January 6, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S87 

‘‘(5) for other purposes as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 

‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

There are authorized to be appropriated to 

carry out this section, $5,000,000 for each of 

fiscal years 2010 through 2013.’’. 

By Mr. INOUYE: 

S. 114. A bill to amend the Public 

Health Service Act to provide for the 

establishment of a National Center for 

Social Work Research; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 

and Pensions. 

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise, 

again, today to reintroduce legislation 

to amend the Public Health Service 

Act for the establishment of a National 

Center for Social Work Research. Social workers provide a multitude of 

health care delivery services throughout America to our children, families, 

the elderly, and persons suffering from 

various forms of abuse and neglect. The 

purpose of this center is to support and 

disseminate information about the 

basic and clinical social work research 

and training, with emphasis on service 

to underserved and rural populations. 

While the Federal Government provides funding for various social work 

research activities through the National Institutes of Health and other 

Federal agencies, there presently is no 

coordination or direction of these critical activities and no overall assessment of needs and opportunities for 

empirical knowledge development. The 

establishment of a Center for Social 

Work Research would result in improved behavioral and mental health 

care outcomes for our Nation’s children, families, the elderly, and others. 

In order to meet the increasing challenges of bringing cost-effective, research-based quality health care to all 

Americans, we must recognize the important contributions of social work 

researchers to health care delivery and 

central role that the Center for Social 

Work can provide in facilitating their 

work. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed 

in the RECORD. 

There being no objection, the text of 

the bill was ordered to be printed in 

the RECORD, as follows: 

S. 114 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in 

Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National 

Center for Social Work Research Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds that— 

(1) social workers focus on the improvement of individual and family functioning 

and the creation of effective health and mental health prevention and treatment interventions in order for individuals to become 

more productive members of society; 

(2) social workers provide front line prevention and treatment services in the areas 

of school violence, aging, teen pregnancy, 

child abuse, domestic violence, juvenile 

crime, and substance abuse, particularly in 

rural and underserved communities; and 

(3) social workers are in a unique position 

to provide valuable research information on 

these complex social concerns, taking into 

account a wide range of social, medical, economic and community influences from an 

interdisciplinary, family-centered and community-based approach. 

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CENTER 

FOR SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 401(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281(a)) is 

amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(26) The National Center for Social Work 

Research.’’. 

(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Part E of title IV of 

the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 287 

et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 

following: 

‘‘Subpart 7—National Center for Social Work 

Research 

‘‘SEC. 485I. PURPOSE OF CENTER. 

‘‘The general purpose of the National Center for Social Work Research (referred to in 

this subpart as the ‘Center’) is the conduct 

and support of, and dissemination of targeted research concerning social work methods and outcomes related to problems of significant social concern. The Center shall— 

‘‘(1) promote research and training that is 

designed to inform social work practices, 

thus increasing the knowledge base which 

promotes a healthier America; and 

‘‘(2) provide policymakers with empirically-based research information to enable 

such policymakers to better understand 

complex social issues and make informed 

funding decisions about service effectiveness 

and cost efficiency. 

‘‘SEC. 485J. SPECIFIC AUTHORITIES. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—To carry out the purpose described in section 485I, the Director of 

the Center may provide research training 

and instruction and establish, in the Center 

and in other nonprofit institutions, research 

traineeships and fellowships in the study and 

investigation of the prevention of disease, 

health promotion, the association of socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, age and 

geographical location and health, the social 

work care of individuals with, and families 

of individuals with, acute and chronic illnesses, child abuse, neglect, and youth violence, and child and family care to address 

problems of significant social concern especially in underserved populations and underserved geographical areas. 

‘‘(b) STIPENDS AND ALLOWANCES.—The Director of the Center may provide individuals 

receiving training and instruction or 

traineeships or fellowships under subsection 

(a) with such stipends and allowances (including amounts for travel and subsistence 

and dependency allowances) as the Director 

determines necessary. 

‘‘(c) GRANTS.—The Director of the Center 

may make grants to nonprofit institutions 

to provide training and instruction and 

traineeships and fellowships under subsection (a). 

‘‘SEC. 485K. ADVISORY COUNCIL. 

‘‘(a) DUTIES.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish an advisory council for the Center 

that shall advise, assist, consult with, and 

make recommendations to the Secretary and 

the Director of the Center on matters related 

to the activities carried out by and through 

the Center and the policies with respect to 

such activities. 

‘‘(2) GIFTS.—The advisory council for the 

Center may recommend to the Secretary the 

acceptance, in accordance with section 231, 

of conditional gifts for study, investigations, 

and research and for the acquisition of 

grounds or construction, equipment, or 

maintenance of facilities for the Center. 

‘‘(3) OTHER DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS.—The advisory council for the Center— 

‘‘(A)(i) may make recommendations to the 

Director of the Center with respect to research to be conducted by the Center; 

‘‘(ii) may review applications for grants 

and cooperative agreements for research or 

training and recommend for approval applications for projects that demonstrate the 

probability of making valuable contributions 

to human knowledge; and 

‘‘(iii) may review any grant, contract, or 

cooperative agreement proposed to be made 

or entered into by the Center; 

‘‘(B) may collect, by correspondence or by 

personal investigation, information relating 

to studies that are being carried out in the 

United States or any other country and, with 

the approval of the Director of the Center, 

make such information available through 

appropriate publications; and 

‘‘(C) may appoint subcommittees and convene workshops and conferences. 

‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The advisory council 

shall be composed of the ex officio members 

described in paragraph (2) and not more than 

18 individuals to be appointed by the Secretary under paragraph (3). 

‘‘(2) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS.—The ex officio 

members of the advisory council shall include— 

‘‘(A) the Secretary of Health and Human 

Services, the Director of NIH, the Director of 

the Center, the Chief Social Work Officer of 

the Veterans’ Administration, the Assistant 

Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the 

Associate Director of Prevention Research at 

the National Institute of Mental Health, the 

Director of the Division of Epidemiology and 

Services Research, the Assistant Secretary 

of Health and Human Services for the Administration for Children and Families, the 

Assistant Secretary of Education for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, the Assistant Secretary of Housing 

and Urban Development for Community 

Planning and Development, and the Assistant Attorney General for Office of Justice 

Programs (or the designees of such officers); 

and 

‘‘(B) such additional officers or employees 

of the United States as the Secretary determines necessary for the advisory council to 

effectively carry out its functions. 

‘‘(3) APPOINTED MEMBERS.—The Secretary 

shall appoint not to exceed 18 individuals to 

the advisory council, of which— 

‘‘(A) not more than two-thirds of such individual shall be appointed from among the 

leading representatives of the health and scientific disciplines (including public health 

and the behavioral or social sciences) relevant to the activities of the Center, and at 

least 7 such individuals shall be professional 

social workers who are recognized experts in 

the area of clinical practice, education, or 

research; and 

‘‘(B) not more than one-third of such individuals shall be appointed from the general 

public and shall include leaders in fields of 

public policy, law, health policy, economics, 

and management. 

The Secretary shall make appointments to 

the advisory council in such a manner as to 

ensure that the terms of the members do not 

all expire in the same year. 

‘‘(4) COMPENSATION.—Members of the advisory council who are officers or employees of 

the United States shall not receive any compensation for service on the advisory council. The remaining members shall receive, 

for each day (including travel time) they are 

engaged in the performance of the functions 

of the advisory council, compensation at 

rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of 

the maximum rate payable for a position at 

grade GS–15 of the General Schedule. 

‘‘(c) TERMS.— 


wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with SENATE
S88 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 6, 2009 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term of office of an 

individual appointed to the advisory council 

under subsection (b)(3) shall be 4 years, except that any individual appointed to fill a 

vacancy on the advisory council shall serve 

for the remainder of the unexpired term. A 

member may serve after the expiration of 

the member’s term until a successor has 

been appointed. 

‘‘(2) REAPPOINTMENTS.—A member of the 

advisory council who has been appointed 

under subsection (b)(3) for a term of 4 years 

may not be reappointed to the advisory 

council prior to the expiration of the 2-year 

period beginning on the date on which the 

prior term expired. 

‘‘(3) VACANCY.—If a vacancy occurs on the 

advisory council among the members under 

subsection (b)(3), the Secretary shall make 

an appointment to fill that vacancy not later 

than 90 days after the date on which the vacancy occurs. 

‘‘(d) CHAIRPERSON.—The chairperson of the 

advisory council shall be selected by the Secretary from among the members appointed 

under subsection (b)(3), except that the Secretary may select the Director of the Center 

to be the chairperson of the advisory council. 

The term of office of the chairperson shall be 

2 years. 

‘‘(e) MEETINGS.—The advisory council shall 

meet at the call of the chairperson or upon 

the request of the Director of the Center, but 

not less than 3 times each fiscal year. The location of the meetings of the advisory council shall be subject to the approval of the Director of the Center. 

‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.—The Director of the Center shall designate a member of the staff of the Center to serve as the 

executive secretary of the advisory council. 

The Director of the Center shall make available to the advisory council such staff, information, and other assistance as the council 

may require to carry out its functions. The 

Director of the Center shall provide orientation and training for new members of the advisory council to provide such members with 

such information and training as may be appropriate for their effective participation in 

the functions of the advisory council. 

‘‘(g) COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.— 

The advisory council may prepare, for inclusion in the biennial report under section 

485L— 

‘‘(1) comments with respect to the activities of the advisory council in the fiscal 

years for which the report is prepared; 

‘‘(2) comments on the progress of the Center in meeting its objectives; and 

‘‘(3) recommendations with respect to the 

future direction and program and policy emphasis of the center. 

The advisory council may prepare such additional reports as it may determine appropriate. 

‘‘SEC. 485L. BIENNIAL REPORT. 

‘‘The Director of the Center, after consultation with the advisory council for the 

Center, shall prepare for inclusion in the biennial report under section 403, a biennial report that shall consist of a description of the 

activities of the Center and program policies 

of the Director of the Center in the fiscal 

years for which the report is prepared. The 

Director of the Center may prepare such additional reports as the Director determines 

appropriate. The Director of the Center shall 

provide the advisory council of the Center an 

opportunity for the submission of the written comments described in section 485K(g). 

