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United States · Official source
7,990 records where Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize appropriations for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program through FY2012.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2007
Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to each state to carry out a program for making available throughout that state the 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services. Requires a participating state to ensure that at least 50% of the resources of the program funded by the grant will be derived from other sources. Requires a state seeking a grant to carry out its activities through a lead entity to be known as a 2-1-1 Collaborative. Requires grant amounts to be used solely to make available to a state 2-1-1 telephone service for community information and referral on human services to all citizens of that state with phone access, including telephone connections between families and individuals seeking services and the service providers. Requires grant recipients to: (1) abide by the Key Standards for 2-1-1 Centers; and (2) collaborate with human service organizations to provide an exhaustive database of services with which to provide information or referral to individuals utilizing the 2-1-1 service.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2007
9/11 Heroes Health Improvement Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to eligible entities to provide medical and mental health monitoring, tracking, and treatment to individuals whose health has been directly impacted as a result of the attacks on New York City and at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Includes as eligible individuals firefighters, police officers, paramedics, workers, volunteers, residents, students, and any other individual who worked at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills (recovery site on Staten Island), or the Pentagon or lived or worked in the vicinity of such areas, whose health has deteriorated as a result of the attacks, and who has been evaluated by a physician or mental health professional for 9/11-related health conditions and needs treatment for such conditions. Sets the order of priority for individuals covered under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Kids Come First Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX of the Social Security Act (SSA) to give states the option to receive 100% Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAPs) for medical assistance for children in poverty in exchange for expanded coverage of children in working poor families under Medicaid (SSA title XIX) or SCHIP (SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance)). Eliminates the cap on SCHIP funding for states that expand eligibility for children. Gives states the option to: (1) provide wrap-around SCHIP coverage to children who have other health coverage; (2) enroll low-income children of state employees in SCHIP; (3) provide optional coverage of legal immigrant children under Medicaid and SCHIP; and (4) provide for passive renewal of eligibility for children under Medicaid and SCHIP. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for: (1) a refundable income tax credit for health insurance coverage of children; and (2) forfeiture of the personal tax exemption for any child not covered by health insurance. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to require group market health insurers to offer a dependent coverage option for workers and other individuals with children. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for partial repeal of rate reduction in the highest income tax bracket.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007- Repeals provisions of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 that eliminated the jurisdiction of any court to hear or consider applications for a writ of habeas corpus filed by aliens who have been determined by the United States to have been properly detained as enemy combatants (or who are awaiting such determination) and actions against the United States relating to the detention of such aliens and to military commissions (thus restoring habeas corpus rights existing prior to the enactment of such Act). Allows courts to hear or consider legal challenges to military commissions only as provided by the Code of Military Justice or by a habeas corpus proceeding.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo. Limits such research to stem cells that meet the following ethical requirements: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements. Requires the Secretary to develop techniques for the isolation, derivation, production, or testing of stem cells that are capable of producing all or almost all of the cell types of the developing body and may result in improved understanding of treatments for diseases and other adverse health conditions, but that are not derived from a human embryo. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide guidance concerning the next steps required for additional research; (2) prioritize research with the greatest potential for near-term clinical benefit; and (3) take into account techniques outlined by the President's Council on Bioethics and any other appropriate techniques and research.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
States Using Collaboration and Coordination to Enhance Standards for Students Act of 2007 or the SUCCESS Act - Amends the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act to require a biennial national assessment of student achievement in grades four and eight, and grade 12 student preparedness, in reading, mathematics, and science. (Currently, science is not included in such assessments and grade 12 assessments need not be biennial.) Requires the Assessment Board's national academic content and student achievement standards to be competitive with rigorous international standards and set at a level that prepares students for non-remedial higher education, participation in the 21st century workforce, and the Armed Forces. Requires the Board, at a state's request, to assist it in identifying discrepancies between its standards and national standards, and in aligning such standards. