All posts by Waiting Room USA

Red Bull Warning

June 25, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

IT IS ADVISED NOT TO CONSUME THIS DRINK. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS
DRINK!

As a public health safety, please pass on this email to all the
contacts in your address book especially those with teenage children. and make copies to
show to all the people you know.

This drink is SOLD in all the supermarkets IN OUR country. and our
children ARE CONSUMING IT ON A TRIAL BASIS. IT can be mortal.

RED BULL was created to stimulate the brains in people who are
subjected to great physical force and in “stress coma” and never to be consumed
like an innocent drink or soda pop. RED BULL IS the energizer DRINK that is
commercialized world-wide with its slogan:

‘It increases endurance; awakens the concentration capacity and the
speed of reaction, offers more energy and improves the mood. All this can be found in a
can of RED BULL, the power drink of the millennium.!

‘Red Bull has managed to arrive at almost 100 countries worldwide. The
RED BULL logo is targeted at young people and sportsmen, two attractive segments that
have been captivated by the stimulus that the drink provides.

It was created by Dietrich Mateschitz, an industrialist of Austrian
origin who discovered the drink by chance. It happened during a business trip to Hong
Kong, when he was working at a factory that manufactured toothbrushes.

The liquid, based on a formula that contained caffeine and taurine,
caused a rage in that country. Imagine the grand success of this drink in Europe where
the product still did not exist, besides it was a superb opportunity to become an
entrepreneur.

BUT THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS DRINK IS ANOTHER THING:

FRANCE and DENMARK have just prohibited it as a cocktail of death, due
to its vitamin components mixed with GLUCURONOLACTONE’, a highly dangerous chemical,
which was developed by the United States Department of Defense during 60 years to
stimulate the moral of the troops based in VIETNAM, which acted like a hallucinogenic
drug that calmed the stress of the war.

But their effects in the organism were so devastating, that it was
discontinued, because of the high index of cases of migraines, cerebral tumors and
diseases of the liver that was evident in the soldiers who consumed it.

And in spite of it, in the can of RED BULL you can still find as one of
its components: GLUCURONOLACTONE, categorized medically as a stimulant.

But what it does not say on the can of RED BULL, are the consequences
of its consumption, and that has forced us to place a series of WARNINGS:

1. It is dangerous to take it if you do not engage in physical exercise
afterwards, since its energizing function accelerates the heart rate and can cause a
sudden attack.

2. You run the risk of undergoing a cerebral hemorrhage, because RED
BULL contains components that dilute the blood so that the heart utilizes less energy to
pump the blood, and thus be able to deliver physical force with less effort being
exerted.

3. It is prohibited to mix RED BULL with alcohol, because the mixture
turns the drink into a “Deadly Bomb” that attacks the liver directly, causing
the affected area never to regenerate anymore.

4. One of the main components of RED BULL is the B12 vitamin, used in
medicine to recover patients who are in a coma; from here the hypertension and the state
of excitement which is experienced after taking it, as if you were in a drunken state.

5. The regular consumption of RED BULL triggers off symptoms in the
form of a series of irreversible nervous and neuronal diseases.

CONCLUSION: It is a drink that should be prohibited in the countries of
the Caribbean and Latin America, (and the entire world) as it is already waking up other
nations because when it is mixed with alcohol it creates a time bomb for the human body,
mainly between innocent adolescents and adults with little experience.

REPORT of.. D. KHALET GEBARA, Md, UCLA University, California, the USA

HEALTH CARE

Health and Habits of College Students

June 24, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

Report on Health and Habits of College Students Released
Dr. Ed Ehlinger, the director and chief health officer of the University’s Boynton Health Service

ParentsOfCollegeBoundKids A report released by the University of Minnesota Boynton Health Service is the first of its kind in the nation to conduct a comprehensive survey on the health of college students. About 10,000 college students completed the survey. Although the study is focused on students from 14 campuses in Minnesota, the health findings here reflect national health trends for college students, says Dr. Ed Ehlinger, the director and chief health officer of the university’s Boynton Health Service.

The report examines everything from mental health and obesity to financial health and sexual health. It also looks at alcohol use, smoking, personal safety, physical activity and how many students do not have health insurance. One key finding is beginning to show how today’s technology is impacting students’ health and their academics. In fact, 28.7 percent of students surveyed report excessive computer/Internet/TV use and 41.8 percent indicate the activity affected their academic performance.

Ehlinger said members of the public, higher education leaders and policymakers should pay attention to the findings and make the health of college students a priority.

“The health of college students is important not only to the institutions they attend but also to the health of the state of Minnesota. Good health helps students remain in school, and a college degree or certificate is an excellent predictor of better health and economic status throughout one’s lifetime,” Ehlinger said.

Education is one of the strongest influences on economic and health status, Ehlinger said. “College students are a large and growing population and are establishing lifestyles and behavior patterns, they are the trendsetters and the role models for younger people and they are the future leaders of our society. That is why we need to make them a priority,” Ehlinger said.

“There is a shortage of information about these students particularly in areas that go beyond alcohol, tobacco and other drug use,” Ehlinger said. A survey like this one is beginning the shift to a more comprehensive examination of college student health. Along with Boynton, the study was funded Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota.

About 24,000 students from 14 Minnesota colleges and universities were randomly selected to participate in this study and 9,931 completed and returned the College Student Health Survey Report which tracks a wide range of student health issues from mental health and financial health to tobacco, nutrition/obesity and alcohol use.

Survey results will help schools determine what programs they need in place in order to improve the health of students. All five University of Minnesota campuses were included in the survey along with the following schools: Alexandria Technical College; Anoka-Ramsey Community College; Lake Superior College; Minnesota State Community and Technical College; North Hennepin Community College; Northwest Technical College; Bemidji State University; Concordia College; Minnesota State University Moorhead. Ehlinger will outline the report’s overall findings.

“The reason we’re studying students from 14 schools is because these health issues are community and state issues. We really need to address college student health issues on a statewide basis and not just on an individual school basis,” Ehlinger said. The survey was designed to look at students in a more holistic way, he said.

“College students face multiple risks to their health and their behavior affects all parts of their existence. We need to look at a student as a complex and complete person,” Ehlinger said.

In addition to the comprehensive 14 school report each participating institution will receive its own school-specific report. Some details on the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities report are available at this point — 2,920 U of M, Twin Cities students completed the survey out of 6,000 who were randomly selected to participate.

Report findings:

Mental health

Results show that 27.1 percent of students surveyed have been diagnosed with a mental health illness within their lifetime and 15.7 percent were diagnosed with a mental health illness in the last 12 months. At the U of M, Twin Cities, 25.1 percent report being diagnosed with at least one mental health condition in their lifetime. Throughout the schools surveyed and on the U of M, Twin Cities campus, depression and anxiety are the two most frequently reported mental health diagnoses of students for both their lifetime and the last 12 months. Of all the surveyed students, 18.5 percent reported being diagnosed during their lifetime with depression and 13.3 percent were diagnosed with anxiety.

Physical activity, nutrition, obesity

Nearly two-fifths or 38.5 percent of all students surveyed fall within the overweight or obese/extremely obese categories. At the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 29.1 percent of those surveyed fall within the overweight or obese/extremely obese categories. A new issue is surfacing when it comes to student physical health, 28.7 percent of students surveyed report excessive computer/Internet use and 41.8 percent indicate the activity affected their academic performance. On the U of M, Twin Cities campus, 32.2 percent of students surveyed reported excessive computer/Internet use and among this group, 41.9 percent indicate this activity impacted their academic performance.

Health insurance, uninsured

One key finding of the report is that 9.4 percent of all undergraduate students surveyed don’t have health insurance. For students in the University of Minnesota system, that rate is only 5.6 without health insurance compared with the 13.7 percent uninsured in non-U of M schools. At the U of M, Twin Cities, the uninsured rate for undergraduate students is 6.5 percent. Students in the 18- to-24-year-old range tend to have insurance, but students who are 25 to 29-years-old are less likely to have insurance.

“We have a fairly low uninsured rate here in the University of Minnesota system where students are required to carry insurance. The higher uninsured rate throughout the rest of the schools makes the argument that a requirement for insurance coverage is a good thing for schools and for students,” Ehlinger said.

The students who have insurance are more likely to go in for preventive health services and have fewer sick days.

“College students use health services on campus and in communities and when it comes to mental health services, students seek out assistance on campus.”That tells us that colleges really do need to invest in on campus support services.”

Financial health

Of students surveyed, 33.4 percent of them report carrying some level of credit card debt over the past month and 57.8 percent report the debt as $1,000 or more. On the U of M, Twin Cities campus, 29 percent of students report carrying some level of credit card debt and 59.9 percent report the debt as $1,000 per month or more.

“Students with greater than $1,000 of credit card debt tend to have higher rates of depression and have lower grade point averages,” Ehlinger said.

Alcohol

Alcohol use continues to be a concern for universities and colleges. Among students surveyed, 70.5 percent report using alcohol in the last 30 days and 37.1 percent report engaging in high-risk drinking within the past two weeks. At the U of M, Twin Cities, 74.3 percent report using alcohol in the last 30 days and 36.5 percent report engaging in high-risk drinking. Illicit drug use among those surveyed is low with 6.8 percent reporting they had used illicit drugs. On the Twin Cities campus, 7.1 percent report using illicit drugs.

Sexual violence

More than one in five or 22.4 percent of female students report experiencing a sexual assault in their lifetime with 6.8 percent reporting having been assaulted in the last 12 months. For male students, only 4.9 percent report being sexually assaulted in their lifetime with 1.9 percent reporting an assault within the past 12 months. Such assaults have lingering impact on students and their academic performance, Ehlinger said. Students who have been victims of sexual assault report higher rates of depression.

Sexual health

Of students surveyed, 77.6 percent report having been sexually active in their lifetime and 72.1 percent having been sexually active within the past 12 months. On the U of M, Twin Cities campus, 77.1 percent report having been sexually active in their lifetime and 71.7 percent report having been sexually active within the past 12 months. Nearly four out of five or 78.5 percent of students report having had zero or one sexual partner within the last 12 months. On the U of M, Twin Cities campus, 77.8 students reported having zero or one partner within the last 12 months. “Students are pretty monogamous according to the results, which contradicts the commonly held stereotype of students being promiscuous,” Ehlinger said.

Tobacco use

The current tobacco use rate in the last 30 days for all students at the 14 schools is 25 percent. On the U of M, Twin Cities campus, the current tobacco use rate is 20.9 percent for students ages 18 to 24 and their daily use rate at 3.7 percent, which are the lowest reported use rates among U of M, Twin Cities students since the tobacco data was first collected in 1992. Tobacco use is defined as both smoke and smokeless tobacco.

EXERCISE

The Benefits Of Exercise

June 23, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

When we talk about exercise, we nearly always refer to physical exercise. Exercise is the physical exertion of the body – making the body do a physical activity which results in a healthy or healthier level of physical fitness and both physical and mental health. In other words, exercise aims to maintain or enhance our physical fitness and general health. People exercise for many different reasons. Some of them are included below:

Strengthening muscles
Optimizing the cardiovascular system
Practicing specific athletic skills
Controlling bodyweight
For fun
To win
To socialize
To get away from it all

People don’t exercise for various reasons. A study found that stress levels and cultural considerations affect how much and for what reasons college students exercise.

There are three broad Intensities of exercise:

Light exerciseThe exerciser is able to talk while exercising. Going for a walk is an example of light exercise.
Moderate exerciseThe exerciser feels slightly out of breath during the session. Examples could be walking briskly, cycling moderately, or walking up a hill.
Vigorous exerciseThe exerciser is panting during the activity. The exerciser feels his/her body is being pushed much nearer its limit, compared to the other two intensities. This could include running, cycling fast, and heavy weight training.

Exercise can be divided into three broad categories, aerobic, anaerobic, and agility training:

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise has the aim of improving the body’s consumption of oxygen. The word aerobic means with oxygen. Aerobic refers to our body’s use of oxygen in its metabolic process (energy-generating process). Most aerobic exercises are done at moderate levels of intensity for longer periods, compared to other categories of exercise. An aerobic exercise session involves warming up, exercising for at least 20 minutes, and then cooling down. Aerobic exercise involves mainly the large muscle groups.

A physical therapist, Col Pauline Potts, and an exercise physiologist, Kenneth Cooper M.D., both in the US Air Force, were the first to use the term aerobic exercise during the 1960s. Dr. Cooper wanted to find out why some very strong people were poor at long-distance running, swimming and cycling. He researched people’s performance in terms of their ability to use oxygen with the use of a bicycle ergometer. In 1968 Dr. Cooper published his book Aerobics. The book included scientific programs using aerobic exercises, such as swimming, running, cycling and walking. The book became a bestseller. All present aerobic programs use Cooper’s data as a baseline.

Aerobic exercise is generally performed at a moderate level of intensity over a long period. Running for 20 minutes is an aerobic exercise, while sprinting 200 meters is not. Playing badminton for 30 minutes is an aerobic activity if the movements of the players are fairly continuous. Golf, on the other hand, is not seen as aerobic because the heart rate has not been raised at a sustained level for long enough.

Aerobic exercise is considered to have the following benefits:

Strengthens the muscles that are involved in respiration – exercises that facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs.
Strengthens and enlarges the heart muscle. This improves aerobic conditioning – pumping of blood and the heart rate (lowers the pulse of a person when he/she is resting).
Tones muscles throughout most of the body.
Reduces blood pressure.
Improves circulation.
Raises the number of red blood cells, which in turn facilitates transportation of oxygen.
The sleep quality of insomnia patients can improve with moderate exercise, a study found.
Improves mental health.
A study found that exercise reduces migraine suffering.
Reduces the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular problems.
Helps improve survival rates of patients with cardiovascular diseases significantly, as this study found.
Stimulates bone growth (high impact aerobic exercise), reduces risk of osteoporosis.
Increases stamina or endurance. Aerobic activity increases the body’s ability to store energy molecules such as fats and carbohydrates within the muscle.
Increases blood flow through muscles.
Improves muscles’ ability to use fats during exercise, thus preserving the intramuscular glycogen.

What is Anaerobic exercise?

The aim of anaerobic exercise is to build power, strength and muscle. The muscles are exercised at high intensity for short durations. A short duration usually means no more than about two minutes.

Anaerobic means without air. Anaerobic exercises improve our muscle strength and our ability to move with quick bursts of speed. When thinking of anaerobic exercise, think of short and fast or short and intensive. Anaerobic exercises include:

Weight lifting
Sprinting
Intensive and fast skipping (with a rope)
Interval training
Isometrics
Any rapid burst of hard exercise

Oxygen is not used for energy during anaerobic exercise. During this type of exercise a by-product – lactic acid – is produced. Lactic acid contributes to muscle fatigue and must be used up during recovery before that muscle can be subjected to another anaerobic session. During the recovery period oxygen is used to give the muscle a “refill” – to replenish the muscle’s energy that was used up during the intensive exercise.

Overall, anaerobic exercise uses up fewer calories than aerobic exercise. The cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercises are greater than the cardiovascular benefits of anaerobic exercises. However, anaerobic exercise is better at building strength and muscle mass, while still benefitting the heart and lungs. As you build more muscle you will burn more fat, even at rest. Muscles burn more calories per unit volume than any other tissue in the body. A muscly person burns more calories than a non-muscly person, even if while he/she is resting. This study found that resistance training may aid in weight loss.

How Does Anaerobic Exercise Work?

When a short, intensive burst of activity occurs there is a temporary shortage of oxygen being delivered to the working muscles at first. The production of anaerobic energy creates a by-product; lactic acid. As mentioned above, lactic acid causes muscle fatigue, which is the reason the session cannot last long. However, after regular training the person’s body becomes better equipped to handle lactic acid. After several practice sessions the body becomes better at getting rid of lactic acid – it also learns how to produce less of it. The body also produces buffers that postpone the onset of fatigue during an anaerobic session. Anaerobic exercises offer the following benefits:

The exerciser gets stronger
The exerciser experiences growth in muscle mass
Strengthens bones
Strengthens and protects the joints
Helps control bodyweight
The exerciser can withstand a greater buildup of lactic acid and other waste substances, and can eliminate them more rapidly

What is agility training?

