United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2007
Loan Forgiveness for Head Start Teachers Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to assume or cancel loans made under the Federal Family Education Loan or the Direct Loan programs to individuals who have been employed as Head Start teachers for five consecutive complete program years, if they have demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, early childhood development, and other areas of a preschool curriculum, with a focus on cognitive learning. Limits the benefits of this Act to individuals who earn a baccalaureate or graduate degree on or after the date of this Act's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2007
Water Quality Investment Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require projects receiving sewer overflow control grant assistance to be carried out subject to the requirements applicable to projects receiving assistance from state water pollution control revolving funds, except to the extent that the governor of the state in which the project is located determines that a revolving fund requirement is inconsistent with the purposes of the sewer overflow control grant program. Reauthorizes appropriations for sewer overflow control grants through FY2012. Modifies grant funding allocation provisions to reflect new dates of authorization and reauthorized amounts. Establishes a December 31, 2010, deadline for the report to Congress of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on recommended funding levels for sewer overflow control grants.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007
National Heritage Areas and National Heritage Corridors Technical Corrections Act of 2007 - Adds Butler County, Pennsylvania, to the Steel Industry American Heritage Area. Redesignates the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor as the "Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway." Amends the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Act of 1988 to make the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Incorporated (the Corporation) the local coordinating entity for the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, assuming the Delaware and Lehigh Navigation Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission's duties in implementing the Cultural Heritage and Corridor Management Plan for the Delaware and Lehigh Navigation Canal National Heritage Corridor. Extends the the authorization of appropriations to implement the management action plan created by the Commission through FY2012. Terminates the Secretary's authority to provide assistance under such Act five years after this Act's enactment. Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to increase the amount authorized to be appropriated for the Steel Industry American Heritage Area, Essex National Heritage Area, South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, and the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway. Directs the Secretary to evaluate the accomplishments of the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor (redesignated by this Act as the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway), Rivers Of Steel National Heritage Area, Essex National Heritage Area, and South Carolina National Heritage Corridor.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007
Public Good IRA Rollover Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income distributions from individual retirement accounts for certain charitable purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007
African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance, including through international or nongovernmental organizations, for programs to improve human health care capacity in sub-Saharan Africa. Directs the President to develop and transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for coordinating, implementing, and monitoring assistance programs for human health care capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007
Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act of 2007 - National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2007 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to: (1) require certain vessels operating in U.S. waters to have invasive species management plans; (2) direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish vessel performance requirements with the goal of eliminating invasive species, (3) require vessels to conduct ballast water treatment in accordance with numeric ballast water discharge standards; (4) direct the Secretary to promulgate regulations to minimize the discharge of invasive species from ships that claim no ballast on board, or that claim to be carrying only unpumpable quantities of ballast, and to allow ships entering the Great Lakes to use a treatment technology that is as effective as ballast water exchange; (5) provide for civil and criminal penalties for violations; (6) require federal agencies to restrict the importation of specified aquatic organisms; and (7) declare the importation of aquatic organisms of species not in trade to be unlawful and prescribe civil and criminal penalties for violations. Establishes the Emergency Rapid Response Fund to provide financial assistance to a state or a federal rapid response team to assist in implementing rapid response measures for aquatic invasive species. Renames the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 as the Nonindigenous Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention and Control Act of 1990. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit importation of specified carp species into the United States. Directs the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to: (1) upgrade and make permanent the Chicago sanitary and ship canal dispersal barrier in Chicago, Illinois; and (2) construct dispersal barriers as necessary. Prohibits federal agencies from authorizing, funding, or carrying out any action that would promote the introduction or spread of invasive species unless the benefits of the action outweigh the harm. Establishes the National Invasive Species Council as an independent entity in the executive branch to lead and coordinate efforts to minimize the negative effects caused by invasive species and to reduce the threat of further invasions of such species. Requires the Council to develop a National Invasive Species Management Plan and to establish an Invasive Species Advisory Committee. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to: (1) authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide funding for wastewater assistance to certain municipalities and small publicly-owned treatment works; (2) authorize states to provide additional subsidization to benefit certain municipalities or state agencies that already receive assistance from the water pollution control revolving fund or to implement certain alternative techniques; (3) require the Great Lakes National Program Office to provide grants to reduce the quantity of mercury and to identify emerging contaminants in the Great Lakes; and (4) require the President include a joint Great Lakes research plan in the annual budget submitted to Congress. Authorizes the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research to provide grants to carry out activities in accordance with the joint research and monitoring plan developed by the Great Lakes National Program Office and the Great Lakes Research Office. Requires: (1) the President to establish a system that detects and predicts changes in the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes environment that impact the U.S. economy or ecology; and (2) the National Ocean Research Leadership Council to establish an interagency program office to be known as OceanUS to be responsible for program planning and coordination of such system. Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to require the Program Office to develop specified science-based indicators of water quality and related environmental factors in the Great Lakes. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) provide financial assistance for certain restoration or remediation projects; and (2) restore and remediate waterfronts and related areas. Establishes: (1) the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, as established by Executive Order 13340, as a task force within EPA; (2) a Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Executive Committee to hold public meetings and make recommendations and reports on Great Lakes restoration goals and progress; and (3) the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration to maintain a restoration and protection strategy for use in Great Lakes program implementation and funding decisions, to serve as a forum for addressing regional issues relating to ecosystem restoration and protection of the Great Lakes, and to establish an oversight forum to coordinate and enhance implementation of Great Lakes programs. Provides funding for a variety of Great Lakes programs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
National Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2007 - Establishes the National Commission on the Infrastructure of the United States to ensure that U.S. infrastructure meets current and future demand and facilitates economic growth. Requires the Commission to study the state of U.S. infrastructure, including such matters as: (1) the capacity of infrastructure improvements to sustain economic development and competitiveness; (2) the age and condition of public infrastructure; (3) the methods used to finance the construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and maintenance of public works improvements; (4) investment requirements needed to maintain and to improve facilities and the projected share of investment requirements and expenditures on infrastructure facility improvements by federal, state, and local governments; (5) estimates of the return to the economy from public works investment; and (6) the impact of various land use and economic development strategies on infrastructure needs and investment decisions. Directs the Commission to develop recommendations regarding: (1) a federal infrastructure plan that will detail national infrastructure program priorities; (2) public works improvements and methods of delivering and providing for public work facilities; (3) analysis or criteria and procedures that may be used by federal agencies and state and local governments in inventorying existing and needed public works improvements, assessing the condition of improvements, and developing uniform criteria and procedures; and (4) proposed guidelines for the uniform reporting by federal agencies of data regarding infrastructure improvements.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Withholding Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Repeals provisions of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 requiring federal, state, and local governmental entities to withhold 3% of payments due to vendors providing goods and services to such entities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to revise the definition of "food of minimal nutritional value," the sale of which in areas where school meals are sold or eaten is prohibited as a condition for federal funding of school lunch and breakfast programs. Applies such definition (and prohibition) to all food sold outside such programs anywhere on school campuses at any time of the day, with the possible limited exemption of food sold at school fundraisers. Requires the Secretary, when revising such definition, to consider the recommendations of authoritative scientific organizations and evidence concerning the relationship between diet and health.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2007
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Thomas F. Eagleton, a former member of the United States Senate from Missouri.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2007
America COMPETES Act or America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act - American Innovation and Competitiveness Act - Directs the President to: (1) convene a National Science and Technology Summit; (2) establish a President's Council on Innovation and Competitiveness; and (3) establish the Innovation Acceleration Research Program. Directs the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to: (1) establish an Aeronautics Institute for Research; (2) coordinate basic and fundamental research activities related to physical sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (3) establish a Basic Research Executive Council. Authorizes appropriations for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program. Requires the NIST Director to: (1) establish the Standards and Technology Acceleration Research Program; and (2) reestablish the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology. Requires the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to: (1) establish a program of ocean and atmospheric research and development; and (2) develop an ocean, coastal, and atmospheric science education plan. Protecting America's Competitive Edge Through Energy Act or PACE-Energy Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) appoint a Department of Energy (DOE) Director of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education, and establish a Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education Fund; (2) award grants for establishing specialty schools for mathematics and science; (3) establish a national laboratories summer internship program for middle and secondary school students; (4) establish Centers of Excellence in Mathematics and Science at schools in regions of national laboratories; (5) establish or expand programs to strengthen mathematics and science teaching skills of public school teachers; (6) establish a program to expand and enhance higher education nuclear science educational capabilities; (7) award grants to outstanding DOE early-career researchers; and (8) establish a program to support the appointment of distinguished scientists by institutions of higher education and national laboratories. Establishes the Advanced Research Projects Authority-Energy. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to: (1) develop and implement programs to provide courses of study in mathematics, science, engineering, or critical foreign languages with concurrent teacher certification or to enhance teacher knowledge and teaching skills; (2) increase the number of teachers and students teaching or enrolled in advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses in mathematics, science, or critical foreign languages; (3) help low-income students performing below grade level in mathematics; (4) establish programs of study in critical foreign languages; (5) promote content knowledge requirements for secondary school graduation and establish or improve a statewide P-16 education data system. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: (1) expand the Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program; (2) establish a clearinghouse and pilot programs relating to the creation or improvement of professional science master's degree programs; (4) establish a program to provide mentors for women interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (5) establish a program of basic research in advanced information and communications technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2007
Honors the employees of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for their substantial contributions to protecting the nation on the 4th anniversary of DHS.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2007
Tax Code Termination Act - Terminates the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for taxable years beginning after 2010, except provisions of such Code relating to social security taxation (i.e., taxes on wage, self-employment, and railroad retirement income). Establishes within the legislative branch a National Commission on Tax Reform and Simplification. Directs the Commission to: (1) review the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and its impact on the economy, families, and the workforce: (2) determine whether the current income tax system can be replaced by more a more efficient and fair system of taxation; and (3) submit a report to Congress on the results of its review with recommendations for fundamental reform and simplification of the Code. Requires congressional approval of a new federal tax system no later than July 4, 2010, or a vote of Congress to reauthorize the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act - Amends the Lacey Act to add specified species of black, bighead, and silver carp to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Amends the federal charter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America, Incorporated (the corporation), to authorize the corporation to extend eligibility for associate membership in the corporation to the parents, spouse, siblings, and lineal descendants (currently, to parents and lineal descendants) of a Purple Heart recipient.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2007 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish aquatic invasive species reduction and prevention requirements for vessels (including towed vessels and structures) operating in U.S. waters. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to promulgate ballast water management regulations and certification procedures. Requires a program for Department of Defense (DOD) vessels to minimize the risk of invasive species through towed vessel hull and associated hull aperture transfers. Directs the Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force to establish a priority pathway management program that identifies those pathways that pose the highest risk for the introduction of aquatic invasive species. Prohibits the importation of an aquatic organism of a species not in trade without specified screening and approval. Requires the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement a national system of ecological surveys for rapid early detection and monitoring of invasive species. Establishes the Emergency Rapid Response Fund to assist states in implementing rapid response measures for aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force to approve state rapid response contingency strategies. Requires the National Invasive Species Council to establish a federal rapid response team for each of the ten federal regions. Consolidates the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Dispersal Barrier Project and the project relating to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Dispersal Barrier into one project and requires certain actions regarding the project. Requires NOAA, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and the U.S. Geological Survey (Administering Agencies) to develop and conduct a marine and freshwater research program to assess rates of, patterns of, and conditions surrounding introductions of nonindigenous aquatic species in aquatic ecosystems and efforts to prevent the introduction of, and detect and eradicate, such species. Requires the EPA Administrator to develop an environmentally sound, cost-effective technology development, demonstration and verification grant program. Requires the Secretary and the EPA to develop a vessel pathway standards research program. Requires the National Science Foundation to establish a grant program for researchers at institutions of higher education and museums to carry out research in systematics and taxonomy. Requires the National Invasive Species Council to coordinate with the Task Force to combat aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force to recommend to appropriate federal agencies additions to the list of aquatic invasive species. Requires the Task Force, the Council, and the Secretary of State to ensure that international efforts to prevent and manage aquatic invasive species are coordinated with U.S. policies.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007
