United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2009
Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Requires federal public land management officials to exercise their authority under existing law, including regarding land use planning, to provide for the use of, and access to, federal public lands and waters for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports, promotes, and enhances recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. States that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service lands, excluding lands on the Outer Continental Shelf, shall be open to recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such lands for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, or compliance with other law. Requires publication of a public notice preceding any such closures or restrictions, unless mandated by other law. Requires annual reports on closures of federal public lands to recreational fishing, sport hunting, or shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 640 or more acres of federal public lands or waters to fishing or hunting. Establishes the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council and the Sporting Conservation Council.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2009
Small Business Tax Equalization and Compliance Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax credit for social security taxes paid for employee cash tips to employers of cosmetologists. Requires employers of cosmetologists to report income and tips of their cosmetologist employees and to provide income and tip information to self-employed cosmetologists to whom they pay more than $600 in the taxable year. Imposes similar reporting requirements upon individuals who rent chairs to cosmetologists. Requires such employers to provide their cosmetologist employees and self-employed cosmetologists with information on the tax and tip reporting obligations of employees and self-employed individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2009
Recognizes the Aldine Independent School District in Harris County, Texas, for winning the 2009 Broad Prize for Urban Education, the largest education award for school districts in this country. Congratulates the entire Aldine Independent School District community on its efforts to improve student achievement, particularly its efforts to reduce the achievement gaps among ethnic groups and between high- and low-income students.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2009
Transparency and Executive Accountability Act - Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require individuals subject to financial disclosure filing requirements by virtue of an appointment to a position in the Executive Office of the President to file required reports with the Director of the Office of Government Ethics (curently, with the ethics official of the individual's employing agency).
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2009
Offers condolences to the family of Jim Pouillon, who was murdered in Owosso, Michigan. Commits to the American principle that the suppression of thought by any means and by either government or individuals must always yield to the right of free speech and that violence is never an appropriate response to a difference in beliefs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2009
New IDEA (Illegal Deduction Elimination Act) - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny a tax deduction for wages and benefits paid to or on behalf of an unauthorized alien. Directs the Commissioner of Social Security and the Secretaries of Homeland Security and the Treasury to jointly establish a program to share information that may lead to the identification of unauthorized aliens. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to provide taxpayer identity information to the Commissioner of Social Security and the Secretary of Homeland Security on employers who paid nondeductible wages to unauthorized aliens and on the aliens to whom such wages were paid. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to: (1) make permanent the pilot program for verifying the employment eligibility of alien workers (E-Verify Program); (2) apply such program to current employees in addition to new hires; (3) establish a rebuttable presumption that employers who participate in the pilot program have not violated the prohibition against continued employment of unauthorized aliens; and (4) allow employers to offer a prospective employee a conditional offer of employment pending final verification of identity and employment eligibility under the E-Verify Program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2009
Defund ACORN Act - Prohibits any federal contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or other form of agreement from being awarded to, any federal funds in any other form from being provided to, or any federal employee or contractor from promoting any organization that: (1) has been indicted for a violation under any federal or state law governing the financing of a campaign for election for public office or any law governing the administration of such an election, including a voter registration law; (2) had its state corporate charter terminated due to its failure to comply with federal or state lobbying disclosure requirements; (3) has filed a fraudulent form with any federal or state regulatory agency; or (4) employs, has under contract, or retains to act on its behalf any individual who has been indicted for a violation under federal or state law relating to an election for federal or state office. Identifies, specifically, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and any affiliate as such an organization. Requires the Federal Acquisition Regulation to be revised to carry out provisions of this Act relating to contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2009
