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United States · Official source
5,845 records where Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2013
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act - Provides for compensation of federal employees furloughed due to any lapse in appropriations that begins on or about October 1, 2013, for the period of such lapse in appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2013
Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to Congress and the Comptroller General (GAO) a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of the transportation security card program at enhancing security or reducing security risks for maritime facilities and vessels. Directs the Secretary to issue a corrective action plan based on the assessment that responds to the findings of a cost-benefit analysis of the program and enhances security or reduces security risk for such facilities and vessels. Directs the Comptroller General, within 120 days after the Secretary issues the corrective action plan, to: (1) review the extent to which the submissions implement certain recommendations issued by the Comptroller General, and (2) inform Congress as to the responsiveness of the submission. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing a final rule requiring the use of transportation security card readers until: (1) the Comptroller General informs Congress that the submission is substantially responsive to the GAO recommendations, and (2) the Secretary issues an updated list of transportation security card readers that are compatible with active transportation security cards.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2013
Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act of 2013 or the SHARE Act of 2013 - Title I: Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components. Title II: Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of BLM to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training. Title III: Public Lands Filming - Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary. Makes such a permit valid for such activities or projects that occur in areas designated for public use during public hours on all federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary for a 12-month period. Title IV: Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act - Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person who submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before May 15, 2008 (currently by February 18, 1997), when polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior. Title V: Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act - Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013 - Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps. Sets forth state electronic duck stamp application requirements. Allows the Secretary to determine the number of new states permitted per year to participate in the electronic duck stamp program. Instructs the Secretary to require electronic stamp revenue and customer information collected by each state to be transmitted in accordance with a written agreement between the Secretary and the state. Title VI: Access to Water Resources Development Projects Act - Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of the Army from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm at a water resources development project administered by the Chief of Engineers if: (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, and (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state in which the project is located. Title VII: Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (USDA) on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting, and recreational shooting. (Abolishes the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council.) Title VIII: Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Declares that recreational fishing and hunting are environmentally acceptable and beneficial activities that occur and can be provided on public lands and waters without adverse effects on other uses or users. Requires a federal public land management official, in cooperation with the respective state and fish and wildlife agency, to exercise the authority of the official under law, including regarding land use planning, to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public land for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports and facilitates hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. Prohibits actions taken under this Act or actions concerning the National Wildlife Refuge System under the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 from being considered to be a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. Prohibits public land management officials from being required to consider the existence or availability of recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting opportunities on adjacent or nearby lands in the planning for or determination of which public lands are open for these activities or in the setting of levels of use for these activities on public lands, unless the combination or coordination of such opportunities would enhance the opportunities available to the public. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land, excluding land on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such land for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, protection of private property rights, or compliance with other law. Requires agencies to: (1) lease or permit use of federal public land for shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific land for recreational shooting activities. Declares that the provision of opportunities for hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and the conservation of fish and wildlife to provide sustainable use recreational opportunities on designated wilderness areas on federal public lands constitutes the measures necessary to meet the minimum requirements for the administration of such areas. Provides that such declaration does not authorize or facilitate commodity development, use, or extraction, motorized recreational access or use that is not otherwise allowed under the Wilderness Act, or permanent road construction or maintenance within designated wilderness areas. Reaffirms the provisions of the Wilderness Act that stipulate that wilderness purposes are "within and supplemental to" the purposes of the underlying federal land unit. Requires the head of each federal agency, when seeking to carry out fish and wildlife conservation programs and projects or providing fish and wildlife dependent recreation opportunities on designated wilderness areas, to implement these supplemental purposes while not impeding on the underlying conservation purpose. Prohibits such implementation from authorizing or facilitating commodity development, use or extraction, or permanent road construction or use within designated wilderness areas. Requires biennial reports on closures of federal public lands to sport hunting, recreational fishing, or shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 640 or more contiguous acres of federal public land or water to hunting or recreational fishing or related activities. Instructs federal public land agencies to consult with the advisory councils specified in Executive Orders 12962 (relating to recreational fisheries) and 13443 (relating to the facilitation of hunting heritage and wildlife conservation) in carrying out this Act. Title IX: Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Conservation Act - Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Conservation Act of 2013 - Directs the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission to: (1) prepare and adopt a data collection strategy for the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery; and (2) prepare, adopt, and submit to the Secretary of Commerce a fishery management plan providing for the conservation and management of Gulf of Mexico red snapper and describing the standards of compliance for Gulf coastal states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) to use in developing fishery management measures. Permits an increase in the quota of Gulf of Mexico red snapper apportioned to commercial fishing based on stock assessments. Prohibits such plan, for a three-year period, from reducing such quota, except in the event of a reduction in stock prior to the end of such period in which case the quotas apportioned to all fishing sectors shall be reduced to ensure a sustainable harvest. Directs the Secretary to determine whether the plan: (1) includes fishery management measures compatible with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and (2) ensures the long-term sustainability of Gulf of Mexico red snapper. Requires each Gulf coastal state to submit for the Commission's approval appropriate management measures that ensure compliance with the objectives of the fishery management plan. Directs the Secretary, upon receiving the Commission's certification that the management measures of all such states have been approved, to: (1) revoke federal regulations and portions of the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico that conflict with the plan for Gulf of Mexico red snapper, and (2) transfer management of Gulf of Mexico red snapper to such states. Directs the Commission to determine, periodically, whether state enforcement is satisfactory. Requires the Commission to: (1) offer assistance to noncompliant states, and (2) vote on whether to notify the Secretary when a state remains noncompliant. Authorizes the Secretary to close a fishery within federal waters adjacent to a noncompliant state. Directs the Secretary to report biennially to Congress, the governor of each Gulf coastal state, and the Commission regarding the economic impacts for the local, regional, and national economy of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2013
