Latest Action: 07/31/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Bill Text
To provide for nondiscrimination by eligible lenders in the Robert T. Stafford Federal Student Loan Program.

7/31/2008--Introduced.

Preventing Student Loan Discrimination Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit lenders under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program from receiving special allowance payments (made to such lenders to compensate them for the difference between FFEL interest rates and market rates) if they deny FFELs to eligible borrowers because of their education program length or attendance at a particular school participating in the FFEL program.

Latest Action: 06/17/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Bill Text
A bill to provide for nondiscrimination by eligible lenders in the Federal Family Education Loan Program.

6/17/2008--Introduced.

Preventing Student Loan Discrimination Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit lenders under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program from receiving special allowance payments (made to such lenders to compensate them for the difference between FFEL interest rates and market rates) if they deny FFELs to eligible borrowers because of their race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability status, income, attendance at a particular school participating in the FFEL program, education program length, or academic year in school.

Latest Action: 07/15/2008 - Vetoed by President.

Bill Text
To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to extend expiring provisions under the Medicare Program, to improve beneficiary access to preventive and mental health services, to enhance low-income benefit programs, and to maintain access to care in rural areas, including pharmacy access, and for other purposes. 7/15/2008--Public Law.    (There are 3 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on June 24, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 - Title I: Medicare - Subtitle A: Beneficiary Improvements - Part 1: Prevention, Mental Health, and Marketing - (Sec. 101) Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, to cover additional preventive services. Includes body mass index and end-of-life planning among initial [...]

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Latest Action: 06/17/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Bill Text
To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to extend expiring provisions under the Medicare Program, to improve beneficiary access to preventive and mental health services, to enhance low-income benefit programs, and to maintain access to care in rural areas, including pharmacy access, and for other purposes. 6/9/2008--Introduced. Medicare Efficiency and Development of Improvement of Care and Services Act (MEDICS Act) of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for coverage of additional preventive services.Provides for gradual elimination of copayment rates for Medicare psychiatric services.Places prohibitions and limitations on certain sales and marketing activities under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and prescription drug plans.Requires offering of a range of Medicare supplemental policies.Extends the qualifying individual program. Provides for application of a full low-income subsidy [...]

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Latest Action: 06/12/2008 - Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S5539-5564)

Bill Text
A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to extend expiring provisions under the Medicare program, to improve beneficiary access to preventive and mental health services, to enhance low-income benefit programs, and to maintain access to care in rural areas, including pharmacy access, and for other purposes. 6/6/2008--Introduced. Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for coverage of additional preventive services.Provides for gradual elimination of copayment rates for Medicare psychiatric services.Places prohibitions and limitations on certain sales and marketing activities under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and prescription drug plans.Requires offering of a range of Medicare supplemental policies.Extends the qualifying individual program. Provides for application of a full low-income subsidy assets test under the Medicare [...]

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Latest Action: 05/22/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Bill Text
A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America, and for other proposes.

5/22/2008--Introduced.

Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 350,000 $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America.

Requires the coin design to be emblematic of the 100 years of the organization.

Restricts issuance of such coins to February 8 through December 31, 2010.

Subjects coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin.

Requires payment of such surcharges to the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation, to be made available to local councils in the form of grants for the extension of Scouting in hard-to-serve areas.

Latest Action: 07/17/2008 - Became Public Law No: 110-279.

Bill Text
A bill to provide for certain Federal employee benefits to be continued for certain employees of the Senate Restaurants after operations of the Senate Restaurants are contracted to be performed by a private business concern, and for other purposes. 7/17/2008--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.) Authorizes specified Senate Restaurants employees who are employees of the Architect of the Capitol on the date of enactment of this Act and who become employees of a contractor under a food services contract to elect to continue coverage of federal benefits, including retirement benefits, life and health insurance, annual and sick leave balances and accrual rates, and transit subsidies, after operations of the Senate Restaurants are contracted to be performed by a private business concern.Prohibits the basic pay of such an employee [...]

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Latest Action: 10/08/2008 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America, and for other purposes.

5/15/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary)

Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 350,000 $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America.

Requires the coin design to be emblematic of the 100 years of the organization.

