Agriculture

Foot and Mouth Disease Prevention Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2009

Foot and Mouth Disease Prevention Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit the importation into the United States of any ruminant or swine, or any fresh (including chilled or frozen) meat or product of any ruminant or swine, that is born, raised, or slaughtered in Argentina until the Secretary certifies to Congress that every region of Argentina is free of foot and mouth disease without vaccination.

Carson City Vital Community Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2009

Carson City Vital Community Act of 2009 - Provides for the conveyance of specified Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land or interest in such land (the federal land) in Nevada by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior in exchange for specified non-federal land by Carson City Consolidated Municipality, Nevada. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to reserve a perpetual conservation easement to the Silver Saddle Ranch and Carson River Area. Releases the reversionary interest of BLM in certain of the conveyed federal land. Provides for the conveyance of such land by the City. Makes the non-federal land part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Provides for the conveyance of specified non-federal land administered by the City to the BLM. Transfers administrative jurisdiction over certain Forest Service land from the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of the Interior. Requires the City to be granted a right-of-way for maintenance of flood management facilities on such land. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct sales of specified BLM land to qualified bidders. Amends the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 to make amounts in the special account available to the City for the development of parks, trails, and natural areas and for the reimbursement of costs incurred by BLM local offices in arranging sales or exchanges under the Act. Makes the City eligible to nominate for expenditure amounts to acquire lands or interests for parks and natural areas and for conservation initiatives adjacent to and within the floodplain of Carson River. Provides for specified land to be held in trust for the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Prohibits the use of such land for class II and class III gaming. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to implement a cooperative agreement ensuring access by the Tribe's members and others in its community across National Forest System land from the City to Lake Tahoe for cultural and religious purposes. Requires the City to notify the Tribe of proposed ground disturbing activities to provide the Tribe with time for inventorying and collecting tribal artifacts.

To authorize the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products that are packaged for direct human consumption.

United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2009

Prohibits any federal department, agency, or court from taking any action (administrative, civil, criminal, or otherwise) that would prohibit, interfere with, regulate, or otherwise restrict the interstate traffic of milk, or a milk product, that is unpasteurized and packaged for direct human consumption, solely on the basis that the milk or milk product is unpasteurized and is therefore adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise in violation of federal law.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2009

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 to: (1) the Department of Agriculture; (2) the Department of Commerce; (3) the Department of Justice (DOJ); (4) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); (5) the National Science Foundation; (6) the Department of Defense (DOD); (7) the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers - Civil; (8) the Department of the Interior; and (9) the Department of Energy. Makes additional appropriations for FY2009 to the Secretary of Agriculture to provide a temporary increase in benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Amends the Crop Insurance Act and the Trade Act of 1974 to provide 2008 transition assistance to certain farmers for lost income due to natural disasters and other unforeseen events. Instructs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish a national broadband service development and expansion program in conjunction with the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. Makes additional borrowing authority available to the Bonneville Power Administration. Amends the Hoover Power Plant Act of 1984 to authorize the Western Area Power Administration to borrow funds from the Treasury for: (1) new or upgraded electric power transmission lines and related facilities; and (2) the delivery of power generated by renewable energy resources after enactment of this Act. Makes technical corrections to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Revises requirements with respect to smart grid regional demonstration initiatives. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish a smart grid information clearinghouse. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary to make loan guarantees for rapid deployment before FY2012 of renewable energy and electric power transmission projects. Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to increase the income eligibility level for the Weatherization Assistance Program, as well as the maximum amount of financial assistance. Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009: (1) to the Department of the Treasury; (2) for federal payments to the District of Columbia; (3) to the General Services Administration (GSA); (4) to the Recovery Act Accountability and Transparency Board; and (5) to Small Business Administration (SBA). Provides temporary elimination of SBA fees on: (1) small-business loans; (2) state and local development program loans; and (3) lender oversight fees. Provides increased SBA loan leverage and investment limits. Authorizes the SBA to refinance certain loans to state and local development companies. Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 to: (1) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); (2) the Department of the Interior; (3) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); (4) the Department of Agriculture; (5) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); (6) the Smithsonian Institution; (7) the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities; (8) the National Endowment for the Arts; (9) the Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration; (10) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); (11) the Department of Education; (12) the Corporation for National and Community Service; (13) the National Service Trust; (14) the Social Security Administration (SSA); (15) the Government Accountability Office (GAO); (16) the DOD; (17) the Department of Veterans Affairs; (18) the DOD - Civil; (19) the Department of State; (20) the Department of Transportation; and (21) the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Requires the President to establish an arbitration panel under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) public assistance program to expedite the recovery efforts from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike within the Gulf Coast Region. Amends the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 to require GAO (currently, the Secretary of Labor) to report on the impact of past and future minimum wage increases in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands regarding living standards and rates of employment. Establishes the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Clinical Effectiveness Research. Provides grants for higher education facility modernization, renovation, and repair. Amends the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act to revise the exclusion from the meaning of "employee in the recreational marine industry" of any individuals employed to repair a recreational vessel or to dismantle any part of it in connection with its repair. Amends the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966 to expand temporarily the homeowners assistance plan to respond to mortgage foreclosures and the credit crisis with respect to: (1) acquisition of property at or near military installations that have been ordered to be closed; (2) homeowner assistance for wounded members of the Armed Forces and DOD and U.S. Coast Guard civilian employees and their spouses; and (3) temporary homeowner assistance for members of the Armed Forces permanently reassigned during a specified period involving a mortgage crisis. Provides for payments to eligible persons who served in the Armed Forces in the Far East during World War II. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to invest in the infrastructure necessary to allow for and promote the electronic exchange and use of health information for each individual in the United States, consistent with the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan developed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Establishes a State Stabilization Fund which the Secretary of Education is to use to provide grants to states: (1) to restore state funding for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education; (2) to supplement school improvement funds provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and (3) for public safety and other government services. Reserves a portion of such Fund for: (1) awarding grants to states that make significant progress in addressing inequities in teacher distribution, establishing longitudinal education data systems, and improving educational assessments; and (2) establishing an Innovation Fund to award states, LEAs, and schools that make significant progress in closing student achievement gaps. Establishes the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. Designates each amount in this Act as an emergency requirement, necessary to meet certain emergency needs in accordance with the FY2008-FY2009 congressional budget resolutions. Makes all funds appropriated in this Act available for obligation in such current fiscal year, unless expressly expressly provided otherwise. Prohibits the use of funds for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron and steel used in the project is domestic, except in certain circumstances. Prohibits a state or local agency from receiving infrastructure investment funding from funds made available under this Act unless its chief executive certifies that: (1) such investment funding has been reviewed and vetted; and (2) the investment is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars. Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to revise contracting requirements to include individuals with disabilities and businesses owned by such persons.

Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2009

Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009 - Applies this Act to any mining claim, millsite claim, or tunnel site claim located under the general mining laws or used for beneficiation or mineral processing activities, regardless of whether legal and beneficial title to the mineral is held by the United States. Conditions federal issuance of a patent for any such mining or millsite claim upon specified determinations by the Secretary of the Interior. Subjects production of locatable minerals to a royalty of 8% of the gross income from mining. Imposes a 4% royalty upon federal lands subject to an existing permit, and specified royalties on certain federal land added to an existing operations permit. Prescribes a hardrock mining claim maintenance fee for each unpatented mining claim, mill, or tunnel site on federally owned lands. Designates certain wilderness study areas, areas of critical environmental concern, and related areas as not open to location of mining claims. Permits a state or local government or Indian tribe to petition the Secretary of the Interior for withdrawal of specific federal land from operation of the general mining laws in order to protect specific values. Instructs the Secretary to ensure that mineral activities on federal land subject to a claim are carefully controlled to prevent undue degradation of public lands and resources. Prescribes requirements for the exploration permit process and for operations permits, including financial assurances. Requires restoration of lands to a condition capable of supporting prior uses or other beneficial uses. Establishes the Locatable Minerals Fund composed of: (1) penalties, fees, and royalties; (2) the Hardrock Reclamation Account, and (3) the Hardrock Community Impact Assistance Account. Amends the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to initiate prompt actions to improve the availability and analysis of mineral data in public land use decision-making with respect to National Forest System lands. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to subject certain oil shale claims to the reclamation requirements of this Act. Repeals the Building Stone Act and the Saline Placer Act.

Rural Revitalization Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2009

Rural Revitalization Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow the issuance, through December 31, 2010, of tax-exempt facility bonds to finance qualified electric transmission facilities; and (2) extend issuance authority for qualified zone academy bonds and permit bond proceeds to be used for construction. Amends the Federal Power Act to revise the Secretary of Energy's authority to designate national interest electric transmission corridors. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer funds for: (1) electrification loans and loan guarantees; (2) Indian reservation roads and bridge and highway projects; (3) water projects; (4) utilities programs; (5) community facilities programs; (6) business enterprise grants and microenterprise assistance; (7) telemedicine and distance learning services; (8) public works and economic development; and (9) energy programs. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct the Secretary of Energy to make loan guarantees for renewable fuel pipelines. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer funds for the: (1) emergency food assistance program; (2) commodity supplemental food program; (3) emergency food program infrastructure grant program; and (4) supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC). Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to use specified Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds for the Doug Bereuter section 502 single family housing loan guarantee program. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer funds for National Health Service Corps programs. Amends the Social Security Act to extend: (1) increased payments for certain ground ambulance services; and (2) assistance for rural providers providing services in low population density areas. Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, as amended by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, to extend the payment increase for certain rural home health services. Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, to extend certain hospital reclassification authority.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest Administrative Jurisdiction Transfer Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2009

Transfers the administrative jurisdiction of specified federally owned lands in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California from the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of the Interior. Subjects such lands to the laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Excepts lands within the Shasta Dam Reclamation Zone from such transfer and continues the administration of those lands by the Secretary of the Interior through the Bureau of Reclamation. Transfers the administrative jurisdiction of specified federally owned lands in California administered by the BLM from the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of Agriculture. Subjects such lands to the laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the National Forest System. Requires the Forest Service and the BLM, with respect to the transfer of their lands, to identify any known sites concerning hazardous substances and to provide such information to the receiving agency.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2009

