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United States · Official source
8,838 records where Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2009
Celebrates the role of mothers in the United States and supports the goals and ideals of Mother's Day.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2009
Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009 - Amends the federal criminal code to grant the Attorney General the authority to deny the transfer of firearms or the issuance of a federal firearms and explosives license to any individual if the Attorney General: (1) determines that such individual has been engaged in or has provided material support or resources for terrorist activities; and (2) has a reasonable belief that such individual may use a firearm or explosive in connection with terrorism. Allows any individual whose firearm or explosives license application has been been denied to bring legal action challenging the denial. Prohibits the sale or distribution of firearms or explosives to any individual whom the Attorney General has determined to be engaged in terrorist activities. Permits the Attorney General to withhold information in firearms and explosives license denial revocation suits if the Attorney General determines that the disclosure of such information would likely compromise national security. Authorizes the Attorney General to revoke firearms and explosives licenses and permits held by individuals determined to be engaged in terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2009
Family and Medical Leave Restoration Act - Requires the Secretary of Labor to revise regulations promulgated under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) governing coverage and employee leave entitlements. Repeals certain regulations promulgated on November 17, 2008, and restores those promulgated on January 6, 1996. Directs the Secretary to revise regulations regarding an employer's request for recertification of a medical condition whose minimum duration is more than 30 days for leave taken because of an employee's own serious health condition or the serious health condition of a family member. Requires the Secretary to permit an employer to require such a recertification no earlier than: (1) the expiration of the length of time indicated in the original certification; or (2) one year after obtaining the original certification, if the original certification indicated that the medical condition would last longer than one year. Directs the Secretary to revise the requirements for continuing treatment of a serious health condition to: (1) remove requirements for a specific number of periodic visits for treatment by a health care provider in order to qualify for leave; and (2) require only the treatment that the health care provider determines proper. Requires the Secretary to revise any medical certification form templates to conform with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2009
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) study the uses and capabilities of amateur radio communications in emergencies and disaster relief; (2) use the expertise of the American Radio Relay League in the study; and (3) report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
SMA Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a national clinical trials network for spinal muscular atrophy by upgrading and unifying spinal muscular atrophy clinical trial sites and recruiting new investigators and sites. Requires the Director to ensure that such network: (1) conducts coordinated, multisite, clinical trials of therapies and clinical approaches to the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy; and (2) rapidly and efficiently disseminates scientific findings to the field. Requires the Director to: (1) establish a data coordinating center with respect to spinal muscular atrophy; and (2) expand and intensify NIH programs with respect to preclinical translation research related to spinal muscular atrophy. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to enhance and support a spinal muscular atrophy patient registry to provide for expanded epidemiological research towards improving awareness, management, treatment, and prevention of spinal muscular atrophy. Requires the Secretary to ensure the collection and analysis of longitudinal data related to individuals of all ages. Directs the Secretary to establish the Interagency Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Coordinating Committee. Sets forth the duties of the Committee, including to develop a comprehensive strategy related to spinal muscular atrophy research and other related neurological diseases and disorders. Requires the Secretary to establish a program to provide information and education on spinal muscular atrophy to health professionals and the general public.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2009
Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009 - Directs the President to develop and implement: (1) a National Strategy for Global Development to further the U.S. foreign policy objective of reducing poverty and contributing to economic growth in developing countries, including responding to humanitarian crises; and (2) a system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance. Expresses the sense of Congress that American taxpayers and foreign assistance recipients should have, to the maximum extent practicable, full access to U.S. foreign assistance information.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Cord Blood Education and Awareness Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a publication relating to umbilical cord blood that includes: (1) an explanation of the potential value and uses of umbilical cord blood; (2) the medical processes involved in the collection of cord blood; and (3) options for ownership and future use of donated umbilical cord blood. Directs the Secretary to develop a written patient informed consent document relating to cord blood disposition to be presented to and signed by the expectant woman not later than two weeks before her estimated delivery date. Requires such document to include: (1) information on the different options to cord blood banking; (2) information on the medical value of cord blood stem cells in treating disease; and (3) a declaration, to be signed, of a woman's chosen option for disposition. Directs each physician or other health care professional who is primarily responsible for furnishing ambulatory prenatal care to a pregnant woman to: (1) provide her with timely information relating to umbilical cord blood banking options; and (2) obtain written informed consent or a document that the woman refused or declined to provide such consent. Applies such requirement to state Medicaid plans and group health insurance plans. Directs the Secretary to develop professional educational materials on umbilical cord blood stem cells for health care providers who provide prenatal services. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to entities for targeted education about umbilical cord blood stem cells and the different options for banking such cells.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2009 - Authorizes the President to provide assistance, including through multilateral, nongovernmental, and faith-based organizations, to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the educational, health, economic, social, and legal empowerment of girls and women. Sets forth priority assistance criteria. Directs the President, through the Secretary of State, to establish a multi-year strategy to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the empowerment of girls at risk of child marriage. Sets forth strategy elements. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that Department of State country reports on human rights practices include a description of the status of child marriage for countries with specified rates of child marriage. Defines "child marriage" as the marriage of a girl or boy not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the HHS Secretary) to implement the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Program to achieve a reduction of at least 25% in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2015. Includes within such program: (1) a strategic review and prioritization of research grants; (2) an expansion of research programs, such as on predispositions to lung cancer; and (3) the expedited development of computer assisted diagnostic, surgical, treatment, and drug testing innovations. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to apply provisions related to drugs for rare diseases or conditions to: (1) chemoprevention drugs for precancerous conditions of the lungs; (2) drugs for targeted therapeutic treatment of lung cancer; and (3) drugs to curtail or prevent nicotine addiction. Requires the HHS Secretary to establish an early disease research and management program targeted at the high incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer among minority and low income populations. Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate with the HHS Secretary in: (1) the development of the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Program; (2) the implementation of an early detection and disease management research program for military personnel and veterans whose smoking history and exposure to carcinogens during active duty service has increased their risk for lung cancer; and (3) the implementation of coordinated care programs for military personnel and veterans diagnosed with lung cancer. Requires the HHS Secretary to convene a Lung Cancer Advisory Board to monitor the programs established under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
United States Public Service Academy Act of 2009 - Establishes in the Department of State a U.S. Public Service Academy for the instruction in and preparation for public service of selected individuals. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) key personnel positions; (2) faculty and departments; (3) student nominations, qualifications, and admission requirements; (4) curriculum standards; and (5) off-campus learning program requirements. Requires each Academy student to sign an agreement for not less than five years of public service following graduation. Imposes cost repayment requirements for students who fail to graduate or to complete such public service. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) public service assignments; and (2) graduate education and the additional service commitment. Establishes a Board of Visitors to oversee and inquire into the efficiency and effectiveness of Academy operations. Directs the President to determine the Academy's location by establishing an advisory commission and through specified procedures. Authorizes the President to acquire land and construct the Academy. Requires each Academy student's education to be fully subsidized by the Academy (or by an international student's home country).
