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Resolution· SCONRESS.Con.Res. 63 (110th)open
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Commends the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for working with leading scientists and researchers to organize the first-ever NIH conference on hydrocephalus (a neurological condition characterized by the abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluids in the ventricles of the brain). Urges the Director to continue the current collaboration with respect to hydrocephalus among national research institutes. Calls for: (1) further research into the epidemiology, pathophysiology, disease burden, and improved treatment of hydrocephalus; and (2) increased public awareness and professional education regarding hydrocephalus through partnerships between the federal government and patient advocacy organizations.
Bill· HRH.R. 4926 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Josh Miller Helping Everyone Access Responsive Treatment in Schools Act of 2007, or the Josh Miller HEARTS Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for use in their schools; and/or (2) provide training to meet the requirement that at least five adult employees or volunteers at each school with an AED successfully complete training in its use and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Requires LEA grant applicants also to demonstrate that: (1) the AEDs are integrated into the schools' medical emergency response procedures; and (2) emergency services personnel are notified of their locations.
Bill· HRH.R. 4898 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to, or enter into agreements with, Best Buddies (a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with intellectual disabilities mesh with mainstream society) to promote the expansion of Best Buddies and the design and implementation of its education and outreach programs, including character education and volunteer programs, that can be integrated into classroom instruction. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to repeal authority for the Fund for the Improvement of Education: (1) educational, cultural, apprenticeship, and exchange programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and their historical whaling and trading partners in Massachusetts; and (2) program of grants to a national nonprofit educational organization for the improvement of student understanding of personal finance and economics through effective teaching of economics in the nation's classrooms.
Bill· HRH.R. 4914 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Global HIV/AIDS Food Security and Nutrition Support Act of 2007 - Amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to direct the Global AIDS Coordinator to: (1) ensure that an assessment of the food security and nutritional status of each patient enrolled in anti-retroviral medication treatment program is carried out; (2) provide food and nutrition support to each HIV-infected individual and his or her household for at least 180 days; (3) coordinate activities with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Secretary of Agriculture, and other relevant U.S. government departments and agencies; (4) develop indicators to measure the effectiveness of nutrition and food security interventions; and (5) support linkages between U.S. colleges and universities with colleges and universities in focus countries in order to provide training and build indigenous capacity to respond to HIV/AIDS and to improve capacity to address nutrition and livelihood needs of HIV/AIDS-affected and impoverished communities.
Bill· HRH.R. 4894 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Educational Immunity Act of 2005 [ sic ] - Absolves from civil liability in federal court any educator or school administrator in a public or private pre-K-12 school for any act or omission in the course and scope of employment, except for liability under a contract or for criminal conduct.
Bill· HRH.R. 4847 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize appropriations for the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) for FY2009-FY2012. Authorizes the Superintendent of the National Academy for Fire Prevention and Control to include within fire service personnel training: (1) response, tactics, and strategies for dealing with non-terrorist-caused national catastrophes; (2) applying new technology and developing strategies and tactics for fighting wildfires; (3) response, tactics, and strategies for fighting large-scale or multiple fires in a general area that cross jurisdictional boundaries, fires occurring at the wildland-urban interface, and fires involving hazardous materials; and (4) advanced emergency medical services training. Requires the Administrator of USFA to include in triennial reports information about changes made to the National Fire Academy curriculum. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) contract with a nationally recognized organization that meets specified requirements to facilitate the delivery of education and training programs directly to fire service personnel; and (2) assist the nation's fire services to sponsor and encourage research to improve fire prevention and control in the wildland-urban interface. Directs the Administrator to: (1) use specified funds during FY2009-FY2011 to update the National Fire Incident Reporting system to an Internet-based, real-time incident reporting database: (2) make available to the public information about fire-related research through a regularly updated Internet-based database; (3) promote adoption by fire services of voluntary national consensus standards for firefighter health and safety; and (4) provide liaison to assure coordination of fire service-based emergency medical services programs.