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Establishes use-it-or-lose-it requirements for grantees using funds in specified accounts who have not entered into contracts or other binding commitments and used 50% of the funds awarded. Provides for redistribution of such uncommitted funds by the appropriate federal agency. Makes all funds appropriated by this Act available for obligation through FY2010, unless expressly provided otherwise. Makes additional appropriations to specified federal agency and departmental Offices of Inspector General. Appropriates additional amounts to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Prohibits the use of funds for: (1) casino or other gambling establishments, aquariums, zoos, golf courses, or swimming pools; or (2) a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron and steel used in the project is domestic, except in certain circumstances. Designates each amount in this Act as an emergency requirement, necessary to meet certain emergency needs in accordance with the FY2008-FY2009 congressional budget resolutions. Prohibits the use of funds to enter into a contract with an entity that does not participate in the E-verify program of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Requires publication on the website Recovery.gov of: (1) all federal agency plans for using funds made available in this Act, as well as all related grant announcements; and (2) all federal, state, or local agency public notices regarding funds obligated to particular infrastructure investments. Prescribes review and reporting requirements for inspectors general of federal departments or executive agencies, the GAO, and the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Establishes the Recovery Act Accountability and Transparency Board, which shall establish the Recovery.gov website. Places limitations on the length of certain noncompetitive contracts. Grants the Comptroller General and the Offices of Inspector General access to certain contractors' or subcontractors' records or employees. Prohibits reprisals against state and local government and contractor whistleblowers. Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 to: (1) the Department of Agriculture; (2) the Department of Commerce; (3) the Department of Justice (DOJ); (4) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); (5) the National Science Foundation; (6) the Department of Defense (DOD); (7) the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers - Civil; (8) the Department of the Interior; and (9) the Department of Energy. Makes additional appropriations for FY2009 to the Secretary of Agriculture to provide a temporary increase in benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to repeal the limitation of the afterschool feeding program for at-risk children to eight states. Requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop and maintain a map showing where broadband service is deployed and available in each state. Authorizes NTIA to award grants for wireless deployment and broadband deployment. Makes technical corrections to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Revises requirements with respect to smart grid regional demonstration initiatives. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish a smart grid information clearinghouse. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary to make loan guarantees for rapid deployment before FY2012 of renewable energy and electric power transmission projects. Amends the Hoover Power Plant Act of 1984 to authorize the Western Area Power Administration to borrow funds from the Treasury for: (1) new or upgraded electric power transmission lines and related facilities; and (2) the delivery of power generated by renewable energy resources after enactment of this Act. Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to increase the income eligibility level for the Weatherization Assistance Program, as well as the maximum amount of financial assistance. Makes additional borrowing authority available to the Bonneville Power Administration. Instructs the Secretary to include specified analyses within the 2009 National Electric Transmission Congestion Study. Appropriates funds for: (1) the General Services Administration (GSA) for the Federal Buildings Fund and the acquisition of energy-efficient motor vehicles; and (2) the Small Business Administration (SBA) for small business loan programs. Permits the SBA to guarantee up to 95% of qualifying small business loans made by eligible lenders. Authorizes the SBA to establish: (1) the SBA Secondary Market Lending Authority; and (2) the SBA Secondary Market Guarantee Authority. Authorizes the SBA to refinance: (1) SBA and non-SBA loans made to small businesses; and (2) loans made under the SBA's local development business loan program. Provides increased SBA loan leverage and investment limits. Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 to: (1) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); (2) the Department of the Interior; (3) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); (4) the Department of Agriculture; (5) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); (6) the Smithsonian Institution; (7) the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities; (8) the National Endowment for the Arts; and (9) the Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to extend employment eligibility confirmation pilot programs (including the E-Verify basic pilot program). Directs the Commissioner of Social Security and the Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into a fiscal year agreement to provide funds to the Commissioner for the full costs of such programs in quarterly advances. Requires GAO studies regarding: (1) erroneous tentative nonconfirmations under the E-Verify program; and (2) the effects of such program on small entities. Amends the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act to revise the exclusion from the meaning of "employee in the recreational marine industry" of any individuals employed to repair a recreational vessel or to dismantle any part of it in connection with its repair. Establishes a Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to invest in the infrastructure necessary to allow for and promote the electronic exchange and use of health information for each individual in the United States, consistent with the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan developed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Makes supplemental appropriations available to the Department of Education for: (1) education of the disadvantaged; (2) impact aid; (3) school improvement programs; (4) innovation and improvement activities; (5) special education; (6) rehabilitation services and disability research; (7) certain student financial assistance programs, as well as federal administrative expenses for such programs; (8) teacher quality partnership grants; (9) the Institute of Education Sciences; and (10) school modernization, renovation, and repair. Sets the maximum individual Pell Grant amount at $4,860 for award year 2009-2010. Establishes grant programs for the modernization, renovation, and repair of: (1) public elementary and secondary school facilities; and (2) higher education facilities that are primarily used for instruction, research, or student housing. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the amount authorized and appropriated for Pell Grants for FY2009-FY2010. Increases annual and aggregate student loan limits under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. Alters, on a temporary basis, the formula for calculating special allowance payments made to FFEL lenders to compensate them for the difference between FFEL interest rates and market rates. Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 to: (1) the Corporation for National and Community Service; (2) the National Service Trust; (3) the Social Security Administration (SSA); (4) the DOD; (5) the Department of Veterans Affairs; (6) the Department of State; (7) the Department of Transportation; and (8) the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Sets forth maintenance of effort and reporting requirements for a state or its agency awarded funds appropriated in this Act for a covered program. Establishes loan limits for calendar 2009 for: (1) the Federal Housing Administration (FHA); (2) the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae); (3) the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac); and (4) the FHA reverse mortgage. Establishes a State Stabilization Fund which the Secretary of Education is to use to provide grants to states: (1) to restore state funding for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education; (2) to supplement school improvement funds provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and (3) for public safety and other government services. Reserves a portion of such Fund for: (1) awarding grants to states that make significant progress in addressing inequities in teacher distribution, establishing longitudinal education data systems, and improving educational assessments; and (2) establishing an Innovation Fund to award states, LEAs, and schools that make significant progress in closing student achievement gaps. Bars the use of such Fund to provide financial assistance to students to attend private elementary or secondary schools.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2009

