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 26th 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 June 22nd, President Obama signed into law H.R. 1256 (Waxman, D-CA), providing authority for regulation of tobacco products by the Food and Drug Administration.  Division B of the law provides enhancements for the Federal employee Thrift Savings Plan program.  It is Public Law 111-31.

Floor Action

On June 26th, the House passed H.R. 2996, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations for FY 2010, by a vote of 254-173.

Committee Activity

On June 23rd, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands (Grijalva) and the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs (Bordallo) held a joint oversight field hearing on “The Impacts of Climate Change on the Chesapeake Bay” at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, MD.  The DOI witness was Marvin Moriarty, Regional Director, Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

On June 25th, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S.__, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations for FY 2010.

New Bills Introduced

The following bills of interest to the NPS were introduced:

• H.R. 2986 (Moran, D-VA) – To amend the Act of May 29, 1930 (Chapter 354; 46 Stat. 482; commonly known as the Capper-Cramton Act), to authorize a grant program to preserve resources in the National Capital region, and for other purposes.
• H.R. 3046 (Rehberg, R-MT) - To recognize the heritage of hunting and provide opportunities for continued hunting on Federal public land.
• S. 1348 (Chambliss, R-GA) - A bill to recognize the heritage of hunting and provide opportunities for continued hunting on Federal public land.
• S. 1356 (Boxer, D-CA) - A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to provide for the study of the Western States Trail.
• S. 1388 (Cantwell, D-WA) - A bill to provide for equitable compensation to the Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation for the use of tribal land for the production of hydropower by the Grand Coulee Dam, and for other purposes.

• H.R. 481 (Oberstar, D-MN), to revise the authorized route of the North Country National Scenic Trail in northeastern Minnesota to include existing hiking trails along Lake Superior's north shore and in Superior National Forest and Chippewa National Forest;
• H.R. 685 (Clay, D-MO), a bill to require a study of the feasibility of establishing the United States Civil Rights Trail System;
• H.R. 2167 (Cuellar, D-TX), a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain lands as the Los Caminos del Rio National Heritage Corridor; and
• H.R. 2806 (Hastings, R-WA), to  authorize the Secretary of the interior to adjust the boundary of the Stephen Mather Wilderness and North Cascades National Park in order to allow the rebuilding of a road outside of the floodplain while ensuring that there is no net loss of acreage to the park and wilderness, and for other purposes.

• H.R. 2314 (Abercrombie, D-HA), to express the policy of the United States regarding the United States relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process for the recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity;
• H.R. 1061 (Dicks, D-WA), to transfer certain land to the United States to be held in trust for the Hoh Indian Tribe, to place land into trust for the Hoh Indian Tribe, and for other purposes;
• H.R. 715 (Grijalva, D-AZ), to expand the boundary of Saguaro National Park, to study additional land for future adjustments to the boundary of the Park, and for other purposes;
• H.R. 1376 (Chet Edwards, D-TX), to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Waco Mammoth National Monument in the State of Texas; and
• H.R. 1121 (Foxx, R-NC), to authorize a land exchange to acquire lands for the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and for other purposes.