Education

Skin Cancer Prevention, Education, and Consumer Right-To-Know Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2007

Skin Cancer Prevention, Education, and Consumer Right-To-Know Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem a drug that is a sunscreen product whose labeling violates this Act to be adulterated. Prohibits the labeling of a drug that is a sunscreen product that fails to meet the standards adopted under this Act from: (1) describing the product using the term "broad-spectrum"; or (2) including a specified symbol adopted to indicate broad-spectrum. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to adopt: (1) a standard for broad-spectrum protection in sunscreen products; and (2) an easily recognized symbol for inclusion in the labeling of sunscreen products meeting such standards. Sets forth minimum standards that the Secretary shall adopt for such broad-spectrum protection, including a minimum ratio of UVA protection factor to sun protection factor, a minimum level of UVB radiation protection, and specified truth in labeling requirements. Requires sun protection factors to be measured using standardized, reproducible testing methods that take photo-degradation into account. Requires the Secretary to implement an education campaign identifying the risks posed by sun exposure without the use of a sunscreen providing broad-spectrum protection.

Interest Relief Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2007

Interest Relief Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that no interest shall accrue on student loans under the Federal Direct Loan program for individuals and the spouses of individuals who are serving on active duty or performing National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency. Limits receipt of such benefit to 60 months.

Weather Mitigation Research and Development Policy Authorization Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2007

Weather Mitigation Research and Development Policy Authorization Act of 2007 - Establishes in the National Science Foundation (NSF) the Weather Mitigation Advisory and Research Board to establish and coordinate the national research and development program on weather mitigation described in this Act. Requires the Executive Director of the Board to submit a plan for the establishment and coordination of the Program. Requires the Board to promote and fund research and development (R&D), studies, and investigations with respect to: (1) improved forecast and decisionmaking technologies for weather mitigation operations, including tailored computer workstations and software and new observation systems with remote sensors; and (2) assessments and evaluations of the efficacy of weather mitigation. Authorizes the Board to establish a grant program for the awarding of grants to eligible entities (state agencies, institutions of higher education, and nonprofits that have expertise in the field of weather mitigation and experience working with state agencies) for R&D projects that pertain to weather mitigation. Permits a grant recipient to only use the grant for a R&D project that: (1) pertains to weather mitigation; and (2) was in operation on the day before the grant was awarded. Requires the submission of annual reports to the President and Congress on the activities conducted pursuant to this Act.

Colorado Forest Management Improvement Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2007

Colorado Forest Management Improvement Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to make grants to at-risk communities in Colorado to assist them in preparing, revising, or implementing a community wildfire protection plan. Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the use of fire department grant funds for the development and implementation of community wildfire protection plans. Directs the Secretaries to establish collection points for the placement of vegetative material removed from federal or other land as part of a hazardous fuel reduction project under this Act. Rewrites provisions governing the biomass commercial utilization grant program. Authorizes the Secretaries to designate as Healthy Forest Partnership Zones certain federal lands and non-federal lands adjacent to those lands that are at risk of uncharacteristically severe damage to at-risk communities or community water supply facilities from a wildland fire or an outbreak of insects or disease and require at least one management activity to reduce that risk. Allows the Secretaries to enter into contracts or other agreements with partnering entities to implement hazardous fuel reduction or other projects on federal land to complement similar projects on bordering or adjacent non-federal land. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) provide grant assistance to the Colorado Wood Program and the Forest Restoration Institute, and any other appropriate entities; and (2) collaborate with the Institute to research, develop, and transfer broader landscape treatment strategies and ways to integrate best science with community needs. Establishes the Colorado Forest Health Fund. Requires the Secretaries to provide grants for the Colorado fuels for schools program. Extends terms for stewardship end result contracting projects. Makes permanent the Secretaries' authority to enter into cooperative agreements and contracts for federal and state cooperative watershed restoration and protection. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare fire-danger maps of forested lands. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the tax credit for electricity produced using open-loop biomass to facilities placed in service before January 1, 2030; (2) make electricity produced and sold at qualified open-loop biomass facilities eligible for the full credit rate; (3) partially exclude from gross income payments received for certain hazardous fuel reduction projects in Colorado; and (4) allow the deductibility of certain expenditures made in carrying out eligible hazardous fuel reduction projects on Colorado lands which are identified in community wildfire protection plans.

Public Land Communities Transition Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2007

Public Land Communities Transition Assistance Act of 2007 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 for the making of payments to units of general local government in which entitlement lands are located. Sets forth provisions for the making of transition payments for FY2008-FY2012 to eligible states, U.S. territories, and counties previously receiving payments under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. Sets forth special requirements with regard to transition payments for FY2008-FY2011 applicable to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington and eligible counties in those states in lieu of the payments that otherwise would have been made under the above transition payment provisions. Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to promulgate regulations to establish new fees or fee increases for commercial activities on federal lands, National Forest System lands, and National Grasslands administered by the respective Secretary.

To amend title 38 United States Code, to modify the rate of reimbursement of State and local agencies administering veterans education benefits.

