Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Bill Text
To establish a program to provide reinsurance for State natural catastrophe insurance programs to help the United States better prepare for and protect its citizens against the ravages of natural catastrophes, to encourage and promote mitigation and prevention for, and recovery and rebuilding from such catastrophes, and to better assist in the financial recovery from such catastrophes. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Homeowners Insurance Protection Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish the National Commission on Catastrophe Preparation and Protection to advise the Secretary regarding estimated loss costs associated with contracts for reinsurance coverage. Authorizes the Secretary to make homeowners protection coverage available through contracts for reinsurance coverage. Restricts purchase of such coverage to eligible state programs. Prescribes criteria for state eligibility. Requires each contract for reinsurance coverage to provide insurance [...]

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Latest Action: 06/20/2007 - Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8156-8158; text as passed Senate: CR S8157-8158)

Bill Text
A resolution designating September 2007 as "Campus Fire Safety Month".

6/20/2007--Passed Senate without amendment.    (There are 2 other summaries)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Designates September 2007 as Campus Fire Safety Month.

Encourages administrators of institutions of higher education and municipalities to provide fire safety education and implement certain fire prevention measures.

Latest Action: 09/25/2007 - Mr. Holt moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.

Bill Text
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives supporting the goals and ideals of Campus Fire Safety Month, and for other purposes.

9/25/2007--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary)

Supports the goals and ideals of Campus Fire Safety Month.

Encourages administrators and municipalities across the country to: (1) provide educational programs to all students during September and throughout the school year; (2) evaluate the level of fire safety being provided in both on- and off-campus student housing; and (3) take the necessary steps to ensure fire-safe living environments through fire safety education, installation of fire suppression and detection systems, and the development and enforcement of applicable codes relating to fire safety.

Latest Action: 01/09/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Bill Text
To establish a Federal program to provide reinsurance to improve the availability of homeowners' insurance.

1/9/2007--Introduced.

Homeowners' Insurance Availability Act of 2007 - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to implement a reinsurance coverage program available only through contracts for reinsurance coverage purchased at regional auctions.

States that the purpose of the program is to improve: (1) the availability of homeowners' insurance for the purpose of facilitating the pooling, and spreading the risk, of catastrophic financial losses from disasters; and (2) the solvency of the homeowners' insurance markets.

Prescribes implementation guidelines that include establishment: (1) in the Treasury of the Disaster Reinsurance Fund; and (2) of a National Commission on Catastrophe Risks and Insurance Loss Costs.

Latest Action: 01/22/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Bill Text
A bill to provide for disclosure of fire safety standards and measures with respect to campus buildings, and for other purposes. 1/22/2007--Introduced. Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution participating in any program under the Act to provide to all current students and employees, and to any applicant for enrollment or employment upon request, an annual fire safety report containing specified information about the campus fire safety practices and standards of that institution. Requires such institutions to: (1) record all on-campus fires, including the nature, date, time, and general location of each fire and all unwanted and false fire alarms; and (2) open such information to public inspection. Requires the institutions to report on such information annually to the campus community in a manner that will aid the prevention of similar occurrences. Directs each institution to require [...]

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Latest Action: 01/17/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Bill Text
To establish a bipartisan commission on insurance reform.

1/17/2007--Introduced.

Commission on Catastrophic Disaster Risk and Insurance Act of 2007 - Establishes the bipartisan Commission on Catastrophic Disaster Risk and Insurance to assess: (1) the condition of the property and casualty insurance and reinsurance markets in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005, and the four major hurricanes that struck the United States in 2004; (2) the ongoing exposure of the United States to windstorms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and floods; and (3) recommend and report legislative and regulatory changes that will improve the domestic and international financial health and competitiveness of such markets.

Latest Action: 05/18/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

Bill Text
To provide for disclosure of fire safety standards and measures with respect to campus buildings, and for other purposes. 1/19/2007--Introduced. Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act of 2007 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution participating in any program under the Act to provide to all current students and employees, and to any applicant for enrollment or employment upon request, an annual fire safety report containing specified information about the campus fire safety practices and standards of that institution. Requires such institutions to: (1) record all on-campus fires, including the nature, date, time, and general location of each fire and all unwanted and false fire alarms; and (2) open such information to public inspection. Requires the institutions to report on such information annually to the campus community in a manner that will aid the prevention of similar occurrences. Directs each institution to require the national [...]

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Latest Action: 04/12/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.

Bill Text
To provide for more accurate valuation of multifamily housing properties, and loans for such properties, that are sold at a discount by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to facilitate acquisition of such properties that maintains the properties as affordable housing. 1/24/2007--Introduced. Pathway to Preservation Act of 2007 - Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to redefine "loan market value," which currently means the value of a multifamily (rental or cooperative housing project) loan, without taking into account any affordability requirements. Repeals the condition that affordability requirements not be taken into account. Defines "loan market value" as the value of a multifamily (rental or cooperative housing project) loan using industry standard appraisal practices, including consideration of the cost of repairs needed for the property subject to the loan to comply with minimum safety and building standards and the cost of maintaining [...]

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Latest Action: 09/17/2007 - Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-172.

Bill Text
A bill to designate certain land in the State of Oregon as wilderness, and for other purposes. 9/17/2007--Reported to Senate amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2007 - Title I: Protected Areas - Subtitle A: Designation of Wilderness Areas - (Sec. 101) Designates specified wilderness additions in Oregon as wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. (Sec. 102) Designates certain federal land as the "Richard L. Kohnstamm Memorial Area." (Sec. 103) Designates the Roaring River Wilderness as a potential wilderness area. Requires the inclusion of: (1) certain federal land in the Mount Hood Wilderness upon the completion of the Cooper Spur-Government Camp land exchange under section 202; and (2) certain land in the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness upon acquisition by the United States. (Sec. 104) Requires the boundaries of the areas [...]

