TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Immigration Services and 
Infrastructure Improvements Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Applications for naturalization have increased 
        dramatically in recent years, outpacing the Immigration and 
        Naturalization Service's ability to process them.
            (2) The dramatic increase in applications for 
        naturalization and the inability of the Immigration and 
        Naturalization Service to deal with them adequately has 
        resulted in an unacceptably large backlog in naturalization 
        adjudications.
            (3) The processing times in the Immigration and 
        Naturalization Service's other immigration benefits have been 
        unacceptably long. Applicants for family- and employment-based 
        visas are waiting as long as 3 to 4 years to obtain a visa or 
        an adjustment to lawful permanent resident status.
            (4) In California, the delays in processing adjustment of 
        status applications have averaged 52 months. In Texas, the 
        delays have averaged 69 months. Residents of New York have had 
        to wait up to 28 months; in Florida, 26 months; in Illinois, 37 
        months; in Oregon, 31 months; and in Arizona, 49 months. Most 
        other States have experienced unacceptably long processing and 
        adjudication delays.
            (5) Applicants pay fees to have their applications 
        adjudicated in a timely manner. These fees have increased 
        dramatically in recent years without a commensurate increase in 
        the capability of that Immigration and Naturalization Service 
        to process and adjudicate these cases in an efficient manner.
            (6) Processing these applications in a timely fashion is 
        critical. Each 12-month delay in adjudicating an adjustment of 
        status application requires the alien to file applications to 
        extend employment authorization to work and advance parole 
        documents to travel.
            (7) The enormous delays in processing applications for 
        families and businesses have had a negative impact on the 
        reunification of spouses and minor children and the ability of 
        law-abiding and contributing members of our communities to 
        participate fully in the civic life of the United States.
            (8) United States employers have also experienced 
        debilitating delays in hiring employees who contribute to the 
        economic growth of the United States. These delays have forced 
        employers to send highly skilled and valued employees out of 
        the United States because their immigrant petitions were not 
        approved in a timely fashion. Such disruptions seriously 
        threaten the competitive edge of the United States in the 
        global marketplace.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to--
            (1) provide the Immigration and Naturalization Service with 
        the mechanisms it needs to eliminate the current backlog in the 
        processing of immigration benefit applications within 1 year 
        after enactment of this Act and to maintain the elimination of 
        the backlog in future years; and
            (2) provide for regular congressional oversight of the 
        performance of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in 
        eliminating the backlog and processing delays in immigration 
        benefits adjudications.
    (c) Policy.--It is the sense of Congress that the processing of an 
immigration benefit application should be completed not later than 180 
days after the initial filing of the application, except that a 
petition for a nonimmigrant visa under section 214(c) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act should be processed not later than 30 
days after the filing of the petition.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Backlog.--The term ``backlog'' means, with respect to 
        an immigration benefit application, the period of time in 
        excess of 180 days that such application has been pending 
        before the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
            (2) Immigration benefit application.--The term 
        ``immigration benefit application'' means any application or 
        petition to confer, certify, change, adjust, or extend any 
        status granted under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

SEC. 4. IMMIGRATION SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT.

    (a) Authority of the Attorney General.--The Attorney General shall 
take such measures as may be necessary to--
            (1) reduce the backlog in the processing of immigration 
        benefit applications, with the objective of the total 
        elimination of the backlog not later than one year after the 
        date of enactment of this Act;
            (2) make such other improvements in the processing of 
        immigration benefit applications as may be necessary to ensure 
        that a backlog does not develop after such date; and
            (3) make such improvements in infrastructure as may be 
        necessary to effectively provide immigration services.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Department of Justice from time to time such sums as may be 
        necessary for the Attorney General to carry out subsection (a).
            (2) Designation of account in treasury.--Amounts 
        appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) may be referred to as 
        the ``Immigration Services and Infrastructure Improvements 
        Account''.
            (3) Availability of funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant 
        to paragraph (1) are authorized to remain available until 
        expended.
            (4) Limitation on expenditures.--None of the funds 
        appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) may be expended until 
        the report described in section 5(a) has been submitted to 
        Congress.

