United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2007
Farm, Ranch, Equity, Stewardship, and Health Act of 2007 - Amends the federal crop insurance program. Establishes: (1) a risk management account contract program; (2) a conservation planning pilot program; (3) a nutrient reduction and sediment control pilot program for the Chesapeake Bay watershed; (4) a national clean plant network; (5) an Office of Pest Management Policy; and (6) a program of hunger-free community collaborative and infrastructure grants. Extends and revises specified programs for: (1) commodity assistance; (2) conservation; (3) specialty crops; (4) food programs and nutrition, (5) agricultural trade; (6) rural development; (7) forestry; and (8) energy, including biobased products. Food Employment Empowerment and Development Program Act of 2007 or FEED Act of 2007 - Establishes the food employment empowerment and development program to provide grants to eligible entities to use community resources to combat hunger and the root causes of hunger by creating opportunity through food recovery and job training. Expresses the sense of Congress that any budgetary savings created by this Act should be used to reduce the federal budget deficit and not be used to offset other federal spending.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2007
Supporting America's Protective Security Advisor Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Protective Security Advisor Program Office within the Protective Security Coordination Division of the Office of Infrastructure Protection of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Requires the Office to have primary responsibility within DHS for: (1) encouraging state, local, and tribal governments and private sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure and key resources to participate and collaborate within the risk management framework of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan; (2) coordinating national and intergovernmental critical infrastructure and key resource activities with such governments, owners, and operators; (3) facilitating and conducting requirements, capabilities, and risk assessment analyses that enhance critical infrastructure and key resources preparedness; (4) promoting information sharing and security awareness; (5) assisting such governments in developing multijurisdictional security plans; (6) helping to ensure coordination among such governments, such owners and operators, emergency response providers, and related agencies; (7) serving as infrastructure liaison officials when a joint field office is activated in response to a natural disaster or terrorist event; and (8) facilitating and coordinating interaction with international security partners. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan for the assignment and distribution of protective security advisors that takes into account baseline requirements and anticipated growth to: (1) ensure that protective security advisors are located across the United States and provide appropriate coverage and coordinated support, especially in high-risk regions; and (2) assign protective security advisors and support staff based on risk.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2007
Disapproves a specified rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to Medicare coverage for the use of erythropoiesis stimulating agents in cancer and related neoplastic conditions. Declares that such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2007
America's Climate Security Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish: (1) a greenhouse gas (GHG) registry; and (2) a GHG emission allowance transfer system for covered facilities, including specified facilities within the electric power and industrial sectors and facilities that produce or entities that import petroleum- or coal- based transportation fuel or chemicals. Sets forth emission allowances for 2012-2050, with a declining cap on GHGs. Provides for selling, exchanging, transferring, submitting, retiring, or borrowing emission allowances. Establishes: (1) a domestic offset program to sequester GHGs in agriculture and forests; and (2) the Bonus Allowance Account. Establishes the Carbon Market Efficiency Board, which shall observe and report on the national GHG emission market and provide cost relief measures if it determines that the market poses significant harm to the U.S. economy. Provides for the distribution of emission allowances, including initially giving allowances to: (1) specified owners and operators of covered facilities; (2) states; (3) load-serving entities that deliver electricity to retail consumers; (4) the Secretary of Agriculture to reduce GHG emissions in the agriculture and forestry sectors; (5) international forest protection activities; and (6) the Emission Allowance Account for covered facilities in the electric power and industrial sectors. Establishes in the Treasury and provides for allocations from: (1) the Energy Assistance Fund; (2) the Climate Change Worker Training Fund; (3) the Adaptation Fund; and (4) the Climate Change and National Security Fund. Establishes the Climate Change Credit Corporation to auction emission allowances. Provides for the use of auction proceeds, including for a zero- or low-carbon energy technologies program, an advanced coal and sequestration technologies program, incentives for production of fuel from cellulosic biomass, and an advanced technology vehicles manufacturing incentive program. Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to set forth provisions concerning appliance energy efficiency requirements and state building energy efficiency code updates. Requires the President to establish an interagency group to determine whether foreign countries have addressed GHGs. Directs the Administrator to establish an international reserve allowance program. Requires the proceeds from sales of such allowances to be used to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on other countries' disadvantaged communities. Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the Administrator to permit commercial-scale underground injection of carbon dioxide for purposes of geological sequestration. Requires the Secretary of Energy to study the feasibility of the construction of: (1) pipelines for the transportation of carbon dioxide for sequestration or enhanced oil recovery; and (2) geological carbon dioxide sequestration facilities. Directs the Administrator to establish a task force to study the cost implications of potential federal assumption of liability with respect to closed geological storage sites. Authorizes the President to waive this Act's requirements in a national security emergency. Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to direct securities issuers to inform investors of material risks related to climate change.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2007
Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act or the FIT Kids Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require annual state and local educational agency report cards to include specified information on school health and physical education programs. Includes the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles by students within ESEA grant programs that support school counseling, smaller learning communities, community learning centers, and parental involvement in their childrens' education. Revises the professional development program for teachers and principals to include training for physical and health education teachers, and training on improving students' health habits and participation in physical activities. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to fund a study by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that: (1) assesses the affect health and physical education have on students' ability to learn; and (2) makes recommendations for improving, and measuring improvements to, their health and physical education in schools.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2007
Home Health Care Access Protection Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the prospective payment system (PPS) for home health services and adjustments to it for case mix changes. Prohibits any adjustment in the PPS for payment in 2008. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for any adjustment in a subsequent year, to evaluate changes in case mix using standards developed consistent with specified processes, taking certain criteria into account. Directs the Secretary to convene a Technical Advisory Group to advise on the development of such standards. Prohibits the Secretary from taking any action to implement or otherwise carry out provisions in the final rule published on August 29, 2007, that propose to make a case mix adjustment to the standardized payment amounts under the PPS to account for changes in coding that were not related to an underlying change in patient health status. Directs the Secretary to republish any rates specified in such rule to take into account the application of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2007
Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation of 2007 - Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to direct the Secretary of the Treasury, within the Paris Club of Official Creditors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), and other international financial institutions, to: (1) provide for debt cancellation of eligible low-income countries (as defined by this Act) to such institutions and to the United States; (2) provide for establishment of frameworks for creditor transparency and responsible lending; and (3) provide that such debt cancellation is not conditioned on harmful economic or environmental conditions. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit the debt portfolios of previous governments in certain countries, including South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2007
Saffron Revolution Support Act of 2007 - States that it is U.S. policy to: (1) support the democratic aspirations of Burma's people; (2) condemn the repression carried out by the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); and (3) hold accountable individuals responsible for the repression of peaceful political activity in Burma. Directs the President to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a list of: (1) SPDC officials who play or have played a substantial role in political repression in Burma or in the commission of human rights abuses; and (2) other Burmese SPDC supporters. Subjects persons so identified to U.S. entry prohibition and financial sanctions (blocked property, financial transaction prohibitions, and banking sanctions). Terminates such prohibitions upon a presidential certification to the committees that the SPDC has: (1) released all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the National League for Democracy; (2) entered into a dialogue with democratic forces led by the National League for Democracy and the ethnic minorities of Burma on transitioning to democratic government; and (3) allowed humanitarian access to populations affected by armed conflict in all regions of Burma. Amends the the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 to prohibit the importation into the United States of Burmese gems, teak, or other hardwood timber. Prohibits any U.S. person (as defined by this Act) from investing in Burma. Authorizes: (1) the Secretary of State to award grants to nongovernmental organizations, universities, and other organizations to establish an Internet database of SPDC human rights abuses; and (2) the President to assist nonviolent democracy activists in their efforts to promote freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma. Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate committees respecting countries that provide military aid to Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the 15-year recovery period for purposes of the tax deduction for depreciation of qualified restaurant property. Revises the term "qualified restaurant property" to include existing buildings as well as improvements to buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2007
Mental Health Improvements Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure the provision of specified substance use disorder treatment services at each Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center and community-based outpatient clinic. Requires the Secretary to ensure that treatment for a substance use disorder and a comorbid mental health disorder is provided concurrently by a team of experienced clinicians. Requires the Secretary to: (1) carry out a program of enhanced care and treatment for veterans with substance use disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and (2) establish at least six national centers of excellence on PTSD and substance use disorders. Requires a report on residential mental health care facilities of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Pays tribute to Justin Bailey. Requires a: (1) pilot program on peer outreach and support services, readjustment counseling services, and other mental health services for veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom; (2) program of research into comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder; and (3) pilot program on the provision of readjustment and transition assistance to veterans and their families in cooperation with Vet Centers.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2007
