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 · 23 September 2009
Graduation Promise Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for differentiated high school improvement systems targeting support to schools with low student achievement and graduation rates after such schools fail for two consecutive years to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) pursuant to state academic performance standards. Allots grant funds to states pursuant to a formula that favors states with low graduation rates and a high percentage of students attending low-income LEAs. Requires state grantees to establish comprehensive school performance indicators and minimum annual improvement benchmarks for use, in addition to current AYP measures, in analyzing school performance and determining the improvement category into which a school is placed. Directs LEA subgrantees to: (1) categorize each of their schools that fail to make AYP for two consecutive years as needing targeted intervention, whole school reforms, or replacement; (2) convene a local school improvement team for each of such schools that will use performance indicators, AYP measures, and other relevant data to conduct a school needs assessment and develop a multiyear school improvement plan tailored to the school's need categorization; and (3) support the successful implementation of such plans and district-wide high school improvement strategies. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to LEAs, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education to develop and implement, or replicate, effective secondary school models for struggling students and dropouts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2009
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Wilderness Act - Designates specified wilderness areas in New Mexico and administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Designates certain BLM land as a potential wilderness area, and upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, as wilderness and as a component of such System and incorporated into the Robledo Mountains Wilderness. Releases certain public land in Dona Ana County that was not designated as wilderness by this Act from further study for designation as wilderness. Establishes certain BLM-managed lands in the county as the Organ Mountains and Desert Peaks National Conservation Areas. Requires the development of separate management plans for such areas. Transfers administrative jurisdiction over certain land from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of the Interior to become part of Organ Mountains National Conservation Area. Requires the Conservation Areas and the designated wilderness areas to be administered as components of the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS). Withdraws the federal land within the Conservation Areas, the wilderness areas designated by this Act, and the land identified as parcel B from: (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. Amends the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to adjust the boundary of the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2009
Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools In Counterterrorism Efforts Act of 2009 or the JUSTICE Act - Revises requirements for the issuance of and public reporting on national security letters and for judicial review of requirements for nondisclosure of the receipt of a national security letter. Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to revise requirements for obtaining orders for business records in counterterrorism investigations. Amends the federal criminal code to reduce from 30 to 7 days the period for notifying the target of a criminal investigation of the issuance of a search warrant. Prohibits the use of evidence in judicial and administrative proceedings if notice of a search warrant is delayed. Amends FISA to: (1) impose limits on roving electronic surveillance and the use of pen registers and trap and trace devices (devices for recording incoming and outgoing telephone numbers); (2) repeal provisions granting retroactive immunity to telecommunication providers for illegal disclosure of subscriber records; (3) prohibit the warrantless collection of certain communications of U.S. citizens known to reside in the United States; and (5) revise certain reporting and evidentiary requirements. Permits the recipient of a subpoena, order, or warrant issued under FISA to bring a challenge in either the district in which the subpoena, order, or warrant was issued or the district in which it was served. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) redefine "domestic terrorism" as involving acts dangerous to human life that constitute a federal crime of terrorism; and (2) revise the crime of providing material support or resources to foreign terrorism organizations to require knowledge or intent that such support or resources will be used to carry out terrorist activity.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2009
Recognizes the goals and achievements of Hispanic-serving institutions across this country. Designates the week beginning September 20, 2009, as National Hispanic Serving Institutions Week.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2009
Recognizes the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15, 2009, through October 15, 2009. Esteems the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the American economy, culture, and identity.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2009
Recognizes the contributions that former President of the AFL-CIO (1995-2009) John Sweeney has made to the U.S. labor movement. Congratulates and honors John Sweeney for his dedicated service and commitment to economic and social justice and tireless advocacy on behalf of U.S. working families.
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 · 8 September 2009
Federal Judgeship Act of 2009 - Directs the President to appoint specified additional: (1) permanent circuit judges for the first, second, third, sixth, and ninth circuit courts of appeals and temporary circuit judges for the third, eighth, and ninth circuits; and (2) permanent district judges for various districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington and temporary district judges for Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, and Virginia.
