Detailed Summary

Advancing America's Priorities Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) establish a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and establish a registry for such data; (2) provide for an education and information campaign to promote stroke prevention; and (3) award grants for a pilot project to improve stroke patient outcomes by coordinating health care delivery through telehealth networks.

Establishes programs for research, rehabilitation, and quality of life for people with paralysis.

Provides for support services to women suffering from postpartum depression and who receive a positive diagnosis of Down syndrome or other prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states to provide vision care for children.

Amends the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to expand services for homeless youth and to reauthorize funding for programs under such Act. Requires the Secretary to conduct a national homeless youth awareness campaign.

Provides additional funding to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and prosecute violations of criminal civil rights statutes that occurred not later than December 31, 1969, and resulted in death.

Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize through FY2014 the grant programs for: (1) adult and juvenile collaboration for access to adequate mental health treatment; and (2) mental health courts. Authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to train law enforcement and campus security personnel to respond appropriately to incidents involving mentally ill individuals.

Expands DOJ's authority to investigate and prosecute child pornography crimes. Extends the program to protect drug-endangered children.

Establishes the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Commemoration Commission for the national observance of the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Directs the Attorney General to implement a national strategy for child exploitation prevention and interdiction. Establishes a National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program to assist law efforcement efforts to protect children against online enticement by sexual predators. Amends the federal criminal code to enhance prohibitions against Internet child pornography.

Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add nonhuman primates to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" for purposes of the prohibition against the sale or purchase of animals in interstate or foreign commerce.

Amends the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 to make permanent the authorization of appropriations for the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network.

Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to include among eligible grant activities the development and implementation of programs for source tracking, sanitary surveys, and prevention efforts to address the identified sources of beach water pollution.

Extends funding for programs for Appalachian regional development. Reauthorizes the Appalachian Regional Commission through FY2012.

Establishes the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation to promote and support study abroad programs for U.S. students.

Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance for reconstructing and stabilizing a country or region that is in, or is in transition from, conflict or civil strife. Reauthorizes the Overseas Private Investment Corporation through FY 2011.

Amends the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 to make forests, coral reefs, and associated coastal marine ecosystem activities eligible for U.S. debt reduction benefits for developing countries. (Currently, such provision applies to tropical forests.).

Amends the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to provide additional assistance to victims of torture.

Authorizes the Secretary of State to provide assistance to the Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

Amends the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to revise Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policies for the collection of data on broadband. Authorizes grants to promote the training and placement of closed caption writers.

Amends the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998 to authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to acquire hydrographic data and provide services to support the conservation and management of coastal and ocean resources.

Establishes a national ocean exploration and underseas research program within NOAA.

Directs the President to establish: (1) a program to develop a federal ocean and coastal mapping plan for the Great Lakes and other coastal areas of the United States; and (2) a national integrated coastal and ocean observation system.

Directs the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council to: (1) coordinate federal activities on ocean acidification and establish an interagency working group; and (2) develop a strategic plan for federal research and monitoring on ocean acidification. Provides for ocean acidification programs in NOAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Authorizes funding over a 10-year period for capital and preventive maintenance projects for the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Directs the Archivist of the United States to preserve relevant records and establish an electronically searchable national database containing historic records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction.

Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to: (1) increase the amount guaranteed to each state under the pre-disaster mitigation program; (2) require other financial assistance under the program to be awarded on a competitive basis; and (3) authorize appropriations for the program through FY2011.

Authorizes the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to construct a greenhouse facility at its museum support facility in Suitland, Maryland, to maintain its horticultural operations and preserve the orchid collection it holds in trust.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 12/10/2008: Senate floor actions. Status: Motion to proceed to consideration of measure withdrawn in Senate.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

Senator Harry Reid has added a highly controversial bill called The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act to section D of this bill. This bill has not been discussed, marked up, or passed out of the appropriate Senate committee and has been held up in the HELP committee for the past 6 months. Due to the highly dangerous nature of this bill alone, the omnibus package should be voted down. The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act would make groups who push drugs on pregnant women eligible to receive huge grants. The result of this legislation will be that more mothers will die just as Melanie Stokes did, by drug-induced suicide. More mothers will join the ranks of Andrea Yates when they commit murder of their own children due to involuntary intoxication on psychotropic drugs. There is absolutely no safeguard for informed consent in the bill. In addition, as more mothers are placed on antidepressants and other drugs, the number of babies dying from spontaneous abortions, still births, preterm birth complications, heart disease and PPHN will go up. Please read the following article: http:christiannewswire.com/news/425397285.html and then go to www.uniteforlife.org to take action and save mothers and unborn and newborn babies.

As a side note, you can read the evidence of who is buying the promotion of this bill at: http:www.uniteforlife.org/implications.pdf or http:www.uniteforlife.org/weblettertosenateurgent.pdf

A fax you can send can be printed out at: http:www.uniteforlife.org/mylifeisinyourhandsfax.pdf and the contact information for all 100 senators is at: http://www.uniteforlife.org/senatecontacts.pdf

• This bill contains earmark spending (i.e. designated for projects not equally beneficial to all citizens and states).