United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Community Choice in Real Estate Act - Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 and the Revised Statutes of the United States to prohibit the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Secretary of the Treasury, respectively, from determining that real estate brokerage activity or real estate management activity is financial in nature, is incidental to any financial activity, or is complementary to a financial activity. (In effect, prohibits financial holding companies and national banks from engaging, directly or indirectly, in real estate brokerage or real estate management activities.) Exempts from such prohibition: (1) activities of a bank holding company (or any affiliate) that directly relate to managing any real property owned by national banks or their affiliates; and (2) the right, power, or ability of any financial holding company to engage in any activity, or acquire or retain the shares of any company engaged in an activity authorized for financial holding companies on December 6, 2001 ("grandfather clause").
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Requires a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber to increase the public debt limit. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Prohibits any bill to increase revenue from becoming law unless approved by a majority of each chamber by rollcall vote. Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect or under other specified circumstances involving military conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Social Security Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal: (1) government pension offset requirements applicable to husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and mother's and father's insurance benefits with respect to OASDI payments; and (2) windfall elimination requirements with respect to computation of an individual's primary insurance amount.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Disapproves the totalization agreement between the United States and Mexico, establishing totalization arrangements between the Social Security Systems of the two countries, which was signed by the Commissioner of Social Security and the Director General of the Mexican Social Security Institute on June 29, 2004.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2006
Waives the requirement of Rule XIII of the House of Representatives for a two-thirds vote to consider a report from the Committee on Rules on the same day it is presented to the House with respect to any resolution reported on December 8, 2006. Makes it in order at any time on December 8, 2006, for the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2006
Waives the requirement of Rule XIII of the House of Representatives for a two-thirds vote to consider a report from the Committee on Rules on the same day it is presented to the House with respect to any resolution reported on December 6, 2006. Makes it in order at any time on December 7, 2006, for the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules. Tables House Resolutions 810, 939, 951, and 1047.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2006
Free File Reform Act of 2006 - Requires the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to ensure that: (1) all services presented through the Free File program (free electronic filing of tax returns) are made available to all eligible taxpayers, particularly low-income, disadvantaged, and underserved taxpayers; and (2) companies participating in the Free File program protect taxpayer privacy rights and provide free tax return preparation services to state Free File programs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Long-term Care Quality and Modernization Act of 2006 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Secretary Act to require states to establish a process for joint training and education for nursing home surveyors and providers at least annually as changes to regulations, guidelines, and policy governing nursing facility operations are implemented. Requires individuals newly hired as surveyors to be assigned full-time to a nursing facility to observe actual operations outside of the survey process before the individuals begins oversight responsibilities. Sets forth provisions related to resumption of nursing aid training program for skilled nursing facilities after correction of deficiencies. Permits: (1) split or shared Medicare billing by physicians and nurse practitioners in such facilities; and (2) nurse practitioners employed by such facilities to certify skilled care under Medicaid. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish a condition-based system of physical therapy services based on medical necessity; and (2) utilize an area wage index for such facilities based on wage data from such facilities and not from hospitals to determine a federal per diem for such facilities. Authorizes the Secretary to exclude from the Medicare prospective payment system for such facilities: (1) high cost and low probability cancer treatment drugs; (2) all ambulance services; and (3) additional items and services that the Secretary determines to be appropriate. Eliminates the hospital stay requirement for coverage of extended care services under Medicare. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to establish a national nursing database to be used to predict future nursing shortages. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a 10-year recovery period for qualified long-term care improvement property.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006
