Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Bill Text
A bill to provide Federal coordination and assistance in preventing gang violence.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Mynisha's Law - Authorizes any local or tribal government to submit an application to the Attorney General for designation as a Comprehensive Gang Prevention and Relief Area.

Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish criteria for reviewing such applications; and (2) establish an Interagency Gang Prevention Task Force. Directs the Task Force to: (1) coordinate government activities to create a comprehensive gang prevention response, focusing on early childhood intervention, at-risk youth intervention, literacy, employment, community policing, and comprehensive community-based programs such as Operation Cease Fire; (2) coordinate with local and regional gang prevention efforts; and (3) prioritize the needs of such Areas for funding under specified federal community assistance and grant programs.

Latest Action: 05/02/2008 - Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Bill Text
Supporting the goals and ideas of a National Child Care Worthy Wage Day.

5/1/2008--Passed Senate without amendment.    (There are 2 other summaries)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

States that the Congress supports the goals and ideas of National Child Care Worthy Wage Day, and urges public officials and the general public to honor early childhood care and education staff and programs in their communities and to work together to resolve the early childhood care and education staff compensation crisis.

Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S111)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of a National Center for Social Work Research.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

National Center for Social Work Research Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the National Center for Social Work Research as an agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct, support, and disseminate targeted research on social work methods and outcomes related to problems of significant social concern.

Authorizes the Director of the Center to: (1) provide research training and instruction; (2) establish research traineeships and fellowships; (3) provide stipends and allowances; and (4) make grants to nonprofit institutions to provide such training, instruction, traineeships, and fellowships.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an advisory council for the Center.

Latest Action: 02/13/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1924-1925)

Bill Text
A concurrent resolution providing that any agreement relating to trade and investment that is negotiated by the executive branch with another country comply with certain minimum standards.

2/13/2007--Introduced.

Urges that any trade and investment agreement that is negotiated by the executive branch with foreign countries should comply with: (1) specified requirements applying to all countries; (2) specified requirements applying to only the United States; and (3) provisions providing special treatment for developing countries.

Latest Action: 05/17/2007 - Conference papers: Senate report and manager's statement and message on House action held at the desk in Senate.

Bill Text
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. 5/16/2007--Conference report filed in House.    (There are 4 other summaries) Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2008, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2007 and FY2009-FY2012. Title I: Recommended Levels and Amounts - (Sec. 101) 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) debt subject to limit; and (6) debt held by the public. (Sec. 102) Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for Social Security and specified major functional categories for FY2007-FY2012. Title II: Budget Process [...]

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Latest Action: 05/09/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Bill Text
To increase the Federal minimum wage and to provide an alternative minimum wage as an incentive to an employer to provide health care and child care benefits. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Working Americans Growing the Economy (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. States that, if an employer provides an employee with health care or child care benefits of at least $2,500 per year, the applicable minimum wage rate paid to such employee shall be: (1) $5.15 an hour, beginning on the 60th day after enactment of this Act; (2) $5.55 an hour, beginning 12 months after that 60th day; and (3) $6.25 an hour, beginning 24 months after that 60th day. Requires the Secretary of Labor to: (1) define the categories of health [...]

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Latest Action: 01/09/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Bill Text
A bill to establish a small business child care grant program, and for other purposes.

1/9/2007--Introduced.

Small Business Child Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to assist states in providing funds to encourage the establishment and operation of employer-operated child care programs.

Latest Action: 05/18/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

Bill Text
To amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to increase the availability and affordability of quality child care services by creating incentives for older individuals to join the child care workforce, and for other purposes. 1/17/2007--Introduced. Seniors Offering Quality Child Care Act of 2007 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBGA) to: (1) increase the portion of funds states must use for activities to improve the quality of child care services; (2) include among such activities examining methods to increase recruitment, retention, and compensation of child care workers age 55 and older; and (3) exempt allowances, earnings, and payments to such older individuals under CCDBGA from consideration as income in determining eligibility for and amount of income transfer and in-kind aid under any federal or federally assisted program based on need. Amends the Social Security Act to exempt compensation for child caregiving [...]

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Latest Action: 02/12/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1857-1859)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow small businesses to set up simple cafeteria plans to provide nontaxable employee benefits to their employees, to make changes in the requirements for cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts, and benefits provided under such plans or accounts, and for other purposes. 2/12/2007--Introduced. SIMPLE Cafeteria Plan Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a new employee benefit cafeteria plan to be known as a Simple Cafeteria Plan. Defines "Simple Cafeteria Plan" as a cafeteria plan which: (1) is established and maintained by an employer with an average of 100 or fewer employees during a two-year period; (2) requires employers to make contributions or match employee contributions to the plan; (3) requires participating employees to have at least 1,000 hours of service for the preceding plan year and allows such employees to elect any benefit available under the plan; (4) permits participation [...]

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Latest Action: 04/10/2007 - By Senator Kennedy from Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions filed written report. Report No. 110-49.

