United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2007
Civil Rights Act of 1964 Commemorative Coin Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue, during 2014, up to 350,000 one-dollar coins designed to be emblematic of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its contribution to civil rights in America. Requires sales to include a $10 surcharge per coin, which shall be paid to the United Negro College Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Federal Emergency Management Improvement Act of 2007 - Reestablishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as an independent establishment in the executive branch. Requires FEMA to be headed by a Director appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Designates the Director as the principal advisor to the President, the Homeland Security Council, and the Secretary of Homeland Security for all matters relating to emergency management in the United States. Directs the President to designate the Director to serve as a Cabinet member in the event of natural disasters, terrorist acts, or other man-made disasters. Sets forth provisions regarding FEMA's primary mission and the Director's responsibilities. Provides for 10 regional offices in FEMA, each headed by a Regional Administrator. Requires each Regional Administrator to: (1) establish a Regional Advisory Council; and (2) oversee multi-agency strike teams. Establishes a National Integration Center as FEMA's principal operations center. Requires the Director to: (1) ensure that the National Response Plan provides for a clear chain of command to lead and coordinate the federal response to disasters; (2) enter into a memorandum of understanding with specified individuals to collaborate on developing standards for deployment capabilities, including credentialing of personnel and typing of resources; and (3) appoint a Disability Coordinator. Transfers specified functions and personnel to FEMA. Authorizes the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to make necessary determinations regarding such functions and incidental dispositions of personnel, assets, and property.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2007
Declares that the United States should continue to promote the elimination of harmful foreign fishing subsidies that promote overcapitalization, overfishing, and illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Recognizes the close relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Sudan and urges the government the PRC to use its political, international, and economic influence to stop the violence in Darfur, Sudan. Recognizes that the spirit of the Olympics, which is to bring together nations and people from all over the world in peace, is incompatible with actions supporting acts of genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2007
Designates June 2007 as National Internet Safety Month. Calls on Internet safety organizations, law enforcement, educators, community leaders, parents, and volunteers to increase their efforts to raise the level of awareness for the need for online safety in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2007
Commends Louisiana jockeys for their continued success in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Recognizes: (1) jockey Calvin Borel for winning the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2007; and (2) the achievements of all current and former Louisiana jockeys in the Kentucky Derby.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2007
ALS Registry Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other motor neuron disorders that can be confused with ALS, misdiagnosed as ALS, or progress to ALS; and (2) establish a national registry for the collection and storage of such data. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish the Advisory Committee on the National ALS Registry to review information and make recommendations to the Secretary concerning: (1) the development and maintenance of the registry; (2) the type of information to be included; (3) the manner in which data is to be collected; (4) the use and availability of such data; and (5) the collection of information about diseases and disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on ALS and other motor neuron disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for research access to ALS data as recommended by the Advisory Committee in a manner that protects personal privacy. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information is made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2007
Building a Stronger America Act - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to award grants for the development of feasibility studies and plans for the construction of new or expansion of existing science parks. Allows the Secretary to guarantee up to 80% of the loan amount for loans exceeding $10 million for projects for the construction of such infrastructure. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) under which NAS shall evaluate, every three years, such development.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2007
Nanotechnology Infrastructure Enhancement Act - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a geographically diverse, interdisciplinary Center for Nanotechnology Research and Engineering (the Center) to focus on: (1) the science and engineering of manufacturing at the nanoscale in multiple dimensions; or (2) nanotechnology for sustainable energy, water, agriculture, and the environment. Allows the Center to be a Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center or a National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network node. Requires that the Center shall consist of: (1) a lead academic institution located in an EPSCoR (the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) state; and (2) at least one additional academic institution located in a second EPSCoR state. Permits the Center to include other institutions within or outside of the United States. Requires the Center to: (1) conduct state-of-the-art research on nanomanufacturing; (2) collaborate with other NSF grantees, and with grantees from other federal agencies, working on nanomanufacturing; (3) share resources with the programs of such grantees for the purpose of mutual advantage; and (4) work toward a nanomanufacturing network that encourages extensive industrial collaboration.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2007