United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2007

Sets $19 million as the maximum amount per fiscal year for reimbursement to states and local agencies administering veterans' education benefits.

To increase the corporate average fuel economy standards for automobiles, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2007

Revises corporate average fuel economy standards (CAFE standards) provisions for non-passenger and passenger automobiles to: (1) provide for increased average fuel economy standards for non-passenger and passenger automobiles; (2) permit separate average fuel economy standards for non-passenger and passenger automobiles based on vehicle attributes related to fuel economy; and (3) establish a corporate average fuel economy credit transferring program within a manufacturer's fleet. Provides for the establishment of a public education campaign to provide information to U.S. drivers about immediate measures that may be taken to conserve transportation fuel.

Colorado Forest Management Improvement Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2007

Colorado Forest Management Improvement Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to make grants to at-risk communities in Colorado to assist them in preparing, revising, or implementing a community wildfire protection plan. Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the use of fire department grant funds for the development and implementation of community wildfire protection plans. Directs the Secretaries to establish collection points for the placement of vegetative material removed from federal or other land as part of a hazardous fuel reduction project under this Act. Rewrites provisions governing the biomass commercial utilization grant program. Authorizes the Secretaries to designate as Healthy Forest Partnership Zones certain federal lands and non-federal lands adjacent to those lands that are at risk of uncharacteristically severe damage to at-risk communities or community water supply facilities from a wildland fire or an outbreak of insects or disease and require at least one management activity to reduce that risk. Allows the Secretaries to enter into contracts or other agreements with partnering entities to implement hazardous fuel reduction or other projects on federal land to complement similar projects on bordering or adjacent non-federal land. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) provide grant assistance to the Colorado Wood Program and the Forest Restoration Institute, and any other appropriate entities; and (2) collaborate with the Institute to research, develop, and transfer broader landscape treatment strategies and ways to integrate best science with community needs. Establishes the Colorado Forest Health Fund. Requires the Secretaries to provide grants for the Colorado fuels for schools program. Extends terms for stewardship end result contracting projects. Makes permanent the Secretaries' authority to enter into cooperative agreements and contracts for federal and state cooperative watershed restoration and protection. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare fire-danger maps of forested lands. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the tax credit for electricity produced using open-loop biomass to facilities placed in service before January 1, 2030; (2) make electricity produced and sold at qualified open-loop biomass facilities eligible for the full credit rate; (3) partially exclude from gross income payments received for certain hazardous fuel reduction projects in Colorado; and (4) allow the deductibility of certain expenditures made in carrying out eligible hazardous fuel reduction projects on Colorado lands which are identified in community wildfire protection plans.

Biodiesel Education and Expansion Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2007

Biodiesel Education and Expansion Act of 2007 - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to increase, and extend through FY2012, funding for the biodiesel fuel education program.

Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2007

Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants for projects to prevent teen pregnancies in racial, ethnic minority, or immigrant communities with a substantial incidence or prevalence of cases of teen pregnancy compared to the average number in communities in the state. Allows the Secretary to make grants to: (1) carry out activities to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens; (2) provide necessary social and cultural support services regarding teen pregnancy; (3) provide health and educational services related to the prevention of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens; (4) promote better health and educational outcomes among pregnant teens; and (5) provide relevant training for individuals who plan to work in school-based support programs. Requires the Secretary to make grants to: (1) provide public education and increase awareness with respect to the issue of reducing the rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens and related social and emotional issues; and (2) establish and operate a National Clearinghouse for Teen Pregnancy Prevention. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants for research on the prevention of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens in such communities. Allows a grant to be made under this Act only if the applicant agrees that: (1) all information provided pursuant to the Act will be age-appropriate, factually and medically accurate and complete, and scientifically based; and (2) information, activities, and services under the grant will be provided in the language and cultural context that is most appropriate for individual groups.

Families Conquering Literacy Together Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2007

Families Conquering Literacy Together Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to change funding formulas under the Even Start Family Literacy program to reserve potentially larger amounts, depending on overall appropriations, for migrant, outlying area, Indian, and research programs. Eliminates the Even Start competitive grant program awarding reserved funds to states for statewide coordination of federal, state, and local literacy resources. Increases the minimum Even Start grant to states and state subgrant to Even Start entities, as well as the floor on the federal share of program costs. Allows states to use federal funds to provide subgrantees with technical assistance for professional development and collaborative activities. Requires all Even Start instructors to have at least an associate's degree related to early childhood education, elementary or secondary education, or adult education. Requires state, migrant, and tribal grantees to report annually to the Secretary of Education on their progress in achieving program quality. Revises required indicators of program quality to stress the quality of services provided and training received by program providers, rather than participant achievements. Requires the creation of an independent research panel to set the agenda for research into successful family literacy services. Directs the Secretary, after receiving design recommendations from an expert panel, to arrange for an independent longitudinal evaluation of the impact of Even Start programs that compares participants against nonparticipant control groups and addresses variations in the impact of such programs.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3043) making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2007

Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3043) making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.