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to states to establish prekindergarten through grade 16 (PK-16) student preparedness councils made up of public and private stakeholders that: (1) develop and implement measures to ensure that a state's academic content and student academic achievement standards and assessments meet the national benchmarks; and (2) establish a PK-16 longitudinal data system to track student progress toward such benchmarks. Directs the Secretary to award competitive grants to consortia of states for the development of common performance standards and assessments that compare favorably with national and international standards and assessments. Requires the Secretary to make consortia assessments available to all states.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Family Abduction Prevention Act of 2007 - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to states for projects involving: (1) the extradition of individuals suspected of committing a family abduction; (2) investigation by law enforcement agencies of family abduction cases; (3) training for law enforcement agencies in responding to family abductions and recovering abducted children; (4) outreach and media campaigns to educate parents on the dangers of family abductions; and (5) notifying law enforcement authorities of the name and address of anyone requesting the school records of an abducted child. Requires that not less than 50 percent of the cost of a project for which a grant is made be provided by non-federal sources.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
College Opportunity Act of 2007 - Declares the sense of Congress that the Congress should enact, and the President sign, measures that make college more affordable by increasing Pell Grants and providing more favorable student loans and other benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007 - Amends federal veterans' benefits provisions to entitle to educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill individuals in certain length-of-service categories who, commencing on or after September 11, 2001, serve on active duty in the Armed Forces. Establishes the duration of such assistance (in most cases 36 months) and assistance amounts. Requires programs of education pursued with such assistance to be approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Allows for the pursuit of an approved program of education while on active duty. Allows, under such assistance, for the pursuit of: (1) programs on less than a half-time basis; (2) apprenticeship or other on-job training; (3) correspondence courses; (4) flight training; (5) tutorial assistance; and (6) licensure and certification tests. Makes individuals entitled to assistance under this Act also eligible for supplemental educational assistance for additional active duty service. Requires the Secretary to carry out a program, to be known as the "Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program," under which colleges and universities may enter into an agreement with the Secretary to cover, for certain individuals, a portion of established charges not otherwise covered and match contributions toward such costs. Requires educational assistance under this Act to be used within 15 years of the individual's discharge or release from active duty (with exceptions). Allows individuals currently under the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program to elect to participate in the post-9/11 educational assistance program with respect to any unused entitlement.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Wakefield Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend by one year the length of time for which a grant may be awarded under the emergency medical services for children grant program, which allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states or schools of medicine to support projects to expand and improve emergency medical services for children who need treatment for trauma or critical care. Sets forth as the purpose of the program the reduction of child and youth morbidity and mortality by supporting improvements in the quality of all emergency medical care children receive. Requires the Secretary to support emergency medical services for children by supporting projects that: (1) develop and present scientific evidence; (2) promote existing innovative technologies appropriate for the care of children; and (3) provide information on health outcomes and effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Directs that such program: (1) strive to enhance the pediatric capability of emergency medical service systems; and (2) be coordinated with all research, evaluations, and awards undertaken by the federal government related to emergency medical services for children.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Prevention First Act - Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2007 - Authorizes appropriations for family planning services grants and contracts under the Public Health Service Act (PHSA). Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and PHSA to prohibit a group health plan and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage from excluding or restricting benefits in any way for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan or coverage provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services. Applies such prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market. Emergency Contraception Education Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information on emergency contraception to the public and to health care providers. Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act of 2007 - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving federal funds, to offer and to provide, upon request, emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. At-Risk Communities Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary to award grants for teenage pregnancy prevention programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants for teenage pregnancy prevention research. Truth in Contraception Act of 2007 - Requires that any information concerning the use of a contraceptive provided through specified federally funded education programs be medically accurate and include health benefits and failure rates. Unintended Pregnancy Reduction Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to expand Medicaid's coverage of family planning services. Responsible Education About Life Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary to make grants to states for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Applies federal minimum wage requirements to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Sets forth a transition period during which a specified minimum wage in the Commonwealth shall be gradually increased to equal the federal minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
