United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Oil Shale Reserve Fund Revenue Disposition Act - Amends federal law concerning the leasing to private entities by the Secretary of the Interior of certain federal oil shale reserves in Colorado to provide a new system for the distribution of revenues from such leases (currently, all proceeds are deposited into the Treasury). States that, for all proceeds received between November 18, 1997, and December 31, 2017: (1) 50% shall be transferred from the Secretary of the Treasury to the state of Colorado for deposit into its oil shale special fund; and (2) 50% shall be deposited into a special account of the Treasury. Requires amounts deposited into: (1) the Colorado special fund to be used to assist state agencies, school districts, and political subdivisions affected by the development and production of energy resources from oil shale in planning for and providing facilities and services associated with such development and production; and (2) the special account of the Treasury to be used for any of a number of purposes, including environmental restoration and financial assistance to the states of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming for costs connected to energy resources development and production.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation: (1) to pay the federal share (80%) of the cost of carrying out the Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Project in Colorado; and (2) in preparing any studies related to the Project, to use existing studies, including engineering and resource information provided by, or at the direction of, federal, state, or local agencies and the Mancos Water Conservancy District. Makes the District responsible for the operation and maintenance of any facility constructed or rehabilitated under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2007
Rocky Mountain Science Collections Center Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide a grant to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in Denver, Colorado, to pay the federal share of the cost of: (1) constructing one or more on-site collection facilities that meet the standards of the Museum; and (2) obtaining goods and services required by the Museum, including the acquisition of designs, plans, furnishings, equipment, and other support for the Museum. Requires the Museum, as a condition of receiving such assistance, to match any amounts provided to the Museum under this Act. States that, in order to meet such matching requirement, the Museum may provide to the Secretary cash, in-kind donations, and services.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2007
Stop Over Spending Act of 2007 - Second Look at Wasteful Spending Act of 2007 - Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to authorize the President to transmit annually to Congress a maximum of four special messages that propose to rescind dollar amounts of discretionary budget authority, items of direct spending, and targeted tax benefits. Requires an analysis by: (1) the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of an estimated savings in budget authority or outlays resulting from such rescission; and (2) the Joint Committee on Taxation of an estimated savings resulting from repeal of targeted tax benefits. Requires any rescinded budget authority, items of direct spending, or targeted tax benefit to be dedicated only to deficit reduction, and not to be used as an offset for other spending increases or revenue reductions. Provides for adjustment of: (1) committee allocations resulting from such rescission; and (2) applicable limits, as appropriate, under this Act. Sets forth procedures for expedited congressional consideration of a proposed rescission. Requires: (1) the President to issue an order fully implementing without change all sequestrations required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in its Final Sequestration Report; and (2) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress and the President on the order's compliance with this Act. Prescribes requirements for discretionary sequestration reports by OMB and GAO, discretionary spending and maximum deficit limits, federal tax gap initiative, executive and legislative branch sequestration procedures, and congressional response to low economic growth. Provides adjustments in such discretionary spending limits for: (1) the Global War on Terrorism overseas; (2) U.S. forces in such War; (3) addressing deficiencies at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for injured individuals resulting from such War; (4) continuing disability reviews and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) redeterminations for the Social Security Administration; (5) health care fraud and abuse; and (6) unemployment insurance improper payment reviews. Authorizes the President to exempt military personnel accounts from sequestration or provide a lower uniform percentage reduction. Prohibits the President's budget from exceeding the maximum deficit amount for any fiscal year. Requires biennial budget resolutions, appropriations Acts, and government strategic and performance plans. Establishes the National Commission on Entitlement Solvency and the Commission on Congressional Budgetary Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to revise budget resolution requirements. Authorizes the chairman of the Committee on the Budget to notify the Senate of a Medicare funding warning. Makes it out of order to consider any legislation that would cause any increase in direct spending, net of proposals to change direct spending receipts, or revenues contained in the measure if the Senate has been notified of such warning for two consecutive calendar years. Makes it out of order in the Senate to consider legislation that includes a federal income tax rate increase. Requires the concurrent resolution on the budget, for any year when the CBO projects an on-budget deficit (excluding Social Security) for the budget year or any subsequent fiscal year, except in specified circumstances, to: (1) reduce on-budget deficits relative to the CBO projections and put the budget on a path to achieve on-budget balance within five years; and (2) include provisions to protect Social Security and facilitate deficit reduction, other than reducing Social Security benefits. Requires the CBO to prepare an estimate for legislation reported from committee (except measures within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Appropriations) on whether the measure would cause a net increase in direct spending exceeding $5 billion in any of the four 10-year periods between FY2016-FY2055. Sets forth provisions avoiding Pay-As-You-Go points of order in the Senate against consideration of appropriations legislation. Provides for such Pay-As-You-Go points of order in certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Provides for a point of order in the Senate against consideration of any legislation that includes a federal income tax rate increase, which may be waived or suspended only by an affirmative three-fifths vote.