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

    This Act may be cited as the ``Route 66 Centennial Commission 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Route 66 was the Nation's first all-paved highway under 
        the U.S. Highway System connecting the Midwest to California 
        and has played a major role in the history of the United 
        States.
            (2) Route 66 was the symbol of opportunity to hundreds of 
        thousands of people seeking escape from the Dust Bowl in the 
        1930s, serving as a ``road to opportunity'' in the West and 
        providing employment during the Great Depression, as thousands 
        were put to work on road crews to pave the road.
            (3) Route 66 was invaluable in transporting troops, 
        equipment, and supplies across the country to the West, where 
        the government established multiple industries and armed force 
        bases during World War II. Upon the conclusion of the war in 
        1945, Route 66 was a key route taken by thousands of troops as 
        they returned home.
            (4) Route 66 symbolized the Nation's positive outlook 
        during the postwar economic recovery in the 1950s and 1960s, 
        serving as an icon of free-spirited independence and linking 
        people across the United States. During this period, the 
        tourist industry along Route 66 grew tremendously, giving rise 
        to countless tourist courts, motels, service stations, garages, 
        and diners.
            (5) Since June 27, 1985, when Route 66 was decommissioned 
        as a Federal highway, the popularity and mythical stature of 
        Route 66 has grown domestically and internationally, as the 
        road has experienced a rebirth of interest and support.
            (6) The year 2026 will be the centennial anniversary of 
        Route 66, and a commission should be established to study and 
        recommend to Congress activities that are fitting and proper to 
        celebrate that anniversary in a manner that appropriately 
        honors America's Mother Road.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the Route 66 
Centennial Commission (referred to in this Act as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 4. DUTIES.

    The Commission shall have the following duties:
            (1) To study activities that may be carried out by the 
        Federal Government to determine whether the activities are 
        fitting and proper to honor Route 66 on the occasion of its 
        centennial anniversary, including any of the activities 
        described under section 8(b)(2)(B).
            (2) To recommend to Congress the activities the Commission 
        considers most fitting and proper to honor Route 66 on such 
        occasion, to be carried out by the Department of Transportation 
        and any other entity or entities within the Federal Government 
        that the Commission considers most appropriate to carry out 
        such activities.
            (3) To plan and host, in cooperation with such partners, a 
        conference on the U.S. Numbered Highway System, and assist in 
        the activities of such a conference.

SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 19 
members appointed as follows:
            (1) Three members, each of whom shall be a qualified 
        citizen described in subsection (b), appointed by the 
        President.
            (2) Two members, each of whom shall be a qualified citizen 
        described in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Secretary of Transportation.
            (3) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of Illinois.
            (4) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of Missouri.
            (5) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of Kansas.
            (6) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of Oklahoma.
            (7) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of Texas.
            (8) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of New Mexico.
            (9) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of Arizona.
            (10) One member, who shall be a qualified citizen described 
        in subsection (b), appointed by the President on the 
        recommendation of the Governor of California.
            (11) Three members, each of whom shall be a qualified 
        citizen described in subsection (b), appointed by the President 
        on the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives, in consultation with the minority leader of 
        the House of Representatives.
            (12) Three members, each of whom shall be a qualified 
        citizen described in subsection (b), appointed by the President 
        on the recommendation of the majority leader of the Senate, in 
        consultation with the minority leader of the Senate.
    (b) Qualified Citizen.--A qualified citizen described in this 
subsection is a private citizen of the United States with--
            (1) a demonstrated dedication to educating others about the 
        importance of historical figures and events; and
            (2) substantial knowledge and appreciation of Route 66.
    (c) Time of Appointment.--Each initial appointment of a member of 
the Commission shall be made before the expiration of the 120-day 
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Continuation of Membership.--If a member of the Commission was 
appointed to the Commission as a Member of Congress, and ceases to be a 
Member of Congress, that member may continue to serve on the Commission 
for not longer than the 30-day period beginning on the date that member 
ceases to be a Member of Congress.
    (e) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of the 
Commission.
    (f) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect the 
powers of the Commission but shall be filled in the manner in which the 
original appointment was made.
    (g) Basic Pay.--Members shall serve on the Commission without pay.
    (h) Travel Expenses.--Each member shall receive travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 
5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
    (i) Quorum.--Seven members of the Commission shall constitute a 
quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
    (j) Chair.--The President, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Transportation, shall designate one member of the Commission as Chair.
    (k) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chair.

SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

    (a) Director.--The Commission may appoint and fix the pay of a 
Director and such additional personnel as the Commission considers to 
be appropriate.
    (b) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--
            (1) Director.--The Director of the Commission may be 
        appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 
        States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, 
        and may be paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 
        and subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 
        classification and General Schedule pay rates.
            (2) Staff.--The staff of the Commission shall be appointed 
        subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 
        governing appointments in the competitive service, and shall be 
        paid in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and 
        subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 
        classification and General Schedule pay rates.

SEC. 7. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
carrying out this Act, hold such hearings, sit and act at such times 
and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the 
Commission considers to be appropriate.
    (b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of the 
Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any action that 
the Commission is authorized to take by this Act.
    (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure directly 
from any department or agency of the United States information 
necessary to enable the Commission to carry out this Act. Upon request 
of the Chair of the Commission, the head of that department or agency 
shall furnish that information to the Commission.
    (d) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the 
same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and 
agencies of the United States.
    (e) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Commission to carry out its responsibilities 
under this Act.

SEC. 8. REPORTS.

    (a) Interim Reports.--The Commission may submit to Congress such 
interim reports as the Commission considers to be appropriate.
    (b) Comprehensive Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the 
        President and Congress a report incorporating specific 
        recommendations for the commemoration of the centennial of 
        Route 66 and related events.
            (2) Contents of report.--The report under paragraph (1)--
                    (A) shall include recommendations for the 
                allocation of financial and administrative 
                responsibility among the public and private authorities 
                and organizations recommended for participation by the 
                Commission; and
                    (B) may recommend activities such as--
                            (i) the production, publication, and 
                        distribution of books, pamphlets, films, 
                        electronic publications, and other educational 
                        materials focusing on the history and impact of 
                        Route 66 on the United States and the world;
                            (ii) bibliographical and documentary 
                        projects, publications, and electronic 
                        resources;
                            (iii) conferences, convocations, lectures, 
                        seminars, and other programs;
                            (iv) the development of programs by and for 
                        libraries, museums, parks, and historic sites, 
                        including national traveling exhibitions;
                            (v) ceremonies and celebrations 
                        commemorating specific events;
                            (vi) the production, distribution, and 
                        performance of artistic works, and of programs 
                        and activities, focusing on the national and 
                        international significance of Route 66; and
                            (vii) the issuance of commemorative coins, 
                        medals, certificates of recognition, and 
                        postage stamps.
    (c) Final Report.--The Commission shall submit to the President and 
Congress a final report not later than 90 days before the termination 
of the Commission provided in section 10.

SEC. 9. PLAN ON PRESERVATION NEEDS OF ROUTE 66.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation 
with the Governors referred to in section 5(a), shall prepare a plan on 
the preservation needs of Route 66.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate, and the 
President a report containing the plan prepared under subsection (a).

SEC. 10. TERMINATION.

    The Commission shall terminate not later than June 30, 2027.

SEC. 11. CLARIFICATION REGARDING FUNDING.

    No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of 
this Act. Such requirements may be carried out using amounts otherwise 
authorized or made available for the Department of Transportation, 
except for amounts authorized from the Highway Trust Fund.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 16, 2018.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.

Answer: Route 66 Centennial Commission Act (Sec. 3) This bill establishes the Route 66 Centennial Commission to honor highway Route 66 on the occasion of its centennial anniversary. (Sec. 4) The bill sets forth the duties of the commission, its membership, powers, and reporting requirements.  (Sec. 9) The Department of Transportation shall prepare a plan on the preservation needs of Route 66. (Sec. 10) The commission shall terminate not later than June 30, 2027.


Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Adolescent Web Awareness Requires 
Education Act'' or the ``AWARE Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Internet is an invaluable tool that is critical to 
        the ability of the Nation to compete in a global economy. The 
        Internet provides instant access to research and boundless 
        information and connects individuals around the world.
            (2) About 93 percent of youth ages 12 through 17 years use 
        online services regularly and nearly 45 percent of children 
        ages 3 to 11 years will use the Internet on a monthly basis in 
        2009. Eighty-nine percent of teens have a profile on social 
        networking sites. Eighty percent of teens ages 13 through 17 
        years use cell phones, most of which have built-in cameras.
            (3) Bullying in schools can take many forms, including 
        sending insulting, threatening, or offensive messages via 
        Internet sites, email, instant messaging, cell phone text 
        messaging, telephone, or any other electronic messaging system.
            (4) In a recent survey, 1 in 5 teenagers stated that they 
        had used their cell phones to send explicit photos of 
        themselves to a peer, a practice commonly known as ``sexting''. 
        In most States, such conduct can subject young adults to felony 
        child pornography charges and the potential punishment of 
        registering as a sex offender.
            (5) The Internet has facilitated the growth of a 
        multibillion dollar global market for child pornography, far 
        exceeding the capacity of law enforcement to respond at the 
        Federal, State, and local level.
            (6) Internet safety education, coupled with technology 
        tools, is the most effective way to resolve and prevent these 
        crimes and other dangers committed on the Internet and in other 
        new media.
            (7) According to an empirical study of 1,379 fourth grade 
        students in Virginia, the first State to mandate Internet 
        safety education in its schools, the students improved their 
        responses to 8 of 10 Internet safety scenarios after completing 
        an Internet safety education program, with the greatest 
        improvement in uncomfortable content and cyberbullying.
            (8) The enactment of the Children's Internet Protection Act 
        (Public Law 106-554; 114 Stat. 2763A-336) mandated that schools 
        implement Internet safety policies and technology protection 
        measures in order to receive discounts to obtain affordable 
        telecommunications and Internet access. Most schools have now 
        developed acceptable use policies and have implemented 
        filtering and other technology-based solutions to help protect 
        children.
            (9) However, less than 25 percent of educators feel 
        comfortable teaching students how to protect themselves from 
        online predators, bullies, and identity thieves, according to a 
        recent study by the National Cyber Security Alliance and 
        Educational Technology Policy, Research, and Outreach. The same 
        study found that 90 percent of educators have received less 
        than 6 hours of professional development on issues related to 
        online security in the past year. As a result, many students 
        receive little or no education on safe and responsible use of 
        the Internet and other new media.
            (10) The widespread use of the Internet, cell phones, 
        interactive gaming, and other electronic communication devices 
        by children both inside and outside of schools suggests that 
        acceptable use policies and filtering alone cannot resolve 
        Internet safety concerns and that a greater focus on education 
        would be beneficial.
            (11) In a national poll on children's health, parents 
        ranked Internet safety fifth among their top health concerns 
        for children. Yet according to a Common Sense Media poll 
        conducted in 2006, almost 90 percent of parents say that they 
        lack the knowledge about how to protect their children online. 
        For this reason, educating parents about Internet safety is key 
        to empowering them to understand actual risks and to take an 
        active role in protecting their children.
            (12) The problem of online harassment, or cyberbullying, of 
        youth by other youths is widespread and results in a range of 
        children's experiences from minor irritation to severe 
        emotional harm. The Bureau of Justice Statistics has found that 
        online harassment tends to begin in third and fourth grade, 
        peaks in seventh and eighth grade, and continues in reduced 
        amounts throughout high school, college, and professional 
        school.
            (13) Gang members increasingly are using the Internet as a 
        recruitment tool to entice would-be members and as an 
        intimidation tool to threaten rival gangs. Gang members use the 
        Internet, in particular, to promote their message.
            (14) More research is needed in several areas of youth 
        online safety, including--
                    (A) the prevention of minor-to-minor solicitation 
                and other inappropriate use of the Internet;
                    (B) the prevention of the creation of problematic 
                content by youths;
                    (C) the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
                transgender youth and youth with disabilities that may 
                be particularly vulnerable;
                    (D) the interplay between socioeconomic class and 
                risk factors;
                    (E) the role that pervasive digital image and video 
                capture devices play in harassment of youth by other 
                youth and youth production of problematic content;
                    (F) the intersection of different mobile and 
                Internet-based technologies; and
                    (G) the online activities of registered sex 
                offenders.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) facilitate research and identify best practices in 
        Internet safety education for youth, parents, and education 
        officials; and
            (2) establish a competitive grant program for State 
        education agencies, local educational agencies, and nonprofit 
        organizations to institute best practices relating to Internet 
        education and the research-based recommendations derived from 
        the study conducted under this Act.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authority To Make Grants.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to subsection (e)(1), the Attorney 
        General, after consultation with the Secretary of Education and 
        the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall make grants 
        to eligible entities to carry out an Internet safety education 
        program.
            (2) Period.--A grant under this section shall be for a 2-
        year period.
    (b) Application.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Attorney General, which 
shall include--
            (1) a description of the partnership arrangements, if any, 
        of the eligible entity relating to the activities to be carried 
        out with the grant;
            (2) a description of the measurable goals of the eligible 
        entity relating to the activities to be carried out with the 
        grant;
            (3) a description of how the Internet safety education 
        program of the eligible entity shall achieve the measurable 
        goals described in paragraph (2);
            (4) a description of the plan of the eligible entity to 
        continue to implement the Internet safety education program 
        after the grant under this section ends;
            (5) a description of how funds under the grant may be used 
        and coordinated with Internet safety education programs being 
        carried out on the date of enactment of this Act or other 
