Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 03/01/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Bill Text
Proposing an amendment the Constitution of the United States relative to abolishing personal income, estate, and gift taxes and prohibiting the United States Government from engaging in business in competition with its citizens. 2/7/2007--Introduced. Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits the U.S. government from engaging in any business, professional, commercial, financial, or industrial enterprise except as specified in the Constitution. Prohibits the constitution or laws of any state, or the laws of the United States, from being subject to the terms of any foreign or domestic agreement which would abrogate this amendment.Requires any activities of the U.S. government which violate the intent and purposes of this amendment to be liquidated and the properties and facilities affected to be sold within three years from the date of ratification of this amendment. Repeals the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution three years after ratification of this amendment and thereafter [...]

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Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

Bill Text
To amend the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a program to provide regulatory compliance assistance to small business concerns, and for other purposes. 1/4/2007--Introduced. National Small Business Regulatory Assistance Act of 2007 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), acting through the Associate Administrator for Small Business Development Centers, to establish a program to provide regulatory compliance assistance to small businesses through participating Small Business Development Centers (Centers), the Association for Small Business Development Centers (Association), and Federal compliance partnership programs. Requires the Administrator to enter into arrangements with participating Centers to provide: (1) access to regulatory information and resources; (2) training and education activities; (3) confidential counseling to owners and operators of [...]

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Latest Action: 01/22/2007 - Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.

Bill Text
A bill to authorize appropriations for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, and for other purposes.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Commerce for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for FY2008-FY2012.

Latest Action: 01/05/2007 - Considered as unfinished business.

Bill Text
Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Tenth Congress. 1/5/2007--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.) Title I: Adoption of Rules of One Hundred Ninth Congress - (Sec. 101) Adopts the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 109th Congress as the Rules for the 110th Congress, with amendments. Title II: Ethics - (Sec. 202) Amends Rule XXIII (Code of Official Conduct) to prohibit Members, with the intent to influence on the basis of partisan political affiliation an employment decision or practice of private entities, from: (1) taking or withholding, or offering or threatening to to take or withhold, an official act; or (2) influencing, or offering or threatening to influence, the official act of another. (Sec. 203) Amends Rule [...]

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Latest Action: 01/31/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation.

Bill Text
To establish an interagency committee to coordinate Federal manufacturing research and development efforts in manufacturing, strengthen existing programs to assist manufacturing innovation and education, and expand outreach programs for small and medium-sized manufacturers, and for other purposes. 1/5/2007--Introduced. Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2007 - Directs the President to establish or designate an Interagency Committee to plan and coordinate Federal efforts in manufacturing research and development, with an Advisory Committee from the non-Federal sector. Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (NIST Act) to establish: (1) a pilot program of collaborative manufacturing research grants; (2) manufacturing sciences research fellowships; (3) manufacturing extension center competitive grants; and (4) standards education grants to develop higher education curricula on the role of standards in engineering, business, science,[...]

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Latest Action: 07/24/2007 - Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection. Hearings held.

Bill Text
A bill to provide for a program to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by establishing a market-driven system of greenhouse gas tradeable allowances, to support the deployment of new climate change-related technologies, and to ensure benefits to consumers from the trading in such allowances, and for other purposes. 1/12/2007--Introduced. Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish and maintain the National Greenhouse Gas Database to collect, verify, and analyze information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Establishes a program for market-driven reduction of GHGs through the use of tradeable allowances. Requires certain covered entities that own or control a source of GHG emissions in the electric power, industrial, and commercial sectors of the U.S. economy to submit to the Administrator, beginning in 2012, one tradeable allowance for every [...]

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Latest Action: 04/25/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Bill Text
Encouraging increased cooperation between the United States and the European Union to strengthen the transatlantic market.

4/25/2007--Introduced.

Supports the United States and the European Union (EU) in their commitment to launching discussions at the April 2007 United States-European Union summit on improving regulatory cooperation.

Calls on U.S. and European regulatory agencies to reduce regulatory barriers across the Atlantic.

Urges the United States and the EU to conduct a study of existing obstacles to creating a transatlantic market.

Encourages the U.S. and EU business and labor communities to work with the U.S. Congress and the European Parliament, as well as European national parliaments, to reduce regulatory barriers and strengthen the transatlantic economic partnership.

Latest Action: 03/20/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement.

Bill Text
To establish a commission on corporate entitlement reform.

1/17/2007--Introduced.

