Education

Wall Street Fair Share Act

United States · United States Congress · 23 December 2009

Wall Street Fair Share Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an excise tax on securities trading facilities, brokers, and purchasers for certain securities transactions. Sets such tax at .25% of the fair market value of the security traded. Defines "security" to include stock in a corporation, partnership interests, debt instruments, or interests in certain derivative financial instruments. Exempts from such tax an initial issue of securities, transactions in certain retirement, education, and health savings accounts, and transactions in mutual funds. Allows the purchaser of securities a credit against the excise tax for the lesser of the tax incurred or $250 ($500 for married couples filing joint tax returns). Requires withholding of excise tax amounts by the transferor of securities subject to the tax.

Heartland Disaster Tax Relief Extension Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 23 December 2009

Heartland Disaster Tax Relief Extension Act of 2009 - Amends the Heartland Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008 or the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2010 certain tax provisions related to disaster relief, including: (1) credits to holders of disaster area tax credit bonds; (2) increased disaster zone education tax benefits; (3) penalty-free distributions from tax-exempt retirement plans for disaster-related expenses; (4) authority to adjust the tax status of taxpayers in a disaster area; (5) deductibility of losses, including net operating losses, attributable to federally declared disasters; (6) expensing of disaster-related capital expenditures; (7) waiver of mortgage revenue bond requirements; and (8) accelerated depreciation of nonresidential real property or residential rental property located in a disaster area.

Community-Based Residency Training Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2009

Community-Based Residency Training Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program for the training of medical residents in community-based settings. Requires the Secretary to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities (i.e., entities designated as eligible to receive payment for the direct costs of medical education under provisions of the Social Security Act pertaining to payment to nonhospital providers) to: (1) plan and develop a new primary care residency training program; and (2) operate or participate in an established primary care residency training program. Directs the Secretary to give preference to entities that: (1) support teaching programs that address the health care needs of vulnerable populations; (2) are a federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic; or (3) have a demonstrated record of training a high or significantly improved percentage of health professionals who provide primary care, individuals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, or individuals who practice in settings having the principal focus of serving underserved areas or populations experiencing health disparities.

A resolution designating the week of February 1 through February 5, 2010, as "National School Counseling Week".

United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2009

Designates the week of February 1-February 5, 2010, as National School Counseling Week.

Gwendolyn E. Boyd, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation for a term expiring August 11, 2014, vice Donald J. Sutherland, term expired.

United States · United States Senate · 17 December 2009

Peggy Goldwater-Clay, of California, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation for a term expiring June 5, 2012. (Reappointment)

United States · United States Senate · 17 December 2009

Child Safety, Care, and Education Continuity Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2009

Child Safety, Care, and Education Continuity Act of 2010 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and nonpublic schools for assistance in restarting school operations in major disaster areas. Protects LEAs from cuts in school improvement funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 for the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which a major disaster occurs within their service area. Allows LEAs in states to which teachers and paraprofessionals relocate after a major disaster to consider such teachers and paraprofessionals to have met certain federal teaching standards if the state from which they came considered them to have met such standards. Authorizes the Secretary to waive or modify certain requirements relating to maintenance of effort, supplementary use of funds, and matching funds in providing educational assistance to entities affected by a major disaster. Directs the Secretary to provide temporary emergency impact aid to states and, through them, LEAs and Native American schools for the education of students displaced by a major disaster. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) waive or modify requirements applicable to federal student aid programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) that are unreasonable due to the effects of a major disaster; (2) approve Teacher Quality Partnership Grants program modifications that assist states, LEAs, and institutions of higher education (IHEs) recruit and retain faculty for schools in major disaster areas; (3) modify, at the request of an affected institution or other grantee located in a major disaster area, required and allowable uses of funds under the HEA's TRIO, GEAR-UP, Strengthening Institutions, and Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities programs, and any other competitive grant program; and (4) allow financial aid administrators to adjust the expected contribution of students and parents affected by a major disaster. Directs the Secretary to make special efforts to notify students and their parents who qualify for means-tested federal benefit programs of their potential eligibility for a maximum Pell Grant, provided such students attend an IHE affected by a major disaster. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements to extend certain deadlines under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regarding the provision of special education and related services, including early intervention services, to individuals adversely affected by a major disaster. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide training and technical assistance, guidance, and resources to Head Start agencies located in a major disaster area or receiving a significant number of children from such an area. Authorizes the waiver of cost-sharing requirements for such agencies and documentation requirements for Head Start participants affected by a major disaster. Authorizes the Secretary of HHS to: (1) waive the application of specified provisions of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to states affected by a major disaster or serving a significant number of individuals adversely affected by a major disaster; and (2) assist states in providing training, technical assistance, and guidance to child care providers who are serving such individuals. Requires each state that receives funds under such Act to develop a disaster plan. Requires the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to encourage state and local governments to address child care services and facilities in their response and recovery plans, exercises, and training. Directs the Secretary of HHS to provide disaster guidance to states under titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program [CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP]) of the Social Security Act regarding the requirement that states provide medical assistance to individuals who are residents of the state but are absent. Requires each state to provide disaster guidance to Medicaid and CHIP providers to ensure that low-income children displaced from their home state by a major disaster have continued access to health care services.

School Principal Recruitment and Training Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2009

School Principal Recruitment and Training Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award renewable five-year matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and certain educational or nonprofit entities that partner with LEAs to recruit, support, and train principals for service in high-need schools. Requires grantees to: (1) recruit, select, and provide training to individuals who are or aspire to be principals in high-need schools, agree to serve for at least four years in such schools, and work to ensure that student academic achievement in their schools improves substantially within three to six years; (2) provide aspiring principals with a pre-service residency for at least one year that focuses on instructional leadership and organizational management and is followed by ongoing training for at least two years after their residency ends and school leadership begins; and (3) deliver high-quality, differentiated, school-level support services that meet the specific needs of high-need schools led by individuals that are receiving or have received training pursuant to this Act. Directs the Secretary to award a grant to one or more research groups to develop a high-quality evaluation and information clearinghouse system to facilitate the sharing of best practices and inform: (1) the recruitment, selection, and training of principals for high-need schools; (2) the development of principal effectiveness standards; and (3) the development of system-wide supports and policies that foster school and principal actions identified as most often differentiating the most dramatically improved schools from others.