Sunset All Czars Act or the SAC Act - Prohibits appropriated funds from being used to pay salaries or expenses of any task force, council, or similar office established by or at the direction of the President, if the head of such entity is a Czar. Defines a "Czar" as an entity head who: (1) is appointed (on other than an interim basis) without the Senate's advice and consent; (2) is excepted from the competitive service by reason of the confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character of the position; (3) performs or delegates functions that would otherwise be performed or delegated by an individual appointed by the President with the Senate's advice and consent; and (4) does not have an existing removal date established at the direction of the President or through an authorization of Congress. Requires that by December 31, 2009, any Czar who is not appointed by a former President or the incumbent President, with the Senate's advise and consent, be removed from his or her position.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2009
Urges: (1) the President to issue a report clearly outlining the responsibilities, qualifications, and authorities of the special assistants he has appointed (commonly referred to as "czars") and to certify to Congress that such czars will not assert powers other than those granted by statute to a commissioned officer on the President's staff; and (2) Congress to hold hearings on such report and certification within 30 days.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2009 - Makes permanent the provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) that repeal the estate and generation skipping transfer taxes and that make reductions in the gift tax.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Healthy Savings Act of 2009 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to health savings accounts (HSAs) to allow: (1) spouses to make increased catch-up contributions to a single HSA; (2) Medicare Part A beneficiaries to establish and contribute to an HSA; (3) veterans eligible for service-connected disability benefits and individuals eligible for Indian health service assistance to establish an HSA; (4) HSAs to incorporate flexible spending and health reimbursement arrangements; (5) the use of HSAs to purchase health insurance; (6) payment of certain medical expenses incurred before the establishment of an HSA; and (7) payments from an HSA for prescription and over-the-counter drugs that aid in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Allows Medicare beneficiaries participating in a Medicare Advantage medical savings account (MSA) to exclude from gross income payments made to their MSAs. Treats as medical care for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses certain exercise equipment and physical fitness programs and certain nutritional and dietary supplements.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Corrosion Prevention Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a two-year business-related tax credit for 50% of net expenditures for engineering design, materials, and application and installation of corrosion prevention and mitigation technology for energy-related property comprised primarily of metals susceptible to corrosion.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Recognizes the contributions of U.S. automobile dealerships. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a quantifiable number of automobile dealerships that have been successful and are being closed not of their own doing, but as a function of the auto market as a whole, should be given an opportunity to obtain a dealership franchise when auto manufacturers seek new partners to open dealerships in their respective geographic areas.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2009
Congratulates Western Wyoming Community College in Southwest Wyoming on the occasion of its 50th anniversary of service to the students and citizens of Wyoming.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2009
Amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to use amounts in the Nuclear Waste Fund to make competitive grants to or enter into long-term contracts with private sector entities for the recycling of spent nuclear fuel. Directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to complete a rulemaking establishing a process for licensing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, of facilities for the recycling of spent nuclear fuel. Amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to provide that the receipt and disbursements of the Nuclear Waste Fund shall not be counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficits or surplus for purposes of the executive budget, the congressional budget, or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) (thereby moving the Fund off-budget).
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2009
Adds Rule XXIX (Time to Read Legislation Before Voting) to the Rules of the House of Representatives to prohibit consideration by the House of legislation between the chambers unless: (1) the text of the measure and its related accompanying comparative print has been available to all Members and their staffs in both printed and electronic format for at least three legislative days; and (2) any manager's amendment or other amendment which makes substantive changes to the legislation has been made available in such format for at least such period before such consideration. Exempts from such prohibition: (1) the intelligence authorization bill, other legislation containing classified information, or any such conference report, if Members have at least seven days to study the measure's contents; and (2) congressional declarations of war or authorization of military force to respond to attacks on the United States. Amends Rule XIII (Calendars and Committee Reports) to prohibit the Committee on Rules from reporting a rule or order waiving Rule XXIX. Amends Rule XVI (Motions and Amendments) to prohibit consideration in the House of any measure amending existing law, or any amendment to such measure, unless the Chair of the applicable committee or the Member proposing the amendment also presents the Clerk, at least three legislative days before consideration, an electronic version of a comparative print of any part of the measure, or the amendment, showing by appropriate typographical devices the omissions and insertions proposed.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2009