Restricts issuance of such coins to February 8 through December 31, 2010.

Subjects coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin.

Requires payment of such surcharges to the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation, to be made available to local councils in the form of grants for the extension of Scouting in hard-to-serve areas.

Latest Action: 06/03/2008 - Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 758.

Bill Text
To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide for the protection of child custody arrangements for parents who are members of the Armed Forces deployed in support of a contingency operation, and for other purposes. 5/22/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 - Division A: Department of Defense Authorizations - Title I: Procurement - Subtitle A: Authorization of Appropriations - (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations for FY2009 for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force for aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and other procurement. (Sec.[...]

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Latest Action: 04/01/2008 - Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall

Bill Text
To establish the Commission on Women's Business Ownership.

4/1/2008--Introduced.

Women's Business Ownership Act of 2008 - Establishes the Commission on Women's Business Ownership to review and make recommendations concerning: (1) the status of women business owners nationwide, and the progress made since the 1980 White House Conference on Small Business; (2) the role of the federal government in aid to and promotion of women business owners; and (3) data collection procedures with regard to women-owned businesses and federal initiatives and procurement.

Latest Action: 04/02/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology.

Bill Text
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to secure domestic sources of radiological materials that could be used to make a radiological dispersion device against access by terrorists, and for other purposes. 3/13/2008--Introduced. Radiological Materials Security Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance domestic preparedness for and collective response to terrorism by conducting a risk assessment regarding the threat of, vulnerability to, and consequences of theft or other procurement of radiological materials that could be used by a terrorist in a radiological dispersion device.Requires the Secretary to: (1) disseminate the findings of, and specific risk information developed in, the assessment to participants in the radiological sources security system; (2) develop a classification system for information regarding radiological materials and classify the assessment under such system; (3) share the assessment [...]

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Latest Action: 02/25/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1127)

Bill Text
A bill to respond to a medicare funding warning. 2/25/2008--Introduced. Medicare Funding Warning Response Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) develop and implement a system for encouraging nationwide adoption and use of interoperable electronic health records and to make available personal health records for Medicare beneficiaries; (2) develop and implement a plan for ensuring that, by the year 2013, quality measures are available and reported with respect to at least 50% of the care provided under the Medicare program; (3) design and implement a system under which a portion of Medicare payments that would otherwise be made to some or all classes of individuals and entities furnishing items or services to beneficiaries would be based on the quality and efficiency of their performance; (4) implement incentives for Medicare beneficiaries to use more efficient providers and preventive services known to reduce costs; and (5) use and release [...]

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Latest Action: 02/29/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Bill Text
To respond to a Medicare funding warning. 2/25/2008--Introduced. Medicare Funding Warning Response Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) develop and implement a system for encouraging nationwide adoption and use of interoperable electronic health records and to make available personal health records for Medicare beneficiaries; (2) develop and implement a plan for ensuring that, by the year 2013, quality measures are available and reported with respect to at least 50% of the care provided under the Medicare program; (3) design and implement a system under which a portion of Medicare payments that would otherwise be made to some or all classes of individuals and entities furnishing items or services to beneficiaries would be based on the quality and efficiency of their performance; (4) implement incentives for Medicare beneficiaries to use more efficient providers and preventive services known to reduce costs; and (5) use and release Medicare [...]

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Latest Action: 01/17/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the trade relationship between the United States and India.

1/17/2008--Introduced.

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should initiate negotiations to enter into a free trade agreement with India.

Urges both countries to continue to pursue multilateral negotiations for a reduction in tariffs, subsidies, and other non-tariff barriers to trade with developed and developing countries.

Latest Action: 01/28/2008 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
To provide for the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, as previously enrolled, with certain modifications to address the foreign sovereign immunities provisions of title 28, United States Code, with respect to the attachment of property in certain judgements against Iraq, the lapse of statutory authorities for the payment of bonuses, special pays, and similar benefits for members of the uniformed services, and for other purposes. 1/28/2008--Public Law.    (There are 2 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on January 16, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.) National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 - Division A: Department of Defense Authorizations - Title I: Procurement - Subtitle A: Authorization of Appropriations - (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations for FY2008 for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force for [...]

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