United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007
Designates the week of March 12-March 18, 2007, as National Safe Place Week. Calls on people and groups to promote awareness of, and volunteer involvement in, the Safe Place program (which offers young people in early stages of crisis safe places where trained volunteers are available to counsel and advise them).
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for and enforcement of prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages to: (1) add nonretaliation requirements; (2) increase penalties; and (3) authorize the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretaries of Labor and Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to provide for certain studies, information, national summit, and guidelines, awards, and assistance for employer evaluations of job categories based on objective criteria. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect certain pay information. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey; (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity; and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2007 or the DREAM Act of 2007 - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States before his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma; and (5) from the age of 16 and older, has never been under a final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status, including: (1) termination of status for violation of this Act; and (2) removal of conditional status to permanent status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Provides for: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) penalties for false application statements; (3) confidentiality; (4) fee prohibitions; (5) higher education assistance; and (6) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit: (1) federal civilian and military retirees to pay Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis (i.e., exclude premiums from gross income); and (2) a tax deduction (available to itemizers and nonitemizers) for TRICARE supplemental premiums or enrollment fees. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the option of paying FEHBP and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis is available to federal civilian and military retirees for the first open enrollment period beginning not less than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to revise the definition of "food of minimal nutritional value," the sale of which in areas where school meals are sold or eaten is prohibited as a condition for federal funding of school lunch and breakfast programs. Applies such definition (and prohibition) to all food sold outside such programs anywhere on school campuses at any time of the day, with the possible limited exemption of food sold at school fundraisers. Requires the Secretary, when revising such definition, to consider the recommendations of authoritative scientific organizations and evidence concerning the relationship between diet and health.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Thomas F. Eagleton, a former member of the United States Senate from Missouri.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2007
Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to grant states the option of covering certain categories of eligible pregnant women and child resident aliens, including targeted low-income children, under the Medicaid and SCHIP programs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2007
America COMPETES Act or America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act - American Innovation and Competitiveness Act - Directs the President to: (1) convene a National Science and Technology Summit; (2) establish a President's Council on Innovation and Competitiveness; and (3) establish the Innovation Acceleration Research Program. Directs the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to: (1) establish an Aeronautics Institute for Research; (2) coordinate basic and fundamental research activities related to physical sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (3) establish a Basic Research Executive Council. Authorizes appropriations for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program. Requires the NIST Director to: (1) establish the Standards and Technology Acceleration Research Program; and (2) reestablish the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology. Requires the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to: (1) establish a program of ocean and atmospheric research and development; and (2) develop an ocean, coastal, and atmospheric science education plan. Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Energy Act or PACE-Energy Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) appoint a Department of Energy (DOE) Director of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education, and establish a Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education Fund; (2) award grants for establishing specialty schools for mathematics and science; (3) establish a national laboratories summer internship program for middle and secondary school students; (4) establish Centers of Excellence in Mathematics and Science at schools in regions of national laboratories; (5) establish or expand programs to strengthen mathematics and science teaching skills of public school teachers; (6) establish a program to expand and enhance higher education nuclear science educational capabilities; (7) award grants to outstanding DOE early-career researchers; and (8) establish a program to support the appointment of distinguished scientists by institutions of higher education and national laboratories. Establishes the Advanced Research Projects Authority-Energy. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to: (1) develop and implement programs to provide courses of study in mathematics, science, engineering, or critical foreign languages with concurrent teacher certification or to enhance teacher knowledge and teaching skills; (2) increase the number of teachers and students teaching or enrolled in advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses in mathematics, science, or critical foreign languages; (3) help low-income students performing below grade level in mathematics; (4) establish programs of study in critical foreign languages; (5) promote content knowledge requirements for secondary school graduation and establish or improve a statewide P-16 education data system. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: (1) expand the Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program; (2) establish a clearinghouse and pilot programs relating to the creation or improvement of professional science master's degree programs; (4) establish a program to provide mentors for women interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (5) establish a program of basic research in advanced information and communications technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2007
Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to veterinary schools or institutions offering training for veterinarians to improve public health preparedness through increasing the number of veterinarians in the workforce. Requires the Secretary to give preference to applicants that demonstrate a comprehensive approach by involving more than one such school or institution.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act - Amends the Lacey Act to add specified species of black, bighead, and silver carp to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Children's Dental Health Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to states to improve dental services to children enrolled in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish a grant program to expand the availability of primary dental care services in dental health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas. Authorizes retention bonuses for eligible dental officers of the Indian Health Service. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of HRSA and the Director of the Indian Health Service, to establish demonstration projects to increase access to dental services for children in underserved areas. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an oral health initiative to reduce disparities in oral health; and (2) Chief Dental Officers for Medicaid and SCHIP, HRSA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Requires the Director of the CDC to collect data on dental, craniofacial, and oral health. Requires the Secretary to identify populations at high risk for early childhood caries (tooth decay) and to develop prevention programs. Revises the eligibility requirements for the school-based dental sealant program to include Indian tribes. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to states and Indian tribes to improve their basic capacity to improve the oral health of children and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to require the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to conduct a study that: (1) describes the science concerning the disease mechanisms and health effects of exposure to asbestos and other biopersistent durable fibers and methods for measuring and analyzing asbestos; (2) describes labeling practices relating to asbestos-containing material; and (3) recommends future asbestos-related disease research and exposure assessment practice needs. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate regulations that prohibit the importing, manufacturing, processing, or distributing of asbestos-containing products, subject to limited exemption upon petition and specified exemptions sought by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Requires the disposal of asbestos-containing products within two years. Exempts products that are no longer in the stream of commerce or that are in the possession of an end user. Requires the Administrator to establish a plan to: (1) increase awareness of the dangers posed by asbestos-containing products and contaminants in homes and workplaces and by asbestos-related diseases; (2) provide information to, and encourage participation in research and treatment endeavors by, asbestos-related disease patients and their families and front-line health care providers; and (3) encourage health care providers and researchers to provide to patients and their families information relating to research, diagnostic, and clinical treatments relating to asbestos. Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expand and coordinate research programs on diseases caused by asbestos exposure, particularly mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural injuries; (2) provide for establishment of a national clearinghouse for data and specimens relating to asbestos-related diseases; (3) require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish an asbestos-related disease research and treatment network; and (4) direct the Secretary to support research on mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases that is directly relevant to the health of the Armed Forces.
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 · 28 February 2007
Patient-Focused Critical Care Enhancement Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to conduct research to assess: (1) the standardization of critical care protocols, intensive care unit layout, equipment interoperability, and medical informatics; and (2) the impact of differences in staffing, organization, size, and structure of intensive care units on access, quality, and efficiency of care. Requires the Secretary to undertake demonstration projects to: (1) optimize the provision of critical care services to Medicare beneficiaries through innovations in such areas as staffing and utilization of technology; and (2) measure and evaluate outcomes derived from a "family-centered" approach to the provision of inpatient critical care services that includes direct and sustained communication and contact with the beneficiary family members, involvement of family members in the critical care decisionmaking process, and responsiveness of critical care providers to family requests. Amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 to authorize appropriations for FY2008-FY2013 for augmenting the delivery of critical care services in the rural inpatient setting through the use of telecommunications systems that allow for consultation with critical care providers not located in the rural facility regarding the care of such patients. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to give preference in awarding telehealth grant funds to entities to develop plans for, or to establish, such critical care telehealth networks. Requires the Secretary to undertake an initiative to recruit providers of critical care services into the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
Health Care and Training for Older Workers Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to extend COBRA continuation coverage for certain older workers. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to revise: (1) statewide employment and training activities, adding developing strategies for serving hard-to-serve populations and coordinating programs among one-stop partners; (2) local employment and training activities, with respect to intensive services and training services, and adding customer support for members of hard-to-serve populations, including individuals with disabilities; and (3) performance measures, data, and reporting.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007 - Requires each recovering servicemember who is assigned to a military barracks or dormitory to be assigned to one that is maintained at the highest service standard in effect for enlisted members of the Armed Forces. Requires at least semiannual inspections of, and appropriate repairs to, any such quarters, as well as alternate housing during periods of unremedied housing deficiencies. Outlines requirements to be implemented for recovering servicemembers and their families, including: (1) physical disability evaluation system changes; (2) supervising officer and caseworker support; (3) increased training for caseworkers and social workers on particular servicemember conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); (4) increased support services, including an Ombudsman for Recovering Servicemembers; (5) a prohibition on discrimination in employment of family members caring for such servicemembers; and (6) meal benefits for recovering servicemembers and family members caring for such servicemembers. Establishes the Oversight Board for the Wounded.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