Medicare Beneficiary Freedom to Choose Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) to revise requirements for the use of private contracts by Medicare beneficiaries under which no Medicare claims shall be made. Requires any such contract to be in writing and signed by the Medicare beneficiary. Allows individuals to choose to opt out of the Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance), and makes them eligible for health savings accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2009
Amends the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 to extend through FY2012 (under current law, through FY2010) the requirement that the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information of the Department of Commerce make payments from the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Fund for a grant program to assist public safety agencies in the the acquisition of, deployment of, or training for the use of interoperable communications equipment that utilizes reallocated public safety spectrum for radio communication. Allows the Assistant Secretary to extend, on a case-by-case basis, the period of performance for any investment approved under the program for a period not to exceed two years.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2009
Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement Act of 2009 or SAVE Act of 2009 - Sets forth border security and enforcement provisions, including provisions respecting: (1) increases in Border Patrol and investigative personnel; (2) recruitment of former military personnel; (3) use of Department of Defense (DOD) equipment; (4) infrastructure improvements; (5) aerial and other surveillance; (5) a national strategy to secure the borders; (6) accountable financing under the Secure Border Initiative; (7) emergency deployment of Border Patrol agents; and (8) expansion of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism along the northern and southern borders. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to check against terrorist watchlists those persons suspected of alien smuggling and smuggled individuals who are interdicted at U.S. borders. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act and specified maritime law sections to revise alien smuggling provisions. Sets forth provisions respecting border security on certain federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to make the basic employment eligibility confirmation pilot program permanent. Sets forth conditions for the mandatory use of the E-verify system. Requires: (1) employer/employee notification of social security number mismatches and multiple uses, and related information sharing with DHS; and (2) establishment of electronic birth and death registration systems. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) penalize specified employers for failure to correct information returns; and (2) prohibit employers from deducting from gross income wages paid to unauthorized aliens, with an exception for an employer participating in the basic employment eligibility confirmation program. Increases criminal alien program (CAP) personnel. Authorizes border relief grants for local law enforcement agencies within 25 miles of the southern U.S. border. Establishes within DHS a rewards program to assist in the elimination of commercial operations to produce or sell fraudulent immigration-related documents and to assist in the investigation, prosecution, or disruption of commercial alien smuggling operations. Provides for: (1) increased alien detention facilities; (2) additional immigration court judgeships; and (3) a media campaign to inform the public of changes made by this Act including a multilingual media campaign explaining noncompliance penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2009
Federal Employee Accountability Act of 2009 - Repeals provisions: (1) authorizing a federal employee representing an exclusive representative in the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement official time for such purpose during the time such employee otherwise would be in a duty status; and (2) requiring the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to determine whether any employee participating for, or on behalf of, a labor organization in any phase of proceedings before it shall be authorized official time for that purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2009
Czar Accountability and Reform (CZAR) Act of 2009 - Prohibits appropriated funds from being used to pay salaries or expenses of any task force, council, or similar office established by or at the direction of the President, if the head of such entity: (1) is appointed (on other than an interim basis) without the Senate's advice and consent; (2) is excepted from the competitive service by reason of the confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character of the position; and (3) performs or delegates functions that would otherwise be performed or delegated by an individual appointed by the President with the Senate's advice and consent.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2009
Declares country music to be a uniquely American art form. Recognizes that country music should be honored for its contributions to American life and culture.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2009
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), by January 1, 2010, to establish the APEC Business Travel Program to issue Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards (ABTCs) to eligible U.S. citizen business leaders and senior U.S. government officials actively engaged in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) business. Requires the Secretary to: (1) integrate application procedures for and issuance of ABTCs with other international registered traveler programs of DHS, such as Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI; and (2) work in conjunction with private sector entities to ensure that applicants satisfy ABTC requirements. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) utilize such entities to enroll and issue ABTCs; and (2) impose and modify an ABTC issuance fee.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2009
Parental Right to Decide Protection Act - Prohibits federal funds or other assistance from being made available to any state or political subdivision to establish or implement any requirement that individuals receive vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV).