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
Cleaner, Secure, and Affordable Thermal Energy Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a tax credit for residential energy property expenditures to convert a home heating system using oil fuel to a system using natural gas boilers and furnaces and biomass heating appliances; (2) allow bonus depreciation of property used to convert a home heating system; (3) allow the use of tax-exempt energy conservation bonds to finance conversions of fuel oil heating systems; and (4) extend through 2012 accelerated depreciation for natural gas distribution facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2009
Expanding Building Efficiency Incentives Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase and extend for three years the new energy efficient home tax credit; (2) increase the rate of the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings; (3) allow a $200 tax credit through 2011 for the cost of a home energy rating; and (4) allow a $500 tax credit for the cost of training and certifying home performance auditors to conduct home energy ratings.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2009
Measuring American Poverty Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau), in collaboration with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to calculate modern poverty thresholds and modern poverty rates for each calendar year. Directs the Census Bureau and the BLS to choose: (1) the most appropriate distribution of consumption expenditures on food, clothing, and shelter, which may exclude families receiving subsidies for food, clothing, or shelter; and (2) the reference family for the modern poverty measure. Declares that the modern poverty threshold for a reference family shall be an amount equal to the average of 120% of the 33rd percentile of the distribution chosen, allowing for calculations to rely on a limited band converging on this percentile, during four or more of the most recent years for which data is available from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, a superior federal government source of data, or some combination of such sources. Prescribes requirements for determining modern poverty rates. Directs the Census Bureau, in collaboration with the BLS, to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to develop and publish methods of: (1) calculating a decent living standard threshold; and (2) measuring the extent to which the income of families in the United States is sufficient to meet it. Directs the Census Bureau, in collaboration with the BLS, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to contract with NAS to develop and publish a method of: (1) measuring the extent of medical care risk in the United States; and (2) calculating the number and percentage of individuals in the United States who lack adequate health insurance, leaving them at risk of being unable to afford needed treatment. Directs the Census Bureau to contract with NAS to develop a set of recommendations for methods to implement annual modern poverty measurement at the state and local level and a timeframe for the implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2009
Expanding Industrial Energy Efficiency Incentives Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase megawatt and horsepower capacity limitations for the combined heat and power system property energy tax credit; and (2) allow new tax credits to improve advanced motor system energy efficiency, to replace chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerant chillers, and for investment in any qualifying efficient industrial process water use project.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2009
Efficient Vehicle Leadership Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a new income tax credit for certain fuel-efficient motor vehicles with a purchase price not exceeding $50,000, beginning with model year 2011; (2) allow such credit as an offset against the alternative minimum tax (AMT); and (3) revise the gas guzzler excise tax to impose an increased tax on fuel guzzler motor vehicles, beginning with model year 2013, based on specified fuel efficiency ratings.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2009
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees). Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Prohibits related retaliation. Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations; and (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the Armed Forces. Declares that this Act does not repeal or modify any federal, state, territorial, or local law creating a special right or preference concerning employment for a veteran. Provides for the construction of this Act regarding: (1) enforcement by employers of rules and policies; (2) sexual harassment; (3) certain shared facilities such as showers or dressing facilities; (4) construction of new or additional facilities; (5) dress and grooming standards; and (6) provision of employee benefits to married vs. unmarried couples. Declares that, in this Act, "married" refers to a legal union between one man and one woman. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from collecting statistics from covered entities on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or compelling the collection by covered entities of such statistics. Provides for enforcement, including giving the EEOC, the Librarian of Congress, the Attorney General, and U.S. courts the same enforcement powers as they have under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and other specified laws. Allows actions and proceedings, subject to exception, against the United States and the states.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2009
New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the new markets tax credit through 2014; (2) provide for an inflation adjustment to the limitation amount for such credit after 2009; and (3) allow an offset against the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for such credit.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2009
