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United States · Official source
2,721 records where Sen. Chambliss, Saxby [R-GA] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a five-year depreciation recovery period for certain farming business machinery or equipment placed in service before January 1, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2007
Approves the renewal of certain import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2007
Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act - Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs (Secretaries) to jointly develop a comprehensive policy on the care and management of members of the Armed Forces (members) who are undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy for a serious injury or illness. Provides enhanced availability of medical care and related benefits for members and former members recovering from serious injuries or illnesses. Requires the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) to submit plans for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities to prevent, diagnose, and treat traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder in members. Directs the Secretary to establish a Center of Excellence in Prevention, Diagnosis, Mitigation, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of:: (1) Traumatic Brain Injury; and (2) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Requires the Secretaries to develop and implement a joint electronic health record for use by DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Directs the Secretary to establish a Physical Disability Board of Review to review findings of physical evaluation boards of members separated from the Armed Forces with disability ratings of 20% or less and found to be not eligible for retirement. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out pilot programs for a revised disability evaluation system for members. Requires reports on the implementation of corrective measures in response to deficiencies: (1) in the Army physical disability evaluation system; and (2) at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish standards for military medical treatment facilities, specialty care medical facilities, and military quarters housing patients; and (2) develop and maintain a handbook for members concerning compensation and benefits for serious injuries and illnesses.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2007
Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) report biannually to Congress on international monetary policy and currency exchange rates; and (2) appear, if requested, before certain congressional committees to testify regarding such reports. Prescribes report contents, including: (1) an analysis of currency market developments and the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the currencies of major economies and trading partners of the United States; (2) a review of the economic and monetary policies of major economies and trading partners of the United States and an evaluation of how such policies impact currency exchange rates; and (3) a list of currencies designated as fundamentally misaligned currencies. Instructs the Secretary to: (1) analyze semiannually the prevailing real exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies; and (2) identify foreign currency that is in fundamental misalignment and designate it for priority action if the issuing country engages in specified behavior, including excessive reserve accumulation. Prescribes procedures for: (1) negotiations and consultations; (2) failure to adopt appropriate policies; (3) international financial institution governance arrangements; (4) adjustment for fundamentally misaligned currency designated for priority action; and (5) nonmarket economy status. Establishes the Advisory Committee on International Exchange Rate Policy. Repeals the Exchange Rates and International Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988. Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to the special rule excluding from foreign personal holding company income any income of an eligible controlled foreign corporation which is derived in the active conduct of banking, financing, and insurance. Repeals the limitation of this exclusion to taxable years of a foreign corporation beginning after December 31, 1998, and before January 1, 2009 (thus making such limited application permanent). Repeals likewise the limited application to the same time period of the exclusion of certain exempt insurance income from the taxable insurance income of a controlled foreign corporation (thus making such exclusion permanent).
