On April 13, Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Lamar Smith (R-TX) introduced the House version of the Faster FOIA bill, H.R. 1620, which would establish a commission to report on delays in responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and recommend solutions. The Senate version, S. 589, also a bipartisan bill, passed favorably out of the Judiciary Committee on March 17.

On April 18, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan upheld a new Washington, DC, law prohibiting hazardous cargo rail shipments near the U.S. Capitol. Sullivan said that the District has a right to protect itself from an accident involving hazardous chemicals, because the federal government has failed to do so. CSX, the rail company challenging the District's new law, immediately appealed the ban on April 19th and won a ruling blocking the ban, which was scheduled to take effect April 20. The federal appeals court stated that it needs more time to review the legal issues surrounding the ban.

A draft substitute amendment to S. 271, the 527 Reform Act of 2005, is being circulated by sponsors Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Russell Feingold (D-WI). It removes some problems with the original bill, but still would subject independent political organizations to the same regulations as parties and federal candidates.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is screening applications for tax-exempt status for terrorist names, IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson testified at an April 5 Senate Finance Committee hearing on nonprofit accountability and tax compliance. The IRS's counter-terrorism project, focusing on the abuse of charities, is developing an electronic capability to review filed Forms 990 and 990-PF for terrorist names.