‘‘SEC. 485M. QUARTERLY REPORT. 

‘‘The Director of the Center shall prepare 

and submit to Congress a quarterly report 

that contains a summary of findings and policy implications derived from research conducted or supported through the Center.’’. 

By Mrs. FEINSTEIN: 

S. 116. A bill to require the Secretary 

of the Treasury to allocate 

$10,000,000,000 of Troubled Asset Relief 

Program funds to local governments 

that have suffered significant losses 

due to highly-rated investments in 

failed financial institutions; to the 

Committee on Banking, Housing, and 

Urban Affairs. 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. MR. President, I 

rise today to introduce legislation that 

will provide relief to local governments 

that have suffered losses due to highlyrated investments with failed financial 

institutions, such as Lehman Brothers 

and Washington Mutual. 

The TARP Assistance for Local Governments Act would require the Treasury Secretary to provide $10 billion in 

TARP funds to local governments that 

suffered losses due to investments in 

failed financial institutions; and limit 

relief to local governments with investments in failed financial institutions that were highly rated, as determined by the Treasury Secretary. 

This legislation is necessary because 

local governments are in jeopardy of 

losing up to $10 billion as a result of 

these investments. 

In California 28 cities and counties 

could lose nearly $300 million. 

These investments include basic 

operational funds which cities and 

counties rely upon to function. 

For many cities and counties that 

are already struggling with budget 

shortfalls, the consequences of these 

losses are severe. 

Public safety, education, public 

health, infrastructure, and transit will 

be compromised. 

Communities large and small are significantly impacted. 

These are examples from my State 

that demonstrate the gravity of this 

situation. 

This list was included in a December 

22 letter to Secretary Paulson, and to 

date, I have not received a response. 

San Mateo County sustained a loss of 

$30 million, which will require the 

county to abandon plans for a new and 

urgently needed county jail. The current jail will continue to operate in 

overcrowded conditions, far beyond the 

rating of the facility. The result will be 

unsafe working conditions for the corrections personnel and the likelihood 

that convicted criminals will be released into the community early and in 

large numbers. 

The City of Shafter, a small community of 15,000 in the San Joaquin Valley, sustained a loss of $300,000, or nearly 4 percent of its annual budget. The 

City will be forced to make across-theboard cuts in all services, including police and fire. 

Monterey County is facing a $30 million loss. Amid numerous other cuts, 

hardest hit will be programs targeting 

gang activities, including a special 

task force and the construction of new 

adult and juvenile corrections facilities 

to manage these criminals. 

The San Mateo County Transportation Authority sustained a loss of 

more than $25 million, which will mean 

delays and higher costs for major 

projects that will reduce emissions and 

traffic, specifically the electrification 

of the Caltrain Peninsula Commuter 

Rail Service. Similarly, cuts in highway and roads projects will put more 

people on the local roads for longer 

times at a major cost in compromised 

air quality. 

The City of Culver City has lost $1 

million. This will result in a substantial reduction in planned street repairs 

and higher liability exposure from accidents, greater environmental degradation from storm water drain off, 

and worsened traffic congestion in a region of the U.S. ranked as one of the 

worst for traffic. 

The Hillsborough City School District lost over $924,000. Projects to create more classrooms for increased enrollment will not take place, increasing class sizes. Combined with other 

budget cuts from the State, all the District’s programs are threatened. 

The Vallejo Sanitation and Flood 

Control District, which provides sanitary sewer and storm water services to 

the City of Vallejo, population 119,600, 

and nearby areas of Solano County, 

sustained losses of $4.5 million in Lehman Brothers investments and $1.46 

million in Washington Mutual investments. The result is that aging infrastructure essential to the health of this 

community will not be replaced. The 

City of Vallejo recently declared Chapter 9 Municipal bankruptcy. 

Sacramento County sustained an increase in costs of $8 million related to 

an interest rate swap agreement with 

Lehman. This increase means fewer 

funds for sheriff’s patrol and investigations and probation supervision, resulting in an increased risk to the safety of 

the community and reductions in social safety net services, at a time of increased community need. 

The City of Folsom lost $700,000, 

which has caused the City to indefinitely postpone staffing and equipping 

a new fire station. 

The San Mateo County Community 

College District sustained a loss of $25 

million in voter-approved bond funds. 

As a result, the District will be forced 

to abandon a program to build more 

classrooms, and, therefore, turn away 

thousands of potential students, many 

of them unemployed adults seeking job 

training. 

The economic rescue legislation included a provision to require the Secretary of the Treasury to consider the 

impact of these losses on local governments when disbursing TARP funds. 

But, to date, the Secretary has not 

exercised his authority to assist local 

governments with such funds. 

The TARP Assistance for Local Governments Act of 2009 will change this, 

and ensure that communities remain 

solvent and taxpayers are protected. 

Given the urgency of this situation, 

we can no longer afford to wait. 

I hope that my colleagues will join 

me in supporting this important legislation. 


wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with SENATE