9/11 Heroes Health Improvement Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to eligible entities to provide medical and mental health monitoring, tracking, and treatment to individuals whose health has been directly impacted as a result of the attacks on New York City and at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Includes as eligible individuals firefighters, police officers, paramedics, workers, volunteers, residents, and any other individual who worked at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills (recovery site on Staten Island), or the Pentagon or lived or worked in the vicinity of such areas, whose health has deteriorated as a result of the attacks, and who has been evaluated by a physician or mental health professional for 9/11-related health conditions and needs treatment for such conditions. Sets the order of priority for individuals covered under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2007
Honors President Gerald Rudolph Ford and expresses appreciation for his service.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2006
Supports the principles of the Addis Ababa Agreement and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1706 (2006) concerning Darfur. Declares that the deployment of a United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force under U.N. command is the minimum acceptable international effort to protect the people of Darfur. Supports strengthening the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Sudan. Calls upon the government of Sudan to: (1) allow implementation of the U.N. support packages as provided for in the Addis Ababa Agreement; and (B) work with the United Nations and the international community to deploy U.N. peacekeepers to Darfur. Calls upon all parties to the conflict to: (1) adhere to the 2004 N'Djamena ceasefire; and (2) respect the neutrality of humanitarian agencies so that relief workers can have access to their beneficiary populations. Urges the President to: (1) continue to work with the international community, including the permanent members of the Security Council, the AU, the European Union (EU), the Arab League, Sudan's trading partners, and the government of Sudan to facilitate deployment of the U.N. peacekeeping force; (2) ensure the ability of any Darfur peacekeeping force to carry out its mandate by providing adequate funding and working with our international partners to provide technical assistance, logistical support, intelligence gathering capabilities, and military assets; (3) work with Security Council members and the international community to develop and impose economic and diplomatic sanctions against the government of Sudan should such government continue to refuse to cooperate with implementation of Resolution 1706 and the Addis Ababa Agreement; and (4) work with Security Council members and the international community to address insecurity in Chad and the Central African Republic.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2006
Honors Arnold "Red" Auerbach as a basketball genius, a leader in the effort to removal racial barriers and allow merit to prevail in professional sports, and one of the greatest coaches and executives of all time.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2006
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) on the fourth anniversary of his passing, Senator Paul Wellstone should be remembered for his compassion and leadership on social issues throughout his career; and (2) Congress should act to end discrimination against U.S. citizens who live with a mental illness by enacting legislation to provide for coverage of mental health benefits with respect to health insurance coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2006
Summer of Service Act of 2006 - Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to create Summer of Service programs providing at least 100 hours of summer community service learning opportunities to youth who will subsequently enroll in grades six through nine. Requires the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service to provide competitive three-year grants to: (1) states under a State Grant program; and (2) public or private organizations under a National Direct Grant program, when a state does not apply for funding or the community service program includes multiple states. Requires states and organizations, in making project subgrants, to favor entities with established track records that: (1) have leadership positions in the communities from which participating youth will be drawn; (2) focus on youth service during the transition year before high school; (3) encourage or enable youth to continue providing community service throughout the school year; (4) involve youth in the design and operation of the community service project; and (5) include youth of diverse backgrounds, at least 50% of which are from low-income families. Permits such entities to charge the parents of participants an income-based fee to contribute to the nonfederal share of project costs. Makes each youth serving at least 100 hours in a service-learning project eligible for an educational award of up to $500.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2006
Iraq Reconstruction Accountability Act of 2006 - Amends the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 to change the date for termination of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (Office). Provides that the Office shall terminate 10 months after 80% of the funds appropriated or made available for the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund have been expended. Requires the Special Inspector General, prior to the termination date of the Office, to prepare a final forensic audit report on all funds appropriated or made available to the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Minority Health Improvement and Health Disparity Elimination Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) provide for the development of an Internet Clearinghouse within the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparity Elimination; (2) provide for programs of excellence in health professions education for underrepresented minorities in health professions; and (3) support demonstration projects designed to improve the health and health care of racial and ethnic minority and other health disparity