In following posting today, Interior Publishes Final Changes to Endangered Species Act Regs, this news release: “The announcement by the Interior Department of a new rule eliminating Congresss authority to prevent new mining on public lands escalated concerns about the Bush administration’s last ditch efforts to push through major regulatory rule changes to energy and… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
Report: For Energy and the Environment, the Bush Administration's Last 100 Days Could Rival the First 100
Follow up to related postings on “midnight regulations,” this news release and report: “In 2001, the Bush administration began its radical, anti-environmental agenda by rescinding, changing, or issuing rules that degraded Americas environment. From refusing to reduce the arsenic levels in drinking water, to opening wilderness areas to new roads, to rejecting the Kyoto Protocol… Continue Reading
Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act
Mr. Frank of Massachusetts introduced the following bill on December 10, 2008: Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act (1) to immediately provide authority and facilities to restore liquidity and stability to the domestic automobile industry in the United States; and (2) to ensure that such authority and such facilities are used in a manner that(A)… Continue Reading
Review of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Evaluation and Inspections Report
DOJ OIG: Review of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), Evaluation and Inspections Report I-2009-001, December 2008: “…we found that information in the national sex offender registries is incomplete and inaccurate and therefore the registries are not reliable tools for law enforcement and the public. For example, we found that registries were missing… Continue Reading
Draft Bill: Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act
Follow up on previous postings concerning the auto industry bailout, today’s draft bill – Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act, December 8, 2008: “The purposes of this Act are (1) to immediately provide authority and facili16 ties to restore liquidity and stability to the domestic automobile industry in the United States; and (2) to ensure… Continue Reading
Final Rules and Proposed Rules relating to Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations and Credit Ratings
“The Commission will consider whether to adopt final rule amendments and whether to propose new rule amendments that will impose additional requirements on nationally recognized statistical rating organizations in order to address concerns raised about the policies and procedures for, transparency of, and potential conflicts of interest relating to ratings of residential mortgage-backed securities backed… Continue Reading
State Responses to Immigration: A Database of All State Legislation
“State Responses to Immigration: A Database of All State Legislation is a free, searchable data tool designed to generate information about all immigration-related bills and resolutions introduced in state legislatures. Classified by state, region, subject area, legislative type, and bill status, this is the only database that allows users to find out, for example, the… Continue Reading
Army and EPA Revise Guidance to Protect Wetlands and Streams
News release: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army are issuing revised guidance to ensure America’s wetlands, streams and other waters are better protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The guidance clarifies the geographic scope of jurisdiction under the CWA.” Clean Water Act Definition of “Waters of the United… Continue Reading
FHFA Submits First Report On Homeowners Assistance to Congress
“Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director James B. Lockhart today submitted to Congress the first report as a Federal Property Manager (FPM) detailing actions FHFA is taking to prevent unnecessary foreclosures. Section 110 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) directs Federal Property Managers to develop and implement plans to maximize assistance for… Continue Reading
Beta Release – Authenticated Congressional Bills: Main Page
“GPO’s Authentication initiative focuses on the primary objective of assuring users that the information made available by GPO is official and authentic and that trust relationships exist between all participants in electronic transactions. In furthering GPO’s mission to provide permanent public access to authentic U.S. Government publications, GPO is working to afford users further assurance… Continue Reading
Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008
President Bush Signs H.R. 6867 Into Law: On Friday, November 21, 2008, the President signed into law: H.R. 6867, the “Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008,” which extends Emergency Unemployment Compensation to 20 weeks, and creates a second tier of 13 weeks of compensation for individuals in States with high unemployment rates. Public Law 110-449… Continue Reading
Recent CRS Reports on the Financial Crisis
The U.S. Financial Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy, November 18, 2008 Reporting Requirements in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, updated November 13, 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act and Current Financial Turmoil: Issues and Analysis, October 31, 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act: Preliminary Analysis of Oversight Provisions, October 31,… Continue Reading