SEC. 5. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Backlog Elimination Plan.--
            (1) Report required.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit a 
        report to the Committees on the Judiciary and Appropriations of 
        the Senate and the House of Representatives concerning--
                    (A) the backlogs in immigration benefit 
                applications in existence as of the date of enactment 
                of this Act; and
                    (B) the Attorney General's plan for eliminating 
                such backlogs.
            (2) Report elements.--The report shall include--
                    (A) an assessment of the data systems used in 
                adjudicating and reporting on the status of immigration 
                benefit applications, including--
                            (i) a description of the adequacy of 
                        existing computer hardware, computer software, 
                        and other mechanisms to comply with the 
                        adjudications and reporting requirements of 
                        this Act; and
                            (ii) a plan for implementing improvements 
                        to existing data systems to accomplish the 
                        purpose of this Act, as described in section 
                        2(b);
                    (B) a description of the quality controls to be put 
                into force to ensure timely, fair, accurate, and 
                complete processing and adjudication of such 
                applications;
                    (C) the elements specified in subsection (b)(2);
                    (D) an estimate of the amount of appropriated funds 
                that would be necessary in order to eliminate the 
                backlogs in each category of immigration benefit 
                applications described in subsection (b)(2); and
                    (E) a detailed plan on how the Attorney General 
                will use any funds in the Immigration Services and 
                Infrastructure Improvements Account to comply with the 
                purposes of this Act.
    (b) Annual Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Beginning 90 days after the end of the 
        first fiscal year for which any appropriation authorized by 
        section 4(b) is made, and 90 days after the end of each fiscal 
        year thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit a report to 
        the Committees on the Judiciary and Appropriations of the 
        Senate and the House of Representatives concerning the status 
        of--
                    (A) the Immigration Services and Infrastructure 
                Improvements Account including any unobligated balances 
                of appropriations in the Account; and
                    (B) the Attorney General's efforts to eliminate 
                backlogs in any immigration benefit application 
                described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Report elements.--The report shall include--
                    (A) State-by-State data on--
                            (i) the number of naturalization cases 
                        adjudicated in each quarter of each fiscal 
                        year;
                            (ii) the average processing time for 
                        naturalization applications;
                            (iii) the number of naturalization 
                        applications pending for up to 6 months, 12 
                        months, 18 months, 24 months, 36 months, and 48 
                        months or more;
                            (iv) estimated processing times 
                        adjudicating newly submitted naturalization 
                        applications;
                            (v) an analysis of the appropriate 
                        processing times for naturalization 
                        applications; and
                            (vi) the additional resources and process 
                        changes needed to eliminate the backlog for 
                        naturalization adjudications;
                    (B) the status of applications or, where 
                applicable, petitions described in subparagraph (C), by 
                Immigration and Naturalization Service district, 
                including--
                            (i) the number of cases adjudicated in each 
                        quarter of each fiscal year;
                            (ii) the average processing time for such 
                        applications or petitions;
                            (iii) the number of applications or 
                        petitions pending for up to 6 months, 12 
                        months, 18 months, 24 months, 36 months, and 48 
                        months or more;
                            (iv) the estimated processing times 
                        adjudicating newly submitted applications or 
                        petitions;
                            (v) an analysis of the appropriate 
                        processing times for applications or petitions; 
                        and
                            (vi) a description of the additional 
                        resources and process changes needed to 
                        eliminate the backlog for such processing and 
                        adjudications; and
                    (C) a status report on--
                            (i) applications for adjustments of status 
                        to that of an alien lawfully admitted for 
                        permanent residence;
                            (ii) petitions for nonimmigrant visas under 
                        section 214 of the Immigration and Nationality 
                        Act;
                            (iii) petitions filed under section 204 of 
                        such Act to classify aliens as immediate 
                        relatives or preference immigrants under 
                        section 203 of such Act;
                            (iv) applications for asylum under section 
                        208 of such Act;
                            (v) registrations for Temporary Protected 
                        Status under section 244 of such Act; and
                            (vi) a description of the additional 
                        resources and process changes needed to 
                        eliminate the backlog for such processing and 
                        adjudications.
            (3) Absence of appropriated funds.--In the event that no 
        funds are appropriated subject to section 4(b) in the fiscal 
        year in which this Act is enacted, the Attorney General shall 
        submit a report to Congress not later than 90 days after the 
        end of such fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, 
        containing the elements described in paragraph (2).

SOLUTION: Authorizes appropriations which shall be designated in the Treasury as the Immigration Services and Infrastructure Improvements Account.
Directs the Attorney General to make specified backlog elimination reports.

PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Union Member Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Labor unions make significant political contributions 
        and expenditures that directly or indirectly influence the 
        election of candidates and support or oppose political causes. 
        Decisions to use union dues for political contributions and 
        expenditures are usually made by union leadership and 
        management, rather than union membership.
            (2) Unions, acting through their management, should be 
        obligated to conduct business in the best interests of their 
        membership.
            (3) Historically, union members have not had a way to know, 
        or to influence, the political activities of unions that are 
        supposed to represent them. Union members and the public have a 
        right to know how unions are spending members' dues to make 
        political contributions or expenditures benefitting candidates, 
        political parties, and political causes.
            (4) Unions should be accountable to their membership in 
        making political contributions or expenditures affecting 
        Federal governance and public policy. Requiring the express 
        approval of a union's membership for political contributions or 
        expenditures will establish necessary accountability.