populations through improved access to health care, patient navigators, and health literacy education and services. Provides for grants to: (1) design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically appropriate, science-based and community-driven sustainable strategies to eliminate racial and ethnic health and health care disparities; and (2) implement systems of primary care practices to eliminate disparities in the delivery of health care and improve the health care provided to all patients. Requires the Secretary to establish the Community Health Initiative demonstration program to support comprehensive state, tribal, or local initiatives to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority and other health disparity populations. Provides for grants or contracts for research to improve the health of racial and ethnic minorities and other health disparity populations. Requires the Secretary to ensure the collection of data from federally conducted or supported health programs by race, ethnicity, geographic location, socioeconomic position, primary language, and, when practicable, health literacy. Establishes an Office of Minority Health and Health Disparity Elimination and transfers to it functions of the Office of Minority Health. Requires the Secretary to establish the Advisory Committee on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
9/11 Comprehensive Health Benefits Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare-based eligibility and benefits for individuals with a 9/11 disaster-connected health condition. Makes Medicare the secondary payor for 9/11-related coverage. Prohibits a workers' compensation law or plan from discriminating against an individual by virtue of the individual's entitlement to such benefits. Prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual regarding hiring, advancement, compensation, or other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment by virtue of the individual's entitlement to such benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a consortium to conduct and coordinate screening, monitoring, treatment, and diagnostic research on the 9/11 disaster-connected health conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Remember 9/11 Health Act - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to deem certain emergency service, rescue and recovery, and law enforcement personnel and transit and cleanup workers who responded to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, residents of and individuals employed or attending school, child care, or adult day care in the declared disaster area (eligible recipients) to be civil employees under provisions relating to: (1) compensation to federal employees for work injuries; and (2) claims relating to damage to, or loss of, personal property incident to federal service, except that such an eligible recipient shall not be responsible for the payment of any health care expenses that result from exposure to the adverse conditions after such attack. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants or cooperative agreements to specified programs, including one established by the New York City Fire Department, to carry out screening and clinical examinations and long-term health monitoring and analysis for eligible recipients. Limits such monitoring to 20 years and 40,000 individuals. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct or support diagnostic or treatment research for adverse health conditions considered to be associated with the terrorist attacks. Allows the Secretary to establish similar compensation and health programs for those affected by the September 11, 2001, Pentagon attack. Requires the Secretary to convene a 9/11 Health Emergency Coordinating Council to examine and formulate recommendations on the adequacy of the: (1) responses by the federal, state, and local governments and the private sector to the attacks; (2) care and compensation for the victims; (3) federal tracking of the monitoring and treatment of individuals suffering health effects from the attacks; and (4) coordination among the Council members to the attacks. Allows the Council, upon request, to issue advisory opinions on the relative obligation of the federal government and any insurance company resulting from the attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Kindergarten Plus Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) to provide Kindergarten Plus (K+) programs of voluntary full days of kindergarten during the summer before and the summer after the traditional kindergarten school year determined by the state. Directs the Secretary to ensure, to the extent possible, that each such grant is of sufficient size to enable the SEA to provide K+ to all eligible students served by the local educational agencies (LEAs) within the state with the highest concentrations of eligible students. Makes eligible students those children who are: (1) five-years old or who will be eligible to attend kindergarten at the beginning of the next school year; (2) from a family with an income at or below 185% of the poverty line; and (3) not already served by a high-quality program in the summer before or the summer after the child enters kindergarten. Requires SEAs, in awarding subgrants, to give priority to LEAs that: (1) serve the greatest number or percentage of eligible students; and (2) propose to reduce class size and student-to-teacher ratios in K+ significantly below the average ratios in regular kindergarten classes served by the LEA. Provides for direct grants to LEAs in states that do not apply for grants. Sets forth K+ teacher and personnel quality standards.