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Also tagged in: Bank fraud, Credit, Criminal investigation, Criminal justice, Department of Justice, Derivative securities, Executive departments, Executive reorganization, Finance, Financial services
Latest Action: 10/01/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10338)

Bill Text
A bill to establish a Special Joint Task Force on Financial Crimes.

10/1/2008--Introduced.

Financial Crimes Accountability Act of 2008 - Directs the Attorney General to establish within the Department of Justice (DOJ) a Special Joint Task Force on Financial Crimes to: (1) provide direction for the investigation and prosecution of financial crimes (i.e., fraud, misrepresentation, or malfeasance involving financial products); and (2) make recommendations to the Attorney General and the President on allocating resources and coordinating governmental efforts to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.


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Also tagged in: Budgets, Business, Business records, Criminal justice, Federal aid to law enforcement, Firearms, Firearms control, Government information, Government paperwork, Identification of criminals
Latest Action: 09/26/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9716)

Bill Text
A bill to reduce gun trafficking by prohibiting bulk purchases of handguns. 9/26/2008--Introduced. End Gun Trafficking Act of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) prohibit a firearms dealer from selling a handgun to an unlicensed individual if such dealer knows or has reasonable cause to believe that such individual has purchased another handgun within the previous 30 days; (2) prohibit an unlicensed buyer of firearms from purchasing more than one handgun during any 30-day period; (3) increase from one to five years the maximum prison term for firearms dealers who make false statements in their sales records; and (4) require background check records to be retained for not less than 180 days.Repeals prohibitions on the use of funds for: (1) implementation of the national instant criminal background check system for firearms; and (2) background check systems that do not require and result in the destruction within 24-hours of any identifying information for [...]

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Also tagged in: Administrative procedure, Business, Consumer credit, Consumers, Criminal justice, Executive departments, Executive reorganization, Finance, Fines (Penalties), Governmental investigations
Latest Action: 09/26/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9711)

Bill Text
A bill to create a new Consumer Credit Safety Commission, to provide individual consumers of credit with better information and stronger protections, and to provide sellers of consumer credit with more regulatory certainty. 9/26/2008--Introduced. Consumer Credit Safety Commission Act of 2008 - Establishes the Consumer Credit Safety Commission to promulgate consumer credit safety rules that: (1) ban abusive, fraudulent, unfair, deceptive, predatory, anticompetitive, or otherwise anti-consumer practices or product features for creditors; (2) place restrictions on consumer credit practices or product features to reduce the likelihood that they may be provided in a manner inconsistent with this Act; and (3) establish requirements for clear and adequate information appropriate to advance the objectives of this Act. Directs the Commission to: (1) establish and maintain a best practices guide for providers of consumer credit; (2) conduct, or award grants or contracts for,[...]

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Also tagged in: Administrative procedure, Business, Consumer credit, Consumers, Criminal justice, Executive departments, Executive reorganization, Finance, Fines (Penalties), Governmental investigations
Latest Action: 10/03/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Bill Text
To create a new Consumer Credit Safety Commission, to provide individual consumers of credit with better information and stronger protections, and to provide sellers of consumer credit with more regulatory certainty. 10/3/2008--Introduced. Consumer Credit Safety Commission Act of 2008 - Establishes the Consumer Credit Safety Commission to promulgate consumer credit safety rules that: (1) ban abusive, fraudulent, unfair, deceptive, predatory, anticompetitive, or otherwise anti-consumer practices or product features for creditors; (2) place restrictions on consumer credit practices or product features to reduce the likelihood that they may be provided in a manner inconsistent with this Act; and (3) establish requirements for clear and adequate information appropriate to advance the objectives of this Act. Directs the Commission to: (1) establish and maintain a best practices guide for providers of consumer credit; (2) conduct, or award grants or contracts for, continuing [...]

