Hot Bills
This is a list of "Hot Bills" in the current 111th session of Congress, as compiled by the writers of the OpenCongress Blog. These are the bills that are receiving the most news coverage and buzz on blogs, grouped by issue area. The list is a little sparse right now as the 111th Congress has only recently convened and many significant pieces of legislation have yet to be introduced.
We put together this list for users of "My OpenCongress" to find important bills and track their latest actions on their profiles. To start tracking yourself, just create an account, it's free and takes less than a minute. Click on the title of any bill below to visit its full page, where users can vote on the bill and participate on comment boards. Use the "sort by" options above to view lists of current bills in other ways (for example, by most-viewed).
We put together this list for users of "My OpenCongress" to find important bills and track their latest actions on their profiles. To start tracking yourself, just create an account, it's free and takes less than a minute. Click on the title of any bill below to visit its full page, where users can vote on the bill and participate on comment boards. Use the "sort by" options above to view lists of current bills in other ways (for example, by most-viewed).
- Civil Liberties
- Criminal Justice
- Economy
- Education
- Energy/Environment
- Government/Transparency
- Guns
- Health
- Housing/Mortgage Crisis
- Immigration
- Intellectual Property
- Iraq
- Labor
- Media
- Taxes
- Technology
Civil Liberties
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.1283 Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009
This bill seeks to establish a policy of nondiscrimination regarding sexual orientation (for which it provides a definition) in the Armed Forces, thereby repealing a 16 year policy held in the Department of Defense. The bill would also authorize the reappointment of otherwise qualified individuals previously discharged on the basis of their sexual orientation. |
Introduced | Mar 31, 2009 |
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H.R.104 To establish a national commission on presidential war powers and civil liberties.
This bill would establish a commission to investigate policies of the Bush Administration, which were carried out under the premise of “unreviewable war powers”, for a period of 18 months and 60 days. Investigations and hearings would be held regarding detentions made by the Armed Forces and intelligence community, the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, the concealment of individuals' capture or detention, extraordinary rendition, and domestic electronic surveillance performed without a warrant. The bill would require the Commission to report its findings to the President and to Congress with in one year. It includes one Republican among its list of 47 co-sponsors -- Representative Walter Jones [R, NC-3]. |
Introduced | Jun 12, 2009 |
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S.160 District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009
Similar to H.R.157, this bill seeks to make the District of Columbia a congressional district but clarifies that D.C would not behave as a state for purposes of representation in the Senate. Expanding beyond the scope of the House version, this proposed bill requires that an additional Representative of Utah be elected in accordance with the state’s 2006 redistricting plan. During the Senate's work on this bill, they attached two unrelated amendments to it. The first amendment, similar to H.R.226, would restrict the FCC from repromulgating the fairness doctrine, and the second amendment, the "Second Amendment Enforcement Act," would deny D.C. the authority to limit the private ownership or use of firearms. The gun amendment has caused Democrats to balk, and the bill is now considered tabled indefinitely. |
Voted on by Senate | Mar 02, 2009 |
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H.R.157 District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009
This bill seeks to make the District of Columbia a congressional district for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives of the 112th Congress and in each succeeding cycle. It states that with regards to appointing members to the House, D.C. would behave as a state and that the membership of the house would thus increase from 435 to 437 members. It also calls for expedited judicial review in the event that the act’s constitutionality is called into question. This bill is similar to the Senate’s version of the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009, although the latter has a much broader scope. (Click here to see the differences.) |
Introduced | Mar 02, 2009 |
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Criminal Justice
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.1913 Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009
This bill, previously introduced in Congress in 2007, seeks to expand upon the 1969 US federal hate-crime law by extending beyond federally-protected activities and towards bodily crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, in addition to the current provisions of bodily crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived race, color, religion, and national origin. It would also codify and expand the funding and investigative capabilities of federal officials for aiding their local counterparts. |
Voted on by House | Apr 30, 2009 |
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H.R.61 Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act of 2009
Provided that they have served half or more of their term of imprisonment, this bill allows for the early release of prisoners who are of the age of 45 years or older, who have never been convicted of a crime of violence, and who have not engaged in any violent conduct, which violate institutional disciplinary regulations. |
Introduced | Feb 09, 2009 |
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S.167 COPS Improvements Act of 2009
This bill would extend funding for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) up to 2014 and expand the authority of the Attorney General to make grants for public safety and community policing programs, particularly for school programs targeting issues of illicit drugs and gangs and for enhancing law enforcement personnel. See H.R.1139 for the House equivalent. |
Introduced | Jan 08, 2009 |
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Economy
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.627 Credit CARD Act of 2009
Broadly, this bill seeks to establish transparency between all actors participating in the consumer credit market. More specifically, it seeks to restrict unfair interest rate hikes, fees and penalties. It also bans credit card companies from knowingly issuing cards to people under the age of 18. Furthermore, it calls for the broad dissemination of information by creditors to the public regarding changes and developments in credit card accounts, methods of contact, and credit counseling services, and by the Federal Reserve Board to Congress and the public, alike, regarding the general health of the consumer credit market. |
This Bill Has Become Law | May 22, 2009 |
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H.R.1586 To impose an additional tax on bonuses received from certain TARP recipients.
