Damages Legislation - Federal Government

To amend title 49, United States Code, to prevent railroad fatalities, injuries, and hazardous materials releases, to authorize the Federal Railroad Safety Administration, and for other purposes. 10/17/2007--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 - Title I: Federal Railroad Safety Administration - (Sec. 101) Amends federal transportation law to establish within the Department of Transportation (DOT) the Federal Railroad Safety Administration to carry out, with the highest priority, enforcement of U.S. safety laws with respect to rail transportation (effectively replacing the Federal Railroad Administration). Provides for the appointment of an Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety who shall be the Chief Safety Officer of the Federal Railroad Safety Administration. (Sec. 102) Directs the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to develop a long-term strategy for improving [...]

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A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the unlawful acquisition and use of confidential customer proprietary network information, and for other purposes. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Protecting Consumer Phone Records Act - Makes it unlawful to: (1) acquire or use customer proprietary network information without written consent; (2) represent that another person has consented in order to acquire such information; (3) obtain unauthorized access to certain systems or records in order to acquire such information; (4) sell or offer for sale such information; or (5) request that another person unlawfully obtain such information. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for a civil forfeiture penalty for violation of this Act. Imposes on IP-enabled voice service providers a duty to protect the confidentiality of specified proprietary information. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to require each telecommunications carrier [...]

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To provide compensation to the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Sioux Tribes of South Dakota for damage to tribal land caused by Pick-Sloan projects along the Missouri River. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Lower Brule and Crow Creek Tribal Compensation Act - Amends the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund Act to increase the aggregate amount to be deposited into the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund by the Secretary of the Treasury to provide compensation to the Lower Brule Tribe of South Dakota for damage to tribal land caused by Pick-Sloan projects along the Missouri River. Amends the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund Act of 1996 to increase the aggregate amount to be deposited into the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund by the Secretary to provide compensation to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of South Dakota for such damage. States that this Act shall be considered to be [...]

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A bill to provide for compensation to the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Sioux Tribes of South Dakota for damage to tribal land caused by Pick-Sloan projects along the Missouri River. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Lower Brule and Crow Creek Tribal Compensation Act - Amends the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund Act to increase the aggregate amount to be deposited into the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund by the Secretary of the Treasury to provide compensation to the Lower Brule Tribe of South Dakota for damage to tribal land caused by Pick-Sloan projects along the Missouri River. Amends the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund Act of 1996 to increase the aggregate amount to be deposited into the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Infrastructure Development Trust Fund by the Secretary to provide compensation to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of South Dakota for such damage. States that this Act shall be considered [...]

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A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for patient protection by establishing minimum nurse staffing ratios at certain Medicare providers, and for other purposes. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2007 - Amends part D (Miscellaneous) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) require each participating hospital to adopt and implement a staffing system that ensures a number of registered nurses on each shift and in each unit of the hospital to ensure appropriate staffing levels for patient care; (2) provide for the public reporting of certain staffing information, including a daily posting for each shift in the hospital of the current number of licensed and unlicensed nursing staff directly responsible for patient care; (3) prescribe recordkeeping, data collection, and evaluation requirements for participating hospitals; (4) specify civil monetary penalties for violations of such requirements; and [...]

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To protect the right to obtain firearms for security, and to use firearms in defense of self, family, or home, and to provide for the enforcement of such right. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Citizens' Self-Defense Act of 2007 - Declares that a person not prohibited under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act from receiving a firearm shall have the right to obtain firearms for security and to use firearms in defense of: (1) self or family against a reasonably perceived threat of imminent and unlawful infliction of serious bodily injury; (2) self or family in the course of the commission by another person of a violent felony against the person or a member of the person's family; and (3) the person's home in the course of the commission of a felony by another person. Authorizes persons whose rights under this Act have been violated to bring an action in U.S. district court against the United States, any state, or any person for damages, injunctive relief, and such other relief as [...]

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A bill to provide increased rail transportation security. 1/4/2007--Introduced. Rail Security Act of 2007 - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to conduct a vulnerability assessment of freight and passenger rail transportation, and develop specific prioritized recommendations for improving rail security. Directs the Assistant Secretary to conduct a study on requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and cargo on passenger trains. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to Amtrak for fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to tunnels on the Northeast Corridor. Directs Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to award grants to Amtrak for certain system-wide Amtrak, freight,[...]

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To direct the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard to reduce injuries to patients, direct-care registered nurses, and other health care providers by establishing a safe patient handling standard. 1/10/2007--Introduced. Nurse and Patient Safety & Protection Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Director of Occupational Safety and Health Administration, to establish a Federal Safe Patient Handling Standard to prevent musculoskeletal disorders for direct-care registered nurses and other health care providers working in health care facilities by requiring the elimination of manual lifting of patients through the use of mechanical devices, except during a declared state of emergency. Requires health care facilities to: (1) develop and implement a safe patient handling plan consistent with such standard; and (2) post a uniform notice that explains the standard and the procedures to report patient handling-related [...]

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To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the importation of prescription drugs, and for other purposes. 1/10/2007--Introduced. Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to revise provisions governing the importation of prescription drugs. Waives the limitation on importation of prescription drugs that have been exported from the United States. Prohibits the importation of a qualifying drug unless such drug is imported by: (1) a registered importer; or (2) an individual for personal use. Establishes registration conditions for importers and exporters. Requires the Secretary to inspect places of business, verify chains of custody, inspect facilities, and determine compliance with registration conditions. Sets forth provisions governing the importation of qualifying drugs that are different from U.S. label drugs, including standards for judging such differences.[...]

