United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2009
Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Act - Declares as the purposes of this Act to: (1) integrate federal agency activities to respond to ongoing and expected impacts of climate change by protecting, restoring, and conserving the natural resources and associated ecosystem services of the United States; and (2) provide financial support and incentives for authorized programs, strategies, and activities to protect, restore, and conserve natural resources and associated ecosystem services in response to threats and effects of climate change. Requires the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce (Secretaries) to: (1) establish procedures for coordinating among federal agencies the development and dissemination of science and information necessary to address the impacts of climate change on natural resources; and (2) issue, with the Secretary of Agriculture, a climate change impact survey that identifies natural resources likely to be adversely affected by climate change. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish the National Fish and Wildlife Habitat and Corridors Information Program to develop a national database regarding fish and wildlife habitat and corridors. Requires the Secretaries and the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Natural Resources Adaptation Science Advisory Board to advise federal agencies on the impacts of climate change and natural resources adaptation. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish the National Climate Change and Wildlife Center within the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Requires the President to establish a Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Panel to develop a Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Requires each federal agency on the Panel to complete a natural resources adaptation plan. Requires each state seeking funds under this Act to prepare a state natural resources adaptation plan to address the ongoing and expected impacts of climate change on natural resources within the state. Establishes in the Treasury the Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Fund to provide funding to states to carry out natural resources adaptation activities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2009
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise and add reporting and other requirements relating to income from assets held abroad, including by: (1) requiring foreign financial and nonfinancial institutions to withhold 30% of payments made to such institutions by U.S. individuals unless such institutions agree to disclose the identity of such individuals and report on their bank transactions; (2) denying a tax deduction for interest on non-registered bonds issued outside the United States; (3) requiring any individual who holds more than $50,000 in a depository or custodial account maintained by a foreign financial institution to report on such accounts; (4) imposing an enhanced tax penalty for underpayments attributable to undisclosed foreign financial assets; (5) extending the limitation period for assessment of underpayments with respect to assets held outside the United States; (6) requiring certain tax advisors who assist U.S. individuals in acquiring a direct or indirect interest in a foreign entity to file an information return disclosing the identity of the foreign entity and the individual investors; (7) requiring shareholders of a passive foreign investment company to file informational returns; (8) enhancing tax rules and penalties relating to foreign trusts with U.S. beneficiaries; and (9) requiring withholding of tax on dividend equivalent payments received by foreign individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2009
Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians Restoration Act of 2009 - Extends federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. Makes the Tribe and each member eligible for all services and benefits provided by the United States to Indians and federally recognized Indian tribes, without regard to the existence of a reservation for the Tribe or the location of the residence of any member on or near an Indian reservation. Directs the Tribe, as a condition of receiving recognition, services, and benefits pursuant to this Act, to submit to the Secretary of the Interior a membership roll consisting of the name of each individual enrolled as a member of the Tribe. Requires the Tribe to maintain such membership roll. Directs the Secretary to acquire, for the benefit of the Tribe, trust title to 200 acres of land within the Tribe's service area to be used for a tribal land base.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2009
Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to: (1) amend the article description for certain golf bag bodies; and (2) extend temporarily the suspension of duty on such articles.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2009
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Cliff Hansen, a former Senator of Wyoming. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on October 21, 2009, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Hansen.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2009
Congratulates the National FFA Organization, a premier student leadership organization, for 40 years of membership by women and celebrates the contributions of female members of the National FFA Organization.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2009