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Smart Buildings Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a 20-year depreciation recovery period, calculated on a straight line basis, for property that is part of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, or refrigeration system, or which replaces one or more components of such a system, if such system or such replacement component: (1) exceeds by at least 10 percent the applicable minimum performance standard under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, or the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Standard 90.1; (2) is placed in service before January 1, 2012; and (3) is installed in nonresidential or residential rental buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Student Financial Aid Data Privacy Protection Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to take actions necessary to maintain confidence in the National Student Loan Data System, at a minimum: (1) ensuring that guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools primarily access it for legitimate program operations; (2) prohibiting nongovernmental researchers or policy analysts from accessing personally identifiable information; (3) creating a disclosure form for actual and potential students describing the contents of, and access to, the system; (4) requiring guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools to inform borrowers of Federal Family Education Loans, Direct Loans, and Perkins Loans that such a loan will be submitted to the system and accessible to such entities; (5) regularly review the system to delete inactive users, monitor use, and ensure that data is not used for marketing purposes; and (6) developing standardized protocols for limiting access. Requires the Secretary to study and report to Congress on: (1) mechanisms giving borrowers the option of restricting lender access to their system records; and (2) appropriate risk-based protocols for limiting access.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Student Information Means a Positive Loan Experience Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to give borrowers under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and Direct Loan (DL) programs the option to delay the repayment of principal on such loans for the first two years that they are in repayment, regardless of their repayment plan. Requires FFEL lenders to offer extended repayment plans to borrowers with $20,000 (currently, $30,000) of FFEL debt. Revises the definition of economic hardship to include individuals whose earnings do not exceed 150% of the poverty line applicable to their family size. Requires lenders that grant FFEL loan deferment or forbearance to inform borrowers of the impact such deferment or forbearance has on the ultimate cost of the loan. Directs lenders to inform borrowers seeking to consolidate loans: (1) of loan costs and repayment terms, including the ability to prepay or change repayment plans; (2) whether FFEL or DL repayment-related benefits will be lost; (3) that certain Federal Perkins Loan (PL) interest-free periods and deferment and cancellation options will be lost; (4) that other lenders may offer different terms; and (5) that applying for such loans does not oblige borrowers to take them. Requires schools to inform prospective and enrolled students of the terms and conditions of FFEL, DL, and PL loans. Adds to the exit counseling information schools must provide to student borrowers. Requires certain information regarding: (1) costs and repayment terms, including the ability to prepay or change repayment plans; (2) loan forgiveness and forbearance options; (3) the effects of consolidating such loans; and (4) the availability of the National Student Loan Data System for use in obtaining information on their loan status.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness and Indian Peaks Wilderness Expansion Act - Designates certain lands in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, as the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness (the Wilderness) and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Provides for the inclusion of specified potential wilderness land within the Park in such Wilderness. Sets forth provisions: (1) governing continued operations at the Grand River Ditch; and (2) concerning water rights and permitted and prohibited activities within such Wilderness. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish an alignment line and identify the boundaries for the East Shore Trail within the East Shore Trail Area. Authorizes necessary adjustments in such boundaries, except any that would place any portion of the Trail in such Wilderness. Includes any portion of such Area that is not traversed by the Trail, that is not west of the Trail, and that is not within 50 feet of the centerline of the Trail in such Wilderness. Amends the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, the Arapaho National Recreation Area and the Oregon Islands Wilderness Area Act to adjust the boundaries of: (1) the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area; and (2) the Arapaho National Recreation Area. Applies provisions governing leases of National Park System buildings and property to property known as the Leiffer tract near the Park's eastern boundary in Larimer County, Colorado.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2007
