116 HR 5263 IH: Stopping Grinch Bots Act of 2019
U.S. House of Representatives
2019-11-22
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. 5263IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESNovember 22, 2019Mr. Tonko introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceA BILLTo prohibit the circumvention of control measures used by Internet retailers to ensure equitable
			 consumer access to products, and for other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Stopping Grinch Bots Act of 2019. 2.Unfair or deceptive acts or practices relating to circumvention of online access control measures (a)Conduct prohibited (1)In generalExcept as provided in paragraph (2), it shall be unlawful for any person—
 (A)to circumvent a security measure, access control system, or other technological control or measure on an Internet website or online service to enforce posted purchasing limits or to manage inventory; or
 (B)to sell or offer to sell any product or service in interstate commerce obtained in violation of subparagraph (A) if the person selling or offering to sell the product or service—
 (i)participated directly in or had the ability to control the conduct in violation of subparagraph (A); or
 (ii)knew or should have known that the product or service was acquired in violation of subparagraph (A).
 (2)ExceptionIt shall not be unlawful under this section for a person to create or use any computer software or system—
 (A)to investigate, or further the enforcement or defense, of any alleged violation of this section or other statute or regulation; or
 (B)to engage in research necessary to identify and analyze flaws and vulnerabilities of measures, systems, or controls described in paragraph (1)(A), if these research activities are conducted—
 (i)to advance the state of knowledge in the field of computer system security; or (ii)to assist in the development of computer security product.
						(b)Enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission
 (1)Unfair or deceptive acts or practicesA violation of subsection (a) shall be treated as a violation of a rule defining an unfair or a deceptive act or practice under section 18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)).
				(2)Powers of Commission
 (A)In generalThe Commission shall enforce this section in the same manner, by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though all applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into and made a part of this section.
 (B)Privileges and immunitiesAny person who violates subsection (a) shall be subject to the penalties and entitled to the privileges and immunities provided in the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.).
 (C)Authority preservedNothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of the Commission under any other provision of law.
					(c)Enforcement by States
 (1)In generalIn any case in which the attorney general of a State has reason to believe that an interest of the residents of the State has been or is threatened or adversely affected by the engagement of any person subject to subsection (a) in a practice that violates such subsection, the attorney general of the State may, as parens patriae, bring a civil action on behalf of the residents of the State in an appropriate district court of the United States—
 (A)to enjoin further violation of such subsection by such person; (B)to compel compliance with such subsection; and
 (C)to obtain damages, restitution, or other compensation on behalf of such residents. (2)Rights of Federal Trade Commission (A)Notice to Federal Trade Commission (i)In generalExcept as provided in clause (iii), the attorney general of a State shall notify the Commission in writing that the attorney general intends to bring a civil action under paragraph (1) not later than 10 days before initiating the civil action.
 (ii)ContentsThe notification required by clause (i) with respect to a civil action shall include a copy of the complaint to be filed to initiate the civil action.
 (iii)ExceptionIf it is not feasible for the attorney general of a State to provide the notification required by clause (i) before initiating a civil action under paragraph (1), the attorney general shall notify the Commission immediately upon instituting the civil action.
 (B)Intervention by Federal Trade CommissionThe Commission may— (i)intervene in any civil action brought by the attorney general of a State under paragraph (1); and
 (ii)upon intervening— (I)be heard on all matters arising in the civil action; and
 (II)file petitions for appeal of a decision in the civil action. (3)Investigatory powersNothing in this subsection may be construed to prevent the attorney general of a State from exercising the powers conferred on the attorney general by the laws of the State to conduct investigations, to administer oaths or affirmations, or to compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of documentary or other evidence.
 (4)Action by Federal Trade CommissionIf the Commission institutes a civil action or an administrative action with respect to a violation of subsection (a), the attorney general of a State may not, during the pendency of such action, bring a civil action under paragraph (1) against any defendant named in the complaint of the Commission for the violation with respect to which the Commission instituted such action.
				(5)Venue; service of process
 (A)VenueAny action brought under paragraph (1) may be brought in— (i)the district court of the United States that meets applicable requirements relating to venue under section 1391 of title 28, United States Code; or
 (ii)another court of competent jurisdiction. (B)Service of processIn an action brought under paragraph (1), process may be served in any district in which the defendant—
 (i)is an inhabitant; or (ii)may be found.
						(6)Actions by other State officials
 (A)In generalIn addition to civil actions brought by attorneys general under paragraph (1), any other consumer protection officer of a State who is authorized by the State to do so may bring a civil action under paragraph (1), subject to the same requirements and limitations that apply under this subsection to civil actions brought by attorneys general.
 (B)Savings provisionNothing in this subsection may be construed to prohibit an authorized official of a State from initiating or continuing any proceeding in a court of the State for a violation of any civil or criminal law of the State.
 3.DefinitionsIn this Act: (1)CommissionThe term Commission means the Federal Trade Commission.
 (2)PostedThe term posted means clearly and conspicuously published on an Internet website.


114 HR 6306 IH: Mark Takai Filipino Veterans Family Unification Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2016-11-14
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.

I114th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 6306IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESNovember 14, 2016Ms. Gabbard introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the JudiciaryA BILLTo exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on
			 immigrant visas and for other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Mark Takai Filipino Veterans Family Unification Act. 2.Exemption from immigrant visa limitSection 201(b)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

 (F)Aliens who— (i)are eligible for a visa under paragraph (1) or (3) of section 203(a); and
 (ii)have a parent (regardless of whether the parent is living or dead) who was naturalized pursuant to— (I)section 405 of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–649; 8 U.S.C. 1440 note); or
 (II)title III of the Act of October 14, 1940 (54 Stat. 1137, chapter 876), as added by section 1001 of the Second War Powers Act, 1942 (56 Stat. 182, chapter 199)..


114 S2094 IS: IRGC Terrorist Designation Act
U.S. Senate
2015-09-29
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.