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Supports the designation of National Healthy Schools Day.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2009
Remembers the lives of the women and men who have lost their fight with breast cancer and expresses support and admiration for those who have survived. Congratulates participants in the Global Race for the Cure to raise money for research and education. Urges Americans to walk this year and support their family and friends who participate. Honors the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Protecting America's Workers Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to expand its coverage to federal, state, and local government employees. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, under specified conditions, to cede OSHA jurisdiction to another federal agency with respect to certain occupational standards or regulations for such agency's employees. Declares OSHA inapplicable to working conditions covered by the Federal Mine Safety and Heath Act of 1977. Sets forth increased protections for whistle blowers under OSHA. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) the posting of employee rights; (2) a prohibition against the adoption or implementation of policies or practices by employers that discourage the reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses or that discriminate or provide for adverse action against any employee for reporting such injury or illness; (3) a prohibition against the loss of wages or employee benefits as a result of an employee participating in or aiding workplace inspections; (4) investigations of incidents in a place of employment resulting in a death or the hospitalization of two or more employees; (5) a prohibition against designating a citation for an occupational health and safety standard violation as an unclassified citation; (6) the rights of an employee who has sustained a work-related injury or illness that is the subject of an investigation; (7) an employer's right to contest citations and penalties; (8) the Secretary's assertion of an employer's failure to correct a serious hazard during an employer's contest to a citation; and (9) employee objections to modifications of citations. Increases civil and criminal penalties for certain OSHA violators. Requires a state that has an approved plan for the development and enforcement of occupational safety and health standards to amend its plan to conform to the requirements of this Act within 12 months after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Pathways Advancing Career Training Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to make formula matching grants to states with approved plans for programs that provide preparatory and supportive services, information on career and technical education, training, pre-apprenticeship assistance, and related services, including tuition assistance, to: (1) single parents and displaced homemakers; and (2) individuals pursuing nontraditional training and employment in fields where individuals from one gender compose less than 25% of workers. Requires the Secretary, through the award of competitive grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with an independent institution of higher education, public or private nonprofit organization, or state agency, to conduct at least one multi-site evaluation of such programs. Requires eligible state agencies to administer such programs, make competitive subgrants to eligible entities, and identify certain core indicators of performance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Restitution for the Exonerated Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants and supplemental funds to nonprofit organizations to be used only to provide support services (e.g., employment training, health care services, and legal assistance) to exonerees. Prohibits services for exonerees who have not demonstrated financial need or for a period of more than 24 months. Defines "exoneree" as an individual who has been convicted of a crime carrying a prison sentence of one year or more, has served at least six months of such prison sentence, and has been determined to be factually innocent of the crime.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Honouliuli Internment Camp Special Resources Study Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the national significance, suitability, and feasibility of including the Honouliuli Gulch and associated sites within Hawaii in the National Park System. Requires such study to evaluate the Honouliuli Gulch, associated sites on Oahu, and other islands in Hawaii respecting: (1) their significance as a component of World War II; (2) their significance as related to the forcible internment of Japanese Americans, European Americans, and other individuals; and (3) historic resources at those sites.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Post-Deployment Health Assessment Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to issue guidance for the provision of an in-person mental health screening for each member of the Armed Forces deployed in connection with a contingency operation, in order to identify post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal tendencies, and other behavioral health issues for which additional care and treatment may be necessary. Excludes from such screenings members not subjected or exposed to combat stress during their deployment. Requires the Secretary to share screening results with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in order to ensure continuity of mental health care and treatment for such members during their transition from health care and treatment provided by the Department of Defense (DOD) to health care and treatment provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2009
Community College Technology Access Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to community colleges for the maintenance, administration, and improvement of computer labs to enhance student and public access to information technology training. Allows grantees to use grant funds to expand or build a computer lab facility if they ask and receive the Secretary's authorization to do so. Requires grantees to keep their computer labs open to the public for specified minimum periods and to offer the public free computer-related training while open.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act of 2009 - Establishes the Salmon Stronghold Partnership as a cooperative, incentive-based, public-private partnership working across political boundaries and land ownerships to identify and conserve salmon strongholds. Requires that its board include representatives of Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state, as well as representatives from specified entities. Requires the Assistant Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to carry out specific information and assessment functions associated with salmon strongholds. Establishes a salmon stronghold watershed grants and technical assistance program. Authorizes the sharing of status and trends data, innovative conservation strategies, conservation planning methodologies, and other information with North Pacific countries, including Canada, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, and appropriate international entities to promote salmon conservation and habitat. Prohibits acquiring private property without the owner's consent.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
