Legislative-Reform

No Surprises Act Bans Surprise Medical Billing After Years of Private Equity Industry Obstruction

2020-12-27 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

On December 27, 2020, Congress passed the No Surprises Act as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, banning most surprise medical billing beginning January 1, 2022. The legislation addressed a predatory billing practice that generated billions in profits for private equity-backed …

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NSA Officially Ends Bulk Phone Metadata Collection Under USA Freedom Act

2015-11-29 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 9/10

The NSA officially ended its bulk collection of Americans’ telephone metadata at 11:59 PM on November 29, 2015, as required by the USA Freedom Act passed by Congress in June 2015. The program, which had operated under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act since 2006, systematically collected …

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Obama Signs USA FREEDOM Act, Ending NSA Bulk Metadata Collection

2015-06-02 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 9/10

President Barack Obama signed the USA FREEDOM Act into law on June 2, 2015, representing the most significant reform of U.S. surveillance programs since the 1970s and a direct response to Edward Snowden’s revelations about NSA mass surveillance. The Act prohibited bulk collection of all …

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Senate Passes Franken Amendment Banning Mandatory Arbitration for Sexual Assault Claims by Defense Contractors, 30 Republicans Vote to Protect Corporate Impunity

2009-10-06 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 8/10

The United States Senate passed the Franken Amendment by a 68-30 vote on October 6, 2009, prohibiting defense contractors receiving more than $1 million in Department of Defense funds from requiring employees to resolve sexual assault, battery, or harassment claims through mandatory arbitration. The …

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Anti-Pinkerton Act: Congress Limits Private Armies After Homestead Violence

1893-03-03 00:00:00 +0000 UTC | Importance: 7/10

Congress passed the Anti-Pinkerton Act following public outrage over the Homestead Strike massacre, prohibiting the federal government from hiring “an individual employed by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, or similar organization.” The legislation addressed “Congressional concern …

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