United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2007 - Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions ordinarily incident to such travel, and any regulation restricting or prohibiting such travel shall have no effect, relating to: (1) accompanied personal baggage; (2) payment of living expenses and the acquisition of personal-use goods or services; (3) travel arrangements; (4) nonscheduled air, sea, or land voyage transactions, (such provision does not permit the carriage of articles other than accompanied baggage into Cuba or the United States); and (5) normal banking transactions. States that such provision shall not: (1) apply in time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba, or of imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers; and (2) authorize U.S. importation of personal consumption goods acquired in Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2007 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit any person who is otherwise qualified to vote in a federal election in a state to use the national federal write-in absentee ballot prescribed by the Election Assistance Commission to cast a vote in such an election. Directs the Commission to prescribe a national federal write-in absentee ballot for use in elections for federal office. Requires the voting system to provide for an independent means of voter verification, allowing each voter to verify the ballot before it is cast and counted. Requires the state to: (1) count such ballot if the individual who cast it is otherwise eligible to vote; and (2) provide for the minimum required number of voting systems and poll workers for each polling place on the day of any federal election, and on any days during which such state allows early voting. Directs the Commission to issue standards regarding the minimum number of voting systems and poll workers. Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require each state, with certain exceptions, to permit any individual on the day of a federal election to: (1) register to vote at the polling place; and (2) cast a vote in such election. Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require: (1) the Commission to develop an election day registration form for elections for federal office; (2) each state to provide public notice of all names which have been removed from the voter registration list since the later of the most recent federal election or the day of the most recent previous public notice; (3) each state to allow individuals to vote in a federal election at least 15 days before the day scheduled for it in the same manner as voting on such day (early voting); (4) each polling place which allows early voting to allow it for at least a uniform four hours each day; and (5) the Commission to issue standards for the administration of early voting. Accelerates the study on election day as a public holiday. Requires mail voter registration forms to include, in lieu of mandatory questions and statements, an affidavit to be signed by the registrant attesting both to citizenship and age. Directs each state to establish a program under which individuals may access voter registration forms electronically through the Internet. Provides for establishing voter identification with respect to in person voting and voting by mail. Outlines election administration requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Recognizes the special legal and political relationship the Indian tribes have with the United States and the solemn covenant with the land we share. Commends and honors the Native Peoples for the thousands of years that they have stewarded and protected this land. Recognizes that there have been years of official depredations, ill-conceived policies, and the breaking of covenants by the U.S. government regarding Indian tribes. Apologizes on behalf of the people of the United States to all Native Peoples for the many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on them by U.S. citizens. Expresses the regret of the United States for the ramifications of former wrongs and its commitment to build on the positive relationships of the past and present to move toward reconciliation. Urges the President to acknowledge the wrongs of the United States against Indian tribes in U.S. history. Commends the state governments that have begun reconciliation efforts with recognized Indian tribes located in their boundaries, and encourages all state governments to do the same. Declares that nothing in this Joint Resolution authorizes or supports any claim against the United States or serves as a settlement of any claim against the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Demands that: (1) Hamas release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit; (2) Hezbollah accept the mandate of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 by releasing Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev; and (3) Hezbollah and Hamas accede to basic standards of humanitarian conduct and allow access to the Israeli captives by competent medical personnel and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Expresses: (1) commitment to Israel's survival as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders; (2) support and interest in achieving a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the creation of a viable and independent Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel; (3) concern for the families of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev; and (4) commitment to seek the Israeli captives' release. Condemns: (1) Hamas and Hezbollah for the cross border attacks and kidnappings which precipitated the armed conflict between Israel, Hezbollah, and armed Palestinian groups; and (2) Iran and Syria for their ongoing support of Hezbollah and Hamas.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to list permissible sources of dogs and cats used by research facilities to include dogs and cats obtained: (1) from a licensed dealer; (2) from a publicly owned and operated pound or shelter that meets specified requirements; (3) by donation from a person who bred and raised the dog or cat and owned it for not less than one year; or (4) from a research facility licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Sets forth additional monetary penalties for related violations. Prohibits federal facilities from purchasing or otherwise acquiring dogs or cats for exhibition purposes except from: (1) the operator of an auction that comports with legal requirements; or (2) a person holding a valid dealer or exhibitor license. Prohibits dealers from selling or otherwise providing a research facility with random source dogs or cats unless specified certification requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2007
