United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to back-date to September 11, 2001, the period of active duty or performed active service, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations, for which members of Ready Reserve components of the armed forces shall receive credit in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2009 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the Medicare outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009 - Exempts provisions expanding the adoption tax credit and adoption assistance programs enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 from the general terminating (sunset) provisions of that Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce to 0% the employment tax on employers, employees, and self-employed individuals in the first full two-month period after the enactment of this Act; and (2) exclude from gross income any wage and self-employment income earned during the same period . Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to repeal procedures for authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to obligate additional amounts under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Requires the Secretary to: (1) estimate the impact of this Act on the income and balances of the social security trust funds; and (2) transfer amounts from the Treasury to such trust funds if there is any reduction in the income and balances of such trust funds resulting from this Act. Terminates the authority of the Secretary under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to purchase troubled assets or any preferred or other stock or equity in any financial institution.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act - Declares that no automatic pay adjustment shall be considered to have taken effect in FY2010 in the rates of basic pay for Members of Congress under the General Schedule (thus eliminating the pay adjustment for Members for such fiscal year).
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Fair Tax Act of 2009 - Repeals the income tax, employment tax, and estate and gift tax. Redesignates the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as the Internal Revenue Code of 2009. Imposes a national sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services. Sets the sales tax rate at 23% in 2011, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years. Allows exemptions from the tax for property or services purchased for business, export, or investment purposes, and for state government functions. Sets forth rules relating to: (1) the collection and remittance of the sales tax; and (2) credits and refunds. Allows a monthly sales tax rebate for families meeting certain size and income requirements. Grants states the primary authority for the collection of sales tax revenues and the remittance of such revenues to the Treasury. Sets forth administrative provisions relating to: (1) the filing of monthly reports and payments of tax; (2) accounting methods; (3) registration of sellers of goods and services responsible for reporting sales; (4) penalties for noncompliance; and (5) collections, appeals, and taxpayer rights. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to allocate sales tax revenues among: (1) the general revenue; (2) the old-age and survivors insurance trust fund; (3) the disability insurance trust fund; (4) the hospital insurance trust fund; and (5) the federal supplementary medical insurance trust fund. Prohibits the funding of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after FY2013. Establishes in the Department of the Treasury: (1) an Excise Tax Bureau to administer excise taxes not administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and (2) a Sales Tax Bureau to administer the national sales tax. Terminates the sales tax imposed by this Act if the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (authorizing an income tax) is not repealed within seven years after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish, maintain, and modify as necessary procedures for ensuring the effective coordination of outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) between and among the Office of the Secretary, the Office of Public Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration. Directs the Secretary to give priority to state and county outreach assistance in locations that: (1) have relatively large concentrations of veterans; or (2) are experiencing growth in veteran populations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to state or county veterans agencies for state and local outreach services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Requires a three-fifths rollcall vote of each chamber to increase the public debt limit. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Prohibits any bill to increase revenue from becoming law unless approved by a majority of each chamber by rollcall vote. Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect or under other specified circumstances involving military conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2009
Declares that Congress disapproves the obligation of any funds that exceed specified amounts authorized for the purchase of troubled assets by the Secretary of the Treasury under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2008
Taxpayer Relief Act of 2008 - Reduces for 2008 income tax purposes: (1) the taxable income of a taxpayer by $125,000 ($250,000 in the case of a joint return); and (2) the rate of tax on taxable income in excess of $125,000 by 5%.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2008
Taxpayer Holiday Act for 2009 - Excludes up to $125,000 ($250,000 in the case of a joint return) of wages or self-employment income earned in the first six months of the first taxable year beginning in 2009 from federal income and employment taxation. Reduces income tax rates on taxable income exceeding $125,000 ($250,000 in the case of a joint return).
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2008
State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Expansion Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow all individual taxpayers a tax deduction for state and local general sales taxes (current law allows taxpayers an election to deduct either state and local income taxes or sales taxes).
