Criminal liability Legislation - Federal Government

A bill to amend the Consumer Credit Protection Act to assure meaningful disclosures of the terms of rental-purchase agreements, including disclosures of all costs to consumers under such agreements, to provide certain substantive rights to consumers under such agreements, and for other purposes. 3/28/2007--Introduced. Consumer Rental-Purchase Agreement Act of 2007 - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prescribe consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, and waiver of consumer claims or defenses; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) rental-purchase advertising disclosures. Declares that an action for civil liability may be brought against a merchant's assignee only if the violation is apparent on the face of a rental-purchase agreement to which [...]

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To provide an amnesty period during which veterans and their family members can register certain firearms in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, and for other purposes. 2/16/2007--Introduced. Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act of 2007 - Provides a 90-day amnesty period during which veterans and their family members can register in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record any firearm acquired before October 31, 1968, by a veteran while a member of the Armed Forces stationed outside the continental United States. Grants such an individual limited immunity under the federal criminal code and the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the acquisition, possession, transportation, or alteration of such firearm before or concurrent with such registration. Extends such immunity to a veteran who attempts to register a qualifying firearm outside of the amnesty period if the veteran surrenders the firearm within 30 days after being notified of potential [...]

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To establish the Food Safety Administration to protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes. 2/16/2007--Introduced. Safe Food Act of 2007 - Establishes the Food Safety Administration to administer and enforce food safety laws. Directs the Administrator of the Food Safety Administration to: (1) promulgate regulations to ensure the security of the food supply from all forms of contamination; (2) implement federal food safety inspection, enforcement, and research efforts to protect the public health; (3) develop consistent and science-based standards for safe food; and (4) prioritize federal food safety efforts and deployment of resources to achieve the greatest possible benefit in reducing food-borne illness. Transfers to the Administration all functions of specified federal [...]

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A bill to authorize State and local governments to direct divestiture from, and prevent investment in, companies with investments of $20,000,000 or more in Iran's energy sector, and for other purposes. 5/17/2007--Introduced. Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) publish biannually in the Federal Register a list of each person, whether within or outside of the United States, that has an investment of more than $20 million in the energy sector in Iran; and (2) maintain on the website of the Department of the Treasury the names of the persons on such list. States it is the policy of the United States to support the decision of state and local governments and educational institutions to divest from, and to prohibit the investment of assets they control in, persons included on the most recent list. Authorizes a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, or prohibit investment of [...]

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A bill to reduce the sentencing disparity between powder and crack cocaine violations, and to provide increased emphasis on aggravating factors relating to the seriousness of the offense and the culpability of the offender. 6/25/2007--Introduced. Fairness in Drug Sentencing Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to increase (by a factor of five) the amount of a controlled substance or mixture containing a cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine) required for the imposition of mandatory minimum prison terms for trafficking in such controlled substance.Eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum prison term for first-time possession of crack cocaine.Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend, if appropriate, its sentencing guidelines for trafficking in a controlled substance to reflect the use of a dangerous weapon or violence in such crime and the culpability and role of the defendant in [...]

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To amend the Consumer Credit Protection Act to assure meaningful disclosures of the terms of rental-purchase agreements, including disclosures of all costs to consumers under such agreements, to provide certain substantive rights to consumers under such agreements, and for other purposes. 3/29/2007--Introduced. Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prescribe consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, and waiver of consumer claims or defenses; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) rental-purchase advertising disclosures. Declares that an action for civil liability may be brought against a merchant's assignee only if the violation is apparent on the face of a rental-purchase agreement to which it relates,[...]

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A bill to target cocaine kingpins and address sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. 6/27/2007--Introduced. Drug Sentencing Reform and Cocaine Kingpin Trafficking Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to increase the amount of a controlled substance or mixture containing a cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine) required for the imposition of mandatory minimum prison terms for crack cocaine trafficking to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.Eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum prison term for first-time possession of crack cocaine. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend, if appropriate, its sentencing guidelines for trafficking in a controlled substance to reflect the use of a dangerous weapon or violence in such crime and the culpability and the role of the defendant in such crime, taking into account certain aggravating and mitigating [...]

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A bill to authorize State and local governments to direct divestiture from, and prevent investment in, companies with investments of $20,000,000 or more in Iran's energy sector, companies that sell arms to the Government of Iran, and financial institutions that extend $20,000,000 or more in credit to the Government of Iran for 45 days or more, and for other purposes. 7/31/2007--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2007 - (Sec. 3) Directs the President to ensure biannual publication in the Federal Register of a list of each person that: (1) has an investment of more than $20 million in the energy sector in Iran; (2) sells arms to the government of Iran; or (3) is a financial institution that extends $20 million or more in credit for 45 days or more to the government of Iran.Instructs the President to use only publicly available (including proprietary) information when compiling such list.Requires [...]

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A bill to establish the Food Safety Administration to protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes. 2/15/2007--Introduced. Safe Food Act of 2007 - Establishes the Food Safety Administration to administer and enforce food safety laws. Directs the Administrator of the Food Safety Administration to: (1) promulgate regulations to ensure the security of the food supply from all forms of contamination; (2) implement federal food safety inspection, enforcement, and research efforts to protect the public health; (3) develop consistent and science-based standards for safe food; and (4) prioritize federal food safety efforts and deployment of resources to achieve the greatest possible benefit in reducing food-borne illness. Transfers to the Administration all functions of specified federal [...]