Bill· HRH.R. 4880 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to require each state through its state educational agency (SEA) and its local educational agency (LEA), in collaboration with its state and local child welfare agencies, to provide children and youths in out of home care with certain educational protection and services, including: (1) guarantee that they will not be segregated in a separate or stigmatized school or separate program within a school based on their status of being in out of home care; and (2) equal access to the state-funded and LEA-funded preschool programs, appropriate secondary education and support services, and before- and after-school programs for which they are eligible, including extracurricula activities. Requires SEA- or LEA-provided transportation to the school of origin for such a child or youth only in certain circumstances, and only if the SEA or LEA is reimbursed by the responsible child welfare agency or other entity.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 276 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Education should support the formation of a consortia between one or more U.S. institutions of higher education and a Jordanian institution for the establishment of joint undergraduate and graduate programs.
Bill· SS. 2496 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2007
Enhancing Teaching Standards and License Portability Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award a competitive grant to a partnership between an organization representing state educational agency administrators and one or more independent professional organizations that have teacher preparation, licensure, and assessment expertise to: (1) enhance kindergarten through grade 12 teaching standards; (2) develop performance-based teaching assessments that are linked to such standards and can be used for licensing; and (3) provide technical assistance and matching subgrants to states to adopt such teaching standards and assessments, align their licensing systems to such standards, and facilitate teacher license portability across the states.
Law· SS. 2499 (110th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2007
Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) and certain related Acts to: (1) increase the physician payment update; and (2) extend through June 30, 2008, specified components of the Medicare program. Amends SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) to extend SCHIP funding through March 31, 2009. Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, as amended by Public Law 110-48 and the TMA, Abstinence, Education, and QI Programs Extension Act of 2007 to extend through June 30, 2008, the transitional medical assistance, abstinence education, and qualifying individual programs. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to extend through June 30, 2008, the Medicaid disproportionate hospital share (DSH) allotments for the states of Tennessee and Hawaii, with specified adjustments . Amends SSA title XXI to make appropriations to the Secretary of Commerce for adjustments to the annual Bureau of the Census Current Population Survey in order to produce statistically reliable annual state data on the number of low-income children who do not have health insurance coverage. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from taking any action before June 30, 2008, to impose any restrictions relating to Medicaid coverage or payment for rehabilitation services or school-based administration and school-based transportation, if such restrictions are more restrictive in any aspect than those applied to such areas as of July 1, 2007. Makes the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) a congressional agency. Amends the Public Health Service Act to to make appropriations for special diabetes programs for Type I diabetes and for Indians for FY2009.
Bill· SS. 2497 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2007
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense (DOD) should undertake actions to ensure that family members of National Guard and Reserve personnel who are deployed have full access to mental health care during the periods of mobilization, deployment, and demobilization. Requires the Secretary of Defense to undertake an initiative to increase access to mental health care, including education concerning mental health challenges and information on available resources, for family members of such personnel who are mobilized. Requires reimbursement under the TRICARE program for certain mental health care services, including chemical dependency treatment, provided to a family member of a covered Guard or Reserve member during a period of deployment on active duty for more than 30 days in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom who, while on such duty, is covered by the TRICARE program on a for self and family basis. Requires regular reports from the Secretary assessing the access and quality of such family mental health care services and recommendations for legislative and administrative action.