New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to review each state's meat and poultry inspection program, which shall include: (1) a determination of plan effectiveness; and (2) identification of changes necessary for future transition to a state program as provided for by this Act. Rewrites and renames title III (currently titled,"Federal and State Cooperation") of the Federal Meat Inspection Act as "State Meat Inspection Programs." Authorizes the Secretary to approve a qualifying state meat inspection program and allow the shipment in commerce of carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat, and meat food products so inspected. Requires the Secretary to review approved plans annually. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) enter into a cooperative agreement to establish the relationship between a state program and the Secretary; (2) provide partial reimbursement for state costs to meet federal requirements; and (3) appoint advisory committees. Prohibits from state inspection plan participation establishments that have more than 50 employees, except for those subject to state inspection as of 90 days after the effective date of this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to temporarily suspend or take over a noncomplying state program (or an establishment). States that: (1) an establishment in a state with an approved state program may apply for either state or federal inspection; and (2) a state or local government shall not prohibit or restrict the movement or sale of meat or meat food products that have been inspected and passed in accordance with this Act for interstate commerce. Exempts from such inspection provisions retail stores and restaurants (including specified central kitchen facilities) if the operations are conducted for sale of such prepared articles in normal retail quantities or for service of the articles to consumers at such establishment. Makes similar amendments to the Poultry Products Inspection Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006
Margaret Thatcher Congressional Gold Medal Act - Provides for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Margaret Thatcher in recognition of her dedication to the values of free markets and free minds.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2006
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4844) to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require any individual who desires to register or re-register to vote in an election for Federal office to provide the appropriate State election official with proof that the individual is a citizen of the United States to prevent fraud in Federal elections.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2006
Expresses support for the observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to provide a special opportunity to offer education on the importance of monthly breast self-examinations and annual mammograms. Recognizes breast cancer survivors, the efforts of victims, volunteers, and professionals who combat breast cancer, and the work of national and community organizations in promoting breast cancer awareness, providing information, and offering treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2006
Makes it out of order in the House of Representatives to consider: (1) a bill reported by a committee unless the report includes a list of earmarks in the bill or in the report (and the names of the requesting Members); or (2) a conference report on a bill unless the joint explanatory statement accompanying it includes a list of earmarks in it or in the joint statement (and the names of the requesting Members) that were not committed to the conference committee by either chamber, not in the committee report, and not in a Senate committee report on a companion measure. Makes it out of order in the House to consider a bill carrying a tax measure reported by the Ways and Means Committee in which the Joint Committee on Taxation has: (1) identified a tax earmark, unless the report on the bill includes a list of tax earmarks in it or in the report (and the names of the requesting Members); or (2) failed to provide such analysis. Makes it out of order in the House to consider a conference report carrying such a measure as to which the Joint Committee on Taxation has: (1) identified a tax earmark, unless the accompanying joint explanatory statement includes a list of tax earmarks in it or in the joint statement (and the names of the requesting Members) that were not committed to the conference committee by either chamber, not in the Committee report, and not in a Senate committee report on a companion measure; or (2) failed to provide such analysis. Makes it out of order in the House to consider a rule or order that waives the requirements of this Act with respect to consideration of conference reports. Requires the Joint Committee to: (1) review any bill containing a tax measure that is being reported by the Ways and Means Committee or prepared for filing by a conference committee; (2) identify whether such bill contains any tax earmarks; and (3) provide the Ways and Means Committee and the conference committee with a statement identifying such earmarks or declaring that the legislation does not contain any. Requires the statement to be included in the committee report or joint statement of managers, as applicable.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2006
