United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Medicare Long-Term Care Hospital Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, as amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to extend from three years to five years the delay in application of: (1) the 25% patient threshold payment adjustment to freestanding and grandfathered long-term care hospitals (LTCHs); (2) any payment adjustment, in certain circumstances, to any applicable LTCH or satellite facility located in a rural area or co-located with an urban single or metropolitan statistical area (MSA) dominant hospital; (3) the very short-stay outlier policy; and (4) a specified one-time prospective adjustment to LTCH prospective payment rates. Extends from three years to five years the moratorium on: (1) the establishment and classification of a LTCH or satellite facility, other than an existing one; and (2) an increase of LTCH beds in existing LTCHs or satellite facilities. Establishes a formula for annual adjustment of the base prospective payment rate for LTCHs for rate years 2011 through 2015 in order to implement a budget neutrality offset of the costs of implementing this Act.
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 · 29 April 2009
United States Authorization and Sunset Commission Act of 2009 - Establishes the United States Authorization and Sunset Commission, to be comprised of four Representatives and four Senators. Requires the Commission to submit to Congress, not later than 18 months after this Act's enactment and at least once every 10 years thereafter, a legislative proposal (referred to as the Commission Schedule and Review bill) that includes a schedule of review and abolishment of agencies and programs. Requires such schedule to provide a time line for the Commission's review and proposed abolishment of: (1) at least 25% (as measured in dollars) of unauthorized agencies or programs; and (2) if applicable, at least 25% of the programs identified by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) through its Program Assessment Rating Tool program (or similar review program) as ineffective or results not demonstrated. Requires agencies performing similar or related functions to be reviewed concurrently. Sets forth review criteria. Requires the Commission to submit to the Congress and the President every two years a report that analyzes and includes (as appropriate) proposals and legislative provisions to reauthorize, reorganize, consolidate, expand, or transfer each agency and program scheduled for review. Provides for expedited congressional consideration of a resulting bill.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2009
Commends: (1) the University of Georgia women's gymnastics team for winning the 2009 NCAA National Championship; (2) the Gym Dogs for winning more national championships than any other gymnastics program in the nation; and (3) Suzanne Yoculan for a spectacular career as that university's gymnastics coach.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins emblematic of the design selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the Boards of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, in honor of the distinguished service of the American military men and women who have been Medal of Honor recipients. Limits the period for coin issuance to calendar year 2011. Imposes a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coin and $10 per coin for the $1 coin, to be distributed to the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation to help finance educational, scholarship, and outreach programs of the Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Designates February 8, 2010, as Boy Scouts of America Day, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the largest youth scouting organization in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Rebating America's Deposits Act - Amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to direct the President to publish in the Federal Register a notice certifying that the Yucca Mountain site (Nevada) is the selected site for the development of a repository for the disposal of high-level radioactive radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Declares that, if the President fails to publish the certification or revokes it, each entity: (1) that is required to make a payment to the Nuclear Waste Fund shall not be required to make any additional payment; and (2) that has made a payment shall receive a refund, 75% of which shall be used for rebates to the entity's ratepayers, and 25% shall be used to carry out upgrades to the entity's nuclear power facilities to enhance the storage and security of materials used to generate nuclear power. Requires the Secretary of Energy to initiate by January 1, 2017, the transportation to the Yucca Mountain site of defense waste from each state in which it is located. Imposes penalties on the Secretary for failure to initiate such transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the tax credit for producing electricity from closed or open-loop biomass facilities equipped with a metering device to determine electricity consumption or sale to allow a tax credit after 2008 for electricity produced and consumed at such facilities and to extend the credit period for such production.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Declares the sense of the Senate that: (1) Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama deserves the respect and admiration of all people of the United States for his brave conduct under life-threatening circumstances; (2) the Senate shares the sense of relief and gratitude felt by the family and shipmates of Captain Phillips; (3) all members of the U.S. Armed Forces involved in the rescue operation, in particular members of the Navy and Navy SEAL teams who rescued Captain Phillips, the officials of other federal government departments and agencies who contributed, and the crew of the Maersk Alabama, are to be commended for their exceptional efforts and devotion to duty; and (4) the President should work with the international community and the transitional government of Somalia to develop a comprehensive strategy to address both the burgeoning problem of piracy and its root causes.