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2009
Directs the Secretary of Commerce, with the agreement of the Postmaster General, to utilize the services of mail carriers to serve as temporary enumerators in the 2010 decennial census before resorting to nonfederal personnel. Provides that a carrier selected to serve as an enumerator shall not be required to: (1) perform any postal duties on a day on which that carrier is serving as an enumerator; and (2) serve as an enumerator more than one day a week or after the services of letter carriers as enumerators are no longer required.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2009
Recognizes the 75th anniversary of operations by Continental Airlines. Congratulates the employees of Continental Airlines for the numerous awards and accolades they have earned for the company over the years.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 50% of the non-clinical research expenses for certain infectious diseases or conditions for which there is no significant market in developed nations and which disproportionately affect poor and marginalized populations. Requires any taxpayer who claims this tax credit to donate to a charitable organization or foreign government for public purposes the rights to any license for treatment of such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2009
Reducing Barack Obama's Unsustainable Deficit Act - Rescinds all unobligated balances of the discretionary appropriations made available in division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Repeals subtitles B (Assistance for Vulnerable Individuals) and C (Economic Recovery Payments to Certain Individuals) of title II (the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act) and titles III (Premium Assistance for COBRA Benefits), IV (Medicare and Medicaid Health Information Technology; Miscellaneous Medicare Provisions), V (State Fiscal Relief), VI (Broadband Communications), and VII (Limits on Executive Compensation) of division B of ARRA. Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to terminate upon enactment of this Act (currently, December 31, 2009) the Secretary of the Treasury's authority to establish the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the program to guarantee troubled assets originated or issued before March 14, 2008, including mortgage-backed securities. Repeals the authorization for a two-year extension of such authority if the Secretary submits a specified certification to Congress. Requires the Secretary, each time a financial institution makes a TARP repayment, to transfer such repayments to the special account established in the Treasury for reducing public debt.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2009
Urges Members of Congress who vote in favor of the establishment of a public, federal government run health insurance option to forgo their right to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and agree to enroll under that public option.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2009
Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Honors the crew of the Apollo 11 mission: Neil Armstrong, "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Commends all those individuals and organizations who contributed to this historic achievement.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2009
Declares that, during the 18 months following enactment of this Act, the Home Valuation Code of Conduct announced by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) on December 23, 2008, shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2009
Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on communication services (i.e., local telephone service, toll telephone service, and teletypewriter exchange service).
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2009
Eminent Domain Tax Relief Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income gain from the conversion of property by reason of eminent domain.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2009
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) state and local governments should only execute the power of eminent domain for the public good; (2) state and local governments must always justly compensate affected individuals in accordance with the Fifth Amendment; (3) eminent domain should never be used to advantage one private party over another; (4) no state or local government should construe Kelo v. City of New London (Kelo) as justification to abuse the power of eminent domain; and (5) Congress reserves the right to address, through legislation, any abuses of eminent domain by state and local governments in light of Kelo .
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2009
Mobile Mammography Promotion Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the motor fuel excise tax fuel used in any highway vehicle designed exclusively to provide mobile mammography services.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2009
Amends Rule XIII (Calendars and Committee Reports) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to make it out of order in the House to consider a measure or matter until 72 hours (currently, until the third day) (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays unless the House is in session on such a day) after its text (and, if any, the text of all accompanying reports) have been made available to Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner (Members), and the general public. Requires the full text of the legislation and each committee report, without further amendment before floor consideration, to be posted continuously by means of the Internet. Prohibits consideration in the House of a general appropriation bill reported by the Committee on Appropriations until 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays unless the House is in session on such a day) after printed hearings of the Committee have been available to Members. Prohibits the Committee on Rules from reporting a rule or order proposing a waiver of this resolution or of Rule XXII (House and Senate Relations) unless a question of consideration