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As spring finally arrives in our Northwest suburbs, many of us are taking the opportunity to get back outdoors, look forward to summer, and for those with kids preparing for college, even look toward the fall. As your representative in Congress, I wanted to take this chance to update you on legislation I’ve been working on in Washington that affects you and your families.
In this e-mail, you will find information about bills recently passed in the House of Representatives impacting the Great Lakes, your taxes and higher education affordability.
To share your feedback on this legislation, or to discuss other issues important to your families and businesses, I encourage you to contact my office or visit my website. Also, please let me know which issues you would most like to receive future updates about by completing the survey at left.
Beach Protection Act of 2008
Our lakefront is one of the region's most precious and unique resources. Preserving it for future generations is one of my highest priorities and that's why I was proud to join my colleagues in supporting the Beach Protection Act of 2008, H.R. 2537, which renews the Environmental Protection Authority's BEACH program to protect our nation's oceanfronts, riverfronts and 5,500 miles of Great Lakes shoreline.
This program helps our state and local government monitor our beaches and assess the level of risk to visitors from pollution and bacteria, such as E. coli.
In this reauthorization, Congress has broadened the program to help states track the source of coastal water pollution. Local authorities will also be required to notify beachgoers within 24 hours if water sample tests show a likely danger to human health, instead of waiting for a second test to confirm the danger. The EPA is directed to develop rules that allow for rapid testing of coastal waters, so that beachgoers can have access to real-time, sameday information on the condition of the nation's beaches and lakefronts.
Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act
For all Illinoisans, excitement over the arrival of spring is accompanied by relief over the fact that tax season is also finally over.
To mark the tax filing deadline of April 15, Congress passed a package of tax reform measures in the Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act, H.R. 5719. The bill includes provisions to improve outreach to taxpayers and prevent tax scams in an effort to make next tax season go more smoothly for filers.
Among other measures, the legislation would increase penalties for companies that send email or junk mail that appears to be from the IRS or another government agency. It also makes it illegal for companies to use "IRS" as part of their web address in an attempt to scam consumers.
The bill also requires the IRS to notify a taxpayer if they suspect that person's identity has been stolen. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country and costs victims over $5 billion each year. To learn more about how to protect yourself from identity theft, please go to this section of my website.
Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008
Across the country, students and parents are eagerly awaiting the arrival of college acceptance letters and beginning to make important decisions about continuing their education. In Washington, Congress is working to make those difficult decisions a bit easier by passing legislation aimed at easing the burden of paying for higher education.
As my husband and I continue to explore college options with our daughters, we have been confronted with the same set of realities facing many Illinois families. Tuition at in-state public institutions has increased by 9 percent over the past two years and shows no sign of stopping. At the same time, state funding of higher education has continued to decline. These circumstances leave an increasing number of families and students in need of loans to pursue a college education.
To increase access to higher education and ensure that students do not face problems obtaining loans due to the current state of the economy, my colleagues and I passed H.R. 5715, the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008. The bill provides the Secretary of Education with expanded financial tools to ensure that federally-backed student loans remain available in the tightened credit market.
To reduce students' need to rely on expensive and increasingly scarce private loans, the bill increases the annual loan limits on federal unsubsidized student loans by $2,000 for all students. The total amount a student could borrow during his or her education would increase from $23,000 to $31,000 for students who are dependent on their parents. For independent students, the total would increase from $46,000 to $57,500.
The bill also provides parents more flexibility in repaying federal PLUS college loans during hard economic times by allowing them to defer repayment until six months after their child graduates from college.
April 30, 2008
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