Rural Students College, Career, and Community Readiness Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2007

Rural Students College, Career, and Community Readiness Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to up to two nonprofit organizations to conduct higher education and career readiness demonstration projects. Requires grantees to partner with rural local educational agencies and schools to enroll a cohort of seventh grade students and a cohort of ninth grade students into the demonstration projects, which are to provide such students with approximately 25 hours of informational and educational services in each grade through grade 12 that prepare them for higher education and a successful career.

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2007

Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 - Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2008 - Makes appropriations for FY2008 to the Department of Labor. Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2008 - Makes appropriations for FY2008 to the Department of Health and Human Services. Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2008 - Makes appropriations for FY2008 to the Department Education. Makes appropriations for FY2008 to: (1) the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled; (2) the Corporation for National and Community Service, for domestic volunteer service programs and operating expenses, administrative expenses and salaries, and the Office of Inspector General; (3) the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; (4) the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; (5) the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission; (6) the Institute of Museum and Library Services; (7) the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; (8) the National Council on Disability; (9) the National Labor Relations Board; (10) the National Mediation Board; (11) the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission; (12) the Railroad Retirement Board for the dual benefits payments account, federal payments to the railroad retirement accounts, administration, and the Office of Inspector General; and (13) the Social Security Administration for payments to the Social Security trust funds, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program, administrative expenses, and the Office of Inspector General. Specifies certain uses and limits on or prohibitions against the use of funds appropriated by this Act.

Recognizing Mukhtar Mai for her courage and her humanitarian work.

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2007

Recognizes Mukhtar Mai for her courage to fight for justice and for promoting education and being a champion of women's rights.

Tribal Health Promotion and Tribal Colleges and Universities Advancement Act of 2008

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007

Tribal Health Promotion and Tribal Colleges and Universities Advancement Act of 2007 - Through Higher Education: Promoting the Advancement of Tribal Health Act or THE PATH Act - Designates the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health within the Office of Public Health and Science of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to serve as the coordinating officer with respect to programs of tribal colleges and universities relating to health promotion and disease prevention. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement a memorandum of agreement with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium to establish programs to: (1) ensure that Native American communities, through tribal colleges and universities, participate equitably in employment programs, services, and resources of HHS; and (2) provide necessary technical assistance. Establishes programs for: (1) community-based health and wellness fairs; (2) health promotion and disease prevention targeted programs and construction and renovation of community wellness centers; and (3) development and expansion of public health professional degree programs. Establishes: (1) the Tribal College and University Rural Health Equity Endowment Fund; (2) offices of sponsored programs at tribal colleges and universities; and (3) health promotion and disease prevention research programs. Advancing Tribes Through Tribal Colleges and Universities Act or the AT TCUs Act - Establishes within the Administration on Native Americans, the Office on Tribal College and University Programs to: (1) administer the programs authorized by this Act; and (2) coordinate intra- and inter-departmental activities relating to tribal colleges and universities. Establishes the: (1) Native Prosperity and Native American Language Vitalization and Training Programs; and (2) tribal colleges and universities native communities research program.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007

No Child Left Behind Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to revise programs created or amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and reauthorize them through FY2013. Permits states to: (1) use alternate academic achievement standards for disabled students; (2) incorporate student academic growth into calculations of adequate yearly progress (AYP); and (3) determine AYP for limited English proficient (LEP) students by excluding new arrivals and including former LEP students. Increases funds available for teaching, and developing enhanced assessments for, disabled and LEP children. Sets forth the method of calculating high school graduation rates, which shall factor into AYP determinations. Requires placing schools on academic alert status if they fail to make AYP for one year. Requires that academic alert schools develop school improvement plans for immediate implementation if such failure continues the following year. Makes students eligible for supplemental educational services when their schools are identified as needing improvement after a second consecutive year of AYP failure. Differentiates the reforms for schools needing focused restructuring and those needing comprehensive restructuring on the basis of whether a failing student subgroup includes less or more than one-half of the student body, respectively. Allows local educational agencies (LEAs) to renegotiate collective bargaining agreements with teachers from schools that need restructuring. Increases the funds available to LEAs for providing incentives to highly qualified teachers to teach at high-need schools. Requires states and LEAs receiving funds for teacher training and recruitment to identify and target LEAs and schools that have the most acute teacher quality and staffing needs. Establishes: (1) the Striving Readers grant program targeting middle- and high-school students reading below grade level; (2) the Math Now grant program targeting kindergarten through grade nine students whose mathematics achievement is significantly below grade level; (3) the Teacher Incentive Fund program to develop or expand comprehensive performance-based compensation systems for teachers and principals, especially those in high-need schools; (4) the Adjunct Teachers Corps for professionals and individuals with subject-matter expertise to teach secondary school courses in core subjects; (5) mentoring grant programs under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program; (6) the Education Flexibility Partnership program providing states and LEAs with waivers of federal and state statutory and regulatory requirements to assist them in making educational reforms; and (7) the Child-Centered program, providing incentive grants to states and LEAs that allow title I school-improvement funds to follow children to the public school of their choice. Replaces the School Dropout Prevention program with the Secondary School Graduation grant program, to identify and provide remedial education to at-risk students, prepare students for college, and offer them work-based and experiential learning experiences. Revises requirements for grants for Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native education. Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to reauthorize, through FY2013, the grant program for educating homeless children.