A direct response to the A.I.G. bonus scandal, this bill would levy a 90 percent tax on any bonuses from bailed-out firms (TARP recipients) paid out in 2009 to individuals with incomes over $250,000. The Senate will be taking up a similar bill (S. 651) soon that proposes a bailout bonus tax of 70 percent. |
Voted on by House | Mar 23, 2009 |
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H.R.1728 Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act
In the context of residential mortgages, this bill would place federal restrictions on loan providers, servicers, brokers, and appraisers in order to limit predatory and irresponsible lending practices. For example, the bill prohibits mortgage loan originators from offering consumers mortgages that they don't have a "reasonable ability to repay," and prohibits them from encouraging consumers to refinance when it is not in their benefit to do so. To keep bad loans from weighing down the secondary mortgage markets, it require loan originators to retain at least 5% of the risk in each loan they make. The bill also spells out a number of disclosure requirements for loan originators, including any relevant conflicts of interest, the comparative cost benefits of the kinds of loans a consumer is eligible for, and the amount of compensation they would be receiving for each type of loan they are offering. More info from the House Financial Services Committee here. |
Voted on by House | May 12, 2009 |
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S.J.Res.5 A joint resolution relating to the disapproval of obligations under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.
This is a non-binding resolution declaring Congress’ disapproval of the release of the second tranche of the TARP funds as established by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (initially $250 billion, or upon presidential certification, $350 billion). It was defeated in the Senate on January 15th, 2009 although its counterpart, H.J.Res.3, passed in the House on the 22nd of January 2009. |
Voted on by Senate | Jan 15, 2009 |
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H.R.384 TARP Reform and Accountability Act
This legislation would establish tighter oversight on the second released amount of $350 billion under the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) created by the 2008 bailout bill, H.R. 1424. This enhanced regulation requires that all institutions receiving such funding file quarterly reports on how the money is used, imposes stricter limits on executive compensation for employees of recipient firms, and enhances the Financial Stability Oversight Board. More info here. |
Voted on by House | Jan 22, 2009 |
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Education
| Bill | Status | Last Action |
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Energy/Environment
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.2454 American Clean Energy And Security Act of 2009
This is the Waxman-Markley comprehensive energy bill, known for short as "ACES," that includes a cap-and-trade global warming reduction plan designed to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020. Other provisions include new renewable requirements for utilities, studies and incentives regarding new carbon capture and sequestration technologies, energy efficiency incentives for homes and buildings, and grants for green jobs, among other things. |
Voted on by House | Jun 27, 2009 |
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H.R.2749 Food Safety Enhancement Act
This bill proposes greater FDA regulatory powers over the national food supply and food providers, namely granting it the authority to regulate how crops are raised and harvested, to quarantine a geographic area, to make warrantless searches of business records, and to establish a national food tracing system. Concurrently, the bill would impose annual registration fees of $500 on all facilities holding, processing, or manufacturing food and require that such facilities also engaged in the transport or packing of food maintain pedigrees of the origin and previous distribution history of the food. The bill is an enhancement to H.R.759, and to a lesser extent, H.R. 857, previously proposed food safety bills in the 111th Congress. It is also co-sponsored by the same Representatives as the latter two bills, although new to the line of support is Rep. Henry Waxman, chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee. |
Introduced | Jun 17, 2009 |
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H.R.2751 Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act
Also known as "Cash for Clunkers," this bill establishes a program for owners of gas-guzzling cars and trucks to receive tax credits worth up to $4,500 for purchasing newer, cleaner automobiles. |
Voted on by House | Jun 11, 2009 |
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Government/Transparency
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.1207 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009
This bill would repeal special audit protections for the Federal Reserve (31 USC 714 – Sec. 714) and calls for a full Government Accountability Office audit of the central bank to be completed before the end of 2010 and submitted to Congress for review. More background and info here. |
Introduced | Feb 26, 2009 |
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H.Res.554 Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that legislation and conference reports be available on the Internet for 72 hours before consideration by the House, and for other purposes.