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Designates: (1) each amount in this Act as an emergency requirement, necessary to meet certain emergency needs in accordance with the FY2008-FY2009 congressional budget resolutions; and (2) as an emergency for Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) principles. Establishes use-it-or-lose-it requirements for grantees using funds in specified accounts who have not entered into contracts or other binding commitments and used 50% of the funds awarded. Provides for redistribution of such uncommitted funds by the appropriate federal agency. Makes all funds appropriated by this Act available for obligation through FY2010, unless expressly provided otherwise. Makes additional appropriations to specified federal agency and departmental Offices of Inspector General. Appropriates additional amounts to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Prohibits the use of funds for: (1) casino or other gambling establishments, aquariums, zoos, golf courses, or swimming pools; or (2) a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron and steel used in the project is domestic, except in certain circumstances. Requires publication on the website Recovery.gov of: (1) all federal agency plans for using funds made available in this Act, as well as all related grant announcements; and (2) all federal, state, or local agency public notices regarding funds obligated to particular infrastructure investments. Prescribes review and reporting requirements for inspectors general of federal departments or executive agencies, the GAO, and the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Establishes the Recovery Act Accountability and Transparency Board, which shall establish the Recovery.gov website. Places limitations on the length of certain noncompetitive contracts. Grants the Comptroller General and the Offices of Inspector General access to certain contractors' or subcontractors' records or employees. Prohibits reprisals against state and local government and contractor whistleblowers. Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 to: (1) the Department of Agriculture; (2) the Department of Commerce; (3) the Department of Justice (DOJ); (4) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); (5) the National Science Foundation; (6) the Department of Defense (DOD); (7) the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers - Civil; (8) the Department of the Interior; and (9) the Department of Energy. Makes additional appropriations for FY2009 to the Secretary of Agriculture to provide a temporary increase in benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Amends the Hoover Power Plant Act of 1984 to authorize the Western Area Power Administration to borrow funds from the Treasury for: (1) new or upgraded electric power transmission lines and related facilities; and (2) the delivery of power generated by renewable energy resources after enactment of this Act. Makes additional borrowing authority available to the Bonneville Power Administration. Appropriates funds for: (1) the General Services Administration (GSA) for the Federal Buildings Fund and the acquisition of energy-efficient motor vehicles; and (2) the Small Business Administration (SBA) for small business loan programs. Permits the SBA to guarantee up to 95% of qualifying small business loans made by eligible lenders. Authorizes the SBA to establish: (1) the SBA Secondary Market Lending Authority; and (2) the SBA Secondary Market Guarantee Authority. Authorizes the SBA to refinance: (1) SBA and non-SBA loans made to small businesses; and (2) loans made under the SBA's local development business loan program. Provides increased SBA loan leverage and investment limits. Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 to: (1) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); (2) the Department of the Interior; (3) the Environmental Protection Agency; (4) the Department of Agriculture; (5) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); (6) the Smithsonian Institution; (7) the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities; (8) the National Endowment for the Arts; (9) the Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration; and (10) the Department of Health and Human Services. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to extend employment eligibility confirmation pilot programs (including the E-Verify basic pilot program). Directs the Commissioner of Social Security and the Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into a fiscal year agreement to provide funds to the Commissioner for the full costs of such programs in quarterly advances. Requires that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct studies regarding: (1) erroneous tentative nonconfirmations under the E-Verify program; and (2) the effects of such program on small entities. Amends the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act to revise the exclusion from the meaning of "employee in the recreational marine industry" of any individuals employed to repair a recreational vessel or to dismantle any part of it in connection with its repair. Establishes a Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to invest in the infrastructure necessary to allow for and promote the electronic exchange and use of health information for each individual in the United States, consistent with the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan developed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Makes supplemental appropriations available to the Department of Education for: (1) education of the disadvantaged; (2) impact aid; (3) school improvement programs; (4) innovation and improvement activities; (5) special education; (6) rehabilitation services and disability research; (7) certain student financial assistance programs, as well as federal administrative expenses for such programs; (8) teacher quality partnership grants; (9) the Institute of Education Sciences; and (10) school modernization, renovation, and repair. Sets the maximum individual Pell Grant amount at $4,860 for award year 2009-2010. Establishes grant programs for the modernization, renovation, and repair of: (1) public elementary and secondary school facilities; and (2) higher education facilities that are primarily used for instruction, research, or student housing. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the amount authorized and appropriated for Pell Grants for FY2009-FY2010. Increases annual and aggregate student loan limits under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. Alters, on a temporary basis, the formula for calculating special allowance payments made to FFEL lenders to compensate them for the difference between FFEL interest rates and market rates. Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 to: (1) the Corporation for National and Community Service; (2) the National Service Trust; (3) the Social Security Administration (SSA); (4) the DOD; (5) the Department of Veterans Affairs; (6) the Department of State; (7) the Department of Transportation; and (8) the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Sets forth maintenance of effort and reporting requirements for a state or its agency awarded funds appropriated in this Act for a covered program. Establishes loan limits for calendar 2009 for: (1) the Federal Housing Administration (FHA); (2) the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae); (3) the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac); and (4) the FHA reverse mortgage. Establishes a State Stabilization Fund which the Secretary of Education is to use to provide grants to states: (1) to restore state funding for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education; (2) to supplement school improvement funds provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and (3) for public safety and other government services. Reserves a portion of such Fund for: (1) awarding grants to states that make significant progress in addressing inequities in teacher distribution, establishing longitudinal education data systems, and improving educational assessments; and (2) establishing an Innovation Fund to award states, Leas, and schools that make significant progress in closing student achievement gaps. American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow through 2010 a refundable tax credit for the lesser of 6.2% of earned income or $500 ($1,000 for married couples filing jointly); (2) allow through 2010 increases in the earned income tax credit, the refundable portion of the child tax credit, and the Hope Scholarship tax credit; (3) allow a waiver of the the first-time home buyer tax credit repayment requirement for residences purchased after December 31, 2008, and before July 1, 2009; (4) extend through 2009 bonus depreciation and the increased expensing allowance for depreciable business assets; (5) extend from two to five