United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority Act This bill amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to direct the Department of Commerce to establish a Gulf States Red Snapper Management Authority (GSRSMA) that consists of the principal fisheries manager of each of the five Gulf of Mexico coastal states: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The GSRSMA must: establish a deadline for each Gulf coastal state to submit to the GSRSMA a fishery management plan for the long-term sustainability of Gulf of Mexico red snapper, review those plans and approve them if they meet the requirements of this bill, provide standards for each Gulf coastal state to use in developing fishery management measures to sustainably manage the Gulf of Mexico red snapper in the coastal waters adjacent to the state, and provide an opportunity for public participation before approving a plan. For three years, Commerce must continue to manage the commercial sector of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery in coordination with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. The bill establishes a plan certification process. After the three-year period and once a plan is certified, Commerce must transfer management of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper to the GSRSMA. Each Gulf coastal state must then implement and enforce approved plans for the fishery in the coastal waters adjacent to it. If the Gulf of Mexico red snapper in the coastal waters adjacent to a Gulf coastal state is experiencing overfishing or is subject to a rebuilding plan, the state must certify to the GSRSMA that it has implemented the necessary measures to end overfishing or rebuild the fishery and has implemented a harvest monitoring program. A process is established for closing a red snapper fishery within the waters adjacent to the state territorial waters of the Gulf coastal state if those measures have not been implemented. Commerce must provide all federal funding to the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission for all necessary stock assessments, research, and management for the red snapper fishery. The Commission shall be responsible for administering federal funds to each of the Gulf coastal states for management of the fishery.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Commemorative Coins Reform Act of 2015 This bill prohibits surcharges generated by the sale of any numismatic item or commemorative coin program from being paid to a non-federal organization, except with respect to sales and production costs. Surcharges must be used to recover all numismatic operation and program costs allocable to the program under which a numismatic item is produced and sold. Any excess surcharges must be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury for deficit reduction purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Expresses disapproval of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed to by the P5+1 and Iran on July 14, 2015. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to: (1) prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, and (2) encourage global stability and security by strongly supporting strategic regional allies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Merchant Marine of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal to the U.S. Merchant Marine of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated and vital service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Establishing Mandatory Minimums for Illegal Reentry Act of 2015 or Kate's Law This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase penalties applicable to aliens who unlawfully reenter the United States after being removed.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: allow taxpayers who are liable for not more than $50,000 per year in excise taxes on distilled spirits, wine, or beer to file and pay such taxes quarterly without the requirement of posting a bond covering the operations and withdrawals of such distilled spirits, wines, or beer; allow such taxpayers who reasonably expect to have a tax liability of not more than $1,000 per year and who were liable for not more than $1,000 in taxes in the preceding calendar year to file and pay such taxes annually rather than quarterly; exclude the aging period from the production period for beer, wine, or distilled spirits for purposes of determining whether a taxpayer can expense, rather than capitalize, interest costs paid or incurred during the production period; reduce excise tax rates on beer, wine, and distilled spirits produced in the United States; permit the transfer of beer between bonded facilities without payment of tax; modify the definition of "hard cider" for excise tax purposes; and exempt home distillery establishments that produce distilled spirits solely for personal or family use from excise tax and bonding requirements. Directs the Department of the Treasury to amend applicable Treasury regulations with respect to the use of wholesome products suitable for human consumption in the production of fermented beverages. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to establish funding levels in FY2016-FY2021 for the enforcement and compliance activities of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2015
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Act of 2015 Redesignates the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in the state of Georgia as the "Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park." Replaces the current boundary map with a map of a proposed boundary revision dated June 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015
First Amendment Defense Act Prohibits the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction 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 "discriminatory action" as any federal government action to discriminate against a person with such beliefs or convictions, including a federal government action to: alter the federal tax treatment of, cause any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or deny, delay, or revoke certain tax exemptions of any such person; disallow a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person; withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any federal grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status from or to such person; or withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any benefit under a federal benefit program. Requires the federal government to consider to be accredited, licensed, or certified for purposes of federal law any person who would be accredited, licensed, or certified for such purposes but for a determination that the person believes or acts in accordance with such a religious belief or moral conviction. Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action to enforce this Act against the Government Accountability Office or an establishment in the executive branch, other than the U.S. Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, that is not an executive department, military department, or government corporation. Defines "person" as any person regardless of religious affiliation, including corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2015
