Legislation

113th Congress

HR 501 ‘Marijuana Tax Equity Act’ sets up a tax and regulatory framework for marijuana.

HR 609 `End Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act'. This bill would move to close unnecessary tax loopholes for large oil companies. It would save American taxpayers $40 billion over 5 years.

HR 689 'States' Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act' will allow medical marijuana patients and businesses – who are complying with state law – the ability to access and distribute marijuana free from federal interference.

HR 1173 - 'Personalize Your Care Act of 2013' would provide Medicare and Medicaid coverage for voluntary consultations between patients and their doctors about advance care planning. It would also ensure that an individual’s electronic health record is able to display his or her current advance directive and/or physician orders for life sustaining treatment (POLST), so that his or her wishes are easily accessible and respected.

HR 1890 - 'Balancing Food, Farm, and the Environment Act of 2013' modernizes the Farm Bill’s conservation title to reflect the needs of a changing agricultural system and the American public’s priorities.

HR 2224 - 'Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2013' restricts the use of cats and dogs used in research facilities to those obtained lawfully and safely through licensed dealers.

HR 2240 - 'Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2013' amends Internal Revenue Code Section 280E to allow state-legal businesses, such as medical marijuana dispensaries, to take standard business deductions when computing their taxes.

HR 2692 - Saving America's Pollinator's Act places restrictions on neonicitinoid pesticides that have been implicated in mass bee deaths in Oregon and across the country.

HR 2901 - Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2013 would ensure water, sanitation, and hygiene programs are reflected in other development assistance; prioritize long-lasting impacts of U.S. foreign aid dollars; and increase the focus on monitoring, evaluation, transparency and capacity building.

HR 2921 - CIDER Act brings clarity to the definition of "hard cider" by eliminating arbitrary classifications in the tax code, easing compliance for growing cideries.

HR 3233 - Extended the period during which Iraqis who were employed by the United States Government in Iraq may be granted special immigrant status (signed into law 10/4/13).

HR 3494 - Creates a substantive measure of highway safety improvement to evaluate states' compliance.

HR 3582 - ‘Water Trust Fund Act of 2013’ Establishes a water infrastructure investment trust fund within the U.S. treasury.

HR 3638 - ‘Road Usage Fee Pilot Program Act of 2013’ Provides competitive grants to organizations working to develop road-usage fee programs designed to fund highway projects.

HR 3636 - ‘Update, Promote and Develop America’s Transportation Essentials Act of 2013’ Sets the goal of repealing the gas tax by 2024.

HR 3733 - ‘Green 301 Act’ Allows the United States Trade Representative to take discretionary measures against countries which fail to enforce important environmental laws.

HR 3870 - ‘Superfund Reinvestment Act of 2014’ Provides for the allocation and use of available funds from the 1980 CERCLA act for hazardous environmental cleanups.

HR 4107 - ‘REIN-IN Act of 2014’ Reduces and eliminates unnecessary spending on nuclear weapons stockpiles and programs, in turn saving $100 billion over the next 10 years.

HR 4761 - ‘Rural Wind Energy Expansion Act of 2014’ Expands the number of small wind farmers who can earn an energy tax credit for producing a sustainable source of energy.

HR 4762 - ‘Medicare Transitional Care Act of 2014’ Provides for new and expanded transitional medical services to qualified individuals under Medicare.

HR 5195 - ‘Emergency Afghan Allies Extension Act of 2014/HR 4594 ‘Afghan Allies Protection Extension Act of 2014’ Extends the availability of crucial Afghan Special Immigrant Visas provided for in the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (signed into law 08/08/14).

HR 5216 - ‘Columbia River Basin Restoration Act of 2014’ Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide for a Columbia River Basin Protection Program within the EPA in order to better protect our environment and waterways.

HR 5559 - ‘Bridge to a Clean Energy Future Act of 2014’ Strengthens and extends investment tax credits to promote clean energy production.

112th Congress

H.R. 601 `End Big Oil Tax Subsidies Act of 2011'. This bill would move to close unnecessary tax loopholes for large oil companies. It would save American taxpayers $40 billion over 5 years.

H.R. 1589 The ‘Personalize Your Care Act of 2011’ would provide Medicare and Medicaid coverage for voluntary consultations between patients and their doctors about advance care planning. It would also ensure that an individual’s electronic health record is able to display his or her current advance directive and/or physician orders for life sustaining treatment (POLST), so that his or her wishes are easily accessible and respected.

H.R. 1595 The ‘Veterans' Home Loan Improvement Act of 2011’ would expand the successful Qualified Veterans Mortgage Bond program to eligibility an additional 264,000 veterans. This program offers veterans mortgage loans at more favorable interest rates as a reward for their service to our nation.

H.R. 1596 The `Superfund Reinvestment Act'. This bill would reinstate taxes on the petrochemical industry that fund the cleanup of hazardous waste sites around the country. It would make sure that polluters, not taxpayers, are paying for cleanup. It would also ensure that funding the Superfund Trust Fund is only used for Superfund cleanup.

H.R. 1825 The ‘Commuter Relief Act’ would increase the amount of money that employers could give to employees who use alternate forms of transportation to get to work, such as carpooling, taking the metro, or bicycling. Under this bill, commuters who use alternative transportation would have the same incentives currently provide to those who commute by car.

H.R. 2492 The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2011 would prohibit any person from attending an animal fighting venture.

H.R. 3344 The 'Give Fans a Chance Act' would allow public ownership of professional sports teams which could help prevent franchise moves and closures after years of support and loyalty by a community. Currently, many professional league rules and practices either prohibit or discourage public ownership.

H.R. 3658 The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2012 enhances the capacity of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department to play a greater, more effective role in development assistance as well as mitigate cross-border conflict.

H.R. 3846 The 'National Commission for Independent Redistricting Act of 2012 ' would establish a national Commission after each Census, beginning in 2020, that would ensure Congressional elections are more competitive and fair, and that voters get to choose their representatives, not the other way around.

H.R. 4058 The 'Bankruptcy Equity Act' provides bankruptcy judges with the power to align a homeowner’s mortgage to its current value. Current bankruptcy law prohibits modifying primary residence mortgages, but it allows modification for second homes or investment properties.

H.R. 4308The Captive Primate Safety Act would add nonhuman primates to the list of animals that cannot be purchased or transported across state lines by individuals for use as pets.

H.R. 4321The Heavy Truck Fairness Act of 2012 would replace the excise tax currently imposed on the sale of new trucks, trailers, and tractors, and replace it will a modest increase in the diesel fuel excise tax.

H.R. 6249 The Medicare Transitions Act supports and coordinates care for beneficiaries as they move from the hospital setting to their homes or other care setting.

111th Congress

HR 6310, Accountability for Defense Contractors Act. This bipartisan legislation would close major loopholes in the defense contractor process, to ensure that the federal government is not financially responsible for harm or injury caused by a defense contractor’s gross negligence or misconduct.

H.R. 2319, “Veterans Home Loan Improvement Act.” This bill implements an Oregon Veterans Task Force recommendation to remove the federal time limit on for the Qualified Veterans Mortgage Bond program so that veterans of recent military actions would qualify.

H.R. 2580, “Empowering Medicare Patient Choices Act.” This bill provides coverage under Medicare for shared-decision aids (DVDs, interactive websites, etc) and a follow-up consultation with a doctor.

H.R. 2773, “Medical Transition Care Act.” This bill provides coverage under Medicare for transitional services.

H.R. 2911, “Advance Planning and Compassionate Care Act.” This is a comprehensive bill to help consumers with end of life care planning.

H.R. 2912, “Medicare Efficiency Incentive Act.” This bill provides a 5% efficiency bonus in Medicare to the lowest cost counties.

H.R. 2921, Providing for an annual review by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission on geographic access to services. This bill amends MedPAC’s statutory mandate to include geographic evaluations of access, quality, and volume of services provided under Medicare.

H.R. 2971, Designates the post office at 630 NE Killingsworth Ave as the “Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. Post Office.”

H.R. 3050, “American Family Farm and Ranchland Protection Act.” This bill provides an incentive for property owners to place conservation easements on their property by increasing the exemption from estate taxes.

H.R. 3168, “OUTDOOR Act.” This bill eliminates the disproportionately high tariffs assessed on recreational performance outerwear and will establish new tariff classifications for these products. It also creates a new fund to invest in sustainable product development and textile logistics.

H.R. 3202 , The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act - This bill would provide a deficit-neutral source of revenue dedicated to replacing, repairing, and rehabilitating drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities as well as protecting users from rate spikes that will result if nothing is done to address the water infrastructure crisis.

H.R. 3271, “Green Routes to Work.” This bill provides tax credits to employers and employees to promote alternative commuting methods and commuter equity, including bicycling, telecommuting, and van pooling.

H.R. 3311, Pilot Program for Road User Fees. This bill creates pilot programs in each state to test vehicle miles traveled fees.

H.R. 3383, “Idling Reduction Tax Credit Act.” This bill provides a tax credit to off-set the cost of installing an idling reduction device, to help truckers reduce their gas use and air pollution.

H.R. 3461, “Orphan Highway Restoration Act.” This bill creates a new program to provide Federal funds to assist states and local governments in their efforts to rehabilitate or repair the Main Street sections of the orphan highways running through their towns.

H.R. 80, “Captive Primate Safety Act.” This bill prohibits the trade and transport of primates across state lines. It was passed by the House of Representatives in February of 2009.

H.R. 564, “Superfund Reinvestment Act.” This bill would reinstate the fees that finance the clean-up of the nation’s most hazardous waste sites.

H.R. 863, Bicycle Commuter Act technical changes. This bill would make changes to the bike transportation commuter benefit established in the 110th Congress to make it more user friendly. It would allow employees to combine bike and transit commuter benefits.

H.R. 1329, “CLEAN TEA.” This bill would provide that 10% of any revenue from climate change legislation would be used for low-carbon transportation planning and projects. This bill was partially included in H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed the House of Representatives in June of 2009.

