IV
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 143
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 10, 2009
Mr. Carter submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the table

RESOLUTION
Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

Whereas the gentleman from New York, Charles B. Rangel, the fourth most senior Member of the House of Representatives, serves as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, a position of considerable power and influence within the House of Representatives;
Whereas clause one of rule 23 of the Rules of the House of Representatives provides A Member, Delegate, Resident Commission, officer, or employee of the House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House;
Whereas The New York Times reported on September 5, 2008, that Representative Charles B. Rangel has earned more than $75,000 in rental income from a villa he has owned in the Dominican Republic since 1988, but never reported it on his federal or state tax returns, according to a lawyer for the congressman and documents from the resort.;
Whereas, in an article in the September 5, 2008, edition of The New York Times, his attorney confirmed that Representative Rangel’s annual congressional Financial Disclosure statements failed to disclose the rental income from his resort villa;
Whereas The New York Times reported on September 6, 2008, that Representative Charles B. Rangel paid no interest for more than a decade on a mortgage extended to him to buy a villa at a beachfront resort in the Dominican Republic, according to Mr. Rangel’s lawyer and records from the resort. The loan, which was extended to Mr. Rangel in 1988, was originally to be paid back over seven years at a rate of 10.5 percent. But within two years, interest on the loan was waived for Mr. Rangel.;
Whereas clause 5(a)(2)(A) of House Rule 25 defines a gift as … a gratuity, favor, discount entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary value and prohibits the acceptance of such gifts except in limited circumstances;
Whereas Representative Rangel’s acceptance of thousands of dollars in interest forgiveness is a violation of the House gift ban;
Whereas Representative Rangel’s failure to disclose the aforementioned gifts and income on his Personal Financial Disclosure Statements violates House rules and Federal law;
Whereas Representative Rangel’s failure to report the aforementioned gifts and income on Federal, State, and local tax returns is a violation of the tax laws of those jurisdictions;
Whereas the Committee on Ways and Means, which Representative Rangel chairs, has jurisdiction over the United States Tax Code;
Whereas the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct first announced on July 31, 2008, that it was reviewing allegations of misconduct by Representative Rangel;
Whereas The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct announced on September 24, 2008, that it had established an investigative subcommittee in the matter of Representative Rangel;
Whereas The New York Times reported on November 24, 2008, that Congressional records and interviews show that Mr. Rangel was instrumental in preserving a lucrative tax loophole that benefited [Nabors Industries] an oil drilling company last year, while at the same time its chief executive was pledging $1 million to the Charles B. Rangel School of Public Service at C.C.N.Y.;
Whereas the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct announced on December 9, 2008, that it had expanded the jurisdiction of the aforementioned investigative subcommittee to examine the allegations related to Representative Rangel’s involvement with Nabors Industries;
Whereas Roll Call newspaper reported on September 15, 2008, that The inconsistent reports are among myriad errors, discrepancies and unexplained entries on Rangel’s personal disclosure forms over the past eight years that make it almost impossible to get a clear picture of the Ways and Means chairman’s financial dealings.;
Whereas Roll Call newspaper reported on September 16, 2008, that Rangel said he would hire a forensic accountant to review all of his disclosure forms going back 20 years, and to provide a report to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, which Rangel said will then make public.;
Whereas, nearly five months after Representative Rangel pledged to provide a public forensic accounting of his tax and Federal financial disclosure records, he has failed to do so;
Whereas an editorial in The New York Times on September 15, 2008, stated Mounting embarrassment for taxpayers and Congress makes it imperative that Representative Charles Rangel step aside as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee while his ethical problems are investigated.;
Whereas, on May 24, 2006, then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi cited high ethical standards in a letter to Representative William Jefferson asking that he resign his seat on the Committee on Ways and Means in light of ongoing investigations into alleged financial impropriety by Representative Jefferson; and
Whereas, by the conduct giving rise to this resolution, Representative Charles B. Rangel has dishonored himself and brought discredit to the House: Now, therefore, be it

That upon adoption of this resolution and pending completion of the investigation into his affairs by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, Representative Rangel is hereby removed as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means.


109 HR 3048 IH: To require the Secretary of the Treasury to retain indefinitely records (including images) of redeemed savings bonds.
U.S. House of Representatives
2005-06-23
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3048
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 23, 2005
Mr. Frank of Massachusetts introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Treasury to retain indefinitely records (including images) of redeemed savings bonds.

1.Retention of records (including images) of redeemed savings bonds
(a)In generalSubchapter II of chapter 31 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

3131.Retention of records of redeemed bondsThe Secretary of the Treasury shall retain the records of each bond redeemed under this chapter, including the image of the front and back of each such bond, indefinitely. This information may be stored electronically..
(b)Clerical amendmentThe analysis for subchapter II of chapter 31 of title 31 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

Sec. 3131. Retention of records of redeemed bonds .
(c) Effective dateThe amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to any obligation redeemed under chapter 31, United States Code, the image of which has not been destroyed as of the date of the enactment of this Act.


117 S1149 IS: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the depreciation rules for property used predominantly within an Indian reservation.
U.S. Senate
2021-04-15
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

II117th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 1149IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESApril 15, 2021Mr. Inhofe (for himself, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Blunt, and Ms. Lummis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on FinanceA BILLTo amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the depreciation rules for property used predominantly within an Indian reservation.1.Permanent extension of
			 depreciation rules for property on Indian reservations(a)In
 generalSubsection (j) of section 168 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking paragraph (9).(b)Effective
 dateThe amendment made by this section shall apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2021.


110 HR 5357 IH: To suspend temporarily the duty on certain lighting control timers.
U.S. House of Representatives
2008-02-12
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I
110th CONGRESS 2d Session
H. R. 5357
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 12, 2008
Mr. Ackerman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL
To suspend temporarily the duty on certain lighting control timers.

1.Certain lighting control timers
(a)In generalSubchapter II of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is amended by inserting in numerical sequence the following new heading:

9902.01.00Residential and commercial indoor/outdoor programmable and countdown lighting control timers (provided for in subheading 9107.00.80)FreeNo changeNo changeOn or before 12/31/2011    .
(b)Effective dateThe amendment made by subsection (a) applies to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the 15th day after the date of the enactment of this Act.


116 HR 4982 IH: Health Care Workforce Protection Act of 2019
U.S. House of Representatives
2019-11-05
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I116th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 4982IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESNovember 5, 2019Mr. Bacon (for himself, Mr. Langevin, and Mr. Tonko) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceA BILLTo amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for treatment of certain respiratory protective
			 devices as covered countermeasures for purposes of targeted liability
			 protections for pandemic and epidemic products and security
			 countermeasures, and for other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Health Care Workforce Protection Act of 2019. 2.Treatment of respiratory protective devices as covered countermeasures Section 319F–3(i)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–6d(i)(1)) is amended—
 (1)in subparagraph (B), by striking or at the end; (2)in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or; and
 (3)by adding at the end the following:  (D)a respiratory protective device that is approved under part 84 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations)..


116 SRES 599 ATS: Honoring the life and legacy of Judge Lee Roy West.
U.S. Senate

text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

III116th CONGRESS2d SessionS. RES. 599IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMay 21, 2020Mr. Lankford (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed toRESOLUTIONHonoring the life and legacy of Judge Lee Roy West.Whereas Judge Lee Roy West was born in Clayton, Oklahoma, on November 26, 1929, and died on April 24, 2020, in Muskogee, Oklahoma;Whereas Judge Lee Roy West was the youngest of 4 children in a family he called too poor to paint and too proud to whitewash;Whereas Judge Lee Roy West graduated from Antlers High School in 1948 and hitchhiked to Norman, Oklahoma, to attend the University of Oklahoma;Whereas Judge Lee Roy West received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1952;Whereas Judge Lee Roy West graduated from Harvard Law School with a juris doctor in 1956 and later earned a master of laws from Harvard Law School in 1963;Whereas Judge Lee Roy West served the United States with the 3rd Marine Division in Japan and the 1st Marine Division in Korea;Whereas Judge Lee Roy West practiced law—(1)in Ada, Oklahoma, from 1956 to 1961 and from 1963 to 1965; and(2)in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 1978 to 1979;Whereas Judge Lee Roy West taught law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law from 1961 to 1962 and was a Ford Foundation fellow at Harvard Law School from 1962 to 1963;Whereas Governor Henry Bellmon appointed Judge Lee Roy West to serve as a State court judge for the 22nd Judicial District of Oklahoma, where he served from 1965 to 1973;Whereas, in 1973, President Richard Nixon appointed Judge Lee Roy West to the Civil Aeronautics Board in Washington, D.C.;Whereas, on September 28, 1979, President Jimmy Carter nominated Judge Lee Roy West to serve on the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma;Whereas the Senate confirmed the nomination of Judge Lee Roy West on October 31, 1979;Whereas Judge Lee Roy West served as chief justice of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma from 1993 to 1994;Whereas Judge Lee Roy West served on the Federal bench in Oklahoma City for nearly 40 years; andWhereas Judge Lee Roy West was inducted into—(1)the Field Trial Hall of Fame in Grand Junction, Tennessee in 2004; and(2)the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2012: Now, therefore, be itThat the Senate honors—(1)the life and legacy of Judge Lee Roy West; and(2)the commitment of Judge Lee Roy West to his family, the law, Oklahoma, and the United States.