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2007
Weighing Intelligence for Smarter Energy Act of 2007 or WISE Act of 2007 - Requires the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress on the long-term energy security of the United States, including assessments of: (1) key energy issues that have U.S. national security or foreign policy implications; and (2) the future of world energy supplies.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2007
Recycling Investment Saves Energy or the RISE Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a first-year tax deduction of 50% of the adjusted basis of qualified reuse and recycling property; and (2) tax-exempt bond financing for recycling facilities. Defines "qualified reuse and recycling property" as property placed in service after December 31, 2006, which has a useful life of at least five years and which is used exclusively to collect, distribute, or recycle certain scrap materials.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2007
Personal Philanthropy Account Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax deduction (whether or not the taxpayer itemizes deductions) for cash contributions to a personal philanthropy account. Defines "personal philanthropy account" as a tax-exempt trust created to make distributions for charitable purposes. Sets forth rules providing for employer contributions to such accounts, default charitable distributions in the event of an account holder's death, and minimum annual distributions. Allows an exclusion from the gross income of an employee for contributions made by an employer to the employee's personal philanthropy account.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2007
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2007
Declares that the Senate: (1) has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Craig Thomas, a former Senator from Wyoming; (2) mourns the loss of one of its most esteemed members; and (3) expresses its condolences to the people of Wyoming and to his wife, Susan, and his four children. Declares that when the Senate adjourns June 5, 2007, it shall stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Thomas.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2007
Recognizes the 50th anniversary celebration of the beginnings of marinas, power production, recreation, and boating on Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2007
Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to regulate the sale and transfer of ammonium nitrate. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) a threshold percentage for ammonium nitrate in a substance; and (2) a process by which the owner of an ammonium nitrate facility or anyone intending to purchase ammonium nitrate must register with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Requires the facility owner to maintain records of each sale or transfer over a two-year period. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) exemptions involving use exclusively as an explosive material under a federal explosives license; (2) ensuring that agricultural producer access is not unduly burdened; and (3) restricting information disclosures. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish procedures to efficiently receive applications, conduct checks, and promptly issue or deny a registration number; (2) take steps to maximize the number of applications processed during the initial six-month period; and (3) check identifying information and deny issuance of a registration number if such information appears in DHS's terrorist screening database. Provides for expedited review of applications and appeals. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) confidentiality; (2) information sharing with law enforcement; (3) rechecking persons; (4) inspecting and auditing facility owner records; and (5) reporting theft or unexplained loss of ammonium nitrate. Prohibits: (1) taking possession of or transferring ammonium nitrate, or owning or operating a facility, without a registration number; or (2) failing to comply with this Act. Prescribes a civil penalty. Sets forth civil liability protections.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2007
Stop Over Spending Act of 2007 - Second Look at Wasteful Spending Act of 2007 - Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to authorize the President to transmit annually to Congress a maximum of four special messages that propose to rescind dollar amounts of discretionary budget authority, items of direct spending, and targeted tax benefits. Requires an analysis by: (1) the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of an estimated savings in budget authority or outlays resulting from such rescission; and (2) the Joint Committee on Taxation of an estimated savings resulting from repeal of targeted tax benefits. Requires any rescinded budget authority, items of direct spending, or targeted tax benefit to be dedicated only to deficit reduction, and not to be used as an offset for other spending increases or revenue reductions. Provides for adjustment of: (1) committee allocations resulting from such rescission; and (2) applicable limits, as appropriate, under this Act. Sets forth procedures for expedited congressional consideration of a proposed rescission. Requires: (1) the President to issue an order fully implementing without change all sequestrations required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in its Final Sequestration Report; and (2) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress and the President on the order's compliance with this Act. Prescribes requirements for discretionary sequestration reports by OMB and GAO, discretionary spending and maximum deficit limits, federal tax gap initiative, executive and legislative branch sequestration procedures, and congressional response to low economic growth. Provides adjustments in such discretionary spending limits for: (1) the Global War on Terrorism overseas; (2) U.S. forces in such War; (3) addressing deficiencies at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for injured individuals resulting from such War; (4) continuing disability reviews and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) redeterminations for the Social Security Administration; (5) health care fraud and abuse; and (6) unemployment insurance improper payment reviews. Authorizes the President to