United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to each state to carry out a program for making available throughout that state the 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services. Requires a participating state to ensure that at least 50% of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be derived from other sources. Requires a state seeking a grant to carry out its activities through a lead entity to be known as a 2-1-1 Collaborative. Requires grant amounts to be used solely to make available to a state 2-1-1 telephone service for community information and referral on human services to all citizens of that state with phone access, including telephone connections between families and individuals seeking services and the service providers. Requires grant recipients to: (1) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers; and (2) collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services with which to provide information or referral to individuals utilizing the 2-1-1 service.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Redesignates: (1) the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps; and (2) the Secretary of the Navy as the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. Makes similar redesignations with respect to the Department Under Secretary, the Department Assistant Secretaries, and the General Counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Establishes the National Commission on Presidential War Powers and Civil Liberties to investigate, and report to the President and Congress on, the broad range of policies of the Bush Administration that were undertaken under claims of unreviewable war powers, including: (1) detention by the Armed Forces and the intelligence community; (2) the use by such entities of enhanced interrogation techniques or techniques not authorized by the Uniform Code of Military Justice; (3) "ghosting" or other policies intended to conceal an individual's capture or detention; (4) extraordinary rendition; and (5) domestic warrantless electronic surveillance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to declare that an unlawful employment practice occurs when: (1) a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted; (2) an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice; or (3) an individual is affected by application of the decision or practice, including each time wages, benefits, or other compensation is paid. Allows liability to accrue, and allows an aggrieved person to obtain relief, including recovery of back pay, for up to two years preceding the filing of the charge, where the unlawful employment practices that have occurred during the charge filing period are similar or related to practices that occurred outside the time for filing a charge. Applies the preceding provisions to claims of compensation discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to declare that an unlawful practice occurs when a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted, when a person becomes subject to the decision or other practice, or when a person is affected by the decision or practice, including each time wages, benefits, or other compensation is paid.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act - Recognizes the suffering and the loyalty of the people of Guam during the Japanese occupation of Guam in World War II. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make specified payments to: (1) living Guam residents who were raped, injured, interned, or subjected to forced labor or marches resulting from, or incident to, such occupation and subsequent liberation; and (2) survivors of compensable residents who died in war or survivors of compensable injured residents (such payments to be made after payments have been made to surviving Guam residents). Defines "compensable Guam decedent" and "compensable Guam victim." Directs the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission to specify injuries that would constitute a severe personal injury or a personal injury. Authorizes the Commission to adjudicate claims and determine payment eligibility. Requires: (1) claims to be filed within one year after the Commission publishes public notice of the filing period in the Federal Register; and (2) the Commission to make filing period information available to the public through the media in Guam. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program for research, educational, and media activities that memorialize the events surrounding the occupation of Guam during World War II or honor the loyalty of the people of Guam during such occupation, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Haitian Protection Act of 2009 - 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 · 6 January 2009
National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to back-date to September 11, 2001, the period of active duty or performed active service, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations, for which members of Ready Reserve components of the armed forces shall receive credit in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention Act - Provides that nothing shall prohibit the use of federal funds to establish or carry out a program of distributing sterile syringes to reduce the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and viral hepatitis.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009 - Exempts provisions expanding the adoption tax credit and adoption assistance programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 from the general terminating (sunset) provisions of that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Requires government contributions for health benefits for an individual who first becomes an annuitant by reason of retirement from employment with the United States Postal Service on or after July 1, 1971, or for a survivor of such an individual or of an individual who died on or after that date while employed by the Postal Service, to be paid first from the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund up to the amount contained in the Fund, with any remaining amount paid by the Postal Service (current law requires such contributions to be paid by the Postal Service through September 30, 2016).
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation; (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question; and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Avers that such defense shall not apply where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential; and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer has made substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey; (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity; and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
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 · 9 December 2008
Protecting Patients and Health Care Act of 2008 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from finalizing, enforcing, implementing, or taking other action in furtherance of specified proposed regulations regarding conscience clause protections for health care workers and facilities (under the authority of provisions commonly referred to as the Church Amendments and the Weldon Amendment).
