United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
National Alzheimer's Project Act - Establishes in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Office of the National Alzheimer's Project to: (1) accelerate the development of treatments that would prevent, halt, or reverse the course of Alzheimer's; (2) create and maintain an integrated national plan to overcome Alzheimer's; (3) help to coordinate the health care and treatment of citizens with Alzheimer's; (4) ensure the inclusion of ethnic and racial populations that are at higher risk for Alzheimer's or that are least likely to receive care in clinical, research, and service efforts with the purpose of decreasing health disparities; (5) coordinate with international bodies to integrate and inform the fight against Alzheimer's globally; and (6) provide information and coordination of Alzheimer's research and services across all federal agencies. Sets forth the duties of the Director of the Office, including to use discretionary authority to evaluate all federal programs concerning Alzheimer's. Establishes in the Office an Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research and Treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
Drug Free Communities Enhancement Act of 2010 - Authorizes the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to make enhancement grants to an eligible entity to implement community-wide strategies that address emerging local drug issues or local drug crises within the area served by such entity. Defines an "eligible entity" as an organization that is receiving or has received a grant under the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 and has documented, using local data, for an emerging local drug issue or a local drug crisis, rates of use and abuse for specific drugs that are significantly higher than the national average. Limits the amount of such grants to not more than $75,000 per year and the period of such grants to not more than four years.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and make available for sale not more than 2 million silver national medals, containing one ounce of silver each, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the establishment of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. Declares that all sales of medals under this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per medal, which shall be paid to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center to support its operations and maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
Amends the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to provide that the federal share of the cost of projects assisted by economic adjustment grants made to communities that have suffered economic injury as a result of a military base closure or realignment, defense contractor reduction in force, or Department of Energy (DOE) defense-related funding reduction shall be 100%.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Help Find the Missing Act or Billy's Law - Authorizes the Attorney General to maintain public databases, known as the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System or NamUs, to contain missing persons records and unidentified remains cases to assist in identifying missing people and solve cases of unidentified human remains. (Transfers to such System all functions, personnel, assets, liabilities, and administrative actions applicable to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System carried out by the National Institute of Justice before enactment of this Act.) Directs the Attorney General to: (1) share information on missing persons and unidentified human remains contained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing and Unidentified Person File database with the NamUs database; (2) update the online data entry format for such databases to allow states to report information to each database; (3) establish a grant program to assist in the reporting of missing persons and unidentified remains information to the NCIC and NamUs databases; (4) issue a report to the offices of medical examiners, offices of coroners, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies describing the best practices for collecting, reporting, and analyzing data and information on missing persons and unidentified human remains; and (5) report to Congress on the status of the NCIC Missing and Unidentified Person File and NamUs databases. Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require reports of missing children (under age 21) to NamUs databases.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Iran Human Rights Sanctions Act - Directs the President to impose visa entry and financial sanctions on a person determined to be complicit in human rights abuses committed against Iranian citizens or their family members on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Iran. Requires that: (1) the list of such persons required by this Act be made available to the public and posted on the Department of the Treasury and the Department of State websites; and (2) the President consider data obtained by other countries and nongovernmental organizations that monitor Iran's human rights abuses in preparing such list. Authorizes the President to: (1) not apply such sanctions in order to permit U.S. compliance with the Agreement between the United Nations and the United States of America regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations and other international agreements; and (2) waive such sanctions if in the U.S. national interest. Terminates sanctions upon presidential certification to Congress that the government of Iran has: (1) released all political prisoners; (2) ceased its practices of violence and abuse of Iranian citizens engaging in peaceful political activity; and (3) conducted a transparent investigation into the killings and abuse of peaceful political activists in Iran and prosecuted those responsible.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2-116th Street in North Troy, New York, as the Martin G. "Marty" Mahar Post Office.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2010
