United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Condemns: (1) the attack that occurred at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin on August 5, 2012; and (2) intolerance, including religious and racial discrimination, and calls for continued vigilance against violence. Honors the memory of Suveg Singh Khattra, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Ranjit Singh, Sita Singh, Paramjit Kaur, and Prakash Singh, who died in the attack. Applauds the bravery of Lieutenant Brian Murphy and other first responders who prevented the gunman from taking more lives and treated wounded individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2014
Supports the goals and ideals of National Community Gardening Awareness Month, including raising awareness about the importance of community gardens and urban agriculture; improving access to public land for the creation of sustainable food projects; encouraging growth of community gardens; and supporting cooperative efforts among federal, state, local governments, and nonprofit organizations to promote the development and expansion of community gardens.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2014
Commends the GAVI Alliance, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, civil society, the private sector, faith-based organizations, and the international community on the progress made in reducing child mortality through the increased availability of vaccines. Supports the ideals and goals of the GAVI Alliance. Recognizes that the United States, in addition to being an important donor, is a critical technical partner to the GAVI Alliance. Encourages the continued use of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) global immunization resources. Encourages continued U.S. and international commitment and investment, through the GAVI Alliance, to the global effort to ensure that children in developing nations have access to vaccines and immunizations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Calls on: (1) the United States to prioritize the rights of migrant workers in their relations with Qatar by offering technical assistance and expertise in combating human trafficking and the provision of victim-centered services, and (2) U.S. corporations involved in constructing World Cup related infrastructure in Qatar to ensure that working conditions are in compliance with international human rights standards by holding subcontractors accountable for labor violations and incorporating mechanisms for enforcement of such contractual obligations. Calls on the Qatari authorities to implement existing legislation and enact new legislation to prevent human rights violations. Calls on the migrant laborers' countries of origin, notably Bangladesh, India, Nepal, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, to protect their nationals from deceptive recruitment agencies in their countries and intervene on behalf of their nationals whose rights are abused when working in Qatar and other Persian Gulf states. Urges the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to: (1) ensure that the World Cup is a symbol of global cooperation, (2) deliver a strong message to Qatar to make sure that the 2022 World Cup is not staged with the assistance of modern slavery by continuing the organization's involvement in Qatar, and (3) advocate for fair labor practices on all World Cup related projects.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Reaffirms the commitments of the House of Representatives to promoting and protecting religious freedom around the world and providing relief to minority groups facing persecution. Calls on the Department of State to work with the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Iraqi central government, neighboring countries, the diaspora community in the United States, the United Nations (U.N.) High Commissioner for Refugees, and other key stakeholders to help secure safe havens for those claiming amnesty in Iraq. Requests the addition of a Special Representative for Religious Minorities to be included in Prime Minister al-Maliki's newly reconstructed government.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Condemns the religious bigotry, property destruction, and violent attacks on, and intimidation of, Iraqi civilians by armed extremists. Calls upon the government of Iraq to protect the safety and constitutional rights of all Iraqi citizens. Calls on the President, Secretary of State, and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (U.N.) to implement a humanitarian intervention to protect civilians, stabilize the security situation in the Nineveh Plain region of Iraq, and facilitate humanitarian assistance in the Kurdistan region to help absorb the influx of refugees. Calls on the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to document human rights abuses against Iraqi civilians and develop a plan to facilitate access to potable water, health care, fuel, electricity, and basic security for the most vulnerable civilian populations. Calls on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to coordinate with international humanitarian organizations working in Iraq to develop an effective strategy for resettlement assistance and mechanisms to ensure that assistance reaches the intended recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2014
Schedules That Work Act - Grants an employee the right to request that his or her employer change the terms and conditions of employment relating to: the number of hours or times the employee is required to work or be on call; the location; the amount of notification he or she receives of work schedule assignments; and minimizing fluctuations in the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Requires the employer, if the request is made, to engage in a timely, good faith interactive process with the employee that includes a discussion of potential schedule changes that would meet his or her needs. Outlines the process for either granting or denying a change. Requires the employer to grant a request, unless there is a bona fide business reason for denying it, if the request is made because of the employee's serious health condition, his or her responsibilities as a caregiver, or enrollment in a career-related educational or training program, or if a part-time employee requests such a change for a reason related to a second job. Authorizes an employer, if an employee requests a change for any other reason, to deny it for any reason that is not unlawful. Requires the employer to give the employee the reason for the denial, including whether it was a bona fide business reason. Outlines employer requirements for paying reporting time and split shift pay and for giving advance notice of work schedules to retail, food service, or cleaning employees, except for those in bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacities. Makes it unlawful for any employer or other person to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise or the attempt to exercise any right of an employee specified in this Act; (2) retaliate against an individual for exercising his or her rights, or (3) interfere with proceedings or inquiries with respect to violation of an individual's rights. Sets forth administrative enforcement procedures and civil remedies for violation of these prohibitions. Directs the Secretary of Labor to give information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning compliance with this Act. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the impact of certain difficult scheduling practices on employees and employers. Makes this Act inapplicable to any employee covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement if its terms govern work scheduling practices.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2014
Constitutional Amendment - Authorizes Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. Grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by appropriate legislation. Allows them to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections. Declares that nothing in this amendment shall be construed to grant Congress or the states the power to abridge the freedom of the press.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2014
Supports the goals and ideals of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, now in its 40th year of continuous service. Recognizes the benefits the CDBG program has provided to urban, suburban, and rural communities. Acknowledges the importance of this federal grant program to states and local communities throughout the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2014
Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2014 - Amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to condition eligibility to receive a state grant for child abuse or neglect prevention and treatment programs on inclusion in the state plan of a certification by the governor that the state has in effect and is enforcing a state law, or is operating a statewide program, that includes provisions and procedures to: (1) identify and assess reports involving children who are sex trafficking victims (and which may also involve children who are victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons), (2) train representatives of the state child protective services about identifying and assessing such children, and (3) identify services and procedures for appropriate referral to address the needs of such children. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report to Congress on: (1) the specific type and prevalence of severe forms of trafficking in persons to which children have been subjected who are identified for services or intervention under the placement, care, or supervision of state, Indian tribe, or tribal organization child welfare agencies; (2) the practices and protocols utilized by states to identify and serve children who are, or are at-risk of becoming, victims of trafficking; and (3) any barriers in federal laws or regulations that may prevent identification and assessment of children who are such victims.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2014
Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act or the Clay Hunt SAV Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Secretary of Defense (DOD), at least annually, to each arrange for an independent third party evaluation of, respectively, the VA and DOD mental health care and suicide prevention programs. Requires a board reviewing the discharge or dismissal of a former member of the Armed Forces whose application for relief is based at least in part on post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury related to military operations or sexual trauma, to: (1) review the medical evidence from the VA or a civilian health provider that is presented by the former member; and (2) review the case, with a presumption of administrative irregularity, and place the burden on the VA or DOD to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that no error or injustice occurred. Directs the VA Secretary to publish an Internet website that serves as a centralized source to provide veterans with regularly updated information regarding all of the VA's mental health care services. Requires the VA Secretary and the DOD Secretary to enter into certain strategic relationships to facilitate: the mental health referrals of members of the reserve components who have a service-connected disability and are being discharged or released from the Armed Forces, timely behavioral health services for such members, communication when such members are at risk for behavioral health reasons, and the transfer of documentation for line-of-duty and fitness-for-duty determinations. Requires the VA Secretary to carry out a three-year pilot program to repay the education loans relating to psychiatric medicine that are incurred by individuals who: are eligible to practice psychiatric medicine in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) or are enrolled in the final year of a residency program leading to a specialty qualification in psychiatric medicine, demonstrate a commitment to a long-term career as a psychiatrist in the VHA, and agree to a period of obligated service with the VHA in the field of psychiatric medicine. Directs the VA Secretary to carry out a program, as part of the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program, under which the VA Secretary and an institution of higher education (IHE) agree to cover the full cost of charges not covered by post-9/11 educational assistance that are incurred by veterans who: (1) are pursuing an advanced degree in mental health at the IHE, and (2) intend to seek employment as a mental health professional in the VA. Allows the VA Secretary to cover up to 64% of those charges, if the school covers the remainder. Requires the DOD Secretary to submit to Congress a zero-based review of the staffing requirements for individual State National Guard Commands with respect to Directors of Psychological Health. Directs the VA Secretary to establish a pilot program at not less than five Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) to assist veterans transitioning from active duty and to improve the access of veterans to mental health services. Requires the pilot program at each VISN to include: (1) a community oriented veteran peer support network, and (2) a community outreach team for each medical center in such VISN.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2014
Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act Of 2014 - Applies this Act to any mining claim, millsite claim, or tunnel site claim located under the general mining laws. Subjects to the requirements of this Act, except in specified circumstances, any unpatented mining claim or millsite claim located under the general mining laws before the enactment of this Act for which a plan of operation has not been approved or a notice filed before the date of enactment. Prohibits the issuance of a patent for any mining or millsite claims whose application was filed after September 30, 1994. Subjects production of locatable minerals to a royalty of 8% of the gross income from mining. Reduces that royalty to 4% in the case of federal land subject to an operations permit on the date of the enactment of this Act and produces valuable locatable minerals in commercial quantities on that date. Declares any royalty inapplicable to a person whose annual gross income from mineral production, including the income of all related parties, is less than $100,000. Prescribes a hardrock mining claim maintenance fee for each unpatented mining claim, mill, or tunnel site on federally owned lands, except for a claimant who, together with all related parties, held not more than 10 mining claims, mill sites, or tunnel sites (or any combination) on public lands, and performed required assessment work. Designates certain wilderness study areas, areas of critical environmental concern, and related areas as not open to location of mining claims. Permits a state or local government or Indian tribe to petition the Secretary of the Interior for withdrawal of specific federal land from operation of the general mining laws in order to protect specific values. Directs the Secretary to ensure that mineral activities on federal land subject to a claim are carefully controlled to prevent undue degradation of public lands and resources. Prescribes requirements for the exploration permit process and for operations permits, including financial assurances. Requires restoration of lands to a condition capable of supporting prior uses or other beneficial uses. Establishes the Hardrock Minerals Fund, composed of the Hardrock Reclamation Account and the Hardrock Community Impact Assistance Account. Requires each operator of a hardrock mining operation to pay the Secretary, for deposit in the Fund, a displaced material reclamation fee of 7 cents per ton of displaced material. Authorizes use of amounts in the Hardrock Reclamation Account for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past hardrock mineral activities and related activities. Amends the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to initiate prompt actions to improve the availability and analysis of mineral data in public land use decision-making with respect to National Forest System lands. Restricts to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia judicial review of any final action constituting rulemaking to implement this Act. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to reflect the provisions of this Act regarding oil shale claims. Repeals the Building Stone Act and the Saline Placer Act. Good Samaritan Cleanup of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2014 - Encourages remediation of inactive and abandoned mine sites by Good Samaritans (defined as individuals or entities who had no role in the creation of the historic mine residue or any resulting environmental pollution and are not legally responsible for the remediation of the historic mine residue). Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize a permitting authority with an approved Good Samaritan program to issue Good Samaritan discharge permits. Prescribes permit requirements. Shields from liability under such Act Good Samaritans who comply with a discharge permit approved under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2014
May 31, 1918 Act Repeal Act - Repeals the 1918 Act (authorizing the establishment of a town site on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho). Grants the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation the exclusive right of first refusal to purchase at fair market value any land offered for sale within the Fort Hall Townsite. Requires the United States to hold in trust for the benefit of the Tribes or a member of the Tribes, as applicable, any land owned or acquired by the Tribes or a member of the Tribes within the Fort Hall Townsite before, on, or after this Act's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2014
Blackfoot River Land Exchange Act of 2014 - Extinguishes all claims and all right, title, and interest in and to specified Indian and non-Indian land as part of the settlement of disputes within the Fort Hall Indian Reservation of the Shoshone and Bannock Indian Tribes in Idaho resulting from the realignment of the Blackfoot River by the Corps of Engineers in 1964. Requires the non-Indian land to be held in trust for the Tribes. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer the Indian land to the Blackfoot River Flood Control District No. 7, which is to use the proceeds from the sale of such land to compensate: (1) each non-Indian landowner for his or her loss of land resulting from this Act's implementation at fair market value, and (2) itself for any expenses it incurs in carrying out this Act. Authorizes the Blackfoot River Flood Control District No. 7 to dispose of the land or proceeds that remain after it meets those priorities in any manner it determines to be appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2014
Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014 - Affirms requirements, notwithstanding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, that: (1) an employer that establishes or maintains a group health plan for its employees must provide coverage of a specific item or service for the employees or their dependents where the coverage is required under federal provisions or regulations pursuant to those provisions; and (2) group health plans sponsored by an employer or employee organization, and any health insurance coverage, must provide coverage required under the Public Health Service Act, including preventive health services. Authorizes the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury to modify regulations concerning coverage of contraceptive services by group health plans of religious employers consistent with the purposes and findings (regarding coverage of birth control services and the Supreme Court decisions in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Burwell ) of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2014
Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2014 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act with respect to determining entitlement to and the amount of any monthly benefit, including any lump-sum death payment, payable under OASDI on the basis of the wages and self-employment income of any individual. Deems such an individual to have been paid a wage (according to a specified formula) during each month during which the individual was engaged for at least 80 hours in providing care to a dependent relative without monetary compensation for up to five years of such service. Makes this Act inapplicable in the case of any monthly benefit or lump-sum death payment if a larger benefit or payment would be payable without its application.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act of 2014 - Amends the General Education Provisions Act to prohibit the Secretary of Education from providing education funding to any educational agency or institution that allows school personnel to inflict corporal punishment upon a student as a form of punishment or to modify undesirable behavior. Requires each state to submit a plan to the Secretary, within 18 months of this Act's enactment and every third year thereafter, that describes how the state eliminates the use of corporal punishment in schools and makes school personnel and parents aware of its policies and procedures for doing so. Authorizes the Secretary to award three-year grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to assist them in improving school climate and culture by implementing school-wide positive behavior supports. Requires grant and subgrant funds to be used for professional training, technical assistance, research, and outreach regarding positive behavior supports. Requires LEAs to ensure that private school personnel can participate, on an equitable basis, in activities supported by such funds. Authorizes the Secretary to allocate funds to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out such activities with regard to schools operated or funded by the Department of the Interior. Directs the Secretary to conduct a national assessment to determine compliance with this Act's requirements and identify best practices regarding positive behavior support professional training programs. Gives Protection and Advocacy Systems the authority provided under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 to investigate, monitor, and enforce this Act's protections for students.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Working Families Child Care Act of 2014 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to create a supplemental state entitlement for child care assistance for families with infants or toddlers under age three. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to enable eligible states (including Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers, especially those from low-income families. Authorizes the use of grant funds to: (1) make grants to organizations with expertise in providing child care and related technical assistance, to establish new staffed family child care networks or to operate existing staffed family child care networks or systems that offer, to eligible infant and toddler care providers, technical assistance, training, administrative support, or direct services including monitoring visits to providers; (2) support a statewide network of infant and toddler care specialists; and (3) support initiatives to improve the quality of the provider workforce. Allows the use of such funds also to: (1) develop infant and toddler components for the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System or a similar rating system, child care licensing regulations, or voluntary early learning guidelines; (2) improve the ability of parents to obtain information about high-quality infant and toddler care; or (3) assist eligible infant and toddler care providers seeking to increase their ranking on the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System or similar rating system, meet performance standards applicable to an Early Head Start agency, or become accredited by a national accrediting body.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the federal criminal code to expand the definition of "full amount of the victim's losses" for purposes of provisions governing mandatory restitution of victims of offenses involving sexual exploitation and other abuse of children to include medical services, physical and occupational therapy or rehabilitation, and lost income for the victim's lifetime, as well as any losses suffered by the victim from any sexual act or conduct in preparation for or during the production of child pornography depicting the victim involved in the offense. Sets forth guidelines for determining restitution where the victim of of a specified child pornography offense was harmed by one defendant (requiring restitution for not less than the full amount of the victim's losses) or by more than one defendant (requiring restitution for not more than the full amount of the victim's losses and not less than specified minimum amounts for certain offenses). Requires joint and several liability where there are multiple defendants and allows each defendant who is ordered to pay restitution and who has made full payment to the victim equal to or exceeding the specified minimum amount to recover contribution from any other defendant ordered to pay. Sets forth contribution claim procedures. Requires the Attorney General to report to Congress within one year after enactment of this Act on any progress of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in obtaining restitution for victims of such offenses.