“DOG DAYS” OF SUMMER FEDERAL LEGISLATION

Throughout these “dog days” of summer, Congress continues to attract media attention and headlines with a few interesting and controversial bills, such as these following measures:

  • HR 2397:  “Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014,” introduced on June 17, 2013 by Rep. Bill Young to appropriate funds for FY2013 for the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military personnel; (2) operation and maintenance (O&M), including for the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, environmental restoration, overseas humanitarian, disaster, and civic aid, former Soviet Union cooperative threat reduction, and the DOD Acquisition Workforce Development Fund; (3) procurement, including for aircraft, missile, weapons, tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and purchases under the Defense Production Act of 1950; (4) research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E); (5) Defense Working Capital Funds and the National Defense Sealift Fund; (6) the Defense Health Program; (7) chemical agents and munitions destruction; (8) drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; (9) the Office of the Inspector General; (10) the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund; (11) the Intelligence Community Management Account; and (12) overseas deployments and related activities, including military, reserve, and National Guard personnel, O&M, the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund, the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund, procurement, RDT&E, and the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund.
  • HR 2748:  “Postal Reform Act,” introduced on July 19, 2013 by Rep. Darrell Issa.  This bill is entitled:  “To restore the financial solvency of the United States Postal Service and to ensure the efficient and affordable nationwide delivery of mail.”
  • S. 1243:  “Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations,” introduced on June 27, 2013 by Sen. Patty Murray to provide funding for a wide array of federal programs, mostly in the Department s of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.  The programs include investment in road, transit, rail, maritime, and airport infrastructure; the operation of the nation’s air traffic control system; housing assistance for those in need, including the homeless, elderly, and disabled; resources to support community planning and development; activities to improve road, rail, and pipeline safety; a wide range of research efforts; and funding for the Federal Housing Administration and the Government National Mortgage Association.
  • S. 744:  “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,” introduced on April 16, 2013 by Sen. Charles Schumer to provide for comprehensive immigration reform relating to border security, immigrant visas, agricultural worker program, future immigration, Conrad State 30 and physician access, integration, interior enforcement (employment verification system and protecting U.S. workers), asylum and refugee provisions, shortage of immigration court resources for removal proceedings, prevention of trafficking in persons and abuses involving workers recruited abroad, protection of children affected by immigration enforcement, reforms to nonimmigrant visa programs (employment-based nonimmigrant visas, and visa fraud and abuse protections), and investing in new venture, entrepreneurial startups and technologies, among other purposes.
  • H.R. 2218:  “Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013,” introduced on June 3, 2013 by Rep. David McKinley, to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to encourage recovery and beneficial use of coal combustion residuals and establish requirements for the proper management and disposal of coal combustion residuals that are protective of human health and the environment.

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It is a rare legislative history research firm that has the number of experienced, licensed attorneys on staff such as LIS.   The original co-founders of LIS were attorneys serving in the state legislature during the 1970’s when they realized there was a need to help the public locate legislative history materials, so they established Legislative Intent Service to meet that need in 1974.

Today, LIS has on staff four experienced attorneys with practical legal background and years of legislative history research experience available to assist our clients with almost every type of legislative history research question ever posed.  Consider our staff attorneys and trained researchers as your professional legislative historians at your service in the 21st Century.

HISTORY MATERIALS ONLINE 

With over 15,000 California bills’ legislative history materials posted at our online store, shopping on our Main Street has never been easier for attorneys seeking quick and inexpensive access to legislative history materials.  Since 1974, LIS’ legislative history compilations have been lauded by clients and courts for their complete gathering of California bill materials.  These are the legislative history materials posted to our online store.

Any time or day of the week, clients purchasing legislative history materials from our online store will find:

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  • Assembly and Senate fiscal committees’ files
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