exempt military personnel accounts from sequestration or provide a lower uniform percentage reduction. Prohibits the President's budget from exceeding the maximum deficit amount for any fiscal year. Requires biennial budget resolutions, appropriations Acts, and government strategic and performance plans. Establishes the National Commission on Entitlement Solvency and the Commission on Congressional Budgetary Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to revise budget resolution requirements. Authorizes the chairman of the Committee on the Budget to notify the Senate of a Medicare funding warning. Makes it out of order to consider any legislation that would cause any increase in direct spending, net of proposals to change direct spending receipts, or revenues contained in the measure if the Senate has been notified of such warning for two consecutive calendar years. Makes it out of order in the Senate to consider legislation that includes a federal income tax rate increase. Requires the concurrent resolution on the budget, for any year when the CBO projects an on-budget deficit (excluding Social Security) for the budget year or any subsequent fiscal year, except in specified circumstances, to: (1) reduce on-budget deficits relative to the CBO projections and put the budget on a path to achieve on-budget balance within five years; and (2) include provisions to protect Social Security and facilitate deficit reduction, other than reducing Social Security benefits. Requires the CBO to prepare an estimate for legislation reported from committee (except measures within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Appropriations) on whether the measure would cause a net increase in direct spending exceeding $5 billion in any of the four 10-year periods between FY2016-FY2055. Sets forth provisions avoiding Pay-As-You-Go points of order in the Senate against consideration of appropriations legislation. Provides for such Pay-As-You-Go points of order in certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue, during 2014, up to 350,000 one-dollar coins designed to be emblematic of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its contribution to civil rights in America. Requires sales to include a $10 surcharge per coin, which shall be paid to the United Negro College Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from awarding any contracts under the competitive durable medical equipment items and services acquisition program unless: (1) the quality standards have been implemented; and (2) the Secretary has received advice from the program oversight committee. Requires the Secretary (who currently is authorized), in carrying out competitive acquisition programs, to exempt: (1) rural areas and areas with low population density within urban areas that are not competitive, unless there is a significant national market through mail order for a particular item or service; and (2) items and services for which the application of competitive acquisition is not likely to result in significant savings. Adds to such exemptions smaller metropolitan statistical areas. Modifies requirements for the protection of small suppliers in bidding and contracting. Requires the Secretary to permit suppliers classified as small businesses to continue to participate as suppliers at the single payment amount so long as they submit bids at less than the fee schedule amount otherwise applicable to the items and they otherwise comply with applicable program requirements. Provides for appeal rights (currently denied). Requires the Secretary to exempt from competitive acquisition requirements items and services for which the application of competitive acquisition is not likely to result in significant savings of at least 10%. Prohibits the Secretary from implementing a program with respect to an item or service unless the Secretary demonstrates a probability of achieving significant savings of at least 10%, compared to the fee schedule in effect on January 1, 2006, by including the item or service in the program. Prohibits the Secretary from implementing certain requirements for the payment basis for covered items furnished after January 1, 2009, with respect to the application of rates in an area that is not a competitive acquisition area, unless the Secretary has completed and published in the Federal Register a comparability analysis to ensure the application is appropriate. Requires application of the comparability analysis requirement to certain other part B items and services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Community Banks Serving Their Communities First Act, or the Communities First Act - Revises regulatory requirements for community banks, including amendments to: (1) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to permit certain insured depository institutions to submit a short form report of condition; (2) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt certain small-sized depository institutions from annual management assessment of internal controls requirements; (3) the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970 to exempt certain small-size community banks from its prohibition against advances for customers' net equity claims; (4) the Federal Reserve Act to increase the asset size of banks exempt from the limitation on extensions of credit to executive officers, directors, and principal shareholders; and (5) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to increase the shareholder registration threshold. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to direct the Federal Reserve Board to prescribe regulations authorizing a consumer to waive the right of rescission as to certain transactions when the creditor is an insured depository institution. Seasoned Customer CTR Exemption Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations to exempt a depository institution from filing a currency transaction report (CTR) in the case of certain qualified customers. Amends additional Acts, including: (1) the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt specified community banks from furnishing a mandatory privacy notice; (2) the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require a consumer's written consent before a consumer reporting agency may furnish a consumer report upon request from another creditor; and (3) the Federal Reserve Act to limit loans to executive officers. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to specified tax provisions for long-term certificates of deposit, loans secured by agricultural real property, qualified small issue bonds, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-insured limited liability companies, and young savers accounts. Repeals the individual alternative minimum tax for individuals and community banks. Reduces the tax rates for community banks. Revises certain Subchapter S requirements for tax treatment of small businesses. Amends the Small Business Act with respect to: (1) reduced fees for specified loans; and (2) a low documentation loan program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Recognizes the close relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Sudan and urges the government the PRC to use its political, international, and economic influence to stop the violence in Darfur, Sudan. Recognizes that the spirit of the Olympics, which is to bring together nations and people from all over the world in peace, is incompatible with actions supporting acts of genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Supports the goals and ideals of National Life Insurance Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
340B Program Improvement and Integrity Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the drug discount program to allow participation as a covered entity by certain children's hospitals, critical access hospitals, and rural referral centers or sole community hospitals. Prohibits enrolled hospitals from obtaining covered outpatient drugs through a group purchasing arrangement. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish reasonable exceptions to such prohibition, including for drugs unavailable through the program and to facilitate generic substitution when a generic covered drug is available at a lower price. Expands the program to include a drug used in connection with an inpatient or outpatient service by enrolled hospitals. (Currently, only outpatient drugs are covered under the program.) Requires hospitals enrolled in the 340B drug discount program to provide to each state a credit on the estimated annual costs to such hospital of single source and innovator multiple source drugs and noninnovator multiple source drugs provided to Medicaid recipients for inpatient use. Sets forth a formula for calculating the credit. Allows a hospital to avoid paying such credits under certain circumstances. Requires the Secretary to: (1) carry out activities to improve compliance by manufacturers and covered entities with the requirements of the drug discount program; and (2) establish an administrative process for resolving claims by covered entities and manufacturers of violations of such requirements. Requires manufacturers to offer each covered entity covered drugs for purchase at or below the applicable ceiling price if such a drug is made available to any other purchaser at any price.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
ALS Registry Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, or progress to ALS; and (2) establish a national registry for the collection and storage of such data. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish the Advisory Committee on the National ALS Registry to review information and make recommendations to the Secretary concerning: (1) the development and maintenance of the registry; (2) the type of information to be included; (3) the manner in which data is to be collected; (4) the use and availability of such data; and (5) the collection of information about diseases and disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on ALS and other motor neuron disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for research access to ALS data as recommended by the Advisory Committee in a manner that protects personal privacy. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information is made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
Designates May 15, 2007 as National MPS Awareness Day (mucopolysaccharidosis) and expresses support for the goals and ideals of such Day.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
Access to Medicare Imaging Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a two-year moratorium on certain Medicare physician payment reductions for imaging services. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress during such moratorium on imaging services furnished under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
S.I. Hayakawa Official English Language Act of 2007 - Makes English the official language of the U.S. government. Requires the government to: (1) conduct its official activities in English, including preparing publications, income tax forms, and informational materials in English; and (2) preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States. Provides that no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the government act, communicate, perform, or provide services or materials in any other language, unless expressly provided for in an applicable provision of law. Provides that this Act may not: (1) apply to the use of a language other than English for religious purposes, for training in foreign languages for international communication, or in school programs designed to encourage students to learn foreign languages; or (2) be considered to prevent the U.S. government from providing interpreters for persons over age 62. Repeals provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 regarding bilingual election requirements and regarding congressional findings of voting discrimination against language minorities, prohibition of English-only elections, and other remedial measures. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that all public ceremonies in which the oath of allegiance is administered pursuant to such Act be conducted solely in English. Specifies that this Act may not be construed to preempt any state law.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2007