This resolution would require that the full text of House legislation and accompanying committee reports be continuously posted on the Internet. Moreover it seeks to establish a policy prohibiting the House from voting on legislation until 72 hours after its text is made available to Congress members and the general public. The bill’s stated purpose is to enhance public participation and improve the quality of proposed legislation by ensuring the opportunity for its review by actors ranging from State officials to members of the public. |
Introduced | Jun 17, 2009 |
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S.482 Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act
This bill, which mirrors S. 223 from the 110th session of Congress, would require the Senate to file their campaign finance forms electronically, rather than in paper forms. The Senate's current system, which involves a lot of mailing, scanning, printing, etc. slows down public disclosure of who is donating money to candidates for the U.S. Senate. Candidates for The House of Representatives and presidency already file their reports electronically. In the last session of Congress, the sponsors of this bill brought it to the floor for consideration on several occasions, but it was blocked from an otherwise quick passage by a hold from Sen. John Ensign [R, NV]. With the larger Democratic majority in the Senate this session and the support of many Republicans, it is likely to be passed. |
Introduced | Feb 26, 2009 |
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S.1285 Detainee Photographic Records Protection Act of 2009
This is a stand-alone version of the Lieberman-Graham amendment from Iraq/Afghanistan supplemental to block the public disclosed of any detainee torture photos, even if the Freedom of Information Act compelled their disclosure. The amendment was stripped from the supplemental by the House-Senate conference committee, but this stand-alone version passed the Senate without amendment by unanimous consent on June 17. The text of this bill is exactly the same as the version that was included in the supplemental. |
Voted on by Senate | Jun 18, 2009 |
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H.R.1105 Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009
This bill totals about $410 billion and covers funding for fiscal year 2009 for the nine federal agencies that were not funded under the regular appropriations process last year. Related information on the bill, including scanned copies of all earmark requests and section summaries, can be downloaded as .pdf files from the House Appropriations Committee. |
This Bill Has Become Law | Mar 11, 2009 |
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H.Res.40 Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require each standing committee to hold periodic hearings on the topic of waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement in Government programs which that committee may authorize, and for other purposes.
Passed in January 21st, 2009 with no opposition, this bill mandated that each standing committee or subcommittee in the House of Representatives hold periodic hearings relating to potential waste, fraud, abuse or mismanagement in government programs presenting viewpoints from both federal agency representatives as well as Controller General reports. |
Voted on by House | Jan 14, 2009 |
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S.752 Fair Elections Now Act
This bill would establish a public funding system for Senate elections and subsequently outlines eligibility and contribution requirements as well as prohibitions such those on joint fundraising committees. The same provisions are put forth in H.R.1826 with regard to House elections. |
Introduced | Mar 31, 2009 |
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S.J.Res.7 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the election of Senators.
This resolution, along with H.J.Res.21in the House, proposes to alter the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, such that state-wide elections, rather than gubernatorial appointments, would be required for filling vacancies in the Senate. Introduced by Sen. John McCain [R, AZ], Sen. Richard Durban [D, IL], the resolutions comes after the controversy surrounding the appointment of Sen. Roland Burris [D, IL] by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, as well as the high number of Senators appointed early in the year (four, which actually pales in comparison to the over a dozen appointed Senators in the 79th Congress). |
Introduced | Mar 11, 2009 |
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H.J.Res.21 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the election of Senators.