years the carryback period for net operating losses; and (6) allow a work opportunity tax credit for certain unemployed veterans and disconnected youth hired in 2009 or 2010. Limits the applicability of Treasury Notice 2008-83 (suspending restrictions on the offset of net operating losses and unrealized built-in losses against the taxable income of certain corporate entities that acquire or merge with other entities) to periods prior to January 16, 2009. Suspends in 2009 or 2010 certain limitations on the tax deduction allowed to financial institutions for interest expense related to investments in tax-exempt bonds. Exempts interest earned on tax-exempt private activity bonds from the alternative minimum tax. Allows a new tax credit for investment in bonds for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of public school facilities or for the acquisition of land for building a public school facility. Increases in 2009 and 2010 the issuance limitation for qualified zone academy bonds. Allows state or local governments to elect to receive direct federal payments equal to tax credit amounts for investment in tax-exempt bonds issued in 2009 and 2010. Allows a new tax credit for investment in recovery zone economic development and recovery zone facility bonds issued in 2009 and 2010. Repeals the 3% withholding requirement on payments by federal, state, or local governmental entities to individuals who provide property or services to such entities. Extends the tax credit for the production of electricity from wind facilities (through 2012) and from other renewable facilities (through 2013). Allows an election to claim an investment tax credit for renewable facilities placed in service in 2009 or 2010. Repeals limitations on the investment tax credit for energy property financed by subsidized energy financing or industrial development bonds. Increases the limitation amount on the issuance of new clean renewable energy bonds and qualified energy conservation bonds. Modifies and extends through 2010 the tax credit for improvements to energy-efficient residences. Increases through 2010 the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures. Increases through 2010 the tax credit for qualified energy research expenses. Requires the application of certain federal labor standards to projects financed with clean renewable energy and conservation bonds, zone academy bonds, school construction bonds, and recovery zone economic development bonds. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make grants in 2009 to states for low-income housing projects in lieu of low-income housing credit allocations. Directs the Secretary of Energy to make grants in 2009 or 2010 in lieu of tax credits to investors in specified energy property (e.g., renewable energy property, fuel cell property, solar property, wind energy property, geothermal property, microturbine property, combined health and power system property, and geothermal heatpump property). Directs the Comptroller General to submit a report to the House Committee on Ways and Means on the economic, employment, and other effects of this Act. Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program. Provides for federal-state agreements for increased regular unemployment compensation payments to individuals. Requires federal payments to states to cover 100% of such additional payments. Amends Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Labor to make special transfers to state accounts in the Unemployment Trust Fund for unemployment compensation modernization incentive payments and for administration. Health Insurance Assistance for the Unemployed Act of 2009 - Provides for payment of a portion of an individual's premiums for any COBRA coverage (health insurance continuation benefits). Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code, and the Public Health Service Act to allow COBRA coverage to continue past required termination dates for an employee who has attained age 55 or has completed ten or more years of service. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to allow states to provide coverage to individuals who are receiving unemployment compensation benefits or who have exhausted such benefits. Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act or the HITECH Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Sets forth provisions governing the development and adoption of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure that allows for the electronic use and exchange of information. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to establish incentive payments for certain eligible physicians and hospitals that adopt and use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology meaningfully, beginning in FY2011. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to establish incentive payments to encourage the adoption and use by Medicaid providers of qualified electronic health records. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a grant program to enhance the meaningful use of certified electronic health records in nursing facilities. Sets forth provisions governing the privacy and security of health information, including requiring notifications for any breach of protected health information. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from phasing out or eliminating the budget neutrality adjustment factor in the Medicare hospice wage index before October 1, 2009. Requires the Secretary to recompute and apply the final index for FY2009 as if there had been no reduction in the budget neutrality adjustment factor. Provides for non-application of the phased-out indirect medical education adjustment factor for FY2009. Makes technical corrections to the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 with respect to long-term care hospitals. Establishes a temporary increase in the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) with respect to Medicaid payments, as well as payments under SSA title IV part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance), for FY2009-FY2011 for eligible states, with optional FMAP increases authorized for specified U.S. territories. Extends from March 31, 2009, through June 30, 2009, the current moratoria on implementation of specified Medicaid and SCHIP regulations relating to cost limits for government-operated providers, the integrity of the federal-state Medicaid financial partnership, graduate medical education (GME) payments, Medicaid provider taxes, rehabilitative services, optional state plan case management services, and school-based administration and school-based transportation services. Imposes a moratorium through June 30, 2009, on implementation of a final regulation published on November 7, 2008, relating to Medicaid outpatient hospital services. Extends transitional medical assistance (TMA) from June 30, 2009, through December 31, 2010. Gives states the option of providing, during a presumptive eligibility period, Medicaid coverage for family planning services and supplies to individuals who are not pregnant and whose income does not exceed the highest income eligibility level for pregnant women established under the state's Medicaid or SCHIP programs. Prohibits state Medicaid programs from imposing cost-sharing requirements on Indians or Alaska Natives when the beneficiary is receiving an item or service directly from an Indian health care provider or through referral from a Contract Health Services provider. Amends SSA title XI to repeal establishment of the National Commission on Children. Directs the Secretary of HHS to maintain within the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services a Tribal Technical Advisory Group. Prescribes a temporary increase in state allotments for payments to Medicaid disproportionate share (DSH) hospitals. Requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop and maintain a map showing where broadband service is deployed and available in each state. Provides for grants for wireless deployment and broadband deployment. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to report on a national broadband plan. Makes technical corrections to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). Revises requirements with respect to smart grid regional demonstration initiatives. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish a smart grid information clearinghouse. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of Energy to make loan guarantees for rapid deployment before FY 2012 of renewable energy and electric power transmission projects. Amends the Energy Conservation and Production Act to increase the income eligibility level for the Weatherization Assistance Program, as well as the maximum amount of financial assistance. Instructs the Secretary to include specified analyses within the 2009 National Electric Transmission Congestion Study. Sets forth conditions for additional grants under the State Energy Program.

