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United States · Official source
6,479 records where Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Public Good IRA Rollover Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income distributions from individual retirement accounts for certain charitable purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Georges Bank Preservation Act - Prohibits the issuance of any lease or other authorization by the federal government for exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in: (1) any marine national monument or national marine sanctuary; or (2) the fishing grounds known as Georges Bank in the waters of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Shark Conservation Act of 2009 - Amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to list a nation in the biennial report on international compliance if the nation's fishing vessels are or have been engaged in fishing activities that target or incidentally catch sharks and the nation has not adopted a shark conservation program that is comparable, taking into account different conditions, to that of the United States, including measures to prohibit removal any of the fins of a shark (including the tail) and discarding the carcass of the shark at sea. Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to revise provisions prohibiting the removal of shark fins to make it a prohibited act to: (1) remove any shark fin (including the tail) at sea; (2) have a fin aboard a fishing vessel unless the fin is naturally attached to the carcass; (3) transfer a fin from one vessel to another or receive a fin unless it is naturally attached; or (4) land a fin that is not naturally attached to a carcass or land a carcass without fins naturally attached. Revises the current rebuttable presumption provision concerning shark fins on fishing vessels to create a rebuttable presumption that, if any shark fin (including the tail) is aboard a non-fishing vessel without being naturally attached, the fin was transferred from a fishing vessel in violation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Helicopter Medical Services Patient Safety, Protection, and Coordination Act - Authorizes states to regulate helicopter medical services with respect to: (1) the medical qualifications and training of helicopter medical personnel; and (2) the obligation of providers of helicopter medical services to comply with a state's health planning, patient safety, and medical service requirements. Prohibits states from imposing requirements on pilots. Authorizes states to regulate the following aspects of helicopter medical services to the extent such regulations are harmonized with applicable federal operating requirements: (1) establishment of criteria for determination of the appropriate medical institution to receive a transported patient; (2) specification of service requirements with respect to geographic areas within a state or during specified hours and days; (3) coordination of flight requests for emergency helicopter medical services; (4) compliance with medical services accreditation requirements, except where they infringe upon relevant federal operating requirements; and (5) provision of emergency helicopter medical services to all persons where needed. Authorizes a state to regulate certain aspects of helicopter medical services to the extent that such regulations are consistent with, and do not infringe upon, applicable federal operating requirements. Specifies among the aspects of helicopter medical services which states may regulate: (1) the necessary medical equipment and supplies to be carried on board or affixed to the helicopter; (2) the physical attributes of the helicopter necessary for the provision of quality medical care and for the protection of helicopter, ground medical, and emergency response personnel; and (3) specified communication capabilities among helicopter medical personnel and emergency medical services and public safety personnel, and between the flight crew and helicopter medical personnel. Requires a provider of helicopter medical services that is licensed in more than one state where state helicopter medical services regulations are inconsistent to comply with the most stringent regulation. Requires a state, if necessary, to establish regulations or negotiate mutual aid agreements with adjacent states, or providers of helicopter medical services in such states, to ensure access to such services across state borders.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
No Child Left Inside Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, approved by the Secretary of Education, for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Directs the Secretary to award Environmental Education Professional Development Grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, institutions of higher education (IHE), other educational entities, or federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, for activities involving, among other things, teacher training and the development of more rigorous environmental education curricula that advance the teaching of interdisciplinary courses. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, IHEs, other educational entities, federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, or park and recreation departments, for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards; (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs; and (3) research.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Declares the sense of the Senate that: (1) Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama deserves the respect and admiration of all people of the United States for his brave conduct under life-threatening circumstances; (2) the Senate shares the sense of relief and gratitude felt by the family and shipmates of Captain Phillips; (3) all members of the U.S. Armed Forces involved in the rescue operation, in particular members of the Navy and Navy SEAL teams who rescued Captain Phillips, the officials of other federal government departments and agencies who contributed, and the crew of the Maersk Alabama, are to be commended for their exceptional efforts and devotion to duty; and (4) the President should work with the international community and the transitional government of Somalia to develop a comprehensive strategy to address both the burgeoning problem of piracy and its root causes.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to study and report to Congress on the minimum level of sound that is necessary to be emitted from a motor vehicle, or some other method, to alert blind and other pedestrians of the presence of operating motor vehicles while traveling.