No Child Left Inside Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states, as a prerequisite to receiving implementation grants, to develop environmental literacy plans, approved by the Secretary of Education, for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Directs the Secretary to award Environmental Education Professional Development Grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, institutions of higher education (IHE), other educational entities, or federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, for activities involving, among other things, teacher training and the development of more rigorous environmental education curricula that advance the teaching of interdisciplinary courses. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to partnerships that include an LEA and, permissibly, IHEs, other educational entities, federal, state, regional, or local natural resource or environmental agencies, or park and recreation departments, for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards; (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs; and (3) research.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2009
Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act of 2009 - Requires the manufacturer of a motor vehicle sold, leased, or otherwise introduced into U.S. commerce to: (1) provide to the vehicle owner and service providers all information necessary to diagnose, service, maintain, or repair the vehicle; (2) offer for sale to the vehicle owner and service providers any related tool or equipment; and (3) provide the information that enables aftermarket tool companies to manufacture tools with the same functional characteristics. Exempts trade secrets, so long as the information is not disclosed to authorized dealers or service providers. Authorizes enforcement of this Act by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and civil actions by state attorneys general, consumers, and service providers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single gold medal in honor of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) collectively, in honor of their pioneering military service and exemplary record, which forged revolutionary reform in the U.S. Armed Forces. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian Institution shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations associated with the WASP.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
First-Time Homebuyer Credit Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the first-time homebuyer tax credit and the waiver of recapture requirements for such credit through 2010; and (2) expand the election to treat a purchase of a principal residence as made in a prior taxable year for purposes of such credit.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act to establish an Elder Justice program under title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services). Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC). Establishes the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to establish stationary and mobile forensic centers, to develop forensic expertise regarding, and provide services relating to, elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Directs the Secretary to provide incentives for individuals to train for, seek, and maintain employment providing direct care in a long-term care (LTC) facility. Directs the Secretary to make grants to LTC facilities to: (1) offer continuing training and varying levels of certification to employees who provide direct care to LTC facility residents; and (2) provide bonuses or other benefits to employees who achieve certification. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to assist LTC facilities in offsetting the costs for standardized clinical health care informatics systems designed to improve patient safety and reduce adverse events and health care complications resulting from medication errors. Directs the Secretary to ensure that HHS: (1) provides funding to state and local adult protective services services offices that investigate reports of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) collects and disseminates related data in coordination with the Department of Justice. Establishes a program of annual adult protective services grants to states. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to: (1) improve the capacity of state LTC ombudsman programs to respond to and resolve abuse and neglect complaints; and (2) conduct pilot programs with state or local LTC ombudsman offices. Directs the Secretary to establish programs to provide and improve ombudsman training for national organizations and state LTC ombudsman programs. Amends part A of SSA title XI to require each individual owner, operator, employee, manager, agent, or contractor of an LTC facility receiving certain federal support to report to the Secretary and local law enforcement entities any reasonable suspicion of crimes occurring in such facility. Requires the owner or operator of such an LTC facility to notify the Secretary and the appropriate state regulatory agency of a facility's impending closure, as well as a plan for the transfer and adequate relocation of facility residents. Directs the Secretary to study and report to the EJCC and appropriate congressional committees on establishing a national nurse aide registry. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) study, analyze, and report to Congress, the Secretary, and the states on state laws and practices relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) develop objectives, priorities, policies, and a long-term plan for elder justice programs and activities. Requires the Comptroller General to review and report to Congress on existing federal programs and initiatives in the federal criminal justice system relevant to elder justice. Authorizes the Attorney General to award victim advocacy grants to eligible entities to study the special needs of victims of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Directs the Attorney General to award grants to provide: (1) training, technical assistance, policy development, multidisciplinary coordination, and other types of support to local and state prosecutors and courts, as well as employees of state Attorneys General and Medicaid Fraud Control Units handling elder justice-related matters; and (3) similar types of support to police, sheriffs, detectives, public safety officers, corrections personnel, and other front line law enforcement responders who handle elder justice matters to fund specially designated elder justice positions or units designed to support front line law enforcement in elder justice matters. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to reauthorize the missing Alzheimer's Disease patient alert program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation on behalf of Congress of a gold medal of appropriate design to Dr. Muhammad Yunus in recognition of his many enduring contributions to the fight against global poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2009