II114th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 2094IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESSeptember 29, 2015Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign RelationsA BILLTo direct the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on the designation of Iran’s
			 Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, and for
			 other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the IRGC Terrorist Designation Act. 2.Report on designation of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization (a)Sense of CongressIt is the sense of Congress that—
 (1)Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps meets the criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization as set forth in section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); and
 (2)the Secretary of State should designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization under such section 219.
				(b)Report
 (1)Report requiredNot later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress—
 (A)a detailed report on whether Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps meets the criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization as set forth in section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); and
 (B)if the Secretary determines that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps does not meet the criteria set forth under such section 219, a detailed justification as to which criteria have not been met.
 (2)FormThe report required by paragraph (1) shall— (A)be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex; and
 (B)be made available only in electronic form and shall not be printed, except if a printed copy is requested by an office of the legislative branch.
 (3)Appropriate committees of Congress definedIn this subsection, the term appropriate committees of Congress means— (A)the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and
 (B)the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Homeland Security, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.


I
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5158
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 27, 2010
Mr. Wilson of Ohio introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A BILL
To require Federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with certain reporting requirements and transparency standards.

1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Summitville Procurement Protection Act.
2.Requirements for Federal contractors and subcontractors
(a)RequirementIn the case of a Federal contract awarded by any department or agency of the Federal Government, the contract shall require, as a condition of the contract, that the contractor—
(1)shall comply with procurement reporting requirements and transparency standards in the performance of the contract;
(2)shall require any subcontractor under the contract to comply with such requirements and standards; and
(3)shall submit to the department or agency that awarded the contract a report regarding all subcontracts awarded in the performance of the contract, including the procedures used in awarding the subcontracts.
(b)Reporting requirements and transparency standardsIn this Act, the term procurement reporting requirements and transparency standards means each of the following:
(1)A requirement to publicize proposed contracting opportunities.
(2)A requirement to select a contractor based on full and open competition, with the award going to the lowest-priced responsible qualified bidder, in the case of procurements conducted by sealed bidding, or the offeror whose proposal represents best value for the government, in the case of negotiated procurements.
(3)A requirement to report information on which bidder or offeror received the contract award.
(4)A requirement to disclose certain information to unsuccessful bidders or offerors.
(5)The ability to access a copy of the contract of the winning bidder or offeror.
(c)Effective dateThe requirements of this section shall apply with respect to contracts entered into on and after the date occurring 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.


115 HRES 294 IH: Recognizing and honoring the essential role of classified school education support employees through the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees Award.
U.S. House of Representatives
2017-04-28
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.

IV115th CONGRESS1st SessionH. RES. 294IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESApril 28, 2017Ms. Titus (for herself, Ms. Lee, Mr. Takano, and Mr. Huffman) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the WorkforceRESOLUTIONRecognizing and honoring the essential role of classified school education support employees
			 through the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees Award.

 Whereas classified school education support employees are critical members of the education workforce, making up one out of every three public school employees assisting students in the Nation’s public schools and institutions of higher education;
 Whereas classified school education support employees meet the needs of the whole student, promoting quality education, and fostering positive learning environments;
 Whereas classified school education support employees provide essential services vital to education, both inside and outside the classroom, including paraeducator services, clerical and administrative services, transportation services, food and nutrition services, custodial and maintenance services, security services, health and student services, technical services, skilled trades services, and facilities maintenance and operations services;
 Whereas classified school education support employees play a vital role in providing for the welfare and safety of America’s school children and students;
 Whereas classified school education support employees strive for excellence in all areas relative to the education community; and
 Whereas in order that classified school education support employees are acknowledged for their outstanding contribution to quality education across America, the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees Award is recognized: Now, therefore, be it

 That the House of Representatives— (1)supports the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees Award program, and urges the Department of Education, all States, State educational agencies, local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and residents to join in this observance;
 (2)congratulates the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees Award program honorees; and (3)congratulates all classified school education support employees across the Nation for their ongoing contributions to education, and for the key role they play in promoting and ensuring student achievement, student safety and well-being, and the role they play in building a brighter, stronger future for the Nation.


113 HR 1138 IH: Small Business Clean Energy Financing Act of 2013
U.S. House of Representatives
2013-03-13
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
		1st Session
		H. R. 1138
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			March 13, 2013
			Ms. Matsui (for
			 herself, Ms. Schakowsky,
			 Mrs. Christensen,
			 Ms. Lee of California,
			 Mr. Honda, and
			 Mr. George Miller of California)
			 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
			 Committee on Small
			 Business

		A BILL
		To direct the Administrator of the Small Business
		  Administration to establish a loan guarantee program to assist small business
		  concerns that manufacture clean energy technologies in the United States, and
		  for other purposes.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Small Business Clean Energy Financing
			 Act of 2013.
		2.Clean energy
			 technology loan guarantee program
			(a)EstablishmentThe Administrator of the Small Business
			 Administration shall establish a program under which the Administrator is
			 authorized to guarantee the loans of small business concerns that manufacture a
			 clean energy technology in the United States.
			(b)AdministrationExcept as otherwise specified in this
			 section and to the extent practicable, the Administrator shall carry out the
			 program under subsection (a) in a manner similar to the loan program under
			 section 7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)).
			(c)DefinitionsIn
			 this section, the following definitions apply:
				(1)Clean energy
			 technologyThe term
			 clean energy technology means a technology related to the
			 production, use, transmission, storage, control, or conservation of energy that
			 will contribute to a stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations
			 through reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of energy-related emissions
			 and—
					(A)reduce the need
			 for additional energy supplies by using existing energy supplies with greater
			 efficiency or by transmitting, distributing, or transporting energy with
			 greater effectiveness through the infrastructure of the United States;
			 or
					(B)diversify the
			 sources of the energy supply of the United States to strengthen energy security
			 and to increase supplies with a favorable balance of environmental effects if
			 the entire technology system is considered.
					(2)Small business
			 concernThe term small business concern has the
			 meaning given that term under section 3(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
			 632(a)).


