Latest Action: 10/03/2008 - Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 110-910.

Bill Text
To ensure that implementation of proposed regulations under subchapter IV of chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code, does not cause harm to the payments system, and for other purposes.
Latest Action: 09/08/2008 - Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 945.

Bill Text
Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 8/1/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2009 - Title I: Department of Defense - Appropriates funds for FY2009 for the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military construction for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force (military departments), DOD, the Army and Air National Guard, and the Army, Navy, and Air Force reserves; (2) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program; (3) family housing construction and related operation and maintenance for the military departments and DOD; (4) the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund; (5) the Homeowners Assistance Fund; (6) chemical demilitarization construction; and (7) the Department of Defense [...]

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Latest Action: 06/16/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Bill Text
A bill to prohibit text message spam. 6/16/2008--Introduced. Do-Not-Text Act of 2008 - Amends the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 to exclude from the definition of "mobile service commercial message" a commercial e-mail if the message's primary purpose is to: (1) facilitate, complete, or confirm a transaction between the message recipient and the sender; (2) provide warranty, recall, safety, or security information regarding the recipient's product or service; (3) provide notice of a change in terms or conditions, a change in the status of the recipient, or account statements regarding a subscription, membership, account, loan, or comparable ongoing commercial relationship; (4) provide information regarding an employment relationship or benefit plan in which the recipient is involved; or (5) deliver goods or services, including updates or upgrades, that the recipient is entitled to receive.Declares that provisions relating to the application of the Act to wireless do [...]

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Latest Action: 05/14/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4185-4186)

Bill Text
A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding oversight of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. 5/14/2008--Introduced. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) it is critical that more progress be made by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in transparency, accountability, and security; (2) the private sector's success in Internet development is unparalleled and industry self-regulation must be assured through more effective ICANN contract compliance efforts; (3) WHOIS databases provide a vital tool for businesses, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and other law enforcement agencies to track down brand infringement, online fraud, identity theft, and other online illegal activity, as well as for consumers to determine the availability of domain names and communicate with online businesses; (4) increased international private sector participation in various ICANN processes should be encouraged; (5) the United [...]

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Latest Action: 02/25/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1126-1127)

Bill Text
A bill to prohibit the collection of identifying information of individuals by false, fraudulent, or deceptive means through the Internet, a practice known as "phishing", to provide the Federal Trade Commission the necessary authority to enforce such prohibition, and for other purposes. 2/25/2008--Introduced. Anti-Phishing Consumer Protection Act of 2008 or the APCPA - Makes it unlawful for a person to fraudulently: (1) solicit identifying information from a protected computer; (2) use a domain name in violation of the Trademark Act of 1946; (3) use a domain name in an electronic mail message, an instant message, or on a Web page; or (4) register a domain name in any domain name registration authority. Makes it unlawful for a domain name authority to replace or materially alter the contents of, or restrict access to, any domain name registrant's name or other identifying information in any domain name registration authority database if the authority has received written [...]

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Latest Action: 05/06/2008 - Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Bill Text
To establish broadband policy and direct the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a proceeding and public broadband summits to assess competition, consumer protection, and consumer choice issues relating to broadband Internet access services, and for other purposes. 2/12/2008--Introduced. Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to declare that it is U.S. policy to: (1) maintain the freedom to use broadband telecommunications networks, including the Internet, without unreasonable interference from or discrimination by network operators; (2) enable the United States to preserve its global leadership in online commerce and technological innovation; (3) promote the open and interconnected nature of broadband networks that enable consumers to reach, and service providers to offer, content, applications, and services of their choosing; and (4) guard against unreasonable discriminatory favoritism for, or degradation of, content by [...]

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Latest Action: 02/25/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Bill Text
To amend title 18, United States Code, and the Social Security Act to limit the misuse of Social Security numbers, to establish criminal penalties for such misuse, and for other purposes. 2/6/2008--Introduced. Social Security Number Misuse Prevention Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the display, sale, or purchase of Social Security numbers without the affirmatively expressed consent of the individual, except in specified circumstances. Directs the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on all the uses of Social Security numbers permitted, required, authorized, or excepted under any federal law, including the impact of such uses on privacy and data security.Establishes a public records exception to the prohibition. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on Social Security numbers in public records. Grants the Attorney General rulemaking authority to enforce this Act's prohibition and to implement and clarify the permitted [...]

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Latest Action: 12/13/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to prevent the abuse of dehydroepiandrosterone, and for other purposes.

12/13/2007--Introduced.

Dehydroepiandrosterone Abuse Reduction Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to impose civil penalties for knowingly selling, causing another to sell, or conspiring to sell a product containing dehydroepiandrosterone to an individual under the age of 18 years, including any such sale using the Internet.

Latest Action: 11/08/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H13301-13302)

Bill Text
Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes. 11/7/2007--Introduced. Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 - Appropriates funds for FY2008 for the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military construction for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force (military departments), DOD, the Army and Air National Guard, and the Army, Navy, and Air Force reserves; (2) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program; (3) family housing construction and related operation and maintenance for the military departments and DOD; (4) the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund; (5) DOD chemical demilitarization construction; and (6) the Department of Defense Base Closure Accounts of 1990 and 2005. Appropriates funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) [...]

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Latest Action: 10/02/2008 - Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1115.