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act of 2014 - Redesignates the Ocmulgee National Monument in Georgia as the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Adjusts the boundary of the Historical Park to include approximately 2,100 acres. Directs the Department of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Ocmulgee River corridor between the cities of Macon, Georgia, and Hawkinsville, Georgia, to determine: (1) the national significance of the study area; (2) the suitability and feasibility of adding lands in the study area to the National Park System; and (3) the methods and means for the protection and interpretation of the study area by the National Park Service, other federal, state, or local government entities, or private or nonprofit organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Military Separation Pay Fairness Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to determine whether former members of the Armed Forces who were separated for a violation of the policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces as in effect before the effective date of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 were paid: (1) the full amount of separation pay to which they should have been entitled under standard military separation pay laws, or (2) a reduced amount because of homosexuality pursuant to administrative instructions in place at the time of the separation. Requires the Secretary to pay such a former member who has not received the full military separation pay: (1) the amount of the difference between the full amount and the amount actually paid, and (2) interest on the amount of the difference. Excludes former members who joined the class-action settlement in Collins v. United States from receiving additional payments for the difference in amounts under such procedures, but provides for former members in such settlement to receive payment for interest on such amount.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
United States Leadership to Eradicate Obstetric Fistula Act of 2014 - Directs the President, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to establish a 10-year strategy to combat obstetric fistula in sub-Saharan Africa that strengthens the capacity of the United States to be an effective leader in the movement for international women's health and empowerment. Authorizes the President, through USAID, to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, a university-based medical center in the United States to carry out activities to prevent, treat, and monitor obstetric fistula in sub-Saharan African countries. Provides for the establishment at the center of an International Obstetric Fistula Institute for Sub-Saharan Africa which shall: serve as the primary administrative and medical-training hub; initiate and oversee training and clinical activities of physicians, other health professionals, and educators serving at Centers of Clinical Excellence; ensure an increase in health system and workforce capacity to prevent, treat, and monitor obstetric fistula in each country in which a Center of Clinical Excellence is located; establish at least eight Centers of Clinical Excellence for Obstetric Fistula Care; and establish a United States Obstetric Fistula Treatment and Prevention Corps to provide volunteer medical services and train local surgeons and other health professionals in techniques of obstetric fistula repair and in other aspects of the care of women with obstetric fistula. Establishes the United States Advisory Committee for the Eradication of Obstetric Fistula.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Stop Corporate Expatriation and Invest in America's Infrastructure Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise rules for the taxation of inverted corporations (i.e., U.S. corporations that acquire foreign companies to reincorporate in a foreign jurisdiction with income tax rates lower than the United States) to provide that a foreign corporation that acquires the properties of a U.S. corporation or partnership after May 8, 2014, shall be treated as an inverted corporation and thus subject to U.S. taxation if, after such acquisition: (1) it holds more than 50% of the stock of the new entity (expanded affiliated group), or (2) the management or control of the new entity occurs primarily within the United States and the new entity has significant domestic business activities. Authorizes additional appropriations to the Highway Account and Mass Transit Account in the Highway Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2014
Charitable Automobile Red-Tape Simplification Act of 2014 or the CARS Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for charitable contributions, to modify the substantiation rules for donations of qualified vehicles (i.e., motor vehicles manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways and boats or airplanes) to require: (1) a statement with respect to such qualified vehicles and a good faith estimate of their value at the time of donation; and (2) a contemporaneous written acknowledgement of the contribution by the donee organization, with information about the donor and the qualified vehicle.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2014
Protecting American Jobs and Exports Act - Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States through FY2021. Extends through FY2021 and gradually increases (with a specified exception) the Bank's aggregate outstanding loan, guarantee, and insurance authority. Extends through FY2021 Bank authority to provide financing for the export of nonlethal defense articles or services whose primary end use will be for civilian purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2014
National Child Protection Training Act - Directs the Attorney General, through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, to establish a program to sustain at least four regional training centers affiliated with institutions of higher education. Requires the regional training centers to: (1) develop model interdisciplinary undergraduate curricula on recognizing and responding to cases of child maltreatment that consists of at least a three-course certificate program or minor degree; (2) develop related model graduate curricula for medical schools, law schools, seminaries, and other institutions of higher education that instruct students likely to become child protection professionals or other professionals required by law to report cases of child maltreatment; (3) disseminate such curricula, upon the Attorney General's approval, to institutions of higher education; (4) develop "laboratory" training facilities that allow for simulated, interactive, and intensive training of students preparing for child protection careers as well as child protection professionals currently in the field; (5) assist communities in developing evidence-based prevention programs; and (6) assist states in developing and maintaining forensic interview training programs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2014
Designates: (1) the segment of Interstate Route 35 between milepost 133 at Forest Lake, Minnesota, and milepost 259 at Duluth, Minnesota, as the "James L. Oberstar Memorial Highway"; and (2) the segment of U.S. Route 61 between milepost 0 at Duluth, Minnesota, and milepost 150 at Grand Portage, Minnesota, as the "James L. Oberstar National Scenic Byway."
