Strategic Targeted American Recovery and Transition Act

Bill: 111-hr-861
Sponsor: Rep. Minnick, Walter [D-ID-1]
Introduced: 2009-02-04 in the House
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Administrative remedies
Advisory bodies
Appropriations
Border security and unlawful immigration
Budget deficits and national debt
Business investment and capital
Buy American requirements
Competition and antitrust
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Labor
Department of Transportation
Economic performance and conditions
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Employment taxes
Executive agency funding and structure
Gambling
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Higher education
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Infrastructure development
Manufacturing
Metals
Parks, recreation areas, trails
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public contracts and procurement
Public transit
Railroads
Roads and highways
Rural conditions and development
State and local government operations
Tax treatment of families
Transportation programs funding
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Wages and earnings
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2009-02-04
text: 
Strategic Targeted American Recovery and Transition Act - Designates: (1) each amount in this Act as an emergency requirement, necessary to meet certain emergency needs in accordance with the FY2008-FY2009 congressional budget resolutions; and (2) as an emergency for Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) principles.
 
Establishes use-it-or-lose-it requirements for grantees. Requires them to enter into contracts or other binding commitments within one year after enactment of this Act, or within nine months after the grant is awarded, whichever is later, to make use of 100% of such funds. Requires agency recovery or deobligation and redistribution of uncommitted funds.
 
Makes all funds appropriated by this Act available for obligation through FY2010, unless expressly provided otherwise.
 
Makes additional appropriations to specified federal agency and departmental Offices of Inspector General.
 
Appropriates additional amounts to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). 
 
Prohibits the use of funds for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron and steel used in the project is domestic, except in certain circumstances.
 
Requires publication on the website Recovery.gov of: (1) all federal agency plans for using funds made available in this Act; and (2) all federal, state, or local agency public notices regarding funds obligated to particular infrastructure investments.
 
Prescribes review and reporting requirements for inspectors general of federal departments or executive agencies, the GAO, and the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.
 
Establishes the Recovery Act Accountability and Transparency Board to: (1) coordinate and conduct oversight of federal spending under this Act to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse; and (2) establish the Recovery.gov website.
 
Places limitations on the length of certain noncompetitive contracts.
 
Grants the Comptroller General and the Offices of Inspector General access to certain contractors' or subcontractors' records or employees.
 
Prohibits reprisals against state and local government and contractor whistleblowers.
 
Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 to: (1) the Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration; (2) the Department of Education; and (3) the Department of Transportation (DOT).
 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase: (1) to 45% the rate of the earned income tax credit in 2009 or 2010 for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children; (2) the threshold amount for the phase-out of such credit for married couples filing jointly; and (3) the refundable portion of the child tax credit in 2009 and 2010.
 
Extends for one year the 50% bonus depreciation allowance for specified types of depreciable property and through 2009 the increased expensing allowance ($125,000) for depreciable business assets.
 
Allows a work opportunity tax credit for unemployed veterans and disconnected youth (certain youth who are not regularly employed or attending school) hired in 2009 or 2010.
 
Repeals the requirement that federal, state, and local governmental entities withhold 3% of payments to contractors who provide goods and services to such entities.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-02-04
text: Referred to House Budget
action_date: 2009-02-04
text: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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 committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-02-04
text: Referred to House Appropriations
action_date: 2009-02-04
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-02-04
text: Introduced in House