of the rule is adopted by a vote of two-thirds of the Members voting, a quorum being present. Amends Rule XXII (House and Senate Relations) to make it out of order in the House to consider a conference report, the accompanying signed joint explanatory statement, or a motion to dispose of a Senate amendment reported in disagreement by a conference committee until after: (1) the 72-hour availability requirement has been met; and (2) posting on the Internet. Declares that nothing in this resolution or any amendment made by it shall be interpreted to require or permit the declassification or posting on the Internet of classified information in the custody of the House. Requires such classified information to be made available to Members in a timely manner as appropriate under existing laws and rules. Expresses the sense of the House that, with the objective of preventing circumvention of this resolution, that the Committee on Rules should develop standardized policies and procedures to require that proposed amendments (except those offered under an open rule) that are major in size, scope, or cost be posted on the Internet for an appropriate number of hours.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2009
Expresses support for all Iranian citizens who struggle for freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law. Condemns the ongoing violence against demonstrators by the government of Iran, pro-government militias, and affiliated entities. Affirms the universality of individual rights and the importance of democratic and fair elections.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2009
Detainee Photographic Records Protection Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Defense to: (1) submit a certification to the President for any photograph taken between September 11, 2001, and January 22, 2009, that relates to the treatment of individuals engaged, captured, or detained after September 11, 2001, by the U.S. Armed Forces in operations outside of the United States if the Secretary determines that disclosure of such photograph would endanger U.S. citizens or members of the Armed Forces or U.S. government employees deployed outside the United States; and (2) submit timely notice of such certification to Congress. Authorizes the Secretary to submit a renewal of a certification at any time. Provides that a certification or a renewal shall expire after three years. Exempts such a certified photograph from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), but does not preclude voluntary disclosure.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2009
Neighborhood Investment Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income gain from the sale of single-family residential rental property held by a taxpayer for two years or more and rented as a single dwelling unit on a regular basis during the five-year period prior to its sale. Limits the amount of such exclusion to $250,000.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2009
American Energy Act - Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2009 - Considers the Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2010-2015 released by the Secretary of the Interior to have been approved as final under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) and to be in full compliance with all requirements of applicable laws. Deems the Secretary to have issued a final environmental impact statement for the program under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a lease sale in each outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning area for which there is a commercial interest in purchasing federal oil and gas production leases; and (2) promulgate regulations that establish management of the surface occupancy of the portion of the OCS near the coastline. Amends the Submerged Lands Act to extend to 12 nautical miles a coastal state's allowable seaward boundary. Excepts from the operation of provisions concerning the rights of states all of the oil and gas mineral rights for lands beneath the navigable waters that are located within the expanded offshore seaward boundaries. Deems such rights to be federal property and part of the federal OCS for purposes of OCLA. Revises the procedure for determining each state's Adjacent Zone and each OCS Planning Area. Provides a means of voluntary relinquishment of any portion of a geologically prospective lease. Revises procedures for the granting of OCS leases concerning multiple leases for the same tract, payment of receipts, joint bidding restrictions in Alaska, price thresholds applicable to royalty suspension volumes, and a conservation of resources fee for nonproducing leases. Provides schedules for the sharing and allocation of OCS receipts. Prohibits leasing east of the military mission line (86 degrees, 41 minutes West Longitude, and extending south from the coast of Florida to the outer boundary of U.S. territorial waters in the Gulf of Mexico). Revises OCS leasing provisions concerning: (1) timing and location under each five-year program; (2) consideration of other laws affecting leasing; (3) suggestions from government entities and other persons; and (4) estimates of resources within a state's Adjacent Zone and projections of receipts expected to be shared with each Adjacent State and its political subdivisions. Provides rules for the approval by a federal agency or a state of a petroleum or natural gas pipeline, respectively. Provides guidelines for the preparation of environmental impact statements. Prohibits uses on the federal OCS or in state waters by federal agencies that are incompatible with oil and gas leasing and substantially full exploration and production of geologically prospective tracts. Authorizes the repurchase and cancellation of certain leases that were subject to litigation in the Court of Federal Claims. Allows environmental mitgation requirements associated with leasing activities to be satisfied at a site away from the area affected. Requires the Secretary to establish OCS regional headquarters. Allows a lessee of an existing oil and gas lease for an area located completely within 12 nautical miles of the coastline within the California or Florida Adjacent Zones the option of exchanging such lease for a new oil and gas lease having a primary term of 5 years. Repeals the program of coastal impact assistance to producing states and political subdivisions. Repeals the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act - Requires the Secretary to establish a competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally sound program for the exploration, development, and production of Alaska's Coastal Plain's oil and gas resources. Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 to terminate the prohibition against leasing or other development leading to production of oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Directs the Secretary to hold a lease sale offering an additional 10 parcels for lease for research, development, and demonstration of oil shale resources, under the terms offered in a specified solicitation of bids. Allows the temporary reduction of royalties, fees, rentals, bonus, or other payments for leases of federal lands for the development and production of such resources as necessary to incentivize and encourage their development. Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act - Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide financial assistance to states to hire personnel with expertise relevant to consideration of federal refinery authorizations. Requires a federal agency responsible for refinery authorization to provide nonfinancial assistance to facilitate state consideration of such authorizations. Directs the President to appoint a federal coordinator to facilitate such authorizations. Instructs the President to designate at least three closed military installations as potentially suitable for the construction of a refinery. Requires that at least one such site be designated as potentially suitable for construction of a refinery to produce biofuel. Requires the redevelopment authority for each such installation to consider the feasibility and practicability of siting a refinery on the installation. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal certain requirements regarding refinery revitalization. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the income tax credits for: (1) the purchase of a new qualified alternative fuel vehicle; (2) the cost of qualified alternative fuel vehicle refueling property; and (3) qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles placed in service. Directs the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program of awards to advance the development and application of innovative energy technologies and new energy sources, including for innovative gasoline-operated automobile and advanced battery manufacturing. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various energy efficiency tax incentives. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the requirement that the associated lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of government-procured alternative or synthetic fuels not exceed those from equivalent fuel from conventional petroleum sources. Provides for the procurement of coal-to-liquid fuel and loans to facilities that produce such fuel. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various renewable energy tax credits and to include in certain incentives advanced nuclear power and clean-coal equipment. Establishes in the Treasury the American Renewable and Alternative Energy Trust Fund. Requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to establish an expedited procedure for issuing combined construction and operating licenses for new reactors. Sets a goal of licensing 100 new reactors, or the megawatt equivalent, by 2030. Requires creation of a uranium supply-disruption mitigation reserve and the convening of a national summit on uranium resources. Establishes policies concerning the disposal of high-level nuclear waste. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a National Nuclear Energy Council to advise the Secretary and assist nuclear energy-related investors. Revises NEPA environmental assessment procedures with respect to the consideration of alternative locations or actions for renewable energy projects. Excludes greenhouse gases and climate change from regulation under the Clean Air Act. Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to prohibit the consideration of the impact of greenhouse gases upon species of fish, wildlife, or plants. Sets forth jurisdictional rules and procedures for claims that arise concerning any energy project under a federal lease.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2009
Commends the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the occasion of its 125th anniversary for the exemplary service its administrators and employees provide in collecting and disseminating vital information for the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2009
American Energy Innovation Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, including by: (1) allowing accelerated depreciation of cellulosic biomass ethanol plant property, coal-to-liquid plant property, dedicated ethanol distribution lines, solar and fuel cell property, smart electric meters, and certain clean coal power plants; (2) making permanent tax credits for increasing research activities, nonbusiness energy property, gas produced from biomass, and synthetic fuels produced from coal; (3) allowing new tax credits for pollution abatement equipment, the manufacture of natural gas-powered vehicles, nuclear power manufacturing and construction projects, and carbon dioxide capture from industrial sources; (4) extending the income tax credits for the production of electricity from renewable resources, for energy efficient home expenditures, and for the conversion of motor vehicles to natural gas powered vehicles; (5) extending the excise tax credit for alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles; (6) extending the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings; and (7) increasing the tax credit for carbon dioxide sequestration. Establishes: (1) a pilot project for