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Recognizes, on its 20th anniversary, the national role of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities as an advocate and champion for Hispanic higher education. Applauds Hispanic Serving Institutions for providing quality educational opportunities for all Hispanic and other students attending their institutions. Urges those providing and supporting Hispanic higher education to continue to recruit, retain, educate, and graduate students who might not otherwise pursue higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) on the fourth anniversary of his passing, Senator Paul Wellstone should be remembered for his compassion and leadership on social issues throughout his career; (2) Congress should act to end the discrimination against U.S. citizens who live with a mental illness by guaranteeing equal status for mental and physical illness by health insurance companies; and (3) mental health parity legislation should be a priority for consideration in the 110th Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) on the fourth anniversary of his passing, Senator Paul Wellstone should be remembered for his compassion and leadership on social issues throughout his career; (2) Congress should act to help U.S. citizens who live with a mental illness by enacting legislation to provide for equal coverage of mental health benefits with respect to health insurance coverage unless comparable limits are imposed on medical and surgical benefits; and (3) mental health parity legislation should be a priority for consideration in the 110th Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Assured Compensation for First Responders Act - Repeals the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (Division C of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006). Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Biodefense Injury Compensation Program to provide compensation for death or any injury, illness, disability, or condition that is likely to have been caused by the administration of a covered countermeasure pursuant to a declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or public health emergency makes such administration to a category of individuals advisable. Requires the Secretary: (1) after making such a declaration, to enter into a contract for the Institute of Medicine to provide its recommendations on the injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions likely to have been caused by the countermeasure; and (2) after receiving such recommendations, to specify those injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions deemed to be included in the Vaccine Injury Table. Sets the effective date for such Program as November 25, 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2006
Responsible Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act - Repeals the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (Division C of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006). Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Biodefense Injury Compensation Program to provide compensation for death or any injury, illness, disability, or condition that is likely to have been caused by the administration of a covered countermeasure pursuant to a declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or public health emergency makes such administration to a category of individuals advisable. Requires the Secretary: (1) after making such a declaration, to enter into a contract for the Institute of Medicine to provide its recommendations on the injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions likely to have been caused by the countermeasure; and (2) after receiving such recommendations, to specify those injuries, disabilities, illnesses, and conditions deemed to be included in the Vaccine Injury Table. Sets the effective date for such Program as November 25, 2002. Extends liability protection for health professionals administering small pox countermeasures to covered countermeasures under this Act. Excludes from such protection the administration by a qualified person of a covered countermeasure to an individual who was not within a category of individuals covered by the declaration where such qualified person did not have reasonable grounds to believe such individual was within such a category. Makes the United States liable for any claims arising out of the manufacture, distribution, or administration of a covered countermeasure, including claims brought by U.S. military personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Honest Medicare Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make available to the public every month, starting February 2007, information on: (1) the number of individuals enrolled in a prescription drug plan (PDP) or a MedicareAdvantage-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan who have reached the plan’s initial coverage limit but who have not reached the annual out-of-pocket threshold (a gap in prescription drug coverage commonly known as the “donut-hole”); and (2) the amount such individuals are spending on covered part D drugs after they have reached such limit and before they have reached such threshold.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Grants competitive status to certain Internal Revenue Service employees in Estate and Gift Tax Attorney positions (GS-905) subject to a reduction in force in FY2006.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2006 - Entitles federal employees and their domestic partners to benefits available to federal married employees and their spouses. Specifies certifications required for benefit eligibility, filing requirements regarding partnership dissolution, and confidentiality requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Public Service Academy Act of 2006 - Establishes, in the Department of Homeland Security, a United States Public Service Academy providing a fully subsidized liberal arts education to students selected from a pool of candidates nominated by Congress and the President. Reserves 100 first-year seats for international students, whose tuition and expenses are to be covered by their home countries. Requires incoming students to sign an Honor Code and be at least 17 years old, unmarried, and without dependents. Requires students to: (1) participate in daily public service programming and, during their final year, plan and implement a one-year public service project; (2) take foreign language and international relations courses in preparation for spending their junior year studying abroad and interning at a U.S. mission; (3) spend eight weeks each summer engaged in specified training and internship activities; and (4) by the completion of their fourth semester, choose a public service concentration in the economy, education, emergency management, the environment, foreign policy, health care, law enforcement, or the public infrastructure. Directs the Academy to assign graduates to public service employment in their field of concentrated study, where they must serve for at least five years. Includes private nonprofit organizations and private entities deemed to meet critical national needs among acceptable public service employers. Requires foreign students to serve in their home countries. Authorizes the Academy to subsidize a student's graduate education in return for an extended public service commitment. Requires the Academy to raise 20% of its annual budget from private sources.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2006
