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United States · Official source
3,388 records where Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2009
Highway Investment Protection Act - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to transfer remaining unobligated stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to ensure its solvency through FY2010. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the expenditure authority of the HTF through FY2010.
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 · 23 June 2009
Water Accountability Tax Efficiency Reinvestment Act of 2009 or the WATER Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 30% of amounts paid for WaterSense labeled property certified by a licensed independent third party as meeting specifications of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense program. Limits the lifetime dollar amount of such credit to $1,500. Terminates such credit after 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2009
Enumerated Powers Act - Requires each Act of Congress to contain a concise explanation of the specific constitutional authority relied upon for the enactment of each portion of that Act. Declares that failure to comply with this requirement shall give rise to a point of order in either chamber of Congress. Specifies procedures for disposition of such point of order in the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2009
Axe the Stimulus Plaques Act - Prohibits the use of funds made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for signage to indicate that a particular project is being carried out using such funds.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2009
Commends the recreational boating community and the U.S. boating industry for contributing to the economy, benefiting the well-being of U.S. citizens, and providing responsible environmental stewardship of marine resources. Urges the United States to observe National Boating Day.
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 · 11 June 2009
Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require fishery management plans, amendments, or regulations for overfished fisheries to specify a time period for ending overfishing and rebuilding the fishery that is as short as practicable (under current law, as short as possible). Modifies the exceptions to the requirement that such period not exceed ten years. Requires consideration, in evaluating progress to end overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks, of factors other than commercial and recreational fishing. Requires, when the Secretary of Commerce extends the period under specified provisions, that the maximum rebuilding time not exceed the sum of the initial ten-year period, the expected time to rebuild the stock absent any fishing mortality and under prevailing environmental conditions, and the mean generation time of the stock.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Automobile Dealers Assistance Act of 2009 - Conditions the provision of federal funds to automobile manufacturers or distributors in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding on their use of such funds to fully reimburse their dealers for certain costs the dealers incurred over the nine months preceding the commencement of such bankruptcy. Counts as reimbursable costs over that period: (1) the costs of acquiring all parts and inventory in the dealer's possession on the same basis as if the dealer were terminating pursuant to an existing franchise or dealer agreement; and (2) all other obligations owed by the automobile manufacturer or its distributor pursuant to an agreement with the dealer. Requires such dealer reimbursement terms to be included in the wording of agreements between such manufacturers or their distributors and the federal government, and in the terms of credit agreements approved by bankruptcy courts. Prohibits the rejection of franchise or dealer agreements by automobile manufacturers or their distributors that are debtors in a bankruptcy proceeding from becoming effective until at least 180 days after approval by a bankruptcy court.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Amends the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 to prohibit U.S. courts from recognizing, enforcing, or otherwise validating any assertion of rights by an individual (under current law, by a designated Cuban national) of a mark, trade name, or commercial name that was used in connection with a business or assets that were confiscated by the Cuban government unless the original owner of such mark or name, or such owner's bona fide successor, has expressly consented. Applies such prohibition only if the individual asserting the rights knew or had reason to know at the time of acquiring the rights asserted that the mark or name was the same or substantially similar to the mark or name used in connection with the business or assets that were confiscated.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Stop Tarp Asset Recycling Act of 2009 or the STAR Act of 2009 - Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to require, beginning upon enactment of this Act, all repayments of funds and all proceeds from the sale of federally-acquired assets under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to be used to reduce the public debt.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
Green Jobs Improvement Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to make nonunion training programs eligible for federal funding under the energy efficiency and renewable energy worker training program (Green Jobs program). Applies certain worker protections and nondiscrimination requirements to such programs.
