United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2014
Internet Freedom Act - Prohibits regulations adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the Report and Order in the matter of preserving the open Internet and broadband industry practices (adopted December 21, 2010) from having any force or effect. Prohibits the FCC from reissuing such regulations in substantially the same form, or from issuing new regulations that are substantially the same, unless such regulations are specifically authorized by a law enacted after the enactment of this Act. Exempts from such prohibitions any regulations that the FCC determines are necessary to: (1) prevent damage to U.S. national security, (2) ensure public safety, or (3) assist or facilitate actions taken by a federal or state law enforcement agency.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2014
Freeing Americans from Inequitable Requirements Act of 2014 or the FAIR Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the individual mandate to purchase health care coverage, to delay such requirement from taking effect until the Secretary of the Treasury submits to Congress a certification that the employer mandate to provide health care coverage for employees is being applied and administered without any administratively created exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: states and local educational agencies should maintain the right and responsibility of determining educational curricula, programs of instruction, and assessments for elementary and secondary education; the federal government should not incentivize the adoption of common education standards or the creation of a national assessment to align with such standards; and no application process for any federal grant funds or waivers issued by the Secretary of Education under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 should award any additional points, or provide any preference, for the adoption of the Common Core State Standards or any other national common education standards.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2014
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a bona fide volunteer providing firefighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services to a state or local government or a tax-exempt organization shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for purposes of the employer mandate to provide health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Expresses support for the goals of Catholic Schools Week, an event cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and established to recognize the vital contributions of the thousands of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in this country. Applauds the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on their selection of a theme that all can celebrate.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2014
Generating Real Opportunities for Workers and Transitional Help Act or GROWTH Act - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to declare that nothing in the Act shall prevent the commencement or continued payment of first-tier emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) to the extent that it: represents amounts established in an applicant's EUC account (EUCA); and is payable for a week ending on or before January 1, 2015. (Thus provides for a 12-month extension of EUC.) Revises the formula for crediting Tier-1 amounts to an applicant's EUCA to include a week ending after January 1, 2014. Decreases the percentages in the formula (the lesser of which shall be the amount credited): (1) from 80% to 54% of the total amount of regular compensation (including dependents' allowances) payable to the individual during the benefit year, and (2) from 20 to 14 times the individual's average weekly benefit amount for the benefit year. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer necessary amounts from the Treasury general fund to the EUC account to make payments to states for this extension of EUC. Makes a change in application of a certain requirement (nonreduction rule) to a state that has entered a federal-state EUC agreement, under which the federal government would reimburse the state's unemployment compensation agency making EUC payments to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment compensation under state or federal law and meet specified other criteria. (Under the nonreduction rule such an agreement does not apply with respect to a state whose method for computing regular unemployment compensation under state law has been modified to make the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010, less than what would have been paid before June 2, 2010.) Declares that the nonreduction rule shall not apply to a state which has enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. Allows a state whose agreement was terminated, however, to enter into a subsequent federal-state EUC agreement on or after enactment of this Act if, taking into account this inapplicability of the nonreduction rule, it would otherwise meet the requirements for an EUC agreement. (Thus allows such a subsequent EUC agreement to permit payment of less than the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010.) Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, for FY2014-FY2023, to use any available discretionary appropriations to conduct in-person reemployment and unemployment insurance eligibility assessments for unemployment insurance beneficiaries. Specifies limits in such amount for each fiscal year. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to repeal the excise tax on medical devices. Declares that no presidential permit shall be required for a specified application filed on May 4, 2012, by TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline, L.P., to the Department of State for the Keystone XL pipeline, as supplemented to include the Nebraska reroute featured in the Final Evaluation Report issued by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality in January 2013 and approved by the Nebraska governor. Considers the final environmental impact statement regarding the pipeline issued by the Secretary of State on August 26, 2011, coupled with the Final Evaluation Report, to satisfy all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Amends the IRC, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to redefine "full-time employee," for purposes of the mandate requiring employers to provide health care coverage for their employees, as an employee who is employed on average at least 40 hours of service a week (currently, at least 30 hours of service a week). Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to declare that for any month that an individual is entitled to unemployment compensation (UC) he or she shall be deemed to have engaged in substantial gainful activity and so be disqualified from receiving Social Security disability benefits after a certain period has elapsed. States that, for purposes of determining services rendered by an individual during a period of trial work which will not disqualify the individual for disability benefits, the individual shall be deemed to have rendered services in a month if he or she is entitled to UC or trade adjustment assistance for that month. Amends the IRC to require taxpayers who are claiming the refundable portion of the child tax credit to include their Social Security numbers on their tax returns..
