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7A FEDERAL UPDATE from page 14 ..... .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. . .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. . . . .. . .. .. ppge 15 conference report would authorize $400 million annually from FY 2007 through 2011 for local port security grants. It also would authorize $443 million for the container security initiative and $212 million for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C- TPAT) over the life of the measure. C-TPAT is a voluntary supply chain security program led by U.S. Customs and Border Protec- tion (CBP) and focused on improving the security of private companies' supply chains with respect to terrorism. The bill would also require the 22 largest U.S. ports to scan all incoming containers for radiological weapons by the end of 2007. The Conference report did not include $4.5 billion in rail and mass transit security from the Senate-passed version of the measure. The bill has been sent to the president, who is expected to sign the measure into law. Immigration Refonn Prior to adjourning last week, the House passed a series of immigration reform measures comprised of elements of H.R. 4437, a broader border security/immigration reform bill passed by the chamber in November of 2005. Two of those bills were also adopted by the Senate-H.R. 4830 and H.R. 6061. The language of H.R. 4830, which would set new criminal penalties for constructing tunnels under the U.S. border and double penalties for smuggling illegal immigrants. drugs. weapons of mass destruction or other illegal items through an illegal tunnel, was included in the final House and Senate-passed FY 2007 Homeland Security appropriations conference agreement. H.R. 6061 authorizes 700 miles of fencing along the south- western border with Mexico. President Bush is expected to sign the bill, which would also autho- rize a 'virtual fenceR of sensors, cameras, un- manned aerial vehicles and other surveillance technology to be deployed along the border. House and Senate leaders remain at odds over major provisions of a more expansive immi- gration reform package. House Republican leadership continues to embrace a border-security first approach to any overhaul of federal immigra- tion law, and oppose language in the Senate- passed immigration reform measure (S. 2611) that would establish a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country. Facing a full legislative calendar when they return for a post- election session in November, legislators are unlikely to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. House Passes Local Zoning Pre-Emption Legislation On September 29, the House approved H.R. 4772, the Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2006 by a vote of 231-181. The measure failed to gain the requisite number of votes neces- sary for passage earlier in the week when Repub- lican leaders brought it to the floor for consider- ation under suspension of the rules, an expedited procedure that requires a two-thirds majority (270 votes) for passage. The bill was successful upon returning to the floor on September 29 under a rule that required a simple majority to pass. The bill would impact land-use regulation nationwide, allowing developers and property owners to challenge local and state rulings in federal court, rather than in state court, as current law dictates. The bill would also enable large developers with significant financial resources who are unhappy with unfavorable local zoning decisions to tie up cities and zoning boards in costly litigation every zoning decision in federal courts. The majority of the California Congressional delegation opposed the measure. A breakdown of the delegation's vote on the measure is below. The Senate is not expected to act on the bill when Congress returns for a short legislative session following the November elections. Visit the League's Official Website--www.cacitles.org Continued on Page 16 PRIORITY FOCUS . PAGE 15 October 6, 2006 . Issue #39