Demands that: (1) Hamas release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit; (2) Hezbollah accept the mandate of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 by releasing Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev; and (3) Hezbollah and Hamas accede to basic standards of humanitarian conduct and allow access to the Israeli captives by competent medical personnel and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Expresses: (1) commitment to Israel's survival as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders; (2) support and interest in achieving a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the creation of a viable and independent Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel; (3) concern for the families of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev; and (4) commitment to seek the Israeli captives' release. Condemns: (1) Hamas and Hezbollah for the cross border attacks and kidnappings which precipitated the armed conflict between Israel, Hezbollah, and armed Palestinian groups; and (2) Iran and Syria for their ongoing support of Hezbollah and Hamas.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2007
Edward William Brooke III Congressional Gold Medal Act - Awards a congressional gold medal to Edward William Brooke III, the first African American elected by popular vote to the U.S. Senate, in recognition of his unprecedented and enduring service to our Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007
Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should modernize the visa waiver program by enhancing program security requirements and extending visa-free travel privileges to nationals of foreign countries that are allies in the war on terrorism; and (2) such expansion will have positive security, economic, and bilateral effects. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to the visa waiver program to authorize waiver of low visa refusal rate requirements for a country that meets security and counterterrorism cooperation requirements and has a sustained reduction in visa refusal rates. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to consider: (1) specified security-related issues in determining whether to waive low visa refusal requirements; and (2) visa overstay rates in determining program eligibility. Provides for the following program security enhancements: (1) implementation of an electronic travel authorization system which shall provide biographical information; (2) participant country reporting of lost and stolen passports to the U.S. government; (3) participant country acceptance of its citizens or nationals removed from the United States; and (4) security-related information exchange about a country's citizens or nationals traveling to the United States. Requires the Secretary to establish an exit system that records the departure on a flight leaving the United States of every alien program participant. Requires that such system: (1) match an alien's biometric information against watch lists and immigration information; and (2) compare such biometric information against air carrier manifests to confirm departures.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities for the development and operation of centers to conduct multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. Requires each such center to: (1) be known as a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Center of Excellence; (2) include community organizations in the geographic area served by the center; (3) be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions and community groups; and (4) be supported under this Act for a period of not more than five years, with additional periods allowed after review and recommendation. Requires the Secretary to establish a Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Panel to: (1) develop a comprehensive research strategy for centers; (2) make recommendations with respect to the mechanisms, peer review criteria, and allocations under this Act; (3) assist in the overall program evaluations; and (4) make recommendations for the dissemination of information on program process. Requires the Director of NIH to provide for coordination of information among, and an equitable geographical distribution of, centers.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
Extends through December 31, 2009, provisions requiring the U.S. Postal Service to issue a special postage stamp for first-class mail that costs not less than 15% more than the regular first-class stamp to contribute funding for breast cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
Model T Ford Automobile Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Model T Ford Automobile, up to 500,000 $1 coins emblematic of the Model T Ford and the assembly line. Subjects coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin. Requires specified distributions of surcharges to: (1) the Automobile National Heritage Area Partnership Inc. for creating an endowment for national Model T educational programs; and (2) the Edison Institute (also known as "The Henry Ford"), in Dearborn, Michigan, a National Historic Landmark, for creating an endowment for educational programs associated with the Model T Ford Automobile.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2007
Honors the 45th anniversary of John Hershel Glenn, Jr.'s (John Glenn) landmark mission piloting the first manned orbital mission of the United States and recognizes the profound importance of John Glenn's achievement as a catalyst to space exploration and scientific advancement in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2007
Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act - Exempts provisions expanding the adoption tax credit and adoption assistance programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 from the general terminating (sunset) provisions of that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2007
Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Public Health Service Act to require a group health plan that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health benefits to ensure that: (1) the financial requirements applicable to such mental health benefits are no more restrictive than those of substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan, including deductibles and copayments; and (2) the treatment limitations applicable to such mental health benefits are no more restrictive than those applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits covered by the plan, including limits on the frequency of treatments or similar limits on the scope or duration of treatment. Prohibits the plan from establishing separate cost sharing requirements that are applicable only with respect to mental health benefits. Excludes from the requirements of this Act any group health plan: (1) for an employer with not more than 50 employees; or (2) whose costs of compliance with this Act increase the total costs of coverage by more than a specified percentage. Supersedes any provision of state law that establishes, implements, or continues in effect any standard or requirement that differs from the requirements of this Act, except for laws relating to the individual insurance market or small employers. Requires the Comptroller General to study the effect of this Act on the cost of health insurance coverage, access to such coverage, the quality of health care, and the impact on benefits and coverage for mental health and substance abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2007