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 · 10 June 2009
Free Enterprise Act of 2009 - Requires congressional approval before any Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds are provided or obligated to any entity, on and after May 29, 2009, whose receipt of such funds would result in federal government acquisition of its common or preferred stock.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2009
Home Buyer Tax Credit Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to replace the current tax credit for first-time homebuyers with a one-time credit for 10% of the purchase price of a principal residence, up to $15,000. Requires repayment of credit amounts if the taxpayer sells or fails to occupy the residence within 24 months after the date of purchase.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2009
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the use of average sales price methodology for calculating payments for drugs and biologicals under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Excludes from the manufacturer's average sales price when calculating such payments any customary prompt pay discounts extended to wholesalers.
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
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 · 8 June 2009
Josh Miller Helping Everyone Access Responsive Treatment in Schools Act of 2009 or the Josh Miller HEARTS Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for use in their schools; and/or (2) provide training to meet the grant requirement that at least five adult employees or volunteers at each school where an AED is to be used successfully complete training in its use and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Requires LEA grant applicants also to demonstrate that: (1) the AEDs are integrated into the schools' emergency response procedures; and (2) emergency services personnel are notified of their locations. Gives grant priority to schools that: (1) lack an AED; (2) typically have a significant number of students, staff, and visitors present during the day; (3) generally have a longer wait for emergency medical services than other public facilities in the community; and (4) have not received funds under the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
Auto Stock for Every Taxpayer Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from expending or obligating any more Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds for automobile manufacturers that have been participating in the program and have filed for bankruptcy protection. Imposes on the Secretary the fiduciary duty to maximize the return on the taxpayers' investment in such manufacturers under TARP. Authorizes persons aggrieved by violations of such fiduciary duty to bring civil actions for equitable relief. Requires the Secretary, after the emergence of such an automobile manufacturer from bankruptcy, to provide taxpayers with common stock certificates representing their shares in the aggregate common stock holdings of the federal government in such manufacturer.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2009
Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act or the RAISE Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to declare that neither its prohibition against interference by an employer with employees' right to bargain collectively, nor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement entered into between employees and an employer after enactment of this Act, shall prohibit an employer from paying an employee higher wages, pay, or other compensation than the agreement provides for.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2009
Child Custody Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit transporting a minor child across a state line to obtain an abortion (deems such transporting to be a de facto abridgment of the right of a parent under any law in the minor’s state of residence that requires parental involvement in the minor’s abortion decision). Makes an exception for an abortion necessary to safe the life of the minor. Makes it an affirmative defense to a prosecution or civil action under this Act that a defendant reasonably believed that before the minor obtained the abortion, the required parental consent or notification or judicial authorization took place. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to one year on anyone who has committed an act of incest with a minor and knowingly transports such minor across a state line to obtain an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2009
Mobile Wireless Tax Fairness Act of 2009 - Prohibits states or local governments from imposing any new discriminatory tax on mobile services, mobile service providers, or mobile service property for five years after the enactment of this Act. Defines "new discriminatory tax" as a tax imposed on mobile services, providers, or property that is not generally imposed on other types of services or property, or that is generally imposed at a lower rate.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2009
Amends Senate Resolution 400, 94th Congress (establishing the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence) to expand the Committee's jurisdiction to appropriations as well as (under current law) the authorization of appropriations for: (1) the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the DNI Director; (2) the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the CIA Director; (3) the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA); (4) the National Security Agency (NSA); (5) the intelligence activities of other departments and subdivisions of the Department of Defense (DOD); (6) the intelligence activities of the Department of State; (7) the intelligence activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI); and (8) their respective successors. Amends Senate Resolution 445, 108th Congress (establishing in the Senate Committee on Appropriations a Subcommittee on Intelligence) to abolish the Subcommittee.