NASA 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to mint and issue $50 gold and $1 silver coins emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements of NASA. Requires all such coin sales to include a surcharge of $50 per $50 coin, and of $10 per $1 coin. Requires distribution of the first $4 million to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for financial assistance to the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of their official duties. Requires distribution of: (1) one-half of the next $1 million of the remaining amounts to the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Educational (D.R.E.M.E.) Science Literacy Foundation and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education; and (2) the remainder to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution for the preservation, maintenance, and display of space artifacts at the National Air and Space Museum (including the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center). Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the $50 gold coins.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2007
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of Fire Prevention Week, October 7-October 13, 2007; and (2) the work of firefighters to educate and protect the nation's communities.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) nothing in this Act shall be construed as a recommendation by Congress that any particular contingency plan be exercised; (2) it is necessary and prudent for the Department of Defense (DOD) to undertake robust and comprehensive contingency planning; (3) contingency planning for a redeployment of Armed Forces from Iraq should address appropriate protection for U.S. Armed Forces, civilians, contractors, and third party and Iraqi nationals who have aided the U.S. mission in Iraq, and the preservation of military equipment; and (4) such planning should describe a range of scenarios and timetables for redeployment, and describe possible missions of Armed Forces remaining in Iraq. Directs the Secretary of Defense to report to the congressional defense and appropriations committees on the status of planning for the redeployment of Armed Forces from Iraq. Requires the Secretary and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to brief such committees on matters contained in the reports.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2007
Expresses the sense of the Senate on the need for a comprehensive diplomatic offensive to help broker national reconciliation efforts in Iraq and lay the foundation for the eventual redeployment of U.S. combat forces.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2007
Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007 - Provides collective bargaining rights for public safety officers employed by states or local governments. Directs the Federal Labor Relations Authority (Authority) to determine whether state law provides specified rights and responsibilities for public safety officers, including: (1) granting public safety employees the right to form and join a labor organization which excludes management and supervisory employees, and which is, or seeks to be, recognized as the exclusive bargaining agent for such employees; and (2) requiring public safety employers to recognize and agree to bargain with the employees' labor organization. Requires the Authority to issue in accordance with the public safety employee rights and responsibilities regulations establishing collective bargaining procedures for public safety employers and employees in states that do not substantially provide for such rights and responsibilities. Directs the Authority , in such cases, to: (1) determine the appropriateness of units for labor organization representation; (2) supervise or conduct elections to determine whether a labor organization has been selected as an exclusive representative by a voting majority of the employees in an appropriate unit; (3) resolve issues relating to the duty to bargain in good faith; (4) conduct hearings and resolve complaints of unfair labor practices; and (5) resolve exceptions to arbitrator's awards. Grants a public safety employer, employee, or labor organization the right to seek enforcement of such Authority regulations and orders through appropriate state courts. Prohibits public safety employers, employees, and labor organizations from engaging in lockouts, sickouts, work slowdowns, or strikes. Provides that existing collective bargaining units and agreements shall not be invalidated by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2007
Medicare Independent Living Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the in-the-home restriction for Medicare coverage of mobility devices for individuals with expected long-term needs. Deems such devices to be durable medical equipment (DME) if they are used in customary settings for the purpose of normal domestic, vocational, or community activities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2007
Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2007 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) phase out the waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for benefits under SSA title XVIII (Medicare); and (2) eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions to become eligible for such benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to request the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to study the range of disability conditions that can be delayed or prevented if individuals receive access to health care services and coverage before a condition reaches disability levels.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2007
Medicare Prescription Drug Gap Reduction Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to reduce the coverage gap in prescription drug coverage under SSA part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program), based on savings to the Medicare program resulting from the negotiation of prescription drug prices. Grants the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority similar to that of other federal entities that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs. States that the Secretary shall be required to: (1) negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs for each fallback prescription drug plan; and (2) participate in negotiation of contracts of any covered part D drug upon request of an approved prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan. Prohibits the Secretary from requiring a particular formulary or instituting a price structure for the reimbursement of covered part D drugs in order to carry out, and promote competition, under part D.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2007
Patient and Pharmacy Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 to delay for six months, from September 30, 2007, through March 31, 2008, the effective date of the requirement to use tamper-resistant prescription pads under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to prescribe covered outpatient drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2007
Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive Act of 2007 or GROWTH Act of 2007 - Targets assistance for women in developing countries with respect to: (1) microenterprises; (2) small and medium enterprises; (3) private property rights and land tenure security; (4) employment access; (5) trade benefits; (6) exchanges with U.S. entrepreneurs; (7) Millennium Challenge Account assistance; and (8) indigenous women's organizations. Directs the Secretary of State to establish the Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive (GROWTH) Fund to enhance economic opportunities for very poor, poor, and low-income women in developing countries with a focus on: (1) increasing women-owned enterprise development; (2) increasing property rights for women; (3) increasing women's access to financial services; (4) increasing women in leadership in implementing organizations, such as indigenous nongovernmental organizations, community-based organizations, and regulated financial intermediaries; (5) improving women's employment benefits and conditions; and (6) increasing women's ability to benefit from global trade.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2007
Combat Methamphetamine Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to: (1) require all regulated sellers and persons dealing in certain listed chemicals used to make methamphetamine to file self-certifications with the Attorney General in compliance with such Act; (2) require the Attorney General to publish a list of all self-certified persons on the website of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); (3) restrict distributors of listed chemicals from selling to individuals other than self-certified regulated sellers or persons; and (4) impose penalties for negligent failure to self-certify.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2007
Reaffirms the Senate's commitment to: (1) a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the establishment of two states, Israel and Palestine; and (2) Israel's security. Denounces the use of violence and terror. Calls on: (1) President Bush to engage Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to begin negotiations; (2) Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce and end all terror and incitement, and accept past agreements and obligations with Israel; (3) moderate Arab states to intensify their diplomatic efforts toward a two-state solution; and (4) Israeli and Palestinian leaders to embrace efforts to achieve peace and refrain from taking any actions that would prejudice final status negotiations. Welcomes the Arab League Peace Initiative. Urges President Bush to consider appointing as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace an individual who has held cabinet rank or someone equally qualified with an extensive knowledge of foreign affairs and the Middle East region in particular.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2007
Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action Act of 2007 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish the Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action to address, and report to the President and Congress on, the nation's long-term fiscal imbalances, including those attributable to the Medicare and Social Security programs and the gap between their projected revenues and expenditures. Provides for expedited legislative consideration of Task Force recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2007
Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 with respect to hours-of-service requirements airline flight crews must meet to qualify for leave under such Act. Declares that a flight attendant or flight crewmember will be considered to meet such requirements if he or she has been paid for or has worked 60% of the employer's monthly hour or trip guarantee, or the equivalent annualized over the previous 12-month period.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2007
Recreational Boating Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (popularly known as the Clean Water Act) to redefine the term "pollutant" to exclude any deck runoff from a recreational vessel, any engine cooling water, gray water, bilge water effluent from a properly functioning recreational marine engine, laundry, shower, and galley sink waste from a recreational vessel, or any other discharge incidental to the normal operation of a recreational vessel. Declares that such exclusion does not apply to rubbish, trash, garbage, or any other similar material discharged overboard by a recreational vessel. Defines "recreational vessel" to mean a vessel that is: (1) manufactured for operation, or operated primarily for recreational purposes; or (2) leased, rented, or chartered to an individual for recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2007
Teachers at the Table Act - Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish the Volunteer Teacher Advisory Committee to monitor the effects of such title (amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) in classrooms, with its focus solely on children and families. Requires that committee membership consist of a diverse group of public school classroom teachers who are past or present Teachers of the Year.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2007
Declares that Congress remembers, honors, and commends the achievements of the U.S. Air Force in serving and defending the United States on the 60th anniversary of its creation as an independent military service.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
Medicare Anesthesiology Teaching Funding Restoration Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) to set forth a special payment rule of 100% of the fee schedule amount for teaching anesthesiologists involved in the training of physician residents, if certain presence and availability requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
Rural Education Achievement Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends part B (Rural Education Initiative) of title VI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to revise the Small, Rural School Achievement program, which gives rural local educational agencies (LEAs) federal formula grants and greater flexibility in the use of state educational funds. Limits eligibility to LEAs whose schools are all designated with a school locale code of Fringe Rural, Distant Rural, or Remote Rural, unless located in an area the state defines as rural. Raises federal grant limits when funds available to implement the program equal or exceed $100 million. Alters LEAs' eligibility for federal funds under the Rural and Low-Income School program by requiring that: (1) at least 40% of the children ages 5 through 17 that LEAs serve be eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; and (2) all of their schools be designated with a school locale code of Distant Town, Remote Town, Fringe Rural, Distant Rural, or Remote Rural.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2007