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2014
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14 3rd Avenue, NW, in Chisholm, Minnesota, as the "James L. Oberstar Memorial Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2014
Expresses support for the designation of National ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Day to encourage parents to begin asking the question, "Is there an unlocked gun in your house?" before their child visits other homes and for the goals and ideals of such day.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2014
Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act - Amends federal firearms provisions to expand the definition of: (1) "intimate partner" to include a dating partner or former dating partner; and (2) "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include a misdemeanor offense that has, as an element, the use or attempted use of force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon by a dating partner or former dating partner against the victim. Prohibits the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition to, or the possession or receipt of a firearm by, a person who: (1) is subject to a court order, or an ex parte order, that restrains such person from harassing, stalking, threatening, or engaging in other conduct that would put an individual in reasonable fear of bodily injury, including an order issued at the request of an employer on behalf of its employee or at the request of an institution of higher education on behalf of its student, or from intimidating or dissuading a witness from testifying in court; or (2) has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of stalking under federal, state, territorial, or tribal law or of a crime that involves conduct that would be proscribed by prohibitions against stalking if committed within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2014
Recognizes the historical significance to the nation, and supports the continued celebration, of Juneteenth Independence Day. Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the future, and (2) the celebration of the end of slavery is an important and enriching part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2014
National Guard and Reserve Equal Access to Legal Services Act - Expands eligibility for legal assistance provided by the Armed Forces special victims' counsel for eligible members and dependents who are victims of sex-related offenses to include a member of a reserve component who is a victim of an alleged sex-offense committed by a member of the Armed Forces during: (1) a period in which the individual served on active duty, full-time National Guard duty, or inactive-duty training; or (2) any period, regardless of the duty status of the individual, if the circumstances of the alleged sex-related offense have a nexus to the military service of the individual based on the membership in the Armed Forces of either the victim or the member who allegedly committed such offense.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2014
Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2014 - Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to establish a grant program to provide assistance to states that require compliant carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in dwelling units. Defines "compliant carbon monoxide alarm" as an alarm that complies with the American National Standard for Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms as well as the American National Standard for Gas and Vapor Detectors and Sensors. Permits states receiving grants to use such funds to: (1) purchase and install such alarms in dwelling units of low-income families or elderly persons, childcare facilities, public schools, senior centers, or student dwelling units owned by public universities; (2) train state or local fire code enforcement officials regarding compliance and installation; and (3) educate the public about the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2014
Native Contract and Rate Expenditure Act of 2014 or the Native CARE Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to remove the restriction to hospitals furnishing inpatient Medicare services and allow all service providers to participate under: (1) the Purchased/Referred Care program (formerly called the contract health services program) funded and operated by the Indian Health Service (IHS), and (2) any program funded by IHS and operated by an urban Indian organization. Prohibits Medicare payment for an item or service furnished by a supplier unless the supplier agrees to participate under both such programs. Prohibits any reduction, offset, or limitation to any appropriations made to IHS under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the Snyder Act, or any other provision of law as a result of this Act. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of IHS, to study the impact of this Act on access to care under the IHS Purchased/Referred Care program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2014
School Modernization and Revitalization Through Jobs Act, the SMART Jobs Act, or the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act - Requires the Secretary of Education to make grants to states for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, including early learning facilities and charter schools, to make them safe, healthy, high-performing, and technologically up-to-date. Allocates grant funds among states on the basis of the relative portion of school improvement funds provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) in each state under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Reserves 1% of the grant funds for assistance to outlying areas and Indian schools. Requires states to reallocate such grant funds to LEAs on the basis of each LEA's share of school improvement funds received by LEAs in the state for the previous fiscal year. Directs the Secretary to make grants to LEAs that serve areas in which the President, during the preceding 10 fiscal years, has determined that a major disaster exists for the construction, modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, including early learning facilities and charter schools, to make them safe, healthy, high-performing, and technologically up-to-date. Allocates grant funds among such LEAs on the basis of each LEA's share of infrastructure damage inflicted on public school facilities in such areas. Requires the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in projects funded under this Act to have been produced in this country, subject to specified exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2014
Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2014 - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), acting through the Human Resources Directorate and not less than one research directorate of the NSF, to award competitive grants to eligible entities to enable them to carry out the activities specified below in order to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Requires an eligible entity that receives a grant to use those grant funds to carry out the following activities designed to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields: (1) online workshops, (2) mentoring programs that partner STEM professionals with students, (3) internships for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM, and (4) conducting outreach programs providing elementary and secondary school students with opportunities to increase their exposure to STEM.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2014
