Featured Legislation The Dirt Bike Bill The Consumer Product Safety Act, which became law in 2008, resulted in unnecessary restriction of access to childrens' ATVs, dirt bikes and bicycles. Senator Tester introduced the Common Sense in Consumer Products Safety Act (S.608) in March of 2009 to rework the law so ATVs, dirt bikes, and other vehicles built specifically for older kids can stay on the market. Click here to read Senator Tester's bill. Health Care for Rural Veterans Senator Jon Tester's Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 makes several sweeping improvements to service for veterans in rural america. Provisions of the bill address transportation, mental health care, research, and demonstration projects for rural veterans. It also proposes to lock in the current travel reimbursement rate for veterans who travel for health care at 41.5 cents per mile. Over his first two years in the Senate, Tester got the Veterans Administration to boost the rate from 11 cents to 41.5 cents per mile. Veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, vocally support the legislation. Click here to read more about the bill. Energy Senator Tester is working to turn Montana's energy potential into a plan of action. Click here to read more about his plans for energy security, affordability, and independence. Jon Tester is also working on legislation to cut red tape and promote renewable energy. If passed, Tester's bill will establish a new "Renewable Energy Pilot Office" in Montana and five other states to help energy developers get federal permits for renewable energy projects and transmission lines. Click here for the text of Senator Tester's bill. Farm Bill The final version of the Farm Bill held onto a lot of good things that Montana needs and it will create new opportunities for family farmers and ranchers across the state. The new Farm Bill includes:
Indian Health Care Improvement Act The Indian Health Care Improvement Act is much needed legislation to improve health care in Indian Country. This legislation would bring Indian Health Service facilities and services up-to-date. It would create programs to address behavioral and mental health issues that have been severely neglected under the current system. And, it would begin to address the disturbing and inexcusable disparities between the health status of American Indians and the general United States population. This legislation also authorizes additional appropriations necessary to increase the availability of health care, develop new approaches to health care delivery, increase the flexibility of the Indian Health Service, and promote the sovereignty of American Indian Tribes. Senator Tester successfully included an amendment to the bill to encourage state, federal, and tribal law enforcement to work together to combat methamphetamine abuse in Indian Country. |