A bill to amend title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to reduce class size through the use of highly qualified teachers, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to award formula grants to states for allocation to their local educational agencies (LEAs) to: (1) reduce class size, particularly in the early elementary grades, by using highly qualified teachers; and (2) create a continuum of small classes from kindergarten through third grade for all their students. Permits LEAs to use such funds to recruit highly qualified teachers, test new teachers, and provide professional development that enables teachers to teach effectively in their content areas. Requires 80% of an LEA's allocation to be based on its proportion of the state's low-income students, with the remainder based on its proportion of the state's enrolled students. Requires LEAs that receive allocations to provide written notice to the parent of each child who is taught for two or more consecutive weeks by a substitute teacher or a teacher who is not highly qualified. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide for an independent evaluation of this Act's effectiveness in reducing class size and improving teaching in small classrooms; and (2) develop and maintain, through the National Center for Education Statistics, a database that accurately calculates class size for every school, school district, and state. Amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 to require the National Center for Education Research, in the Institute of Education Sciences, to develop and maintain a web-based National Clearinghouse on Class Size to inform the public regarding class size reduction research, resources, and best practices.

Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act of 2009 - Amends the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to revise tribal self-governance requirements. Authorizes the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, through the Director of the Office of Self-Governance, to select up to 50 new Indian tribes per year from those eligible to participate in self-governance.

Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Fellowship Program to award local government and federal government fellowships to qualified students from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Defines a "qualified student" as a student who is a U.S. citizen, domiciled in that Commonwealth, and enrolled in a degree or certificate program at an institution of higher education. Allows a fellow to receive either a specified stipend or academic credit toward graduation for participating in an internship.

To establish the Utah Navajo Trust Fund Commission, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

Utah Navajo Trust Fund Act of 2009 - Directs each Utah Navajo Chapter to conduct a binding election on the same day in accordance with this Act to select a representative to the Utah Navajo Trust Fund Commission. Sets forth election provisions. Establishes a Utah Navajo Trust Fund Commission within 90 days after enactment of this Act. Sets forth Commission responsibilities, including: (1) selecting an independent Trust Administrator for the Utah Navajo Trust Fund; (2) ensuring that Trust amounts are invested, managed, and administered for the health, education, and general welfare of the beneficiaries; (3) ensuring that Navajos living outside of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, Utah, remain eligible for Fund educational assistance; (4) conducting an annual assessment to determine the eligible uses of Trust assets; and (5) establishing and maintaining a census of eligible beneficiaries. Directs Utah: (1) within 90 days after selection of a Trust Administrator, to prepare an audit and accounting of the Trust assets in the Utah Navajo Trust Fund, as established and administered by Utah prior to passage of this Act; and (2) within 120 days after selection of a Trust Administrator, to transfer Trust assets to the Trust Administrator who shall establish the Utah Navajo Trust Fund with such assets.

Children's Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

Children's Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009 - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) promote the use of salad or fruit and vegetable bars in schools participating in the school lunch program; (2) provide training and technical assistance to states and schools on how to do so; and (3) provide grants to states for a one-time payment to schools for the cost of setting up and operating salad or fruit and vegetable bars. Directs the Secretary to identify and remove barriers to the equitable purchase of fruits and vegetables within the Secretary's procurement and distribution systems. Authorizes the Secretary to use administrative funds under the Act's fresh fruit and vegetable program to provide program participants with technical assistance and national and regional training conferences that emphasize best practices. Directs the Secretary, within two years of receiving the findings of the National Academy of Sciences' review of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program Meal Patterns and Nutrient Standards, to promulgate a final rule updating the nutrition standards and meal requirements for school meal programs so they are consistent with such findings. Requires the Secretary to allocate funds to states, in proportion to each state's administrative expense allocation under the school lunch and breakfast programs, so they can award competitive grants to school food authorities for the equipment needed to prepare, process, and store food for the school lunch program. Directs the Secretary to provide competitive matching grants and technical assistance to schools and nonprofit entities to carry out farm-to-school programs that improve the access of school lunch and breakfast program participants to local foods.

Literacy, Education, and Rehabilitation Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

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 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. Allows: (1) federal prisoners to earn up to 54 days of credit toward the service of a sentence for each year of the prisoner's sentence imposed by the court if the Bureau determines the prisoner has displayed exemplary compliance with institutional disciplinary regulations; and (2) the Bureau to restore credit previously denied to a prisoner, based on such prisoner maintaining good behavior.

School Principal Recruitment and Training Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

School Principal Recruitment and Training Act of 2009 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award renewable five-year matching grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and certain educational or nonprofit entities that partner with LEAs to recruit, support, and train principals for service in high-need schools. Requires grantees to: (1) recruit, select, and provide training to individuals who are or aspire to be principals in high-need schools, agree to serve for at least four years in such schools, and work to ensure that student academic achievement in their schools improves substantially within three to six years; (2) provide aspiring principals with a pre-service residency for at least one year that focuses on instructional leadership and organizational management and is followed by ongoing training for at least two years after their residency ends and school leadership begins; and (3) deliver high-quality, differentiated, school-level support services that meet the specific needs of high-need schools led by individuals that are receiving or have received training pursuant to this Act. Directs the Secretary to award a grant to one or more research groups to develop a high-quality evaluation and information clearinghouse system to facilitate the sharing of best practices and inform: (1) the recruitment, selection, and training of principals for high-need schools; (2) the development of principal effectiveness standards; and (3) the development of system-wide supports and policies that foster school and principal actions identified as most often differentiating the most dramatically improved schools from others.