        Internet safety education programs established with grants 
        under this section;
            (6) a description of the target audience under the proposed 
        Internet safety education program;
            (7) a certification that the eligible entity enforces the 
        operation of technology protection measures under section 
        254(h)(5) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
        254(h)(5)) if the eligible entity provides Internet access to 
        minors; and
            (8) any other information or assurances required by the 
        Attorney General.
    (c) Prioritization.--In making grants under this section, the 
Attorney General shall give priority to an eligible entity that--
            (1) identifies and targets at-risk children;
            (2) works in partnership with the private sector, law 
        enforcement, the philanthropic community, the media, 
        researchers, social services organizations, or other community-
        based groups;
            (3) provides Internet safety education programs at no cost 
        to students or schools;
            (4) accommodates different languages and language 
        proficiencies;
            (5) accommodates differing levels of technological 
        sophistication; or
            (6) has a viable plan to sustain the Internet safety 
        education program after the grant program ends.
    (d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity may use a grant under this 
section to--
            (1) identify, develop, and implement Internet safety 
        education programs, including educational technology, 
        multimedia and interactive applications, online resources, and 
        lesson plans;
            (2) provide professional training to elementary and 
        secondary school teachers, administrators, and other staff on 
        Internet safety and new media literacy;
            (3) educate parents about teaching their children how to 
        use the Internet and new media safely and responsibly and help 
        parents identify and protect their children from risks relating 
        to use of the Internet and new media;
            (4) develop online risk prevention programs for children;
            (5) train and support peer-driven Internet safety education 
        initiatives;
            (6) coordinate and fund research initiatives that 
        investigate online risks to children and Internet safety 
        education; or
            (7) develop and implement public education campaigns to 
        promote awareness of online risks to children and Internet 
        safety education.
    (e) Grant Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--Before making grants under this section, 
        and not later than 1 month after the date on which the study 
        under paragraph (3)(A) is completed, the applicable agency 
        heads, in consultation with education groups, internet safety 
        groups, and other relevant experts in the field of new media 
        and child safety, shall issue detailed guidance for the grant 
        program under this section.
            (2) Contents of guidance.--The grant guidance shall be 
        implemented by the Attorney General in accordance with best 
        practices relating to Internet education and the research-based 
        recommendations derived from the study conducted under 
        paragraph (3)(A).
            (3) Internet safety research.--
                    (A) Initial research.--The Attorney General shall 
                enter into contracts with 1 or more private companies, 
                government agencies, or nonprofit organizations to 
                complete a study, not later than 6 months after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, regarding--
                            (i) the nature, prevalence, and quality of 
                        Internet safety education programs and any 
                        evidence-based research conducted relating to 
                        the programs;
                            (ii) findings regarding which children are 
                        most at risk;
                            (iii) gaps in Internet safety education and 
                        youth online risk research; and
                            (iv) any other area determined appropriate 
                        by the Attorney General.
                    (B) Additional research.--Subject to the 
                availability of appropriations, the Attorney General 
                shall enter into contracts with private companies, 
                government agencies, or nonprofit organizations to 
                conduct additional research regarding the issues 
                described in subparagraph (A). Any research conducted 
                under this subparagraph shall be included in the 
                reports under subsection (g)(3).
    (f) Technical Assistance.--The Attorney General shall provide 
technical assistance to eligible entities that receive a grant under 
this section, which may include maintaining a Web site to facilitate 
outreach and communication among the eligible entities that receive a 
grant under this section.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) Eligible entities.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        grant under this section shall submit to the Attorney General 
        and make public an annual report regarding the activities 
        carried out using funds made available under the grant, which 
        shall include--
                    (A) a description of how the eligible entity 
                implemented the Internet safety education program 
                carried out with the grant;
                    (B) a detailed description of the audience reached;
                    (C) an analysis of whether and to what degree the 
                goals for the Internet safety education program were 
                met;
                    (D) an analysis of the challenges, if any, that 
                interfered with achieving the goals described in 
                subparagraph (C);
                    (E) plans for future Internet safety programs; and
                    (F) an accounting of the funds used.
            (2) Compilation of annual reports for revised grant 
        guidance.--The Attorney General shall--
                    (A) review the report under paragraph (1) submitted 
                by each eligible entity that receives a grant under 
                this section during the first fiscal year for which 
                grants under this section are made; and
                    (B) not later than 6 months after the date on which 
                all reports described in subparagraph (A) are 
                submitted, modify, as appropriate, the grant guidance 
                based on the reports after consultation with the 
                Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and 
                Human Services.
            (3) Reports to congress.--Not later than 27 months after 
        the date on which the Attorney General makes the first grant 
        under this section, and annually thereafter, the applicable 
        agency heads shall submit to Congress a report regarding the 
        grant program under this section, which shall include--
                    (A) a compilation of the information and findings 
                of the annual reports submitted under paragraph (1);
                    (B) the findings and conclusions of the applicable 
                agency heads, including findings and conclusions 
                relating to the effectiveness of Internet safety 
                education programs carried out using a grant under this 
                section; and
                    (C) best practices identified by the applicable 
                agency heads relating to Internet safety education.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Attorney General to carry out this section $25,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
            (2) Limitation.--Of amounts made available to carry out 
        this section, not more than 5 percent shall be available to 
        carry out subsections (e), (f), and (g)(2).