Older Worker Opportunity Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers who maintain a tax-qualified pension or retirement plan and who provide health insurance coverage a business-related tax credit for 25% of the first $6,000 of the wages of employees who have attained the age of 62 and who are participating in a formal flexible work program. Defines "formal flexible work program" as a work program: (1) that consists of core and flex time; (2) whose core time does not exceed 20 hours per week, three days per week, or 1,000 hours per year; (3) that allows participation for at least one year; and (4) that does not permit a change or reduction in the health care or pension benefits of the participating employee.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007
State Court Interpreter Grant Program Act - Directs the Administrator of the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice to: (1) make grants to state courts to develop and implement programs to assist individuals with limited English proficiency to access and understand state court proceedings in which they are a party; and (2) allocate specified funds to establish a court interpreter technical assistance program to assist state courts receiving grants under this Act. Authorizes the use of grant awards by state courts to: (1) assess regional language demands; (2) develop a court interpreter program; (3) develop, institute, and administer language certification examinations; (4) recruit, train, and certify qualified court interpreters; and (5) pay for salaries, transportation, and technology necessary to implement the court interpreter program.
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
Veterans' Survivors Education Enhancement Act of 2007 - Revises provisions concerning educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill to terminate the 45-month limitation on: (1) the use of such assistance for eligible veterans' survivors and dependents; and (2) the use of such assistance for special restorative training. Makes survivors and dependents eligible for educational assistance until their 30th (currently 26th) birthday. Makes the aggregate amount of educational assistance $80,000. (Currently, there are monthly limits for full-time, three quarter-time, or half-time educational pursuit.) Includes within authorized educational pursuits in such amounts: (1) a program of apprenticeship or other on-job training; and (2) a correspondence course. Makes survivors and dependents eligible for tutorial assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2007
Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Extension Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the tax deduction for charitable contributions of food inventory by allowing a fair market valuation of the contributed food and by making such deduction permanent.
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 · 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 · 17 February 2007
School Safety Enhancements Act of 2007 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) allow the placement and use of surveillance equipment in schools under the matching grant program for school security; (2) allow the use of grant funds to establish hotlines or tiplines for reporting potentially dangerous students and situations and for making capital improvements to make school facilities more secure; (3) set the federal matching share of program costs at 80%; and (4) revise application requirements for school security grants. Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Secretary of Education to establish an interagency task force to develop and promulgate advisory school safety guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Transparency and Accountability in Military and Security Contracting Act of 2007 - Requires reports to Congress by specified federal officials on information with respect to federal military and security contracts being performed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Requires a separate report from the Secretary of Defense on Department of Defense (DOD) strategy and activities with respect to contractors and subcontractors in support of DOD missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Global War on Terror. Requires each contract, subcontract, or task order awarded or issued by a federal agency that includes private security functions (covered contract) to require the contractor to provide to the agency contracting officer specified information, including the number of persons to perform the security functions and the hiring and training process for such employees. Requires agency oversight in the performance of the covered contract. Directs the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to issue rules of engagement regarding the circumstances under which force may be used by contractor personnel performing private security functions within the area covered by a contingency operation, and the types of force authorized. Provides for: (1) hiring, training, and equipment standards relating to private security contractors; and (2) coordination and communication between U.S. Armed Forces and contractor personnel. Provides for the legal status of contractor personnel with respect to investigations and prosecution of abuses by private security contractors. Requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for each theater of operations established in connection with a contingency operation in which contract personnel are carrying out work under a covered contract, to establish a Theater Investigative Unit to investigate allegations of contractor personnel criminal misconduct.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that all members of the Armed Forces should be permitted to select who shall receive the death gratuity (awarded for members who die while on active duty or inactive duty training), and that the Secretaries of Defense and the military departments should take appropriate action to afford members such opportunity, along with appropriate counseling. Revises the current statutory priority list of designated death gratuity beneficiaries to place first in such list any individual designated by the person (member) in writing.