Secure America for Education in Our Schools Act or the SAFE in Our Schools Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to require that each state include in its application for funds under the Homeland Security Grant Program a certification that the state requires each institution of education for kindergarten through 12th grade to develop an emergency response plan that includes provisions for evacuation relocation, family-child reunification, children with special needs, and addressing multiple disasters by the earlier of the beginning of the academic year for 2015 or September 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Student Disciplinary Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish an Office of School and Discipline Policy for the purpose of reducing the number of juveniles who are incarcerated and develop a criminal record based on activity that occurs while the juvenile is at school. Directs the Office to: (1) collect and publish data relating to the arrest and incarceration of juveniles for violations of school policies or rules; (2) work with states, local governments, and nongovernmental organizations to expand the use of alternatives to detention and incarceration programming in schools; and (3) collect and publish data on the relationship between the presence of a school resource officer at a school and the rate of juveniles who are arrested and incarcerated for violations of school rules or policies. Authorizes the Director of the Office of School and Discipline Policy to make grants to states, local governments, and local educational agencies to reduce the number of juveniles who are incarcerated and develop a criminal record based on activity that occurs while the juvenile is at school. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to require state or local government applicants for community policing grants to provide assurances that the administration of juvenile justice in their jurisdictions is consistent with constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to authorize the Attorney General to issue subpoenas to access documents relating to actions by governmental and law enforcement officials responsible for the administration of juvenile justice or the incarceration of juveniles. Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to states, local governments, or juvenile justice agencies to fund training for school personnel in elementary and secondary schools to mitigate delinquent student behavior which may avoid a referral to law enforcement officials.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
STEM Readiness Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive merit-based scholarships to students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with concurrent certification as kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teachers. Requires scholarship recipients to work for at least five academic years as a full-time STEM teacher at a public or private kindergarten or elementary or secondary school during the seven-year period beginning within one year after they complete their studies. Awards scholarships for one academic year of study at a time, but makes them renewable on an annual basis if their recipients meet certain measures of academic progress. Allows scholarship recipients to enter into agreements with the Secretary that provide them with a bonus in exchange for performing their service in a high-need local educational agency for a period equivalent to the period for which they receive the bonus. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to up to 50 institutions of higher education to establish, strengthen, and operate four-year undergraduate degree programs that enable students to concurrently: (1) earn a STEM bachelor's degree; and (2) be certified to teach kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school. Awards those grants one fiscal year at a time, but makes them renewable on an annual basis for up to five years.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Biometric Exit Improvement Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS): (1) within 180 days, to submit an implementation plan to establish a biometric exit data system in accordance with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004; (2) within 2 years, to establish such a system at the 10 U.S. airports and the 10 U.S. seaports that support the highest volume of international air and sea travel, respectively; and (3) within 3 years, to submit a report that analyzes the effectiveness of such system at such airports and seaports. Directs the Secretary: (1) within 18 months, to establish a 6-month pilot program to test such system on non-pedestrian outbound traffic at not fewer than three land ports of entry with significant cross-border traffic, including two on the southern border and one on the northern border; (2) after receiving a Government Accounting Office (GAO) review of such program, to submit a plan to implement such a system at all land ports of entry for non-pedestrian outbound traffic; (3) within 3 years, to expand the system to all land ports of entry to apply only to pedestrians; and (4) within 5 years, to expand the system to all air and sea ports of entry. Requires the Secretary: (1) to ensure that the collection of biometric data causes the least possible disruption to the movement of passengers or cargo in air, sea, or land transportation; and (2) upon this Act's enactment, to terminate the proceeding entitled "Collection of Alien Biometric Data Upon Exit From the United States at Air and Sea Ports of Departure," issued on April 24, 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (21st Century Schools) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to: (1) develop, improve, and implement state reporting and information systems that measure conditions for learning, based on surveys of school students and staff; and (2) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or nonprofit organizations that use such measurement systems to make comprehensive improvements to school-level conditions for learning. Identifies conditions conducive to learning as those that: (1) promote physical activity, education, fitness, and nutrition; (2) promote mental health; (3) prevent violence, harassment, and substance abuse among students; and (4) promote safe and supportive schools and communities. Conditions a state's grant eligibility on the state: (1) having a statewide physical education requirement that is consistent with widely recognized standards; and (2) requiring its LEAs to establish policies that prevent and prohibit harassment in schools, to notify students, parents, and educational professionals of prohibited conduct each year, and to provide students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct. Directs the Secretary to evaluate the programs this Act funds and provide technical assistance to program applicants, grantees, and subgrantees.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