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2009 - Prohibits the federal government from providing the government of Vietnam with nonhumanitarian development, trade, economic, and security assistance during any fiscal year that exceeds the amount of such assistance provided during FY2009, unless such increases are matched or exceeded by additional funding for programs focusing on human rights and democracy promotion. Authorizes the President to waive such requirements if increased U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance would promote the purposes of this Act or it is otherwise in the U.S. national interest. Prohibits the President from providing certain duty-free treatment for Vietnam until the President certifies to Congress that the government of Vietnam protects freedom of association and does not engage in violations of workers' rights. Authorizes the President to provide U.S. assistance through appropriate nongovernmental organizations and the Human Rights Defenders Fund for the support of individuals and organizations to promote human rights in Vietnam. Expresses the sense of Congress regarding diplomacy with the government of Vietnam. Declares it is U.S. policy: (1) to take such measures as are necessary to overcome the jamming of Radio Free Asia by the government of Vietnam; and (2) that educational and cultural exchange programs with Vietnam should promote progress toward freedom and democracy. Declares it is U.S. policy to offer refugee resettlement to Vietnam nationals (including members of the Montagnard ethnic minority groups) who were eligible for the Humanitarian Resettlement program, the Orderly Departure program, the Resettlement Opportunities for Vietnamese Returnees program, the Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1988, or any other U.S. refugee program, but who were deemed ineligible for reasons of administrative error or certain circumstances beyond their control.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Independence at Home Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize voluntary Independence at Home chronic care coordination pilot programs for high-cost Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions under the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Pathways to College Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive five-year grants to local educational agencies that serve mostly high-need high schools for programs to increase the number of students from low-income families who attend college. Defines "high-need high schools" as those where at least one-half of the students are from low-income families. Requires grantees to use such funds to: (1) train teachers and counselors to provide students with advice concerning postsecondary education; (2) implement a comprehensive college guidance program for all students which exposes them to postsecondary information and planning assistance before the end of their first semester of high school; (3) ensure that their schools develop comprehensive, school-wide plans of action to strengthen their college-going culture; (4) create or maintain a postsecondary access center in each school that provides information on colleges and universities, career opportunities, and financial aid options; and (5) provide a setting in which professionals working in college access programs can meet with students. Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grantees in calculating and analyzing their college-going rates and adopting best practices for elevating such rates. Requires grantees periodically to evaluate the success of their grant activities and use the evaluations to refine such activities and their performance measures. Directs the Secretary to conduct an independent evaluation of the grant program which includes an assessment of the program's affect on high school graduation and college-going rates.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
SMA Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a national clinical trials network for spinal muscular atrophy by upgrading and unifying spinal muscular atrophy clinical trial sites and recruiting new investigators and sites. Requires the Director to ensure that such network: (1) conducts coordinated, multisite, clinical trials of therapies and clinical approaches to the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy; and (2) rapidly and efficiently disseminates scientific findings to the field. Requires the Director to: (1) establish a data coordinating center with respect to spinal muscular atrophy; and (2) expand and intensify NIH programs with respect to preclinical translation research related to spinal muscular atrophy. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to enhance and support a spinal muscular atrophy patient registry to provide for expanded epidemiological research towards improving awareness, management, treatment, and prevention of spinal muscular atrophy. Requires the Secretary to ensure the collection and analysis of longitudinal data related to individuals of all ages. Directs the Secretary to establish the Interagency Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Coordinating Committee. Sets forth the duties of the Committee, including to develop a comprehensive strategy related to spinal muscular atrophy research and other related neurological diseases and disorders. Requires the Secretary to establish a program to provide information and education on spinal muscular atrophy to health professionals and the general public.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2009
Safe Routes to School Program Reauthorization Act - Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to reauthorize appropriations for FY2010-FY2014 for the safe routes to school program. Revises program requirements to specify children kindergarten through 12th grade as the ones to be benefited by the program. Revises apportionments to replace the current specific dollar amounts with formulae. Includes projects for other nonmotorized modes of transportation besides walking and bicycling as noninfrastructure-related projects. Authorizes states to set-aside up to 10% of apportioned funds for infrastructure improvements that create safe routes to bus stops located outside of the vicinity of schools. Requires any state that receives an apportionment of funds to form a multidisciplinary state advisory committee. Prescribes requirements for the treatment of noninfrastructure and infrastructure projects. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) develop and implement a comprehensive plan for evaluating the effectiveness of safe routes to school; and (2) establish a working group of federal agencies, states, and stakeholders to examine the issue of school siting.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2009