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A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for the production of energy, to provide transportation and domestic fuel security, and to provide incentives for energy conservation and energy efficiency, and for other purposes. 9/11/2008--Introduced. Energy Independence and Investment Act of 2008 - Amends and extends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to energy production, transportation and domestic fuel security, energy conservation and efficiency, and nuclear power.Extends through 2011 the tax credit for production of electricity from specified renewable resources, including wind energy, biomass, geothermal energy, refined coal, and hydropower. Includes marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as a renewable resource for purposes of such tax credit. Extends through 2016 the energy tax credit for solar, fuel cell, and microturbine property and the tax credit for residential energy efficient property. Allows a new investment tax [...]

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A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes. 7/24/2008--Introduced. Jobs, Energy, Families, and Disaster Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various provisions relating to energy production and conservation and to individual and business-related activities.Extends the tax credit for producing electricity from wind facilities through 2009 and the tax credit for closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation, hydropower, landfill gas, and trash combustion facilities through 2011. Includes marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as a renewable resource for purposes of such tax credit. Extends the energy tax credit for solar energy and the residential energy efficient property tax credit through 2016. Extends the energy tax credits for fuel cell and microturbine property through 2017. Allows a new investment tax credit for combined heat and power system property.[...]

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To require certain standards and enforcement provisions to prevent child abuse and neglect in residential programs, and for other purposes. 6/25/2008--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.) Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services to require each location of a covered program to meet specified minimum standards if individually or together with other locations it has an effect on interstate commerce. Defines "covered program" as one operated by a public or private entity that with respect to one or more children unrelated to the program owner or operator: (1) provides a residential environment; and (2) operates with a focus on serving [...]

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A bill to provide for comprehensive health reform. 5/22/2008--Introduced. Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow individual taxpayers a refundable tax credit for health insurance costs paid.Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for establishment and governance of association health plans (AHPs), which are group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations and which meet certain ERISA certification requirements. Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide that the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) shall apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with certain requirements.Promoting Health for Future Generations Act [...]

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To amend title 49, United States Code, to require a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder that collects a fuel surcharge to pay an amount equal to the surcharge to the person that bears the cost of the fuel, and for other purposes. 5/8/2008--Introduced. Fairness in Trucking Transactions Act - Amends federal transportation law to require certain fuel cost reimbursements by a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder providing or arranging truckload transportation or service using fuel for which it does not bear the cost. Requires such a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder to reimburse persons (truckers) that do bear fuel costs for any such costs they have paid. Prohibits any person from causing a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder to present false or misleading information on a document or in an oral representation about the actual rate, charge, or allowance to any party to the transaction or transportation. Sets forth additional [...]

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To provide for comprehensive health reform. 5/1/2008--Introduced. Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow individual taxpayers a refundable tax credit for health insurance costs paid.Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for establishment and governance of association health plans (AHPs), which are group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations and which meet certain ERISA certification requirements. Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide that the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) shall apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with certain requirements.Promoting Health for Future Generations Act of 2008 [...]

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A bill to create a Federal cause of action to determine whether defamation exists under United States law in cases in which defamation actions have been brought in foreign courts against United States persons on the basis of publications or speech in the United States. 5/6/2008--Introduced. Free Speech Protection Act of 2008 - Allows any U.S. person against whom a lawsuit for defamation is brought in a foreign country on the basis of the content of any speech by that person that has been published, uttered, or otherwise disseminated in the United States to bring an action in a U.S. district court against any person who, or entity which, brought the suit, if the speech at issue in the foreign lawsuit does not constitute defamation under U.S. law.Allows the award of treble damages if it is determined by a preponderance of the evidence that the person or entity bringing the foreign lawsuit intentionally engaged in a scheme to suppress rights under the First Amendment to [...]

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A bill to improve Federal agency awards and oversight of contracts and assistance and to strengthen accountability of the Government-wide suspension and debarment system. 4/24/2008--Introduced. Contractors and Federal Spending Accountability Act of 2008 - Requires the Administrator of General Services to establish and maintain on a General Services Administration (GSA) website for use by officials of all federal agencies a database of information regarding the integrity and performance of persons awarded federal contracts and grants. Requires the database to include information on such persons for the last five years regarding: (1) any civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding resulting in payment of a monetary fine, penalty, reimbursement, restitution, damages, or settlement of $5,000 or more to the federal or a state government; and (2) each contract and grant terminated due to default; (3) each suspension and debarment; (4) each federal and state administrative [...]

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To require certain standards and enforcement provisions to prevent child abuse and neglect in residential programs, and for other purposes. 5/22/2008--Reported to House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services to require each location of a covered program to meet specified minimum standards if individually or together with other locations it has an effect on interstate commerce. Defines "covered program" as one not operated by a governmental entity that for children unrelated to the program owner or operator: (1) provides a residential environment; and (2) operates with a focus on serving children with emotional, behavioral, or mental health problems or disorders, or problems with alcohol or substance abuse. Directs the Assistant Secretary to require each [...]

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To create a Federal cause of action to determine whether defamation exists under United States law in cases in which defamation actions have been brought in foreign courts against United States persons on the basis of publications or speech in the United States. 4/16/2008--Introduced. Free Speech Protection Act of 2