Cameron Gulbransen Kids and Cars Safety Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations for light motor vehicles to require: (1) automatic reversal of direction by power windows and panels when they detect an obstruction; (2) a rearward visibility performance standard to prevent backing incidents; and (3) automatic transmissions to have an anti-rollaway system that requires the service brake to be depressed before the transmission can be shifted out of park, which shall function in any starting system key position in which the transmission can be shifted out of park. Provides a phase-in period for the power window and rearward visibility provisions. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a database of injuries and deaths in nontraffic, noncrash events involving light motor vehicles; and (2) supplement a consumer information program on child safety or create a new program with information about hazards to children in nontraffic, noncrash incident situations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2007
Kidney Care Quality and Education Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish demonstration projects to: (1) increase public awareness about the factors that lead to chronic kidney disease, how to prevent it, how to treat it, and how to avoid kidney failure, as well as enhance surveillance systems and expand research to better assess the prevalence and incidence of kidney disease; and (2) enable individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) to develop self-management skills. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for Medicare coverage of kidney disease patient education services. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish blood flow monitoring demonstration projects; and (2) arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the barriers to increasing the number of individuals with ESRD who elect to receive home dialysis services or other treatment modalities under Medicare. Sets forth required training for patient care dialysis technicians. Directs the Secretary to establish an independent, multidisciplinary, nonpartisan End-Stage Renal Disease Advisory Committee. Establishes the annual update framework for the Medicare ESRD composite rate. Directs the Secretary to establish a three-year continuous quality improvement initiative under which quality payments are provided to renal dialysis facilities, providers of services, and physicians that: (1) provide items and services to individuals with ESRD enrolled under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance); and (2) meet quality benchmarks and demonstrate quality improvements. Requires the Secretary to make quality incentive payments to facilities and providers whose services to individuals with ESRD have substantially improved or exceeded a certain threshold. Extends Medicare as secondary payer with respect to individuals with ESRD.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2007
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Designation Act - Amends the National Trails System Act to designate a corridor of approximately 600 miles following the route taken by the armies of General George Washington and Count Rochambeau between Newport, Rhode Island, and Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781 and 1782, as the "Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail."
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2007
Edward William Brooke III Congressional Gold Medal Act - Awards a congressional gold medal to Edward William Brooke III, the first African American elected by popular vote to the U.S. Senate, in recognition of his unprecedented and enduring service to our Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Training for Realtime Writers Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to make competitive grants to eligible entities to promote recruitment, training, and placement of individuals, including individuals who have completed a court reporting training program, as realtime writers providing closed captioning in video programming. Sets forth priorities in making grants. Limits grants to$1.5 million for a two-year period. Repeals this Act five years after funds are appropriated to carry it out.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Local Government Disaster Relief Act of 2007 - Provides that the federal share of assistance provided under provisions of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for the repair, restoration, and replacement of damaged facilities because of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita shall be 100%. Makes this Act applicable to assistance provided on or after August 28, 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Kinship Caregiver Support Act - Authorizes the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants for kinship navigator programs to state agencies, metropolitan agencies, or tribal organizations with experience in addressing needs of kinship caregivers or children and connecting them with services and assistance. Amends part E (Federal Payments for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to authorize all states to opt to enter agreements to provide kinship guardianship assistance payments on behalf of children to grandparents and other relatives who have assumed legal guardianship of children for whom they have cared as foster parents and have committed to care for on a permanent basis. Allows states to use part E funds to make such payments under specified conditions. Provides that adoptive parents of children with special needs remain eligible for adoption assistance, even if they receive kinship guardianship assistance. Authorizes the use of foster care independence program funds to provide independent living services and education and training vouchers for children who exit foster care to kinship guardianship or adoption after age 16. Authorizes kinship guardianship demonstration projects. Requires states to: (1) notify all adult grandparents and other adult relatives (with exceptions due to family or domestic violence) when a child is removed from custody of a parent or parents; and (2) explain the options the relative has to participate in the child's care and placement. Allows state agencies to establish separate standards for foster family homes in which a foster parent is a relative of the foster child.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Plan; and (2) acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct, support, and promote the coordination of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases research. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support arthritis-specific research projects at the Centers for Prevention Research by the CDC; (2) support state comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities; and (3) assist in the implementation of a national strategy for arthritis control and prevention. Requires the Secretary to coordinate a national education and outreach program on arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish an Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee to: (1) improve coordination of federal research activities related to arthritis and rheumatic diseases; and (2) convene a summit to provide a detailed overview of such current federal research. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify juvenile arthritis research. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to support juvenile arthritis data collection. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to support the development of a National Juvenile Arthritis Patient Registry. Requires the Secretary to promote and support pediatric rheumatology training, including by allowing the Secretary to establish a loan repayment program. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the economic impact of arthritis in the workplace.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of tobacco products by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Food and Drug Administration, including through disclosure, annual registration, inspection, recordkeeping, and user fee requirements. Sets forth criteria by which tobacco products are deemed adulterated or misbranded. Allows the Secretary to require prior approval of all label statements. Allows the Secretary to restrict the sale or distribution of tobacco products, including advertising and promotion, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. Prohibits such regulations from: (1) limiting product sales or distribution to authorization of a practitioner licensed to prescribe medical products; (2) prohibiting product sales in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or (3) establishing a minimum age greater than 18 years of age for product purchases. Prohibits cigarettes from containing any artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, cinnamon, or coffee. Requires the Secretary to establish tobacco product standards to protect the public health, but reserves to Congress the power to ban any tobacco products or reduce the nicotine level to zero. Allows the Secretary to take specified actions, including public notification and recall, against unreasonably harmful products. Requires premarket approval of all new tobacco products. Sets forth standards for the sale of modified risk tobacco products. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) judicial review; (2) coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC); (3) congressional review of regulations; and (4) state and local authority. Requires the Secretary to establish a Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to change cigarette warning label and advertising requirements. Amends the Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 to change smokeless tobacco warning label and advertising requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to change from 2000 to 2020 the target year for achieving the objectives established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services for reductions in the rate of mortality from breast and cervical cancer in the United States for the committee coordinating Public Health Service activities. Directs the Secretary to establish a demonstration project which allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to waive, for two-year periods, requirements for awarding breast and cervical cancer grants that specify the percentage of grant funds to be spent on screening and referrals for medical treatments if certain requirements are met, including: (1) the state involved will use the waiver to leverage private funds to supplement screening and referral services or the application of such requirements would result in a barrier to the enrollment of women; and (2) the Secretary finds that granting such a waiver to a state will not adversely affect the quality of such services. Allows the Secretary to extend a waiver if the waiver requirements are and have been met. Requires the Secretary to include information on waivers as part of the evaluations of the activities carried out pursuant to breast and cervical cancer grants.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Safe Babies Act of 2007 - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to require the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award a grant to a national early childhood development organization to establish a National Court Teams Resource Center to: (1) promote the well-being of maltreated infants and toddlers and their families; (2) help prevent the recurrence of abuse and neglect of children; (3) promote timely reunification of families or other successful permanency outcomes for maltreated infants and toddlers in foster care; and (4) select, and provide assistance to, local Court Teams created to achieve those goals. Sets forth organization selection criteria and application requirements, including assurance that at least one qualified judge will serve as Judicial Leader of each Court Team receiving assistance. Requires the Center to: (1) develop materials to guide judges in the decision-making process regarding, and to train Court Teams in the appropriate care for, maltreated infants and toddlers; (2) develop a database to track the progress of and to evaluate such Teams; and (3) provide information to communities and courts seeking to adopt the Court Teams approach. Requires Center assistance to each Team to include: (1) direction, coordination, oversight, training, and technical assistance; and (2) providing a Local Community Coordinator to serve as a resource of child development expertise.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make federal provisions which prohibit the obligation or expenditure of funds either in excess of appropriated amounts or in violation of sequestration orders under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1986 inapplicable to: (1) any amount collected or received as federal universal service contributions; or (2) the expenditure or obligation of amounts attributable to such contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 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 Associate Administrator of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to awards grants to eligible entities to: (1) provide education and training in newborn screening and congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders to health care professionals and newborn screening laboratory personnel; (2) develop educational programs about newborn screening for parents, families, and patient advocacy and support groups; and (3) establish operate a system to assess and coordinate treatment relating to congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop a national contingency plan for newborn screening for use in the event of a public health emergency. Requires the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children to: (1) recommend a uniform screening panel for newborn screening programs that includes the heritable disorders for which all newborns should be screened; and (2) develop a model decision-matrix for newborn screening program expansion. Directs the Secretary to adopt or reject recommendations by the Advisory Committee. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to: (1) provide for quality assurance for screening laboratories; (2) provide for population-based pilot testing for evaluating new screening tools; (3) collect, analyze, and make available data on certain heritable disorders; and (4) operate regional centers for the conduct of applied epidemiological research on the prevention of such disorders.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