Tracking Reoffending Alien Criminals Act of 2015 or the TRAC Act of 2015 This bill amends the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act to require the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that unlawfully present alien sex offenders in removal proceedings or with final orders for removal register as sex offenders as required under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, half-dollar clad, and proof silver coins in recognition and celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon. Treasury may issue coins minted under this Act for only a one-year period, beginning January 1, 2019. All sales of coins minted under this Act shall include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, $5 per half-dollar clad coin, and $50 per proof silver coin. All of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins shall be paid as follows: one-half to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum's "Destination Moon" exhibit; one-quarter to the Astronauts Memorial Foundation; and one-quarter to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, to aid its missions by providing college scholarships for the very best and brightest students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015
Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act Amends the federal criminal code to modify the definition of "armor piercing ammunition" for purposes of federal firearms provisions to: (1) include a projectile that is designed and intended by the manufacturer or importer for use in a handgun (currently, a projectile that may be used in a handgun); (2) repeal the exclusion of a projectile that the Attorney General finds is primarily intended for sporting purposes; and (3) exclude a projectile that is primarily intended by the manufacturer or importer to be used in a rifle or shotgun and a handgun projectile that is designed and intended by the manufacturer or importer to be used for hunting, recreational, or competitive shooting. Repeals a prohibition on assembling from imported parts a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun that is identical to one prohibited from importation as not being suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes. Repeals the condition that in order for a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to be permitted to ship to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty outside the United States or to clubs whose entire membership is composed of such members, and for such members or clubs to be permitted to receive, a firearm or ammunition intended for the lawful personal use of such members or club, the firearm or ammunition must be determined by the Attorney General to be generally recognized as particularly suitable for sporting purposes. Includes among the categories of firearms or ammunition that may be authorized for importation into the United States by the Attorney General, within 30 days after receiving an application therefor: (1) ammunition that is not armor piercing ammunition; (2) a firearm or ammunition that is being brought in for the use of a federal, state, or local government agency; and (3) a firearm or ammunition that is being imported for the purpose of exportation. Amends the National Firearms Act to modify the definition of "destructive device" to exclude: (1) a shotgun or shotgun shell which the Department of the Treasury finds is generally recognized as particularly suitable for lawful (currently, sporting) purposes; and (2) an antique or a rifle which the owner intends to use for (currently, solely for) sporting purposes. Authorizes the temporary interstate transfer of a firearm for lawful (currently, sporting) purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015
Transportation Empowerment Act This bill prescribes a limitation on funding of transportation programs and projects for FY2016-FY2020. Appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (other than the Mass Transit Account) are authorized for FY2016-FY2020, subject to a certain limitation, for specified core programs under the federal-aid highway program, including: emergency relief for highways and roads, the federal lands transportation program, and Federal Highway Administration administrative expenses. A state may transfer and use excess federal-aid highway funds for any surface transportation project (including mass transit and rail). Certain limits are placed on federal assistance to states for highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation to bridges on the federal-aid highway system. Beginning with FY2015, a highway construction or improvement project shall not be considered a federal project: unless and until a state expends federal funds for the construction portion of the project, solely by reason of the state expenditure of federal funds before the construction phase of the project (including for any environmental document or design work), or upon state reimbursement to the federal government of the federal costs of such projects. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to make amounts in the HTF available for expenditure for core highway programs through FY2022. The Department of the Treasury shall pay from the HTF into the Treasury general fund amounts equivalent to the floor stocks refunds made before July 1, 2022, as well as into the Airport and Airway Trust Fund amounts equivalent to certain aviation fuel taxes received before October 1, 2022. A motor fuel tax rate schedule is prescribed for the financing of core highway programs. Treasury authority to make certain transfers to the Mass Transit Account shall be terminated at the end of FY2016, at which time Treasury shall transfer all amounts from the Mass Transit Account to the Highway Account. The national highway performance program is revised to repeal program requirements for specified National Highway System transportation improvement projects, including environmental mitigation projects. The surface transportation program is revised to eliminate from eligibility for program assistance: carpool projects, fringe and corridor parking facilities and programs, including electric vehicle and natural gas vehicle infrastructure, and bicycle transportation and pedestrian walkways projects; transportation alternatives; and environmental mitigation projects, including environmental restoration and pollution abatement projects. Also repealed are: the obligation of a state to use a portion of program funds for replacement or rehabilitation of off-system bridges, metropolitan transportation planning requirements for federal-aid highways, and the authorization of federal assistance to states for historic bridges. Certain requirements of the highway safety improvement program are revised or repealed, eliminating eligibility for projects for pedestrian or bicyclist safety or safety of persons with disabilities. The congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program and the transportation alternatives program are repealed. Appropriations out of the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) are authorized for FY2016-FY2020 for the highway research and development program. Treasury shall allocate to the states for surface transportation projects (including mass transit and rail) any excess highway tax receipts appropriated to the HTF in FY2016-FY2019. Excise taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene, and diesel-water fuel emulsion are reduced. Credits or refunds are required for certain floor stocks taxes on liquids imposed before October 1, 2020. This Act shall become effective only if the Office of Management and Budget certifies that it is deficit neutral.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2015
Protecting Patients and Physicians Against Coding Act of 2015 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in carrying out regulations providing for the replacement of ICD-9 (International Classification of Diseases-9) with ICD-10 as a standard code set, shall provide for a two-year grace period during which physicians and other health care providers submitting claims and other documents using ICD-10 are not penalized for errors, mistakes, and malfunctions relating to the transition to such code set. HHS shall also give these practitioners assistance during the grace period. The Government Accountability Office shall study this transition for Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2015
Honors military caregivers of members of the Armed Forces and veterans for their service and sacrifice to the United States. Encourages the people of the United States to show support to military families and the sacrifices endured by those families in service to the United States. Recognizes the daisy as the flower for military caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2015
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring federal expenditures and receipts to be balanced, excluding expenditures for payment of debt and receipts derived from borrowing. The requirement may be met over more than one year to accommodate economic conditions. In emergency situations, two-thirds of the House of Representatives and the Senate may authorize expenditures to exceed receipts for a limited time. Debts from emergency expenditures must be paid as soon as practicable. Congress may enforce the article with legislation, which must require compliance within 10 years of ratification.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2015
Protect Our Military Families' 2nd Amendment Rights Act Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer of firearms to ship to the spouse of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty outside the United States or to clubs composed of such members and spouses, and authorizes such a spouse or club to receive, a firearm or ammunition generally recognized as particularly suitable for sporting purposes and intended for the personal use of such spouse or club. Describes a member of the Armed Forces on active duty or a spouse of such member, for purposes of federal firearms provisions, as a resident of the state in which: (1) the member or spouse maintains legal residence, (2) the permanent duty station of the member is located, or (3) the member maintains a place of abode from which the member commutes each day to the member's permanent duty station.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
Ratepayer Protection Act of 2015 This bill extends the deadline for mandatory compliance with final rules that target carbon dioxide emissions from existing sources that are fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units under the Clean Air Act, including any final rule that succeeds either: the proposed rule entitled "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units," or the supplemental proposed rule entitled "Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: EGUs in Indian Country and U.S. Territories; Multi-Jurisdictional Partnerships". The extension period begins 60 days after the notice of promulgation of a final rule appears in the Federal Register and ends following any judicial review, on the date a judgment becomes final, and no longer subject to further appeal or review, in all actions (including those under the Clean Air Act) that are filed during that 60-day period. A state is also shielded under the bill from: being required to adopt or submit a state plan, and being subject to a federal plan under any federal final rule if the governor notifies the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency that implementation of either plan would have a significant adverse effect upon: (1) the state's residential, commercial, or industrial ratepayers; or (2) upon the reliability of the state's electricity system.