Bill· SS. 2510 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2007
Cytology Proficiency Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise national quality assurance standards to assure consistent performance by laboratories of valid and reliable cytology services, to include requirements that each clinical laboratory: (1) ensure that all individuals involved in screening and interpreting cytological preparations participate annually in an approved continuing medical education program in gynecologic cytology that provides each participant with gynecologic cytological preparations designed to improve locator, recognition, and interpretive skills; (2) maintain a record of program results; (3) require the laboratory director to consider such results and other performance metrics in reviewing the performance of individuals involved in screening and interpreting cytological preparations; and (4) submit the continuing education program results for each individual and plans for corrective action or remedial training in a timely manner to the laboratory's accrediting organization for purposes of review and ongoing monitoring. Requires the Secretary to terminate individual proficiency testing that was in effect before enactment of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 4791 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2007
Federal Agency Data Protection Act - Defines "personally identifiable information" as any information about an individual maintained by a federal agency, including information about the individual's education, finances, medical, criminal, or employment history, that can be used to distinguish or trace such individual's identity or that is linked or linkable to the individual. Includes within the information security duties of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): (1) the establishment of minimum requirements for the protection of information maintained in or transmitted by mobile digital devices, including requirements for the encryption of such information or the use of technologies that render information unusable by unauthorized persons; (2) the establishment of minimum requirements for agency actions following a breach of information security; (3) notification of individuals whose personally identifiable information may have been compromised or accessed during a security breach; and (4) requiring agencies to comply with minimally acceptable system configuration requirements consistent with best practices. Requires federal agencies to: (1) adopt plans and procedures for ensuring the adequacy of information security protections for systems maintaining or transmitting personally identifiable information; (2) develop and implement a plan to protect the security and privacy of federal government computers and networks from the risks posed by peer-to-peer file sharing; and (3) undergo audits (currently, evaluations are required) of their information programs and practices. Amends the E-Government Act of 2002 to prohibit agencies from contracting with data brokers to access information on U.S. persons unless agency head completes a privacy impact assessment and implements other safeguards. Extends the authorization of appropriations for information security programs through FY 2012.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 888 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2007
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) affirms the rich spiritual and diverse religious history of our nation's founding and subsequent history, including up to today; (2) recognizes that the religious foundations of faith on which America was built are critical underpinnings of our nation's most valuable institutions; (3) rejects any effort to remove, obscure, or omit such history from public buildings and educational resources; and (4) expresses support for designation of a "American Religious History Week" every year.
Bill· SS. 2479 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Catalyst to Better Diabetes Care Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to: (1) review uptake and utilization of diabetes screening benefits to identify and address problems with utilization and data collection mechanisms; (2) establish an outreach program to identify existing efforts to increase awareness among seniors and providers of such benefits; and (3) maximize cost-effectiveness in increasing utilization of such benefits. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an advisory group to examine and recommend best practices of employee wellness and disease management programs. Directs the Secretary to prepare, biennially, a diabetes report card for the nation and for each state. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) promote the education and training of physicians on how to properly complete birth and death certificates and the importance of such data; (2) encourage state adoption of the latest standard revisions of birth and death certificates; and (3) work with states to reengineer their vital statistics systems to provide cost-effective, timely, and vital systems data. Allows the Secretary to promote improvements to the collection of diabetes mortality data. Requires the Secretary to conduct a study of the impact of diabetes on the practice of medicine in the United Sates and the level of diabetes medical education that should be required prior to licensure, board certification, and board recertification.
Bill· HRH.R. 4685 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Minerals Reclamation Foundation Establishment Act of 2007 - Establishes the Minerals Reclamation Foundation as a charitable, nonprofit, non-federal entity to: (1) obtain gifts, devises, and bequests of real and personal property for abandoned mine lands projects that further the conservation of natural, scenic, historic, scientific, educational, wildlife habitat, or recreational resources; (2) foster compensation or approved and authorized offsite mitigation for ongoing mining on federal lands, state lands, and split estate lands; and (3) work with other persons, including foundations, to foster wider public knowledge of issues related to mineral resource extraction, reclamation, and sustainable development, including minerals education.
Bill· HRH.R. 4662 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include within the exclusion from gross income for qualified scholarship amounts allowances for room, board, and special needs services at institutions of higher education.
Bill· HRH.R. 4540 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Fair Funding for Schools Act - Amends the Impact Aid program (which compensates local educational agencies (LEAs) for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their areas) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to alter the formula for determining the payments due LEAs for federal ownership of property when appropriations for a fiscal year are insufficient to provide them with full compensation. Alters the formula for determining the payments due LEAs for eligible federally-connected children. Includes not only children in average daily attendance, but also those enrolled pursuant to a state open enrollment policy. Continues an LEA's eligibility for such payments while activities associated with military base closures and realignments or force structure changes or relocations are ongoing. Allows the calculation of such payments using current student counts instead of prior fiscal year data when LEAs experience a specified influx of new students due to federal activities. Alters the formula for determining the construction payments due LEAs that are eligible for other Impact Aid payments. Divides 80% of the construction funds evenly between LEAs impacted by military dependent children and LEAs impacted by children residing on Indian lands, with the remainder reserved for emergency repair and modernization grants to LEAs serving Indian lands or experiencing a specified influx of new students due to federal activities. Alters the formula for determining whether a state's plan for equalizing assistance to its LEAs will except it from the prohibition on state aid to LEAs being affected by Impact Aid payments. Requires new LEAs applying for Impact Aid to have boundaries established by state law and the authority to tax or receive an imputed local tax. Reauthorizes appropriations for the Impact Aid program.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 875 (110th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2007
Honors the effect the Hadley School for the Blind has had on the lives of thousands of visually impaired people across the globe. Supports the school's mission to promote independent living through lifelong, distance education programs for the blind, their families, and blindness service providers.