Agility training aims to improve a person’s ability to speed up and slow down, change directions while maintaining balance and control. In tennis, for example, agility training helps the player maintain control over his/her court positioning through good recovery after each shot. A crucial skill in tennis is to be able to position yourself in the court so that you can hit the ball to maximum effect. Agility does not only help the tennis player get to the ball more effectively and set up for a better shot, it also gives him/her better balance in order to hit the ball.

Agility training is practiced extensively by people who practice certain sports where positioning, coordination, balance and the ability to suddenly change posture and speeds are essential.

Agility and coordination are two key attributes for a successful soccer (UK/Ireland: football) player. Such compound movements as dribbling, turning, passing and intercepting require a wide assortment of balance, coordination and other skills, such as the ability to accelerate and decelerate quickly. A good soccer player also needs excellent special awareness and accurate timing. Soccer players often practice improving their ability to change the direction of the body abruptly, or shift stance without losing balance.

Agility includes speed, strength, balance and coordination. The following sports are known to require agility (there are many more than on this list):

Tennis
Soccer
Rugby
American football
Squash
Hockey
Badminton
Volleyball
Basket ball
Martial arts
Boxing
Wrestling

Yoga and Pilates

Some exercises include a combination of stretching, muscle strengthening, balance, etc. A good example is Yoga.

Many experts say stretching is an exercise in itself. Yoga exercises, or movements, improve your balance, flexibility, posture and circulation. Yoga originated in India a long time ago, and is aimed at unifying the mind, body and spirit. Modern yoga – the type of yoga practiced by most people in western countries – uses a combination of meditation, posture, and breathing exercises. Yoga can be tailored to meet the needs of individuals, such as those with arthritis, asthma, or certain body pains. Pilates is similar to Yoga, but it focuses more on the core abdominal and back muscles.

Some facts about exercise and lack of exercise

Most of us know how beneficial exercise is for our health. It is surprising, however, how little many of us know about the dangers of being unfit. In Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australasia, and much of the rest of the world, the number of overweight/obese people is growing alarmingly fast.

The UK has a population of 61 million. 24 million of them are overweight/obese today. Experts say it will not be long before 25% of the UK’s population is obese (not overweight, just obese). The USA has already reached that figure – in Tennessee and Alabama over 30% of adults are obese today.
9,000 premature deaths each year in the UK are because of obesity. Obesity significantly reduces the lifespan of a person.
Physically active people have a much lower risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and many types of cancer.
30% of heart disease deaths in the UK happen to people less than 75 years of age.
Vigorous exercise can help elderly people avoid disability, a study found.
Women who do not exercise regularly have more complications during and after pregnancy. This article explains why women should be encouraged to exercise during pregnancy.
Exercise improves your mood.
Physical activity after the menopause reduces breast cancer risk, a study revealed.
Regular exercise improves your sex life.
A study found that exercise makes you eat less by suppressing appetite hormones.
Exercise improves your confidence.
A study explains how exercise can reduce cigarette cravings for people who are trying to quit smoking.
Exercise helps you live longer (mainly for the many reasons listed above).
Even some cancer patients can benefit from exercise. A study explains how exercise can help non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Finding the time to exercise

Many people who do not exercise say they do not have the time. However, it is possible to increase the amount of time you are physically active, even if you are extremely busy. For example:

See how many trips you take by car and decide which ones could be replaced by walking or cycling. This does not have to be a black or white measure. It could include parking your car half a mile from your destination and walking the rest of the way. Traffic experts throughout most of the world say that the majority of car trips are very short ones.
If you are using public transport try getting off at an earlier stop and walking the rest of the way.
A study found that interactive video games – such those played on the Nintendo Wii – may raise heart rate and provide exercise intensity levels high enough to meet federal physical activity guidelines.
When you are in a building and want to go upstairs, try walking it, rather than taking the elevator or escalators. This does not have to be a black or white measure – you can do half and half.
There are several gentle exercises you can do while watching TV. Especially when the adverts are on.
If you do not have time to exercise but have time to watch TV, think about how much of that TV time could be replaced by some physical activity. Most people say they do not have time to exercise, but we are all watching more TV than ever before. Even short bursts of 30 second exercises are good for improving metabolism, a study found.
Migraine – there are many safe exercises for migraine sufferers.
If you do housework, see if you can do it a bit more vigorously and turn it into an exercise session.

Tips on adding exercise to your routine

Experts say that for a physically inactive person to become active, and remain active for the long-term, the activity needs to be convenient and enjoyable. The activity needs to be something you can easily fit into your routine for several days each week. Even if you end up adding just 30 minutes of physical activity to your day, that is fine. Some of the examples below are the easiest to fit into a daily routine:

Go for a brisk 30-minute walk five times each week. Ideally, it should be done in one session. If you can’t, two 15-minute sessions would also be good.
Walk you dog more often. If you do not have a dog but know a nearby friend who has one, offer to walk it for him/her.
Find out whether there are any swimming pools nearby. Try to add some swimming to your weekly routine. This does not have to be every day.
During your lunch break at work go for a walk.
Join some exercise classes.
Join a martial arts club. Beginner’s sessions can be gentle and fun.
Beginners must remember that the secret is “little and often”. A little bit every day is great – one big session once a week is not. Make sure your progress is gradual. Make sure you drink plenty of water during and after you exercise. Check with your doctor if you are not sure about your health.
Experts say an exercise program should include both aerobic and anaerobic activities. This is true. However, if you are currently inactive, anything is better than nothing.

Some advice when you start an exercise program

When people start an exercise program they may experience various emotions, from elation to anxiety about not being able to keep it up. Remember the following tips which may help you achieve long-term success:

Remember why you startedPeople start exercising for many reasons: weight loss, health, vanity, the doctor told them to, and to recover from an illness. Keep remembering why you started as this will help keep you motivated.
Do everything at your own paceHumans tend to be competitive animals. This is great for the winner, and those who come second or third. However, being competitive in the wrong way can kill motivation. If you have to compete, compete with your past self. Compare your performance today with your performance in two weeks’ time. Check your weight, heart rate, blood pressure – then take it again in about three weeks and see the difference.
You have to like itFor long-term success the activity has to be something you enjoy. There are so many activities to choose from. Perhaps there is an activity you really enjoyed when you were a child.
Join a club with a friendIf you join a fitness club with a friend, or exercise with a friend you may enjoy the sessions more. Some people prefer not to have the stress of someone else around. This depends on you.
Experts can be very usefulA study found that exercise and behavioral intervention improves fitness and lowers systolic blood pressure.
VariationEvery few weeks change your exercise program. This is important for your motivation and also for best results. The body improves faster if you change your program now and again. This does not mean you have to change walking/running to something else. It could mean changing your speed and distance, and pacing yourself in a different way, perhaps altering your route.
Be realistic about your goalsSome people are motivated by goals, others find them stressful. If you need goals make sure they are realistic – and work towards them.
The longer you keep it up the longer you will continue to do itAfter a few weeks your exercise routine starts to become a habit. Even if you find it a bit of a chore at first, remember that after a few weeks it will really become a habit.

Written by Christian Nordqvist

HEALTH CARE

What is ADHD?

June 22, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

What is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?

adhd Health experts say that ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is the most common behavioral disorder that starts during childhood. However, it does not only affect children – people of all ages can suffer from ADHD. Psychiatrists say ADHD is a neurobehavioral developmental disorder.

An individual with ADHD finds it much more difficult to focus on something without being distracted. He has greater difficulty in controlling what he is doing or saying and is less able to control how much physical activity is appropriate for a particular situation compared to somebody without ADHD. In other words, a person with ADHD is much more impulsive and restless.

Health care professionals may use any of the following terms when describing a child (or an older person) who is overactive and has difficulty concentrating – attention deficit, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, hyperkinetic disorder, hyperactivity.

North Americans commonly use the terms ADD (attention deficit disorder) or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). In the UK hyperkinetic disorder is the official term – however, ADD and ADHD have become widely used.

ADHD in children is completely different from normal childhood excited and boisterous behavior. Many children, especially very young ones, are inattentive and restless without necessarily being affected by ADHD.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 4.4 million children aged 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD in the USA by a healthcare professional. As of 2003 two-and-a-half million American children aged 4 to 17 are being treated for ADHD with medicines. The CDC adds that in 2003 7.8% of all school-aged American children were reported to have an ADHD diagnosis by their parent.

Three types of ADHD

According to the CDC, there are three types of ADHD. They are defined according to which symptoms stand out the most.

Predominantly Inattentive Type
The person finds it very difficult to organize or finish a task. They find it hard to pay attention to details and find it difficult to follow instructions or conversations.
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type
The person finds it hard to keep still – they fidget and talk a lot. A smaller child may be continually jumping, running or climbing. They are restless and impulsive – interrupting others, a grabbing things and speaking at inappropriate times. They have difficulty waiting their turn and find it hard to listen to directions. A person with this type of ADHD will have more injuries and/or accidents than others.
Combined Type
A person whose symptoms include all those of 1 and 2, and whose symptoms are equally predominant. In other words, all the symptoms in 1 and 2 stand out equally.

What are the general signs of ADHD in children?

the child is restless, overactive, fidgety
the child is constantly chattering
the child is continuously interrupting people
the child cannot concentrate for long on specific tasks
the child is inattentive
the child finds it hard to wait his/her turn in play, conversations or standing in line (queue)

The above signs may be observed in children frequently and usually do not mean the child has ADHD. It is when these signs become significantly more pronounced in one child, compared to other children of the same age, and when his/her behavior undermines his/her school and social life, that the child may have ADHD.

What causes ADHD?

We are not sure. Studies reveal that a person’s risk of developing ADHD is higher if a close relative also has/had it. Twin studies have indicated that ADHD is highly heritable. We also know that ADHD is much more common in boys than girls. The scientific community generally agrees that ADHD is biological in nature. Many reputable scientists believe ADHD is the result of chemical imbalances in the brain.

Some studies have indicated that food additives, specifically some colorings, may have an impact on ADHD behaviors. In July 2008, the European Union ruled that synthetic food colorings (called azo dyes) must be labeled not only with the relevant E number, but also with the words “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”.

A 1984 study by Benton and team, demonstrated that sugar has no effect on behavior. A study in 1986 by Milich and Pelham, and another by Wolraich and team in 1985 also found no link between sucrose (sugar) and behavior impact on children with ADHD. However, most sugars found in sugary foods and sweets (candy) consumed by children are corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup – these sugars were not used in any of the above-mentioned studies.

Interesting link
Possible causes of ADHD (New Zealand’s ADHD Online Support Group)

How do I know if I, my child, spouse or relative has ADHD?

ADHD cannot be diagnosed physically, i.e. with a blood test, urine test, brain scan or a physical check up. As most children have problems with self-control anyway, a proper diagnosis can be quite challenging.

An ADHD diagnosis has to be carried out by a specialist – usually a psychiatrist, psychologist or pediatrician. The specialist will observe the child and recognize behavior patterns. Data regarding the child’s behavior at home and at school will also be studied. Only a specialist will be able to accurately detect whether other problems and/or conditions are resulting in ADHD-like behavioral characteristics.

Interesting links
Diagnostic Criteria for ADHD (ADHD Information Services)

If you do not know how to find a specialist, ask your GP.

Recognizing ADD and ADHD in Children – Video

A video about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) in children. Includes information on symptoms and diagnosis. Video by SaberHacer.com.

When does ADHD start? How long does ADHD last?

According to New Zealand’s ADHD Online Support Group, the onset of ADHD usually occurs before the person is 7 years old. For about 75% of ADHD sufferers, symptoms continue into adulthood. However, levels of hyperactivity tend to decrease as the person gets older.

Adult ADHD

It was not until the 1970s that researchers began to realize that what we today know as ADHD did not always go away during a person’s teen years. It was during that decade that it was also noticed that some ADHD symptoms were identified in the parents of children undergoing ADHD treatment. In 1978 ADHD was formally recognized as a condition that also afflicts adults, and the term Adult ADD began – the ‘H’ of ADHD was dropped because it seemed the adults were not as hyperactive as children.

According to uspharmacist.com, approximately 8 million adults in the USA have ADHD. An adult with ADHD who is untreated will tend to have a chaotic lifestyle – they may seem more disorganized compared to people who are not afflicted with ADHD. Healthcare professionals believe there are millions of adults who have ADHD but do not know and remain untreated. Studies indicate that adults with ADHD benefit enormously from a combination of medication and behavior therapy.

What is ADHD? Adult ADHD – Video

A series of videos on living with adult ADHD. Watch this introduction, then click on the next associated video in the series, at the end of the video. Videos produced for Experts Village.

A list of some of the more common ADHD medications

Amphetamines

Adderal (two strengths, one for short period, one for longer periods)
Dexedrine (lower dosage – taken several times a day)

Methylphenidate

Ritalin
Ritalin LA (will last up to 12 hours). Methylin
Focalin
Focalin XR (will last up to 12 hours)
Metadate CD

Others

Atomoxetine HCI (Strattera)
Bupropion (Wellbutrin XL)
Benzphetamine
Clonidine
Provigil

What is ADHD? – Video

A closer look at HD, ADD and ADHD with Dr. Matthew H. Erdelyi Ph.D, Professor of Psychology at Brooklyn College. Video by illumistream Health.

Further information

CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), USA
ADDISS (ADHD Information Services), UK
ADHD Australia Incorporated
CADDRA (Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance)
ADHD.ORG.NZ, New Zealand
Useful ADHD Website Links

ADHD news

Medical News Today is a leading resource for the latest headlines on ADHD. So, check out our ADHD news section. You can also sign up to daily ADHD news alerts or our weekly digest newsletters to ensure that you stay up-to-date with the latest news.

This what is ADHD? Information section was written by Christian Nordqvist and may not be re-produced in any way without the permission of Medical News Today.

Sources

Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK)
ADHD Information Services (UK)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA)
ADHD.ORG.NZ (New Zealand)

Disclaimer: This guide is provided for general information purposes only. The materials contained within this guide do not constitute medical or pharmaceutical advice, which should be sought from qualified medical and pharmaceutical advisers. Full disclaimer.

HEALTH CARE

What are Stem Cells?

June 19, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

cell

Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialized cell types. Commonly, stem cells come from two main sources:

Embryos formed during the blastocyst phase of embryological development (embryonic stem cells) and
Adult tissue (adult stem cells).

Both types are generally characterized by their potency, or potential to differentiate into different cell types (such as skin, muscle, bone, etc.).

Adult stem cells

Adult or somatic stem cells exist throughout the body after embryonic development and are found inside of different types of tissue. These stem cells have been found in tissues such as the brain, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscles, skin, and the liver. They remain in a quiescent or non-dividing state for years until activated by disease or tissue injury.

Adult stem cells can divide or self-renew indefinitely, enabling them to generate a range of cell types from the originating organ or even regenerate the entire original organ. It is generally thought that adult stem cells are limited in their ability to differentiate based on their tissue of origin, but there is some evidence to suggest that they can differentiate to become other cell types.

Embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem cells are derived from a four- or five-day-old human embryo that is in the blastocyst phase of development. The embryos are usually extras that have been created in IVF (in vitro fertilization) clinics where several eggs are fertilized in a test tube, but only one is implanted into a woman.

Sexual reproduction begins when a male’s sperm fertilizes a female’s ovum (egg) to form a single cell called a zygote. The single zygote cell then begins a series of divisions, forming 2, 4, 8, 16 cells, etc. After four to six days – before implantation in the uterus – this mass of cells is called a blastocyst. The blastocyst consists of an inner cell mass (embryoblast) and an outer cell mass (trophoblast). The outer cell mass becomes part of the placenta, and the inner cell mass is the group of cells that will differentiate to become all the structures of an adult organism. This latter mass is the source of embryonic stem cells – totipotent cells (cells with total potential to develop into any cell in the body).

In a normal pregnancy, the blastocyst stage continues until implantation of the embryo in the uterus, at which point the embryo is referred to as a fetus. This usually occurs by the end of the 10th week of gestation after all major organs of the body have been created.

However, when extracting embryonic stem cells, the blastocyst stage signals when to isolate stem cells by placing the “inner cell mass” of the blastocyst into a culture dish containing a nutrient-rich broth. Lacking the necessary stimulation to differentiate, they begin to divide and replicate while maintaining their ability to become any cell type in the human body. Eventually, these undifferentiated cells can be stimulated to create specialized cells.

