Housing

[H.A.S.C. No. 110-38]BUDGET REQUESTS FOR MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, FAMILY HOUSING, BASE CLOSURES AND FACILITIES'OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

United States · United States House of Representatives · 20 March 2007

POST-KATRINA TEMPORARY HOUSING: DILEMMAS AND SOLUTIONS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 20 March 2007

U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007

United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2007

U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007 - Makes emergency supplemental FY2007 appropriations for specified activities related to the global war on terror to the Departments of Agriculture (including food aid to Africa and Afghanistan), of Justice, of Defense (Military, including funds for Iraqi and Afghan security forces), of Defense (military construction and base closure), of Energy, of Homeland Security, of Veterans Affairs (particularly veterans' health programs), and of State (including international peacekeeping operations), and related agencies as well as the House of Representatives. Provides funds to enable military commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan to respond to urgent humanitarian relief and reconstruction requirements. Specifies conditions for assistance to Lebanon. Prohibits the use of funds under this Act to deploy any unit of the Armed Forces to Iraq unless the chief of the military department concerned has certified to the congressional appropriations committees in advance that the unit is fully mission capable. Sets a maximum number of days for deployment in Iraq for military units. Authorizes the President to waive such prohibition and deployment limits on a unit-by-unit basis for reasons of national security. Directs the President to transmit to Congress by specified dates certain determinations and certifications with respect to conditions to be met by the Government of Iraq. Requires redeployment of the armed forces from Iraq if any of such conditions is not met. Directs the President to appoint a Coordinator for Iraq Assistance, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Declares that Congress will fully support the needs of members of the Armed Forces who the Commander in Chief has deployed in harm's way in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and their families. Declares the sense of Congress that the U.S. Constitution grants: (1) the President the sole role of Commander in Chief; and (2) Congress the sole power to declare war. Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) the commanders of the U.S. armed forces in Iraq should be allowed to conduct the war and manage the movements of the troops; and (2) Congress should remain focused on executing its oversight role. Makes additional appropriations for disaster relief and recovery related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to the Departments of Agriculture, of Commerce, of Defense (Civil), of Homeland Security, of Health and Human Services, of Education, and of Housing and Urban Development. Makes appropriations to the Secretary of Agriculture for emergency crop and livestock disaster assistance. Makes additional appropriations for specified purposes to the Legislative Branch and to the Departments of Agriculture, of Commerce, of State, of the Interior and of Agriculture (for wildfire suppression), and of Health and Human Services (for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and for response to an influenza pandemic). Rescinds specified unobligated balances of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Prescribes requirements for DHS contracts, subcontracts, and task orders. Requires each federal agency that has awarded at least $1 billion in the preceding fiscal year to develop and implement a plan to minimize the use of no-bid and cost-reimbursement type contracts. Makes appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to eliminate the FY2007 shortfall in funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to: (1) $5.85 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $6.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $7.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Applies federal minimum wage requirements to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and to American Samoa. Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend and revise: (1) the work opportunity tax credit; (2) expensing for small businesses; and (3) the credit for certain taxes paid with respect to employee cash tips. Waives alternative minimum tax limits on the work opportunity credit and the credit for taxes paid with respect to employee cash tips. Defines qualified joint venture with respect to family business taxes. Makes certain dependents ineligible for the lowest capital gains rate. Lengthens the period of failure to notify a taxpayer of liability before interest and certain penalties must be suspended. Increases the amount of any required installment of estimated tax otherwise due in 2012 from a corporation with assets of at least $1 billion.

Minidoka National Historic Site Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2007

Minidoka National Historic Site Act of 2007 - Adjusts the boundary of the Minidoka Internment National Monument located in Idaho to include the Nidoto Nai Yoni ("Let it not happen again") memorial that commemorates the Japanese Americans of Bainbridge Island, Washington, who were the first to be forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to internment camps during World War II. Authorizes the Secretary, for the purposes of defining the role of the National Park Service (NPS) in administering the Memorial owned by the City of Brainbridge Island to enter into agreements with the City of Bainbridge Island and specified entities. Authorizes the Secretary to operate and maintain a site in Seattle, Washington, for administrative and visitor use purposes associated with the Monument, using the facilities and other services of the Seattle unit of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Requires the Secretary to coordinate the development of interpretive and educational materials and programs for the Memorial and Monument site in Idaho with the Manzanar National Historic Site in California. American Falls Reservoir District Number 2 Conveyance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey specified land to the: (1) American Falls Reservoir District No. 2 located in Jerome, Lincoln, and Gooding Counties, Idaho; (2) city of Gooding; and (3) Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Revokes the Department of Interior's previous orders that withdrew specified land from the Gooding Division of the Minidoka project.

EAT Healthy America Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2007

Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act or EAT Healthy America Act - Amends provisions with respect to: (1) specialty crops; (2) the tree assistance program; (3) the conservation reserve program; (4) the wetlands reserve program; (5) the farmland protection program; (6) the grassland reserve program; (7) the wildlife habitat incentive program; (8) the environmental qualities incentives program; (9) air quality improvement; (10) integrated pest management initiative; (11) the conservation loan guarantee program; (12) agricultural trade; (13) invasive pests and diseases; (14) nutrition; (15) agricultural research; (16) renewable energy, including crop biomass waste; and (17) farm labor housing.