Accepts in the name of the United States the statue of Ronald Wilson Reagan furnished by the people of California for placement in the U.S. Capitol. Tenders the thanks of the Congress to the people of California for providing this commemoration. Authorizes the state of California to use the rotunda of the Capitol on June 3, 2009, for a presentation ceremony.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009 - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin; (2) Zion and Mojave Desert; (3) the Grand Staircase-Escalante; (4) Moab-La Sal Canyons; (5) Henry Mountains; (6) Glen Canyon; (7) San Juan-Anasazi; (8) Canyonlands Basin; (9) San Rafael Swell; and (10) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) filing by the Secretary of the Interior of a map and a legal description of each designated wilderness area with appropriate congressional committees; (2) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas; (3) federal reservation of water rights; (4) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness; (5) authorized livestock grazing; and (6) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Transportation Security Workforce Enhancement Act of 2009 - Terminates certain authorities under the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel management system with respect to TSA employees under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act and related law, including all authority to establish or adjust a human resources management system. Subjects TSA employees (including screeners) to the protections of the federal civil service system, including the right to collective bargaining, compensation, leave, health, and other employee rights. Prohibits any reduction in rate of pay or certain other rights of TSA employees upon conversion from the TSA personnel system to the federal civil service system. Provides that nothing in this Act shall repeal laws against striking against the U.S. Government.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Presidential Commission on Women Act of 2009 - Establishes the Presidential Commission on Women to: (1) review the status of women nationwide; (2) review the role of the federal government in aid to, and the promotion of, women; (3) review data collection procedures with regard to women federal initiatives and procurement; and (4) hold a conference to assist in those reviews.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 - 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 law; 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 the state, local, or tribal hate crime laws. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one state and 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 and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit willfully causing bodily injury to any person 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 expand data collection and reporting requirements under such Act to include: (1) crimes manifesting prejudice based on gender and gender identity; and (2) hate crimes committed by and against juveniles. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the exercise of constitutionally-protected free speech.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Assuring and Improving Cancer Treatment Education and Cancer Symptom Management Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, to provide for Medicare coverage of comprehensive cancer patient treatment education services. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of research with respect to: (1) improving the treatment and management of symptoms and side effects associated with cancer and cancer treatment; and (2) evaluating the role of nursing interventions in the amelioration of such symptoms and side effects. Requires the NIH Director to make nursing intervention research grants for studying cancer symptom management care and services delivered by registered nurses. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into an arrangement under which the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences shall evaluate and report to the Secretary and Congress on the current state of symptom management, patient treatment education, and supportive care given to people with cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Medicare Fracture Prevention and Osteoporosis Testing Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a national minimum payment amount for CPT code 77080 (relating to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, or DXA, the most widely accepted method of measuring bone mass to predict fracture risk) and CPT code 77082 (relating to vertebral fracture assessment, or VFA), and any successor to such codes as identified by the Secretary (bone mass scans). Directs the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies to study and report to the Secretary and Congress on: (1) the ramifications of Medicare reimbursement reductions for DXA and VFA on beneficiary access to bone mass measurement benefits; and (2) the methods to increase use of bone mass measurement by Medicare beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Life Sustaining Treatment Preferences Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, to extend Medicare coverage to consultations regarding an order for life sustaining treatment for qualified individuals. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to eligible entities to: (1) establish new programs for orders regarding life sustaining treatment in a state or locality; (2) expand or enhance an existing program; or (3) set up a clearinghouse of information on programs for such orders and consultative services for the development or enhancement of such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
California Ocean and Coastal Protection Act - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit oil and gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities in areas of the Outer Continental Shelf located off the coast of California.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2009
Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2009 - Prohibits U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance to the government of Vietnam in excess of FY2009 amounts unless: (1) the President certifies to Congress that the government of Vietnam has made substantial progress respecting political, media, and religious freedoms, minority rights, access to U.S. refugee programs, and actions to end trafficking in persons; and (2) the federal government provides assistance, in addition to democracy building assistance under this Act, supporting human rights training, civil society building, and exchange programs between the Vietnamese National Assembly and the United States Congress at levels commensurate with or exceeding any increases in nonhumanitarian assistance to Vietnam. Authorizes the President to waive such requirements if increased U.S. nonhumanitarian assistance would promote the purposes of this Act or is otherwise in the U.S. national interest. Prohibits the provision of duty-free treatment for eligible articles from Vietnam until the President certifies to Congress that the government of Vietnam protects freedom of association and does not engage in serious labor rights violations. Authorizes the President to provide U.S. assistance through appropriate nongovernmental organizations and the Human Rights Defenders Fund for the support of individuals and organizations to promote human rights in Vietnam. Declares it is U.S. policy: (1) to take measures to overcome the jamming of Radio Free Asia by the government of Vietnam; and (2) that educational and cultural exchange programs with Vietnam should promote progress toward freedom and democracy. Declares it is U.S. policy to offer refugee resettlement to Vietnam nationals (including members of the Montagnard ethnic minority groups) who were eligible for the Humanitarian Resettlement program, the Orderly Departure program, the Resettlement Opportunities for Vietnamese Returnees program, the Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1988, or any other U.S. refugee program, but who were deemed ineligible for reasons of administrative error or who failed to apply because of circumstances beyond their control.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
World War I Memorial and Centennial Act of 2009 - Designates the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the National World War I Memorial. Establishes the World War I Centennial Commission to: (1) plan, develop, and execute programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of World War I; (2) encourage private organizations and state and local governments to organize and participate in such activities; (3) facilitate and coordinate such activities throughout the United States; and (4) serve as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about centennial events and plans.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of comprehensive cancer care planning services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a two-year demonstration project for Medicare payment for comprehensive cancer care symptom management services furnished by an eligible entity in accordance with a described plan. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for establishing a new, or expanding an existing, palliative care and symptom management program for cancer patients. Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to improve the quality of graduate and postgraduate training of physicians, nurses, and other health care providers, as well as continuing professional education, in palliative care and symptom management for such patients. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a program of grants for research on palliative care, symptom management, communication skills, and other end-of-life topics for such patients.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of the Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools). Encourages each state, city, and local education authority to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Fair Elections Now Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) with respect to: (1) eligibility and qualifying contribution requirements and benefits of fair elections financing of House of Representatives election campaigns; (2) establishment of a Fair Elections Fund; (3) eligibility for Fund allocations; (4) contribution and expenditure requirements; (5) a public debate requirement; (6) certification of whether or not a federal election candidate is a participating candidate; (7) benefits for participating candidates; (8) matching payments for qualified small dollar contributions; (9) political advertising vouchers; (10) establishment of a Fair Elections Oversight Board; (11) civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements; (12) prohibition of joint fundraising committees with any political committee other than a candidate's authorized committee; and (13) a specified limitation on coordinated expenditures by political party committees with participating candidates. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the deposit into the Fair Elections Fund of 10% of the proceeds from competitive auctions for recovered analog spectrum. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow for designation of a certain amount of income tax liability to the Fair Elections Fund. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) prohibit the preemption of the use of a broadcasting station by a legally qualified House candidate who has purchased and paid for such use; (2) revise Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to revoke licenses for broadcasting stations who fail to provide access to House candidates; and (3) revise the formula for determining reduced broadcast rates for participating candidates in certain circumstances. Directs the FCC to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish a standardized form to be used by broadcasting stations to record and report the purchase of advertising time by or on behalf of a candidate for nomination for election, or for election, to federal elective office. Amends FECA to: (1) empower the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action; (2) require all designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed directly with the FEC, and in computer-accessible electronic form; and (3) reduce from 48 to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2777 Logan Avenue in San Diego, California, as the "Cesar E. Chavez Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2009
Supports the goals of Red Cross Month. Recognizes the contributions of American National Red Cross volunteers in times of natural and human-caused disasters and in times of armed conflict. Encourages the people of the United States to "Get a Kit, Make a Plan, and Be Informed."
