Latest Action: 09/11/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8414-8415)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a Semester of Service grant program, and for other purposes. 9/11/2008--Introduced. Semester of Service Act - Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to direct the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service to award competitive matching grants to local educational agencies or their nonprofit partners and, through them, competitive subgrants to schools or their nonprofit partners for Semester of Service programs that allow high school juniors and seniors to earn academic credit for service-learning that meets unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs in their communities. Gives grant priority to applicants that propose to direct subgrants toward programs at schools that receive school improvement funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Requires Semester of Service programs [...]

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Latest Action: 07/30/2008 - Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 43. Record Vote Number: 192. (consideration: CR S7722; text: CR S7722)

Bill Text
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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Latest Action: 09/19/2008 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
To provide for extensions of certain authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes. 9/19/2008--Public Law.    (There are 3 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on July 30, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.) (Sec. 1) Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to extend for one year the Secretary of State's authority to waive Foreign Service annuitant salary and full-time employment pension restrictions respecting assignment to: (1) consular posts with a substantial visa application backlog; and (2) Iraq and Afghanistan. (Sec. 2) Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to permit rest and recuperation travel for Foreign Service members and family members to U.S. territories, including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Specifies that required leave based [...]

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Latest Action: 06/27/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 855.

Bill Text
A bill to designate certain land as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to authorize certain programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes. 6/26/2008--Introduced. Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008 - Authorizes specified programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture concerning, among other things, national wilderness preservation, boundary adjustments, national rivers, the national landscape conservation system, national conservation areas, land conveyances and exchanges, watershed management, watershed restoration and enhancement, wildland firefighter safety, forest landscape restoration, national trails, paleontological resources preservation, national parks, studies, national heritage areas, national heritage corridors, and water projects.Makes amendments to various public laws, including the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984,[...]

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Latest Action: 06/12/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5595-5597)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes. 6/12/2008--Introduced. Energy Independence and Tax 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 through 2009 the tax credit for producing electricity from wind facilities and through 2011 for closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation, hydropower, landfill gas, and trash combustion facilities. Includes marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as a renewable resource for purposes of such tax credit. Extends through 2014: (1) the energy tax credits for solar energy, fuel cell, and microturbine property; and (2) the residential energy efficient property tax credit. Allows a new investment tax credit for combined heat and power system property.Provides funding for new clean renewable energy [...]

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Latest Action: 06/09/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 771.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes. 6/6/2008--Introduced. Alternative Minimum Tax and Extenders Tax Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend expiring provisions relating to the alternative minimum tax, individual and business taxpayers, energy conservation, and tax administration. Extends through 2008 for individual taxpayers: (1) the offset of nonrefundable personal tax credits against regular and alternative minimum tax (AMT) liabilities; and (2) the increased AMT exemption amounts. Extends through 2009: (1) the election to deduct state and local sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes; (2) the tax deductions for qualified tuition and related expenses and for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; (3) tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for charitable purposes; and (4) tax rules for treatment of [...]

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Latest Action: 04/17/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3156-3157)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to amend certain expiring provisions. 4/17/2008--Introduced. Alternative Minimum Tax and Extenders Tax Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend expiring provisions relating to the alternative minimum tax, individual and business taxpayers, energy conservation, and tax administration. Extends through 2008 for individual taxpayers: (1) the offset of nonrefundable personal tax credits against alternative minimum tax (AMT) liability; and (2) increased AMT exemption amounts.Extends through 2009: (1) the election to include combat zone compensation as earned income for purposes of the earned income tax credit; (2) tax-free distributions from individual retirement plans (IRAs) for individuals called or ordered to active military duty and for charitable purposes; (3) the election to deduct state and local sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes; (4) the tax deductions for qualified tuition [...]