Minority Diabetes Initiative Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

Minority Diabetes Initiative Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to provide treatment for diabetes in minority communities. Requires the Secretary to ensure that such grants cover a variety of diabetes-related health care services, including routine care for diabetic patients, public education on diabetes prevention and control, eye care, foot care, and treatment for kidney disease and other complications of diabetes.

Affordable Tutoring of Our Children Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

Affordable Tutoring of Our Children Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the tax exclusion for employer-provided dependent care assistance to allow employees an additional exclusion for payments of supplemental instructional services assistance to their dependents between the ages of 5 and 19 who have not obtained a high school diploma or who have been awarded a general education degree. Defines "supplemental instructional services assistance" to include instructional or other academic enrichment services that are: (1) in addition to instruction provided during the school day; (2) specifically designed to increase academic achievement; (3) in the core academic studies of English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, social studies, and geography; and (4) provided by a state certified instructor or accredited organization.

All-STAR Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

All Students Achieving through Reform Act of 2009 or All-STAR Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to certain eligible entities and, through them, subgrants to successful public charter schools to allow such schools to expand or replicate to serve additional students. Lists, as eligible grantees, state and local educational agencies, authorized public chartering agencies, and tax-exempt organizations that have successfully supported the replication and expansion of such schools. Sets forth the attributes that are to give such entities grant priority, including their serving or planning to serve a large percentage of low-income students from public schools with low-graduation rates or schools identified as needing improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Authorizes grantees to use up to 20% of a grant to establish a reserve account to assist them in acquiring and developing new facilities for successful public charter schools through: (1) credit enhancement initiatives; (2) the establishment of revolving loan funds; (3) direct spending or financing; or (4) partnerships with community development or other mission-based financial institutions. Directs the Secretary to conduct an independent, comprehensive, and scientifically sound evaluation of the effect this Act's initiatives have on student achievement, but no sooner than three years after this Act's enactment.

African Higher Education Expansion and Improvement Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

African Higher Education Expansion and Improvement Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress regarding the importance to the development of sub-Saharan Africa of support for the improvement of primary, secondary, and higher education in that region. States that it is this country's policy to provide Africa with long-term assistance to improve the capacity of its institutions of higher education (IHEs) through partnerships with our IHEs. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide long-term assistance to sub-Saharan Africa that improves higher education by: (1) building the capacity of IHEs in sub-Saharan Africa; (2) building linkages and partnerships between sub-Saharan IHEs and our IHEs; (3) assisting efforts to recruit and retain women as students, faculty, and administrators; and (4) establishing an American University in West Africa. Requires the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to designate a Director of Assistance to Support and Promote Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa, who is to carry out such activities. Establishes a Sub-Saharan African Higher Education Advisory Board within USAID, which is appointed by the Administrator and composed of individuals from the private sector who have the requisite experience with Africa and higher education to assist the Director. Urges the Director and the Board to make every effort to leverage resources from the private sector in carrying out their responsibilities.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers should be commended for their efforts to increase the rigor, utility, and comparability of state academic standards.