Build America Bonds Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax credit to a taxpayer holding a Build America bond on one or more of its credit allowance dates. Defines a "Build America bond" as any bond issued by the Transportation Finance Corporation as part of an issue if 95% or more of the proceeds from such issue are to be used for expenditures incurred for one or more qualified projects. Requires proceeds from the sale of bonds issued under this Act to be held in a Build America Bonds Trust Account. Defines "qualified project" as the capital improvements to any transportation infrastructure project (including roads, bridges, rail and transit systems, ports, and inland waterways) proposed by one or more states and approved by the Transportation Finance Corporation. Grants Congress' consent and recognition to the establishment by two or more state infrastructure banks of the Transportation Finance Corporation. Authorizes the Transportation Finance Corporation to: (1) issue Build America bonds for the financing of qualified projects; (2) establish and operate the Build America Bonds Trust Account; (3) leverage resources and stimulate public and private investment in transportation infrastructure; and (4) perform any other function the sole purpose of which is to carry out the financing of qualified projects through Build America bonds. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend certain customs fees for the processing of merchandise entered into the United States through October 14, 2026.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2007
Declares that as Senator Tim Johnson returns to the Senate, his fellow Members of the Senate extend their warmest welcome and express their personal happiness at his return, and offer their very best wishes for his continued good health.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate, establish, and operate at least six Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health-care facilities as locations for epilepsy centers of excellence. Requires the Under Secretary for Health of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to establish a peer review panel to assess the scientific and clinical merit of proposals for the designation of such centers. Requires the Secretary to designate a VHA national coordinator for epilepsy programs to: (1) supervise the operation of the centers; (2) coordinate and support throughout the VA health-care system better access to diagnosis, research, care, and education for epilepsy and traumatic brain injury; and (3) conduct regular evaluations of the centers.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Allows a federal agency head to waive the application of civil service retirement system and federal employee retirement system provisions restricting annuities and pay upon reemployment with respect to an annuitant employed as a limited time appointee, but prohibits waiving such provisions with respect to an annuitant for more than: (1) 520 hours of service performed during the six months following the individual's annuity commencing date; (2) 1040 hours of service performed during any 12-month period; or (3) 6240 hours of service performed during the individual's lifetime.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Declares that: (1) the United States should initiate discussions to negotiate international agreements for managing fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean and establishing new international fisheries management organizations for the region; (2) such agreements should conform with the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement; (3) the United States should consult with the North Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and Alaska Native subsistence communities of the Arctic; and (4) prior to the agreements coming into force, the United States should support international efforts to halt the expansion of commercial fishing activities in the high seas of the Arctic Ocean.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
Pharmacy Access Improvement (PhAIm) Act of 2007 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program ) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to participating pharmacies and standards for access to them. Requires that such standards ensure that enrollees residing in long-term care facilities have access to a long-term care network pharmacy. Requires prompt payment of clean claims to pharmacies by prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans (MA-PD Plans). Defines prompt payment as payment occurring within 14 days from submission for claims submitted electronically, and within 30 days for claims submitted otherwise. Requires payment of interest if a payment is not issued, mailed, or otherwise transmitted within the applicable number of calendar days. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 24-hour toll-free telephone number dedicated to providing Medicare prescription drug benefit information to pharmacists and pharmacy staff. Requires PDP sponsors to establish toll-free pharmacy and physician and provider hotlines. Prohibits a Medicare prescription drug card issued by a PDP sponsor from displaying the name, brand, logo, or trademark (co-branding) of any pharmacy. Provides for submission of claims by pharmacies located in or contracting with long-term care facilities. Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services to analyze and report to the Secretary on the cost of dispensing covered part D drugs under a PDP or an MA-PD plan. Provides that, if the PDP sponsor uses a standard for reimbursement of pharmacies based on the cost of a drug, each contract entered into with such sponsor with respect to the plan shall require the sponsor to update the standard at least once every seven days.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