H.R. 1897, “Healthy Workforce Act.” This bill provides employers up to a 50% tax credit for qualified comprehensive workplace wellness programs for employees.

H.R. 1898, “Life Sustaining Treatment Preferences Act.” This bill provides coverage under Medicare for consultations about end of life care and creates grants to establishing Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) programs. The bill was included in H.R. 3200, the House of Representatives’ comprehensive health care reform legislation.

H.R. 2030, “Water for the World Act.” This bill establishes a national goal of providing an additional 100 million people around the world with first-time access to clean water and sanitation by 2015. It also creates an Office of Water in the US Agency for International Development and a Water Coordinator at the Department of State.

H.R. 2163, “Fast Starts Act.” This bill provides grant funding to jumpstart streetcar projects around the country.

H.R. 2164, “Federal Streetcar Revitalization Act.” This bill addresses shortcomings in the existing “small starts” program to ensure that those projects are built in a timely fashion.

110th Congress

H.R. 5976 - The United States Commission on Rebuilding America for the 21st Century Act - This bill would empower a bipartisan commission to create a plan to guide America’s response to our current infrastructure and resource challenges for the next fifty years. It has 24 bi-partisan co-sponsors.

H.R. 2265 - The Responsibility to Iraqi Refugees Act of 2007- Facilitates entry of Iraqi refugees into the U.S. who are at risk because they have helped U.S. soldiers. Provisions from this bill were incorporated into the Defense Authorization Act of 2007 and signed into law by the President.

H.R. 1497 - The Legal Timber Protection Act - Bans trade in illegally harvested timber and wood products and provides the tools to keep illegally harvested timber out of the United States. It was signed into law as part of the Farm Bill in June of 2008.

H.R. 2715 - To Amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include heavier vehicles in the limitation on the depreciation of certain luxury automobiles - This bill would close the “Hummer Tax Loophole to eliminate tax incentives for business purchases of luxury SUVs weighing over 6,000 lbs. This provision passed the House as part of H.R. 2776 in August of 2007, but it hasn’t yet passed the Senate.

H.R. 3636 - The Superfund Reinvestment Act of 2007 - Reauthorizes taxes that fund clean up of superfund sites, the country’s most hazardous waste areas. This bill has 16 co-sponsors.

H.R. 2364 - The Local Food and Farm Support Act of 2007 - Provides funding for specialty crops and nutrition programs that are important to Oregon. Many provisions of this bill were included in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, which became law in May of 2008.

H.R. 1136 - The Ethics Reform Act of 2007 - Establishes an Independent Ethics Commission consisting of eleven former Members of Congress. It was introduced with Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.).

H.R. 663 - The New Direction for Iraq Act - Redeploys U.S. troops in Iraq within 30 days, directs President to undertake diplomatic actions in Iraq. This bill has 11 co-sponsors.

H.R. 6495 – The Transportation and Housing Choices for Gas Price Relief Act – Provides consumers with, and educates them about, choices in how they get around and where they live that will reduce their dependence on gasoline. This bill has 16 bi-partisan co-sponsors.

H.R. 1498 – The Bike Commuter Act - Amends the IRS Code to include bicycles in the definition of transportation covered by fringe benefits; allows employers to provide $20/month in benefits to employees who commute by bicycle. This provides bike commuters with the same benefits that people who commute by car and public transportation already get. This bill was included in the energy tax package that was attached to H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. It was signed into law in October of 2008.

H.R. 1772 – The Rural Wind Energy Development Act – Provides a 30% tax credit for the installation of small wind turbines. This bill was included in the energy tax package that was attached to H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. It was signed into law in October of 2008.

H.R. 3637 – The Higher Education Sustainability Act. - Amends Title VII of the Higher Education Act to authorize a $50 million competitive grant program to universities and institutions of higher education to develop, implement and evaluate sustainability curriculums, practices and academic programs. This was signed into law as part of the College Cost Reduction Access Act in September of 2007.

H.R. 3406, “Tax Equity for Meal Replacement and Supplements Act.” Changes the tax code to treat dietary supplements as medical care for the purposes of tax exclusion for employer reimbursements of employee medical care.

H.R. 4021, “Safe Routes to High Schools”. Extends the successful Safe Routes to Schools program to include high schools.

H.R. 4599, “Renewable Energy Expansion Act.” Extends and expands the grant program for renewable energy projects authorized in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

H.R. 4652, “Columbia River Recovery Act.” Authorizes funding for toxic reduction in the Columbia River.

H.R. 4722, “Active Community Transportation Act.” Provides grants to communities for active transportation projects.

H.R. 5478, “Green Railcar Enhancement Act.” Provides an investment tax credit for the manufacturing of more energy efficient and greener U.S. railcars.

Click here to see a list of recent bills that Congressman Blumenauer has introduced in the House of Representatives.

You can also click here to view a list of bills introduced by other Representatives that Congressman Blumenauer has co-sponsored.