No Child Left Inside Act of 2008

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007

No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize states to use federal funds for the development of kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) plans for environmental education and teacher training to ensure that high school graduates are environmentally literate. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to partnerships that include a local educational agency (LEA), and may include institutions of higher education (IHE) and other educational or business entities, for activities that include the development of teacher training programs and more rigorous environmental education curricula. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to nonprofit organizations, states, LEAs, or IHEs for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards; (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs; (3) research; and (4) creating new funding sources. Requires the Secretary to give priority in providing magnet school assistance to LEAs creating or enhancing environmental magnet school programs. Includes environmental education in the current program providing grants to states and LEAs for teacher training. Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to create an Office of Environmental Literary to advance K-12 environmental education and administer the new grant programs. Amends the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act to authorize the Commissioner for Education Statistics to include environmental education in any additional national assessment of student achievement.

Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007

Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007 - Defines "child soldier." Prohibits, with a national interest waiver, funds appropriated or otherwise made available for specified military and related areas from being obligated or otherwise made available to the government of a country identified by the Department of State as having governmental armed forces or government supported armed groups, including paramilitaries, militias, or civil defense forces, that recruit or use child soldiers. Directs the Secretary of State to notify any government so identified. Authorizes the President to reinstate assistance upon certifying to Congress that a government is implementing: (1) compliance measures; and (2) mechanisms to prohibit future use of child soldiers and to ensure that no children are recruited, conscripted, or otherwise compelled to serve as child soldiers. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to a country for international military education and training otherwise prohibited under this Act upon certifying to Congress that such assistance is for programs that implement measures to demobilize child soldiers and for programs to support professionalization of the military.

Advanced Design in Energy for Living Efficiently Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007

Advanced Design in Energy for Living Efficiently Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) coordinate and provide information on green building design and practices; (2) establish a program to create and distribute information on green building design principles; and (3) establish criteria for education and training of architects, engineers, and developers in green building design and application. Requires the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) to establish a blue ribbon panel to: (1) provide independent counsel to the Administrator on policy issues associated with green building design and practices; (2) report on the results of a study to determine best practices for quantifying the information necessary to make informed property investment decisions; (3) report on funding necessary for research and development on green building design; and (4) establish standards for the construction of new buildings that will reduce carbon emissions. Requires the U.S. Comptroller General to study the use of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development's program for energy efficient mortgages insured under the National Housing Act. Authorizes the Administrator, acting through NIBS, to award grants to state educational agencies to provide sub-grants to local educational agencies for planing and preparing for healthy, high-performance school building projects. Requires the Administrator: (1) acting through NIBS, to assist local education agencies on sustainable designs; and (2) to establish a program to make loan guarantees available to public institutions of higher education for the construction or renovation of permanent buildings that meet the greenhouse gas emission standards. Requires federal agencies to: (1) increase the energy efficiency of their facilities and operations; (2) annually report on the associated energy efficiency increases and carbon emission reductions; and (3) reward employees who make significant contributions to the reduction of agency carbon emissions. Requires federal agencies' energy managers to receive training on green building design, construction, use, and decommissioning. Requires the Comptroller General to transmit to Congress a report comparing the energy efficiency budget request by the President for each federal agency for FY2006-2007 with each agency's request. Requires the Administrator to make block grants to state and local governments for: (1) renovating existing buildings to achieve NIBS standards; (2) redesigning existing plans to enable new buildings to meet such standards; (3) researching and developing technologies to enable and support green building design and the achievement of such standards; and (4) educating and training on green buildings and their construction, use, and decommissioning. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase and extend the energy efficient commercial building deduction.

21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007

21st Century High-Performing Public School Facilities Act - Requires the Secretary of Education to make grants in each fiscal year to local educational agencies (LEAs) in each state for the construction, modernization, or repair of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools to make them safe, healthy, high-performing, and technologically up-to-date. Gives priority to LEAs serving a high number or percentage of disadvantaged children and those whose public schools are in relatively poor condition. Requires LEAs to contribute funds toward the costs of the program, but uses a sliding scale that factors in the relative poverty of an LEA's service area. Requires the Secretary to make low-interest loans to LEAs in each fiscal year for the same purposes and with the same priorities given in the distribution of the grants. Establishes the School Construction, Modernization, and Repair Revolving Fund consisting of amounts derived from the low-interest loans and appropriations made to the Fund by this Act. Amends part D of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize and make appropriations for educational technology.

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide additional educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill to veterans pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, or math.

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay to each individual entitled to basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill and pursuing a program of education with a focus on science, technology, engineering, or math a lump-sum payment of $2,000 per academic year, or fraction thereof for enrollment lasting less than a year. Makes such amount in addition to any other educational assistance to which the individual is entitled.