Justice for Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act - Amends the federal judicial code to expand the rights of victims of state-sponsored terrorism by: (1) denying foreign states that support terrorism immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts for cases involving personal injury or death related to the terrorist activities of its officials, employees, or agents; (2) allowing certain nationals of the United States, members of the Armed Forces, and federal employees or contractors a private cause of action against a foreign state designated as a state sponsor of terrorism; (3) making foreign states vicariously liable for the actions of their officials, employees, or agents; (4) limiting appeals in cases against foreign states involving terrorist-related injuries; and (5) establishing a pending lien against property of a foreign state sponsor of terrorism upon the initiation of legal action in the United States against such state.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to add a new section concerning the prevention of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism. Establishes within the legislative branch the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism to: (1) examine and report on facts and causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United States; (2) survey methodologies implemented by foreign nations to prevent such radicalization and terrorism; and (3) build upon, bring together, and avoid unnecessary duplication of related work done by other entities toward such goal. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish or designate a university-based Center of Excellence for the Study of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism in the United States to assist federal, state, local, and tribal government homeland security officials in preventing violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism in the United States. Requires the Secretary to ensure that activities to prevent ideologically based violence and homegrown terrorism do not violate the constitutional rights, civil rights, and civil liberties of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, approved by the Secretary of Education, for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Directs the Secretary to award Environmental Education Professional Development Grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, institutions of higher education (IHE), other educational entities, or state or local natural resource or environmental agencies, for activities involving, among other things, teacher training and the operation of model environmental education programs. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to nonprofit organizations, states, LEAs, or IHEs for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards; (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs; (3) research; and (4) creating new funding sources. Authorizes the use of grants to states out of the Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund for activities incorporating field-based learning, service learning, and outdoor experiential learning into the curricula and instruction. Authorizes the use of funds under the Fund for the Improvement of Education program to advance environmental education. Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to create an Office of Environmental Education to advance K-12 environmental education and administer environmental education grant programs.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
Fair Medicaid Drug Payment Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to calculate the federal upper reimbursement limit as no less than 300% of the weighted average (based on utilization) of the most recent average manufacturer prices (AMPs) for pharmaceutically and therapeutically equivalent multiple source drug products available for purchase by retail community pharmacies on a nationwide basis. Directs the Secretary to implement a smoothing process for AMPs to ensure that federal upper reimbursement limits do not vary significantly from month to month as a result of rebates, discounts, and other pricing practices. Requires a state plan to subject to prior authorization all covered outpatient drug products that are innovator multiple source drugs, if such drug products are more expensive than other biologically and therapeutically equivalent drug products available for purchase in that state by retail community pharmacies. Revises requirements for monthly reports to the Secretary of price information by manufacturers subject to rebate agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
Long-term Care Quality and Modernization Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Service to conduct a demonstration program under which the Secretary shall require a state to establish a process for joint training and education of surveyors and providers for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities at least annually. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to set forth provisions related to resumption of nursing aid training programs for skilled nursing facilities after correction of deficiencies. Authorizes the Secretary to exclude from the Medicare prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities: (1) high cost and low probability cancer treatment drugs; and (2) all ambulance services. Authorizes a physician, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist to certify under Medicare that a prescribed series of blood glucose tests are medically required. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to establish a national nursing database to predict future nursing shortages. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide for a 15-year recovery period for qualified long-term care improvement property; (2) establish an investment tax credit for long-term care facility information technology; (3) establish tax-exempt long-term care trust accounts; (4) allow cash contributions to such accounts up to $5,000 annually; (5) allow an exclusion from gross income for certain distributions, including for long-term care services for chronically-ill individuals; (6) impose penalties for excess contributions to such accounts and for failure to provide required reports on such accounts; and (7) allow a refundable tax credit for 10% of the annual contributions to such accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends federal law to provide that, in the case of an employee in fire protection activities: (1) heart disease, lung disease, specified cancers and infectious diseases shall be presumed to be proximately caused by the employee's employment; (2) the disability or death of an employee in fire protection activities due to such a disease shall be presumed to result from personal injury sustained while in the performance of such employee's duty; and (3) such presumptions may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
Nuclear Policy and Posture Review Act of 2007 - Directs the President to conduct a nuclear policy review to consider a range of options on the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. security policy. Requires the Secretary of Defense to conduct a comprehensive review of the U.S. nuclear posture to clarify U.S. nuclear deterrence policy and strategy. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President's review should be used as the basis for establishing future U.S. strategic arms control objectives and negotiating positions. Prohibits the appropriation or availability of funds for the Reliable Replacement Warhead Program for FY2008-FY2010 until reports on the above reviews have been submitted to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