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
Provides that, in the case of a member of the Armed Forces who dies while serving on active duty or inactive duty for training, and who dies without a surviving spouse but with one or more children under age 18 who will be in the custody of a parent, brother, or sister, the death gratuity for such member shall be payable to such parent, brother, or sister as designated by the member.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Education Begins at Home Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, to make: (1) grants to states for programs of early childhood home visitation; and (2) competitive grants to local educational agencies and other eligible applicants for early home visitation for families with English language learners. Directs the Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, to make competitive grants to eligible applicants for early home visitation for military families. Amends the Head Start Act to direct the Secretary of HHS to establish standards for home visitor staff in Early Head Start programs with respect to their training, qualifications, and conduct of home visits. Revises Early Head Start programs to provide for: (1) training in parenting skills and child development; (2) certain home-based and family support services; (3) procedures for transition into Head Start or other local early childhood education programs; (4) staff communication and program coordination; and (5) professional development and personnel enhancement. Directs the Secretary of HHS to develop and implement a public information and educational campaign to inform the public and new parents about the importance of proper care for infants and children under five years of age.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007
Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized under the Immigration Act of 1990 from worldwide or numerical limitations on immigrant visas.
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 · 16 February 2007
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States deplores the past and continuing violation of the human rights and religious freedoms of minority populations in Arab and Muslim countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf; and (2) with respect to Jews, Christians, and other displaced populations from countries in the region any comprehensive Middle East peace agreement must resolve all outstanding issues, including the legitimate rights of all refugees from the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf. Urges the President to instruct the U.S. Representative to the United Nations and all U.S. representatives in bilateral and multilateral fora that they should ensure that: (1) relevant text refers to multiple refugee populations that have been caused by the Arab-Israeli conflict; and (2) any explicit reference to the resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue is matched by a similar reference to the resolution of the issue of Jewish, Christian, and other refugees from Arab and Muslim countries from the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf. Clarifies that the United States supports the position that as an integral part of any comprehensive peace the issue of refugees and the mass violations of human rights of minorities in Arab and Muslim countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf must be resolved in a manner that includes: (1) consideration of the legitimate rights of all refugees displaced from Arab and Muslim countries from the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf; and (2) recognition of the losses incurred by Jews, Christians, and other minority groups as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
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
HIPAA Recreational Injury Technical Correction Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit a group health plan or health insurance issuer offering group health coverage from denying benefits or coverage otherwise provided under the plan for the treatment of an injury solely because it resulted from participation in a legal mode of transportation or recreational activity.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Honest Leadership and Accountability in Contracting Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose fines and penalties on war profiteering and fraud. Requires revision of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide that no prospective contractor shall be considered to have a satisfactory record of integrity and ethics if it has a pattern of either overcharging the government or failing to comply with the law. Provides for the disclosure to Congress of audit reports issued by executive agencies. Requires the Federal Procurement Data System to be modified to include publication of information on specified federal contractor penalties and violations. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to prohibit awarding of certain monopoly federal contracts. Requires revision of the FAR to require competition for certain multiple award contracts. Denies protest rights for certain awards. Prohibits an agency from contracting for the performance of: (1) any inherently governmental function; or (2) acquisition functions closely associated with inherently governmental functions. Prescribes minimum requirements for political appointees holding public contracting and safety positions. Includes as a protected disclosure by a federal employee: (1) any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure; and (2) the disclosure of information required to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs that the employee or applicant reasonably believes is direct evidence of waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement if such disclosure is made to a Member or employee of Congress who is authorized to receive information of the type disclosed. Sets forth provisions concerning review and appeal of actions concerning such disclosures. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide that, for purposes of provisions regarding the protection of voluntarily shared critical infrastructure information, a permissible use of independently obtained critical infrastructure information includes any lawful disclosure an employee or applicant reasonably believes is credible evidence of waste, fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure. Requires agencies to inform employees on how to make a lawful disclosure of information.