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Latest Action: 04/07/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to empower States with authority for most taxing and spending for highway programs and mass transit programs, and for other purposes. 4/7/2008--Introduced. Transportation Empowerment Act - Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for the interstate maintenance program, emergency relief, the interstate bridge program, the federal lands highways program, highway safety programs, surface transportation research, and certain administrative expenses. Authorizes a state, upon determining that excess funds have been made available, to transfer the excess funds to, and use them for, any surface transportation purpose (including mass transit and rail) in the state. Revises requirements regarding state apportionments under the interstate maintenance component for resurfacing, restoring, rehabilitating, and reconstructing the Interstate System. Prohibits any restriction on the ability of a state, as part of any highway improvement project, to impose [...]

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Latest Action: 04/09/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E566)

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend eligibility under the new markets tax credit for community development entities created or organized in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

4/9/2008--Introduced.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to qualify corporations and partnerships created or organized as community development entities in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands for the new markets tax credit.

Latest Action: 04/03/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2445-2446)

Bill Text
A bill to preserve access to Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program during an economic downturn, and for other purposes. 4/3/2008--Introduced. Economic Recovery in Health Care Act of 2008 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from finalizing, implementing, enforcing, or otherwise taking any action to give effect prior to April 1, 2009, to the following administrative actions: (1) the proposed and final rule (with certain exceptions) entitled "Medicaid Program; Health-Care Related Taxes," published, respectively, on March 23, 2007, and on February 22, 2008; (2) the proposed rule entitled "Medicaid Program; Graduate Medical Education," published on May 23, 2007; (3) the State Health Official Letter 07-001, dated August 17, 2007, issued by the Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding certain requirements under the State Children's Health Insurance [...]

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Latest Action: 02/08/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to provide for a temporary increase of the Federal medical assistance percentage under the Medicaid program, and for other purposes. 2/8/2008--Introduced. Provides that, if the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) determined under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act without regard to this Act for a state for FY2008 is less than the FMAP as so determined for FY2007, the FY2007 FMAP shall be substituted for the FMAP for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY2008, before the application of this Act. Provides that, if the FMAP determined without regard to this Act for a state for FY2009 is less than the FMAP as so determined for FY2008, the FY2008 FMAP shall be substituted for the FMAP for the first, second, and third calendar quarters of FY2009, before the application of this Act. Provides that, for each eligible state for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY2008, and for the first, second, and third calendar quarters of [...]

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Latest Action: 02/07/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Bill Text
To provide for a temporary increase of the Federal medical assistance percentage under the Medicaid Program, and for other purposes. 2/7/2008--Introduced. Provides that, if the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) determined under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act without regard to this Act for a state for FY2008 is less than the FMAP as so determined for FY2007, the FY2007 FMAP shall be substituted for the FMAP for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY2008, before the application of this Act. Provides that, if the FMAP determined without regard to this Act for a state for FY2009 is less than the FMAP as so determined for FY2008, the FY2008 FMAP shall be substituted for the FMAP for the first, second, and third calendar quarters of FY2009, before the application of this Act. Provides that, for each eligible state for the third and fourth calendar quarters of FY2008, and for the first, second, and third calendar quarters of FY2009,[...]

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Latest Action: 12/19/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Bill Text
To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to authorize the shipment of prescription drugs between the States and the Virgin Islands.

12/19/2007--Introduced.

Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt prescription drugs that have been shipped directly from a state to the U.S. Virgin Islands from restrictions on importation of exported drugs.

Latest Action: 01/31/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism.

Bill Text
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws, to enhance border security, and for other purposes. 11/1/2007--Introduced. Border Enforcement, Employment Verification, and Illegal Immigration Control Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to: (1) take all appropriate actions, including development of a national border strategy, to maintain operational control over the U.S. international land and maritime borders; (2) report on cross-border security agreements with Mexico and Canada; (3) provide for biometric data enhancements; (4) increase port of entry inspection personnel; (5) report on the airspace security mission's impact on the National Capital Region; (6) reimburse private owners along the border for certain property damage; (7) establish at least one Border Patrol unit for the Virgin Islands; (8) report on Central American gang travel across the U.S.-Mexico border; and (9) deploy radiation portal [...]

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Latest Action: 12/26/2007 - Became Public Law No: 110-166.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes.