zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Preserving the American Historical Record Act - Requires the Archivist of the United States to make grants to states to: (1) protect historical records; (2) use such records in new and creative ways; (3) provide education and training to those who care for historical records; and (4) create a wide variety of access tools, including finding aids, documentary editions, indexes, and images of key records maintained on state and local organization websites. Sets forth a formula for the allocation of grant funds to states. Requires the Archivist to consult with state archivists, state secretaries of state, or other appropriate state and local officials who have administrative responsibilities for archival functions.

Date: 2010-04-19
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Amends the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act to extend: (1) the due date of the final report of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission from April 30, 2011, to November 30, 2011; and (2) the final termination date of such Commission from May 30, 2011, to December 31, 2011.

Date: 2011-04-01
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Government operations and politics
All-American Flag Act - Requires any flags of the United States acquired for use by the federal government to be entirely manufactured in the United States, from articles, materials, or supplies entirely grown, produced, or manufactured in the United States.

Date: 2011-04-04
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Muhammad Ali Legacy Act - Directs the Secretary of State to award grants to one or more eligible organizations that: (1) are established to promote global respect, understanding, and communication and to encourage character and leadership development world-wide; and (2) demonstrate a commitment to preserving the legacy of Muhammad Ali.

Date: 2012-01-18
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: International affairs
Revises mandatory retirement requirements for members of the U.S. Capitol Police under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Requires the Capitol Police Board, at a member's request, to exempt the individual from automatic separation requirements until he or she becomes age 60, if the member: (1) undergoes a physical examination during the six-month period ending on the day the member turns age 57; and (2) on the basis of the examination, meets appropriate physical fitness criteria. (Currently, the Board, when in its judgement the public interest so requires, may exempt such a member from automatic separation until that member becomes 60 years of age.)

Date: 2012-03-28
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Government operations and politics
National Bison Legacy Act - Adopts the North American bison as the national mammal of the United States.

Date: 2013-10-30
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Ammunition Management for More Obtainability Act of 2013 - Prohibits a federal agency, other than the Department of Defense (DOD), during the six-month period beginning on the enactment of this Act, from purchasing during any month or possessing at any one time more rounds of ammunition than the monthly average of rounds of ammunition purchased by the agency between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2009. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report to Congress on federal agency purchasing of ammunition.

Date: 2013-04-25
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Support the Families of Fallen Heroes Act 

 This bill directs the U.S. Postal Service to issue a Families of Fallen Heroes Semipostal Stamp.

 The proceeds from the sale of this stamp (after the recovery of costs) shall be transferred as follows: (1) 50% to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and (2) 50% to the Families of the Fallen support program of United Service Organizations, Inc.

Date: 2015-12-16
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Decade for the People of African Descent Act

This bill establishes within the Department of State an Office on the International Decade for People of African Descent which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for the International Decade for People of African Descent.

 The State Department, with the assistance of the Ambassador-at-Large, shall establish an Internet site containing major international documents relating to the International Decade for People of African Descent.

It is the sense of Congress that:

 U.S. diplomatic missions in countries may promote the International Decade for People of African Descent; and in allocating or recommending the allocation of funds or the recommendation of candidates for programs and grants, U.S. diplomatic missions should give consideration to those programs, initiatives, and candidates deemed to assist in the promotion of the International Decade for People of African Descent. The bill also establishes the U.S. Commission on the International Decade for People of African Descent, which shall: (1) promote the International Decade for People of African Descent; and (2) make policy recommendations to the President, the State Department, and Congress regarding matters involving the International Decade for People of African Descent.

It is the sense of Congress that there should be within the Executive Office of the President a Special Adviser to the President on the International Decade for People of African Descent, to serve as liaison with the Ambassador-at-Large for the International Decade, the commission, Congress, and nongovernmental organizations.

Date: 2016-02-29
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: International affairs
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on July 5, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016

(Sec. 4) This bill establishes the United States Semiquincentennial Commission to plan, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of U.S. history leading up to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

(Sec. 5) The Commission shall: (1) prepare an overall program for the commemoration; (2) plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate observances and activities commemorating the historic events associated with the Semiquincentennial; (3) emphasize the planning of events in locations of historical significance to the United States; and (4) give special emphasis to the role of persons and locations with significant impact on U.S. history beginning on the date of execution of the Declaration of Independence and to the ideas associated with that history.

(Sec. 6) The Department of the Interior shall study and report to the Commission on appropriate actions that might be taken to further preserve and develop historic sites and battlefields to ensure that fitting observances and exhibits may be held at such sites during the celebration.

 The Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Archives shall cooperate with the Commission. The Secretary of State shall coordinate the participation of foreign nations in the celebration.

Interior shall, through a competitive process, seek to enter into an arrangement with a nonprofit organization, the mission of which is consistent with the purpose of this bill, under which such nonprofit shall:

 serve as the secretariat of the Commission; house the administrative offices of the Commission; assume responsibility for funds of the Commission; and provide to the Commission financial and administrative services related to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, personnel, and procurement. (Sec. 10) The Commission shall terminate on December 31, 2027.

Date: 2016-03-23
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate at least one city in the United States each year as an "American World War II City" based on the city's: (1) contributions to the war effort during World War II; and (2) efforts to preserve the history of such contributions, including through establishment of preservation organizations or museums, restoration of World War II facilities, and recognition of World War II veterans.

Designates Wilmington, North Carolina, as the first such city.

Date: 2015-05-20
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

National Bison Legacy Act

This bill adopts the North American bison as the national mammal of the United States.

Date: 2015-09-15
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Government operations and politics
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on September 26, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

This bill designates the federal building and U.S. courthouse located at 300 Fannin Street in Shreveport, Louisiana, as the "Tom Stagg United States Court House."

Date: 2016-04-06
Topic: Government Operations (Other)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Office of Men's Health Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Office of Men's Health within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office, to collaborate with relevant federal agencies and offices to identify and report on men's health data, including health disparities for chronic diseases and health conditions related to men of color. Requires the Secretary to make grants to institutions of higher education to: (1) conduct conferences on men's health; (2) conduct public education campaigns to reduce health disparities relating to men's health; (3) evaluate the effectiveness of resources that focus on men's health; and (4) report on the gaps and problems that men of color have in utilizing health resources. Directs the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to conduct a study on men's health that includes information on racial and ethnic minority men and their health disparities. Requires the agreement to provide for the establishment of a panel of independent experts to assist in the conduct of the study by reviewing and providing guidance on appropriate outcomes and assessments for men's health and health disparities of men of color. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to include an analysis of available data on racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities in men's health in the annual report to Congress on health disparities.

Date: 2007-01-31
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a process for the approval of an abbreviated biological product application for products that contain the same or similar active ingredients as a previously licensed biological product (the reference product). Allows a person to file an abbreviated biological product application with the Secretary of Health and Human Services that includes: (1) data demonstrating that the product is comparable to or interchangeable with the reference product; (2) information to show that the conditions or conditions of use prescribed, recommended, or suggested in the labeling proposed for the biological product have been previously approved for the reference product; and (3) information to show that the route of administration, the dosage form, and the strength of the biological product are the same as those of the reference product. Sets forth conditions for approval of such an application by the Secretary. Allows an applicant to request that the Secretary make a determination as to the interchangeability of a comparable product and the reference product based on whether a product can be expected to produce the same clinical result as the reference product in any given patient. Provides market exclusivity to such an interchangeable product. Requires the Secretary to defer issuing a determination of interchangeability for a subsequent comparable biological product during the period of market exclusivity for a prior interchangeable comparable biological product. Requires the Secretary to establish requirements for the efficient review, approval, suspension, and revocation of comparable biological product applications. Sets forth provisions governing patent infringement claims against an applicant or prospective applicant for a comparable biological product license.

