United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) qualify manufacturing facilities that create intangible property for tax-exempt bond financing; and (2) revise the definition of "manufacturing facility" for purposes of certain limitations on tax-exempt bond financing to include facilities which are functionally related and subordinate to a manufacturing facility.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Children's Mental Health Parity Act - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to require a state child health plan to ensure that the financial requirements and treatment limitations applicable to mental health or substance abuse benefits are no more restrictive than (have parity with) those applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Helping Families Save their Homes in Bankruptcy Act of 2009 - Amends federal bankruptcy law governing a Chapter 13 debtor (adjustment of debts of an individual with regular income). Excludes from computation of debts the secured or unsecured portions of: (1) debts secured by the debtor's principal residence if the current value of that residence is less than the secured debt limit; or (2) debts secured or formerly secured by debtor's principal residence that was either sold in foreclosure or surrendered to the creditor if the current value of such real property is less than the secured debt limit. Declares the credit counseling requirement inapplicable to a Chapter 13 debtor who certifies that he or she has received notice that the holder of a claim secured by the debtor's principal residence may commence a foreclosure on the debtor's principal residence. Requires the court to disallow a claim that is subject to any remedy for damages or rescission due to violations of state or federal consumer protection law, including the Truth in Lending Act, notwithstanding the prior entry of a foreclosure judgment. Allows modification of the rights of claim holders, in the event of a foreclosure notice for a chapter 13 debtor, among other means by: (1) reducing a claim to equal the value of the debtor's interest in the residence securing such claim, and any adjustments to a related adjustable rate of interest; (2) waiving early repayment or prepayment penalties; and (3) extending the repayment period. Denies debtor liability for certain fees and charges incurred while the bankruptcy case is pending and arising from a debt secured by the debtor's principal residence, unless the claim holder observes specified requirements. Adds to conditions for court confirmation of a plan in bankruptcy that: (1) the holder of a claim secured by the debtor's principal residence retain the lien securing the claim until the later of the payment of such claim as reduced and modified or the discharge of a debtor from all debts; and (2) the plan modifies the claim in good faith. Excludes from final discharge of a debtor from all debts: (1) any payments to claim holders whose rights are modified under this Act; and (2) any unpaid portion of a claim as reduced.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009 - Considers the District of Columbia a congressional district for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives. Declares that the District shall not be considered a state for purposes of representation in the Senate. Applies to the District in the same manner as it applies to a state the federal law providing for the 15th and subsequent decennial censuses and for apportionment of Representatives in Congress. Limits the District to one Member under any reapportionment of Members. Modifies the formula regarding the number of presidential electors to subject it to the 23rd amendment to the Constitution in the case of the District. Increases membership of the House from 435 to 437 Members. Provides for a reapportionment of Members resulting from such increase. Requires: (1) the President to submit to Congress a revised version of the most recent statement of such apportionment identifying Utah as the state entitled to one additional Representative; and (2) the Clerk of the House, upon receipt of such revision, to identify such state to the Speaker of the House. Repeals provisions of: (1) the District of Columbia Delegate Act establishing the office of District of Columbia Delegate to the House of Representatives; and (2) the District of Columbia Statehood Constitution Convention Initiative of 1979 providing for election of a Representative for the District. Makes conforming amendments to the District of Columbia Elections Code of 1955. Sets forth procedures for expedited judicial review of any action brought to challenge the constitutionality of any provision of this Act or any amendment made by it.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Cleaner, Greener, and Smarter Act of 2009 - Calls for the enactment of legislation to improve the economy and the security of the United States by reducing U.S. dependence on foreign and unsustainable energy sources and the risks of global warming by: (1) making and encouraging significant investments in green job creation and clean energy across the economy; (2) diversifying and rapidly expanding the use of secure, efficient, and environmentally friendly energy supplies and technologies; (3) transforming U.S. infrastructure to make the infrastructure sustainable and the United States more competitive globally, including transmission grid modernization and transportation sector electrification; (4) requiring reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the United States and achieving reductions in emissions of GHGs abroad; (5) protecting consumers from volatile energy prices through better market oversight and enhanced energy efficiency standards and incentives; and (6) eliminating wasteful and unnecessary tax breaks and giveaways that fail to move the United States toward a more competitive and cleaner energy future.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Comprehensive Health Reform Act of 2009 - Calls for Congress to enact, and the President to sign, legislation to guarantee health coverage, improve health care quality and disease prevention, and reduce health care costs for all Americans and the health care system.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Education Opportunity Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that it should pass, and the President should sign into law, legislation that expands educational opportunities for all Americans by enhancing: (1) access to high-quality early childhood education, child care, and after school and extended learning services; (2) secondary and post-secondary graduation rates; (3) educational innovation, standards, and assessments; (4) the recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers by high-need schools; (5) mathematics and science instruction; and (6) federal grant aid and tax incentives to make higher education more affordable.