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Gun Show Background Check Act of 2009 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require registration of gun show promoters and to set forth the responsibilities of promoters, licensees, and other transferors. Provides that if any part of a firearm transaction takes place at a gun show, each licensed importer, manufacturer, and dealer who transfers one or more firearms to a person who is not licensed shall, within 10 days after the transfer, submit a report of the transfer to the Attorney General. Sets forth penalties for violations. Grants the Attorney General authority to enter the place of business of any gun show promoter and any place where a gun show is held, during business hours and without a showing of reasonable cause or a warrant, for purposes of examining records and the inventory of licensees conducting business to determine compliance with this Act. Increases penalties for: (1) serious record-keeping violations by licensees; and (2) violations of criminal background check requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation on behalf of Congress of a gold medal of appropriate design to Dr. Muhammad Yunus in recognition of his many enduring contributions to the fight against global poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Authorizes the Secretary of State, under the authority, direction, and control of the President and in accordance with the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, to increase the number of educational and cultural exchange activities involving persons from scientific, medicine, research, and academic sectors by: (1) establishing new Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs; and (2) expanding the coverage of existing Programs. Directs the Secretary to appoint United States Science Envoys to represent the U.S. commitment to collaborate with other countries to promote the advancement of science and technology throughout the world.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Amends the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 to repeal the December 31, 2010, termination date on certain mortgage interest rate and foreclosure protections provided to servicemembers. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, with respect to a veterans' housing loan guaranteed through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that is modified under federal bankruptcy laws, to pay the holder of the mortgage obligation its unpaid balance, but only upon the assignment and transfer to the Secretary of all rights and interests with respect to the loan.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2009
National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009 - 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 · 20 April 2009
Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to give states the option of providing Medicaid coverage for certain low-income HIV-infected individuals. Provides states taking advantage of this option with an enhanced federal Medicaid match.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2009
Grants a federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America (a nonprofit corporation and incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia).
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Legal Services Benefit Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore, increase, and make permanent the exclusion from gross income for amounts received under qualified group legal services plans.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow an alien widow of a U.S. citizen who was married for less than two years at the time of the citizen spouse's death who proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the marriage was entered into in good faith and not for the purpose of obtaining an immigration benefit to self-petition (within the required two years) for continued immediate relative status. Applies such provision to all applications and petitions pending on or after the date of enactment of this Act. Extends the petition filing deadline for two years after the date of enactment of this Act for an alien spouse if: (1) the U.S. citizen spouse died before the date of enactment of this Act; (2) the alien and the citizen spouse were married for less than two years at the time of the citizen spouse's death; and (3) the alien has not remarried.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Clean Water Restoration Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to replace the term "navigable waters" that are subject to such Act with the term "waters of the United States," defined to mean all waters subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, the territorial seas, and all interstate and intrastate waters and their tributaries, including lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams), mudflats, sandflats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes, wet meadows, playa lakes, natural ponds, and all impoundments of the foregoing, to the fullest extent that these waters, or activities affecting them, are subject to the legislative power of Congress under the Constitution. Declares that nothing in such Act affects the authority of the Secretary of the Army or the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the provisions of the Clean Water Act related to discharges: (1) composed entirely of return flows from irrigated agriculture; (2) of stormwater runoff from certain oil, gas, and mining operations composed entirely of flows from precipitation runoff conveyances, which are not contaminated by or in contact with specified materials; (3) of dredged or fill materials resulting from normal farming, silviculture, and ranching activities, from upland soil and water conservation practices, or from activities with respect to which a state has an approved water quality regulatory program; or (4) of dredged or fill materials for the maintenance of currently serviceable structures, the construction or maintenance of farm or stock ponds, irrigation ditches and maintenance of drainage ditches, or farm, forest, or temporary roads for moving mining equipment in accordance with best management practices, or the construction of temporary sedimentation basins on construction sites for which discharges do not include placement of fill material into the waters of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to implement an Autism Care Center Program to provide grants and other assistance to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in providing comprehensive care to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide grants for services to enable adults with autism spectrum disorders to be as independent as possible; (2) establish the National Registry for Autism Spectrum Disorders; and (3) award grants for multimedia campaigns to increase public education and awareness and reduce stigma concerning such disorders. Establishes the Interdepartmental Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate all federal efforts concerning autism spectrum disorders. Repeals provisions establishing the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee to coordinate all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning autism spectrum disorders. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) the National Network for Autism Spectrum Disorders Research and Services to provide resources for, and facilitate communication between, autism spectrum disorder researchers and service providers; and (2) a National Data Repository for Autism Spectrum Disorders Research and Services to facilitate the development and rapid dissemination of research into best practices that improve care. Requires the Secretary to award national training initiative supplemental grants to address the unmet needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Applies such requirement to coverage offered in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009 - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert; (3) Grand Staircase-Escalante; (4) Moab-La Sal Canyons; (5) Henry Mountains; (6) Glen Canyon; (7) San Juan-Anasazi; (8) Canyonlands Basin; (9) San Rafael Swell; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) filing by the Secretary of the Interior of a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees; (2) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas; (3) federal reservation of water rights; (4) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness; (5) authorized livestock grazing; and (6) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to consolidate housing assistance programs for homeless persons. Declares that the mission of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and to create a national partnership at every level of government and with the private sector to reduce and end homelessness in the nation while maximizing the effectiveness of federal contributions to end homelessness. Prescribes requirements for the selection of community homeless assistance planning boards, particularly for collaborative applicants. Requires the relevant parties in a geographic area to establish a collaborative applicant to apply for a homeless assistance grant. Requires a collaborative applicant to: (1) design a collaborative process to develop such grant applications and evaluate project outcomes; (2) establish priorities for funding projects; (3) participate in the Consolidated Plan for the geographic area served by the applicant; (4) ensure operations of, and consistent participation by, project sponsors in a community-wide homeless management information system (HMIS); and (5) act as a unified funding agency to distribute HUD funds to other project sponsors in the applicable geographic area funds for their projects. Prescribes requirements for: (1) an emergency solutions grants program; (2) a continuum of care grants program; (3) designation of high-performing communities; and (4) a rural housing stability assistance program. Increases from 5% to 7.5% the amount of any emergency solutions grant a recipient may use for administrative purposes. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on: (1) appropriate administrative costs for implementing the emergency solutions grants program; and (2) homelessness and homeless assistance in rural areas.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act - Prohibits a state from prescribing or enforcing any regulation that allows a restricted property-carrying unit (any trailer, semi-trailer, container, or other property-carrying unit longer than 53 feet, except for a fire-fighting unit) to operate on the National Highway System (NHS) (including the Interstate System), unless the operation of such unit is authorized by the state on June 1, 2008, and in actual and lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including seasonal operations) on or before that date. Prohibits a state from allowing the operation of a commercial motor vehicle combination on the NHS (except a vehicle or load that cannot be dismantled or divided easily, and that has been issued a special permit under state law) with more than one property-carrying unit (excluding the truck tractor) whose property-carrying units are more than: (1) the maximum combination trailer, semi-trailer, or other type of length limitation allowed by state law on June 1, 2008; or (2) the length of the property-carrying units of those commercial motor vehicle combinations, by specific configuration, in actual and lawful operation on a regular or periodic basis (including continual seasonal operation) in such state on or before June 1, 2008. Prohibits a state from allowing the operation of a vehicle or combination (other than a longer combination vehicle) exceeding Interstate weight limits on the Interstate System unless its operation was lawful: (1) on July 1, 1956; (2) in the case of the overall gross weight of any group of two or more consecutive axles, on January 4, 1975; or (3) under a special permit pursuant to state (grandfather) law. Declares that Interstate weight limitations on vehicles and combinations (other than longer combination vehicles) that operate on the Interstate System shall also apply to such vehicles and combinations that operate on non-Interstate segments of the NHS, unless: (1) such segments are subject to lower state weight limits; or (2) a state allows the operation of any vehicle or combination on an existing non-Interstate segment of the NHS that could be so operated lawfully on June 1, 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
Medicare Fracture Prevention and Osteoporosis Testing Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a national minimum payment amount for CPT code 77080 (relating to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, or DXA, the most widely accepted method of measuring bone mass to predict fracture risk) and CPT code 77082 (relating to vertebral fracture assessment, or VFA), and any successor to such codes as identified by the Secretary (bone mass scans). Directs the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies to study and report to the Secretary and Congress on: (1) the ramifications of Medicare reimbursement reductions for DXA and VFA on beneficiary access to bone mass measurement benefits; and (2) the methods to increase use of bone mass measurement by Medicare beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
Authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the American soldiers who were prisoners of war in Bataan, Philippines, during World War II, in recognition of their personal sacrifice and service to their country. Provides for the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the prisoners of war at Bataan.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
U.S.-Paraguay Partnership Act of 2009 - Amends the Andean Trade Preference Act, as amended and expanded by Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), to include Paraguay on the list of countries eligible for duty-free treatment and other preferential treatment for its products as a designated beneficiary country and ATPDEA beneficiary country. Terminates the extension of such treatment to Paraguayan products after December 31, 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
BPA-Free Kids Act of 2009 - Defines "children's food or beverage container" as any container, except a metal can, that is: (1) designed or intended to be filled with any liquid, food, or beverage primarily for consumption from that container by children three years old or younger; and (2) sold or distributed at retail without containing any liquid, food, or beverage. Requires that any children's food or beverage container that is composed in whole or in part of bisphenol A (BPA) be treated as a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Grants the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) jurisdiction over, and authority to enforce, the provisions of this Act, notwithstanding: (1) specified provisions of various Acts; and (2) a specified memorandum of understanding between the CPSC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Requires suppliers and manufacturers to test for BPA plastic resins used in the manufacture and distribution of children's food and beverage containers to ensure that the plastic resins in children's food and beverage containers do not contain BPA. Requires suppliers to certify to manufacturers that plastic resins do not contain BPA. Imposes labeling and advertising requirements. Allows nonconflicting state and subdivision laws. Requires research to increase understanding of the health effects of BPA exposure in all age groups and in pregnant women.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Prostate Research, Imaging, and Men's Education Act or the PRIME Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand and intensify research to develop advanced imaging technologies for prostate cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment comparable to mammogram technology. Directs the Secretary: (1) to carry out a national campaign to increase awareness and knowledge with respect to the need for prostate cancer screening and for improved detection technologies; (2) in developing such campaign, to recognize and address the racial disparities in the incidences of prostate cancer and mortality rates; (3) to establish a program to award grants to nonprofit private entities to test alternative outreach and education strategies; (4) to carry out research to develop an improved prostate cancer screening blood test using in-vitro detection; and (5) to certify compliance with this Act within one year.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Fair Elections Now Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) with respect to: (1) eligibility and qualifying contribution requirements and benefits of fair elections financing of Senate election campaigns; (2) establishment of a Fair Elections Fund; (3) eligibility for Fund allocations; (4) contribution and expenditure requirements; (5) a public debate requirement; (6) certification of whether or not a federal election candidate is a participating candidate; (7) benefits for participating candidates; (8) matching payments for qualified small dollar contributions; (9) political advertising vouchers; (10) establishment of a Fair Elections Oversight Board; (11) civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements; (12) prohibition of joint fundraising committees with any political committee other than a candidate's authorized committee; and (13) a specified limitation on coordinated expenditures by political party committees with participating candidates. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) prohibit the preemption of the use of a broadcasting station by a legally qualified Senate candidate who has purchased and paid for such use; (2) revise Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to revoke licenses for broadcasting stations who fail to provide access to Senate candidates; and (3) revise the formula for determining reduced broadcast rates for participating candidates in certain circumstances. Directs the FCC to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish a standardized form to be used by broadcasting stations to record and report the purchase of advertising time by or on behalf of a candidate for nomination for election, or for election, to federal elective office. Amends FECA to: (1) empower the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action; (2) require all designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed directly with the FEC, and in computer-accessible electronic form; and (3) reduce from 48 to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2009
