Weekly Legislative Activities Report

The Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs puts out weekly reports on hearings, new legislation and other activities on the Hill. The following is the June 5th summary.

In order to obtain the full text of any of the bills that appear below, click on the following link: http://thomas.loc.gov/ . That will take you to Thomas, the Library of Congress legislative tracking system. Enter the bill number in the “Search Bill Text” block, being sure to also click on the “Bill Number” option below the block.

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New Public Laws

On May 22nd, President Obama signed into law H.R. 627 (Maloney, D-NY), Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009.  It is Public Law 111-24.  Section 512 of the act prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm in any unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System if the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm and possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state in which the unit is located. This section takes effect nine months after the date of enactment. 

Floor Action

On June 2nd, the House passed the following bills:

• H.R. 2330 (Lamborn, R-CO) - To direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing Camp Hale as a unit of the National Park System. The former military training camp in Colorado was used for winter and high-altitude training by the 10th Mountain Division. The bill passed by voice vote. The Department has not taken a position on this bill as a hearing was not held.
• H.R. 2430 (Hastings, R-WA) - To direct the Secretary of the Interior to continue stocking fish in certain lakes in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.  The bill requires the Secretary to stock fish at no more than 42 of the lakes at the North Cascades Complex with certain limitations. The bill passed by voice vote.  The Department has not taken a position on this bill as a hearing was not held.
• H.Res. 421 (Roe, R-TN) – Recognizing and commending the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on its 75th year anniversary. This resolution passed by a vote of 392-1. 

• S. Res. 137 (Alexander, R-TN) – Recognizing and commending the people of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the park.

• H.R. 626 (Maloney, D-NY) - To provide that four of the twelve weeks of parental leave made available to a Federal employee shall be paid leave, and for other purposes.  This bill would allow for four weeks of paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child, or for taking in a foster child.  The vote was 258-154.

• H.R. 2659 (Christensen, D-VI) - To convey certain submerged lands to the Government of the Virgin Islands.
• H.R. 2689 (Perriello, D-VA)  - To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, as a unit of the National Park System.
• S. 1168 (Schumer, D-NY) - A bill to authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program.
• H.R. 2602 (Hirono, D-HI) - To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Ka'u Coast on the island of Hawaii as a unit of the National Park System.
• H.R. 2603 (Hirono, D-HI) - To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating certain lands along the northern coast of Maui, Hawaii, as a unit of the National Park System.