Industrial Bank Holding Company Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) to apply the bank share or asset acquisition requirements of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 to any company that is or would become an industrial bank holding company. Subjects an industrial bank to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) requirements regarding registration, reporting, and bank examinations. Prohibits the FDIC from imposing capital or capital adequacy requirements on functionally regulated affiliates of any depository institution controlled by industrial bank holding companies meeting certain criteria. Requires a federal supervisory agency of an industrial bank holding company to forego examination of any depository institution subsidiary of the holding company. Authorizes the FDIC to require from either a regulatory agency or a holding company that controls an industrial bank any information necessary to: (1) assess risk to the industrial bank; or (2) determine its condition. Prohibits an industrial bank from being controlled by a commercial firm, except in certain circumstances. Prescribes activity and branching limitations affecting industrial bank subsidiaries of certain commercial firms. Authorizes a federal supervisory agency to order a holding company or a nonbank subsidiary to terminate an activity or its ownership or control over certain depository institution subsidiaries if the activity or ownership or control of a nonbank subsidiary represents a serious risk to a depository institution subsidiary of the holding company. Subjects foreign bank acquisition or control of an industrial bank to approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Requires a holding company of an industrial bank to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary banks. Subjects an industrial bank holding company to: (1) enforcement by the FDIC, including its nonbank subsidiaries; and (2) the prompt corrective action requirements of the FDIA.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2007
Commonsense Consumption Act of 2007 - Prohibits new, and requires dismissal of pending, civil actions by any person against a manufacturer, marketer, distributor, advertiser, or seller of food, or a trade association, for any injury related to a person's accumulated acts of consumption of food and weight gain, obesity, or any associated health condition. Subjects to such prohibition: (1) any action brought by a person other than the person on whose weight gain, obesity, or health condition the action is based; and (2) any derivative action brought by or on behalf of any person or any representative, spouse, parent, child, or other relative of that person. Excludes from this prohibition any actions alleging: (1) a breach of express contract or express warranty provided that the grounds of recovery are unrelated to a person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; (2) a knowing violation of a federal or state statute applicable to the marketing, advertisement, or labeling of food with intent for a person to rely on that violation, where such person relied on that violation, and where such reliance was the proximate cause of injury related to that person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; or (3) a violation brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the Federal Trade Commission Act or by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2007
Secret Ballot Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it an unfair labor practice for: (1) an employer to recognize or bargain collectively with a labor organization that has not been selected by a majority of the employees in a secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board; and (2) a labor organization to cause or attempt to cause an employer to recognize or bargain collectively with a representative that has not been selected in such manner.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Expresses support for the ideals and values of the Olympic movement. Calls on people to observe the anniversary of the founding of the modern Olympic movement.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2007
Student Loan Accountability and Disclosure Reform Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (the Act) to expand prohibitions on guaranty agencies operating under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program by prohibiting their offering specified inducements to institutions of higher education (IHE) or lenders to secure business or providing certain services for such institutions without appropriate compensation. Requires lenders to provide student loan applicants with certain written information regarding: (1) loan conditions; (2) their possible qualification for title IV assistance; (3) the method for determining the applicable interest rate; and (4) whether the loans provided exceed a student's attendance costs. Directs the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of the Treasury to review the private educational loan market to identify possible discriminatory lending practices affecting students who qualify for a simplified needs test or application process. Expands the activities disqualifying lenders from participation in the FFEL program, including: (1) offering specified inducements to IHEs; (2) performing certain uncompensated services for IHEs; and (3) entering into certain business arrangements with students or school financial aid employees. Establishes a private loan exception to the prohibition IHE certification of a student's eligibility to borrow amounts in excess of those allowable under the FFEL program. Requires limitation, suspension, or termination of an IHE's participation in title IV loan programs for noncompliance with a student loan code of conduct prohibiting IHEs or their financial aid employees from accepting certain inducements from, or entering into certain business arrangements with, lenders. Bans IHEs from designating preferred lenders; but allows lenders to submit a standard electronic template to IHEs regarding loan conditions which will then be made available to students and their parents. Terminates the authority of a school to serve as a lender or a lender to serve as a school trustee under the FFEL program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Amends the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 to: (1) authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make modifications to preserve the site security of Bureau of Reclamation dams and related facilities; and (2) provide for the reimbursement of all costs incurred for post-September 11, 2001 building and site security activities. Requires: (1) dam safety and site security costs allocated to irrigation, municipal, and industrial water service for the Central Valley Project, California, to be collected by the Secretary exclusively through inclusion of such costs in operation and maintenance rates, capital water rates, or both; and (2) reimbursable operation and maintenance costs to be repaid annually. Authorizes the Secretary to develop policies and procedures to provide for agreements with project beneficiaries for the return of reimbursable costs of site security activities. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the modification of structures resulting from new hydrologic or seismic data or changes in the state-of-the-art criteria deemed necessary for safety purposes, with obligations exceeding a prescribed limit subject to a reporting requirement; and (2) post-September 11, 2001, building and site security activities. Requires the Secretary to: (1) report annually to specified committees on building and site activities undertaken; and (2) include in required reports the Secretary's response when a modification is the result of new data or criteria changes deemed necessary for safety purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Acknowledges and commends charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the country for their ongoing contributions to education and the public school system. Supports the goals and ideals of the eighth annual National Charter Schools Week (April 30-May 4, 2007).
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Honors and recognizes the numerous contributions made by the U.S. Air Force Academy football program over the last 27 years to Colorado Springs and the surrounding communities, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Air Force.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2007
National Park Centennial Challenge Fund Act - Establishes in the Treasury the National Park Centennial Challenge Fund (the Challenge Fund) which shall consist of qualified donations transferred from the Donations to the National Park Service account and amounts appropriated from the general fund of the Treasury, in accordance with this Act. Makes available all amounts deposited in the Challenge Fund to the Secretary of the Interior for signature projects and programs under this Act (projects and programs identified by the Director of the National Park Service (NPS) as those that will help prepare the national parks for another century of conservation, preservation, and enjoyment). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to develop a list of signature projects and programs eligible for funding from the Challenge Fund. Requires that such list be submitted to the President and specified congressional committees.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2007
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Juanita Millender-McDonald, a former Representative from California. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on April 23, 2007, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Representative Millender-McDonald.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2007
Biogas Production Incentive Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business tax credit for the production and sale of biogas. Defines "biogas" as a gas that is derived by processing qualified energy feedstock (i.e., manure of agricultural livestock and other waste material) in an anaerobic digester and which contains at least 60% methane and carbon dioxide and trace gases. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) use Commodity Credit Corporation funds for making countercyclical payments to qualified biogas producers for biogas production facilities placed in service before December 31, 2013; and (2) make loans, loan guarantees, and grants to providers of qualified energy feedstock for collecting and transporting such feedstock to a biogas facility or for the purchase or construction of equipment of facilities for such collection and transportation activities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2007
Conservation Reserve Program Tax Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Social Security Act to treat payments under the Conservation Acreage Reserve Program as rentals from real estate and thus not self employment income subject to employment tax. Transfers from the general fund of the Treasury to specified social security trust funds amounts necessary to cover any reductions in trust fund revenues resulting from this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Invest in America Act - Repeals the general termination date (i.e., December 31, 2010) of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (thus making provisions of that Act that reduce income tax rates and repeal the estate and gift tax permanent). Repeals the termination date in the Jobs Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 applicable to the reduction in taxes on dividends and capital gains. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent: (1) the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) the increased expensing allowance for small business assets; and (3) the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers. Repeals the alternative minimum tax on individuals after 2006. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Committee on Finance should report legislation before December 31, 2007, to simplify the federal income tax system, without raising tax rates.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2007
Expresses the heartfelt condolences of the Senate to the victims and their families, and to students, faculty, administration and staff and their families who have been deeply affected by the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Expresses its hope that the tragedy will lead to a shared national commitment to take steps that will help our communities prevent such tragedies in the future. Recognizes that Virginia Tech has served as an exemplary institution of teaching, learning, and research for well over a century and will continue these proud and historic traditions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2007
Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2007 or the SKIL Act of 2007 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from the annual H-1B (specialty occupation) visa cap an alien who has: (1) earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; or (2) been awarded a medical specialty certification based on post-doctoral training and experience in the United States. Increases the annual H-1B cap, with a 20% increase for the following year if the previous year's quota is reached. Exempts from worldwide immigration caps an alien who: (1) has earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; (2) has been awarded medical specialty certification based on postdoctoral training and experience in the United States; (3) will work in shortage occupations; (4) has earned a master's degree or higher in science, technology, engineering, or math and has been working in a related field in the United States during the three-year period preceding his or her immigrant visa application; (5) has extraordinary ability or received a national interest waiver; or (6) is the spouse or minor child of an employment-based immigrant. Increases the annual immigrant visa cap. Revises student visa provisions. Authorizes an L-1 (intracompany transfer) visa extension beyond the fifth or seventh year if the individual has a immigrant application pending. Permits an alien with an approved labor certification to apply for permanent resident status adjustment if there is no visa immediately available by paying a $500 supplemental fee. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pre-certification procedure for employers who file multiple employment petitions. Revises certain labor certification provisions. Prohibits immigration application approval until background and security checks have been completed and any fraud allegations have been resolved. Authorizes temporary workers (E, H, I, L O, or P visas) who have not violated their status to renew their same category visa from within the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit any person or entity, in or affecting interstate commerce, from knowingly: (1) performing or attempting to perform human cloning; (2) participating in such an attempt; or (3) shipping or receiving an embryo produced by human cloning or any product derived from such an embryo. Prohibits knowingly importing such an embryo. Sets forth criminal and civil penalties. Provides that nothing in this Act restricts areas of scientific research not specifically prohibited, including research in the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos, tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the need to amend such prohibition, including through: (1) a discussion of new developments, the need for somatic cell transfer to produce medical advances, current public attitudes and prevailing ethical views concerning its use, and potential legal implications of somatic cell transfer research; and (2) a review of any technological developments that may require technical changes to such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center at 1 Freedom Way in Augusta, Georgia, as the "Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center."
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Creating Renewable Energy through Science and Technology Act, or the CREST Act - Amends the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 to instruct the Director of the National Science Foundation to establish the Council on Renewable Energy (CORE) to: (1) advise Congress on renewable energy development, strategy, research, and marketability; and (2) facilitate collaboration among federal agencies regarding the execution of national renewable energy objectives. Requires the CORE to: (1) promote renewable energy research and development in the areas of wind, wave, solar, geothermal, and biofuels production, particularly cellulosic; (2) consult with renewable energy experts regarding renewable energy policies and make policy recommendations to federal agencies; and (3) identify and recommend public and private research institutions to carry out renewable energy research.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2007
District of Columbia Personal Protection Act - Amends specified law prohibiting the killing of wild birds and wild animals in the District of Columbia to declare that nothing in it or any other provision of law shall authorize or be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise not prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by federal law nor subject to the National Firearms Act. Denies the District any authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms. Amends the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 to repeal the definition of a machine gun as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading. (Thus repeals the ban on semiautomatic weapons.) Redefines "machine gun" to include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person. Repeals the District's: (1) registration requirement for possession of firearms; (2) prohibition on possession of handgun restricted pistol bullets; and (3) requirement that, under certain conditions, firearms in the possession of certain individuals must be kept unloaded, disassembled, or with the trigger locked. Repeals the definition of restricted pistol bullet as any bullet designed for use in a pistol which, when fired from a pistol with a barrel of five inches or less in length, is capable of penetrating commercially available body armor with a penetration resistance equal to or greater than that of 18 layers of kevlar. Maintains the current ban on the possession and control of a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, or short-barreled rifle. Eliminates criminal penalties for possessing an unregistered firearm. Amends federal law to eliminate criminal penalties for carrying a pistol whether loaded or unloaded in one's dwelling house, place of business, or on land possessed by such person. Amends the District of Columbia Code to extend to firearms generally (currently, only to pistols) the prohibition against carrying such a weapon either openly or concealed within the District without a license issued pursuant to D.C. law. Specifies exceptions to the prohibition against carrying concealed weapons in the District.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2007
Designates April 2007 as Financial Literacy Month to raise public awareness about the importance of financial education in the United States and the serious consequences that may result from a lack of understanding about personal finances.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2007
Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2007 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend through October 1, 2012, the annual cap exemption for returning H-2B aliens (temporary nonagricultural worker).
