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: 02/15/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2039)

Bill Text
A bill to clarify the effective date of the modification of treatment for retirement annuity purposes of part-time service before April 7, 1986, of certain Department of Veterans Affairs health-care professionals.

2/15/2007--Introduced.

Makes January 23, 2002, the effective date of the modification of treatment for retirement annuity purposes of part-time service performed before April 7, 1986, by certain health-care professionals of the Veterans Health Administration pursuant to the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001.

Latest Action: 03/15/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3220)

Bill Text
A bill to provide for paid sick leave to ensure that Americans can address their own health needs and the health needs of their families. 3/15/2007--Introduced. Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to provide a minimum paid sick leave and employment benefits of: (1) seven days annually for those who work at least 30 hours per week; and (2) a prorated annual amount for those who work less than 30 but at least 20 hours a week, or less than 1,500 but at least 1,000 hours per year. Allows employees to use such leave to meet their own medical needs or to care for the medical needs of certain family members. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority with respect to this Act's provisions for employees covered by title I of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Provides [...]

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Latest Action: 06/05/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Bill Text
To establish a living wage, jobs for all policy for all peoples in the United States and its territories, and for other purposes. 2/14/2007--Introduced. A Living Wage, Jobs for All Act - Declares that Congress affirms the basic economic rights and responsibilities under the 1944 "Economic Bill of Rights," while updating and extending it to include: (1) certain rights to decent jobs, income security for individuals unable to work for pay, a decent living for farm families, freedom from monopolies, decent housing, adequate health services, Social Security in old age, sickness, accidental injury, and unemployment, and education and work training; and (2) certain other rights relating to collective bargaining, a safe working environment, information on trends in pollution sources and products and processes that affect the well-being of workers throughout the world, voting and campaigning, and personal security. Requires corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange [...]

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Latest Action: 05/03/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5580)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to increase the retirement security of women and small business owners, and for other purposes. 5/3/2007--Introduced. Women's Retirement Security Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) require certain small employers who do not provide retirement plans for their employees to allow eligible employees to participate in a payroll deposit individual retirement account arrangement (automatic IRA); (2) expand eligibility for the tax credit for retirement savings contributions (saver's credit) and make such credit refundable; (3) allow certain part-time employees to participate in qualified cash or deferred arrangements; (4) allow the transfer of up to $500 of unused health plan benefits to qualified retirement plans; (5) treat wage replacement income (e.g., disability pay or unemployment compensation) as earned income for purposes of IRA contribution limits; [...]

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Latest Action: 06/27/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Bill Text
To provide for paid sick leave to ensure that Americans can address their own health needs and the health needs of their families. 3/15/2007--Introduced. Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to provide a minimum paid sick leave and employment benefits of: (1) seven days annually for those who work at least 30 hours per week; and (2) a prorated annual amount for those who work less than 30 but at least 20 hours a week, or less than 1,500 but at least 1,000 hours per year. Allows employees to use such leave to meet their own medical needs or to care for the medical needs of certain family members. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority with respect to this Act's provisions for employees covered by title I of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Provides that,[...]

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Latest Action: 07/17/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

Bill Text
To improve the lives of working families by providing family and medical need assistance, child care assistance, in-school and afterschool assistance, family care assistance, and encouraging the establishment of family-friendly workplaces. 5/17/2007--Introduced. Family and Workplace Balancing Act of 2007, or Balancing Act of 2007 - Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make five-year grants to a state or local government to pay for the federal share of projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to family caregiving needs, especially those related to the birth or adoption of a child. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and federal civil service law to allow employees covered by FMLA and civil servants to take specified additional leave for: (1) parental involvement in their children's or grandchildren's [...]

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Latest Action: 07/24/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Bill Text
To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to ensure that employees are not improperly disqualified from benefits under pension plans and welfare plans based on the misclassification or reclassification of their status.

6/11/2007--Introduced.

Employee Benefits Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to prohibit employers from disqualifying employees from benefits under their pension and welfare plans by misclassifying or reclassifying employee status.

Latest Action: 07/24/2008 - Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government. H. Rept. 110-770.

Bill Text
To amend section 8339(p) of title 5, United States Code, to clarify the method for computing certain annuities under the Civil Service Retirement System which are based on part-time service, and for other purposes. 6/19/2007--Introduced. Applies provisions governing the computation of an annuity under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) for a federal employee whose service includes service that was performed on a part-time basis to: (1) service performed before April 7, 1986, with respect to basing average pay on the basic pay for full-time service; and (2) service performed after such date with respect to calculating the benefit by prorating total service to reflect part-time service. Provides for the recomputation of an annuity for any individual who performed any service creditable under CSRS (or under the Federal Employees Retirement System, to the extent of any portion of such annuity which is computed under CSRS) before such date and who was separated from the [...]

