| BILL NAME |
SUMMARY OF BILL AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU |
U.S. CHAMBER'S POSITION |
STATUS |
ADA Expansion
H.R. 3195 ADA Restoration
Act of 2007 |
This bill and its Senate companion, S. 1881, would define as disabled any individual with an impairment, such as poor eyesight correctable by wearing glasses. This definition would trigger the employer’s duty to accommodate under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ADA currently defines disability as an impairment that “substantially limits one or more of the major life activities.” |
The Chamber opposes this bill because it would expand the opportunity for frivolous litigation and destroy the delicate balance of interests that permitted ADA to be enacted with broad support. |
LAST ACTION House committee hearing held Jan. 29, 2008.
NEXT STEP Committee Vote |
| Employee Compensation S. 1843 Fair Pay Restoration Act |
This bill seeks to overturn the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., which held that compensation discrimination claims must be filed in a timely manner. The legislation would effectively do away with statutes of limitations in many court cases and expand the class of individuals that can bring cases to include anyone affected by discrimination. |
The Chamber opposes this legislation because it would result in more frivolous claims against employers. |
LAST ACTION
Senate committee
hearing held
Jan. 24, 2008.
NEXT STEP Committee Vote |
FACTA Loophole Fix
H.R. 4008 Credit and Debit Card Receipt Clarification Act |
This bill would amend the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) to make clear that a company is not in willful violation of the act if it shortens a consumer’s credit card number printed on a receipt to four digits but does not remove the expiration date. This technical correction would preserve the consumer’s existing right to sue for negligence in the event of actual harm or account fraud. |
The Chamber supports closing the loophole of a well-meaning law that has led to small businesses being hit with abusive lawsuits even without evidence of fraud or harm. |
LAST ACTION Referred to a House subcommittee Jan. 11, 2008.
NEXT STEP
Committee Vote |
| Climate Change S. 2191 America’s Climate Security Act of 2007 |
Rather than promoting greenhouse gasreducing technologies such as clean coal or nuclear energy or addressing increasing emissions from developing nations such as China or India, this bill attempts to address global climate change through caps on emissions in the United States. It requires all sectors of the economy to reduce emissions to 15% below 2005 levels by 2020 and 70% below those levels by 2050. |
The Chamber opposes this bill because it does not do the following: address the international nature of climate change; promote accelerated technology development and deployment; preserve U.S. jobs and the economy; reduce barriers for developing climate-friendly energy sources; or promote efficiency. |
LAST ACTION
Voted out of a Senate committee Dec. 5, 2007.
NEXT STEP
Senate Vote |
| Regulatory Reform H.R. 4458 Small Business Regulatory Improvement Act |
H.R. 4458 would amend the Regulatory Flexibility Act(RFA) to close loopholes and clarify terms that have led to agencies avoiding requirements of the act. Specifically, the bill would require agencies to consider the indirect impact of proposed regulations on small businesses as well as the direct impact. |
The Chamber supports legislation to require government agencies to provide a comprehensive cost analysis of proposed regulations on small businesses. |
LAST ACTION Voted out of one of two House committees Dec. 13, 2007.
NEXT STEP
Committee Vote |
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