United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2008
Declares that the Senate: (1) honors Lyndon B. Johnson for bringing about the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965; (2) extols his contributions to the United States; and (3) commends him for establishing the Medicare Act of 1965. Recognizes the 100th birthday of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president and designer of the Great Society.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2008
Mourns the loss of life and human suffering caused by the May 2008 earthquake in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Expresses deep condolences to the people of the PRC and to all those affected by this enormous tragedy. Calls on the President to respond to any requests for humanitarian assistance made by the government of the PRC, and stands ready to support the provision of additional resources to assist those impacted by the earthquake.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2008
Recognizes the daily sacrifices made by, and expresses gratitude toward, families across the country and the world in support of members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Supports efforts of the Armed Forces YMCA and the many other organizations that work to assist U.S. military families. Designates May 15, 2008, as Military Kids Day in the United States and at U.S. military installations throughout the world.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2008
Declares that Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2008
Acknowledges and commends charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the country for their ongoing contributions to education and our public school system. Supports the ideas and goals of the ninth annual National Charter Schools Week (May 5-May 9, 2008).
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2008
Diabetes Prevention Access and Care Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to: (1) conduct, coordinate, and support research and other activities with respect to pre-diabetes and diabetes in minority populations; and (2) conduct and support programs to treat diabetes in minority populations. Requires the Director of NIH, through the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, to provide for: (1) health care professionals' mentoring; and (2) minority health professionals' participation in diabetes-focused research programs. Directs the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee to develop and implement a federal plan to address diabetes mellitus within communities of color. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) conduct and support research and other activities with respect to diabetes in minority populations; (2) direct the Division of Diabetes Translation to conduct and support programs to educate the public on diabetes in minority populations; and (3) carry out diabetes health promotion and prevention programs for minority populations. Directs the Secretary to carry out: (1) education and awareness programs designed to increase participation of minority populations in clinical trials; and (2) mentorship programs for minority researchers who are conducting research on diabetes in minority populations. Provides for studies on the shortage of adult and pediatric endocrinologists specializing in diabetes and on outcomes of minority children with diabetes compared to non-minority children.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2008
Disabled Veterans Home Ownership Preservation Act of 2008 - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend the period of protection against mortgage sales, foreclosures, or seizures of property to: (1) the period of service and one year following service in the case of servicemembers with a service-related serious injury or illness; and (2) the period of service and for 30 days after final adjudication of a disability compensation claim in the case of such servicemembers and others who file such a claim. (Current law provides protection for all servicemembers for the period of service and the following 90 days, subject to exception.) Defines "serious injury or illness" as an injury or illness incurred by the servicemember in line of duty on duty that may render the servicemember medically unfit to perform the duties of the servicemember's office, grade, rank, or rating.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2008
American Energy Production Act of 2008 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permit projected lines of states adjacent to the subsoil and seabed of the outer Continental Shelf to be used for oil and gas preleasing and leasing activities. Authorizes the governor of a state with a new producing area within the offshore administrative boundaries beyond the submerged land of the state to petition the Secretary of Energy to make new producing areas available for oil and gas leasing. Sets forth a lease sales program for oil and gas development within the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Prescribes environmental protection procedures for the Coastal Plain. Requires Alaska to establish in its state treasury the Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund to assist designated Alaska entities impacted by the oil and gas exploration and production. Prohibits exportation of oil or gas produced under this Act. Prescribes a refinery permitting process. Suspends petroleum acquisition for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Amends the Clean Air Act to include renewable biomass within its purview. Sets forth an advanced battery manufacturing incentive program. Instructs the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development of the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a research and development program for adding materials to biofuels to make them more compatible with infrastructure used to store and deliver petroleum-based fuels. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to study and report to Congress on: (1) the feasibility of increasing consumption in the United States of ethanol-blended gasoline with specified levels of ethanol; and (2) specified diesel vehicle attributes. Clean Coal-Derived Fuels for Energy Security Act of 2008 - Directs the President to promulgate regulations to ensure that covered fuel introduced into commerce in the United States on an annual average basis contains a specified volume and percentage of clean coal-derived fuel. Amends the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 to repeal the prohibition against final regulations for commercial oil shale leasing program on public land. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the prohibition against federal agency contracts for procurement of alternative or synthetic fuel. Authorizes the Department of Defense to enter into multiyear contracts to purchase synthetic fuels.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2008