Bill Text
To prevent tobacco smuggling, to ensure the collection of all tobacco taxes, and for other purposes. 9/10/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2008 or the PACT Act - Amends the Jenkins Act to revise provisions governing the collection of taxes on, and trafficking in, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. (Sec. 2) Revises the definition of "cigarette" to include roll-your-own tobacco and to exclude cigars. Defines "delivery sale" to mean any sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco to a consumer ordered by telephone, the mails, or the Internet or other online service . Redefines "person" to include state, local, and Indian tribal governments. Redefines "use" to include the consumption, storage, handling, or disposal of smokeless tobacco, in addition to cigarettes.Applies state tobacco tax reporting requirements to: (1) the sale or advertising [...]

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Latest Action: 08/31/2008 - Cleared for White House.

Bill Text
To establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products and to reauthorize and modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 8/14/2008--Public Law.    (There are 4 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since the Conference Report was filed in the House on July 29, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 - Title I: Children's Product Safety - (Sec. 101) Treats as a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) any children's product (a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger) containing more than specified amounts of lead. Allows alternate limits if the specified limits are not technologically feasible. Requires periodic review and, when technologically feasible, more stringent limits. Makes the limits inapplicable to any component that [...]

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Latest Action: 10/25/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S13451-13452)

Bill Text
A bill to fight crime. 10/25/2007--Introduced. Crime Control and Prevention Act of 2007 - Amends the federal criminal code, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the Violence Against Women Act of 2000, and other federal laws to establish and reauthorize programs to prevent and control crime. Reauthorizes and expands the program for community-oriented policing services (COPS program). Authorizes the hiring of an additional 1,000 agents for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in FY2008-FY2012. Authorizes the hiring of additional Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents.Establishes a National Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice to study the role of law enforcement after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012 for: (1) early Head [...]

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Latest Action: 10/24/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to require the International Trade Commission to report on the specific impact of each free trade agreement in force with respect to the United States on a sector-by-sector basis, and for other purposes.

10/24/2007--Introduced.

Trade Agreement Assessment Act - Directs the International Trade Commission (ITC) to report periodically to Congress on each free trade agreement in force with respect to the United States, including: (1) its effect on the U.S. economy and on specific U.S. industry sectors; (2) a summary of how each country that is party to such agreement has changed its labor and environmental laws; and (3) whether the agreement is making progress in achieving the objectives of the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002.

Latest Action: 10/03/2007 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 401.

Bill Text
A bill to make the moratorium on Internet access taxes and multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce permanent.

10/2/2007--Introduced.

Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act of 2007 - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.

Latest Action: 10/31/2007 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
To amend the Internet Tax Freedom Act to extend the moratorium on certain taxes relating to the Internet and to electronic commerce. 10/31/2007--Public Law.    (There are 3 other summaries) (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on October 25, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.)Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments Act of 2007 - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to extend until November 1, 2014, the moratorium on state and local taxation of Internet access and electronic commerce (moratorium) and the exemption from such moratorium for states with previously enacted Internet tax laws (grandfathering provisions). Redefines, effective November 1, 2003, "Internet access" to prevent certain states from claiming an expanded exemption under the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act from the moratorium. Delays the application of such redefinition until June 30, 2008, for a state or local [...]

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Latest Action: 09/10/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.

Bill Text
To promote simplification and fairness in the administration and collection of sales and use taxes. 8/3/2007--Introduced. Sales Tax Fairness and Simplification Act - Grants the consent of Congress to the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (Agreement), the multistate agreement for the administration and collection of sales and use taxes adopted on November 12, 2002. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Agreement provides sufficient simplification and uniformity to warrant federal authorizations to states that are parties to it (member states) to require remote sellers (sellers without a physical presence in the taxing state) to collect and remit the sales and use taxes of such states and their local taxing jurisdictions.Authorizes each member state, after 10 states (comprising at least 20% of all states imposing a sales tax) have petitioned for and become member states, to require all sellers, except those sellers with gross remote taxable sales nationwide of [...]

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Latest Action: 06/30/2008 - Signed by President.

Bill Text
Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes. 6/30/2008--Public Law.    (There are 4 other summaries) Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 - Title I: Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, International Affairs, and Other Security-Related Matters - Chapter 1: Agriculture - Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2008 to the Department of Agriculture for the Foreign Agricultural Service for grants under the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (P.L. 480) for emergency and nonemergency food assistance to foreign countries. Chapter 2: Justice- Makes supplemental appropriations to the Department of Justice for: (1) the Office of Inspector General; (2) general legal activities; (3) the U.S. Marshals Service; (4) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); (5) the Drug Enforcement Administration [...]

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Latest Action: 06/06/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1207)

Bill Text
To provide American consumers information about the broadcast television transition from an analog to a digital format. 6/5/2007--Introduced. National Digital Television Consumer Education Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require retail distributors of television receiving equipment (TVs) to place adjacent to each unit displayed for sale a consumer alert in English and Spanish that the TV has only an analog broadcast tuner and will require a converter box after February 17, 2009, to receive over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna. Imposes similar requirements on sellers that use direct mail, catalog, or electronic means such as the Internet. Requires broadcaster public service announcements about the deadline for termination of analog TV broadcasting and the equipment options for consumers following such termination. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create a DTV Transition Federal Advisory Committee to educate the public about the [...]

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Latest Action: 09/27/2007 - Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Date of scheduled consideration. SR-253. 2:30 p.m.

Bill Text
A bill to extend the moratorium on taxes on Internet access and multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce imposed by the Internet Tax Freedom Act, and for other purposes.

5/23/2007--Introduced.

ITFA Extension Act of 2007 - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to extend until November 1, 2011: (1) the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce; and (2) provisions allowing states with Internet tax laws enacted prior to the ban to continue enforcing such laws.

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