United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2008
Supports the designation of Celebrate Safe Communities Week. Commends the efforts of law enforcement agencies and communities to fight crime. Encourages the National Sheriffs' Association and the National Crime Prevention Council to continue efforts to reduce crime and build safer communities.
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 · 8 September 2008
Congratulates Michael Phelps for his outstanding athletic achievements during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Recognizes the achievements of all the members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic swim team.
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
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
Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act - Authorizes the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia on or near the District of Columbia War Memorial to honor World War I veterans and to commemorate U.S. participation in that war. Establishes the World War I Memorial Advisory Board. Establishes a fund in the Treasury for expenses of establishing the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2008- Directs the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to prescribe regulations requiring motorcoaches to be installed with: (1) safety seat belts at each seating position; (2) advanced glazing in each portal to prevent passenger ejection; (3) improved firefighting equipment; and (4) enhanced compartmentalization safety countermeasures and certain other motor vehicle safety features. Requires the Secretary to complete, and report to Congress on, a study on improving bus crashworthiness, bus crash avoidance, and bus fire protection and passenger evacuation. Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary to prescribe regulations: (1) requiring providers of motorcoach services registered with the the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to undergo periodic safety reviews; (2) establishing a training curriculum and providing certification for each driver of a motorcoach seeking a commercial driver's license (CDL) passenger endorsement; (3) improving CDL testing; (4) requiring a driver of a commercial motor vehicle that transports for compensation not fewer than 9 and not more than 15 passengers to have a CDL; (5) requiring a federal medical qualification certificate to be made a part of CDLs; (6) requiring the annual review of state licensing authorities to assess the accuracy of physical examination reports and medical certificates of CDL applicants that are submitted by medical examiners to such authorities; and (7) requiring that all commercial motor vehicles be equipped with electronic on-board recorders that record driver hours of service. Sets forth a deadline for the Secretary to establish the national registry of medical examiners. Requires a state to carry out an annual commercial motor vehicle inspection program in order to receive a grant for the development or implementation of programs for improving motor carrier safety Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for the purchase of qualified new motorcoaches and for the cost of improvements to existing motorcoaches to satisfy new federal safety requirements. Limits the amount of such credit to $45,000. Terminates such credit after 2026. Directs the Secretary to develop and administer supplemental grants, not to exceed $20,000, for the cost of retrofitting motorcoaches to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Limits eligibility for such grants to certain motorcoach operators who have a fleet of not more than 25 motorcoaches and have total annual revenues of less than $5 million. Amends the Small Business Act to set forth loan and loan guarantee requirements for the motorcoach industry.
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 · 31 July 2008
Sound Dollar and Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 - Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to: (1) make the value of the U.S. dollar equal to the market value of 0.05 of a troy ounce of gold; and (2) maintain that value at this level. Directs the Board to: (1) conduct open market operations against an explicit target for the price of gold on the exchange operated by the Commodities Exchange, Inc. (COMEX) of the New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.; and (2) not perform such operations indirectly, as in the current practice of targeting the federal funds rate. Requires the Board to use its banking and bank regulatory powers to maintain and promote stable and effective financial markets during and after the transition to a defined value for the U.S. dollar. Entitles all entities that depreciate capital assets for tax purposes to 100% expensing of all capital investment for tax purposes in the year that the investment is made. Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), in addition to the scoring CBO will do of the tax changes provided in this Act, to calculate the impact on federal revenues on a present value basis.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2008
Congratulates the people of Latvia on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of that country's November 18, 1918, declaration of independence. Commends the government of Latvia for its success in implementing political and economic reforms. Recognizes the common goals and shared values of the people of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania and their tragic history in the last century under the Nazi and Soviet occupations.
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
Fallen Hero Commemoration Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to grant access to accredited members of the media: (1) at military commemoration ceremonies and military memorial services for members of the Armed Forces who have died on active duty; and (2) when the remains of such members arrive at U.S. military installations. Authorizes the Secretary to establish the policy for media accreditation.
