United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2017
This bill amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to make permanent the authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. No less than 1.5% of the annual authorized funding amount or $10 million, whichever is greater, shall be used for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2017
No Religious Registry Act of 2017 This bill prohibits U.S. government officers or employees from collecting information or utilizing a registry or database to classify or surveil on the basis of religious affiliation: (1) U.S. nationals, (2) aliens lawfully present in the United States, or (3) aliens who apply for a visa or seek admission to the United States or on whose behalf a petition under the immigration laws is submitted. The bill also prohibits studies related to the collection of such information or the establishment or utilization of such a registry or database. Nothing in such prohibition may be construed to prohibit the collection of information that is provided voluntarily, and from which personally identifiable information is removed, to be used strictly for statistical purposes that do not violate this bill. Federal entities are prohibited from: (1) awarding a contract to an entity to collect information or establish a registry that would violate this bill, or (2) purchasing information on religious affiliation from a nonfederal entity for such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2017
Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to expand Medicare coverage to include eyeglasses, hearing aids, and dental care.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2017
Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2017 This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to allow the reporting of certain positive consumer-credit information to consumer reporting agencies. Specifically, a person or the Department of Housing and Urban Development may report information related to a consumer's performance in making payments either under a lease agreement for a dwelling or pursuant to a contract for a utility or telecommunications service. However, information about a consumer's usage of any utility or telecommunications service may be reported only to the extent that the information relates to payment by the consumer for such service or other terms of the provision of that service. Furthermore, an energy-utility firm may not report a consumer's outstanding balance as late if the firm and the consumer have entered into a payment plan and the consumer is meeting the obligations of that plan. Specified provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act that establish civil liability with respect to furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies shall not apply to any violation of the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2017
Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) eliminate the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants, and (2) increase the per-country numerical limitation for family-based immigrants from 7% to 15% of the total number of family-sponsored visas. The Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 is amended to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual Chinese immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act. The bill establishes a transition period during which a percentage of employment-based second and third preference (EB-2 and EB-3) immigrant visas are reserved as follows: for FY2017, 15% of such visas are allotted to natives of countries other than the two countries with the largest aggregate numbers of natives obtaining such visas in FY2011; for FY2018, 10% of such visas are allotted in each category to natives of countries other than the two with the largest aggregate numbers of natives obtaining such visas in FY2012; and for FY2019, 10% of such visas are allotted in each category to natives of countries other than the two with the largest aggregate numbers of natives obtaining such visas in FY2015. During the transition period, not more than 25% of the total number of the reserved EB-2 and EB-3 visas shall be allotted to natives of a single country. For FY2015-FY2017, not more than 85% of the unreserved EB-2 and EB-3 visas shall be allotted to natives of a single country. Amendments made by this bill shall apply beginning in FY2017.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2017
Enlisted Legal Assistance Act This bill requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide personal civil legal assistance to: an active duty member of the Armed Forces in pay grades E-1 through E-5 and his or her dependents; and a survivor who was a dependent of the member at the time of the member's death, except that survivor eligibility shall be determined pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2017
Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the $1 million limitation on the deductibility of employee compensation, to: (1) extend such limitation to any individual who is a current or former officer, director, or employee of a publicly-held corporation; (2) eliminate the exemption from such limitation for compensation payable on a commission basis or upon the attainment of a performance goal; and (3) make such limitation applicable to all publicly-held corporations that are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission to register securities and provide periodic reports to their investors.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2017
Credit Union Residential Loan Parity Act This bill amends the Federal Credit Union Act to allow a credit union to extend a member business loan with respect to a one- to four-family dwelling, regardless of whether the dwelling is the member's primary residence. Under current law, a member business loan may be extended with respect to such a dwelling only if it is the member's primary residence.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2017