September 11 Family Humanitarian Relief and Patriotism Act - Provides permanent resident status adjustment for a requesting alien who was on September 10, 2001, the wife, child, or dependent son or daughter of a lawful nonimmigrant alien who died as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States. Authorizes an alien who has been ordered excluded, deported, removed, or ordered to depart voluntarily from the United States to apply for such status adjustment. Provides for cancellation of removal and permanent resident status adjustment for a requesting alien who was: (1) on September 10, 2001, the wife, child, or dependent son or daughter of an alien who died as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States; and (2) deemed to be a beneficiary of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Makes the provisions of this Act inapplicable to an alien who is: (1) inadmissible or deportable under criminal or security grounds, including September 11, 2001, terrorist activity; or (2) a family member of such an alien.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of centers to conduct multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Requires each such center to: (1) be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence; (2) include community organizations in the geographic area served by the center; (3) be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions and community groups; and (4) be supported under this Act for a period of not more than five years, with additional periods allowed after review and recommendation. Requires the Secretary to establish a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel to: (1) develop a comprehensive research strategy for centers; (2) make recommendations with respect to the mechanisms, peer review criteria, and allocations under this Act; (3) assist in the overall program evaluations; and (4) make recommendations for the dissemination of information on program process. Requires the Director of NIH to provide for coordination of information among, and an equitable geographical distribution of, centers.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
Extends through December 31, 2009, provisions requiring the U.S. Postal Service to issue a special postage stamp for first-class mail that costs not less than 15% more than the regular first-class stamp to contribute funding for breast cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify automatic fire sprinkler systems as five-year depreciable property.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
School-Based Health Clinic Establishment Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for the cost of operating school-based health clinics (SBHCs) to provide comprehensive primary health services during school hours to children and adolescents by health professionals. Requires SBHCs to: (1) provide services to children and adolescents for whom parental or guardian consent has been obtained; (2) provide on-site access during the academic day when school is in session and 24-hour coverage through an on-call system and backup health providers to ensure access to services on a year-round basis when the school or SBHC is closed. Allows the Secretary to: (1) give preference to applicants who demonstrate an ability to serve populations of children and adolescents that have historically demonstrated difficulty in accessing health and mental health services; and (2) waive certain requirements under this Act for a designated period. Requires the Secretary to establish a program to provide technical and other assistance to SBHCs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
Securing America's Energy Independence Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016: (1) the energy tax credit for solar energy property and qualified fuel cell property; and (2) the tax credit for residential energy efficient property expenditures. Allows such credits to be applied against alternative minimum tax liability. Expands the definition of "energy property" for purposes of the tax credit to include certain equipment which uses solar energy to generate or store excess electricity. Provides for a special credit amount for solar photovoltaic energy property and residential energy efficient property based upon kilowatt capacity. Allows a tax credit for the full amount of qualified photovoltaic property expenditures (currently, limited to 30%). Allows accelerated depreciation (three-year recovery period) for solar energy and fuel cell property.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2007
Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007 - Amends federal provisions concerning the prosecution of unlawful enemy combatants by U.S. military commissions to, among other things: (1) repeal the authority for civilian trial (prosecution) counsel in a commission proceeding, but authorize civilian military defense counsel; (2) exclude statements made by coercion; (3) authorize the Secretary of Defense to make exceptions to commission procedures and rules of evidence as required by unique circumstances of military or intelligence operations during hostilities; (4) provide for self-representation by the accused, while requiring assistance by military defense counsel; (5) authorize the military judge to order trial counsel to disclose to defense counsel the sources, methods, or activities in which witnesses or evidence against the accused was obtained; (6) require commission decision review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces rather than by the Court of Military Commission Review; (7) provide the scope of review of detention-related decisions; (8) repeal a provision of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 prohibiting invoking the Geneva Conventions (Conventions) or similar protocols in any habeas corpus or other action to which the United States is a party; (9) require the President to notify other parties to the Conventions that the United States expects members of U.S. Armed Forces and other U.S. citizens detained in a conflict not of an international character to be treated in a manner consistent with the Conventions; (10) include as War Crime offenses the denial of trial rights and the imposition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; (11) restore habeas corpus for individuals detained by the United States; and (12) provide for expedited judicial review of civil actions that challenges any provision of the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2007