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Latest Action: 03/20/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3360-3362)

Bill Text
A bill to establish a program to provide more protection at lower cost through a national backstop for State natural catastrophe insurance programs to help the United States better prepare for and protect its citizens against the ravages of natural catastrophes, to encourage and promote mitigation and prevention for, and recovery and rebuilding from such catastrophes, to better assist in the financial recovery from such catastrophes, and to develop a rigorous process of continuous improvement. 3/20/2007--Introduced. Homeowners Protection Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish the National Commission on Catastrophe Preparation and Protection to advise the Secretary regarding: (1) estimated loss costs associated with the contracts for reinsurance coverage; and (2) development of prevention, mitigation, recovery, and rebuilding standards that better prepare and protect the United States from catastrophes. Instructs the Secretary to implement [...]

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Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 09/29/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10074-10075)

Bill Text
A bill to improve research on health hazards in housing, to enhance the capacity of programs to reduce such hazards, to require outreach, and for other purposes.
Latest Action: 11/18/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1124 under authority of the order of the Senate of 11/17/2008.

Bill Text
Making supplemental appropriations for job creation and preservation, infrastructure investment, and economic and energy assistance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 9/26/2008--Passed House 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.) Job Creation and Unemployment Relief Act of 2008 - Title I: Infrastructure Investments - Chapter I: Transportation - Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 for infrastructure investments to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for: (1) the Federal Aviation Administration, grants-in-aid for airports; (2) Federal Highway Administration, highway infrastructure investment; (3) Federal Railroad Administration, capital and debt service grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK); (4) Federal Transit Administration,[...]

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Latest Action: 11/18/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1118 under authority of the order of the Senate of 11/17/2008.

Bill Text
To advance the national security interests of the United States by reducing its dependency on oil through renewable and clean, alternative fuel technologies while building a bridge to the future through expanded access to Federal oil and natural gas resources, revising the relationship between the oil and gas industry and the consumers who own those resources and deserve a fair return from the development of publicly owned oil and gas, ending tax subsidies for large oil and gas companies, and facilitating energy efficiencies in the building, housing, and transportation sectors, and for other purposes. 9/15/2008--Introduced. Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act - Prohibits oil and gas preleasing or leasing of any area of the Outer Continental Shelf that was not available for oil and gas leasing as of July 1, 2008, unless that action is expressly authorized by this Act or a statute enacted by Congress after the date of enactment of this Act. [...]

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Latest Action: 07/11/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Bill Text
A bill to provide a supplemental funding source for catastrophic emergency wildland fire suppression activities on Department of the Interior and National Forest System lands, to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a cohesive wildland fire management strategy, and for other purposes. 7/11/2008--Introduced. Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act or FLAME Act - Establishes in the Treasury the Federal Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement Fund (Flame Fund). Requires amounts in the Flame Fund to be made available to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretaries) to pay the costs of catastrophic emergency wildland fire suppression activities that are separate from amounts annually appropriated for the predicted annual workload for such activities. Provides for amounts in the Flame Fund to be made available to the Secretaries only after such Secretaries issue a declaration [...]

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

Bill Text
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: 07/31/2008 - Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Bill Text
To encourage energy efficiency and conservation and development of renewable energy sources for housing, commercial structures, and other buildings, and to create sustainable communities. 5/15/2008--Introduced. Green Resources for Energy Efficient Neighborhoods Act of 2008 or the GREEN Act of 2008 - Sets forth provisions concerning Housing of Urban Development (HUD) energy efficiency and conservation standards and green building standards for structures (conservation standards).Requires the Secretary of HUD to conduct a program to demonstrate the effectiveness of funding a portion of the costs of carrying out energy efficiency and conservation and green building measures for multifamily housing projects for which rental assistance is provided under a covered multifamily assistance program. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to provide for credits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for mortgage purchases that support housing that meets conservation [...]

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Latest Action: 07/10/2008 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Bill Text
To provide a supplemental funding source for catastrophic emergency wildland fire suppression activities on Department of the Interior and National Forest System lands, to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a cohesive wildland fire management strategy, and for other purposes. 7/9/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act or FLAME Act - (Sec. 2) Establishes in the Treasury the Federal Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement Fund (the Flame Fund). Requires amounts in the Flame Fund to be made available to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretaries) to pay the costs of catastrophic emergency wildland fire suppression activities that are separate from amounts annually appropriated for the predicted annual workload for such activities. Authorizes appropriations for the Flame Fund. States [...]

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Latest Action: 04/25/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.

Bill Text
To promote fire-safe communities, and for other purposes. 1/29/2008--Introduced. Fire-Safe Communities Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to publish a federal model ordinance for municipalities at risk (subdivisions located in a fire hazard area) that includes specified elements regarding fire prevention and management, such as: (1) specifications for construction materials and techniques for use in such communities; and (2) standards for roads, culverts, and bridges. Authorizes the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to modify, for a municipality at risk, the requirements of the Fire Management Assistance Grant Program related to the provision of a non-federal share of funds, so that if such a municipality has adopted an applicable model ordinance and is making significant progress toward implementing it, the Administrator may reduce the required non-federal share to 10% of the grant [...]

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