Health Care Access and Rural Equity (H-CARE) Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to: (1) the Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustment for rural hospitals; (2); payment for clinical laboratory tests furnished by critical access hospitals; (3) rebasing for sole community hospitals; (4) establishment of a rural community hospital program; (5) extension of the Medicare rural hospital hold harmless provision under the prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient department services; (6) coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance); (7) permanent treatment of certain physician pathology services under Medicare; (8) extension of the Medicare incentive payment program for a physician scarcity area; (9) proportional representation of interests of rural areas on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; and (10) additional payments for providers furnishing ambulance services in rural areas and prompt payment of clean claims by Medicare prescription drug plans and MedicareAdvantage-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans under the Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program). Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to extend: (1) certain Medicare hospital wage index reclassifications and disregarding hospital reclassifications for purposes of group reclassifications; (2) Medicare reasonable costs payments for certain clinical diagnostic laboratory tests furnished to hospital patients in certain rural areas; and (3) the temporary Medicare payment increase for home health services furnished in a rural area. Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants to eligible entities in rural areas for purchase and enhanced utilization of qualified health information technology systems; (2) establish a capital infrastructure revolving loan program and a Rural Health Quality Advisory Commission; and (3) provide for delta rural disparities and health systems development.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2006
Help Establish Access to Local Timely Healthcare for Your Vets (HEALTHY Vets) Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in the case of a veteran for whom Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities are geographically inaccessible, to use current authority for contracting out veterans' medical care to non-Department facilities in order to provide the following care to such veterans: (1) primary care; (2) acute or chronic symptom management; (3) nontherapeutic medical services; and (4) other medical services determined appropriate by the director of that geographic service region, after consultation with the Department physician responsible for the veteran's primary care. Outlines conditions under which Department facilities shall be deemed geographically inaccessible. Authorizes the Secretary to waive the requirement of geographic inaccessibility, on a case-by-case basis, if the costs to the Department of providing such care significantly outweigh the benefits of localized health care for the veteran.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2006
American-Made Energy Freedom Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase tax credits for cellulosic biomass ethanol; (2) extend the energy credit for solar and fuel cell property; (3) extend and modify the credits for residential energy efficient property and for certain liquid fuel derived from coal; and (4) establish the American-Made Energy Trust Fund to implement designated sections of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, including climate change technology deployment. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally sound program for the exploration, development, and production of the oil and gas resources of the Coastal Plain of Alaska. Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 to repeal the prohibition against production of oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and any leasing or development leading to such production. Prescribes procedures for: (1) lease sales; (2) grants of leases; and (3) Coastal Plain environmental protection; (4) rights-of-way and easements for the transportation of oil and gas across the Coastal Plain. Directs the Secretary to convey: (1) the surface estate of specified lands to the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation; and (2) the remaining subsurface estate of specified lands to the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Establishes the Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund to provide financial assistance to specified entities directly impacted by oil and gas production and exploration on the Coastal Plain.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2006
Medicare Physician Payment Reform and Quality Improvement Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise physician payment requirements under the Medicare program, including the physician payment update and quality measures for physicians' services. Terminates application of the sustainable growth rate (SGR), replacing it with a single conversion factor, the Medicare economic index (MEI) minus 1%. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the selection of quality performance measures (Q-measures) for assessing physician, non-physician practitioner, and supplier services and determining ratings for them. Requires such Q-measures to be developed in conjunction with physician specialty organizations and consensus-building organizations. Eliminates specified limitations on the balance billing of highest income beneficiaries. Revises requirements for the quality improvement program (QIO), including program administration, data disclosure, use of evaluation and competition, quality improvement funding, and qualifications for QIOs under part B (Peer Review) of SSA title XI. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to permit alternative quality improvement programs under such program. Terminates the availability of funds from the MA Regional Plan Stabilization Fund. Directs the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund to monitor and examine the extent to which the different Medicare funding mechanisms provide an appropriate alignment with the program goals of the respective parts. Provides for a one-year delay in Medicare adjustments in payments for imaging services. Eliminates the three-year phase-in for implementation of the reduction in Medicare part B premium subsidies for higher income beneficiaries (thus requiring immediate application of the reduction adjustment).