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 · 7 May 2007
Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2007 - Authorizes the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Constance Baker Motley, in recognition of her enduring contributions and service to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2007
Employee Stock Ownership Plan Promotion and Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exempt certain distributions, including dividends, by S corporations to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) from the penalty tax for premature employee benefit plan withdrawals; (2) exempt deductions for ESOP dividends from corporate alternative minimum tax adjustments based on adjusted earnings and profits; (3) allow deferral of the recognition of gain for certain sales to ESOPs sponsored by any domestic corporation, including S corporations; (4) allow reinvestment of ESOP stock proceeds eligible for nonrecognition of gain in certain mutual funds; (5) modify certain ESOP stock ownership rules; and (6) allow a de minimis exception from pension plan investment diversification requirements for ESOP accounts with balances of $2,500 or less.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
African Development Foundation Act of 2007 - Amends the African Development Foundation Act to rename the African Development Foundation as the United States African Development Foundation. Increases individual project funding limits. Authorizes the Foundation to make awards to qualifying small- or medium-sized entities that are not wholly owned or controlled African entities. Authorizes (current law requires) the Foundation's Board of Directors to establish an advisory council.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2007
Critical Access to Clinical Lab Services Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide that clinical diagnostic laboratory services furnished by a critical access hospital shall be treated as being furnished as part of outpatient critical access services without regard to whether: (1) the individual for whom the services are furnished is physically present in the critical access hospital at the time the specimen is collected; (2) such individual is registered as an outpatient on the records of, and receives such services directly from, the critical access hospital; or (3) payment is available for such services under the fee schedule established for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2007
Free Flow of Information Act of 2007 - Prohibits a federal entity (an entity or employee of the judicial or executive branch or an administrative agency) from compelling a covered person (a person engaged in journalism, including their supervisor, employer, parent, subsidiary, or affiliate) to testify or produce any document unless a court makes specified determinations by a preponderance of the evidence. Requires the content of compelled testimony or documents to be limited and narrowly tailored. Applies this Act to communications service providers with regard to testimony or any record, information, or other communication that relates to a business transaction between such providers and covered persons. Sets forth notice requirements. Permits a court to delay notice to a covered person upon determining that such notice would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of a criminal investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Small Business Lending Reauthorization and Improvements Act of 2007 - Amends the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to reauthorize for FY2007-FY2010 various loan programs for small businesses guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), including: (1) the microloan program; (2) general business loans; (3) certified development company (CDC) financings; (4) the PRIME program; and (5) disaster loans. Directs the SBA Administrator to establish a microenterprise technical assistance and capacity building grant program to provide training and technical assistance to disadvantaged entrepreneurs and microenterprise development organizations. Establishes the Small Business Intermediary Lending pilot program under which the Administrator provides direct loans to lending intermediaries for making loans to startup, newly established, and growing small businesses. Establishes a Preferred Lenders program under which the Administrator may authorize qualified lenders to make and service SBA-guaranteed loans. Establishes an Office of Minority Small Business Development, administered by the Associate Administrator for Minority Small Business Development. Increases certain SBA loan limits and lowers certain SBA loan fees. Renames the SBA's 504 loan program as the Local Development Business Loan program. Authorizes CDCs to: (1) issue debentures for the guarantee of loans to certain small businesses; and (2) use SBA loan proceeds to assist small, nonprofit child care businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 - Considers the District of Columbia a congressional district for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives. Applies to the District in the same manner as it applies to a state the federal law providing for the fifteenth 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 the: (1) 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) 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: (1) the District of Columbia Elections Code of 1955; and (2) federal law regarding the Armed Forces (appointments to service academies).
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Acknowledges and commends charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the country for their ongoing contributions to education and the public school system. Supports the goals and ideals of the eighth annual National Charter Schools Week (April 30-May 4, 2007).