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2014
Sound Regulation Act of 2014 - Establishes additional requirements for rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), including: identification by a federal agency, in the context of a coherent conceptual framework and supported with objective data, of the nature and significance of the market failure, regulatory failure, or other problem that necessitates regulatory action and why other alternatives, such as market forces or state or local regulations, could not address the problem better than federal regulation; establishment by an agency of an achievable objective for its regulatory action; development of at least three regulatory options, in addition to not regulating, that the agency estimates will provide the greatest benefits for the least cost in meeting the regulatory objective; an estimate by each agency of the costs and benefits of each regulatory option developed, at least to the extent the agency is able to exclude options whose costs exceed their benefits, and rank such options by cost from lowest to highest; publication for public comment of all analyses, documentation, and data relating to the requirements of this Act for a public comment period of at least 30 days; establishment, by rule, of the specific cost-benefit analysis methodology appropriate to the functions and responsibilities of the agency and establishment of an appropriate period for review of new rules to assess their cost-effectiveness; and justification of why the agency does not select the least-cost regulatory option as its proposed rule. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO), for purposes of congressional review, to examine and report on: (1) each agency cost-benefit analysis for compliance with the requirements of this Act, including the agency methodology for such analysis; (2) risk analysis pertaining to the cost-benefit analysis; and (3) agency quadrennial regulatory reviews for consistency with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2014
Intelligence Budget Transparency Act of 2014 - Requires the President's annual federal budget submission to include the total dollar amount proposed for intelligence or intelligence related activities of each element of the government engaged in such activities in the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and the estimated appropriation required for each of the ensuing four fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Electricity Security and Affordability Act - Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing, implementing, or enforcing any proposed or final rule under the Clean Air Act that establishes a performance standard for greenhouse gas emissions from any new source that is a fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating unit unless the rule meets specified requirements of this Act. Requires the Administrator to separate sources fueled with coal and natural gas into separate categories. Prohibits the Administrator, however, from setting a standard based on the best system of emission reduction for new sources within the coal category unless it has been achieved on average for at least one continuous 12-month period (excluding planned outages) by each of at least 6 units within the category. Requires each such unit to: (1) be located at a different electric generating station in the United States, (2) be representative of the operating characteristics of electric generation at its location, and (3) be operated for the entire 12-month period on a full commercial basis. Prohibits the use of any results obtained from a demonstration project in setting the standard. Requires the Administrator, in separating sources fueled with coal into a separate category, to establish a separate subcategory for new sources that are fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units using coal with an average heat content of 8300 or less British Thermal Units (BTUs) per pound. Prohibits the Administrator, in issuing any rule establishing performance standards for greenhouse gas emissions from new sources in such subcategory, from setting a standard based on the best system of emission reduction unless the standard has been achieved on average for at least one continuous 12-month period (excluding planned outages) by each of at least 3 units within such subcategory that meets the unit requirements specified by this Act for the coal category. Precludes from taking effect, unless a federal law is enacted specifying an effective date, any EPA rule or guideline that: (1) establishes any performance standard for greenhouse gas emissions from a modified or reconstructed source that is a fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating unit, or (2) applies to greenhouse gas emissions from such an existing source. Nullifies the force and effect of specified proposed rules (or similar successor proposed or final rules) for Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions for New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units that are issued before enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
State Marriage Defense Act of 2014 - Prohibits, in determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of U.S. administrative bureaus and agencies, as applied with respect to individuals domiciled in a state or in any other territory or possession of the United States: (1) the term "marriage" from including any relationship that the state, territory, or possession does not recognize as a marriage; and (2) the term "spouse" from including an individual who is a party to a relationship that is not recognized as a marriage by that state, territory, or possession.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Recognizes the importance of Christmas symbols and traditions. Disapproves of attempts to ban references to Christmas. Expresses support for the use of these symbols and traditions by those who celebrate Christmas.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Requires the House of Representatives to bring a civil action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for declaratory or injunctive relief to challenge any of the following policies or actions: the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy that, for health insurance coverage that is renewed for a policy year between January 1, 2014, and October 1, 2014, health insurance issuers may continue to offer coverage that would otherwise be terminated or cancelled for noncompliance with various requirements of title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act (relating to health insurance coverage, individual group market reforms, and general reforms) and corresponding portions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and the Internal Revenue Code, as announced by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services on November 14, 2013; the one-year delay in the application of the reporting requirements of the Code (and its related requirements with respect to shared responsibility for employers