Stem cell cultures

Stem cells are either extracted from adult tissue or from a dividing zygote in a culture dish. Once extracted, scientists place the cells in a controlled culture that prohibits them from further specializing or differentiating but usually allows them to divide and replicate. The process of growing large numbers of embryonic stem cells has been easier than growing large numbers of adult stem cells, but progress is being made for both cell types.

Stem cell lines

Once stem cells have been allowed to divide and propagate in a controlled culture, the collection of healthy, dividing, and undifferentiated cells is called a stem cell line. These stem cell lines are subsequently managed and shared among researchers. Once under control, the stem cells can be stimulated to specialize as directed by a researcher – a process known as directed differentiation. Embryonic stem cells are able to differentiate into more cell types than adult stem cells.

Potency

Stem cells are categorized by their potential to differentiate into other types of cells. Embryonic stem cells are the most potent since they must become every type of cell in the body. The full classification includes:

Totipotent – the ability to differentiate into all possible cell types. Examples are the zygote formed at egg fertilization and the first few cells that result from the division of the zygote.
Pluripotent – the ability to differentiate into almost all cell types. Examples include embryonic stem cells and cells that are derived from the mesoderm, endoderm, and ectoderm germ layers that are formed in the beginning stages of embryonic stem cell differentiation.
Multipotent – the ability to differentiate into a closely related family of cells. Examples include hematopoietic (adult) stem cells that can become red and white blood cells or platelets.
Oligopotent – the ability to differentiate into a few cells. Examples include (adult) lymphoid or myeloid stem cells.
Unipotent – the ability to only produce cells of their own type, but have the property of self-renewal required to be labeled a stem cell. Examples include (adult) muscle stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells are considered pluripotent instead of totipotent because they do not have the ability to become part of the extra-embryonic membranes or the placenta.

What are stem cells – Video

A video on how stem cells work and develop.

Identification of stem cells

Although there is not complete agreement among scientists of how to identify stem cells, most tests are based on making sure that stem cells are undifferentiated and capable of self-renewal. Tests are often conducted in the laboratory to check for these properties.

One way to identify stem cells in a lab, and the standard procedure for testing bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), is by transplanting one cell to save an individual without HSCs. If the stem cell produces new blood and immune cells, it demonstrates its potency.

Clonogenic assays (a laboratory procedure) can also be employed in vitro to test whether single cells can differentiate and self-renew. Researchers may also inspect cells under a microscope to see if they are healthy and undifferentiated or they may examine chromosomes.

To test whether human embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, scientists allow the cells to differentiate spontaneously in cell culture, manipulate the cells so they will differentiate to form specific cell types, or inject the cells into an immunosuppressed mouse to test for the formation of a teratoma (a benign tumor containing a mixture of differentiated cells).

Research with stem cells

Scientists and researchers are interested in stem cells for several reasons. Although stem cells do not serve any one function, many have the capacity to serve any function after they are instructed to specialize. Every cell in the body, for example, is derived from first few stem cells formed in the early stages of embryological development. Therefore, stem cells extracted from embryos can be induced to become any desired cell type. This property makes stem cells powerful enough to regenerate damaged tissue under the right conditions.

Organ and tissue regeneration

Tissue regeneration is probably the most important possible application of stem cell research. Currently, organs must be donated and transplanted, but the demand for organs far exceeds supply. Stem cells could potentially be used to grow a particular type of tissue or organ if directed to differentiate in a certain way. Stem cells that lie just beneath the skin, for example, have been used to engineer new skin tissue that can be grafted on to burn victims.

Brain disease treatment

Additionally, replacement cells and tissues may be used to treat brain disease such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s by replenishing damaged tissue, bringing back the specialized brain cells that keep unneeded muscles from moving. Embryonic stem cells have recently been directed to differentiate into these types of cells, and so treatments are promising.

Cell deficiency therapy

Healthy heart cells developed in a laboratory may one day be transplanted into patients with heart disease, repopulating the heart with healthy tissue. Similarly, people with type I diabetes may receive pancreatic cells to replace the insulin-producing cells that have been lost or destroyed by the patient’s own immune system. The only current therapy is a pancreatic transplant, and it is unlikely to occur due to a small supply of pancreases available for transplant.

Blood disease treatments

Adult hematopoietic stem cells found in blood and bone marrow have been used for years to treat diseases such as leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and other immunodeficiencies. These cells are capable of producing all blood cell types, such as red blood cells that carry oxygen to white blood cells that fight disease. Difficulties arise in the extraction of these cells through the use of invasive bone marrow transplants. However hematopoietic stem cells have also been found in the umbilical cord and placenta. This has led some scientists to call for an umbilical cord blood bank to make these powerful cells more easily obtainable and to decrease the chances of a body’s rejecting therapy.

General scientific discovery

Stem cell research is also useful for learning about human development. Undifferentiated stem cells eventually differentiate partly because a particular gene is turned on or off. Stem cell researchers may help to clarify the role that genes play in determining what genetic traits or mutations we receive. Cancer and other birth defects are also affected by abnormal cell division and differentiation. New therapies for diseases may be developed if we better understand how these agents attack the human body.

Another reason why stem cell research is being pursued is to develop new drugs. Scientists could measure a drug’s effect on healthy, normal tissue by testing the drug on tissue grown from stem cells rather than testing the drug on human volunteers.

Stem cell controversy

The debates surrounding stem cell research primarily are driven by methods concerning embryonic stem cell research. It was only in 1998 that researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison extracted the first human embryonic stem cells that were able to be kept alive in the laboratory. The main critique of this research is that it required the destruction of a human blastocyst. That is, a fertilized egg was not given the chance to develop into a fully-developed human.

When does life begin?

The core of this debate – similar to debates about abortion, for example – centers on the question, “When does life begin?” Many assert that life begins at conception, when the egg is fertilized. It is often argued that the embryo deserves the same status as any other full grown human. Therefore, destroying it (removing the blastocyst to extract stem cells) is akin to murder. Others, in contrast, have identified different points in gestational development that mark the beginning of life – after the development of certain organs or after a certain time period.

Chimeras

People also take issue with the creation of chimeras. A chimera is an organism that has both human and animal cells or tissues. Often in stem cell research, human cells are inserted into animals (like mice or rats) and allowed to develop. This creates the opportunity for researchers to see what happens when stem cells are implanted. Many people, however, object to the creation of an organism that is “part human”.

Legal issues

The stem cell debate has risen to the highest level of courts in several countries. Production of embryonic stem cell lines is illegal in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, and Ireland, but permitted in Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK. In the United States, it is not illegal to work with or create embryonic stem cell lines. However, the debate in the US is about funding, and it is in fact illegal for federal funds to be used to research stem cell lines that were created after August 2001.

Everything you’ve wanted to know about stem cells – Video

A video by Daniel Kraft, MD (Stanford University School of Medicine) for Google Tech Talks.

Stem cell research news

Medical News Today is a leading resource for the latest headlines on stem cell research. So, check out our stem cell research news section. You can also sign up to daily stem cell news alerts or our weekly digest newsletters to ensure that you stay up-to-date with the latest news.

This what are stem cells? information section was written by Peter Crosta

LIVING WITH DIABETES

What is insulin?

June 19, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

insulin Insulin is a hormone. It makes our body’s cells absorb glucose from the blood. The glucose is stored in the liver and muscle as glycogen and stops the body from using fat as a source of energy.

When there is very little insulin in the blood or none at all, glucose is not taken up by most body cells. When this happens our body uses fat as a source of energy. Insulin is also a control signal to other body systems, such as amino acid uptake by body cells. Insulin is not identical in all animals – their levels of strength vary.

Porcine insulin, insulin from a pig, is the most similar to human insulin. Humans can receive animal insulin. However, genetic engineering has allowed us to synthetically produce ‘human’ insulin.

The pancreas

The pancreas is part of the digestive system. It is located high up in your abdomen and lies across your body where the ribs meet at the bottom. It is shaped like a leaf and is about six inches long. The wide end is called the head while the narrower end is called the tail; the mid-part is called the body.

The pancreas has two principal functions:

It produces pancreatic digestive juices.
It produces insulin and other digestive hormones.

The endocrine pancreas is the part of the pancreas that produces insulin and other hormones.

The exocrine pancreas is the part of the pancreas that produces digestive juices.

Insulin is produced in the pancreas. When protein is ingested insulin is released.

Insulin is also released when glucose is present in the blood. After eating carbohydrates, blood glucose levels rise.

Insulin makes it possible for glucose to enter our body’s cells – without glucose in our cells they would not be able to function. Without insulin the glucose cannot enter our cells.

Within the pancreas, the Islets of Langerhans contain Beta cells, which synthesize (make) the insulin. Approximately 1 to 3 million Islets of Langerhans make up the endocrine part of the pancreas (mainly the exocrine gland), representing just one fiftieth of the pancreas’ total mass.

Etymology (history) of the word pancreas

It is said that the pancreas was described first by Herophilus of Chalcedon in about 300B.C. and the organ was named by Rufus of Ephesus in about 100A.D

However, it is an established fact that the word pancreas had been used by Aristotle (384-322B.C.) before Herophilus.

In Aristotle’s Historia Animalium, there is a line saying “another to the so-called pancreas”. It is considered that the words “so-called pancreas” imply that the word pancreas had been popular at the time of Aristotle, but it had not been authorized yet as an anatomical term.

However, the word pancreas presumably has been accepted as an anatomical term since Herophilus.

The word pancreas comes from the Greek pankreas, meaning sweetbread.
How the Body Works: The Pancreas

This diabetes information section was written by Christian Nordqvist

CURRENT ISSUE

Ancient Empires

June 17, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

Ancient Empires

Man’s civilizing efforts, as detailed and very advanced though they have been at certain times, have been interrupted, quite abruptly, by natural seismic occurrences on our planet. Entire continents moving thousands of miles in a period of a few days can produce earthquakes more severe than anything Richter has been working on as a scale! Between five and 25,000 years seems to be the interval between these seismic reapportionments of the Earth’s land masses, wherein the entire crust slips into a new position on the underlying magma of the planet. Every part of the world is affected by such an event.

76000 – 24000 B.C. Lemurian Civilization:
Lemuria was an island which embraced all of present-day Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Oceania, western North America, and everything between. It was destroyed by earthquakes and then submerged about 26,000 years ago. Man’s first civilization arose on the continent of Lemuria 78,000 years ago and reached heights so great that our present civilization can barely be considered a civilization when compared to it. Government, religion, and science achieved such perfection as to be far beyond our present comprehension. Western Civilization is only about 2,500 years old and has narrowly survived its power-seeking rulers and priests. Our science and technology are but in their infancy and as yet consist of but relatively few rediscoveries. The religion of Lemuria was established on the laws of the universe by Christ Himself when He ruled Lemuria under the name Melchizedek.

22500 – 8500 B.C. Atlantean Civilization:
After the destruction of Lemuria, Atlantis grew to be a great nation, which subsequently proved to be the world’s second-ranking civilization. It flourished for some 14,000 years until its submersion about 10,500 years ago. The name of this nation was Poseid, and it was the offspring of the colony which the Pfrees (overly practical) had originally established.

The nation of Poseid was inventive far beyond the wildest imaginings of modern scientists. Their fantastically advanced technology afforded consummate leisure, comfort, and a vast abundance of material things. Unfortunately, the people were much too preoccupied with the pursuit of physical pleasures and with the accumulation of luxurious possessions to take advantage of the opportunity to attain citizenship, and this shortcoming ultimately resulted in their downfall. Internal conflict arose when large numbers of Katholis (overly idealistic) deserted their cities in South and Central America and migrated to Poseid in order to escape their savagely warlike neighbors. The Katholi priests set about to bring Poseid under their sway, but they only succeeded in destroying the governmental and economic system which produced the wealth and luxuries they sought to usurp. Civil and religious warfare vexed the land until it submerged beneath the ocean waves.

When Atlantis sank in a localized earthquake, it left all the rest of the globe impoverished so far as technology was concerned. Nobody else knew how to duplicate that technology; so many of the things that had been used world-wide simply didn’t exist any longer. Even though technology gradually diminished in the rest of the world, they managed to be civilized towards one another. But then 3,000 years after the sinking of Atlantis came a world-wide reapportionment of the land masses.

5500 B.C. Osirian and Rama Nations:
The third greatest civilization was the pre-dynastic Egyptian culture, known as Osiris, which was greatly different from the records that we are able to find of the various dynasties. The fourth greatest civilization was the Rama Empire in the Indian sub-continent. The common people in India then had an entirely different philosophy than the educated ruling families who, incidentally, were members of the Brotherhoods.

The pre-dynastic Egyptian culture was concurrent with the Rama Empire and both were concurrent with the end times of the Atlantean civilization. They were known as the three kings. Atlantis was predominantly a very practical group of people. The people in the Rama Empire of India were much more idealistic than they were either practical or mentally oriented. The Osirian nation was primarily noted for its use of mental techniques in a positive way.

The ancient Rama Empire in India became the fourth-ranking civilization under a dynasty of enlightened leaders who for a period of several centuries suppressed the priesthood. The Rama regime and predynastic Egypt had both managed to salvage some of their culture after the fall of Atlantis, but the rest of the world was reduced to a condition of brutal struggle for survival. The colonies of the world were irretrievably shut off from the technology of Atlantis, and in a few generations they reverted to a stone age-existence. The few manufacturing facilities not destroyed by world-wide earthquakes and tidal waves soon deteriorated from lack of raw materials to feed them. Stone replaced smelted metals for tools, and all too soon subsequent generations couldn’t believe anything other than stone had ever been used. Egypt and India were precariously spared from the far-reaching upheaval, and their weakened governments gradually succumbed to evil priests and war lords.

That last reapportionment 7,500 years ago put an end to the Rama Empire in India as well as the Osirian nation in the Mediterranean basin. Today, what we consider ancient history only goes back to about that cataclysm. What we commonly refer to as the “cradle” of civilization in the region of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers of today was people coming back to some semblance of civilization and culture.

The Adelphi Organization

ENTERTAINMENT

Houston Rockets Power Dancers

June 17, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

htown

Think you can dance? Want to join the best? Auditions are set for the hottest dance team in the NBA… Pre-Register now to receive monthly updates on RPD auditions and insider tips & techniques from RPD coaches and captains.

RPD Preliminary Auditions

Saturday, July 11, 2009

9:00 a.m. at Toyota Center

Pre-Register

2009-2010 RPD auditions will take place Saturday, July 11, 2009, at Toyota Center, with registration beginning at 9:00 a.m. Two to three rounds will take place July 11, and finalists are required to take part in a one to two week training camp (includes dance practice, conditioning, a professional interview, and drug/background screen), which concludes with a formal final audition.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and high school graduates. No formal dance experience is required, although training in dance, cheer, drill team, and/or gymnastics is strongly encouraged. Audition routines will include a mix of hip-hop, jazz, pom, and dance technique choreography. Power Dancers must be full-time students or hold full-time employment. Applicants will need to bring a non-returnable photograph (head shot or full-length), Texas Driver’s License, and a one page professional resume including dance experience to auditions. Proper attire is a two-piece top and shorts dance ensemble with tights or hose and non-marking dance/tennis shoes.

Sign up now for Power Dancer Prep Classes! They’re the hottest dance class in town, a great way to get in shape, and the best way to learn more about the RPD! And new this year, we’re offering two additional classes to give interested dancers more options to attend, for a total of 5 classes! Prep classes give attendees a chance to learn real Power Dancer hip hop, thrashy jazz, and stylized dance choreography as performed on the Toyota Center court. Along with the latest in choreography, each class will include a warm-up, dance technique session, and Q&A geared toward audition specific topics (different choreography and Q&A topic each class – topics include audition attire, application/resume tips, hair/make-up tips, interview/audition etiquette, and what to expect the day of auditions). Classes are taught by Power Dancer coaches and captains. Prep classes are not mandatory to audition, but definitely give those attending an idea of what to expect at auditions.

Classes will take place Friday, June 19, Monday, June 22, Friday, June 26, Monday, June 29, and Monday, July 6. All classes will take place from 7:30-9:30 p.m., with registration beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Memorial Hermann Wellness Center located at 7731 Southwest Freeway. Classes are $45 each, and discounts are available if you sign up for 3 or more classes. Register now to save your spot!

Want to know more? Call the RPD Audition hotline at 713-758-7450 or email [email protected]

Hair and make-up provided by Toni & Guy Memorial City and Woodlands salons. Tanning by Malibu Tan. Training by FIT Athletic Club.

CURRENT ISSUE

The Origin of the Rastafarian Movement

June 17, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

rast The Rastafarian movement was born in Jamaica in 1930 when news of the crowning of Ras Tafari (Haile Selassie) as King of Ethiopia, attracted the attention of various Jamaicans who had been to some extent influenced by Marcus Garvey. Haile Selassie is known to be JAH because of his direct descendancy to King Menelik, (son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba) and King David and because of his inherited title, King of Kings, Lord of Lord, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, which identifies him as the living JAH whose coming was foretold in the Bible, Psalm 68.4, Revelation 5:2-5, 19:16, 22:16,.

Various persons connected Garvey’s prophecies of the crowning of a black king who would deliver black people from their oppressors, with certain biblical passages that confirmed to them that Selassie was indeed the Messiah.

Interestingly, these persons are said to have reached this conclusion quite independently of each other.

Among the key figures in this birth of the Rastafarian philosophy were Leonard P. Howell, Joseph Nathaniel Hibbert, H. Archibald Dunkley and Robert Hinds. All were ministers, who formed separate groups based on this revelation.

Howell is the man most credited with the initial spreading of the Rastafarian way of life. He was a well travelled man and was reported to have fought on African soil and to have command of several African languages.

Howell had stationed himself for a period of time in North America where the social ravages of racism were common practice. This directed his intent in working for necessary reforms. He began his ministry in the slums of Western Kingston, Jamaica.

Joseph Nathaniel Hibbert was a member of the Ancient Mystic Order of Ethiopia, a secret society, who after spending many years in Panama returned to Jamaica and began preaching of Emperor Haile Selassi as the returned Messiah. Hinds were his deputy. Hebbert started his mission in St. Andrew, and came to Kingston to find Howell preaching the same doctrine.

H. Archibald Dunkley, a Jamaican seaman, studied the Bible independently for over two years and concluded that Haile Selassie was indeed the Messiah that Marcus Garvey had prophesied. He started his mission in Port Antonio, Jamaica but soon moved to Kingston.

There were several other Ministers and preachers that preached the words and truth of Rastafarian as they perceived it, such as Paul Erlington, Vernal Davis and Ferdinand Ricketts.

By 1934, a solid nucleus of Rastafarian had been established in Kingston. Howell and Dunkley, in trumpeting the cause of Rastafarian, both paid penance. They were jailed and became targets of repeated harassment, with Dunkley also being committed to an asylum.

These encroachments on their personal freedom only ignited the ideologies and practical solutions that Garvey had offered and along with Mortimer Planno, one of Bob’s first Rasta mentors gave Bob Marley the yearning to embrace the Rastafarian way of life while still in his teens.

Mortimer Planno not only influenced Bob Marley but also was the liaison between the establishment and many of the Rastafarian community. Planno a well educated articulate Rasta gained even more credibility when he greeted Haile Selassie upon his arrival to Jamaica in 1966.

Rastafarian is a challenge to Eurocentric values and a highly motivated thrust that seeks within its members its own cultural identity. The eye of the storm of Rastafarian is focused on the inherent right of a people who have long been “depressed”, to reposition themselves within the realms of the laws set by JAH.

Within Rastafarian teachings there are a few differences in terms of practice and structure, but all uphold his Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie as the return of the true Messiah. It should be pointed out that while the fountain flows with many streams of water it does not change the substance of the matter that spurts forward. Or you have many roads that lead to the promise land but only positive souls are allowed to ride on it to JAH’s house.

So it does not matter if you seek the truth about Rastafarian from the teaching of the Divine Theocracy Order of Nyabinghi, The Twelve Tribes of Israel, Ethiopia African International Congress, Ethiopian World Federation, Rastafarian Movement Association, Judah Coptic or the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, all follow the teachings of Ras Tafari. Example, Baptists, Protestants, Catholics and Methodists all follow the Christian teaching, through the spirit of Love and reality; there is an oneness in recognition of one JAH. (GOD)

Rastafarian is not dreadlocks and a spliff (joint). It is a way of life that is not dependent on feigned social freedoms. Rastafarian prefers to opt instead for something less material and more meaningful-truths and rights. In other words…being in the world but not of it.

Herb, Marijuana, Collie or Ganja are considered a Sacrament to Rastafarians and is used to act as a channel to a calm and conscious temporal spirit much as Christians and Jews use red wine. Rasta’s believe that this use of Ganja was granted to them by the words of Jesus in the fields of Zion, ” God gives man all green herbs, trees and plants bearing fruit with seeds” This he did while standing in a field of Cannabis. Genesis Book 1 verses 11, 12, 29. Rasta’s also believe that smoking Ganjas will allow them to use positive common consciousness.

To arrive at a clear and realistic view of Rastafarian, one has to see it for what it is – a way of life: not a myth, cult, sect or figment of any one individual’s imagination. Rastafarian is the adherence to basic life principles and the expression of them through positive means.

Socialization within the prescribed norms of the general populace has not been the aim of the Rastafarian. Thus, what has developed from Rastafari’s concerted effort to change is a more definitive and heightened cultural awareness through language, mode of dress, natural eating habits and seeking of a clear channel away from confines of captivity.

The Rastafarian way of life has taken up where the dread middle passage voyages sought to disconnect. The uncut, uncombed growth of hair or “dreadlocks” as it is commonly referred to be said to be the crowning antenna that keeps Rastafarian in tune. Sharp perceptions and warnings of predatory dangers are the benefits.

Locks are not plaited, waxed or mixed with cow dung as many misinformed rumors have spread. Nor are they the habitations of the creeping creature known as the “forty Legs” or centipede.

There are many that through circumstances or choice do not wear the covenant, but are nonetheless principled. Of course there are also many in disguise that are masquerading charlatans and utilize that appearance to do other than good deeds. Dreadlocks are traceable to early civilizations of Africa, such as the Masai warriors along with other indigenous tribes.

The Rastafarian way of speaking or “reasoning” is not illiteracy as some would have you believe, but the tailoring of the European language for more identifiable self expression and modification of it to highlight the positive.

Changes in vocabulary and syntax are also a conscious act of protest against the established mores of “Babylon”. Babylon is an evil force, be it a place, person or persons, way of life or anything dealing with negativity and hate.

Babylon is ant progressive, its sole mission is to confuse and persuade the positive loving righteous to change their way of believing.

One refers to one self as “I and I” to express divinity of the God that is ever present and within the individual. “I” is an assertion of individuality and of the importance of JAH.

“I” is substituted for all pronouns, such as “me”, “you”, “we”, “them”, which, are considered, too be detached. Because “I” is so important, the first syllables of certain words are replaced by the sound; so that “vital becomes “Ital.”, “ever” becomes “Iver”, “Ethiopia” becomes “Ithiopia”, “creation” becomes “Ireation”.

Rastafarian dress codes usually emphasize a prominence of the identity colors and styles. The Colors Red, Gold & Green play a significant part in the Rastafarian doctrine. Red is for the blood shed by the people, Gold is for wealth granted to his people and Green is for the Fertility of the Earth.

While Rastafarian continues to generate debate, its numbers are ever increasing. What more is left for foes of Rastafarian to do but stand aside and marvel at the sight of those who have endured innumerable indignities as they step progressively towards Zion. It seems to be in the interest of “men” manipulators (those of cowardly persuasion); to keep the righteous ignorant of whom they are and to brainwash them to deny all existence of their originality.

But Rastafarian “brethren and sistren remain fastened to that which claims and no disowns them.

I hope this summary gives people a better understanding of the Roots and meanings of the Rastafarian Movement

From the writing of Malika Lee Whitney, Dermott Husssey, with excerpts from the Torah and the Bible. Summarized by Sirron Kyles, Executive Producer Annual Bob Marley Festival Tour 1998

CURRENT ISSUE

VETERAN LEGISLATION

June 17, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

Of the 2865 House and 1257 Senate pieces of legislation introduced in the 111th Congress to date, the following are of interest to the non-active duty veteran community. Bill titles in green are new additions to this summary. A good indication on the likelihood a bill of being forwarded to the House or Senate for passage and subsequently being signed into law by the President is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. An alternate way for it to become law is if it is added as an addendum to another bill such as the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and survives the conference committee assigned to iron out the difference between the House and Senate bills. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s text, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, who your representative is and his/her phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To separately determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html. To review a numerical list of all bills introduced refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/111search.html. The key to increasing cosponsorship is letting legislators know of their constituent’s views on issues. Those bills that include a website in red are being pushed by various veterans groups for passage and by clicking on that website you can forward a preformatted message to your legislator requesting he/she support the bill.

House

H.R.23 : Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (168)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=12497121

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H.R.32 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.315

Sponsor: Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.33 : Disability Benefit Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 5-month waiting period for entitlement to disability benefits and to eliminate reconsideration as an intervening step between initial benefit entitlement decisions and subsequent hearings on the record on such decisions.

Sponsor: Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.82 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to expand retroactive eligibility of the Army Combat Action Badge to include members of the Army who participated in combat during which they personally engaged, or were personally engaged by, the enemy at any time on or after December 7, 1941.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.84 : Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.108 : Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability and to their dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.114 : Veterans Entrepreneurial Transition Business Benefit Act to allow veterans to elect to use, with the approval of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, certain financial educational assistance to establish and operate certain business, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.147 : Designate a Portion of Tax Payment for Homeless Vets. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow taxpayers to designate a portion of their income tax payment to provide assistance to homeless veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (60)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12922516&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.161 : Social Security Beneficiary Tax Reduction Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 increase in taxes on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.162 : Senior Citizens’ Tax Elimination Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the inclusion in gross income of Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.174 : Colorado Vet Cemetery. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado region.

Sponsor: Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

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H.R.177 : Depleted Uranium Screening and Testing Act to provide for identification of members of the Armed Forces exposed during military service to depleted uranium, to provide for health testing of such members, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.190 : Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans Health Administration in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State. Companion Bill S.239.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.198 : Health Care Tax Deduction Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for amounts paid for health insurance and prescription drug costs of individuals.

Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.208 : National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who have served on active duty or performed active service since September 11, 2001, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations receive credit for such service in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.644.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (58)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials

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H.R.210 : Vet Cemetery South Carolina Land Acquisition Study. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the acquisition of a parcel of land adjacent to Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, South Carolina.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.217 : Vet Cemetery South Carolina Land Acquisition Purchase. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to acquire a parcel of land adjacent to Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, South Carolina.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

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H.R.228 : Visual Impairment VA Scholarship Program to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of visual impairment and orientation and mobility.

Sponsor: Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

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H.R.236 : Social Security Protection Act to amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to protect Social Security beneficiaries against any reduction in benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Rules; House Budget

Latest Major Action: 1/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Rules, 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.

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H.R.237 : Military Retiree Health Care Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a refundable credit to military retirees for premiums paid for coverage under Medicare Part B.

Sponsor: Rep Emerson, Jo Ann [MO-8] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/7/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12921516&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.247 : Protect Our Veterans Memorials Act of 2009 to amend section 1369 of title 18, United States Code, to extend Federal jurisdiction over destruction of veterans’ memorials on State or local government property.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

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H.R.270 : TRICARE Continuity of Coverage for National Guard and Reserve Families Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for continuity of TRICARE Standard coverage for certain members of the Retired Reserve. Companion Bill S.731.

Sponsor: Rep Latta, Robert E. [OH-5] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (61)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12923561&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805&False&False

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H.R.293 : Homeless Women Veteran and Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Grant Program Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a grant program to provide reintegration services through programs and facilities that emphasize services for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.294 : Veteran Owned Small Business Promotion Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the reauthorization of the Department of Veterans Affairs small business loan program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.295 : More Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 to authorize appropriations for the veterans’ workforce investment programs.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

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H.R.296 : Armed Forces Disability Retirement Enhancement Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to revise the process by which a member of the Armed Forces is retired for disability and becomes eligible for retirement pay, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.297 : Veteran Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Subsistence Allowance Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of subsistence allowance payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans participating in vocational rehabilitation programs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.514

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.303 : Retired Pay Restoration Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit additional retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or Combat-Related Special Compensation and to eliminate the phase-in period under current law with respect to such concurrent receipt.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (79)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.309 : American Heroes’ Homeownership Assistance Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow certain current and former service members to receive a refundable credit for the purchase of a principal residence.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.333 : Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated less than 50 percent to receive concurrent payment of both retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation, to eliminate the phase-in period for concurrent receipt, to extend eligibility for concurrent receipt to chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Marshall, Jim [GA-8] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (88)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12406456&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] and http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12888756

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H.R.341 : Suspend Limitations Period for Tax Refund on VA Retroactive Payments. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to suspend the running of periods of limitation for credit or refund of overpayment of Federal income tax by veterans while their service-connected compensation determinations are pending with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.347 : Congressional Gold Medal Award. To grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

Sponsor: Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (297) – Related bill S.1055

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 5/18/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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H.R.379 : State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Expansion Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that all taxpayers have the ability to deduct State and local general sales taxes. Companion Bill S.35.

Sponsor: Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (26)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.394 : Medal of Honor Pension. To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that title by up to $1,000.

Sponsor: Rep Brown, Henry E., Jr. [SC-1] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

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H.R.403 : Homes for Heroes Act of 2009 to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Al [TX-9] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (41)

Committees: House Financial Services; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

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H.R.423 : Samuel B. Moody Bataan Death March Compensation Act to provide compensation for certain World War II veterans who survived the Bataan Death March and were held as prisoners of war by the Japanese.

Sponsor: Rep Mica, John L. [FL-7] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.433 : Ready Employers Willing to Assist Reservists’ Deployment (REWARD) Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax equal to 50 percent of the compensation paid to employees while they are performing active duty service as members of the Ready Reserve or the National Guard and of the compensation paid to temporary replacement employees.

Sponsor: Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (32)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.442 : Veterans’ Heritage Firearms Act of 2009 to provide an amnesty period during which veterans and their family members can register certain firearms in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (100)

Committees: House Judiciary; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

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H.R.449 : Health Care for America’s Heroes Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the availability of health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by adjusting the income level for certain priority veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.456 : Disabled Veteran Small Business Eligibility Expansion Act of 2009 to amend the Small Business Act to make service-disabled veterans eligible under the 8(a) business development program.

Sponsor: Rep Wittman, Robert J. [VA-1] (introduced 1/9/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Small Business

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

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H.R.466 : Wounded Veteran Job Security Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit discrimination and acts of reprisal against persons who receive treatment for illnesses, injuries, and disabilities incurred in or aggravated by service in the uniformed services.

Sponsor: Rep Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/9/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.482 : Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act to authorize the rededication of the District of Columbia War Memorial as a National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial to honor the sacrifices made by American veterans of World War I.

Sponsor: Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (28)

Committees: House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.

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H.R.484 : Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act to require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to provide chiropractic health care services and benefits for certain new beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE program.

Sponsor: Rep Rogers, Mike D. [AL-3] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (32)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.531 : Social Security Number Fraudulent Use Notification Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to require that the Commissioner of Social Security notify individuals of improper use of their Social Security account numbers.

Sponsor: Rep Myrick, Sue Wilkins [NC-9] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.568 : Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality of care provided to veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, to encourage highly qualified doctors to serve in hard-to-fill positions in such medical facilities, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 1/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.593 : CRSC for DoD Disability Severances Pay. To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the authorized concurrent receipt of disability severance pay from the Department of Defense and compensation for the same disability under any law administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover all veterans who have a combat-related disability, as defined under section 1413a of such title.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (40)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12918951&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.598 : American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 to provide for a portion of the economic recovery package relating to revenue measures, unemployment, and health.

Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 1/16/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Science and Technology; House Education and Labor; House Financial Services

House Reports: 111-8 Part 1, 111-8 Part 2

Latest Major Action: 1/28/2009 Supplemental report filed by the Committee on Ways and Means, H. Rept. 111-8, Part II.

Note: For further action, see H.R.1, which became Public Law 111-5 on 2/17/2009.

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H.R.612 : Disabled Veterans Insurance Act of 2009 to amend section 1922A of title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of supplemental insurance available for totally disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 1/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.613 : Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for forgiveness of certain overpayments of retired pay paid to deceased retired members of the Armed Forces following their death.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 1/21/2009) Cosponsors (53)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12489731&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.620 : Jobs for Veterans Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an increased work opportunity credit with respect to recent veterans.

Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 1/21/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.627 : Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 to amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish fair and transparent practices relating to the extension of credit under an open end consumer credit plan, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (128) Related Bill S.235 Companion Bill S.414

Committees: House Financial Services

House Reports: 111-88

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-24

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H.R.656 : Unemployed Early Retirement Plan Withdrawal without Penalty. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow certain individuals who have attained age 50 and who are unemployed to receive distributions from qualified retirement plans without incurring a 10 percent additional tax.

Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/22/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.667 : Heroes at Home Act of 2009 to improve the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury in members and former members of the Armed Forces, to review and expand telehealth and telemental health programs of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] (introduced 1/23/2009) Cosponsors (38)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.668 : Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide flexibility in the manner in which beds are counted for purposes of determining whether a hospital may be designated as a critical access hospital under the Medicare Program and to exempt from the critical access hospital inpatient bed limitation the number of beds provided for certain veterans. Companion Bill S.307

Sponsor: Rep Walden, Greg [OR-2] (introduced 1/23/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/23/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.671 : In Memory Medal for Forgotten Veterans Act to direct the Secretary of Defense to issue a medal to certain veterans who died after their service in the Vietnam War as a direct result of that service.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.731 : Jenny’s Law to amend title 38, United States Code, to exclude individuals who have been convicted of committing certain sex offenses from receiving certain burial-related benefits and funeral honors which are otherwise available to certain veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and related individuals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Shadegg, John B. [AZ-3] (introduced 1/27/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/27/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.746 : Safeguarding America’s Seniors and Veterans Act of 2009 to provide for economic recovery payments to recipients of Social Security, railroad retirement, and veterans disability benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Adler, John H. [NJ-3] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/28/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 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.

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H.R.761 : Vet Parent Burial in National Cemeteries. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the eligibility of parents of certain deceased veterans for interment in national cemeteries.

Sponsor: Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/28/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.775 : Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to offset the receipt of veterans dependency and indemnity compensation. Companion Bill S.535

Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (250)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/17/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=12848666&type=CO or http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12541746

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H.R.784 : VA Reports to Congress. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress quarterly reports on vacancies in mental health professional positions in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.785 : VA Outreach Training. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide outreach and training to certain college and university mental health centers relating to the mental health of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.543

Sponsor: Rep Tsongas, Niki [MA-5] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.806 : TRICARE Mail-Order Pharmacy Pilot Program Act to establish a mail-order pharmacy pilot program for TRICARE beneficiaries.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.809 : Widow Remarriage Age Decrease for DIC. To amend title 38, United States Code, to reduce from age 57 to age 55 the age after which the remarriage of the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran shall not result in termination of dependency and indemnity compensation otherwise payable to that surviving spouse.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12993371

___________________________________

H.R.811 : Retired Pay Restoration Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit certain retired members of the uniformed services who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or Combat-Related Special Compensation. Companion Bill S.546

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.816 : Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to prohibit certain increases in fees for military health care.

Sponsor: Rep Edwards, Chet [TX-17] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (156)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12591151&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12603596 or http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=12607551 or http://capwiz.com/trea/issues/alert/?alertid=12710751

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H.R.819 : POW DIC Eligibility Date. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who died on or before September 30, 1999, under the same eligibility conditions as apply to payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who die after that date.

Sponsor: Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.870 : Medicare Medically Necessary Dental Care Act of 2009 to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage under part B for medically necessary dental procedures.

Sponsor: Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

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H.R.879 : Affordable Health Care Expansion Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a refundable credit against income tax for the purchase of private health insurance.

Sponsor: Rep Granger, Kay [TX-12] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.883 : Social Security 1993 Tax Increase Repeal. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 increase in income taxes on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.917 : Combat-Related Injury Death Dependent Health Benefits. To increase the health benefits of dependents of members of the Armed Forces who die because of a combat-related injury.

Sponsor: Rep Guthrie, Brett [KY-2] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.919 : Veterans’ Medical Personnel Recruitment and Retention Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.929 : VA Vet Training Program. To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program of training to provide eligible veterans with skills relevant to the job market, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Welch, Peter [VT] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.931 : Veterans Employment Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the work opportunity credit with respect to certain unemployed veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.942 : Veterans Self-Employment Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a pilot project on the use of educational assistance under programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs to defray training costs associated with the purchase of certain franchise enterprises.

Sponsor: Rep Alexander, Rodney [LA-5] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .

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H.R.944 : Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide improved benefits for veterans who are former prisoners of war.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.950 : Vet Distance Learning Assistance. To amend chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, to increase educational assistance for certain veterans pursuing a program of education offered through distance learning.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.952 : Compensation Owed for Mental Health Based on Activities in Theater Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the meaning of “combat with the enemy” for purposes of service-connection of disabilities.

Sponsor: Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (94)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.953 : Veterans Travel Tax Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a deduction for travel expenses to medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs in connection with examinations or treatments relating to service-connected disabilities.

Sponsor: Rep Heller, Dean [NV-2] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.954 : Social Security Benefits Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide that a monthly insurance benefit thereunder shall be paid for the month in which the recipient dies, subject to a reduction of 50 percent if the recipient dies during the first 15 days of such month, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.972 : Retired Reserve Age for Health Benefits. To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement that certain former members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces be at least 60 years of age in order to be eligible to receive health care benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12992881

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H.R.1004 : Veterans Health Care Full Funding Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide an enhanced funding process to ensure an adequate level of funding for veterans health care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] (introduced 2/11/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/11/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1016 : Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide advance appropriations authority for certain medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (121)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12704096

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H.R.1017 : Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 and title 38, United States Code, to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and to expand access to such care and services.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (20) – Related bill S.1204

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1036 : Veterans Physical Therapy Services Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the position of Director of Physical Therapy Service within the Veterans Health Administration and to establish a fellowship program for physical therapists in the areas of geriatrics, amputee rehabilitation, polytrauma care, and rehabilitation research.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1037 : Pilot College Work Study Programs for Veterans Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a five-year pilot project to test the feasibility and advisability of expanding the scope of certain qualifying work-study activities under title 38, United States Code.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1038 : Shingles Prevention Act to amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for the shingles vaccine under the Medicare Program.

Sponsor: Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

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H.R.1042 : Enemy POW Hospitalization Policy. To prohibit the provision of medical treatment to enemy combatants detained by the United States at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the same facility as a member of the Armed Forces or Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility.

Sponsor: Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 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.

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H.R.1075 : Restoring Essential Care for Our Veterans for Effective Recovery (RECOVER) Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access to hospital care for veterans in major disaster areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Scalise, Steve [LA-1] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/13/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1088 : Mandatory Veteran Specialist Training Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a one-year period for the training of new disabled veterans’ outreach program specialists and local veterans’ employment representatives by National Veterans’ Employment and Training Services Institute.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1089 : Veterans Employment Rights to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the enforcement through the Office of Special Counsel of the employment and unemployment rights of veterans and members of the Armed Forces employed by Federal executive agencies, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1098 : Veterans’ Worker Retraining Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of educational assistance payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certain individuals pursuing internships or on-job training.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1114 : National Cemetery Availability. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a process for determining whether a geographic area is sufficiently served by the national cemeteries located in that geographic area.

Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 2/23/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/23/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1163 : Establish Nebraska National Cemetery. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County region to serve veterans in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northwest Missouri.

Sponsor: Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] (introduced 2/24/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 2/24/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

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H.R.1168 : Veterans Retraining Act of 2009 to amend chapter 42 of title 38, United States Code, to provide certain veterans with employment training assistance.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1169 : VA Adapted Housing/Automobile Assistance. To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of assistance provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disabled veterans for specially adapted housing and automobiles and adapted equipment.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1170 : Adapted Housing Technology Grants. To amend chapter 21 of title 38, United States Code, to establish a grant program to encourage the development of new assistive technologies for specially adapted housing.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1171 : Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to reauthorize the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program for fiscal years 2010 through 2014.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/31/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1172 : VA Website Scholarship Info Addition. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include on the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a list of organizations that provide scholarships to veterans and their survivors.

Sponsor: Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

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H.R.1182 : Military Spouses Residency Relief Act to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to guarantee the equity of spouses of military personnel with regard to matters of residency, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Carter, John R. [TX-31] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (112)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.1197 : Medal of Honor Health Care Equity Act of 2009 to assign a higher priority status for hospital care and medical services provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs to certain veterans who are recipients of the medal of honor.

Sponsor: Rep Mitchell, Harry E. [AZ-5] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/25/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1203 : Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums. Companion Bill S.491

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 2/25/2009) Cosponsors (169)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Oversight and Government Reform; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/31/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12787701&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1211 : Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.597

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (50)

Last Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12833716&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1232 : Far South Texas Veterans Medical Center Act of 2009 to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct a full service hospital in Far South Texas.

Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1263 : Federal Retirement Reform Act of 2009 to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the automatic enrollment of new participants in the Thrift Savings Plan, and to clarify the method for computing certain annuities based on part-time service; to allow certain employees of the District of Columbia to have certain periods of service credited for purposes relating to retirement eligibility; and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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.

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H.R.1289 : Social Security Fairness for the Terminally Ill Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period in the disability insurance program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Charles A. [OH-6] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1293 : Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount payable by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 3/4/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

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H.R.1305 : Perpetual Purple Heart Stamp Act to provide for the issuance of a forever stamp to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the armed forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart. Companion Bill S.572

Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 3/4/2009) Cosponsors (74)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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H.R.1317 : Mortgage Payment Tax Credit. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to individuals who pay their mortgages on time.

Sponsor: Rep Shuster, Bill [PA-9] (introduced 3/4/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1335 : VA Catastrophically Disabled Copay. To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (38)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1336 : Veterans Education Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the basic educational assistance program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1377 : VA Emergency Treatment Reimbursement to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.404.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/6/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/31/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13048301&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1388 : Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws. Passed 321-105 and placed on the Senate calendar.

Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (37) Related Bills: H.RES.250, H.RES.296, S.277

Committees: House Education and Labor,

House Reports: 111-37

Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-13

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H.R.1401 : VET Corps Act of 2009 to create a service corps of veterans called Veterans Engaged for Tomorrow (VET) Corps focused on promoting and improving the service opportunities for veterans and retired members of the military by engaging such veterans and retired members in projects designed to meet identifiable public needs with a specific emphasis on projects to support veterans, including disabled and older veterans and retired members of the military.

Sponsor: Rep Sarbanes, John P. [MD-3] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

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H.R.1416 : Southern New Jersey Veterans Comprehensive Health Care Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the capability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for the medical-care needs of veterans in southern New Jersey.

Sponsor: Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] (introduced 3/10/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1428 : VA Parkinson’s Disease Compensation. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide wartime disability compensation for certain veterans with Parkinson’s disease.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/11/2009) Cosponsors (31)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12986021&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1474 : Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enforcement of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.263.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Artur [AL-7] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (25)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1478 : Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act of 2009 to amend chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, to allow members of the Armed Forces to sue the United States for damages for certain injuries caused by improper medical care, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended).

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H.R.1496 : Child Health Care Affordability Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a credit against income tax for medical expenses for dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 3/12/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1513 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009 to increase, effective as of December 1, 2009, the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/31/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13048376&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1519 : Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 income tax increase on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Sam [TX-3] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1522 : United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act to provide that service of the members of the organization known as the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II constituted active military service for purposes of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1532 : CMOH Statute of Limitations Elimination. To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the statute of limitations on the award of the congressional medal of honor.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1544 : Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited eligibility for health care for mental illnesses for veterans of combat service during certain periods of hostilities and war.

Sponsor: Rep Driehaus, Steve [OH-1] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1546 : Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Sponsor: Rep McNerney, Jerry [CA-11] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/20/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.1592 : Pay Increase Guarantee. To amend title 37, United States Code, to guarantee a pay increase for members of the uniformed services for fiscal years 2011 through 2014 of one-half of one percentage point higher than the Employment Cost Index.

Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 3/18/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=13002241

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H.R.1600 : TRICARE Autism Care. To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of autism under TRICARE.

Sponsor: Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] (introduced 3/18/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1647 : Veterans’ Employment Transition Support Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax for hiring veterans.

Sponsor: Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1657 : Notification of Exposure to Harmful Material/Contaminants. To direct the Secretary of Defense to notify members of the Armed Forces and State military departments of exposure to potentially harmful materials and contaminants.

Sponsor: Rep Schrader, Kurt [OR-5] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1658 : Veterans Healthcare Commitment Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the recovery by the United States of charges from a third party for hospital care or medical services furnished to a veteran for a service-connected disability.

Sponsor: Rep Tiahrt, Todd [KS-4] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.1681 : Veterans Transitional Assistance Act of 2009 to improve the coordination between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to better provide care to members and the Armed Forces and veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] (introduced 3/24/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1695 : Reserve Retired Pay Age Reduction. To amend title 10, United States Code, to reduce the minimum age for receipt of military retired pay for non-regular service from 60 to 55.

Sponsor: Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] (introduced 3/24/2009) Cosponsors (23)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1701 : PTSD/TBI Guaranteed Review For Heroes Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a special review board for certain former members of the Armed Forces with post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1708 : Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to phase out the 24-month waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits, to eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.700.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (79)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Transportation and Infrastructure

Latest Major Action: 3/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

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H.R.1712 : Savings for Seniors Act of 2009 to amend title II of the Social Security Act to establish a Social Security Surplus Protection Account in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund to hold the Social Security surplus, to provide for suspension of investment of amounts held in the Account until enactment of legislation providing for investment of the Trust Fund in investment vehicles other than obligations of the United States, and to establish a Social Security Investment Commission to make recommendations for alternative forms of investment of the Social Security surplus in the Trust Fund.

Sponsor: Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1716 : Property Tax Relief Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the deduction for real property taxes on the principal residences to all individuals whether or not they itemize other deductions.

Sponsor: Rep Hill, Baron P. [IN-9] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1767 : Fair Housing Tax Credit Extension Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the first-time homebuyer credit retroactive to the beginning of 2008 and to permanently extend the credit.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 3/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/26/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1804 : Federal Retirement Reform Act of 2009 to amend title 5, United States Code, to make certain modifications in the Thrift Savings Plan, the Civil Service Retirement System, and the Federal Employees’ Retirement System, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (4) Related Bill H.R.108

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/1/2009 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13048556&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.1809 : TRICARE Prime Geographic Expansion. To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the geographical coverage of TRICARE Prime to include Puerto Rico and Guam.

Sponsor: Rep Pierluisi, Pedro R. [PR] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1818 : Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability and to their dependents.

Sponsor: Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1849 : World War I Memorial and Centennial Act of 2009 to designate the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the National World War I Memorial, to establish the World War I centennial commission to ensure a suitable observance of the centennial of World War I, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (11) Related Bill S.760

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 4/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.

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H.R.1851 : DOL Transitional Services. To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that certain members of the Armed Forces receive employment assistance, job training assistance, and other transitional services provided by the Secretary of Labor before separating from active duty service.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1872 : Secure Electronic Military Separation Act to require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to develop and implement a secure electronic method of forwarding the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) to the appropriate office of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the State or other locality in which a member of the Armed Forces will first reside after the discharge or release of the member from active duty.

Sponsor: Rep Space, Zachary T. [OH-18] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1879 : National Guard Employment Protection Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for employment and reemployment rights for certain individuals ordered to full-time National Guard duty.

Sponsor: Rep Coffman, Mike [CO-6] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805

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H.R.1902 : Providing Real Outreach for Veterans Act of 2009 to provide veterans with individualized notice about available benefits, to streamline application processes for the benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1919 : Federal Withholding Tax Repeal Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the withholding of income and social security taxes.

Sponsor: Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.1963 : Military Separation Transitional Services. To amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that members of the Armed Forces who are being separated from active duty receive comprehensive employment assistance, job training assistance, and other transitional services, to require that such members receive a psychological evaluation in addition to the physical examination they receive as part of their separation from active duty, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.1982 : Veterans Entitlement to Service (VETS) Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to acknowledge the receipt of medical, disability, and pension claims and other communications submitted by veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. [MI-13] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/22/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

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H.R.1994 : Citizen Soldier Equality Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide equity between active and reserve component members of the Armed Forces in the computation of disability retired pay for members wounded in action.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Geoff [KY-4] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.2014 : WASP Gold Medal Award. To award a congressional gold medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (“WASP”).