Date: 2007-02-14
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Men's Health Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Office of Men's Health. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office, to: (1) conduct or support programs and activities to improve the state of men's health; and (2) provide for consultation among HHS offices and agencies to coordinate programs and activities relating to men's health.

Date: 2007-03-09
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Helping Fill the Medicare Rx Gap Act of 2007 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), with respect to the annual out of pocket threshold, to count costs incurred in providing prescription drugs by the Indian Health Service, a federally-qualified health center, an AIDS drug assistance program, certain hospitals, or a pharmaceutical manufacturer patient assistance program.Amends SSA title XI, with respect to criminal penalties for certain illegal remunerations, to exclude from prohibited remunerations (provide safe harbor for) any remuneration paid by a pharmaceutical manufacturer patient assistance program, either in cash or through the distribution or donation of covered Part D drugs, to an individual enrolled in a Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan under SSA title XVIII part C.

Date: 2007-04-26
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Improving Pharmaceuticals for Children Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise provisions relating to market exclusivity for pediatric drug studies on new or already approved drugs to: (1) require that appropriate labeling changes are timely made; and (2) prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from extending the period of market exclusivity later than one year prior to the expiration of such period. Directs the Secretary to: (1) publish a notice identifying any drug for which a pediatric formulation was developed, studied, and found to be safe and effective in the pediatric population if such formulation is not introduced onto the market within one year; and (2) order the labeling of a drug to include information about the results of a pediatric study. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Heath (NIH), to develop, publish, and revise a priority list of needs in pediatric therapeutics. Revises requirements for the submission of pediatric assessments of the safety and effectiveness of a drug or biological product with a new drug or supplemental application to require an applicant seeking: (1) a deferral of such requirements to submit a timeline for the completion of such studies; and (2) a waiver of such requirements to submit documentation detailing why a pediatric formulation cannot be developed. Considers a supplement to any new drug or biological license application proposing a labeling change as a result of any pediatric assessment to be a priority application or supplement. Requires the Comptroller General to study the effectiveness of federal law in ensuring that medicines used by children are tested and properly labeled.

Date: 2007-06-06
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Juvenile Services Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to support programs to promote mental health among all children and their families and to provide early intervention services to ameliorate identified mental health problems in children. Requires the Secretary to provide an equitable distribution of such grants by region. Directs the Attorney General and the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services, to award grants for programs that address the service needs of juveniles by requiring the state or local juvenile system, the mental health system, and the substance abuse treatment system to work collectively to ensure: (1) the appropriate diversion of such juveniles from incarceration; (2) the provision of appropriate mental health and substance abuse services as an alternative to incarceration; and (3) the provision of follow-up services for juveniles who are discharged from the juvenile justice system. Provides funding for the provision of emergency mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention services to children who are directly affected by public health emergencies. Allows the Secretary to award grants to enable eligible entities to increase the coordination and development of disaster preparedness efforts relating to the needs of children.

Date: 2007-06-11
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Americans Saving Through Health Research Bonds Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to designate one or more series of savings bonds or savings certificates for each institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Requires the Secretary to: (1) deduct and withhold 10% of the amount of any interest payable under such a Health Research Bond; and (2) pay any withheld amount to the relevant NIH institute to carry out institute research activities. Terminates the program ten years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Date: 2007-08-03
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
21st Century Veterans Equitable Treatment Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish a maximum specialist referral period (the period between a veteran's referral to a specialty clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by a VA primary care physician and the actual appointment with a specialist); and (2) provide appropriate transportation to such appointments for qualified veterans. Requires the Secretary, in any case in which such period is exceeded or in which transportation was not so provided, to promptly provide for such care or transportation from a private source and to reimburse such source at an appropriate rate. Requires expedited reimbursement procedures. Directs the Secretary to include within standards of performance used for measuring VA medical care administration a standard of assessing improvements in appointment waiting times.