Minidoka National Historic Site Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2007

Minidoka National Historic Site Act of 2007 - Adjusts the boundary of the Minidoka Internment National Monument located in Idaho to include the Nidoto Nai Yoni ("Let it not happen again") memorial that commemorates the Japanese Americans of Bainbridge Island, Washington, who were the first to be forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to internment camps during World War II. Authorizes the Secretary, for the purposes of defining the role of the National Park Service (NPS) in administering the Memorial owned by the City of Brainbridge Island to enter into agreements with the City of Bainbridge Island and specified entities. Authorizes the Secretary to operate and maintain a site in Seattle, Washington, for administrative and visitor use purposes associated with the Monument, using the facilities and other services of the Seattle unit of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Requires the Secretary to coordinate the development of interpretive and educational materials and programs for the Memorial and Monument site in Idaho with the Manzanar National Historic Site in California. American Falls Reservoir District Number 2 Conveyance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey specified land to the: (1) American Falls Reservoir District No. 2 located in Jerome, Lincoln, and Gooding Counties, Idaho; (2) city of Gooding; and (3) Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Revokes the Department of Interior's previous orders that withdrew specified land from the Gooding Division of the Minidoka project.

Japanese American Memorial Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2007

Japanese American Memorial Act of 2007 - Adjusts the boundary of the Minidoka Internment National Monument located in Idaho to include the Nidoto Nai Yoni ("Let it not happen again") memorial that commemorates the Japanese Americans of Bainbridge Island, Washington, who were the first to be forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to internment camps during World War II. Authorizes the Secretary, for the purposes of defining the role of the National Park Service (NPS) in administering the Memorial owned by the City of Brainbridge Island to enter into agreements with the City of Bainbridge Island and specified entities. Authorizes the Secretary to operate and maintain a site in Seattle, Washington, for administrative and visitor use purposes associated with the Monument, using the facilities and other services of the Seattle unit of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Requires the Secretary to coordinate the development of interpretive and educational materials and programs for the Memorial and Monument site in Idaho with the Manzanar National Historic Site in California. American Falls Reservoir District Number 2 Conveyance Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey specified land to the: (1) American Falls Reservoir District No. 2 located in Jerome, Lincoln, and Gooding Counties, Idaho; (2) city of Gooding; and (3) Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Revokes the Department of Interior's previous orders that withdrew specified land from the Gooding Division of the Minidoka project.

Katrina Housing Tax Relief Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2007

Katrina Housing Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) qualify certain buildings in the Gulf Opportunity Zone, the Rita GO Zone, and the Wilma GO Zone (GO Zones) placed in service before 2011 for a full housing tax credit if such buildings receive (or received) a state or local housing credit allocation in 2006, 2007, or 2008; (2) extend through 2010 the treatment of such GO Zones as difficult development areas eligible for an increased housing tax credit; (3) exclude the receipt of certain federal assistance in determining whether GO Zone buildings eligible for the housing tax credit are federally subsidized and therefore subject to limitations on such credit; and (4) treat qualified GO Zone repair and reconstruction loans provided prior to 2011 as qualified rehabilitation loans financed by tax-exempt bonds.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1227) to assist in the provision of affordable housing to low-income families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2007

Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1227) to assist in the provision of affordable housing to low-income families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2008 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2007 and 2009 through 2012.

United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2007

Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2008, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2007 and FY2009-FY2012. Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts, for FY2007-FY2012, with respect to: (1) federal revenues; (2) new budget authority; (3) budget outlays; (4) deficits; (5) public debt; and (6) debt held by the public. Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for Social Security and specified major functional categories for FY2007-FY2012. Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any: (1) direct spending or revenue legislation increasing the on-budget deficit or causing an on-budget deficit for any one of specified applicable time periods; (2) reconciliation legislation increasing the deficit or reducing a surplus; or (3) legislation increasing long-term deficits. Continues the supermajority enforcement requirements of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 as a Senate rule through FY2017. Prohibits Senate legislation that would: (1) require advanced appropriations, with a specified exception; or (2) cause the discretionary spending limits in this resolution to be exceeded. Establishes specified discretionary spending limits in the Senate. Provides for adjustments to discretionary spending limits, budgetary aggregates, and allocations for: (1) continuing disability reviews and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) redeterminations for the Social Security Administration (SSA); (2) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax enforcement; (3) health care fraud and abuse control; (4) unemployment insurance improper payments reviews; (5) wildland fire suppression; (6) costs of the global war on terror; and (7) training, equipment, or other matters necessary for the protection of U.S. forces in the global war on terrorism, or activities addressing deficiencies in Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other military medical system facilities. Makes it out of order for the Senate to consider direct spending or revenue legislation that would increase the on-budget deficit in any fiscal year until the President submits to Congress and Congress enacts legislation which would restore 75-year solvency to the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds as certified by the SSA actuaries. Provides for certain deficit-neutral reserve funds for legislation concerning: (1) reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP); (2) care of wounded service members; (3) tax relief; (4) comparative effectiveness research; (5) higher education; (6) the farm bill; (7) energy legislation; (8) Medicare; (9) small business health insurance; (10) reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000; (11) reauthorization of terrorism risk insurance; (12) affordable housing; (13) receipts from Bonneville Power Administration; (14) Indian claims settlement; (15) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); (16) health care enhancement; (17) veterans' benefits enhancement; (18) long-term care improvement; (19) health information technology; (20) child care; (21) comprehensive immigration reform; and (22) mental health parity.

TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008

United States · United States Senate · 15 March 2007

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT'S FISCAL YEAR 2008 BUDGET

United States · United States House of Representatives · 14 March 2007

Services to Prevent Veterans Homelessness Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2007

Services To Prevent Veterans Homelessness Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide financial assistance to eligible entities (private nonprofit organizations or consumer cooperatives) to provide and coordinate the provision of various supportive services for very low-income veteran families occupying permanent housing. Requires: (1) equitable geographic distribution of such assistance; and (2) the Secretary to provide training and technical assistance to participating entities regarding the planning, development, and provision of such services. Directs the Secretary to conduct a two-year study of the effectiveness of the assistance program in meeting the needs of very low-income veteran families.

American Homebuyers Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2007

American Homebuyers Protection Act - Prohibits a person engaged in the construction of new homes from: (1) requiring a home purchaser to enter into a mandatory arbitration agreement as a condition precedent to entering into a purchase contract; and (2) offering a home purchaser a contract which includes a mandatory arbitration agreement unless such agreement is a separate agreement. Treats a violation as as an unfair and deceptive act under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to treat certain communities as metropolitan cities for purposes of the community development block grant program.

United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2007

Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to deem Alton and Granite City, Illinois, to be metropolitan cities for purposes of the community development block grant (CDBG) program.

Affordable Housing Preservation Tax Relief Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2007

Affordable Housing Preservation Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue to exclude from gross income gain from the sale or exchange of certain multifamily housing property to a housing credit agency or related organization (preservation entity) that agrees to maintain certain affordability and use restrictions for such property. Limits the excludable amount of such gain to the depreciation adjustments for such property.

Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2007

Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2007 - Addresses the care and custody of unaccompanied alien children (children), defined as children under the age of 18 with no lawful immigration status and no parent or legal guardian in the United States who is available to provide care and physical custody. Directs immigration officers who find such children at U.S. land borders or ports of entry to permit them to withdraw their applications for admission and return to their country of nationality or last habitual residence. States that such children shall have the right to consult with a consular officer prior to repatriation and with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (the Office) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Gives the Office jurisdiction over the care and custody of all unaccompanied alien children except: (1) the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall have responsibility for those imprisoned for a federal crime or in DOJ custody pending prosecution; and (2) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall have responsibility for those who threaten national security. Requires federal departments or agencies to transfer such children in their custody to the Office. Specifies the order of preference for placing released children, including custody rights of parents and legal guardians. Requires the Office to protect such children from smugglers and traffickers. Prohibits the placement of such children in adult detention facilities or in facilities housing delinquent children unless they exhibit violent or criminal behavior. Specifies the preference order for such children's placement. Requires the Office and and DHS to: (1) promulgate detention standards; and (2) develop procedures to prohibit the unreasonable use of restraints, solitary confinement, or pat or strip searches. Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. government should ensure that it does not repatriate children into settings that would threaten their life and safety. Requires the Office to develop procedures for determining the age of aliens in DHS or Office custody. Authorizes the Director of the Office to appoint qualified and duly trained child advocates for such children. Requires the Director to: (1) provide professional training for such child advocates; and (2) implement a pilot program for their appointment. States that the Director should ensure that such children in Office or DHS custody, except those being repatriated to a contiguous country, have immigration counsel. Requires the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to develop and implement model guidelines for the legal representation of alien children in immigration proceedings. Bars such children in Office custody from consenting to immigration actions, including voluntary departure, unless first afforded an opportunity to consult with counsel. Makes such child advocate and counsel provisions applicable to all such children in federal custody on, before, or after the effective date of this Act. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise special immigrant juvenile visa provisions. Requires an alien to be 18 years or younger and present in the United States on the date of visa application. (Provides a transition rule for aliens who applied for such visa before enactment of this Act and were between the ages of 19-21 at the time of application.) Authorizes waiver of certain grounds of inadmissibility. Commends the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for its issuance of the 1998 Guidelines for Children's Asylum Claims and encourages implementation of such guidelines by INS and its successor. Calls upon EOIR to adopt such guidelines in its handling of children's asylum claims. Requires such children apprehended by DHS, except those subject to contiguous country rules, to be placed in removal proceedings. Exempts such children from certain bars to asylum. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA) to make the Director responsible for: (1) placement suitability assessments for such children; and (2) ensuring that minimum standards of care are met for residential alternatives to detention. States that the amendments to HSA made by this Act shall be effective as if enacted as part of HSA.

Military Access to Housing Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2007

Military Access to Housing Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude military basic housing allowances from income for purposes of establishing eligibility for housing in qualified residential rental projects.