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 · 30 July 2008
Declares that it shall not be in order in the House of Representatives to consider any resolution providing for adjournment for more than three calendar days during July or August of 2008 until it has approved a bill to establish a comprehensive national energy plan that addresses energy conservation and the expansion of renewable and conventional energy sources.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2008
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to terminate, by September 6, 2008, the one-year cross-border pilot project started on September 6, 2007, as part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) cross-border trucking provisions, to demonstrate the ability of Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate safely in the United States beyond the commercial zones along the U.S.-Mexico border. Prohibits the Secretary, unless expressly authorized by Congress, from granting authority to a motor carrier domiciled in Mexico to operate beyond U.S. municipalities and commercial zones on the United States-Mexico border after September 6, 2008. Requires certain reports to Congress, within 60 days after enactment of this Act, by: (1) the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation; (2) the independent review panel established to monitor the demonstration project; and (3) the Secretary of Transportation on the project's implementation and the participation of motor carriers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2008
Calls on the government of the People's Republic of China to perform specified actions, including ending immediately abuses of the human rights of its citizens, ceasing repression of Tibetan and Uighur citizens, and ending its support for the governments of Sudan and Burma, in order to ensure that the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games take place in an atmosphere that honors the Olympic traditions of freedom and openness. Calls on the President to: (1) make a strong public statement on China's human rights situation prior to his departure to Beijing for the Olympic Games; (2) make a similar statement in Beijing; (3) meet with the families of jailed prisoners of conscience; and (4) seek to visit Tibet and Xinjiang.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2008
Acknowledges that the 2001 World Conference Against Racism marked an important recognition of the historic wounds caused by slavery, colonialism, and racial discrimination. Calls on the President to urge other heads of state to condition participation in the 2009 Durban Review Conference process on concrete action by the United Nations and member states to ensure that it and they will reject any effort to inject anti-Semitism, hatred, and discrimination onto the Conference agenda.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2008
Tracking Registered And Convicted Known (TRACK) Sex Offenders Act - Amends title IV (Grants to States for Aid and Services to Needy Families with Children and for Child-Welfare Services) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to disclose to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) information in the National Directory of New Hires to assist in the enforcement of a federal or state law requiring the registration of sex offenders. Authorizes the FBI to disclose such information to state or local law enforcement agencies for purposes of enforcing sex offender registration laws.
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
Condemns the attack on the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) peacekeepers and expresses condolences to the people of Rwanda, Ghana, and Uganda and to the families and friends of those killed and wounded. Calls upon: (1) the Sudanese government to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice; and (2) U.N. member states and the international community to contribute the resources necessary to ensure UNAMID's success. Expresses: (1) commitment to the Darfuri people; and (2) support for UNAMID.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2008
Jose Rivera Correctional Officer Protection Act - Requires the Bureau of Prisons to: (1) provide all its correctional officers with stab-resistant personal body armor; and (2) require such officers to wear such body armor while on duty.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2008
Grow American Supply Act - Amends the Submerged Lands Act (SLA) regarding the delineation of lateral offshore state boundaries with respect to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) and related oil and gas mineral rights. Amends OCSLA with respect to Adjacent Zones and Planning Areas in the outer Continental Shelf (OCS) subsoil and seabed. Revises procedures governing natural gas lease administration. Requires deposit of a portion of OCS receipts from certain new leases into a Special Dedicated Account in the Social Security Trust Fund to reduce Social Security debt. Establishes the Deficit Reduction Trust Fund to accept specified OCS receipts to reduce the federal debt. Prohibits oil and gas leasing east of the Military Mission Line. Cites conditions for granting a federal permit to construct a crude oil or petroleum products pipeline without adjacent state concurrence within the part of the adjacent state's Adjacent Zone that is withdrawn from oil and gas or natural gas leasing. Exempts lease suspensions and preliminary activities on OCS tracts from the requirement to prepare statutory environmental assessments or impact statements. Prohibits construction or operation of any facility, or designation or maintainance of a restricted transportation corridor or operating area, on the federal OCS or in state waters that will be incompatible with oil and gas or natural gas leasing and substantially full exploration and production of tracts that are geologically prospective for oil or natural gas. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to repurchase and cancel specified leases. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to revise regulations governing onshore surface-disturbing activities. Rigs to Reefs Act of 2008 - Amends OCSLA to prescribe requirements for the use of decommissioned offshore oil and gas platforms for artificial reefs. Instructs the Secretary to establish: (1) OCS regional headquarters for the Atlantic and the Pacific OCS region; and (2) Federal OCS Joint Regional Permitting Offices. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to set royalty rates for leases for oil shale and tar sands. Repeals the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require regulations that promote: (1) production of natural gas from gas hydrates; and (2) enhanced oil and natural gas production through carbon dioxide injection. Sets forth: (1) minimum rental rates for future oil, gas, and coal federal leases; and (2) onshore oil and gas royalties.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2008
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 200 North Texas Avenue in Odessa, Texas, as the "Corporal Alfred Mac Wilson Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2008
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Night Out. Requests that the President: (1) focus appropriate attention on neighborhood crime prevention, community policing, and reduction of school crime by delivering speeches, convening meetings, and directing the Administration to make crime reduction an important priority; and (2) coordinate the efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the USA Freedom Corps, the Citizen Corps, the National Senior Service Corps, and AmeriCorps to participate by supporting local efforts, neighborhood watches, and local officials, including law enforcement personnel, to provide homeland security and combat terrorism in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2008
Developing Resources Immediately and Long-Term through Leases on Our Nation's Offshore Waters Act of 2008, or DRILL NOW Act of 2008 - Declares without force or effect all existing federal law which prohibits spending appropriated funds to conduct oil and natural gas leasing and preleasing on the outer Continental Shelf. Revokes: (1) all withdrawals from leasing on federal submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf (including withdrawals by the President); and (2) Presidential authorities with respect to such leasing (except in the interest of national security). Amends of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to authorize a state governor to petition the Secretary of the Interior to issue leases for oil and natural gas exploration and extraction activities in any area that is at least 50 miles beyond the state's coastal zone. Cites circumstances under which the Secretary shall approve or deny the petition. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to deposit revenues from leasing operations into designated funds and accounts. Provides that any funds that would be received by the United States as royalties under any existing federal oil and gas lease on the outer Continental Shelf that lies within 50 miles of the coastal zone of the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama shall be paid to that state if it enacts an expenditure plan for those funds.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2008
Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2008 - Sets forth cruise vessel security and safety requirements concerning: (1) vessel design and construction; (2) crew access to passenger staterooms; (3) log book entry and reporting of deaths, missing individuals, and alleged crimes; (4) database of crewmembers terminated due to commission of a crime; (5) maintenance of rape kits on board; (6) crime scene investigation training and certification for vessel crewmembers; (7) video surveillance to monitor crime; and (8) posting of certain safety information. Sets forth penalties for violations of this Act. Amends the Ports and Waterways Safety Act to revise the authority of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating (Secretary) to dispatch Coast Guard personnel on vessels to deter or respond to terrorism or transportation security incidents. Authorizes use of such personnel to act as: (1) environmental observers to monitor compliance with federal laws regarding the discharge of waste into U.S. waters; and (2) public safety officers to assist vessel passengers and crew with reporting and investigation of crimes, securing of suspects, and collection of crime evidence. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the security needs of a passenger vessel depending on the number of passengers on the vessel, with recommendations for security improvements. Amends the Death on the High Seas Act to extend from three to 12 miles from the U.S. shore the high seas jurisdiction wherein a death by a wrongful act, neglect, or default of a person or vessel will allow the personal representative of the decedent to bring a civil action in admiralty.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2008
Americans for American Energy Act of 2008 - 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 allow the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to grant outer Continental Shelf (OCS) natural gas leases. Revises 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 OCS crude oil, petroleum, or natural gas. Establishes the Federal Energy Natural Resources Enhancement Program. 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 on the federal OCS or in state waters certain activities that are incompatible with: (1) oil or natural gas leasing; and (2) full exploration and production of tracts geologically prospective for oil or natural gas. Renames the Minerals Management Service as the National Ocean Resources and Royalty Service. Rigs to Reefs Act of 2008 - Requires the Secretary to issue regulations regarding the authorization to use decommissioned offshore oil and gas facilities for artificial reef and scientific research. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal a requirement regarding conducting comprehensive inventories of OCS oil and natural gas resources. Directs the Secretary to establish OCS regional headquarters in designated locations. Repeals the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. Removes application fees for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) drill permits. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to set forth provisions concerning: (1) credits and deductions for alternative and nonconventional fuel, the capture of carbon dioxide, energy efficiency and conservation, and renewable energy; (2) extensions of elections to expense certain refineries; and (3) exemptions for electric transmission facilities. 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. Oil Shale Opportunity Act of 2008 - Amends the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 to repeal the limitation on the use of funds for implementing a commercial leasing program for oil shale resources on public lands. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to provide for the treatment of revenues received through an oil shale or tar sands lease. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal restrictions on federal agencies procuring alternative or synthetic fuel for mobility-related uses. Coal Liquid Fuel Act - Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) agreements between the Secretary of Energy and qualifying coal-to-liquid projects; and (2) public auctions of coal-to-liquid fuel put option contracts. 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. Establishes the American Energy Trust Fund. Requires the Secretary to implement a program to lease federal lands for the development and operation of commercial photovoltaic and concentration solar power energy systems. Provides for: (1) the coordination of the authorization of federal crude oil refineries; and (2) the designation of closed military bases for the construction of refineries and the designation of brownfield sites for refinery sites. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal certain requirements regarding refinery revitalization. Amends the Clean Air Act to require new source review regulations to provide that routine maintenance and repair do not constitute a modification of an existing source. Strengthening Americas Science and Technology Education Act - Requires the Secretary to appoint a Stakeholder Committee for Science and Technology Education. Establishes the National Science and Technology Education Center. Sets forth provisions concerning educational programs for technology and nuclear science.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2008
Federal Exploration and Production Reform Act of 2008 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to revise requirements for review and approval of outer Continental Shelf (OCS) plans for geological and geophysical exploration on any area under an oil and gas lease. Repeals the requirement that approval be denied if: (1) any proposed activity under the plan would result in serious harm or damage to life (including fish and other aquatic life), to property, to any mineral, to the national security or defense, or to the marine, coastal, or human environment; and (2) such proposed activity cannot be modified to avoid such harm or damage. Repeals the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to cancel the lease or permit if the plan is disapproved. Revises requirements for review and approval of OCS oil and gas development and production plans. Requires the Secretary to seek and accept the assistance of the Department of Defense in the review of any plan prepared for a lease containing military operating stipulations or other restrictions. Repeals the requirement that the Secretary require modification of a plan without adequate provision for safe operations on the lease area or for protection of the human, marine, or coastal environment. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to revise requirements for regulation of surface-disturbing activities, including preparation of exploration and development and production plans. Eliminates the requirement of an adequate bond, surety, or other financial arrangement before commencement of surface-disturbing activities on any lease to ensure reclamation of the lease tract, and restoration of any lands or surface waters adversely affected by lease operations after abandonment or cessation of oil and gas operations on the lease. Repeals the prohibition against issuance of a lease, or approval of its assignment, if reclamation requirements and other related standards have not been complied with.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2008
Recognizes the essential role played by Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) during World War II, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, and many other military and humanitarian operations. Honors the service of the Navy and Coast Guard sailors who served their country aboard the LSTs. Acknowledges the debt modern amphibious operations owe to the LST sailors and ships. Commends the many volunteers of the USS LST Ship Memorial who have preserved the LST 325 as a living memorial in honor and remembrance of the ships and veterans in their service.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2008
Unconditionally supports members of the National Guard and their families. Recognizes: (1) the sacrifices made by such members and their families; (2) the men and women who have so served as examples of leadership, courage, and service before self; and (3) the work the National Guard has put forth to secure our southwest border.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2008
Condemns the broadcast of incitement to violence against Americans and the United States by Middle East-based media. Calls on the President to: (1) designate al-Aqsa TV as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT); (2) designate as SDGTs satellite providers that knowingly contract with SDGTs to broadcast their channels for support to terrorist entities; and (3) consider state sponsorship of anti-American incitement when determining relations with, and assistance to, regional states.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2008
