A couple of months ago, we reviewed the legislative priorities of the candidates in the presidential race.

Here are the posts on Senator McCain, Senator Obama, and Senator Biden.

Since then, more legislation introduced by the Democratic candidates has passed into law.

Two bills introduced by Senator Biden are now law.

Public Law 110-401, the Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2007, is intended to make children safer from online predation in particular. It cost a little over $5.00 per U.S. family.

Another Biden bill is Public Law 110-408, the Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2008. It extends a pilot program for volunteer groups to obtain criminal history background checks. No cost estimate yet.

While Senator Biden makes the world safe from criminals, Senator Obama has seen to it that we’re safe from . . . elemental mercury?

An Obama-introduced bill has become Public Law 110-477. It’s the Mercury Market Minimization Act, and it prohibits any federal agency from conveying, selling, or distributing elemental mercury; it prohibits the export of elemental mercury from the United States effective January 1, 2010; it requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to report to Congress on mercury compounds that may currently be used in products or processes; and it establish the Excess Mercury Storage Advisory Committee. Cost: about $0.04 per U.S. family.

Can’t wait to read the reports of the Excess Mercury Storage Advisory Committee!