I wade through legislation so that you don’t have to:
H.R.2951 : JAWS Act
What: To prohibit foreign assistance to countries that do not prohibit shark finning in the territorial waters of the country or the importation, sale, or possession of shark fins obtained as a result of shark finning.
Importance: The U.S. has opposed shark finning for quite some time; however, this takes it one step further to actually “sanction” nations that that promote the practice.
H.R.2957 : To reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.
What: Supports projects to benefit bird populations and their habitats, research and monitoring, law enforcement, and outreach and education.
Importance: It hasn’t been reauthorized since its inception in 2000 and is unlikely to be any time soon.
H.R.2961 : To establish a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle and simple cycle power generation systems.
What: It’s in the name.
Importance: Still not renewable but a step in efficiency is better than nothing.
H.R.3001 : Renewable Energy Certainty Act
What: To authorize certain long-term contracts for Federal purchases of energy.
Importance: An amendment to the National Energy Conservation Policy Act
H.R.3015 : To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to primarily consider, and to separately report, the domestic benefits of any rule that addresses emissions of carbon dioxide from any existing source, new source, modified source, or reconstructed source that is an electric utility generating unit, in any such rule, and in the regulatory impact analysis for such rule, and for other purposes.
What: Requires greater regulations and less autonomy on the part of the EPA.
Importance: While the text of the bill isn’t out yet, it is likely an attempt to reduce the power of the EPA to regulate emissions.
S.1724 : A bill to provide for environmental restoration activities and forest management activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and for other purposes.
What: The bill information hasn’t yet been released.