Federal Legislative Developments

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On two separate occasions during the past few months, President Bush has vetoed proposed extensions to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (“SCHIP”) and it remains to be seen whether the current legislation, due to expire in 2009, will be extended while President Bush remains in office. 

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Read More SCHIP Development – House Fails To Obtain Necessary Majority To Override President Bush’s Veto of Latest Bill

Congress recently approved a Bill (S. 2499) that empowers federal regulators at the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that employer health plans pay the medical bills of older employees even after these employees become eligible for Medicare. …
Read More Employer Health Plans To Pick Up The Tab For Older Employees

Earlier today, President Bush signed into law the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (“TRIPRA”), which provides a seven-year extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, originally created in the wake of September 11 by Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (“TRIA”) and extended by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act of 2005 (“TRIEA”). 

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Read More BREAKING NEWS — President Bush Extends Terrorism Risk Insurance Program

On December 5, 2007, H.R. 1759:  Managing Arson Through Criminal History (“MATCH”) Act of 2007 passed in the House of Representatives by voice vote and is now in the Senate.  MATCH would establish guidelines and incentives for U.S. states and territories to establish arsonist registries and require the United States Attorney General (“AG”) to establish a national arsonist registry and notification program. 

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Read More Legislation Proposes Arsonist Registry

U.S. Representatives Doris Matsui (CA – D.) and Mario Diaz-Balart (FL – R.) have cosponsored and recently introduced a bill to the House of Representatives, entitled The Safe Building Codes Act of 2007.  If enacted, the Bill would allow for approved states to each receive an additional 4% of federal disaster relief funds. …
Read More House Considers Bill Aimed to Strengthen State Building Codes

Last month, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I. CT) and Sen. John Warner (R. VA), respectively the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection, formally introduced to Congress “America’s Climate Security Act of 2007”, which if enacted, would empower the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a Federal program whereby the Environmentally Protection Agency would have the duty and authority to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. 

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Read More Sen. Lieberman and Sen. Warner Introduce America’s Climate Security Act of 2007

As the number of home foreclosures continues to rise, the United States House of Representatives recently passed legislation directed at a range of players involved in the subprime crisis. 

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Read More U.S. House of Representatives Passes Subprime Legislation Targeting Wall Street Banks

Last week, the United States House of Representatives passed the Homeowners’ Defense Act of 2007 by a vote of 258-155, a day after Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bill Nelson introduced companion legislation  in the Senate.  We have previously reported on the Act here and here. 

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Read More House Passes Homeowners’ Defense Act, Senate Introduces Companion Legislation