Recidivism Reduction Act - Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income for Aged, Blind, and Disabled) (SSI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require the reinstatement upon release of an otherwise eligible disabled inmate for SSI benefits which were terminated because of the inmate's incarceration in a jail, prison, penal institution, or correctional facility for a period of 12 or more consecutive months. Requires automatic reinstatement of the benefit eligibility under SSA title XVI upon discharge or release of an individual who has become an inmate of a jail, prison, penal institution, or correctional facility, without the need to reapply for the benefits, if the period of sentence to the institution does not exceed 90 days. Requires the inmate to apply for reinstatement and resumption of such benefits within 36 months after release. Requires the reinstatement of SSI benefit eligibility for such an individual's spouse if the spouse was previously an SSI-eligible spouse. Amends SSA title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) to direct the Commissioner of Social Security to develop a system for prerelease application for resumption of suspended OASDI disability insurance benefits, or other benefits based on disability. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to require state Medicaid plans to provide that in the case of any individual enrolled for medical assistance immediately before becoming an inmate of a public institution under a sentence of 90 days or less: (1) the enrollment shall be reinstated automatically upon the individual's release from such institution without the need to apply for such assistance, and (2) any period of continuous eligibility in effect when the individual became such an inmate shall be reinstated as of the release date and the duration of such period shall be determined without regard to the period in which the individual was such an inmate. Requires an increase in the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) (matching rate) by five percentage points (not to exceed 100%) for medical assistance for items and services furnished during the one-year period beginning when the individual's eligibility for medical assistance under Medicaid is reinstated after release. Authorizes case management services in order to engage in planning for services following an individual's release from a public institution.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Homeland Security Cybersecurity Boots-on-the-Ground Act - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop: occupation classifications for individuals performing activities in furtherance of the cybersecurity mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and to ensure that the such classifications may be used throughout DHS and are made available to other federal agencies; a workforce strategy that enhances the readiness, capacity, training, recruitment, and retention of the DHS cybersecurity workforce, including a multiphased recruitment plan and a 10-year projection of federal workforce needs; and a process to verify that employees of independent contractors who serve in DHS cybersecurity positions receive initial and recurrent information security and role-based security training commensurate with assigned responsibilities. Defines "cybersecurity mission" as threat and vulnerability reduction, deterrence, incident response, resiliency, and recovery activities to foster the security and stability of cyberspace. Directs the DHS Chief Human Capital Officer and Chief Information Officer to assess the readiness and capacity of DHS to meet such mission. Requires the Secretary to provide Congress with annual updates regarding such strategies, assessments, and training.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Aquaculture Risk Reduction Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to exclude from the meaning of the term "fish or wildlife” any animal accidentally included in a shipment of an aquatic species produced in commercial aquaculture for human consumption or for use for recreational or ornamental purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Extend Not Cut SNAP Benefits Act - Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to extend the benefit calculation of 113.6 % of the June 2008 value of the thrifty food plan for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) and the consolidated block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa until September 30, 2016, or the first date on which the value of the thrifty food plan equals or exceeds 113.6 % of the June 2008 value.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Conservation Act of 2013 - Directs the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission to: (1) prepare and adopt a data collection strategy for the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery, including interstate collaboration measures and a plan for annual stock assessments; and (2) prepare, adopt, and submit to the Secretary of Commerce a fishery management plan providing for the conservation and management of Gulf of Mexico red snapper and describing the standards of compliance for Gulf coastal states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) to use in developing fishery management measures. Permits an increase in the quota of Gulf of Mexico red snapper apportioned to commercial fishing based on stock assessments. Prohibits such plan, for a three-year period, from reducing such quota, except in the event of a reduction in stock prior to the end of such period in which case the quotas apportioned to all fishing sectors shall be reduced to ensure a sustainable harvest. Directs the Secretary to determine whether the plan: (1) includes fishery management measures compatible with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and (2) ensures the long-term sustainability of Gulf of Mexico red snapper. Requires each Gulf coastal state to submit for the Commission's approval appropriate management measures that ensure compliance with the objectives of the fishery management plan. Directs the Secretary, upon receiving the Commission's certification that the management measures of all such states have been approved, to: (1) revoke federal regulations and portions of the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico that conflict with the plan for Gulf of Mexico red snapper, and (2) transfer management of Gulf of Mexico red snapper to such states. Directs the Commission to determine, periodically, whether state enforcement is satisfactory. Requires the Commission to: (1) offer assistance to noncompliant states, and (2) vote on whether to notify the Secretary when a state remains noncompliant. Authorizes the Secretary to close a fishery within federal waters adjacent to a noncompliant state. Directs the Secretary to report biennially to Congress, the governor of each Gulf coastal state, and the Commission regarding the economic impacts for the local, regional, and national economy of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to implement or enforce a requirement providing for the screening, testing, or treatment of individuals operating commercial motor vehicles for sleep disorders (including obstructive sleep apnea) only if it is adopted pursuant to a rulemaking proceeding. Applies this Act only to a requirement adopted on or after September 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2013
Expresses support for the designation of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Recognizes the importance of preventing childhood obesity and decreasing its prevalence in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Approves the conveyance by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to the state of Mississippi of the federally-owned Yellow Creek Port properties in the custody of the TVA at Iuka, Mississippi.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Accurate Background Check Act of 2013 or the ABC Act of 2013 - Amends the federal judicial code to require the Attorney General (DOJ) to provide procedures to ensure the accuracy and completeness of certain criminal records and information exchanged for employment background checks. Directs the Attorney General, if a record or information is inaccurate or incomplete, to correct, delete, or amend such information within 10 days after a request is made and prior to releasing the record to the requesting entity. Requires the Attorney General, in such an instance, to also research state and local recordkeeping systems, maintain a disposition document database to be searched along with other federal databases, and notify reporting jurisdictions of any updated information. Considers a record or information to be incomplete if it indicates that an arrest was made and does not include the disposition of such arrest. Requires the Attorney General, prior to such an employment background check exchange, to obtain the signed consent of the subject of such information, provide the applicant an opportunity to challenge the record, notify the requesting entity of any such challenge, and complete an investigation of such challenge within 30 days. Extends the procedures established pursuant to this Act to apply to authorized exchanges for: (1) national security background investigations for employment in federal service, (2) government-wide security standards for forms of identification issued to federal employees and contractors, and (3) government background checks for the issuance of transportation security cards to access the secure areas of shipping vessels and facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