Sponsor: Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (334) – Companion Bill S.614

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 4/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, 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.

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H.R.2017 : MOAA Federal Charter. To amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (51) – Companion Bill S.832

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.

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H.R.2059 : SBP Disabled Child Trust. To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the payment of monthly annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to a supplemental or special needs trust established for the sole benefit of a disabled dependent child of a participant in the Survivor Benefit Plan.

Sponsor: Rep Foster, Bill [IL-14] (introduced 4/23/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2127 : Veterans Travel Equity Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the income eligibility and service-connected disability rating requirements for the veterans beneficiary travel program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] (introduced 4/27/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/1/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2138 : Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act to provide grants to establish veteran’s treatment courts.

Sponsor: Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] (introduced 4/28/2009) Cosponsors (7) – Related Bill S.902

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy.

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H.R.2180 : Disabled Vet Housing Loan Fee Waiver. To amend title 38, United States Code, to waive housing loan fees for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities called to active service.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 4/29/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

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H.R.2243 : Surviving Spouses Benefit Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (50)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13303636&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.2244 : Single Parent Protection Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an individual who is entitled to receive child support a refundable credit equal to the amount of unpaid child support and to increase the tax liability of the individual required to pay such support by the amount of the unpaid child support.

Sponsor: Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2254 : The Agent Orange Equity Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (29)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13301656&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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H.R.2257 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (None) – Related Bill S.315

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2263 : Disability Equity Act to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the waiting periods for people with disabilities for entitlement to disability benefits and Medicare, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2270 : Benefits for Qualified World War II Veterans Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the establishment of a compensation fund to make payments to qualified World War II veterans on the basis of certain qualifying service.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/6/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2302 : Military Retired Pay Fairness Act of 2009 to amend title 10, United States Code, to limit recoupments of separation pay, special separation benefits, and voluntary separation incentive from members of the Armed Forces subsequently receiving retired or retainer pay.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 5/7/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2342 : Wounded Warrior Project Family Caregiver Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a family caregiver program to furnish support services to family members certified as family caregivers who provide personal care services for certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] (introduced 5/11/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2365 : Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 2009 to require the establishment of a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security and Medicare benefits under titles II and XVIII of the Social Security Act.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 5/12/2009) Cosponsors (33)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 5/12/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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.

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H.R.2379 : Veterans’ Group Life Insurance Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide certain veterans an opportunity to increase the amount of Veterans’ Group Life Insurance.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/13/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/13/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2389 : Veterans’ Group Life Insurance Improvement Act of 2009 to require the Secretary of Defense to establish registries of members and former members of the Armed Forces exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed to such hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Hill, Baron P. [IN-9] (introduced 5/13/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2405 : Richard Helm Veterans’ Access to Local Health Care Options and Resources Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide veterans enrolled in the health system of the Department of Veterans Affairs the option of receiving covered health services through facilities other than those of the Department.

Sponsor: Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

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H.R.2412 : Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas.

Sponsor: Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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H.R.2419 : Military Personnel War Zone Toxic Exposure Prevention Act to require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical surveillance system to identify members of the Armed Forces exposed to chemical hazards resulting from the disposal of waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, to prohibit the disposal of waste by the Armed Forces in a manner that would produce dangerous levels of toxins, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

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H.R.2429 : Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 2009 to require the establishment of a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security benefits under title II of the Social Security Act.

Sponsor: Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Ways and Means; House Education and Labor

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, 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.

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H.R.2474 : Veterans Educational Equity Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that in the case of an individual entitled to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance program who is enrolled at an institution of higher education in a State in which the public institutions charge only fees in lieu of tuition, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall allow the individual to use all or any portion of the amounts payable for the established charges for the program of education to pay any amount of the individual’s tuition or fees for that program of education.

Sponsor: Rep McKeon, Howard P. “Buck” [CA-25] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (44)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2486 : Vet Organization Funeral Detail Support. To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for support of funeral ceremonies for veterans provided by details that consist solely of members of veterans organizations and other organizations, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Gohmert, Louie [TX-1] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2504 : Homeless Vet VA Appropriation Increase. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the annual amount authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2505 : Reaching Rural Veterans through Telehealth Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to utilize tele-health platforms to assist in the treatment of veterans living in rural areas who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2506 : Veterans Hearing and Assessment Act to direct the Secretary of Defense to ensure the members of the Armed Forces receive mandatory hearing screenings before and after deployments and to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to mandate that tinnitus be listed as a mandatory condition for treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs Auditory Centers of Excellence and that research on the preventing, treating, and curing of tinnitus be conducted.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 5/19/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2546 : Right to Display Service Flag. To ensure that the right of an individual to display the Service flag on residential property not be abridged.

Sponsor: Rep Boccieri, John A. [OH-16] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Financial Services

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

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H.R.2553 : Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act to authorize the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of participation in the testing of nuclear weapons or under other circumstances.

Sponsor: Rep Tiahrt, Todd [KS-4] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (8) – Related bill S.1128

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2559 : Help Our Homeless Veterans Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a national media campaign directed at homeless veterans and veterans at risk for becoming homeless.

Sponsor: Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2573 : Atomic Veterans Relief Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the eligibility criteria for presumption of service-connection of certain diseases and disabilities for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation during military service, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2583 : Women Veterans Access to Care Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve health care for women veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2585 : Protecting the Retirement of Our Troops by Ensuring Compensation is Timely Act to delay any presumption of death in connection with the kidnapping in Iraq or Afghanistan of a retired member of the Armed Forces to ensure the continued payment of the member’s retired pay.

Sponsor: Rep Broun, Paul C. [GA-10] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.2586 : Honor Guard 13-fold Flag Recitation Option. To prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from authorizing honor guards to participate in funerals of veterans interred in national cemeteries unless the honor guards may offer veterans’ families the option of having the honor guard perform a 13-fold flag recitation, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Broun, Paul C. [GA-10] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (45)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2594 : Dependent State Plot VA Allowance. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide a plot allowance for spouses and children of certain veterans who are buried in State cemeteries.

Sponsor: Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (44)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2598 : Bataan/Corregidor/Luzon Gold Medal. To grant a congressional gold medal to American military personnel who fought in defense of Bataan/Corregidor/Luzon between December 7, 1941 and May 6, 1942.

Sponsor: Rep Heinrich, Martin [NM-1] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (21)

Committees: House Financial Services; House Administration

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, 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.

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H.R.2621 : Travel Expense Reimbursement Time Requirement. To amend title 10, United States Code, to use a time requirement for determining eligibility for the reimbursement of certain travel expenses.

Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Kevin [CA-22] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

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H.R.2638 : Veterans Stamp to Honor American Veterans Act to provide for the issuance of a veterans health care stamp.

Sponsor: Rep Shuler, Heath [NC-11] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 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.

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H.R.2642 : Veterans Missing in America Act of 2009 to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assist in the identification of unclaimed and abandoned human remains to determine if any such remains are eligible for burial in a national cemetery, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2647 : National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] (by request) (introduced 6/2/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/11/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .

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H.R.2672 : Help Veterans Own Franchises Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow credits for the establishment of franchises with veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Schock, Aaron [IL-18] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2673 : Surviving Spouse Pension Upgrade. To amend title 38, United States Code, to match the pension amount paid to surviving spouses of veterans who served during a period of war to the pension amount paid to such veterans.

Sponsor: Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2683 : To establish the American Veterans Congressional Internship Program.

Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: House Administration

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

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H.R.2689 : D-Day Memorial. To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, as a unit of the National Park System.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (7) – Related bill S.1207

Committees: House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

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H.R.2696 : Servicemembers’ Rights Protection Act to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide for the enforcement of rights afforded under that Act.

Sponsor: Rep Miller, Brad [NC-13] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2698 : Veterans’ and Survivors’ Behavioral Health Awareness Act to improve and enhance the mental health care benefits available to veterans, to enhance counseling and other benefits available to survivors of veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2699 : Armed Forces Behavioral Health Awareness Act to improve the mental health care benefits available to members of the Armed Forces, to enhance counseling available to family members of members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Giffords, Gabrielle [AZ-8] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, 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.

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H.R.2713 : Disabled Veterans Life Insurance Enhancement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the service disabled veterans’ insurance program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Donnelly, Joe [IN-2] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2734 : Health Care for Family Caregivers Act of 2009 to amend section 1781 of title 38, United States Code, to provide medical care to family members of disabled veterans who serve as caregivers to such veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Perriello, Thomas S.P. [VA-5] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2735 : Homeless Vet Service Program Improvements. To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2738 : Family Caregiver Travel Expense Compensation. To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide travel expenses for family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment facilities.

Sponsor: Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2756 : Veterans Home Loan Refinance Opportunity Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow eligible veterans to use qualified veterans mortgage bonds to refinance home loans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] (introduced 6/8/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

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H.R.2771 : Military Overpayment Fairness Act of 2009 to amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to provide a more equitable process by which the military departments may recover overpayments of military pay and allowances erroneously paid to a member of the Armed Forces when the overpayment is due to no fault of the member, to expand Department discretion regarding remission or cancellation of indebtedness, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] (introduced 6/9/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

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H.R.2774 : Families of Veterans Financial Security Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the extension of the duration of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance coverage for totally disabled veterans.

Sponsor: Rep Halvorson, Deborah L. [IL-11] (introduced 6/9/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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H.R.2788 : Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act to designate a Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California.

Sponsor: Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44] (introduced 6/10/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

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H.R.2830 : Medical Care for Unemployed Priority 8 Vets. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to give priority to unemployed veterans in furnishing hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to certain veterans assigned to priority level 8.

Sponsor: Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] (introduced 6/11/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/11/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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Senate

S.35 : IRS Sales Tax Permanent Deduction. A bill to provide a permanent deduction for State and local general sales taxes. Companion Bill H.R.369.

Sponsor: Sen Hutchison, Kay Bailey [TX] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.66 : Disabled Vet Space A. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit former members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated as total to travel on military aircraft in the same manner and to the same extent as retired members of the Armed Forces are entitled to travel on such aircraft.

Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.67 : Disabled POW Commissary/Exchange Use. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize certain disabled former prisoners of war to use Department of Defense commissary and exchange stores.

Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.68 : Filipino Service Certification. A bill to require the Secretary of the Army to determine the validity of the claims of certain Filipinos that they performed military service on behalf of the United States during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.94 : Long-Term Care Family Accessibility Act. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a nonrefundable tax credit for long-term care insurance premiums.

Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Major Action: 1/13/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.239 : Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans Health Administration in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State. Companion Bill H.R.190.

Sponsor: Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.246 : Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality of care provided to veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, to encourage highly qualified doctors to serve in hard-to-fill positions in such medical facilities, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.252 : Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals, to improve the provision of health care veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

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S.263 : Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enforcement of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1474.

Sponsor: Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.274 : Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an incentive to hire unemployed veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Baucus, Max [MT] (introduced 1/16/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/16/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.296 : Fair Tax Act of 2009. A bill to promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.

Sponsor: Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/22/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.307 : Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act of 2009. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide flexibility in the manner in which beds are counted for purposes of determining whether a hospital may be designated as a critical access hospital under the Medicare program and to exempt from the critical access hospital inpatient bed limitation the number of beds provided for certain veterans. Companion Bill H.R.668

Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 1/22/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 1/22/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.315 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.32

Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill H.R.2257

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.347 : Vet Hand Loss Traumatic Injury Protection. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to distinguish between the severity of a qualifying loss of a dominant hand and a qualifying loss of a non-dominant hand for purposes of traumatic injury protection under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Ensign, John [NV] (introduced 1/29/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.402 : Keeping Our Promise to America’s Military Veterans Act. A bill to improve the lives of our Nation’s veterans and their families and provide them with the opportunity to achieve the American dream.

Sponsor: Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.404 : Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1377.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/10/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators refer to http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13048301&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.407 : Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009. A bill to increase, effective as of December 1, 2009, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (17)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/11/2009 Held at the desk.

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S.423 : Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize advance appropriations for certain medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs by providing two-fiscal year budget authority, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (49)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12703276

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S.491 : Federal and Military Retiree Health Care Equity Act. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums. Companion Bill H.R.1203.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (36)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.498 : Vet Dental Insurance. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize dental insurance for veterans and survivors and dependents of veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 2/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.514 : Veterans Rehabilitation and Training Improvements Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance vocational rehabilitation benefits for veterans, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.297.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.535 : SBP DIC Offset Elimination. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans’ dependency and indemnity compensation, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.775.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (47)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/5/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senator send a message via http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=12848666&type=CO

________________________________________

S.543 : Veteran and Servicemember Family Caregiver Support Act of 2009. A bill to require a pilot program on training, certification, and support for family caregivers of seriously disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces to provide caregiver services to such veterans and members, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.785.

Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 3/6/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.546 : Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit certain retired members of the uniformed services who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service of Combat-Related Special Compensation. Companion Bill H.R.811.

Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (38)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/9/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12904686&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

________________________________________

S.572 : Purple Heart Forever Stamp. A bill to provide for the issuance of a “forever stamp” to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the armed forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart. Companion Bill H.R.1305.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 3/11/2009) Cosponsors (11)

Committees: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2009 Referred to Senate subcommittee. Status: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security.

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S.597 : Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1211

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (19)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.606 : Veterans Corps Program. A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a Veterans Corps program.

Sponsor: Sen Warner, Mark R. [VA] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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S.614 : WASP Gold Medal Award. A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (“WASP”).

Sponsor: Sen Hutchison, Kay Bailey [TX] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (75) – Companion Bill H.R.2014

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

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S.642 : Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009. A bill to require the Secretary of Defense to establish registries of members and former members of the Armed Forces exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed to such hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bayh, Evan [IN] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.644 : National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to include service after September 11, 2001, as service qualifying for the determination of a reduced eligibility age for receipt of non-regular service retired pay. Companion Bill H.R.208. Related Bill S.831

Sponsor: Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (12)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/ncoausa/issues/alert/?alertid=12995086&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12960556

________________________________________

S.658 : Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care for veterans who live in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Tester, Jon [MT] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.663 : Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (30)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.669 : Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the conditions under which certain persons may be treated as adjudicated mentally incompetent for certain purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 3/23/2009) Cosponsors (15)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

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S.691 : Colorado National Cemetery for Veterans. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southern Colorado region, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.699 : South Texas Veterans’ Hospital. A bill to provide for the construction by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of a full service hospital in Far South Texas.

Sponsor: Sen Cornyn, John [TX] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.700 : Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009. A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to phase out the 24-month waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits, to eliminate the waiting period for individuals with life-threatening conditions, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1708.

Sponsor: Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] (introduced 3/25/2009) Cosponsors (16)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.728 : Veterans’ Insurance and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance veterans’ insurance benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/26/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.

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S.731 : TRICARE Coverage For “Gray Area” Reservists. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for continuity of TRICARE Standard coverage for certain members of the Retired Reserve. Companion Bill H.R.270

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] (introduced 3/26/2009) Cosponsors (20)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/26/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. ‘

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805&False&False

________________________________________

S.734 : Rural Veterans Health Care Access and Quality Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain physicians in Health Professional Shortage Areas and to improve the provision of health care to veterans in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 3/30/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/30/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.746 : Nebraska National Cemetery. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County region to serve veterans in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northwest Missouri.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, E. Benjamin [NE] (introduced 3/31/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.760 : National World War I Memorial. A bill to designate the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the “National World War I Memorial”.

Sponsor: Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (1) – Related Bill H.R.1849

Committees: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 4/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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S.768 : Bataan Gold Medal Initiative. A bill to grant the Congressional Gold Medal to the soldiers from the United States who were prisoners of war at Bataan during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Udall, Tom [NM] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.772 : Honor Act of 2009. A bill to enhance benefits for survivors of certain former members of the Armed Forces with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, to enhance availability and access to mental health counseling for members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bond, Christopher S. [MO] (introduced 4/1/2009) Cosponsors (10)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.793 : Department of Veterans Affairs Vision Scholars Act of 2009. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in the areas of visual impairment and orientation and mobility.

Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.801 : Family Caregiver Program Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to waive charges for humanitarian care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to family members accompanying veterans severely injured after September 11, 2001, as they receive medical care from the Department and to provide assistance to family caregivers, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (9)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13104956&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

________________________________________

S.820 : Veterans Mobility Enhancement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the automobile assistance allowance for veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.821 : VA Copay Collection Prohibition. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 4/2/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read the second time and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.831 : National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to include service after September 11, 2001, as service qualifying for the determination of a reduced eligibility age for receipt of non-regular service retired pay.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/20/2009) Cosponsors (16) – Related Bill S.644

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805

________________________________________

S.832 : MOAA Federal Charter. A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the Military Officers Association of America, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 4/20/2009) Cosponsors (31) – Companion Bill H.R.2017

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 4/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S.842 : VA Home Loan Payoff to Mortgagers. A bill to repeal the sunset of certain enhancements of protections of servicemembers relating to mortgages and mortgage foreclosures, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay mortgage holders unpaid balances on housing loans guaranteed by Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/21/2009 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

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S.847 : SBP Education Assistance Limitation Exclusion. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide that utilization of survivors’ and dependents’ educational assistance shall not be subject to the 48-month limitation on the aggregate amount of assistance utilizable under multiple veterans and related educational assistance programs.

Sponsor: Sen Webb, Jim [VA] (introduced 4/21/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

________________________________________

S.883 : Medal of Honor Coin. A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the establishment of the Medal of Honor in 1861, America’s highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States, to honor the American military men and women who have been recipients of the Medal of Honor, and to promote awareness of what the Medal of Honor represents and how ordinary Americans, through courage, sacrifice, selfless service and patriotism, can challenge fate and change the course of history.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/23/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 4/23/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

________________________________________

S.902 : Veteran’s Treatment Courts. A bill to provide grants to establish veteran’s treatment courts.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/27/2009) Cosponsors (2) Related Bill H.R.2127

Committees: Senate Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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S. 944 – The Wounded Warrior Transition Assistance Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to require the Secretaries of the military departments to give wounded members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces the option of remaining on active duty during the transition process in order to continue to receive military pay and allowances, to authorize members to reside at their permanent places of residence during the process, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] (introduced 4/30/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/30/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13266571&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

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S.977 : Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide improved benefits for veterans who are former prisoners of war, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 5/5/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/5/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.998 : Arthur Woolweaver, Jr., Social Security Act Improvements for the Terminally Ill Act. A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period in the disability insurance program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 5/7/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 5/7/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1008 : Military Retired Pay Fairness Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to limit requirements of separation pay, special separation benefits, and voluntary separation incentive from members of the Armed Forces subsequently receiving retired or retainer pay.

Sponsor: Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] (introduced 5/7/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/7/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1015 : Enhanced Disability Compensation for Certain Disabled Veterans. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance disability compensation for certain disabled veterans with difficulties using prostheses and disabled veterans in need of regular aid and attendance for residuals of traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 5/11/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/11/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1016 : Vet Disability Compensation Award upon Separation. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the commencement of the period of payment of original awards of compensation for veterans who are retired or separated from the Uniformed services for disability.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 5/11/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/11/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1042 : Illegal Garnishment Prevention Act. A bill to prohibit the use of funds to promote the direct deposit of Veterans and Social Security benefits until adequate safeguards are established to prevent the attachment and garnishment of such benefits.

Sponsor: Sen Kohl, Herb [WI] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1055 : Gold Medal Award for 100^th Inf Bn & 442^nd RCT. A bill to grant the congressional gold medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

Sponsor: Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] (introduced 5/14/2009) Cosponsors (3) – Related bill H.R.347

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.1106 : Selected Reserve Continuum of Care Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to require the provision of medical and dental readiness services to certain members of the Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve based on medical need, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 5/20/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1109 : PRO-VETS Act of 2009. A bill to provide veterans with individualized notice about available benefits, to streamline application processes or the benefits, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 5/20/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1118 : DIC Compensation Rate Increase to 55%. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1128 : Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act. A bill to authorize the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of participation in the testing of nuclear weapons or under other circumstances.

Sponsor: Sen Roberts, Pat [KS] (introduced 5/21/2009) Cosponsors (1) – Related bill H.R.2553

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1160 : Homes for Heroes Act of 2009. A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 6/1/2009) Cosponsors (4)

Committees: Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/1/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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S.1166 : Voluntary Support for Reservists and National Guard Members Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow taxpayers to designate part or all of any income tax refund to support reservists and National Guard members.

Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Finance

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

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S.1168 : Nationally Significant Battlefields Protection. A bill to authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)

Committees: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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S.1169 : Uniformed Services with Autism (USA) Heroes Act . A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of autism under TRICARE.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 6/3/2009) Cosponsors (5)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

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S.1204 : Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act of 2009. A bill to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 6/8/2009) Cosponsors (1) Related bill H.R.1017

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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S.1207 : D-Day Memorial. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, as a unit of the National Park System.

Sponsor: Sen Warner, Mark R. [VA] (introduced 6/8/2009) Cosponsors (None) – Related bill H.R.2689

Committees: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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S.1237 : Homeless Vet Grant Program expansion. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the grant program for homeless veterans with special needs to include male homeless veterans with minor dependents and to establish a grant program for reintegration of homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 6/11/2009) Cosponsors (2)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/11/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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[Source: http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/111search.html 13 Jun 09 ++]

HEALTH CARE

Smoking Health Risks

June 17, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

Smoking Health Risks:

Health Risks

Effects on the Lungs

According to the American Lung Association, smoking is directly responsible for about 90 percent of the deaths due to lung cancer. Smoking is also responsible for the majority of deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

A study in the July 2006 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine showed that smokers with asthma who give up smoking can improve their lung function in as little as 1 week. The small study involved 21 smokers with asthma. Ten of them quit smoking for 10 weeks, while the others continued to smoke. After just a week, lung function test scores in those who stopped smoking improved considerably. In less than 2 months, lung function scores among those who stopped smoking improved by more than 15%.

Study authors say their findings show that there is a “reversible component to the harmful effects of smoking on the airways in asthma.”

Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is produced by a burning cigarette or other tobacco product. An estimated 4 million children a year get sick from being around secondhand smoke. Parental smoking has been shown to affect the lungs of infants as early as the first 2 – 10 weeks of life, and such abnormal lung function could persist throughout life.

Exposure to secondhand smoke in the home increases the risk for asthma and asthma-related emergency room visits in children who have existing asthma.

Parental smoking is believed to increase the risk for lower respiratory tract infections (such as bronchitis or pneumonia) by 50%. Environmental exposure to smoke is thought to be responsible for 150,000 – 300,000 such cases of such every year.

Effects on the Heart and Blood Vessels

All forms of tobacco raise one’s heart attack risk. Smoking, chewing tobacco, and being exposed to secondhand smoke greatly increase one’s risk of a heart attack. In some cases, the risk of heart problems in people who smoke or are epoxies to smoke may be three times greater, according to a study published in the Lancet. However, the study also found that the risk of a heart attack among those who stopped smoking slowly decreased over time.

Effects on Male Fertility and Impotence

Smoking has a negative affect on a man’s sexuality and fertility. Heavy smoking is frequently cited as a contributory factor in impotence because it decreases the amount of blood flowing into the penis. One study noted that among men with high blood pressure, smoking caused a 26-fold increase in impotence.

Smoking impairs sperm motility, reduces sperm lifespan, and may cause genetic changes that can affect a man’s offspring. One 2002 trial found that men or women who smoke have lower success rates with fertility treatments. An earlier study reported that men who smoke also have lower sex drives and less frequent sex.

Effects on Pregnancy and Female Infertility

Studies have linked cigarette smoking to many reproductive problems. Continuing to smoke during pregnancy may also cause health problems in the baby.

Negative effects of smoking on female fertility include:

Greater risk for infertility. Women at greatest risk for fertility problems are those who smoke one or more packs a day and who started smoking before age 18.
Earlier menopause. Women who smoke tend to start menopause at an earlier age than nonsmokers, perhaps because toxins in cigarette smoke damage eggs.
Pregnancy complications. Women who smoke have a greater risk for ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.

Effects on Unborn Child. Smoking during pregnancy is harmful to an unborn child in many ways. Smoking reduces the mother’s folate levels, a B vitamin that is important for preventing birth defects. Pregnant women who smoke increase the risk for stillbirth, prematurity and low birth weight in their babies. Infant mortality rates in pregnant smokers are increased by 33%, mostly because of low birth rate.

Some women carry particular genes that may make it especially likely that they will deliver low birth weight infants if they smoke, although newborns of all female smokers have a greater risk for low weight.

The good news is that women who quit before becoming pregnant or even during the first trimester reduce the risk for a low birth weight baby to that of women who never smoked.

Children of mothers who smoke during pregnancy may also be at increased risk for obesity and diabetes.

Women who want to become pregnant should try smoking cessation aids before they try to conceive and make all attempts to quit. If new mothers cannot quit, they should be sure not to smoke in the same room as their infant. This simple behavior can considerably reduce the risks to the child.

Effects on Bones and Joints

Smoking has many harmful effects on bones and joints:

Smoking can keep new bone from forming. Women who smoke are at high risk for loss of bone density and osteoporosis.

Postmenopausal women who smoke have a significantly greater risk for hip fracture than those who do not.
Smokers are more apt to develop degenerative disorders and injuries in the spine.
Smokers have more trouble recovering from surgeries, including knee or hip replacements.
Smokers whose jobs involve lifting heavy objects are more likely to develop low back pain than nonsmokers.
Smoking may increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis in some older women. A 2006 study in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases showed that smoking nearly doubled the risk of rheumatoid arthritis in postmenopausal women who did not have the most established genetic risk factor for the disease, a genotype called HLA-DRB1 SE.

Smoking and Diabetes

Smoking may increase the risk of developing diabetes. Researchers involved in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS) looked at the relationship between smoking and diabetes and found that 25% of smokers who started the trial with normal blood sugar had diabetes 5 years later compared to 14% of non-smokers. The results were published in Diabetes Care.

A study released in 2006 supports earlier beliefs that smokers have a higher risk of developing glucose intolerance, a condition that precedes diabetes. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, involved 4,572 people. The findings suggest that chemicals in smoke could affect the pancreas. The pancreas is the organ that produces insulin, which helps control blood sugar (glucose) levels.

Smoking and the Gastrointestinal Tract

Smoking increases acid production in the stomach. It also reduces blood flow and production of compounds that protect the stomach lining.

Diverticulitis. A 2000 study suggested that smoking was a major risk factor in diverticulitis, a condition in which small bumps develop in the wall of the colon. In addition, smokers were at risk for complications from diverticulitis, including bleeding and abscess. Diverticulitis mostly affects people over age 50.

Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital

ENTERTAINMENT

How the Rockets fit into this year’s draft

June 12, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

Mystery And Intrigue

How the Rockets fit into this year’s draft
Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff Writer

htown Aaron Brooks’ speed and finishing ability caught the Rockets’ attention during his pre-draft workout.

Houston – 12 prospects. 2 days. An infinite number of possibilities. That’s the vibe permeating Toyota Center right now after the Rockets sent a dozen draft eligible prospects through their paces Monday and Tuesday.

The team is keeping its cards carefully hidden, so don’t even ask for the players’ names – the Rockets aren’t sharing. Knowledge is power and Houston’s brain trust has no desire to divulge even the tiniest of secrets which might tip their hand in any way.

That there would be such mystery and intrigue seems appropriate given the draft position the Rockets currently occupy; which is to say, they don’t – not in the traditional sense, anyway. With selection day approximately two weeks away, Houston is preparing for a draft in which it owns exactly zero picks, putting the Rockets in the perhaps enviable position of a lurker at a garage sale, free to examine all the possibilities until they find a deal upon which they want to pounce.

“People say, ‘You don’t have any draft picks, so you don’t have as much to do. It’s going to be a slow offseason,’” laughs Gersson Rosas, the Rockets’ Director of Player Personnel. “But it’s actually going to be the exact opposite for us because you just don’t know if you’re going to get in the draft and you have to be prepared for any and every scenario that might present itself.”

Indeed, the rumors involving the Rockets have already started flying. Tuesday morning a report surfaced saying Houston had “approached” Memphis to express its interest in possibly obtaining the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft. Such wild speculation is commonplace this time of the year and there’s no denying the fact 99 percent of these rumors end up being much ado about nothing.

But reports like those do serve to illustrate the anything-is-possible nature of this draft from Houston’s standpoint. The Rockets have been up front from the beginning about their desire to buy a pick on June 25th and the most likely scenario still involves them doing so either late in the first round or at some point in the second. But… the club has also stated its intent to be opportunistic, so if something bigger happens to come along, Houston will be ready.

All of which brings us back to this week’s workouts. Knowing that a plethora of potential scenarios could come knocking at the door over the course of the coming weeks, the Rockets know they must do their due diligence in order to ensure they’re ready for absolutely anything. So they invite players in – bigs and smalls, well-known and unknown – to get a closer look. It’s the same process the team has undertaken around the world – be it Chicago, Illinois for the NBA’s official pre-draft camp or Treviso, Italy for the Reebok Eurocamp –in an effort to make sure no stone, or diamond in the rough if you will, is left unturned.

“We put players in situations where we can evaluate whether or not what they do translates,” says Rosas. “With point guards – can they play pick-and-roll in some of our offensive sets? Can they defend and operate in some of our defensive schemes? With wings – how are they getting their shots? Can they come off screens? What position are they most comfortable defending? And bigs – evaluating offensively and defensively what their technique and fundamentals are like in the post.

“The biggest evaluation question for us is: What part of their game translates? Additionally, how does what they do fit in with us? The answer to that is primarily based on physical, athletic, fundamental and intangible attributes. There have been a lot of very productive college players whose games have not translated because of a number of factors; a very common one is that they’re just not athletic enough to impact this level, or they’re a bad fit as their system in college has been set up entirely to help them be productive.”

Also important is the effort and competitiveness displayed by the players involved. A classic example of this came at the tail end of Tuesday’s intense two-hour workout, when the Rockets were putting the bigs through their “Superman” drill – a grueling, repetitive dunking exercise designed to test each player’s athleticism, endurance and ability to push through the pain and exhaustion.

Just to repeat: This is a drill the Rockets typically only run with the big men on hand. But after having heard the top score on record, one of the wings boldly declared he could top it and the assembled coaches and staff were only too happy to let him try. Sixty seconds later, the record still stood but that sort of competitiveness and confidence catches one’s attention; which is exactly what this process is all about.

“We want to see what kind of kids they are,” says Rosas. “How they take instruction, how competitive they are and how much they care about winning and losing. Can they be a good teammate? Do they have any natural leadership abilities? There’s a lot that we get from it. There’s nothing like being on the floor with these guys as they go through the drills. You can sit on the side and get a sense for what they can and can’t do, but getting on the floor with them on the floor and running them through drills, the feedback you obtain is invaluable.

“We try to get as much as we can from the process but we realize not every player coming through here is going to ace the process. We’ve had some players, who have come in and struggled, but they show enough fundamentally and in technique that you see there’s something there, an indicator that this is someone who could be a diamond in the rough you should continue to track.

“One of the biggest benefits for us in terms of the draft workout is that it helps identify what guys can and can’t do, and sometimes the result is that they’re not good enough to play in this league at this point in their career but it doesn’t mean that we close the door. It just means that if we don’t draft them or sign them, we’re going to evaluate their development even closer either overseas or in the D-League. We know this guy can’t go left, or we know that he doesn’t have a mid-range game, or we know that he can’t defend the one, but if we see that there’s good development overseas or in the D-League, then that’s something we’re going to track and see if there’s potential for growth in those areas.”

These workouts are not the end-all and be-all of player evaluation, of course. It’s only one piece of the puzzle with the player’s body of work either overseas or in college serving as the most significant piece by far. But just as in any job interview, there’s nothing quite like wowing your would-be employer in a face-to-face setting which is something recent Rockets’ draft choices have taken advantage of in the past.

“We come into these workouts specifically targeting players and specifically targeting points of emphasis to analyze them,” Rosas says. “But I will tell you: It’s the prospect’s total body of work that gets them here. It’s been refreshing that you do the work as a staff and you bring them in for a workout and they confirm a lot of your thoughts in terms of the strengths and weaknesses in their game. A guy like Aaron Brooks, he had a very competitive workout with us. Seeing his speed firsthand in a workout with us was special. His ability to finish and shoot, we’d seen it in games and we’d done our homework, but it’s still nice to get into a scenario like a workout where you can see just how special it is and how he uses it to his advantage.