Expresses the sense of Congress that public policy should continue to protect and strengthen the ability of farmers and ranchers to join together in cooperative self-help efforts to: (1) improve their income from the marketplace and their economic well-being; (2) capitalize on new market opportunities; and (3) help meet the food and fiber needs of consumers, provide for increased energy production, promote rural development, maintain and create needed jobs, and contribute to a growing U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2006
National Competitiveness Investment Act - American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2006 - Directs the President to: (1) convene a National Science and Technology Summit; (2) establish a President's Council on Innovation and Competitiveness; and (3) establish the Innovation Acceleration Research Program. Directs the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to: (1) establish an Aeronautics Institute for Research; (2) coordinate basic and fundamental research activities related to physical sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (3) establish a Basic Research Executive Council. Authorizes appropriations for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program. Requires the NIST Director to: (1) establish the Standards and Technology Acceleration Research Program; and (2) reestablish the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology. Requires the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to: (1) establish a program of ocean and atmospheric research and development; and (2) develop an ocean, coastal, and atmospheric science education plan. Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Energy Act or PACE-Energy Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) appoint a Department of Energy (DOE) Director of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education, and establish a Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education Fund; (2) award grants for establishing specialty schools for mathematics and science; (3) establish a national laboratories summer internship program for middle and secondary school students; (4) establish Centers of Excellence in Mathematics and Science at schools in regions of national laboratories; (5) establish or expand programs to strengthen mathematics and science teaching skills of public school teachers; (6) establish a program to expand and enhance higher education nuclear science educational capabilities; (7) award grants to outstanding DOE early-career researchers; and (8) establish a program to support the appointment of distinguished scientists by institutions of higher education and national laboratories. Establishes the Advanced Research Projects Authority-Energy. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to: (1) develop and implement programs to provide courses of study in mathematics, science, engineering, or critical foreign languages with concurrent teacher certification or to enhance teacher knowledge and teaching skills; (2) increase the number of teachers and students teaching or enrolled in advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses in mathematics, science, or critical foreign languages; (3) help low-income students performing below grade level in mathematics; (4) establish programs of study in critical foreign languages; (5) promote content knowledge requirements for secondary school graduation and establish or improve a statewide P-16 education data system. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: (1) expand the Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program; (2) establish a clearinghouse and pilot programs relating to the creation or improvement of professional science master's degree programs; (4) establish a program to provide mentors for women interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (5) establish a program of basic research in advanced information and communications technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2006
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act - Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to a hospital unless the hospital meets certain conditions related to a woman who is a victim of sexual assault, including that the hospital: (1) provides the woman with accurate and unbiased information about emergency contraception; (2) offers emergency contraception to the woman; (3) provides the woman such contraception at the hospital on her request; and (4) does not deny any such services because of the inability of the woman to pay. Prohibits any federal funds from being provided to a hospital unless the hospital provides to survivors of sexual assault, regardless of ability to pay: (1) an assessment of the individual's risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections; (2) advice concerning significantly prevalent infections for which effective post-exposure prophylaxis exists and for which the deferral of treatment either would significantly reduce treatment efficacy or would pose substantial risk to the individual's health; and (3) such prophylactic treatment for infections, upon request.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006
9/11 Heroes Health Improvement Act of 2006 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to eligible entities to provide medical and mental health monitoring, tracking, and treatment to individuals whose health has been directly impacted as a result of the attacks on New York City and at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Includes as eligible individuals firefighters, police officers, paramedics, workers, volunteers, residents, and any other individual who worked at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills (recovery site on Staten Island), or the Pentagon or lived or worked in the vicinity of such areas, whose health has deteriorated as a result of the attacks, and who has been evaluated by a physician or mental health professional for 9/11-related health conditions and needs treatment for such conditions. Sets the order of priority for individuals covered under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2006