regarding health coverage), as provided under Department of the Treasury Notice 2013-45, as announced by the Department on July 2, 2013; the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy to exercise prosecutorial discretion for individuals who came to the United States as children, as announced by DHS on June 15, 2012; and the authorization, approval, renewal, modification, or extension of any experimental, pilot, or demonstration project under the Social Security Act (SSA) that waives compliance with any of its mandatory work requirements through a waiver of SSA state family assistance plan requirements. Derives any amounts obligated or expended by the House to carry out this resolution during a fiscal year from existing appropriations for House salaries and expenses for that fiscal year. Provides that nothing in this resolution may be construed as authorizing an increase in the amount of budget authority available to the House for that fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Directs the United States to: (1) take all necessary and appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the residents of Camp Liberty/Hurriya in Iraq; (2) provide all necessary and appropriate assistance to the United Nations (U.N.) High Commissioner for Refugees to process refugee applications by the residents of Camp Liberty/Hurriya and to secure their safe resettlement outside of Iraq; and (3) admit the residents of Camp Liberty/Hurriya as refugees in the United States and not delay or bar such resettlement because any such resident is or has been a member of, or supports or has supported, organizations or groups that were subject to the Secretary of State's decision of September 21, 2012. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress on U.S. efforts to guard the safety of Camp Liberty/Hurriya residents and secure their orderly resettlement.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
General Aviation Pilot Protection Act of 2013 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue or revise FAA medical certification regulations to ensure that an individual may operate as a pilot of a covered aircraft without regard to any medical certification or proof of health requirement otherwise applicable under federal law if the flight meets certain criteria and the individual: (1) possesses a valid state driver's license, (2) complies with applicable medical requirements associated with that license, (3) is transporting five or fewer passengers, and (4) is operating under visual flight rules. Defines "covered aircraft" as an aircraft that: (1) is not authorized under federal law to carry more than six occupants, and (2) has a maximum certificated takeoff weight of no more than 6,000 pounds.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
Military Land and National Defense Act or the Military LAND Act - Amends the National Historic Preservation Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to notify the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources if a property owned by the federal government is being considered for inclusion on the National Register, for designation as a National Historic Landmark, or for nomination to the World Heritage List. Prohibits such inclusion or designation of federal property if the head of any federal agency managing such property objects to such inclusion or designation for national security reasons.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a qualified emergency services volunteer shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for the purpose of shared responsibility requirements for employers with respect to health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Defines "qualified emergency services volunteer" as a bona fide volunteer performing fire fighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to increase by 10% the required state matching funds for certain newly eligible individuals under the Medicaid program who, as of January 1, 2014, are under age 65, not pregnant, not entitled to or enrolled for benefits under SSA title XVIII (Medicare), and whose income does not exceed 133% of the poverty line for a family of the size involved. Directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to increase the discretionary spending limit under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) for the security category by $20 billion for FY2014 and then to increase the security and nonsecurity categories for that fiscal year each by half of the remaining estimated reduction in new budget authority resulting from enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Family Cord Blood Banking Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat the cost of private umbilical cord blood banking services as a medical care expense for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
States that it is U.S. policy to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. Calls on the Senate to take immediate action on the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013 to increase sanctions against Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2013
Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 to prescribe whistleblower protections that prohibit a labor organization from discriminating against any of its employees who has: (1) provided information to the labor organization, the Department of Labor, or any other state, local, or federal government authority or law enforcement agency regarding any violation of the Act or any Department or National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) order; (2) testified in any Department or NLRB administrative or enforcement proceeding; (3) filed or instituted any such proceeding; or (4) refused to perform an assigned task that the employee reasonably believed to be in violation of any law, order, or prohibition enforced by the Department or the NLRB. Prescribes procedures for filing and processing complaints for violations of this Act. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) limit employees to remove elected or appointed union officials through a democratic election; or (2) preempt a state or local government from providing additional protections to such employees who allege a violation, provided such protections do not limit the ability of those employees to remove such officials through a democratic ballot.