| BILL NAME |
SUMMARY OF BILL AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU |
U.S. CHAMBER'S POSITION |
STATUS |
IP Enforcement
S. 3325 Prioritizing Resources and Organization For Intellectual Property Act Of 2008 |
This legislation will bolster the federal government’s ability to protect intellectual property (IP) by toughening civil and criminal laws against counterfeiting and piracy, providing enhanced IP enforcement and prosecutorial resources, and improving IP coordination within the executive branch. |
The Chamber strongly supports this legislation because it will deter the theft of IP from entrepreneurs and businesses. The Chamber helped guide the bill through the legislative process. |
Became law October 13, 2008. |
| Highway Funding
H.R. 6532
|
This bill transfers $8 billion from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund. Without this transfer, there would have been a 30% reduction in federal highway funds across all states in fiscal year 2009, preventing much-needed projects from moving forward. |
The Chamber successfully lobbied for H.R. 6532 and supports full funding for existing surface transportation projects and for necessary maintenance, upgrades, and expansion. |
Became law September 15, 2008. |
ADA Reform
S. 3406 ADA Amendments Act |
This compromise bill, while preserving the ADA’s basic structure, will overturn recent Supreme Court cases that have led to an unduly narrow interpretation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While more people will be deemed to have disabilities under the compromise, employer compliance procedures should not change significantly (see page four for more details). |
The Chamber worked with organizations representing the disability community to craft this compromise bill, which represents a balanced approach to ensure appropriate coverage under the ADA. |
Became law September 25, 2008. |
| Tax Relief
H.R. 1424 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act
|
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act signed by President Bush includes provisions to extend expired and expiring business tax provisions, including the R&D credit and the option to deduct state and local general sales tax. The bill also includes tax incentives for the development of clean energy and a one-year patch to the (AMT) alternative minimum tax. |
The Chamber strongly supports the extension of expiring and expired tax relief, incentives for domestic energy production, and provisions that stop the AMT from ensnaring more taxpayers. |
Became law October 3, 2008. |
| Mental Health Parity
H.R. 1424 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act
|
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act signed by President Bush includes a provision requiring employers to provide mental health insurance benefits comparable to their medical coverage. Employers with 50 or fewer workers are exempt. The bill also prohibits insurance plans from establishing co-pays or deductibles for mental health or substance abuse treatment higher than that for medical care. |
The Chamber supports this carefully crafted mental health parity provision because it is a balanced and reasoned approach for addressing mental health insurance coverage. |
Became law October 3, 2008. |
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