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Calls for the enactment of legislation to create jobs, restore economic growth, and strengthen America's middle class through measures that: (1) modernize the nation's infrastructure; (2) enhance America's energy independence; (3) expand educational opportunities; (4) preserve and improve affordable health care; (5) provide tax relief; and (6) protect those in greatest need.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Stronger Economy, Stronger Borders Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should enact, and the President should sign, legislation to strengthen the economy, recognize the heritage of the United States as a nation of immigrants, and amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by: (1) providing more effective border and employment enforcement; (2) preventing illegal immigration; and (3) reforming and rationalizing avenues for legal immigration.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Homeowner Protection and Wall Street Accountability Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should enact, and the President should sign, legislation to: (1) stabilize the housing market and assist homeowners by imposing a temporary moratorium on foreclosures, removing impediments to the modification of distressed mortgages, creating tax and other incentives to help prevent foreclosures and encourage refinancing into affordable and sustainable mortgage solutions, and pursuing other foreclosure-prevention policies through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) or other programs; (2) ensure the safety and soundness of the U.S. financial system for investors by reforming the financial-regulatory system, strengthening systemic-risk regulation, enhancing market transparency, and increasing consumer protections in financial regulation to prevent predatory lending practices; (3) ensure credit-card accountability, responsibility, and disclosure; and (4) stabilize credit markets for small-business lenders to enhance their ability to make loans to small firms, and stimulate the small-business loan markets by temporarily streamlining and investing in the loan programs of the Small Business Administration (SBA).
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Returning Government to the American People Act - Declares that: (1) the Bush Administration should not rush into effect major new controversial regulations in its closing days; (2) the incoming Administration, working with the Congress, should review and, if appropriate, revise or reject such regulations; and (3) Congress should enact and the President should sign legislation necessary to ensure the new Administration has that opportunity.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Restoring America's Power Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should enact, and the President should sign, legislation to restore and enhance U.S. national security by: (1) strengthening America's military capabilities and recognizing the service of our troops and the commitment of their families; (2) addressing the threat posed by al Qaeda and other terrorist groups and refocusing on Afghanistan and Pakistan as the United States transitions in Iraq; (3) defeating extremist ideology; and (4) reducing the threat posed by unsecured nuclear materials and other weapons of mass destruction and addressing the security challenges posed by Iran and North Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Healthy Businesses, Healthy Workers Reinsurance Act of 2009 - Amends the Social Security Act to add a new title XXII (Federal Reinsurance Program for Catastrophic Health Care Costs). Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services an Office of Federal Reinsurance, which shall in turn establish a Federal Reinsurance Program for Catastrophic Health Care Costs to make reinsurance payments to eligible health plans experiencing catastrophic health care costs during a year with respect to a covered individual. Establishes in the Treasury the Federal Reinsurance for Catastrophic Health Care Costs Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt interest earned on tax-exempt private activity bonds from the alternative minimum tax (AMT) and to exclude such interest as an adjustment to current earnings for purposes of computing alternative minimum taxable income.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Prevention First Act - Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2009 - 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 [sic] - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and PHSA to prohibit a group health plan from excluding or restricting benefits for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan 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 2009 - 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 2009 - 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 2009 - 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 2009 - 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 2009 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to expand Medicaid's coverage of family planning services. Responsible Education About Life Act of 2009 - 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. Prevention Through Affordable Access Act - Expands Medicaid rebates to manufacturers for the sale of covered outpatient drugs at nominal prices to include sales to student health care facilities and entities offering family planning services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Small Business Stimulus Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2010 the increased expensing allowance for depreciable business assets; and (2) extend from two to five years the carryback period for net operating losses incurred in 2008 or 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Invest in Small Business Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the exclusion from gross income of gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock from 50 to 100 % of such gain and to reduce the required holding period for such stock from five to four years; (2) deny a tax exclusion for small business stock held by a 25% controlled corporate group; (3) repeal as an item of tax preference under the alternative minimum tax the exclusion of gain from the sale of small business stock; (4) repeal the 28% income tax rate on the gain from the sale of small business stock which is not excluded from gross income; (5) revise the definition of "qualified small business" for certain tax purposes to mean a C corporation with aggregate gross assets not exceeding $100 million (currently, $50 million); and (6) provide for an annual inflation adjustment to the small business aggregate gross asset amount after 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Kids Come First Act of 2009 - 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. Establishes a task force to conduct a nationwide campaign of education and outreach for small business concerns regarding the availability of coverage for children through private insurance options, the Medicaid program, and SCHIP. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) 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 · 6 January 2009
Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) impose penalties on individuals who knowingly commit a gang crime or other violent crime in furtherance of a criminal street gang or who recruit persons to participate in a gang; (2) expand the prohibition against committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity to include gang-related racketeering activity; and (3) increase criminal penalties for threats, attempts, or conspiracies to commit crimes of violence. Amends the Controlled Substances Act to impose criminal penalties on individuals who commit violent crimes in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Expands restrictions on the release of persons charged with using firearms in a drug trafficking crime or a crime of violence. Establishes a 10-year limitation period for prosecutions of any noncapital felony crime of violence. Increases criminal penalties for possession of firearms by felons with prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense. Redefines and increases penalties for the crimes of carjacking and transfers of firearms to commit a crime of violence or drug trafficking. Increases penalties for conspiracy to commit a criminal offense or to defraud the United States. Extends to 10 years the limitation period for prosecuting certain federal crimes of terrorism. Establishes crimes committed in Indian country or in any other area of exclusive federal jurisdiction as a predicate for invoking federal racketeering laws. Establishes as a predicate for a wiretap authorization violations of the Controlled Substances Act relating to violent crimes in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and certain criminal street gang activity. Expands the prohibition against impeding commerce by threats or violence to include robbery or extortion attempts committed by a person unlawfully impersonating a law enforcement officer. Prohibits traveling in interstate or foreign commerce or using the mail to tamper with or retaliate against a witness, victim, or informant in a state criminal proceeding. Authorizes the Attorney General to designate and assist state high intensity gang activity areas in combating gang activity. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to establish a National Gang Research, Evaluation, and Policy Institute to design and evaluate anti-gang programs. Authorizes the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make grants to develop community-based programs that provide crime prevention, research, and intervention services for gang members and at-risk youth. Authorizes the Attorney General to expand the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program and the Safe Streets Program. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a National Gang Activity Database; and (2) provide funding to the Regional Information Sharing Systems to use RISSNET to connect existing gang information systems with the Database. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to provide grants to assist prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in identifying gang members and violent offenders. Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to direct the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to expand the number of sites receiving juvenile delinquency reduction grants. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants for carrying out projects involving innovative approaches to combat gang activity. Establishes in the U.S. Marshals Service a Short-Term State Witness Protection Section. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to states for projects to prevent family abductions. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to report on the appropriateness of sentences for minors in the federal criminal justice system. Amends the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 to require the Director of National Drug Control Policy to promote prevention of youth heroin use. Authorizes the National District Attorneys Association to use the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina for a training program to improve the professional skills of state and local prosecutors. Prevention Resources for Eliminating Criminal Activity Using Tailored Interventions in Our Neighborhoods Act of 2009 or the PRECAUTION Act - Establishes the National Commission on Public Safety Through Crime Prevention to study the effectiveness of crime and delinquency prevention and intervention strategies. Authorizes the Director of the National Institute of Justice to make grants for the implementation and evaluation of innovative crime or delinquency prevention or intervention strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services 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 repeal the outpatient therapy cap.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Middle Class Opportunity Act of 2009 - Declares that Congress should enact, and the President should sign, legislation to improve the lives of middle class families and provide them with greater opportunity to achieve the American dream by: (1) providing middle class tax relief while making the tax laws simpler and more reliable; (2) promoting investments in the new economy and enacting policies that create good, well-paying domestic jobs, and promoting families by improving the access and affordability of child and elder care; (3) enhancing the incentives and protections to help middle class families adequately meet their needs in retirement; (4) improving programs to help families acquire the education and training to be productive participants in the modern economy; (5) restoring fairness, prosperity, and economic security for working families by ensuring workers can exercise their rights to freely choose to form a union without employer interference; and (7) removing barriers to fair pay for all workers.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Claiborne de Borda Pell, a former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate recesses on January 6, 2009, it stand in recess as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Pell.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2008