Email Privacy Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to revise provisions that limit an electronic communication service (ECS) or remote communication service (RCS) provider from disclosing the contents of a wire or electronic communication that is in electronic storage. Additionally, it revises the standards for the government to compel an ECS or RCS provider to disclose contents of a wire or electronic communication or noncontent records or information pertaining to a subscriber or customer. An ECS or RCS provider may notify a subscriber or customer of the receipt of a warrant, court order, subpoena, or request, unless the government obtains an order for delayed notification. The bill revises the process for obtaining a delayed notification order and lengthens the maximum duration of a delayed notification order.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2017
Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2017 This bill requires the President and Vice President to submit to Congress and the Office of Government Ethics a disclosure of financial interests. Among the contents of such disclosure, the President and Vice President shall: (1) include a detailed description of each financial interest of the President and Vice President, the spouse of the President and Vice President, or a minor child of the President and Vice President; and (2) include the tax returns filed by or on behalf of the President and Vice President for the three most recent taxable years. The President, the Vice President, the spouse of the President or Vice President, and any minor child of the President or Vice President must divest any financial interest posing a potential conflict of interest by transferring such interest to a qualified blind trust. Within a reasonable period of time after such financial interest is transferred to a qualified blind trust, the trustee of such trust shall: (1) sell the financial interest; and (2) use the proceeds from the sale of the financial interest to purchase conflict-free holdings. The Office of Government Ethics shall submit to Congress, the President, and the Vice President an annual report regarding the financial interests of such officials, their spouses, and any of their minor children. The Attorney General, the attorney general of any state, or any person aggrieved by a violation of divestiture requirements posing a potential conflict of interest may seek declaratory or injunctive relief if: (1) the Office of Government Ethics is unable to issue a report indicating whether the President or Vice President is in substantial compliance with such divestiture requirements; or (2) there is probable cause to believe the President or the Vice President has not complied with such requirements. The bill amends the federal criminal code to require the recusal of presidential appointees from decisions affecting the financial holdings of a President or the spouse of a President. Prohibitions pertaining to contracts entered into by Members of Congress are extended to contracts by the President or Vice President. The bill amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require the disclosure of tax returns by the incumbent President and presidential nominees of a major political party for the three most recent taxable years. The bill declares the sense of Congress that a violation of the divestiture requirements of this bill or the Ethics in Government in Government Act of 1978 by the President or the Vice President would constitute a high crime or misdemeanor.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2017
DHS Stop Asset and Vehicle Excess Act or the DHS SAVE Act This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for overseeing and managing vehicle fleets throughout DHS, including: ensuring that DHS components are in compliance with federal law, executive branch guidance, and DHS policy regarding fleet management and use of vehicles from home to work; developing and distributing a standardized vehicle allocation methodology and fleet management plan; ensuring that components formally document fleet management decisions; and approving component fleet management plans, vehicle leases, and vehicle acquisitions. The bill lists responsibilities of component heads regarding vehicle fleets, including developing and annually submitting to the Under Secretary a vehicle allocation tool and fleet management plan. The Under Secretary shall: collect, on a quarterly basis, information regarding component vehicle fleets; seek to achieve a capability to collect automated information regarding component vehicle fleets; track and monitor component information, and review each component's vehicle allocation tool and fleet management plan, to ensure that component vehicle fleets are the optimal size and are cost effective; provide guidance on how component heads may achieve optimal fleet size; and as part of the annual budget process, review and make determinations regarding annual component requests for vehicle fleet funding. Beginning with FY2019, the Under Secretary and component heads may not approve a vehicle lease, acquisition, or replacement request, no DHS official with vehicle fleet management responsibilities may receive annual performance compensation in pay, and no senior executive service official of DHS whose office has a vehicle fleet may receive access to a car service, if such officials did not comply with vehicle allocation tool and fleet management plan requirements in the prior fiscal year. The Under Secretary may determine the feasibility of operating a vehicle motor pool to permit components to share vehicles to reduce the number of excess DHS vehicles. The Governmental Accountability Office must report on: efforts to achieve a capability to collect automated information regarding component vehicle fleets, and the extent to which the Under Secretary addresses security concerns and reports on vehicle fleet event data recorder data. The Inspector General of DHS shall review implementation of vehicle allocation tool and fleet management plan requirements for FY2018 and FY2020 and report on the effectiveness of such requirements with respect to cost avoidance, savings realized, and component operations.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2017