117 HRES 457 IH: Expressing that the United States must establish electricity as a basic human right and public good, and eradicate the reliance on monopolized, profit-driven utility corporations and providers and the flawed regulatory regime that has failed to regulate these utilities in the public interest.
U.S. House of Representatives
2021-06-04
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.

IV117th CONGRESS1st SessionH. RES. 457IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESJune 4, 2021Ms. Bush (for herself, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Newman, Mr. Jones, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Omar, and Mr. Grijalva) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceRESOLUTIONExpressing that the United States must establish electricity as a basic human right and public good, and eradicate the reliance on monopolized, profit-driven utility corporations and providers and the flawed regulatory regime that has failed to regulate these utilities in the public interest.Whereas scientists globally have determined that the human-caused climate emergency is bringing widespread harms, including deadly heat waves and drought, severe flooding and storm events, threats to public health and safety, limited and inconsistent water and energy access, and rampant biodiversity loss;Whereas energy, water, broadband, and other utilities are basic needs for survival and good health and should be publicly owned and accessible to all;Whereas the current energy system reflects historically entrenched, structural racism, whereby Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other communities of color face disproportionately high energy burdens, the threat of and actual disconnection from service, and local air and water pollution from fossil fuel energy generation;Whereas, one-third of people in the United States struggle annually to pay their electricity bills, with Black, Brown, Indigenous, and people of color hit the hardest of 25,000,000 households that have had to forgo food or medicine to pay utilities bills, 7,000,000 said they had to make that decision every month;Whereas pollution from gas infrastructure, often owned by the private energy industry, has increased the risk of cancer for 1,000,000 Black Americans, and Black communities have 1.54 times the exposure to particulate matter compared to the overall American population;Whereas the status quo energy system threatens to bring the planet past climate tipping points that cannot be reversed, which threaten more catastrophic impacts;Whereas to mitigate the climate emergency and maintain a chance of meeting the 1.5 degree Celsius global warming target, United States greenhouse gas emissions must decline to zero by 2030;Whereas the United States is the world’s largest historic emitter of greenhouse gas pollution, responsible for approximately 25 percent of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions since 1870;Whereas the electricity sector, along with the building and transportation sectors, is the leading source of United States greenhouse gas emissions, and with the transition off gas and petroleum products, there will be a substantial need to expand electrification;Whereas scientists have highlighted the importance of immediately halting all new fossil fuel infrastructure projects in the United States to meet 1.5 degree Celsius targets;Whereas major investor-owned utilities are not on track to meet national decarbonization goals and currently rely heavily on fossil fuels;Whereas the utilities crisis in Texas in 2021, grid failures in California, annual Atlantic hurricanes, Midwest heat waves, and West Coast wildfires act as potent examples of the failures of an investor-owned and heavily marketized system to ensure reliability and resilience to climate catastrophes;Whereas renewable energy resources, particularly solar plus- storage, microgrids, and other distributed sources provide climate and economic resilience benefits to communities;Whereas investor-owned utilities and the State utility commissions tasked to regulate them are failing to meet their collective mandates to serve the public interest and provide customers with just and reasonable electricity rates; Whereas in 2020 nearly 4,800,000 low-income households in the United States live in a state of energy insecurity in which they were unable to afford their energy bill;Whereas there is a fundamental conflict when shareholder gains determine the prices and accessibility of fundamental public goods;Whereas there are limited avenues for legitimate public participation, transparency, and community wealth-building from existing investor-owned utility business models and regulations;Whereas private monopolies and market-centric models have proven incapable of managing the transition to renewable energy at the pace and scale necessary to address the climate crisis, and without intention to repair harms of the fossil fueled system to Black, indigenous, people of color, and low-wealth communities;Whereas investor-owned utilities, fossil fuel energy companies, and their industry associations fund and coordinate obstruction of renewable energy policies and programs, including rooftop and community solar requirements and incentives;Whereas many investor-owned utilities have a history of abusing relationships with legislators and regulators and promoting disinformation to maintain the status quo fossil fuel system and protect profits;Whereas investor-owned utilities and fossil fuel energy companies valuations are based evaluating fossil fuel infrastructure over time frames incompatible with planetary survival;Whereas some existing public and cooperative utilities have serious yet resolvable issues related to governance, regulation, legacy debt, and climate impacts that must be acknowledged and overcome to develop an effective and 100-percent renewable public utility system; andWhereas truly public ownership of utilities would allow for improved oversight, accountability, high-road labor standards, and public participation in renewable energy procurement and deployment: Now, therefore, be itThat it is the sense of the House of Representatives that—(1)the United States must establish electricity as a basic human right and public good, and eradicate the reliance on monopolized, profit-driven utility corporations and providers and the flawed regulatory regime that has failed to regulate these utilities in the public interest, and it must reimagine its power system to be just, equitable, antiracist, and climate- and disaster-resilient through establishing a publicly and community-owned power system, which should include principles such as—(A)public accountability over the system’s energy choices and funding for community-led program design;(B)a commitment to 100-percent renewable energy for newly established systems and