WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 
For the Week of 25 May 2001 

I. THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS:

The House and Senate were both in session this week.

On Saturday, 26 May, Congress completed work on H.R. 1836, the FY 2002 tax reconciliation bill, sending the bill to the President. The measure enacts over $1.3 Billion in tax cuts through FY 2010, and contains a provision which would end the disparity in the taxes on survivor benefits paid to the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty prior to December 1996. The House of Representatives passed the measure by a vote of 240-154, while the Senate vote on passage was 58-33.

Congress is in recess until 5 June, and the next Weekly Legislative Update will be distributed during the following week.

II. UPDATE ON TOP PRIORITIES:

No new cosponsors were added to H.R. 21 (Lautenberg). Our current total is fourteen (14).

Eleven new cosponsors were added to H.R. 218 (Concealed Carry), bringing our current total to one hundred and twenty-five (125). We still need to boost our cosponsorship of this legislation. Please contact your Representatives during the District Work Period and ask them to cosponsor this bill, and advise the National Legislative Office of any correspondence or contact you have had with your Members so that we can follow up with their offices once Congress reconvenes.

Nineteen cosponsors were added to H.R. 1475 (Collective Bargaining), bringing our current total to one hundred and fifty-three (153) (See III below for information on Senate Collective Bargaining Bill).

No new cosponsors were added to H.R. 1626 (Due Process). Our current total is three (3).

No new cosponsors were added to S. 840 (Due Process). Our current total is one (1).

Eight new cosponsors were added to H.R. 664 (Gov't Pension Offset), bringing our current total to two hundred and twenty-four (232), more than a majority of the House of Representatives.

No new cosponsors were added to S. 611 (Gov't Pension Offset). Our current total is eighteen (18).

Fifteen new cosponsors were added to H.R. 848 (Windfall), bringing our current total to eighty-seven (87).

III. SENATOR GREGG INTRODUCES FOP COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BILL IN SENATE:

On 24 May, Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH) , Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) introduced S. 952, the companion bill to the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act.  Like H.R. 1475, this legislation would guarantee the right of public employees to bargain collectively with their employers over hours, wages and conditions of employment. The bill will mandate that each State provide minimum collective bargaining rights to their public safety employees and outlines certain provisions that must be included in State laws, but leaves the major decisions to the State legislatures. Strikes and lockouts are prohibited by the bill and States with collective bargaining laws will be exempt from the Federal statute.

IV. OTHER LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY:

Senator Biden introduced S. 924, the "PROTECTION Act," which would reauthorize the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).  Congressman Weiner introduced the House companion measure, H.R. 2009, on 24 May at a press conference in which the F.O.P. participated.

The following bills were added to the list of those supported by the F.O.P. during the week of 25 May:

S. 899, the Frances Collender and Michael J. Dunman Public Safety Officers Benefits Improvement Act (Biden)-would increase the amount paid to families of public safety officers killed in the line of duty to $250,000 under the PSOB program.

H.R. 1747 (Kelly)-Identical to the FOP-supported H.R. 51 in the 106th  Congress, this bill would prohibit taking a child hostage to evade arrest or in order to threaten or use force against a Federal law enforcement officer.

H.R. 1887, the Federal Law Enforcement Pension Adjustment Equity Act of 2001 (Morella)-would amend the Law Enforcement Pay Equity Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-554) to reestablish the link between adjustments made in active officer salaries with a proportional adjustment to the annuities received by retired US Park Police and US Secret Service Uniformed Division officers.

Fraternal Order of Police  (O) (202) 547-8189
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Last Updated: Wednesday, December 21st, 2005