113 HR 5028 IH: National Hate Crimes Hotline Act of 2014
U.S. House of Representatives
2014-07-08
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		I
		113th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. R. 5028
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			July 8, 2014
			Mr. Israel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

		A BILL
		To establish grant programs to provide for the establishment of a national hate crime hotline and a
			 hate crime information and assistance website, to provide training and
			 education to local law enforcement to prevent hate crimes, and to provide
			 assistance to victims of hate crimes.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the National Hate Crimes Hotline Act of 2014.
		2.FindingsCongress makes the following findings:
			(1)Nationwide, the number of hate groups in the United States has increased by 67 percent since 2000
			 according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
			(2)According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 57 percent of offenses based on perceived
			 ethnicity or national origin stemmed from anti-Latino bias.
			(3)Between 2003 through 2006 and 2007 through 2011 the percentage of hate crimes motivated by
			 religious bias more than doubled from 10 percent to 21 percent.
			(4)Violent hate crime increased more than 30 percent as a proportion of all nonfatal violent crime,
			 from 3 percent in 2003 through 2006 to 4 percent in 2007 through 2011.
			(5)In New York State—
				(A)hate crimes grew 30 percent between 2011 and 2012;
				(B)26 percent of all hate crimes reported were due to an individual’s sexual orientation or perceived
			 sexual orientation in 2012;
				(C)anti-Black hate crimes made up 25 percent of reported hate crimes against people in 2012; and
				(D)22 percent of total hate crimes were anti-Jewish, while almost 65 percent of all property hate
			 crimes were anti-Jewish in 2012.
				(6)According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an average of more than 250,000 people a year are
			 victims of hate crimes.
			3.National Hate Crime Hotline and hate crime information and assistance website
			(a)In generalThe Attorney General may award one or more grants to private, nonprofit entities—
				(1)to provide for the establishment and operation of a national, toll-free telephone hotline to
			 provide information and assistance to victims of hate crimes (hereafter in
			 this section referred to as the national hate crime hotline); and
				(2)to provide for the establishment and operation of a highly secure Internet website to provide that
			 information and assistance to such victims (hereafter in this section
			 referred to as the hate crime information and assistance website).
				(b)DurationA grant under this section may extend over a period of not more than 5 years.
			(c)Annual ApprovalThe provision of payments under a grant awarded under this section shall be subject to annual
			 approval by the Attorney General and subject to the availability of
			 appropriations for each fiscal year to make the payments.
			(d)Hotline ActivitiesAn entity that receives a grant under this section for activities described, in whole or in part,
			 in subsection (a)(1) shall use funds made available through the grant to
			 establish and operate a national hate crime hotline. In establishing and
			 operating the hotline, the entity shall—
				(1)contract with a carrier for the use of a toll-free telephone line;
				(2)employ, train (including technology training), and supervise personnel to answer incoming calls
			 and provide counseling and referral services to callers on a 24-hour-a-day
			 basis;
				(3)assemble and maintain a current database of information relating to services for victims of hate
			 crimes to which callers throughout the United States may be referred;
				(4)publicize the national hate crime hotline to potential users throughout the United States; and
				(5)be prohibited from asking hotline callers about their citizenship status.
				(e)Secure Website Activities
				(1)In generalAn entity that receives a grant under this section for activities described, in whole or in part,
			 in subsection (a)(2) shall use funds made available through the grant to
			 provide grants for startup and operational costs associated with
			 establishing and operating a hate crime information and assistance
			 website.
				(2)AvailabilityThe hate crime information and assistance website shall be available to the entity operating the
			 national hate crime hotline.
				(3)InformationThe hate crime information and assistance website shall provide accurate information that describes
			 the services available to victims of hate crimes, including health care
			 and mental health services, social services, transportation, and other
			 relevant services.
				(4)Rule of constructionNothing in this section shall be construed to require any shelter or service provider, whether
			 public or private, to be linked to the hate crime information and
			 assistance website or to provide information to the recipient of the grant
			 described in paragraph (1) or to the website.
				(f)ApplicationThe Attorney General may not award a grant under this section unless the Attorney General approves
			 an application for such grant. To be approved by the Attorney General
			 under this subsection an application shall—
				(1)contain such agreements, assurances, and information, be in such form, and be submitted in such
			 manner, as the Attorney General shall prescribe through notice in the
			 Federal Register;
				(2)in the case of an application for a grant to carry out activities described in subsection (a)(1),
			 include a complete description of the applicant’s plan for the operation
			 of a national hate crime hotline, including descriptions of—
					(A)the training program for hotline personnel, including technology training to ensure that all
			 persons affiliated with the hotline are able to effectively operate any
			 technological systems used by the hotline;
					(B)the hiring criteria for hotline personnel;
					(C)the methods for the creation, maintenance, and updating of a resource database;
					(D)a plan for publicizing the availability of the hotline;
					(E)a plan for providing service to non-English speaking callers, including service through hotline
			 personnel who speak Spanish; and
					(F)a plan for facilitating access to the hotline by persons with hearing impairments;
					(3)in the case of an application for a grant to carry out activities described in subsection (a)(2)—
					(A)include a complete description of the applicant’s plan for the development, operation, maintenance,
			 and updating of information and resources of the hate crime information
			 and assistance website;
					(B)include a certification that the applicant will implement a high level security system to ensure
			 the confidentiality of the website, taking into consideration the safety
			 of hate crime victims; and
					(C)include an assurance that, after the third year of the website project, the recipient of the grant
			 will develop a plan to secure other public or private funding resources to
			 ensure the continued operation and maintenance of the website;
					(4)demonstrate that the applicant has recognized expertise in the area of hate crimes and a record of
			 high quality service to victims of hate crimes, including a demonstration
			 of support from advocacy groups;
				(5)demonstrate that the applicant has a commitment to diversity, and to the provision of services to
			 ethnic, racial, religious, and non-English speaking minorities, in
			 addition to older individuals, individuals with disabilities, and
			 individuals of various gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation;
			 and
				(6)contain such other information as the Attorney General may require.
				(g)Hate crime definedFor purposes of this Act, the term hate crime means a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property
			 crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of the actual
			 or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender,
			 gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, perceived sexual
			 identification, or perceived gender identity of any person.
			(h)Authorization of Appropriations
				(1)In generalThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $3,500,000 for each of fiscal
			 years 2015 through 2019.
				(2)WebsiteOf the amounts appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) for a year, not less than 10 percent shall be
			 used for purposes of carrying out subsection (a)(2).
				(3)AvailabilityFunds authorized to be appropriated under paragraph (1) may remain available until expended.
				4.Local law enforcement education and training grant program
			(a)In generalThe Attorney General may award grants to eligible State and local law enforcement entities for
			 educational and training programs on solving hate crimes (as defined in
			 section 1(g)) and establishing community dialogues with groups whose
			 members are at-risk of being victims of such hate crimes.
			(b)EligibilityTo be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), a State or local law enforcement entity
			 must be in compliance with reporting requirements applicable to such
			 entity pursuant to the Hate Crimes Statistics Act (28 U.S.C. 534 note).
			(c)Authorization of appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary for
			 fiscal year 2015 and each succeeding fiscal year.
			5.Local resources to combat hate crimes grant program
			(a)In generalThe Attorney General shall establish a grant program within the Office for Victims of Crime in the
			 Office of Justice Programs, under which the Attorney General may award
			 grants to local community based organizations, nonprofit organizations,
			 and faith-based organizations to establish or expand local programs and
			 activities that serve targeted areas and that provide legal, health
			 (including physical and mental health), and other support services to
			 victims of hate crimes (as defined in section (1)(g)). Grant funds may be
			 used for activities including hiring counselors and providing training,
			 resources, language support services, and information to such victims.
			(b)Targeted area definedFor purposes of this section, the term targeted area means an area with a demonstrated lack of resources, as determined by the Attorney General, for
			 victims of hate crimes.
			(c)Funding restrictionNone of the funds from a grant made under this section may be used—
				(1)by an organization that discriminates against an individual on the basis of religion; or
				(2)for purposes of promoting religious beliefs or views.
				(d)Authorization of appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary for
			 fiscal year 2015 and each succeeding fiscal year.