Protecting Our Democracy Act This bill establishes in the legislative branch the National Commission on Foreign Interference in the 2016 Election to examine any attempts or activities by the Russian government or other governments, persons or entities associated with such governments, or persons or entities within Russia to use electronic means to influence, interfere with, or sow distrust in elections for public office held in the United States in 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2017
Condemns the Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China, because it: (1) is a spectacle of extreme animal cruelty, (2) is a commercial activity not grounded in Chinese history, (3) is opposed by a majority of the Chinese people, and (4) threatens global public health. Urges: the government of China and the Yulin authorities to ban the killing and eating of dogs as part of Yulin's festival and to enforce China's food safety laws regulating the processing and sale of animal products and the 2011 Agriculture Ministry of China Regulation on the Quarantine of Dogs at the Place of Origin requiring one certificate for one dog on trans-provincial transport trucks, and the National People's Congress of China to enact an animal anticruelty law that bans the dog meat trade. Affirms the commitment of the United States to the protection of animals and to the progress of animal protection.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2017
Overseas Outsourcing Accountability Act This bill requires the President to develop a comprehensive national strategy to prevent U.S. employers from overseas outsourcing and offshoring practices that impact the U.S. workforce. The strategy shall: delineate quantifiable short-term and long-term goals for preventing such practices; describe specific actions and means to achieve such goals; and identify necessary new authorities or changes in existing authorities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to restore mail delivery service standards in effect as of July 1, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017 This bill includes as part of the Republic of Vietnam its territorial seas for purposes of the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure by veterans to certain herbicide agents while in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Presidential Tax Transparency Act This bill amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require the President and certain candidates for President to disclose federal income tax returns for the three most recent taxable years in reports filed with either the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) or the Federal Election Commission (FEC), in the case of a candidate. The OGE or the FEC must make the disclosed tax returns publicly available after making appropriate redactions. If the income tax returns are not disclosed as required by this bill, the OGE or the FEC must request the returns from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the IRS, upon receiving a written request from the FEC or the OGE, to provide any income tax return that is required to be disclosed under this bill. The bill also establishes civil and criminal penalties for failing to file or falsifying income tax returns that are required to be disclosed pursuant to this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
DHS Acquisition Documentation Integrity Act of 2017 This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to require the head of a relevant component or office to: maintain acquisition documentation that is complete, accurate, timely, and valid and that includes operational requirements that are validated consistent with DHS policy, a complete lifecycle cost estimate, verification of such estimate against independent cost estimates, a cost-benefit analysis, and a schedule; prepare cost estimates and schedules for major acquisition programs in a manner consistent with best practices as identified by the Government Accountability Office; and submit certain acquisition documentation to DHS to produce an annual comprehensive report on the status of DHS acquisitions for submission to Congress. DHS may waive such submission requirement for such a program for a fiscal year if the program: (1) has not entered the full rate production phase in the acquisition lifecycle, had a reasonable cost estimate established, and had a system configuration defined fully; or (2) does not meet the definition of capital asset, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. DHS shall make available to Congress, at the same time the President's budget is submitted for a fiscal year, information on the requirements of this Act in the prior fiscal year, including the following information regarding each program for which DHS has waived the submission requirement: the grounds for granting a waiver for that program; the projected cost of that program; the proportion of a component's or office's annual acquisition budget attributed to that program; and information on the significance of the program with respect to the component's operations and execution of its mission. The bill defines a "major acquisition program" as one that is estimated to require total expenditures of at least $300 million.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of door delivery for all businesses and residential customers.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2017
Calls upon President-elect Donald J. Trump to: (1) follow the precedent established by prior Presidents and convert his assets to conflict-free holdings, adopt blind trusts, or take other equivalent measures to ensure compliance with the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution; and (2) not use the powers or opportunities of his position as President-elect or President of the United States for any purpose related to the Trump Organization. Declares that in the absence of such actions or specific authorization by Congress, Congress regards dealings that Donald Trump, as President, may have through his companies with foreign governments or entities owned or controlled by foreign governments to be potential violations of such clause.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Safe Freight Act of 2017 This bill prohibits the operation of a freight train or light locomotive engine used in the movement of freight unless it has a crew of at least two individuals, one of whom is certified by the Federal Railroad Administration as a locomotive operator and the other as a train conductor.