Protecting Children's Health in Schools Act of 2007 - Amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish requirements for providing and receiving reimbursement for school-based health care for children, including children with special needs, and the related administrative and transportation costs covered under Medicaid. Includes health care provided through Medicaid managed care organizations. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education, acting jointly, to develop and implement a uniform methodology for claims under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2007
Heart Disease Education, Analysis Research, and Treatment for Women Act or the HEART for Women Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act to require an application for approval or for investigation of a drug, device, or biological product to include information stratified by sex, race, and ethnicity, including any differences in safety and effectiveness. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) withhold approval of such an application or place a clinical hold on an investigation if such information is not included; and (2) report to the scientific community and make information available to the public on such stratified data upon approval of an application. Requires the Comptroller General to study the drug approval process to ensure compliance with this Act. Requires the Secretary to require that all nonidentifiable patient safety work product reported to a patient safety database be stratified by sex. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to report to Congress concerning the quality of and access to care for women with heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. Provides for an educational campaign relating to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases in women. Authorizes appropriations to enable the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) program projects in all states and territories.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2007
Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act to require a group health plan that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health benefits to ensure that: (1) the financial requirements applicable to such mental health benefits are no more restrictive than those of substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan, including deductibles and copayments; and (2) the treatment limitations applicable to such mental health benefits are no more restrictive than those applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan, including limits on the frequency of treatments or similar limits on the scope or duration of treatment. Prohibits the plan from establishing separate cost sharing requirements that are applicable only with respect to mental health benefits. Excludes from the requirements of this Act any group health plan: (1) for an employer with not more than 50 employees; or (2) whose costs of compliance with this Act increase the total costs of coverage by more than a specified percentage. Supersedes any provision of state law that establishes, implements, or continues in effect any standard or requirement that differs from the requirements of this Act, except for laws relating to the individual insurance market or small employers. Requires the Comptroller General to study the effect of this Act on the cost of health insurance coverage, access to such coverage, the quality of health care, and the impact on benefits and coverage for mental health and substance abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2007
Head Start Improvements for School Readiness Act - Amends the Head Start Act to revise and reauthorize Head Start programs. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide financial assistance to Head Start agencies for five-year periods. Extends the authorization of appropriations for Head Start programs through FY2012. Revises authorized uses of quality improvement funds to include outreach to homeless families, migrant and seasonal farmworker families, and families with children with a limited English proficiency. Directs the Secretary (who is currently authorized) to award collaboration grants for Head Start and other related-agencies within states. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations to require Head Start agencies to ensure that eligible homeless children are identified and prioritized for enrollment. Revises requirements for designation as a Head Start agency. Requires each agency to establish a governing body and policy council. Revises the additional educational performance standards included as program quality standards, and performance measures for program monitoring. Requires Head Start agencies to report to the Secretary monthly on enrollment in their Head Start programs. Directs the Secretary to develop plans to reduce or eliminate under-enrollment in programs with an enrollment less than 95% of their funded enrollment. Requires each agency to enroll 100% of its funded enrollment, and to maintain an active waiting list and outreach to the community and underserved populations. Establishes a Centers of Excellence in Early Childhood program. Requires Head Start alignment with K-12 education. Changes the Head Start family income eligibility requirement from below the poverty line to below 130% of the poverty line. Deems homeless children to be eligible for Head Start services. Exempts military housing from being counted as family income in determining a child's eligibility to enroll in a Head Start program. Revises Early Head Start programs, including requiring center-based staff to have specified qualifications. Requires each Head Start agency to ensure that all of its teachers receive ongoing training in language and emergent literacy. Establishes a Tribal Colleges and Universities Head Start Partnership program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) incorporate the results of the National Academy of Science study on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children into the assessments and standards used in Head Start programs; and (2) study the status of children with limited English proficiency and their families in Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Requires Head Start agencies to obtain written parental consent before administering to a child, or referring a child for, a non-emergency intrusive physical examination.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2007