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Also tagged in: Bank fraud, Banks and banking, Business, Business ethics, Commodity exchanges, Conflict of interests, Congress, Congressional investigations, Congressional joint committees, Congressional reorganization
Latest Action: 09/29/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Bill Text
A bill to provide for financial market investigation, oversight, and reform. 9/29/2008--Introduced. Financial Market Investigation, Oversight, and Reform Act of 2008 - Establishes the Commission on Financial Regulatory Reform to review the nation's existing financial regulatory structure and its contribution to the stability or instability of financial markets. Requires the Commission to review: (1) bank holding companies, financial holding companies, commercial banks, investment banks, thrifts, credit unions, and industrial loan companies; (2) payment and settlement systems; (3) hedge funds, private equity funds, and markets for alternative investments; (4) special purpose vehicles and off-balance sheet financing for financial companies; (5) securitization of mortgages and other assets; (6) exchange-based, electronic, and over-the-counter markets for financial derivative products; (7) the mortgage finance industry, including mortgage brokers and mortgage lending institutions;[...]

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Also tagged in: Business, Business records, Contractors, Damages, Electronic government information, Employee rights, Employers' liability, Fines (Penalties), Government information, Government paperwork
Latest Action: 09/29/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to require employers to keep records of non-employees who perform labor or services for remuneration and to provide a special penalty for employers who misclassify employees as non-employees, and for other purposes.

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Also tagged in: Congress, Congressional reporting requirements, Criminal investigation, Criminal justice, Criminal justice information, Data banks, Department of Justice, Executive departments, Executive reorganization, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Latest Action: 09/23/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Bill Text
A bill to establish in the Federal Bureau of Investigation the Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Coordinator to address mortgage fraud in the United States, and for other purposes. 9/23/2008--Introduced. Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Coordinator Act of 2008 - Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assign the Chief of its Financial Crimes Section, Criminal Investigative Division, to be the Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Coordinator, who shall oversee all FBI activities related to investigation of mortgage fraud. Directs the Coordinator to: (1) establish regional task forces, consisting of the voluntary participation of federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, to organize initiatives to address mortgage fraud; (2) train such agencies; (3) collect and disseminate mortgage fraud data; and (4) perform other related functions. Authorizes the Coordinator to: (1) establish a toll-free hotline and other information systems for [...]

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Also tagged in: Annuities, Congress, Congressional reporting requirements, Criminal justice, Death, Divorce, Families, Government information, Government paperwork, Government publicity
Latest Action: 10/15/2008 - Became Public Law No: 110-428.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit the Secretary of the Treasury to disclose certain prisoner return information to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and for other purposes. 10/15/2008--Public Law.    (There are 2 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on September 27, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)Inmate Tax Fraud Prevention Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to disclose to the head of the Federal Bureau of Prisons tax return information of prisoners whom the Secretary has determined may have filed or facilitated the filing of a false tax return. Prohibits the head of the Federal Bureau of Prisons from disclosing any prisoner tax return information to any person other than an officer or employee of such Bureau. Restricts the use of such tax return information to preventing the filing of false and fraudulent [...]

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Also tagged in: Administrative procedure, Alien labor, Congress, Congressional reporting requirements, Criminal justice, Department of Homeland Security, Executive departments, Immigrants, Immigration, Labor
Latest Action: 10/10/2008 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
A bill to extend the special immigrant nonminister religious worker program and for other purposes.

10/10/2008--Public Law.    (There are 3 other summaries)

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

Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend the special immigrant program for non-minister religious workers until March 6, 2009.

Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue final regulations to eliminate or reduce fraud in the special immigrant non-minister religious worker program not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act.

Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress on such regulations' effectiveness by March 6, 2009.


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Also tagged in: Congress, Congressional reporting requirements, Criminal investigation, Criminal justice, Criminal justice information, Data banks, Department of Justice, Executive departments, Executive reorganization, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Latest Action: 09/23/2008 - Received in the Senate.

Bill Text
A bill to establish in the Federal Bureau of Investigation the Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Coordinator to address mortgage fraud in the United States, and for other purposes. 9/22/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Coordinator Act of 2008 - Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assign the Chief of its Financial Crimes Section, Criminal Investigative Division, to be the Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Coordinator, who shall oversee all FBI activities related to investigation of mortgage fraud. Directs the Coordinator to: (1) establish regional task forces, consisting of the voluntary participation of federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, to organize initiatives to address mortgage fraud; (2) train such agencies; (3) collect and disseminate mortgage fraud data; and (4) perform other related functions. Authorizes the Coordinator to: (1) [...]

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