I
111th CONGRESS 2d Session
H. R. 4722
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 2, 2010
Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Filner, Mr. Lipinski, and Mr. Moran of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out an active transportation investment program to encourage a mode shift to active transportation within selected communities by providing safe and convenient options to bicycle and walk for routine travel, and for other purposes.

1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Active Community Transportation Act of 2010.
2.FindingsCongress finds the following:
(1)Nearly half of the trips taken in the United States are within a 20-minute bicycle ride, and a quarter of such trips are within a 20-minute walk.
(2)Approximately 90 percent of public transportation trips are accessed by walking or bicycling.
(3)More than 100 communities across the Nation have adopted complete streets policies, thereby proving the commitment of these communities to creating streets that are safe and convenient for users of all ages and abilities, including those who are walking, bicycling, taking public transportation, or driving.
(4)Communities that invest in active transportation infrastructure experience significant increases in bicycling and walking rates over time, and such investments are in strong demand because they enhance the livability of communities.
(5)The communities that perform best in encouraging active transportation create interconnected systems that make it convenient and safe to travel on foot or by bicycle to destinations on a routine basis.
(6)Achieving a mode shift to active transportation within a community requires intensive, concentrated funding of active transportation systems rather than discrete, piecemeal projects.
(7)Increased use of active transportation leads to reductions in traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, oil dependence, air pollution, and obesity and diseases associated with physical inactivity.
(8)Given the contribution that active transportation makes to these national policy goals, and the opportunity active transportation provides to accommodate short trips at the least cost to the public and individuals, funding of active transportation is one of the most strategic and cost effective Federal transportation investments available.
3.DefinitionsIn this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1)Active transportationThe term active transportation means mobility options powered solely by human energy, such as bicycling and walking.
(2)Indian tribeThe term Indian tribe has the meaning given that term in section 4(e) of Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(e)).
(3)ProgramThe term program means the active transportation investment program established under section 4.
4.Active transportation infrastructure investment program
(a)In generalThe Secretary of Transportation shall carry out an active transportation investment program in accordance with the requirements of this section.
(b)PurposeThe purpose of the program shall be to encourage a mode shift to active transportation within selected communities by providing safe and convenient opportunities to bicycle and walk for routine travel.
(c)Selection of communities
(1)ApplicationsA community seeking to participate in the program shall submit to the Secretary an application that is in such form and contains such information as the Secretary may require.
(2)Initial and additional selections
(A)Initial selectionsThe Secretary shall select initial communities to participate in the program. Such communities shall participate in the program in each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015.
(B)Additional selectionsFollowing the initial selections under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall select additional communities to participate in the program. Such communities shall participate in the program in each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015.
(3)Criteria
(A)In generalIn selecting communities to participate in the program, the Secretary shall consider, at a minimum, the extent to which a community—
(i)provides a plan for development of walking and bicycling infrastructure that is likely to contribute to a significant transportation mode shift to walking and bicycling;
(ii) demonstrates broad community support that will facilitate successful and expeditious implementation;
(iii)demonstrates a cohesive plan in which noninfrastructure elements, where proposed, reinforce achievement of the purpose of the program;
(iv)provides evidence of regulatory or financial incentives or community design policies that facilitate significant increases in bicycling or walking; and
(v)commits State, local, or eligible Federal matching funds, in addition to Federal funds made available under this section, to projects eligible for assistance under this section.
(B)Strategic priorities that facilitate successFor purposes of subparagraph (A)(i), strategic priorities that facilitate success in increasing walking and bicycling include effective plans—
(i)to create a network of active transportation facilities connecting neighborhoods with destinations such as workplaces, schools, residences, businesses, recreation areas, and other community activity centers;
(ii)to integrate active transportation facilities with transit services, where available, to improve access to public transportation; and
(iii)to deliver safe, convenient, cost-effective mobility via walking and bicycling.
(C)Indicators of community supportFor purposes of subparagraph (A)(ii), indicators of community support include—
(i)the use of public input in the development of transportation plans; and
(ii)the commitment of community leaders to the success and timely implementation of projects eligible for assistance under this section.
(d)Grants
(1)In generalThe Secretary shall make grants to each community selected to participate in the program.
(2)RecipientsA recipient of a grant representing a community under the program shall be a local or regional governmental organization, multi-county special district, or Indian tribe that the Secretary determines is suitably equipped and organized to carry out the objectives and requirements of this section. Such organizations include metropolitan planning organizations and other regional planning organizations.
(3)SubrecipientsA recipient of a grant under the program may suballocate funds from the grant to a nonprofit organization to carry out the purposes of the program.
(4)Inclusion of certain communitiesTo fulfill the Nation’s need to achieve and document mode shift to bicycling and walking over time, the 4 communities that received pilot funding under section 1807 of SAFETEA–LU (119 Stat. 1460) may be among the communities selected by the Secretary under subsection (c).
(5)Grants amounts
(A)In generalThe Secretary may make a grant as low as $5,000,000 and as high as $15,000,000 per fiscal year for a community participating in the program. The Secretary shall ensure that grant awards under the program are sufficiently high to enable a mode shift to active transportation.
(B)Justification for larger grantsSubject to the $15,000,000 per fiscal year limit set forth in subparagraph (A), the Secretary may justify a grant in a higher amount for a community under the program based on the population served, greater opportunities to shift trips to bicycling and walking, or use of innovative design features.
(e)Eligible projectsGrants made to communities under this section shall be used for one or more of the following purposes:
(1)To carry out projects to construct networks of active transportation infrastructure facilities, including sidewalks, bikeways, and pedestrian and bicycle trails, that connect people with public transportation, workplaces, schools, residences, businesses, recreation areas, and other community activity centers.
(2)To carry out projects to provide for bicycle boxes, cycle tracks, bicycle boulevards, dual traffic signals, and bicycle sharing stations.
(3)To carry out projects to restore and upgrade current active transportation infrastructure facilities.
(4)To carry out projects to support educational activities, safety-oriented activities, and technical assistance to further the purpose of the program.
(f)Program measuresIn carrying out the program, the Secretary shall develop statistical information on changes in motor vehicle, active transportation, and public transportation usage in communities participating in the program and assess how the changes impact congestion and energy usage, impact the frequency of bicycling and walking, and impact health, safety, and the environment. In addition, the Secretary shall develop interim measures of progress, which may include indicators of public engagement, educational outcomes, and project advancement into planning and development.
(g)Deadlines
(1)Request for applicationsNot later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a request for applications pursuant to subsection (c)(1).
(2)Selection of initial communitiesNot later than 180 days after such date of enactment, the Secretary shall select initial communities to participate in the program under subsection (c)(2)(A).
(3)Selection of additional communitiesNot later than September 30, 2012, the Secretary shall select additional communities to participate in the program under subsection (c)(2)(B).
(4)GrantsThe Secretary shall make grants to selected to participate in the program under subsection (c)—
(A)for fiscal year 2011, not later than the later of—
(i)the 60th day after the date of the selection of communities under subsection (c)(2)(A); and
(ii)the 30th day of the fiscal year; and
(B)for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2015, not later than 30th day of the fiscal year.
(h)Reports
(1)In generalThe Secretary shall submit to Congress—
(A)an interim report on progress made under the program not later than September 30, 2014; and
(B)a final report on progress made under the program not later than September 30, 2016.
(2)ContentsEach report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include the Secretary’s findings concerning the best practices of communities participating in the program and the impediments experienced by such communities relating to program development and achieving a mode shift to active transportation.
(i)Funding
(1)Authorization of appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) to carry out this section—
(A)$300,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
(B)$300,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
(C)$466,666,666 for fiscal year 2013;
(D)$466,666,666 for fiscal year 2014; and
(E)$466,666,668 for fiscal year 2015.
(2)Contract authorityFunds authorized to be appropriated by this section shall be available for obligation and administered in the same manner as if the funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code, except that the Federal share of the cost of a project carried out using the funds shall be 100 percent, and the funds shall remain available until expended and shall not be transferable.
(3)Administrative costs
(A)Set asideEach fiscal year, the Secretary shall set aside not more than 1.5 percent of the funds made available to carry out this section to cover the costs of administrative, research, technical assistance, communications, and training activities under the program.
(B)Contracts and other agreementsThe Secretary may enter into contracts with for-profit organizations, or contracts, partnerships, or cooperative agreements with other government agencies, institutions of higher learning, or nonprofit organizations, to perform activities with amounts set aside under subparagraph (A). The Federal share of the cost of such activities may be up to 100 percent.
(C)Limitation on statutory constructionNothing in this paragraph may be construed to prohibit a community from receiving research or other funds under title 23 or 49, United States Code.
(j)Treatment of Projects
(1)Noninfrastructure projectsNoninfrastructure projects and infrastructure projects that do not involve or lead directly to construction assisted under this subsection shall not be treated as projects on a Federal-aid system under chapter 1 of title 23, United States Code.
(2)Infrastructure projectsNot later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop regulations or guidance (or both) for Federal-aid projects under this section that encourages the use of the programmatic categorical exclusion, expedited procurement techniques, and other best practices to facilitate productive and timely expenditure for projects that are small, low impact, and constructed within an existing built environment.
(3)State processesThe Secretary shall work with State departments of transportation to ensure that any guidance or regulation developed under paragraph (2) is being implemented by States and the Federal Highway Administration consistently to avoid unnecessary delays in implementing projects and to ensure the effective use of Federal dollars.
(k)Assistance to Indian tribesNotwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may enter into grants agreements, self-determination contracts, and self-governance compacts under the authority of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) with eligible Indian tribes to carry out the purposes of this Act, and such grant agreements, self-determination contracts, and self-governance compacts shall be administered in accordance with that Act.