National Black Clergy for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS Act of 2009 [sic] - Authorizes the Director of the Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public health agencies and faith-based organizations to conduct HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and related outreach activities to reduce HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. Authorizes the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to: (1) make grants to public health agencies and faith-based organizations to conduct HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted disease outreach, prevention, and testing activities targeted to the African-American community; and (2) provide family reunification services, mental health counseling, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted disease, and substance abuse testing and treatment to runaway or homeless youth or youth who are HIV positive or at risk for HIV/AIDS. Authorizes the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) make grants to faith-based organizations for public health intervention and prevention activities in the African-American community to reduce HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis; (2) expand and intensify HIV/AIDS activities in that community; (3) expand funding to build the capacity of African-American communities to respond to HIV/AIDS; and (4) implement a national media outreach campaign to urge sexually active individuals to be tested for and know their HIV/AIDS status. Authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research strategies to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. Authorizes the Director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities to make grants for the study of biological and behavioral factors that lead to increased HIV/AIDS prevalence in the African-American community. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration to award grants to health care professionals to treat individuals with HIV/AIDS. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) submit an annual report to Congress and the President on the impact of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community; and (2) study and report on the status of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among African-Americans. Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to: (1) National Black Clergy HIV/AIDS Awareness Sunday; (2) prevention of, testing for, and treatment of HIV/AIDS by all federal agencies; and (3) HIV testing of federal inmates by the Bureau of Prisons.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2010
Flight 3407 Memorial Act - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement the recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) contained in the Aircraft Accident Report on the Loss of Control on Approach of Colgan Air, Incorporated, Operating as Continental Connections Flight 3407 at Clarence Center, New York, on February 12, 2009 (NTSB/AAR-10-01). Requires the FAA Administrator, within 180 days after the NTSB makes a safety recommendation to the Administrator, to notify Congress: (1) whether or not the Administrator has determined to implement it; and (2) what actions the Administrator plans to take to implement it, or what reasons the Administrator has for not doing so. Requires the Administrator, within 180 days after the enactment of this Act, to send Congress such a notification with respect to each NTSB recommendation made before the enactment of this Act which has not been implemented.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2010
Supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week. Declares that the Senate continues to work with the engineering community to ensure that the creativity and contributions made by engineers can be expressed through research, development, standardization, and innovation.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2010
Urges the U.S. government and the international community to provide resources to support the government of Haiti's leadership of international assistance efforts and to conduct a post-disaster needs assessment that will focus on: (1) social sector services; (2) population resettlement; (3) stable and democratic governance; (4) economic sustainability; and (5) public order and rule of law. Encourages the U.S. government and the international community to support the leadership of the government of Haiti and key nongovernmental and private sector Haitian stakeholders to create a national recovery and development strategy. Applauds the international community's response to the preliminary appeal for assistance. Encourages: (1) international financial institutions and international organizations to continue their engagement in support of critical economic and security priorities; and (2) the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank to relieve Haiti of its external debt obligations and seek new resources without adding to Haiti's existing debt obligations. Urges the U.S. government to assign a single person to coordinate U.S. assistance to Haiti.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2010
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable John P. Murtha, late a Representative from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Declares that when the Senate adjourns or recesses on February 9, 2010, it stand adjourned or recessed as a further mark of respect to the memory of Representative Murtha.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2010
Designates September 2010 as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Recognizes the importance of preventing childhood obesity and decreasing its prevalence in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010 - Amends the Clean Air Act (CAA) to require the Administrator of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a sulfur dioxide allowance trading program to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions for fossil fuel-fired combustion devices in the contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Directs the Administrator to issue allowances authorizing specified annual tonnage amounts of emissions of sulfur dioxide from such devices for 2012-2014, 2015-2017, 2018-2020, and 2021 and thereafter. Provides for the distribution of such allowances. Requires the Administrator to establish two nitrogen oxide allowance trading programs (for specified Zone One and Zone Two states) to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions for fossil fuel-fired electric generating facilities that served as generators with nameplate capacities greater than 25 megawatts on or after January 1, 1985, and that produce electricity for sale in the contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Directs the Administrator to issue allowances authorizing specified annual tonnage amounts of nitrogen oxide emissions from such facilities in Zone One and Zone Two states for 2012-2014, 2015-2019, and 2020 and thereafter. Provides for the distribution of such allowances. Requires the Clean Air Interstate Rule and related federal implementation plans promulgated and modified by the Administrator to remain in force and effect with respect to all provisions relating to nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide emitted through 2011. Sets forth exceptions to the rule. Requires the Administrator to: (1) regulate coal- and oil-fired electric utility steam generating units under the CAA's regulations for sources of hazardous air pollutants; and (2) ensure that emission standards for the coal-fired electric utility steam generating units achieve at least a 90% reduction in mercury emissions when applied to the listed category as a whole. Requires electric utility steam generating units to meet maximum achievable control technology emission limitations by January 1, 2015, if the Administrator fails to promulgate nationally applicable emission limitations for such units by January 1, 2012. Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations requiring certification of continuous emission monitoring systems to measure the quantity of mercury emitted by electric coal utility steam generating units.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Water Heating Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to provide rebates for the purchase and installation of solar photovoltaic systems and solar water heating systems for residential and commercial properties in order to install over 10 years at least : (1) an additional 10 million solar systems with a cumulative capacity of at least 30,000 megawatts; and (2) an additional 200,000 solar water heating systems with a cumulative capacity of 10 million gallons. Establishes rebate eligibility criteria and the amount of rebates.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Haitian Emergency Life Protection Act of 2010 or the H.E.L.P. Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to V- visa nonimmigrants (spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents who come to the United States to wait for completion of the immigrant visa process) to include Haitian nationals whose petition for a family-sponsored immigrant visa was approved on or before January 12, 2010. Authorizes the Department of State to use secondary evidence to verify eligibility for such status or for immediate relative status. Sunsets the provisions of this Act two years after its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
International Violence Against Women Act of 2010 - Directs: (1) the Secretary of State to designate an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues; and (2) the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to designate a Women's Development Advisor. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent violence against women and girls; (2) prepare a public report on best practices for preventing and addressing violence against women and girls internationally; and (3) determine emergency response measures to identified critical or widespread incidents of violence against women and girls in situations of armed conflict. Authorizes the Secretary and the Administrator to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations, multilateral institutions, and foreign countries to implement such strategy and related activities. Requires that special efforts be made to award amounts appropriated under this Act to community-based and women's nongovernmental organizations in recipient countries. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to: (1) incorporate training on prevention and response into the basic training curricula of foreign military forces and judicial officials; and (2) ensure that U.S. assistance to units involved in regional or multilateral peacekeeping operations includes such training. Authorizes the Ambassador to provide guidance to the Administrator and the Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration. Authorizes the Secretary to provide guidance on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls to the Secretary of Defense when U.S. military personnel, military contractors, and military observers are to be deployed in humanitarian relief, conflict, and post-conflict settings. Directs the Secretary to make U.S. financial, material, human, and other resources available to assist U.N. efforts to: (1) implement training programs in prevention and response to violence against women and girls for peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel; (2) enhance the deployment of military and civilian women in peacekeeping missions; and (3) improve protection mechanisms at U.N. managed refugee and internally displaced persons camps.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Calls on the Ugandan Parliament to reject the proposed "Anti-Homosexuality Bill." Urges all governments to reject and repeal similar criminalization laws. Encourages the Secretary of State to closely monitor human rights abuses that occur because of sexual orientation and to encourage the repeal or reform of laws such as the proposed "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" in Uganda.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Safe Kids' Jewelry Act - Bans as a hazardous substance and prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution in commerce of jewelry containing cadmium, barium, or antimony for children 12 years old or younger. Sets forth: (1) factors to determine whether jewelry is designed or intended for wear or use by such children; and (2) penalties for violations of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2010
Small Business Job Creation Tax Act of 2010 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a credit against payroll tax liability for a payroll increase in a quarter over a corresponding quarter in the previous calendar year. Sets the amount of such credit at 20% of such increase for employers that employ fewer than 100 employees and 15% for employers that employ 100 or more employees in any quarter. Limits the total credit amount available for all quarters to $500,000. Directs the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to: (1) notify all employers required to withhold employment taxes of the enactment and applicability of this Act; and (2) report to Congress on enforcement measures taken to prevent and penalize fraud related to the payroll credit allowed by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2010
Acknowledges the importance of preventing a renewed North-South civil war in Sudan which would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences for Sudan and could destabilize the wider region. Supports efforts by President Obama and the international community to reinvigorate implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Calls on the parties in Sudan to comply with their Agreement commitments.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2010