prompt transition to 100-percent renewable energy by no later than 2030 for existing public and cooperative power systems;(C)equitable and transparent planning systems that include robust public involvement and are based in the public interest, with particular attention to repairing legacies of harm and pollution in environmental justice communities;(D)wide-scale deployment of weatherization and energy efficiency technologies to reduce energy consumption, boost resilience of poorly insulated homes, and fight energy poverty, prioritizing communities of color and low-wealth communities first;(E)energy affordability to address egregious energy burdens and energy poverty that disproportionately penalize rural communities and communities of color; and(F)a guarantee that the public power system infrastructure and installed technologies are built with unionized labor and in a manner that upholds Buy America and Buy Clean standards, pays prevailing wages, honors project labor agreements, uses Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship programs, adheres to local and equitable hiring standards, and maintains high environmental standards;(2)in pursuit of the above principles, the House of Representatives should strive to—(A)transition away from investor-owned utilities and marketized energy systems that have collectively failed to meet climate and justice requirements, by acquiring them through the Federal Government and transitioning them to State, local, Tribal, or other appropriate scales of public ownership or alternatively transitioning them to community or cooperative ownership with the support of public dollars, and expand public investment and support for retraining and relocation to ensure comparable qualities of life and prevailing wages for communities and workers currently dependent on the fossil fuel industry;(B)create an advisory body to assess options and plans for consistency with the principles and objectives outlined in this resolution;(C)establish participation by worker representatives from relevant industries, representatives of affected communities, technical experts, advocacy groups, and others as appropriate, in order to ensure that concrete technologies, ownership structures, and administrative and contractual arrangements are consistent with the objectives articulated above;(D)assert Federal control and ownership over the transmission and associated grid assets and make substantial investments in the grid’s resilience, health, weatherization, and capacity to allow for wide-scale distributed energy resources to come online;(E)allocate Federal grants, loans, loan guarantees, and other financial instruments to municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives to replace existing and planned fossil fuel infrastructure with distributed, cooperative renewable energy and these grants should be used to buy out stranded fossil fuel assets in exchange for these utilities to deploy 100-percent clean, renewable energy generation by 2030, the process which should include transparency mechanisms to ensure payments are reasonable in subtracting cleanup and other costs from the value of infrastructure, and federally fund State, local, and Tribal government procurement of new renewable generation and transmission infrastructure;(F)require all Federal public power providers, including the Tennessee Valley Authority and power marketing agencies, to evaluate current procedural justice concerns to redefine a gold standard for accountable public and renewable power utilities’ active accountability and participation, and to act as catalysts for the widespread development of climate-resilient renewable energy generation, in which significant investments are made to ramp up solar and storage microgrids, which can be achieved through—(i)a 100-percent clean and renewable energy portfolio by 2030 at the latest, with a significant carveout for distributed solar and storage resources, and an immediate phaseout of fossil power;(ii)robust accountability and transparency mechanisms to ensure a just and equitable transition and accountable management;(iii)an accountable Board for the Tennessee Valley Authority and systems of input for power marketing agencies under the Department of Energy that allow for transparency and public participation to help ensure just and equitable power choices and outcomes;(iv)strict requirements to remediate pollution from leaks and spills and clean up existing fossil fuel infrastructure; and(v)prioritization of union jobs with high-road labor standards that pay prevailing wages; (G)facilitate the development of community owned and controlled clean energy resources by directing—(i)expansion of distributed energy resources, including community and rooftop solar, microgrid technology, and storage, to boost climate and disaster resilience and ecological protection and restoration, prioritizing such systems for communities of color and low-wealth communities first;(ii)investment, including grants, loans, and other financial instruments, and technical support into community owned and controlled renewable generation resources such as rooftop and community solar and storage as well as efficiency measures, including weatherization;(iii)additional direct investments, grants, and reparations to Black and Indigenous communities whose land was stolen, to support efforts, as determined by communities, for building out community-controlled renewable energy infrastructure (generation and distribution) in rural and disinvested communities; and(iv)complete electrification and enhanced efficiency of residential, commercial, and industrial energy systems while taking explicit steps toward ensuring racial, environmental, and economic justice in the process; (H)empower energy democracy by expanding engagement with the energy system toward building collective power;(I)create a Federal energy democracy screening tool that creates a process for identifying and characterizing community energy problems and responding with climate justice energy solutions;(J)create transparent and equitable systems for public participation and cultivate processes for community governance over energy production, distribution, and procurement decisions;(K)create Federal guidelines and incentives that enable communities and workers to have the power to hold public, cooperative, and investor-owned utilities accountable;(L)enact a universal ban on disconnections of electricity for nonpayment and enforce progressive residential electricity rate regulations, including a cap on energy burdens and energy debt for low-wealth households; and(M)create Federal programs for reusing, recycling, and equitable and proper disposal of parts of panels, batteries, turbines, and other components at the end of life to prevent furthering environmental injustice, pollution, waste, or international waste.


