Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 10/03/2008 - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1525, the House moved to agree to the Senate amendments.

Bill Text
A bill to provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy and financial system and protecting taxpayers, 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. 3/5/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 4 other summaries) Division A: Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 - Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act (PSHA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require group health plans to apply the same treatment limits on mental health or substance-related disorder benefits as they do for medical and surgical benefits (parity [...]

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Latest Action: 10/02/2008 - Presented to President.

Bill Text
A bill to reauthorize and amend the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act, and for other purposes. 11/2/2007--Reported to Senate amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Hydrographic Services Improvement Act Amendments of 2007 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998 to set forth findings and purposes for the Act. (Sec. 3) Revises the definitions of "hydrographic data" and "hydrographic services" to include shoreline surveying and water level observations. (Sec. 4) Requires the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to promote safe, efficient, and environmentally sound marine transportation and to provide hydrographic services. Revises the Administrator's authorities, including providing hydrographic services to save and protect life and property and support the resumption of commerce in response to emergencies, natural and man-made disasters, and homeland [...]

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Latest Action: 09/30/2008 - Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.

Bill Text
A bill to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to quickly and fairly address the abundance of surplus manufactured housing units stored by the Federal Government around the country at taxpayer expense. 9/29/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 3 other summaries) Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) establish criteria for determining whether individual temporary housing units stored by FEMA are in usable condition; (2) complete an assessment to determine the number of units FEMA needs in stock to respond appropriately to major disasters; and (3) implement a plan to store such number of units, to sell, transfer, or donate excess units in usable condition, and to dispose of units not in usable condition. Makes the plan subject to Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act disposal requirements and other applicable law. Directs the Administrator [...]

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Latest Action: 09/27/2008 - Hearings Held by Subcommittee on Energy and Environment Prior to Introduction and Referral (05/15/2007)..

Bill Text
A bill to provide needed housing reform and for other purposes. 5/8/2008--House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment.    (There are 3 other summaries) American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 - Title I: FHA Housing Stabilization and Homeownership Retention - FHA Housing Stabilization and Homeownership Retention Act of 2008 - Subtitle A: Homeownership Retention - (Sec. 112) Amends the National Housing Act (NHA) to create the Refinance Program Oversight Board, which shall establish and oversee a program for insuring homeownership retention mortgages. Instructs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to insure any homeownership retention mortgage covering a one- to four-family residence made to pay or prepay outstanding obligations under an existing mortgage on the residence. Sets forth mortgagor eligibility criteria, including mortgagor certification that: (1) the residence is the only residence [...]

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Latest Action: 09/30/2008 - Presented to President.

Bill Text
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide additional authorizations of appropriations for the health centers program under section 330 of such Act, and for other purposes. 6/4/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Health Centers Renewal Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 for health centers to meet the health care needs of medically underserved populations.Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to recognize the unique needs of high poverty areas in making grants for projects to plan and develop health centers to serve medically underserved populations.Deems volunteer practitioners who provide medical services to patients at certain nonprofit health centers in underserved areas to be employees of the Public Health Service (thus extending the liability protections of the Federal Tort Claims Act to such practitioners).Defines "[...]

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Latest Action: 09/29/2008 - Presented to President.

Bill Text
To extend the waiver authority for the Secretary of Education under section 105 of subtitle A of title IV of division B of Public Law 109-148, relating to elementary and secondary education hurricane recovery relief, and for other purposes. 9/15/2008--Introduced. Amends the Hurricane Education Recovery Act, title IV of division B of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006, with respect to elementary and secondary education hurricane recovery relief. Extends through FY2009 the authority of the Secretary of Education, in providing any grant or other assistance to an entity in a state which in 2005 suffered a major disaster related to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita, to waive or modify, in order to ease fiscal burdens, any elementary and secondary education assistance requirement relating to: (1) maintenance of effort; (2) use of federal funds to supplement, [...]

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Latest Action: 12/26/2007 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
A joint resolution granting the consent of Congress to the International Emergency Management Assistance Memorandum of Understanding.

12/26/2007--Public Law.    (There are 4 other summaries)

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

Grants the consent of Congress to the International Emergency Management Assistance Memorandum of Understanding entered into between the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut and the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.

Latest Action: 02/02/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.

Bill Text
To provide for the security of critical energy infrastructure.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Instructs the Secretary of Energy to report to Congress on the Secretary's review of the fuel supply plan components of state evacuation plans and the National Capitol region. Prescribes report contents.

Authorizes the Secretary, during any federally declared emergency or disaster, to provide direct assistance to private sector entities that operate critical energy infrastructure, including refineries.