Commonsense Consumption Act of 2007 - Prohibits new, and requires dismissal of pending, civil actions by any person against a manufacturer, marketer, distributor, advertiser, or seller of food, or a trade association, for any injury related to a person's accumulated acts of consumption of food and weight gain, obesity, or any associated health condition. Subjects to such prohibition: (1) any action brought by a person other than the person on whose weight gain, obesity, or health condition the action is based; and (2) any derivative action brought by or on behalf of any person or any representative, spouse, parent, child, or other relative of that person. Excludes from this prohibition any actions alleging: (1) a breach of express contract or express warranty provided that the grounds of recovery are unrelated to a person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; (2) a knowing violation of a federal or state statute applicable to the marketing, advertisement, or labeling of food with intent for a person to rely on that violation, where such person relied on that violation, and where such reliance was the proximate cause of injury related to that person's weight gain, obesity, or related health condition; or (3) a violation brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the Federal Trade Commission Act or by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2007
Secret Ballot Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it an unfair labor practice for: (1) an employer to recognize or bargain collectively with a labor organization that has not been selected by a majority of the employees in a secret ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board; and (2) a labor organization to cause or attempt to cause an employer to recognize or bargain collectively with a representative that has not been selected in such manner.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007 - Requires a member of the Armed Forces (member) in an outpatient status at a military medical treatment facility (facility) to be assigned a medical care case manager and a service member advocate, each of whom have completed a training program and curriculum for such management. Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a: (1) Department of Defense (DOD)-wide Ombudsman Office; (2) toll-free hotline for reporting deficiencies in medical services and medical support facilities; (3) standardized training program and curriculum for military personnel and health care professionals involved in the disability evaluation system; and (4) pilot program to track and assist outpatient members who are still in need of medical treatment. Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to: (1) notify appropriate Members of Congress of the hospitalization of members evacuated from a theater of combat; and (2) ensure that members appearing before medical evaluation boards have access to an independent medical advocate. Requires reports concerning: (1) enhanced training for individuals providing assistance to recovering members; (2) the adequacy and quality of medical and medical-support facilities at each military installation; and (3) traumatic brain injury classifications. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide a process for the transition of members from the DOD health care and disability systems to those of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); (2) allow reserve members to use facilities closest to home for the treatment of injuries sustained in a combat theater of operations; (3) develop a plan and conduct research for reducing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans; (4) study the provision of support services for families of recovering members; (5) evaluate the Polytrauma Liaison Officer/Non-Commissioned Officer program; (6) study waiting periods for appointments at VA facilities; and (7) study the development of a joint soldier tracking system for recovering members. Establishes the: (1) Department of Defense Medical Support Fund; and (2) Oversight Board for Wounded Warriors.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2007
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a national combat veteran reintegration program (to be known as the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program) to provide National Guard members and their families with information, services, referral, and outreach opportunities throughout the entire deployment cycle. Requires the Program to consist of informational events and activities for such members, their families, and community members through the following phases of the deployment cycle: (1) pre-deployment; (2) deployment; (3) demobilization; and (4) post-deployment-reconstitution. Requires the: (1) National Guard Bureau to establish the Office for Reintegration Programs to administer state National Guard reintegration programs; and (2) Bureau Chief to establish a Center for Excellence in Reintegration.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Acknowledges and commends charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the country for their ongoing contributions to education and the public school system. Supports the goals and ideals of the eighth annual National Charter Schools Week (April 30-May 4, 2007).
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Designates May 5, 2007, as National Childhood Stroke Awareness Day. Urges people to support the efforts, programs, services, and advocacy of organizations that work to enhance public awareness of childhood stroke.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2007
Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Act of 2007 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should have the capacity and expertise to provide veterans who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with health care, rehabilitation, and community integration. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop individualized plans for the rehabilitation and reintegration of veterans with TBI, and to provide each plan to the individual before their discharge from inpatient care. Requires: (1) the involvement of family members in plan development; and (2) the Secretary to periodically evaluate plan effectiveness. Directs the Secretary to enter into agreements with non-VA facilities to provide veterans' TBI intervention, rehabilitative treatment, and reintegration services when the Secretary is unable to provide such services or for veterans who reside at such a distance from a VA facility as to make plan implementation impracticable. Requires the Secretary to establish a program on research, education, and clinical care to provide intensive neuro-rehabilitation to veterans with severe TBI, including veterans in a minimally conscious state who would otherwise receive nursing home care. Directs the Secretary to conduct a five-year pilot program to assess the effectiveness of providing assisted living services to veterans with TBI to enhance their rehabilitation, quality of life, and community integration. Requires the Secretary to include research on TBI under ongoing VA research programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2007
