Developing countries Legislation - Federal Government

To extend the Andean Trade Preference Act, and for other purposes. 10/16/2008--Public Law.    (There are 2 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on October 2, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)Amends the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) to prohibit the extension of duty-free treatment or other preferential treatment to: (1) Colombia or Peru after December 31, 2009; (2) Ecuador after June 30, 2009, except that such preferential treatment shall remain in effect through December 31, 2009, unless the President reports to specified congressional committees on or before June 30, 2009, that Ecuador does not satisfy certain beneficiary country designation requirements; and (3) Bolivia after June 30, 2009, except that such preferential treatment shall remain in effect through December 31, 2009, only if the President reports to specified congressional committees on or before June 30,[...]

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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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A bill to amend the Trade Act of 1974 to improve the international protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, and for other purposes. 9/10/2008--Introduced. International Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement Act of 2008 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require the United States Trade Representative (USTR), within 90 days after submitting the annual National Trade Estimate, to develop an action plan for foreign countries that have spent at least one year on the priority watch list that calls for such countries to meet benchmarks designed to assist them to achieve: (1) effective protection of intellectual property rights; and (2) equitable market access for U.S. persons that rely upon intellectual property protection. Authorizes the President to impose certain economic sanctions on foreign countries that do not substantially comply with the benchmarks of an action plan. Directs the President to ensure that an intellectual property [...]

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A bill to advance America's priorities. 7/22/2008--Introduced. Advancing America's Priorities Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) establish a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and establish a registry for such data; (2) provide for an education and information campaign to promote stroke prevention; and (3) award grants for a pilot project to improve stroke patient outcomes by coordinating health care delivery through telehealth networks.Establishes programs for research, rehabilitation, and quality of life for people with paralysis.Provides for support services to women suffering from postpartum depression and who receive a positive diagnosis of Down syndrome or other prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to states to provide vision care for children. Amends the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to expand services for homeless youth [...]

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To establish an earned import allowance program under Public Law 109-53, and for other purposes. 7/29/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Amends the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish an earned import allowance program, which shall provide earned import allowance certificates to any producer or entity controlling production of eligible apparel articles in the Dominican Republic, based on specified elements. Specifies as eligible apparel articles cotton (but not denim) trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts, skirts and divided skirts, and pants. Declares that such apparel articles wholly assembled in, and imported directly from, the Dominican Republic shall enter the United States free of duty, without regard to the source of the fabric or yarns from which the articles are made, if they are accompanied by an [...]

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To provide duty-free treatment for certain goods from designated Reconstruction Opportunity Zones in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and for other purposes. 6/26/2008--Introduced. Afghanistan-Pakistan Security and Prosperity Enhancement Act - Authorizes the President to designate Reconstruction Opportunity Zones within Afghanistan or Pakistan, provided certain eligibility criteria are met, including that: (1) such countries establish, or make progress toward establishing, a market-based economy, instituting rule of law, protecting core labor standards, and eliminating barriers to trade and investment; (2) such countries can be designated as a beneficiary developing country; and (3) the designation of a Reconstruction Opportunity Zone is appropriate taking into account certain qualifying factors. Provides for the duty-free treatment of certain textile and apparel products, as well as nontextile and nonapparel products, from a Reconstruction Opportunity Zone through September [...]

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A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for the United States to lead renewed international efforts to assist developing nations in conserving natural resources and preventing the impending extinction of a large portion of the world's plant and animal species. 9/23/2008--Reported to Senate 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.) Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the government should fully use federal authorities, diplomatic agreements, and other appropriate mechanisms, including working with other donor nations, to identify global conservation goals, and increase funding for, global conservation strategies in order to help ensure the sustainable use of natural resources and protect biological diversity in terrestrial and marine environments of developing countries;[...]

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