116 HR 1113 IH: Statistical Area Fairness Act of 2019
U.S. House of Representatives
2019-02-08
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I116th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 1113IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFebruary 8, 2019Mr. Simpson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and ReformA BILLTo appropriately limit the impact of the presence of large Federal installations in the delineation
			 of core based statistical areas.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Statistical Area Fairness Act of 2019. 2.Limits in delineation of core based statistical areas (a)DefinitionIn this section, the term large Federal installation means a parcel of Federal land—
 (1)that has an area of not less than 500 miles; and (2)on which a Federal facility (as defined in section 930 of title 18, United States Code) is situated.
 (b)PurposesThe purposes of this section are— (1)to account for the impact that large Federal installations have on rural counties in which they are based; and
 (2)to ensure that rural counties with large Federal installations within their borders are not negatively affected by core based statistical area designations.
 (c)LimitationIn delineating core based statistical areas, the Office of Management and Budget shall not include a county in which a large Federal installation is located in a core based statistical area on the basis of the percentage of the employment in that county that is accounted for by workers who reside in the central county or counties of the core based statistical area, as determined by the Office of Management and Budget.


110 HCON 389 IH: Congratulating the Republic of Colombia on

U.S. House of Representatives
2008-07-09
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		IV
		110th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. CON. RES. 389
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			July 9, 2008
			Mr. Brady of Texas
			 (for himself, Mr. Weller of Illinois,
			 Mr. Blunt,
			 Ms. Ros-Lehtinen,
			 Mr. McCrery,
			 Mr. Herger, and
			 Mr. Dreier) submitted the following
			 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the
			 Committee on Foreign
			 Affairs

		CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
		Congratulating the Republic of Colombia on
		  its successful rescue mission and thanking Colombian President Álvaro Uribe for
		  the safe return of the Americans held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces
		  of Colombia.

		Whereas the Government of Colombia carried out a historic
			 rescue mission on July 2, 2008, freeing 15 hostages kidnapped and held in
			 captivity by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a group the
			 Department of State has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization;
		Whereas this mission was carried out without any
			 violence;
		Whereas the 3 freed American hostages, Marc Gonsalves,
			 Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howes, were held in captivity since 2003;
		Whereas the release of former Colombian presidential
			 candidate and senator Ingrid Betancourt and 11 Colombian hostages has brought
			 hope and joy to Colombians and the French;
		Whereas the United States supports Colombia’s efforts to
			 eradicate narcotics trade and terrorist activity in Colombia, and strengthen
			 its democratic institutions to pave the way for peace;
		Whereas the United States has provided significant
			 security assistance and training for the Colombian security forces through Plan
			 Colombia;
		Whereas such United States assistance aided the Colombian
			 military in preparing for the rescue mission; and
		Whereas the FARC reportedly still holds more than 700
			 hostages in captivity: Now, therefore, be it

		That Congress—
			(1)congratulates the Republic of Colombia on
			 the successful rescue mission that resulted in the freeing of 15 hostages held
			 by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), without any loss of
			 life;
			(2)commends the Colombian military for its
			 careful planning of the mission and the brave Colombian soldiers who executed
			 the dramatic rescue;
			(3)offers its deepest thanks and gratitude to
			 President Álvaro Uribe and the people of Colombia for the safe return of the 3
			 American hostages, Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes, and Keith Stansell;
			(4)recognizes the close friendship between the
			 United States and the Republic of Colombia; and
			(5)remembers the remaining hostages in
			 captivity and calls upon the FARC to release all remaining hostages and cease
			 hostilities immediately, without condition.


113 HR 3831 IH: Veterans Dialysis Pilot Program Review Act of 2014
U.S. House of Representatives
2014-01-09
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I113th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 3831IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESJanuary 9, 2014Mr. Roe of Tennessee introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ AffairsA BILLTo require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to review the dialysis pilot program implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs and submit a report to Congress before expanding that program, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Veterans Dialysis Pilot Program Review Act of 2014.2.Limitation on expansion of dialysis pilot program(a)LimitationThe Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall not expand the dialysis pilot program or create any new dialysis capability provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs in any facility that is not an initial facility until after the date that—(1)the Secretary has implemented the dialysis pilot program at each initial facility for a period of not less than two years;(2)an independent analysis of the dialysis pilot program has been conducted at each initial facility; and(3)the report required by subsection (b) has been submitted.(b)ReportNot later than 60 days after the date of the completion of the independent analysis required by subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that—(1)includes the results of that independent analysis, including a comparison of not only cost but non-cost factors such as access to care, quality of care, and Veteran satisfaction; and(2)addresses any recommendations with respect to the dialysis pilot program provided in a report prepared by the Government Accountability Office.(c)Use of existing dialysis resourcesIn order to increase the access of veterans to dialysis care and decrease the amount of time such veterans are required to travel to receive such care, the Secretary shall fully use the dialysis resources of the Department that exist as of the date of the enactment of this Act, including any community dialysis provider with which the Secretary has entered into a contract or agreement for the provision of such care.(d)DefinitionsIn this section:(1)The term dialysis pilot program means the pilot demonstration program established by the Secretary in 2009 to provide dialysis care to patients at certain outpatient facilities operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs.(2)The term initial facility means one of the four outpatient facilities identified by the Secretary to participate in the dialysis pilot program prior to the date of the enactment of this Act.