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and make available to local educational agencies a policy to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools to be implemented on a voluntary basis only. Directs that such policy address: (1) a parental obligation to provide the school with information regarding a student's food allergy and risk of anaphylaxis; (2) creation of an individual health care plan tailored to each student with a documented risk for anaphylaxis; (3) communication strategies between schools and emergency medical services; (4) strategies to reduce the risk of exposure in classrooms and common areas; (5) food allergy management training of school personnel; and (6) authorization and training of school personnel to administer epinephrine when the school nurse is not immediately available. Allows the Secretary to award grants to assist local educational agencies in implementing such food allergy management guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2007
Recognizes the independence of Israel as a significant event for providing refuge and a national homeland for the Jewish people. Supports efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. Commends the bipartisan commitment of all Presidents and Congresses of the United States since 1948 that supported Israel and worked for its security and well-being. Congratulates the United States and Israel for strengthening their bilateral relations during 2006 in the fields of defense, diplomacy, and homeland security, and encourages both countries to continue their cooperation. Extends the best wishes of the Senate to the people of Israel as they celebrate the 59th anniversary of Israel's independence.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2007
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a three-year pilot program on the feasibility and advisability of delivering community reintegration support and services to veterans by assisting veterans organizations in developing and promoting veterans peer support. Designates the pilot program as the "Heroes Helping Heroes Program." Requires the Secretary to select up to 20 program participants, and to award grants to such participants in amounts from $100,000 to $300,000 per fiscal year. Requires grant recipients to contribute at least 10% of the grant funds awarded.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2007
Mental Health Care for Our Wounded Warriors Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) members of the Armed Forces (members) deserve the best possible treatment for mental and physical illnesses and injuries sustained while in military service; (2) members should have access to mental health providers; (3) mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) should be treated with an urgency similar to physical ailments incurred by members; (4) there is a need to recruit, train, and retain more mental health care professionals to diagnose and treat members; and (5) there is a continued need for research, new treatments, and best practices for treating PTSD, as well as a long-term strategy for recruiting, training, and retaining the mental health workforce of the Department of Defense (DOD). Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish at least two centers of excellence in military mental health for, among other things, the development and implementation of DOD strategy for the prevention, identification, and treatment of combat-related mental health conditions, with an emphasis on PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Requires a report from the Secretary to the congressional defense committees on appropriate actions to address current personnel shortages in the DOD mental health workforce.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2007
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Juanita Millender-McDonald, a former Representative from California. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on April 23, 2007, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Representative Millender-McDonald.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2007
Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture conduct a study of hunger in the United States and develop recommendations on reducing domestic hunger. Directs the Secretary to make: (1) hunger-free communities collaborative grants to eligible public food program service providers or nonprofit organizations; (2) hunger-free communities infrastructure grants to eligible emergency feeding organizations; and (3) hunger-free communities training and technical assistance grants to eligible national or regional nonprofit organizations. (States that such grants' federal share shall not exceed 80%.) Sets forth grant priorities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2007
Extends the Senate's best wishes to New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine and its hopes for his speedy and complete recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Preventive Medicine and Public Health Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to or enter into contracts with certain eligible entities to provide training to graduate medical residents in preventive medicine specialties. Requires grant funds to be used for: (1) residency programs for preventive medicine or public health; (2) financial assistance to resident physicians who plan to specialize in preventive medicine or public health; (3) preventive medicine or public health program costs, including curriculum development and practicum costs; and (4) the improvement of academic administrative units.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Invest in America Act - Repeals the general termination date (i.e., December 31, 2010) of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (thus making provisions of that Act that reduce income tax rates and repeal the estate and gift tax permanent). Repeals the termination date in the Jobs Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 applicable to the reduction in taxes on dividends and capital gains. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent: (1) the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) the increased expensing allowance for small business assets; and (3) the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers. Repeals the alternative minimum tax on individuals after 2006. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Committee on Finance should report legislation before December 31, 2007, to simplify the federal income tax system, without raising tax rates.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2007
