September 24th, 2009 by B

Author: Greg Pickens

Union Certification
If a petition is filed by an employee or group of employees for the purpose of collective bargaining, the National Labor Relations Board will inspect the petition for validation. If the petition is valid and the employees have chosen an organization to represent them, the Board will not hold an election but will designate the organization to be their representative.

Collective Bargaining Agreements
The groups will meet no later than ten days after a written request is received and will make every attempt possible to resolve the differences. After 90 days of bargaining, either party may notify the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for mediation. If after another 30 days an agreement is not reached, an arbitration board will be established to resolve this issue.

Penalties
An employer who commits any unfair labor practice while the employees are attempting to gain representation, the employer may be subjected to a civil penalty with a maximum fine of $20,000 for each violation. S. 560 was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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September 23rd, 2009 by B

Author: Paco Ayala

Licensing Requirements
It will be unlawful for an individual to possess a gun unless they have a firearm license from the Attorney General, or are a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector of firearms.

Issuance of License
An application to the Attorney General for a gun license will include the following: a photo, current address, thumb print, certification stating the firearms will be stored safely, and a test on firearm storage, handling, use, and understanding of legal responsibilities of firearm laws. The license fee will be no more than $25, and will have a five year expiration date.

Sale or Transfer of Firearms
A firearm may not be sold or transferred unless an individual has a firearm license, a licensed dealer performs the transaction, a record of sale is captured, and the Attorney General receives a valid receipt of the transaction. The Attorney General will create and maintain a Federal Record of Sale System which will include every firearm transaction.

Inspections
During any business hours, the Attorney General may enter any place which sells firearms and inspect any products.

State Law
A State may not create any law which is inconsistent with this bill.

H.R. 45 was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

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September 22nd, 2009 by B

Author: Leticia Wilson

The Secretary of the Treasury may give management authority to a private entity under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, commonly known as the US financial bailout. The Secretary of the Treasury will create an LLC with all the voting, nonvoting, and common equity of the recipients of the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The President will then appoint three independent trustees for the purposes of management. These trustees will be employed, not elected, they will serve at the will of the President, and will each be paid $162,900. H.R. 3594 was referred to the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Rules.

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September 21st, 2009 by B

Author: Gina Smith

A court may impose a sentence below what is permitted if it deems it necessary to avoid an unjust sentence. The court will give reasonable notice to the parties involved with an opportunity to respond, and will be required to write out the reasons for this action. H.R. 3327 was referred to the the Committee on the Judiciary.

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September 19th, 2009 by B

Photographer: a_kartha

Certain newspapers will be able to qualify as tax exempt if the following applies: the published newspaper contains local, national, or international news stories in which the public takes an interest; the newspaper is educational; the newspaper content follows methods which are “education in nature.” Newspapers will still be able to generate income from advertisers so long as the advertisements do not take up more space than the educational content. Essentially, under this bill, most newspapers will not have to pay taxes but will become tax exempt. H.R. 3602 was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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September 18th, 2009 by B

Author: Allen Stoner

Before the end of 2010, an audit of the Federal Reserve banks and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System will be completed. The audit will be available to any members of Congress who request it. H.R. 1207 will be voted upon by the House of Representatives.

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September 17th, 2009 by B

Author: .shock

This summary is the last portion of the United States National Health Care Act (USNHC).

The prices on pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and equipment will be negotiated every year by this program. Generic drugs will be promoted and brand-name drugs will be allowed.

A trust fund will be created for this USNHC program. The funding will come from the following sources: health care Federal revenues, higher taxes on the top five percent in income, higher excise taxes on payroll and self-employed income, and a small tax on stock and bond transactions.

Those in hospitals and insurance companies who lose their job due to this bill will be given first priority in retraining and job placement. They may also be eligible to receive two years of USNHC transition benefits which will equal the salary earned in the previous 12 months but will not exceed $100,000. H.R. 676 was referred to the House of Representatives.

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September 16th, 2009 by B

Author: Andrey Rakhmatullin

Anyone living in the US and territories of the US will be covered under the United States National Health Care (USNHC) and will be given universal “best quality standard of care.” Everyone will receive a card containing a unique number after filling out the United States National Health Insurance form. Coverage of additional benefits, such as cosmetic, not covered under this bill may be sold individually.

Only public or not-for- profit institutions may participate in this program. A for-profit provider switching to not-for-profit will remain privately owned and will be compensated for the switch within a 15 year time frame. For-profit centers will be restricted from being investor owned. Patients will have the ability to choose from the participating physicians, facilities, and hospitals.

At the beginning of each month, this program will pay each provider of health care a lump sum based upon the developed budget. A “simplified fee schedule” will be created to pay doctors, nurses, psychologist, optometrist, and other providers of health care. A uniform payment will be created, regardless of location, to pay professionals (doctors, pharmacists, and other) according to their expertise. H.R. 676 was referred to the House of Representatives.

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September 15th, 2009 by B

Author: photlook

The Attorney General may provide any assistance to local law enforcement for a crime of violence driven by prejudice. Grants may be awarded to local law enforcement agencies to provide for expenses related to hate crimes. A grant will not exceed $100,000. For the years 2010-2011 $10 million will be given to this program. For years 2010-2012 such sums as are necessary will be given to this program for increasing personnel.

Anyone convicted of committing a hate crime will be sentenced to less than ten years or, if the offense is fatal or attempted murder, the convicted individual will serve life in prison. H.R. 1913 was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

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September 14th, 2009 by B

Photographer: dbking

Under this bill a commission named ‘United States Commission on an Open Society with Security’ will be created, it will be composed of 21 members for life, and the president will appoint them. The commissions’ job will be to study and recommend ways in which the United States government may provide public access and security to Federal buildings and properties. The following topics will be covered regarding public access: free speech, the right to petition the government, constitutional rights and civil liberties, security upkeep, physical building changes, traffic congestions, job performance of employees within the affected buildings, and the local economic factor of those around the affected areas. The commission will have access to any information (including “need to know”) from any department or agency within the United States for the purpose of fulfilling this role, and will have the proper security clearances for such information. The commission will be given travel expenses and a staff with a pay grade of GS-15 ($110,152-$145,482 per year). The commission will submit the findings to the president two years after its establishment, and the president will send in the findings to Congress six months after they are obtained. For the years 2010-2011 $10 million will be allocated to this commission. H.R. 3555 was was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Homeland Security.

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