CIR ASAP Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009

Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform ASAP Act of 2009, or the CIR ASAP Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) (Secretary) to: (1) develop and submit to Congress a National Strategy for Border Security; (2) increase the number of Customs and Border Protection officers, agriculture specialists, and border security support personnel, and enhance related equipment, assets, and technology; (3) develop a comprehensive land and maritime border surveillance plan, including aerial and integrated surveillance demonstration programs; (4) issue a rule for electronic device searches and related agent training; (5) improve coordination efforts to combat human smuggling; (6) establish a Border Communities Liaison Office in every Border Patrol sector at the southern and northern borders; (7) carry out a ports of entry technology demonstration program; and (8) establish a Southern Border Security Task Force. Authorizes appropriations for border security improvements at U.S. ports of entry. Authorizes border relief grants for tribal, state, or local law enforcement and related agencies in proximity to the border or in a designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Provides reimbursement for state and county prosecutors in border states for prosecuting federally initiated and referred drug cases. Suspends the Operation Streamline program pending an evaluation of its viability. Expands resources for Project Gunrunner and for Operation Armas Cruzadas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Establishes the United States-Mexico Border Enforcement Commission. Prohibits the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard, from assisting in non-emergency federal, state, local, and civilian law enforcement of immigration laws. Directs the Secretaries of DHS, Interior, Agriculture, Defense, and Commerce to develop: (1) a land border protection strategy; and (2) a borderlands environmental monitoring plan. Provides for: (1) enhanced border cooperation with Mexico; and (2) expansion of Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism programs. Sets forth detention conditions. Directs the Secretary to appoint an Immigration Detention Commission. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) immigration enforcement protections; (2) unlawful detentions; (3) protections for vulnerable populations; (4) apprehension procedures for families and family detention; (5) welfare requirements for children separated from detained or removed parents; (6) unaccompanied alien children; and (7) female detainees. Provides a stay of removal and work authorization for detained alien workers who are witnesses or necessary for workplace prosecution claims. Eliminates, with specified exceptions, DHS authority to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to perform immigration law enforcement functions. Establishes in DHS an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Ombudsman. Eliminates the one-year asylun filing requirement. Provides for federal court review of DHS orders of removal currently exempt from such review. Establishes an alien employment verification system which requires employers to comply with: (1) document verification requirements; and (2) a phased-in electronic employment verification system. Sets forth backlog reduction provisions respecting family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant levels. Revises the definition of "immediate relative" to: (1) include the spouse and child of a lawful permanent resident; and (2) permit a qualifying widow/widower and the child or parent of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to maintain such status while filing for permanent resident status. Increases: (1) per-country limits for family-sponsored and employment-based immigrants; and (2) specified family-unity exceptions to unlawful presence-based inadmissibility. Prohibits the removal from the United States of an individual who: (1) fled his or her homeland while under the age of 12 years old; and (2) was later admitted to the United States as a refugee, parolee, or asylee. Exempts the sons and daughters of certain naturalized Filipino World War II veterans from worldwide or numerical immigrant visa limits. Makes a minor child of an alien fiancee/fiance or of an alien spouse of a U.S. citizen eligible for derivative K-visa status under specified circumstances. Redefines "child" to include a stepchild under 21 years old. Amends the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 to: (1) require determinations with respect to children to be made using the age and status of an individual on October 21, 1998; and (2) permit an application based upon child status to be filed by a parent or guardian if the child is present in the United States on such filing date. Permits new status adjustment applications to be filed for a limited time period. Reduces the required support level for immigrant sponsorship. Establishes the Prevent Unauthorized Migration Visa (PUM Visa) program which shall provide for: (1) 100,000 PUM conditional permanent resident visas annually, for three years, to persons from countries (transitional visa admission states) which represent at least 5% of the total unauthorized migration population to the United States for the past five years; and (2) a process to adjust to permanent resident status. Exempts specified categories of U.S.-educated aliens from employment-based immigration limits. Permits a nonimmigrant alien whose employer has petitioned for an employment-based green card for such alien to file an application for adjustment of status regardless of whether an immigrant visa is immediately available. (Requires visa availability before such application may be approved.) Return of Talent Act - Establishes the Return of Talent Program to permit an eligible alien (and certain family members) to return to the alien's country of citizenship for up to two years in order to contribute to such country's postconflict or natural disaster reconstruction activities. (During such absence the alien and family members shall be considered to be continuously present and residing in the United States for naturalization purposes.) Establishes a conditional nonimmigrant status for qualifying aliens and their dependents who are illegally present or out of status in the United States and who register and meet the requirements for such status. Authorizes: (1) adjustment from conditional to permanent resident status at the earlier of six years after enactment of this Act or 30 days after specified immigrant visas become available (with exceptions to such time frame for certain students, military personnel, and employed individuals); and (2) naturalization three years after permanent resident status adjustment. Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2009 or the AgJOBS Act of 2009 - Confers "blue card status" upon an alien who: (1) during the 24-month period ending on December 31, 2008, has performed specified lengths of, or earned a specified amount from, agricultural employment in the United States; (2) applied for such status during the 18-month application period; (3) is otherwise admissible to the United States; and (4) has not been convicted of specified felonies or misdemeanors. Limits the number of blue cards that may be issued during the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. Provides for adjustment of blue card status to permanent resident status based upon completed periods of agricultural employment. Revises H-2A visa (agricultural labor or temporary or seasonal services) provisions. Replaces the existing labor certification requirement with a labor attestation requirement containing: (1) a description of the nature and location of the job; (2) the job's expected beginning and ending dates; (3) the number of jobs; and (4) specified labor assurances respecting job opportunities covered by collective bargaining agreements and non-covered job opportunities. Establishes: (1) the Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets; and (2) the Security and Prosperity Account in the Treasury. Requires each State Workforce Agency (SWA) to establish an Internet-based American Worker Recruit and Match program. Requires employers and foreign labor contractors to provide workers recruited abroad with specified employment-related information. Amends H-1B visa (specialty occupation) employer application requirements to: (1) revise wage determination requirements; (2) require Internet posting and description of employment positions; (3) lengthen U.S. worker displacement protection; (4) apply certain requirements to all H-1B employers rather than only to H-1B dependent employers; (5) prohibit employer advertising that makes a position available only to, or gives priority to, H-1B nonimmigrants; and (6) limit the number of H-1B and L-1 visa (intracompany transfer) employees that an employer of 50 or more workers in the United States may hire. Authorizes the Department of Labor (DOL) to: (1) investigate applications for fraud; and (2) conduct H-1B compliance audits. Prohibits an employer from hiring an L-1 nonimmigrant for more than one year who will: (1) serve in a capacity involving specialized knowledge; and (2) be stationed primarily at the worksite of another employer. Specifies L-1: (1) employer petition requirements for employment at a new office; (2) wage rates and working conditions; and (3) employer penalties. Authorizes: (1) DOL to enforce federal labor laws with respect to employers of H-2B nonagricultural temporary workers; and (2) a private right of action against such employers. Specifies employer actions to recruit U.S. workers prior to filing for H-2B admissions. Sets forth H-2B and U.S. worker protections. Amends EB-5 visa (alien investor) provisions to: (1) increase EB-5 eligibility; (2) make the regional center program permanent; (3) establish $2,500 regional center designation and premium processing fees; (4) permit concurrent filing for EB-5 petitions and status adjustment applications; (5) establish in the Treasury the Immigrant Entrepreneur Regional Center Account; and (6) increase employment creation-related visas. Revises provisions regarding: (1) immigration service fees; (2) the naturalization age-based English language proficiency exemption; and (3) citizenship application background checks. Establishes the New Americans Initiative grants program to to assist lawful permanent resident aliens to become citizens. Authorizes grants for: (1) public education and community training regarding the provisions of this Act; (2) community-based organizations to assist naturalization applicants (initial entry, adjustment, and citizenship assistance grants); and (3) states to form New American Councils. Provides for the naturalization of certain graduates of U.S. high schools who are under 25 years of age on the date of application for naturalization. Establishes: (1) a tax credit and a deduction for certification expenses for teachers of English language learners; and (2) a tax credit for employer-provided adult English literacy and basic education programs. Makes funds available for oath of allegiance ceremonies.

Universal Classroom Breakfast Expansion Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009

Universal Classroom Breakfast Expansion Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to award competitive grants to states and, through them, subgrants to schools to assist such schools in establishing universal free breakfast programs that provide all of their students with free breakfasts for at least three years under the school breakfast program. Requires students to be allowed to eat such breakfasts in the classroom after school starts. Limits subgrant eligibility to elementary or secondary schools in which at least 40% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the school lunch program. Directs state grantees to provide: (1) technical assistance to schools in implementing such programs; (2) targeted outreach to schools with the highest percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the school lunch program; and (3) subgrant priority to schools in which 75% or more of the students are eligible for such lunches. Requires subgrantees to cover, from nonfederal sources, the costs of serving free breakfasts that exceed the assistance received under the school breakfast program.

Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009

Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009 - Amends part B (Child-Welfare Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states to support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using networks of public and private community entities to provide mentoring for children in foster care. Authorizes a grant award directly to a political subdivision if the subdivision serves a substantial number of foster care youth. Prescribes program implementation guidelines, including: (1) application requirements; (2) training; (3) screening; (4) educational requirements; (5) federal and nonfederal share of funds for the program; (6) considerations in awarding grants; and (7) use of funds. Sets forth a maximum grant amount to be awarded to a state or political subdivision. Authorizes the Secretary to award a competitive grant to an eligible entity to establish a National Hotline Service or website to provide information to individuals interested in becoming mentors to youth in foster care. Instructs the Secretary of Education to implement a program to provide for the discharge or cancellation of the federal student loan indebtedness of an eligible mentor.

To permit the District of Columbia to use Federal funds to provide scholarships for enrollment in participating schools under the DC School Choice Incentive Act of 2003 to students who did not receive such scholarships in the 2009-2010 school year.

United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009

Amends the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2010, to permit the District of Columbia to use federal funds to provide opportunity scholarships to students who did not receive such scholarships in the 2009-2010 school year. (Also known as the D.C. Voucher program, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program provides scholarships to low-income students in the District of Columbia to attend private elementary and secondary schools in the city.)

Post-9/11 GI Education Fairness Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009

Post-9/11 GI Educational Fairness Act of 2009 -Amends the veterans' post-9/11 educational assistance program to remove the requirement that a program of education must be offered by an institution of higher learning in ordered to be approved. States that the purpose of this Act is to allow activities such as apprenticeship or other on-job training, entrepreneurship training, correspondence training, and flight training. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to approve for such program the pursuit of flight training if: (1) such training is generally accepted as necessary for the attainment of a vocational objective in aviation; (2) the individual possesses a valid private pilot certificate and meets medical requirements necessary for a commercial pilot certificate; and (3) the flight school course meets Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards.

Congratulating Flint native, University of Alabama sophomore, and running back Mark Ingram on winning the 2009 Heisman Trophy and honoring both his athletic and academic achievements.

United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009

Congratulates Flint native and running back Mark Ingram on winning the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Honors both his athletic and academic achievements.

Commending University of Alabama Running Back Mark Ingram on winning the 2009 Heisman Trophy.

United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2009

Congratulates Mark Ingram (University of Alabama running back) for winning the 2009 Heisman Trophy and for his academic and athletic accomplishments.

Congratulating Flint native, University of Alabama Sophmore and running back Mark Ingram on winning the 2009 Heisman Trophy and honoring both his athletic and academic achievements.

United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2009

Congratulates Flint native and running back Mark Ingram on winning the 2009 Heisman Trophy. Honors both his athletic and academic achievements.

To authorize a capitalization of self-sustainable social services grant program to provide workforce development opportunities and training to people with barriers to employment.

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009

Directs the Secretary of Labor to award capitalization grants to eligible applicants (nonprofit local workforce investment boards, states, political subdivisions of a state, and Indian tribes, or a single national organization) for projects to create jobs and the delivery of self-sustainable social services (i.e., education, training, and career services) to people with barriers to employment. Authorizes the Secretary to evaluate the effectiveness of capitalization in providing workforce development opportunities and training to people with barriers to employment after the grantee has had three years to capitalize and build or expand its programs.

Enhancing Livability for All Americans Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009

Enhancing Livability for All Americans Act of 2009 - Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation an Office of Livability. Requires the Office Director to establish a program to award competitive grants to eligible entities to assist: (1) capital investments in surface transportation projects with a significant impact on enhancing the livability in a region, metropolitan area, community, or neighborhood; and (2) communities in developing strategic growth plans that provide a vision and goals for development over a minimum 20-year period and integrate long-term innovative transportation and land use planning. Requires priority be given to: (1) investment projects that increase the number of transportation options, improve access to housing, jobs, and services, and reduce greenhouse gas; and (2) innovative planning applicants who have proposed strategic growth plans for communities with transportation systems characterized by poor access to job centers and schools, limited transportation options for residents, and significant traffic congestion. Requires the Director to: (1) develop statistical and analytical capabilities to ascertain specified transportation data; and (2) collaborate with other federal agencies to carry out activities that promote the development of livable communities, increase transportation choices, and improve the environment, public health, and quality of life.

New Deal for a New Economy Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009

New Deal for a New Economy Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, from unobligated funds under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA), to make specified sums available for FY2010-FY2012 to the Secretary of Education, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Secretaries of Commerce, Labor, the Interior, and Agriculture. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Education to allocate, and each eligible local educational agency in the state to receive, funds in proportion to amounts received under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and (2) a state to make and distribute the amount allocated to it within 90 days of receipt. Authorizes the use of funds to hire new employees, rehire employees laid off during the year prior to enactment, continue to employ employees scheduled to be laid off as a result of reduced budgets, and prevent furloughs scheduled as a result of reduced budgets. Directs: (1) the Attorney General to award grants to state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program to hire, rehire, continue to employ, and prevent furloughs of police officers; (2) the Secretary of DHS, through the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, to award grants through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program to hire, rehire, continue to employ, and prevent furloughs of firefighters; (3) the Secretary of Commerce to award grants to states, cities or other political subdivisions or a consortium of such subdivisions, or Indian tribes, to assist in maintaining basic government services; and (4) the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to fund specific public works projects in national parks and through the National Forest Service, respectively. Establishes in the Department of Labor a New Economy Grant Program, to provide grants for the creation of new jobs on specific public works projects. Limits funding under this Act's Departments of Labor, the Interior, and Agriculture programs to individuals who meet specified criteria. Bars displacement of existing employees. Sets forth requirements regarding the use of funds, the maximum employment period, wages, reporting, and expedited administration.