Medical Homes Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a three-year demonstration project under titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP) of the Social Security Act for the implementation of a patient-centered medical home program to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in providing Medicaid and CHIP assistance to an estimated 500,000 to 1 million targeted beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2009
Patients' Choice Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene an interagency coordinating committee to develop a national strategic plan for prevention. Provides for health promotion and disease prevention activities consistent with such plan. Sets forth provisions governing the establishment and operation of state-based health care exchanges to facilitate the individual purchase of private health insurance and the creation of a market where private health plans compete for enrolles based on price and quality. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for qualified health care insurance coverage. Replaces title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act with a program to provide grants to states for: (1) acute medical care assistance to otherwise qualified blind or disabled individuals, foster care children, low-income women with breast or cervical cancer, certain tuberculosis-infected individuals, and certain individuals currently covered; and (2) long-term care services and supports for qualified disabled and elderly populations. Repeals title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP) of the Social Security Act. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to supplement the costs of private health insurance for eligible low-income families through the distribution of supplemental debit cards, which may be used for costs associated with health care and provide direct support in accessing health care. Requires the Secretary to establish and implement a competitive bidding mechanism to promote competition among Medicare Advantage plans and to increase the quality of care furnished under the plans. Requires benchmarks for such plans to be established solely through competitive bids. Sets forth programs to prevent Medicare fraud and abuse, including ending the use of social security numbers to identify Medicare beneficiaries. Allows the Secretary to award grants for the development, implementation, and evaluation of alternatives to current tort litigation for the resolution of disputes concerning injuries allegedly caused by health care providers or health care organizations. Requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations to provide for the certification and auditing of the banking of electronic medical records. Establishes: (1) a Health Care Services Commission to enhance the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of health care services and access to such services; and (2) the Office of the Forum for Quality and Effectiveness in Health Care. Terminates the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Independent Health Record Trust Act of 2009 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe standards for the establishment, certification, operation, and interoperability of independent health record trusts. Requires the Secretary to: (1) permit Indians to receive health care through providers outside of the Indian Health Service; and (2) make payments for such care. Terminates the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2009
Protecting America's Communities Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit the admission, asylum entry, or parole entry into the United States of an alien who, as of January 1, 2009, was being detained by the Department of Defense (DOD) at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Requires the additional six-month detainment of such an alien ordered removed if the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) certifies that: (1) the alien cannot be removed due to the refusal of all countries designated by the alien to receive the alien; and (2) the Secretary is making reasonable efforts to find alternative means for removing the alien. Authorizes the Secretary to renew such certification after providing the alien with an opportunity to request and provide evidentiary support for reconsideration of the detainment certification. Prohibits: (1) an immigration judge or official of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement from releasing a detained alien on bond or parole; and (2) the Secretary from delegating certification authority to an official below the level of the Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Directs the Attorney General to take into custody upon release an alien who, as of January 1, 2009, was being detained by DOD at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Reaffirms that: (1) the United States is in an armed conflict with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated forces; and (2) the President is authorized to detain enemy combatants in connection with such conflict regardless of their place of capture.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2009
Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2009 - Amends the Fur Products Labeling Act to: (1) eliminate the exemption to fur labeling requirements for products containing relatively small amounts of fur; and (2) permit states to enforce more restrictive labeling requirements. Directs the the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in the Fur Products Name Guide, to replace the term "Raccoon, Asiatic" with "Dog, Raccoon."