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2008
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) President George W. Bush should not grant preemptive pardons to senior officials of his Administration for acts they may have taken in the course of their official duties; (2) a special investigative commission or Select Committee should be tasked with investigating possible illegal activities by such senior Administration officials, including any abuse of the President's pardon power; and (3) the next Attorney General should appoint an independent counsel to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute illegal acts by senior Administration officials.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2008
Medically Fragile Children's Act of 2008 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to establish a program of all-inclusive care for medically fragile children as a Medicaid state plan option. Makes a child eligible if he or she is: (1) medically fragile based on health status and related indicators or is diagnosed as having one or more chronic conditions; (2) requires daily monitoring of a significant medical condition necessitating overall care planning in order to achieve or maintain optimum health and developmental status, and achieve community integration to the maximum extent possible; and (3) requires both medical assistance and at least two additional services furnished under an all-inclusive program as a result of functional deficits.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2008
States that the next President must: (1) reaffirm the commitment to upholding the Constitution of the United States; (2) fully investigate Bush/Cheney Administration officials' alleged crimes and hold them accountable for any illegal acts; (3) make such officials comply with congressional subpoenas; (4) hold accountable officials who disclose the identity of any covert agent; (5) hold accountable officials who pursue politically motivated prosecutions; (6) ensure that any official guilty of a war crime is prosecuted under the War Crimes Act and the Anti-Torture Act; (7) affirm the sole legal right of Congress to declare war; (8) make criminal an official's lying to Congress and the public about the reasons for going to war; (9) restore the writ of habeas corpus as an essential principle of democracy; (10) ensure that torture and rendition is uniformly prohibited under U.S. law; (11) immediately close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp; (12) require independent judicial review of claims of state secrets privilege by executive officials; (13) reaffirm that the Office of the Vice President is part of the executive branch; (14) publicly review potential abuses of the presidential pardon process; and (15) reform the use of presidential signing statements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2008
Act to Save America's Forests - Amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 to revise eligibility criteria for members of the land and resource management scientific committee. Revises the committee termination date. Directs the Chief of the Forest Service, the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to each prepare a continuous inventory of forest land administered by each agency head and to document whole-system measures that will be taken as a result of the inventory. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide for conservation and restoration of native biodiversity in forested areas. Prohibits clearcutting or other even-age logging operations on any stand or watershed on certain federal land, National Forest System land, and National Wildlife Refuge System land. Provides for federal enforcement and a private right of action. Designates special areas which shall be subject to restrictions on road construction and logging in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Requires the Secretaries concerned to appoint a committee of independent scientists to recommend additional special areas. Restricts road construction and logging on federal land in ancient forests, special areas, roadless areas, and watershed protection areas. Provides for federal enforcement and a private right of action. States that this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall not apply to federal wilderness areas designated under the Wilderness Act. Adds specified land to the Giant Sequoia National Monument. Transfers administrative jurisdiction over the Monument from the Secretary to the Secretary of the Interior. Establishes the Giant Sequoia National Monument Advisory Board. Adds specified parts of Sequoia National Forest that are not included in the Monument to: (1) Sierra National Forest; and (2) Inyo National Forest. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct reconnaissance surveys of areas classified as Level III ecoregions of the continental United States by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine if there are resources that possess national significance and to evaluate their suitability for inclusion as units of the National Park System. Requires the appointment of a committee of scientists to provide the Secretary and Congress with advice and counsel on such surveys.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2008
Starting Early Starting Right Act - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to establish, within the Administration for Children and Families, an Office of Child Care to serve as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families on issues regarding state-funded child care programs. Requires the state plan under the Act to certify that the state has in effect: (1) licensing requirements applicable to child care providers within the state that include one annual announced and one annual unannounced visit to each site at which the provider provides child care services; and (2) licensing or registration requirements pertaining to training. Requires the state plan to: (1) demonstrate the manner in which the state will meet the specific child care needs of low-income and working families and how the state is implementing practices and procedures to help ensure that children receive continuous care from the same provider; (2) provide information demonstrating that the state is ensuring that payment rates for the provision of child care services for which assistance is provided are equal to or exceed the 75th percentile of the current market rate for all types of child care; and (3) describe efforts to address the need for child care for special populations. Increases from 4% to 15% the maximum amount of child care and development block grant funds that a state may use for specified activities designed to improve the quality of child care. Provides for minimum funding set-asides for: (1) extension of full-day care; and (2) high-quality care for infants and toddlers. Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide for increased appropriations for child care assistance grants under the TANF program for FY2009-FY2014.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2008