Restorative Justice in Schools Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009

Restorative Justice in Schools Act of 2009 - Amends title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow local educational agencies to use title II subgrants to train school personnel in restorative justice and conflict resolution.

Calling on the President and the Secretary of Education to fire Kevin Jennings from his post as "Safe Schools Czar".

United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009

Expresses the House of Representatives' belief that it is reprehensible for a Safe Schools Czar to promote sex between adults and children and that those who hold such post should not promote criminal behavior. Calls on the President and the Secretary of Education to find an immediate replacement for Kevin Jennings, the current Safe Schools Czar.

To amend titles 38 and 10, United States Code, to authorize accelerated payments of educational assistance to certain veterans and members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces.

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009

Amends federal provisions concerning the provision of educational assistance for veterans and members of the reserves to allow an individual eligible for such assistance to be paid on an accelerated basis if: (1) the individual is enrolled in an approved program of education; (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) or of the military department concerned (in case of a reserve member) has not paid the established charges to the institution of higher learning within seven days after the academic quarter, semester, or term begins; and (3) failure to pay the established charges is through no fault of the individual. Requires: (1) the institution to certify the amount of established charges; (2) payment of the accelerated amount within 14 days after receipt of such certification; and (3) individuals to be charged against their educational assistance entitlement for any accelerated payments received.

To authorize the Secretary of Education to continue to waive certain requirements in order to ease fiscal burdens in States affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009

Amends the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006 to extend, through FY2010, the authority of the Secretary of Education to waive or modify certain requirements relating to maintenance of effort, supplementary use of funds, and matching funds in providing assistance to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas and, through them, to local educational agencies and non-public elementary and secondary schools serving areas in which a major disaster was declared relating to Hurricane Katrina or Rita.

Ensuring All Students Year-round (EASY) Access to Meals and Snacks Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009

Ensuring All Students Year-round (EASY) Access to Meals and Snacks Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to reimburse private nonprofit and local government service institutions (other than public schools) under the school lunch program for up to one meal and one snack per child each day during after-school hours, weekends, and school holidays during the regular school calendar. (Currently, such institutions are reimbursed for meals and snacks served to children over the summer months or to children who are on vacation under a continuous school calendar.)

Workforce Investment Improvement Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009

Workforce Investment Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) to revise requirements and reauthorize appropriations for: (1) WIA title I, workforce investment systems for job training and employment services; and (2) WIA title II, adult education and family literacy education programs. Revises and reauthorizes workforce investment systems with respect to: (1) state and local planning, allocation, work force investment board membership, and performance accountability; (2) one-stop centers; (3) consolidated funding for adult program activities, including job training, dislocated worker retraining, the employment service system, and reemployment grants; (4) training programs for both out-of-school and in-school youth, including challenge grants; and (5) national job training programs, including the Job Corps and programs for Native Americans, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and veterans. Requires the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor to be the principal agency to administer WIA title I workforce investment systems for job training and employment services and title III (Job Corps). Exempts religious organizations, with respect to their employment of individuals of a particular religion, from WIA nondiscrimination requirements. Prescribes requirements for the approval of state Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) plans for the carrying out of certain workforce development activities. Repeals Wagner-Peyser Act provisions relating to the U.S. Employment Service. Directs the Secretary of Labor to oversee the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of a nationwide workforce and labor market information system. Revises requirements and reauthorizes appropriations for: (1) vocational rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and (2) the Helen Keller National Center Act.

Put America to Work Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009

Put America to Work Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to states, local government units, and Indian tribes to create employment opportunities for unemployed and underemployed residents of distressed communities. Specifies grant uses, including funding of fast-track jobs for: (1) painting and repair of schools, community centers, and libraries; (2) restoration of abandoned and vacant properties; (3) expansion of emergency food programs to reduce hunger; (4) augmentation of staffing in Head Start and other early childhood education programs; and (5) renovation and maintenance of parks, playgrounds, and other public spaces. Requires grant recipients to use remaining grant funds to make grants to public entities, nonprofit organizations, public-private partnerships, or small businesses to create employment opportunities in: (1) construction, rehabilitation, and improvements in energy efficiency of residences or public facilities; (2) the provision of human services; (3) remediation and demolition of vacant and abandoned properties; and (4) programs that provide opportunities for employment, education, and training for disadvantaged youth.

Common Sense Tax Relief Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009

Common Sense Tax Relief Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deductions for state and local sales taxes, for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, and for tuition and related expenses. Exempts certain provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 relating to the child tax credit, marriage penalty relief, repeal of the estate tax, and the tax deduction for higher education expenses from the general terminating date of that Act (i.e., December 31, 2010). Makes provisions of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 reducing tax rates on capital gains and dividend income permanent.

Coral Reef Conservation Amendments Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2009