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act for 2016 and 2017 Authorizes appropriations for FY2016-FY2017 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Authorizes programs, activities, and reports for NASA, including those relating to human exploration of space, the Space Launch System, the Orion multipurpose crew vehicle, space radiation, the International Space Station, the commercial crew program, radioisotope power systems, extrasolar planet exploration, the James Webb Space Telescope, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope, near-Earth objects, astrobiology, space weather, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, Venture class missions, aeronautics research (including transformative aeronautics research), science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, project and program reserves, orbital debris mitigation, remote satellite robotic servicing demonstrations, and astronaut occupational health care. Directs NASA to report to Congress on the proposed Asteroid Retrieval Mission. Directs NASA to utilize the International Space Station and commercial services for space technology demonstration missions in low-Earth orbit whenever it is practical and cost effective to do so. Establishes a space technology program. Directs NASA to: (1) enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Public Administration to assess the effectiveness of the NASA Advisory Council, (2) enter into an arrangement with the National Academies for a review of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, and (3) revise the NASA Supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation to address the detection and avoidance of counterfeit electronic parts. Directs NASA to develop a policy on the use of operational commercial reusable suborbital flight vehicles for carrying out scientific and engineering investigations and educational activities.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
VA Accountability Act of 2015 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to remove or demote a VA employee based on performance or misconduct. The VA may also remove such individual from the civil service or demote the individual through a reduction in grade or annual pay rate. An employee shall have the right to an appeal before the Merit Systems Protection Board within seven days of removal or demotion. An administrative judge shall have to make a final decision within 45 days of such appeal or the original decision becomes final. The VA may not remove or demote an employee without the approval of the Special Counsel if the individual seeks corrective action from the Office of Special Counsel based on an alleged prohibited personnel practice. The appointment of an individual to a permanent position within the competitive service or as a career appointee within the Senior Executive Service shall become final after an 18-month probationary period, which the Secretary may extend. Final appointment to a permanent hire shall be made by the employee's supervisor. The Government Accountability Office shall study the amount of time spent by VA employees carrying out labor organizing activities and the amount of Department space used for such activities.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act Prohibits, in any case arising out of the administration of laws and benefits by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, any person who is mentally incapacitated, deemed mentally incompetent, or experiencing an extended loss of consciousness from being considered adjudicated as a mental defective for purposes of the right to receive or transport firearms without the order or finding of a judicial authority of competent jurisdiction that such person is a danger to himself or herself or others.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
PTC Elimination Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to phase out and eventually eliminate the tax credit for production of electricity from renewable resources. The bill repeals the inflation adjustment for current recipients of the tax credit and modifies the "beginning of construction" requirement to require that construction of an eligible project is continuous and makes significant progress. The credit is repealed in its entirety after December 31, 2025. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the credit should be allowed to expire and should not be extended beyond its expiration date. The bill also reduces the corporate income tax by an applicable percentage based on increases in revenues resulting from this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2015
Protecting American Jobs Act Amends the National Labor Relations Act to repeal the authority of the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board to issue, and prosecute before the Board, complaints with respect to unfair labor practices. Repeals the prohibition against: (1) review of an administrative law judge's report by any person other than a Board member or legal assistant; and (2) advice to or consultation with the Board by an administrative law judge with respect to exceptions taken to his or her findings, rulings, or recommendations. Limits the Board's rulemaking authority to rules concerning the internal functions of the Board. Prohibits the Board from promulgating rules that affect the substantive rights of a person, employer, employee, or labor organization. Revises Board powers to grant it the authority to investigate unfair labor practices, but repeals its power to prevent any person from engaging in them. Repeals the Board's power to issue a complaint against a person charging an unfair labor practice. Allows an aggrieved party to bring a civil action for relief (including injunctions) in U.S. district court or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in cases where it appears that a person has engaged, is engaging, or is about to engage in an unfair labor practice.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2015
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 Establishes, revises, and extends specified science and technology and energy research programs and activities. Authorizes appropriations for FY2016-FY2017 for: (1) the National Science Foundation (NSF), (2) the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), (3) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and (4) the Department of Energy (DOE) for activities of the Office of Science and the Office of Electricity. Directs the NSF to: (1) review its education programs, and (2) support research activities related to the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative. Directs the President to establish or designate a STEM Education Advisory Panel. Requires the NSF Director to establish a STEM Education Coordinating Office to support the Committee on STEM Education, the Advisory Panel, and federal agencies with STEM education programs. Requires OSTP to establish a body under the National Science and Technology Council to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen U.S. science and technology enterprise, improve economic and national security, and support U.S. foreign policy goals. Directs specified federal science agencies to conduct pilot programs to validate alternative research funding models. Directs NIST to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive review of NIST's laboratory programs. Calls on NIST to continue its role as facilitator of scientific collaborations between Israel and U.S. states, cities, businesses, academic institutions, and scientific foundations. Directs the DOE Office of Science to establish an initiative to sustain and advance global leadership of light source user facilities. Directs NIST to establish a nuclear energy standards committee to facilitate and support the development or revision of technical standards for new and existing nuclear power plants and advanced nuclear technologies. Directs DOE to carry out the Agreements for Commercializing Technology pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2015