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2007
Grants the consent and approval of Congress to the interstate forest fire protection compact for the Great Plains region of the United States set forth in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2007
Expresses support and gratitude for the men and women of the Armed Forces in defense of freedom and democracy during the Vietnam War. Extends sympathies to all people in the United States who suffered the loss of friends and family in Vietnam. Encourages the people of the United States to remember the sacrifices of our veterans. Commemorates the 25th anniversary of the construction and dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2007
Iran Counter-Proliferation Act of 2007 - Amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to expand the definitions of "petroleum resources" and "person." Expresses the sense of Congress concerning certain sanctions against Iran. Subjects Russia to specified nuclear energy cooperation prohibitions unless the President certifies to Congress that: (1) Russia has suspended all nuclear assistance and transfers of advanced conventional weapons and missiles to Iran; or (2) Iran has verifiably dismantled all nuclear enrichment-related and reprocessing-related programs. Subjects Iran to specified economic sanctions unless the President certifies to Congress that Iran has verifiably dismantled all nuclear enrichment-related and reprocessing-related programs. Subjects, with respect to prohibited transactions with Iran, a parent company to penalties for violations committed by certain subsidiaries outside the United States that would be subject to prohibitions if committed inside the United States or by a U.S. person. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate specified geological and geophysical expense amortization benefits if petroleum-related sanctions are imposed under the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 on any member of an expanded affiliated group whose common parent is a foreign corporation. Revises the definition of "affiliated group." Directs the President to reduce annual U.S. contributions to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) based upon Bank amounts provided to entities and projects in Iran. Authorizes appropriations for the Department of the Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. Requires the Director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress an updated National Intelligence Estimate on Iran. Authorizes the President to: (1) carry out exchange programs with the people of Iran; and (2) make voluntary grant-based contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the establishment of an international nuclear fuel bank to maintain a reserve of low-enriched uranium in case of a disruption in the supply of reactor fuel by normal market mechanisms. Sets forth specified Iran investment-related reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2007
Expresses support and gratitude for the men and women of the Armed Forces in defense of freedom and democracy during the Vietnam War. Extends sympathies to all people in the United States who suffered the loss of friends and family in Vietnam. Encourages the people of the United States to remember the sacrifices of our veterans. Commemorates the 25th anniversary of the construction and dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2007
Expanding the Promise for Individuals With Autism Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) convene, on behalf of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, a Treatments, Interventions, and Services Evaluation Task Force to evaluate evidence-based biomedical and behavioral treatments and services for individuals with autism; (2) establish a multi-year demonstration grant program for states to provide evidence-based autism treatments, interventions, and services. (3) establish planning and demonstration grant programs for adults with autism; (4) award grants to states for access to autism services following diagnosis; (5) award grants to University Centers of Excellence for Developmental Disabilities to provide services and address the unmet needs of individuals with autism and their families; (6) make grants to protection and advocacy systems to address the needs of individuals with autism and other emerging populations of individuals with disabilities; and (7) award a grant to a national nonprofit organization for the establishment and maintenance of a national technical assistance center for autism services and information dissemination. Directs the Comptroller General to issue a report on the financing of autism services and treatments.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2007
Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the National Cancer Institute, to establish special programs of research excellence in the area of pediatric cancers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a grant mechanism for the establishment of Research Fellowships in Pediatric Cancer to support adequate numbers of pediatric focused clinical and translational investigators. Requires the Director to award a grant for the operation of a population-based national childhood cancer database, the Childhood Cancer Research Network. Requires the Secretary to award grants to recognized childhood cancer professional and advocacy organizations to raise public awareness of currently available information, treatment, and research with intent to ensure access to best available therapies for pediatric cancers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2007