Artist-Museum Partnership Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers who create literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly compositions or similar property a fair market value (determined at the time of contribution) tax deduction for contributions of such properties, the copyrights thereon, or both, to certain tax-exempt organizations, if such properties are properly appraised and are donated no sooner than 18 months after their creation. Limits the amount of such deduction based upon the donor's artistic adjusted gross income, as defined by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2007
Eightmile Wild and Scenic River Act - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate specified segments in the Eightmile River in Connecticut as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) manage Eightmile River in accordance with the Eightmile Watershed Management Plan, dated December 8, 2005, and such amendments to the Plan as the Secretary determines to be consistent with this Act; and (2) coordinate the management responsibilities of the Secretary relating to the River with the Eightmile River Coordinating Committee, as described in such Plan. Bars the Eightmile River from: (1) being administered as part of the National Park System; nor (2) being subject to regulations that govern such System. Makes the provisions of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that prohibit federal acquisition of land by condemnation applicable to the acquisition of land for the Eightmile River. Limits the authority of the Secretary to acquire land for the purpose of managing the River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System to acquisition by donation or with the consent of the owner of the land and subject to the additional criteria set forth in the management plan. Recognizes specified tributaries of the Eightmile River Watershed as integral to the protection and enhancement of the River and that watershed.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2007
Preserving Patient Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals Act of 2007 - Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to revise the classification criterion used to determine whether a hospital or hospital unit is an inpatient rehabilitation facility under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Eliminates the current schedule of applicable percentages. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, instead, to require in the classification criterion a compliance rate no greater than the 60% compliance rate that became effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after July 1, 2005. Requires the Secretary, for cost reporting periods beginning on or after July 1, 2007, to include patients with comorbidity in the inpatient population that counts towards such 60% compliance rate. Requires the Secretary, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, fiscal intermediaries, Medicare administrative contractors, recovery audit contractors, and other government agents to use and apply the criteria established in HCFA Ruling 85-2, as issued on July 31, 1985, as the sole standard for determining the medical necessity of services provided by inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and units to beneficiaries under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2007
Recognizes the 98th anniversary of the historic founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Honors and praises the NAACP for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2007
Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act - Establishes an Unsolved Crimes Section in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and an Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Investigative Office in the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Makes the Chief of the Section (Chief) and the Chief Investigator of the Office responsible for investigating violations of criminal civil rights statutes in which the alleged violation occurred before January 1, 1970 and resulted in death. Requires: (1) consultation with state or local officials regarding venue when there has been a violation of a criminal civil rights statute that is also a violation of a state or local law; and (2) referral to the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division if the subject of the complaint has violated a criminal civil rights statute but the violation does not meet the requirements for the Unsolved Crimes Section. Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to authorize staff of an Inspector General to assist the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by conducting reviews of inactive case files to develop recommendations for further investigations and engaging in similar activities.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2007
Expresses concern for the more than 1,000,000 citizens of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic who have been adversely affected by violence and instability. Calls upon the governments of Chad and Sudan to reaffirm their commitment to the Tripoli Declaration of February 8, 2006, and the N'Djamena Agreement of July 26, 2006, and commit to another round of inclusive political negotiations that can bring lasting peace and stability to the region. Urges the U.N. Security Council to authorize a multilateral and multidimensional peacekeeping force to eastern Chad. Urges the President and the international community to coordinate efforts to make sufficient resources available to meet the continuing humanitarian and security needs of the individuals and areas most affected by this conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2007