SEC. 3. DISCLOSURE AND APPROVAL OF CERTAIN POLITICAL EXPENDITURES.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Labor-Management Reporting and 
Disclosure Act (29 U.S.C. 431 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 201 the following:

``SEC. 201A. DISCLOSURE AND APPROVAL OF CERTAIN POLITICAL EXPENDITURES 
              BY LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.

    ``(a) Disclosure.--The report required under section 201 shall 
contain, in a clear and simple format--
            ``(1) a description of the specific nature of any 
        expenditures for political activities proposed to be made by 
        the labor organization for the forthcoming fiscal year, to the 
        extent the specific nature is known to the labor organization 
        and including the total amount of such proposed expenditures; 
        and
            ``(2) a disclosure of how each officer of the labor 
        organization voted to authorize or not to authorize each 
        expenditure for political activities made by the labor 
        organization during the preceding fiscal year.
    ``(b) Restriction on Expenditures.--No labor organization shall 
make any expenditure for political activities in any fiscal year 
unless--
            ``(1) such expenditure is of the nature of those proposed 
        by the labor organization pursuant to subsection (a); and
            ``(2) the full, free, and written authorization for such 
        expenditures has been granted by a majority of the members of 
        the labor organization.
    ``(c) Mechanism for Obtaining Authorization.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of the Union Member Protection Act, every 
labor organization shall adopt a mechanism for obtaining, by secret 
ballot, the authorization of its members as required under subsection 
(b)(2).
    ``(d) Liability.--The officers of a labor organization who 
authorize an expenditure without first obtaining the authorization of 
members required under subsection (b)(2) shall be jointly and severally 
liable in any action brought in any court of competent jurisdiction to 
any member of the labor organization or class of members for the amount 
of dues paid by such member or class of member during the 1 year period 
prior to the date that such expenditure was made.
    ``(e) Definition of Expenditure for Political Activities.--As used 
in this section:
            ``(1) The term `expenditure for political activities' 
        means--
                    ``(A) an independent expenditure, as such term is 
                defined in section 301(17) of the Federal Election 
                Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(17));
                    ``(B) contributions to any political party, 
                committee, or electioneering communication, as such 
                term is defined in section 304(f)(3)(A) of the Federal 
                Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 434(f)(3)(A)); 
                and
                    ``(C) dues or other payments to trade associations 
                or other tax exempt organizations that are, or could 
                reasonably be anticipated to be, used for the purposes 
                described in subparagraph (A).
            ``(2) Such term shall not include--
                    ``(A) direct lobbying efforts through registered 
                lobbyists employed or hired by the labor organization;
                    ``(B) communications by a labor organization to its 
                members and executive or administrative personnel and 
                their families; or
                    ``(C) the establishment, administration, and 
                solicitation of contributions to a separate segregated 
                fund to be utilized for political purposes by a labor 
                organization.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 201(c) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 431(c)) is 
        amended by striking ``make available the information required 
        to be contained in'' and inserting ``provide''.
            (2) Section 209(a) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 439(a)) is 
        amended by inserting ``other than section 201A'' after ``this 
        title''.

SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT OF VOTE BY PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.

    Section 201 of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act 
(29 U.S.C. 431) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) The bylaws required under this section shall expressly 
provide for a vote of the principal officers of the labor organization 
on any individual expenditure for political activities (as such term is 
defined in section 201A(e)) in excess of $50,000. A labor organization 
shall make publicly available the individual votes of principal 
officers required by the preceding sentence within 48 hours of the 
vote, including in a clear and conspicuous location on the Internet 
website of the labor organization.''.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    The Comptroller General of the United States shall annually conduct 
a study on the compliance with the requirements of this Act by labor 
organizations and their management. Not later than April 1 of each 
year, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report of such 
study.

SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date of 
enactment of the Shareholder Protection Act of 2010.

SOLUTION: Union Member Protection Act - Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (Landrum-Griffin Act) to require a labor organization's mandatory report to the Secretary of Labor on its constitution, officers, and basic organization to include, in a clear and simple format, both: (1) a description of the specific nature and total amount of political expenditures the labor organization proposes to make for the upcoming fiscal year; and (2) a disclosure of how each labor organization officer voted on each political expenditure made by the organization during the preceding fiscal year.

Prohibits a labor organization from making political expenditures unless: (1) they are of the nature of those proposed in such report; and (2) they have received a full, free, and written authorization by secret ballot by a majority of the labor organization members.

Makes officers jointly and severally liable for authorizing a political expenditure without first obtaining the authorization of labor organization members.

Requires labor organization bylaws to provide expressly for a vote of the organization's principal officers on individual political expenditures in excess of $50,000. Requires a labor organization to make public the individual votes of such officers within 48 hours, including in a clear and conspicuous location on its website.

