Site Map - Legislation

09/20/2007 - A bill (S. 2032) that would require the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to submit all public transit security assessments to the Homeland Security Department (DHS) has been approved by the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. The Senate has agreed to consider the measure. Under the bill, DHS would review the assessments and use them as the basis for allocating funds for security assistance grants. After receiving the first assessments, DHS would be required to update them, conduct new ones for all public transportation agencies considered to be at greatest risk of a terrorist attack, and use them to develop public transportation security guidelines and design a security improvement strategy. Under the bill, each public transportation agency that receives a grant must identify a security improvements coordinator and develop a comprehensive plan for operating and maintaining the equipment purchased with grant money. S. 2032 would also establish grants for public or private entities to conduct research into technologies and methods to reduce and deter terrorist threats or mitigate damages resulting from terrorist attacks against public transit systems.

09/19/2007 - A bill (H.B. 129) introduced by Florida lawmakers would make it a felony to prohibit employees from leaving guns in their cars while parked in company parking lots.

09/19/2007 - A bill (H.R. 4238) introduced by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) would build on the President’s border security initiative by requiring aliens to post bond to be released from mandatory detention centers and by using more federal facilities as detention centers.

09/19/2007 - A bill (H.R. 4244) introduced by Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR) would establish grants for regional task forces designed to investigate and prosecute identity theft and other economic crimes. The task forces would comprise federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

09/19/2007 - The Patriot Act reauthorization bill was signed into law (P.L. 109-177) by President Bush one day before 16 key provisions were set to expire. The new law makes permanent 14 of the 16 provisions of the original Patriot Act, which was passed by Congress several months after the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

09/18/2007 - A new law (formerly H.B. 2448) in Virginia requires that landlords install new locks or security devices on apartments rented by tenants who have a restraining order against a former cotenant. The tenant must present a copy of the restraining order to the landlord.

09/18/2007 - A bill (H.R. 4373) introduced by Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) would require that the Homeland Security Department establish a system to inspect all cargo transported on passenger aircraft operated by a domestic or foreign air carrier.

09/18/2007 - A bill (H.R. 4460) introduced by Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) would establish a grant program for campuses to install professional fire alarm detection systems or other fire detection and prevention technologies.

09/14/2007 - A bill (S.B. 25) under consideration by the Colorado Senate would prohibit sexual orientation and gender discrimination in hiring decisions.

09/12/2007 - The House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill (H.R. 4437) that is designed to strengthen border security. The House of Representatives has agreed to consider the measure.

09/12/2007 - A bill (S. 467) extending the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) for two more years has been signed into law by President Bush. The new law extends the TRIA, which otherwise would have expired at the end of 2005. The law also establishes a commission charged with developing a transitional system to take its place. Without the TRIA, a government program that keeps insurance for terrorist attacks affordable, proponents of the bill argued that terrorism insurance would become unaffordable for most businesses.

08/21/2007 - A bill (S.B. 29) that would prohibit schools from requiring that students wear RFID badges has been approved by the California Senate and is pending in the California Assembly’s Judiciary Committee.

08/21/2007 - Florida Governor Charlie Crist has signed a law (formerly H.B. 55) that requires employers to allow workers to take up to three days off a year to deal with domestic violence issues. However, it is up to employers to determine whether these days are paid or unpaid.