Date: 2007-08-04
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
TMA, Abstinence Education, and QI Programs Extension Act of 2007 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, as amended, to extend transitional medical assistance (TMA) and the abstinence education program through December 31, 2007. (Sec. 3) Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend through December 2007: (1) the qualifying individual (QI) program; and (2) a specified allocation of funds for state coverage of Medicare cost-sharing for additional low-income Medicare beneficiaries. (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for FY2008-FY2012, to provide for the application to asset eligibility determinations under the Medicaid program of the automated, secure, web-based asset verification request and response process being applied for determining eligibility for Supplemental Security Income benefits under a specified demonstration project authorized by SSA title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) Limits such application to those states in which such a demonstration project is operating and only for the period in which it is otherwise provided. (Sec. 5) Amends the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 to delay for six months, from September 30, 2007, through March 31, 2008, the effective date of the requirement to use tamper-resistant prescription pads to prescribe covered outpatient drugs under the Medicaid program. (Sec. 6) Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to provide additional funding for the Medicare Physician Assistance and Quality Initiative Fund for expenditures during FY2009 and during or after FY2013. (Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in implementing a specified rule, to apply certain prospective documentation and coding (PDC) adjustments (made in response to the implementation of the Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) system under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services) for discharges occurring during FY2008 and FY2009. Reduces the percentage specified in such rule for discharges occurring: (1) during FY2008 from 1.2% to 0.6%; and (2) during FY2009 from 1.8% to 0.9%. Directs the Secretary to make further specified PDC adjustments, as well as additional adjustments in FY2010-FY2012, if the implementation of the MS-DRG system resulted in changes in coding and classification that did not reflect real changes in case mix for FY2008 or FY2009 discharges that are different than the PDC adjustments applied under this section.

Date: 2007-09-26
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Promoting Health Information Technology Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology. Establishes a public-private Partnership for Health Care Improvement to recommend specific actions to achieve a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure. Provides for the adoption by the federal government of standards for the electronic exchange of health information.Establishes the American Health Information Community to provide advice to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the heads of any relevant federal agencies concerning the policy considerations related to health information technology.Authorizes the Secretary to award grants for the: (1) purchase of qualified health information technology systems; (2) implementation of regional or local health information plans; and (3) development of academic curricula integrating qualified health information technology systems in the clinical education of health professionals.Requires the Secretary to provide for the development and use of health care quality measures to measure the quality and efficiency of health care that patients receive.Extends health information privacy requirements to an operator of a health information electronic database. Gives individuals the right to inspect and obtain a copy of their protected health information stored in electronic format.Directs the Comptroller General to report on the circumstances in which it is necessary and workable to require that individuals be notified if their individually identifiable health information is wrongly disclosed.Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to develop a Health Information Technology Resource Center.

Date: 2007-10-10
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
National Hepatitis B Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for hepatitis B prevention, control, and medical management. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) support the integration of testing, counseling, immunization, and medical referral activities into existing clinical and public health programs at state, local, and tribal levels; and (2) provide hepatitis B coordinators to health departments in order to ensure the success of such integration. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to implement programs to increase awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of hepatitis B. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to: (1) support the establishment of a national hepatitis B surveillance program; and (2) report on population-based seroprevalence studies and hepatitis B's economic and clinical impact and its impact on quality of life. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Directors of CDC, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct research on hepatitis B. Requires the Secretary to give priority in carrying out this Act to individuals with limited access to health education, testing, and health care services and groups that may be disproportionately affected by hepatitis B.

Date: 2007-10-23
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
National Health Services Corps and Loan Repayment Programs Renewal Act of 2007 - Reauthorizes appropriations for the National Health Service Corps for FY2008-FY2012.Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in approving applications for assignment of members of the Corps, to give the highest preference to entities that are federally-qualified health centers, that are rural health clinics, and that primarily serve health disparity populations or medically underserved populations.Repeals the requirement that federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics demonstate that they meet health professional shortage area requirements every six years after such a center or clinic is designated as having such a shortage.

Date: 2007-11-15
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Improving the Quality of Mental and Substance Use Health Care Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish a Commission for Evidence-Based Mental and Substance Use Health Care; (2) convene an interagency collaborative group to provide for the coordination of mental health and substance use services and primary care services funded through the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Justice, Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Education; (3) implement a plan for ensuring that HHS activities to promote information technology use by health care providers include promotion of technology that is accessible and pertinent to mental health and substance use health care providers and consumers; (4) establish the Council on Mental Health and Substance Use Health Care Workforce; (5) develop uniform methodologies regarding qualifications for eligibility for payment, financial auditing, and claims payment with respect to medical assistance, related services, and administrative costs furnished to individuals with mental illnesses and substance use disorders in community-based and residential settings; and (6) establish a five-year project designed to demonstrate the impact of creating delivery and financing structures that deliver high-quality, integrated mental health and substance use health care.Requires: (1) the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make grants to entities to fund a network of national centers of excellence in mental health and substance use health care; and (2) the Comptroller General to study the use of publicly supported mental health and addiction services by individuals who have any level of private health insurance coverage.Amends the Social Security Act to establish a Medicaid requirement that states receiving assistance prohibit the denial of covered services and benefits based on intoxication.

Date: 2007-11-15
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Social Security and Medicare Lock-Box Act - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make it out of order in the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider any concurrent resolution on the budget (or related measure) that would set forth a surplus for any fiscal year less than the surplus of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund for that fiscal year. Creates an exception to such point of order if a violation of it would result from an assumption in the measure of an increase in outlays or a decrease in revenue relative to the baseline underlying the measure for Social Security or Medicare reform legislation for any such year. Makes it out of order in the House of Representatives or the Senate to consider any (spending or tax) measure if its enactment would cause the surplus for any fiscal year covered by the most recently agreed to budget resolution to be less than the surplus of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund for that fiscal year. Creates an exception to such point of order similar to the other one. Declares that, if the President's budget recommends an on-budget surplus for any fiscal year less than the surplus of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund for that fiscal year, then it shall include a detailed proposal for Social Security or Medicare reform legislation.

Date: 2007-12-06
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
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 data for quality improvement, performance measurement, public reporting, and treatment-related purposes. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize the public release of physician performance measurements. Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2008 - Sets conditions for health care lawsuits to: (1) require commencement of such lawsuits within three years after manifestation or one year after discovery of injury; (2) limit noneconomic damages and attorneys' contingent fees; (3) prescribe requirements for determining punitive damages; (4) deny punitive damages in the case of products approved, cleared, or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or otherwise considered in compliance with FDA standards; and (4) authorize periodic payment of future damages. Amends SSA title XVIII part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) to require high income-related reductions in the part D premium subsidy.

Date: 2008-02-25
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Deamonte Driver Dental Care Access Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to schools of dentistry and hospitals with accredited training programs in pediatric dentistry.Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require the Secretary to provide for a pilot program to increase access to dental care for underserved populations through the use of new allied dental health professionals.Requires the Secretary to award grants to federally qualified health centers to expand and improve the provision of dental services to medically underserved populations.Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to develop, implement, and evaluate public health and clinical strategies to prevent and manage early childhood caries.Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business tax credit for a portion of compensation received for providing dental services under SSA titles XIX (Medicaid) or XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) or from an uninsured individual.Requires the Secretary, acting through the the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct a public education and awareness campaign on preventing, controlling, and ultimately eliminating early childhood caries.Amends SSA titles XIX and XXI to expand reporting requirements with respect to children's dental services.Requires the Comptroller General to study payment rates for dental services provided to individuals under Medicaid or SCHIP.Requires the Secretary to ensure the inclusion of dental health prevention and promotion activities within existing prenatal and maternal child health programs.

Date: 2008-03-06
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Act of 2008 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish a report that contains physical activity information and guidelines for the general public that are based on the preponderance of current scientific and medical knowledge. Requires any federal agency that proposes to issue any physical activity guidance for the general population or identified subgroups to submit the text of such guidance to the Secretary for review. Prescribes review procedures.

Date: 2008-03-13
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from taking any administrative action for one year to finalize or otherwise implement provisions contained in the proposed rule published on December 28, 2007, relating to the Department of Appeals Board established in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including provisions allowing the Secretary to review, amend, or reverse Board decisions.

Date: 2008-04-10
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Protecting Children's Health Coverage Act of 2008 - Nullifies any effectiveness of the August 17, 2007, State Health Official Letter issued by the Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (with respect to extension to uninsured children of health insurance under title XIX (Medicaid) or XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)).

Date: 2008-05-08
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Health Care Paperwork Reduction and Fraud Prevention Act of 2008 - Establishes the Commission on Billing Codes and Forms Simplification which shall make recommendations regarding: (1) standardizing and simplifying credentialing and billing forms for health care claims; (2) reducing and simplifying billing codes; (3) reforming the Medicare regulatory and appeals processes to ensure that the Secretary of Health and Human Services provides appropriate guidance to providers for submitting Medicare claims and does not target inadvertent billing errors; and (4) updating electronic forms of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to ensure simplicity and privacy.Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a process under which a physician may request from a carrier written assistance in addressing questionable codes and procedures under the Medicare program. Requires the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to restore the toll-free telephone hotline so that physicians may call for information and questions about the Medicare program.Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) physician participation and pilot program testing requirements and objectives for new evaluation and management guidelines under Medicare; and (2) notice, administrative, and penalty requirements with respect to Medicare overpayments.

Date: 2008-05-20
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Health-e Information Technology Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish: (1) an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; and (2) an HIT Advisory Committee.Requires the National Coordinator to develop a Health Information Technology Resource Center and to recommend health information technology standards for adoption by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Directs agencies to utilize, where available, health information technology systems and products that meet adopted standards.Requires the Director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) to test adopted standards to assure the efficient implementation and use of such standards.Amends XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for incentive payments to physicians and inpatient hospitals that meaningfully use a certified health information technology system.Authorizes the National Coordinator to award grants to purchase qualified health information technology and to implement regional or local health information plans.Provides for grants to develop academic curricula integrating qualified health information technology in the clinical education of health professionals.Revises provisions governing the privacy and security of health information, including to: (1) extend requirements to business associates of a covered entity; (2) require notification in the event of a breach of protected health information; (3) limit disclosure of such information to the minimum necessary to accomplish the intended purpose; and (4) revise penalties for violations.Requires the Secretary to appoint a Chief Privacy Officer of the Office of National Coordinator to assist in carrying out duties related to the privacy and security of health information.

Date: 2008-09-15
Topic: Health (General)
Medical Information and Treatment Access Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to utilize an Internet site to consolidate and translate federal health care information for the public.Authorizes health care practitioners to provide unapproved treatments to their patients under specified conditions, including that: (1) the drug used must be an active ingredient in an approved drug or an unapproved drug that is approved for commercial distribution in a foreign country; (2) the practitioner receives informed consent from the patient; (3) the practitioner submits a registration to the Secretary before providing the treatment; and (4) the Secretary determines that there is no clear and convincing evidence that the treatment is unsafe. Deems the registration to be cleared if the Secretary fails to act within 90 days.Requires the Secretary to establish a program to maintain information regarding registrations under this Act.Directs the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner, to establish a program to gather information from practitioners regarding surgical procedures and make such information publicly available.Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to establish a program to gather information from health care practitioners regarding alternative medicine and make such information publicly available.Gives a drug or device company immunity from federal and state liability claims for: (1) the use of a relevant unapproved treatment by a practitioner under a cleared registration; and (2) the provision by the company of information upon the request of a practitioner if the company reasonably believes the information to be accurate.

Date: 2008-09-28
Topic: Health (General)
White Spaces Act of 2007 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to complete its proceeding and issue a final order in the Matter of Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Bands, ET Docket No. 04-186 (concerning vacant, or "white space," spectrum between television channels) not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act or October 1, 2007.