Medicare Early Access Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to add a new part E (Purchase of Medicare Benefits by Certain Individuals 55 to 65 Years of Age). Provides access to Medicare benefits for individuals 55 to 64 years of age who do not have coverage under a federal health insurance program or under a group plan. Requires enrollees to pay a premium to receive Medicare coverage. Requires the Secretary to base the premium on the Secretary's estimate of the average, national annual per capita amount of the cost of providing services to the population. Allows early retirees with access to retiree coverage to enroll under this part while keeping their federal or state COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation coverage. Allows an employer that offers employment-based retiree health coverage to an individual who enrolls under this part to modify such coverage to provide for: (1) employer payment of items and services for which payment may not be made under Medicare; and (2) employer payment of 25% of the monthly premium applicable to the individual after enrollment. Creates in the Treasury the Medicare Early Access Trust Fund to hold the premiums collected under this Act and to support the new program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow program enrollees to receive a 75% advance, refundable credit to offset Medicare early access premium costs (thus requiring program enrollees in the Medicare early access program to be responsible for 25% of the monthly premiums).
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2008
Condemns the continuing violence, forcible recruitment of children as soldiers, and abuses against civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Calls on the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to end the threat posed by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. Calls on the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to restore bilateral relations and work together to mitigate regional tensions. Calls on all governments in the Great Lakes region of Africa and those of the Southern African Development Community to support a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Supports U.N. peace efforts. Urges the President to sustain high-level diplomatic engagement together with the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), and the United Nations to avert a regional war and revive a comprehensive peace process in eastern Congo. Urges the United States and the international community to support monitoring and verification mechanisms in Congo. Urges the President and the international community to help regional governments address the factors underlying the conflict in eastern Congo.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2008
Protecting Patients and Health Care Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from finalizing, enforcing, implementing, or taking other action in furtherance of specified proposed regulations regarding conscience clause protections for health care workers and facilities (under the authority of provisions commonly referred to as the Church Amendments and the Weldon Amendment).
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2008
Accountability for Economic Rescue Assistance Act of 2008 - Prohibits recipients of emergency economic assistance under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 or under the Federal Reserve Act, or any subsidiary, from using such funds for lobbying expenditures or political contributions. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to develop and publish corporate governance principles and ethical guidelines for recipients of such funds, including restrictions governing: (1) the hosting, sponsorship, or payments for conferences and events; (2) the use of corporate aircraft, travel accommodations, and travel expenditures; (3) expenses relating to office or facility renovations or relocations; and (4) expenses relating to entertainment, holiday parties, employee recognition events, or similar ancillary corporate expenses. Requires recipients of such funds to file quarterly reports and certifications with the Secretary, which shall be made publicly available online, and at no cost. Subjects violators of this Act to specified civil penalties. Makes any person who violates this Act ineligible to receive any future emergency economic assistance unless the Secretary determines that reasonable steps have been taken to bring actions into compliance with and to prevent future violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2008
High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 - Establishes within the Federal Railroad Administration the Office of High-Speed Passenger Rail (HSPR Office) , headed by the Associate Administrator for High-Speed Rail. Requires the HSPR Office to: (1) assume responsibility for all high-speed rail activities currently carried out by the Office of Railroad Development; and (2) consult with the Secretary of Transportation to assist eligible entities to finance certain qualified high-speed intercity rail facility projects through the issuance of private activity bonds. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise requirements for income tax-exempt qualified high-speed intercity rail facility bonds. Allows an income tax credit to holders of certain rail bonds that finance qualified super high-speed intercity rail facility projects and qualified rail infrastructure projects. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to Congress on the use of excise taxes to fund high-speed rail projects.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2008
Expresses the sense of the Senate with respect to bluefin tuna conservation and management measures and the 16th Special Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2008
Compensation Fairness Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an annual inflation adjustment to the $1 million limitation on the tax deduction for employee remuneration; and (2) repeal exceptions to such limitation for remuneration payable on a commission basis and for other performance-based compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2008
