Taking The Hill

by Christy Plunkett Foertsch

U.S. Senate Passes 2002 Energy Bill

The U.S. Senate has passed the 2002 version of the Energy Bill. The Senate was unable to agree on a new energy bill so it substituted the bill passed last year and will take that to conference with the House of Representatives. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be directed to increase mileage standards for light trucks, including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), within 15 months and for cars within two years. No standards were specified but Congress can set them if NHTSA does not act or if Congress does not like the new standards set. Under last year's bill, smog-prone states such as California and New York will have to discontinue the use of the clean-burning fuel additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), which can contaminate ground water - and switch to ethanol, which is made from corn.

Bus Security Bill Passes U.S. Senate

Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, has passed the U.S. Senate. The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to make grants for security improvements to over-the-road bus operations. The legislation has been referred to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

Class Action Reform Support Growing

Class Action reform legislation has growing support in the U.S. Senate. Supporters believe they nearly have the 60 votes needed to limit debate and overcome a possible filibuster. U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., Senate majority leader, has assured supporters the Senate will consider class action legislation in the fall. One issue to be addressed through amendments is the mandatory arbitration clauses that some businesses have used as a way to shut down class actions in several states in the past. Bill sponsors are expected to make a manager's amendment to the bill that will allow mass tort cases resulting from a single action to remain in state court, if all the plaintiffs are from that state.

SBA Report Finds Nation's Economy Driven by Small Businesses

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has found that 75 percent of new jobs created are in small businesses. The report reveals that more than 99 percent of all American businesses are small and they employ more than half of the nation's non-farm private employees. The report, 2003 State of Small Business Profiles, uses the latest federal government statistics to show the importance of small business to each state. The report shows how small business dominates several sectors of the American economy such as construction, professional, scientific and technical services; and health care and social assistance.

U.S. EPA Adopts Rule on Air Pollution Control from Motor Vehicles

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has adopted revised regulations on pollution control from motor vehicles. The revised regulations indefinitely extend the provision allowing compliance with California on-board diagnostic (OBD) II requirements to satisfy federal OBD requirements. U.S. Regulation 41586 was adopted Aug. 14 and became effective immediately.

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