America's Healthy Future Act of 2009 - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Health Insurance Coverage) to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable and essential health benefits coverage. Requires all health benefits plans offered to individuals and employers in the individual and small group market to be qualified health benefits plans (QHBPs). Prohibits QHBPs from excluding coverage for preexisting conditions, or otherwise limiting or conditioning coverage based on any health status-related factors. Requires QHBPs to offer coverage in the individual and small group markets on a guaranteed issue and guaranteed renewal basis. Requires states to: (1) establish rating areas; (2) adopt a specified risk adjustment model; and (3) establish transitional reinsurance programs for individual markets. Requires QHBP offerors in the individual and small group markets to consider all enrollees in a plan to be members of a single risk pool. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish: (1) risk corridors for certain plan years; (2) high risk pools for individuals with preexisting conditions; (3) a temporary reinsurance program for retirees covered by employer-based plans; and (4) a program under which a state establishes one or more QHBPs to provide at least an essential benefits package to eligible individuals in lieu of offering coverage through an exchange. Entitles a qualified individual to the choice to enroll or not to enroll in a QHBP offered through an exchange covering the individual's state as well as QHBPs in the individual market. Requires such individuals to be U.S. citizens or lawful residents. Requires each state to establish: (1) an exchange designed to facilitate enrollment in QHBPs in the individual market; and (2) a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange designed to assist qualified small employers in facilitating the enrollment of their employees in QHBPs in either the individual or the small group market. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a system allowing state residents to participate in state health subsidy programs; and (2) study methods exchange QHBPs can employ to encourage health care providers to make increased meaningful use of electronic health records. Prescribes the contents of an essential benefits package, including little or no cost-sharing, no annual or lifetime limits on coverage, and preventive services. Declares that nothing in this Act requires health care benefits plans to provide coverage for abortions. Requires the plan offeror to determine whether or not the plan provides coverage of abortion services for which federal funding: (1) is prohibited; or (2) is allowed. Requires the Secretary to assure that: (1) at least one QHBP covers abortion services for which federal funding is prohibited or allowed; and (2) at least one QHBP that does not cover abortion services for which federal funding is allowed. Prohibits the use of premium credits and cost-sharing subsidies for QHBPs covering abortion services for which federal funding is prohibited. Prohibits QHBPs from discriminating against any individual health care provider or health care facility because of its willingness or unwillingness to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions. Continues application of state and federal laws regarding abortion. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow tax credits related to the purchase of health insurance through the state exchanges; and (2) impose an excise tax on individuals without essential health benefits coverage and on employers who fail to meet health insurance coverage requirements with respect to their full-time employees. Requires the President to: (1) certify annually in the President's Budget whether or not the provisions in this Act will increase the budget deficit in the coming fiscal year; and (2) instruct the HHS Secretary and the Secretary of the Treasury to make required reductions in exchange credits and subsidies. Establishes a new mandatory eligibility category under SSA title XIX (Medicaid) for all non-elderly, nonpregnant individuals who are otherwise ineligible for Medicaid. Revises Medicaid benefits. Rescinds funds available in the Medicaid Improvement Fund for FY2014-2018. Makes appropriations for Aging and Disability Resource Center initiatives. Increases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for states to offer home and community-based services as a long-term care (LTC) alternative to nursing homes. Creates a Community First Choice Option. Adds a new optional categorically needy eligibility group to Medicaid for individuals: (1) with income that exceeds 133% of the poverty line; and (2) certain other individuals, but only for benefits limited to family planning services and supplies. Directs the Secretary to establish a grants program to support school-based health centers. Removes smoking cessation drugs, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines from Medicaid's excluded drug list. Revises requirements for Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments. Directs the Secretary to establish a Federal Coordinated Health Care Office within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMS). Directs the Secretary to establish a Medicaid Quality Measurement Program. Revises requirements for the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). (CHIP refers to SSA title XXI [Children's Health Insurance Program].) Sets forth special rules relating to American Indians and Alaska Indians. Requires the Secretary to establish procedures for sharing data collected under a federal health care program on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, type of disability, and related measures and data analyses. Amends SSA title V with respect to the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) block grant program. Provides funding for abstinence education. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to codify and revise the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) wellness program regulations. Elder Justice Act of 2009 - Amends SSA title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services) with respect to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and their prevention. Establishes within the Office of the Secretary an Elder Justice Coordinating Council. Directs the Secretary to establish a hospital value-based purchasing program under Medicare. Extends Physician Quality Reporting Initiative program (PQRI) incentive payments beyond 2010. Modifies the Physician Feedback Program. Requires the Secretary to develop a plan to implement a Medicare value-based purchasing program for home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to direct the Secretary to establish a national strategy to improve the delivery of health care services, patient health outcomes, and population health. Directs the President to convene an Interagency Working Group on Health Care Quality. Amends SSA title XI (General Provisions) to provide for the establishment of a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within CMMS. Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the Secretary to establish a shared savings program that promotes accountability for a patient population and coordinates items and services under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) and B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Creates a Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. Directs the Secretary to establish a Community-Based Care Transitions Program Revises requirements with respect to residents in teaching hospitals. Increases the Medicare physician payment update. Directs the Secretary to establish a Working Group on Access to Emergency Medical Care. Extends the Medicare-Dependent Hospital Program. Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 with respect to the hospital wage index. Establishes a Medicare prescription drug discount program for brand-name drugs for beneficiaries who enroll in Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) and have drug spending that falls into the coverage gap. Establishes an independent Medicare Commission to reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending. Amends SSA title XI to add a new part D (Comparative Effectiveness Research) under which is established a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Establishes in the Treasury the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund. Establishes a nationwide program for national and state background checks on direct patient access employees of LTC facilities and providers. Directs the Secretary to establish new procedures for screening providers of medical or other items or services and suppliers under the Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP programs. Directs the Secretary to establish a self-referral disclosure protocol to enable health care service providers and suppliers to disclose violations. Requires the Secretary to expand the number of areas included in Round Two of the durable medical equipment (DME) competitive bidding program. Extends the period for collection of overpayments due to fraud. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to: (1) an excise tax on the excess benefit of high cost employer-sponsored health coverage; (2) distributions from health savings accounts for drugs and insulin that are prescribed drugs and insulin only; (3) a limitation on salary reduction contributions by employers to a health flexible spending arrangement; (4) expanded information reporting requirements; (5) additional qualifying requirements for charitable hospital organizations; and (6) a qualifying therapeutic discovery project tax credit. Imposes annual fees on: (1) manufacturers and importers of branded prescription pharmaceuticals or of medical devices; and (2) health insurance providers. Increases the threshold for the itemized income tax deduction for medical expenses. Prescribes a special rule to limit excessive remuneration by certain health insurance providers. Excludes from an individual's gross income the value of any qualified Indian health care benefit. Prescribes treatment of small business employers maintaining a simple cafeteria plan.
United States · United States Congress · 13 October 2009
Servicemember Student Loan Interest Relief Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty in hostile areas to benefit from the provision barring the accrual of interest on their student loans under the Federal Direct Loan program regardless of the date their loan was first disbursed. (Currently, their loan must be disbursed on or after October 1, 2008, to qualify for such treatment.) Eliminates the restriction of such benefit on direct consolidation loans to that portion of the loan which is used to repay direct loans.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month. Recognizes that every child should have a permanent and loving family. Encourages the citizens of the United States to consider adoption during the month of November and all throughout the year.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2009
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Henry Bellmon, a former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on September 29, 2009, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Bellmon.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2009
Amends the Act commonly known as the Indian Reorganization Act to apply the Act to all federally recognized Indian tribes, regardless of when any tribe became recognized. (This effectively overrules the Supreme Court's decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, which held that the Secretary of the Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the Act was enacted.)