Reiterates condemnation of the 1994 attack on the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, honors the victims of the attack, and expresses sympathy to the victims' relatives. Applauds the government of Argentina for increasing the pace of the AMIA bombing investigation. Commends the General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) for upholding and issuing the Red Notices. Expresses concern regarding the government of Saudi Arabia's failure to detain certain Iranian officials in connection with the AMIA case. Urges: (1) all nations to cooperate fully with the AMIA investigation; and (2) governments in the Western Hemisphere to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and to penalize those providing support for Hezbollah and other Islamist terrorist organizations. Encourages the President to direct U.S. law enforcement agencies, upon Argentine request, to cooperate in the AMIA investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2008
Amends the federal criminal code to allow an exception to the minimum sentencing requirement for a crime of violence while using, carrying, or possessing a firearm for a law enforcement officer who committed the offense during or in relation to the pursuit of an individual whom the officer reasonably believed committed a crime of violence.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2008
Recognizes that respect for human rights is a fundamental value and that the bilateral relationship between the United States and Egypt should be a platform for promoting the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. Calls on the Egyptian government to: (1) respect human rights, minority rights, and freedoms of religion and expression; and (2) release Ayman Nour and all political activists. Welcomes Egypt's efforts to secure the border with Gaza and fight smuggling. Urges the President and the Secretary of State to put human rights and religious freedom developments in Egypt very high on the U.S. government's agenda during meetings with Egyptian officials.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2008
Supports the goals and ideals of National Campus Safety Awareness Month. Encourages colleges and universities to provide campus safety and other crime awareness and prevention programs to all students throughout the year.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2008
Expresses appreciation to the Honor Flight Network and its volunteers and donors, who honor America's World War II veterans with an opportunity to see the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2008
Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to 20 years for the intentional operation of, or for embarking in, any submersible or semi-submersible vessel that is without nationality (as defined by federal law) and that is navigating or has navigated into, through, or from waters beyond the outer limit of the territorial sea of a single country or a lateral limit of that country's territorial sea with an adjacent country.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2008
American Energy Independence through Offshore Drilling Act - Terminates all federal laws prohibiting the spending of appropriated funds to conduct oil and natural gas leasing and preleasing activities for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf. Revokes all withdrawals of federal submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf from leasing for the exploration for, and development and production of, oil and natural gas. Revokes all authorities given to the President with respect to the leasing of federal submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf, given under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, except in the interest of national security.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2008
Parents’ Right to Know Improvement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require local educational agencies (LEAs) to notify the parents of each student at the beginning of each school year that they will provide the parents, upon request, with timely information regarding the professional qualifications of their child's specialized instructional support persons. (This is in addition to the current requirement that LEAs provide parents, upon request, with information regarding the professional qualifications of their child's classroom teachers.) Defines "specialized instructional support persons" as school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other qualified professionals providing services that are part of a comprehensive program to meet student needs.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2008
Expresses sympathy for the victims of the tornado in Little Sioux, Iowa, on June 11, 2008, and gratitude to those persons who responded to treat the wounded.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2008
Boumediene Jurisdiction Correction Act - Allows any person being held under military authority in the part of Cuba leased to the United States to challenge the circumstances and legality of that person's detention to the same extent and with the same rights as are provided under the writ of habeas corpus. Grants the courts established under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and operating in that part of Cuba exclusive original jurisdiction to hear and determine any such challenge.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2008
Recognizes Alice Mary Robertson for her spirit of service and dedication to her country, and honors her as a great American in recognition of her contributions to the state of Oklahoma and nationwide in the House of Representatives.
![Official portrait of Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000592_200.jpg)