Coral Reef Conservation Amendments Act of 2009 - Amends the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to submit to Congress a national coral reef ecosystem action strategy. Directs the Secretary to make grants for projects for the conservation of coral reef ecosystems. (Current law refers to conservation of coral reefs.) Authorizes the Secretary to make agreements with nonprofit organizations for public-private partnerships promoting coral reef ecosystem conservation. (Current law refers to a nonprofit organization.) Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) execute contracts, leases, grants, or cooperative agreements to carry out the Act, including agreements with universities and research centers; (2) use the resources of any domestic or foreign governmental entity, tribal government, or international organization; and (3) utilize grants from any federal source operating competitive grant programs. Authorizes the Secretary to provide assistance to any state, local, or territorial government agency for any unforeseen or disaster-related circumstance regarding coral reef ecosystems. (Current law refers to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA].) Authorizes the Secretary to conduct activities, including with local, regional, or international programs and partners, to conserve coral reef ecosystems. (Current law does not does not provide for the inclusion of local, regional, or international programs and partners.) Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide for the long-term stewardship of environmental data; (2) establish the Emergency Response, Stabilization, and Restoration Account in the existing Damage Assessment Restoration Revolving Fund; and (3) conduct a study of the trade in corals. Directs the Secretary to carry out international coral reef conservation activities in waters outside the U.S. jurisdiction. Directs the Secretary to: (1) report to Congress regarding an international coral reef ecosystem strategy; and (2) establish an international coral reef ecosystem partnership program. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) make grants to work with federal, state, and local entities to increase protection of priority coral reef areas; and (2) maintain an inventory of all vessel reef grounding incidents and identify reef ecosystems with a high incidence of vessel impacts. Makes it unlawful to destroy, take, cause the loss of, or injure any coral reef or part except if caused by: (1) permitted fishing gear use; (2) a federally or state permitted use; (3) bona fide marine scientific research; (4) certain federal emergency activity; or (5) a vessel master's actions to ensure vessel safety or to save a life at sea. Makes anyone who engages in an activity that injures a coral reef ecosystem liable for response costs and damages, costs of seizure, forfeiture, storage, disposal, and related interest. Provides for in rem liability. Bars the commencement of a civil action for response costs and damages unless filed within three years after the date on which the Secretary completes a damage assessment and restoration plan for the coral reef. Provides for enforcement, including through civil administrative and judicial penalties and denial, suspension, amendment, or revocation of any permit involved. Provides for in rem jurisdiction, criminal and civil forfeiture, and injunctive relief. Authorizes the Secretary to issue permits for research and activities that would otherwise be prohibited by the Act. Directs the Secretary and other federal members of the Coral Reef Task Force to work in coordination with other federal agencies, states, and U.S. territorial governments to implement the strategies developed under this Act to address multiple threats to coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems.

Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2009

Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act - Directs the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to establish minimum standards that: (1) prohibit elementary and secondary school personnel from managing any student by using any mechanical or chemical restraint, physical restraint or escort that restricts breathing, or aversive behavioral intervention that compromises student health and safety; (2) prohibit such personnel from using physical restraint or seclusion, unless such measures are required to eliminate an imminent danger of physical injury to the student or others and certain precautions are taken; (3) require states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure that a sufficient number of school personnel receive state-approved training and certification in first aid and certain safe and effective student management techniques; (4) prohibit physical restraint or seclusion from being written into a student's education plan, individual safety plan, behavioral plan, or individual education program as a planned intervention; and (5) require schools to establish procedures to quickly notify parents if physical restraint or seclusion is imposed on their child and quickly notify the state Protection and Advocacy System if the child is seriously injured or dies from such measures. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to LEAs to: (1) establish, implement, and enforce policies and procedures to meet such standards; and (2) implement school-wide positive behavior supports. Directs the Secretary to conduct a national assessment of this Act's effectiveness. Gives Protection and Advocacy Systems the authority provided under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 to investigate, monitor, and enforce this Act's protections for students. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for Head Start agencies that are consistent with the minimum standards for the management of elementary and secondary school students. Authorizes the Secretary to allocate funds to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assist Head Start agencies in establishing, implementing, and enforcing policies and procedures to meet such standards.

Keeping All Students Safe Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2009

Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act - Directs the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to establish minimum standards that: (1) prohibit elementary and secondary school personnel from managing any student by using any mechanical or chemical restraint, physical restraint or escort that restricts breathing, or aversive behavioral intervention that compromises student health and safety; (2) prohibit such personnel from using physical restraint or seclusion, unless such measures are required to eliminate an imminent danger of physical injury to the student or others and certain precautions are taken; (3) require states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure that a sufficient number of school personnel receive state-approved training and certification in first aid and certain safe and effective student management techniques; (4) prohibit physical restraint or seclusion from being written into a student's education plan, individual safety plan, behavioral plan, or individual education program as a planned intervention; and (5) require schools to establish procedures to notify parents in a timely manner if physical restraint or seclusion is imposed on their child. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to LEAs to: (1) establish, implement, and enforce policies and procedures to meet such standards; (2) improve their capacity to collect and analyze data related to physical restraint and seclusion; and (3) implement school-wide positive behavior supports. Directs the Secretary to conduct a national assessment of this Act's effectiveness. Gives Protection and Advocacy Systems the authority provided under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 to investigate, monitor, and enforce this Act's protections for students. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for Head Start agencies that are consistent with the minimum standards for the management of elementary and secondary school students. Authorizes the Secretary to allocate funds to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assist Head Start agencies in establishing, implementing, and enforcing policies and procedures to meet such standards.

Public Private Vocational Partnership Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2009

Public Private Vocational Partnership Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow corporations (other than S corporations, personal holding companies, and service organizations) a general business tax credit for: (1) charitable contributions to secondary schools, community colleges, or technical schools that provide vocational education; and (2) employing interns as part of a vocational education course approved by a secondary school or community college.

IMPROVING OUR COMPETITIVENESS: COMMON CORE EDUCATION STANDARDS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 8 December 2009

A bill to make permanent certain education tax incentives, to modify rules relating to college savings plans, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2009

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase and make permanent the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credits; (2) make permanent the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; (3) make permanent the issuance authority for qualified zone academy bonds and qualified school construction bonds; and (4) make permanent provisions of the qualified tuition program allowing payment of computer technology or equipment. Repeals the termination date (i.e., December 31, 2010) of the Economic Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act for the education provisions of that Act, including modifications to education individual retirement accounts and qualified tuition programs, employer-provided educational assistance, student loan assistance and forgiveness, arbitrage rebates for government financing of educational facilities, and tax deductions for higher education expenses.