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2009
Water Efficiency via Carbon Harvesting and Restoration (WECHAR) Act of 2009 - Requires the Director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct resources assessments that collect and synthesize interagency and state data to quantify: (1) invasive plant species and excess biomass (plant matter targeted for removal from public land to promote ecosystem health) in the form of dangerous fuel loads on public land that can be used for feedstock (plant matter or materials that serve as the raw material for the production of biochar and bioenergy); (2) estimated carbon content in that feedstock; (3) estimated potential biochar (charcoal or black carbon derived from organic matter through pyrolysis) and bioenergy (hydrocarbons derived from organic matter through pyrolysis) producible from that feedstock; and (4) potential water savings resulting from removal of invasive plant species and excess biomass on public land, by watershed. Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to each: (1) establish a program to provide guarantees of loans by private institutions to develop and optimize commercially and technologically viable biochar production units, to produce, respectively, four and two units for deployment to remote landscapes, and for the construction or acquisition of biochar production facilities, provided the loan applicants will be dedicated primarily to contract restoration work with the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, or Forest Service using pinyon pine and juniper feedstock in the Great Basin, tamarisk feedstock in the Mojave Desert, or excess biomass feedstock, such as trees killed by bark beetle infestations in the Intermountain West; and (2) initiate three-year programs to employ such biochar production units in pilot applications in various U.S. climates and ecosystems. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide competitive grants to conduct research and analysis: (1) to identify attributes and composition profiles of biochar and bioenergy for various uses; (2) to identify potential uses and markets for biochar and bioenergy; (3) relating to environmental benefits and impacts of biochar and bioenergy use; and (4) regarding potential uses of biochar in landscape restoration.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2009
Veterinary Services Investment Act - Amends The National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture carry out a grant program to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services and relieve veterinary shortage situations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2009
States that the Senate: (1) has received with profound sorrow the announcement of Dr. Norman Borlaug's passing; and (2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to Dr. Borlaug's family.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2009
States that the Senate: (1) has received with profound sorrow the announcement of the passing of Dr. Norman Borlaug; (2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of the deceased; and (3) upon adjournment today, stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Dr. Norman Borlaug.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2009
Designates room 325 of the Russell Senate Office Building, commonly referred to as the "Caucus Room," as the "Kennedy Caucus Room," in recognition of the service to the Senate and the people of the United States of Senators Edward Moore Kennedy, Robert Francis Kennedy, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2009
Designates October 2009 as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. Urges communities to carry out appropriate programs and activities to educate parents and youth about the potential dangers associated with medicine abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2009
Declares that the Senate has received with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the passing of the Honorable Edward Moore Kennedy, the great Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on September 8, 2009, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2009
7th Generation Promise: Indian Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Indian Health Service, to carry out a demonstration project to award up to five grants to Indian tribes and tribal organizations operating one or more facilities for the provision of telemental health services to Indian youth who: (1) have expressed suicidal ideas; (2) have attempted suicide; or (3) have mental health conditions that increase or could increase the risk of suicide. Sets forth grant application and eligibility requirements. Specifies how the grants are to be used, including permitting tribal organizations to use and promote traditional tribal health care practices. Defines "telemental health" as the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance mental health care, patient and professional-related education, public health, and health administration. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to carry out measures necessary to maximize the efficiency of the process by which Indian tribes and tribal organizations apply for grants under any SAMHSA-administered program. Prohibits any tribal organization from being required to provide a non-federal share of the cost of any activity carried out using a grant provided by SAMHSA. Directs the Secretary to carry out activities to encourage tribal organizations and mental health care providers serving tribal area residents to obtain the services of predoctoral psychology and psychiatry interns.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2009
Customs Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP Agency), which shall be headed by a Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to transfer all functions of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of DHS (formerly the U.S. Customs Service) to the CBP Agency. Establishes within the Agency an Office of Trade. Transfers all functions of the CBP Office of International Trade and the Office of International Affairs to the Office of Trade. Directs the Commissioner to appoint within the Office of Trade a Trade Advocate. Transfers all functions of the CBP Office of Trade Relations to the Office of Trade. Establishes within the Office of Field Operations of the CBP Agency a Customs Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Division. Directs the Commissioner to designate at least 40 Commercial Enforcement Officers within the Office. Establishes an interagency Customs Review Board to review changes to U.S. customs regulations, interpretations, or practices that are proposed or may be adopted by the CBP Agency. Establishes in the DHS the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE Agency). Establishes the position of Chief of Policy and Strategy for the ICE Agency. Amends the Customs and Trade Act of 1990 to direct the Commissioner and the Director of Trade Policy to develop jointly every two years, and submit to specified congressional committees, a Joint Strategic Plan for enforcing U.S. customs and trade laws. Directs the DHS Secretary, acting through the Commissioner, to develop additional trade benefits for Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 participants in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to direct the Commissioner to establish a voluntary Customs Facilitation Partnership Program to facilitate the entry of merchandise into the United States and provide certain trade benefits to importers that meet or exceed certain minimum program requirements. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury and the DHS Secretary jointly to establish a Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) to require the deposit of $325 million from collected customs user fees into the Customs Commercial and Homeland Security Automation Account to complete development of the Automated Commercial Environment computer system. Directs the Secretary of DHS to establish within the CBP Agency Office of Trade a Commercial Targeting Division to conduct commercial risk assessment targeting and, when needed, issue trade alerts with respect to cargo destined for the United States. Directs the Commissioner and the Director jointly to develop and update, and report to Congress, a strategy for uniform enforcement of U.S. illegal drug control laws. Directs the DHS Secretary to establish a program to assign importer of record numbers. Establishes an interagency Import Safety Working Group. Directs the DHS Secretary to develop a Joint Import Safety Rapid Response Plan that sets forth protocols for the CBP Agency to coordinate federal responses to cargo entering the United States that poses a threat to the health or safety of U.S. consumers. Directs the DHS Secretary to establish within the ICE Agency a National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center to coordinate U.S. activities to prevent the import and export of goods that infringe intellectual property rights. Revises eligibility requirements for the drawback (refund) of duties paid on eligible merchandise imported into the United States and later exported. Prescribes or revises requirements for: (1) penalties for a custom broker convicted of committing an act of terrorism; (2) duty-free treatment of imported articles exported and reimported without having been advanced in value or improved in condition; and (3) assignment of CBP Agency employees to perform customs services for charter flight passengers and their baggage. Directs the President to establish a pilot program for designating 24-hour commercial land border ports of entry on the northern and southern U.S. borders. Extends the prohibition against the importation of goods made with convict, forced, or indentured labor to include goods made by means of coercion (i.e., an employer withholding the passport of a foreign worker to compel production of the good) or by one or more individuals who were being subjected to human trafficking. Establishes within the ICE Agency an Office for Labor Enforcement. Requires the Commissioner to ensure that appropriate CBP Agency resources address concerns that honey as well as contraband archaeological or ethnological material is being imported into the United States in violation of U.S. customs laws. Increases from $200 to $500 the retail value of articles that may be imported duty-free into the United States by one person on one day. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations for the entry of merchandise valued between $250 and $2,500.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
National Future Farmers of America Commemorative Coin Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold and silver coins in commemoration of the National Future Farmers of America Organization and the 85th anniversary of such Organization. Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one year period, beginning on January 1, 2012. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $25 per gold coin and $10 per silver coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National Future Farmers of America Foundation in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the creation of an endowment to enhance and expand programs that encourage the development of leadership skills, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education and the Future Farmers of America.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2009
Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a program within the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) for the prevention of veteran homelessness by identifying veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless and providing assistance, including short and medium term rental assistance and housing relocation and stabilization services, to ensure that such veterans do not become or remain homeless. Makes VBA regional offices responsible for oversight and coordination of: (1) any housing programs for veterans supported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and (2) the program described above. Includes new construction projects as projects under which eligible entities may receive grants for furnishing certain services to homeless veterans. Requires the study of the payment method for the reimbursement of grant recipients for per diem payments for furnishing services to homeless veterans and the development of an improved method to reimburse grant recipients for services furnished to homeless veterans. Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to set forth requirements for public housing agencies to provide vouchers for rental assistance to veterans (under current law, on behalf of homeless veterans with chronic mental illnesses or chronic substance use disorders) through the HUD-VA supported housing program. Establishes in HUD a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs in the Office of the Secretary. Requires: (1) establishment of a method for the annual collection and aggregation of data on homeless veterans who participate in VA-HUD programs; and (2) submission to Congress of a comprehensive plan for ending homelessness among veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2009
Designates Richard A. Baker as Historian Emeritus of the United States Senate, as a token of the appreciation of the Senate for his long and faithful service. Makes such designation effective September 1, 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the requirement that obligations held by the Highway Trust Fund be non interest-bearing; (2) appropriate additional amounts to such Fund and allow such amounts to remain available without fiscal year limitation; and (3) extend until March 31, 2011, the authority to make expenditures from such Fund (including the Mass Transit Account).