Reaffirms the Senate's commitment to: (1) helping prevent state collapse in Yemen, denying terrorists a safe-haven, and supporting the people and government of Yemen in dealing with Yemen's challenges; and (2) defeating al-Qaeda and affiliated movements worldwide. Urges: (1) the government of Yemen to strengthen efforts against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula; and (2) a political settlement between the government of Yemen and the Houthi rebellion. Calls upon: (1) the government of Yemen to address corruption, respect human rights, and work with its citizens and the international community to address the significant factors driving instability in Yemen; and (2) the international community to strengthen assistance programs in Yemen. Recognizes the critical role of Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council in such programs. Requests that the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Director of National Intelligence submit a comprehensive strategy for Yemen and urges the President to work with Yemen, the international community, and international organizations to implement such strategy.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
American Elections Act of 2010 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to: (1) apply to any domestic corporation under foreign control or specified substantial foreign influence the ban on contributions and expenditures by foreign nationals in connection with a federal, state, or local election; and (2) require disclosure in certain print or broadcast communications paid for by a coporation the percentage of corporate voting shares controlled by a foreign national, or, if no such shares exist, the percentage of gross receipts that the corporation received from a foreign national in the immediately preceding fiscal year or current pro-rated fiscal year. Requires any such broadcast communications paid for by a corporation to include an audio statement on the percentage of the corporation's shares controlled by, or of its funds that come from, foreign nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2010
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Charles McC. Mathias, Jr., former Member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on January 26, 2010, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Mathias, Jr.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2010
African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center Act - Establishes the African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York, New York. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service (NPS), to: (1) acquire for the Museum property that is located adjacent to the National Monument or in any other area of the African Burial Ground National Historic Landmark in the city other than the location adjacent to the Monument; and (2) plan, design, and construct the Museum on the acquired property. Provides for operation of the Museum by the Secretary. Establishes within the Department of the Interior the African Burial Ground Advisory Council to: (1) make recommendations to the Secretary on the planning, design, and construction of the Museum; and (2) advise and assist the Secretary on all matters relating to the administration, operation, maintenance, and preservation of the Museum. Requires the Secretary to appoint a Director for the Museum, who shall manage it.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2010
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1210 West Main Street in Riverhead, New York, as the "Private First Class Garfield M. Langhorn Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2010
Close All Routes and Prevent Asian Carp Today Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of the Army to take actions to ensure: (1) the immediate closure and ceasing of operation of the locks at the O'Brien Lock and Dam and the Chicago Controlling Works until a strategy relating to controlled lock operations is developed; (2) the installation of structures in the North Shore Channel and the Grand Calumet and Little Calumet Rivers to prevent the migration of bighead and silver carps into Lake Michigan; (3) the installation of interim barriers in the Chicago waterway system between the Des Plaines River and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to prevent bighead and silver carps from entering the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal during a flood event; (4) the operation of the Electrical Disbursal Barrier System at optimal operating power and the expedited completion of proposed barrier IIB of such system; (5) the comprehensive monitoring of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and all connected waterways for the presence and location of bighead and silver carps; (6) the eradication of any bighead or silver carps discovered in the Chicago waterway system; (7) the upgrading and making permanent of barrier I of the Electrical Disbursal Barrier System in a location and with the features and operations determined to be the most effective; (8) the implementation of measures recommended in the efficacy study authorized under the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 or provided in related interim reports; (9) the implementation of emergency measures to prevent bighead and silver carps from dispersing into the Great Lakes; and (10) the acquisition of real estate necessary for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Electrical Disbursal Barrier System. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on strategies for addressing any effects with respect to commerce and flood control resulting from such actions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2010
Expresses sympathy to: (1) the people of Haiti who face catastrophic conditions in the aftermath of the January 12, 2010, earthquake; (2) the members of the international community in Haiti, including the U.S. Embassy staff in Port-au-Prince; and (3) the families and colleagues of U.N. officials who lost their lives. Applauds the rapid mobilization by President Obama to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Haiti and the leadership of Secretary of State Clinton, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Shah, and General Fraser of the U.S. Southern Command. Urges that all appropriate efforts be made to: (1) secure the safety of Haitian orphans; and (2) sustain long-term assistance to Haiti. Expresses appreciation for the international community's ongoing and renewed commitment to Haiti's recovery. Urges all nations to commit to assisting the people of Haiti with their long-term needs. Expresses support for the U.S. Embassy team in Port-au-Prince, members of the Armed Forces and Coast Guard, and other U.S. government agencies who are rescuing thousands of U.S. citizens and Haitians.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2010
Suspends limitations on the tax deduction for charitable contributions made by individuals and corporations, including contributions for relief efforts related to the earthquake in Haiti and cash contributions in 2010 to specified public charities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2010 the tax deduction for charitable contributions of food inventory from any trade or business (including corporations other than C corporations).