Expresses the sense of the Senate: (1) supporting the Fifth Summit of the Americas as an effective multilateral forum for the 34 democratically elected heads of state of the region to address shared challenges and foster collaboration throughout the Western Hemisphere; and (2) that the Summit provides the United States with an opportunity to strengthen its engagement with the countries of the Western Hemisphere.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 - Establishes the National Criminal Justice Commission to undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system. Directs the Commission to: (1) review all areas of federal and state criminal justice costs, practices, and policies; (2) make specified findings relating to incarceration, prison administration, the impact of gang activity, drug policy, mental illness among prisoners and the role of the military in crime prevention; (3) make recommendations for changes in policies and laws to address findings; (4) consult with government and nongovernmental leaders, including state and local law enforcement officials; and (5) submit a final report to Congress and the President and make such report public.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Civil Access to Justice Act of 2009 - Amends the Legal Services Corporation Act to reauthorize the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) at increased levels for FY2010-FY2015. Requires the LSC Board of Directors to include at least one individual with financial or audit experience. Eliminates state advisory councils. Requires the LSC to establish: (1) a protocol for the receipt of donations; (2) an audit committee, a finance committee, and a governance and performance review committee; (3) a continuity of operations plan; and (4) an adequate internal control structure and procedures for financial reporting. Requires the LSC to promote recruitment and retention of highly qualified staff members for all grantees, contractees, or recipients of financial assistance through the Pilot Loan Repayment Assistance Program or other appropriate programs. Limits the coverage of prohibited purpose provisions of federal law only to recipient use of funds from the LSC itself. (Thus lifts such restrictions, except those related to abortion litigation, on the use of state and local funds and private donations.) Permits only class action suits arising under established state or federal statutory or established judicial case law. Revises eligibility requirements for LSC grantees and funds recipients, extending specific eligibility to those seeking assistance with matters relating to home foreclosure or mortgage default or delinquency. Requires distribution of LSC funds on the basis of a system of competitive bidding, as well as specific allocations for all geographic areas, Native American communities, and migrant and seasonal farm workers. Prohibits the use of LSC funds to provide legal assistance with respect to: (1) litigation relating to prison conditions; (2) the defense of an individual in a proceeding to evict him or her from a public housing project in connection with a drug offense; or (3) all but certain aliens. Authorizes the LSC to allow use of a portion of the funds provided under the grant or contract to acquire and develop information technology to promote full access to high-quality, efficient legal representation and materials for self-representation. Allows the use of LSC funds to provide legal assistance with respect to any fee-generating case (which is currently prohibited), but only if the recipient's attorney reports on the representation and the amount of fees awarded. Directs the LSC to require an audit of each recipient in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to enter into grants or contracts with accredited law schools in the states for the purpose of paying up to 90% of the costs of expanding or establishing clinical experience programs in such schools.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2009 or DREAM Act of 2009 - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the provision making unlawful aliens ineligible for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. citizen or national is eligible for such benefits without regard to state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States before his or her 16th birthday and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma; (5) from the age of 16 and older, has never been under a final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal; and (6) was under age 35 on the date of this Act's enactment. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status, including: (1) termination of status for violation of this Act; and (2) removal of conditional status to permanent status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Provides for: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) penalties for false application statements; (3) confidentiality; (4) fee prohibitions; (5) higher education assistance; and (6) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Affordable Footwear Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the reduction or elimination of duties on certain imported footwear would provide significant benefits to U.S. consumers, particularly lower-income families. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide for the duty-free treatment of certain footwear (including children's shoes) made of rubber or plastics that are imported into the United States. Deems the outer sole of shoes made of rubber or plastics to which textile materials are attached or incorporated to be made only of rubber or plastics. Amends the Caribbean Basic Economic Recovery Act to provide footwear imported directly from Haiti into the United States with the same preferential treatment that is provided to certain imported footwear under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
Overseas Private Investment Corporation Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to extend Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) authority to make loans and issue investment insurance and investment guarantees through September 30, 2013. Sets forth provisions respecting OPIC transparency and accountability. Requires OPIC to: (1) maintain an Office of Accountability to provide project problem-solving services and to review OPIC compliance with environmental, social, worker rights, human rights, and transparency policies; and (2) provide the appropriate congressional committees with notice of consideration of approval of an extractive industry financing project of $10 million or more. Gives preference to projects where the investor and the host country have agreed to implement Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative principles. Requires OPIC to: (1) commit adequate staff and resources to assist small businesses and investors in the United States obtain insurance, reinsurance, financing, and other OPIC support; and (2) give preferential consideration to investment projects in less developed countries whose governments are receptive to private enterprise. Authorizes OPIC programs in Iraq. Prohibits OPIC assistance to an applicant who is involved in a "discouraged transaction" with state sponsors of terrorism. Defines "discouraged transaction" as: (1) an investment commitment of $20 million or more by the investor in the energy sector of a state sponsor of terrorism; (2) a loan or credit extension of more than $5 million to the government of a state sponsor of terrorism that is outstanding on the date OPIC enters into a contract with the investor and