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2009
Forest Jobs and Recreation Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to select areas on which to carry out, through the use of stewardship contracts or other contracting mechanisms, landscape-scale restoration projects on National Forest System land, and which may include other federal, state, tribal, or private land, in Montana for reclaiming or converting roads into recreational trails, restoring fish and wildlife habitat, replacing or resizing culverts, generating revenue for the investment of funds into fish and wildlife restoration and maintenance initiatives, and maintaining the infrastructure of wood products manufacturing facilities. Provides for specified forest management activities on the stewardship areas selected under this Act. Establishes resource advisory committees for the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest and the Three Rivers Ranger District in Kootenai National Forest. Requires the Secretaries to report every five years on implementation of such projects. Authorizes the use of certain funds for payment of the federal cost share for the installation of combined heat and power biomass system projects. Requires a specified biomass study. Designates specified forest and public lands in Montana as wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Releases specified wilderness study areas from further study for designation as wilderness. Designates or establishes the: (1) Lost Creek Protection Area; (2) West Big Hole National Recreation Area; (3) West Pioneers Recreation Management Area; (4) Thunderbolt Creek Recreation Area; (5) Three Rivers Special Management Area; and (6) Otatsy Recreation Area.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Hunting Heritage Protection Act - Requires that federal public land be open to access and use for hunting except as limited by: (1) the federal agency with jurisdiction over the land for national security or public safety reasons or for other reasons authorized by applicable federal law for limiting access; and (2) any law of the state in which the land is located that is applicable to hunting. Directs the head of each federal agency with authority to manage a natural resource or federal public land to exercise that authority in a manner so as to support, promote, and enhance access to hunting. Instructs the head of each federal agency to ensure that federal land management decisions and actions result in no net loss of land area accessible for hunting on federal public land. Requires the heads of federal agencies with authority to manage federal public land on which hunting occurs to report annually on areas administered in which access for hunting was limited and the reasons for the limitations and on areas that were opened to hunting to compensate for areas in which there were such limitations. Prohibits a withdrawal, change of classification, or change of management status that effectively closes or limits access to 5,000 or more acres of federal public land for hunting from occurring unless the head of the federal agency that has jurisdiction over the land has submitted written notice of the action to specified congressional committees. Grants states the right to file civil actions in district courts in cases where federal agencies fail to comply with state authority to manage or regulate fish and wildlife.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2009
Amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include the states of Idaho and Montana among affected areas for purposes of payments to individuals with certain medical conditions who were exposed to fallout emitted during the U.S. government's atmospheric nuclear tests.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2009
Energy-Efficient Manufactured Housing Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to provide grants to each state agency responsible for developing state energy conservation plans under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide owners of dated manufactured homes (manufactured homes constructed before January 1, 1976) rebates to use toward the purchase of new Energy Star qualified manufactured homes. Restricts rebates to owners of dated manufactured homes that are used on a year-round basis as a primary residence that will be destroyed (including appropriate recycling) and replaced in the same general location with an Energy Star qualified manufactured home. Limits rebates to: (1) one owner per household; (2) households with total incomes not exceeding 200% of the federal poverty level in the applicable area; and (3) $7,500 per manufactured home. Allows a state agency to supplement the amount of the rebate using state or other funds. Permits a state agency conducting a program the purpose of which is to replace dated manufactured homes with Energy Star qualified manufactured homes to use the amounts provided under this Act to support the program. Directs the Secretary to seek to achieve the purpose of this Act through similar federal programs, including: (1) the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons; and (2) the Department of Energy's (DOE's) State Energy Program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009 - Prohibits an automobile manufacturer (manufacturer) in which the federal government has an ownership interest, or which receives loans from the federal government, from depriving an automobile dealer (dealer) of its economic rights. Requires the manufacturer to honor those rights as they existed for Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corporation dealers prior to the commencement of the bankruptcy cases of each corporation, including dealer rights to recourse under state law. Requires the appropriate manufacturer to restore the franchise agreement between the dealers and Chrysler LLC or General Motors that was in effect prior to the commencement of their respective bankruptcy cases, and to take assignment of such agreements. States that nothing in this Act is intended to make null and void the transfer of substantially all the assets of such corporations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2009