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Applicable agency heads.--The term ``applicable agency 
        heads'' means the Attorney General, after consultation with the 
        Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a partnership between a State educational 
                agency and 1 or more local educational agencies (as 
                those terms are defined in section 9101 of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 7801)) of the State;
                    (B) a local educational agency;
                    (C) a nonprofit organization; or
                    (D) a consortium of elementary schools or secondary 
                schools (as those terms are defined in section 9101 of 
                the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 7801)) collaborating with an entity described in 
                subparagraph (A), (B), or (C).
            (3) Grant guidance.--The term ``grant guidance'' means the 
        grant guidance issued under section 3(e)(1).
            (4) Internet safety education program.--The term ``Internet 
        safety education program'' means an age-appropriate, research-
        based program that encourages safe and responsible use of the 
        Internet, promotes an informed, critical understanding of 
        Internet dangers, and educates children, parents, and 
        communities about how to prevent or respond to problems or 
        dangers related to the Internet or new media.
            (5) New media.--The term ``new media''--
                    (A) means emerging digital, computerized, or 
                networked information and communication technologies 
                that often have interactive capabilities; and
                    (B) includes email, instant messaging, text 
                messaging, Web sites, blogs, interactive gaming, social 
                media, cell phones, and mobile devices.
            (6) Nonprofit.--The term ``nonprofit'' means an 
        organization that is described in section 501(c) of the 
        Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 
        501(a) of that Code.

