Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 07/15/2008 - Message on Senate action sent to the House.

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A bill to provide needed housing reform and for other purposes. 4/10/2008--Passed Senate amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 - Title I: FHA Modernization Act of 2008 - FHA Modernization Act of 2008 - Subtitle A: Building American Homeownership - Building American Homeownership Act of 2008 - (Sec. 112) Amends the National Housing Act (NHA) to revise mortgage insurance eligibility requirements. Alters the respective formulas to increase the percentages of the maximum principal loan obligations applicable to family residences located in: (1) the United States; and (2) Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, or the Virgin Islands. Prohibits the maximum principal loan obligation from exceeding 100% of the appraised value of the property. (Sec. 113) Increases from 3% to 3.5% of the appraised value of a property the mortgagor's required cash (or equivalent) investment (downpayment). Prohibits any funds for such [...]

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Latest Action: 07/08/2008 - Returned to the Calendar. Calendar No. 742.

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A bill to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases, and for other purposes. 5/20/2008--Introduced. Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish: (1) a federal greenhouse gas (GHG) registry, for which certain facilities must report information regarding fossil fuels and GHGs produced and consumed; and (2) specified quantities of GHG emission allowances, which decline for each of 2012 to 2050. Requires the Administrator to establish a GHG emission allowance transfer system for the following: (1) facilities that use more than 5,000 tons of coal in a year; (2) facilities in the natural gas sector; (3) facilities that produce or entities that import petroleum- or coal-based fuel the combustion of which will emit group I GHGs; (4) facilities that produce or entities that import, in any year, more than [...]

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Latest Action: 06/06/2008 - Received in the Senate.

Bill Text
To amend the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 to provide for the continuing authorization of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network.

3/5/2008--Introduced.

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

Latest Action: 06/19/2008 - Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S5772-5775)

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To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes. 5/21/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on May 20, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 -Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide tax incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend expiring tax provisions, and to extend tax benefits to individual and business taxpayers. Title I: Energy Tax Incentives - Subtitle A: Energy Production Incentives - Part I: Renewable Energy Incentives - (Sec. 101) Extends: (1) through 2009 the tax credit for producing electricity from qualified wind facilities; and (2) through 2011 the tax credits for producing electricity [...]

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Latest Action: 07/15/2008 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Bill Text
To reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act, and for other purposes. 3/13/2008--Introduced. National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008 - Amends the National Sea Grant College Program Act to substitute "extension services" for "advisory services" in the definition of "project" and to add definitions for "regional research and information plan" and "National Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy." Adds regional and national projects as elements of the national sea grant college program. Removes a reference to the sea grant review panel from provisions relating to the administration of the program. Refers to regional or national strategic investments being developed in consultation with the board and with the approval of sea grant colleges and the sea grant institutes. (Current law refers to the approval of the sea grant review panel as well as the colleges and [...]

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Latest Action: 07/22/2008 - Became Public Law No: 110-280.

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To amend the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships to implement MARPOL Annex VI. 7/8/2008--Public Law.    (There are 4 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on June 26, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2008 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (Act) to provide for the adoption of Annex VI (Prevention of Air Pollution From Ships Enforcement) of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL Convention, which includes any Protocols or Annexes entered into force for the United States). Makes the Act, with respect to Annex VI, applicable to: (1) ships in a port, shipyard, offshore terminal, or U.S. internal waters; (2) a ship that is bound for, or departing from, a port, shipyard, offshore terminal, or the internal waters of the United States and is in navigable U.S. waters or the U.[...]

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Latest Action: 06/05/2008 - Mr. Spratt brought up conference report H. Rept. 110-659 for consideration under the provisions of H. Res. 1214.

Bill Text
An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2009 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2008 and 2010 through 2013. 5/20/2008--Conference report filed in House.    (There are 4 other summaries) Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2009, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2008 and FY2010-FY2013. Title I: Recommended Levels and Amounts - (Sec. 101) Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts, for FY2008-FY2013, with respect to: (1) federal revenues; (2) new budget authority; (3) budget outlays; (4) deficits (on-budget); (5) debt subject to limit; and (6) debt held by the public. (Sec. 102) Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for Social Security, U.S. Postal Service discretionary administrative expenses, and specified major functional [...]

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Latest Action: 07/10/2008 - Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 873.

Bill Text
To establish an interagency committee to develop an ocean acidification research and monitoring plan and to establish an ocean acidification program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 11/14/2007--Introduced. Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2007 or FOARAM Act - Establishes the Interagency Committee on Ocean Acidification to oversee the planning, establishment, and coordination of a plan to improve the understanding of the role of increased ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and to develop adaptation techniques to effectively conserve marine ecosystems as they cope with ocean acidification. Requires a triennial report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives containing a summary of federally funded ocean acidification research and monitoring activities, an analysis of the progress made toward achieving certain [...]

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Latest Action: 07/22/2008 - Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6981-6983; text as passed Senate: CR S6982-6983)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to address certain discharges incidental to the normal operation of a recreational vessel. 3/13/2008--Introduced. Clean Boating Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to provide that no permit shall be required by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the national pollutant discharge elimination system for the discharge from a recreational vessel of graywater, bilge water, cooling water, weather deck runoff, oil water separator effluent, or effluent from properly functioning marine engines or for any other discharge that is incidental to the normal operation of such vessel.Defines a "recreational vessel" as any vessel that is leased, rented, or chartered to a person for that person's pleasure or that is manufactured or used primarily for pleasure, excluding vessels that are subject to Coast Guard inspection and [...]

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Latest Action: 06/20/2008 - Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Bill Text
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States, through the International Whaling Commission, should use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling in all of its forms, including scientific and other special permit whaling, coastal whaling, and community-based whaling, and seek to strengthen the conservation and management measures to facilitate the conservation of whale species, and for other purposes. 6/18/2008--Passed House without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Declares that the United States, through the International Whaling Commission, should: (1) use all appropriate measures to end commercial whaling, including scientific, special permit, coastal, and community-based whaling; (2) oppose any initiative that would result in any new, Commission-sanctioned coastal or community-based whaling, even if [...]

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Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 06/23/2008 - Committee on Appropriations. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Byrd. With written report No. 110-396.

Bill Text
An original bill making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 6/23/2008--Reported to Senate without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2009 - Title I: Department of Homeland Security Departmental Management and Operations - Makes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2009 for the Offices of the Secretary, the Under Secretary for Management, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Information Officer, the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, and the Inspector General.Title II: Security, Enforcement, and Investigations - Makes appropriations for FY2009 for: (1) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including [...]

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