110 HR 4051 IH: Housing Assistance Authorization Act of 2007
U.S. House of Representatives
2007-11-01
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
1st Session
H. R. 4051
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 1, 2007
Ms. Waters (for herself and Mr. Hinojosa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

A BILL
To authorize appropriations for assistance for the National Urban League, the Raza Development Fund, the Housing Partnership Network, and the National Community Renaissance Program, and for other purposes.

1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Housing Assistance Authorization Act of 2007.
2.Limitation on use of authorized amountsNone of the amounts authorized by this Act may be used to lobby, or retain a lobbyist, for the purpose of influencing a Federal, State, or local governmental entity or officer.
3.Assistance for the National Urban League
(a)UseThe Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may make a grant to the National Urban League for the purpose of providing technical and financial assistance to local non-profit organizations to undertake community development and affordable housing projects and programs serving low- and moderate-income households, particularly through organizations located in neighborhoods with substantial populations of African American income-disadvantaged households. Assistance provided by the Secretary under this section may be used by National Urban League to—
(1)provide technical and financial assistance for site acquisition and development, construction financing, and short- and long-term financing for housing, community facilities, and economic development;
(2)leverage capital from private entities, including private financial institutions, insurance companies, and private philanthropic organizations;
(3)provide technical assistance, training, support, and advice to develop the management, financial, and administrative capabilities of housing development organizations serving low-income households, including African American households; and
(4)conduct such other activities as may be determined by the Secretary and the National Urban League.
(b)Authorization of AppropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section—
(1)$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
(2)$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
4.Assistance for Raza Development Fund
(a)UseThe Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may make a grant to the Raza Development Fund for the purpose of providing technical and financial assistance to local non-profit organizations to undertake community development and affordable housing projects and programs serving low- and moderate-income households, particularly through organizations located in neighborhoods with substantial populations of income-disadvantaged households of Hispanic origin. Assistance provided by the Secretary under this section may be used by the Raza Development Fund to—
(1)provide technical and financial assistance for site acquisition and development, construction financing, and short- and long-term financing for housing, community facilities, and economic development;
(2)leverage capital from private entities, including private financial institutions, insurance companies, and private philanthropic organizations;
(3)provide technical assistance, training, support, and advice to develop the management, financial, and administrative capabilities of housing development organizations serving low-income households, including Hispanic households; and
(4)conduct such other activities as may be determined by the Secretary and the Raza Development Fund.
(b)Authorization of AppropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section—
(1)$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
(2)$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
5.Assistance for the housing partnership network
(a)UseThe Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may make a grant to the Housing Partnership Network (in this section referred to as the Network) for the purpose of creating, sustaining, and improving access to affordable housing and community facilities that benefit very low-, low-, and moderate-income households and communities. Assistance provided by the Secretary under this section may be used by the Network to—
(1)make investments, loans, and grants to its member nonprofits that demonstrate expertise in using such funds to leverage additional private capital to build, operate, finance, and sustain affordable housing and related community development facilities;
(2)make investments in entities sponsored by the Network with the intent to leverage additional private capital for the purpose of furthering the production capacity, sustainability, or efficiency of its members;
(3)pay for the necessary and reasonable expenses of the Network to administer and oversee such investments, including the cost of underwriting, managing the assets of the Network, and reporting to the Secretary and other capital providers, provided however, that such expenses do not exceed 6 percent of any amounts made available pursuant to subsection (b); and
(4)conduct such other activities as may be determined by the Secretary and the Network.
(b)Authorization of AppropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section—
(1)$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
(2)$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
6.Assistance for national community renaissance
(a)UseThe Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may make a grant to the National Community Renaissance Program (hereafter in this section referred to as National Core) to undertake affordable housing projects that benefit very low-, low- and moderate-income households. Assistance provided by the Secretary under this section may be used by National CORE—
(1)for site acquisition, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable multifamily housing units, including development, construction financing, and short- and long-term financing for housing, community facilities, and economic development;
(2)to leverage capital from private entities, including private financial institutions, insurance companies, and private philanthropic organizations in amounts not less than $3 for every $1 authorized in this section; and
(3)conduct such other activities as may be determined by the Secretary and National CORE.
(b)Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section—
(1)$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; and
(2)$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
7.Audits and reports
(a)AuditIn any year in which an entity or organization described under either section 3, 4, or 5 receives funds under this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall—
(1)audit the financial transactions and activities of such entity or organization only with respect to such funds so received; and
(2)submit a report detailing such audit to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
(b)GAO ReportThe Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study and submit a report to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate on the use of any funds appropriated to an entity or organization described under either section 3, 4, or 5 over the past 10 years.
8.Persons not lawfully present in the United StatesNone of the funds made available under this Act may be used to provide direct housing assistance to any person not lawfully present in the United States.


		I
		112th CONGRESS
		1st Session
		H. R. 3762
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			December 20, 2011
			Mr. Tonko (for
			 himself and Ms. Schakowsky) introduced
			 the following bill; which was referred to the
			 Committee on Energy and
			 Commerce

		A BILL
		To amend the Public Health Service Act to include
		  occupational therapists as behavioral and mental health professionals for
		  purposes of the National Health Service Corps.

		1.Including occupational
			 therapists as behavioral and mental health professionals for purposes of the
			 National Health Service CorpsSection 331(a)(1)(E)(i) of the Public Health
			 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(a)(1)(E)(i)) is amended by inserting
			 occupational therapists, after psychiatric nurse
			 specialists,.


111 HR 205 IH: Death Tax Repeal Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2009-01-06
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.

		I
		111th CONGRESS
		1st Session
		H. R. 205
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			January 6, 2009
			Mr. Thornberry (for
			 himself, Mr. Hensarling,
			 Mr. Rogers of Alabama,
			 Mr. Mack, Mrs. Bachmann, Mr.
			 Boustany, Mr. McCaul,
			 Mr. Brown of South Carolina,
			 Mrs. McMorris Rodgers,
			 Mr. Wilson of South Carolina,
			 Mr. Westmoreland,
			 Mrs. Blackburn,
			 Mr. Jones,
			 Mr. Young of Alaska,
			 Mr. Sessions,
			 Mr. Simpson,
			 Mr. Paul, and
			 Mr. Kingston) introduced the following
			 bill; which was referred to the Committee
			 on Ways and Means

		A BILL
		To repeal the Federal estate and gift
		  taxes.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Death Tax Repeal
			 Act.
		2.Repeal of estate
			 and gift taxes
			(a)In
			 generalSubtitle B of the
			 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to estate, gift, and
			 generation-skipping taxes) is hereby repealed.
			(b)Effective
			 dateThe repeal made by subsection (a) shall apply to estates of
			 decedents dying, gifts made, and generation-skipping transfers made after the
			 date of the enactment of this Act.


110 SRES 673 ATS: Recognizing the importance of workplace

U.S. Senate
2008-09-22
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.

		III
		110th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		S. RES. 673
		IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

			September 22
			 (legislative day, September 17), 2008
			Mr. Harkin (for himself
			 and Mr. Smith) submitted the following
			 resolution; which was considered and agreed to

		RESOLUTION
		Recognizing the importance of workplace
		  wellness as a strategy to help maximize employees' health and well
		  being.