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2010
Haiti Assistance Income Tax Incentive Act - Treats cash contributions made after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, for the relief of earthquake victims in Haiti as having been made on December 31, 2009, for purposes of the tax deduction for charitable contributions. Deems a contribution as meeting the recordkeeping requirements of the Internal Revenue Code if the taxpayer produces a telephone bill showing the name of the donee organization and the date and amount of the contribution.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2010
Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and implement a Pancreatic Cancer Initiative to assist in coordinating activities to address the high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to establish the Interdisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Coordinating Committee to: (1) provide advice on overall research objectives and benchmarks for pancreatic cancer research; (2) develop and annually update a strategic plan for pancreatic cancer research awareness; and (3) conduct evaluations and make recommendations to the Secretary, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Director of the National Cancer Institute regarding the prioritization and award of NIH research grants relating to pancreatic cancer. Requires the Secretary to develop a primary care provider education program on pancreatic cancer. Requires the Director of NIH and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a communication tool kit for patients and their families that focuses on specific pancreatic cancer issues relating to patient choices and patient care. Allows the Secretary to award grants to research institutions for use in developing innovative compounds or technologies for the prevention, early detection, or treatment of those cancers with five-year survival rates of less than 50%. Requires the Secretary to focus on pancreatic cancer during the initial five fiscal years of awarding such grants. Allows the Secretary to designate two additional Specialized Programs of Research Excellence focusing solely on pancreatic cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 22 December 2009
Boys & Girls Clubs Centennial Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends the Economic Espionage Act of 1966 to reauthorize through FY2015 the mandate for an annual grant to the Boys & Girls Club of America from the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Department of Justice. Repeals the limitation on the use of such grants to expansion of the organization to 1,500 additional Boys and Girls Clubs for a total number of at least 5,000 Boys and Girls Clubs of America facilities in operation before January 1, 2010. Replaces the expansion requirement with a goal of improving the quality of youth development and educational programs, health, physical fitness, and prevention services for youth at existing and new Boys & Girls Clubs facilities, with special emphasis on reducing high school dropout rates.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2009
Small Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to increase the total permissible amount of member business loans by an insured credit union (excluding those made to nonprofit religious organizations) to a limit of 25% of the credit union's total assets. Increases from $50,000 to $250,000 the maximum total extensions of credit a borrower or associated member of an insured credit union may have before any extension of credit shall be considered a member business loan. Directs the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board to report semiannually to Congress on the status of member business lending made by insured credit unions during the reporting period.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2009
Drunk Driving Repeat Offender Prevention Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to withhold specified graduated percentages of a state's apportionment of certain federal-aid highway funds for FY2013-FY2015 if the state has not enacted and is not enforcing a law requiring the installation of an ignition interlock device for a minimum of 180 days on each motor vehicle operated by an individual convicted of driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2009
Compassionate Care for Servicewomen Act - Requires emergency contraception in drug form to be included on the basic core formulary of the uniform formulary of pharmaceutical agents for the pharmacy benefits program of the Department of Defense. Allows emergency contraception in other-than-drug form to also be so included. States that prior authorization shall not be required for such contraception.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2009
Gas Turbine Efficiency Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to carry out a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in power generation systems and to identify the technologies that will lead to gas turbine combined cycle efficiency of 65% or simple cycle efficiency of 50%. Requires the program to: (1) support first-of-a-kind engineering and detailed gas turbine design for megawatt-scale and utility-scale electric power generation; (2) include technology demonstration through component testing, subscale testing, and full scale testing in existing fleets; (3) include field demonstrations of the developed technology elements to demonstrate technical and economic feasibility; and (4) assess overall combined cycle and simple cycle system performance. Delineates as the goals of the program: (1) in phase I, to develop the conceptual design of, and to develop and demonstrate the technology required for, advanced high efficiency gas turbines that can achieve at least 62% combined cycle efficiency or 47% simple cycle efficiency on a lower heating value basis; and (2) in phase II, to develop the conceptual design for advanced high efficiency gas turbines that can achieve at least 65% combined cycle efficiency or 50% simple cycle efficiency on a lower heating value basis. Directs the Secretary, in selecting program proposals, to emphasize the extent to which the proposal will: (1) stimulate the creation or increased retention of jobs in the United States; and (2) promote and enhance U.S. technology leadership.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2009