No Net Loss of Private Land Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2009

No Net Loss of Private Land Act - Allows the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to acquire an interest in a parcel of land consisting of 100 or more acres in a state in which 25% or more of all land in the state is owned by the United States only if, before the acquisition of such interest, all right, title, and interest of the United States in the surface estate of another parcel of land in the state is conveyed in accordance with this Act. Provides that, to qualify as a conveyance of the surface estate of a parcel of federal land, the Secretary concerned shall certify to Congress that: (1) the conveyance was made to comply with the requirements described above (the requirements); and (2) the value of the surface estate of the conveyed federal land is approximately equal to the value of the interest to be acquired. Prohibits the Secretary concerned from dividing a parcel of land consisting of 100 acres or more into smaller parcels to avoid the requirements. Makes certain land acquisitions non-applicable to this Act. Permits the waiver of the requirements with respect to the acquisition of a particular parcel of land during a period in which there is in effect a declaration of war or a national emergency declared by the President and the Secretary concerned certifies to Congress that such land acquisition is necessary to respond to such war or national emergency.

Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2009

Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the town of Mantua, Utah, all interest of the United States in and to parcels of National Forest System land in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Box Elder County, Utah, that are labeled as parcels A, B, and C on the map entitled "Box Elder Utah Land Conveyance Act" and dated July 14, 2008. Requires the town to use the land conveyed under this Act for public purposes.

Bountiful City Land Consolidation Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2009

Bountiful City Land Consolidation Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, if the city of Bountiful, Utah, conveys three parcels of land consisting of a total of approximately 1,680 acres to the Secretary, to convey to the city, in exchange for such land, certain federal land identified as Shooting Range Special Use Permit Area on the map entitled "Bountiful City Land Consolidation Act, " dated October 15, 2007.

Economic Recovery Through Increased Feeding Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2009

Economic Recovery Through Increased Feeding Act of 2009 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Food Stamp Act of 1977 as renamed by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008) to increase to 12 months the amount of time certain work capable adults can receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (formerly, food stamp benefits). Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to require appropriate states to: (1) submit to the Secretary reports identifying SNAP participation in the 25 largest U.S. cities; and (2) implement practices to increase program participation in cities where eligible household participation is less than 85%. Increases funding for grants to increase program participation. Directs the Secretary to carry out a program to support the use of electronic benefits transfers for federal nutrition programs at farmers' markets.

NOMINATION OF GOV. THOMAS J. VILSACK, OF IOWA, TO BE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

United States · United States Senate · 14 January 2009

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to terminate certain easements held by the Secretary on land owned by the Village of Caseyville, Illinois, and to terminate associated contractual arrangements with the Village.

United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2009

Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to terminate any easement held by the Secretary on land owned by the Village of Caseyville, Illinois, and terminate associated contractual arrangements with the Village.

America's Right-to-Eat Rescue Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2009

America's Right-to-Eat Rescue Act of 2009 - Applies the poverty line used in making eligibility determinations under the Food Stamp and School Lunch programs in Alaska, for a specified six-month period, to the same eligibility determinations in all states and the District of Columbia.

Summer Food Service Rural Expansion Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2009

Summer Food Service Rural Expansion Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act with respect to the summer food service programs for children in service institutions (e.g., schools and summer camps). Revises the condition limiting eligibility to institutions conducting a regularly scheduled food service for children from areas in which poor economic conditions exist (i.e., where at least 50% of the children meet eligibility requirements for certain free or reduced price school meals.) Eliminates the special 2005 and 2006 exemption from this requirement for rural areas in Pennsylvania which lowers the threshold eligibility to areas where at least 40% of the children meet eligibility requirements for free or reduced price school meals. Applies such 40% threshold to rural areas of all states and makes it permanent.

Energy and Technology Advancement Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2009

Energy and Technology Advancement Act of 2009 - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of Agriculture, in order to further the adoption of technologies developed by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), to establish criteria and procedures to facilitate and encourage businesses and other organizations to: (1) rent government equipment and property for the development of new and improved products and processes; (2) authorize USDA and private sector employees to work together in experimental or production facilities owned by the federal government or a private entity; (3) provide business support services to start-up and small businesses; and (4) enter into cooperative agreements with educational and governmental units to support business incubators for businesses that use technologies and products of interest to the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan for the development and construction of a biorefinery pilot plant that is able to: (1) produce liquid fuels from woody, agricultural, and other biomass in a flexible, multi-bioproduct manner, in a sustainable manner that addresses life-cycle inputs and outputs, and in quantities sufficient to provide proof of process and to allow for business incubator and support services; and (2) employ thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes in the production of liquid fuels. Requires the Secretary to include in the plan a comprehensive estimate of each cost relating to the development and construction of the biorefinery pilot plant.