Designates May 3, 2008, as National Childhood Stroke Awareness Day. Urges support for the efforts, programs, services, and advocacy of organizations that work to enhance public awareness of childhood stroke.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2008
American Energy Production Act of 2008 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permit projected lines of states adjacent to the subsoil and seabed of the outer Continental Shelf to be used for oil and gas preleasing and leasing activities. Authorizes the governor of a state with a new producing area within the offshore administrative boundaries beyond the submerged land of the state to petition the Secretary of Energy requesting that the Secretary make new producing areas available for oil and gas leasing. Provides for disposition of outer Continental Shelf revenues from new producing areas to the Treasury and to new producing states and coastal political subdivisions. Sets forth a lease sales program for oil and gas development within the Coastal Plain located on a certain map entitled "Arctic National Wildlife Refuge." Prescribes environmental protection procedures for the Coastal Plain. Requires the State of Alaska to establish in is state treasury the "Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund," to assist designated Alaska entities impacted by the oil and gas exploration and production. Prohibits exportation of oil or gas produced under this Act. Prescribes a refinery permitting process. Suspends petroleum acquisition for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Amends the Clean Air Act to include renewable biomass within its purview. Sets forth an advanced battery manufacturing incentive program. Instructs the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development of the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a research and development program for adding materials to biofuels to make the biofuels more compatible with infrastructure used to store and deliver petroleum-based fuels. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to study and report to Congress on: (1) the feasibility of increasing consumption in the United States of ethanol-blended gasoline with specified levels of ethanol; and (2) specified diesel vehicle attributes. Clean Coal-Derived Fuels for Energy Security Act of 2008 - Directs the President to promulgate regulations to ensure that covered fuel introduced into commerce in the United States on an annual average basis contains a specified volume and percentage of clean coal-derived fuel. Grants a temporary exemption to small refineries. Amends the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 to repeal the proscription against final regulations for commercial oil shale leasing program on public land. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the proscription against federal agency contracts for procurement of alternative or synthetic fuel. Authorizes the Department of Defense to enter into multiyear contracts to purchase synthetic fuels.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2008
Designates: (1) the week of May 4-May 10, 2008, as North American Occupational Safety and Health Week; and (2) May 7, 2008, as Occupational Safety and Health Professionals Day. Commends: (1) occupational safety, health, and environmental practitioners for their commitment to protecting people, property, and the environment; and (2) those businesses that encourage a strong safety culture and incorporate occupational safety and health into their business strategies. Encourages support for activities aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of preventing illness, injury, and death in the workplace. Urges all people of the United States to continue to act responsibly and to be safe at work.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2008
Enhancement of Recruitment, Retention, and Readjustment Through Education Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan on the coordination of current Department of Defense (DOD) educational assistance programs and the development of additional programs to enable members of the Armed Forces (members) to attain a bachelor's degree while pursuing a military career. Increases rates of educational assistance: (1) under the Montgomery GI Bill; (2) for members of the Selected Reserve; and (3) for Selected Reserve members with extended (more than 12 years) service who provide support for contingency operations and other operations. Provides an annual stipend for individuals receiving basic educational assistance and pursuing a program of education at an approved institution of higher education. Allows a member who has completed six years of service (current law allows only members who have completed six years of service and have a military skill designated as critical) to transfer to one or more dependents any unused portion of the member's educational assistance entitlement. Provides similar authority for members of the Selected Reserve. Authorizes a member on active duty and entitled to basic educational assistance to use all or a portion thereof to repay any outstanding federal student loan. Makes eligible for educational assistance an individual who, after September 30, 2009, receives a commission upon graduation of a service academy or completion of Senior Reserve Officers' Training, and completes at least five years of continuous active duty. Makes eligible for enrollment under the Montgomery GI Bill certain retired personnel originally enrolled in the veterans' educational assistance program. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a supplemental educational grant program under which a participating institution of higher education provides certain veterans with the non-federal share of a percentage of such veteran's unmet educational financial need.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2008