Incentives to Increase Use of Renewable Biomass Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2009

Incentives to Increase Use of Renewable Biomass Act of 2009 - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) establish a program to provide interest-free loans to eligible institutions (i.e., an institution of higher education, an elementary or secondary school, a hospital, a local government building, or a governmental, community, health, or educational building owned or leased and occupied by an Indian tribe, except any building used for gaming) for capital costs for converting existing equipment, or installing new equipment, to use renewable biomass for energy generation, heating, or cooling systems; and (2) ensure that an institution receiving such a loan will use renewable biomass for no less than 75% of the energy generation, heating, or cooling needs of the facility for which the loan is received. Establishes in the Treasury a revolving fund for such program. Requires the Secretary to: (1) deposit amounts received as payment on loans provided under such program into such revolving fund; and (2) make available $100 million of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to such revolving fund.

Women's Hospitals Education Equity Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2009

Women's Hospitals Education Equity Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make two payments to each eligible women's hospital for each of FY2010-FY2014: (1) one payment for direct expenses associated with operating approved graduate medical residency training programs; and (2) one for indirect expenses associated with the treatment of more severely ill patients and the additional costs relating to teaching residents in such programs. Requires the Secretary to: (1) make the payments in 12 equal interim installments based on the number of residents reported in the hospital's most recently filed Medicare cost report; (2) withhold up to 25% from each installment to ensure a hospital will not be overpaid on an interim basis; (3) determine, prior to the end of each fiscal year, any changes to the number of residents reported to determine the final amount; and (4) recoup any overpayments based on such determination. Considers the final amount so determined to be a final intermediary determination, subject to administrative and judicial review, under the Social Security Act. Applies to women's hospitals funded under this Act annual reporting requirements and provisions regarding direct graduate medical education payments and indirect medical education payments applicable to children's hospitals that operate graduate medical education programs.

Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2009

Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a five-year grant to an experienced nonprofit organization to establish a National Technical Assistance and Training Center for Social and Emotional Learning that provides training and technical assistance to states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and community-based organizations to identify, promote, and support evidence-based social and emotional learning standards and programming in elementary and secondary schools. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive five-year grants to states and LEAs to work with the Center in developing and implementing such standards and programming in elementary and secondary schools. Gives grant priority to applicants that have a plan for sustaining the program beyond the grant period and serve schools that have high numbers or percentages of: (1) low-income students; and (2) students in schools identified as needing improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Directs the Secretary to conduct an independent evaluation of the activities funded by such grants to states and LEAs. Amends the ESEA to include: (1) programming that meets the social and emotional needs of students as part of the School Dropout Prevention program and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program; and (2) teacher and principal training in practices that address those needs as part of the Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund program.

Promoting Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009

United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2009

Promoting Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 - Reinstates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) small business loan program, under which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs provides financial assistance to veterans' small businesses. Qualifies for such assistance any veteran business owner with a disability rated at 10% (under current law, 30%) or more. Removes VA authority to provide such assistance through direct loans, while maintaining authority for loan guaranties. Increases from $200,000 to $500,000 the maximum guaranty amount. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) contract-out to provide such loans; and (2) subsidize the interest rates paid under such loans. Provides a loan guarantee preference for National Guard and reserve members activated in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Requires (current law authorizes) a VA contracting officer to award contracts to small businesses owned and controlled by veterans using other than competitive procedures for contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold in order to meet VA small business procurement contracting goals. Allows the Secretary to evaluate a contract bid submitted by a small business owned and controlled by veterans on the same basis as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) evaluates a bid submitted by a socially and economically disadvantaged small business. Amends the Small Business Act to extend the period of eligibility for certain small business assistance in the case of small businesses owned by individuals who are called or ordered to active duty for more than 30 days. Increases the amount of the monthly subsistence allowance payable to veterans participating in VA vocational rehabilitation programs. Directs the Secretary to award up to 2,000 internships annually to veterans who have completed a vocational rehabilitation program. Requires the Secretary to pay to a veteran who is unemployed for at least four months, 59 years old or younger, and ineligible for other VA education or training assistance a training assistance allowance for each month the veteran is enrolled in a program of apprenticeship or other on-job training. Authorizes the Secretary to pay a $500 monthly assistance allowance to a rural veteran teacher. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations for veterans' workforce investment programs. Directs the Secretary to include on the main VA Internet website a hyperlink with a drop-down menu entitled "Veterans Employment," which shall link to appropriate Internet employment websites.

Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2010

United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2009

Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) conduct a program of basic and applied research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application activities on materials, technologies, and processes with the potential to substantially reduce or eliminate petroleum use by, and emissions from, passenger and commercial vehicles; (2) ensure that the Department of Energy (DOE) continues to support domestic research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application activities and maintains competency in mid- to long-term transformational vehicle technologies with potential to achieve deep reductions in petroleum use and emissions; (3) implement activities under this Act in collaboration with automotive manufacturers, heavy commercial and transit vehicle manufacturers, qualified plug-in electric vehicle manufacturers, vehicle and engine equipment and component manufacturers, manufacturing equipment manufacturers, advanced vehicle service providers, fuel producers and energy suppliers, electric utilities, institutions of higher education, national laboratories, and independent research laboratories; (4) conduct research, development, engineering, and demonstration activities on connectivity of domestic vehicle and transportation systems; and (5) implement a research, development, engineering, demonstration, and commercial application program of domestic advanced vehicle manufacturing technologies and practices. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish an Innovative Automotive Demonstration Program, within the Vehicle Technologies Program, to encourage the introduction of new domestic-made advanced technology vehicles into the marketplace that are designed in their entirety to achieve very high energy efficiency but still provide the capabilities required by consumers; (2) implement a program of cooperative research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities on advanced technologies for medium- to heavy-duty commercial, recreational, and transit vehicles; (3) conduct a competitive grant program to demonstrate the integration of multiple advanced technologies on Class 8 truck and trailer platforms with a goal of improving overall freight efficiency by 50%; and (4) develop standard testing procedures and technologies for evaluating the performance of advanced heavy vehicle technologies under a range of representative duty cycles and operating conditions and evaluate heavy vehicle performance using work performance-based metrics other than metrics based on miles per gallon. Requires the Secretary to implement a pilot program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial applications of technologies to improve total machine or system efficiency for nonroad mobile equipment. Authorizes appropriations.