Vision Care for Kids Act of 2007 - Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to states to: (1) provide comprehensive eye examinations by a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist for children identified by a licensed health care provider or vision screener, with priority to children under age nine; (2) provide treatment or services to correct vision problems of such children; and (3) develop and disseminate educational materials on recognizing signs of visual impairment in children.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2007
Expresses the heartfelt condolences of the Senate to the victims and their families, and to students, faculty, administration and staff and their families who have been deeply affected by the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Expresses its hope that the tragedy will lead to a shared national commitment to take steps that will help our communities prevent such tragedies in the future. Recognizes that Virginia Tech has served as an exemplary institution of teaching, learning, and research for well over a century and will continue these proud and historic traditions.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit any person or entity, in or affecting interstate commerce, from knowingly: (1) performing or attempting to perform human cloning; (2) participating in such an attempt; or (3) shipping or receiving an embryo produced by human cloning or any product derived from such an embryo. Prohibits knowingly importing such an embryo. Sets forth criminal and civil penalties. Provides that nothing in this Act restricts areas of scientific research not specifically prohibited, including research in the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos, tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the need to amend such prohibition, including through: (1) a discussion of new developments, the need for somatic cell transfer to produce medical advances, current public attitudes and prevailing ethical views concerning its use, and potential legal implications of somatic cell transfer research; and (2) a review of any technological developments that may require technical changes to such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center at 1 Freedom Way in Augusta, Georgia, as the "Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center."
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Restoring Disability Benefits for Injured and Wounded Warriors Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to appoint a panel to review each case before a Department of Defense (DOD) Physical Evaluation Board in which: (1) the Board determined to discharge or release a member of the Armed Forces without assigning a rating of disability to the member; and (2) the member appealed a Board determination regarding the rating of disability. Requires the panel to report whether any additional or different action should be taken by the military department concerned with respect to such determinations. Directs the Secretary to appoint a panel to review, and take the same actions as above, cases in which a member was denied, or appealed the amount of, traumatic injury protection awarded under Servicemembers Group Life Insurance. Requires the: (1) Secretary to report to Congress on the adequacy of the number of judge advocates assigned to physical evaluation board cases; and (2) Comptroller General to report to Congress assessing and addressing deficiencies in the disability evaluation systems of the military departments.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Fair Tax Act of 2007 - Repeals the income tax, employment tax, and estate and gift tax. Redesignates the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as the Internal Revenue Code of 2007. Imposes a national sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services. Sets the sales tax rate at 23% in 2009, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years. Allows exemptions from the tax for property or services purchased for business, export, or investment purposes and for state government functions. Sets forth rules relating to: (1) the collection and remittance of the sales tax; and (2) credits and refunds. Allows families a sales tax rebate. Grants states the primary authority for the collection of sales tax revenues and the remittance of such revenues to the Treasury. Sets forth administrative provisions relating to: (1) the filing of monthly reports and payments of tax; (2) accounting methods; (3) registration of sellers of goods and services responsible for reporting sales; (4) penalties for noncompliance; and (5) collections, appeals, and taxpayer rights. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to allocate sales tax revenues among: (1) the general revenue; (2) the old-age and survivors insurance trust fund; (3) the disability insurance trust fund; (4) the hospital insurance trust fund; and (5) the federal supplementary medical insurance trust fund. Prohibits the funding of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after FY 2011. Establishes in the Department of the Treasury: (1) an Excise Tax Bureau to administer excise taxes not administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and (2) a Sales Tax Bureau to administer the national sales tax.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act to establish an Elder Justice program under title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services). Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC). Establishes the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to establish stationary and mobile forensic centers, to develop forensic expertise regarding, and provide services relating to, elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Directs the Secretary to provide incentives for individuals to train for, seek, and maintain employment providing direct care in a long-term care (LTC) facility. Directs the Secretary to make grants to LTC facilities to: (1) offer continuing training and varying levels of certification to employees who provide direct care to LTC facility residents; and (2) provide bonuses or other benefits to employees who achieve certification. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to assist LTC facilities in offsetting the costs for standardized clinical health care informatics systems designed to improve patient safety and reduce adverse events and health care complications resulting from medication errors. Directs the Secretary to ensure that HHS: (1) provides funding to state and local adult protective services services offices that investigate reports of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) collects and disseminates related data in coordination with the Department of Justice. Establishes a program of annual adult protective services grants to states. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to: (1) improve the capacity of state LTC ombudsman programs to respond to and resolve abuse and neglect complaints; and (2) conduct pilot programs with state or local LTC ombudsman offices. Directs the Secretary to establish programs to provide and improve ombudsman training for national organizations and state LTC ombudsman programs. Amends part A of SSA title XI to require each individual owner, operator, employee, manager, agent, or contractor of an LTC facility receiving certain federal support to report to the Secretary and local law enforcement entities any reasonable suspicion of crimes occurring in such facility. Requires the owner or operator of such an LTC facility to notify the Secretary and the appropriate state regulatory agency of a facility's impending closure, as well as a plan for the transfer and adequate relocation of facility residents. Directs the Secretary to study and report to the EJCC and appropriate congressional committees on establishing a national nurse aide registry.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility, and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to ensure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging studies and radiation therapy treatments. Imposes such standards on personnel who perform, plan, or evaluate, or verify patient doses for, medical imaging studies and radiation therapy procedures and not on the equipment used. Exempts physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Directs the Secretary to ensure that individuals demonstrate compliance with such standards. Requires the Secretary to provide a method for the recognition of individuals whose training and experience are determined to equal or exceed that of: (1) a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty; or (2) an individual who is regularly eligible to take the licensure or certification examination for that discipline. Directs the Secretary to certify qualified nonprofit organizations as approved bodies to provide accreditation to individuals that demonstrate compliance with such standards. Requires individuals who provide medical imaging services relating to mammograms to continue to meet standards under the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992. Deems state standards for licensure or certification of personnel, accreditation of educational programs, or administration of examinations to be in compliance with the standards under this Act unless the Secretary determines otherwise. Requires the Secretary to establish a process by which a state may appeal such a determination. Requires the Secretary to ensure that all programs under the authority of the Secretary meet such standards. Authorizes the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas or health professional shortage areas as appropriate to assure access to quality medical imaging.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide additional amounts to eliminate the remainder of SCHIP funding shortfalls for FY2007. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in order to verify SSA title XIX (Medicaid) financial eligibility, to collaborate with the Commissioner of Social Security for use of the system for obtaining financial institution information to verify eligibility for SSA title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Hope Offered through Principled and Ethical Stem Cell Research Act or the HOPE Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop techniques for the isolation, derivation, production, or testing of stem cells, including pluripotent stem cells that have the flexibility of embryonic stem cells (whether or not they have an embryonic source), that may result in improved understanding of or treatments for diseases and other adverse health conditions, provided that such techniques do not involve: (1) the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or (2) the destruction or discarding of, or risk of injury to, a human embryo of embryos other than those that are naturally dead. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide guidance concerning the next steps required for additional research; (2) prioritize research with the greatest potential for near-term clinical benefits; (3) take into account techniques outlined by the President's Council on Bioethics and any other appropriate techniques and research; and (4) require assurances from grant applicants, in the case of research involving stem cells from a naturally dead embryo, that no alteration of the timing, methods, or procedures used to create, maintain, or intervene in the development of a human embryo was made solely for the purpose of deriving the stem cells. Directs the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to conduct a study to: (1) recommend an optimal structure for an amniotic and placental stem cell bank program; and (2) address pertinent issues to maximize the potential of such technology.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits anything in the Constitution, including amendments, from being construed to prohibit voluntary prayer or require prayer in a public school, or to prohibit voluntary prayer or require prayer at a public school extracurricular activity.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 2007 - 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.