Produced Water Utilization Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2009

Produced Water Utilization Act of 2009 - Defines "produced water" to mean water from an underground source that is brought to the surface as part of the process of exploration for or development of coalbed methane, oil, natural gas, or any other substance to be used as an energy source. Requires the Secretary of Energy, in conjunction with an existing domestic petroleum production program of the Department of Energy (DOE), to conduct a program of research, development, and demonstration of technologies for environmentally sustainable utilization of produced water for agriculture, irrigation, municipal, or industrial uses or other environmentally sustainable purposes. Requires the program to be designed to maximize the utilization of produced water in the United States by increasing its quality and reducing its environmental impacts. Requires that the program address: (1) produced water recovery, including research for desalination and demineralization to reduce total dissolved solids in the produced water; (2) re-injection of produced water into subsurface geological formations to increase energy production; and (3) improving safety and minimizing environmental impacts of such activities. Requires the Secretary, through the appropriate National Laboratory, to carry out research, development, and demonstration activities that are complementary to and supportive of such program.

Bonus TEFAP Assistance Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2009

Bonus TEFAP Assistance Act of 2009 - Amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance for the costs of intrastate transportation, storage, and distribution of bonus commodities provided to states and food assistance agencies under the emergency food assistance program.

Colorado Northern Front Range Mountain Backdrop Protection Study Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2009

Colorado Northern Front Range Mountain Backdrop Protection Study Act - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to conduct a study of the land within the study area (certain lands in southern Boulder, northern Jefferson, and northern Gilpin Counties, Colorado) and complete a report: (1) identifying the present ownership of the land within the study area; (2) identifying any undeveloped land that may be at risk of development; and (3) describing any actions that could be taken to preserve the open and undeveloped character of the land within the study area.

Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2009

Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 - Authorizes specified programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture concerning, among other things, national wilderness preservation, boundary adjustments, national rivers, the national landscape conservation system, national conservation areas, land conveyances and exchanges, watershed management, watershed restoration and enhancement, wildland firefighter safety, forest landscape restoration, national trails, paleontological resources preservation, wolf livestock loss, national parks, studies, infrastructure, advisory commissions, national heritage areas, national heritage corridors, water projects, tribal water rights, ocean exploration, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) undersea research, ocean and coastal mapping integration, the integrated coastal and ocean observation system, federal ocean acidification research and monitoring, and coastal and estuarine land conservation. Makes amendments to various public laws, including the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, the National Trails System Act, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978, the National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998, the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor Act of 1994, the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Act of 1988, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Act, the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act, the Colorado River Storage Project Act, the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992, the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act of 2000, and the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act. Provides for: (1) paralysis research and rehabilitation activities through the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act; and (2) specified activities of the Smithsonian Institution.

Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2009

Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2009 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to provide increased protections and eligibility for family-sponsored immigrants. Directs the Secretary of State to establish a Board of Family-based Visa Appeals within the Department of State. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to deny a family-based immigration petition by a U.S. petitioner for an alien spouse or child if: (1) the petitioner is on the national sex offender registry for a conviction that resulted in more than one year's imprisonment; (2) the petitioner has failed to rebut such information within 90 days; and (3) granting the petition would put a spouse or child beneficiary in danger of sexual abuse. Directs the Secretary to establish the Task Force to Rescue Immigrant Victims of American Sex Offenders. Authorizes the Secretary to adjust the status of aliens who would otherwise be inadmissible (due to unlawful presence, document fraud, or other specified grounds of inadmissibility) if such aliens have been in the United States for at least five years and meet other requirements. Authorizes the emergency deployment of Border Patrol agents to a requesting border state. Sets forth provisions for Border Patrol acquisition and use of specified equipment. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide for additional detention space for illegal aliens; (2) increase Border Patrol agents, airport and land border immigration inspectors, immigration enforcement officers, and fraud and document fraud investigators; (3) enhance Border Patrol training and operational facilities; (4) establish immigration, customs, and agriculture inspector occupations within the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection; (5) reestablish the Border Patrol anti-smuggling unit; (6) establish criminal investigator occupations within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); (7) increase Border Patrol agent and investigator pay; (8) require foreign language training for appropriate DHS employees; and (9) establish the Fraudulent Documents Task Force. Redefines the term "law enforcement officer" under provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to include: (1) federal employees not otherwise covered by such term whose duties include the investigation or apprehension of suspected or convicted individuals and who are authorized to carry a firearm; and (2) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees whose duties are primarily the collection of delinquent taxes and the securing of delinquent returns. Authorizes S (witness or informant) nonimmigrant status for aliens in possession of critical reliable information concerning commercial alien smuggling or trafficking in immigration documents. Establishes a reward program to assist in eliminating immigration-related commercial document fraud operations. Sets forth unfair immigration-related employment practices. Requires petitioners for nonimmigrant labor to describe their efforts to recruit lawful permanent residents or U.S. citizens. Makes permanent an INA provision allowing adjustment of status of certain aliens for whom family-sponsored or employment-based applications or petitions were filed by a specified date. Lessens immigration consequences for minor criminal offenses. Eliminates retroactive changes in grounds of inadmissibility and removal. Amends criminal offense removal-related provisions. Increases the worldwide level of diversity immigrants. Authorizes adjustment of status for certain nationals or citizens of Haiti. Eliminates mandatory detention in expedited removal proceedings. Amends the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 to: (1) waive document fraud as a ground of inadmissibility; and (2) address determinations with respect to children. Eliminates the one-year filing requirement for asylum applicants. Includes gender persecution within the particular social group category of persecution. Provides for the permanent resident status adjustment of certain temporary protected status persons. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to eliminate a provision prohibiting restrictions on the communication of immigration status information by a government entity. Replaces the existing fashion model H-1B visa classification with an O-visa classification.