Corporate Entitlement Reform Act of 2007 - Establishes the Corporate Entitlement Reform Commission to: (1) examine and identify federal programs and tax laws that provide corporate entitlements (federally-funded payments to profitmaking enterprises provided without a reasonable expectation that activities performed in return for such payments would result in benefits to the public at least as great as the payments); (2) review such entitlements; (3) recommend $50 billion in federal savings on corporate entitlements for the period beginning October 1, 2007, and ending September 30, 2017; and (4) report to Congress on its findings and recommendations.

Sets forth procedures for congressional consideration and implementation of the Commission's recommendations.

Latest Action: 01/18/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

Bill Text
To amend the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a vocational and technical entrepreneurship development program. 1/18/2007--Introduced. Vocational and Technical Entrepreneurship Development Act of 2007 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a program under which the Administrator shall make grants to, or may enter into cooperative agreements with, state small business development centers to provide, on a statewide basis, technical assistance to secondary schools, or to post-secondary vocational or technical schools, for the development and implementation of curricula designed to promote vocational and technical entrepreneurship. Provides for the minimum amount of a grant to not be less than $200,000. Directs the association of small business development centers to act as an information clearinghouse regarding vocational and technical [...]

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Latest Action: 11/08/2007 - Received in the House.

Bill Text
A bill to ensure proper oversight and accountability in Federal contracting, and for other purposes. 11/7/2007--Passed Senate amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007 - Title I: Acquisition Workforce - (Sec. 101) Amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to require the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy to: (1) designate a member of the Senior Executive Service as the Associate Administrator for Workforce Programs, in the Federal Acquisition Institute, to oversee government-wide acquisition workforce activities; and (2) establish a government-wide acquisition intern program. Sets forth requirements for program course work.Requires: (1) the Administrator to establish a government-wide Contingency Contracting Corps that shall be available for deployment in responding to disasters and contingency operations; (2) the Administrator to report to specified congressional committees,[...]

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Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 11/19/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10607)

Bill Text
A bill 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.
Latest Action: 11/18/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1121 under authority of the order of the Senate of 11/17/2008.

Bill Text
A bill to provide for additional emergency unemployment compensation, to amend the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to authorize loans to automobile manufacturers and component suppliers, and for other purposes. 11/17/2008--Introduced. Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to revise the formula for Tier-1 amounts a state credits to an applicant's emergency unemployment compensation account (EUCA) for a benefit year. Increases the figures in the formula (the lesser of which shall be the amount credited) from: (1) 50% to 80% of the total amount of regular compensation (including dependents' allowances) payable to the individual during the benefit year; and (2) 13 to 20 times the individual's average weekly benefit amount for the benefit year. Provides an additional Tier-2 period for deposits to an individual's EUCA, using the current formula, if, at the time that the amount established under this [...]

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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: 07/23/2008 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Bill Text
To amend title 49, United States Code, to enhance aviation safety. 7/22/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Aviation Safety Enhancement Act of 2008 - Amends federal transportation law to establish in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) an Aviation Safety Whistleblower Investigation Office, with a Director appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, which shall receive and assess complaints and information relating to possible violations of aviation safety laws and regulations. Directs the FAA Administrator to modify the FAA customer service initiative, mission and vision statements, and other policy statements to: (1) remove any reference to air carriers or other entities regulated by the FAA as "customers"; (2) clarify that in regulating safety the only FAA customers are individuals traveling on aircraft; and (3) clarify that air carriers and other entities regulated by the FAA do not have the right to select [...]

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Latest Action: 06/25/2008 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Bill Text
To amend the Federal Advisory Committee Act to increase the transparency and accountability of Federal advisory committees, and for other purposes. 6/24/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2008 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Federal Advisory Committee Act to require appointments to advisory committees to be made without regard to political affiliation or activity, unless otherwise required by federal statute. Directs each agency head to: (1) ensure that no individual who has a conflict of interest is appointed unless the need for the individual's services outweighs the potential impacts of the conflict; (2) require that each individual to be appointed inform the agency of any actual or potential conflict that exists before the appointment or that arises while the individual is serving; and (3) ensure that advisory committee reports are the result of the committee's judgment, independent from [...]

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Latest Action: 09/24/2008 - Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

Bill Text
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to make full and efficient use of open source information to develop and disseminate open source homeland security information products, and for other purposes. 9/24/2008--Reported to Senate amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Homeland Security Open Source Information Enhancement Act of 2008 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Open Source and the Director of National Intelligence, to establish an open source collection, analysis, and dissemination program within the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Defines "open source information" to mean publicly available information that can be lawfully obtained by a member of the public by request, purchase, or observation. Requires the program to make full and efficient [...]

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