for which payment is not required within 45 days; and (3) the transfer by the investor of goods that are included on the U.S. Munitions List to a state sponsor of terrorism within the three-year period preceding the date OPIC enters into a contract with the investor. Exempts from such prohibition investments, business, or projects in certain areas of Sudan (Southern Sudan, Southern Kordofan/Nuba Mountains State, Blue Nile State, and Abyei, Darfur) if OPIC determines that such activities will provide humanitarian relief, promote self-sufficiency, or support peace agreements. Prohibits OPIC assistance for any railway connection that connects Azerbaijan and Turkey without traversing or connecting with Armenia. Authorizes OPIC to insure, reinsure, guaranty, or finance a project only if the country in which the project is to be undertaken: (1) is eligible for designation as a beneficiary developing country under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and has not been determined to be ineligible for such designation based upon its record on worker rights or child labor; or (2) if not eligible for such GSP designation, the government has taken or is taking steps to afford workers internationally recognized worker rights. Gives project preference to countries that enforce laws providing international worker rights.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to, or enter into agreements with, Best Buddies (a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with intellectual disabilities mesh with mainstream society) to promote the expansion of its programs.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
Post-Deployment Health Assessment Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to issue guidance for the provision of an in-person mental health screening for each member of the Armed Forces deployed in connection with a contingency operation, in order to identify post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal tendencies, and other behavioral health issues for which additional care and treatment may be necessary. Excludes from such screenings members not subjected or exposed to combat stress during their deployment. Requires the Secretary to share screening results with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in order to ensure continuity of mental health care and treatment for such members during their transition from health care and treatment provided by the Department of Defense (DOD) to health care and treatment provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
Medicare Patient IVIG Access Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect data on the differences, if any, between: (1) payments to physicians for immune globulins using average sales price payment methodology; and (2) costs incurred by physicians for furnishing these products. Requires the Secretary also to review data on the access of eligible individuals to immune globulins. Requires the Secretary, after completion of the review, to provide, if appropriate, an additional payment to such physicians for all items related to the furnishing of immune globulins as part of hospital outpatient services. Provides for Medicare coverage of and payment for intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) administered in the home. Allows the Secretary to contract for the collection of data on the practice of IVIG infusion. Directs the Secretary to review data collected under such a contract as well as data submitted by members of the medical community related to the current infusion payment codes under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of SSA title XVIII. Requires the Secretary, upon completion of any data collection and review, to: (1) notify the appropriate Medicare administrative contractors regarding which existing infusion codes shall be used for purposes of part B IVIG reimbursement; or (2) report to Congress and the RBRUS Committee (RUC) on why an additional infusion payment code is necessary. Extends the meaning of durable medical equipment to include disposable drug delivery systems, including elastomeric infusion pumps, for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) phase out the waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for benefits under SSA title XVIII (Medicare); and (2) eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions to become eligible for such benefits. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to request the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to study the range of disability conditions that can be delayed or prevented if individuals receive access to health care services and coverage before a condition reaches disability levels.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (Act) to reauthorize through FY2014 the juvenile delinquency prevention programs of such Act. Requires the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Office) to include in the annual report of the Office information on juveniles held in state and local secure detention and correctional facilities, the treatment of status offenders (e.g., runaways, truants), and evidence based programs for juvenile delinquency prevention. Expands requirements for state plans under the Act to require: (1) statewide compliance with the core requirement of the Act for protection of incarcerated juveniles; (2) alternatives to detention for juveniles who are status or first-time minor offenders; (3) use of community-based services to address the needs of at-risk youth; (4) programs to improve the recruitment, selection, training, and retention of professionals working in juvenile delinquency prevention programs; and (5) the identification of racial and ethnic disparities among juveniles in the juvenile justice system. Eliminates as a requirement under the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Block Grant Program evidence that Indian tribe grant applicants perform law enforcement functions. Authorizes the Administrator to make incentive grants to state and local governments for juvenile delinquency prevention programs, including evidence based programs for the prevention and reduction of juvenile delinquency, personnel recruitment and training, and mental health and substance abuse screening and treatment. Includes mentoring programs as a permissible grant purpose under the Incentive Grant Program for Local Delinquency Prevention. Reauthorizes such grant program through FY2014.