This resolution, along with and SJRes 7, proposes to alter the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, such that state-wide elections, rather than gubernatorial appointments, would be required for filling vacancies in the Senate. Introduced by Rep. David Dreier [R, CA-26] and co-sponsored by influential Representatives, including Rep. John Conyers [D, MI-14], Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the resolution comes after the controversy surrounding the appointment of Sen. Roland Burris [D, IL] by former Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich, as well as the high number of Senators appointed early in the year (four, which actually pales in comparison to the over a dozen appointed Senators in the 79th Congress). |
Introduced | Mar 11, 2009 |
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Guns
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.197 National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009
This bill would create a national standard allowing a person to carry a concealed weapon in a state in which they are not a resident, given that they have a valid permit and are in accordance with that state’s and this bill’s restrictions. |
Introduced | Feb 09, 2009 |
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H.R.2401 No Fly, No Buy Act of 2009
This bill would further specify the scope of the Second Amendment by prohibiting individuals who are prevented from boarding an aircraft because they have been put on the TSA's no-fly list from selling, transferring, or possessing firearms or ammunition. In other words, it calls for all names on the no-fly list to be automatically added to the no-buy list under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Other noteworthy gun bill currently pending in Congress include H.R. 17 and H.R. 45. |
Introduced | Jun 12, 2009 |
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H.R.17 Citizens' Self-Defense Act of 2009
In correlation with the restrictions outlined by the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, this bill protects and provides context for the possession and use of fire arms, namely in defense of the self or family (or, when relevant, the home) against a reasonably perceived threat of unlawful bodily injury or violent felony. It also holds relevance in light of the H.R.45, the Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, which seeks to amend the afore mentioned Act of 1993. |
Introduced | Feb 09, 2009 |
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Health
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.676 United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act
This bill establishes the United States National Health Care (USNHC) Program to provide all individuals residing in the United States and U.S. territories with free health care, which would encompass primary care and prevention, prescription drugs, emergency care, long-term care, mental health services, dental services, and vision care. Such a program would be financed by the USNHC Trust Fund via existing sources of government health care revenue, by increasing personal income taxes of the top 5% income earners and by instituting a progressive excise tax on payroll and self employment income, as well as on stock and bond transactions. While the Indian Health Services would eventually be integrated in the program, the independence of the Veterans Affairs health programs would remain under evaluation. |
Introduced | Jan 26, 2009 |
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S.239 Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009
This bill and its House equivalent, HR190, seek to ensure that veterans (except those residing the states of Alaska and Hawaii), who are eligible for medical services through the Department of Veterans Affairs, have access to full-service hospitals affiliated with the Veterans Health Administration or comparable medical services and hospital care. |
Introduced | Jan 14, 2009 |
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S.179 Health Information Technology Act of 2009
This bill encourages the use of clinical health care informatics systems and services by offering monetary incentives to health care providers in order to offset the related costs of such technology. It would also seek to develop national standards regarding data and communication health information technology, working towards the goals of efficient data exchange and improved health care quality while protecting patient privacy and security. |
Introduced | Jan 08, 2009 |
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S.21 Prevention First Act
Broadly this bill seeks to improve access to women’s health care and to expand access to preventative health care services relating to pregnancy. More specifically it would authorize the appropriation of grants to states and other entities for research, education, and preventative programs regarding teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. It would require that hospitals, receiving federal funding, offer and provide, upon request, emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Furthermore, it would prohibit health plans from excluding or restricting otherwise provided benefits related to prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services. |
Introduced | Jan 06, 2009 |
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Housing/Mortgage Crisis
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.600 FHA Seller-Financed Downpayment Reform Act of 2009
This bill would reauthorize and reform downpayment assistance programs (DPA) for creditworthy home buyers, which include funds furnished directly or indirectly by the seller or any other party financially benefiting from the transaction. |
Introduced | Jan 16, 2009 |
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H.R.1106 Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009
This bill, a major part of President Obama's foreclosure prevention plan, would allow bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages on primary residences, provide legal protection to mortgage servicers who work out loan modifications, make several changes to the Hope for Homeowners program, reform the FDIC insurance fund, and more. A detailed summary can be found at the House Financial Services Committee's website. |
Voted on by House | Mar 11, 2009 |