Poison Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide coordination and assistance for the maintenance of the nationwide toll-free phone number to access poison control centers. Requires the Secretary to carry out and expand upon a national media campaign to educate the public and health care providers about poison prevention and the availability of poison control center resources in local communities. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts with nationally recognized organizations in the field of poison control and national media firms for the development and implementation of a nationwide poison prevention and poison control center awareness campaign. Expands the poison control center grant program to allow the Secretary to award grants for poison control centers to comply with the operational requirements needed to sustain certification of the center. Adds as the purposes for which such grants may be used: (1) to establish and evaluate best practices in the United States for poison prevention, poison control center outreach, and emergency and preparedness programs; (2) to develop and implement standard patient management guidelines for commonly encountered toxic exposures; (3) to improve national toxic exposure surveillance; (4) to develop, support, and enhance technology and capabilities of professional organizations in the field of poison control to collect national poisoning, toxic occurrence, and related public health data; and (5) to develop initiatives to foster the enhanced public health utilization of national poison data. Eliminates matching requirements for such grants.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2008
SBA Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends the Small Business Act (the Act) to reauthorize for FY2008-FY2010 certain small business assistance programs of the Small Business Administration (SBA), including: (1) the microloan program (loans made to very small businesses for start-up, expansion, or equipment); (2) section 7(a) loans (SBA-guaranteed general business loans); (3) certified development company (CDC) financings; (4) assistance to small businesses affected by a Department of Defense base closure or realignment or the termination of a defense contract or subcontract; (5) the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs (PRIME); and (6) small business disaster loans. Revises or adds provisions concerning the microloan program, including: (1) increased loan amounts; and (2) making eligible under such program persons with disabilities. Transfers the PRIME Program from the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to the Act. Establishes the Small Business Intermediary Lending Pilot Program under which the SBA Administrator provides loans to loan intermediaries, who then make loans to startup, newly established, and growing small businesses. Revises or adds provisions concerning the 7(a) loan program, including: (1) establishing a Preferred Lenders Program under which the Administrator may authorize qualified lenders to make and service small business loans; (2) increasing maximum loan amounts and expanding loan eligibility; (3) authority for an alternative loan size standard and a variable loan interest rate; (4) establishing an Office of Minority Small Business Development; (5) increasing small business international trade loans; and (6) requiring a rural lending outreach program. Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to revise or add provisions concerning CDCs, including: (1) replacing the term "504 loan program" with "local development business loan program"; (2) loan foreclosure and liquidation; (3) adding as an eligible purpose the expansion of businesses in low-income communities; (4) allowing CDC financings to include a limited amount of debt refinancing; (5) repealing the sunset on reserve requirements for premier certified lenders; (6) allowing development companies to issue debentures for the financing of loans; (7) allowing CDCs to provide loans to small, nonprofit child care businesses; and (8) requiring (in some cases) or authorizing CDCs to utilize real estate appraisals in connection with loans. Revises or adds provisions concerning the Small Business Investment Company program, including: (1) reauthorization through FY2010; (2) increased outstanding leverage amounts; and (3) increased maximum investment in a single company. Revises or adds provisions concerning the New Markets Venture Capital Program, including: (1) a goal of selecting at least one participating company from each SBA region; (2) establishing the Office of New Markets Venture Capital; and (3) the use of operational assistance grants. Reauthorizes through FY2010 the: (1) Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) program; (2) small business development center program; and (3) Paul D. Coverdell drug-free workplace program. Revises or adds provisions concerning women's small business ownership. Establishes an Associate Administrator for International Trade. Native American Small Business Development Act of 2008 - Establishes: (1) the Office of Native American Affairs; (2) a Native American small business development program; (3) a Native American development grant pilot program; and (4) an American Indian tribal assistance center grant pilot program. National Small Business Regulatory Assistance Act of 2008 - Establishes a: (1) small business regulatory assistance pilot program; (2) minority entrepreneurship and innovation pilot program; (3) small business health insurance information pilot program; and (4) Native American economic development pilot program. Directs the President to convene a National Small Business Summit. Revises or adds provisions concerning small business lender oversight.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2008
Expresses the sense of the Senate: (1) supporting the people of Zimbabwe; (2) that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission should immediately release the legitimate results of the presidential election and ratify the previously announced results of the parliamentary elections; (3) that President Robert Mugabe should accept the will of the people of Zimbabwe in order to effect a timely and peaceful transition to democratic rule; (4) that the U.S. government and the international community should impose targeted sanctions against individuals in the government of Zimbabwe and state security services and militias who are responsible for human rights abuses and election interference; and (5) that the U.S. government and the international community should work together to prepare an economic and political recovery package for Zimbabwe.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2008