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2009
Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce from $18 to $9 (the pre-1991 level) the per-barrel tax on beer; and (2) allow a further reduction in such tax for brewers who produce not more than 2 million barrels annually.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2009
Military Voting Protection Act of 2009 - Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to direct the Secretary of Defense (the presidential designee) to establish procedures for: (1) collecting marked absentee ballots of absent overseas uniformed services voters in regularly scheduled general elections for federal office; and (2) delivering such ballots to the appropriate state election officials. Requires the designee to: (1) ensure that such ballots are delivered prior to the time established for the closing of the polls on the date of the election; (2) carry out delivery requirements by utilizing the express mail delivery services of the U.S. Postal Service, which shall include a mechanism for ballot tracking; (3) inform individuals who are anticipated to be absent overseas uniformed services voters in such an election of the procedures for collection and delivery of marked absentee ballots established pursuant to this Act; and (4) take steps to ensure that such voters are able to cast their votes in a private and independent manner, and that vote contents remain private while in the designee's possession or control.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2009
Designates May 15, 2009, as National MPS Awareness Day (mucopolysaccharidosis) and expresses support for the goals and ideals of such Day.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2009
Reduces the level of difficulty required in the use of prostheses by veterans suffering the loss of hands, arms, or legs as a result of military service before becoming eligible for a higher level of veterans' disability compensation for such injury. Authorizes additional veterans' disability compensation for service-disabled veterans determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to be in need of regular aid and attendance due to residual effects of traumatic brain injury.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2009
Commences the payment of original awards of veterans' disability compensation, in the case of veterans who are retired or separated from active military service for a disability or disabilities, as of the date the award becomes effective. Provides a similar effective date for a waiver by such veterans of military retired or retainer pay in an amount equal to the disability compensation received.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2009
Congratulates the people of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the 75th anniversary of the Park. Commends the people of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the National Park Service (NPS) for 75 years of successful management and preservation of the Park's land. Commends the citizens of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee for their vision and sacrifice in bringing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park into being.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2009
International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009 - Authorizes the President to provide assistance, including through multilateral, nongovernmental, and faith-based organizations, to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the educational, health, economic, social, and legal empowerment of girls and women. Sets forth priority assistance criteria. Directs the President, through the Secretary of State, to establish a multi-year strategy to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the empowerment of girls at risk of child marriage. Sets forth strategy elements. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that Department of State country reports on human rights practices include a description of the status of child marriage for countries with specified rates of child marriage. Defines "child marriage" as the marriage of a girl or boy not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2009
National Language Act of 2009 - Requires: (1) English to be the national language of the federal government; and (2) the federal government to preserve and enhance the role of English as the national language. Provides that no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the federal government act, communicate, perform or provide services, or provide materials in any language other than English, unless specifically provided by statute. Makes the English language version of a government form issued in a language other than English the sole authority for legal purposes. Declares that this Act does not prohibit the use of a language other than English.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2009
Constitutional Amendment - Grants Congress the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the U.S. flag.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2009
Designates May 8, 2009, as Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Honors and recognizes the contributions made by spouses of members of the Armed Forces. Encourages the people of the United States to observe Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2009
Congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of charter schools across the country for their ongoing contributions to education and our public school system. Supports the ideas and goals of the tenth annual National Charter Schools Week (May 3-May 9, 2009).