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2008
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce to 0% the employment tax on employers, employees, and self-employed individuals during the first two months of 2009; and (2) exclude from gross income any wage and self-employment income earned during the first two months of 2009. Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to repeal procedures for authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to obligate additional amounts under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Requires the Secretary to: (1) estimate the impact of this Act on the income and balances of the social security trust funds; and (2) transfer amounts from the Treasury to such trust funds if there is any reduction in the income and balances of such trust funds resulting from this Act. Terminates the authority of the Secretary under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to purchase troubled assets or any preferred or other stock or equity in any financial institution.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2008
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase and make permanent the expensing allowance for depreciable business assets; and (2) allow a tax deduction, up to $10,000, for the purchase of a motor vehicle manufactured in the United States. Terminates such tax deduction after 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2008
Disapproves the obligation of any amount to purchase troubled assets under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 exceeding those already obligated (namely, $250 billion, or upon presidential certification, $350 billion outstanding at any one time).
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2008
Reliable Economic Stabilization, Capital Utilization, and Enterprise Reform Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from gross income gain from the sale of certain residential or commercial mortgages and related securities issued on or before March 14, 2008, and acquired before January 1, 2010; (2) extend the carryback period for net operating losses to five years; (3) provide an increased dividends received tax deduction for corporations with overseas operations that make investments in the United States; and (4) treat gain or loss from the sale of certain preferred stock in the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) as ordinary income or loss. Repeals the Community Reinvestment Act. Requires the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to establish a net worth certificate program to provide capital to assist insured banks in resolving solvency problems. Government-Sponsored Enterprises Free Market Reform Act of 2008- Requires the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to: (1) terminate the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and the Freddie Mac, jointly defined as the enterprise, if the Director determines that the enterprise is financially viable; or (2) immediately appoint FHFA as receiver of the enterprise if it is found not financially viable. Limits the amount of mortgage assets the enterprise may own after the termination of its conservatorship. Requires the Director to establish mandatory minimum capital levels for the enterprise. Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act to repeal provisions governing enterprise authority to purchase and sell certain insured and conventional mortgages and to engage in certain lending activities. Amends the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 to repeal the new housing price index. Amends the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 to repeal certain conforming loan limits. Imposes requirements for the renewal of the enterprise's charter if it becomes financially sound and for winding down its operations and dissolving the enterprise otherwise.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2008
Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to increase the standard maximum amount of deposit insurance from $100,000 to: (1) $250,000 , $500,000, $750,000, or $1 million, at the option of the insured depository institution; and (2) $250,000, $500,000, $750,000, or $1 million for eligible retirement accounts, at the institution's option. Requires an annual inflation adjustment. Directs the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board to report to Congress and publish in the Federal Register any such inflation adjustments to the standard maximum deposit insurance amount and to the standard maximum share insurance amount.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2008
Free Market Protection Act of 2008 - Government-Sponsored Enterprises Free Market Reform Act of 2008 - Directs the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to: (1) determine the financial viability of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government-sponsored enterprises or GSEs); (2) terminate the conservatorship of a GSE that is financially viable; or (3) appoint the FHFA as receiver for a GSE that is not financially viable. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to limit the mortgage assets held by a GSE upon its emergence from conservatorship, including an increase in its minimum capital requirements. Amends the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 to repeal the temporary increase in conforming loan limits applicable to the GSEs. Prohibits the GSEs from purchasing mortgages that exceed the median area home price. Requires the GSEs to pay state and local taxes. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on recoupment of costs for the federal guarantee regarding the GSEs. Requires the wind down of operations and dissolution of a GSE whose charter has not been renewed. Price Stability Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Reserve Act to direct the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Open Market Committee to: (1) establish an explicit numerical definition of "price stability"; and (2) maintain a monetary policy that promotes long-term price stability. Repeals the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978 (Humphrey-Hawkins Act). Amends the Employment Act of 1946 and the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to reflect the changes made by this Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) prescribe a temporary zero percent capital gains rate for individuals and corporations; (2) substitute an indexed basis for the adjusted basis of certain assets in order to determine gain or loss upon disposition; (3) provide a five-year carryback of certain losses for taxable years ending during 2007, 20008, and 2009; and (4) modify the deduction for dividends received from controlled foreign corporations. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission to suspend the application of fair value reporting standards to troubled assets held by financial institutions. Directs the General Accountability Office to analyze and report to certain congressional committees on the effect of fair value accounting standards upon financial institutions. Makes the Secretary of the Treasury responsible to determine the terms of a program to insure payment of up to 100% of principal and interest on each mortgage-backed security held by a financial institution on or before September 24, 2008. Establishes a Mortgage-Backed Securities Fund. Treats gain or loss from the sale or exchange of preferred GSE stock by specified financial institutions as ordinary income or loss. Requires an officer of an institution to pay to the Department of the Treasury any funds received as incentive-based or equity-based compensation during a specified period before the year in which the institution is subject to government intervention.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2008
Federal Agency Program Realignment and Closure Act - Establishes the Federal Agency Program Realignment and Closure Commission to: (1) evaluate each executive agency and its programs; and (2) submit to the President and Congress a list of the agencies and programs it recommends eliminating or realigning. Requires the Commission to recommend that an agency or program be: (1) realigned where a function performed by two or more agencies or programs can be consolidated; (2) eliminated if it performs a function that is also provided by a state or that would be more efficient if performed at the state level; or (3) eliminated if it performs a function that can be more efficently performed by a private entity.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2008
Government-Sponsored Enterprises Free Market Reform Act of 2008 - Sets a deadline for the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to terminate the conservatorship of either the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) if the Director determines that it is financially viable. (Refers to both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as enterprises.) Requires the Director to appoint the Federal Housing Finance Agency immediately as receiver of either enterprise if it is found not to be financially viable. Restricts the authority of an enterprise to acquire mortgage assets following its emergence from conservatorship. Requires the Director to establish mandatory minimum capital levels for the enterprises. Amends the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 to repeal the temporary conforming loan limit increase for the enterprises. Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act to repeal provisions governing enterprise authority to purchase and sell certain insured and conventional mortgages and to engage in certain lending activities. Amends the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 to repeal the new housing price index. Amends the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 to repeal certain conforming loan limits. Requires the enterprises to pay state and local taxes. Instructs the Director to assess each enterprise for the amount necessary to recoup to the federal government the full value of the benefit the enterprise receives from federal guarantees for its obligations and financial viability. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on a risk-based pricing mechanism to determine accurately the value of the benefit the enterprises receive from such federal guarantees. Requires the wind down and dissolution of an enterprise whose charter is not renewed.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2008
Reaffirms that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel. Calls upon the President to fully implement the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 and immediately begin to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2008
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 12877 Broad Street in Sparta, Georgia, as the "Yvonne Ingram-Ephraim Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2008
Taxpayer Reimbursement Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992, as amended by the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, to require the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to suspend temporarily any allocations by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) upon: (1) the appointment of a conservator or receiver, and for the duration of a conservatorship or receivership; or (2) a finding that the federal government has not been fully reimbursed for the costs of such a conservatorship. Repeals the reduced percentages for calendar years 2010 and 2011 to require the use of 100% of certain Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac allocations to reimburse the Treasury for payments on bonds of the HOPE for Homeowners Program for calendar 2009-2001. Suspends the annual goals and duties established for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac during any period it is in conservatorship or receivership.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2008
Establishes the Select Committee on Financial Bailouts to investigate the extraordinary actions taken by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Secretary of the Treasury in 2008. Requires the Select Committee to report to the House of Representatives on: (1) such extraordinary actions; (2) the role that political activities and influence had in affecting the market conditions that led to such actions; and (3) recommendations for congressional action that would prevent the need for the Secretary and the Board to intervene in the capital markets in the future.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2008