Fair Mortgage Practices Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007

Fair Mortgage Practices Act of 2007 - Prohibits any person, with certain exceptions, from engaging in the business of loan origination without first obtaining and maintaining a registration or a state license as a loan originator. Imposes on the federal banking agencies the sole responsibility for developing a system of registration for loan originators. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish a system for: (1) licensed loan originators; and (2) state-licensed mortgage originators. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to set forth: (1) disclosure requirements for consumer credit plans secured by the consumer's principal dwelling; and (2) consumer counseling requirements governing nontraditional mortgages. Expanding Housing Opportunities Through Education and Counseling Act - Amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to: (1) establish the Office of Housing Counseling; and (2) direct the HUD Secretary to establish and monitor counseling procedures for home ownership counseling and rental housing counseling provided in connection with any HUD program. Amends the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 to instruct HUD to makes grants to states, local governmental entities, and nonprofit organizations providing home ownership or rental counseling that is HUD-certified. Directs the HUD Secretary to study and report to Congress on the root causes of default and foreclosure on home loans. Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to revise requirements for HUD consumer education booklets on the nature and costs of real estate settlement services. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to: (1) require a creditor to establish, in connection with a subprime mortgage transaction, an escrow or impound account for payment of taxes and hazard insurance; (2) require a disclosure notice for consumers who opt out of escrow services; and (3) limit prepayment penalties for certain introductory adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). Authorizes appropriations to the Attorney General for mortgage fraud prevention, investigation, and prosecution efforts. Sets forth property appraisal requirements governing the sale of subprime mortgages. Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to revise requirements for the Appraisal Subcommittee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, and prescribe requirements regarding appraiser independence and approved appraiser education. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on possible improvements in the appraisal process. Amends the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 to permit a federal financial supervisory agency, in its examination of a regulated financial institution, to take into account certain counseling and transition programs of the institution for subprime borrowers.

Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2007

Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act - Requires each swimming pool or spa drain cover manufactured, distributed, or entered into commerce in the United States to conform to specified entrapment protection standards accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Considers the standards to be a consumer product safety rule issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Establishes a program of grants to states to: (1) hire and train enforcement personnel; and (2) educate pool construction, installation, and service companies, pool owners and operators, and other members of the public. Conditions grants on a state imposing certain requirements by statute, including: (1) enclosure of residential pools and spas to prevent small children from gaining unsupervised access; and (2) drain entrapment prevention devices and systems on all pools and spas. Requires the CPSC to establish and carry out a public education program on methods to prevent drowning and entrapment in pools and spas.

National Pain Care Policy Act of 2008

United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2007

National Pain Care Policy Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to convene a Conference on Pain to: (1) increase the recognition of pain as a significant public health problem; (2) evaluate the adequacy of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of acute and chronic pain; (3) identify barriers to appropriate pain care; and (4) establish an agenda for action that will reduce such barriers and improve pain care research, education, and clinical care. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish the Pain Consortium to: (1) establish a national agenda for research on the causes and effective treatments for pain; and (2) convene an annual conference of experts in pain research, treatment, and management to assess and make recommendations on NIH pain research activities and programs. Requires the Director of NIH to establish the National Pain Care Research Advisory Committee. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to: (1) collect protocols and evidence-based practices regarding pain care at all stages of life; and (2) disseminate such information to regulatory and enforcement agencies, health care programs, payor and providers, health professions schools, hospices, and the general public. Allows the Secretary to provide for the development and implementation of programs to educate and train health care professionals in pain care. Requires the Secretary to establish a national pain care education outreach and awareness campaign.

Josephine Butler United States Health Service Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2007

Josephine Butler United States Health Service Act - Establishes the United States Health Service as an independent executive branch entity to provide health care and supplemental health services to all individuals within the United States. Requires the President to appoint members to a National Health Board to exercise the authority of the Service. Establishes an Office of the Inspector General for Health Services. Requires the Service to ensure that every individual is given certain basic health rights, including the right to receive high quality care and supplemental services from any facility within the Service capable of providing such services without charge and without discrimination. Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide employees with leave to receive necessary health care services. Requires the Board to: (1) establish any necessary health care facilities; (2) establish guidelines for the classification, certification, and employment of health workers by job category; (3) provide for the education of health workers through health team schools and loan repayment; (4) establish a health advocacy program to ensure the realization of patients' rights; (5) oversee occupational safety and health programs; and (6) conduct research concerning health and health care delivery. Transfers to the Board the agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that conduct research on health and health care. Requires the Board to establish additional research institutes. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a health services tax on the income of individuals and corporations to fund the Health Service Trust Fund (established under this Act). Transfers to the Service certain authority of the Secretary of HHS.

Recognizing Mukhtar Mai for her courage and her humanitarian work.

United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2007

Recognizes Mukhtar Mai for her courage to fight for justice and for promoting education and being a champion of women's rights.