Recognizes Jeanne Sobelson Manford as a national hero who advanced the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the United States. Commends her for helping to create a more perfect union based on the ideal that all men and women are created equal.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Promoting Healthy Minds for Safer Communities Act of 2014 - Title I: Strengthening and Improving Intervention Efforts - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program to award grants to states, political subdivisions, or nonprofit private entities for the expansion of mental health crisis assistance programs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. Requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with at least one relevant community-based entity that clearly states how school-employed mental health professionals will be utilized and the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires grantees to comply with the health information privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures. Amends the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 to: (1) expand the assistance provided under such Act, and (2) reauthorize appropriations for FY2015-FY2019. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to establish or expand: (1) veterans treatment court programs, which involve collaboration among criminal justice, veterans, and mental health and substance abuse agencies to provide qualified veterans (preliminarily qualified offenders who were discharged from the armed forces under conditions other than dishonorable) with intensive judicial supervision and case management, treatment services, alternatives to incarceration, and other appropriate services, including housing, transportation, job training, education, and assistance in obtaining benefits; (2) peer to peer services or programs to assist such veterans in obtaining treatment, recovery, stabilization, or rehabilitation; (3) practices that identify and provide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, transitional, and other appropriate services to such veterans who have been incarcerated; and (4) training programs to teach criminal justice, law enforcement, corrections, mental health, and substance abuse personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving such veterans. Revises the definition of "preliminarily qualified offender" to include, in the case of a veterans treatment court program, an adult or juvenile accused of an offense who has been diagnosed with, or manifests obvious signs of, mental illness or a substance abuse disorder or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder. Removes a requirement that the adult or juvenile be accused of a nonviolent offense. Requires preliminarily qualified offenders to be unanimously approved for participation in a collaboration program by, when appropriate, the relevant prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, probation or corrections official, judge, and representative from the relevant mental health agency. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to enhance the capabilities of a correctional facility to: (1) identify and screen for mentally ill inmates; (2) plan and provide assessments of the clinical, medical, and social needs of inmates and appropriate treatment and services that address mental health and substance abuse needs; (3) develop, implement, and enhance post-release transition plans that coordinate services and public benefits, the availability of mental health care and substance abuse treatment services, alternatives to solitary confinement and segregated housing, and mental health screening and treatment for inmates placed in solitary confinement or segregated housing; and (4) train employees in identifying and responding to incidents involving inmates with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) award not more than six grants per year to applicants for the purpose of reducing the use of public services by mentally ill individuals who consume a significantly disproportionate quantity of public resources, and (2) make grants to provide support for programs that teach law enforcement personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving persons with such disorders. Directs the Attorney General to give priority in awarding grants for adult or juvenile collaboration programs to applications that: (1) propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism, and (2) use validated assessment tools to target preliminarily qualified offenders with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment and services. Title II: Improving Mental Health Research - Directs the Secretary to expand research on self-directed and other-directed violence associated with mental illness. Title III: Understanding the Epidemic of Gun Violence - Requires the Secretary to expand: (1) the National Violent Death Reporting System to all 50 states, and (2) research and grants of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address gun violence. Authorizes FY2015-FY2019 appropriations for CDC research and grants. Title IV: Mental Health and Access to Firearms - Amends federal criminal code prohibitions on the sale, purchase, transport, or possession of firearms or ammunition to: (1) specify that prohibitions with respect to persons committed to a mental institution apply to persons committed on an involuntary inpatient or involuntary outpatient basis, and (2) expand the prohibitions to persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking. Expands the definition of: (1) "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include offenses by children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, or dating partners; and (2) "intimate partner" to include such individuals as well as parents and guardians. (Thus, adds such individuals to the categories of persons that may be prohibited from possessing or receiving guns under domestic violence laws.) Authorizes the Attorney General to reserve not more than 5% of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds for grants to states that: (1) give state and local law enforcement the authority to seize firearms or ammunition from an individual pursuant to a warrant, where there is probable cause to believe the individual possessing such firearms or ammunition poses an elevated risk of harm to himself or herself or to another individual; or (2) temporarily prohibit an individual involuntarily hospitalized for mental illness on an emergency basis from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Directs the Attorney General to establish a system for the prompt notification of state and local enforcement agencies when the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) notifies a licensed dealer that an individual attempting to obtain a firearm is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal or state law. Title V: Restoration - Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to set forth requirements for persons adjudicated to have a mental disorder or committed to a mental institution to apply for relief (restoration of firearm ownership rights) after one year by submitting an opinion of a psychiatrist or licensed clinical psychologist in order to seek a determination by the adjudicating agency that the person no longer manifests the symptoms that elevate the risk of harm. Title VI: Submission of Mental Health Records to National Instant Criminal Background Check System - Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to report annually to Congress regarding the number of persons reported by each state to NICS who are prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm based on a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Reauthorizes the national criminal history improvement program for FY2015-FY2018. Requires the Attorney General to establish a four-year implementation plan for each state or Indian tribal government desiring a grant to improve the automation and transmittal to federal and state repositories of: (1) mental health records and criminal history dispositions, (2) records relevant to determining whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, (3) court orders, and (4) mental health adjudications or commitments. Requires each federal agency in possession of records relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under specified circumstances to make such records, updated at least quarterly, available to the Attorney General for use in NICS background checks. Directs HHS, under HIPAA, to allow states to make information concerning persons adjudicated as a mental defective or those committed to mental institutions available for NICS.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to: (1) design and produce a military service medal, to be known as the Atomic Veterans Service Medal, to honor retired and former members of the Armed Forces who participated in a radiation-risk activity while serving on active duty; and (2) issue the Medal to such veterans or their next-of-kin.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Supports the goals and ideals of Caribbean-American Heritage Month (in the month of June). Affirms that: (1) the contributions of Caribbean-Americans are a significant part of the history, progress, and heritage of the United States; and (2) the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2014