Military Access to Housing Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2007

Military Access to Housing Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude military basic housing allowances from income for purposes of establishing eligibility for housing in qualified residential rental projects.

Promoting Transparency in Financial Reporting Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2007

Promoting Transparency in Financial Reporting Act of 2007 - Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to provide oral testimony by their respective chairpersons (or a designee), beginning in 2007, and annually for five years, to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives on their efforts to reduce the complexity in financial reporting, so that investors are provided with more accurate and clear financial information.

Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2007

Improving Head Start Act of 2007 - Amends the Head Start Act to revise and reauthorize Head Start programs. Authorizes appropriations for Head Start programs for FY2008-FY2012. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) (who is currently authorized) to award collaboration grants for Head Start and other related agencies within states. Increases the percentage of funds reserved for Early Head Start programs from 12% in FY2008 to 20% in FY2012. Provides for the development of a new system for designating Head Start agencies and the consideration of additional criteria in evaluating applicants. Allows community-based and faith-based organizations to be designated as Head Start agencies. Requires the Secretary to modify program performance standards, as necessary, so they are scientifically-based, developmentally appropriate, and based on the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework. Directs each Head Start and delegate agency to conduct a comprehensive self-assessment at least once a year. Terminates the National Reporting System. Directs each Head Start agency to establish a structure of shared governance through a governing body of experts and a policy council composed primarily of parents of current and former program participants. Requires each Head Start agency to enroll 100% of its funded enrollment, maintain an active waiting list, and conduct community outreach. Requires Head Start alignment with K-12 education. Provides for local and state integration of early childhood education. Requires Head Start agencies to receive the Secretary's approval before using federal funds to purchase facilities. Includes children referred by child welfare services and homeless children as program participants, regardless of family income. Excludes the basic military housing allowance from program eligibility calculations. Allows certain Head Start agencies to provide Early Head Start services. Adds to Early Head Start program service, coordination, and training requirements. Requires Head Start agencies to get parental consent before administering any nonemergency health care service to a child. Directs each Head Start agency to ensure that all of its teachers receive ongoing training in language and emergent literacy. Requires that within specified periods of time: (1) at least 50% of all Head Start classroom teachers nationwide have at least a baccalaureate in early childhood education or a related field; and (2) all newly hired teachers have at least an associate's degree in such a field or are enrolled in a program leading to such a degree. Directs each Head Start agency and program to create and regularly evaluate a professional development plan for all their employees providing direct services to children. Includes homeless children, abused and neglected children, foster care children, and limited English proficient children in Head Start research, demonstration, and evaluation requirements.

Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2007

Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007 - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (Act) to establish the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which shall have supervisory and regulatory authority over the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) ("enterprises") and the Federal Home Loan Banks. Establishes the Federal Housing Enterprise Finance Oversight Board to advise the Director. Authorizes the Director to: (1) raise minimum capital levels to ensure that regulated entities operate in a safe and sound manner; (2) establish temporary minimum capital increases; and (3) establish additional capital and reserve requirements for a particular program. Amends the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 to include the Director on the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC). Transfers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to FHFA, the authority to approve programs and to oversee the mission requirements of the enterprises. Sets forth enterprise conforming loan limits for small family residences, and related requirements. Requires the Director to establish an annual purchase goal for each enterprise for conventional, conforming, single-family, owner-occupied, and purchase money mortgages for: (1) low-income families; (2) families residing in low-income areas; and (3) very low-income families. Requires the Director to establish a Multifamily Special Affordable Goal for mortgages that finance: (1) dwelling units for low-income families and very low-income families; and (2) dwelling units assisted by the low-income housing tax credit. Requires each enterprise to: (1) undertake activities relating to mortgages on housing for very low-, low-, and moderate-income families involving a reasonable economic return that may be less than the return earned on other activities; and (2) increase the liquidity of mortgage investments and improve the distribution of investment capital available for mortgage financing for underserved markets. Requires the Director to establish and manage an affordable housing fund. Amends the Act to require the Director to establish capital classifications for regulated entities. Prohibits a regulated entity from making a capital distribution that would result in its undercapitalization. Prescribes supervisory action governing undercapitalized and significantly undercapitalized regulated entities. Authorizes the Director to establish a conservatorship or receivership over a critically undercapitalized regulated entity . Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to replace the Federal Housing Finance Board with FHFA. Abolishes: (1) the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) of HUD; and (2) the Federal Housing Finance Board. Directs the Secretary of HUD to transfer the enterprise-related functions and employees of HUD to FHFA.

Zero Baseline Budget Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2007

Zero Baseline Budget Act of 2007 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to eliminate sequential and cumulative adjustments for inflation from Congressional Budget Office (CBO) baseline projections for discretionary appropriations with respect to: (1) expiring housing contracts and social insurance administrative expenses; (2) offset pay absorption and pay annualization; (3) inflation; and (4) any accounting for changes required by law in the level of agency payments for personnel benefits other than pay. Exempts from the requirement that budgetary resources (other than unobligated balances) be at the level available in the current year any resources designated as an emergency requirement or provided in supplemental appropriations laws. Prohibits adjustments for inflation or any other factor. Amends the Act to extend indefinitely the formula used to calculate the baseline.