leasing federal lands for the development of commercial photovoltaic and concentrating solar power energy systems; (2) an Alternative Fuel Vehicle Innovation Prize; (3) the Office of the Federal Oil and Gas Permit Coordinator; and (4) the Deficit Reduction Trust Fund into which Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) receipts derived from leases of tracts available as a result of this Act shall be deposited. Amends the Clean Air Act to: (1) exclude from the meaning of "air pollutant" carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride; and (2) revise the renewable fuel standard. Repeals: (1) the authorization to withdraw or reissue the "Interagency Cooperation under the Endangered Species Act" rule and the "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Special Rule for Polar Bear"; (2) specified energy efficiency standards for lamps; (3) the prohibition against oil and gas leasing in certain areas of Gulf of Mexico and oil and gas production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; (4) the limitation on using funds for implementing a commercial leasing program for oil shale resources on public land; and (5) the Oil Shale, Tar Sands, and Other Strategic Unconventional Fuels Act of 2005. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) establish the Alaska Offshore Continental Shelf Coordination Office; and (2) assess the capacity of a storage formation that can retain carbon dioxide. Revises the Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Program. Sets forth provisions concerning loans for the construction of coal-to-liquid facilities and technology. Requires the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) conduct a natural gas vehicle research, development, and demonstration program; and (2) audit coal-fired electric generation facilities. Provides for: (1) oil and gas leasing in the OCS, the Atlantic Planning Area, the Pacific Planning Area, the Alaska Planning Area, the Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, and the Coastal Plain; (2) the leasing of oil shale resources; and (3) the treatment of revenues received through oil shale or tar sand leases. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to designate certain Coastal Plain lands, including the Sadlerochit Spring area, as Special Areas requiring special management and regulatory protection. Requires the DOE Secretary to implement a Nuclear Power 2010 Program and establish a National Nuclear Energy Council. Authorizes the DOE Secretary to use amounts in the Waste Fund to make grants or contracts with private sector entities for the recycling of spent nuclear fuel. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a research and demonstration program to evaluate the air quality benefits of ultra-clean Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuel.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2009
Truth in Employment Act of 2009 - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that nothing in specified prohibitions against unfair labor practices by employers shall be construed as requiring an employer to employ any person who seeks or has sought employment with the employer in furtherance of other employment or agency status.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2009
Congratulates the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary. Recognizes its members for their work and dedication to making the fraternity an outstanding and honorable association.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
Automobile Dealer Economic Rights Restoration Act of 2009 - Prohibits an automobile manufacturer (manufacturer) in which the federal government has an ownership interest, or which receives loans from the federal government, from depriving an automobile dealer (dealer) of its economic rights. Requires the manufacturer to honor those rights as they existed for Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corporation dealers prior to the commencement of the bankruptcy cases of each corporation, including dealer rights to recourse under state law. Requires the appropriate manufacturer to restore the franchise agreement between the dealers and Chrysler LLC or General Motors that was in effect prior to the commencement of their respective bankruptcy cases, and to take assignment of such agreements. States that nothing in this Act is intended to make null and void the transfer of substantially all the assets of such corporations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2009
TARP Repayment and Termination Act of 2009 - Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to grant any financial institution that received or receives assistance under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) the right to repay all of it immediately if the institution will be well capitalized after such repayment and has made any payment due to the Secretary of the Treasury by reason of receiving such assistance. Allows bank holding companies assessed under the Supervisory Capital Assessment Program (SCAP) to repay all of their TARP assistance immediately if the Secretary determines that they meet specified criteria, including the ability, along with their subsidiary banks, to meet all ongoing funding requirements and obligations to counterparties while reducing reliance on government capital and the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program (TLGP). Directs the Secretary to notify financial institutions unable to repay their TARP assistance of detailed steps to take to put themselves in a position to make such repayment. Gives financial institutions making a full repayment of TARP assistance the right to repurchase preferred shares purchased or held by the Secretary as a result of the Secretary's exercise of warrants at the same price paid by the Secretary for such shares or warrants. Requires the Secretary to liquidate at the market price warrants associated with repaid TARP assistance. Eliminates the Secretary's authority to extend TARP beyond its termination date.
![Official portrait of Rep. Brady, Kevin [R-TX-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000755_200.jpg)