Bill· SS. 2456 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Influenza Vaccine Security Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) determine an annual production target for influenza vaccine; (2) coordinate with the private market to encourage the production of such vaccine in amounts that will meet the annual target; and (3) establish an influenza vaccine buyback protocol to purchase excess stocks of influenza vaccine to be used for specified late-season mass vaccination exercises and vaccinations. Directs the Secretary to: (1) increase the amount of antiviral medications, N-95 respirator masks, and other protections and treatments to treat and prevent pandemic influenza, particularly among responders and the pediatric population, in the strategic national stockpile; and (2) direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and publish a model standing order for administering influenza vaccine. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to: (1) carry out activities to increase communication between the agency and the scientific community regarding vaccine development and regulation; and (2) develop a regulatory roadmap to address issues surrounding emergency use authorization of influenza vaccine. Requires the Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases to: (1) coordinate efforts regarding specified influenza vaccine education, outreach, surveillance, and research activities in support of the goal of increasing overall influenza vaccination rates; and (2) coordinate educational efforts with the National Vaccine Program Office, state, and local health departments, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other relevant entities. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) establish an electronic tracking system for the influenza vaccine; (2) revise and expand influenza-related education materials; and (3) carry out specified influenza immunization education and outreach activities.
Bill· SS. 2455 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Community Foreclosure Assistance Act of 2007 - Makes appropriations for additional emergency Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) assistance to states, metropolitan cities, and urban counties to carry out CDBG programs under the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1974: (1) for necessary expenses related to the impact of housing foreclosures, and other related economic and community development activities; and (2) to provide foreclosure-based rental assistance for individual renters in the form of relocation assistance. Prohibits the direct or indirect provision of such funds, except for certified housing counseling services, to an individual homeowner for foreclosure prevention purposes, including refinancing assistance, loans, or any other form of financial assistance. Increases from 15% to 25% the maximum amount of CDBG funds a local government may use for public services under the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1974, including those concerned with employment, crime prevention, child care, health, drug abuse, education, energy conservation, welfare or recreation needs. Requires at least 50% of CDBG funds appropriated or otherwise made available under this Act to benefit primarily persons of low- and moderate-income.
Bill· SS. 2460 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Amends the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 1997 to extend by one year the moratorium on: (1) implementation of a specified rule relating to the federal-state financial partnership under titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)) of the Social Security Act; and (2) the finalization of a certain proposed rule regarding the authority of states to make payments related to graduate medical education (GME payments). Imposes a one-year moratorium on finalization or implementation of a certain proposed rule regarding the scope of permissible Medicaid payments that redefines outpatient hospitals and specifies methodologies for calculation of the outpatient services upper payment limit.
Bill· HRH.R. 4496 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to transfer funds from other programs to the Impact Aid program (which compensates local educational agencies (LEAs) for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their areas) to the extent such funds are needed to provide payments to LEAs under such program that equal at least the maximum amount for which they are eligible multiplied by the percentage of their land that is federally owned.
Bill· HRH.R. 4459 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to allow public institutions of higher education to use the employment eligibility confirmation system to verify the immigration status of current or prospective students for the purpose of determining their eligibility for in-state tuition.
Bill· HRH.R. 4463 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prescribe standards for appointment and practice as a physician within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires: (1) applicants to provide certain information, including each lawsuit, civil action, or other claim against the individual for medical malpractice or negligence, and their results; (2) each appointee to disclose any judgments against the individual for medical malpractice or negligence and any payments made; and (3) physicians already employed within the VHA to disclose such information. Prohibits a new appointment without: (1) approval of the regional director of the Veterans Integrated Services Network (Network) in which the individual will serve; (2) board certification in the specialties in which the individual will practice; and (3) a license to practice medicine in that state. Requires: (1) the VHA's Under Secretary of Health to designate a National Quality Assurance Officer for the VHA quality assurance program; (2) each Network regional director to appoint a quality assurance officer; and (3) the director of each VHA medical facility to appoint a quality assurance officer. Directs the Secretary to review VA policies for maintaining health care quality and patient safety at VA medical facilities. Requires the Secretary, in order to recruit and retain VHA physicians in hard-to-fill positions, to: (1) repay certain educational loans for individuals who agree to serve for at least three years as a VHA physician; (2) reimburse tuition for medical students who agree to serve as a VHA physician after such education; and (3) enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program an individual who agrees to serve as a VHA physician for at least five days per month. Encourages the Secretary to undertake additional incentives to encourage individuals to serve or practice as VHA physicians.
Bill· HRH.R. 4495 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2007
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to transfer funds from other programs to the Impact Aid program (which compensates local educational agencies (LEAs) for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their areas) if such funds are needed to provide full payments under such program to LEAs whose areas are at least 50% federally owned.
Bill· SS. 2444 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Higher Education Sustainability Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to establish sustainability programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Directs the Secretary to contract with an IHE, nonprofit organization, or consortium of such institutions for administration of the grant program. Requires such programs to develop and implement: (1) sustainability practices, including in the areas of energy management, green building, waste management, purchasing, transportation, and toxics management; and (2) other aspects of sustainability that integrate campus operations with multidisciplinary educational programs and are applicable to the private and government sectors. Directs the Secretary to convene a summit of higher education experts, federal representatives, and business and industry leaders to encourage cooperative efforts to enhance sustainability programs at IHEs and apply such programs to the community and workplace.
Bill· HRH.R. 4453 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Underage Drinking Prevention Act of 2007 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) understanding which programs are effective in reducing underage drinking will maximize scarce federal resources and help confront underage drinking in a more effective, cost-efficient manner; (2) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration should explore ways to expand and improve evaluation efforts; and (3) federal agencies should strive to evaluate all federally funded underage drinking programs and modify programs as needed to reach maximum effectiveness. Requires the Director of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs to award grants to states and local governments to implement and evaluate enforcement and public education programs aimed at reducing the provision of alcohol by social sources to underage drinkers as part of the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Program. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as Chair of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking, to: (1) work with members of that Committee to improve federal data collection by ensuring that federally funded surveys related to underage drinking collect and report data in a consistent manner; and (2) establish a federal data improvement committee. Requires the Secretary of Education to: (1) award grants on a competitive basis to local educational agencies to develop and implement innovative and effective programs to increase parental awareness and involvement in reducing underage drinking in elementary and secondary schools; and (2) identify existing, effective, national programs that increase parent-child interaction to prevent underage drinking and disseminate that information to such agencies for replication at the local level.
Bill· HRH.R. 4449 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Prescribe A Book Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a Pediatric Early Literacy program under which the Secretary of Education awards matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of three-part models through which: (1) health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer them recommendations and strategies for doing so; (2) health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five-years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and (3) volunteers reading to children in health care facility waiting areas show parents the techniques and pleasures of reading aloud to children. Requires that the books provided to children under the program be obtained at a discount.
Bill· HRH.R. 4344 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 with respect to the meaning of economic hardship under the Federal Family Education Loan or Perkins Loan and related loan insurance programs. Considers borrowers under such programs to be suffering economic hardship if they are working full-time, have a federal educational debt burden equal to at least 20% of their adjusted gross income, and the difference between their adjusted gross income minus such debt burden is less than 220% of the greater of: (1) the annual earnings of an minimum wage earner; or (2) 150% of the poverty line applicable to their family size.
Bill· HRH.R. 4451 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
MRSA Research and Study Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish a six-year program under which the Secretary shall award competitive two-year grants to public or private universities or affiliated teaching hospitals to conduct research into preventing, treating, and finding the cure for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Requires the Secretary to award at least 25 grants during each two-year period of the program.
Bill· HRH.R. 4352 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Directs the Secretary of Education to provide informational and monetary assistance to public school districts to thwart the spread of certain drug resistant pathogens among students in kindergarten through grade 12.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 858 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2007
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week; (2) increased funding for research on congenital heart defects and diseases (CHDs); and (3) the education of parents and the medical community on CHDs symptoms and the importance of newborn screenings for such symptoms.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 397 (110th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2007
Honors the Siemens Foundation, sponsor of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology, for its contributions to science education and academic excellence. Congratulates the competitors and finalists in the Siemens Competition. Celebrates the many contributions of women in the fields of math, science, and technology on the occasion of the first time that young women have won both the individual and team grand prizes in the Siemens Competition. Recognizes the dedication of parents, educators, and organizations such as the Seimens Foundation in helping young men and women achieve academic excellence.
Bill· SS. 2428 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
National STEM Scholarship Database Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to establish and maintain, on the public website of the Department of Education, a database of information on public and private programs of financial assistance for the study of postsecondary and graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Requires that such database: (1) provide separate information for each field of study; (2) be searchable by category and combinations of categories; (3) indicate programs targeted toward specific demographic groups; (4) provide searchers with program sponsor contact information and hyperlinks; and (5) include a recommendation that students and families carefully review application requirements and a disclaimer that scholarships presented in the database are not provided or endorsed by the Department or the federal government. Requires the Secretary and the entity contracted to furnish and regularly update information to consult with public and private sources of scholarships and make easily available a process for the sources to provide regular and updated information.
Bill· SS. 2424 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
National Health Literacy Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to establish within the Agency a Health Literacy Implementation Center to enhance efforts to eliminate low health literacy by improving measurements, research, development, and information dissemination. Defines "health literacy" as an individual's ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health care decisions. Directs the Center to: (1) make health literacy resources available to researchers, health care providers, and the public; (2) sponsor demonstration and evaluation projects; (3) develop the next generation of health literacy interventions and tools; (4) identify and fill research gaps relating to health literacy that have direct applicability to quality improvement; (5) assist federal agencies in establishing specific objectives and strategies for carrying out the Center's purpose and in monitoring programs; (6) enter into implementation partnerships to promote adoption of literacy interventions and tools; and (7) enter into an interagency agreement to facilitate coordination of health literacy activities within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Education. Requires: (1) the Center to convene at least one annual public meeting to help raise awareness about the problem of health literacy and federal and state efforts to address the issue; (2) the Director of the Center to award grants to states to provide for the establishment of a network of state or regional health literacy resource centers; (3) a state health literacy resource center to meet at least annually to share a model of best practices; and (4) the HHS Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to identify opportunities within HHS to improve the public's health literacy through the Medicare and Medicaid programs and at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Bill· SS. 2419 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Working Families Flexibility Act - Authorizes an employee to request from an employer a change in the terms or conditions of the employee's employment if the request relates to: (1) the number of hours the employee is required to work; (2) the times when the employee is required to work; or (3) where the employee is required to work. Sets forth certain employer duties with respect to such requests. Makes it unlawful for an employer to interfere with any rights provided to an employee under this Act. Authorizes an employee to file a complaint with the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Employment Standards Administration of the Department of Labor for any violations of such rights. Provides for the investigation and assessment of civil penalties or the award of relief for alleged violations, including the review in federal courts of appeal of orders of the Administrator. Requires the Secretary of Labor to carry out a research, education, and technical assistance program for employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding compliance with this Act. Applies the requirements of this Act to certain classes of employees, including employees of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Library of Congress.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 394 (110th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Congratulates the American Association for Cancer Research on its 100-year anniversary celebration. Expresses gratitude for the Association's contributions toward progress in advancing cancer research. Declares the month of May 2007 to be National Cancer Research Month to support the Association's public education efforts to make cancer research a national and international priority.