21st Century Energy Independence Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2009

21st Century Energy Independence Act of 2009 - Instructs the Secretary of Energy to seek to ensure: (1) the availability of 200% of the volume of renewable fuels required to be available in the United States by 2013 under the Energy Policy Act of 2005; and (2) the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from the production and use of renewable fuels by 25%. Directs the Secretary to establish a loan guarantee program for up to 80% of the cost of a project for: (1) the harvesting, storing, and delivery of agriculture residues for use in cellulosic or traditional ethanol production plants; (2) cellulosic ethanol production technologies that will reduce the initial capital cost to $2.50 per annual gallon, and operation and maintenance costs to 125% of those at traditional corn ethanol plants; (3) advanced biomass gasifiers that can provide specified thermal input requirements for traditional ethanol plants to produce syngas; and (4) scaled catalytic conversion projects to convert syngas to liquid fuels. Permits such loan guarantees for: (1) a traditional ethanol plant only if the agriculture residue products are used as feedstock to replace thermal input requirements otherwise provided by fossil fuels; and (2) an existing ethanol plant only if the applicant demonstrates the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions related to ethanol production by at least 75%. Authorizes the Secretary to provide grants for up to 50% of the capital costs of the initial commercialization for certain cellulosic ethanol production technologies.

Walnut Canyon Study Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009

Walnut Canyon Study Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study of an area identified as the Walnut Canyon Proposed Study Area (the study area) to assess and report to specified congressional committees on: (1) the suitability and feasibility of designating all or part of the study area as an addition to Walnut Canyon National Monument in Arizona; and (2) continued management of the study area by the Forest Service, or any other designation or management option that would provide for protection of resources within the study area and continued access to, and use of, the study area by the public.

Imported Seafood Safety Enhancement Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009

Imported Seafood Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) issue an order refusing admission into the United States of all imports of seafood or seafood products originating from a country or exporter which the Secretary determines do not meet food safety requirements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or which are not likely to meet food safety requirements of any other federal law; and (2) notify all U.S. ports of entry of such refusal within five days. Requires shipments denied admission to be clearly marked "Refused Entry by the United States Government." Requires the importer of such a rejected shipment headed for its country of origin to notify the appropriate authority of such country of the reasons admission was refused before the shipment may be released to the importer. Requires the importer of such a rejected shipment bound for a third party country to notify such country's appropriate authority about such refusal, and requires such authority to notify the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it accepts such shipment, before the shipment may be released to the importer. Requires the shipment to be destroyed if such authority's notification of acceptance is not made within 45 days after it is notified of the rejection.

Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009

Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Act - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate specified segments of Fossil Creek, a tributary to the Verde River in Arizona, as components of the national wild and scenic rivers system, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture.

To authorize the conveyance of certain National Forest System lands in the Los Padres National Forest in California.

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009

Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to convey real property within Los Padres National Forest in California, to the White Lotus Foundation.

Sewage Sludge in Food Production Consumer Notification Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009

Sewage Sludge in Food Production Consumer Notification Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Egg Products Inspection Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act, and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to deem as adulterated food that is: (1) produced on land on which sewage sludge was applied; (2) derived from poultry that were raised, or that consumed animal feed produced, on such land; and (3) derived from livestock that grazed, or consumed animal feed produced, on such land. Permits exceptions if: (1) the application of sewage sludge ended more than one year before producing food, raising poultry, producing animal feed, or grazing livestock; (2) the food labeling includes notice that the product was produced on such land; or (3) a sign providing such notice is posted in close proximity to the product for those foods generally offered for sale without labeling. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to modify the prohibition on the use of sewage sludge in organic food production under the National Organic Program of the Department of Agriculture.

Anti-hunger Empowerment Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009

Anti-hunger Empowerment Act of 2009 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (formerly known as the Food Stamp Act of 1977) to replace current supplemental nutrition assistance program (formerly known as the food stamp program) administrative cost provisions with provisions authorizing 75% reimbursement for specified state activities to increase program access. States that fingerprinting shall not be required for program participation. Beyond the Soup Kitchen Grants Program Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Beyond the Soup Kitchen pilot program to provide grants: (1) to a primary community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger group in each designated pilot community which shall allocate subgrants to other nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups in such community; and (2) for technical assistance grants. Sets forth program provisions.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt certain farmland from the estate tax.

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross estate of a decedent the value of farmland used by an heir of the decedent for farming purposes. Imposes a recapture tax on an heir who disposes of such farmland after the decedent's death or who ceases to use it for farming purposes.

Central Idaho National Forest and Public Land Management Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009

Central Idaho National Forest and Public Land Management Act Act - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to convey specified parcels of federal land to certain counties and cities in central Idaho. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to convey, to the state of Idaho a specified parcel or parcels of BLM land, including roads thereon, for a motorized recreation park. Designates specified parcels of federal land in central Idaho as wilderness areas to be managed as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). Repeals existing law requiring review of portions of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) for possible inclusion in the NWPS. Sets forth provisions concerning the management of federal lands in the Challis National Forest, the Sawtooth National Forest, SNRA, and the Challis District of the BLM that are not designated as wilderness areas under this Act or previous laws. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to complete a study for establishing the Big Wood Backcountry Trail system for mechanized and nonmotorized recreation on a portion of the Rip and Tear Trail inside the SNRA.

Los Padres National Forest Land Exchange Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009

Los Padres National Forest Land Exchange Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to convey specified National Forest System (NFS) lands to the United Water Conservation District of California in exchange for the conveyance of specified non-federal lands to the Secretary by the District. Makes the completion of such land exchange a priority for the Forest Service. Instructs the Forest Service to endeavor to complete the exchange within one year after the enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary to reserve easements for all trails and roads that are considered necessary to provide for administrative purposes and to ensure public access to the NFS lands.