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H.R.37 Systematic Foreclosure Prevention and Mortgage Modification Act
Introduced for the second time by Rep. Maxine Walters [D, CA-35], the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, this bill attempts to reduce the number of foreclosures by establishing a systematic approach to modifying trouble mortgages. It would require mortgage servicers to review all loans and, in return, provide $1000 for each subsequently needed modification and require that the government share up to 50% of any loss of a modified loan that consequentially redefaulted. See S.73 for the Senate equivalent of the bill. |
Introduced | Jan 06, 2009 |
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Immigration
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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S.729 DREAM Act of 2009
This bill would give states the authority to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien’s eligibility for higher education benefits, which have been previously tied state-residency. Additionally, it allows for the adjustment from status of alien to conditional permanent resident and outlines the criteria for such an adjustment by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The bill and its equivalent in the House, H.R.1751, is just as controversial as most other immigration related bills, such as, H.R.1868, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009. |
Introduced | Mar 26, 2009 |
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H.R.1024 Uniting American Families Act of 2009
This bill would expand current immigration law to include “permanent partners” (which it defines in Section 2 of its text), namely allowing U.S. citizens and permanent residents to sponsor same-sex partners, as they would spouses, for immigration visas and permanent residency status. See S. 484 for the Senate equivalent. |
Introduced | Mar 16, 2009 |
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S.1085 Reuniting Families Act
This legislation would reform the family-based immigration system and speed up the process for family members of legal immigrants to secure visas. Specifically, it would reclassify spouses and children of legal immigrants as immediate relatives, raise the per-country family-sponsored and employment-based immigration limits from 7 percent to 10 percent of total admissions, recapture visas that went unused in previous years due to bureaucratic errors, allow widows and spouses to remain eligible for visas after the death of a sponsoring family member, and more. |
Introduced | May 20, 2009 |
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H.R.264 Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2009
This legislation seeks to provide increased protection and eligibility for family-sponsored immigrants. Eligibility is extended by doubling the number of available visas from 480,000 to 960,000, by offering legalization to aliens who have been in the US for five years or are children, and by providing undocumented Haitians in the US with access to lawful permanent resident status. Additionally, the bill includes immigrant protections relating to the context of sex-related crimes as well as calling for the enhancement of Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security capacities. |
Introduced | Feb 09, 2009 |
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Intellectual Property
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.2196 Design Piracy Prohibition Act
This bill seeks to extend copyright protection to fashion designs of apparel and accessories, setting the term of protection at three years. |
Introduced | Jun 12, 2009 |
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H.R.801 Fair Copyright in Research Works Act
This bill seeks to amend copyright code and create a new category of copyrighted works to the effect of reversing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy. This would prohibit the government from requiring scholarly journals to make federally funded studies accessible to the public. Proponents of the bill are largely limited to the American Association of Publishers and the bill’s sponsors, namely Rep. John Conyers, who introduced it for the second time after its exact replica, H.R. 6845, died in the 110th Congress. |
Introduced | Mar 16, 2009 |
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Iraq
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.578 Iraqi Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement, and Security Act of 2009
This bill advocates working with the international community and subsequently appropriating funds to international and nongovernmental organizations providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations in Iraq and Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries (namely Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, and Syria although the bill specifically prohibits providing bilateral assistance to Syria). The bill also proposes favoring citizens or nationals of Iraq who have become refugees due to the invasion of Iraq by imposing a minimum 20,000 numerical limit on other refugees. |
Introduced | Mar 16, 2009 |
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Labor
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.1409 Employee Free Choice Act of 2009
This bill (aka "card check") would change the rules governing the formation of unions, the way first contracts between unions and employers are negotiated, and how employees' rights are enforced. Under the bill, workers would be able to decide whether to hold a secret ballot vote on union formation after a majority of employees have signed union authorization cards, or to have the union certified based on the cards alone. Under the current rules, employers have the power to make that decision. The bill also designates a time line for first contracts to be drawn up between unions and employees and stipulates that if no deal is reached within 120 days, an arbitration panel will render a decision that will be binding for two years. Finally, it would increase the fines employers must pay if found guilty of violating their employees' right to unionize. This bill is organized labor's number one legislative priority, and it is vigorously opposed by the business lobby. Democratic leader are expected to bring it to a vote in the Senate sometime this summer. The big question regarding its passage is whether or not the Democrats can find 60 votes in favor of breaking an inevitable Republican filibuster. The Senate version is S. 560. |