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2006
Veterans Identity and Credit Security Act of 2006 - Requires: (1) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish policies and standards for federal agencies to follow in the event of a breach of data security involving the disclosure of sensitive personal information; and (2) each federal agency to establish procedures for notifying individuals whose sensitive personal information is compromised. Establishes in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) an Under Secretary for Information Services. Outlines responsibilities of the VA's Chief Information Officer with respect to personal information security management. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report quarterly to the congressional veterans' committees on any data breach with respect to sensitive personal information possessed or maintained by the VA. Requires within the VA, with respect to each data breach, an independent risk analysis to determine the level of risk for the potential misuse of such information. Provides for, after a data breach: (1) fraud alerts; (2) credit security freezes; and (3) credit protection services. Outlines requirements for contractors who contract to perform any VA function that requires access to sensitive personal information. Directs the Secretary, in order to ensure appropriate information security skills for VA employees, to carry out programs to provide financial support for the education of such personnel in information security at institutions of higher education. Authorizes: (1) a scholarship program under which the Secretary may provide financial assistance to an individual for up to five years with a limit of $50,000 per year; and (2) a debt reduction program under which the Secretary makes payments on loans taken by VA employees to obtain appropriate information security education, with a payment limit of $82,500 over a five-year period. Provides a first and second priority, in the provision of assistance under this section, to: (1) veterans with service-connected disabilities; and (2) other veterans. Requires any veteran receiving assistance to have been discharged from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2006
Soldiers Targeted by Offensive Profiteering Act of 2006 (STOP Act) - Prohibits any person, except with permission, from using the name or image of a protected individual in connection with any merchandise, retail product, impersonation, solicitation, or commercial activity in a manner calculated to: (1) connect the protected individual with that individual's service in the Armed Forces; and (2) convey the impression that such use is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the protected individual. Defines as a "protected individual" any person who: (1) is a member of the Armed Forces; or (2) was a member at any time after April 5, 1917, and, if not living, has a surviving spouse, child, parent, grandparent, or sibling. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring actions to enjoin violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2006
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2990) to improve ratings quality by fostering competition, transparency, and accountability in the credit rating agency industry.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006
Children of Fallen Soldiers Pell Grant Act of 2006 - Amends the Higher Educaton Act of 1965 to eliminate the expected family contribution used in determining Pell Grant eligibility in the case of a student applicant whose parent or guardian was killed while performing military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2006
Cruise Line Accurate Safety Statistics Act - Requires the owner of a cruise ship that calls at a U.S. port to report to the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating each: (1) crime that occurred on the cruise ship in which a U.S. citizen was a victim; (2) incident on a cruise ship in which a U.S. citizen was missing or reported overboard for four hours or more; and (3) crime and incident that occurred on the cruise ship in the preceding three-month period. Requires the Secretary to make such information available to the public, including on a site on the Internet. Directs the Secretary to inspect each cruise ship that enters a U.S. port to determine whether such ship has adequate equipment and trained personnel to investigate such crimes. Requires a cruise line that sells a ticket for carriage of an individual on a cruise ship that will call at a U.S. port to: (1) refer such individual to the Internet site before selling the ticket; and (2) provide the individual with the name of each country the cruise ship will visit, as well as the locations of each U.S. embassy and consulate in such country. Sets forth civil penalties for persons that violate the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2006
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4761) to provide for exploration, development, and production activities for mineral resources on the outer Continental Shelf.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2006
Veterans Identity Protection Act of 2006 - Expresses the sense of Congress that it is the responsibility of the Department of Veterans Afffairs: (1) to safeguard Department records that contain personal identifying information about present and former members of the Armed Forces and their family members; and (2) when such information is lost or compromised due to the carelessness of the Department or one of its employees, to assist the affected individuals in mitigating the effects of such loss or compromise. Establishes within the Department an Office of Identity Protection to prevent such loss or compromise of information and to assist affected individuals. Directs the Department's Inspector General to conduct a study of Department data security practices. Provides criminal penalties for Department officers or employees who remove from Department custody any protected personnel file, record, report, or document.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2006