		Whereas comprehensive, culturally sensitive health
			 promotion within the workplace is essential to maintain and improve the health
			 of American workers;
		Whereas employees who improve their health also reduce
			 their probability of chronic health conditions, lower their out-of-pocket
			 medical and pharmaceutical costs, reduce pain and suffering, have greater
			 levels of energy and vitality, and experience increased satisfaction with their
			 lives and jobs;
		Whereas health care costs in the United States doubled
			 from 1990 to 2001 and are expected to double again by 2012;
		Whereas employee health benefits are the fastest growing
			 labor cost component for employers, thus posing a serious and growing challenge
			 to business in the United States;
		Whereas business leaders are struggling to find strategies
			 to help reduce the direct costs of employer-provided health care, as well as
			 the indirect costs associated with higher rates of absenteeism, disability, and
			 injury;
		Whereas an effective strategy to address the primary
			 driving force of soaring health care costs requires an investment in
			 prevention;
		Whereas some employers who invest in health promotion and
			 disease prevention have achieved rates of return on investment ranging from $3
			 to $15 for each dollar invested, as well as a 28 percent average reduction in
			 sick leave absenteeism, an average 26 percent reduction in health care costs,
			 and a 30 percent average reduction in workers’ compensation and disability
			 management claims costs;
		Whereas the Healthy People 2010 national objectives for
			 the United States include the workplace health–related goal that at least
			 3/4 of United States employers, regardless of size, will
			 voluntarily offer a comprehensive employee health promotion program that
			 includes—(1) health education and programming which focuses on skill
			 development and lifestyle behavior change along with information dissemination
			 and awareness building, preferably tailored to employees’ interests and needs;
			 (2) supportive social and physical environments, including an organization’s
			 expectations regarding healthy behaviors, and implementation of policies that
			 promote health and reduce risk of disease; (3) integration of the worksite
			 wellness programs into the organization’s structure; (4) linkage to related
			 programs like employee assistance programs (EAPs) and programs to help
			 employees balance work and family; and (5) screening programs, ideally linked
			 to medical care to ensure follow-up and appropriate treatment as
			 necessary;
		Whereas employers should be encouraged to invest in the
			 health of employees by implementing comprehensive worksite health promotion
			 programs that will help achieve our national Healthy People 2010
			 objectives;
		Whereas business leaders that have made a healthy
			 workforce a part of their core business strategy should be encouraged to share
			 information and resources to educate their peers on the issue of employee
			 health management through initiatives such as the Leading by Example CEO-to-CEO
			 Roundtable on Workforce Health and the United States Workplace Wellness
			 Alliance;
		Whereas the employers that provide health care coverage
			 for more than 177,000,000 Americans have the potential to exert transformative
			 leadership on this issue by increasing the number, quality, and types of health
			 promotion programs and policies at worksites across the Nation;
		Whereas, for workplace wellness efforts to reach their
			 full potential, chief executive officers of major corporations, company
			 presidents of small enterprises, and State governors should be encouraged to
			 make worksite health promotion a priority; and
		Whereas Congress supports the National Worksite Health
			 Promotion goal as stated in Healthy People 2010 and encourages public employers
			 to increase their awareness of the value of corporate investments in employee
			 health management to help our Nation achieve this goal: Now, therefore, be
			 it

		That the Senate calls on private and
			 public employers to support workplace wellness and implement voluntarily
			 worksite health promotion programs to help maximize employees' health and well
			 being and lower health care costs.


		I
		112th CONGRESS
		1st Session
		H. R. 1278
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			March 31, 2011
			Mr. Sullivan (for
			 himself, Ms. Norton,
			 Mr. Butterfield,
			 Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas,
			 Mr. Jackson of Illinois,
			 Mr. Rangel,
			 Mr. Cole, Mr. Grijalva, Mr.
			 Lewis of Georgia, Mr.
			 Ellison, Mr. Towns,
			 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi,
			 Mr. Lucas,
			 Mr. Bishop of Georgia,
			 Mr. Clay, Mr. Boren, Ms. Lee
			 of California, Mr. Watt,
			 Mr. Cleaver,
			 Mr. Price of North Carolina,
			 Ms. Fudge,
			 Ms. Moore,
			 Ms. Richardson, and
			 Ms. Clarke of New York) introduced the
			 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
			 Resources

		A BILL
		To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
		  special resources study regarding the suitability and feasibility of
		  designating the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park and other sites in
		  Tulsa, Oklahoma, relating to the 1921 Tulsa race riot as a unit of the National
		  Park System, and for other purposes.

		1.FindingsCongress finds the following:
			(1)Prior to May 31,
			 1921, the community of Greenwood, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a thriving
			 African-American business community and home to nearly 11,000 citizens.
			(2)The southern end of Greenwood Avenue formed
			 the backbone of the Greenwood commercial district. This mile-long stretch of
			 several blocks was characterized by one-, two-, and three-story red brick
			 buildings housing dozens of African-American-owned and operated businesses,
			 organizations, institutions, newspapers, churches, and a hospital.
			(3)Greenwood was the location of the 1921
			 Tulsa race riot, recognized as one of the most violent race riots following
			 World War I in terms of bloodshed and property loss. On May 31, 1921, to June
			 1, 1921, mobs invaded Greenwood, the city’s segregated African-American
			 community, during an 18-hour period.
			(4)During the riot, between 35 and 40 square
			 blocks of Greenwood’s residential area and virtually all of the commercial
			 district were destroyed.
			(5)Approximately 700
			 persons were injured and many people lost their lives. The American Red Cross
			 reported that 1,256 houses were burned, leaving 9,000 homeless. The Tulsa Real
			 Estate Exchange estimated nearly $1,500,000 worth of damages, one-third of that
			 in the business district, and claimed personal property losses at
			 $750,000.
			(6)The 1921 Tulsa
			 race riot illustrates the key characteristics of race riots during the 1886 to
			 early 1920s era and ranks as one of the most devastating incidents of racial
			 violence in United States history.
			(7)As the last major
			 race riot of the era, the Tulsa race riot represented the closing chapter to
			 the racial violence that swept across the United States during the late 19th
			 and early 20th centuries.
			(8)Since 1921, the people of Tulsa of all
			 races have worked closely to bridge the racial divides and to learn from the
			 many lessons of the 1921 Tulsa race riot.
			2.Study
			(a)In
			 generalThe Secretary of the
			 Interior shall conduct a special resource study of the sites in Tulsa,
			 Oklahoma, relating to the 1921 Tulsa race riot, including the John Hope
			 Franklin Reconciliation Park, to determine the suitability and feasibility of
			 including the sites as a unit of the National Park System.
			(b)RequirementsThe
			 study conducted under subsection (a) shall include the analysis and
			 recommendations of the Secretary on the alternatives for management,
			 administration, and protection of the sites relating to the riot.
			(c)ConsultationIn
			 conducting the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult
			 with—
				(1)appropriate
			 Federal agencies and State and local government entities; and
				(2)interested groups
			 and organizations.
				(d)Applicable
			 lawThe study required under subsection (a) shall be conducted in
			 accordance with Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–1 et seq.).
			3.ReportNot later than 3 fiscal years after the date
			 on which funds are first made available for this Act, the Secretary shall
			 submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives
			 and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the
			 findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study required under section
			 2.