United States Chief Technology Officer Act Amends the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 to authorize the President to appoint a United States Chief Technology Officer whose duties shall include advising the President and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on federal information systems, technology, data, and innovation policies and initiatives.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
Reforming CFPB Indirect Auto Financing Guidance Act Declares without force or effect Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Bulletin 2013-02 (Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act), published March 21, 2013. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the CFPB, when proposing and issuing guidance primarily related to indirect auto financing, to: provide for a public notice and comment period before issuing the guidance in final form; make publicly available all information relied on by the CFPB; redact any information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act; consult with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice; and study the costs and impacts of the guidance to consumers and women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat membership in a tax-exempt health care sharing ministry as coverage under a high deductible health plan for purposes of the tax deduction for contributions to a health savings account.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
Disapproves and nullifies the rule adopted by the Federal Communications Commission on February 26, 2015, relating to the reclassification of broadband Internet access service as a telecommunications service in the matter of protecting and promoting the open Internet.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2015
Executive Amnesty Prevention Act This bill prohibits the use of funds to implement specified memoranda from the President, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or other related memoranda. No deposit in the Immigration Examinations Fee Account may be used to implement, administer, or enforce the policies in such memoranda. Such memoranda or substantially similar policy changes are declared to have no statutory or constitutional basis and therefore no legal effect. No funds or fees made available to the Secretary or to any federal official may be used to grant any federal benefit to any alien pursuant to any of such policy changes. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to: (1) exclude from the definition of "unauthorized alien," with respect to employment, any alien otherwise admitted to and lawfully present in the United States; and (2) consider any alien without lawful status to be an unauthorized alien whose employment is unlawful.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2015
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) which apply such grants to their collegiate housing property.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and Public Health Service Act to include employers with 51 to 100 employees as large employers for purposes of health insurance markets. States have the option to treat these employers as small employers. Currently under PPACA, employers with 51 to 100 employees are small employers, but before January 1, 2016, states have the option to treat them as large employers. (Under PPACA, health insurance offered in the small group market must meet certain requirements that do not apply to the large group market, including the requirement to cover the essential health benefits.)
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
DHS IT Duplication Reduction Act of 2015 Directs the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report on the number of information technology systems at DHS, the number that are duplicative, and a strategy for reducing such duplicative systems, including an assessment of potential cost savings.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Border Security Technology Accountability Act of 2015 Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require each border security technology acquisition program of the Department of Homeland Security with a significant lifecycle cost estimate to: (1) have written documentation demonstrating that each such program has an acquisition program baseline approved by the relevant acquisition decision authority; and (2) demonstrate that each such program is meeting agreed-upon cost, schedule, and performance thresholds, in compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Directs: (1) the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to ensure that border security technology acquisition program managers adhere to relevant internal control standards identified by the Government Accountability Office; and (2) CBP to provide information to assist the Under Secretary in monitoring proper program management of such acquisition programs. Requires the Under Secretary, in coordination with CBP, to submit a plan for testing and evaluation, as well as the use of independent verification and validation resources, for border security technology so that new border security technologies are evaluated through a series of assessments, processes, and audits to ensure the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