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2009
National Security Letters Reform Act of 2009 - Prohibits a national security letter (letter) (a request for information sought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a criminal investigation) from being issued unless the issuing official certifies specific facts providing reason to believe that the information or records sought pertain to a foreign power or agent thereof. Prohibits a letter from being issued in connection with an investigation of a U.S. person solely upon the basis of activities protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Prohibits: (1) a letter from containing unreasonable requirements or requiring privileged matter; or (2) disclosing to a person that the FBI has sought or obtained access to information under a letter for 30 days after receipt of the FBI's request for such information. Authorizes judicial review for the modification or revocation of a letter. Provides limited uses of information acquired through a letter. Allows persons against whom evidence obtained from a letter is to be used to file a motion to suppress. Provides a civil cause of action for the misuse of letters. Requires the authority to issue letters to revert, five years after the enactment of this Act, to that provided by law on October 25, 2001. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) undertake minimization and destruction procedures with respect to information acquired through letters; and (2) report semiannually on the number and use of letters. Requires the disposal of wrongly acquired information. Revises requirements relating to claims of emergency in connection with certain letters.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2009
Recognizes: (1) National Missing Children's Day; and (2) that one of the most important tools for law enforcement to use in the case of a missing child is an up-to-date, good quality photograph (and urges all parents and guardians to follow this precaution). Acknowledges that National Missing Children's Day should remind Americans not to forget the children who are still missing and not to waver in the effort to reunite them with their families.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Amends the federal judicial code to provide for the direct payment of attorney fees to the attorney representing a prevailing party in civil actions involving Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Claims under titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act. Declares that such fees shall not be subject to offset due to a claim of the United States against the prevailing party.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
American Dream Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States before his or her 16th birthday and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth requirements respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) confidentiality; (3) fee prohibitions; (4) higher education assistance; and (5) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009 or EARLY Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct a national evidence-based education campaign: (1) to increase public awareness regarding the threats posed by breast cancer to young women, including the particular risks faced by certain ethnic and cultural groups; and (2) focusing on awareness of risk factors and achieving early detection through community-centered informational forums, public service advertisements, and media campaigns. Directs the Secretary to award grants to entities to establish national multimedia campaigns that: (1) will encourage young women to be aware of their personal risk factors, strategies for increasing early detection and self awareness, evidence based preventative lifestyle changes, and other appropriate breast cancer early detection and risk reduction strategies; (2) will encourage young women of specific higher-risk populations to talk to their medical practitioners about those risks and methods for appropriate screening and surveillance; and (3) may include advertising through specified media. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) establish an advisory committee to assist in creating and conducting the public education campaign; (2) conduct an education campaign to increase awareness among health care professionals; and (3) conduct prevention research. Directs the Secretary to award grants to organizations and institutions to provide to young women diagnosed with breast cancer substantive assistance and health information from credible sources on: (1) education and counseling regarding fertility preservation; (2) social, emotional, psychosocial, financial, lifestyle, and caregiver support; (3) familial risk factors; and (4) risk reduction strategies to reduce recurrence or metastasis.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Student Voter Opportunity To Encourage Registration Act of 2009 or the Student VOTER Act of 2009 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require states to designate federally-funded institutions of higher education as agencies for the registration of voters in federal elections. Requires such schools to provide mail voter registration application forms to students registering to enroll in their courses.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Recognizes the societal value of parks and recreation facilities and their importance in local communities across the United States. Honors the vital contributions of employees and volunteers in such facilities. Supports the designation of a National Park and Recreation Month.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2009
Extends condolences to the families and loved ones of Oakland, California, Police Department Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans, Sergeant Daniel Sakai, and Officer John Hege (killed in the line of duty).
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2009
Telework Improvements Act of 2009 - Requires each executive agency to establish a policy under which employees may be authorized to telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee performance or agency operations. Specifies circumstances under which teleworking will not be required. Provides that an agency shall not be considered to be in compliance with telework requirements unless employees authorized are permitted to telework for at least 20% of the hours worked in every 2 administrative workweeks. Requires agencies to: (1) provide training to teleworkers; and (2) ensure that no distinction is made between teleworkers and nonteleworkers for performance appraisal, training, and other specified purposes. Requires OPM to: (1) prescribe telework regulations; (2) provide teleworking assistance and guidance to agencies; (3) maintain a central, publicly available telework website, including regulations regarding telework and a confidential hotline and e-mail address to report abuse; and (4) provide a summary of any such reports to the Comptroller General. Requires each agency to designate a Telework Managing Officer who shall: (1) serve as a resource on teleworking for its supervisors, managers, and employees; and (2) ensure that employees are notified of grievance procedures for telework disputes. Requires the Comptroller General to: (1) establish a system for evaluating each agency's telework policy and employee participation; and (2) report annually to specified congressional committees on agency telework policies, participation, and practices. Sets forth provisions concerning incorporating teleworking into agency continuity of operations planning.