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Environmental Justice Act of 2007 - Authorizes and directs the President to execute, administer, and enforce as a matter of federal law the provisions of Executive Order 12898, dated February 11, 1994, (Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice In Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations) with modifications: (1) defining "environmental justice" and "fair treatment"; and (2) providing that the provisions concerning judicial review shall not apply. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out specified recommendations set forth in the following reports: (1) the EPA Inspector General's report number 2006-P-00034 entitled "EPA needs to conduct environmental justice reviews of its programs, policies and activities"; (2) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report numbered GAO-05-289 entitled "EPA Should Devote More Attention to Environmental Justice when Developing Clean Air Rules"; and (3) the Inspector General's report number 2004-P-00007 entitled "EPA Needs to Consistently Implement the Intent of the Executive Order on Environmental Justice." Requires the Administrator to report semiannually to Congress on the implementation of such recommendations as well as progress on modifying emergency management procedures to incorporate environmental justice in the agency's Incident Command Structure in accordance with the December 18, 2006, letter from the Deputy Administrator to the Acting Inspector General.
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
Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2007 - States that the purpose of this Act is to provide for the development, as a core mission of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), of an expert civilian response capability to carry out stabilization and reconstruction activities in a country or region that is in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance and permit the export of goods and services to assist in stabilizing and reconstructing a country or region that is in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife. Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to establish within the Department an Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. Authorizes the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of USAID, to establish a Response Readiness Corps to provide stabilization and reconstruction activities in foreign countries or regions that are at risk of, in, or are in transition from, conflict or civil strife. Provides that the Corps shall have: (1) an active federal component of up to 250 personnel and a standby federal component of up to 2000 personnel; and (2) a non-federal Civilian Reserve of at least 500 personnel (which may include federal retirees). Amend the Foreign Service Act to authorize the Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army, to establish a stabilization and reconstruction curriculum for use in programs of the Foreign Service Institute, the National Defense University, and the United States Army War College. Sets forth related personnel provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Safe Food Act of 2007 - Establishes the Food Safety Administration to administer and enforce food safety laws. Directs the Administrator of the Food Safety Administration to: (1) promulgate regulations to ensure the security of the food supply from all forms of contamination; (2) implement federal food safety inspection, enforcement, and research efforts to protect the public health; (3) develop consistent and science-based standards for safe food; and (4) prioritize federal food safety efforts and deployment of resources to achieve the greatest possible benefit in reducing food-borne illness. Transfers to the Administration all functions of specified federal agencies that relate to the administration or enforcement of food safety laws. Requires the Administrator to: (1) administer a national food safety program based on an analysis of the hazards associated with different food and the processing of different food; (2) establish standards for processors of food and food establishments; (3) establish a certification system for foreign governments or food establishments seeking to import food to the United States; (4) establish requirements for tracing food and food producing animals from point of origin to retail sale; (5) maintain an active surveillance system of food, food products, and epidemiological evidence; (6) establish a sampling system to monitor contaminants in food; (7) rank and analyze hazards in the food supply; (8) establish a national public education campaign on food safety; and (9) conduct research relating to food safety. Sets forth provisions regarding prohibited acts, administrative detention, condemnation, temporary holds, recall, penalties for violations of food safety laws, whistle blower protection, and civil actions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Total Force Educational Assistance Enhancement and Integration Act of 2007 - Recodifies under federal veterans' benefits law (currently codified under federal armed forces law) provisions relating to educational assistance for members of the reserves. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) (currently, the Secretary of each military department) to carry out such assistance. Makes eligible for such assistance under this Act those who, after October 1, 2008: (1) enlist or extend an enlistment in the Selected Reserve for not less than six years; or (1) are appointed or agree to serve in the Selected Reserve for at least six years. Includes under this Act those eligible for such assistance as of October 1, 2008. Increases monthly amounts of authorized assistance. Removes restrictions on the use of such assistance for apprenticeships and on-job training, flight training, licensing and certification tests, and individualized tutorial assistance. Requires the Secretary (currently, the military department Secretaries) to provide educational assistance to reserve personnel ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency. Makes eligible for such assistance under this Act those who, on or after October 1, 2008: (1) serve on active duty in support of a contingency operation for 90 days or more; or (2) perform full-time National Guard duty for 90 days or more in response to a national emergency. Includes under this Act those eligible for such assistance as of October 1, 2008. Revises provisions concerning assistance amounts. Requires funding for benefits accruing under this Act: (1) on or after October 1, 2008, to be made from funds available to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the payment of readjustment benefits; and (2) before such date from the Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund.
