H.R. 2751, the FDA Food Safety and Modernization Act, which was passed by the House on December 21, 2010 and the Senate on December 19, 2010, is now available. The bill has been cleared for signature by the President, who is expected to sign the legislation into law.
The amended version of H.R. 6517, the Omnibus Trade Act, which was passed by the House and Senate on December 22, 2010, is now available. This measure has been cleared for the White House, and the President is expected to sign it into law.
The following are highlights of the trade-related Executive Communications sent to Congress from December 17, 2010 to December 22, 2010:
On December 22, 2010, the following bills, resolutions, etc. were reported in the Senate:
The Senate passed S. 4053, to reauthorize and improve the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program.
On December 22, 2010, the Senate amended and passed H.R. 6523, (the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy and to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year. The House agreed by unanimous consent to the Senate amendments. (The House passed an earlier version of H.R. 6523 on December 17, 2010. See ITT's Online Archives or 12/21/10 news, 10122007, for BP summary.)
On December 17, 2010, the following trade-related bills were introduced (in addition to those previously announced):
On December 20-21, 2010, the Senate and House passed H.R. 4748, the Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy Act of 2010, to require the development of a northern border counternarcotics strategy1, and for other purposes. H.R. 4748 now heads to the President for his signature.
In accordance with H. Con. Res. 336, providing for the sine die adjournment of the second session of the 111th Congress, the House and Senate adjourned on December 22, 2010. Congress will reconvene at noon on January 5, 2011 for the first session of the 112th Congress.
On December 17, 2010, Representative Sanchez1 (D) introduced the Enforcing Orders and Reducing Customs Evasion (ENFORCE) Act of 2010 (H.R. 6549), a bill that is intended to help eliminate schemes by foreign producers to evade payment of antidumping and countervailing duties.