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Oil Pollution Prevention and Response Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to: (1) report to specified congressional committees on the status of all Coast Guard rulemakings under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, under provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act concerning oil and hazardous substances liability, and for automatic identification systems on vessels and inspection requirements for towing vessels; and (2) issue a final rule in each pending rulemaking under such Acts. Establishes requirements for the promulgation of safety standards for towing vessels. Requires a variety of measures to reduce the risk of oil spills, including Coast Guard inspections, regulations regarding the transfer of oil to or from a tank vessel, identification of the types of human errors that cause oil spills and near-miss oil spill incidents and actions designed to reduce human error risks, routing or other navigational measures, and an oil spill prevention and education program for small vessels. Authorizes state enforcement of any marine resource law enforced by the Secretary and allows state inspection of vessels. Requires the Secretary of State to negotiate with Canada on issues concerning tugboat escorts for specified tank ships. Allows owners and operators of tank and non-tank vessels to form nonprofit cooperatives to comply with National Response System provisions. Requires completion of the electronic navigation chart suite for all U.S. coastal waters. Requires a rapid response system to collect and predict in situ information about oil spill behavior. Allows Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund amounts to be used for response and damage assessment capabilities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Prohibits using Fund amounts for claims under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Requires owners of certain tank vessels to maintain evidence of financial responsibility. Makes owners of oil (in addition to vessel owners) transported in single hull tank vessels with a poor safety or operational record liable for removal costs and damages. Establishes the Federal Oil Spill Research Committee. Establishes grant programs: (1) for new technologies to prevent, detect, or mitigate oil discharges and to protect the environment; and (2) to develop cost-effective technologies for detecting discharges of oil from vessels and to improve detection and recovery of submerged and sinking oils. Requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, in conjunction with the Commandant of the Coast Guard, to contract with the National Research Council an analysis of oil spill risks and response capabilities in the Arctic and other icy conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Community Choice Act of 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require state Medicaid plan coverage of community-based attendant services and supports for certain Medicaid-eligible individuals. Outlines requirements for: (1) an enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for ongoing activities of early coverage states that enhance and promote the use of community-based attendant services and supports; and (2) increased federal financial participation for certain expenditures incurred by the state for the provision of such services and supports. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) award grants to eligible states which have established a Consumer Task Force to assist the state in its development of real choice systems change initiatives; and (2) conduct a demonstration project for the purpose of evaluating service coordination and cost-sharing approaches with respect to the provision of community-based services and supports to dually eligible individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide independent counsel to Congress on policy issues associated with the recruitment for, and retention, research, and reinvestment in, the profession of social work. Directs the Commission to study and report to Congress on issues facing the social work profession, including: (1) fair market compensation, high social work educational debt, social work workforce trends, translating social work research to practice, and social work safety; and (2) state-level social work licensure policies and reciprocity agreements for providing services across state lines. Requires such study to assess the professional capacity of the social work workforce to serve and respond successfully to the increasing biopsychosocial needs of individuals, groups, and communities in certain areas, including aging and child welfare. Authorizes the Secretary to award: (1) workplace improvement grants to eligible entities and individuals to address workplace concerns for the social work profession, including caseloads, compensation, social work safety, supervision, and working conditions; and (2) research grants, education and training grants, and community-based programs of excellence grants. Directs the Secretary to: (1) contract with a national social work research entity to serve as a coordinating center and clearinghouse for information on activities funded under the grants; and (2) develop a multi-media outreach campaign and issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the social work profession.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants to eligible institutions of higher education to improve mental and behavioral health services and outreach on college and university campuses. Directs the Secretary to give special consideration to programs that: (1) demonstrate the greatest need; (2) propose effective approaches for initiating or expanding campus services; (3) target underserved and at-risk populations; (4) coordinate with a community mental health center or other community mental health resources; (5) identify how the college or university will address psychiatric emergencies; and (6) demonstrate the greatest potential for replication and dissemination. Allows the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grantees. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to convene an interagency, public-private sector working group to plan, establish, and begin coordinating and evaluating a targeted public education campaign that is designed to focus on mental and behavioral health on college campuses. Requires the Secretary to establish the College Campus Task Force to discuss mental and behavioral health concerns on college and university campuses.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2009