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2007
Honors the life of Jack Valenti (who served as an advisor to President Lyndon Johnson and as the president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)), a pioneer in the fields of motion pictures and public service, a dedicated family man, and a legendary figure in the history of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2007
New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the new markets tax credit through 2013; and (2) provide for an inflation adjustment to the limitation amount for such credit after 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2007
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and make available to local educational agencies a policy to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools to be implemented on a voluntary basis only. Directs that such policy address: (1) a parental obligation to provide the school with information regarding a student's food allergy and risk of anaphylaxis; (2) creation of an individual health care plan tailored to each student with a documented risk for anaphylaxis; (3) communication strategies between schools and emergency medical services; (4) strategies to reduce the risk of exposure in classrooms and common areas; (5) food allergy management training of school personnel; and (6) authorization and training of school personnel to administer epinephrine when the school nurse is not immediately available. Allows the Secretary to award grants to assist local educational agencies in implementing such food allergy management guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2007
Honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses during National Small Business Week beginning April 22, 2007. Applauds the efforts and achievements of small business owners and their employees. Recognizes the work of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Urges the President to ensure that: (1) applicable small business procurement goals are reached by federal agencies; (2) SBA guaranteed loans and venture capital are made available to all qualified small businesses; (3) SBA management assistance programs are provided with the federal resources necessary to do their jobs; and (4) reforms to the SBA disaster loan program are made as quickly as possible. Urges that the SBA continue to be designated as a major agency in the President's annual budget and that the SBA Administrator have an active role as a member of the President's Cabinet.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2007
Young Women's Christian Association Pension Clarification Act of 2007 - Applies certain age discrimination safe harbor rules under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to civil actions brought on or after April 25, 2007, alleging any age discrimination violation occurring before June 29, 2005, with respect to any benefit provided under the Young Women's Christian Association Pension Plan.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2007
First Response Broadcasters Act of 2007 - Authorizes appropriations to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for facility and equipment expenses to construct an additional 25 Primary Entry Point stations (radio broadcast stations designated to provide public information following emergencies where there is no commercial power) in the continental United States and territories. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pilot program, the Broadcast Disaster Preparedness Grant Program, under which the Administrator may make grants to first response broadcasters. Sets forth provisions regarding priorities in making grants, use of funds, the federal share, and termination of grant authority. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to: (1) include specified assistance to first response broadcasters among the essential assistance that federal agencies may provide to meet immediate threats to life and property resulting from a major disaster; (2) prohibit a federal officer or employee from confiscating fuel, water, or food from such a broadcaster during a disaster if that broadcaster documents that such supplies will be used to enable the broadcast of essential disaster-related public information in the affected area; and (3) direct the head of a federal agency to allow access to the area affected by a major disaster for technical personnel, broadcast engineers, and equipment needed to restore, repair, or resupply any facility or equipment critical to such a broadcaster's ability to continue to acquire, produce, and transmit essential disaster-related public information, subject to specified limitations. Establishes guidelines for press access to a disaster area.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2007
Giving Reductions to Energy Efficient New Buildings Act or the GREEN Buildings Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the allowable amount of the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial building costs; and (2) extend such deduction through 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2007
Connect The Nation Act - Provides for grants to develop and implement statewide initiatives to identify and track the availability and adoption of broadband services within each state.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2007
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Juanita Millender-McDonald, a former Representative from California. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on April 23, 2007, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Representative Millender-McDonald.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2007
Workforce Housing Construction for the GO Zone Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2010 the placed-in-service date requirement for buildings in the Gulf Opportunity Zone (GO Zone) for purposes of the low-income housing tax credit; (2) allow a low-income housing tax credit for buildings in the GO Zone, the Rita GO Zone, or the Wilma GO Zone (GO Zones) during a specified 10-year period; (3) provide a basis adjustment for low-income housing projects in the GO Zones; (4) exclude Community Development Block Grant funds from consideration in determining whether GO Zone buildings are federally subsidized; and (5) modify certain rules relating to tax-exempt financing of GO Zone buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2007
Conservation Reserve Program Tax Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Social Security Act to treat payments under the Conservation Acreage Reserve Program as rentals from real estate and thus not self employment income subject to employment tax. Transfers from the general fund of the Treasury to specified social security trust funds amounts necessary to cover any reductions in trust fund revenues resulting from this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2007