“Maarty Leunen was another guy who had a little bit more game than he showed at the college level – it wasn’t the team’s fault, it was just he played with a lot of good talent – but we felt like more of his game translated to the next level. He’s a guy who’s had a solid year in Europe because he’s a big who can pick-and-pop, shoot and defends and rebounds better than you would think. He needs experience and that’s why he’s in Europe, but he’s a guy who we liked and to get him in a situation where you can confirm some of those strengths and weaknesses in his game is key.

“But as many guys who have come in and done well in our process, there are many more who have come in and struggled, which then forces us to step back and reanalyze the body of work and make an informed decision on the prospect. The workout itself will not make or break the player; it’s just another piece of the puzzle.”

That’s the process the Rockets are sorting through right now after spending the last year scouring the globe and digesting countless hours of tape. The fruits of their labor are about to be revealed though no one, not even upper management, knows what the end result will be. Still, you get the feeling the Rockets are feeling right at home in their current position.

“We’ve got a lot of flexibility with our roster,” says Rosas. “And, in terms of being out of the draft at this point, we’ve evaluated a large pool just to be thorough and look to see what might be high value opportunities at certain points in the draft. We’ve got a great owner who gives us the resources to do our job and a General Manager who believes in the draft and a coach who’s very open to playing and developing young players, which isn’t always the case. As scouts, you can’t ask for anything better – you’ve got a reason to do your job and you’ve got people supporting you. Our work is not in vain.

“Not having any picks, it’s harder to get guys in for workouts but we’ve got a great staff in place that is very resourceful. All we want to do is be thoroughly prepared to make the best decision for our team in case the opportunity presents itself. You go into the draft not knowing where you’re going to be, but you can know, study and evaluate all the players. Whether it’s a prospect that’s best available, a player we feel can help us at a position of need or a future bet, we will be well-prepared to make those decisions moving forward.”

HEALTH CARE

Stair Design Could Help Fight Obesity

June 11, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

Changes In Stair Design Could Help Fight Obesity
The fight against obesity, according to an article in the June Southern Medical Journal, official journal of the Southern Medical Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.

“Changing stair design to encourage their use requires a set of interventions on both architectural and legislative levels to create physical environments that support active living,” write the authors, led by Dr. Ishak A. Mansi of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport. His wife, architect Nardine M. Mansi, is one of the co-authors.

Current Design Discourages Staircase Use

Encouraging people to take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator is a promising approach to increasing moderate physical activity, the Mansis and their co-authors believe. “It involves a lifestyle choice that must be made (people must get to their destination) and it requires no personal financial cost.”

But would climbing the stairs a few times a day really have that much of an impact on overweight and obesity? The authors point out that ordinary day-to-day physical activities contribute the most to total energy expenditure the key factor in maintaining a healthy body weight. Some simple changes in the design and location of staircases could help to make buildings more “physical activity friendly” and contribute to Research suggests that light to moderate physical activity is most effective in motivating people who are currently inactive and obese.

But current approaches to stair design pose a problem. “Stairs are frequently hidden from entrances, with only small signs denoting their locations, typically in connection to the fire exit,” according to the article. Fire exits are usually guarded by heavy doors, not carpeted, and not air-conditioned. Architects find it challenging enough to comply with current building codes emphasizing fire safety and accessibility. “As a result, a conscious focus on health does not enter the design process.”

Suggestions for Improving Stair Design

Some simple interventions can do much toward encouraging people to take the stairs, research suggests. For example, a study performed at a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention building found that playing music in stairwells and displaying motivational signs significantly increased the use of stairs.

These and other measures to make stairs attractive, safe, and readily accessible could help to make buildings more “physical activity-friendly,” the authors write. They suggest several ways to make stairs more comfortable and inviting for example, making staircases wider with less height per step and adding music, lighting, and air-conditioning.

Such efforts would readily fit in with recommended policy and environmental changes to increase physical activity. “State and local agencies are being encouraged by federal and nongovernmental organizations to use policy interventions to address the public health problem of physical activity,” according to the Mansis and their co-authors. They call for physicians, architects, and other professionals to work together to promote change in such policies. They conclude, “Perhaps now is the time to address the need for standard national building codes that incorporate health concerns and support active living.”

About the Southern Medical Journal

The Southern Medical Journal is published monthly by the Southern Medical Association and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Devoted solely to continuing education, the Journal publishes annually more than 200 original clinical articles directed to the practicing physician and surgeon on topics such as hypertension, osteoporosis, alcoholism, obesity, dementia, asthma, and diabetes and includes monthly CME features.

About the Southern Medical Association

The Southern Medical Association (SMA) has been serving physicians’ needs since its inception in 1906. SMA’s mission is to promote the health of patients through advocacy, leadership, education, and service. Mark your calendars to attend the Annual Scientific Assembly of Southern Medical Association, December 3-5, 2009 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher for healthcare professionals and students with nearly 300 periodicals and 1,500 books in more than 100 disciplines publishing under the LWW brand, as well as content-based sites and online corporate and customer services. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.

Wolters Kluwer Health is a division of Wolters Kluwer, a leading global information services and publishing company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal, and regulatory sectors. Wolters Kluwer had 2008 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.9 billion), employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 35 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices

Source: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

HEALTH CARE

REM Sleep Helps Solve Problems

June 9, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

REM Sleep Helps Solve Problems

Grabbing a quick nap may not only be refreshing but may also increase your ability to solve problems creatively, according to US researchers who suggest that REM (rapid eye movement) sleep directly enhances creative processes more than any other sleep or wakeful state.

The study was the work of a leading expert on the positive effects of napping, Dr Sara Mednick, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego and the VA San Diego Healthcare System, and colleagues, and is published online in the 8th June issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The researchers said their findings are important because they show that sleep, and REM sleep in particular, helps the brain to form “associative networks”.

Mednick said:

“For creative problems that you’ve already been working on — the passage of time is enough to find solutions.”

“However,” she added, “for new problems, only REM sleep enhances creativity.”

The researchers discovered that it looks as if REM sleep stimulates associative networks helping the brain to make new and useful connections between unrelated ideas, the key to creativity.

Previous studies have shown that sleep enhances problem solving, but they have not properly explored the effect of types of sleep, such as that with and without REM.

Also scientists don’t really know whether creative thinking improves after sleep because of the effect of the sleep itself or because going to sleep removes distractions and interference that can disrupt the consolidation of memory; so this study included a comparison group that did not sleep but just had quiet rest.

Mednick and colleagues used a creativity task called Remote Associates Test (RAT) where participants were shown groups of three words (for example “cookie”, “heart”, “sixteen”) and asked to find a fourth word that linked them all together (eg the word “sweet” in the example).

The participants did the test in the morning and then again in the afternoon after they had either had a nap with REM sleep, a nap without REM sleep, or spent some quiet time resting with no verbal inputs.

The results showed that the three groups performed the same on memory tests, but although the quiet rest and non-REM nap group had the same exposure to the task, their performance on the RAT test was the same in the morning and the afternoon.

But what was striking was that the nap with REM group improved their performance by 40 per cent in the afternoon compared to the morning.

“Compared with quiet rest and non-REM sleep, REM enhanced the formation of associative networks and the integration of unassociated information,” wrote the authors.

They suggested that REM sleep causes changes in the levels of neurotransmitters, or more specifically “changes in cholinergic and noradrenergic neuromodulation” in the brain and this makes new linkages between previously unlinked networks which enhances “the integration of unassociated information for creative problem solving”.

“REM, not incubation, improves creativity by priming associative networks.”
Denise J Cai, Sarnoff A Mednick, Elizabeth M Harrison, Jennifer C Kanady, and Sara C Mednick
PNAS published online before print June 8, 2009
doi:10.1073/pnas.0900271106

Sources: American Diabetes Association, WebMD, National Diabetes Information Clearing House (NDIC).

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD

HEALTH CARE

What Is Dialysis? What Is Kidney Dialysis?

June 7, 2009 Waiting Room USA Leave a comment

Dialysis is the artificial process of getting rid of waste (diffusion) and unwanted water (ultrafiltration) from the blood. This process is naturally done by our kidneys. Some people, however, may have failed or damaged kidneys which cannot carry out the function properly – they may need dialysis. In other words, dialysis is the artificial replacement for lost kidney function (renal replacement therapy). Dialysis may be used for people who have become ill and have acute kidney failure (temporary loss of kidney function), or for fairly stable patients who have permanently lost kidney function (stage 5 chronic kidney disease).

When we are healthy our kidneys regulate our body levels of water and minerals, and remove waste. The kidneys also produce erythropoietin and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (calcitriol) as part of the endocrine system. Dialysis does not correct the endocrine functions of failed kidneys – it only replaces some kidney functions, such as waste removal and fluid removal.

Dialysis and altitude – A study found that death rates for dialysis patients are 10%-15% lower for those whose homes are higher than 4,000 feet, compared to those who live at sea level.

Some countries, such as the UK, are predicting a doubling of the number of patients on dialysis machine.

Urology / Nephrology News

The latest Urology News & Nephrology News articles published daily. Includes news on kidney failure, dialysis, urinary tract diseases, urologic oncology, incontinence, kidney stones, cancers of the bladder, kidney, ureter, testicles, penis and urethra.

Why is dialysis necessary?

Approximately 1,500 liters of blood are filtered by a healthy person’s kidneys each day. We could not live if waste products were not removed from our kidneys. People whose kidneys either do not work properly or not at all experience a buildup of waste in their blood. Without dialysis the amount of waste products in the blood would increase and eventually reach levels that would cause coma and death.

Dialysis is also used to rapidly remove toxins or drugs from the blood.

There are two main types of dialysis – hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis

What type of dialysis a patient should have really does depend on each individual case. Studies have indicated clearly that for kidney disease patients who need to undergo dialysis, one type of treatment is not best for all.

What is hemodialysis?

The blood circulates outside the body of the patient – it goes through a machine that has special filters. The blood comes out of the patient through a catheter (a flexible tube) that is inserted into the vein. The filters do what the kidney’s do; they filter out the waste products from the blood. The filtered blood then returns to the patient via another catheter. The patient is, in effect, connected to a kind of artificial kidney.

Patients need to be prepared for hemodialysis. A blood vessel, usually in the arm, needs to be enlarged. Surgery is required for this. The enlarged vein makes the insertion of the catheters possible. US researchers have developed a new way of growing blood vessels using patients’ own skin cells to seed the growth of tissue and have tested it in dialysis patients with end stage kidney disease.

Hemodialysis usually lasts about 3 to 4 hours each week. The duration of each session depends on how well the patient’s kidneys work, and how much fluid weight the patient has gained between treatments.

In the UK hemodialysis is either done in a special dialysis center in a hospital, or at home. When it is carried out at home it is important that the patient, and/or his/her caregiver knows what to do. A study revealed that kidney disease patients who are educated about dialysis are more likely to undergo a standard but under-utilized dialysis-related procedure than less knowledgeable patients The following people may have hemodialysis done at home:

People who can and want to learn how to do it at home.
People who are willing to carry on doing it at home.
People whose condition has been stable while on dialysis.
People who do not suffer from other diseases which would make home hemodialysis unsafe.
People who have suitable blood vessels for the insertion of the catheters.
People who have a caregiver, and that caregiver is willing to help with hemodialysis. People whose homes can be adapted for hemodialysis equipment.

In the UK, the National Institutes of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that every patient deemed suitable for home dialysis should have both home dialysis and hospital offered.

What is peritoneal dialysis?

A sterile (dialysate) solution rich in minerals and glucose is run through a tube into the peritoneal cavity, the abdominal body cavity around the intestine, where the peritoneal membrane acts as a semi-permeable membrane.

The abdomen is the area between the chest and hips – it contains the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen. Peritoneal dialysis uses the natural filtering ability of the peritoneum – the internal lining of the abdomen. In other words, peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of the abdomen as a filter of waste products from the blood.

The dialysate is left there for some time so that it can absorb waste products. Then it is drained out through a tube and discarded. This exchange, or cycle, is generally repeated several times during the day – with an automated system it is often done overnight. The elimination of unwanted water (ultrafiltration) occurs through osmosis – as the dialysis solution has a high concentration of glucose, it results in osmotic pressure which causes the fluid to move from the blood into the dialysate. Consequently, a larger quantity of fluid is drained than introduced.

Although peritoneal dialysis is not as efficient as hemodialysis, it is carried out for longer periods. The net effect in terms of total waste product and salt and water removal is about the same as hemodialysis.

Peritoneal dialysis is done at home by the patient; by a willing and motivated patient. It gives the patient a greater amount of freedom and independence because he/she does not have to come in to the clinic at multiple times each week. It can also be done while traveling with a minimum of specialized equipment. Peritoneal dialysis is said to ‘save lives and save money’.

Before having peritoneal dialysis, the patient needs to have a small surgical procedure to insert a catheter into the abdomen. This is kept closed off, except when fluid is being introduced or taken out of the abdomen.

There are two principal types of peritoneal dialysis:

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) – this requires no machinery and can be done by the patient or a caregiver. The dialysate is left in the abdomen for up to eight hours. It is then replaced with a fresh solution straight away. This happens every day, about four to five times per day.
Continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) – a machine does the dialysis fluid exchanges. It is generally done during the night while the patient sleeps. This needs to be done every night. Each session lasts from ten to twelve hours. After spending the night attached to the machine, the majority of people keep fluid inside their abdomen during the day. Some patients may require another exchange during the day. A study found that a significant number of patients prefer “dialysis while you sleep” treatment. Another study found that nocturnal dialysis improves heart disease in patients with end-stage kidney failure.

Peritoneal is ideal for patients who may find hemodialysis too exhausting, such as elderly people, babies and children. As it can be done while the patient is traveling it is more convenient for those who have to go to school or to work.

A study found that a combination of aspirin and the anti-platelet drug dipyridamole significantly reduce blockages and extend the useful life of new artery-vein access grafts used for hemodialysis.

Dialysis helps, but is not as efficient as the kidneys

Although dialysis helps patients whose kidneys have failed, it is not as efficient as a normal kidney. Consequently, patients on dialysis need to be careful about what and how much they drink and eat. They will also need medications.

A significant number of patients on dialysis can work and lead normal lives. It is possible to go away on vacation as long as dialysis treatment is possible at their destination.

Women on dialysis will probably not be able to get pregnant. There will be a higher level of waste products in the body compared to a woman with normal kidneys – this interferes with fertility. Women who do become pregnant while on dialysis will probably need increased dialysis during the pregnancy. If a woman has a successful kidney transplant her fertility should return to normal. Dialysis has some effect on male fertility, but much less than on female fertility.

What are the symptoms of kidney failure?

Kidney failure tends to happen gradually. Even if just one kidney works, or both work partially, normal kidney function is still possible. So, it can be a very long time before any symptoms are noticed by the patient. When symptoms do occur they tend to be different from person-to-person, making it harder for doctors to diagnose kidney failure quickly. The following symptoms may be present:

Fatigue (tiredness)
Frequent need to urinate, especially at night. Frequency grows with time
Itchy skin
Erectile dysfunction (men have difficulty getting and/or sustaining an erection)
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Water retention (swollen feet, hands, ankles)
Blood in urine
Protein in urine

A sudden injury can cause kidney failure. When it does, symptoms tend to appear faster, and progress more rapidly as well.

Anemia – People with chronic kidney disease are usually affected by anemia (90% of them). When levels of EPO (erythropoietin), which is produced by the kidneys, are low, anemia can develop. EPO makes the body produce red blood cells. When your red blood cell count is low you have anemia. Chronic kidney failure patients who have anemia are usually given an ESA (erythropoiesis-stimulating agent) injection. A study found that Ferumoxytol, a novel intravenous form of iron that permits rapid administration of large doses, is effective for treating iron deficiency in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on dialysis.

What are the causes of kidney disease?

Diabetes – thought to cause about half of all cases
Hypertension (high blood pressure) – thought to cause about one quarter of all cases
Inflammation of the kidney (glomerulonephritis)
Malaria
Long-term exposure to lead, solvents and fuels
Systemic lupus erythematosus – body’s own immune system attacks the kidneys
Polycystic kidney disease – inherited
Physical injury, such as a heavy blow to the kidney
Kidney infection (pyelonephritis)
Jaundice
Over consumption of some medications
Unborn baby does not normally developing kidneys
Yellow fever

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today

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