Site Map - Legal Report

09/28/2007 - The bill would have required that the government dole out first-responder funds based on risk. This differed from the current funding scheme which follows an equal-distribution approach, with all jurisdictions receiving funding even if those funds are not needed. The bill was designed to provide more funding for metropolitan areas that face greater risks of terrorist attack and less for rural areas.

09/28/2007 - The bill would have prevented reprisals against government workers who publicly released information regarding waste, abuse, or gross mismanagement in the federal government.

09/28/2007 - The bill would have prohibited intentionally copying a program onto a computer to commit a crime or to obtain or transmit personal information with the intent to defraud or injure another person or to cause damage to another’s computer.

09/28/2007 - The bill would have made it a crime to enter a secure area of a seaport under false pretenses, forcibly interfere with an authorized law enforcement action, provide false information during a boarding, or willfully disable a passenger vehicle.

09/28/2007 - The bill would have made it illegal for health insurance providers or group health plans to use genetic information as a factor in providing service or establishing premiums.

09/28/2007 - The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA), which authorized a government program that kept business insurance for terrorist attacks affordable, would have expired in 2005.

09/28/2007 - The law requires that mine operators adopt and maintain an accident response plan for when miners are trapped. Under the law, the plan must include redundant local communications systems, emergency air supplies, escapeways, emergency training, and wireless communications systems to allow contact between trapped miners and officials on the surface.

09/28/2007 - A port security bill (H.R. 4954) was signed into law by President Bush becoming P.L. 109-347. The law requires that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) develop and implement a strategic plan to enhance maritime security.

09/27/2007 - Judicial opinions on negligent hiring and premises liability, and Congress considers bills on bioterror, security guards, and emergency management.

09/26/2007 - A bill (A.B. 1848) in California would require that state officials provide an annual report to lawmakers on the state’s interoperable public safety communications network. Existing law says that such as system must be established using federally specified frequencies to ensure that first responders can communicate during an emergency.

09/26/2007 - A  New Jersey law (formerly S.B. 1123) will protect employees from intimidation over religious and political matters. The law makes it illegal for employers to require that workers attend meetings or participate in communication about political or religious issues. The law is intended to combat the practice of holding mandatory meetings to discuss religion or express support for a political candidate or point of view. The law also protects employees from retaliation if they raise concerns about activity that might violate the law.

09/26/2007 - A bill (H.R. 5695) introduced by Rep. Daniel Lungren (R-CA) that would require that the DHS categorize dangerous chemicals as substances of concern has been approved by the House Homeland Security Committee. It is still pending in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

09/26/2007 - Citing the reliance companies have placed in private security officers since 9-11, Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) has introduced a bill (H.R. 5893) that would require employers to obtain a federal criminal records check on all contract and proprietary security guards.