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2009
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research and Awareness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct, support, and expand existing epidemiology research on inflammatory bowel disease (i.e., Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) in both pediatric and adult populations; (2) authorize the CDC to award grants and enter into cooperative agreements to develop and administer such epidemiology research; and (3) direct the CDC to award grants to increase awareness of inflammatory bowel disease among the general public and health care providers. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Directors of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases should support specified research and training goals for inflammatory bowel diseases.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
21st Century Energy Technology Deployment Act - Establishes in the Treasury the Clean Energy Investment Fund, consisting of: (1) amounts appropriated for administrative expenses to implement a loan guarantee program that provides incentives for innovative technologies; and (2) amounts deposited in or appropriated for the Fund. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to revise provisions concerning such program, including by revising the definition of "commercial technology," requiring payments from the borrower to not be a debt obligation that is made or guaranteed by the federal government, and requiring fees collected under such program to be deposited into the Fund (currently, the Treasury). Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE), after consultation with the Energy Technology Advisory Council of the Clean Energy Deployment Administration (both established by this Act), to develop and publish for review and comment near-, medium-, and long-term goals for the deployment of clean energy technologies through the credit support programs established by this Act to establish or promote specified energy generation, transmission, and use and energy technology manufacturing capacities. Allows the Administration to issue direct loans, letters of credit, loan guarantees, insurance products, or such other credit enhancements or debt instruments (including through participation as a co-lender or a member of a syndication) to deploy clean energy technologies. Requires the Administration to: (1) establish an expected loan loss reserve to account for estimated losses; and (2) develop financial products and arrangements to promote the widespread deployment of, and mobilize private sector support of credit and investment institutions for, clean energy technologies through securitization, indirect credit support, or other similar means of credit enhancement. Authorizes the Administration to lend on the security of, and make commitments to lend on the security of, any debt that it has issued or is authorized to purchase. Describes the Administration's lending and credit authorities. Authorizes the Secretary to delegate to the Administration the provision of financial services and program management for grant, loan, and other credit enhancement programs. Requires biannual reports to Congress on the technologies supported and on Administration performance. Requires the Administration to report annually and quarterly to the Secretary on its financial conditions and operations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 Act - Directs the President to call a White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 to: (1) encourage improvements in each state and local child welfare system; and (2) develop recommendations for actions to implement express policy regarding federal, state, and local programs.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Medicare Patient Access to Physical Therapists Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize qualified physical therapists to provide services for Medicare beneficiaries without the requirement of a physician referral. Provides for treatment of outpatient speech-language pathology services separately from outpatient physical therapy services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should continue to support diplomatic efforts in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the U.N. Security Council to end Iran's illicit nuclear activities; (2) diplomatic efforts with Iran are more likely to be effective if the President is empowered with the explicit authority to impose additional sanctions on the government of Iran; (3) it should be U.S. policy to encourage foreign governments to direct state-owned and private entities to cease all investment in, and support of, Iran's energy sector and all exports of refined petroleum products to Iran; (4) the President is urged to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran and any other Iranian financial institution engaged in proliferation activities or support of terrorist groups; (5) the Department of the Treasury should continue to work with allies to protect the international financial system from deceptive and illicit practices by Iranian financial institutions involved in proliferation activities or support of terrorist groups; (6) U.S. concerns regarding Iran are strictly the result of that government’s actions; and (7) the people of the United States have feelings of friendship for the people of Iran and regret that developments in recent decades have created impediments to that friendship. Amends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to direct the President to impose two or more current sanctions under such Act if a person has, with actual knowledge, made an investment of $20 million or more (or any combination of investments of at least $5 million which in the aggregate equals or exceeds $20 million in any 12-month period) that directly and significantly contributed to Iran's ability to develop its petroleum resources. (Under current law the sanction thresholds are $40 million, $10 million, and $40 million, respectively.) Directs the President to impose: (1) sanctions established under this Act (in addition to any current sanctions imposed under the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996) if a person has, with actual knowledge, sold, leased, or provided to Iran any goods, services, technology, information, or support that would allow Iran to maintain or expand its domestic production of refined petroleum resources, including any assistance in refinery construction, modernization, or repair; and (2) sanctions established under this Act if a person has, with actual knowledge, provided Iran with refined petroleum resources or engaged in any activity that could contribute to Iran's ability to import refined petroleum resources, including providing shipping, insurance, or financing services for such activity. Establishes additional sanctions prohibiting specified foreign exchange, banking, and property transactions. Includes references to refined petroleum resources in a presidential report to Congress requesting waiver of sanctions for purposes of national interest. Directs the President to report to the appropriate congressional committees every six months regarding any person who has: (1) provided Iran with refined petroleum resources; (2) sold, leased, or provided to Iran any goods, services, or technology that would allow Iran to maintain or expand its domestic production of refined petroleum resources; or (3) engaged in any activity that could contribute to the enhancement of Iran's ability to import refined petroleum resources.