Keeping Families Safe Act of 2009 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow foster care maintenance payments to be made on behalf of a child who is in a residential family treatment center. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to evaluate and report to Congress on the foster care maintenance payments made on behalf of a child who is in a residential family treatment center, including an analysis of the outcomes for such children.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2009
Expresses sympathy for the family, friends, and patients of Dr. George Tiller (who was shot to death on May 31, 2009). Condemns the use of violence: (1) to prevent women from receiving reproductive health care; and (2) as a means of resolving differences of opinion.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2009
Providing for Additional Security in States' Identification Act of 2009 or the PASS ID Act - Repeals title II (Improved Security for Driver's Licenses and Personal Identification Cards) of the REAL ID Act of 2005. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to prohibit: (1) federal agencies from accepting state-issued driver's licenses and personal identification cards unless the state issues such licenses and cards that are materially compliant with the minimum standards of this Act; and (2) persons from being denied boarding a commercial aircraft solely because of failure to present a driver's license or identification card issued pursuant to this Act. Specifies minimum document requirements and issuance standards for such licenses and cards. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) enter into the appropriate aviation security screening database information on persons who have been convicted of using a false driver's license at an airport; and (2) establish a state-to-state one driver, one license demonstration program. Establishes a State Driver's License Enhancement Grant Program. Makes it unlawful for a person knowingly and without lawful authority to copy or resell information from a driver's license or identification card.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act of 2009 - Includes, under the grant program for homeless veterans with special needs, entities that are eligible for: (1) grants for programs for a variety of services for such veterans; and (2) per diem payments for services furnished to such veterans. Includes homeless veterans who care for minor dependents among those considered to have special needs and provides for direct receipt of services by such dependents. Directs the Secretary of Labor, subject to the availability of appropriations, to make grants to programs and facilities that provide dedicated services for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children. Requires grants to be used to provide job training, counseling, placement services, and child care services to expedite the reintegration of such veterans into the labor force. Requires the Secretary to: (1) monitor the expenditure of funds under the grant program; and (2) carry out the program through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Offers deepest condolences to the family and friends of Officer Stephen T. Johns. Commends the staff members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for their courage and bravery in responding to the attack on June 10, 2009. Condemns: (1) anti-Semitism and all forms of religious, ethnic, and racial bigotry; and (2) acts of physical violence against, and harassment of, people based on race, gender, ethnicity, or religious affiliation. Calls on the leaders of all nations to speak out against the manifestations of anti-Semitism, bigotry, and hatred.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2009
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Act of 2009 - Amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, and Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for a program of comparative effectiveness research for health care. Defines "comparative effectiveness research" as research evaluating and comparing the implications and outcomes of two or more health care strategies to address a particular medical condition for specific patient populations. Establishes the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORTI) as a nonprofit, nongovernmental corporation to conduct Iresearch on the effectiveness of health care treatments, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices and procedures, and other therapies. Requires the PCORTI to: (1) identify national priorities for comparative clinical effectiveness research; (2) establish and update a research project agenda for comparative clinical effectiveness research and provide for peer review of primary research; (3) establish a standing methodology committee for developing the science of comparative effectiveness research; and (4) disseminate research findings. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish in the Treasury the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund. Imposes a fee on certain accident or health insurance policies and self-insured health plans to create revenue for the Fund. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to require the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research to support the PCORTI. Directs the Comptroller General of the United States to report to Congress on the process for making national coverage determinations under SSA title XVIII (Medicare).