113 HR 4481 IH: Head Start Improvement Act of 2014
U.S. House of Representatives
2014-04-10
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		I
		113th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. R. 4481
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			April 10, 2014
			Mr. Salmon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

		A BILL
		To amend the Head Start Act to authorize block grants to States for prekindergarten education.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Head Start Improvement Act of 2014.
		2.Head Start Block grantsThe Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) is amended—
			(1)in section 640, by adding at the end the following:

					(p)Beginning on October 1 of the first fiscal year following the date of enactment of the Head Start
			 Improvement Act of 2014, the Secretary shall not allocate, reserve, or
			 otherwise provide funds pursuant to this section.; and
			(2)by inserting after section 640 the following:

					640A.Block grants to eligible grantees
						(a)In generalNotwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, beginning on October 1 of the first fiscal
			 year following the date of enactment of the Head Start Improvement Act of
			 2014, from the amounts appropriated to carry out this subchapter under
			 section 639 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants to
			 eligible grantees in accordance with this section.
						(b)Allotments
							(1)Eligible grantee definedIn this section, the term eligible grantee means each of the 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
			 Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the
			 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, and
			 each of the federally recognized Indian tribes.
							(2)FormulaThe Secretary shall allot the amount appropriated under section 639 for a fiscal year among the
			 eligible grantees in proportion to the number of children, aged 5 and
			 younger, who reside within the eligible grantee and are from families with
			 incomes below 130 percent of the poverty line for the most recent fiscal
			 year for which satisfactory data are available, compared to the number of
			 such children who reside in all such eligible grantees for that fiscal
			 year.
							(c)Use of funds
							(1)In generalAn eligible grantee that receives a grant under this section shall use 100 percent of the grant
			 funds—
								(A)for prekindergarten education programs in the eligible grantee;
								(B)for the administration of the programs described in subparagraph (A); and
								(C)to provide direct technical assistance, oversight, monitoring, research, and training with respect
			 to the programs described in subparagraph (A).
								(2)CertificationThe Governor, or other chief executive, of each eligible grantee that receives a grant under this
			 section shall certify that all grant funds received under this section
			 will be used to directly or indirectly provide comprehensive education and
			 related services to low-income children and their families.
							(3)Eligible grantee responsibilitiesAn eligible grantee that receives a grant under this section shall—
								(A)award subgrants to eligible entities (as defined by the eligible grantee) to enable such entities
			 to provide prekindergarten education programs in the eligible grantee;
								(B)establish rules and standards for the entities awarded subgrants under subparagraph (A); and
								(C)monitor compliance by entities awarded subgrants under subparagraph (A).
								(4)FlexibilitySubject to the requirements of this section, an eligible grantee that receives a grant under this
			 section shall have full flexibility to use grant funds to finance a
			 prekindergarten education provider, service, or program, including to
			 establish a portable voucher system.
							(5)Members of federally recognized indian tribesA member of a federally recognized Indian tribe who is eligible to receive services pursuant to a
			 program funded under this section may elect to receive such services from
			 any eligible entity in the eligible grantee in which the member resides.
							(d)Matching fundsAn eligible grantee that receives a grant under this section shall provide matching funds from
			 non-Federal sources equal to 20 percent of the amount of the grant to
			 carry out the activities described in this section..


96 HR 2049 IH: Repairing Existing Public Land by Adding Necessary Trees Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2021-03-18
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I117th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 2049IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESMarch 18, 2021Mr. Panetta (for himself, Mr. Simpson, Ms. Schrier, Mr. LaMalfa, Ms. Spanberger, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Takano, and Mrs. Dingell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedA BILLTo amend the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 to promote reforestation following unplanned events on Federal land, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Repairing Existing Public Land by Adding Necessary Trees Act or the REPLANT Act.2.Reforestation following wildfires and other unplanned events(a)Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974(1)National forest cover policy(A)In generalSection 3 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601) is amended—(i)by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f);(ii)by redesignating the second subsection (d) (relating to the policy of Congress regarding forested land in the National Forest System) as subsection (e); and(iii)in subsection (e) (as so redesignated)—(I)in paragraph (2)—(aa)in the first sentence—(AA)by striking 9 of this Act, the Secretary shall annually for eight years following the enactment of this subsection and inserting 9, the Secretary shall, annually during each of the 10 years beginning after the date of enactment of the REPLANT Act; and(BB)by striking eight-year and inserting 10-year;(bb)in the second sentence, by striking such eight-year period and inserting the 10-year period; and(cc)in the third sentence, by striking 1978 and inserting 2021;(II)in paragraph (3), in the first sentence, by striking subsection (d) and inserting subsection; and(III)by adding at the end the following:(4)Reforestation requirements(A)DefinitionsIn this paragraph:(i)Natural regeneration(I)In generalThe term natural regeneration means the establishment of a tree or tree age class from natural seeding, sprouting, or suckering in accordance with the management objectives of an applicable land management plan.(II)InclusionThe term natural regeneration may include any site preparation activity to enhance the success of regeneration to the desired species composition and structure.(ii)Priority landThe term priority land means National Forest System land that, due to an unplanned event—(I)does not meet the conditions for appropriate forest cover described in paragraph (1);(II)requires reforestation to meet the objectives of an applicable land management plan; and(III)is unlikely to experience natural regeneration without assistance.(iii)ReforestationThe term reforestation means the act of renewing tree cover, taking into consideration species composition and resilience, by establishing young trees through—(I)natural regeneration;(II)natural regeneration with site preparation; or(III)planting or direct seeding.(iv)SecretaryThe term Secretary means the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.(v)Unplanned event(I)In generalThe term unplanned event means any unplanned disturbance that—(aa)disrupts ecosystem or forest structure or composition; or(bb)changes resources, substrate availability, or the physical environment.(II)InclusionsThe term unplanned event may include—(aa)a wildfire;(bb)an infestation of insects or disease;(cc)a weather event; and(dd)animal damage.(B)RequirementEach reforestation activity under this section shall be carried out in accordance with applicable Forest Service management practices and definitions, including definitions relating to silvicultural practices and forest management.(C)Reforestation priority(i)In generalIn carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to projects on the priority list described in clause (ii).(ii)Priority list(I)In generalThe Secretary shall, based on recommendations from regional foresters, create a priority list of reforestation projects that—(aa)primarily take place on priority land;(bb)promote effective reforestation following unplanned events; and(cc)may include activities to ensure adequate and appropriate seed availability.(II)RankingThe Secretary shall rank projects on the priority list under subclause (I) based on—(aa)documentation of an effective reforestation project plan;(bb)the ability to measure the progress and success of the project; and(cc)the ability of a project to provide benefits relating to forest function and health, soil health and productivity, wildlife habitat, improved air and water quality, carbon sequestration potential, resilience, job creation, and enhanced recreational opportunities..(B)Conforming amendmentSection 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105) is amended, in the undesignated matter following paragraph (5) of subsection (g)—(i)by striking section 3(d) and inserting subsection (e) of section 3; and(ii)by striking 1601(d) and inserting 1601.(2)National Forest System program elementsSection 9 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1607) is amended, in the second sentence, by striking 2000 and inserting 2030.(b)Reforestation Trust FundSection 303 of Public Law 96–451 (16 U.S.C. 1606a) is amended—(1)in subsection (b)—(A)by striking paragraph (2);(B)in paragraph (3)—(i)in the second sentence, by striking Proper adjustment and inserting the following:(3)Adjustment of estimatesProper adjustment; and(ii)by striking (3) The amounts and inserting the following:(2)FrequencyThe amounts; and(C)by striking the subsection designation and all that follows through the Secretary in paragraph (1) and inserting the following:(b)Transfers to Trust Fund(1)In generalThe Secretary; and(2)in subsection (d)(1)—(A)by striking section 3(d) and inserting subsection (e) of section 3; and(B)by striking 1601(d) and inserting 1601.3.ReportNot later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and make publicly available on the website of the Forest Service, a report that describes, with respect to the preceding year—(1)an evaluation of the degree to which the Secretary has achieved compliance with the requirements contained in the amendments made by this Act, including, as a result of those amendments, the number of acres covered by reforestation projects that follow unplanned events (such as wildfires);(2)the total number of acres of land reforested under each authority of the Secretary under which reforestation projects have been carried out;(3)the number of acres of National Forest System land affected by, and the substance of reforestation needs on that land resulting from, unplanned events; and(4)the number of acres in need of reforestation under subsection (e)(1) of section 3 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601).