Combat Illegal Logging Act of 2007 - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to redefine the term "plant" to include products of plants and to exclude any common food crop or cultivar that is a species not listed: (1) in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; or (2) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Redefines the term "take" to include harvesting, cutting, logging, or removing a plant. Makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, possess, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce plants: (1) taken, transported, possessed, or sold in violation of specified foreign or state law; (2) taken, transported, or exported without the payment of royalties, taxes, or stumpage fees required by foreign or state law; or (3) exported or transshipped in violation of any limitation under foreign or state law. Makes it unlawful to import plants unless the importer files, when clearance is requested, a declaration that contains: (1) the scientific name of any plant contained in the importation; and (2) a description of the value of the importation, the quantity of the plant, and the name of the country from which the plant was taken. Sets forth requirements concerning the contents of a declaration. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to promulgate regulations to limit the applicability of, or to modify, declaration requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2007
Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act - Requires the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention to make grants to enable public and private nonprofit entities to determine whether educating youth about meth mouth (oral decay that is commonly associated with methamphetamine use) is an effective strategy for preventing or reducing methamphetamine use. Reserves a portion of appropriated funds for Indian tribes and tribal organizations. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expand and intensify the clinical research, health services research, and public health research on associations between substance use disorders, oral health, and the provision of dental care. Requires the Secretary to study the effect methamphetamine use has on the demand for, and provision of, dental care. Directs the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support training and offer technical assistance to ensure that dentists and allied dental personnel are prepared to: (1) recognize signs of alcohol or drug addiction; (2) discuss the nature of substance abuse as it relates to their area of expertise; (3) understand how certain dental therapies can affect the relapse potential of substance dependent patients; and (4) help those affected by a substance use disorder find appropriate treatment for their conditions. Authorizes the Administrator to collaborate with professional accrediting bodies to develop and support substance abuse training courses for oral health professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2007
Meth Mouth Correctional Costs and Reentry Support Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to: (1) include in criminal justice system statistics data about the oral health of federal inmates and dental care provided in federal correctional facilities; and (2) conduct a study on how methampehtamine use affects the demand for (and provision of) oral health care in such facilities. Provides for Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to states and local, territorial, and tribal governments for: (1) oral health dental programs for federal inmates; (2) evaluating the extent to which poor oral health undermines or impedes an inmate's successful reentry into the community; and (3) establishing adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects for inmate oral health programs during incarceration and after release.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2007
Prescribe A Book Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a Pediatric Early Literacy program under which the Secretary of Education awards matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of three-part models through which: (1) health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer them recommendations and strategies for doing so; (2) health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five-years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and (3) volunteers reading to children in health care facility waiting areas show parents the techniques and pleasures of reading aloud to children. Requires that the books provided to children under the program be obtained at a discount.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2007
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants to eligible entities to provide education and training in newborn screening and congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders to health care professionals and newborn screening laboratory personnel. Adds as a condition for eligibility for grants for screening, counseling, or health care services to newborns and children having, or at risk for, heritable disorders that an entity assure that it has or is implementing guidelines and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children. Requires the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children to: (1) make recommendations that include the heritable disorders for which all newborns should be screened; and (2) develop a model decision-matrix for newborn screening program expansion. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to: (1) establish a central clearinghouse for information on newborn screening; and (2) award grants for newborn screening educational programs and for a system to assess and coordinate treatment relating to congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to provide for: (1) quality assurance for screening laboratories; (2) population-based pilot testing for evaluating new screening tools; and (3) a national contingency plan for newborn screening in the event of a public health emergency. Requires the Secretary, acting through an Interagency Group, to: (1) collect, analyze, and make available data on certain heritable disorders; (2) operate regional centers to conduct applied epidemiological research on interventions to prevent poor health outcomes from such disorders; and (3) research and promote the prevention of poor health outcomes. Requires the Secretary to establish the Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening Research Program.
![Official portrait of Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001035_200.jpg)