National Priorities Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007

National Priorities Act of 2007 - Rescinds after 2008 income tax reductions enacted under the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 for taxpayers with gross incomes in 2008 of over $400,000. Reduces funding for the Department of Defense by $60 billion in FY2008. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to make reductions by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, and weapon systems and other programs determined to be no longer a national security priority. Exempts from such reductions the needs of military personnel, including pay increases and health care. Dedicates increases in revenues resulting from this Act to: (1) various programs for health care, education, energy conservation, and affordable housing; (2) increasing the earned income credit; and (3) reducing the federal deficit.

RENEWAAL Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007

Revitalizing New Orleans by Attracting America's Leaders Act of 2007 or the RENEWAAL Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama for their use in providing competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that serve areas in which a major disaster was declared due to Hurricane Katrina or Rita. Gives priority to LEAs having the highest percentage of schools with teacher-student ratios of at least 25 to 1 or closed due to the hurricanes. Requires each LEA subgrantee to use the funds to: (1) provide annual bonuses to teachers and school leaders for three consecutive school years, with larger bonuses for personnel who teach a subject for which there is a teacher shortage, return after being displaced by the hurricanes, or have a history of boosting student achievement; (2) provide educators with specified relocation and housing payments; (3) partner with nonprofit organizations that recruit and retain outstanding teachers and school leaders who commit to serve in underserved schools; and (4) enhance the abilities of principals and teachers, providing the latter with paid leave to hone their skills. Requires each state grantee to develop a multiple measures of success teacher rating system. Directs the Secretary, subject to the availability of appropriations, to cover the losses and fund the recovery initiatives of postsecondary educational institutions whose campuses were closed or relocated, enrollments have sagged, and revenues continue to decline due to such hurricanes. Requires the Secretary to forgive the loans made to students under parts B (Federal Family Education Loan Program) and D (William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 who begin employment or return as full-time teachers at public or private elementary or secondary schools in areas affected by such hurricanes.

HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007

HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to extend and authorize appropriations for the HOPE VI revitalization program. Includes educational and relocation aims among HOPE VI purposes. Requires each HOPE VI grant recipient to establish, in partnership with local schools, a comprehensive educational reform and achievement strategy for transforming the neighborhood schools into high-performing schools (including, in certain circumstances, an alternative strategy). Revises grant selection criteria. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to conduct funding-related site visits for HOPE VI applicants. Requires: (1) public housing agencies to establish performance benchmarks for each of their HOPE VI projects; and (2) the Secretary to establish specified sanctions for failure to meet such benchmarks. Cites conditions for extension of such benchmarks.

Small Public Housing Authorities Paperwork Reduction Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007

Small Public Housing Authorities Paperwork Reduction Act - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to exempt a qualified public housing agency from the requirement to prepare an annual public agency plan if the agency: (1) administers 500 or fewer public housing dwelling units, or section 8 vouchers; and (2) is not designated as a troubled agency. Requires an agency to: (1) continue to make an annual civil rights certification and establish, and consult with, one or more resident advisory boards; and (2) conduct a public hearing to discuss changes to agency goals and policies and make the information available to the public at the agency's principal office.

A bill to provide additional funds for the Road Home Program.

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007

Deems $1.2 billion of unexpended amounts, previously made available to the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) under the Hazard Mitigation Grants program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to have been made available to the LRA pursuant to specified terms and approved by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for use under the Road Home Program.

EXTEND the Energy Efficiency Incentives Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007

EXTEND the Energy Efficiency Incentives Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) to allow individual taxpayers a tax credit, through 2011, for residential energy efficiency expenditures certified to achieve certain levels of energy savings; (2) modify standards for nonbusiness energy property (i.e., air conditioners, heat pumps, water heaters, etc.) and extend the tax credit for such property through 2011; (3) revise the tax credit for solar electric and hot water property to include all technologies for solar-derived electricity; (4) extend through 2011 the tax credit for new energy efficient homes; (5) extend through 2014 the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings and increase the maximum amount of such deduction; (6) allow tax deductions for energy efficient low-rise buildings used for multifamily housing and for energy efficient property expenditures; (7) extend through 2011 the investment tax credit for solar energy and fuel cell property; and (8) allow a business-related tax credit for qualified training and certification costs and equipment expenditures for certifying residential energy savings.

College Life Safety and Fire Prevention Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007

College Life Safety and Fire Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a demonstration program to award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of contracting with fire alarm companies to install professionally fire alarm detection systems or other fire detection and prevention technologies in student housing, dormitories, and other buildings controlled by such entities.