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Latest Action: 04/29/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3510-3511)

Bill Text
A bill to improve the employability of older Americans. 4/29/2008--Introduced. Incentives for Older Workers Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to prohibit a reduction in benefits for an employee under a defined benefit pension plan who has begun a phased retirement and was employed on a substantially full-time basis during the previous 12-month period before phased retirement. Defines "phased retirement" as the period when an employee is employed on substantially less than a full-time basis or with substantially reduced responsibilities after reaching age 50 or completing 30 years of creditable service under the plan. Amends the Social Security Act to raise from 70 to 72 the age up to which inidividuals are allowed to earn delayed retirement credits for purposes of the calculation of increased old-age insurance benefit payments. Revises federal old-age, survivors, and disability [...]

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Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 05/22/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Bill Text
To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals, and for other purposes. 5/22/2008--Introduced. Veterans' Medical Personnel Recruitment and Retention Act of 2008 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to appoint personnel for health care positions within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) not specifically listed as authorized categories for appointment, as long as the Secretary provides prior notification to the congressional veterans' committees and the Office of Management and Budget. Requires newly-appointed nurses to serve a probationary period. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) appoint nurse assistants; and (2) waive required pay offsets for federal annuitants reemployed in VA health care positions. Sets the minimum rate of basic pay for appointees to certain positions in the Office of the [...]

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Latest Action: 06/26/2008 - Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Bill Text
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals, and for other purposes. 5/1/2008--Introduced. Veterans' Medical Personnel Recruitment and Retention Act of 2008 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to appoint personnel for health care positions within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) not specifically listed as authorized categories for appointment, as long as the Secretary provides prior notification to the congressional veterans' committees and the Office of Management and Budget. Requires newly-appointed nurses to serve a probationary period. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) appoint nurse assistants; and (2) waive required pay offsets for federal annuitants reemployed in VA health care positions. Sets the minimum rate of basic pay for appointees to certain positions in the Office [...]

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Latest Action: 04/29/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3510-3511)

Bill Text
A bill to improve the employability of older Americans. 4/29/2008--Introduced. Incentives for Older Workers Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to prohibit a reduction in benefits for an employee under a defined benefit pension plan who has begun a phased retirement and was employed on a substantially full-time basis during the previous 12-month period before phased retirement. Defines "phased retirement" as the period when an employee is employed on substantially less than a full-time basis or with substantially reduced responsibilities after reaching age 50 or completing 30 years of creditable service under the plan. Amends the Social Security Act to raise from 70 to 72 the age up to which inidividuals are allowed to earn delayed retirement credits for purposes of the calculation of increased old-age insurance benefit payments. Revises federal old-age, survivors, and disability [...]

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Latest Action: 07/24/2008 - Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government. H. Rept. 110-770.

Bill Text
To amend section 8339(p) of title 5, United States Code, to clarify the method for computing certain annuities under the Civil Service Retirement System which are based on part-time service, and for other purposes. 6/19/2007--Introduced. Applies provisions governing the computation of an annuity under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) for a federal employee whose service includes service that was performed on a part-time basis to: (1) service performed before April 7, 1986, with respect to basing average pay on the basic pay for full-time service; and (2) service performed after such date with respect to calculating the benefit by prorating total service to reflect part-time service. Provides for the recomputation of an annuity for any individual who performed any service creditable under CSRS (or under the Federal Employees Retirement System, to the extent of any portion of such annuity which is computed under CSRS) before such date and who was separated from the [...]

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Latest Action: 07/24/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Bill Text
To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to ensure that employees are not improperly disqualified from benefits under pension plans and welfare plans based on the misclassification or reclassification of their status.

6/11/2007--Introduced.

Employee Benefits Protection Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to prohibit employers from disqualifying employees from benefits under their pension and welfare plans by misclassifying or reclassifying employee status.

Latest Action: 07/17/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

Bill Text
To improve the lives of working families by providing family and medical need assistance, child care assistance, in-school and afterschool assistance, family care assistance, and encouraging the establishment of family-friendly workplaces. 5/17/2007--Introduced. Family and Workplace Balancing Act of 2007, or Balancing Act of 2007 - Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make five-year grants to a state or local government to pay for the federal share of projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to family caregiving needs, especially those related to the birth or adoption of a child. Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and federal civil service law to allow employees covered by FMLA and civil servants to take specified additional leave for: (1) parental involvement in their children's or grandchildren's [...]

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Latest Action: 05/03/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5580)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to increase the retirement security of women and small business owners, and for other purposes. 5/3/2007--Introduced. Women's Retirement Security Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) require certain small employers who do not provide retirement plans for their employees to allow eligible employees to participate in a payroll deposit individual retirement account arrangement (automatic IRA); (2) expand eligibility for the tax credit for retirement savings contributions (saver's credit) and make such credit refundable; (3) allow certain part-time employees to participate in qualified cash or deferred arrangements; (4) allow the transfer of up to $500 of unused health plan benefits to qualified retirement plans; (5) treat wage replacement income (e.g., disability pay or unemployment compensation) as earned income for purposes of IRA contribution limits; [...]

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