Urges the government of Canada to prohibit the commercial hunting of seals. Expresses support for an unconditional prohibition by the European Union on trade in seal products.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of World Water Day. Urges the investment of greater resources by the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and all relevant federal departments and agencies toward providing sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation for the poor.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2009
Congratulates the Greek people as they celebrate the 188th anniversary of Greece's independence. Notes the important role that Greece has played in the wider European region and in the community of nations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Radio Spectrum Inventory Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) biennially inventory each radio spectrum band from 300 megahertz to 3.5 gigahertz managed by each such agency, including information on the licenses or government user assigned in the band, the total spectrum allocation of each licensee or government user, the number of deployed intentional and end-user intentional radiators, and (if available) other specified information; and (2) make the information available to the public through the Internet. Allows a licensee or government user to petition the NTIA or the FCC for a partial or total exemption from website inclusion. Allows an exemption to be granted only to the extent that each such agency determines that disclosure of the information would be harmful to U.S. national security.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Treasury the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund for payments by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of a monthly benefit of $1,000 to each individual who, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, was a documented member of the U.S. merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a vessel that was operated in U.S. waters by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of Defense Transportation and under contract to, or the property of, the United States. Requires such individuals to: (1) apply for such benefit before October 1, 2009; and (2) not have received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Restoring America's Manufacturing Leadership through Energy Efficiency Act of 2009 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to provide funding for a revolving loan program that enables manufacturers to implement commercially available technologies or processes that significantly reduce systems energy intensity and improve U.S. industrial competitiveness. Requires the Secretary to establish collaborative research and development partnerships with other programs within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to promote early stage energy efficiency technology development and achievement of such other programs' goals. Requires the Secretary to implement: (1) a sustainable manufacturing initiative; and (2) a joint industry-government partnership program to research and develop new sustainable manufacturing and industrial technologies and processes that maximize the energy efficiency of systems, reduce pollution, and conserve natural resources. Requires the Secretary to assess the commercial availability of cost competitive energy efficiency technologies that are not widely implemented within the United States for specified energy intensive industries. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to: (1) make specified research on industry-specific road maps eligible for funding under the Future of Industry Program; and (2) require the Secretary to establish a Center of Excellence at up to 10 of the highest performing industrial research and assessment centers to coordinate with and advise other industrial research and assessment centers. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to expedite consideration of applications for loans under the Small Business Act that implement such centers' recommendations. Increases the appropriations authorized for FY2010-FY2012 for DOE's program for optimizing energy efficiency and economic competitiveness of energy-intensive industrial and commercial sectors. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary to implement a program to provide funding for state-industry partnerships to develop, demonstrate, and commercialize new technologies or processes for industries that significantly: (1) reduce energy use and energy intensive feedstocks, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and industrial waste; and (2) improve domestic industrial cost competitiveness. Requires the Secretary to: (1) arrange with the National Academy of Sciences for a study of the development of advanced manufacturing capabilities for various energy technologies; and (2) establish an advisory steering committee to provide recommendations on planning and implementation of DOE's Industrial Technologies Program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Compensation Fairness Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on excessive bonuses paid by federal emergency economic assistance recipients to their employees (including directors or officers). Sets the overall rate of such tax at 70% of the amount of such bonuses, 35% payable by federal emergency economic assistance recipients and 35% payable by the employees of such recipients. Exempts bonus recipients who repay bonus amounts to the federal government. Defines "excessive bonus" as any retention bonus or other bonus that exceeds $50,000 paid by a federal emergency economic assistance recipient after December 31, 2008. Defines "federal emergency economic assistance recipient" as: (1) an entity and its affiliates to which the federal government has paid an aggregate of more than $100 million of assistance and in which the federal government has acquired an equity interest under a program authorized by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 or the Federal Reserve Act; and (2) the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). Limits to $1 million the amount of compensation which a participant in a nonqualified deferred compensation plan maintained by a federal emergency economic assistance recipient may defer in any 12-month period.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2009
Amends the National Guard Youth Challenge Program (a training program to improve life skills and employment potential of civilian youth participants) to increase the Department of Defense (DOD) share of expenses to: (1) 100% of operating costs, in the first two years of a state program of the Program; and (2) 75% of operating costs, in the case of any other state program of the Program.