Expressing support for the designation and goals of "National 9-1-1 Education Month", and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2007

Supports the designation and goals of "National 9-1-1 Education Month." Requests that the President issue a proclamation designating such a month and calling for appropriate ceremonies, training events, and activities.

Summer Food Service Rural Expansion Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2007

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.

Higher Education Access Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2007

Higher Education Access Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to remove the tuition sensitivity provision reducing the Pell grant available to students attending low-cost schools. Establishes a Promise grant program awarding grants to Pell-eligible students with the greatest need. Extends the deferral limit on Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs), Direct Loans (DLs), and Perkins loans (PLs) for certain borrowers suffering economic hardship and for certain military personnel. Establishes a new income-based repayment plan for student FFEL and DL borrowers. Alters the FFEL program by: (1) reducing the lender insurance percentage; (2) reducing the percentage of defaulted loan collections a guaranty agency may retain; (3) eliminating exceptional performer status for lenders, servicers, and guaranty agencies; (4) reducing special allowance payments to lenders; (5) increasing the loan fee charged lenders; and (6) changing the formula for determining the account maintenance fees paid to guaranty agencies. Redefines economic hardship to increase the number of borrowers qualifying for FFEL and DL repayment benefits. Provides DL forgiveness to certain borrowers who have made 120 payments under income-based or standard repayment plans while employed in certain public service jobs. Increases the income and assets of title IV financial aid applicants that are to be excluded from need analyses. Includes the recent unemployment of an independent student and homelessness within the special circumstances giving financial aid administrators extra discretion in making need analyses. Treats additional categories of students as independent. Eliminates student disqualification for title IV aid for drug convictions that occurred before their receipt of such aid, as well as their need to mention such convictions in applying for such aid. Establishes: (1) a Competitive Loan Auction Pilot program of biennial auctions held in each state allowing prequalified lenders to compete for the right to make FFEL program PLUS loans at all IHEs within the state; (2) a College Access Partnership Grant program providing grants to states to improve student access to postsecondary education; (3) a Financial Literacy Program awarding grants to entities to increase the financial literacy of students who are enrolled or will enroll in IHEs; and (4) a Secondary School Graduation and College Enrollment program awarding grants to consortia of nonprofit organizations and IHEs to assist LEAs with low secondary school graduation rates.

Summer Food Service Rural Expansion Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2007

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.

English Language Instruction Improvement Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2007

English Language Instruction Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to raise, from 6.5% to 9%, the amount of title III appropriations devoted to the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs and a program providing competitive grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) for teacher training to improve classroom instruction for limited English proficient children. Alters such grant program by allowing the provision of grants directly to states and local educational agencies (LEAs) and eliminating the requirement that IHE grantees be in consortia with states or LEAs. Adds to allowable grant uses: (1) the development and dissemination of best practices in teaching individuals with limited English proficiency to high levels of achievement pursuant to challenging state academic performance standards or to high levels of multiligual proficiency; (2) research and evaluation of the education provided to such individuals; and (3) technical assistance to states and LEAs in meeting the requirements of title III.

Every Student Counts Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2007

Every Student Counts Act - Requires states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and high schools annually to calculate and report, as part of the report cards required under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), the percentage of high school students: (1) graduating in four years and in five years with a regular high school diploma from each cohort graduating class; and (2) the percentage of students in each grade, except the graduating grade, prepared to advance to the next grade. Requires such data to be reported in the aggregate and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, migrant status, English proficiency, and status as economically disadvantaged. Directs states that lack a statewide longitudinal data system with individual student identifiers to make certain interim graduation rate calculations, but requires all states to make the four and five-year adjusted cohort graduation rate calculations by 2012. Requires the use of such rates in determining the success of each high school and LEA in making adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward state academic performance standards under the ESEA. Requires schools and LEAs whose four and five-year adjusted cohort graduation rates fall below 90% overall or for any low-income, minority, disabled, migrant, or limited English proficient student subgroup, to make specified yearly progress in improving such rates or be deemed as failing to make AYP.

Healthy Workforce Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2007

Healthy Workforce Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a 50% tax credit for the costs of providing employees with a qualified wellness program. Defines "qualified wellness program" as a program that is certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and that consists of a health awareness and education component, a behavioral change component, and a supportive environment component. Terminates such credit after 2017. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to institute an outreach program to inform businesses about the availability of such wellness program tax credit.

A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a workplace wellness education campaign and an evaluation of employer-based wellness programs, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2007

Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) conduct an educational campaign on employer-based wellness programs; (2) develop an annual awards program for employers to encourage the development of creative and effective solutions to help employees maintain or improve their health; (3) enter into contracts with entities to provide employers with technical assistance in evaluating wellness programs; and (4) conduct a national worksite health policies and programs study to assess employer-based health policies and programs. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expand the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to include a workforce component to enable employers, researchers, and health officials to: (1) assess employee health risks; (2) identify emerging problems associated with general employee health; (3) prevent disease within the employee population; and (4) improve employer-based health programs and policies. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants for research demonstration projects to study the effect of new worksite-based health interventions and models. Directs the Secretary to carry out activities to implement guidelines or recommendations resulting from such projects.