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
Military Health Care Protection Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Department of Defense (DOD) and the nation have a committed obligation to provide health benefits to retired military personnel that exceeds the obligation of corporate employers to their employees; (2) DOD has many additional options to constrain the growth of health care spending in ways that do not disadvantage retirees, and should pursue such options rather than seeking large fee increases for retirees and their dependents; and (3) any percentage increase in health care fees, deductibles, or copayments for retirees and their families, and for members of the Selected Reserve currently serving on active duty and their families, should not exceed the percentage increase in military retired pay or basic pay, respectively. Limits to the previous percentage increase in retired or basic pay the authorized annual fee increase under: (1) the DOD pharmacy benefits program; and (2) certain premiums and other charges under the TRICARE program (a DOD managed health care program). Prohibits: (1) charges for DOD inpatient care from exceeding $535 per day after March 31, 2006 (currently, during the period beginning on April 1, 2006, and ending on September 30, 2007); (2) charging an enrollment fee under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS); and (3) a person from being denied a claim due to failure to enroll.
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 · 15 February 2007
Promoting Lifelong Active Communities Every Day Act or the PLAY Every Day Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop the Community Play Index to measure the policy, program, or environmental barriers in communities to participating in physical activity. Requires the Index to include: (1) measurements that examine barriers to physical activities across multiple settings; and (2) measurements to assist economically and culturally diverse communities in examining the social determinants of health. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to state health departments for work in partnership with community-based coalitions to plan and implement model communities of play that: (1) increase the physical spaces and places available for physical activity; (2) increase the opportunities for children and families to participate in quality play and the number of children and families participating in quality play; and (3) increase knowledge and awareness about the importance of individuals achieving 60 minutes of recommended physical activity every day.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Rural Health Services Preservation Act of 2007 - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require Medicare Advantage organizations to provide for a payment rate for critical access hospital services and rural health clinic services that is: (1) at least the applicable payment rate established under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) or part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) for such services; or (2) 103% of the otherwise applicable payment rate, if the critical access hospital or the rural health clinic determines appropriate .
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
Community Health Workers Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to promote positive health behaviors for women and children in target populations, especially racial and ethnic minority women and children in medically underserved communities. Permits such funds to be used to support community health workers to: (1) educate, guide, and provide outreach regarding health problems among women and children, especially among racial and ethnic minority women and children; (2) educate, guide, and provide experiential learning opportunities that target behavioral risk factors, including poor nutrition and tobacco use; (3) educate and guide regarding effective strategies to promote positive health behaviors within the family; (4) educate and provide outreach regarding enrollment in health insurance; (5) promote community wellness and awareness; and (6) educate and refer target populations to appropriate health care agencies and community based programs and organizations. Requires the Secretary to give priority to experienced applicants who propose to target geographic areas: (1) with a high percentage of uninsured or underinsured residents who are eligible for health insurance; (2) with a high percentage of families for whom English is not their primary language; and (3) that encompass the United States-Mexico border region. Requires the Secretary to: (1) encourage community health worker programs to collaborate with academic institutions; and (2) establish guidelines for assuring the quality of the training and supervision of community health workers under programs funded under this Act and for assuring the cost-effectiveness of such programs.
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