In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Animal Welfare Accountability and
Transparency Act''.

SEC. 2. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF REGULATORY RECORDS.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later than 90 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture
(referred to in this section as the ''Secretary'') shall maintain and
promptly make available to the public in an online searchable database
in a machine-readable format on the website of the Department of
Agriculture information relating to the administration of the Animal
Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) and the Horse Protection Act (15
U.S.C. 1821 et seq.), including--
(1) the entirety of each report of any inspection
conducted, and record of any enforcement action taken, under--
(A) either of those Acts; or
(B) any regulation issued under those Acts;
(2) with respect to the Animal Welfare Act--
(A) the entirety of each annual report submitted by
a research facility under section 13 of that Act (7
U.S.C. 2143); and
(B) the name, address, and license or registration
number of each research facility, exhibitor, dealer,
and other person or establishment--
(i) licensed by the Secretary under section
3 or 12 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2133, 2142); or
(ii) registered with the Secretary under
section 6 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2136); and
(3) with respect to the Horse Protection Act, the name and
address of--
(A) any person that is licensed to conduct any
inspection under section 4(c) of that Act (15 U.S.C.
1823(c)); or
(B) any organization or association that is
licensed by the Department of Agriculture to promote
horses through--
(i) the showing, exhibiting, sale, auction,
or registry of horses; or
(ii) the conduct of any activity that
contributes to the advancement of horses.

SEC. 3. USE OF ALTERNATIVE DEPRECIATION SYSTEM FOR TAXPAYERS VIOLATING
CERTAIN ANIMAL PROTECTION RULES.

(a) In General.--Section 168(g)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 is amended by striking ''and'' at the end of subparagraph (D), by
inserting ''and'' at the end of subparagraph (E), and by inserting
after subparagraph (E) the following new subparagraph:
''(F) any property placed in service by a
disqualified taxpayer during an applicable period,''.
(b) Definitions.--Section 168(g) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
''(8) Disqualified taxpayer; applicable period.--For
purposes of paragraph (1)(F)--
''(A) Disqualified taxpayer.--
''(i) In general.--The term 'disqualified
taxpayer' means any taxpayer if such taxpayer--
''(I) has been assessed a civil
penalty under section 19(b) of the
Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2149(b))
or section 6(b) of the Horse Protection
Act (15 U.S.C. 1825(b)) and either the
period for seeking judicial review of
the final agency action has lapsed or
there has been a final judgment with
respect to an appeal of such
assessment, or
''(II) has been convicted under
section 19(d) of the Animal Welfare Act
(7 U.S.C. 2149(d)) or section 6(a) of
the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C.
1825(a)) and there is a final judgment
with respect to such conviction.
''(ii) Aggregation rules.--All persons
treated as a single employer under subsection
(a) or (b) of section 52, or subsection (m) or
(o) of section 414, shall be treated as one
taxpayer for purposes of this subparagraph.
''(B) Applicable period.--The term 'applicable
period' means, with respect to any violation described
in subparagraph (A), the 5-taxable-year period
beginning with the taxable year in which the period for
seeking judicial review of a civil penalty described in
subparagraph (A)(i) has lapsed or in which there has
been a final judgment entered with respect to the
violation, whichever is earlier.''.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--The last sentence of section 179(d)(1)
is amended by inserting ''or any property placed in service by a
disqualified taxpayer (as defined in section 168(g)(8)(A)) during an
applicable period (as defined in section 168(g)(8)(B))'' after
''section 50(b)''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to property placed in service in taxable years beginning after
the date of the enactment of this section.
Animal Welfare Accountability and Transparency Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to maintain and publicly disclose records relating to the administration of the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act, including specified details regarding inspections, enforcement actions, regulations, registrations, and licenses under the two laws. Within 90 days of the enactment of this bill, USDA must make the records available to the public in an online searchable database in a machine-readable format on its website. The bill also amends the Internal Revenue Code to require a taxpayer who has been convicted or assessed civil penalties for violating certain provisions of the Animal Welfare Act or the Horse Protection Act to use the alternative depreciation system that increases the number of years over which property is depreciated. The taxpayer must use the system for any property placed in service during the five-year period beginning with the year in which the period for seeking judicial review of a civil penalty has lapsed or in which there has been a final judgment entered with respect to the violation, whichever is earlier.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Health Empowerment Zone Act of
2009''.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
Sec. 3. Findings.
Sec. 4. Designation of health empowerment zones.
Sec. 5. Assistance to those seeking designation.
Sec. 6. Benefits of designation.
Sec. 7. Definition.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) Numerous studies and reports, including the National
Healthcare Disparities Report and Unequal Treatment, the 2002
Institute of Medicine Report, document the extensiveness to
which health disparities exist across the country.
(2) These studies have found that, on average, racial and
ethnic minorities are disproportionately afflicted with chronic
and acute conditions--such as cancer, diabetes, and
hypertension--and suffer worse health outcomes, worse health
status, and higher mortality rates than their White
counterparts.
(3) Several recent studies also show that health
disparities are a function of not only access to health care,
but also the social determinants of health--including the
environment, the physical structure of communities, nutrition
and food options, educational attainment, employment, race,
ethnicity, geography, and language preference--that directly
and indirectly affect the health, health care, and wellness of
individuals and communities.
(4) Integrally involving and fully supporting the
communities most affected by health inequities in the
assessment, planning, launch, and evaluation of health
disparity elimination efforts is among the leading
recommendations made to adequately address and ultimately
reduce health disparities.
(5) Recommendations also include supporting the efforts of
community stakeholders from a broad cross section--including,
but not limited to local businesses, local departments of
commerce, education, labor, urban planning, and transportation,
and community-based and other nonprofit organizations--to find
areas of common ground around health disparity elimination and
collaborate to improve the overall health and wellness of a
community and its residents.

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF HEALTH EMPOWERMENT ZONES.

(a) In General.--At the request of an eligible community
partnership, the Secretary may designate an eligible area as a health
empowerment zone.
(b) Eligibility Criteria.--
(1) Eligible community partnership.--A community
partnership is eligible to submit a request under this section
if the partnership--
(A) demonstrates widespread public support from key
individuals and entities in the eligible area,
including State and local governments, nonprofit
organizations, and community and industry leaders, for
designation of the eligible area as a health
empowerment zone; and
(B) includes representatives of--
(i) a broad cross section of stakeholders
and residents from communities in the eligible
area experiencing disproportionate disparities
in health status and health care; and
(ii) organizations, facilities, and
institutions that have a history of working
within and serving such communities.
(2) Eligible area.--An area is eligible to be designated as
a health empowerment zone under this section if one or more
communities in the area experience disproportionate disparities
in health status and health care. In determining whether a
community experiences such disparities, the Secretary shall
consider the data collected by the Department of Health and
Human Services focusing on the following areas:
(A) Access to high-quality health services.
(B) Arthritis, osteoporosis, and chronic back
conditions.
(C) Cancer.
(D) Chronic kidney disease.
(E) Diabetes.
(F) Injury and violence prevention.
(G) Maternal, infant, and child health.
(H) Medical product safety.
(I) Mental health and mental disorders.
(J) Nutrition and overweight.
(K) Disability and secondary conditions.
(L) Educational and community-based health
programs.
(M) Environmental health.
(N) Family planning.
(O) Food safety.
(P) Health communication.
(Q) Health disease and stroke.
(R) HIV/AIDS.
(S) Immunization and infectious diseases.
(T) Occupational safety and health.
(U) Oral health.
(V) Physical activity and fitness.
(W) Public health infrastructure.
(X) Respiratory diseases.
(Y) Sexually transmitted diseases.
(Z) Substance abuse.
(AA) Tobacco use.
(BB) Vision and hearing.
(c) Procedure.--
(1) Request.--A request under subsection (a) shall--
(A) describe the bounds of the area to be
designated as a health empowerment zone and the process
used to select those bounds;
(B) demonstrate that the partnership submitting the
request is an eligible community partnership described
in subsection (b)(1);
(C) demonstrate that the area is an eligible area
described in subsection (b)(2);
(D) include a comprehensive assessment of
disparities in health status and health care experience
by one or more communities in the area;
(E) set forth--
(i) a vision and a set of values for the
area; and
(ii) a comprehensive and holistic set of
goals to be achieved in the area through
designation as a health empowerment zone; and
(F) include a strategic plan for achieving the
goals described in subparagraph (E)(ii).
(2) Approval.--Not later than 60 days after the receipt of
a request for designation of an area as a health empowerment
zone under this section, the Secretary shall approve or
disapprove the request.
(d) Minimum Number.--The Secretary--
(1) shall designate not more than 110 health empowerment
zones under this section; and
(2) shall designate at least one health empowerment zone in
each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and each
territory or possession of the United States.

SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO THOSE SEEKING DESIGNATION.

At the request of any organization or entity seeking to submit a
request under section 4(a), the Secretary shall provide technical
assistance, and may award a grant, to assist such organization or
entity--
(1) to form an eligible community partnership described in
subsection (b)(1);
(2) to complete a health assessment, including an
assessment of health disparities under subsection (c)(1)(D); or
(3) to prepare and submit a request, including a strategic
plan, in accordance with section 4.

SEC. 6. BENEFITS OF DESIGNATION.

(a) Priority.--In awarding any competitive grant, a Federal
official shall give priority to any applicant that--
(1) meets the eligibility criteria for the grant;
(2) proposes to use the grant for activities in a health
empowerment zone; and
(3) demonstrates that such activities will directly and
significantly further the goals of the strategic plan approved
for such zone under section 4.
(b) Grants for Initial Implementation of Strategic Plan.--
(1) In general.--Upon designating an eligible area as a
health empowerment zone at the request of an eligible community
partnership, the Secretary shall, subject to the availability
of appropriations, make a grant to the community partnership
for implementation of the strategic plan for such zone.
(2) Grant period.--A grant under paragraph (1) for a health
empowerment zone shall be for a period of 2 years and may be
renewed, except that the total period of grants under paragraph
(1) for such zone may not exceed 10 years.
(3) Limitation.--In awarding grants under this subsection,
the Secretary shall not give less priority to an applicant or
reduce the amount of a grant because the Secretary rendered
technical assistance or made a grant to the same applicant
under section 5.
(4) Reporting.--The Secretary shall require each recipient
of a grant under this subsection to report to the Secretary not
less than every 6 months on the progress in implementing the
strategic plan for the health empowerment zone.

SEC. 7. DEFINITION.

In this Act, the term ''Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health
and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration and the Director of the Office of
Minority Health, and in cooperation with the Director of the Office of
Community Services and the Director of the National Center for Minority
Health and Health Disparities.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

To carry out this Act, there is authorized to be appropriated
$100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
Health Empowerment Zone Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), at the request of a broad-based community partnership, to designate a community that experiences disproportionate disparities in health status and health care as a health empowerment zone. Requires federal officials to give priority in awarding competitive grants to grants used in or benefiting a health empowerment zone.

Directs the Secretary to provide: (1) technical assistance (or grants) to entities seeking to form a community partnership or obtain a health empowerment zone designation for a community; and (2) grants to community partnerships for implementation of the strategic plan for a health empowerment zone.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Louisiana Rice Economic Relief Act
of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The rice industry in the State of Louisiana contributes
significantly to the economy of that State and the United
States, with an estimated annual value of approximately
$250,000,000 and an estimated average annual economic benefit
of approximately $1,000,000,000.
(2) For the 2002 crop of rice, rice producers in the State
of Louisiana suffered from the lowest rice prices in more than
50 years.
(3) Since most of the 2002 crop of rice in the State of
Louisiana was sold during the harvest season, the market-
derived income of producers from the sale of rice fell to
record low levels.
(4) The historically-low income of producers from the sale
of rice in the State of Louisiana, even when combined with
Federal income support, still is devastating to--
(A) rice producers in the State;
(B) the rice industry infrastructure of the State;
(C) businesses that serve and depend on the rice
industry; and
(D) communities in which rice producers and their
families reside and in which the rice industry
operates.
(5) Because of the significant reduction in total income
and the current costs of production, many rice producers of the
State of Louisiana will not cover the total expenses they
incurred to produce and harvest the 2002 crop.
(6) The historically-low prices of the 2002 crop of rice in
the State of Louisiana have contributed to a combined market
price and Federal support income level that is approximately
$2.42 per hundredweight less than the average combined market
price and Federal support income levels during the 1998 through
2001 period, which is approximately 22 percent below the
average income level for the State for the same time period.
(7) Due to the historically-low rice prices and reduced
income, rice producers in the State of Louisiana and their
families are faced with dire economic circumstances that are
crippling them and the communities in which they live and work.

SEC. 3. ECONOMIC DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR LOUISIANA RICE PRODUCERS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall use such sums
as are necessary of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make
payments, as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this
Act, to producers of the 2002 crop of rice on farms located in the
State of Louisiana, to assist producers as a result of the disastrous
economic conditions occurring with the 2002 crop of rice.
(b) Amount.--The amount of a payment made to producers on a farm
under this section shall be equal to the product obtained by
multiplying--
(1) the actual quantity of rice produced by the producers
on the farm during the 2002 crop year; and
(2) a payment rate of $2.42 per hundredweight.
(c) Payment Limitation.--
(1) In general.--The total amount of payments that a person
shall be entitled to receive under this section may not exceed
$40,000.
(2) Regulations.--The Secretary shall promulgate
regulations defining the term ''person'' for the purposes of
paragraph (1), which shall conform, to the maximum extent
practicable, to the regulations defining the term ''person''
promulgated under section 1001 of the Food Security Act of 1985
(7 U.S.C. 1308). The Secretary also shall promulgate such
additional regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to
ensure a fair and reasonable application of the limitation
established under such paragraph.
(d) Information.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary
shall, to the maximum extent practicable--
(1) use information that the Secretary has obtained from
administering other provisions of law; and
(2) minimize any additional information or requirements
that are imposed on eligible producers.
(e) Administrative Offset.--Payments under this section shall not
be subject to administrative offset, including administrative offset
under chapter 37 of title 31, United States Code, or the Commodity
Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.).

SEC. 4. COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.

The Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities of
the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this Act.

SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary may promulgate such regulations as
are necessary to implement this Act.
(b) Procedure.--The promulgation of the regulations and
administration of this Act shall be made without regard to--
(1) the notice and comment provisions of section 553 of
title 5, United States Code;
(2) the Statement of Policy of the Secretary of Agriculture
effective July 24, 1971 (36 Fed. Reg. 13804), relating to
notices of proposed rulemaking and public participation in
rulemaking; and
(3) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly
known as the ''Paperwork Reduction Act'').
(c) Congressional Review of Agency Rulemaking.--In carrying out
this section, the Secretary shall use the authority provided under
section 808 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 6. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION.

(a) In General.--The entire amount made available under this Act
shall be available only to the extent that the President submits to
Congress an official budget request for a specific dollar amount that
includes designation of the entire amount of the request as an
emergency requirement for the purposes of the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.).
(b) Designation.--The entire amount made available under this
section is designated by Congress as an emergency requirement under
sections 251(b)(2)(A) and 252(e) of that Act (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A),
902(e)).
Louisiana Rice Economic Relief Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide economic disaster assistance ($40,000 maximum per person) to producers of the 2002 rice crop in Louisiana.