110 HR 5113 IH: To extend the temporary suspension of duty on certain

U.S. House of Representatives
2008-01-23
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		I
		110th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. R. 5113
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			January 23, 2008
			Mr. Hulshof
			 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
			 Committee on Ways and
			 Means

		A BILL
		To extend the temporary suspension of duty on certain
		  transaxles designed for use in hybrid vehicles.

		1.Certain transaxles designed
			 for use in hybrid vehicles
			(a)In
			 generalHeading 9902.10.93 of
			 the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (relating to certain
			 transaxles designed for use in hybrid vehicles) is amended by striking
			 12/31/2009 and inserting 12/31/2011.
			(b)Effective
			 dateThe amendment made by subsection (a) applies to goods
			 entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the 15th day
			 after the date of the enactment of this Act.


		IV
		112th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. RES. 594
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			March 22, 2012
			Mr. Engel (for
			 himself, Mr. Gene Green of Texas,
			 Mr. Young of Alaska,
			 Ms. Lee of California,
			 Mr. Grijalva,
			 Mr. Towns,
			 Mr. Cohen,
			 Mr. Smith of Washington,
			 Ms. Schakowsky, and
			 Mrs. Maloney) submitted the following
			 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in
			 addition to the Committee on Energy and
			 Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
			 Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
			 jurisdiction of the committee concerned

		RESOLUTION
		Commending the progress made by
		  anti-tuberculosis programs.

		Whereas tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading fatal
			 global infectious disease behind HIV/AIDS, claiming 1,400,000 lives each
			 year;
		Whereas the global TB pandemic and the spread of drug
			 resistant TB present a persistent public health threat to the United
			 States;
		Whereas according to 2010 data of the World Health
			 Organization, over 7 percent of all new TB cases are drug resistant;
		Whereas TB is the leading killer of people with HIV/AIDS
			 in the developing world;
		Whereas TB is an under-recognized problem in children that
			 can have devastating long-term health effects including deafness, blindness,
			 and paralysis, even after cure;
		Whereas TB is the third leading killer of adult women, and
			 the stigma associated with TB disproportionately affects women, causing them to
			 delay seeking care and interfering with treatment adherence;
		Whereas the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that the
			 resurgence of TB in the United States between 1985 and 1992 was caused by cuts
			 in TB control funding and the spread of HIV/AIDS;
		Whereas although the numbers of TB cases in the United
			 States continue to decline, progress towards TB elimination has slowed, and it
			 is a disease that does not recognize borders;
		Whereas New York City had to spend over $1,000,000,000 to
			 control a multi-drug resistant TB outbreak between 1989 and 1993;
		Whereas a new strain of drug resistant TB, known as
			 XDR–TB, has emerged that is resistant to all TB drugs and has high and rapid
			 fatality rates;
		Whereas the United States has had more than 28 cases of
			 XDR–TB over the last decade;
		Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
			 estimated in 2009 that it costs $483,000 to treat a single case of
			 XDR–TB;
		Whereas African-Americans are 8 times more likely to have
			 TB than Caucasians, and significant disparities exist among other United States
			 minorities, including Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic
			 Americans;
		Whereas although drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines for TB
			 exist, these technologies are antiquated and are increasingly inadequate for
			 controlling the global epidemic;
		Whereas there have been no new TB drugs introduced in over
			 40 years;
		Whereas current tests to detect drug resistance take at
			 least a month to complete and faster drug susceptibility tests must be
			 developed to stop the spread of drug resistant TB;
		Whereas the TB vaccine, BCG, provides some protection to
			 children, but has little or no efficacy in preventing pulmonary TB in
			 adults;
		Whereas there is also a critical need for new TB drugs
			 that can safely be taken concurrently with antiretroviral therapy for
			 HIV;
		Whereas enactment of the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde
			 United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
			 Reauthorization Act of 2008 and the Comprehensive TB Elimination Act provided a
			 historic United States commitment to the global eradication of TB, including to
			 the successful treatment of 4,500,000 new TB patients and 90,000 new multi-drug
			 resistant MDR–TB cases by 2013, while providing additional treatment through
			 coordinated multilateral efforts;
		Whereas the United States Agency for International
			 Development provides financial and technical assistance to nearly 40 highly
			 burdened TB countries and supports the development of new diagnostic and
			 treatment tools, and is authorized to support research to develop new vaccines
			 to combat TB;
		Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
			 working in partnership with States and territories of the United States,
			 directs the national TB elimination program and essential national TB
			 surveillance, technical assistance, and prevention activities and supports the
			 development of new diagnostic, treatment, and prevention tools to combat
			 TB;
		Whereas the National Institutes of Health, through its
			 many institutes and centers, plays the leading role in basic and clinical
			 research into the identification, treatment, and prevention of TB;
		Whereas the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
			 Malaria provides over two-thirds of all international financing for TB programs
			 worldwide and has supported the detection and treatment of 8,600,000 cases of
			 TB;
		Whereas nearly half of the total number of lives saved by
			 the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria have been saved
			 through its support for TB programs; and
		Whereas March 24, 2012, is World Tuberculosis Day, a day
			 that commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery
			 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis: Now,
			 therefore, be it

		That the House of
			 Representatives—
			(1)supports the goals of World TB Day to raise
			 awareness about tuberculosis;
			(2)commends the
			 progress made by United States-led anti-tuberculosis programs; and
			(3)reaffirms its
			 commitment to global tuberculosis control made through the Tom Lantos and Henry
			 J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
			 Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008.


113 SJ 42 IS: Authorization for Use of Military Force against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
U.S. Senate
2014-09-08
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		IIA
		113th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		S. J. RES. 42
		IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

			September 8, 2014
			Mr. Nelson introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

		JOINT RESOLUTION
		To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against the Islamic State in Iraq and the
			 Levant.

		1.Short titleThis joint resolution may be cited as the Authorization for Use of Military Force against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant .2.Authorization for use of United States Armed Forces against the Islamic State in Iraq and the
			 Levant(a)In generalThat the President is authorized to use appropriate force against the Islamic State in Iraq and the
			 Levant (ISIL) in order to prevent terrorist attacks on the people and
			 interests of the United States and our allies.(b)No authorization for use of rotational ground forcesThe authorization in this section does not include authorization for the use of rotational ground
			 forces.(c)ExpirationThe authorization in this section shall expire on the date that is three years after the date of
			 the enactment of this joint resolution.(d)War Powers Resolution requirements(1)Specific statutory authorizationConsistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this
			 section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within
			 the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.(2)Applicability of other requirementsNothing in this resolution supercedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.


113 S753 RS: To provide for national security benefits for White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss.
U.S. Senate
2013-04-17
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IICalendar No. 376113th CONGRESS2d SessionS. 753[Report No. 113–159]IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESApril 17, 2013Mr. Heinrich (for himself, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesMay 14, 2014Reported by Ms. Landrieu, with an amendmentOmit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italicA BILLTo provide for national security benefits for White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss.1.White sands missile range and
			 fort bliss(a)Withdrawal(1)In
			 generalSubject to valid existing rights and paragraph (3), the
			 Federal land described in paragraph (2) is withdrawn from—(A)entry,
			 appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws;(B)location, entry,
			 and patent under the mining laws; and(C)operation of the
			 mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws.(2)Description of
			 Federal landThe Federal land referred to in paragraph (1)
			 consists of—(A)the approximately
			 5,100 acres of land depicted as Parcel 1 on the map entitled
			 White Sands Missile Range/Fort Bliss/BLM Land Transfer and
			 Withdrawal and dated April 3, 2012 (referred to in this section as the
			 map);(B)the approximately
			 37,600 acres of land depicted as Parcel 2, Parcel
			 3, and Parcel 4 on the map; and(C)any land or
			 interest in land that is acquired by the United States within the
			 boundaries of
			 the parcels described in subparagraph (B).(3)LimitationNotwithstanding
			 paragraph (1), the land depicted as Parcel 4 on the map is not
			 withdrawn for purposes of the issuance of oil and gas pipeline
			 rights-of-way.(b)ReservationThe
			 Federal land described in subsection (a)(2)(A) is reserved for use by the
			 Secretary of the Army for military purposes in accordance with Public Land
			 Order 833, dated May 21, 1952 (17 Fed. Reg. 4822).(c)Transfer of
			 administrative jurisdictionEffective on the date of enactment of
			 this Act, administrative jurisdiction over the approximately 2,050 acres
			 of
			 land generally depicted as Parcel 2 on the map—(1)is transferred
			 from the Secretary of the Army to the Secretary of the Interior (acting
			 through
			 the Director of the Bureau of Land Management); and(2)shall be managed
			 in accordance with—(A)the Federal Land
			 Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and(B)any other
			 applicable laws.(c)Revocation of withdrawal; managementEffective on the date of enactment of this Act—(1)Public Land Order 833, dated May 21, 1952 (17 Fed. Reg. 4822), is revoked with respect to the
			 approximately 2,050 acres of land generally depicted as Parcel 2 on the map; and(2)the land described in paragraph (1)  shall be managed by the Secretary of the Interior as public
			 land, in accordance with—(A)the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and(B)any other applicable laws.(d)Legal
			 description(1)In
			 generalAs soon as practicable after the date of enactment of
			 this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall publish in the Federal
			 Register a
			 legal description of the Federal land withdrawn by subsection (a).(2)Force of
			 lawThe legal description published under paragraph (1) shall
			 have the same force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the
			 Secretary of the Interior may correct errors in the legal description.(3)Reimbursement
			 of costsThe Secretary of the Army shall reimburse the Secretary
			 of the Interior for any costs incurred by the Secretary of the Interior in
			 implementing this subsection with regard to the Federal land described in
			 subsection (a)(2)(A).May 14, 2014Reported with an amendment