DHS FOIA Efficiency Act of 2015 Directs the Chief FOIA Officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to finalize and issue an updated regulation implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which shall include: (1) public guidance on procedures to be followed when making requests for DHS rules, opinions, orders, records, or proceedings; (2) updated guidance to the DHS components responsible for processing such requests; and (3) detailed information on fees and costs associated with, and the appeals process for, such requests. Requires such Officer to: (1) identify the total annual cost to DHS of implementing FOIA, (2) develop guidance on reporting standards related to costs of processing requests, (3) identify and eliminate unnecessary and duplicative actions taken by DHS in processing requests, and (4) develop a plan to automate the processing of requests. Requires the Chief Privacy Officer of DHS to update and issue guidance to the heads of each of the relevant DHS components regarding the goal of reducing the backlog in processing requests by 50% between FY2015 and FY2018. Directs the Chief FOIA Officer to include: (1) in each semiannual privacy report submitted under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 the total costs to DHS of meeting FOIA requirements for the period covered by the report and an assessment of progress made toward meeting the backlog goals, and (2) in the second semiannual privacy report for FY2016 a description of any cost savings identified and the automation plan developed.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to annually submit to specified congressional committees a list of ongoing and completed projects that federally funded research and development centers within DHS have been tasked to complete.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters Consolidation Accountability Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in coordination with the General Services Administration (GSA), to submit a report on the DHS headquarters consolidation project within the National Capital Region, including: a current list of the components and offices proposed to be included; a comprehensive assessment of the real property needed by DHS in the Region to carry out its mission to secure the homeland and defend against terrorism; an analysis of the difference between the current and needed capital assets and facilities of DHS; a current plan for construction of the headquarters consolidation at the St. Elizabeth's campus that includes the estimated costs and schedule for the current plan and the estimated costs savings of reducing the scope of the project and increasing the use of existing capacity developed under the project; a current plan for the leased portfolio of DHS in the Region that includes the total rentable square feet, number of personnel, and proposed utilization rates, the replacement and consolidation plan for leased space, and the costs and benefits of leasing and construction alternatives; and a detailed list of alternatives considered by DHS during the plan's development, including their costs and benefits. Directs DHS, in coordination with GSA, to complete the update of the cost and schedule estimates for the portions of the project that are not yet complete based on the information contained in the report. Directs the Comptroller General to review the update, evaluate the quality and reliability of such estimates, and report on the results.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
DHS Paid Administrative Leave Accountability Act of 2015 Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the head of each component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), on a quarterly basis, to submit to the Chief Human Capital Officer of DHS (the Chief): (1) the number of employees who had been on administrative leave, or any other type of paid non-duty status without charge to leave, for personnel matters for six consecutive months or longer; and (2) the total cost to the component associated with such leave and paid non-duty status for the quarter. Requires the Chief to: (1) monitor the number of such employees and the associated costs, (2) determine appropriate actions to be taken by DHS to resolve any personnel matter expeditiously or to eliminate or reduce the use of such leave and paid non-duty status in addressing any personnel matter, (3) develop and implement a department-wide policy in accordance with existing federal guidance specifically related to the use of such leave or paid non-duty status for personnel matters, and (4) submit a report after each calendar quarter of 2016-2018 on the number of DHS employees on such leave or paid non-duty status for personnel matters for six consecutive months or longer.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2015 This bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Congressional Budget Impoundment and Control Act of 1974, and the Rules of the House of Representatives to change the process for the President's budget submission, congressional budget resolutions, appropriations bills, and government strategic and performance plans from the current annual process to a biennial process, in which a biennium is the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. The House Budget Committee must use the second session of each Congress to study issues with long-term budgetary and economic implications. The bill creates a point of order in the House and Senate against authorizations of appropriations that do not include specific authorizations covering at least each fiscal year in one or more bienniums.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2015
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer's Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover comprehensive Alzheimer's disease care planning services.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2015
Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act of 2015 Authorizes a Wall of Remembrance, as part of the previously authorized Korean War Veterans Memorial, to include: (1) a list by name of members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were killed in action; (2) the number of members who were wounded, listed as missing in action, or prisoners of war; and (3) the number of members of the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and the other nations of the United Nations (U.N.) Command who were killed, wounded, missing, or prisoners. Prohibits using any federal funds to construct the Wall.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2015
Union Integrity Act 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 · 19 March 2015
Resolves that Congress calls a convention for proposing amendments under Article V of the U.S. Constitution in accordance with the Compact for a Balanced Budget, effective after Congress receives certification that at least three-fourths of the states are members of the Compact and have applied for a convention for proposing amendments under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. Resolves that Congress refers the Balanced Budget Amendment to the state legislatures for ratification after Congress receives a certified copy of the Amendment showing that a convention for proposing amendments under Article V has approved and proposed for ratification the Amendment that is defined by the Compact and meets specified criteria, including prohibiting outlays from exceeding receipts unless the excess is financed by debt issued using specified procedures requiring approval by a majority of state legislatures.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2015
Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to declare that nothing in those Acts shall be construed to preempt a law of any state, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia that prohibits, criminalizes, or creates a civil cause of action for identity theft or the release of an individual's personally identifiable information.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2015
Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to declare that nothing in those Acts shall be construed to preempt a law of any state, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia that prohibits, criminalizes, or creates a civil cause of action for stalking, cyberstalking, or harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2015
Firearms Manufacturers and Dealers Protection Act of 2015 This bill declares that funds appropriated or otherwise made available, including amounts derived from any fee or other source, are denied to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Department of Justice, or any other federal agency to carry out Operation Choke Point or any other program designed to discourage the provision or continuation of credit or the processing of payments by financial institutions for dealers and manufacturers of firearms and ammunition.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2015 Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to authorize the Financial Stability Oversight Council to subject a bank holding company to enhanced supervision and prudential standards by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, if the Council makes a final determination that either material financial distress at the bank holding company, or the nature, scope, size, scale, concentration, interconnectedness, or mix of its activities, could threaten the financial stability of the United States. Requires that final determination to be based upon specified factors, using an indicator-based measurement approach established by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to determine systemic importance. Deems any bank holding company designated as a Global Systemically Important Bank by the Financial Stability Board, as of the date of enactment of this Act, to have been the subject of a final determination that it could pose a threat to U.S. financial stability for any of those reasons. Prohibits the Council from making a final determination concerning a bank holding company under this Act before one year after its enactment. Deems a bank holding company to have been the subject of such a final determination during this one-year period, however, if its total consolidated assets are $50 billion or more.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
World War II Merchant Mariner Service Act Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to accept additional documentation for verifying that an individual performed honorable service as a coastwise merchant seaman during the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946, for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits under the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977. Requires such documentation to include Social Security Administration records and validated testimony in the case of the absence of Coast Guard shipping or discharge forms, ship logbooks, documents, or other official employment records. Requires the Secretary, when determining whether to recognize service allegedly performed during such period, to recognize masters of seagoing vessels or other command officers who were authorized to document an individual for purposes of hiring for or discharging from the merchant marine. Considers any service so recognized as active-duty service for purposes of veterans' burial benefits. Makes such veterans eligible for any appropriate military medals, ribbons, and decorations. Requires the Secretary to verify that an individual performed such service under honorable conditions without regard to their sex, age, or disability during the service period.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Medical Freedom Act of 2015 This bill repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 relating to health insurance, health savings accounts, and health flexible spending accounts, including provisions prohibiting annual or lifetime limits on benefits, requiring preventive care without cost sharing, requiring dependent coverage until age 26, prohibiting preexisting condition exclusions, guaranteeing availability and renewability of coverage, and prohibiting payments for over-the-counter medications from health savings accounts and health flexible spending arrangements. Provisions of law amended by those provisions are restored as if PPACA and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 had not been enacted. “Qualified health plan” is expanded to include any health plan. Currently, a health plan must provide essential health benefits and meet other requirements to be a qualified health plan. (Under PPACA, qualified health plans are sold on health insurance exchanges, are eligible for premium subsidies, and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.) A qualified health plan is allowed to provide coverage through any qualified direct primary care medical home plan. Currently, in such an arrangement, the qualified direct primary care medical home plan must coordinate its services with the qualified health plan and meet other requirements. Dental plans no longer need to provide pediatric dental benefits to be offered on a health insurance exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2015
Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act of 2015 Repeals sections of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (and restores provisions of law amended by those sections) related to the establishment of an Independent Payment Advisory Board to develop proposals to reduce the per capita rate of growth in spending under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act.
![Official portrait of Rep. Loudermilk, Barry [R-GA-11]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_ga_11_loudermilk_barry_200.jpg)