Independent Office of Advocacy and Small Business Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 - Requires the Office of Advocacy (Office) of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to carry out responsibilities concerning the analysis of regulatory functions, including regulatory flexibility analyses. Requires: (1) each federal budget to include a separate statement of the amount requested for the Office, designated in a separate account in the General Fund of the Treasury; and (2) the SBA Administrator to provide the Office with appropriate and adequate office space, together with necessary equipment, operating budget, and communications facilities and services, and to provide necessary maintenance services for such offices and equipment. Requires: (1) each federal agency to notify the SBA's Chief Counsel for Advocacy of any agency draft rules that may have a significant impact on a substantial number of small businesses; (2) each agency's final regulatory analysis of a final rule to include the agency's response to any comments of the Chief Counsel for Advocacy with respect to that rule, as well as changes made as a result of such comments; and (3) agencies to make final regulatory flexibility analyses available to the public, including on a website.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2008
Recognizes and commends the significant contributions of the youth of the United States and encourages the cultivation of a civic bond among young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their communities, and the nation. Designates April 25, 2008, as Global Youth Service Day.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2008
Honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners during National Small Business Week beginning April 21, 2008. Honors the efforts and achievements of small business owners and their employees. Recognizes that small businesses are essential to restoring the country's economic health. Recognizes the vital role of Small Business Administration (SBA) programs, employees, and resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners. Urges the President to ensure that: (1) reasonable rules relating to the federal contract procurement program for women-owned small businesses are expeditiously implemented; (2) small businesses have access to quality, affordable health insurance; (3) the needs of veterans and reservists who own, work for, or wish to start a business are met during deployment and upon their return from duty; (4) measures are enacted to provide a stimulus for business lending during the current economic downturn; (5) small business tax burdens and regulatory and bureaucratic barriers are reduced; (6) all federal agencies adhere to contracting goals for small businesses; (7) venture capital and small business loans are available to all qualified small businesses; and (8) necessary federal resources are provided to management assistance programs delivered by SBA resource partners. Urges that the SBA Administrator have an active role as a member of the President's Cabinet.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2008
Mother's Day Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 400,000 $1 coins emblematic of the 100th anniversary of President Wilson's proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins beginning January 1, 2014, except that the Secretary may initiate sales of such coins, without issuance, before such date. Terminates such minting authority after December 31, 2014. Requires coin sales to include a $10 surcharge per coin, with distribution of such surcharges to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Osteoporosis Foundation for the purpose of furthering research.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2008
Welcomes Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of his first pastoral visit to the United States and recognizes the unique insights his moral and spiritual reflections bring to the world stage.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2008
Recognizes the historic significance of the 60th anniversary of the reestablishment of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people. Reaffirms the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States and Israel. Commends the people of Israel for their achievements in building a new state and a pluralistic democratic society. Reaffirms support for Israel's right to defend itself against threats to its security and existence. Extends congratulations and best wishes to Israel and the Israeli people for a peaceful and successful future.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2008
Hubbard Act - Amends federal employment, armed forces, military pay, and veterans' benefits law to authorize the provision of the following benefits to a member of the Armed Forces who is discharged at the member's request pursuant to a Department of Defense (DOD) policy permitting the early discharge of a member who is the only surviving child in a family in which the father or mother, or one or more siblings, served in the Armed Forces and, incident to such service, was killed, died as a result of wounds, accident, or disease, is in a captured or missing in action status, or is permanently disabled: (1) continued payment, through the original agreed-upon service period, of any bonus, incentive, or similar benefit to which the member was entitled during service; (2) separation pay, even though the member has completed less than six years of active service before discharge; (3) transitional health care, on the same basis as an active-duty member, for 180 days after discharge; (4) transitional commissary and exchange benefits, on the same basis as an active-duty member, for two years after discharge; (5) veterans' housing loan, employment and training, and basic educational assistance; (6) federal unemployment compensation; and (7) veteran's preference for federal employment purposes. Makes this Act effective with respect to any such discharge granted after September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2008
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the standards for imposing penalties on tax return preparers for understatements of tax to require: (1) substantial authority for a position with respect to an item on a tax return if such position was not disclosed with the return; and (2) a reasonable basis for a position which was disclosed with the return. Requires tax return preparers to have a reasonable belief that a position with respect to a tax shelter or a reportable transaction (a transaction having a potential for tax avoidance or evasion) will more likely than not be sustained on its merits.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2008