Designates April 20, 2007 as National and Global Youth Service Day. Recognizes and commends the significant contributions of the youth of the United States and encourages the cultivation of a common civic bond between young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their communities, and the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Gulf of Mexico Restoration and Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reestablish the Program Office of the Gulf of Mexico Program as an office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to be headed by a Director. Requires the Office to: (1) coordinate the actions of EPA and of other federal agencies and state and local authorities; (2) assist in developing specific action plans to carry out the program; (3) coordinate and implement priority state- and community-led restoration plans and projects and facilitate activities that support the program; (4) implement outreach programs to foster stewardship of the Gulf's resources; (5) develop and make available information about the environmental quality and living resources of the Gulf; and (6) serve as the liaison with the Mexican members of the Gulf of Mexico States Accord and Mexican counterparts of the EPA. Authorizes the EPA Administrator to enter into interagency agreements to carry out this Act. Authorizes the Administrator to provide grants for use in: (1) monitoring the water quality and living resources of the Gulf ecosystem; (2) researching the effects of environmental changes on such water quality and resources; (3) developing cooperative strategies that address the water quality and needs of Gulf resources; (4) developing locally-based protection and restoration programs or projects within a watershed that complement those strategies; and (5) eliminating or reducing point sources that discharge pollutants that contaminate the Gulf ecosystem.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2007
Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) a tax credit for 25% of the cost of new qualified freight rail infrastructure property and new qualified locomotive property; and (2) a taxpayer election to expense the cost of qualified freight rail infrastructure property (i.e., deduct all costs in the current taxable year). Terminates such credit and expensing election after 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2007
Expresses the heartfelt condolences of the Senate to the victims and their families, and to students, faculty, administration and staff and their families who have been deeply affected by the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Expresses its hope that the tragedy will lead to a shared national commitment to take steps that will help our communities prevent such tragedies in the future. Recognizes that Virginia Tech has served as an exemplary institution of teaching, learning, and research for well over a century and will continue these proud and historic traditions.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2007
Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under federal law or a felony under state, local, or Indian tribal laws; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim or is a violation of state, local, or tribal hate crime laws. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for such assistance: (1) with respect to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one state; and (2) to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to assist state, local, and Indian law enforcement agencies with such extraordinary expenses. Directs the Office of Justice Programs to: (1) work closely with funded jurisdictions to ensure that the concerns and needs of all affected parties are addressed; and (2) award grants to state, local or tribal programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Amends the federal criminal code to impose criminal penalties for causing (or attempting to cause) bodily injury to any person using fire, a firearm, or any explosive or incendiary device because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of such person. Amends the Hate Crimes Statistics Act to require Attorney General to: (1) acquire data on crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender and gender identity; and (2) include in an annual summary of such data crimes committed by, and against, juveniles.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2007
New Homestead Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Education to repay a specified percentage (up to $2,000 per year) of certain education loans to an individual who completes a degree and both resides and is employed for at least five years in an area outside a metropolitan statistical area which for 20 years has a net out-migration of inhabitants of at least 10% of the county population (qualifying county). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a: (1) tax credit for the lesser of $5,000 or 10% of the purchase price of a principal residence in a qualifying county; and (2) capital loss deduction with respect to a sale or exchange of a principal residence in a qualifying county. Provides for the creation of tax-exempt individual homestead accounts, funded by individual cash contributions and matching federal contributions according to a specified formula, whose tax-free distributions after five years are used by residents of qualifying counties for qualified higher education or medical expenses, first-time homebuyer or business capitalization costs, or rollovers. Establishes a rural investment tax credit of 70% of the present value of new buildings (including rehabilitation projects) or 30% of the present value of existing buildings. Establishes a qualified rural small business investment credit of 30% of expenditures for starting or expanding a business, including costs for capital, plant and equipment, inventory expenses, and wages, but not including interest costs. Provides for accelerated depreciation of business property in rural investment projects. New Homestead Venture Capital Fund Act - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish the New Homestead Venture Capital Fund (Fund), owned by private investors, to generate and provide equity capital to rural businesses in qualifying counties. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide funding and guarantees for private investors in the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2007
Cold War Medal Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned, upon application, to issue Cold War service medals to military personnel who served honorably during the Cold War era (September 2, 1945, through December 26, 1991).
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2007
Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission Act - Establishes the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission to encourage, plan, develop, coordinate, and execute programs, observances, and activities commemorating the historic events that preceded and are associated with the War of 1812. Requires the Commission to prepare a strategic plan and annual performance plans for any activity carried out by the Commission under this Act. Terminates the Commission on December 31, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit any person or entity, in or affecting interstate commerce, from knowingly: (1) performing or attempting to perform human cloning; (2) participating in such an attempt; or (3) shipping or receiving an embryo produced by human cloning or any product derived from such an embryo. Prohibits knowingly importing such an embryo. Sets forth criminal and civil penalties. Provides that nothing in this Act restricts areas of scientific research not specifically prohibited, including research in the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos, tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the need to amend such prohibition, including through: (1) a discussion of new developments, the need for somatic cell transfer to produce medical advances, current public attitudes and prevailing ethical views concerning its use, and potential legal implications of somatic cell transfer research; and (2) a review of any technological developments that may require technical changes to such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Crane Conservation Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance for approved projects relating to the conservation of cranes, using amounts in the Crane Conservation Fund established by this Act. Allows a project proposal to be submitted by: (1) any wildlife management authority of a country located in the African, Asian, European, or North American range of a species of crane that carries out at least one activity that affects crane populations; (2) the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; and (3) any person or organization with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of cranes. Establishes the Crane Conservation Fund in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. Authorizes the Secretary to convene an advisory group representing public and private organizations actively involved in the conservation of cranes to assist in carrying out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Heroes at Home Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a protocol for the assessment and documentation of the cognitive (including memory) functioning of each member of the Armed Forces deployed in Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom before such deployment in order to facilitate their cognitive functioning upon their return. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program on training and certification of family caregivers of veterans and members with traumatic brain injury. Authorizes such Secretaries to jointly: (1) establish a demonstration project to assess the feasibility and advisability of using telehealth technology to assess cognitive functioning of members who have sustained head trauma in order to improve their diagnosis and treatment; and (2) conduct an ongoing study of all matters relating to the telehealth and telemental health services of the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Recidivism Reduction and Second Chance Act of 2007 or the Second Chance Act of 2007 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions for adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects to provide expanded services to offenders and their families for reentry into society. Directs the Attorney General to award grants for: (1) state and local reentry courts; (2) Comprehensive and Continuous Offender Reentry Task Forces; (3) pharmacological drug treatment services to incarcerated offenders; (4) technology career training for offenders; and (5) mentoring services for reintegrating offenders into the community. Amends the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 to require the Secretary of Education to establish a program for education and employment counseling for youth offenders. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants for: (1) the establishment of a National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center; (2) drug treatment programs as an alternative to imprisonment; (3) evaluation of methods to improve academic and vocational education for incarcerated offenders; (4) demonstration programs to reduce the use of alcohol and other drugs in long-term substance abusers; (5) incentive grants to improve drug treatment to offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities; (6) pharmacological drug treatment services to incarcerated offenders; (7) prison-based family treatment programs for incarcerated parents of minor children; and (8) a study of parole or post-incarceration supervision violations and revocations. Requires the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to establish: (1) a prisoner reentry program; and (2) a pilot program for the release of elderly nonviolent offenders (age 60 or older).