National Expansion of Working-families Housing Options Using Small Enterprises Act of 2013 or the NEW HOUSE Act of 2013 - Amends the State Small Business Credit Initiative Act of 2010 to allow states participating in the state small business credit initiative to provide funds to small businesses to be used: (1) to develop, acquire, rehabilitate, maintain, operate, or manage housing projects for low- or moderate-income households; (2) to cover any matching, non-federal contribution required in connection with any other federal grant or assistance program providing such housing; or (3) to purchase foreclosed properties and property being sold by a state or local government in order to provide such housing. Earmarks for such projects certain amounts unobligated as of the date of enactment of the Strengthening Economic Development Through Affordable Housing Act of 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Condemns: (1) the commission of hate crimes against all Americans, including Sikh-Americans; and (2) acts of violence, bigotry, and discrimination against Sikh-Americans. Urges educators, counselors, and others to support educational efforts to prevent the epidemic bullying of Sikh-American children and families. Expresses support for outreach efforts by federal and local law enforcement leaders to prevent violence and hate crimes against Sikh-Americans. Urges the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice (DOJ) to adopt and implement recommendations of the FBI Advisory Policy Board to track hate crimes against Sikh-Americans, Hindu-Americans, Arab-Americans, and other groups.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Saving More American Resources Today Grid Study Act of 2013 or SMART Grid Study Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), and the heads of other federal departments and agencies, as necessary, to enter into an agreement with the National Research Council to research the future resilience and reliability of the nation's electric power transmission and distribution system. Names such research the "Saving More American Resources Today Study" or "SMART Study."
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal in honor of President Shimon Peres of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Fairness in Health Care Claims, Guidance, and Investigations Act - Amends the False Claims Act to set forth special rules for the investigation and prosecution of false claims submitted with respect to a federal health care program (i.e., a health care program funded by the federal government, a state health care program defined by the Social Security Act, or a health plan offered under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). Requires the Attorney General to certify in writing, prior to requesting any information from a physician, hospital, or other provider or supplier of health care services in connection with an investigation reasonably expected to concern 10 or more claims submitted to a federal health care program by or on behalf of a single entity, that: (1) each agency responsible for promulgating relevant regulations, guidelines, and billing instructions relevant to any allegations of fraud has examined such regulations, guidelines, and instructions, all communications between the alleged perpetrator of the fraud and the agency, and each of the allegedly false claims; (2) the allegations under investigation are viewed as viable based on unambiguous regulations, guidelines, and billing instructions issued during the relevant time period; and (3) if proven to be true, the allegations will be pursued under the False Claims Act. Prohibits an action against a health care provider or supplier under the False Claims Act: (1) unless the amount of damages alleged to have been sustained by the government is a material amount, (2) if a claim is submitted in good faith reliance on erroneous information or written statements of federal policy provided by a federal agency or in good faith reliance on an audit or review by an agency of the entity submitting the claim or retaining an overpayment, or (3) if a claim is submitted in substantial compliance with a model compliance plan issued by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Establishes the standard of proof necessary for a civil prosecution of a claim submitted with respect to a federal health care program as clear and convincing evidence (currently, a preponderance of the evidence is required for all other claims).
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Financial Literacy for Students Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education of 1965 (ESEA) to authorize the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to states to: (1) integrate financial literacy education into each of their public elementary and secondary schools that are eligible for school improvement funds under title I of the ESEA, and (2) train their secondary school financial literacy or entrepreneurship teachers to teach financial literacy in core academic subjects. Prohibits states from using over 20% of their grant funds to train those teachers, develop curricula, and evaluate the impact of financial literacy or personal finance education.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2013 - Requires the Supreme Court to promulgate a code of ethics for the Justices of the Supreme Court that shall include the five canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, with any amendments or modifications that the Supreme Court determines appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Coal Healthcare and Pensions Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to address potential shortages in the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan for payment of health care benefits to retired coal miners by expanding the eligible uses of interest transferable to the plan from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, and supplemental payments from the General Fund of the Treasury. Requires calculation of such amount by taking into account only those beneficiaries who are actually enrolled in the plan as of enactment of this Act, as well as those retirees whose health benefits, payable directly by an employer in the bituminous coal industry under a coal wage agreement as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding commenced in 2012, would be denied or reduced. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to the trustees of the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan a certain additional amount of funds, to pay pension benefits required under that plan, if the $490 million limitation on certain transfers to the UMWA Combined Benefit Fund and distributions to states and Indian tribes exceeds the aggregate amount required to be transferred to them. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe a special rule that employer contributions to an employees' trust or annuity benefit plan providing supplemental benefits solely to participants in a pension plan are neither deductible nor nondeductible as such from the employer's gross income. Subjects such contributions, on the other hand, to deduction as an allowable trade or business expense. Treats a trust holding the assets of such a pension benefit plan as a tax-exempt organization. Excludes from taxable wages any payments made to, or on behalf of, an employee or his or her beneficiary under such a plan.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Promoting Integrity in Medicare Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to the general exceptions to both ownership and compensation arrangement prohibitions against physician self-referrals of Medicare patients to the entity with which a physician has a certain financial relationship. Removes from the in-office ancillary services (IOAS) exception to such prohibitions certain services the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) determines are not usually provided and completed during the visit to a physician's office in which such a service is determined to be necessary (non-ancillary services). (Thus subjects such non-ancillary services to the prohibitions against physician self-referrals). Lists among specified non-ancillary services: (1) anatomic pathology services (including the technical or professional component of surgical pathology, cytopathology, hematology, blood banking, and pathology consultation and clinical laboratory interpretation services), (2) radiation therapy services and supplies, (3) advanced diagnostic imaging studies, and (4) physical therapy services. Increases from a maximum of $15,000 to a maximum of $25,000 the civil monetary penalty in the case of a bill or claim for such services whose presenter knows or should have known they are for a service for which payment may not be made. Increases from a maximum of $100,000 to a maximum of $150,000 the civil monetary penalty for any circumventive arrangement or scheme which a physician or other entity enters into knowing (or should know) has a principal purpose of assuring referrals by the physician to a particular entity which, if the physician directly made referrals to such entity, would be in violation of SSA title XVIII. Directs the Secretary to review compliance with the self-referral prohibitions with respect to referrals for specified non-ancillary services in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary. States that, in applying the self-referral prohibitions, the term "entity" includes a physician's practice when it bills under Medicare for the technical component or the professional component of a specified non-ancillary service.