Protecting America's Workers Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to expand its coverage to federal, state, and local government employees. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, under specified conditions, to cede OSHA jurisdiction to another federal agency with respect to certain occupational standards or regulations for such agency's employees. Declares OSHA inapplicable to working conditions covered by the Federal Mine Safety and Heath Act of 1977. Sets forth increased protections for whistle blowers under OSHA. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) the posting of employee rights; (2) a prohibition against the adoption or implementation of policies or practices by employers that discourage the reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses or that discriminate or provide for adverse action against any employee for reporting such injury or illness; (3) a prohibition against the loss of wages or employee benefits as a result of an employee participating in or aiding workplace inspections; (4) investigations of incidents in a place of employment resulting in a death or the hospitalization of two or more employees; (5) a prohibition against designating a citation for an occupational health and safety standard violation as an unclassified citation; (6) the rights of an employee who has sustained a work-related injury or illness that is the subject of an investigation; (7) an employer's right to contest citations and penalties; (8) the Secretary's assertion of an employer's failure to correct a serious hazard during an employer's contest to a citation; and (9) employee objections to modifications of citations. Increases civil and criminal penalties for certain OSHA violators. Requires a state that has an approved plan for the development and enforcement of occupational safety and health standards to amend its plan to conform to the requirements of this Act within 12 months after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2009
Designates August 16, 2009, as National Airborne Day (to recognize the airborne forces of the U.S. Armed Forces). Calls on the people of the United States to observe National Airborne Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
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 · 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 · 21 July 2009
Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009 - Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (the Act) to revise requirements for supportive housing for persons with disabilities. (Retains authority to provide such assistance to private nonprofit organizations to expand the supply of such housing.) Repeals the authority of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide tenant-based rental assistance directly to eligible persons with disabilities. Authorizes appropriations for such assistance under section 8 (rental voucher program) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 for persons with disabilities in FY2009. Modifies project rental assistance contract requirements, including renewal of, and increases in, annual contract amounts. Requires initial contracts with the sponsor of a project assisted with any low-income housing tax credit or with any tax-exempt housing bonds to have an initial term of up to 360 months and to provide funding for 60 months. Revises the requirement that all units in housing assisted by capital advances and project rental assistance contracts be made available for occupancy by very low-income persons with disabilities for at least 40 years. Requires the Secretary, within 30 days of issuing certain capital advances for multifamily projects (except group homes or independent living facilities), to delegate review and processing of such projects to a state or local housing agency meeting specified criteria. Revises tenant selection procedures. Requires a lease between a tenant and a housing owner to be for at least one year. Revises the application of cost limitations developed by the Secretary to supportive housing. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such limitations. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a minimum percentage of capital advances per fiscal year for multifamily projects; and (2) carry out a project rental assistance competitive demonstration program to expand the supply of supportive housing for non-elderly adults with disabilities and with extremely low incomes or for extremely low-income households that include at least one disabled person. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the program's adequacy and effectiveness in assisting households of persons with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2009
Student Breakfast and Education Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to award competitive grants to state or local educational agencies (LEAs) for the establishment or enhancement of school breakfast programs at, and through the provision of subgrants to, schools where at least 65% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches under the school lunch program. Authorizes schools to use the school breakfast subgrants to: (1) increase the quantity of local or fresh food available under their programs; (2) provide nutrition education and first-hand knowledge of food systems to students; (3) extend the period during which breakfast is available, including during the school day; (4) increase participation in their breakfast programs, including through the provision of universal free breakfasts; or (5) collaborate with institutions of higher education or other research entities in compiling data and reports on their breakfast programs. Gives priority to subgrant applicant schools at least 75% of whose students are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches and which intend to use the funds to procure local produce, provide universal free breakfasts, or provide breakfast during the school day. Directs grantees, at least 180 days before the end of a grant term, to evaluate whether it would be cost-effective for subgrantee schools to provide universal free breakfasts under the school breakfast program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2009
National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2009 - Amends the 21st Century Nanotechology Research and Development Act to expand the scope of the National Nanotechnology Program (the Program), including directing the Program to utilize the perspectives of the industrial community to promote the rapid commercial development of nanoscale-enabled devices, systems, and technologies and to coordinate research in determining the key physical and chemical characteristics of nanoparticles and nanomaterials that may pose environmental, health, and safety risks. Requires issuing guidance to agencies that describes a strategy for transitioning research into commercial products and technologies and how the Program will coordinate or conduct research on the environmental, health, and safety issues related to nanotechnology. Revises requirements regarding the Program's triennial strategic plans. Requires participating agencies to support the activities of the committees of standards setting bodies involved in the development of standards for nanotechnology. Requires the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office to be supported by funds from each participating agency. Authorizes appropriations to: (1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the development of nanotechnology standards; and (2) the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the development of a public information database of projects in certain program component areas. Makes the National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel a distinct entity. Instructs the Panel to establish a subpanel to enable it in assessing whether societal, ethical, legal, environmental, and workforce concerns are adequately addressed by the Program. Rewrites provisions for triennial external review of the Program. Designates a Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of Nanotechnology, who shall convene a panel to develop a research plan. Requires the Coordinator to enter into an arrangement with the National Science Board to create a report in support of such plan that identifies the broad goals and needs of environmental, health, and safety researchers. Establishes an Education Working Group to coordinate, prioritize, and plan formal and informal educational activities supported under the Program. Provides for one or more grants to establish Nanotechnology Education Partnerships to recruit and help prepare secondary school students to pursue postsecondary level courses in nanotechnology. Requires agencies supporting nanotechnology research facilities to provide access to representatives from industry and other stakeholders for the transfer of research results or assist in developing prototypes of nanoscale products, devices, or processes. Sets forth provisions concerning nanotechnology related projects under existing nanotechnology transfer programs. Makes it an objective of the Program to establish industry liaison groups. Requires coordination and leveraging of federal investments with nanotechnology research, development, and technology transition initiatives. Requires the Program to include support for nanotechnology research and development in areas of national importance, such as energy production, water purification, agriculture, and health care, and to additionally support research that addresses the environment, health, and safety risks of nanoparticles and the ethical, legal, and societal issues related to nanotechnology. Requires the Program to support nanomanufacturing research, including in green nanomanufacturing. Requires specified reviews by the Advisory Panel of certain program component areas and nanotechnology research facilities. Sets forth provisions regarding nanoscale characterization and metrology. Requires deliberative public input in the decision making processes affecting policies for the research, development, and use of nanotechnology.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2009
American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009 - Establishes: (1) the Clean Energy Investment Fund, a revolving fund to develop clean energy technology; (2) the Clean Energy Deployment Administration in the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide financial support for deploying clean energy technologies; (3) the National Commission on Nuclear Waste to study issues concerning waste management, disposal, storage, and chemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; (4) a Working Group on Energy Markets; and (5) a standard that requires utilities to obtain an increasing percentage of their base quantity of electricity that they sell to consumers from renewable energy or energy efficiency (3% in 2011-2013, 6% in 2014-2016, 9% in 2017-2018, 12% in 2019-2020, and 15% in 2021-2039). Requires DOE to: (1) establish a renewable energy credit trading program and an energy efficiency credit trading program, under which utilities will submit credits to comply with such standard; (2) conduct various studies and programs concerning clean energy, water use and energy savings, and energy efficiency in vehicles; (3) support manufacturers' use of clean energy and energy efficiency measures, including implementing the State Partnership Industrial Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Program and a sustainable manufacturing initiative; (4) implement a program to demonstrate the commercial application of integrated systems for the capture, injection, monitoring, and storage of carbon dioxide from industrial sources; (5) support programs to expand the domestic production of low-Btu gas and helium resources; (6) conduct a marine-based energy device verification program; (7) implement a grant program to develop and evaluate marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy; and (8) establish a task force to report on climate change in China and India. Directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to: (1) develop an interconnection-wide transmission plan for the electric grid; (2) require electric utilities to make available interconnection service to consumers with respect to facilities that generate up to 15 kilowatts; and (3) establish a model standard for the interconnection of certain small power production facilities. Provides for the protection of critical electric infrastructure from cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Gives the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing authority under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 over facilities that use an advanced fuel recycling process. Requires NRC and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish standards regarding protection against radiation and radioactive material from facilities that use such a process. Sets forth provisions to: (1) establish energy efficiency standards for lights, appliances, and buildings and revise the Energy Star program; (2) require the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to include at least 30 million barrels of refined petroleum products; (3) provide for the production of geothermal energy on land with oil and gas leases; (4) repeal royalty relief for production from certain ultra deep gas wells in shallow water and oil and gas production sites in the Gulf of Mexico; (5) increase a federal loan guarantee for developing an Alaska natural gas pipeline; (6) prioritize and provide assistance for renewable energy development on brownfield sites; (7) authorize and extend appropriations for specified energy programs; (8) provide for the development of energy education and workforce training; and (9) establish requirements for the Energy Information Administration, including creating a Financial Market Analysis Office. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) develop a facility to operate the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility; (2) designate Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field offices in specified states to serve as Renewable Energy Permit Coordination Offices; (3) prepare a seismic inventory of oil and natural gas and a summary of such information for waters in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); (4) establish a wind and solar leasing program; (5) conduct assessments of helium gas and potash; (6) establish a regional joint OCS lease and permit processing office for Alaska; and (7) allow oil and gas leasing in specified areas of the Gulf of Mexico that are beyond 45 statute miles (current law limits such activity to areas beyond 125 miles) off the coastline of Florida.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2009