Senior Financial Empowerment Act of 2008 - Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to: (1) review and amend its sentencing guidelines to include the age of a crime victim in its criteria for determining whether a sentencing enhancement is appropriate; and (2) report to Congress on issues relating to the age of crime victims. Directs the Attorney General to establish and administer a competitive grant program for mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud prevention education programs for senior citizens. Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to public awareness of the impact of mail, telemarketing, and Internet fraud on senior citizens.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2008
AmericaView Authorization Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), to: (1) maintain a nationwide AmericaView Program to advance the availability, distribution, and use of remote sensing data (information acquired from above the surface of the Earth by satellite or airplane) and technology in each state; (2) maintain AmericaView (the national nonprofit collaboration of StateView participants cooperating with the EROS Data Center to achieve the purposes of the AmericaView Program) in each state to develop publicly accessible remote sensing data archive and distribution infrastructure and expand remote sensing education, research, and knowledge; (3) award annual grants to sustain and develop StateView programs (the AmericaView programs of an individual states, comprised of educational institutions and state and local governments); and (4) maintain an advisory committee to advise the USGS Director about the AmericaView Program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2008
Establishes the World War I Centennial Commission to: (1) plan, develop, and execute programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I; (2) encourage private organizations and state and local governments to organize and participate in such activities; (3) facilitate and coordinate such activities throughout the United States; and (4) serve as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about centennial events and plans.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2008
Supports the designation of October as National Work and Family Month. Recognizes the importance of balancing work and family to job productivity and healthy families, and that an important job characteristic is a work schedule that allows employees to spend time with families.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2008
Commends and congratulates Barter Theatre (Abingdon, Virginia) on the occasion of its 75th anniversary. Recognizes the Barter Theater: (1) for providing 75 years of high quality artistic programs in southwest Virginia; (2) as a valuable educational resource, reaching 18,000 students each season through its productions on two stages; and (3) as providing educational outreach, exposing young people to playwriting and performances and encouraging artistic expression.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2008
Bruce Vento Ban Asbestos and Prevent Mesothelioma Act of 2008 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a plan and initiate a program to: (1) increase awareness of the dangers posed by asbestos-containing products in homes and workplaces and by asbestos-related diseases; (2) provide information to, and encourage participation in research and treatment endeavors by, asbestos-related disease patients and their families and front-line health care providers; and (3) encourage health care providers and researchers to provide to patients and their families information relating to research, diagnostic, and clinical treatments relating to asbestos. Prohibits any person from importing, manufacturing, processing, or distributing asbestos-containing products, subject to limited exemption upon petition and specified exemptions sought by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Sets forth exceptions for specified levels of asbestos with respect to: (1) chlor-alkali electrolysis installations or caustic soda produced at such installations; (2) aggregate products (extracted from stone, sand, or gravel operations) that are imported, manufactured, processed, or distributed in commerce for use as an integral part of specified cemented materials; (3) calcium carbonate, olivine, talc, vermiculite, and wollastonite; and (4) taconite pellets or iron ore that will be used to produce such pellets (but the prohibition does apply to tailings, waste material, or other byproducts of iron ore extraction). Provides that such prohibitions shall apply to any asbestos-containing calcium carbonate, olivine, talc, vermiculite, and wollastonite imported, manufactured, processed, or distributed in commerce for use in or for processing: (1) food that is intended for human consumption; (2) products used by individuals for personal health or cosmetic reasons; (3) drugs for human use; (4) consumer garden products; (5) cosmetics; (6) products designed or intended primarily for use by children 12 years old or younger; or (7) other products with such asbestos-containing materials that endanger human health or the environment. Requires the disposal of asbestos-containing products within three years after enactment of this Act. Provides for: (1) criminal penalties for violations; and (2) citizen petitions to the Administrator to initiate a proceeding for the issuance, amendment, or repeal of a rule or order under such Act. Declares that nothing in this Act: (1) preempts state or federal law; (2) creates a cause of action or increases or diminishes the liability of persons under other laws; or (3) prohibits the importation, manufacture, processing, or distribution in commerce of drinking water in a manner that complies with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Revises the definition of "asbestos" to include winchite and richterite asbestos and asbestiform amphibole mineral.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2008