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Miners Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) to transfer certain funds to the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan and the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan to provide health and pension benefits to retired coal miners and their families. The bill expands the group whose retiree health benefits are taken into account in determining the amount that the Department of the Treasury must transfer from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund and the General Fund of the Treasury to the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan. A voluntary employees' beneficiary association (VEBA) established as a result of certain bankruptcy proceedings must transfer to the plan any amounts received as a result of the bankruptcy proceeding, reduced by the amount of the VEBA's administrative costs. Transfers by Treasury are reduced by the amount of the VEBA transfers. Treasury must also transfer additional funds to the 1974 UMWA Pension Plan to pay pension benefits required under that plan if the amounts available for transfer under SMCRA's $490 million annual limit exceed the amounts required to be transferred for other purposes (including to the UMWA Health Plans). The bill also: (1) prohibits the pension plan from making certain changes to benefits during any year in which a transfer is received, and (2) establishes additional reporting requirements for the plan. The bill repeals requirements for current and former signatories to labor agreements with the UMWA to pay unassigned beneficiaries premiums or backstop premiums if transfers under SMCRA are less than the amount required to be transferred.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Safeguard American Food Exports Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem equine (horses and other members of the equidae family) parts to be an unsafe food additive or animal drug. The bill prohibits the knowing sale or transport of equines or equine parts for human consumption.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal, beginning with taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the excise tax on employer-sponsored health care coverage for which there is an excess benefit (high-cost plans).
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Veterans, Women, Families with Children, Race, and Persons with Disabilities Housing Fairness Act of 2017 or the Housing Fairness Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to conduct a nationwide testing program to: (1) detect and document differences in the treatment of persons seeking to rent or purchase housing or obtain or refinance a home mortgage loan; (2) measure patterns of adverse treatment because of the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability status, or national origin of a renter, home buyer, or borrower; and (3) measure the prevalence of such discriminatory practices across housing and mortgage lending markets. The Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 is amended to require that only qualified private nonprofit fair housing enforcement organizations receive funds under the fair housing initiatives program for investigations of violations of the rights granted under the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Private entities that formulate or carry out programs to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices must be nonprofit in order to be eligible for contracts to establish or support education and outreach programs. HUD shall implement a competitive matching grant program to assist public and private nonprofit organizations in: (1) conducting comprehensive studies of the causes and effects of housing discrimination and segregation on education, poverty, and economic development or on veterans and military personnel; and (2) implementing pilot projects that test solutions to help prevent or alleviate housing discrimination and segregation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016
Lead-free Students Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require a local education agency, as a condition of receiving ESEA funds, to require a student to undergo blood lead-level testing prior to enrolling in an elementary school for the first time.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2016
Honors: (1) the individuals who lost their lives in the tragic fire in Oakland, California, on December 2, 2016; and (2) the sacrifice of the individuals who put themselves in harm's way to help save lives and to respond to the fire. Expresses support for Oakland's continued emergency response efforts and work to assist the victims' families. Offers condolences and support to the victims' families and loved ones. Expresses solidarity with the people of the East Bay of California as they work to heal their community. Reaffirms a commitment to support long-term recovery efforts in partnership with local and state governments, citizens, and businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2016
Student Borrower Higher Education Lending Protection Act of 2016 or the Student Borrower HELP Act of 2016 This bill amends the Truth in Lending Act to provide to student borrowers of private education loans: (1) loan payment deferments without interest accruing during any period in which the student borrower is temporarily disabled, and (2) loan discharges if a student borrower dies or becomes totally or permanently disabled. If a student borrower dies or becomes totally or permanently disabled, the student borrower, any cosigner on the loan, or the estate of either the student borrower or the cosigner shall not be obligated to make any additional loan payments. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to exclude from an individual's gross income (which would otherwise include cancellation of debt as income) amounts based on the discharge of a student loan under this bill. An individual is therefore not subject to tax liability for the discharge of student loan debt under this bill. Private educational lenders must disclose to borrowers the number of private education loans they offer and the number and rate of defaults on such loans.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2016
