American National Red Cross Governance Modernization Act of 2007
Public Law 110-26 · H.R. 1681 · 110th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on May 11, 2007 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA-12)
Cosponsors (10): Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Rep. Jeff Flake,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
American National Red Cross Governance Modernization Act of 2007 - (Sec. 2) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) charitable organizations are an indispensable part of American society; (2) such organizations must maintain the trust of the American public by fostering effective governance and transparency; (3) the American National Red Cross (ANRC) is and will remain a federally chartered instrumentality of the United States; and (4) the ANRC should maintain appropriate communications with state regulators of charitable organizations and cooperate with such regulators.
(Sec. 3) Amends the charter of the ANRC to designate the ANRC as a federally chartered instrumentality of the United States and authorize it to conduct its business and affairs as the American Red Cross in any jurisdiction and to conduct other activities consistent with its traditional purposes.
(Sec. 5) Authorizes the ANRC corporation (corporation), rather than its board of directors, to prescribe policies and regulations relating to ANRC chapters. Provides for the selection of delegates to the annual meeting of the ANRC, instead of its national convention.
(Sec. 6) Modifies provisions relating to the ANRC board of governors to restate the role of the board as the governing body of the corporation and to revise provisions relating to its size, composition, and relationship with management. Establishes an Advisory Council to advise, report to, and meet with the board of governors.
(Sec. 7) Authorizes the corporation to adopt policies in lieu of bylaws.
(Sec. 8) Defines the annual meeting of the corporation as the annual meeting of the delegates of the chapters (instead of the national convention). Designates the time and place of the annual meeting and determines the voting guidelines and requirements for such meeting.
(Sec. 9) Eliminates the requirement that the number of trustees overseeing the ANRC endowment fund be nine. Grants the corporation, rather than the board of governors, the authority to prescribe policies and regulations on terms and tenure of office, accountability, and expenses of the board of trustees.
(Sec. 10) Requires the corporation to submit a report to the Secretary of Defense on the activities of the corporation during the preceding fiscal year, including a complete, itemized report of all receipts and expenditures.
(Sec. 11) Authorizes the Comptroller General to review the corporation's involvement in any federal program or activity.
Requires the corporation to establish an Office of the Ombudsman. Requires such Office to submit an annual report to specified congressional committees on trends and systemic matters that the Office has identified as confronting the corporation.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 655Related bill
American National Red Cross Governance Modernization Act of 2007
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.
- May 11, 2007Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-26.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 1, 2007FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Apr 24, 2007FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Apr 23, 2007FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Apr 18, 2007CalendarCalendar · Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 119.
- Apr 17, 2007FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1681.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Lantos moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Apr 16, 2007CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 52.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. H. Rept. 110-87.
- Mar 27, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Mar 26, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.