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Employee Free Choice Act of 2007- Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to certify a bargaining representative without directing an election if a majority of the bargaining unit employees have authorized designation of the representative (card-check) and there is no other individual or labor organization currently certified or recognized as the exclusive representative of any of the employees in the unit. Sets forth special procedural requirements for reaching an initial collective bargaining agreement following certification or recognition. Revises enforcement requirements with respect to unfair labor practices during union organizing drives, particularly a preliminary investigation of an alleged unfair labor practice (ULP) which may lead to proceedings for injunctive relief. Requires that priority be given to a preliminary investigation of any charge that, while employees were seeking representation by a labor organization, or during the period after a labor organization was recognized as a representative until the first collective bargaining contract is entered into, an employer: (1) discharged or otherwise discriminated against an employee to encourage or discourage membership in the labor organization; (2) threatened to discharge or to otherwise discriminate against an employee in order to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of guaranteed self-organization or collective bardaining rights; or (3) engaged in any other related ULP that significantly interferes with, restrains, or coerces employees in the exercise of such guaranteed rights. Adds to remedies for such violations: (1) back pay plus liquidated damages; and (2) additional civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2007
Catastrophic Disaster Recovery Fairness Act of 2007 - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), in providing SBA disaster relief assistance for any major disaster declared during the period beginning on August 29, 2005, and ending on October 24, 2005, to waive the prohibition on the duplication of benefits, including whether damage or destruction has been compensated by, credit is available from, activities are reimbursable through, or funds have been made available from any other source. Applies such amendment to any SBA assistance provided on or after August 29, 2005 (thereby ensuring applicability and retroactivity for victims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma).
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Access to Emergency Medical Services Act of 2007 - Establishes the United States Bipartisan Commission on Access to Emergency Medical Services to: (1) identify and examine factors in the health care delivery, financing, and legal systems that affect the effective delivery of screening and stabilization services furnished in hospitals that have emergency departments pursuant to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA); and (2) make specific recommendations to Congress with respect to federal programs, policies, and financing needed to assure the availability of such screening and stabilization services and the coordination of state, local, and federal programs for responding to disasters and emergencies. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for additional payments for certain physicians' emergency services furnished pursuant to EMTALA. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to convene a working group that includes experts in emergency care, inpatient critical care, hospital operations management, nursing, and other relevant disciplines to develop boarding and diversion standards for hospitals and guidelines, measures, and incentives for implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of such standards. Requires the CMS working group to: (1) identify barriers contributing to delays in timely processing of patients requiring admission as inpatients who initially sought care through the hospital's emergency department; (2) identify best practices to improve patient flow within hospitals; and (3) report to Congress and the Secretary a detailed description of the standards, guidelines, measures, and incentives developed, as well as identified barriers and best practices. Directs the Secretary to establish a mechanism to make public information regarding any hospital that fails to report information requested by the CMS working group.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2007
Consumer Rental-Purchase Agreement Act of 2007 - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prescribe consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, and waiver of consumer claims or defenses; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) rental-purchase advertising disclosures. Declares that an action for civil liability may be brought against a merchant's assignee only if the violation is apparent on the face of a rental-purchase agreement to which it relates, including, but not limited to, a disclosure that can be determined to be incomplete or inaccurate from the face of the agreement. Authorizes the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to promulgate implementing regulations. Grants enforcement powers to the Federal Trade Commission and to state attorneys general. Subjects to criminal penalties any willful and knowing violation of the information disclosure requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2007
Telework Enhancement Act of 2007 - Requires the head of each executive agency, the Chief Justice, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority Leader of the Senate to: (1) establish a policy under which federal employees shall participate in telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee performance or organizational operations; and (2) appoint a Telework Managing Officer. Exempts from the policy executive branch employees: (1) whose duties involve the daily handling of secure materials, necessary contact with special equipment, or a daily physical presence; (2) who are assigned to national security or intelligence functions; or (3) whose functions are otherwise inappropriate for teleworking and which are designated as functions to which the policy does not apply. Provides for the Speaker, the Majority Leader, and Chief Justice to designate ineligible legislative and judicial branch employees. Requires the head of each executive agency to ensure that: (1) telework training is incorporated in the agency's new employee orientation procedures; and (2) periodic employee reviews are conducted for all employees to ascertain whether telework is appropriate for the employee's job description and the extent to which it is being utilized by the employee. Requires the Comptroller General to: (1) establish a system for evaluating telework policies and participation; and (2) publish an annual report rating each entity's policy and participation.
![Official portrait of Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000550_200.jpg)