Keep Children Covered Act of 2006 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) to: (1) establish a special rule for redistribution of unspent FY2004 allotments; (2) provide for additional allotments to eliminate FY2007 funding shortfalls remaining after redistribution of unspent FY2004 allotments; and (3) extend authority through FY2006 for qualifying states to use certain SCHIP funds for Medicaid expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2006
Commends the delegates from the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army for agreeing to a cessation of hostilities. Recognizes the government of Southern Sudan's leadership in mediating the cessation of hostilities and establishing a framework for peace. Expresses the support of the citizens of the United States for the people of Uganda who have endured decades of violence resulting from that conflict. Entreats all parties to address issues of accountability and impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity and to support national reconciliation efforts. Encourages the government of Uganda to improve the professionalism of its military personnel, with an emphasis on enhancing respect for human rights, accountability for abuses, and effective protection of civilians. Urges the government of Uganda to augment its resettlement plan by: (1) expanding social services; (2) deploying professional civil servants; and (3) developing the legal, political, and security infrastructure necessary to facilitate the freedom of movement of civilians to their homes, land, and areas within and around camps, and essential to fulfill the needs of returnees and former combatants. Calls on the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as the international community to: (1) provide humanitarian assistance through nongovernmental organizations; (2) pay particular attention to victimized women and children; and (3) provide assistance for the demobilization and reintegration of rebel combatants and abductees, and diplomatic and logistical support for the cessation of hostilities agreement and progress towards peace in Uganda.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2006
Supports the goals and ideals of "Lights On Afterschool!," a national celebration of after-school programs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2006
Requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to suspend its plan to use private debt collection companies to collect unpaid taxes and prohibits the use of any IRS funds for tax collection contracts with private companies.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2006
Commemorates the life of each individual who died as a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001. Extends deepest condolences to the victims, as well as to their families, friends, and loved ones. Condemns the attacks, the terrorists who perpetrated them, and their sponsors. Commits to support the necessary steps to defeat terrorists who plot to harm the American people. Recommits the Senate and the Nation to bringing the perpetrators of the attacks and their sponsors to justice. Honors members of the Armed Forces, law enforcement personnel, first responders, members of the intelligence community, and others who have bravely participated in the War on Terrorism since September 11, 2001. Declares September 11, 2006, to be a National Day of Remembrance, in commemoration of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States. Declares that when the Senate adjourns today (September 11, 2006), it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to each individual who died as a result of the attacks of September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2006
Recognizes the Reverend Waitstill Sharp and Martha Sharp as genuine American heroes, and pays tribute to them as their names are added to the Wall of Rescuers in the permanent exhibition of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on September 14, 2006. Commends the organization founded to support the Sharps' work, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, for its efforts to rescue Jews and opponents of the Nazi regime in Europe and for carrying on the Sharps' legacy by working to save the lives of the people of Darfur, Sudan, and to protect human rights worldwide.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2006
Truth in Cigarette Labeling Act of 2006 - Prohibits a cigarette manufacturer from: (1) using a health descriptor (e.g., "light" or "low tar") on the label or the advertising of any brand of cigarette; or (2) making any claims or other representations based on data derived from the cigarette testing method established by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) before enactment of this Act. Treats any violation as an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2006
Condemns the government of Sudan's: (1) military offensive in Darfur in violation of the terms of the Darfur Peace Agreement (2006) and the N'Djamena cease-fire accord (2004); and (2) rejection of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1706 (2006). Commends the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) for its monitoring of the N'djamena cease-fire agreement and encourages the African Union (AU) to leave the AMIS force in place until a U.N. peacekeeping mission is deployed to Darfur. Calls upon the government of Sudan to: (1) cease its military offensive in Darfur; and (2) comply with the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers to Darfur. Calls upon the United Nations to: (1) deploy as quickly as practicable well trained and equipped peacekeeping troops as authorized by Security Council Resolution 1706; and (2) begin considerations of sanctions as called for by Security Council Resolution 1556 (2004) and Security Council Resolution 1564 (2004). Urges the President to help improve the security situation in Darfur by: (1) pursuing the imposition of a "no-fly zone" in Darfur in cooperation with the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or NATO allies; (2) garnering support for NATO assistance with the AU handover of AMIS to the United Nations; (3) obtaining the support of China, Russia, and U.S. allies in the Arab League to secure Sudan's compliance with U.N. peacekeeper deployment; (4) supporting full funding for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Sudan; (5) securing U.N. member state support for a special session on Sudan in the U.N. Human Rights Council; and (6) appointing a Special Envoy to Sudan to head the Office of the Presidential Special Envoy. Urges the international community to: (1) support the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers to Darfur financially, with logistical and equipment support, or through troop contributions; (2) fulfill financial obligations to U.N. and international humanitarian aid agencies for responding to the crisis in Darfur or addressing humanitarian needs throughout Sudan; (3) impose targeted sanctions against members of the National Congress Party responsible for human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity; and (4) impose sanctions consistent with Security Council Resolutions 1556 and 1564.