High-Performance Green Buildings Act of 2007 - Directs the Administrator of General Services to establish a position of, and appoint, a Director who shall: (1) establish an Office of High-Performance Green Buildings; (2) establish a Green Building Advisory Committee; (3) carry out public outreach; (4) develop and recommend a high-performance green building research plan; (5) develop and implement a comprehensive indoor air quality program for federal facilities; and (6) analyze current budget and contracting practices that affect achievement of high-performance green buildings. Defines a "high-performance green building" as one that, during its life-cycle: (1) reduces energy, water, and material resource use and the generation of waste; (2) improves indoor environmental quality; (3) improves impacts of the building on human health and the environment; (4) increases the use of environmentally preferable products; (5) increases reuse and recycling opportunities; and (6) integrates systems in the building. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide grants to state agencies for use in: (1) providing technical assistance for EPA's programs (including the Tools for Schools Program and the Healthy School Environmental Assessment Tool) to schools for use in addressing environmental issues; and (2) developing state school environmental quality plans. Requires the EPA to develop school site acquisition guidelines that account for: (1) the special vulnerability of children to hazardous substances or pollution exposure where the potential for site contamination exists; (2) available modes of transportation; and (3) potential use of the school as an emergency shelter. Requires the Director to ensure that the public clearinghouse established by this Act receives and makes available information on the exposure of children to environmental hazards in school facilities. Requires the EPA to issue guidelines for states in developing and implementing an environmental health program for schools. Requires the Director to identify incentives to encourage the use of green buildings and related technology in federal government operations Requires the Director of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to: (1) revise applicable acquisition regulations to require federal facility acquisition, construction, or renovation to optimize energy performance, conserve water, enhance indoor environmental quality, and reduce environmental impacts of materials and waste flows; and (2) issue guidance to federal procurement executives on renegotiating proposed facilities design, existing facilities renovations, and eased facilities improvements. Requires the Director to: (1) consult with the Committee to assist in the implementation of the Environmental Stewardship Scorecard announced at the White House Summit on federal sustainable buildings in 2006; and (2) establish guidelines to implement a specified demonstration projects at federal buildings to contribute to its research goals.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2007
NATO Freedom Consolidation Act of 2007 - Designates Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia, and Ukraine as eligible to receive assistance under the NATO Participation Act of 1994. States that such designation: (1) is in addition to the designation of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia pursuant to the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996, the designation of Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria pursuant to the European Security Act of 1998, and the designation of Slovakia pursuant to the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act of 2002 as eligible to receive assistance under the NATO Participation Act of 1994; and (2) shall not preclude the designation by the President of other countries as eligible to receive assistance under the NATO Participation Act of 1994. Specifies FY2008 amounts under the Arms Export Control Act for Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia, and Ukraine.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2007
Somalia Stabilization and Reconstruction Act of 2007 - States that it is U.S. policy to support efforts by the people of Somalia to achieve peace, economic growth, and democracy, and to eradicate extremism and terrorism from their country and region. Directs the President to: (1) appoint a Special Envoy for Somalia to coordinate U.S. involvement in the region and to ensure that the U.S. government remains informed of and engaged in efforts to resolve the instability in Somalia; and (2) instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to work with the appropriate U.N. agencies, regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the international community to establish an International Donor Trust Fund for Somalia. Authorizes the President to: (1) support a regional or international peacekeeping force for Somalia; and (2) provide assistance to support efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Somalia as well as the establishment of a representative government in Somalia. Directs the Secretary of State to convene one or more donor conferences for Somalia. Restricts foreign assistance to countries identified as providing assistance to individuals or entities seeking to prevent the formation of a government of national unity in Somalia or harm U.S. interests.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2007
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Michael Ellis DeBakey, M.D. (who performed the first successful coronary bypass, pioneered the field of telemedicine, was elected the first President of Baylor College of Medicine, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction and the National Medal of Science) in recognition of his many outstanding contributions to the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2007
Condemns the murder of Hrant Dink. Supports the government of Turkey's pledge to investigate Mr. Dink's assassination and prosecute those responsible. Urges the government of Turkey to repeal Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code and work to foster a more open intellectual environment that is conducive to the free exchange of ideas. Recognizes the government of Turkey's decision to invite Armenian religious and political figures to participate in memorial services for Mr. Dink. Calls on the government of Turkey to reestablish full diplomatic, political, and economic relations with the government of Armenia. Urges the people of Turkey to honor Mr. Dink's legacy of tolerance.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2007
Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to define "criminal street gang" and "gang crime" and to prohibit: (1) the commission of a gang crime or crime of violence to further the activities of a criminal street gang ; and (2) the recruitment of another person to join a criminal street gang. Increases criminal penalties for: (1) certain violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity; (2) possession of firearms by repeat offenders; and (3) crimes of violence and drug trafficking crimes committed by illegal aliens. Provides for criminal forfeiture of any property used to commit a gang crime Amends the Controlled Substances Act to impose criminal penalties for murder and other violent crimes committed in the course of a drug trafficking crime. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) designate certain areas in states as high intensity interstate gang activity areas and to provide assistance to such areas; (2) expand the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to require U.S. attorneys to prosecute criminal street gangs operating in their districts; (3) require the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to increase funding for the Safe Streets Programs and support criminal street gang enforcement teams; (4) conduct media campaigns in high intensity interstate gang activity areas to educate the public about efforts to combat criminal gang activities; and (5) make grants to states to prevent abductions of children by family members. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize grants for technology and training to increase accurate identification of gang members and violent offenders. Establishes in the U.S. Marshals Service a Short-Term Witness Protection Section to provide protection for witnesses in state and local trials involving homicide or other violent crimes. Expands the federal witness relocation and protection program to include protection against criminal street gangs.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2007
