Integration of Drones into Domestic Airspace: Selected Legal Issues. Alissa M. Dolan, Legislative Attorney – Richard M. Thompson II, Legislative Attorney, January 30, 2013 “Under the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, P.L. 112-95, Congress has tasked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), sometimes referred to as unmanned aerial… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
EFF – Aaron's Law 2.0: Major Steps Forward, More Work to Be Done
EFF: “Representative Zoe Lofgren has posted on Reddit a modified draft of Aaron’s Law, a proposal to update the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and wire fraud law in honor of our friend Aaron Swartz and to make sure that the misguided prosecution that happened to him doesn’t happen to anyone else. We’re very pleased… Continue Reading
2012 Immigration-Related Laws and Resolutions in the States
2012 Immigration-Related Laws and Resolutions in the States (Jan. 1Dec. 31, 2012) “After a steady climb in immigration-related bills starting in 2005, the number of bills and resolutions declined significantly in statehouses in 2012. State legislators introduced 983 bills and resolutions in 46 state legislatures, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, a decline of… Continue Reading
Congressional Redistricting and the Voting Rights Act: A Legal Overview
Congressional Redistricting and the Voting Rights Act: A Legal Overview – L. Paige Whitaker, Legislative Attorney, January 31, 2013 “The Constitution requires a count of the U.S. population every 10 years. Based on the census, the number of seats in the House of Representatives is reapportioned among the states. Thus, at least every 10 years,… Continue Reading
Unemployment Insurance: Legislative Issues in the 113th Congress
CRS – Unemployment Insurance: Legislative Issues in the 113th Congress, January 25, 2013 “The 113th Congress may face a number of issues related to currently available unemployment insurance programs: Unemployment Compensation (UC), temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08), and Extended Benefits (EB). With the national unemployment rate decreasing but still high, the weekly demand for regular… Continue Reading
Unlocking cell phones to switch carriers subject to Digital Millenium Copyright Acts protections
Tracey Samuelson, Marketplace for Monday, January 28, 2013: “If consumers want to unlock their cell phones in order to take their phone from one cellular network to another, they now need to ask the permission of their carrier. Starting January 26, unlocking phones without the providers OK is against the law. But perhaps the most… Continue Reading
CDT: Feds Boost Privacy Protections for Medical Records
CDT: “The privacy protections guarding the care and handling of your medical records just got stronger a lot stronger. The new rules bolster prohibitions against use of a patient’s medical records without consent for marketing communications; extend federal privacy and security protections to contractors (and subcontractors) of doctors, hospitals and insurers; improved your right to… Continue Reading
CRS – The Protection of Classified Information: The Legal Framework
The Protection of Classified Information: The Legal Framework, Jennifer K. Elsea, Legislative Attorney, January 10, 2013 “This report provides an overview of the relationship between executive and legislative authority over national security information, and summarizes the current laws that form the legal framework protecting classified information, including current executive orders and some agency regulations pertaining… Continue Reading
CRS – Bee Health: The Role of Pesticides
Bee Health: The Role of Pesticides, December 11, 2012 “Bees, both commercially managed honey bees and wild bees, play an important role in global food production. In the United States, the value of honey bees only as commercial pollinators in U.S. food production is estimated at about $15 billion to $20 billion annually. The estimated… Continue Reading
CBO: Private-Sector Mandates in Federal Legislation
Private-Sector Mandates in Federal Legislation, January 15, 2013 “Federal laws and regulations sometimes require nonfederal entities to expend their resources to carry out Private-Sector Mandates in Federal Legislation national policies. The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), enacted as Public Law 104-4, defines many of those requirements as federal mandates. The law aims to… Continue Reading
CRS – Social Security: The Windfall Elimination Provision
Social Security: The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), Christine Scott, Specialist in Social Policy. January 8, 2013 “The windfall elimination provision (WEP) reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also have pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security. Its purpose is to remove an advantage or windfall these workers would otherwise receive as… Continue Reading
Tax Provisions in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
Tax Provisions in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA), Jim Nunns and Jeff Rohaly. January 9, 2013 “The fiscal cliff debate culminated in the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA). ATRA makes permanent most of the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003, permanently patches the alternative minimum tax,… Continue Reading