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Peace in Darfur Act of 2006 - Sets forth the sense of Congress with respect to the situation in Darfur, Sudan. Blocks the transfer of all assets of the government of Sudan in, or that enters into, the United States, or that comes under control of a U.S. national. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to take appropriate enforcement actions. Prohibits: (1) any transaction within the United States or by a U.S. national respecting any vessel in which a controlling interest is held by a Sudanese person or entity; (2) the exportation to Sudan of goods, technology, or services either from the United States, requiring a federal license, or involving U.S. registered vessels or aircraft; (3) any dealing by a U.S. national in property originating in or exported from Sudan, or property intended for exportation from Sudan to any country or exportation to Sudan from any country; (4) the performance by a U.S. national of any contract in support of an industrial, commercial, public utility, or governmental project in Sudan; (5) U.S. government loans, credit, or similar financial assistance to the government of Sudan; (6) Trade and Development Agency assistance for Sudan; (7) private U.S. credit to the government of Sudan or to any entity controlled by the government of Sudan; and (8) defense articles or services to the Armed Forces of Sudan. Specifies exceptions to such sanctions, including: (1) humanitarian assistance; (2) assets, transactions, or persons under the control of the government of Southern Sudan; and (3) U.S. national security or Sudanese conflict resolutions reasons. Sets forth certification and reporting provisions respecting: (1) the situation in Darfur and any imposed sanctions on Sudan; and (2) U.S. investments in Sudan and Sudanese investments in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Access to Medicare Imaging Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for a two-year moratorium on certain Medicare physician payment reductions for imaging services.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Enhancing Drug Safety and Innovation Act of 2006 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require an application for approval for a new drug or biological product to include a proposed risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, which must include: (1) labeling for the drug for use by health care providers; (2) submission of reports for the drug; and (3) a statement as to whether the analysis and surveillance are sufficient to assess the serious risks of the drug. Establishes within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the Reagan-Udall Institute for Applied Biomedical Research to advance the Critical Path Initiative to modernize medical product development, accelerate innovation, and enhance product safety. Requires the Institute to have a Board of Directors. Allows the Board to establish one or more Critical Path Institutes to conduct research, education, and outreach and to modernize the sciences of developing, manufacturing, and evaluating the safety and effectiveness of diagnostics, devices, biologics, and drugs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and administer a clinical trial registry database and a clinical trial results database. Requires a responsible part for a clinical trial to submit clinical trial information to the Director for inclusion in the databases. Requires a member of a panel advising or recommending to the Secretary regarding FDA activities to disclose any financial involvements that the member may have. Directs the Secretary to recuse members with a high magnitude of financial involvement.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to the University of Hawaii Academy for Creative Media for the establishment, maintenance, and periodic modernization of the Henry Kuualoha Giugni Kupuna Memorial Archives at the University of Hawaii. Requires the Archives to use grant funds for: (1) facilities and equipment to house and provide computer and web access to a repository of Native Hawaiian historical data; (2) scholarships to assist disadvantaged students in attending college; (3) the creation of educational materials from the archives that are applicable to a broad range of indigenous students; (4) outreach to elementary and secondary school students; (5) teacher training, so that the teaching of kindergarten through grade 12 students is culturally congruent with the learning modalities of such students, particularly indigenous students; and (6) the enhancement of the economic and financial literacy of college students.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Expresses the the sense of the Senate that: (1) the governments of Syria and Iran should end material and logistical support for Hezbollah and use their influence to disarm Hezbollah and release all kidnapped prisoners; (2) the U.S. government and the international community must work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon for a cessation in the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel based on the return of Israeli soldiers held in Lebanon, the disarmament of Hezbollah, the removal of all Hezbollah forces from southern Lebanon and their replacement with army and security forces of the government of Lebanon, and an agreement to fully implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559; (3) the U.S. government and the international community must work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon to organize an international donors conference to ensure international resources for the reconstruction of Lebanon's civilian infrastructure; (4) the U.S. government and the international community must work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon to promote sustainable peace and security for Israel and Lebanon and the greater Middle East and to assist the government of Lebanon on its path to democracy; and (5) Lebanon's territorial integrity, sovereignty, unity, and political independence should be strongly supported.