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Protecting Education Privacy Act - Amends provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 that prohibit the Department of Education from funding educational agencies or institutions that release student educational records (or personally identifiable information other than certain directory information) to any individual, agency, or organization without written parental consent. Expands the list of individuals exempt from such prohibitions (thereby permitting the educational agencies or institutions participating in a Department of Education program to release records or identifiable information to such individuals without parental consent) to include authorized representatives of local educational authorities. Defines "authorized representative," for purposes of determining the individuals authorized to access student records in specified circumstances, as an individual who is: (1) designated by the Comptroller General (GAO), Secretary of Education, or state or local educational authorities; and (2) under the direct control, as a contractor or employee, of such officials. Prohibits students' educational records or personally identifiable information from being: (1) released by an authorized representative to any individual, agency, or organization, other than the official who has direct control over such representative; or (2) shared, without the written parental consent, for the development of commercial products or services. Repeals Department of Education regulations that define "authorized representative," "early childhood education program," and "education program." Prohibits the Secretary from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that defines such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Show Your Exemption Act - Requires the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives and the Financial Clerk of the Senate to make publicly available the determinations of each Member of the House of Representatives and each Senator regarding the designation of their congressional staff (including leadership and committee staff) as "official" for purposes of requiring such staff to enroll in health insurance coverage provided through a health benefit exchange as required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Requires the failure to designate any staff as "official" to be noted in the determination along with a statement that such failure permits the staff involved to remain in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Disapproves the President's: (1) failure to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed," as required by the Constitution, and (2) usurpation of the legislative power of Congress through the rewriting of key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Reaffirms that the preservation of the Constitution's separation of powers is essential for the protection of individual liberty and the maintenance of the rule of law.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose an additional penalty of $5,000 on any person or entity convicted of crimes relating to: (1) peonage, slavery, and trafficking in persons; (2) sexual abuse; (3) sexual exploitation and other abuse of children; (4) transportation for illegal sexual activity; or (5) human smuggling in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Establishes in the Treasury the Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund into which such penalties shall be deposited and which shall be used in FY2015-FY2019 to award grants or enhance victims' programming under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, and the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990. Allots funds to provide services for child pornography victims. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make a determination, based on credible evidence, that a covered individual (i.e., a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident) has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 to authorize the Attorney General to award block grants to develop, improve, or expand comprehensive domestic child trafficking deterrence programs to rescue and restore the lives of trafficking victims, while investigating and prosecuting offenses involving child trafficking. Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to include human trafficking and the production of child pornography within the definition of child abuse for purposes of such Act. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) increase restitution for victims of human trafficking; (2) set forth provisions for combating aggravated human trafficking racketeering; (3) allow state and local prosecutors to obtain wiretap warrants in state courts for investigations into human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and child pornography production; (4) increase penalties for offenses involving enticement into slavery, sex trafficking of children, child exploitation, and repeat sex offenders; and (5) revise the definition of the crime of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct to facilitate prosecutions of such crime. Directs the Attorney General to ensure that all task forces and working groups within the Innocence Lost National Initiative engage in activities, programs, or operations to increase the investigative capabilities of law enforcement personnel in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of persons who patronize or solicit children for sex. Requires the Attorney General to audit grants awarded under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005. Imposes limits on the use of Department of Justice (DOJ) funds for DOJ conferences involving more than $20,000.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Obamacare Taxpayer Bailout Prevention Act - Repeals the provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and administer a program of risk corridors for calendar years 2014, 2015, and 2016 under which a qualified health plan offered in the individual or small group market is required to participate in a payment adjustment system based on the ratio of the allowable costs of the plan to the plan's aggregate premiums.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Adoption Promotion Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that any pregnancy options counseling funded through training grants for personnel to carry out family planning service programs under such Act: (1) includes adoption counseling, and (2) is provided by individuals who are licensed social workers or counselors in the states in which they practice and who have knowledge and experience in adoption practice. Requires that any training provided to an individual with respect to family planning include training on the adoption process. Requires research in the biomedical, contraceptive development, behavioral, and program implementation fields related to family planning and population funded under such Act to include: (1) the collection of data on the number of pregnancy tests administered to individuals served by family planning service programs and the results of those tests; and (2) the evaluation of the quality, consistency, and outcomes of pregnancy options counseling.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2013