Introduced | Apr 29, 2009 |
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S.560 Employee Free Choice Act of 2009
This bill (aka "card check") would change the rules governing the formation of unions, the way first contracts between unions and employers are negotiated, and how employees' rights are enforced. Under the bill, workers would be able to decide whether to hold a secret ballot vote on union formation after a majority of employees have signed union authorization cards, or to have the union certified based on the cards alone. Under the current rules, employers have the power to make that decision. The bill also designates a time line for first contracts to be drawn up between unions and employees and stipulates that if no deal is reached within 120 days, an arbitration panel will render a decision that will be binding for two years. Finally, it would increase the fines employers must pay if found guilty of violating their employees' right to unionize. This bill is organized labor's number one legislative priority, and it is vigorously opposed by the business lobby. Democratic leader are expected to bring it to a vote in the Senate sometime this summer. The big question regarding its passage is whether or not the Democrats can find 60 votes in favor of breaking an inevitable Republican filibuster. The House version is H.R. 1490. |
Introduced | Mar 10, 2009 |
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S.277 Serve America Act
The Serve America Act would dramatically increase funding for AmeriCorps and other volunteer programs, including those for seniors and veterans. It also establishes a goal of expanding from 75,000 government-supported volunteers to 250,000. It also would increase education funding and establish a summer service program for students, paying $500 (which would be applied to college costs) to high-school and middle-school students who participate. In its current form, the legislation does not include a mandate requiring service. The legislation advanced through Congress as a substitute amendment to H.R.1138. |
Introduced | Mar 18, 2009 |
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S.181 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
While dropped by the 110th Congress, this bill was passed into law within about 20 days of being introduced again in 2009. The bill resets the statute of limitations for pay-related discrimination cases such that an employee has 180 days to file a formal complaint of discrimination after receiving each pay-check, rather than only after the initial instance of pay discrimination. |
This Bill Has Become Law | Jan 29, 2009 |
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Media
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.1147 Local Community Radio Act of 2009
This bipartisan legislation and its Senate equivalent, S.592, would repeal restrictions Congress imposed on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2001 and allow them to make licenses available to low-powered FM radio stations at the local community level. |
Introduced | Feb 24, 2009 |
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H.R.226 Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009
Although the Fairness Doctrine, requiring broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues, was abolished in 1987, this bill would inhibit the Federal Communications Commission from reintroducing it in the future. |
Introduced | Jan 07, 2009 |
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Taxes
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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H.R.25 Fair Tax Act of 2009
Resurfacing for the 6th consecutive congressional session, this bill strives to repeal the income tax, employment tax, and estate and gift tax, and to replace them with a national sales tax at a rate of 23%. It sets forth provisions for the states’ collection of sales tax revenues and the Treasury’s handling of the remittances of such revenues while setting up two new tax bureaus in the Department of Treasury in the place of the IRS. |
Introduced | Jan 06, 2009 |
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H.R.470 Economic Recovery and Middle-Class Tax Relief Act of 2009
This bill was put forth as a stimulus alternative, and republican counter proposal, to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It suggests reducing government spending and providing permanent tax incentives for economic growth, namely through tax relief measures such as a five-percentage point income tax cut for all taxpayers. |
Introduced | Jan 13, 2009 |
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S.155 Unemployment Benefit Tax Suspension Act of 2009
This bill would suspend the taxation of unemployment compensation up to January 1st, 2010. A similar bill in the House, H.R.155 calls for the same provisions but extends them to January 1st, 2011. |
Introduced | Jan 06, 2009 |
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Technology
| Bill | Status | Last Action | |
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S.436 Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today’s Youth Act of 2009
This bill and its House equivalent, H.R.1076, seek to increase penalties for processing Internet materials relating to child exploitation. More controversially, they would also require Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) to retain certain user records for a minimum of two years. While few protest restrictions on child pornography, privacy advocates have taken issue with this data retention requirement (see Sec.5). |
Introduced | Feb 13, 2009 |
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H.R.414 Camera Phone Predator Alert Act
This bill would require that all mobile phones sold in the United States, which are equipped with digital cameras, make a sound when a photograph is taken. |
Introduced | Jan 09, 2009 |
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H.R.231 The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2009
This bill would require that a video game, rated T (Teen) or higher, carry a clear and conspicuous sign reading “WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior” (Sec. 1b). |
Introduced | Jan 07, 2009 |
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