Federal Spending and Taxpayer Accessibility Act - Directs the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to create a free public Internet website that includes data for fiscal years after FY2007 and allows the user to search specified information on each federal earmark, including the intended recipient, total dollar amount, the sponsoring Member of Congress, and the status of the bill to which it is attached. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to provide, upon an eligible individual's request, his or her taxpayer account statement. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to include the financial outlays exceeding $25,000 of all federal agencies for fiscal years after FY2008 on the Internet website established by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. Declares that nothing in this Act shall require the disclosure of classified information.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2008
Congratulates the Army Reserve on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the enactment of its original authorizing law on April 23, 1908. Recognizes and commends the Army Reserve for the service of its past and present citizen-soldiers whose personal courage, contributions, and sacrifices have helped preserve the freedom and advance the national security and homeland defense of the United States. Extends gratitude to the veterans, soldiers, families, and employers who have supported the Army Reserve in accomplishing its vital missions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2008
Honors the life, achievements, and contributions of Charlton Heston. Extends the deepest sympathies of the Senate to the family of Charlton Heston for his loss.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2008
National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2008 - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to back-date to September 11, 2001, the period of active duty or performed active service, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations, for which members of Ready Reserve components of the armed forces shall receive credit in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2008
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions to deduct from gross income the costs of health insurance and long-term care insurance; and (2) payments from health savings accounts for non-group high deductible health plan premiums.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2008
Makes technical corrections to provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 which provide special immigrant status for certain Iraqis employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security or State to convert approved petitions for such status with respect to which visas are not immediately available to approved petitions for petitions filed before October 1, 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2008
Honors the service and sacrifice of, and identifies, the 4,009 men and women who lost their lives in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and 487 men and women who lost their lives in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, as of April 3, 2008. Honors their families and loved ones.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2008
Clean Boating Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to provide that no permit shall be required by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the national pollutant discharge elimination system for the discharge from a recreational vessel of graywater, bilge water, cooling water, weather deck runoff, oil water separator effluent, or effluent from properly functioning marine engines or for any other discharge that is incidental to the normal operation of such vessel. Defines a "recreational vessel" as any vessel that is leased, rented, or chartered to a person for that person's pleasure or that is manufactured or used primarily for pleasure, excluding vessels that are subject to Coast Guard inspection and that are engaged in commercial use or that carry paying passengers. Requires the Administrator to: (1) develop management practices for recreational vessels to mitigate the adverse impacts on U.S. waters of discharges incidental to normal vessel operation (excluding sewage) in any case in which the Administrator determines that the use of those practices is reasonable and practicable; and (2) promulgate federal standards of performance (which may distinguish among vessel types) for each discharge for which such a management practice is developed. Requires the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promulgate regulations governing the design, construction, installation, and use of management practices for recreational vessels as necessary to meet such standards. Prohibits the owner or operator of a recreational vessel from operating in U.S. waters if such owner or operator is not using applicable management practices in compliance with such regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2008
Child Protection Improvements Act of 2008 - Amends the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to direct the Attorney General to provide for a program for national criminal history background checks for child-serving organizations. Amends the PROTECT Act to provide for an extension of the Child Safety Pilot Program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2008
Provides a temporary increase, during the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 2011, in the maximum veterans' loan guaranty amount for housing loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2008
American Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008 - Authorizes the exploration, leasing, development, production, and transportation of oil and gas in and from the Coastal Plain in Alaska. Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a competitive oil and gas leasing program for oil and gas exploration, development, and production in the Coastal Plain. Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to repeal the prohibition against production of oil and gas from Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. States that, in connection with specified environmental protection laws, the Secretary shall not be required to: (1) identify nonleasing alternative courses of action; or (2) analyze the environmental effects of those actions. Authorizes the Secretary to designate not more than 45,000 acres of the Coastal Plain as a special area (including the Sadlerochit Spring area). Prohibits surface occupancy of land comprising the special area if the Secretary leases all or a portion of such special area for oil and gas exploration and development. Authorizes the Secretary to lease all or a portion of a special area under terms that permit the use of horizontal drilling technology from sites on leases located outside the special area (directional drilling). Sets forth procedures for lease sales and lease grants. Prohibits the Secretary from closing land within the Coastal Plain to oil and gas leasing, exploration, or development, except in accordance with this Act. Sets forth procedures for: (1) Coastal Plain environmental protection; (2) expedited judicial review; (3) rights-of-way and easements; and (4) local government impact aid and community service assistance. Prohibits exportation of oil or gas produced under the leases granted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2008