117 S2129 IS: Otto Warmbier Countering North Korean Censorship and Surveillance Act of 2021
U.S. Senate
2021-06-17
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

II117th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 2129IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESJune 17, 2021Mr. Portman (for himself, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Coons) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign RelationsA BILLTo promote freedom of information and counter censorship and surveillance in North Korea, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Otto Warmbier Countering North Korean Censorship and Surveillance Act of 2021.2.Findings; sense of Congress(a)FindingsCongress makes the following findings:(1)The information landscape in North Korea is the most repressive in the world, consistently ranking last or near-last in the annual World Press Freedom Index.(2)Under the brutal rule of Kim Jung Un, the country’s leader since 2012, the North Korean regime has tightened controls on access to information, as well as enacted harsh punishments for consumers of outside media, including sentencing to time in a concentration camp and a maximum penalty of death.(3)Such repressive and unjust laws surrounding information in North Korea resulted in the death of 22-year-old United States citizen and university student Otto Warmbier, who had traveled to North Korea in December 2015 as part of a guided tour.(4)Otto Warmbier was unjustly arrested, sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, and severely mistreated at the hands of North Korean officials. While in captivity, Otto Warmbier suffered a serious medical emergency that placed him into a comatose state. Otto Warmbier was comatose upon his release in June 2017 and died 6 days later.(5)Despite increased penalties for possession and viewership of foreign media, the people of North Korean have increased their desire for foreign media content, according to a survey of 200 defectors concluding that 90 percent had watched South Korean or other foreign media before defecting.(6)On March 23, 2021, in an annual resolution, the United Nations General Assembly condemned the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and expressed grave concern at, among other things, the denial of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion … and of the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, and association, both online and offline, which is enforced through an absolute monopoly on information and total control over organized social life, and arbitrary and unlawful state surveillance that permeates the private lives of all citizens.(7)In 2018, Typhoon Yutu caused extensive damage to 15 broadcast antennas used by the United States Agency for Global Media in Asia, resulting in reduced programming to North Korea. The United States Agency for Global Media has rebuilt 5 of the 15 antenna systems as of June 2021.(b)Sense of CongressIt is the sense of Congress that—(1)in the event of a crisis situation, particularly where information pertaining to the crisis is being actively censored or a false narrative is being put forward, the United States should be able to quickly increase its broadcasting capability to deliver fact-based information to audiences, including those in North Korea; and(2)the United States International Broadcasting Surge Capacity Fund is already authorized under section 316 of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6216), and expanded authority to transfer unobligated balances from expired accounts of the United States Agency for Global Media would enable the Agency to more nimbly respond to crises. 3.Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States— (1)to provide the people of North Korea with access to a diverse range of fact-based information;(2)to develop and implement novel means of communication and information sharing to ensure that audiences in North Korea can safely create, access, and share digital and non-digital news without fear of repressive censorship, surveillance, or penalties under law; and(3)to foster and innovate new technologies to counter North Korea’s state-sponsored repressive surveillance and censorship by advancing internet freedom tools, technologies, and new approaches. 4.United States strategy to combat North Korea’s repressive information environment(a)In generalNot later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall develop and submit to Congress a strategy on combating North Korea’s repressive information environment.(b)ElementsThe strategy required by subsection (a) shall include the following:(1)An assessment of the challenges to the free flow of information into North Korea created by the censorship and surveillance technology apparatus of the Government of North Korea.(2)A detailed description of the agencies and other government entities, key officials, and security services responsible for the implementation of North Korea’s repressive laws regarding foreign media consumption.(3)A detailed description of the agencies and other government entities and key officials of foreign governments that assist, facilitate, or aid North Korea’s repressive censorship and surveillance state.(4)An assessment of the feasibility of new public-private sponsorships to increase free expression, circumvent censorship, and obstruct repressive surveillance in North Korea.(5)A description of and funding levels required for current United States Government programs and activities to provide access for the people of North Korea to a diverse range of fact-based information.(6)Guidance for the relevant Federal agencies, including the Department of State, on how agencies should work together and with other federally funded entities like the United States Agency for Global Media, to combat North Korea’s repressive censorship and surveillance apparatus by utilizing all available means.(7)A detailed assessment of how the United States International Broadcasting Surge Capacity Fund authorized under section 316 of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6216) has operated to respond to crisis situations in the past, and how authority to transfer unobligated balances from expired accounts would help the United States Agency for Global Media in crisis situations in the future.(8)A detailed plan for how the authorization of appropriations under section 6 will operate alongside and augment existing programming from the relevant Federal agencies and facilitate the development of new tools to assist that programming.(c)Form of strategyThe strategy required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include the matters required by paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b) in a classified annex.5.Imposition of sanctions with respect to persons responsible for North Korea’s repressive censorship and surveillance state(a)In generalThe President may impose the following sanctions with respect to each person identified under paragraph (2) or (3) of section 4(b):(1)Blocking of propertyThe exercise of all powers granted to the President by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of the person if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person.(2)Ineligibility for visas, admission, or parole(A)Visas, admission, or paroleIn the case of an alien, the alien may be—(i)inadmissible to the United States;(ii)ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to enter the United States; and(iii)otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the United States or to receive any other benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).(B)Current visas revoked(i)In generalAn alien described in subparagraph (A) may be subject to revocation of any visa or other entry documentation regardless of when the visa or other entry documentation is or was issued.(ii)EffectA revocation under clause (i) shall—(I)take effect consistent with section 221 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201); and(II)cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation that is in the alien’s possession.(b)Implementation; penalties(1)ImplementationThe President may exercise all authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this section.(2)PenaltiesA person that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of subsection (a)(1) or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry out that subsection shall be subject to the penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that section.(c)National security waiverThe President may waive the imposition of sanctions under subsection (a) with respect to a person if the President—(1)determines that such a waiver is in the national security interests of the United States; and(2)submits to the appropriate congressional committees a notification of the waiver and the reasons for the waiver.(d)Exceptions(1)Intelligence activitiesThis section shall not apply with respect to activities subject to the reporting requirements under title V of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.) or any authorized intelligence activities of the United States.(2)Law enforcement activitiesSanctions under this section shall not apply with respect to any authorized law enforcement activities of the United States.(3)Exception to comply with international agreementsSubsection (a)(2) shall not apply with respect to the admission of an alien to the United States if such admission is necessary to comply with the obligations of the United States under the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and the United States, under the Convention on Consular Relations, done at Vienna April 24, 1963, and entered into force March 19, 1967, or under other international agreements.(4)Exception relating to importation of goods(A)In generalThe authority or a requirement to impose sanctions under this section shall not include the authority or a requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.(B)Good definedIn this paragraph, the term good means any article, natural or manmade substance, material, supply, or manufactured product, including inspection and test equipment, and excluding technical data.(e)DefinitionsIn this section:(1)Admission; admitted; alienThe terms admission, admitted, and alien have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).(2)Appropriate congressional committeesThe term appropriate congressional committees means—(A)the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and(B)the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Financial Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.(3)United states personThe term United States person means—(A)a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence; or(B)an entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States.6.Promoting freedom of information and countering censorship and surveillance in North Korea(a)Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated to the United States Agency for Global Media $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to provide increased broadcasting and grants for the following purposes: (1)To promote the development of internet freedom tools, technologies, and new approaches, including both digital and non-digital means of information sharing related to North Korea.(2)To explore public-private partnerships to counter North Korea’s repressive censorship and surveillance state.(3)To develop new means to protect the privacy and identity of individuals receiving media from the United States Agency for Global Media and other outside media outlets from within North Korea.(4)To bolster existing programming from the United States Agency for Global Media by restoring the broadcasting capacity of damaged antennas caused by Typhoon Yutu in 2018.(b)Annual reportsNot later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the following 4 years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media, shall submit to Congress a report that describes the activities carried out using amounts authorized to be appropriated under subsection (a) during the year preceding submission of the report.