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue in commemoration of the United States Coast Guard: (1) $5 gold coins, (2) $1 silver coins, and (3) half-dollar clad coins. Requires the design of such coins to be emblematic of the traditions, history, and heritage of the Coast Guard, and its role in securing our nation since 1790. Prescribes design requirements. Restricts the issuance of such coins to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2017. Prescribes the sale price of the coins and coin surcharges. Requires such surcharges to be paid by the Secretary to the National Coast Guard Museum Foundation to help finance the design and construction of the National Coast Guard Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. Prohibits the United States or any state from denying or abridging equal rights under the law on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Amends the federal judicial code to realign the southern judicial district of Mississippi into four (currently, five) divisions with court to be held for: the Northern Division at Jackson, the Southern Division at Gulfport, the Eastern Division at Hattiesburg, and the Western Division at Natchez. Sets forth the Mississippi counties comprising each realigned division.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Division Realignment Act of 2013 - Amends the federal judicial code to realign the southern judicial district of Mississippi into four (currently, five) divisions with court to be held for: the Northern Division at Jackson, the Southern Division at Gulfport, the Eastern Division at Hattiesburg, and the Western Division at Natchez. Sets forth the Mississippi counties comprising each realigned division.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Fairness and Accuracy in Employment Background Checks Act of 2013 - Requires the Attorney General to: (1) establish and enforce procedures to ensure the prompt release of accurate federal criminal background records and information exchanged for employment-related purposes; and (2) report to Congress on the exchange of records or information for employment-related purposes under this Act and on all federal statutes, regulations, and policies providing employment restrictions and disqualifications based on criminal records.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
End Racial Profiling Act of 2013 - Prohibits any law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. Defines "racial profiling" to mean the practice of a law enforcement agent or agency relying, to any degree, on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or religion in selecting which individual to subject to routine or spontaneous investigatory activities, or in deciding upon the scope and substance of law enforcement activity following the initial investigatory activity, except when there is trustworthy information relevant to the locality and timeframe that links a person of a particular race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or religion to an identified criminal incident or scheme. Authorizes the United States or an individual injured by racial profiling to enforce this Act in a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief. Requires: (1) federal law enforcement agencies to maintain adequate policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling and to cease existing practices that permit racial profiling; and (2) state or local governmental entities or state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies that apply for grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and the Cops on the Beat Program to certify that they maintain adequate policies and procedures for eliminating racial profiling and have eliminated any existing practices that permit or encourage racial profiling. Requires the Attorney General to issue regulations to ensure that administrative complaint procedures and independent audit programs provide an appropriate response to allegations of racial profiling by law enforcement agents or agencies. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants and contracts for the collection of data relating to racial profiling and for the development of best practices and systems to eliminate racial profiling. Requires: (1) the Attorney General to issue regulations for the collection and compilation of data on racial profiling, and (2) the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics to analyze the data collected for any statistically significant disparities. Requires the Attorney General to submit annual reports on racial profiling by law enforcement agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
Expresses support for the President's Plan to Reduce Gun Violence. Urges: (1) Congress to enact legislation based on the President's recommendations to reduce gun violence, (2) state legislatures to reject proposed stand-your-ground legislation, and (3) states to repeal enacted stand-your-ground laws. Condemns: (1) gun violence, (2) relevant parties for their roles in obstructing the ability of communities to be safe from gun violence and in proposing stand-your-ground legislation and similar legislation that compromises public safety and the integrity of the prosecutorial system, and (3) all efforts to weaken gun laws and proposals that stand in the way of comprehensive gun law reform.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
American Jobs Act of 2013 - Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in such project are produced in the United States (Buy American). Waives such prohibition in cases where: (1) the prohibition would be inconsistent with the public interest; (2) iron, steel, and the relevant manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities of a satisfactory quality; or (3) inclusion of iron, steel, and manufactured goods produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25%. Requires all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors on federally-assisted projects to be paid wages at the locally prevailing rates (Davis-Bacon Act). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) restore the making work pay tax credit in 2014, and (2) extend the additional allowance for depreciation (bonus depreciation) for 3 years. Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase from $2 million to $5 million through FY2014 the limit on the guarantee for contract surety bonds and on the liability for bonds obtained by fraud or misrepresentation. Directs the Secretaries of Education and the Interior (for schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education) to reserve through FY2014 appropriated amounts to provide educational assistance to outlying areas based on their respective needs. Provides for allocations to states and local educational entities for early childhood learning programs in FY2014-FY2015 at specified levels. Directs the Attorney General to carry out a competitive grant program pursuant to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 for the hiring, rehiring, or retention of career law enforcement officers. Makes appropriations to the Community Oriented Policing Stabilization Fund to carry out such program and provides for a transfer to a First Responder Stabilization Fund, from which the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) shall make competitive grants for hiring additional firefighters pursuant to the Federal Fire Prevention Control Act of 1974. Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to modernize, renovate, or repair early learning or elementary or secondary education facilities and existing facilities at community colleges. Makes specified funds available to the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) for: (1) grants-in-aid for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects under the airport improvement program (AIP); (2) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Next Generation air traffic control system advancements; (3) highway and bridge restoration, repair, and construction projects and for passenger and freight rail transportation and port infrastructure projects; (4) grants for high-speed rail projects, capital investment grants for intercity passenger rail service, and grants to reduce congestion on intercity rail passenger transportation; (5) capital grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); (6) transit capital assistance grants; (7) capital projects for existing fixed guideway system modernization, replacement and repair of buses and bus-related equipment, and construction of bus-related facilities; and (8) discretionary capital investment grants for surface transportation infrastructure. Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Development Act - Establishes the American Infrastructure Financing Authority (AIFA) as a wholly-owned government corporation to make direct loans and loan guarantees to facilitate transportation, water, or energy infrastructure projects. Requires infrastructure projects assisted under this Act to have costs that are reasonably anticipated to equal or exceed $100 million ($25 million for rural infrastructure projects). Sets forth special requirements for infrastructure projects in rural areas. Requires the AIFA Chief Lending Officer to establish: (1) an Office of Rural Assistance to provide technical assistance in the development and financing of rural infrastructure projects, and (2) a Center for Excellence to provide such assistance to public sector borrowers in the development and financing of infrastructure projects. Establishes an Office of Special Inspector General to audit and investigate the business activities of AIFA. Makes private projects for which no public benefit is created ineligible for financial assistance. Sets forth terms for loans or loan guarantees for infrastructure projects. Requires the Chief Executive Officer of AIFA to establish and collect fees sufficient to cover all or a portion of AIFA administrative costs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2014 the exemption from the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for certain tax-exempt private activity bonds. Appropriates funds for assistance to eligible entities, including state and local governments, qualified nonprofit organizations, businesses, or eligible consortia, for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties and for stabilization of affected neighborhoods (Project Rebuild). Allows the use of funds to: (1) establish financing mechanisms for the purchase and redevelopment of such properties; (2) purchase and rehabilitate such properties; (3) establish and operate land banks for them; (4) demolish blighted structures (except public housing); and (5) redevelop abandoned, foreclosed, demolished, or vacant properties. Requires each state to receive at least $20 million of formula funds, all of which shall be used with respect to low and moderate-income individuals and families. Requires each state and local government grantee to establish procedures to create preferences for development of affordable rental housing. Allows a grantee to use up to 10% of a grant to create jobs by establishing and operating a program to maintain eligible neighborhood properties. Supporting Unemployed Workers Act of 2013 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend the emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) program until January 1, 2016. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend through December 31, 2015, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2015, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service and for employees with less than 10 years of service. Permits the use of pre-existing appropriated funds under such Act to cover the cost of additional extended unemployment benefits and the cost of current benefits. Establishes the Reemployment NOW program to facilitate the reemployment of individuals receiving emergency unemployment compensation (EUC claimants). Requires a state to submit for approval by the Secretary of Labor a plan meeting certain minimum requirements in order to be eligible for an allotment of federal funds under such program. Authorizes a state to use its allotted funds to: (1) establish a Bridge to Work program to provide EUC claimants with short-term work experience placements with eligible employers; (2) provide a wage insurance program to pay, for up to two years, an EUC claimant who obtains reemployment up to 50% of the difference between the wages received at the time of work separation and the wages received for reemployment; and (3) provide a program of enhanced reemployment services to EUC claimants, including unemployed individuals who have exhausted their EUC rights. Provides for federal financing of state short-time compensation programs. Requires the Secretary of Labor to: (1) award grants to states that enact such programs; (2) develop model legislative language for use by states in developing, enacting, and implementing such programs; and (3) report to Congress and the President on the implementation of such programs. Allows an increased work opportunity tax credit for long-term unemployed individuals (individuals who are unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation for six months or more). Pathways Back to Work Act of 2013 - Establishes programs to subsidize employment for unemployed, low-income adults, to provide summer and year-round employment opportunities to low-income youth, and for work-based training. Provides for an initial appropriation of $5 billion, with funds available for obligation by the Secretary of Labor until December 31, 2014, and for expenditure by grantees and subgrantees until September 30, 2015. Subjects activities funded under this Act to federal labor standards and nondiscrimination protections. Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2013 - Makes it an unlawful practice for certain employers to: (1) publish a job advertisement or announcement that includes provisions indicating that an individual's status as unemployed disqualifies the individual for employment or that the employer will not consider or hire an individual for employment based on such status, (2) fail or refuse to consider or hire an individual because of such status, or (3) direct or request that an employment agency take an individual's status into account to disqualify an applicant for consideration for employment or when screening or referring employees. Makes it an unlawful practice for an employment agency to commit similar acts, including to: (1) screen, or fail or refuse to consider or refer, an individual for employment because of the individual's unemployed status; or (2) limit, segregate, or classify any such individual in any manner that would limit access to job information or consideration, screening, or referral for jobs. Makes it unlawful for any employer or employment agency to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of any right provided under this Act; or (2) fail or refuse to hire, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against an employee because such individual opposed any practice made unlawful by this Act or asserted any right under it. Prescribes enforcement authorities and legal remedies for violations of this Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for offsets against decreases in revenue by: (1) limiting tax deductions and other tax exclusions for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 ($250,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return), (2) treating income received by a partner from an investment services partnership interest as ordinary income for income tax purposes, and (3) treating all general aviation aircraft (including corporate jets) as seven-year property for depreciation purposes. Repeals, after 2013, certain tax expenditures for the oil and gas industry, including: (1) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs for oil and gas wells; (2) the tax deduction for tertiary injectant expenditures; (3) percentage depletion for oil and gas wells; (4) the tax deduction for income from activities relating to oil, natural gas, or any primary product thereof; (5) the exemption from limitations on passive activity losses; and (6) the tax credits for enhanced oil recovery and for producing oil and gas from marginal wells. Increases from two to seven years the period for amortizing geological and geophysical expenditures. Denies the foreign tax credit for amounts paid or accrued by a dual capacity taxpayer to a foreign country or U.S. possession. Defines "dual capacity taxpayer" as a person who is subject to a levy of a foreign country or U.S. possession and who receives a specific economic benefit from such country or possession. Sets forth a special rule for the treatment of taxes paid on foreign oil and gas income for purposes of the foreign tax credit. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm--Rudman-Hollings Act), as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011, to repeal its budget goal enforcement requirements (sequestration mandate).