Recognizes the suffering of Indian citizens who have been victims of religious violence. Calls for religious freedom and related human rights to be included in the United States-India Strategic Dialogue and for such issues to be raised directly with federal and state Indian government officials. Declares that the House of Representatives shares the opinion of the Department of State and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom that the Gujarat government has not adequately pursued justice for the victims of religious violence in 2002 and expresses concern regarding reports about the complicity of local officials. Commends the U.S. government for exercising its authority in 2005 under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to deny a U.S. visa to Narendra Modi on the grounds of religious freedom violations, and encourages it to review the applications of any individuals implicated in such violations under the same standard. Commends the role of India's National Human Rights Commission and the Indian Supreme Court, which has led to some convictions in Gujarat riot cases and the arrest of high-level leaders in the Gujarati administration. Calls on India to: (1) increase training on human rights and religious freedom standards and practices for police and the judiciary; and (2) empower the National Commission on Minorities with enforcement mechanisms. Calls on Gujarat and other Indian states with anti-conversion laws to repeal such legislation and ensure freedom to practice, propagate, and profess religion as enshrined in the Indian constitution. Encourages the establishment of an impartial body of interfaith religious leaders, human rights advocates, legal experts, and government officials to discuss and recommend actions to promote religious tolerance and understanding. Urges all political parties and religious organizations to publicly oppose the exploitation of religious differences and denounce harassment and violence against religious minorities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Repeals the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution and declares that Congress shall have no power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, except in time of war declared by Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Employee Rights Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to make it an unlawful labor practice for a labor organization or its agents to interfere with the rights of employees to organize and select representation to collectively bargain. Adds a requirement that representatives be selected by secret ballot in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by a majority of the employees in a unit. Defines "majority" for purposes of determining the majority of employees in an election to mean the majority of all employees in the unit, and not the majority of employees voting in the election. Requires the NLRB, in cases where an existing certified or voluntarily recognized bargaining unit experiences turnover, expansion, or alteration by merger of more than 50% of the unit's employees, to conduct a secret paper ballot among the unit employees: (1) between the 120th day and 110th day before the collective bargaining agreement's expiration or before the end of three years, if there is an agreement between the labor organization and the employer; or (2) within 30 days, if there is no agreement between such parties. Requires the NLRB to decide, before the election of a labor organization as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of all employees of an appropriate unit, whether such unit shall be the employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or subdivision unit. Requires the NLRB to give 14 days advance notice before a hearing when it is investigating an election petition if it has reasonable cause to believe that a question of representation affecting commerce exists. Revises the requirement that the NLRB direct an election by secret ballot, and certify its results, whenever it finds upon the record of such a hearing that a question of representation exists. Adds a requirement that the NLRB also review all post-hearing appeals before finding that such a question exists. Requires an employer to provide the NLRB a list consisting only of employee names and home addresses of all eligible voters within 7 days after an NLRB determination of the appropriate unit or following any agreement between the employer and the labor organization regarding eligible voters. Prohibits an election after the filing of a petition unless and until: (1) a hearing is conducted before a qualified hearing officer on any and all material, factual issues regarding jurisdiction, statutory coverage, appropriate unit, unit inclusion or exclusion, or eligibility of individuals; and (2) the issues are resolved by a regional Director, subject to appeal and review, or by the NLRB. Declares that election results shall not be final nor any labor organization be certified as a bargaining representative unless the NLRB has ruled on: (1) each pre-election issue not resolved before the election; and (2) the NLRB conducts a hearing and resolves each issue pertaining to the conduct or results of the election. Makes any labor organization found to have interfered with, restrained, or coerced employees in the exercise of their rights to form or join a labor organization or to refrain from forming or joining (including the filing of a decertification petition) liable for lost wages and unlawfully collected union dues and fees, if any, and an additional amount as liquated damages. Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act) to permit an election by secret ballot to be conducted through votes cast by electronic ballot cast in the privacy of a voting booth. Requires every employee in a bargaining unit represented by a labor organization, regardless of membership status, to have the same right as members to vote by secret ballot to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with, or to engage in, a strike or refusal to work of any kind against their employer. Prohibits the use of an employee's union dues for any purpose not directly related to the labor organization's collective bargaining, unless that employee authorizes such expenditure in writing. Prohibits a strike without the consent of a majority of all unit employees affected, determined by a secret ballot vote conducted by a neutral, private organization chosen by agreement between the employer and the labor organization. Requires each labor organization to make the independently verified annual audit report of its financial condition and operations available to all of its members and represented nonmembers. Makes it unlawful for a person to use force or violence, or threaten the use of force or violence, to restrain, coerce, or intimidate a person, or attempt to, in order to obtain from any person any right to represent employees, compensation, or other term or condition of employment. Subjects persons who willfully violate such prohibitions to both civil and criminal penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Support Earned Recognition for Veterans Act or the SERV Act - Excludes from the definitions of "active duty," "active duty for training," and "inactive duty training," for veteran benefit or employment preference purposes, any service performed at a preparatory school of a service academy by a student who is not otherwise a member of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2013