Bill Text
A bill to reauthorize the Head Start Act, and for other purposes. 3/29/2007--Reported to Senate amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Head Start for School Readiness Act - Amends the Head Start Act (the Act) to revise and reauthorize Head Start programs. (Sec. 2) Includes children's growth in language, preliteracy, premathematics, emotional, and physical skills among the aims of Head Start programs. (Sec. 3) Includes community-based organizations and financial literacy training within the definitions of Head Start delegate agencies and family literacy services, respectively. Adds definitions of Head Start deficiencies, homeless children, institutions of higher education, interrater reliability, limited English proficient (LEP) children, and unresolved areas of noncompliance. Removes Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau from the list of program participants. (Sec. 4) Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services [...]

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Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 09/29/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the phasedown of the credit percentage for the dependent care credit.
Latest Action: 07/15/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Bill Text
To authorize grants to local educational agencies to develop and implement coordinated services programs.

7/15/2008--Introduced.

Coordinate to Educate Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award: (1) grants of up to three years to local educational agencies (LEAs) to collaborate with health and social service agencies to develop school-linked coordinated service programs for children and families on or near school sites; and (2) grants of up to two years to LEAs to implement such programs pursuant to interagency service delivery plans that have been approved by the Secretary.

Requires program services to be available to all children and families in the service area and, where appropriate, paid for on a sliding scale.

Directs the Secretary, in awarding grants, to give special consideration to areas with high proportions of educationally at-risk students and areas that have a large number of single parent or two-parent, working families.

Latest Action: 07/30/2008 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
A bill to extend the pilot program for volunteer groups to obtain criminal history background checks.

7/30/2008--Public Law.    (There are 2 other summaries)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2008 - Amends the PROTECT Act to extend by six months the Child Safety Pilot Program (allowing certain volunteer organizations to obtain national and state criminal history background checks on their volunteers).

Latest Action: 07/28/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Bill Text
To extend the pilot program for volunteer groups to obtain criminal history background checks.

6/23/2008--Introduced.

Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2008 - Amends the PROTECT Act to extend by six months the Child Safety Pilot Program (allowing certain volunteer organizations to obtain national and state criminal history background checks on their volunteers).

Latest Action: 06/04/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide income tax relief for families, and for other purposes.

6/4/2008--Introduced.

Family Tax Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase and make refundable the tax credit for employment-related dependent care expenses; and (2) increase and make permanent the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers.

Makes permanent provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2011 which allow: (1) an expanded tax credit for adoption expenses; and (2) an increased exclusion from the gross income of employees for employer-paid adoption expenses.

Latest Action: 05/06/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3794-3795)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to improve access to high quality early learning and child care for low income children and working families, and for other purposes. 5/6/2008--Introduced. Starting Early Starting Right Act - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to establish, within the Administration for Children and Families, an Office of Child Care to serve as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families on issues regarding state-funded child care programs. Requires the state plan under the Act to certify that the state has in effect: (1) licensing requirements applicable to child care providers within the state that include one annual announced and one annual unannounced visit to each site at which the provider provides child care services; and (2) licensing or registration requirements pertaining to training. Requires the state plan to: (1) demonstrate the manner [...]

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Latest Action: 04/28/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 720.

Bill Text
A bill to reauthorize and improve the financing and entrepreneurial development programs of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes. 4/24/2008--Introduced. SBA Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends the Small Business Act (the Act) to reauthorize for FY2008-FY2010 certain small business assistance programs of the Small Business Administration (SBA), including: (1) the microloan program (loans made to very small businesses for start-up, expansion, or equipment); (2) section 7(a) loans (SBA-guaranteed general business loans); (3) certified development company (CDC) financings; (4) assistance to small businesses affected by a Department of Defense base closure or realignment or the termination of a defense contract or subcontract; (5) the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs (PRIME); and (6) small business disaster loans. Revises or adds provisions concerning the microloan program, including: (1) increased loan amounts; and (2) making [...]

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Latest Action: 04/24/2008 - Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3408)

Bill Text
A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a National Child Care Worthy Wage Day.

4/24/2008--Introduced.

Designates May 1, 2008, as National Child Care Worthy Wage Day.

Latest Action: 04/16/2008 - Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S3103; text as passed Senate: CR S3103; text of measure as introduced: CR S3082)

Bill Text
A resolution designating the week of April 13-19, 2008, as "Week of the Young Child".

4/16/2008--Passed Senate without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Designates the week of April 13-19, 2008, as "Week of the Young Child."

Latest Action: 04/02/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Bill Text
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 4/2/2008--Introduced. Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2008 - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) conduct a long-term epidemiological study on the health of women veterans who served on active duty in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom; (2) assess barriers encountered by women veterans to the provision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of comprehensive health care; (3) assess all health care services and programs provided by the VA for women veterans; (4) study the health consequences on women veterans of active-duty service in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom; (5) provide training and certification for mental health professionals who provide counseling [...]

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