Preserving Access to Healthcare (PATH) Act of 2008 - Declares that between October 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, specified regulations regarding the formula for determining the federal rate for inpatient hospital capital-related costs under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) shall apply without the mandatory phase out of the indirect medical education adjustment factor. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to delay for six months following enactment of this Act any implementation of the Medicaid outpatient hospital services regulation proposed on September 28, 2007. Prohibits the Secretary from phasing out or eliminating the Medicare hospice wage index budget neutrality adjustment factor before April 1, 2009. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and upon the request of the state of California, to extend approval, and full federal financial participation, of the state's Medicaid family planning demonstration project until June 30, 2009, under the eligibility requirements and processes that were in place before the project's first extension period. Directs the Secretary to delay until April 1, 2009, implementation of a proposed rule published on June 27, 2008 (or any similar rule), relating to: (1) decertification of rural health clinics under the Medicare program that are no longer in nonurbanized areas; and (2) changes in the Medicare payment methodology for rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, with regard to mechanized claims processing and information retrieval systems, to require states to incorporate compatible methodologies of the National Correct Coding Initiative for claims filed after October 1, 2009. Directs the Secretary to identify such methodologies. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to increase funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2008
Employee Misclassification Prevention Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require every employer to: (1) keep records of non-employees (contractors) who perform labor or services (except substitute work) for remuneration; and (2) provide certain notice to each employee and non-employee, including their classification as an employee or non-employee and information concerning their rights under the law. Makes it unlawful for any person to fail to accurately classify an employee or non-employee. Doubles the amount of liquidated damages for maximum hours, minimum wage, and notice of classification violations by an employer. Subjects a person who repeatedly or willfully violates such notice requirements to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each violation. Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a web page on the Department of Labor website that summarizes the rights of employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act and other federal laws. Requires, as a condition for a federal grant for the administration of state unemployment compensation, for the state's unemployment compensation law to include a provision for: (1) auditing programs that identify employers that have not registered under the state law or that are paying unreported compensation where the effect is to exclude employees from unemployment compensation coverage; and (2) establishing administrative penalties for misclassifying employees or paying unreported unemployment compensation to employees. Requires any office, administration, or division of the Department of Labor to report any misclassification of an employee by an employer that it discovers to the Department's Employment Standards Administration (ESA). Authorizes the ESA to report such information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2008
Increasing America's Global Development Capacity Act of 2008 - Provides for the hiring of additional Foreign Service officers as United States Agency for International Development (USAID) employees.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2008
Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Enhancement Act of 2008 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish the Office of Water which shall: (1) implement the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005; and (2) place primary emphasis on providing safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. Directs the Secretary of State to establish the Bureau for International Water within the Office of the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs which shall: (1) coordinate U.S. diplomatic policy regarding global freshwater issues; and (2) ensure that international freshwater issues are represented within the U.S. government. Amends the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 to: (1) direct the Secretary and the Administrator to establish in every priority country a program to train local water and sanitation managers to promote government capacity to provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation; and (2) require that the water for peace and security report includes an assessment of current and likely future political tensions over water sources and an assessment of the future impacts of global climate change on water supplies. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize grants through USAID to develop technologies for providing clean water and sanitation in high priority countries with limited resources and infrastructure.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2008
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Russian Federation's disproportionate military response on the sovereign territory of Georgia, including the South Ossetian Autonomous Region and the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, is in violation of international law and commitments of the Russian Federation; (2) the United States recognizes significant common interests with the Russian Federation which can serve as the basis for improved long-term relations; (3) the Russian Federation should comply with the cease-fire agreement; (4) the Russian Federation and Georgia should refrain from the future use of force to resolve the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and work with interested countries and international organizations to reach a political settlement; and (5) the United States should provide humanitarian and economic assistance to Georgia, continue to support democracy in Georgia, and work to support the free flow of energy to Europe and the operation of communication and trade routes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2008
Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2008 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide that the practice of wearing religious clothing or a religious hairstyle, or of taking time off for a religious reason, imposes an undue hardship on the conduct of an employer's business in accommodating such practice only if the accommodation imposes a significant difficulty or expense on the conduct of the employer's business when considered in light of specified factors set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, including: (1) the nature and cost of the accommodation needed; (2) the financial resources and size of the business; and (3) the type of operation of the business.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2008
Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to 15 years for knowingly operating or attempting or conspiring to operate by any means, or for embarking in, any submersible or semi-submersible vessel that is without nationality and that is navigating or has navigated into, through, or from waters beyond the outer limit of the territorial sea of a single country or a lateral limit of that country's territorial sea with an adjacent country, with the intent to avoid detection. Imposes an additional civil fine of up to $1 million for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2008
Small Business Lending Market Stabilization Act of 2008 - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), to the extent that the cost is offset by appropriations, to collect no fees currently charged by: (1) the SBA to borrowers and lenders under the SBA's 7(a) loan program (SBA-guaranteed general business loans to small businesses); and (2) development companies under SBA's 504 loan program (local business development loans). Directs the Administrator to reimburse development companies for waived fees. Increases maximum limits on SBA loans made to small businesses under the Small Business Act and on loans made to development companies under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. Authorizes a small business whose SBA loan includes the acquisition of a facility or construction of a new facility to lease up to 50% of the space in such facility. Permits certain borrowers to refinance a limited amount of their preexisting debt through a new 504 loan. Directs the SBA to establish an optional business size standard for certain small business loan applicants. Allows the SBA to use weighted average rates when pooling loans for sale on the secondary market. Directs the SBA to provide lenders at least one alternative loan interest rate to the prime rate.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2008
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 · 24 September 2008
Urges the President, the U.N. Secretary-General, the African Union, and members of the international community to pursue a comprehensive solution to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. Condemns: (1) the government of Sudan for its continued obstruction of the deployment of United Nations-African Union peacekeepers; and (2) the ongoing acts of violence in, and obstruction of aid to, Darfur committed by all parties. Calls upon the government of Sudan and armed parties in the region to declare a cessation of hostilities, abide by the U.N. arms embargo, cease attacks upon humanitarian organizations, and participate in international efforts to negotiate a political settlement.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2008
Expresses the sense of Congress that ensuring the availability of adequate housing is an essential component of an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of HIV and the care of individuals with HIV.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2008
Giving Incentives to Volunteers Everywhere Act of 2008 or the GIVE Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the standard mileage rate for use of a passenger automobile for charitable purposes to a rate not less than the rate used for the tax deduction for medical transportation expenses; and (2) exclude from the gross income of charitable volunteers reimbursements paid to them for the use of a passenger automobile for the benefit of a charitable organization.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2008
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week. Encourages: (1) children and teens to live drug-free lives; and (2) people in the United States to promote drug-free communities and to participate in drug prevention activities.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2008
Supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month. Recognizes that every child should have a permanent and loving family. Encourages the citizens of the United States to consider adoption during the month of November and all throughout the year.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2008
Commends the American Sail Training Association: (1) for its advancement of character building experiences for youth at sea; and (2) as the national sail training association of the United States. Encourages citizens of all nations to join in the celebration of Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 and in the character building and educational experience that it represents for youth.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2008
Designates October 3, 2008, as National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day to promote programs and activities that will lead to the greater use of cleaner, more efficient transportation that uses new sources of energy. Urges Americans to: (1) increase the personal and commercial use of, and promote public sector adoption of, cleaner and energy-efficient alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles; and (2) encourage the enactment of federal policies to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil through the advancement and adoption of alternative, advanced, and emerging vehicle and fuel technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2008
Designates September 2008 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that the federal government has a responsibility to: (1) raise awareness about prostate cancer screening and treatment; (2) increase funding for prostate cancer research; and (3) improve access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer.
![Official portrait of Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000148_200.jpg)