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A bill to impose admitting privilege requirements with respect to physicians who perform abortions. 3/31/2008--Introduced. Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act - Subjects any physician who knowingly performs an abortion in violation of this Act to fines and/or imprisonment. Requires a physician who performs an abortion to: (1) have admitting privileges at a local hospital; and (2) notify the patient of the location of the hospital where the patient can receive follow-up care by the physician if complications arise. Provides for an exception for an abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself. Prohibits a woman upon whom an abortion is performed from being prosecuted for conspiracy to violate this Act. Requires each abortion clinic that receives federal funds or assistance [...]

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A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions. 1/22/2008--Introduced. Child Custody Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit transporting a minor child across a state line to obtain an abortion (deems such transporting to be a de facto abridgment of the right of a parent under any law in the minor’s state of residence that requires parental involvement in the minor’s abortion decision). Makes an exception for an abortion necessary to safe the life of the minor. Makes it an affirmative defense to a prosecution or civil action under this Act that a defendant: (1) reasonably believed that before the minor obtained the abortion, the required parental consent or notification or judicial authorization took place; or (2) was presented with documentation showing that a court waived parental notification requirements [...]

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To target cocaine kingpins and address sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. 12/13/2007--Introduced. Drug Sentencing Reform and Cocaine Kingpin Trafficking Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to increase the amount of a controlled substance or mixture containing a cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine) required for the imposition of mandatory minimum prison terms for crack cocaine trafficking to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.Eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum prison term for first-time possession of crack cocaine. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend, if appropriate, its sentencing guidelines for trafficking in a controlled substance to reflect the use of a dangerous weapon or violence in such crime and the culpability and the role of the defendant in such crime, taking into account certain aggravating and mitigating [...]

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To improve the collection and use of data related to crimes of child exploitation, and for other purposes. 10/16/2007--Introduced. Responsible and Effective Solutions for Children Using and Entering Online Services Act of 2007 - Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to: (1) specify the types of information that providers of electronic communication or remote computing services (providers) should include, if available, in reports of apparent child pornography violations; (2) authorize the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to forward provider reports to appropriate state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies; (3) grant immunity from criminal prosecution (in addition to civil immunity) to providers who comply in good faith with child pornography reporting requirements; (4) authorize NCMEC to provide images of child pornography to providers to assist them in stopping the further transmission of child pornography images and in developing [...]

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A bill to target cocaine kingpins and address sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. 6/27/2007--Introduced. Drug Sentencing Reform and Cocaine Kingpin Trafficking Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to increase the amount of a controlled substance or mixture containing a cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine) required for the imposition of mandatory minimum prison terms for crack cocaine trafficking to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.Eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum prison term for first-time possession of crack cocaine. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend, if appropriate, its sentencing guidelines for trafficking in a controlled substance to reflect the use of a dangerous weapon or violence in such crime and the culpability and the role of the defendant in such crime, taking into account certain aggravating and mitigating [...]

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A bill to reduce the sentencing disparity between powder and crack cocaine violations, and to provide increased emphasis on aggravating factors relating to the seriousness of the offense and the culpability of the offender. 6/25/2007--Introduced. Fairness in Drug Sentencing Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to increase (by a factor of five) the amount of a controlled substance or mixture containing a cocaine base (i.e., crack cocaine) required for the imposition of mandatory minimum prison terms for trafficking in such controlled substance.Eliminates the five-year mandatory minimum prison term for first-time possession of crack cocaine.Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend, if appropriate, its sentencing guidelines for trafficking in a controlled substance to reflect the use of a dangerous weapon or violence in such crime and the culpability and role of the defendant in [...]

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A bill to authorize State and local governments to direct divestiture from, and prevent investment in, companies with investments of $20,000,000 or more in Iran's energy sector, and for other purposes. 5/17/2007--Introduced. Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) publish biannually in the Federal Register a list of each person, whether within or outside of the United States, that has an investment of more than $20 million in the energy sector in Iran; and (2) maintain on the website of the Department of the Treasury the names of the persons on such list. States it is the policy of the United States to support the decision of state and local governments and educational institutions to divest from, and to prohibit the investment of assets they control in, persons included on the most recent list. Authorizes a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, or prohibit investment of [...]

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A bill to authorize State and local governments to direct divestiture from, and prevent investment in, companies with investments of $20,000,000 or more in Iran's energy sector, companies that sell arms to the Government of Iran, and financial institutions that extend $20,000,000 or more in credit to the Government of Iran for 45 days or more, and for other purposes. 7/31/2007--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2007 - (Sec. 3) Directs the President to ensure biannual publication in the Federal Register of a list of each person that: (1) has an investment of more than $20 million in the energy sector in Iran; (2) sells arms to the government of Iran; or (3) is a financial institution that extends $20 million or more in credit for 45 days or more to the government of Iran.Instructs the President to use only publicly available (including proprietary) information when compiling such list.Requires [...]

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To amend the Consumer Credit Protection Act to assure meaningful disclosures of the terms of rental-purchase agreements, including disclosures of all costs to consumers under such agreements, to provide certain substantive rights to consumers under such agreements, and for other purposes. 3/29/2007--Introduced. Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act - Amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to prescribe consumer protection guidelines for rental-purchase transactions, including: (1) the determination of rental-purchase cost; (2) disclosure requirements; (3) prohibitions against confessions of judgment, wage assignments, and waiver of consumer claims or defenses; (4) furnishing of statements of account; (5) point-of-rental disclosures; and (6) rental-purchase advertising disclosures. Declares that an action for civil liability may be brought against a merchant's assignee only if the violation is apparent on the face of a rental-purchase agreement to which it relates,[...]

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