Bureau of Reclamation Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Extends through FY2023 (under current law, FY2011) the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to use power revenues collected pursuant to the Colorado River Storage Project Act for annual base funding for implementation of the endangered fish recovery implementation programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2009
Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to rename the Public Lands Corps as the Public Lands Service Corps (the Corps). Creates a grant program for the establishment of Indian Youth Service Corps so that Indian youth can carry out projects determined to be priorities by their tribes and communities. Permits Corps participants to work in the National Marine Sanctuary System, coral reefs, and other coastal, estuarine, and marine habitats, and other lands and facilities administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Requires the: (1) establishment of offices within the Department of the Interior, Forest Service, and NOAA for the coordination of Corps activities; and (2) designation of a Corps coordinator for each agency within the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce that administers such activities. Establishes an Indian Youth Service Corps liaison to: (1) provide outreach to tribes about contracts and grants for establishing Corps programs on Indian lands; and (2) coordinate with the tribal liaison of the Corporation for National and Community Service in establishing Corps opportunities on those lands. Requires the Corps to consist of individuals between the ages of 16 and 25 who are enrolled as participants for a period of not more than two years. (Current law does not specify any time period for enrollment.) Requires a recruitment program and training program for Corps members. Describes the types of natural and cultural resources conservation projects that may be carried out by the Corps or any qualified youth or conservation corps on eligible service lands. Sets forth requirements regarding the use of Corps members to provide certain visitor and interpretation services. Authorizes the Secretaries to: (1) establish residential conservation centers; (2) provide temporary housing for the Corps and residential conservation centers; (3) as an appropriate natural and cultural resources conservation project, direct Corps participants to aid in the construction of residential conservation center facilities, including housing; (4) seek the assistance of the Secretary of Energy in identifying and using green building technologies and modular housing designs that may be adapted for such facilities; and (5) recruit mentors for Corps participants. Authorizes individual placements of consulting interns with federal land, coastal, and ocean management agencies to carry out management analysis. Authorizes cooperative agreements and competitive grants for tribes and tribally authorized organizations to establish Indian Youth Service Corps. Requires the issuance of management guidelines for programs of the Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2009
Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged Act or the Keeping PACE Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to award grants to states for competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive school improvement funds under part A of title I of the Act to enable such LEAs to assist public elementary and secondary schools to hire and maintain Parent and Community Outreach Coordinators responsible for improving family and community involvement in such schools. Gives subgrant priority to LEAs targeting schools with the highest proportions of needy students or students failing to meet state academic performance standards. Requires each assisted school to appoint a committee of school officials, parents, and community members to screen Coordinator applicants and evaluate Coordinator performance. Directs state grantees to award competitive subgrants to partnerships between community-based organizations and public schools to connect integrated services and comprehensive supports to students and families to enhance student performance. Gives priority to applicants targeting schools with the highest proportions of needy students or students failing to meet state academic performance standards. Requires state grantees to award competitive matching subgrants to consortiums composed of a school, LEA, mayor, and at least one other community partner to redesign schools as centers of communities that encourage family and community participation in students' education and provide community education. Authorizes the Secretary to contract with a nonprofit organization experienced in providing integrated student supports to: (1) provide technical assistance and training to this Act's grantees and subgrantees; and (2) establish a national information clearinghouse on effective parent, family, and community engagement practices and programs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2009
Time for Innovation Matters in Education Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to states to enable them to award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or partnerships between LEAs and other public or nonprofit entities to plan and implement expanded learning time initiatives at high-need schools that they serve. Requires such initiatives to: (1) increase the total number of school hours each year at participant schools by at least 300 hours, compared to the school hours per year that are standard for comparable schools served by their LEAs; and (2) expand learning time for all students in all grade levels in such schools, except in high schools where expanded learning time must apply to at least one entire grade level. Directs states to give subgrant priority to LEAs that serve a high percentage of students from low-income families and partnerships that include a nonprofit community-based organization or an organization focused on alternative learning or dropout prevention. Permits the Secretary to: (1) award planning and implementation grants directly to a partnership that serves more that one area in more than one state; and (2) provide technical assistance to grantees and subgrantees in developing and implementing expanded learning time initiatives. Requires the Secretary to contract with an independent organization with expertise in school improvement, program evaluation, and measurement to evaluate this Act's program and provide technical assistance to grantees and subgrantees in collecting data and evaluating their programs pursuant to specified performance measures.