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Respecting States Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to provide for reciprocity for the carrying of certain concealed firearms in states that allow their residents to carry such firearms by persons who are not prohibited by federal law from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm and who are: (1) carrying a valid state license or permit for carrying a concealed firearm; or (2) otherwise entitled to carry a concealed firearm in their state of residence.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Eliminating Disparities in Diabetes Prevention Access and Care Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide for: (1) ongoing research and other activities with respect to pre-diabetes and diabetes in minority populations; and (2) programs to treat diabetes in minority populations. Requires the Director of NIH, through the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the National Diabetes Education Program, to provide for: (1) health care professionals' mentoring; and (2) minority health professionals' participation in diabetes-focused research programs. Requires the Director to make grants for a pipeline from high school to professional school that will increase minority representation in diabetes-focused health fields. Directs the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee to assess federal activities and programs related to diabetes in minority populations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) conduct research on diabetes in minority populations; (2) direct the Division of Diabetes Translation to educate the public on the causes and effects of diabetes in minority populations; and (3) carry out diabetes health promotion and prevention programs for minority populations. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to educate health professionals on the causes and effects of diabetes in minority populations. Sets forth additional requirements for the Secretary related to: (1) factors that may influence health promotion, diabetes management, and prevention; (2) data collection on diabetes treatment, care, prevention, and services to the American Indian population; (3) increased participation of minority populations in clinical trials; and (4) specialized care for children with diabetes.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2009
National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to back-date to September 11, 2001, the period of active duty or performed active service, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations, for which members of Ready Reserve components of the Armed Forces shall receive credit in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Net Operating Loss (NOL) Carryback Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a five-year carryback of net operating losses, including the operating losses of life insurance companies, incurred in 2008 and 2009. Denies such extended loss carryover period to: (1) taxpayers in whom the federal government acquires an equity interest under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008; (2) the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac); and (3) members of certain affiliated groups.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) which apply such grants to their collegiate housing property.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Rural Heritage Conservation Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions by individuals and corporations of real property interests for conservation purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2009
Consumer Rental-Purchase Agreement Act of 2009 - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prescribe consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, and waiver of consumer claims or defenses; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) rental-purchase advertising disclosures. Declares that an action for civil liability may be brought against a merchant's assignee only if the violation is apparent on the face of a rental-purchase agreement to which it relates, including, but not limited to, a disclosure that can be determined to be incomplete or inaccurate from the face of the agreement. Authorizes the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to promulgate implementing regulations. Grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission and to state attorneys general. Subjects to criminal penalties any willful and knowing violation of the information disclosure requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2009
Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Expansion Act of 2009 - Redesignates the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in Georgia as the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park. Requires, in the administration of the Historical Park, the preservation and interpretation of a southern agricultural-based rural community during the early to middle years of the 20th century. Includes as real property of the Historical Park that which is needed to enhance visitor experience at the Site. Increases the acreage comprising the boyhood home of former President Jimmy Carter. Adds specified real properties and land to the Historical Park. Authorizes the acquisition of the Georgia Welcome Center on State Route 280/27 by donation only.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Makes a member of the Retired Reserve who is qualified for a non-regular (reserve) retirement at age 60, but is not yet 60, eligible for health benefits under TRICARE Standard (a Department of Defense [DOD] managed health care program for members of the reserves). Terminates such eligibility when the member becomes eligible for TRICARE Standard at age 60. Includes immediate family members under such coverage. Requires members to pay a premium for such coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce from 2 to 1.32% the excise tax rate on the net investment income of tax-exempt private foundations; and (2) repeal the 1% reduction in such tax rate for private foundations that meet certain distribution requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2009