Health Insurance Freedom Act of 2013 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), with respect to the definition of a qualified health plan, to allow a health insurance issuer to offer coverage that: (1) provides the essential health benefits package required of a qualified health plan other than the minimum benefits required under the essential benefits and level of coverage requirements, and (2) meets federal and state benefit requirements as otherwise applied as of October 1, 2013, in the state in which the coverage is offered. Makes such coverage ineligible: (1) for the premium assistance income tax credit or PPACA cost-sharing reductions; and (2) to be treated as a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum plan or be taken into account for purposes of determining the applicable second lowest cost silver plan. Makes this Act's amendments effective as if they were included in the enactment of PPACA.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Critical Infrastructure Protection Act or CIPA - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Assistant Secretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate to: (1) include in national planning scenarios the threat of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) events; and (2) conduct a campaign to proactively educate owners and operators of critical infrastructure, emergency planners, and emergency responders at all levels of government of the threat of EMP events. Directs the Under Secretary for Science and Technology to conduct research and development to mitigate the consequences of EMP events, including: (1) an objective scientific analysis of the risks to critical infrastructures from a range of EMP events; (2) determination of the critical national security assets and vital civic utilities and infrastructures that are at risk from EMP events; (3) an evaluation of emergency planning and response technologies that would address the findings and recommendations of experts, including those of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack; (4) an analysis of available technology options to improve the resiliency of critical infrastructure to EMP; and (5) the restoration and recovery capabilities of critical infrastructure under differing levels of damage and disruption from various EMP events. Includes among the responsibilities of the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) relating to intelligence and analysis and infrastructure protection to prepare and submit to specified congressional committees: (1) a comprehensive plan to protect and prepare the critical infrastructure of the American homeland against EMP events, including from acts of terrorism; and (2) biennial updates of such plan.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Prohibits any change from being made to the oaths required for appointment to an office in the civil service or uniformed services, enlistment in the Armed Forces or National Guard, or admission to a U.S. military service academy, except by an Act of or authorization by Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
If You Like Your Health Plan, You Can Keep it Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to prohibit anything in the Act from being construed to require an individual to terminate coverage under a group health plan or health insurance coverage in which the individual was enrolled during any part of the period beginning on the date of enactment of PPACA (March 23, 2010) and ending on December 31, 2013. Allows: (1) continuation of coverage under a group health plan or health insurance in which an individual was enrolled during any part of such period, regardless of whether the individual renews such coverage; (2) family members of the individual to join coverage under such a plan that is renewed; (3) new employees to join a group health plan that provides coverage during any part of such period; and (4) continuation of coverage maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that was ratified before the end of such period.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
True Understanding of the Economy and Safety Act or TRUE Safety Act - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO), after the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports to Congress on an hours of service field study, to assess the methodology followed by the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) in carrying out the efficacy of the restart rule ("Hours of Service of Drivers") published on December 27, 2011, which applies to operators of commercial motor vehicles of property subject to maximum DOT driving time requirements. Requires the assessment to evaluate the extent to which that methodology meets the requirements of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) that: (1) the data collected is representative of the drivers subject to the restart rule, (2) the methodology is statistically valid, and (3) the study followed the FMCSA plan for the "Scheduling and Fatigue Recovery Project." Directs GAO to assess the Regulatory Impact Analysis that accompanied the final 2011 restart rule. Nullifies the 2011 restart rule until six months after the study report required by this Act has been submitted to Congress. Prohibits the Secretary from applying the restart rule if the conclusions of the field study completed pursuant to MAP-21 do not support or concur with the conclusions of the laboratory study on which the rule was based.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013 - Permits a health insurance issuer that has in effect health insurance coverage in the individual market as of January 1, 2013, to continue offering such coverage for sale during 2014 outside of a health care exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Treats such coverage as a grandfathered health plan for purposes of an individual meeting the requirement to maintain minimum essential health coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Delay Until Fully Functional Act of 2013 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) determine whether health care exchanges and all other point of enrollment options are fully functional and operating in a manner consistent with the role envisioned under the Act and report study results to Congress, and (2) conduct subsequent studies every 60 days until the Comptroller General determines that exchanges are fully functional and operating in such manner. Delays the effective date of the penalty for failure to maintain minimum essential coverage to apply the requirements to taxable years beginning six months after the date on which the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) certifies to Congress the results of the GAO determination that exchanges are operating successfully. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the penalty an individual who is unable to enroll in a qualified health plan because of the technical or customer service issues of an exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Clean Campaign Contributions Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 with respect to the use of campaign contributions to: (1) apply the prohibition against the conversion to personal use of contributions accepted by candidates also to contributions accepted by political committees; and (2) allow the use of contributions accepted by political committees for authorized expenditures in connection with political activities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Obamacare Choice Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to delay until 2015 the requirement that individuals maintain minimal essential health care coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Lacey Act Paperwork Reduction Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to require any person, upon importation of any plant, to possess and have available for inspection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) a declaration that contains: (1) the scientific name of any plant (including the genus and species of the plant) contained in the importation; and (2) a description of the declared value of the plant or the merchandise containing the plant, the quantity of the plant, and the name of the country from which the plant was taken. (Currently, a person is required to file such a declaration that describes the value of the importation.) Revises the rulemaking procedure applicable to such importation to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the USFWS and in consultation with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, to issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) distinguish among different species; and (2) limit the applicability of the Act to a particular class or type of species if the Secretary determines that application of this Act would not be feasible, practicable, or effective.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) allow licensed firearms importers, manufacturers, dealers, or collectors (licensees) to sell or deliver any firearm (currently, rifles or shotguns) to a resident of a state other than the state in which the licensee is located or temporarily located if the licensee meets with the purchaser to complete the sale or delivery and the transaction complies with the laws of the state in which the transfer is conducted and the purchaser's state of residence; and (2) eliminate the requirement that a licensee must conduct business at a gun show only in the state that is specified on the licensee's license. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition: (1) between licensed firearms dealers at any location in any state; or (2) by a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to an unlicensed person at a temporary location in any state. Amends definitions for federal firearms provisions to: (1) revise the definition of a "member of the Armed Forces on active duty" to include a member (or member's spouse) who is a resident of the state in which such person maintains legal residence or in which the member maintains a place of abode from which the member commutes each day to the permanent duty station; and (2) provide that an officer or employee of the United States (other than a member of the Armed Forces) stationed outside the United States for a period exceeding one year, or a spouse residing with such an officer or employee, is a resident of the state in which the person maintains legal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Taxpayer Transparency Act of 2013 - Requires each communication funded by a federal agency for advertising or educational purposes to clearly state: (1) in the case of a printed communication, including mass mailings, signs, and billboards, that the communication is printed and published at taxpayer expense; and (2) in the case of a communication transmitted through radio, television, or the Internet, that the communication is produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense. Requires any such printed communication, including e-mails, to be of sufficient size to be clearly readable, to be set apart from the other contents of the communication, and to be printed with a reasonable degree of color contrast between the background and the printed statement. Exempts from such requirements: (1) information in a solicitation for offers for a federal contract; and (2) advertisements for employment opportunities, not including advertising materials developed for use in recruiting and retaining personnel for the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2013
Security Before Access Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to patient navigator services, to require recipients of grants for the development and operation of demonstration programs to implement procedures developed under this Act to protect the privacy of personally identifiable information (PII). Requires procedures specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to include at least those that: require for access to PII relating to an individual the express written consent of that individual; condition access by a certified application counselor, health insurance navigator, or non-navigator assistance personnel upon a criminal background and fingerprint check; and require the meeting of educational and licensure requirements that are identical or comparable to those currently applicable to health insurance agents and brokers within the state in which they seek to assist consumers. Prohibits a grant recipient from collecting PII until the Comptroller General (GAO) certifies to Congress that HHS and any other relevant federal agencies have implemented all appropriate and necessary actions to safeguard the information of individuals seeking enrollment in a health plan through a health insurance Exchange and to protect them from fraud and abuse. Provides procedures for development of guidance concerning liability, determinations of liable parties, and determinations of whether entities described in this Act are required to obtain professional liability coverage. Imposes criminal penalties for unauthorized access, including under the Internal Revenue Code in cases involving consumer tax return information. Requires the Secretary to permanently disqualify an individual with a criminal background or otherwise in violation of this Act from any further involvement in consumer assistance activities required under the patient navigator provisions or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Allows the disqualification and rescission of federal and Exchange-generated funds from the entity that employs or contracts with such an individual. Relieves consumers from responsibility for failure to meet a requirement under PPACA for obtaining qualified health insurance coverage through an Exchange unless the Secretary has demonstrated with reasonable certainty that effective and comprehensive PII protection is in place prior to any consumer disclosure for health insurance enrollment purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2013