110 HRES 1028 IH: Reasserting congressional prerogatives in

U.S. House of Representatives
2008-03-06
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		IV
		110th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. RES. 1028
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			March 6, 2008
			Ms. Lee (for herself,
			 Ms. Woolsey,
			 Ms. Waters, and
			 Mr. Filner) submitted the following
			 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
			 Affairs

		RESOLUTION
		Reasserting congressional prerogatives in
		  foreign policy and reaffirming the importance of following constitutional
		  processes when the United States Government enters into agreements regarding
		  the use or maintenance of the United States Armed Forces or the use of the
		  financial resources of the United States to assist a foreign government or
		  people and clarifying the nature and scope of status of forces
		  agreements.

		Whereas the Framers of the Constitution of the United
			 States intended that all significant foreign commitments by the United States
			 Government be made by treaty or statute and that only routine, essentially
			 nonpolitical foreign engagements be left to the sole discretion of the
			 executive branch;
		Whereas the President is Commander in Chief of the Army
			 and the Navy of the United States and of the militia of the several states when
			 called into service;
		Whereas the Constitution of the United States also gives
			 the President the power to receive Ambassadors and other public ministers and
			 the duty to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed;
		Whereas the Constitution of the United States gives
			 Congress the power to declare war, to raise and support armies, to provide and
			 maintain a navy, to make rules governing such forces, to provide for organizing
			 and calling forth the militia, to make rules concerning captures on land and
			 water, and to regulate commerce with foreign nations;
		Whereas the Constitution of the United States also gives
			 Congress the power to make all laws necessary for carrying out the powers
			 vested in the Government, and the power to raise and spend money;
		Whereas the Framers of the Constitution of the United
			 States recognized that for the protection of the Republic the United States
			 Armed Forces must never be independent of civil authority and vested in
			 Congress the authority to raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation
			 for that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
		Whereas, in addition, the Senate has the responsibility of
			 confirming appointments to diplomatic posts and by two-thirds vote must give
			 its advice and consent to treaties before such treaties become
			 effective;
		Whereas to believe that the functions of Congress are to
			 simply approve what the President does in foreign affairs, blindly appropriate
			 funds for requests made by the President without question or challenge, or give
			 automatic consent and support to whatever foreign policy course the executive
			 branch formulates involves a profound misreading of the Constitution of the
			 United States;
		Whereas, despite having the Constitution of the United
			 States as a road map and compass, the United States has witnessed a disturbing
			 trend toward unchecked presidential supremacy in the formulation and conduct of
			 the foreign policy of the United States, especially in the aftermath of World
			 War II and the Cold War and the steady ascendancy of the United States as a
			 global superpower;
		Whereas, at times, emboldened Presidents from both
			 political parties have transgressed constitutional boundaries by committing the
			 United States to foreign conflicts and financial burdens, with such Presidents
			 claiming expediently that the survival of the United States and Western
			 civilization itself are at stake;
		Whereas, in 2008, the United States has more than 700
			 military bases and outposts in 130 foreign countries and the United States
			 Department of Defense reports that the United States Armed Forces are currently
			 deployed in more locations than ever before in the history of the United
			 States;
		Whereas there is an increasingly dangerous complacency in
			 Congress and among the people of the United States who have been led to believe
			 that the sheer size, complexity, and reach of the United States foreign policy
			 means that only the President and his advisors are capable of formulating and
			 executing the foreign policy of the United States in the accelerated 21st
			 century;
		Whereas the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States,
			 the foreign policy response of the Bush-Cheney administration to such attacks,
			 and the ensuing misnamed, mischaracterized, and open-ended global war on
			 terrorism risk concentrating unwarranted power in the executive branch
			 and threaten the ingenious system of separation of powers established by the
			 Framers of the Constitution of the United States;
		Whereas, Congress, established in Article I of the
			 Constitution of the United States, is a co-equal branch of the Government, and
			 each Member of Congress, regardless of political party, must resist
			 encroachment by the executive branch on the constitutional prerogatives of
			 Congress;
		Whereas, in the most recent example of executive branch
			 overreaching, and without congressional consultation or input, on November 26,
			 2007, United States President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri
			 al-Maliki signed the U.S.-Iraq Declaration of Principles for Friendship
			 and Cooperation, a shared statement of intent that established common
			 principles to frame the future relationship between the United States and
			 Iraq;
		Whereas President Bush has publicly stated that the
			 relationship envisioned in the U.S.-Iraq Declaration of Principles for
			 Friendship and Cooperation includes cooperation between the United
			 States and Iraq in the political, diplomatic, economic, and security
			 arenas;
		Whereas President Bush has declared his intent, during
			 2008, to negotiate and conclude detailed arrangements, without any role for
			 Congress, that will codify the bilateral relationship between the United States
			 and Iraq following the expiration of the mandate of the Multi-National
			 Force—Iraq under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and the concomitant
			 resumption of Iraq’s normal status as a state with full legal and functional
			 sovereignty and authorities and the restoration of Iraq’s legal international
			 status;
		Whereas status of forces agreements (SOFAs) typically deal
			 with routine administrative and legal issues such as the protection of United
			 States military personnel from foreign jurisdiction, proceedings, and
			 imprisonment, issues necessary for day-to-day business such as entry and exit
			 of personal belongings, postal and banking services, and exemption of certain
			 covered persons from civil and criminal jurisdiction, taxation, customs duties,
			 immigration law, and similar laws of a foreign jurisdiction;
		Whereas the Status of Forces Policies, Procedures,
			 and Information of the Department of the Army and the Department of the
			 Navy, issued on December 15, 1989, makes clear that the North Atlantic Treaty
			 Organization SOFA is the benchmark for defining a standard or
			 typical SOFA agreement because the same procedures for
			 safeguarding the interests of U.S. personnel subject to foreign jurisdiction
			 will be applied, insofar as practicable, to all foreign
			 countries;
		Whereas SOFAs customarily do not include any guarantee to
			 defend a host country against external or internal threats; and
		Whereas SOFAs customarily do not include a provision for
			 immunity from host country laws for private military contractors not acting in
			 direct support of the United States Armed Forces: Now, therefore, be it

		That it is the sense of the House of
			 Representatives that—
			(1)any agreement,
			 understanding, or commitment, other than a treaty, entered into by the
			 President or his designee, whether characterized or denominated as a status of
			 forces agreement or otherwise, which purports to impose a binding or
			 enforceable obligation on the United States to use or maintain the United
			 States Armed Forces to assist a foreign country, government, or people, either
			 immediately or upon the happening of certain events, should be approved by an
			 Act of Congress;
			(2)any agreement,
			 other than a treaty, between the United States and another country that
			 requires the use of the financial resources of the United States should be
			 approved by an Act of Congress; and
			(3)any
			 agreement, other than a treaty, between the Republic of Iraq and the United
			 States that imposes upon the United States burdens in excess of those
			 customarily included in a status of forces agreement should likewise have no
			 legal effect if such agreement has not been approved by an Act of
			 Congress.