Allows such assistance to include emergency preparation and recovery assistance, particularly power generation equipment, other protective or emergency recovery equipment, assistance to restore access to water, power, or other raw materials, and transportation and housing for critical employees.

Establishes in the Treasury the Critical Energy Assurance Account.

Latest Action: 02/06/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

Bill Text
To require the Secretary of Agriculture to provide compensation for certain livestock losses.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Livestock Assistance Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide: (1) payments through the 2002 livestock compensation program for qualifying livestock disaster losses due to blizzard and drought in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Oklahoma; and (2) livestock indemnity payments to producers who have incurred livestock disaster losses in 2006 or 2007, or both, including blizzard and drought losses.

Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S127)

Bill Text
A bill to extend for 5 years the Mark-to-Market program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Mark-to-Market Extension Act of 2007 - Amends the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 to reauthorize through FY2011: (1) the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured MultifamilyHousing Mortgage and Housing Assistance Restructuring (Mark-to-Market) program; and (2) the Office of Multifamily Housing Assistance Restructuring. Permits the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to waive rent level limits for: (1) disaster-damaged eligible projects; and (2) up to 9% (currently 5%) of all units subject to restructured mortgages in any fiscal year, based on certain findings of special need. Redefines multifamily housing project eligible for the Mark-to-Market program to authorize eligibility treatment, upon owner request, for certain projects whose rents do not, on an average per unit or per room basis,[...]

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Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 09/24/2008 - Mr. Rangel moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide disaster assistance relief. 9/24/2008--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.)Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide tax relief in federally declared disaster areas.(Sec. 2) Waives the 10% adjusted gross income limitation on personal casualty losses for losses sustained from a federally declared disaster occurring after December 31, 2007, and before January 1, 2012. Defines "federally declared disaster" as any disaster determined by the President to warrant federal assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Increases the standard tax deduction by a taxpayer's net disaster loss (i.e., personal casualty losses in a disaster area over personal [...]

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Latest Action: 09/18/2008 - The House Committee on Appropriations reported an original measure, H. Rept. 110-862, by Mr. Price (NC).

Bill Text
Making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 9/18/2008--Introduced. Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2009 - Makes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2009 for: (1) 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; (2) Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including for customs and border protection fencing, infrastructure, and technology; (3) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including for detention and removal operations (including to identify and remove aliens who have been convicted of a crime once they are judged deportable) and the Federal Protective Service; (4) the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), including for screening operations and procurement and installation [...]

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Latest Action: 09/12/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8482-8498)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to expand and improve opportunities for service, and for other purposes. 9/12/2008--Introduced. Serve America Act - Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to create two new service-learning programs: (1) a Youth Engagement Zones to Strengthen Communities program, providing competitive grants to partnerships between local educational agencies that serve high-need, low-income communities and certain community-based or state entities to engage students and out-of-school youth in service-learning addressing specific challenges faced by their communities; and (2) a Campus of Service program, which annually grants up to 30 institutions of higher education (IHEs) with exemplary service-learning programs the funds to assist their students' pursuit of public service careers, and the right to nominate additional individuals for ServeAmerica Fellowships. Directs the Corporation for National and Community [...]

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Latest Action: 09/29/2008 - Presented to President.

Bill Text
To extend the waiver authority for the Secretary of Education under section 105 of subtitle A of title IV of division B of Public Law 109-148, relating to elementary and secondary education hurricane recovery relief, and for other purposes. 9/15/2008--Introduced. Amends the Hurricane Education Recovery Act, title IV of division B of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006, with respect to elementary and secondary education hurricane recovery relief. Extends through FY2009 the authority of the Secretary of Education, in providing any grant or other assistance to an entity in a state which in 2005 suffered a major disaster related to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita, to waive or modify, in order to ease fiscal burdens, any elementary and secondary education assistance requirement relating to: (1) maintenance of effort; (2) use of federal funds to supplement, [...]

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Latest Action: 08/01/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit for hurricane mitigation expenditures, and to provide a credit for the increased insurance premiums of certain homeowners as a result of hurricane events.

8/1/2008--Introduced.

Costal [sic] Homeowners Assistance Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax credits for: (1) 25% of the qualified hurricane mitigation property expenditures incurred by a homeowner in a federally declared hurricane disaster area or in a county located in a state which borders the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, up to $5,000; and (2) 50% of the increases in homeowner insurance premiums in such disaster areas, up to $5,000. Includes within the definition of "qualified hurricane mitigation property expenditures" expenditures to improve the strength of a roof deck attachment, create a secondary water barrier, improve the durability of a roof covering, or protect exterior doors and garages.