School Principal Recruitment and Training Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award renewable five-year matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and certain educational or nonprofit entities that partner with LEAs to recruit, support, and train principals for service in high-need schools. Requires grantees to: (1) recruit, select, and provide training to individuals who are or aspire to be principals in high-need schools, agree to serve for at least four years in such schools, and work to ensure that student academic achievement in their schools improves substantially within three to six years; (2) provide aspiring principals with a pre-service residency for at least one year that focuses on instructional leadership and organizational management and is followed by ongoing training for at least two years after their residency ends and school leadership begins; and (3) deliver high-quality, differentiated, school-level support services that meet the specific needs of high-need schools led by individuals that are receiving or have received training pursuant to this Act. Directs the Secretary to award a grant to one or more research groups to develop a high-quality evaluation and information clearinghouse system to facilitate the sharing of best practices and inform: (1) the recruitment, selection, and training of principals for high-need schools; (2) the development of principal effectiveness standards; and (3) the development of system-wide supports and policies that foster school and principal actions identified as most often differentiating the most dramatically improved schools from others.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2009
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the President should pursue opportunities for international cooperation in technology deployment and should act to ensure that any treaty or other accord resulting from negotiations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change of May 9, 1992, or a successor agreement does not weaken or undermine international legal rules and obligations relating to the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights for energy and environmental technology.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Home Heating Fuels Cost Relief Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income-based refundable tax credit for up to $1,000 ($2,000 in the case of a joint return) of the cost of heating oil, natural gas, and propane to heat a principal residence. Terminates such credit after 2010. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make grants to states to create revolving loan funds for home weatherization loans.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009
Taxpayer Responsibility, Accountability and Consistency Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) require reporting to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of payments (including payments of amounts in consideration for property or of gross proceeds) of $600 or more made by or to corporations (other than tax-exempt organizations); (2) set forth safe harbor criteria and rules relating to the treatment of workers as employees or independent contractors; and (3) increase penalties for failure to file correct tax return information or comply with other information reporting requirements. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue an annual report on worker misclassification.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2009
Rural Broadband Initiative Act of 2009 - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to establish in the Department of Agriculture the Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives, to be headed by the Under Secretary for Rural Broadband Initiatives. States that the Under Secretary shall: (1) administer all rural broadband-related grant and loan programs previously administered by the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, including the rural broadband access loan and loan guarantee program and the community connect grant program; (2) conduct rural outreach; (3) foster development of a comprehensive rural broadband strategic vision; (4) assess relevant technologies; (5) serve as a single information source for all federal rural broadband programs and services; and (6) provide technical assistance to state, regional, and local governments to develop broadband deployment strategies. Directs the Under Secretary to submit: (1) a comprehensive rural broadband strategy report to the President and to Congress; and (2) a plan for a Rural Broadband Advisory Panel to Congress. Establishes in the Treasury the National Rural Broadband Innovation Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009
Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or 20-year prison term on any person who: (1) knowingly provides or receives from another person two or more firearms if such person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that such transfer would violate a federal, state, or local law punishable by a prison term of more than one year (i.e., a felony); (2) makes materially false statements to a licensed firearm importer, dealer, or manufacturer relating to the purchase, receipt, or acquisition of two or more firearms; or (3) directs, promotes, or facilitates such illegal activity. Increases penalties on licensed firearms importers, dealers, or manufacturers who knowingly violate firearms restrictions under the federal criminal code, including recordkeeping requirements. Expands the authority of the Attorney General to revoke or suspend the license of a firearms dealer for failure to have secure gun storage or safety devices, for transporting armor piercing ammunition, or for violating other federal prohibitions on gun trafficking. Requires the Attorney General to identify licensed firearms dealers who have a heightened risk of firearms being diverted to criminal use. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on firearms that are lost or stolen during commercial shipping. Authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to hire additional personnel to enable inspections of gun dealers on a three-year cycle and requires the Director to hire additional investigators and special agents to address trafficking in firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2009
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Paula F. Hawkins, former member of the U.S. Senate from Florida. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 4, 2009, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Hawkins.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