Serial No. 110-73 (Committee on Foreign Affairs) and Serial No. 110-52 (Committee on Education and Labor) - INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND VISITING SCHOLARS: TRENDS BARRIERS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

United States · United States House of Representatives · 29 June 2007

Serial No. 110-74 (Committee on Foreign Affairs) and Serial No. 110-50 (Committee on Education and Labor) - PROTECTION AND MONEY: U.S. COMPANIES, THEIR EMPLOYEES, AND VIOLENCE IN COLOMBIA

United States · United States House of Representatives · 28 June 2007

Housing Fairness Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

Housing Fairness Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to conduct, and report to Congress on, a nationwide testing program to: (1) detect and document differences in the treatment of persons seeking to rent or purchase housing or obtain or refinance a home mortgage loan; (2) measure patterns of adverse treatment because of the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability status, or national origin of a renter, home buyer, or borrower; and (3) measure the prevalence of such discriminatory practices across housing and mortgage lending markets. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 to reauthorize the fair housing initiatives program. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should: (1) fully comply with such Act's requirements to establish, design, and maintain a national education and outreach program for the development and dissemination of the fair housing rights of individuals who seek to rent, purchase, sell, or facilitate the sale of a home; (2) use all amounts appropriated for such program; and (3) promulgate regulations on the fair housing obligations of each recipient of federal housing funds to affirmatively further fair housing. Directs the Secretary to implement a competitive matching grant program to assist private nonprofit organizations in: (1) conducting comprehensive studies of specified aspects of the causes and effects of housing discrimination and segregation; and (2) implementing pilot projects that test solutions to help prevent or alleviate housing discrimination and segregation.

PRIME Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

Prostate Research, Imaging, and Men's Education Act or the PRIME Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to expand and intensify research to develop advanced imaging technologies for prostate cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment comparable to mammogram technology. Directs the Secretary: (1) to carry out a national campaign to increase awareness and knowledge with respect to the need for prostate cancer screening and for improved detection technologies; (2) in developing such campaign, to recognize and address the racial disparities in the incidences of prostate cancer and mortality rates; (3) to establish a program to award grants to nonprofit private entities to test alternative outreach and education strategies; (4) to carry out research to develop an improved prostate cancer screening blood test using in-vitro detection; and (5) to certify compliance with this Act within one year.

North Dakota Enabling Act and First Morrill Act Amendments Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

North Dakota Enabling Act and First Morrill Act Amendments Act of 2007 - Amends the Act of February 22, 1889 (relating to enabling North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington to become states), and the Act of July 2, 1862, commonly known as the First Morrill Act (relating to land grant aid to states for agricultural and mechanical colleges), to set forth requirements for the management and disposition of the proceeds from certain public land trust funds in North Dakota. Grants, effective July 1, 2009, consent to the amendments to the Constitution of North Dakota proposed by North Dakota House Concurrent Resolution 3037 of the 59th Legislature concerning management of the common schools and other educational or charitable institution trust funds.

Teacher Tax Credit Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

Teacher Tax Credit Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow elementary and secondary school (K-12) teachers a tax credit for 50% of their education expenses (books, supplies, computer equipment, and supplementary materials) and their professional development expenses up to $300 in any taxable year.

District of Columbia Land Grant Enhancement Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

District of Columbia Land Grant Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Smith-Lever Act and the Hatch Act of 1887 to apply to the District of Columbia the reduced matching funds requirements for federal formula funds for agricultural extension work and experiment stations, respectively. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to waive such matching funds requirements when the District of Columbia is unlikely to meet them. Amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to authorize funding to assist the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), a land-grant university, to construct, acquire, rent, alter, or repair buildings or facilities or relevant equipment necessary for conducting agricultural research. Makes UDC eligible for competitive grants under such Act for food and agricultural sciences education at schools having significant minority enrollments.

Graduation Promise Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

Graduation Promise Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for differentiated high school improvement systems targeting support to schools with low student achievement and graduation rates after the school fails for two consecutive years to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) pursuant to state academic performance standards. Requires LEAs also to use funds to: (1) improve feeder middle schools; and (2) identify and support struggling students before they reach high school. Requires state grantees to establish comprehensive school performance indicators and minimum annual improvement benchmarks for use, in addition to current AYP measures, in analyzing school performance and determining the improvement category into which a school is placed. Directs LEA subgrantees to convene a local school improvement team for each school placed in an improvement category that will use performance indicators to conduct a school needs assessment and develop a multiyear school improvement plan tailored to the school's need categorization. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to: (1) LEAs, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education to develop and implement, or replicate, effective school models for struggling students and dropouts; and (2) states to adjust their policies to allow for educational innovations that improve high school graduation rates while ensuring rigorous education content standards and assessments, if such states implement differentiated high school improvement systems and statewide longitudinal student data systems.