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions by individuals and corporations of real property interests for conservation purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Justice Exists for All of Us Act of 2013 - Prohibits a state, for each fiscal year beginning three years after enactment of this Act, from having in effect a law or policy that: (1) allows a person to use deadly force when such person is threatened and that does not impose a duty to retreat before using such force in any place where that person is lawfully present (commonly known as a "stand your ground law"), except where the person is a victim of domestic violence; or (2) allows the establishment, organization, or operation of, or participation in, a Neighborhood Watch program that is not registered with the local law enforcement agency and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Allows the Attorney General to authorize up to two one-year extensions of such deadline. Provides that a state that fails to substantially implement this Act for any fiscal year shall not receive 20% of the funds that would otherwise be allocated to it under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. Provides for alternative procedures for compliance by a state that is unable to substantially implement this Act because of a conflict with the state's constitution. Directs the Attorney General to conduct a study of state stand your ground laws, including by examining: (1) the effect that such laws have on rates of violent deaths, and (2) whether women and minorities are targets of the force authorized by such laws at a higher rate than the general population.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement or SHARE Act - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (USDA) on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting, and recreational shooting. Abolishes the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) (the Secretary with respect to lands under the respective jurisdiction), for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on federal lands and waterways administered by the Secretary. Makes such a permit valid for such activities or projects that occur in areas designated for public use during public hours on all federal lands and waterways administered by the Secretary for a 12-month period. Prohibits the Secretary, for persons holding such a permit, from assessing any additional fee for commercial filming activities and similar projects that occur in those areas during those hours. Bars the Secretary from prohibiting, as a motorized vehicle or under any other purposes, the use of cameras or related equipment used for commercial filming activities or similar projects in accordance with this Act on federal lands and waterways administered by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to recover (under current law, collect) costs incurred as a result of filming activities or similar projects, including but not limited to, administrative and personnel costs.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services (PARTS) Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to state that, except with respect to high-risk or complex medical services requiring direct levels of supervision, if the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) requires supervision by a physician or non-physician practitioner for Medicare payment for therapeutic hospital outpatient services, that requirement is met if such services are furnished under the physician's or non-physician practitioner's general supervision. Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish a process for designating therapeutic hospital outpatient services for which direct supervision may be required for the entire service or direct supervision during the initiation of the service followed by general supervision for the remainder of the service. Declares without force or effect in law regarding Medicare requirements for direct supervision by physicians for therapeutic hospital outpatient services a specified restatement and clarification under the final rulemaking changes to the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system and calendar year 2009 payment rates, which was published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2013
Review EPA's Language on Agriculture and Thoroughly Engage with the Farm Act of 2013 or the RELATE with the Farm Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to review publications that may give notice that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing or plans to prepare any guidance, policy, memorandum, regulation, or statement of general applicability and future effect that may have a significant impact on a substantial number of agricultural entities. Requires the Secretary, for each publication item determined to have a possible significant impact, to: (1) solicit from the EPA Administrator information to facilitate a review of the item, (2) produce an economic impact statement, (3) identify representatives of potentially affected agricultural entities to obtain advice and recommendations about the potential impacts of the item, and (4) convene a review panel that includes the Secretary to analyze the publication item. Provides procedures for submission by the Secretary of comments to the Administrator for inclusion in the administrative record and for waiver of a panel's initiation.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2013
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to repeal the exclusion from medical assistance under the Medicaid program of items and services for patients in an institution for mental diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop, and update biennially, a strategic multiyear technology acquisition plan, which may include a classified addendum to report sensitive transportation security risks, technology vulnerabilities, or other sensitive security information. Directs the Administrator to analyze the TSA's acquisition of any security-related technology to determine if it is justified. Requires the Administrator, 30 days before any TSA award of a contract for acquisitions exceeding $30 million, to report to Congress the results of the analysis and certify that the security benefits justify the contract cost. Directs the Administrator to establish certain performance baseline requirements before any TSA security-related technology acquisition. Requires the Administrator to review and assess each acquisition for meeting the baseline requirements and to report those results to Congress. Requires the Administrator, before the procurement of additional quantities of equipment to fulfill a TSA mission need, to utilize, to the extent practicable, any existing units in the TSA's inventory to meet that need. Directs the Administrator to report annually to Congress on TSA's goals for contracting with small and disadvantaged businesses. Directs the Comptroller General to evaluate, and report to Congress on, TSA's progress in implementing the plan.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