Congratulates the Greek people as they celebrate the 188th anniversary of Greece's independence. Notes the important role that Greece has played in the wider European region and in the community of nations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Amends the National Guard Youth Challenge Program (a training program to improve life skills and employment potential of civilian youth participants) to increase the Department of Defense (DOD) share of expenses to: (1) 100% of operating costs, in the first two years of a state program of the Program; and (2) 75% of operating costs, in the case of any other state program of the Program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to back-date to September 11, 2001, the period of active duty or performed active service, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations, for which members of Ready Reserve components of the Armed Forces shall receive credit in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Star-Spangled Banner Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner . Requires a coin design emblematic of the War of 1812, and in particular of, the Battle for Baltimore that formed the basis for the Star-Spangled Banner. Limits the period for coin issuance to calendar year 2012. Imposes a surcharge of $35 per coin for the $5 coins and $10 per coin for the $1 coins, which shall be distributed to the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission for the purpose of supporting bicentennial activities, educational outreach activities, and preservation and improvement activities pertaining to the sites and structures relating to the War of 1812.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Medical Economic Deferment for Students Act or the MEDS Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to the meaning of economic hardship under the Federal Family Education Loan or Perkins Loan and related loan insurance programs. Considers borrowers under such programs to be suffering economic hardship if they are working full-time, have a federal educational debt burden equal to at least 20% of their adjusted gross income, and the difference between their adjusted gross income minus such debt burden is less than 220% of the greater of: (1) the annual earnings of an minimum wage earner; or (2) 150% of the poverty line applicable to their family size.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Condemns all forms of anti-Semitism and rejects attempts to rationalize anti-Jewish hatred or attacks as a justifiable expression of disaffection over political events in the Middle East or elsewhere. Decries the comparison of Jews to Nazis perpetrating a Holocaust or genocide as a pernicious form of anti-Semitism. Calls on leaders to speak out against manifestations of anti-Semitism that have entered the Middle East debate. Reaffirms support for the mandate of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Urges the Secretary of State to maintain the fight against anti-Semitism as a U.S. foreign policy priority.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2009
Amends the Clean Air Act to redefine "renewable biomass" as: (1) materials, pre-commercial thinnings, or invasive species from certain National Forest System land and public lands that are byproducts of preventive treatments that are removed to reduce hazardous fuels, reduce or contain disease or insect infestation, or restore ecosystem health, that would not otherwise be used for higher-value products, and that are harvested in accordance with specified requirements for old-growth forests and large tree retention; or (2) any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis from nonfederal land or land belonging to an Indian or Indian tribe that is held in trust by the United States or subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States, including specified renewable plant material and waste material.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2009
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single gold medal in honor of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) collectively, in honor of their pioneering military service and exemplary record, which forged revolutionary reform in the U.S. Armed Forces. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian Institution shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations associated with the WASP.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2009
Congenital Heart Futures Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with appropriate congenital heart disease patient organizations and professional organizations, to conduct, support, and promote a comprehensive public education campaign to increase awareness regarding congenital heart disease, including the need for lifelong treatment. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) award a grant to one entity to enhance and expand infrastructure to track the epidemiology of congenital heart disease and to organize such information into a comprehensive National Congenital Heart Disease Registry with the purpose of facilitating research into the types of health services patients use and identifying possible areas for educational outreach and prevention; and (2) establish an Advisory Committee on Congenital Heart Disease. Authorizes the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to expand, intensify, and coordinate research and related activities of the Institute regarding congenital heart disease.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2009
Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to take specified actions to regulate short sales of securities, including: (1) reinstating regulations in effect on July 5, 2007, prohibiting short sales of securities unless the previous price movement on such securities had been upward (the uptick rule); (2) rescinding the prohibition against applying certain price tests to short sales; (3) requiring trades by short sellers to yield priority and preference to transactions effected by long sellers of securities; (4) prohibiting short sales of securities of financial institutions unless such trades are effected at a price (in minimum lots, as specified by the SEC) that is at least 5 cents higher than the immediately preceding transaction in such securities; and (5) issuing regulations that prohibit short sales unless the seller can demonstrate a legally enforceable right to deliver the securities at the required delivery date and that require all short sales to settle on the same time frame employed for long sales of the same securities.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2009
Federal Reserve Sunshine Act of 2009 - Repeals the authority of the Comptroller General to carry out an onsite examination of an open insured bank or bank holding company only if the appropriate federal regulatory agency has consented in writing. (Retains the authority of the Comptroller General to audit a federal agency.) Directs the Comptroller General to complete, before the end of 2010, an audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and of the federal reserve banks, followed by a detailed report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2009