Effective Homeland Security Management Act of 2007 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for Management, appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve as the Chief Management Officer and principal advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security on matters related to management of the Department.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2007
Recognizes the 98th anniversary of the historic founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Honors and praises the NAACP for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2007
Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Act - Amends the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2000 to repeal provisions establishing the National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council. Establishes the Intellectual Property Enforcement Network (IPEN), consisting of specified representatives of various government agencies, to: (1) establish policies, objectives, and priorities concerning international intellectual property protection and law enforcement; (2) coordinate and facilitate implementation of such policies, objectives, and priorities; and (3) protect U.S. intellectual property rights overseas, including by creating an international task force. Requires the agencies in IPEN to: (1) share the information they collect; (2) coordinate civil and criminal actions related to intellectual property rights; (3) establish formal processes for consulting and working with state and local government agencies and consulting with companies, writers, artists, labor unions, and other interested persons and groups; and (4) consult with the Register of Copyrights on law enforcement matters. Urges the President and relevant agency officers, when meeting with certain foreign countries, to stress the importance of establishing and participating in the international task force. Requires the Director of the Office of Mangement and Budget and the Coordinator of IPEN to submit to the President and the relevant congressional committees a strategic plan, which includes the goals, objectives, and priorities of IPEN. Calls for other government intellectual property initiatives to be consolidated into the work of IPEN to prevent duplication.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2007
Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2007 - Limits the amount of Appalachian regional development grants and loans for projects in at-risk counties to 70% of project costs. Directs the Appalachian Regional Commission to designate as "at-risk" those counties in the Appalachian region that are most at risk of becoming economically distressed. Authorizes the Commission to provide technical assistance, provide grants, enter into contracts, or otherwise provide amounts to entities in the region for projects and activities to: (1) promote energy efficiency; (2) increase the use of renewable energy resources; and (3) support the development of conventional energy resources to produce alternative transportation fuels, electricity, and heat. Authorizes appropriations to the Commission through FY2011, with specified amounts designated for: (1) the telecommunications and technology initiative; and (2) the economic and energy initiative. Requires funds approved by the Commission for a project in an Appalachian state pursuant to a congressional directive to be derived from the amount allocated to that state. Extends, for five years, the termination date of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2007
NATO Freedom Consolidation Act of 2007 - Designates Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia, and Ukraine as eligible to receive assistance under the NATO Participation Act of 1994. States that such designation: (1) is in addition to the designation of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia pursuant to the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996, the designation of Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria pursuant to the European Security Act of 1998, and the designation of Slovakia pursuant to the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act of 2002 as eligible to receive assistance under the NATO Participation Act of 1994; and (2) shall not preclude the designation by the President of other countries as eligible to receive assistance under the NATO Participation Act of 1994. Specifies FY2008 amounts under the Arms Export Control Act for Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia, and Ukraine.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2007
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Michael Ellis DeBakey, M.D. (who performed the first successful coronary bypass, pioneered the field of telemedicine, was elected the first President of Baylor College of Medicine, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction and the National Medal of Science) in recognition of his many outstanding contributions to the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2007
Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem; and (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into consideration the special needs of veterans suffering from PTSD in developing and implementing the program required under this Act. Directs the Secretary to develop and implement a comprehensive program for reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans. Requires the program to include: (1) a national mental health campaign to increase mental health awareness in the veteran community; (2) mandatory training on suicide and suicide prevention for appropriate Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees and contractor personnel; (3) family education and peer support counseling; (4) veterans' health assessments, counseling, and treatment programs; (5) suicide prevention counselors; (6) research on suicide prevention; (7) treatment programs for veterans suffering from substance abuse; (8) 24-hour veterans' mental health care availability; and (9) a toll-free hotline.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2007