Flood Insurance Reimbursement Standards Transparency Cap Profits Act of 2016 or the FIRST Cap Profits Act of 2016 This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the property and casualty insurance companies participating in the "Write Your Own" (WYO) flood insurance program under the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (Biggert-Waters Act) to implement and comply with the program's oversight and expense reimbursement requirements within one year after enactment of this bill. (The WYO program is a cooperative undertaking between the insurance industry and the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration that allows participating property and casualty insurance companies to write and service standard flood insurance policies.) The Biggert-Waters Act is amended to require FEMA to prohibit reimbursements to WYO insurers from exceeding 110% of the aggregate amount of the insurer's actual expenses for selling, writing, and servicing flood insurance policies and adjusting flood claims on behalf of the National Flood Insurance Program. The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 is amended to require courts to award litigation costs to plaintiffs who prevail in civil actions for fraud or misrepresentation by an insurance company participating in the WYO program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2016
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the President should award the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Mrs. Henrietta Lacks in recognition of her invaluable contribution to modern science in the form of her own immortal cells, called HeLa cells; and (2) the case of Mrs. Lacks has spurred the medical and scientific communities to recognize their role in perpetuating racial and socioeconomic bias and has enabled the establishment of greater health care protections for patients.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2016
Fair Pay for Presidential Protection Act This bill creates an exception to a limitation on premium pay for U.S. Secret Service personnel performing protective services during any year in which a presidential election is held to the extent that payment of such pay does not cause: (1) the aggregate total of basic and premium pay for any pay period to exceed the biweekly equivalent of the annual salary rate established for level I of the Executive Schedule; or (2) the total basic and premium pay in any calendar year to exceed the annual salary rate established for such level. Such additional premium pay shall not be considered or creditable as basic pay for purposes of retirement or any other purpose and shall not be used in computing payment for accumulated and accrued annual leave. The Director of the Secret Service may act as the head of an agency in applying such annual limitation on premium pay in calendar years in which a presidential election is not held.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Fair SHARE Act of 2016 or the Fair Salary History Alternatives for Responsible Employment Act of 2016 This bill makes it an unlawful employment practice for certain employers to seek information concerning a job applicant's salary history. An exception is established authorizing an employer to seek such information in a case in which the employer has made an offer of employment, including the compensation amount, to the applicant and the applicant volunteers such information and provides written authorization to the employer authorizing the employer to verify such information The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shall issue rules relating to such exception. Enforcement procedures and remedies are set forth under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and the rights and protections extended to presidential offices.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Fair Housing for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors Act of 2016 This bill amends the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination against or regarding survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault in: the sale or rental of housing and related activities, residential real estate-related transactions, and the provision of real estate brokerage services. This bill declares that nothing in the Act shall prohibit federal, state, or local government or other assistance or a preference program designed to assist or benefit domestic violence or sexual assault survivors in seeking, securing, or maintaining dwellings, shelters or any other form of housing. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 is amended to prohibit intimidation in fair housing tranactions regarding survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) mourns the death of Ms. Jacqueline A. Ellis, (2) expresses condolences to her family, and (3) celebrates her life and righteous accomplishments and honorable deeds.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Observes and recognizes the new crisis of voter suppression tactics that have been enacted by states and localities since the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision. Urges congressional leadership to allow for an immediate vote on the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
All Ballots Count Act of 201 6 This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit an election official from enforcing any requirement that an individual produce a photo identification as a condition of registering to vote, or of voting, in an election for federal office, except to the extent that the requirement was in effect as of June 25, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2016
Transit Tax Credit Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for commuting mass transit costs. The credit is equal to 15% of the amount paid or incurred by the taxpayer during the year for a transit pass that the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or a dependent uses for travel between the residence and place of employment of the taxpayer, spouse, or dependent. The credit allowed for transit passes for any individual may not exceed $460 per year (adjusted for inflation after 2017).