Innovate to Deliver Act of 2013 - Establishes in the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) the position of Chief Innovation Officer, who shall manage the development and implementation of innovative postal and nonpostal products and services. Requires: (1) the Postmaster General, not later than 12 months after the designation of a Chief Innovation Officer, to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy for maximizing revenues through innovative postal and nonpostal products and services; and (2) the Comptroller General (GAO) to study and report on the implementation of the USPS innovation strategy. Authorizes USPS to: provide nonpostal services (e.g., check-cashing services, warehousing, public internet access services) that use the processing, transportation, delivery, retail network, technology, or other resources of USPS in a manner consistent with the public interest; conduct market tests of experimental products with total anticipated revenues of up to $50 million (currently, $10 million); ship distilled spirits, wine, or malt beverages consistent with state laws: invest excess moneys of the Competitive Product Fund; engage in a reduction in force (RIF) except when prevented by a collective bargaining agreement; enter into intra-service agreements with other agencies to furnish to each other property and services; treat similar or related agreements between USPS and its postal users (Negotiated Service Agreements) as a single product; and seek expedited processing for time-sensitive advisory opinions from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). Requires the PRC, in establishing a system for regulating USPS rates and classes for market-dominant products, to: (1) require that each class or type of mail service cover its direct and indirect costs, and (2) take into account the value to USPS of having pricing flexibility. Repeals the requirement for uniform postal rates for books, films, and other materials. Requires the USPS Board of Governors to: (1) ensure that rates and fees charged by USPS cover its total costs for FY2014 and each subsequent fiscal year, and (2) submit to Congress an itemized report for each fiscal year describing all travel and reimbursable business travel expenses paid to each Governor. Requires each PRC Commissioner to submit a similar itemized report for each fiscal year. Imposes limits on the compensation, including bonuses, and fringe benefits of USPS officers and employees, with exceptions for officers or employees in very senior executive positions. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to: (1) revise the formula for determining USPS contributions to the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), and (2) use excess FERS contributions to pay existing USPS operating and pension liabilities. Expresses the sense of Congress that USPS use its available authority to provide early retirement or separation to eligible USPS employees. Allows USPS employees to take service credits instead of separation payments. Allows USPS and PRC employees to contribute their voluntary separation incentive payments to Thrift Savings Fund accounts. Modifies the prepayment schedule for the Postal Retiree Health Benefits Fund to: (1) amortize health care liabilities over a 40-year period, (2) reduce the prefunding requirement to 80% of actuarial liabilities, and (3) suspend the commencement of payments to the Fund until FY2017. Requires the Comptroller General to report on the workforce reduction or realignment method used by USPS to align its workforce with its needs. Requires the Postmaster General to submit detailed reports to Congress on plans to close or suspend USPS retail or processing facilities. Extends the process for closing or consolidating a post office to postal stations and branches. Authorizes the PRC to change classes of mail using specified criteria and notification requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2013
Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to require the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), upon a request by the chairman or ranking minority member of specified congressional committees, to determine if a proposed measure would result in reductions in budget outlays in budgetary outyears through the use of preventive health and preventive health services. Requires CBO, if the measure would result in such substantial reductions, to include in any CBO projection a description and estimate of such reductions and a description of the basis for such conclusions. Authorizes CBO to prepare a budget projection that includes some or all of the budgetary outyears.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2013
Permits the continued operation of trucks on any segment of U.S. Route 78 in Mississippi designated as a route on the Interstate System. Prohibits federal weight limitation requirements from applying to those trucks that could operate legally on such segment before that designation.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2013
Thirteenth Amendment Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue the following coins in commemoration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution (formally abolished slavery in the United States): up to 250,000 $50 bi-metallic platinum and gold coins, up to 250,000 $20 gold coins, and up to 500,000 $1 silver coins. Requires such coins to be considered legal tender and numismatic items. Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during the calendar year beginning January 1, 2016, except that sales may be initiated, without issuance, before such date. Requires specified surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of such coins to be paid to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Directs the Secretary to ensure that: (1) the minting and issuing of such coins will not result in any net cost to the U.S. government; and (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are disbursed to the Museum until the total cost of designing and issuing all such coins is recovered by the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2013
Medicare Respiratory Therapist Access Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare coverage of pulmonary self-management education and training services furnished by a qualified respiratory therapist in a physician practice to patients with chronic lung disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], including emphysema and bronchitis, as well as asthma, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, and cystic fibrosis).
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2013
Rural Hospital Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, to extend from January 1, 2013 to January 1, 2014, specified "hold harmless" payments for small rural hospitals and sole community hospitals under the Medicare prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Applauds the U.N. General Assembly for honoring President Mandela's contribution to international peace and freedom. Recognizes the global impact of President Mandela's legacy and commitment to nonviolence, respect, and dialogue. Supports the international community's recognition of Nelson Mandela International Day. Urges all U.S. citizens to reflect on the importance of peace, tolerance, democracy, human rights, and reconciliation in honor of Nelson Mandela International Day.