A Modest Effort to Read and Instill the Constitution Again Resolution of 2008 or AMERICA Resolution of 2008 - Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Members of Congress, who swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States and are responsible for writing laws regarding the powers granted to the government and proposing constitutional amendments, should read this important document, including its amendments. Amends Rule XI (Procedures of Committees and Unfinished Business) of the Rules of the House to require: (1) the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to provide a copy of the Constitution to each new Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, and employee of the House; and (2) House officers and employees to file a certification with the Committee attesting that such individuals have read the Constitution in its entirety in the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2008
Declares that the 110th Congress should not adjourn until comprehensive energy legislation has been enacted into law that: (1) opens the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and oil shale reserves to environmentally prudent exploration and extraction; (2) extends expiring renewable energy incentives; (3) encourages the streamlined approval of new refining capacity and nuclear power facilities, and advanced research and development of clean coal, coal-to-liquid, and carbon sequestration technologies; and (4) minimizes drawn out legal challenges that unreasonably delay or prevent actual domestic energy production.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2008
Congratulates General David Howell Petraeus on his appointment as Commander of the United States Central Command. Appreciates the impact General Petraeus's counterinsurgency strategy and tactics had in providing security in Iraq, facilitating Iraqi construction, and advancing our country's cause there. Commends General Petraeus for his leadership of the surge of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq. Commends and expresses gratitude to the members of the Armed Forces on their success and service with respect to Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2008
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1501 South Slappey Boulevard in Albany, Georgia, as the "Dr. Walter Carl Gordon, Jr. Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2008
Amends the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992, as amended by the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, to require the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to prohibit any golden parachute payment on or after enactment of this Act with respect to any executive officer or member of the board of directors of: (1) the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and any affiliate; (2) Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and any affiliate; and (3) any Federal Home Loan Bank.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2008
Oil and Gas Lease Reform Act of 2008 - Declares that no state environmental or pollution control law regulating the emission of pollutants or protecting human health or the environment shall apply to any activity under a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas on federal lands (including submerged lands), including any such state law expressly applicable to such activity under any other federal law. Amends the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) to define "unnecessary or undue degradation," including: (1) surface or submerged disturbance greater than what would normally result when an activity is being accomplished by a prudent operator in usual, customary, and proficient operations of similar character and taking into considerations the effect of operations on other resources and land uses, including those resources and uses outside the area of operations; (2) failure to initiate and complete reasonable mitigation measures or to comply with applicable federal environmental statutes and regulations thereunder; or (3) failure to abide by the terms and conditions of an approved plan of operations and operations described in a complete notice. Amends the FLPMA, the Mineral Leasing Act, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from suspending any lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas, unless: (1) operations under the lease will present an imminent threat or harm to public safety or will significantly damage the public lands outside lease stipulations; or (2) the suspension is requested by the lessee. Prescribes requirements for review and termination of a suspension. Limits the requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for an environmental impact statement for a lease for oil or natural gas exploration, development, or production on federal lands to: (1) sale of the lease by the lessee; and (2) a single statement and a single review, upon lessee request, with respect to all plans and permits required for exploration, development, production, and construction of infrastructure to be carried out under the lease. Requires issuance of an exploration, development, or production permit if the Secretary determines that the comprehensive plan for the project complies with NEPA requirements. Prescribes appeals process, enforcement, and specified related requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2008
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 801 Industrial Boulevard in Ellijay, Georgia, as the "First Lieutenant Noah Harris Ellijay Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2008
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; and (3) establish a rebuttable presumption that employers who participate in the pilot program have not violated the prohibition against continued employment of unauthorized aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2008