Bill· HRH.R. 4335 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Amends title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to create a new Part D: Promoting Youth Financial Literacy. Allows the Secretary of Education to provide grants to states to: (1) assist local educational agencies and public schools provide financial education programs to students in kindergarten through grade 12; and (2) implement financial education professional development programs for teachers and administrators. Requires a specified amount of the grant funds to be awarded competitively each fiscal year, with the remainder provided to each state on the basis of its share of students in kindergarten through grade 12. Directs the Secretary to make a grant to or contract with an institution of higher education or nonprofit organization that has substantial financial education experience to establish and operate a national clearinghouse of instructional materials and information on model financial education programs and best practices. Amends title V of the ESEA to direct the Secretary to set aside 2% of the funds appropriated for the Fund for the Improvement of Education program each fiscal year for financial literacy activities under such program.
Bill· HRH.R. 4305 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Improving Student Testing Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow states to use academic indicators other than statewide standardized assessments in determining whether schools need improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. (Currently, such indicators may not be used to reduce the number of schools requiring such interventions.) Permits states to use growth or hybrid growth and status models in determining whether students are making adequate progress toward state standards. Requires growth models and the growth portion of hybrid models to: (1) use statewide education data systems capable of tracking individual student growth; and (2) assess students annually in grades 3 through 8, and once in grades 9 through 12. Allows states to alter their current assessment systems by: (1) conducting statewide assessments less frequently, but at least once in grades 3 through 5, 6 through 9, and 10 through 12; or (2) using multiple measures of assessments instead of, or in addition to, statewide standardized assessments. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to implement certain privacy protection measures for statewide education data systems. Waives the requirement that all students meet state academic proficiency standards by the end of the 2013-2014 school year if, for each of FY2008-FY2015, school improvement funds appropriated do not match those authorized. Makes changes to the state education improvement plan peer review process that involve the composition of peer review panels, the feedback they provide, and the consistency of their decisions from state to state. Requires states to disaggregate high school graduation rates by student subgroups. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to states to disaggregate and report student graduation and performance data. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to: (1) states to develop multiple measures of assessment, rather than one standardized test; and (2) states and local educational agencies to improve their capacity to implement alternative accountability and assessment systems and meet school improvement requirements.
Bill· HRH.R. 4301 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Working Families Flexibility Act - Authorizes an employee to request from an employer a change in the terms or conditions of the employee's employment if the request relates to: (1) the number of hours the employee is required to work; (2) the times when the employee is required to work; or (3) where the employee is required to work. Sets forth certain employer duties with respect to such requests. Makes it unlawful for an employer to interfere with any rights provided to an employee under this Act. Authorizes an employee to file a complaint with the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Employment Standards Administration of the Department of Labor for any violations of such rights. Provides for the investigation and assessment of civil penalties or the award of relief for alleged violations, including the review in federal courts of appeal of orders of the Administrator. Requires the Secretary of Labor to carry out a research, education, and technical assistance program for employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding compliance with this Act. Applies the requirements of this Act to certain classes of employees, including employees of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Library of Congress.
Bill· HRH.R. 4321 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
Enhancing Safety in Medicine Utilizing Leading Advanced Simulation Technologies to Improve Outcomes Now Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to conduct and support research, evaluations, initiatives, and demonstration projects, and provide grants or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements, to enhance the deployment of medical simulation technologies and the incorporation of such technologies and equipment into medical, nursing, allied health, podiatric, osteopathic, and dental education and training protocols. Requires the Director to: (1) establish medical simulation centers of excellence; (2) promote innovation by conducting and supporting research on complex or challenging medical simulation and interdisciplinary simulation technologies and developing an electronic clearinghouse of such technologies; and (3) award grants for purchasing, incorporating, and deploying such technologies for training of physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and qualified students. Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Federal Medical Simulation Coordinating Council. Requires the Director to establish an advisory panel to make recommendations on how to structure programs established by this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 4311 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
School Choice for Foster Kids Act - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to authorize states to use funds provided under the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence program to provide vouchers to foster children of all ages to cover their elementary and secondary private school tuition and public school transportation costs.
