Even months after a bill becomes law and falls out of the media spotlight, its popularity can remain undiminished online. Each week, THOMAS.gov, the Library of Congress website devoted to tracking legislation, compiles a list of the top-searched legislative items for the past seven days. Some of these bills, like the "SKIL" Act, have only recently been introduced in Congress. Others, like the healthcare reform bill, have been signed by President Obama and remain consistently of interest. Below are last week's ten most-searched bills on THOMAS.gov, according to data compiled by THOMAS on July 18.
1. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590)
Previous ranking: 1
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
More commonly known as the healthcare reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became law on March 23, 2010, after months of partisan wrangling. Among its many provisions, this act imposes an individual mandate to obtain health insurance and prohibits insurers from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
2. Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 (H.R. 4173)
Previous ranking: 4
Sponsor: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
The Restoring American Financial Stability Act was signed by Obama this week, six months after its initial introduction. Also known as the financial regulatory reform bill, this bill is intended to address the causes of the 2008 economic crisis. It aims to create a watchdog council at the Federal Reserve and also to mitigate the dangers of "too-big-to-fail" financial institutions by providing a way to liquidate failed firms.
3. American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213)
Previous ranking: 2
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
This bill, passed by the House in December 2009, is currently being considered in the Senate. It proposes $5 billion in tax cuts, including reductions in sales taxes and property taxes, as well as deductions for college tuition. It also aims to create jobs by investing heavily in infrastructure, providing $21 billion in tax cuts to businesses, and giving pension funding relief to businesses.
4. Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2010 (H.R. 5618)
Previous ranking: 5
Sponsor: Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
This bill has passed the House and is currently on the Senate calendar. If passed, it would extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program through November 2010.
5. Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2010 (H.R. 5658)
Previous ranking: 8
Sponsor: Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ)
The youngest bill on the top-ten list, the "SKIL" Act was introduced on July 1. It aims to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to promote the migration of people with particular professional skills to the United States. Provisions include raising the cap on the number of H-1B visas granted and easing immigration requirements for people with advanced degrees in math, science, and engineering.
6. Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R. 4899)
Previous ranking: 3
Sponsor: Sen. David Obey (D-WI)
Also known as the "Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act of 2010," this bill includes a host of proposed spending for a variety of purposes, including $5.1 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster-related audits and investigations, $600 million to the Department of Labor for summer youth employment programs, $20 million to the Small Business Administration, and a payment of $174,000 to the widow of recently deceased Rep. John Murtha.
7. Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010 (S.Amdt. 4425)
Previous ranking: 10
Sponsor: Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
Introduced in June 29, 2010, this bill aims to amend the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 (No. 3, above), primarily by extending unemployment insurance. The bill is currently under consideration in the Senate.
8. Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5297)
Not on list last week.
Sponsor: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act includes provisions to establish a $30 billion fund to increase loan availability to small businesses, as well as an initiative to help fund states' lending programs.
9. Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 (H.R. 3548)
Not on list last week.
Sponsor: Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Signed into law on November 6, 2009, this bill extended unemployment benefits by 13 weeks in states with unemployment that exceeded 8.5 percent.
10. Telework Improvements Act of 2010 (H.R. 1722)
Not on list last week.
Sponsor: Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD)
Passed in the House last week and now in committee in the Senate, the Telework Improvements Act would make telecommuting easier for many federal employees. The bill would establish requirements for executive agencies to create policies allowing certain employees to telecommute as much as possible, as long as it does not poorly affect performance.
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