Pledge Language is English Declaration and Government Endorsement Act of 2008 - Prohibits state or local educational agencies from requiring or permitting the Pledge of Allegiance or national anthem to be recited or sung in any language other than English in any elementary or secondary school under their jurisdiction. Withholds federal funds from state or local educational agencies that violate such prohibition, unless the funds are specifically appropriated to such agencies after they have been found to be violating the prohibition. Establishes a private right of action for persons injured by violations of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
Furthering Renewable Energy and Exploration Act or the FREE Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to commence promptly an oil and gas leasing program for public lands within the Coastal Plain of Alaska. Establishes in the Treasury the Energy Independence Trust Fund, into which shall be deposited: (1) rental payments and royalties received by the United States each fiscal year under leases issued under such program; and (2) federal income tax received by the United States each fiscal year attributable to sales of oil and gas produced under such leases. Requires payment of the amounts deposited into the Fund each fiscal year of: (1) 50% to the state of Alaska; and (2) the remainder to the Secretary of Agriculture, half to provide business and industry loan guarantees under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, and half for the Biomass Research and Development Initiative under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, in the succeeding fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
Emergency Energy Cut the Red Tape Now Act of 2008 - Declares without force or effect all: (1) federal prohibitions against the leasing of federal Outer Continental Shelf, Bureau of Land Management, or National Forest lands or federal submerged lands for exploration, development, or production of oil, gas, or oil shale; (2) federal withdrawals of such lands from such leasing; or (3) federal prohibitions against the expenditure of federal funds for such leasing. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to waive the application of any federal law that requires a permit to engage in drilling for oil or gas under a lease of federal lands or federal submerged lands during any period in which the most recent spot market price for West Texas Intermediate crude oil at the domestic spot market at Cushing, Oklahoma, is less than $100 per barrel. Requires such a waiver during any period in which the most recent spot price is greater than $100 per barrel. Requires the Department of Energy to act as the lead agency to coordinate all applicable federal refinery authorizations and related environmental reviews with respect to a designated refinery. Requires each federal and state agency or official required to provide a federal refinery authorization to cooperate with the Secretary of Energy and comply with deadlines the Secretary establishes. Requires the Secretary to establish a schedule for all federal refinery authorizations with respect to a designated refinery. Requires the Secretary to approve an application for a federal refinery authorization within 30 days after any failure of a federal or state administrative agency or official to complete an approval proceeding in accordance with the schedule established by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act - Terminates all federal prohibitions on expenditures of funds to conduct natural gas, oil, oil shale, and energy production leasing and preleasing activities for federal lands. Revokes withdrawals of federal submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from leasing for natural gas and oil exploration, development, and production. Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 to repeal the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in certain areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Amends the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 to repeal the prohibition on using funds to prepare or publish final regulations regarding a commercial leasing program for oil shale resources on public lands or to conduct an oil shale lease sale pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing any lease authorizing exploration for, or development of, natural gas or oil in any OCS area that is located: (1) within 25 miles of the coastline of a state; or (2) more than 25 miles and less than 50 miles from the coastline of a state that has enacted, within one year, a law disapproving of such a lease. Provides for the allocation of sums collected under qualified leases on submerged land made available for leasing under this Act. Establishes the Conservation Reserve, the Environment Restoration Reserve, the Renewable Energy Reserve, and the Carbon Capture and Sequestration Reserve. Establishes the state seaward boundaries under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. Amends the Clean Air Act to allow the use of woody biomass from federal forest lands for the production of renewable energy. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal provisions prohibiting federal procurement of an alternative or synthetic fuel for any mobility-related use unless the contract specifies that the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and combustion of the fuel supplied must be less than or equal to such emissions from the equivalent conventional fuel. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise provisions concerning tax credit extensions and deductions for renewable energy, alternative fuel, and energy conservation. Requires the Secretary of Energy to publish a plan for exchanging light grade petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for heavy grade petroleum. Establishes and provides for the allocation of the Energy Independence and Security Fund, including providing funding for: (1) researching and developing wind, solar, ocean and wave, and geothermal energy; (2) conducting energy efficiency projects; and (3) fostering the development of domestic energy production.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