Declares that nothing in section 4 of the Act of March 2, 1929, (relating to prohibited acts of killing, wounding, or capturing wild birds and animals and fish in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado) or any other applicable law prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from using the services of qualified individuals, as volunteers or pursuant to a contract with the Secretary, to assist in carrying out the Elk and Vegetation Management Plan for the Park by using lethal means to reduce the population of elk within the Park. Instructs the Secretary to consult with the Colorado Division of Wildlife regarding potential participation by it in carrying out such Plan. Prohibits anything in this Act from applying to a taking of wildlife (within the meaning of "take" under the Endangered Species Act of 1973) within Rocky Mountain National Park for any purpose other than the implementation of the Elk and Vegetation Management Plan.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should not take any action that will endanger U.S. military forces in the field, including the elimination or reduction of funds for troops in the field, as such action would undermine their safety or harm their effectiveness in pursuing assigned missions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2007
Calls on the President: (1) to ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution; and (2) in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide to accurately characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide and to recall the U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007
Agricultural Protection and Prosperity Act of 2007 - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to: (1) include the definition of "manure"; and (2) exclude manure from the meaning of "hazardous substance" or "pollutant or contaminant" under that Act. Provides that such exclusion shall not: (1) impose liability under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 with respect to manure; (2) affect any provision of the Air Quality Agreement entered into between the Administrator and operators of animal feeding operations; or (3) affect the applicability of any other environmental law as it relates to the definition of manure or the responsibilities or liabilities of any person regarding the treatment, storage, or disposal of manure. Amends the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 to exempt releases associated with manure (as defined under CERCLA) from the emergency notification requirements under that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007
EXTEND the Energy Efficiency Incentives Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) to allow individual taxpayers a tax credit, through 2011, for residential energy efficiency expenditures certified to achieve certain levels of energy savings; (2) modify standards for nonbusiness energy property (i.e., air conditioners, heat pumps, water heaters, etc.) and extend the tax credit for such property through 2011; (3) revise the tax credit for solar electric and hot water property to include all technologies for solar-derived electricity; (4) extend through 2011 the tax credit for new energy efficient homes; (5) extend through 2014 the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings and increase the maximum amount of such deduction; (6) allow tax deductions for energy efficient low-rise buildings used for multifamily housing and for energy efficient property expenditures; (7) extend through 2011 the investment tax credit for solar energy and fuel cell property; and (8) allow a business-related tax credit for qualified training and certification costs and equipment expenditures for certifying residential energy savings.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Troops to Teachers Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 with respect to the Troops-to-Teachers program (which provides armed forces veterans with teacher certification stipends in exchange for three years of service in a high-need local educational agency (LEA) or public charter school). Allows a program participant, if a high-need LEA or public charter school is not located within 50 miles of his or her residence, to teach within an LEA or at a public charter school: (1) experiencing a shortage of highly qualified teachers, especially in science, mathematics, special education, or vocational or technical education; or (2) receiving grant funds because of concentrations of children from low-income families.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Thomas F. Eagleton, a former member of the United States Senate from Missouri.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2007
Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to veterinary schools or institutions offering training for veterinarians to improve public health preparedness through increasing the number of veterinarians in the workforce. Requires the Secretary to give preference to applicants that demonstrate a comprehensive approach by involving more than one such school or institution.
![Official portrait of Sen. Allard, Wayne [R-CO]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/a000109_200.jpg)