Global Health Worker Protection Act of 2014 - Prohibits the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and any other agency from using health or humanitarian workers or activities (including immunization and vaccination campaigns, health education and surveillance, or direct health services) in countries outside the United States for the purpose of collecting foreign intelligence. Prohibits this Act from being construed to restrict the provision of medical services to individuals involved in authorized intelligence activities on behalf of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act - Amends the National Trails System Act to extend the North Country National Scenic Trail into Vermont.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Health Care Fairness and Stability Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to provide a temporary shift in the scheduled collection of payments for the transitional reinsurance program intended to help stabilize premiums for coverage in the individual health insurance markets from 2014 through 2016. Amends PPACA to delay the collection of reinsurance payments from health insurance issuers and third party administrators of certain self-insured group health plans until January 1, 2018. Amends PPACA to change the formula for determining the amount of contributions collected for payments to health insurance issuers that cover high risk individuals in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the low-income housing tax credit, to make permanent the minimum 9% credit rate for new buildings that are not federally-subsidized and to establish a minimum 4% credit rate for existing buildings that are not federally-subsidized.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Curbing Abusive Marketing Practices with University Student Debit Cards Act or the CAMPUS Debit Cards Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) that enters into a preferred banking arrangement with a financial institution to: develop a code of conduct regarding the preferred banking arrangement with which the IHE's officers, employees, and agents must comply that prohibits conflicts of interest and requires those individuals to act in the best interests of the IHE's students; publish that code prominently on the IHE's website; annually inform its officers, employees, and agents who have responsibilities regarding the preferred banking arrangement of the code's provisions; and effectively enforce the code. Requires that code of conduct, at a minimum, to prohibit: the IHE from entering into a revenue-sharing arrangement with any financial institution; the IHE's officers, employees, or agents who have responsibilities regarding the preferred banking arrangement or a financial institution from soliciting or receiving a gift from the financial institution; the IHE from requesting or accepting from any financial institution assistance with any office or department of the IHE; the IHE's officers, employees, or agents who have responsibilities regarding the preferred banking arrangement or a financial institution from accepting financial compensation from any financial institution pursuant to a service contract; the IHE from denying or unnecessarily delaying the disbursement of a title IV loan or grant on the basis of a student's selection of a particular financial institution; and the IHE's officers, employees, or agents who have responsibilities regarding the preferred banking arrangement or a financial institution from receiving anything of value from the financial institution for serving on its advisory board, commission, or group. Allows specified exceptions to such prohibitions. Requires IHEs that enroll students who receive title IV grants or loans to establish a system to disburse credit balances to students through electronic payments to a deposit account or a general-use prepaid card with the protections afforded under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Directs the Secretary to conduct a pilot program giving students the option to receive credit balances through the Treasury Direct Express system or another low-cost alternative. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require: IHEs or their alumni organizations or foundations to publicly disclose any agreement made with a financial institution to market a financial product, financial institutions to submit an annual report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) containing the terms and conditions of all agreements they make with IHEs or IHE alumni organizations or foundations relating to any financial product they offer to students at such IHEs, the CFPB to establish and maintain on its publicly available website a central repository of all agreements contained in such reports from financial institutions. Prohibits financial institutions from offering students any tangible or intangible item to induce them to apply, purchase, or obtain a financial product offered by the financial institution if the offer is made on or near the campus of an IHE or at an event sponsored by or related to an IHE. Directs the CFPB: (1) to conduct a study on the marketing of financial products to students enrolled in IHEs, and (2) if the study finds that financial products are not marketed to IHE students in a fair manner, to issue regulations to ensure that such products are marketed in a fair manner. Expresses the sense of Congress that financial products marketed to IHE students should be presented in a fair and neutral manner.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Expresses support the goals and ideals of the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula to significantly raise awareness and intensify actions towards ending obstetric fistula (a childbirth injury).
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Indian Country Economic Revitalization Act of 2014 - Amends the Native American Business Development, Trade Promotion, and Tourism Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Commerce, within one year of this Act's enactment and every three years thereafter, to submit a report and recommendations for promoting the sustained growth of the economies of Indian tribes and lands. Requires each report to include: data on Indian business development and employment during the preceding 3-year period, except for the first report which is to include data from the preceding 10 years; an assessment of existing structural advantages and barriers to the economic development of Indian tribes and lands; an analysis of Indian access to adequate infrastructure, affordable energy, educational opportunities, and investment capital; and recommendations on legislation to strengthen the economies of Indian tribes and lands in areas that include regulatory, tax, and trust reform. Directs the Secretary to consider appropriate information contained in previous studies and reports in conducting this Act's studies.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Authorizes appropriations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for each of FY2015-FY2020 to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention under the Public Health Service Act.
![Official portrait of Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_mn_4_mccollum_betty_200.jpg)