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
Grow Research Opportunities With Taxcredits' Help Act or GROWTH Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the tax credit for increasing research activities through 2010; (2) modify the rate of such credit and make such modified credit permanent after 2010; and (3) increase to 20% the rate of the alternative simplified research tax credit after 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2009
Promoting American Agricultural and Medical Exports to Cuba Act of 2009 - Prohibits the President from restricting direct transfers from a Cuban depository institution to a U.S. depository institution in payment for a product or agricultural commodity authorized for sale under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide information and technical assistance to U.S. agricultural producers, cooperative organizations, or state agencies to promote U.S. agricultural exports products to Cuba. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the airport ticket tax for transportation between the United States and Cuba by $1; and (2) establish in the Treasury the Agricultural Export Promotion Trust Fund. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should issue temporary entry visas to Cuban nationals whose itinerary documents an intent to conduct activities, including phytosanitary inspections, relating to the purchase of U.S. agricultural commodities or products. Amends the Democracy Act of 1992 to repeal the requirement for onsite verification of certain medical exports to Cuba. Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions incident to such travel. States that: (1) any regulation restricting or prohibiting such travel shall have no effect; and (2) such prohibition shall not apply 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. citizens or legal residents. Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to repeal the prohibition on enforcement of rights to certain U.S. intellectual properties and such properties' transfer.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2009
Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 - Directs the President to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a regional strategy to guide U.S. support for multilateral efforts to eliminate the threat to civilians and regional stability posed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and to enforce the rule of law and ensure full humanitarian access in LRA-affected areas. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to respond to the humanitarian needs of populations in northeastern Congo, southern Sudan, and Central African Republic affected by LRA activity. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State and Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) should work with the appropriate congressional committees to increase future assistance to Uganda if the government of Uganda demonstrates a commitment to reconstruction in war-affected areas of northern and eastern Uganda. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should support efforts by the people of northern Uganda and the government of Uganda to: (1) promote local and national reconciliation including mechanisms outlined in the Annexure to the Agreement on Accountability and Reconciliation between the government of Uganda and the LRA; and (2) assist internally displaced people, establish mechanisms for the demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, and enhance the competency of local institutions including the police.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2009
Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the award of a congressional gold medal to the Army's 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2009
Rural Education Achievement Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends part B (Rural Education Initiative) of title VI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to revise the Small, Rural School Achievement program, which gives rural local educational agencies (LEAs) federal formula grants and greater flexibility in the use of state educational funds. Limits eligibility to LEAs whose schools are all designated with a school locale code of Fringe Rural, Distant Rural, or Remote Rural, unless located in an area the state defines as rural. Raises federal grant limits when funds available to implement the program equal or exceed $100 million. Alters LEA eligibility for federal funds under the Rural and Low-Income School program by requiring that: (1) at least 40% of the children ages 5 through 17 that LEAs serve be eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; and (2) all of their schools be designated with a school locale code of Distant Town, Remote Town, Fringe Rural, Distant Rural, or Remote Rural.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2009
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Directs the Secretary to establish the Center for Tobacco Products to implement this Act. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Authorizes the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if appropriate for the protection of the public health. Sets forth limits on such regulations, including prohibiting establishment of a minimum age greater than 18 for product purchases. Prohibits: (1) cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee; or (2) a tobacco product manufacturer from using tobacco that contains a greater level of pesticide chemical residue than is specified by any tolerance applicable to domestically grown tobacco. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health. Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) banning all cigarettes, all smokeless tobacco products, all little cigars, all other cigars, all pipe tobacco, or all roll-your-own tobacco products; or (2) requiring the reduction of the nicotine yields of a tobacco product to zero. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Revises tobacco product warning labels and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Reform and Firearms Modernization Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to revise the civil penalties for violations of firearms law and the procedures for assessing such penalties. Requires fines to be based upon the nature and severity of the violation, the size of the firearms business involved, and the prior record of the firearm's licensee. Prohibits consideration of the amount of fines or license revocations imposed by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in the retention, promotion, or transfer of such agents. Revises the definition of "willfully" for purposes of firearms violations and standards for criminal violations of firearms recordkeeping requirements. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) make preliminary determinations on firearms license applications and notify applicants in writing of a proposed denial; and (2) establish guidelines for ATF inspections, examinations, or investigations of possible firearms violations. Permits an owner of a firearms business whose license is expired, surrendered, or revoked 60 days to liquidate inventory. Allows purchasers of existing firearms businesses the right to cure firearms violations attributable to such businesses. Allows the transfer, possession, and importation of machineguns for industry testing, training, and film production. Eliminates the requirement of written permission for the use of a handgun for lawful purposes by a minor (under age 18) where a parent or legal guardian is present at all times during such use. Prohibits the Attorney General from electronically retrieving inactive firearms licensee information by name or personal identification code. Directs the Attorney General to authorize the importation of all frames or receivers of rifles, or barrels for firearms other than handguns, if the importation is for repair or replacement purposes.
![Official portrait of Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000243_200.jpg)