Stormwater Enforcement and Permitting Act of 2006 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require the owner or operator of any point source to provide information necessary to address an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or welfare or the environment. Requires the Administrator to provide an operator a reasonable opportunity to correct a violation of a permit condition for a site with residential construction activity before initiation of an enforcement action, if such violation has not resulted in a discharge of stormwater. Prohibits more than one opportunity to correct violations of the same condition. Prohibits the Administrator from requiring a permit for stormwater runoff from such a site if: (1) the runoff enters a municipal separate storm sewer system that is covered by a permit and the operator is in compliance with runoff requirements; and (2) such site has minimal potential for soil erosion. Prohibits the Administrator from exercising enforcement authority with respect to a state permit that authorizes stormwater discharge from such a site unless: (1) such a discharge flows across a state line or onto a federal facility or Indian tribal lands; (2) such permit was issued under a state program that the Administrator has suspended or withdrawn; or (3) a discharge results in imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or welfare or the environment. Prohibits the Administrator from paying any state penalty for a violation of a permit for such a discharge. Requires the Administrator to establish a program that will develop and distribute to site operators a pamphlet that explains permitting requirements for stormwater discharges. Authorizes the Administrator or the state to issue a general permit for no more than five years on a state, regional, or nationwide basis to cover any category of discharges, sludge use, disposal practices, or facilities. Declares that the Administrator or state is not required to review, approve, or provide an opportunity for public comment on any application for a discharge under a general permit.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006
Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to restore Medicare treatment of ownership of oxygen equipment that existed prior to the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Repeals: (1) the limitation of Medicare payment to the supplier for such equipment (including portable oxygen equipment) to 36 months of continuous use; and (2) the requirement that the equipment supplier transfer title to the individual at the end of such period, with payments continuing at specified monthly rates.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2006
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive, for two-year periods, requirements for awarding breast and cervical cancer grants to states if certain conditions are met, including that granting such a waiver will not reduce the number of women in the state receiving examinations and screening for breast or cervical cancer or the quality of such services. Requires the Secretary to review performance under the waiver and allows the Secretary to extend such waivers. Authorizes appropriations for breast and cervical cancer grants through FY2012.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2006
HSA Accessibility and Portability Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize a health insurance issuer to elect, instead of complying with the guaranteed issue requirements (that require a health insurance issuer offering coverage in the small group market in a state to accept every small employer that applies and to accept all eligible individuals without certain restrictions), to: (1) guarantee continuation of coverage through individual health insurance for an individual who no longer qualifies as an eligible individual of the employer at a rate that does not exceed 150% of the standard individual rate applicable to individual coverage in the state; and (2) furnish information for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to monitor the impact of such election on access to, and affordability of, health insurance coverage in the small group market and in the individual market. Requires such an election to apply to all eligible individuals of that small employer at the time of such election, but does not require applicability to an individual who becomes eligible after such election. Allows an election under this Act to be made only with respect to coverage of a small employer under health insurance coverage that consists of a high deductible health plan and a contribution to a health savings account.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2006
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2020 excise tax credits and refunds for liquid fuels and mixtures derived from coal (including peat) through the Fischer-Tropsch process.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2006
Amends federal transportation law to repeal, as of April 1, 2006, provisions prohibiting the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from implementing any proposed change to the FAA personnel management system, in cases where the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service do not lead to an agreement between the Administrator and FAA employees, until 60 days after the Administrator has transmitted the proposed change (along with the objections of the exclusive bargaining representatives to the change, including the reasons for such objections) to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2006
Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 or the MINER Act - Amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to require coal mine operators to: (1) carry out continuously a program to improve accident preparedness and response at each mine; and (2) adopt and update an accident response plan for evacuations and for maintenance of individuals trapped underground. Requires such a plan to provide for: (1) redundant means and local coordination of communication; (2) post-accident location of underground personnel; (3) emergency air supplies: (4) self-rescuer caches, maintenance, and replacement; (5) escapeways and flame-resistant directional lifelines; (6) emergency training; and (7) within three years, post accident wireless communication between underground and the surface and electronic tracking of trapped persons. Limits the liability of persons who carry out mine accident rescue or recovery operations. Directs the Secretary of Labor to require: (1) the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to establish and update criteria to certify the qualifications of mine rescue teams; and (2) mine operators to have one employee knowledgeable in emergency response on each shift and two certified mine rescue teams available at each mine within one hour. Requires notification of a mine accident to be provided to the Secretary by the operator within 15 minutes of knowledge of a death or potentially fatal injury. Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to establish within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) an Office of Mine Safety and Health to enhance the development of new mine safety technology and applications and to expedite the commercial availability and implementation of such technology. Authorizes the Director of NIOSH to: (1) award competitive grants and contracts; and (2) establish an interagency working group to share technology, research, and developments concerning mine safety and accident response. Requires the Secretary to require: (1) the temporary assignment of a department official as a liaison with the families of victims of mine tragedies involving multiple deaths; and (2) MSHA to be as responsive as possible to family requests for information and to serve as the primary communicator. Prescribes penalties for operator violations of health or safety standards or orders. Requires the Secretary to finalize mandatory health and safety standards relating to the sealing of abandoned areas in coal mines, which shall increase the current 20 psi standard. Establishes a Technical Study Panel to provide independent scientific review and recommendations regarding the use of belt air and the composition and fire retardent properties of belt materials in mines. Requires the Secretary of Education to establish a program to provide scholarships to individuals to increase the skilled workforce for mine operators, mine safety inspectors, and other MSHA personnel. Requires NIOSH to provide for research about various refuge alternatives in coal mines. Requires the Secretary of Labor to award competitive grants for funding education and training programs to better identify and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around mines.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2006
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Associate Administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to awards grants to eligible entities to: (1) provide education and training in newborn screening and congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders to health care professionals and newborn screening laboratory personnel; (2) develop educational programs about newborn screening for parents, families, and patient advocacy and support groups; and (3) establish, maintain, and operate a system to assess and coordinate treatment relating to congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders. Requires the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children to: (1) recommend a uniform screening panel for newborn screening programs that includes the heritable disorders for which all newborns should be screened; and (2) develop a model decision-matrix for newborn screening program expansion. Directs the Secretary to adopt or reject any new or pending recommendations by the Advisory Committee. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) provide for quality assurance for screening laboratories; (2) provide for population-based pilot testing for evaluating use of new screening tools on a mass scale; (3) collect, analyze, and make available data on certain heritable disorders; and (4) operate regional centers for the conduct of applied epidemiological research on the prevention of such disorders.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2006
Senior Independence Act of 2006 - Reauthorizes the Older Americans Act of 1965. Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 for the Administration on Aging, the National Eldercare Locator Service, pension counseling and information programs, specified services under such Act, and older American community service employment-based training. Revises the definition of "information and assistance service" for purposes of such Act to include such a service to older individuals at risk for institutional placement. Adds as duties and functions of the Administration on Aging: (1) assisting service providers to inform certain older individuals of the eligibility requirements for specified benefits; and (2) assisting states to support the provision of disease prevention and health promotion services. Repeals the authorization for the Assistant Secretary for Aging to provide staff and assistance to the Federal Council on Aging. Requires the Assistant Secretary to assist entities that serve older individuals in integrated health promotion and disease prevention programs. Includes among state eligibility requirements for grants for programs on aging: (1) assuring that preference will be given to providing services to older individuals, including low-income minority individuals, individuals with limited English proficiency, and individuals living in rural areas; and (2) promoting the development of a comprehensive, coordinated system for providing long-term care in home and community-based settings. Requires area plans to: (1) provide that the area agency on aging shall facilitate the development and implementation of such system; and (2) determine the extent of need for services and senior centers by considering low-income minority older individuals, older individuals with limited English proficiency, older individuals residing in rural areas, and older individuals at risk for institutional placement. Authorizes area agencies to: (1) include in such plan an assessment of how prepared the area is for change in the number of older individuals; and (2) make recommendations to government officials on actions that build the area's capacity to meet needs of older individuals. States as the purpose of the nutrition projects grant program to promote socialization and the health and well-being of older individuals by assisting such individuals to gain access to disease prevention and health promotion services to delay the onset of health conditions resulting from poor nutritional health or sedentary behavior. Requires states to provide nutrition education, counseling, and services to recipients of meals delivered by state nutrition projects. Requires area agencies to encourage using trained volunteers for services and to coordinate with specified volunteer programs. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to make grants to assess the aging population and facilitate planning and coordination between state and local agencies. Rewrites provisions concerning the older American community service employment program as the Older American Community Service Employment-Based Training Act. Repeals requirements for review and public comment on training projects. Requires the Secretary of Labor to use funds for demonstration, pilot, and evaluation projects for the purpose of developing approaches and demonstrating the effectiveness of methods in addressing older workers' employment and training needs. Requires a state's chief executive officer to submit a plan that outlines a strategy for the statewide provision of training and related activities (currently, the governor submits the plan). Includes among uses of state allotments for the prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation promotion of financial literacy to prevent identity theft and financial exploitation of older individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2006
Medicare Teaching Anesthesiology Funding Restoration Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) to set forth a special payment rule of 100% of the fee schedule amount for teaching anesthesiologists involved in the training of physician residents, if certain presence and availability requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2006
Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 for health centers to meet the health care needs of medically underserved populations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2006
Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Act of 2006 - Establishes the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area comprising the 175 miles of historic transportation routes through Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. Designates the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership as the management entity for the Area. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a compact with the Partnership to carry out this Act's purposes. Requires the Partnership to develop a management plan for the Area that presents strategies and recommendations for conservation, funding, management, and development of the Area. Prohibits the Partnership from using federal funds received under this Act to acquire real property or any interest in real property.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2006
Fair and Speedy Treatment (FAST) of Medicare Prescription Drug Claims Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require prompt payment of clean claims to pharmacies by prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans (MA-PD Plans). Defines prompt payment as within 14 calendar days from submission for claims submitted electronically, and within 30 calendar days for claims submitted otherwise. Requires payment of interest, also, if a payment is not issued, mailed, or otherwise transmitted within the applicable number of calendar days. Makes it unlawful for a PDP sponsor of a prescription drug plan to display on the prescription drug card the name, brand, or trademark (co-branding) of any pharmacy. Requires each PDP sponsor to charge not less than the minimum dispensing fee, $14, adjusted annually for inflation, for generic covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs. Revises requirements for a covered medication therapy management service, allowing it to be furnished by a health care provider, other than a pharmacist, with advanced training in medication management. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to specify: (1) the population of part D eligible individuals appropriate for services under a medication therapy management program, based on certain characteristics; and (2) a minimum defined package of medication therapy management services that shall be provided to each enrollee. Revises requirements for pharmacy fees. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a two-year demonstration program to examine the impact of medication therapy management furnished by a pharmacist in a community-based or ambulatory-based setting on quality of care, spending, and patient health; and (2) a Best Practices Commission to develop a best practices model for medication therapy management.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2006 - Amends the National Housing Act to: (1) modify guidelines governing the maximum principal loan obligation; (2) extend the mortgage term; and (3) revise requirements for cash payment by the mortgagor in the eligibility criteria for mortgage insurance. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Secretary) to establish a mortgage insurance premium structure involving a single premium payment collected prior to the insurance of the mortgage that may vary during the mortgage term as long as the basis for determining the variable rate is established before the execution of the mortgage. Permits the Secretary to insure any mortgage covering a one-family unit in a condominium project if the project has a certain blanket mortgage insured by the Secretary. Revises requirements for the Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund. Sets limitations upon the Secretary's authority to enter into commitments for loan guarantees. Makes insurance of a Native Hawaiian or Indian reservation mortgage the obligation of the MMI Fund (instead of the General Insurance Fund). Eliminates the limitation placed upon the aggregate number of home equity conversion mortgages insured under the Act. Authorizes the Secretary to insure a home equity conversion mortgage when its primary purpose is to enable an elderly mortgagor to purchase a 1-to 4 family dwelling in which the mortgagor will occupy one of the units. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements to insure temporarily certain mortgages for a single family residence located within a presidentially declared major disaster area.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) include physical therapy within the definition of "primary health services;" and (2) make physical therapists eligible for the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (to assure an adequate supply of physical therapists among other health professionals).