Second Amendment Enforcement Act - Amends specified law prohibiting the killing of wild birds and wild animals in the District of Columbia to declare that nothing in it or any other provision of law shall authorize or be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise not prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by federal law nor subject to the National Firearms Act. Denies the District any authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms. Amends the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (FCRA) to repeal the definition of a machine gun as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading. (Thus repeals the ban on semiautomatic weapons.) Redefines "machine gun" as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or is readily restored to shoot automatically, more than one shot without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger. Includes the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person. Repeals the District's: (1) registration requirement for possession of firearms; (2) requirement that licensed firearms dealers keep records of ammunition received into inventory and ammunition sold or transferred; and (3) requirement that, under certain conditions, firearms in the possession of certain individuals must be kept unloaded, disassembled, or with the trigger locked. Maintains the current ban on the possession and control of a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, or short-barreled rifle. Amends FCRA to allow an individual to possess ammunition in the District if the individual owns (currently, holds the valid registration certificate for) a firearm of the same guage or caliber as such ammunition. Eliminates criminal penalties for possessing an unregistered firearm. Amends federal law to eliminate criminal penalties for carrying a pistol whether loaded or unloaded in one's dwelling house, place of business, or on land possessed by such person. Amends the federal criminal code to make it lawful for any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to sell or deliver a handgun to a District resident if such individual is licensed in Maryland or Virginia to do so.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2008
Amends the Clean Air Act to: (1) exclude from the definition of the term "air pollutant" carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, or chlorofluorocarbons; and (2) declare that nothing in the Act authorizes or requires the regulation of climate change or global warming.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2008
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers, including those who do not itemize their tax deductions, a deduction from gross income for the cost of fuel used to commute to and from work in a highway motor vehicle.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2008
Federal Efficiency and Performance Act of 2008 - Requires the President to recommend to Congress, with proposed legislation, which existing federal programs and agencies should be modernized, consolidated, reprioritized, and where necessary, terminated in order to: (1) reduce federal expenditures; (2) increase efficiency and effectiveness of government operations; (3) eliminate overlap and duplication in federal programs and offices; (4) abolish agencies, programs, and activities that no longer serve an important governmental purpose; and (5) identify reductions in amounts of discretionary budget authority or direct spending that can be dedicated to federal deficit reduction.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2008
Commends the Republic of Bulgaria for developing increasingly friendly and meaningful relations with the United States over the past 100 years. Recognizes Bulgaria's continued contributions toward peace and prosperity in South Eastern Europe. Salutes Bulgaria's increasingly vital role as a valuable ally in the war against international terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2008
New Resources for Domestic Consumption Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the state of Alaska all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 1002 Area of Alaska (Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). Requires the Secretary, as a condition of any such transfer, to require Alaska to pay to the United States 50% of all amounts the state receives as a result of developing oil, natural gas, and other natural resources of the Area. Prohibits export from the United States of any oil produced in the 1002 Area after the date of transfer.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2008
American Energy Act - Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2008 - Amends the Submerged Lands Act (SLA) regarding delineation of offshore state boundaries with respect to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), as well as related oil and gas mineral rights. Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to: (1) allow the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to grant natural gas leases in the outer Continental Shelf (OCS); and (2) revise provisions concerning oil and gas leases and withdrawals of unleased land. Provides for federal agency coordination with adjacent states on the construction of pipelines for crude oil or petroleum products or natural gas produced from the OCS. Sets forth provisions concerning the application of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to OCS programs. Declares existing federal prohibitions against spending appropriated funds for leasing and preleasing OCS oil and natural gas to be without force or effect. Prohibits a federal agency from permitting certain activities on the federal OCS or in state waters that are incompatible with: (1) oil or natural gas leasing; and (2) full exploration and production of tracts that are geologically prospective for oil or natural gas. Directs the Secretary to establish OCS Regional Headquarters in designated locations. Repeals: (1) the coastal impact assistance program; and (2) 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 the 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. Provides for the authorization of Special Areas