District of Columbia Personal Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007

District of Columbia Personal Protection Act - Amends specified law prohibiting the killing of wild birds and wild animals in the District of Columbia to declare that nothing in it or any other provision of law shall authorize or be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise not prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by federal law nor subject to the National Firearms Act. Denies the District any authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms. Amends the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 to repeal the definition of a machine gun as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading. (Thus repeals the ban on semiautomatic weapons.) Redefines "machine gun" to include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person. Repeals the District's: (1) registration requirement for possession of firearms; (2) prohibition on possession of handgun restricted pistol bullets; and (3) requirement that, under certain conditions, firearms in the possession of certain individuals must be kept unloaded, disassembled, or with the trigger locked. Repeals the definition of restricted pistol bullet as any bullet designed for use in a pistol which, when fired from a pistol with a barrel of five inches or less in length, is capable of penetrating commercially available body armor with a penetration resistance equal to or greater than that of 18 layers of kevlar. Maintains the current ban on the possession and control of a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, or short-barreled rifle. Eliminates criminal penalties for possessing an unregistered firearm. Amends federal law to eliminate criminal penalties for carrying a pistol whether loaded or unloaded in one's dwelling house, place of business, or on land possessed by such person. Amends the District of Columbia Code to extend to firearms generally (currently, only to pistols) the prohibition against carrying such a weapon either openly or concealed within the District without a license issued pursuant to D.C. law. Specifies exceptions to the prohibition against carrying concealed weapons in the District.

Emergency Gulf Coast Child Care Construction and Rebuilding Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2007

Emergency Gulf Coast Child Care Construction and Rebuilding Act - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to authorize the use of community development block grants to construct and renovate child care facilities located in any major disaster area resulting from Hurricane Katrina or Rita of 2005. Amends the National Housing Act to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to insure: (1) mortgages for new or substantially rehabilitated child care and development facilities; (2) loans to such facilities for fire safety equipment; and (2) mortgages executed in connection with the purchase or refinancing of existing child care facilities. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to study and report to Congress on the availability of secondary markets for such mortgages. Authorizes HUD grants to eligible nonprofit organizations for technical and financial assistance to assist eligible child care providers in acquiring or improving facilities or equipment.

Moving to Work Charter Program Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007

Moving to Work Charter Program Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to enter into charter contracts, beginning in FY2008, with up to 250 public housing agencies administering the public housing program or the section 8 housing assistance program under the United States Housing Act of 1937. States that such charter contracts shall: (1) supersede and have a term commensurate with any annual contributions contract between a public housing agency and the Secretary; and (2) provide that a participating public housing agency shall receive capital and operating assistance allocated to it under specified laws. Exempts charter contracts from the requirements of the United States Housing Act of 1937, except those for payment of wages prevailing in the community and the demolition and disposition of public housing. Requires a charter contract to provide that a public housing agency: (1) may combine section 8 low-income assistance and Public Housing Capital and Operating Fund assistance and use it for housing assistance and related services for activities under this Act; (2) shall ensure that at least 75% of the families assisted are very low-income families; (3) shall establish a reasonable rent policy designed to encourage employment, self-sufficiency, and home ownership by participating families; and (4) meet specified additional requirements. Directs the Secretary to appoint a federal advisory committee to assess and develop a demonstration program to test standards, criteria, and practices for a national public housing agency accreditation system or other evaluation system.

RENEWAAL Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2007

Revitalizing New Orleans by Attracting America's Leaders Act of 2007 or the RENEWAAL Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama for their use in providing competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that serve areas in which a major disaster was declared due to Hurricane Katrina or Rita. Gives priority to LEAs having the highest percentage of schools with teacher-student ratios of at least 25 to 1 or closed due to the hurricanes. Requires each LEA subgrantee to use the funds to: (1) provide annual bonuses to teachers and school leaders for three consecutive school years, with larger bonuses for personnel who teach a subject for which there is a teacher shortage, return after being displaced by the hurricanes, or have a history of boosting student achievement; (2) provide educators with specified relocation and housing payments; (3) partner with nonprofit organizations that recruit and retain outstanding teachers and school leaders who commit to serve in underserved schools; and (4) enhance the abilities of principals and teachers, providing the latter with paid leave to hone their skills. Requires each state grantee to develop a multiple measures of success teacher rating system. Directs the Secretary, subject to the availability of appropriations, to cover the losses and fund the recovery initiatives of postsecondary educational institutions whose campuses were closed or relocated, enrollments have sagged, and revenues continue to decline due to such hurricanes. Requires the Secretary to forgive the loans made to students under parts B (Federal Family Education Loan Program) and D (William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 who begin employment or return as full-time teachers at public or private elementary or secondary schools in areas affected by such hurricanes.

Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2007

Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide specially adaptive housing assistance for disabled members of the Armed Forces residing temporarily in housing owned by a family member if such military member suffers from a disability which is permanent and total in nature and is the result of an injury incurred or disease contracted or aggravated in the line of duty in active military service.

Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007

Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to require the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to conduct a study that: (1) describes the science concerning the disease mechanisms and health effects of exposure to asbestos and other biopersistent durable fibers and methods for measuring and analyzing asbestos; (2) describes labeling practices relating to asbestos-containing material; and (3) recommends future asbestos-related disease research and exposure assessment practice needs. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate regulations that prohibit the importing, manufacturing, processing, or distributing of asbestos-containing products, subject to limited exemption upon petition and specified exemptions sought by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Requires the disposal of asbestos-containing products within two years. Exempts products that are no longer in the stream of commerce or that are in the possession of an end user. Requires the Administrator to establish a plan to: (1) increase awareness of the dangers posed by asbestos-containing products and contaminants in homes and workplaces and by asbestos-related diseases; (2) provide information to, and encourage participation in research and treatment endeavors by, asbestos-related disease patients and their families and front-line health care providers; and (3) encourage health care providers and researchers to provide to patients and their families information relating to research, diagnostic, and clinical treatments relating to asbestos. Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expand and coordinate research programs on diseases caused by asbestos exposure, particularly mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural injuries; (2) provide for establishment of a national clearinghouse for data and specimens relating to asbestos-related diseases; (3) require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish an asbestos-related disease research and treatment network; and (4) direct the Secretary to support research on mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases that is directly relevant to the health of the Armed Forces.

Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007

Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007 - Requires each recovering servicemember who is assigned to a military barracks or dormitory to be assigned to one that is maintained at the highest service standard in effect for enlisted members of the Armed Forces. Requires at least semiannual inspections of, and appropriate repairs to, any such quarters, as well as alternate housing during periods of unremedied housing deficiencies. Outlines requirements to be implemented for recovering servicemembers and their families, including: (1) physical disability evaluation system changes; (2) supervising officer and caseworker support; (3) increased training for caseworkers and social workers on particular servicemember conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); (4) increased support services, including an Ombudsman for Recovering Servicemembers; (5) a prohibition on discrimination in employment of family members caring for such servicemembers; and (6) meal benefits for recovering servicemembers and family members caring for such servicemembers. Establishes the Oversight Board for the Wounded.

High-Performance Buildings Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007

High Performance Buildings Act of 2007 - Amends the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 to require that state and local housing strategies include a description of the jurisdiction's strategies to encourage sustainable development for affordable housing. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to nonprofit organizations to use for specified purposes to improve or carry out energy efficiency, resource conservation and reuse, and effective use of existing infrastructure in affordable housing and economic development activities in low-income communities. Establishes within the National Science Foundation a Sustainable Building Institute to undertake or support through providing grants, loans, or other assistance: (1) research regarding the relationships among indoor environmental quality, human health, and human productivity; and (2) research, development, and commercial application of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for buildings.

Community Reinvestment Modernization Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2007

Community Reinvestment Modernization Act of 2007 - Repeals specified revisions to regulations governing the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision. Reinstates banking agency regulations in effect before the publication of such revisions. Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (BHCA) to subject to the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA) nonbank affiliates of bank holding companies that engage in lending or offering banking products or services. Amends the CRA to require a rating reduction for a regulated financial institution engaged in negative credit practices, including predatory and discriminatory lending. States that securities companies, mortgage banks, and insurance companies have a continuing affirmative obligation to meet the financial services needs in their assessment areas, including those of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods and persons of modest means. Requires their affiliates to attain satisfactory ratings in accordance with this Act. Insurance Disclosure Act - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish requirements for insurers to submit information annually regarding noncommercial insurance, rural insurance, and investments by insurers. Requires the Secretary to make such information public. Directs the Financial Institutions Examination Council to maintain a comprehensive database containing the hierarchical structure of financial holding companies, bank holding companies, depository institutions, and non-depository institutions. Amends the BHCA to allow certain expanded financial activities by a bank holding company only if it or its affiliate has neither: (1) been adjudicated in federal court; nor (2) entered into a consent decree or settlement agreement, premised upon a violation of the Fair Housing Act (antiredlining requirement). Requires: (1) public meetings regarding bank acquisitions and mergers; and (2) a period for public comment regarding branch closures. Amends the CRA to subject all regulated financial institutions, regardless of size or aggregate assets, to mandatory biennial examinations.

TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008

United States · United States Senate · 28 February 2007

Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007

Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007 - Requires each recovering servicemember who is assigned to a military barracks or dormitory to be assigned to one that is maintained at the highest service standard in effect for enlisted members of the Armed Forces. Requires at least semiannual inspections of, and appropriate repairs to, any such quarters, as well as alternate housing during periods of unremedied housing deficiencies. Outlines requirements to be implemented for recovering servicemembers and their families, including: (1) physical disability evaluation system changes; (2) supervising officer and caseworker support; (3) increased training for caseworkers and social workers on particular servicemember conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); (4) increased support services, including an Ombudsman for Recovering Servicemembers; (5) a prohibition on discrimination in employment of family members caring for such servicemembers; and (6) meal benefits for recovering servicemembers and family members caring for such servicemembers. Establishes the Oversight Board for the Wounded.

Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007

Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2007 - Amends the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 and the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to extend through FY2012 the authorization of appropriations for housing assistance for Native Americans and loan guarantees for Native Hawaiian housing. Amends the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 to: (1) make the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands of the state of Hawaii eligible for loan guarantees; and (2) extend through FY2012 the authorization of appropriations for the credit subsidy to cover the costs of federal guarantees for financing for tribal housing activities.

An original resolution authorizing expenditures by committees of the Senate for the periods March 1, 2007, through September 30, 2007, and October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008, and October 1, 2008, through February 28, 2009.