PROBLEM: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Major Regulation Cost Review Act of 
2004''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT FOR PERIODIC REVIEW OF ALL MAJOR RULES.

    (a) Requirement.--Chapter 6 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 610 the following new section:
``Sec. 610a. Periodic review of major rules
    ``(a)  Requirement for Review of Major Rules.--Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of the Major Regulation Cost 
Review Act of 2004, each agency shall publish in the Federal Register a 
plan for the periodic review of all the major rules issued by the 
agency. Such plan may be amended by the agency at any time by 
publishing the revision in the Federal Register.
    ``(b) Purpose of Review.--The purpose of the review shall be to 
determine whether such rules should be continued without change, or 
should be amended or rescinded, consistent with the stated objectives 
of applicable statutes.
    ``(c) Review Within Five Years.--The plan shall provide for the 
review of all such agency rules existing on the effective date of the 
Major Regulation Cost Review Act of 2004 within five years after that 
date and for the review of such rules adopted after such effective date 
within five years after the publication of such rules as the final 
rule. If the head of the agency determines that completion of the 
review of existing rules is not feasible by the established date, the 
head of the agency shall so certify in a statement published in the 
Federal Register and may extend the completion date by one year at a 
time for a total of not more than five years.
    ``(d) Factors to Consider.--In reviewing major rules in a manner 
consistent with the stated objectives of applicable statutes, the 
agency shall consider the following factors:
            ``(1) The continued need for the rule.
            ``(2) The nature of complaints or comments received 
        concerning the rule from the public.
            ``(3) The complexity of the rule.
            ``(4) The extent to which the rule overlaps, duplicates, or 
        conflicts with other Federal rules, and, to the extent 
        feasible, with State and local governmental rules.
            ``(5) The length of time since the rule has been evaluated 
        or the degree to which technology, economic conditions, or 
        other factors have changed in the area affected by the rule.
    ``(e) Cost-Benefit Analysis.--The review shall include a cost-
benefit analysis of the rule, using the standard cost-benefit 
methodology included in Office of Management and Budget Circular A-4 
(relating to regulatory analysis and issued September 17, 2003). The 
cost-benefit analysis shall include an identification and consideration 
of a range of less costly regulatory alternatives.
    ``(f) Publication of List of Rules to Be Reviewed.--Each year, each 
agency shall publish in the Federal Register a list of the major rules 
which are to be reviewed pursuant to this section during the succeeding 
12 months and which are to be included in the accounting statement and 
associated report submitted to Congress by the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget under paragraph (4) of section 624(a) of the 
Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001 (as added by 
section 3 of the Major Regulation Cost Review Act of 2004). The list 
shall include a brief description of each such major rule and the need 
for and legal basis of such rule, and shall invite public comment upon 
the rule.
    ``(g) Major Rule Defined.--In this section, the term `major rule' 
has the meaning provided by section 804 of this title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 6 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 610 the following new item:

``610a. Periodic review of major rules.''.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR OMB RELATING TO ANNUAL ACCOUNTING STATEMENT.

    (a) Requirement to Include List of Rules to Be Reviewed in Annual 
Accounting Statement.--Section 624(a) of the Treasury and General 
Government Appropriations Act, 2001 (as enacted into law by Public Law 
106-554; 114 Stat. 2763A-161), is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) a list of the major rules which are to be reviewed by 
        each agency, during the year following the year in which the 
        statement and report are submitted, pursuant to section 610a of 
        title 5, United States Code.''.
    (b) Requirement to Use Agency Cost-Benefit Estimates in Annual 
Accounting Statement.--Section 624 of the Treasury and General 
Government Appropriations Act, 2001 (as enacted into law by Public Law 
106-554; 114 Stat. 2763A-161), is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) as 
        subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(b) Use of Agency Cost-Benefit Analyses Required.--To carry out 
subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Manage

SOLUTION:
Major Regulation Cost Review Act of 2004 - Amends Federal civil service law to require each Federal agency to publish in the Federal Register a plan, which may be amended at any time by publishing a revision, for the periodic review of all the major rules issued by the agency. Requires that the plan provide for review within five years after publication as a final rule, with a five year extension permitted.

Directs the agency, in reviewing major rules, to consider: (1) the continued need for the rule; (2) the nature of complaints or comments received from the public concerning the rule; (3) the complexity of the rule; (4) the extent to which the rule overlaps, duplicates, or conflicts with other Federal rules, and with State and local governmental rules; and (5) the length of time since the rule has been evaluated or the degree to which technology, economic conditions, or other factors have changed in the area affected by the rule.

Requires that: (1) the review include a cost-benefit analysis of the rule, including an identification and consideration of a range of less costly regulatory alternatives; and (2) each year each agency publish a list of the major rules which are to be reviewed and which are to be included in the accounting statement and associated report submitted to Congress by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Makes conforming changes to the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001.