United States-Iran Nuclear Negotiations Act - States that it is the policy of Congress that it is in the national security interest of the United States and its allies and partners to ensure that Iran: (1) halts all uranium enrichment and identifies all enrichment sites, (2) removes and transfers to a third party under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) all uranium enriched to a 20% and higher threshold, (3) closes the Fordow uranium enrichment facility, and (4) ceases developing reactors capable of producing plutonium and the importation and domestic manufacturing of all centrifuges for enriching uranium. Expresses the sense of Congress that if these objectives are met it shall be U.S. policy to enter into a negotiated settlement regarding nuclear activities in Iran. Declares that the United States is capable, willing, and ready to use military force to prevent Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapons capability. Acknowledges that this Act constitutes current consultation with the President on Iran in order to provide for application of all options to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability and provides consent to the appropriate use of force against legitimate targets in Iran to: (1) uphold and implement all relevant United Nations (U.N.) Security Council resolutions regarding Iran's nuclear program, (2) deter Iran's development of nuclear weapons in order to protect the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners, and (3) degrade Iran's capacity to develop such weapons in the future. States that, if any business, firm, or entity has not terminated the provision of goods, services, or technology in Iran or with any Iranian-controlled entity, the President may: (1) prohibit that business, firm, or entity from receiving any U.S. government contract or accessing U.S. capital markets; and (2) in the case of a business, firm, or entity that is a foreign financial institution, prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or payable-through account.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2013
Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2013 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with respect to abortion coverage in qualified plans offered through a Health Benefit Exchange, to modify the notice rules to require that: in the case of services regarding abortions both for which public funding is prohibited and allowed, the extent of coverage shall be prominently displayed in any marketing or advertising materials, comparison tools, or summary of benefits and coverage explanation made available by the issuer of the plan, by an Exchange, or by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), including information made available through an Internet portal or Exchange; and in the case of abortions for which public funding is prohibited and where the premium for the plan is disclosed, the surcharge attributable to such services, consisting of an amount equal to the actuarial value of the coverage, shall be disclosed and identified separately.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2013
Appropriates for FY2014, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2014 are not in effect, such sums as are necessary, at a rate for operations as provided in the applicable appropriations Acts for FY2013 and under the authority and conditions provided in such Acts, to administer and furnish the compensation, pension benefits, readjustment benefits, insurance and indemnities, housing benefits, and vocational rehabilitation benefits provided for under federal veterans' benefits laws. Requires the appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant to this Act to remain available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment of an appropriation (including a continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are made available in this Act, (2) enactment of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any appropriation for such purpose, or (3) January 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2013
Safe Military Bases Act - Repeals: (1) Army Regulation 190-14, entitled "Carrying of Firearms and Use of Force for Law Enforcement and Security Duties"; and (2) Department of Defense Directive Number 5210.56, entitled "Use of Deadly Force and the Carrying of Firearms by DOD Personnel Engaged in Law Enforcement and Security Duties." Nullifies any provision in any other law, rule, regulation, or executive order that prohibits military personnel trained in firearms from carrying officially issued or personally owned firearms on military bases. Prohibits: (1) the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretaries of the military departments from reinstating the firearm bans repealed in this Act or enacting similar restrictions; and (2) the President from taking any executive action, promulgating any rule, or issuing any executive order or regulation to prohibit military personnel from carrying firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2013
Health Care Regulator Accountability Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to prohibit the federal government from making any health care plan available to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or any other federal executive agency employees responsible for the administration of the Act except a health plan created under it or offered through an American Health Benefit Exchange. Prohibits the Secretary of HHS, the IRS Director, and the head of any other agency involved in promulgating rules or regulations to carry out or to enforce PPACA, or any amendments made by it, from obligating or expending, in any fiscal year, more than 90% of the funds made available for the salaries and expenses of their offices unless those regulations are promulgated and take effect before the fiscal year's close. Requires rescission of any amounts which remain precluded from obligation or expenditure on that last day of the fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Marriage and Religious Freedom Act - Prohibits the federal government from taking an adverse action against a person on the basis that such person acts in accordance with a religious belief that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. Defines "adverse action" as any federal government action to discriminate against such person, including: (1) denying or revoking certain tax exemptions or disallowing a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person; (2) denying or excluding such person from receiving any federal grant, contract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status; or (3) denying or withholding any benefit under a federal benefit program. Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government. Authorizes the Attorney General (DOJ) to bring actions to enforce this Act. Specifies that the term "person" includes any person regardless of religious affiliation, as well as corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.
![Official portrait of Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/117_rp_md_1_harris_andy_200.jpg)