National Integrated Public Health Surveillance Systems and Reportable Conditions Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) establish the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Grant Program to assist public health agencies in improving surveillance for, and response to, infectious diseases and other conditions of public health importance; and (2) issue guidelines for public health entities relating to information systems to receive, monitor, and report infectious diseases and other such conditions. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) address documented workforce shortages in state and local health departments in applied public health epidemiology and public health laboratory science and informatics; and (2) provide for the expansion of applied epidemiology training programs. Requires the Director, upon request, to assist the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists in developing or improving a process for states to conduct surveillance and submit reports to the Director on nationally notifiable diseases and conditions. Requires the Secretary to adopt and use guidelines to develop improved standards and protocols for binational epidemiology, surveillance, laboratory analyses, and control of infectious diseases between the United States and Mexico. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish a committee to: (1) evaluate best practices in public health surveillance; and (2) assess systems needed for improving coordination among public health surveillance and monitoring systems.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2008
Greenhouse Gas Registry Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) determine the quantity of each greenhouse gas that makes the same contribution to global warming as one metric ton of carbon dioxide; and (2) designate as a greenhouse gas any directly emitted anthropogenic gas that is included in the Inventory of the United States Greenhouse Gases and Sinks, one metric ton of which makes the same or greater contribution to global warming as one metric ton of carbon dioxide. Directs each covered entity to report to the Administrator its greenhouse gas emissions for the prior calendar year. Directs the Administrator to issue regulations establishing a federal greenhouse gas registry. Specifies that such regulations shall: (1) ensure accuracy and reliability of data submitted; (2) take into account best practices for measuring greenhouse gas emissions and the latest scientific research; (3) require that submitted data are monitored using monitoring systems for fuel use, fuel flow, or emissions, wherever feasible; (4) require annual reporting on the emission of greenhouse gases; (5) establish consistent policies for calculating carbon content and greenhouse gas emissions for each type of fossil fuel reported; (6) provide for immediate public dissemination of data reported, with certain exceptions; and (7) take into account the work done by the Climate Registry and other mandatory state or multistate authorized programs and explain the major differences in approach between the system established under the regulations and the respective registries or programs. Provides that nothing in this Act preempts any state or regional greenhouse gas registry efforts. Authorizes the Administrator to bring a civil action against any entity that fails to comply with the requirements of this Act. Sets forth civil penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2008
Congratulates Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Chellsie Memmel, Samantha Peszek, Alicia Sacramone, and Bridget Sloan of the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team for their outstanding performances and representation of the United States during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2008
Iraq Security Agreement Act of 2008 - Directs the President to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees respecting U.S. security commitments to, and arrangements with, other countries. Directs the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to consult with the appropriate congressional committees respecting negotiations pursuant to the Declaration of Principles between the United States and Iraq. Prohibits any agreement (or the obligation of implementing funds) containing a security commitment to, or security arrangement with, the Republic of Iraq, from entering into force except pursuant to Article II, section 2, clause 2 (relating to treaties) or Article I, section 7, clause 2 (relating to enactment of laws) of the Constitution of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2008
Congratulates Michael Phelps for his outstanding athletic achievements during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Recognizes the achievements of all the members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic swim team.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2008
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner; (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law; (3) a certified nurse-midwife; or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2008
Ex-Offenders Voting Rights Act of 2008 - Declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility. Requires the chief correctional officer of each state to inform convicted felons within 30 days after their release of their right to vote in elections for federal office and the date of the next election in which they are eligible to vote. Provides for enforcement and remedies for violations of this Act. Specifies that: (1) nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit a state from enacting any state law that affords the right to vote in any election for federal office on terms less restrictive than those terms established by this Act; and (2) the rights and remedies established by this Act shall be in addition to all other rights and remedies provided by law, and shall not supersede, restrict, or limit the application of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2008
Water Assessment and Treatment Evaluation Research Study Act of 2008 or the WATER Study Act of 2008 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to study and report to Congress on the presence, sources, and effects of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in U.S. drinking water supplies and on ways to properly dispose of such products and improve water treatment. Directs the Administrator to examine wastewater effluent and run-off from agricultural operations in identifying such sources.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2008
Medicare Drugs for Seniors (MEDS) Act of 2008 -Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to replace the current part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) program, adopted by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, with a revised prescription drug benefit program under a new part D (Prescription Medicine Benefit for the Aged and Disabled) for all Medicare beneficiaries. Provides for reductions in the price of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to: (1) revise requirements with respect to the commercial and personal importation of prescription drugs and the disposition of certain drugs denied admission; and (2) prescribe requirements with respect to Internet sales of prescription drugs. Provides that if any federal agency or any non-profit entity undertakes federally funded health care research and development, and is to convey or provide a patent or other exclusive right to use such research and development for a drug or other health care technology, such agency or entity shall not make such conveyance or provide such patent or other right until the recipient first agrees to a reasonable pricing agreement with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary determines that the public interest is served by a waiver of the reasonable pricing agreement. Sets forth Medigap transition requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2008