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2016
Inclusive Campuses Act This bill amends title III (Institutional Aid) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions of higher education to use title III funds to establish resource centers on campus that provide support to and education about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Federal Benefits Fairness and Restoration Act of 2016 This bill amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of assistance and benefits for certain drug-related convictions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act by requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to revise regulations about consumer confidence reports in order to increase their effectiveness and understandability. Currently, each community water system must mail their customers an annual consumer confidence report that provides information about local drinking water quality.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Commends the leadership, staff, scholars, designers, construction workers, volunteers, charter members, and donors who worked tirelessly to realize the venerable dream of opening the National Museum of African American History and Culture of the Smithsonian Institution. Encourages all citizens and residents of, and visitors to, the United States to visit the museum when touring the nation's capital.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
End For-Profit Prisons Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to phase out existing contracts with private prison companies and private community confinement facilities. It amends the federal criminal code to require federal employees to perform the core correctional services—housing, safeguarding, protecting, and disciplining of offenders—at correctional facilities used by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) or the U.S. Marshals Service. The bill also prohibits the BOP from entering into or maintaining contracts with private companies to manage community confinement facilities (e.g., halfway houses). DOJ must evaluate the effectiveness of and develop guidelines for recidivism reduction programs at community confinement facilities. The Marshals Service must annually inspect each correctional facility it uses for confinement. The BOP must provide to prisoners, as part of prerelease procedures, information and counseling about: criminal record expungement; educational, employment, and treatment programs; and applications for public assistance programs. The BOP must also provide prisoners with post-release information about fines, assessments, surcharges, restitution, and other penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
Election Infrastructure and Security Promotion Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) designate voting systems used in the United States as critical infrastructure; (2) include threats of compromise, disruption, or destruction of voting systems in national planning scenarios; and (3) conduct a campaign to proactively educate local election officials about the designation of voting systems as critical infrastructure and election officials at all levels of government of voting system threats. In furtherance of local election official preparedness and response, DHS shall conduct research and development to mitigate the consequences of voting systems threats. DHS shall prepare and submit to Congress a comprehensive plan to protect and prepare the critical infrastructure of the voting systems used in the United States against threats, including from acts of terrorism. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall develop standards for ensuring the operational security of the voting systems used in elections for federal office. This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require a state, in operating the voting system, to comply with applicable standards for ensuring the operational security of voting systems. The testing and certification of voting systems hardware and software shall test whether voting systems are in compliance with applicable standards developed by NIST for ensuring the operational security of voting systems. NIST shall develop standards for ensuring that the process by which ballots are counted in elections for federal office is transparent and permits voters to verify that votes in such elections are counted correctly. States shall comply with applicable standards, in operating the voting system, for ensuring that the process by which ballots are counted in elections for federal office is transparent and permits voters to verify that votes in such elections are counted correctly. The National Science Foundation shall establish an election technology innovation research and development program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Expresses the sense of Congress that a National Voting Rights Act Mobilization Day should be designated to remind all Americans of the critical role that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 continues to play in protecting the right to vote, and to be an occasion for them to voice their support for this landmark civil rights law.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2016
Declares that the House of Representatives has heard with profound sorrow of the death of the Honorable Mark Takai, a Representative from Hawaii. Declares that when the House adjourns on September 14, 2016, it adjourn as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2016
Lost Boys and Girls Rebuilding Infrastructure to Sustain Enduring Peace in South Sudan Act or the Lost Boys and Girls RISE Act This bill directs the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish a three-year pilot program to provide fellowships to up to 500 eligible individuals to assist in developing agricultural, business development, educational, medical, technological, or transportation infrastructure in South Sudan. (The program may begin after the Department of State determines that it is safe for U.S. citizens, especially citizens of Sudanese or South Sudanese descent, to travel to South Sudan and lifts the general travel warning for South Sudan.) It is the sense of Congress that USAID should: (1) consult with members of the Lost Boys and Lost Girls of Sudan community in the United States for purposes of identifying potential participants, and (2) consider individuals who are recommended to USAID by a member of Congress.
![Official portrait of Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000822_200.jpg)