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Energy Efficiency in Housing Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish: (1) annual energy efficiency participation incentives for HUD programs to achieve substantial improvements in energy efficiency; (2) budget-neutral incentives to encourage lenders to make energy-efficient and location-efficient mortgages; (3) incentives for increasing the energy efficiency of multifamily housing subject to mortgages insured under the National Housing Act; and (4) an energy efficiency demonstration program for multifamily housing projects assisted with project-based rental asistance. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to: (1) require the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to assign an additional housing credit for compliance with Federal Mortgage Insurance Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) housing goals for energy efficient mortgages; and (2) require the HUD Secretary to establish a commission to develop and recommend model mortgage products and underwriting guidelines that provide market-based incentives to incorporate energy efficiency upgrades and location efficiencies in new mortgage loan transactions. Amends the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 to require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop loan products and flexible underwriting guidelines to facilitate a secondary market for energy-efficient and location-efficient mortgages for low and moderate income families and for second and junior mortgages made for purposes of energy efficiency or renewable energy. Amends the National Housing Act to require the Secretary, in applying underwriting standards for mortgages on single-family housing, to consider the impact on the income of borrowers under Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance programs and Native American and Native Hawaiian loan guarantee programs from savings on utility costs resulting from energy efficiency standards established by this Act. Amends the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975 to require the collection of information on energy-efficient and location-efficient mortgages. Requires the Secretary to develop and implement a pilot program for the financing of capital improvements to improve the energy efficiency and conservation of assisted housing projects. Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to prohibit the Secretary from making a site revitalization grant unless the applicant's proposed revitalization plan meets specified Green Developments requirements. Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to require real estate appraisals, in determining the value of a property, to consider any renewable energy sources or energy-conserving improvements or features of the property. Establishes in the Treasury the Alternative Energy Sources State Revolving Fund to provide loans to states and Indian tribes to carry out renewable energy and energy conservation activities. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to nonprofit organizations to increase low-income community development capacity. Authorizes the Secretary to make loan guarantees for the financing of renewable energy systems leased for residential use. Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to establish green banking centers to provide energy efficiency information to consumers seeking a mortgage, home improvement loan, or home equity loan. Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the impact of this Act on the availability of affordable mortgages. Requires the Secretary to obtain information from public housing agencies on the energy costs of their housing units and report such information to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Civil Rights Tax Relief Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) an exclusion from gross income for amounts received (either backpay or frontpay or punitive damages) on account of an unlawful discrimination claim; (2) income averaging for backpay and frontpay amounts received from such claims, and (3) an exemption from the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for any tax benefit resulting from the income averaging of amounts received from an unlawful discrimination claim.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Success in the Middle Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to states, based on their proportion of poor children aged 5 to 17, to: (1) implement state middle grades needs analyses and, on the basis of such analyses, improvement plans that describe what students must master to complete successfully the middle grades and succeed in academically rigorous high school coursework; and (2) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or partnerships of LEAs and institutions of higher education, educational service agencies, or educational nonprofit organizations to implement a comprehensive middle school improvement plan for each eligible school. Favors LEAs, or partnerships that include LEAs, that serve high proportions of poor children and children attending eligible schools. Defines "eligible schools" as those where: (1) a high proportion of middle grade students matriculate to high schools with graduation rates below 65%; (2) more than 25% of the students who finish grade six, or the school's earliest middle grade level, exhibit key risk factors for failure; and (3) a majority of middle grade students are not rated proficient on required state assessments in mathematics, reading, or language arts. Permits states to make subgrants to LEAs and partnerships that did not receive a competitive subgrant to assist them in applying for competitive subgrants and developing comprehensive middle school improvement plans. Provides the Secretary with funding to: (1) contract for studies that identify promising practices for, and review existing research to identify factors that might lead to, the improvement of middle grades education; (2) create a national clearinghouse in best middle grade educational practices and a national database identifying factors that facilitate or impede middle grade student achievement; (3) require certain educational field research designed to enhance the performance of middle grade schools and students; (4) create a research and development center that addresses topics pertinent to the middle grades; and (5) provide grants to entities that partner with states and LEAs to develop, adapt, or replicate effective models for turning around low-performing middle grades.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2009