Answer: Adolescent Web Awareness Requires Education Act or the AWARE Act - Directs the Attorney General to award grants to local educational agencies (LEAs), partnerships between states and LEAs, nonprofit organizations, or consortia of elementary and secondary schools that collaborate with such entities to carry out an age-appropriate, research-based Internet safety education program that encourages safe and responsible Internet use.

Requires such program to educate children, parents, and communities about how to prevent or respond to problems or dangers related to the Internet or new media.

Directs the Attorney General to: (1) enter into contracts with one or more private companies, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations to complete a study on Internet safety; and (2) provide technical assistance to grant recipients.


Question: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Employees' Pension Security Act of 
2008''.

             TITLE I--TRUSTEESHIP OF SINGLE-EMPLOYER PLANS

SEC. 101. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO TRUSTEESHIP OF SINGLE-EMPLOYER 
              PLANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 403(a) of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1103(a)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
        subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively;
            (2) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(a)''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2)(A) The assets of a pension plan which is a single-employer 
plan shall be held in trust by a joint board of trustees, which shall 
consist of two or more trustees representing on an equal basis the 
interests of the employer or employers maintaining the plan and the 
interests of the participants and their beneficiaries.
    ``(B)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), in any case in which 
the plan is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining 
agreements between one or more employee organizations and one or more 
employers, the trustees representing the interests of the participants 
and their beneficiaries pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be 
designated by such employee organizations.
    ``(ii) Clause (i) shall not apply with respect to a plan described 
in such clause if the employee organization (or all employee 
organizations, if more than one) referred to in such clause file with 
the Secretary, in such form and manner as shall be prescribed in 
regulations of the Secretary, a written waiver of their rights under 
clause (i).
    ``(iii) In any case in which clause (i) does not apply with respect 
to a pension plan which is a single-employer plan because the plan is 
not described in clause (i) or because of a waiver filed pursuant to 
clause (ii), the trustee or trustees representing the interests of the 
participants and their beneficiaries shall consist of one or more 
participants under the plan elected to serve as such in accordance with 
this clause. The Secretary shall provide by regulation for a secret 
ballot of the participants under the plan for purposes of such 
election, and for certification of the results thereof to the 
participants (and any employee organization referred to in clause (ii)) 
and to the employer.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 403(a)(1) of such Act (as 
redesignated under subsection (a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Such trustee or trustees'' and inserting 
        ``Except as provided in paragraph (2), such trustee or 
        trustees'';
            (2) by striking ``fiduciary, and upon acceptance'' and 
        inserting ``fiduciary. Upon acceptance''; and
            (3) in subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``the plan'' the first place it appears and inserting ``in the 
        case of a plan other than a pension plan which is a single-
        employer plan, the plan''.

SEC. 102. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this title shall apply with respect to plan 
years beginning after 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. The Secretary of Labor shall prescribe the initial regulations 
necessary to carry out the provisions of such amendments not later than 
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

                    TITLE II--INVESTMENT INFORMATION

SEC. 201. PROVISION TO PARTICIPANTS AND BENEFICIARIES OF MATERIAL 
              INVESTMENT INFORMATION IN ACCURATE FORM.

    (a) In General.--Section 404(c) of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1104(c)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new paragraph:
            ``(6) Provision of accurate material investment advice.--
        The plan sponsor and plan administrator of a pension plan 
        described in paragraph (1) shall have a fiduciary duty to 
        ensure that each participant and beneficiary under the plan, in 
        connection with the investment by the participant or 
        beneficiary of plan assets in the exercise of his or her 
        control over assets in his account, is provided with all 
        material investment information regarding investment of such 
        assets to the extent that the provision of such information is 
        generally required to be disclosed by the plan sponsor to 
        investors in connection with such an investment under 
        applicable securities laws. The provision by the plan sponsor 
        or plan administrator of any misleading investment information 
        shall be treated as a violation of this paragraph.''.
    (b) Enforcement.--
            (1) In general.--Section 502(c) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 
        1132(c)) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph 
                (10); and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following 
                new paragraph:
    ``(9) The Secretary may assess a civil penalty against any person 
of up to $1,000 a day from the date of the person's failure or refusal 
to comply with the requirements of section 404(c)(6) until such failure 
or refusal is corrected.''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 502(a)(6) of such Act 
        (29 U.S.C. 1132(a)(6)) is amended by striking ``(7), or (8)'' 
        and inserting ``(7), (8), or (9)''.