Bill· HRH.R. 4310 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2007
School Energy Crisis Relief Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a grants program for eligible local educational agencies that have experienced the highest percentage increase (or expenditure increase) in transportation and heating fuel costs among all local educational agencies (LEA's) in a state for a specific time period during the current school year, in comparison to the same time period during the prior school year. Authorizes the use of funds for: (1) the cost of transportation or heating fuel purchased by eligible LEA's; or (2) transportation fuel purchased by entities under contract to provide transportation services to such LEA's.
Bill· SS. 2418 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2007
Ending Agricultural Threats: Safeguarding America's Food for Everyone (EAT SAFE) Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) establish food safety and agroterrorism training programs for appropriate federal employees and border patrol agents; (2) hire additional Food Safety and Inspection Service personnel; (3) provide notification of smuggled food products to the public and to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and (4) provide the public with notification of recalled food products. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide notification of smuggled food products to the public and to DHS. Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to establish civil penalties for illegally imported meat and poultry products. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require federal certification of food safety labs. Amends the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary, through the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, to establish a foodborne illness education and outreach grant program.
Bill· HRH.R. 4283 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2007
Literacy, Education, and Rehabilitation Act - Amends the federal criminal code to allow a prisoner serving a term of imprisonment of more than one year to receive credit beyond time already served for up to 60 days each year, in addition to any credit received for satisfactory behavior, for earning a certificate of completion in, or for participating in or teaching, a designated program that benefits prisoners or the Bureau of Prisons, including specified educational and vocational, treatment, and work and developmental programs. Requires the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to establish the number of days of credit a prisoner may be awarded considering the difficulty, time required, responsibility expected, and rehabilitative benefits of the program. Makes any person sentenced to a term of imprisonment under the Attorney General's custody eligible for the credits, including prisoners transferred from foreign countries. Directs the Bureau of Prisons to assure that a prisoner serves a reasonable part of the last portion (currently, the last ten percent) of the term of imprisonment under conditions that will afford the prisoner a reasonable opportunity to prepare for reentry into the community.
Bill· SS. 2407 (110th)open
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2007
Pregnant Women Support Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to increase public awareness of resources available to pregnant women to carry their pregnancy to term and new parents. Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary to make grants for the purchase of ultrasound equipment for examinations of pregnant women. Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit a health insurance issuer offering individual coverage from imposing a preexisting condition exclusion or a waiting period or otherwise discriminating against a woman on the basis that she is pregnant. Provides for continuation coverage for newborns. Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to allow states to extend health care coverage to an unborn child. Requires health facilities that perform abortions to obtain informed consent from a pregnant woman seeking an abortion. Provides for the collection and dissemination of information on Down syndrome and other prenatally diagnosed conditions. Allows the Secretary to make grants to public institutions of higher education to establish and operate pregnant and parenting student services offices. Requires the Secretary to provide for programs to work with pregnant or parenting teens to complete high school. Authorizes grants for services to pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. Requires states to require a pregnancy determination for homicide victims. Requires group homes for pregnant and parenting women to provide counseling on adoption and parenting skills. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase and make refundable the tax credit for adoption expenses. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC program). Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to increase the eligibility threshold for food stamps. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990. Authorizes grants to provide to eligible mothers education on the health needs of their infants through visits to their homes by registered nurses. Authorizes grants for collecting and reporting abortion surveillance data.
Bill· HRH.R. 4265 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2007
Phylicia's Law - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require local educational agencies applying for funds under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program to require schools sponsoring off-premises overnight field trips to develop, and provide to parents whose children are to be taken on such trips, written safety plans that include: (1) policies on curfews, room checks, and chaperone qualifications; and (2) emergency procedures to be followed when a serious injury or death occurs.
Bill· HRH.R. 4251 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2007
Flu Vaccine Availability Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a demonstration project providing influenza vaccinations to all kindergarten through grade eight students in one or more low-income metropolitan schools for the purpose of studying and reducing any socioeconomic disparities in the provision of such vaccinations.
Bill· HRH.R. 4262 (110th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2007
Maximizing the Use of Federal Education Funds for Job Creation Act of 2007 - Authorizes states with unemployment rates that equal or exceed 125% of the national unemployment rate to consolidate or transfer, without limitation, any funds made available to them from specified formula grant programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.