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Medicare Rural Health Provider Payment Extension Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, to extend through calendar 2009 the Medicare rural hospital hold harmless provision under the prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services. Amends SSA title XVIII to extend through calendar 2010: (1) the Medicare incentive payment program for physician scarcity areas; (2) Medicare increased payments for ground ambulance services in rural areas; and (3) the floor on Medicare work adjustment. Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to extend through July 1, 2011, Medicare reasonable costs payments for certain clinical diagnostic laboratory tests furnished to hospital patients in certain rural areas. Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, as amended by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, to extend through calendar 2011 the temporary Medicare payment increase for home health services furnished in a rural area.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Independent Pharmacy Protection Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require each prescription drug plan contract entered into with a plan sponsor to provide for: (1) the availability of direct deposit payments; (2) an increased dispensing fee for generic drugs; and (3) payments within 10 days for certain pharmacies. Requires the dispensing fee paid to a participating pharmacy for a generic covered part D drug therapeutically equivalent and bioequivalent to a brand name covered part D drug dispensed through the pharmacy to be at least 50% greater than the dispensing fee for the brand name drug. Limits to $10 the dispensing fee paid to a participating pharmacy for a generic covered part D drug. Prohibits a prescription drug plan, subject to exception by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, from decreasing the dispensing fee paid to a participating pharmacy for a brand name drug to an amount less than the dispensing fee paid for it on the date of enactment of this Act. Applies this Act to contracts with a Medicare Advantage organization in the same manner as they apply to those with a prescription drug plan sponsor.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Tax Return Choice Act of 2006 - Prohibits the Internal Revenue Service from providing individual taxpayers with free electronic tax preparation and filing services except through the Free File program and the Internal Revenue Service's Taxpayer Assistance Centers, Tax Counseling for the Elderly, and volunteer income tax assistance programs. Repeals the provision of the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 directing the Secretary of the Treasury to develop a return-free tax system.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2006
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the next of kin or personal representative of each passenger or crew member on board United Airlines Flight 93 who is identified by the Attorney General as having aided in the effort to resist the hijackers on board the plane, in recognition of heroic service to the Nation. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such gold medal. Declares such medals to be national medals. Requires that proceeds from the sale of duplicate bronze medals be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2006
Military Spouses Employment Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include spouses of members of the Armed Forces on extended active duty (more than 90 days or for an indefinite period) as members of a targeted group for purposes of the work opportunity tax credit (thus giving employers a tax incentive for hiring military spouses).
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2006
Universal Service Reform Act of 2006 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 concerning procedures for the review of universal service requirements to require the Federal-State Joint Board on universal service to complete recommendations for changes to such requirements within 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act. Includes high-speed broadband services within universal service. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to assess contributions to universal service support mechanisms from communications service providers, allowing a limit on the contributions of providers whose customers typically make a low volume of monthly calls. Provides: (1) support contribution limits; and (2) support to non-rural carriers providing service in rural, insular, and high-cost areas. Outlines network traffic identification accountability standards, rulemaking, and enforcement requirements. Requires the FCC, within 180 days after the enactment of this Act, to prescribe regulations that require a provider, upon a bona fide request, to provide communications services necessary for the provision of health care services in a state to any health care provider that serves persons who live in rural areas of that state. Outlines eligibility requirements for communications service providers to receive universal service support, including (with a possible three-year waiver) that the provider meets basic requirements for the deployment and provision of high-speed broadband service. Makes current limitations on universal service support and individual support caps imposed upon carriers inapplicable after the date of enactment of this Act. Requires all residential and business lines served by an eligible telecommunications carrier to be eligible for federal universal service support.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2006
Recognizes the 225th anniversary of the American and French victory at Yorktown, Virginia, during the Revolutionary War. Reminds the American people of the debt the United States owes to its Armed Forces and the important role Yorktown and the Commonwealth of Virginia played in securing their liberty.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2006
Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to prohibit any U.S. officer or employee, or person operating under color of federal law, under control of a federal official, or providing services to such person, while acting in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency, from: (1) seizing or authorizing seizure of any firearm the possession of which is not prohibited under federal or state law, other than for forfeiture in compliance with federal law or as evidence in a criminal investigation; (2) requiring registration of any firearm for which registration is not required by federal or state law; (3) prohibiting possession of any firearm in any place or by any person where such possession is not otherwise prohibited; or (4) prohibiting the carrying of firearms by any person otherwise authorized to carry firearms, solely because such person is operating under the direction, control, or supervision of a federal agency in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency. Authorizes any individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act to seek relief by bringing an action for redress and by bringing a civil action in U.S. district court for return of a confiscated firearm.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2006
Veterans Medicare Assistance Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require the Secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a Medicare subvention project under which the HHS Secretary shall reimburse the VA Secretary for Medicare health care services furnished to Medicare-eligible veterans in VA facilities.
![Official portrait of Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001047_200.jpg)