SEC. 202. EFFECTIVE DATE OF TITLE.

    The amendments made by this title shall apply with respect to 
investments made on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

TITLE III--STRENGTHENED PROTECTIONS AGAINST ABUSE OF THE BANKRUPTCY AND 
                          TERMINATION PROCESS

SEC. 301. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TERMINATION.

    (a) Additional Requirements for Distress Termination.--Section 
4041(c)(2) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 
U.S.C. 1341(c)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) Additional requirements.--Notwithstanding any 
                other provision of this section, unless the corporation 
                or the court, in the case of a distress termination 
                pursuant to subparagraph (B)(ii), has determined that 
                reasonable efforts to consider available alternatives 
                to termination (including, but not limited to, 
                alternatives described in section 4042(c)(4)) have been 
                undertaken by such person (and, in the case of a plan 
                maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining 
                agreement, have been undertaken by the bargaining 
                parties in good faith bargaining), the plan may not be 
                terminated. A participant or beneficiary of the plan or 
                an employee organization representing such participants 
                or beneficiaries may bring an action in the appropriate 
                court to challenge such determination by the 
                corporation and seek equitable relief or must be 
                afforded an opportunity to be heard by the appropriate 
                court if a court is making such determination.''.
    (b) Additional Requirements for Court Decrees.--Section 4042(c)(1) 
of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1342(c)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting after the first sentence the following new 
        sentences: ``The court may not enter such a decree unless that 
        court has found that reasonable efforts to consider available 
        alternatives to termination (including, but not limited to, 
        alternatives described in paragraph (4) have been undertaken by 
        the plan sponsor (and, in the case of a plan maintained 
        pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, have been 
        undertaken by the bargaining parties in good faith bargaining). 
        There is a presumption that a plan need not be terminated if 
        the plan sponsor can continue in business, outside a case under 
        title 11, United States Code (or under any similar law of a 
        State or a political subdivision of a State) in which 
        reorganization is sought, without terminating the plan.''; and
            (2) in the sentence following the sentences inserted by 
        paragraph (1), by striking ``the preceding sentence'' and 
        inserting ``the first sentence of this paragraph,''.
    (c) Right To Intervene To Challenge Court Decree.--Section 4042(c) 
of such Act (as amended by subsection (b)) is further amended by 
inserting after the fourth sentence the following new sentence: ``If 
any party consisting of the plan sponsor, a plan participant, or (in 
the case of a plan maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining 
agreement) the employee organization representing plan participants for 
purposes of collective bargaining disagrees with any such determination 
by the corporation, such party may intervene in the proceeding to 
challenge the determinations of the corporation.''.
    (d) Consideration of Alternatives by Corporation and Plan 
Sponsor.--Section 4042(c) of such Act (as amended by the preceding 
provisions of this section) is further amended by adding after the 
seventh sentence the following: ``The corporation and the plan 
administrator may proceed with such an agreement only if they have made 
reasonable efforts to consider available alternatives to termination 
(including, but not limited to, alternatives described in paragraph (4) 
of this subsection) and the plan participants and beneficiaries have 
been provided with at least 60 days notice before such agreement is 
given effect. During such 60-day period, a participant or beneficiary 
of the plan or an employee organization representing such participants 
or beneficiaries may bring an action in the appropriate court to seek 
appropriate equitable relief if such reasonable efforts have not been 
made.''.
    (e) Efforts by the Corporation at Consultation With Parties.--
Section 4042(c) of such Act is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
            ``(4) Consultation regarding reasonable available 
        alternatives to termination.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Prior to making any 
                determination referred to in the preceding provisions 
                of this subsection, the corporation shall consult with 
                the plan participants and (in the case of a plan 
                maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining 
                agreement) the employee organization representing plan 
                participants for purposes of collective bargaining to 
                determine whether there are any reasonable available 
                alternatives to termination (including, but not limited 
                to, alternatives described subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Reasonable alternatives to termination.--The 
                reasonable alternatives to termination referred to in 
                subparagraph (A) consist of measures which are in the 
                best interest of plan participants and which include 
                (but are not limited to) the following:
                            ``(i) Financing or loans sought by any 
                        member of the plan sponsor's controlled group, 
                        with or without assistance from the 
                        corporation, in order to obtain plan financing, 
                        including back-up guarantees to any such 
                        financing which the corporation is hereby 
                        authorized to provide for such purpose.
                            ``(ii) New plan structures agreed to by the 
                        parties, such as transfer of plan liabilities 
                        to multiemployer plans, new benefit formulas 
                        for new hires or non-vested participants, or 
                        other plan restructuring alternatives agreed to 
                        by the parties.
                            ``(iii) Reinsurance which the corporation 
                        is hereby authorized to obtain for the plan.
                            ``(iv) An agreement by the parties 
                        authorizing alternative funding schedules, 
                        approved by the corporation, which would modify 
                        plan funding, subject to the minimum funding 
                        requirements for the plan under part 3 of 
                        subtitle B of title I.
                            ``(v) Purchase by the plan sponsor of an 
                        annuity contract to cover liabilities of the 
                        plan, which the corporation is hereby 
                        authorized to guarantee as necessary to secure 
                        such a contract.''.
    (f) Notice of Right To Challenge Determinations Relating to Plan 
Termination.--
            (1) Procedure for standard terminations.--Section 
        4041(b)(2)(B) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1341(b)(2)(B)) is amended 
        in clause (i) by striking ``and'' at the end, in clause (ii)(V) 
        by striking ``require.'' and inserting ``require, and'', and by 
        inserting after clause (ii) the following new clause:
                            ``(iii) the right of participants and 
                        beneficiaries to challenge determinations under 
                        this section.''.
            (2) Termination proceedings for distress terminations and 
        terminations commenced by the pbgc.--Section 4042(a) of such 
        Act (29 U.S.C. 1342(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new sentence: ``Prior to commencing proceedings under 
        this section with respect to any plan, the corporation shall 
        provide notice to plan participants and beneficiaries of the 
        right to challenge determinations under this section, written 
        in a manner likely to be understood by the participant or 
        beneficiary.''.