Food and Drug Administration Safety Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish the Center for Postmarket Evaluation and Research for Drugs and Biologics within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Requires the Director of the Center to conduct activities to ensure the safety and effectiveness of FDA-approved drugs and licensed biological products, including by: (1) conducting postmarket risk assessment and surveillance of such drugs and products; (2) determining whether a postmarket study is required; (3) contracting, or requiring the sponsor of such a drug or product to contract, with the holders of domestic and international patient databases to conduct epidemiologic and other observational studies; (4) determining whether a drug or product may present an unreasonable risk to the health of patients or the general public; (5) taking corrective action if such an unreasonable risk may exist; and (6) making information about the safety and effectiveness of such drugs and biological products available to the public and health care providers in a timely manner. Requires the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the Director on postmarket studies, drugs and biological products that may present an unreasonable risk, and appropriate corrective actions. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assess civil penalties for violations of this Act. Allows the Director to withdraw or suspend approval of a drug or license for a biological product using expedited procedures under certain circumstances. Transfers to the Center the functions and duties of the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2007
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Action of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan or a health issuer offering group health insurance coverage that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan or issuer from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan or issuer for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan or issuer to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act; and (2) ensure that full coverage is provided for secondary consultations by specialists in the appropriate medical fields to confirm or refute a diagnosis of cancer. Applies such requirements to health insurance issuers offering coverage in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2007
Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2007 - Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (currently, only a disability rated at 50 percent or more). States that, in the case of a qualified retiree receiving veterans' disability compensation for a disability rated as total by reason of unemployability, payment of military retired pay is subject to a phase-in of concurrent receipt of both only during the period beginning on January 1, 2004, and ending on December 31, 2007 (currently September 30, 2009). Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2007
Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2007 or the FACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and operate a data bank of information on clinical trials, to include: (1) a clinical trials registry of health-related interventions conducted to test the safety or effectiveness of any drug, biological product, or device intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases and conditions; and (2) a clinical trial results database of health-related interventions to test the safety or effectiveness of any drug, biological product, or device. Requires the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to make available to the public: (1) the full reviews conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of new or supplemental new drug applications, including documentation of significant differences of opinion and the resolution of those differences; and (2) copies of written consultations on a drug's safety conducted by the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology. Requires the Secretary to assess civil monetary penalties for knowingly submitting inaccurate information to the FDA. Allows the Secretary to correct any information included in the registry or database that is factually and substantively inaccurate, false, or misleading. Extends requirements of this Act to clinical trials conducted outside of the United States under certain circumstances. Prohibits a responsible person or a manufacturer from performing any act that prohibits, limits, or imposes unreasonable delays on the ability of an individual to discuss or publish the results of a clinical trial. Requires the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study the extent to which data submitted to the registry has impacted the public health.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2007
National Foreign Language Coordination Act of 2007 - Establishes, in the Executive Office of the President, a National Foreign Language Coordination Council to: (1) oversee and implement the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI); and (2) develop and implement a national foreign language strategy. Includes heads of certain federal agencies as members of the Council. Establishes a National Language Director, to be appointed by the President, to: (1) chair the Council; (2) develop and monitor implementation of the strategy, built upon the efforts of the NSLI; (3) establish formal relationships among major stakeholders, including federal, state, and local government agencies, academia, industry, labor, and heritage communities; and (4) coordinate and lead a public information campaign. Requires the Council to consult with states to provide for designation of state contact persons. Encourages formation of state interagency councils, or designation of state lead agencies, to coordinate with the Council and state and local agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2007
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the outpatient therapy cap.
![Official portrait of Sen. Dodd, Christopher J. [D-CT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000388_200.jpg)