International Climate Change Investment Act of 2009 - Requires the President to establish the Strategic Interagency Board on International Climate Investment to assess, monitor, evaluate, and report on the progress and contributions of departments and agencies in supporting funding for international climate change activities and the goals and objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Bali Action Plan. Requires the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish a program to provide assistance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from deforestation in developing countries. Establishes program objectives, including achieving emissions reductions of at least 720 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020, a cumulative amount of at least 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by December 31, 2025, and additional emissions reductions in subsequent years. Requires the Administrator to establish a publicly accessible registry of the emissions reductions achieved with such assistance. Requires the Administrator to develop and implement a program that addresses noncompletion or reversal with respect to any GHG emissions that were not, or are no longer, sequestered in the international deforestation reduction program. Requires: (1) the Secretary of State to establish the International Clean Energy Deployment Program to provide assistance to qualifying entities to implement clean technology activities that will contribute to reductions, sequestration, or avoidance of GHG emissions in eligible countries; and (2) the President to establish an interagency group to administer such program. Establishes an expert panel to provide guidance on technology deployment and programs to such group. Requires the Secretary to establish an International Climate Change Adaptation and Global Security Program to provide assistance to the most vulnerable developing countries for adapting and promoting resilience to climate change and its impacts. Requires the Secretary, working with the Board, to report biannually on climate change and energy policy for the five highest GHG emitting countries that are not members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for nonbusiness energy property expenditures, to include labor costs paid to prepare, assemble, or install any residential energy efficiency improvements eligible for such credit.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
Military Families Affordable Homes Act - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to tax-exempt facility bonds to expand the eligibility of military personnel for low-income residential rental housing financed by such bonds.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
Endocrine Disruption Prevention Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to establish the Endocrine Disruption Prevention Program, under which the Director shall: (1) conduct and support multidisciplinary research to improve the understanding of endocrine disruption; and (2) conduct workshops and fora on health effects associated with environmental agents that may affect the endocrine system. Requires the Director to establish an Endocrine Disruption Program Panel, which shall: (1) provide advice to the Director on the conduct and support of research; (2) evaluate existing population-level biomonitoring and biobanking surveillance and research programs and recommend changes needed to develop data on human exposures and effects to support the Program; and (3) develop a list of chemicals of concern for endocrine disruption effects and make findings with respect to such chemicals. Authorizes individuals to petition the Panel to determine whether a chemical should be listed or to revise a finding or determination based on new information. Requires the Director, if the Panel finds that data are sufficient to determine that there is at least a minimal level of concern associated with a chemical's potential to disrupt the human endocrine system, to transmit the finding, including the routes and sources of exposure to the chemical, to each federal agency with authority to regulate the chemical. Requires each federal agency that receives such a transmission: (1) to reply to the Director describing the agency's regulatory authority, past actions in connection with the chemical, and proposed action to protect human health from the potential endocrine disruption effects of exposure to the chemical; and (2) within one year, to report on the actions taken and future actions proposed by the Agency in response to the Panel's finding. Requires the Director to establish a program to support graduate and postdoctoral training in fields related to the prevention of endocrine disruption.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2009
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to schools that are receiving school improvement funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and are located in areas that have a high prevalence of asthma so they can: (1) develop and implement an asthma management plan; and (2) purchase the asthma inhalers, spacers, and other supplies necessary for the relief and treatment of affected students. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to local health or education departments to carry out such activities if they are the entities that would routinely carry out such activities in an area. Requires grantees to: (1) find innovative ways to encourage rapid bidirectional communication between schools and students' physicians and students' adherence to asthma treatment; and (2) ensure that they have on staff a nurse or individual who is trained to administer emergency asthma care.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2009
Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act - Exempts provisions expanding the adoption tax credit and adoption assistance programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 from the general terminating (sunset) provisions of that Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the tax credit for adoption expenses in the taxable year in which such expenses are paid or incurred.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2009
Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to expand treatment services for patients with Alzheimer's disease and training and support services for families and caregivers of such patients.
![Official portrait of Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/g000555_200.jpg)