Repeals the termination date in the Jobs Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 for provisions reducing individual tax rates on capital gains and dividend income.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2009
Congratulates the Sailors of the United States Submarine Force upon the completion of 1,000 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) deterrent patrols. Honors and thanks the crews of such submarines and their families for their continued dedication and sacrifice.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2009
Recognizes the positive effect the National School Breakfast Program has had on children's classroom performance and the lives of low-income children and families. Expresses strong support for states that have successfully implemented school breakfast programs and encourages all states to improve their programs. Recognizes: (1) the importance of providing states with resources to improve the availability of adequate and nutritious breakfasts; (2) the role nonprofit and community organizations play in increasing awareness of, and access to, breakfast programs for low-income children; and (3) that National School Breakfast Week helps draw attention to the need for, and success of, the National School Breakfast Program.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2009
FDA Food Safety Modernization Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to expand the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to regulate food, including by authorizing the Secretary to suspend the registration of a food facility. Requires each food facility to evaluate hazards and implement preventive controls. Directs the Secretary to assess and collect fees related to: (1) food facility reinspection; (2) food recalls; and (3) the voluntary qualified importer program. Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare the National Agriculture and Food Defense Strategy. Requires the Secretary to: (1) identify preventive programs and practices to promote the safety and security of food; (2) promulgate regulations on sanitary food transportation practices; (3) develop a policy to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools and early childhood education programs; (4) allocate inspection resources based on the risk profile of food facilities or food; (5) recognize bodies that accredit food testing laboratories; and (6) improve the capacity of the Secretary to track and trace raw agricultural commodities. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to enhance foodborne illness surveillance systems. Authorizes the Secretary to order an immediate cessation of distribution, or a recall, of food. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist state, local, and tribal governments in preparing for, assessing, decontaminating, and recovering from an agriculture or food emergency. Provides for: (1) foreign supplier verification activities; (2) a voluntary qualified importer program; and (3) the inspection of foreign facilities registered to import food.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2009
Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, with respect to Medicare quality standards for suppliers of items and services which shall be applied by recognized independent accreditation organizations. Applies to pharmacies and pharmacists the eligible professional exemption from such accreditation requirements, unless such standards are designed specifically for application to pharmacies and pharmacists. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to exempt pharmacies and pharmacists from such standards if licensing, accreditation, or other mandatory quality requirements apply to them with respect to the furnishing of items and services.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2009
POPs, LRTAP POPs, and PIC Implementation Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to incorporate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) provisions from: (1) the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Convention); (2) the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants to the Geneva Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP POPs Protocol); and (3) the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PIC Convention). Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to participate in activities supporting implementation of such agreements. Prohibits the sale, distribution, use, production, or disposal of aldrin, chlordane, chlordecone, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dieldrin, endrin, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, hexabromobiphenyl, mirex, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxaphene, and other specified chemicals in a manner that is inconsistent with U.S. obligations under the POPs Convention or the LRTAP POPs Protocol. Requires the Administrator to publish notice and specified reports and provide the public an opportunity to comment on certain POPs Convention and LRTAP POPs Protocol proposals, risk profiles, decisions, and recommendations. Requires any person distributing certain chemical substances or mixtures included in the PIC Convention to comply with export conditions and notification requirements. Requires pesticides or active ingredients that are subject to certain notice requirements under the PIC Convention to have certain labeling information, safety data sheets, and documentation of customs codes assigned by the World Customs Organization. Directs the Administrator, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, to notify the public about PIC Convention decisions to list pesticides and any foreign state's conditions or restrictions a applicable to the importation of the pesticide from the United States. Directs the Administrator to apply the more stringent of conflicting provisions between the POPs Convention and: (1) the LRTAP POPs Protocol; or (2) the PIC Convention.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2009
Redesignates the: (1) Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps; and (2) Secretary of the Navy as the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. Makes similar redesignations with respect to Department Assistant Secretaries and the General Counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2009
Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit: (1) federal civilian and military retirees to pay Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis (i.e., exclude premiums from gross income); and (2) a tax deduction (available to itemizers and nonitemizers) for TRICARE supplemental premiums or enrollment fees. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the option of paying FEHBP and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis is available to federal civilian and military retirees for the first open enrollment period beginning not less than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Military Spouses Residency Relief Act - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to prohibit, for purposes of voting for a federal, state, or local office, deeming a person to have lost a residence or domicile in a state, acquired a residence or domicile in any other state, or become a resident in or of any other state solely because the person is absent from a state because the person is accompanying the person's spouse who is absent from the state in compliance with military or naval orders. Prohibits a servicemember's spouse from either losing or acquiring a residence or domicile for purposes of taxation because of being absent or present in any U.S. tax jurisdiction solely to be with the servicemember in compliance with the servicemember's military orders if the residence or domicile is the same for the servicemember and the spouse. Prohibits a spouse's income from being considered income earned in a tax jurisdiction if the spouse is not a resident or domiciliary of such jurisdiction when the spouse is in that jurisdiction solely to be with a servicemember serving under military orders. Suspends land rights residency requirements for spouses accompanying servicemembers serving under military orders.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 2009 - Establishes the United States Bipartisan Commission on Access to Emergency Medical Services to: (1) identify and examine factors in the health care delivery, financing, and legal systems that affect the effective delivery of screening and stabilization services furnished in hospitals that have emergency departments pursuant to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA); and (2) make specific recommendations to Congress with respect to federal programs, policies, and financing needed to assure the availability of such screening and stabilization services and the coordination of state, local, and federal programs for responding to disasters and emergencies. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for additional payments for certain physicians' emergency services furnished pursuant to EMTALA. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to convene a working group that includes experts in emergency care, inpatient critical care, hospital operations management, nursing, and other relevant disciplines to develop boarding and diversion standards for hospitals and guidelines, measures, and incentives for implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of such standards. Requires the CMS working group to: (1) identify barriers contributing to delays in timely processing of patients requiring admission as inpatients who initially sought care through the hospital's emergency department; (2) identify best practices to improve patient flow within hospitals; and (3) report to Congress and the Secretary a detailed description of the standards, guidelines, measures, and incentives developed, as well as identified barriers and best practices. Directs the Secretary to establish a mechanism to make public information regarding any hospital that fails to report information requested by the CMS working group.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Care Affordability for Military Families Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse a covered beneficiary under TRICARE (a Department of Defense [DOD] managed care program) for travel expenses when such beneficiary is referred by a primary care physician to a specialty care provider located more than 50 (under current law, more than 100) miles from the primary care location.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2009
Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require Senate candidates to file election-related designations, statements, and reports in electronic form. Requires the Secretary of the Senate to forward a copy of any electronically filed designation, statement, or report to the Federal Election Commission within one working day (instead of the current two working days) after receiving it.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the allowable amount of the railroad track maintenance tax credit; (2) revise the types of expenditures eligible for such credit; and (3) extend such credit through 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2009
Directs the Senate Commission on Art to procure an appropriate plaque acknowledging the role of enslaved African-Americans in the construction of the Capitol. Requires the plaque, under the direction of the Committee on Rules and Administration, to be placed near the original exterior wall that was constructed between 1793 and 1800 in the East Front corridor on the third floor of the Senate wing of the Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2009
Five-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury ( Secretary) to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 Silver Coins, and half dollar clad coins in recognition and celebration of the Five-Star Generals' attendance and graduation from the Command and General Staff College (CGSC). Requires the design of such coins to include the portraits of Generals George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry "Hap" Arnold, and Omar N. Bradley. Restricts the issuance of such coins to calendar 2013. Requires specified surcharges in the sale of such coins, which shall be paid promptly to the CGSC Foundation to help finance its support of the College.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2009
Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 350,000 $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Requires the coin design to be emblematic of the 100 years of the organization. Restricts issuance of such coins to calendar year 2011. Subjects coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin. Requires payment of such surcharges to the Girl Scouts of the United States of America for Girl Scout program development and delivery.
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