to be managed so as to protect and preserve the area's unique and diverse character including its fish, wildlife, and subsistence resource values in the Coastal Plain. Requires the Secretary to designate Sadlerochit Spring as a Special Area. Requires the Secretary to: (1) issue specified rights-of-ways and easements across the Coastal Plain for the transportation of oil and gas; and (2) convey specified estates to the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Establishes the Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund and the American Renewable and Alternative Energy Trust Fund. Amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 to terminate the prohibition against using federal funds to prepare or publish final regulations regarding a commercial leasing program for oil shale resources on public lands or to conduct an oil shale lease sale pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth provisions concerning credits for fuel efficiency, alternative fuel vehicles, energy efficiency, nuclear energy, and renewable energy. Requires the Secretary of Energy to provide awards for activities concerning the: (1) research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of innovative energy technologies and new energy sources; (2) manufacture of midsized sedan automobiles that operate on gasoline and can travel 100 miles per gallon; and (3) manufacture of advanced batteries. Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act - Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide financial assistance to states or tribes to facilitate the hiring of personnel with expertise in federal refinery authorizations. Requires the President to: (1) appoint a federal coordinator to facilitate such authorizations; and (2) designate at least three closed military installations as potentially suitable for the construction of a refinery and at least one for producing biofuel. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal certain requirements regarding refinery revitalization. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal restrictions on federal agencies procuring alternative or synthetic fuel for mobility-related uses. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to auction to the public coal-to-liquid fuel put option contracts. Provides for standby loans for qualifying coal-to-liquid projects. Amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to revise provisions concerning the recycling and disposal of spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2008
Celebrates the 221st anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Honors the efforts of the 42 delegates who attended the majority of the Constitutional Convention meetings and the 39 signers. Acknowledges the significance of the ideals established by the Constitution, including the principle of a limited federal government with a system of checks and balances. Recognizes the Constitution as the source responsible for our nation's ability to withstand calamity and preserve stability.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2008
Emergency Solar Power Permit Act - Amends the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to exempt any action relating to the development, deployment, or operation of a solar energy project on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from environmental impact statement (EIS) requirements. Requires each federal agency, for any such action relating to a solar energy project, to cease the preparation of an EIS to the extent that its preparation would delay or otherwise interfere with the action.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2008
Emergency Energy Cut the Red Tape Now Act of 2008 - Declares without force or effect all: (1) federal prohibitions against the leasing of federal lands or federal submerged lands for exploration, development, or production of oil, gas, or oil shale; (2) federal withdrawals of such lands from such leasing; or (3) federal prohibitions against the expenditure of federal funds for such leasing. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to waive the application of any federal law that requires a permit to engage in drilling for oil or gas under a lease of federal lands or federal submerged lands during any period in which the most recent spot market price for West Texas Intermediate crude oil at the domestic spot market at Cushing, Oklahoma, is less than $100 per barrel. Requires such a waiver during any period in which the most recent spot price is equal to or greater than $100 per barrel. Requires the Department of Energy to act as the lead agency to coordinate all applicable federal refinery authorizations and related environmental reviews with respect to a designated refinery. Requires each federal and state agency or official required to provide a federal refinery authorization to cooperate with the Secretary of Energy and comply with deadlines the Secretary establishes. Requires the Secretary to establish a schedule for all federal refinery authorizations with respect to a designated refinery. Requires the Secretary to approve an application for a federal refinery authorization within 30 days after any failure of a federal or state administrative agency or official to complete an approval proceeding in accordance with the schedule established by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2008
Schoolchildren's Health Protection Act - Amends the General Education Provisions Act to prohibit the provision of federal education funding to state or local educational agencies that provide unemancipated minors with postcoital emergency contraception or prescriptions for such contraception on the premises of elementary or secondary schools.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2008
Declares that the House of Representatives honors the life, achievements, and distinguished career of the Honorable Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr., a public servant and former Senator from North Carolina. Expresses condolences to his wife, "Dot," and their three children on his passing.
![Official portrait of Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001262_200.jpg)