial education to older women should receive high priority for assistance under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction which is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Buildings for the 21st Century Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the allowable amount of the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial building costs; and (2) extend such deduction through 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Commission on Catastrophic Disaster Risk and Insurance Act of 2007 - Establishes the bipartisan Commission on Catastrophic Disaster Risk and Insurance to assess: (1) the condition of the property and casualty insurance and reinsurance markets in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005, and the four major hurricanes that struck the United States in 2004; (2) the ongoing exposure of the United States to windstorms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and floods; and (3) recommend and report legislative and regulatory changes that will improve the domestic and international financial health and competitiveness of such markets.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the National Museum of the American Latino Act of 2007 - Establishes the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino to study and make recommendations to the President and the Congress on a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, DC.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Native American Methamphetamine Enforcement and Treatment Act of 2007 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include territories and Indian tribes as eligible grant recipients (or reaffirm that eligibility) under the programs to: (1) address the manufacture, sale, and use of methamphetamine; (2) aid children in homes in which methamphetamine or other drugs are unlawfully manufactured, distributed, dispensed, or used; and (3) address methamphetamine use by pregnant and parenting women offenders.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Haitian Protection Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Haiti as a country whose qualifying nationals may be eligible for temporary protected status. Provides for: (1) an initial 18-month designation period; and (2) authorization for temporary travel abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
States that: (1) the deployment of U.S. forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date; (2) a quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region; and (3) the United States shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2007
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act to expand the prohibition against discrimination by group health plans and health insurance issuers in the group and individual markets on the basis of genetic information or services to prohibit: (1) enrollment and premium discrimination based on information about a request for or receipt of genetic services; and (2) requiring genetic testing. Sets forth penalties for violations. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit issuers of Medicare supplemental policies from discriminating on the basis of genetic information. Extends medical privacy and confidentiality rules to the disclosure of genetic information. Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or training program to discriminate against an individual or deprive such individual of employment opportunities because of genetic information. Prohibits the collection and disclosure of genetic information, with certain exceptions. Establishes a Genetic Nondiscrimination Study Commission to review the developing science of genetics and advise Congress on the advisability of providing for a disparate impact cause of action under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2007
States congressional belief that: (1) initiating military action against Iran without congressional approval does not fall within the President's "Commander-in-Chief" powers under the Constitution; and (2) seeking congressional authority prior to taking military action against Iran is not discretionary, but a legal and constitutional requirement. Rejects any suggestion that P.L. 107-40 (the authorization of force resolution approved in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001) or P.L. 107-243 (the authorization of force resolution approved by Congress to go to war with Iraq) extends to authorizing military action against Iran, including over its nuclear program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants for projects to prevent teen pregnancies in racial, ethnic minority, or immigrant communities with a substantial incidence or prevalence of cases of teen pregnancy as compared to the average number of such cases in communities in the state involved. Allows the Secretary to make grants to: (1) provide necessary social and cultural support services regarding teen pregnancy; (2) provide health and educational services related to the prevention of teen pregnancy; (3) promote better health and educational outcomes among pregnant teens; (4) provide training for individuals who plan to work in school-based support programs regarding the prevention of teen pregnancy; and (5) provide public education and increase awareness with respect to the issue of teen pregnancy and related social and emotional issues. Requires the Secretary to make grants to establish and operate a National Clearinghouse for Teen Pregnancy Prevention. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to conduct, support, and coordinate research on the prevention of teen pregnancy in such communities. Allows a grant to be made under this Act only if the applicant agrees that: (1) all information provided pursuant to the Act will be age-appropriate, factually and medically accurate and complete, and scientifically based; and (2) information, activities, and services under the grant will be provided in the language and cultural context that is most appropriate for individual groups.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Servitude and Emancipation Archival Research ClearingHouse Act or the SEARCH Act - Directs the Archivist of the United States to establish, as part of the National Archives, a national database consisting of historic records of servitude and emancipation in the United States to assist African Americans in researching their genealogy. Requires the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to maintain the database.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act of 2007 - Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to a hospital under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act or to a state, with respect to hospital services, under title XIX (Medicaid) of such Act, unless the hospital meets certain conditions related to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault, including that the hospital: (1) provides the woman with accurate and unbiased information about emergency contraception; (2) offers emergency contraception to the woman; (3) provides the woman such contraception at the hospital on her request; and (4) does not deny any such services because of the inability of the woman or her family to pay.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act of 2007, or the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the deduction from gross income of any attributable to domestic production activities. Excludes from domestic production gross receipts those derived from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of oil, natural gas, or any related primary product. (Thus denies a deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or their related primary products.) Increases from five to seven years the amortization schedule for geological and geophysical expenditures for certain major integrated oil companies. Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to agree to any lessee request to amend any lease issued for any Central and Western Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) tract during 1998 and 1999 to incorporate specified price thresholds applicable to royalty suspension provisions. Reaffirms the authority of the Secretary to vary, based on the price of production from a lease, the suspension of royalties under specified leases on the Outer Continental Shelf. Cites conditions for the issuance of new leases authorizing oil or natural gas production in the Gulf. Instructs the Secretary to establish conservation of resources fees for both producing and nonproducing federal oil and gas leases in the Gulf. Sets forth terms restricting the transfer of such leases. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal: (1) specified incentives for natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf; (2) royalty relief for deep water production in the Gulf; and (3) the prohibition on cost recovery fees for drilling-related permit application during the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to remove the Planning Areas offshore Alaska from the list of areas for which the Secretary is authorized to reduce or eliminate any royalty or net profit share set forth in the pertinent lease. Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to repeal provisions governing oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska regarding: (1) renewal of competitive oil and gas leases, with or without discoveries; and (2) waiver, suspension, or reduction of rental fees or royalties on leaseholds as exploration incentives. Establishes the Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve to hold federal receipts acquired as a result of the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