Prescribe A Book Act - Creates a Pediatric Early Literacy program under which the Secretary of Education awards matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of three-part models through which: (1) health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer them recommendations and strategies for doing so; (2) health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five-years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and (3) volunteers reading to children in health care facility waiting areas show parents the techniques and pleasures of reading aloud to children. Requires that the books provided to children under the program be obtained at a discount.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2009
Hunger Free Schools Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to make performance awards to states that demonstrate outstanding performance or show substantial improvement in directly certifying as eligible for free meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs any children whose families are eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. (Direct certification eliminates the need for such families to submit applications for participation in the school lunch and breakfast programs.) Requires each state that directly certifies less than 95% of their children who are eligible for direct certification to implement: (1) a corrective action plan for the current school year; and (2) a direct certification improvement plan, approved by the Secretary, for the following school year. Requires direct certification of children who are members of a household that includes a child: (1) who is eligible for and receiving assistance under title XIX (Medicaid) or title XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program [CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP]) of the Social Security Act; and (2) whose income does not exceed 133% of the federal poverty level. Directs the Secretary to award grants to states to assist them in implementing such certification program. Allows local educational agencies (LEAs) to directly certify children whose household is eligible for a supplemental subsistence allowance for low-income members of the Armed Forces with dependents. Permits schools and LEAs to receive special assistance payments for free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs that are based not on applications for such meals, but on: (1) estimates, made from recent socioeconomic data, of the number of children eligible for such meals; or (2) if the school or LEA is from a high poverty area, the direct certification of a specified minimum percentage of their students as eligible for free meals due to their eligibility for certain other public assistance. Requires such schools and LEAs to provide free meals to all their students under the school lunch and breakfast programs and cover, from nonfederal sources, the costs of serving such meals that exceed the assistance received under such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2009
Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to extend for an additional five years the rural community hospital demonstration program.
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 · 16 June 2009
National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) , acting through the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, to: (1) develop a system to collect data on multiple sclerosis (MS) and a system to collect data on Parkinson's disease; (2) establish a national surveillance system for the collection and storage of data for each such disease, including population-based registries of U.S. cases of MS and Parkinson's disease; (3) provide analysis regarding expansion of national disease surveillance systems for other neurological diseases and disorders; and (4) establish the Advisory Committee on Neurological Disease Registries. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to provide for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on MS and Parkinson's disease. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for research access to Parkinson's disease and MS data. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information collected are made available to agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2009
Supports the goals of Smart Irrigation Month which are to: (1) recognize the advances in irrigation technology and practices that help raise healthy plants and increase crop yields while using water resources more efficiently; and (2) encourage the adoption of smart irrigation practices to improve agricultural, residential, and commercial water-use efficiency.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
340B Program Improvement and Integrity Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the drug discount program to allow participation as a covered entity by certain: (1) children's hospitals; (2) critical access hospitals; and (3) rural referral centers. Expands the program to include drugs used in connection with an inpatient or outpatient service by enrolled hospitals (currently, only outpatient drugs are covered under the program). Prohibits enrolled hospitals from obtaining covered outpatient drugs through a group purchasing arrangement. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish reasonable exceptions to such prohibition, including for drugs unavailable through the program and to facilitate generic substitution when a generic covered drug is available at a lower price. Requires a hospital enrolled in the 340B drug discount program to issue a credit to a state Medicaid program for inpatient drugs provided to Medicaid recipients. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide for improvements in compliance by manufacturers and covered entities with the requirements of the drug discount program; and (2) establish and implement an administrative process for resolving claims by covered entities and manufacturers of violations of such requirements. Requires manufacturers to offer each covered entity covered drugs for purchase at or below the applicable ceiling price if such a drug is made available to any other purchaser at any price.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Algae-based Renewable Fuel Promotion Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) expand the definition of cellulosic biofuel to include algae-based biofuel for purposes of the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credit; and (2) allow accelerated depreciation of property used to produce algae-based biofuel. Defines "algae-based biofuel" as any liquid fuel which is produced from the biomass of an algal organism (i.e., an organism that is primarily aquatic and classified as a non-vascular plant).