Recognizes the great strides made by the majority of competing countries to increase the participation of women in the Summer Olympic Games and in sports. Applauds countries with policies that enable women's participation in sports to coexist with traditional cultural and religious practices. Urges: (1) the International Olympic Committee to advocate for improved opportunities for women to participate in sports and to work with all countries to provide financial support and adequate facilities for women athletes; and (2) the Committee and all countries to increase efforts to enhance such participation, to strive to make the 2012 Summer Olympic Games the first at which women are on delegations from every participating country, and to ensure a record number of women competitors at the 2012 Games.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
United States Climate Action Now Act - Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to revise provisions that require states to update their building energy efficiency codes. Modifies the duties of the Secretary of Energy under such Act relating to: (1) updating the national model building energy codes and standards for residential and commercial buildings; (2) reporting requirements; (3) providing technical assistance to model code-setting and standard development organizations; and (4) providing incentive funding to states for implementing updates of building energy efficiency codes. Requires states to certify to the Secretary that they have reviewed and updated the provisions of their residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes and to certify compliance with such codes. Imposes additional requirements on states that fail to meet compliance deadlines. Amends the Federal Power Act to require the President to: (1) report to Congress on barriers to constructing new transmission lines for increasing renewable electric power generation capacity; (2) designate areas as a National Renewable Energy Zone; and (3) identify, and provide public notice of, new transmission facilities that could substantially increase the generation of electricity from renewable entities. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to establish interconnection standards for state electric utilities not subject to the Federal Power Act. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a National Bioenergy Partnership to coordinate efforts between governmental entities and the private sector to promote the deployment of sustainable biomass fuels and bioenergy technologies. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a study of black carbon emissions.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
Civil Rights Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 - Requires quarter dollars to have designs on the reverse emblematic of prominent civil rights leaders and important events that have advanced civil rights in America. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to select such leaders and events. Requires five coin designs in each year of the period of issuance. Instructs the Secretary to strike and make available for sale silver bullion coins that are exact duplicates of such quarter dollars.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
Declares that Congress commits to pass, and urges the President sign, within 18 months, legislation that guarantees health care for all and that: (1) recognizes the role of women as health care consumers, caregivers, and providers; (2) guarantees inclusion of benefits essential to achieving and maintaining good health; (3) promotes primary and preventive care; (4) provides a choice of public and private plans and direct access to a choice of doctors and health care providers to ensure continuity of coverage and a delivery system that meets the need of women; (5) eliminates disparities on the basis of gender, culture, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health status, or sexual orientation; (6) shares financing responsibility among employers, individuals, and the government while taking into account small business needs; (7) ensures affordable access to health care; (8) enhances quality and patient safety; (9) ensures a sufficient supply of qualified providers through expanded medical and public health education and adequate reimbursement; and (10) promotes administration efficiency and is easy to utilize.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
Recognizes: (1) the important contributions of African-American doctors on the event of the apology of American Medical Association (AMA) to the National Medical Association (NMA) for over a century of racial prejudices and wrongdoings; (2) the efforts of Dr. W. Montague Cobb, former president of the NMA, to break down the racial prejudices at the AMA that led to its full integration; and (3) Shaw University's Leonard Medical School and other historically black colleges and universities for their role in training African-American doctors. Encourages more African-Americans to work in medicine and become doctors, nurses, and researchers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2008
Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to increase from 12 to 24 the number of months allowed for vocational educational training that are counted as a work activity under TANF.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2008
Nurses' Higher Education and Loan Repayment Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to enter into an agreement with eligible individuals for the repayment of education loans in exchange for working as a full-time member of the faculty of an accredited school of nursing.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2008
Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention Act - Provides that nothing shall prohibit the use of federal funds to establish or carry out a program of distributing sterile syringes to reduce the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and viral hepatitis.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2008
Small Business Owner Disaster Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide contributions to a person who owns or operates a private business damaged or destroyed by a major disaster for the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement of the facility and for associated expenses, if the business employed an average of 25 or fewer employees during the 12-month period preceding the disaster.
![Official portrait of Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001230_200.jpg)