110 HR 5936 IH: Alopecia Areata Medicaid Improvement

U.S. House of Representatives
2008-04-30
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. 5936
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			April 30, 2008
			Mrs. Wilson of New
			 Mexico (for herself and Ms.
			 Eshoo) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
			 Committee on Energy and
			 Commerce

		A BILL
		To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require
		  States to provide hair prostheses under the Medicaid Program for individuals
		  diagnosed with alopecia areata.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Alopecia Areata Medicaid Improvement
			 and Parity Act of 2008.
		2.FindingsThe Congress finds as follows:
			(1)Alopecia areata is
			 a highly unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair
			 on the scalp and elsewhere on the body.
			(2)Approximately
			 5,000 Medicaid recipients suffer from the most severe forms of the condition,
			 alopecia areata universalis or alopecia areata totalis, which are characterized
			 by the total, or near total, loss of all body and scalp hair.
			(3)Adults with
			 alopecia areata universalis and totalis have lost jobs, been harassed or
			 accused of belonging to extremist cults because of their hair loss. Children
			 with the condition have been moved to special education classes and ostracized
			 by their peers.
			(4)Dermatologists
			 consider it entirely appropriate and necessary that patients with alopecia
			 areata be reimbursed for a hair prosthesis. Dermatologists also state that the
			 need for a hair prosthesis is much the same as the need for a leg prosthesis
			 and is sometimes the best therapeutic alternative available.
			(5)Twelve States already provide Medicaid
			 coverage for hair prostheses for people with alopecia areata because these
			 devices are considered medically necessary when prescribed by a
			 physician.
			3.Improvement of
			 alopecia areata coverage under Medicaid
			(a)In
			 generalSection 1902(a)(10) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
			 1396a(a)(10)) is amended—
				(1)by striking
			 and at the end of subparagraph (F);
				(2)by adding
			 and at the end of subparagraph (G); and
				(3)by adding at the
			 end the following new subparagraph:

						(H)that if medical
				assistance is included for inpatient hospital services for an individual, then
				the plan must include making medical assistance available to the individual for
				annual coverage of one scalp hair prosthesis if the individual is diagnosed
				with alopecia areata universalis or alopecia areata totalis or if the
				individual’s attending physician certifies in writing the medical necessity of
				that proposed course of rehabilitative
				treatment;
						.
				(b)Effective
			 dateThe amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with
			 respect to items furnished on or after January 1, 2009, without regard to
			 whether or not final regulations to carry out such amendments have been
			 promulgated by such date.


116 S3081 IS: Cambodia Democracy Act of 2019
U.S. Senate
2019-12-18
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.