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Howard Metzenbaum, a former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate recesses on March 13, 2008, it stand in recess as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Metzenbaum.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2008
Recognizes the strategic importance of the African continent and welcomes the establishment of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). Encourages African nations to take advantage of the opportunity which AFRICOM represents to collaborate in promoting peace and stability on the continent.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2008
Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development Act of 2008 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for: (1) preparation and approval of state Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) plans for carrying out certain workforce development activities; (2) the integration of workforce development programs and community and economic development programs included as part of an approved plan; and (3) the award of supplementary grants to entities to implement approved WIRED plans and to states to carry out WIRED activities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2008
National Diabetes Coordinator Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the position of National Diabetes Coordinator, whose duties shall be to: (1) serve as the Secretary's principal advisor on reducing the rates of diabetes and its complications; (2) develop a measurement for the incidence of diabetes; (3) develop and coordinate implementation of a national strategy to reduce the incidence, progression, and impact of diabetes and its complications; (4) provide leadership and coordination to ensure that diabetes-related programs and policies of HHS are coordinated internally and with those of relevant federal, state, and local agencies with a goal of avoiding duplication of effort, maximizing impact, and marshaling all government resources; and (5) coordinate public and private resources to develop and lead a public awareness campaign regarding the prevention and control of diabetes and its complications. Requires reports to the President: (1) from the HHS Secretary on a national strategy to reduce the incidence, progression, and impact of diabetes and its complications; (2) from the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on negotiations with health plans to include appropriate standards and activities to reduce risk factors for diabetes and encourage prevention and early treatment; and (3) from the Secretary of Agriculture on ways in which food programs and nutritional support can be better targeted at concerns specific to those at risk for diabetes or those already diagnosed whose complications could be reduced by more effective diet.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2008
Security Against Foreclosures and Education Act, or the SAFE Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow proceeds of qualified mortgage bonds to be used to refinance certain residential subprime loans. Requires the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation to continue to award expeditiously certain funds already provided for mortgage foreclosure counseling. Amends the Code to allow purchasers of certain single-family principal residences a one-time tax credit. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to: (1) revise creditor mortgage loan disclosure requirements; and (2) increase civil damages for noncompliance with such Act. Amends the Code to: (1) allow a five-year carryback of net operating losses for certain taxable years; and (2) suspend through taxable year 2009 the 90% of alternative minimum taxable income limit for certain adjustments to the alternative (minimum) tax net operating loss deduction. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 1940 to expand the period of moratorium on foreclosure sales after a servicemember's service. Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a program for mortgage foreclosure prevention counseling for members of the Armed Forces returning from service abroad. FHA Modernization Act of 2008 - Amends the National Housing Act (NHA) to: (1) revise requirements for the maximum principal loan obligation eligible for mortgage insurance, as well as the cash investment requirement; and (2) prohibit seller-funded downpayment assistance. Replaces the General Insurance Fund (GIF) with the Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund as the depository of all funds involved in rehabilitation loans for one- to four-family structures. Eliminates the limitation on the aggregate number of home equity conversion mortgages (HECMs) for elderly homeowners insured under the Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to insure HECMs. Establishes a single national loan limit for HECMs. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to raise the cap on the price of cost-effective energy efficiency improvements under the energy efficiency mortgages program. Amends the NHA to require the Secretary to establish a pilot program for an automated process to provide alternative credit rating information on mortgagors and prospective mortgagors. Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to revise post-purchase housing counseling eligibility requirements. Directs the Secretary to establish a pre-purchase homeownership counseling demonstration program. Places limitations on mortgage insurance premium increases. Imposes a one-year moratorium on implementation by the Secretary of certain risk-based premiums. FHA Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act of 2008 - Amends the National Housing Act regarding FHA housing loan insurance for manufactured homes (or lots for such homes). Increases manufactured home loan limits, requiring annual indexing. Sets forth borrower premium charges. Amends the NHA to apply the prohibition against kickbacks and unearned fees in the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (RESPA) to each sale of a manufactured home financed with an FHA-insured loan or extension of credit and related services. Prescribes certain lease requirements as prerequisites for HUD insurance of any loan, advance of credit, or purchase of such a loan or credit to finance a manufactured home intended to be located in a manufactured home community under a lease.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2008