Trade Prosecutor Act - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to establish in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) a Trade Enforcement Division, headed by a Trade Enforcement Officer, to ensure that U.S. trading partners comply with trade agreements to which the United States is a party. Establishes within the Division the Office of Trade Assistance for Small Businesses. Requires the USTR, after submission of a specified report, to annually identify (and report to Congress on): (1) U.S. trade enforcement priorities; (2) enforcement actions and their impact on foreign trade barriers; and (3) priority foreign country trade practices on which the USTR will focus enforcement efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Senate disagrees with the plan to augment our forces in Iraq by 21,500 and urges the President to consider all options for achieving the strategic goals set forth below; (2) the Senate believes the United States should continue operations in Anbar province, specifically for the purpose of combating an insurgency, including Al Qaeda associated elements, and denying terrorists a safe haven; (3) the Senate believes a failed state in Iraq would present a threat to regional and world peace, and the long-term U.S. security interests are best served by an Iraq that can govern and defend itself and serve as an ally in the war against extremists; (4) Congress should not take any action that will endanger U.S. military forces in the field, including the elimination or reduction of funds for such troops; (5) the primary objective of U.S. strategy in Iraq should be to encourage Iraqi leaders to make political compromises that will strengthen the unity government and lead to security improvements; (6) the military part of this strategy should focus on maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity, denying international terrorists a safe haven, conducting counterterrorism operations, promoting regional stability, supporting Iraqi efforts to bring greater security to Baghdad, and training and equipping Iraqi forces; (7) U.S. military operations should, as much as possible, be confined to these goals and should charge the Iraqi military with the primary mission of combating sectarian violence; (8) the military Rules of Engagement for this plan should reflect this delineation of responsibilities and the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should clarify the command and control arrangements in Baghdad; (9) the U.S. government should transfer necessary military equipment to the Iraqi military; (10) the U.S. government should engage selected nations in the Middle East to develop a regional, internationally sponsored peace-and-reconciliation process for Iraq; (11) the Administration should provide regular updates to Congress; and (12) our overall military, diplomatic, and economic strategy should not be regarded as open-ended but rather as a new strategy conditioned upon the Iraqi government's meeting delineated benchmarks agreed to by the Iraqi Prime Minister.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2007
National Guard Empowerment Act of 2007 - Expands the: (1) authority of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau (Bureau) to include membership on the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) (and raises the grade of the Chief from lieutenant general to general); and (2) functions of the Bureau to include facilitating and coordinating, with other federal agencies and the states, the use of Guard personnel and resources for, and in, contingency operations, military operations other than war, natural disasters, and support of civil authorities. Directs the Chief to: (1) identify gaps between federal and state capabilities to prepare for and respond to emergencies; and (2) make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense on Guard programs and activities to address such gaps. Requires annual Department of Defense (DOD) budget justification documents to include separate amounts for Guard training and equipment for military assistance to civil authorities and other domestic operations. Expresses the sense of Congress calling for consideration of eligible reserve officers for promotion to the grades of lieutenant general or vice admiral on the active duty list. Treats service as a Bureau adjutant general as joint duty experience. Requires the position of Deputy Commander of the U.S. Northern Command to be filled by a qualified Guard officer eligible for promotion to the grade of lieutenant general. Requires an annual plan for the use of the Armed Forces and National Guard for responding to disasters and acts of terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2007
Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 to provide for U.S. payments for 2005-2008 U.N. peacekeeping operations at 27.1%. (Current law provides for a 25% payment rate.) (Amends the Department of State and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2005 to repeal the provision providing for 2005 payments at 27.1%.)
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2007
United States-Poland Parliamentary Youth Exchange Program Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of State, in cooperation with the government of Poland, to establish a United States-Poland Parliamentary Youth Exchange Program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require an abortion provider, before beginning any abortion of a pain-capable unborn child (defined as an unborn child who has reached a probable stage of development of 20 weeks after fertilization), to: (1) make a specified statement to the pregnant woman that Congress has determined that there is substantial evidence that the process will cause the unborn child pain, and that the mother has the option of having pain-reducing drugs administered directly to the child; (2) provide to the woman an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Brochure (unless she waives receipt) and an Unborn Child Pain Awareness Decision Form; and (3) obtain on the form the woman's signature and her explicit request for or refusal of the administration of drugs to the child. Creates an exception for certified medical emergencies. Establishes penalties for willfully failing to comply with this Act, including civil penalties, medical license suspension, or both. Authorizes: (1) specified officials to bring suit in federal court; and (2) private rights of action by a parent or guardian of a woman who is an unemancipated minor. Requires each state and state medical licensing authority to promulgate procedures for the revocation or suspension of a provider's license upon a court finding that the provider has violated this Act. Subjects a state that fails to implement such procedures to loss of Medicaid funding.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Amends the District of Columbia Access Act of 1999 to authorize the public school and private school tuition assistance programs established under the Act through FY2012.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Minimum Wage Act of 2007 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent accelerated cost recovery provisions for qualified leasehold improvement and restaurant property; (2) permit certain small businesses with gross receipts of not more than $10 million to use cash accounting methods and be exempt from the requirement of using inventories; (3) allow employers the work opportunity tax credit for hiring certain restaurant workers between the ages of 16 and 20; (4) set forth a definition and rules for evaluating the economic substance of financial transactions with tax consequences (economic substance doctrine); (5) impose an enhanced penalty for understatements of tax liability due to transactions lacking economic substance; (6) apply inverted corporation tax rules to certain transactions occurring after March 20, 2002; and (7) eliminate the requirement for a pre-levy collection due process hearing for taxpayers with employment tax liabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2007
Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should expand the visa waiver program to nationals of foreign countries that are allies in the war on terrorism. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pilot program to expand the visa waiver program for up to five new countries that are are cooperating with the United States on security and counterterrorism matters. Requires a country, prior to participation, to conclude a counterterrorism and security information sharing agreement with the United States. Authorizes: (1) a country to participate for an initial three-year period, with an additional two-year extension; and (2) the Secretary to terminate a country's participation for program noncompliance. Directs the Secretary to develop and implement procedures to improve the manner of calculating visa overstay rates.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Barrier Project Consolidation and Construction Act of 2007 - Requires the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Dispersal Barrier Project constructed as a demonstration project under the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control act of 1990 (Barrier I) and the related project authorized under the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2005 (Barrier II) to be considered to constitute a single project. Directs the Secretary of the Army, at full federal expense, to: (1) upgrade and make permanent Barrier I, construct Barrier II, operate and maintain Barriers I and II as a system, conduct a study of a full range of options and technologies for reducing impacts of hazards that may reduce the efficacy of the Barriers, and provide to each state a credit in an amount equal to that of funds contributed by the state toward Barrier II (which the state may apply to any cost-sharing responsibility for an existing or future federal project with the Corps of Engineers); and (2) conduct a feasibility study of the range of options and technologies to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and other aquatic pathways. Changes the authorization for Barrier II to such sums as may be necessary.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2007
Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2007 or the AgJOBS Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to confer "blue card status" upon an alien who: (1) has performed agricultural employment in the United States for at least 863 hours or 150 work days during the 24-month period ending on December 31, 2006; (2) applied for such status during the 18-month application period beginning on the first day of the seventh month that begins after the date of enactment of this Act; (3) is otherwise admissible to the United States; and (4) has not been convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor, an element of which involves bodily injury, threat of serious bodily injury, or harm to property in excess of $500. Directs the Secretary to adjust a blue card alien (and spouse and minor children) to permanent resident status if the alien has fulfilled specified periods of agricultural employment. Amends the Social Security Act to exempt blue card aliens from prosecution for social security-related identity or payment false statements if such conduct occurred prior to the granting of blue card status. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise H-2A visa (agricultural labor or temporary or seasonal services) provisions. Replaces the existing labor certification requirement with a labor attestation requirement containing: (1) a description of the nature and location of the job; (2) the job's expected beginning and ending dates; (3) the number of jobs; and (4) specified labor assurances respecting job opportunities covered by collective bargaining agreements and non-covered job opportunities.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Health Partnership Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a State Health Innovation Commission. Requires the Commission to: (1) provide states with reform options for state health care expansion and improvement programs; (2) establish minimum performance measures and goals with respect to coverage, quality, and cost of state programs; (3) review state applications and determine whether to submit a state proposal to Congress; and (4) submit to Congress a list of state applications that the Commission recommends for approval. Deems such proposals to be approved unless a joint resolution has been enacted disapproving such proposal. Sets forth rules for congressional consideration of such proposals. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide a grant to a state that has an application approved to enable such state to carry out an innovative state health program; (2) give priority to those state programs that the Commission determines have the greatest opportunity to succeed in providing expanded health insurance coverage and improving health access; and (3) link state allocations to the meeting of the goals and performance measures established under this Act. Prohibits states from: (1) failing to maintain the same level of expenditures for health care coverage; (2) changing eligibility criteria for state medical assistance programs; or (3) permitting the imposition of any preexisting condition exclusion for covered benefits, with exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that it is the goal of the United States that not later than January 1, 2025, U.S. agricultural, forestry, and working land should provide from renewable resources not less than 25% of total U.S. energy consumption and continue to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed, and fiber.
![Official portrait of Sen. Voinovich, George V. [R-OH]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/v000126_200.jpg)