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 · 11 June 2009
Acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws. Apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws. Expresses Congress's recommitment to the principle that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and calls on all people of the United States to work toward eliminating racial prejudices, injustices, and discrimination from our society. Declares that nothing in this resolution authorizes, supports, or serves as a settlement of any claim against the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2009
SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends the Small Business Act with respect to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to extend funding and revise provisions, including those concerning set-asides and award levels, qualifications for program participation, collaboration and partnerships, acquisition preferences, performance measurement and oversight, workforce development, the Department of Defense (DOD) commercialization pilot program, nanotechnology, and intellectual property protections.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2009
Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to revise provisions governing the importation of prescription drugs. Waives the limitation on importation of prescription drugs that have been exported from the United States. Prohibits the importation of a qualifying drug unless such drug is imported by: (1) a registered importer; or (2) an individual for personal use. Establishes registration conditions for importers and exporters. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to inspect places of business, verify chains of custody, inspect facilities, and determine compliance with registration conditions. Sets forth provisions governing the importation of qualifying drugs that are different from U.S. label drugs, including standards for judging such differences. Prohibits manufacturers from: (1) discriminating against registered exporters or importers; (2) causing there to be a difference in a prescription drug distributed in the United States and one distributed in a permitted country; (3) engaging in actions to restrict, prohibit, or delay the importation of a qualifying drug; or (4) engaging in any action that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) determines discriminates against a person that engages or attempts to engage in the importation of a qualifying drug. States that the resale in the United States of prescription drugs that were properly sold abroad is not patent infringement. Requires the Secretary to educate consumers regarding prescription drug importation. Sets forth provisions governing the sale of prescription drugs through an Internet site. Includes the dispensing or selling of a prescription drug in violation of this Act as a prohibited act under FFDCA. Prohibits the introduction of restricted transactions with unregistered foreign pharmacies into a payment system or the completion of such transactions using a payment system.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2009
National Fish Habitat Conservation Act - Establishes a National Fish Habitat Board to: (1) promote, oversee, and coordinate the implementation of this Act and the existing National Fish Habitat Action Plan; (2) establish aquatic habitat conservation goals and priorities; and (3) review and recommend fish habitat conservation projects. Authorizes the Board to designate Fish Habitat Partnerships to: (1) coordinate Plan implementation at a regional level; (2) identify strategic priorities; (3) recommend habitat projects; and (4) develop and carry out fish habitat conservation projects. Establishes Partnership approval criteria, including that a Partnership: (1) include representatives of a diverse group of public and private partners focused on conservation of aquatic habitats to achieve results across jurisdictional boundaries and public and private land; and (2) is able to address issues and priorities on a nationally significant scale. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to fund, from amounts appropriated under this Act, up to 50% of the cost of approved fish habitat conservation projects on nonfederal and 100% of projects on federal land or water. Requires the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to: (1) establish the National Fish Habitat Conservation Partnership Office within the Service; and (2) develop the Office's interagency operational plan. Requires the Director, the Assistant Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to provide technical and scientific assistance to the Partnerships, the project participants, and the Board.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2009
Amends the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 to renew, for three years, the President's authority to ban the import of Burmese products. Approves the renewal of certain import restrictions contained in the Act. Deems this resolution a renewal resolution which shall take effect upon its enactment or July 26, 2009, whichever occurs first.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
Helping Fill the Medicare Rx Gap Act of 2009 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), with respect to the annual out of pocket threshold, to count costs incurred in providing prescription drugs by the Indian Health Service, a federally-qualified health center, an AIDS drug assistance program, certain hospitals, or a pharmaceutical manufacturer patient assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
STEM Education Coordination Act of 2009 - Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish a committee under the National Science and Technology Council that has the responsibility of coordinating federal programs and activities in support of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Directs such committee to: (1) coordinate the STEM education activities and programs of federal agencies; (2) develop, implement through participating agencies, and update once every five years, a five-year STEM education strategic plan; and (3) establish, periodically update, and maintain an inventory of federally sponsored STEM education programs and activities, including documentation of assessments of the effectiveness of such programs and activities and rates of participation by women, underrepresented minorities, and persons in rural areas. Requires the Director to annually report to Congress on the STEM education strategic plan.
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