Twenty-First Century Water Commission Act of 2008 - Establishes the Twenty-First Century Water Commission to: (1) project future water supply and demand; (2) study current water management programs of federal, interstate, state, and local agencies and private sector entities directed at increasing water supplies and improving the availability, reliability, and quality of freshwater resources; and (3) consult with representatives of such agencies and entities to develop recommendations for a comprehensive water strategy. Requires that such strategy: (1) identify incentives intended to ensure an adequate and dependable water supply to meet U.S. needs for the next 50 years; (2) suggest strategies that avoid increased mandates on state and local governments, considering all available technologies; and (3) suggest financing options.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
National Language Act of 2008 - Requires: (1) English to be the national language of the federal government; and (2) the federal government to preserve and enhance the role of English as the national language. Provides that no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the federal government act, communicate, perform or provide services, or provide materials in any language other than English, unless specifically provided by statute. Makes the English language version of a government form issued in a language other than English the sole authority for legal purposes. Declares that this Act does not prohibit the use of a language other than English.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Effective Immigration Enforcement Partnerships Act of 2008 - States that state and local law enforcement personnel are fully authorized in the normal course of their duties to investigate, apprehend, or transfer to federal custody aliens in the United States (including interstate transportation of such aliens to detention centers) in order to assist in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Provides for the listing of immigration violators in the National Crime Information Center database. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to illegal aliens apprehended by state or local authorities to provide for: (1) federal custody upon state or local enforcement entity request; and (2) state or local compensation for related incarceration and transportation costs. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish immigration-related training for state and local personnel. Provides: (1) personal liability immunity to the same extent as corresponding federal immunity for state or local personnel enforcing immigration laws within the scope of their duties; and (2) civil rights money damage immunity for state or local agencies enforcing immigration laws unless their personnel violated criminal law in such enforcement. Authorizes a state or locality to: (1) detain an illegal alien after completion of such alien's state prison sentence for up to 14 days to facilitate federal transfer; and (2) issue a detainer that would allow the detention of aliens who have served such a sentence until taken into federal custody. States that nothing in this Act may be construed to require state or local law enforcement personnel to: (1) report the identity of a victim of, or a witness to, a criminal offense for immigration enforcement purposes; (2) arrest such victim or witness for an immigration violation; or (3) enforce U.S. immigration laws.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to prohibit funds from being dispersed to a country that denies or unreasonably delays the acceptance of its citizens, nationals, or residents who have been ordered removed under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) from the United States. Amends INA to prohibit visa issuance to citizens, nationals, or residents of such country unless: (1) the country is in full compliance with travel document requirements under this Act; or (2) Congress waives such prohibition. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to report to Congress every three months listing countries that deny or delay such repatriation. Imposes assistance and visa prohibitions on a listed country that does not issue appropriate travel documents for such aliens. Authorizes presidential waiver of such assistance and visa prohibitions.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2008
Authorizes the provision by the Secretary of the military department concerned of a travel and transportation allowance for up to three family members of a member of the Armed Forces who is hospitalized in a military medical facility in the United States for a serious psychiatric condition, as long as such transportation is provided pursuant to travel orders issued upon the recommendation of a physician that the family's presence would be helpful and beneficial to the member's treatment and recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2008
American Braille Flag Memorial Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to place in Arlington National Cemetery an American Braille tactile flag honoring blind members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and other Americans. Grants the Secretary exclusive authority to approve an appropriate design and site within Arlington National Cemetery for the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2008
Expresses the concern and compassion of the citizens of the United States for the citizens of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic who have been gravely affected by interrelated violence and instability in these countries. Calls upon all parties to these conflicts to cease hostilities and uphold basic human rights. Encourages the U.S. government and the international community to support the multilateral peacekeeping missions in Darfur, eastern Chad, and the northern Central African Republic, along with assistance to meet the continuing humanitarian and security needs in these areas.
![Official portrait of Sen. Isakson, Johnny [R-GA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/i000055_200.jpg)