S. 2821: Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2009

111th Congress · introduced 2009-12-01 · Foreign Trade and International Finance · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-12-01 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2009

Plain summary

Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2009 or the TRADE Act of 2009 - Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) review certain free trade agreements (including Uruguay Round Agreements) between the United States and a trade agreement country to evaluate their economic, employment, environmental, national security, health, safety, and other effects; and (2) report on them to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Ways and Means, including analyses of specified aspects of each trade agreement and certain information about agreement parties, such as whether the country has a democratic form of government, adopted and enforces certain core labor rights, respects fundamental human rights, enforces rights under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), complies with environmental laws, and poses a potential national security concern. Requires implementing bills of new trade agreements between the United States and another country to include certain standards with respect to: (1) labor; (2) environment and public safety; (3) food and product health and safety; (4) services; (5) investment; (6) procurement; (7) intellectual property; (8) agriculture; (9) trade remedies and safeguards; (10) dispute resolution and enforcement; and (11) technical assistance. Sets forth a point of order to consideration of bills implementing new trade agreements. Requires the President to submit to Congress a plan for the renegotiation of existing trade agreements to bring them into compliance with such standards. Expresses the sense of Congress that certain processes for U.S. trade negotiations should be followed when Congress considers legislation providing special procedures for bills implementing trade agreements.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment Act of 2009

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] · 9 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s2821.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s2821 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111