Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S149-150)

Bill Text
A bill to expand access to affordable health care and to strengthen the health care safety net and make health care services more available in rural and underserved areas. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Access to Affordable Health Care Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) tax credits to small businesses for qualified employee health insurance expenses; (2) tax credits for qualified health insurance; (3) deductions for long-term care premiums; and (4) tax credits for individuals with long-term care needs. Requires the Secretary of Labor to award grants to states to assist in planning, developing, and operating qualified small employer purchasing groups for health insurance. Directs the Small Business Administration to award grants to states, local governments, and nonprofit organizations to provide health insurance information to small employers. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to award demonstration grants for [...]

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Latest Action: 09/29/2007 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
Making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2008, and for other purposes. 9/29/2007--Public Law.    (There are 3 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on September 26, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Makes continuing appropriations for FY2008. (Sec. 101) Appropriates amounts for continuing operations, projects, or activities which were conducted in FY2007 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available in: (1) the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2007 (division A of Public Law 109-289); (2) the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 (Public Law 109-295); and (3) the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007 (division B of Public Law 109-289, as amended by Public Law 110-5). (Sec. 102) Prohibits the use of appropriations, funds, or authority granted under this joint resolution for the Department [...]

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Latest Action: 11/14/2007 - Received in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S14385, S14387)

Bill Text
Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to correct the enrollment of H.R. 1429.

11/14/2007--Passed House 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.)

Makes corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 1429 (Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue regulations that require Head Start agencies to implement policies and procedures to ensure that homeless children are identified and prioritized for enrollment.

Latest Action: 01/24/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using a network of public and private community entities to provide mentoring for children in foster care. 1/24/2007--Introduced. Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2007 - Amends title IV part B (Child-Welfare Services) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services 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 [...]

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Latest Action: 09/07/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H10267)

Bill Text
To expand the definition of independent student in the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include homeless youth.

1/22/2007--Introduced.

FAFSA Fix for Homeless Kids Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to deem a student independent for financial aid purposes if such student has been verified as both a homeless child or youth and an unaccompanied youth by: (1) a local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youth; (2) a director of a homeless shelter, transitional shelter, or independent living program; or (3) a financial aid administrator.

Requires such a verification to take place during the school year in which the application for such aid is submitted.

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

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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 Action: 02/14/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5633-5634)

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A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to provide supportive services in permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals, and for other purposes. 2/14/2007--Introduced. Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to design national strategies for providing services in supportive housing that will assist in ending chronic homelessness and to implement programs that address chronic homelessness. Requires the Secretary to make matching grants to eligible entities to provide services that promote recovery and self-sufficiency and that address barriers to housing stability to chronically homeless individuals in, or who are scheduled to become residents of, permanent supportive housing and to other individuals and families who have [...]

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Latest Action: 02/26/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2231)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to promote and improve the allied health professions. 2/15/2007--Introduced. Allied Health Reinvestment Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop public service announcements to promote the allied health professions. Requires the Secretary to award grants to promote such professions by: (1) supporting relevant state and local campaigns; (2) increasing education opportunities; (3) carrying out programs to facilitate the entry of students into relevant careers; (4) expanding enrollment into such programs; (5) providing education through new technologies and methods; (6) enhancing the workforce through retention programs; (7) developing retention strategies; (8) expanding area health education centers to develop models of excellence for such professionals; and (9) developing clinical education, internship, and resident programs that encourage mentoring and the [...]

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Latest Action: 02/15/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2047-2048)

Bill Text
A bill to establish a demonstration project to train unemployed workers for employment as health care professionals, and for other purposes.

2/15/2007--Introduced.

Community-Based Health Care Retraining Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require the Secretary of Labor to establish and carry out a health professions training demonstration project that awards grants to eligible entities to train certain unemployed workers from the manufacturing or service sector for employment as health care professionals in communities with manufacturing and service sector job loss and health care professional shortages.

Latest Action: 10/02/2008 - Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 110-906.

Bill Text
To amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to consolidate the housing assistance programs for homeless persons under title IV of such Act, and for other purposes. 2/6/2007--Introduced. Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2007 - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to consolidate housing assistance programs for homeless persons. Requires the establishment of a community homeless assistance planning board for a geographic area to lead a collaborative planning process to design, execute, and evaluate programs, policies, and practices to prevent and end homelessness. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to designate an entity to be a community board if it has engaged in local homeless housing and services planning and has applied for federal funding for homeless assistance prior to enactment of this Act. Instructs the Secretary to make available technical assistance to governmental [...]

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Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 11/20/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow taxpayers to designate a portion of their income tax payment to provide assistance to homeless veterans, and for other purposes.

11/20/2008--Introduced.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish in the Treasury the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund and to allow individual taxpayers to designate on their tax returns $3.00 of income taxes ($6.00 in the case of joint returns) to be paid over to such Fund to provide assistance to homeless veterans.

Latest Action: 11/19/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10607)

Bill Text
A bill making supplemental appropriations for job creation and preservation, infrastructure investment, and economic and energy assistance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes.
Latest Action: 08/01/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1677)

Bill Text
To provide assistance to local educational agencies in areas of the Midwest adversely affected by storms and severe flooding that occurred in May and June, 2008, and for other purposes. 7/31/2008--Introduced. Midwest Schools Disaster Recovery Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make payments to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin to enable such states to assist their local educational agencies (LEAs) in recovering from the severe storms and flooding that hit the Midwest during the months of May and June, 2008. Protects such LEAs, that serve major disaster areas due to those storms and floods, from experiencing a FY2009 reduction of school improvement funds under part A of title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Authorizes the Secretary to waive or modify the application of maintenance of effort and cost-sharing conditions on the receipt [...]

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Latest Action: 07/29/2008 - Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the c

Bill Text
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to reform various programs and activities carried out under that Act. 7/29/2008--Introduced. Improving No Child Left Behind for All Students Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (the Act) to revise programs created or amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Allows states to revise their academic content and achievement standards so they are vertically aligned from grade to grade and with what students should know to be successful in postsecondary education and the workplace. Permits states to: (1) incorporate student academic growth into calculations of adequate yearly progress (AYP); (2) determine AYP for limited English proficient (LEP) students by excluding new arrivals and including former LEP students; and (3) use alternate academic achievement standards for disabled students. Requires local educational agencies' (LEAs) student achievement improvement plans [...]

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Latest Action: 09/08/2008 - Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 945.

Bill Text
Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 8/1/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2009 - Title I: Department of Defense - Appropriates funds for FY2009 for the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military construction for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force (military departments), DOD, the Army and Air National Guard, and the Army, Navy, and Air Force reserves; (2) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program; (3) family housing construction and related operation and maintenance for the military departments and DOD; (4) the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund; (5) the Homeowners Assistance Fund; (6) chemical demilitarization construction; and (7) the Department of Defense [...]

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