Date: 2007-01-18
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Men's Health Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Office of Men's Health to coordinate and promote the status of men's health in the United States. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office, to: (1) conduct or support programs and activities to improve the state of men's health; and (2) provide for consultation among HHS offices and agencies to coordinate programs and activities relating to men's health.

Date: 2007-02-15
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Breast Cancer Research and Screening Act of 2007 - Authorizes appropriations to the National Institutes of Health for FY2008 for breast cancer research under the Public Health Service Act. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) extend the eligibility period for a "Welcome to Medicare" physical examination from six months to one year; and (2) eliminate the 20% coinsurance for screening mammography and colorectal cancer screening tests.

Date: 2007-04-16
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Act of 2008 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish a report that contains physical activity information and guidelines for the general public that are based on the preponderance of current scientific and medical knowledge. Requires any federal agency that proposes to issue any physical activity guidance for the general population or identified subgroups to submit the text of such guidance to the Secretary for review. Prescribes review procedures.

Date: 2008-03-12
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Comparative Effectiveness Research Act of 2008 - Amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, and Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act to provide for a program of comparative effectiveness research for health care. Defines "comparative effectiveness research" as research evaluating and comparing the implications and outcomes of two or more health care strategies to address a particular medical condition. Establishes the Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute as a nonprofit, nongovernmental, corporation to conduct research on the effectiveness of health care treatments, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices and procedures, and other therapies. Requires the Institute to: (1) identify national priorities for comparative clinical effectiveness research; (2) establish and update a research project agenda and provide for peer review of research; (3) collect data on health care treatments; (4) establish a standing methodology committee for developing the science of comparative effectiveness research; and (5) disseminate research findings.Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish in the Treasury the Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund. Provides revenues for the Trust Fund by transferring amounts from the General Fund and the Medicare Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds and by imposing a fee on certain accident or health insurance policies and self-insured health plans. Requires the Comptroller General to review financial audits of the Institute and assess the adequacy and use of funding. Terminates all funding for the Trust Fund after FY2018.Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the process for making national coverage determinations under the Medicare program.

Date: 2008-07-31
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Improving Children's Doctor Access Act of 2009 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to require annual state SCHIP reports to include information on: (1) the HEDIS (Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set) measure relating to access to primary care practitioners by individuals eligible for child health assistance; and (2) efforts to avoid displacement of private health coverage. Expresses the sense of Congress that states with a state child health plan should utilize consumer satisfaction surveys developed by the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, specifically the Getting Needed Care and Getting Care Quickly question components of the CAHPS 4.0H Child Survey, to measure the extent to which individuals eligible for child health assistance under the state plan have access to physicians.

Date: 2009-01-08
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Family-Based Meth Treatment Access Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the grant program to provide residential substance abuse treatment to pregnant and postpartum women to include: (1) parenting women substance abuse treatment (including treatment for addiction to methamphetamine); and (2) outpatient treatment services. Requires that such treatment programs be accessible to pregnant and parenting women in health disparity populations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expand, intensify, and coordinate efforts to provide treatment for methamphetamine addiction to pregnant and parenting women.Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts for to assist local jails and detention facilities in providing comprehensive, family-based substance abuse treatment services to pregnant and parenting adults who are considered nonviolent offenders. Sets forth criteria that must be met if such a grant is used for a family drug treatment program that is an alternative to incarceration.Gives priority in awarding grants under this Act to any entity that agrees to use the award for programs serving an area that: (1) is a rural area, an area with a shortage of mental health professionals, or an area with a shortage of family-based substance abuse treatment options; and (2) has high rates of addiction to methamphetamine or other drugs.

Date: 2009-01-09
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Health
Directs the Secretary to report quarterly to Congress describing any vacancy in a mental health professional position at any medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Date: 2009-01-28
Topic: Health (General)
Subject: Armed forces and national security