SEC. 302. EFFECTIVE DATE OF TITLE.

    The amendments made by this title shall apply with respect to any 
plans undergoing termination proceedings pursuant to section 4041 or 
4042 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 which are 
pending on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

   TITLE IV--RECOVERY OF BENEFIT LIABILITIES WHICH ARE NOT GUARANTEED

SEC. 401. AMENDMENT TO TITLE 11 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE.

    Section 507(a)(1) of title 11, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) Subject to subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), 
                allowed unsecured claims for benefit liabilities to 
                participants and beneficiaries under a single-employer 
                plan (as defined in section 4001(a)(15) of the Employee 
                Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) in connection 
                with the termination of the plan, in excess of the 
                benefits payable to the participants and beneficiaries 
                by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation under 
                section 4022 of the Employee Retirement Income Security 
                Act of 1974 in connection with such termination.''.

SEC. 402. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION OF AMENDMENT.

    (a) Effective Date.--Except as provided in subsection (b), section 
401 and the amendment made by such section shall take effect on the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Application of Amendment.--The amendment made by section 401 
shall not apply with respect to cases commenced under title 11 of the 
United States Code before the date of the enactment of this Act.

Answer:
Employees Pension Security Act of 2008 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require assets of single-employer pension plans to be held in trust by joint boards of trustees.

Requires plan sponsors and administrators to provide all material investment information in an accurate form to participants and beneficiaries. Authorizes the Secretary to assess civil penalties for violations of certain information requirements.

Sets forth additional requirements for plan termination, to prevent abuse of the bankruptcy and termination process, including requirements relating to: (1) distress termination; (2) bankruptcy court decrees, and the right to intervene to challenge them; (3) consideration of alternatives by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) and the plan sponsor; (4) PBGC efforts at consulting on alternatives with plan participants and their union representatives; and (5) notice of the right to challenge determinations relating to plan termination.

Amends federal bankruptcy law to include, in a priority order for recovery of expenses and claims, allowed unsecured claims for benefit liabilities to participants and beneficiaries under a single-employer plan in connection with the plan termination, in excess of the benefits payable to them by the PBGC in connection with such termination.