College Student Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to phase-in cuts in the interest rate charged undergraduate student borrowers under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Direct Loan (DL) programs, thereby reducing such rate from 6.8% in July 2006 to 3.4% in July 2011. Limits FFEL lender insurance to 95% of the unpaid balance of such loans. (Currently, 97% of a FFEL issued after June 2006 is federally-insured.) Provides for graduated reductions in the percentage of defaulted FFEL loan collections a guaranty agency is allowed to retain until, beginning in October 2010, it is equal to the average rate paid to collection agencies that have contracts with the Secretary of Education. Eliminates exceptional performer status for lenders, servicers, and guaranty agencies, which rewards such entities for high due diligence in FFEL collection. Reduces special allowance payments made to FFEL lenders to compensate them for the difference between FFEL interest rates and market rates. Exempts small lenders from such reduction. Increases the loan fee charged FFEL lenders from .5% to 1% of the principal amount of loans disbursed after June 2007. Prohibits its collection from borrowers. Increases, after June 2007, the rebate fee charged a holder of FFEL consolidated loans, provided that at least 90% of the total principal and accrued unpaid interest outstanding on loans held by such holder are such loans.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2007
Observes the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and pledges to advance his legacy. Encourages the U.S. people to observe his birthday, commemorate his legacy, remember his message, and rededicate themselves to his goal of a free and just United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation of a congressional gold medal in commemoration of Alice Paul, to recognize her role in the women's suffrage movement and in advancing equal rights for women. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of such medal. Requires proceeds from the sale of such medals to be deposited into the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2007
Recognizes the Reverend Waitstill Sharp and Martha Sharp as genuine American heroes, and pays tribute to them for having their names added to the Wall of Rescuers in the permanent exhibition of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on September 14, 2006. Commends the organization founded to support the Sharps' work, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, for its efforts to rescue Jews and opponents of the Nazi regime in Europe and for carrying on the Sharps' legacy by working to save the lives of the people of Darfur, Sudan, and to protect human rights worldwide.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act - Requires the Archivist of the United States to: (1) establish, as part of the National Archives, an electronically searchable database of historic records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction contained within federal agencies for genealogical and historical research; and (2) preserve relevant records. Requires the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to provide grants to states, colleges and universities, and genealogical associations to preserve records and establish databases of local records of such information.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish: (1) voluntary guidelines, based on the best currently available scientific knowledge, for the remediation of former methamphetamine laboratories, including guidelines regarding preliminary site assessment and the remediation of residual contaminants; and (2) a program of research to support the development and revision of such guidelines. Directs the Administrator to: (1) periodically convene a conference of appropriate state agencies, as well as individuals or organizations involved in research and other activities directly related to the environmental or biological impacts of former methamphetamine laboratories; and (2) enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study of the status and quality of research on the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to support a research program to develop: (1) new methamphetamine detection technologies, with an emphasis on field test kits and site detection; and (2) appropriate standard reference materials and validation procedures for methamphetamine detection testing.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should not order an escalation in the total number of members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete a special resource study to determine: (1) appropriate methods for preserving and interpreting certain sites in Arizona, California, and other states that are significant to the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and the farm labor movement in the western United States; and (2) whether any of the sites meets the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or designation as a national historic landmark.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2007 - Considers the District of Columbia a congressional district for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives. Applies to the District in the same manner as it applies to a state the federal law providing for the fifteenth and subsequent decennial censuses and for apportionment of Representatives in Congress. Limits the District to one Member under any reapportionment of Members. Modifies the formula regarding the number of presidential electors to subject it to the Twenty-Third amendment to the Constitution in the case of the District. Increases membership of the House from 435 to 437 Members. Provides for a reapportionment of Members resulting from such increase. Requires the: (1) President to submit to Congress a revised version of the most recent statement of such apportionment; and (2) Clerk of the House, upon receipt of such revision, to send to the executive of each state a certificate of the number of Representatives to which such state is entitled and to identify to the Speaker of the House the state (other than the District) which is entitled to one additional Representative. Subjects the general elections for such additional Representatives to specified requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Poverty Impact Trigger Act of 2007 - Amends Rule XXI (Restrictions on Certain Bills) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to make it out of order to consider a public bill or joint resolution authorizing an appropriation of $10 million or more, unless: (1) the accompanying committee report includes a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Poverty Impact Division impact statement; or (2) the chairman of the committee reporting the legislation submits such statement for publication in the Congressional Record before consideration of the measure. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish the CBO Poverty Impact Division to prepare and submit poverty impact statements to the chairmen of House committees.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) after more than 3,000 American casualties, over $300 billion in expenditures, and almost four years of fighting, an increase in the number of members of the U.S. Armed Forces deployed in Iraq is the wrong course of action and should not be done without an express authorization for the increase in an Act of Congress; and (2) a drastic shift in U.S. political and diplomatic strategy, as well as the mission of the U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq, is needed to secure and stabilize Iraq so that a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops can begin as soon as possible.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2007
Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act of 2007 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit a state from imposing additional conditions or requirements on the eligibility of an individual to cast a vote in federal elections by mail, except to the extent that it imposes a deadline for requesting the ballot and returning it to the appropriate state or local election official.
![Official portrait of Rep. Watson, Diane E. [D-CA-33]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000794_200.jpg)