II116th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 3081IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESDecember 18, 2019Mr. Gardner (for himself and Mr. Markey) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign RelationsA BILLTo promote free and fair elections, political freedoms, and human rights in Cambodia, and for other
			 purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Cambodia Democracy Act of 2019. 2.FindingsCongress finds the following:
 (1)Prime Minister Hun Sen has been in power in Cambodia since 1985 and is the longest-serving leader in Southeast Asia. Despite decades of international attention and assistance to promote a pluralistic, multi-party democratic system in Cambodia, the Government of Cambodia continues to be undemocratically dominated by the ruling Cambodia People’s Party (CPP), which controls every agency and security apparatus of the state.
 (2)In 2015, the CPP-controlled parliament passed the Law on Associations and Non-Governmental Organizations, which gave the government sweeping powers to revoke the registration of nongovernmental organizations that the government believed to be operating with a political bias in a blatant attempt to restrict the legitimate work of civil society. On August 23, 2017, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the closure of the National Democratic Institute and the expulsion of its foreign staff. On September 15, 2017, Prime Minister Hun Sen called for the withdrawal of all volunteers from the United States Peace Corps, which has operated in Cambodia since 2006 with approximately 500 United States volunteers providing English language and healthcare training.
 (3)The Government of Cambodia has taken several measures to restrict its media environment, especially through politicized tax investigations against independent media outlets that resulted in the closure of The Cambodian Daily and Radio Free Asia in early September 2017. Additionally, the Government of Cambodia has ordered several radio stations to stop the broadcasting of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America programming.
 (4)On September 3, 2017, Kem Sokha, the President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was arrested on politically motivated charges, including treason and conspiring to overthrow the Government of Cambodia, and faces up to 30 years in prison. The CNRP’s previous leader, Sam Rainsy, remains in exile. On November 16, 2017, Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP, eliminating the primary opposition party. A court in Cambodia announced plans to try Kem Sokha for treason in January 2020.
 (5)Each of the 6 elections that have taken place in Cambodia since 1991 were conducted in circumstances that were not free and fair, and were marked by fraud, intimidation, violence, and the government’s misuse of legal mechanisms to weaken opposition candidates and parties.
 (6)In the most recent general election in July 2018, following the dissolution of the CNRP, the CPP secured every parliamentary seat, an electoral victory that a statement from the White House Press Secretary stated was neither free nor fair and failed to represent the will of the Cambodian people.
 (7)The United States is committed to promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Cambodia. The United States continues to urge the Government of Cambodia to immediately release Mr. Kem Sokha, reinstate the political status of the CNRP and restore its elected seats in the National Assembly, and support electoral reform efforts in Cambodia with free and fair elections monitored by international observers.
 (8)In section 401 of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–409; 132 Stat. 5407), Congress expressed serious concerns with the rule of law and civil liberties in Cambodia and made the finding that the promotion of human rights and respect for democratic values in the Indo-Pacific region is in the United States national security interest.
 (9)Section 7043(b) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2018 (division K of Public Law 115–141; 132 Stat. 918) and section 201(f) of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–409; 132 Stat. 5392) restricted United States assistance to Cambodia unless the Government of Cambodia takes effective steps to respect the rights and responsibilities enshrined in the Constitution of Cambodia, including by releasing all political prisoners, including journalists, civil society activists, and members of the opposition political party.
 (10)On December 9, 2019, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note) with respect to certain corrupt Cambodian actors and their networks.
 (11)In February 2019, the European Union began intense scrutiny of Cambodia’s eligibility to for preferential trade access in light of the deterioration of democracy, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights in Cambodia.
			3.Sanctions relating to undermining democracy in Cambodia
			(a)Identification of persons responsible for undermining democracy in Cambodia
 (1)In generalNot later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a list of—
 (A)each senior official of the government, military, or security forces of Cambodia who the President determines has, on or after such date of enactment—
 (i)directly and substantially undermined democracy in Cambodia; or
 (ii)committed or directed serious human rights violations associated with undermining democracy in Cambodia; and
 (B)each foreign person owned or controlled by an official described in subparagraph (A). (2)UpdatesThe President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees updated lists under paragraph (1) as new information becomes available.
 (b)Imposition of sanctionsThe President shall impose the following sanctions with respect to each foreign person on the list required by subsection (a):
 (1)Asset blockingThe President shall exercise all of the powers granted to the President under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (except that the requirements of section 202 of such Act (50 U.S.C. 1701) shall not apply) to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in 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)Aliens inadmissible for visas, admission, or parole
 (A)Visas, admission, or paroleIn the case of an individual, that individual is— (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 generalThe visa or other entry documentation of the individual shall be revoked, regardless of when such visa or other entry documentation is or was issued.
 (ii)Immediate effectA revocation under clause (i) shall— (I)take effect immediately; and
 (II)automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation that is in the individual’s possession.
							(c)Exceptions
				(1)Exception relating to importation of goods
 (A)In generalThe authorities and requirements to impose sanctions authorized under subsection (b)(1) shall not include the authority or 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.
 (2)Exception to comply with international obligationsSanctions under subsection (b)(2) shall not apply with respect to a foreign person if admitting or paroling the person into the United States is necessary to permit the United States to comply with 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, or other applicable international obligations of the United States.
 (d)WaiverThe President may waive the application of sanctions under subsection (b) with respect to a foreign person on the list required by subsection (a) if the President determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that such a waiver is in the national interest of the United States.
			(e)Suspension of sanctions
 (1)SuspensionThe requirement to impose sanctions under this section may be suspended for an initial period of not more than one year if the President determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that Cambodia is making meaningful progress toward the following:
 (A)Ending government efforts to undermine democracy. (B)Ending human rights violations associated with undermining democracy.
 (C)Conducting free and fair elections that allow for the active participation of credible opposition candidates.
 (2)Renewal of suspensionThe suspension under paragraph (1) may be renewed for additional, consecutive one-year periods if the President determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that Cambodia continued to make meaningful progress toward satisfying the conditions described in that paragraph during the year preceding the certification.
				(f)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 (b)(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.
 (g)SunsetThis section shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
 (h)DefinitionsIn this section: (1)Appropriate congressional committeesThe term appropriate congressional committees means—
 (A)the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
 (B)the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
 (2)Foreign personThe term foreign person means a person that is not a United States person. (3)Person (A)In generalThe term person means—
 (i)a natural person; or (ii)a corporation, business association, partnership, society, trust, financial institution, insurer, underwriter, guarantor, and any other business organization, any other nongovernmental entity, organization, or group, and any governmental entity operating as a business enterprise or any successor to any entity described in this clause.
 (B)Application to governmental entitiesThe term person does not include a government or governmental entity that is not operating as a business enterprise.
 (4)United States personThe term United States person means— (A)a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States; or
 (B)an entity organized under the laws of the United States or of any jurisdiction of the United States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.


IV
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 687
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 28, 2009
Mr. Alexander submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules, and in addition to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, 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
Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to provide greater transparency on earmark requests.

That
(a) rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by redesignating clause 18 as clause 19 and by inserting after clause 17 the following:

18.A Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner who requests a congressional earmark, a limited tax benefit, or a limited tariff benefit shall, within 24 hours after making such request—
(a)post on his or her public website for the remainder of the Congress financial certification letters that contain the following—
(1)the name and address of the intended recipient;
(2)the requested amount (only in the case of congressional earmarks);
(3)an explanation of the request, including the purpose, and why it is a valuable use of taxpayer funds;
(4)state if the recipient of the requested funds is a public, private, nonprofit, or for profit entity; and
(5)a statement that neither the requesting member nor their spouse has any financial interest related to the funding request;
(b)display on the homepage of such website a hypertext link that contains the words Appropriations Requests, Limited Tax Benefits, or Limited Tariff Benefits and that directs to such webpage address, and maintain that link for at least 90 calendar days after the last such request is made during the Congress; and
(c)electronically submit to the committee of subject-matter jurisdiction the webpage address where such information is posted..
(b)The last sentence of clause 16 of rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by striking and clause 17 and inserting , clause 17, and clause 18.
2.Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the following new clause:

Earmark disclosure websites(s)
(1)Any committee that accepts any request of a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner for a congressional earmark, a limited tax benefit, or a limited tariff benefit shall maintain a public website with an earmark disclosure webpage that contains the list of earmarks included in the Committee Report of the bill and is in a downloadable format that is searchable.
(2)The earmark disclosure webpage of a committee shall post the information required under subparagraphs (1) within two days of introduction, and shall maintain that information on that webpage for the remainder of the Congress.
(3)For purposes of this paragraph, the terms congressional earmark, limited tax benefit, and limited tariff benefit shall have the meaning given them in clause 9 of rule XXI..
3.Clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by redesignating paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) as paragraphs (f), (g), and (h), respectively, and by inserting after paragraph (d) the following:

(e)It shall not be in order to consider any bill or joint resolution, or an amendment thereto or conference report thereon, that carries a congressional earmark, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit for which a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner failed to comply with any applicable requirement of clause 18 of rule XXIII..
4.The amendments made by this resolution shall apply to requests for congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, and limited tariff benefits made after the date this resolution is agreed to.