United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007

Authorizes expenditures by the following Senate committees from March 1, 2007-September 30, 2007, October 1, 2007-September 30, 2008, and October 1, 2008-February 28, 2009: (1) Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; (2) Armed Services; (3) Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; (4) Budget; (5) Commerce, Science, and Transportation; (6) Energy and Natural Resources; (7) Environment and Public Works; (8) Finance; (9) Foreign Relations; (10) Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; (11) Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; (12) Judiciary; (13) Rules and Administration; (14) Small Business and Entrepreneurship; (15) Veterans' Affairs; (16) Special Committee on Aging; (17) Select Committee on Intelligence; and (18) Indian Affairs. Authorizes establishment of a special reserve within funds in the account "Expenses of Inquiries and Investigations," appropriated by the legislative branch appropriations Acts for FY2007-FY2009, to be available to any committee to meet specified unpaid obligations or expenses.

Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007

Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007 - Deems $1.2 billion, made available to the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) under the Hazard Mitigation Grants program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to have been made available to the LRA under certain requirements: (1) for the community development fund of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006; and (2) approved by the HUD Secretary for use under the LRA's Road Home Program. Permits a state or locality to use, as a matching requirement, share, or contribution for any other federal program, certain community development block grant (CDBG) funds made available before enactment of this Act for disaster relief, long-term recovery, and infrastructure restoration in major disaster areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma. Authorizes the appropriation to the Secretary of certain Hurricane-related unobligated disaster relief funds to assist metropolitan cities and urban counties that used amounts previously made available for rental housing assistance for families evacuated from their residences because of such Hurricanes. Directs the Secretary to provide for an independent survey of public housing residents of New Orleans about returning to a repaired public housing or comparable dwelling unit. Sets a deadline for the Housing Authority of New Orleans (Authority) to make a certain number of dwelling units available for occupancy. Grants a right of return to previous public housing households. Prohibits such Authority from: (1) preventing such households from occupying a replacement dwelling unit, except as prohibited by federal law; or (2) demolishing or disposing of any public housing dwelling unit operated or administered by it (including any uninhabitable unit and any unit previously approved for demolition), except pursuant to a replacement plan approved by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to report to certain congressional committees on all public housing projects in the Katrina or Rita disaster areas for which plans exist to transfer ownership to other entities or agencies. Authorizes appropriations for repair and rehabilitation of such Authority's public housing. Extends to January 1, 2008, the HUD Disaster Voucher Program and the Secretary's authority to waive specified requirements related to section 8 rental assistance. Instructs the Secretary to make adjustments to voucher allocations under the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007 for any public housing agency impacted by Hurricane Katrina or Rita in order to provide adequate funding for reduced voucher leasing rates and increased housing costs arising from such Hurricanes. Sets forth requirements for preservation of project-based housing assistance payments contracts for damaged or destroyed dwelling units. Provides for: (1) tenant replacement vouchers for all lost units; (2) voucher assistance for supportive housing; and (3) reimbursement to landlords for damages resulting from abrogation by FEMA of commitments entered into under the city lease program.

Public Housing Equal Treatment Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2007

Public Housing Equal Treatment Act of 2007 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to instruct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), when determining certain allocations for a public housing agency, to include as eligible units all public housing dwelling units that: (1) are owned by the public housing agency at the time of such determination; and (2) have previously received assistance under an agreement with HUD authorizing the agency to expend such funds on behalf of the units.

Public Housing Equal Treatment Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2007

Public Housing Equal Treatment Act of 2007 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to instruct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), when determining certain allocations for a public housing agency, to include as eligible units all public housing dwelling units that: (1) are owned by the public housing agency at the time of such determination; and (2) have previously received assistance under an agreement with HUD authorizing the agency to expend such funds on behalf of the units.

SOLVING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IN THE GULF COAST REGION POST-KATRINA, PART II

United States · United States House of Representatives · 23 February 2007

SOLVING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IN THE GULF COAST REGION POST-KATRINA, PART I

United States · United States House of Representatives · 22 February 2007

Kinship Caregiver Support Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2007

Kinship Caregiver Support Act - Authorizes the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants for kinship navigator programs to state agencies, metropolitan agencies, or tribal organizations with experience in addressing needs of kinship caregivers or children and connecting them with services and assistance. Amends part E (Federal Payments for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to authorize all states to opt to enter agreements to provide kinship guardianship assistance payments on behalf of children to grandparents and other relatives who have assumed legal guardianship of children for whom they have cared as foster parents and have committed to care for on a permanent basis. Allows states to use part E funds to make such payments under specified conditions. Provides that adoptive parents of children with special needs remain eligible for adoption assistance, even if they receive kinship guardianship assistance. Authorizes the use of foster care independence program funds to provide independent living services and education and training vouchers for children who exit foster care to kinship guardianship or adoption after age 16. Authorizes kinship guardianship demonstration projects. Requires states to: (1) notify all adult grandparents and other adult relatives (with exceptions due to family or domestic violence) when a child is removed from custody of a parent or parents; and (2) explain the options the relative has to participate in the child's care and placement. Allows state agencies to establish separate standards for foster family homes in which a foster parent is a relative of the foster child.

Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2007

Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) so long as all of the active members of such clubs are full-time students at the college or university with which such clubs are associated. Defines "collegiate housing and infrastructure grants" to include grants to provide, improve, operate, or maintain collegiate housing.