State and Local Education Flexibility Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

State and Local Education Flexibility Act of 2007 - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to revise requirements for determining whether states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward state academic performance standards. Provides for state and local flexibility, under specified conditions, to: (1) exclude from AYP and academic assessments the performance of certain limited English proficient students; (2) include in favorable AYP graduation rates certain students who require extra time to graduate due to exceptional circumstances or disability; (3) modify academic content and achievement standards in the individual education plans of students with disabilities; (4) develop assessments locally and use multiple assessments; and (5) have alternative qualification requirements for special education teachers and rural teachers. Subjects social studies teachers to ESEA competence requirements. Treats teacher competence in general science or social sciences as competence in those subjects' subdisciplines. Directs the Comptroller General to study the adequacy of ESEA school improvement funds. Allows states, which meet certain requirements, to measure AYP using individual growth models measuring individual student progress from grade to grade. Requires that each school be given a grade based on the percentage of AYP factors it has attained. Gives grade A schools greater flexibility in the use of school improvement funds and states and LEAs greater flexibility in choosing the ESEA intervention they consider appropriate for lower-graded schools that fail to make AYP for two years. Requires schools to provide parents with student progress report cards showing the school's AYP grade. Requires states to include their performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress on schoolwide and statewide progress report cards.

10th Congressional District of Illinois School Conservation Corps Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

10th Congressional District of Illinois School Conservation Corps Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to create a pilot program in Illinois' 10th Congressional District by providing grants to public high school chapters, each consisting of at least 10 students and one adult advisor, to establish and support a school conservation corps. Requires grants to be used for environmental protection projects in the district, including specified priority projects involving water pollution control, greenhouse gas reduction, recycling, and the dissemination of information on the dangers of mercury pollution.

Teachers at the Table Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

Teachers at the Table Act - Amends title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish the Volunteer Teacher Advisory Committee to monitor the effects of such title (amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) in classrooms, with a focus on children and families. Requires that committee membership consist of a diverse group of public school classroom teachers appointed from within the National State Teachers of the Year organization.

Charter School Program Enhancement Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

Charter School Program Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to authorized public chartering agencies, in addition to state educational agencies, for the provision of subgrants to charter school developers or nonprofit charter support organizations assisting such developers. Raises the maximum term of such grants. Extends grant priority to states that: (1) provide public charter schools with funding commensurate with that provided to other public schools; (2) focus on creating such schools in areas that have many schools designated as needing improvement; and (3) demonstrate that a high percentage of its charter school students are meeting, exceeding, or making sufficient progress toward state academic performance standards. Eliminates from grant consideration states that have certain restrictive charter school laws. Alters Charter School Per-Pupil Facilities Aid programs by changing from mandatory to discretionary the authority of the Secretary to provide states with program grants and requiring state grantees to make charter school per-pupil spending commensurate with such spending on other public schools. Establishes a competitive grant program for the dissemination of successful charter school programs. Requires charter schools to have independent governing boards that enter into performance-based agreements with authorized public chartering agencies. Prohibits such schools from giving admissions priority to students on the basis of prior academic achievement. Amends the Charter School Credit Enhancement program by making predevelopment costs an object of credit enhancement and authorizing the use of program grants for limited loans to such schools. Reauthorizes appropriations through FY2013 for the programs amended by this Act.

Housing Fairness Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

Housing Fairness Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to conduct, and report to Congress on, a nationwide testing program to: (1) detect and document differences in the treatment of persons seeking to rent or purchase housing or obtain or refinance a home mortgage loan; (2) measure patterns of adverse treatment because of the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability status, or national origin of a renter, home buyer, or borrower; and (3) measure the prevalence of such discriminatory practices across housing and mortgage lending markets. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 to reauthorize the fair housing initiatives program. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should: (1) fully comply with such Act's requirements to establish, design, and maintain a national education and outreach program for the development and dissemination of the fair housing rights of individuals who seek to rent, purchase, sell, or facilitate the sale of a home; (2) use all amounts appropriated for such program; and (3) promulgate regulations on the fair housing obligations of each recipient of federal housing funds to affirmatively further fair housing. Directs the Secretary to implement a competitive matching grant program to assist private nonprofit organizations in: (1) conducting comprehensive studies of specified aspects of the causes and effects of housing discrimination and segregation; and (2) implementing pilot projects that test solutions to help prevent or alleviate housing discrimination and segregation.

Keep Teachers Teaching Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

Keep Teachers Teaching Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs), states, and partnerships of LEAs, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education for the development and implementation of innovative teacher retention programs that include: (1) professional development; (2) teacher mentoring; (3) advanced certification or credentialing; (4) research, travel, or fellowship opportunities; and (5) pairing of teachers with research or industry professionals. Requires the Secretary to identify, and inform states and LEAs of, the most promising teacher retention strategies.

Greater Access To Education Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2007

Greater Access to Education Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the Hope Scholarship tax credit to: (1) include room, board, fees, books, supplies, and equipment as expenses eligible for such credit; (2) exclude Pell and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants from types of scholarship assistance which reduce the allowable amount of such credit; and (3) exempt certain expenses eligible for such credit from tax information reporting requirements. Makes the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credits refundable.