United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2015
Recognizes that all families need to be economically secure to create opportunities for their children and the nation's next generation. Recognizes that wealth and income inequality hurt economic growth and risks economic security for individual families, our communities, and the nation as a whole. Supports the elimination of the wealth gap and the racial wealth gap as national economic security priorities. Acknowledges that Congress has a responsibility to implement thoughtful, proven and pragmatic policy strategies to eliminate the wealth gap and the racial wealth gap.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2015
Recognizes the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz. Expresses appreciation for the contributions of Iranian-Americans to U.S. society in observance of Nowruz. Recognizes the aspirations of all people, including the people of Iran, for human rights and religious tolerance as embodied in the spirit of Nowruz. Wishes Iranian-Americans, the people of Iran, and all those who observe this holiday a prosperous new year.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2015
Social Security 2100 Act Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to: increase the primary insurance amount formula factor from 90% to 93% for all eligible beneficiaries, beginning in 2016; revise computation of cost-of-living adjustments to use the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers; increase the special minimum primary insurance amount for lifetime low earners based on years in the workforce. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to increase the gross income threshold for taxation of Social Security benefits from $25,000 to $50,000 for single taxpayers and from $32,000 to $100,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns, beginning in 2016. Amends the IRC and SSAct title II to impose the employment tax on all wage income above $400,000, effective in 2016. Requires incremental increases, up to 15.3% in 2084, in the employment and self-employment taxes. Amends SSAct title II to include 2% of an individual's excess average indexed monthly earnings (over $400,000 per annum) in the formula for determining primary insurance amounts. Amends IRC to increase the Social Security tax rate on employees and employers and with respect to self-employment income. Requires reallocation of a portion of employment tax revenues from the OASDI Trust Fund to the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund for wages paid after 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2015
Armor-Piercing Bullets Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to provide that: (1) a .22 caliber projectile that would otherwise constitute "armor piercing ammunition" shall be considered to be primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes (and thus excluded from the definition of "armor piercing ammunition" for purposes of federal firearms provisions) if the projectile weighs 40 grains or less and is loaded into a rimfire cartridge, and (2) a projectile that would otherwise constitute "armor piercing ammunition" shall be considered to be primarily intended to be used for a sporting purpose if the projectile is loaded into a cartridge for which the only handgun that is readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade is a single shot handgun. Defines a "single shot handgun" as a break-open or bolt action handgun that can accept only a single cartridge manually and that does not accept or use a magazine or other ammunition feeding device, excluding a pocket pistol or derringer-type firearm. Authorizes the Attorney General to treat a projectile as not primarily intended to be used for sporting purposes if substantial evidence exists that the projectile is not primarily intended to be used for such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2015
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Songwriter Equity Act of 2015 Amends federal copyright law regarding the exclusive rights of sound recording copyright owners to remove a provision that prohibits license fees payable for the public performance of sound recordings, by means of a digital audio transmission, from being taken into account in any administrative, judicial, or other governmental proceeding to set or adjust the royalties payable to copyright owners of musical works for the public performance of their works. Requires Copyright Royalty Judges (CRJs), when setting royalty rates under the compulsory license available for the reproduction and distribution of musical works (commonly referred to as a "mechanical license"), to establish rates and terms that most clearly represent the rates and terms that would have been negotiated in the marketplace between a willing buyer and seller. Requires CRJs, in establishing such rates and terms, to base their decision on marketplace, economic, and use information presented by the participants. Allows consideration of comparable uses and circumstances under voluntary license agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Child Tax Credit Permanency Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the child tax credit, to: (1) adjust the earned income threshold for determining the amount of the refundable portion of such credit, and (2) provide for an inflation adjustment to the $1,000 credit amount for calendar years after 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act Revises the Department of Defense's (DOD's) authority to transfer excess personal property to federal and state law enforcement agencies. Removes DOD's authority to transfer property for counter-drug activities. Requires recipients of DOD property to certify that they: (1) have personnel, technical capacity, and training to operate the property; and (2) will return to DOD any property that is surplus to the recipient's needs. Requires recipients that are not federal agencies to certify that they have notified their local community of requests for DOD property with a notice on a publicly accessible Internet website and postings at prominent locations in the jurisdiction. Requires DOD to submit annually to Congress a description of property to be transferred along with a certification that the transfers are not prohibited by law. Prohibits transfers of: controlled (i.e., military grade) firearms, ammunition, grenades, and explosives; controlled vehicles, certain trucks, and other highly mobile or mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles; armored or weaponized drones; controlled aircraft that are combat configured or combat coded, or that have no established commercial flight application; silencers; long range acoustic devices; and items in the Federal Supply Class of banned items. Prohibits transfers conditioned upon the agency demonstrating the use of any small arms or ammunitions. Prohibits transfers of previously transferred DOD property from one federal or state agency to another such agency. Allows DOD to waive transfer prohibitions for certain trucks and vehicles (other than mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles) if necessary for disasters, rescues, or other purposes where life and public safety are at risk. Requires notice of such a waiver to be provided to Congress and the public. Permits DOD to exempt aircraft parts transferred for regular maintenance of aircraft in an existing fleet. Prohibits obligations or expenditures of appropriations to carry out DOD's property transfer program unless specified conditions have been met, including requirements to verify: (1) that in-person inventories of transferred property have been conducted at each agency, and (2) that 100% of such property was accounted for during the inventories or that agencies unable to account for such property have been suspended from the program. Prohibits federal or state agencies that receive controlled equipment from taking ownership of the property. Requires the Defense Logistics Agency to maintain an Internet website to make available to the public: (1) information on each transfer, broken down by state, county, and recipient; (2) during the 30-day period preceding the date on which any property is transferred, information on the property to be transferred and the recipient; and (3) information on any use of controlled equipment by the transfer recipient.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
First Responder Anthrax Preparedness Act Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), for the purpose of domestic preparedness for and collective response to terrorism, to: (1) make available surplus vaccines and antimicrobials, and vaccines and antimicrobials with short shelf lives, from the strategic national stockpile for administration to emergency response providers who voluntarily consent to such administration; (2) establish any necessary logistical and tracking systems to facilitate making such vaccines and antimicrobials available; and (3) distribute disclosures regarding associated risks to end users. Requires DHS to: (1) support homeland security-focused risk analysis and assessments of the threats posed by anthrax from an act of terror; (2) leverage homeland security intelligence capabilities and structures to enhance prevention, protection, response, and recovery efforts with respect to an anthrax terror attack; and (3) share information and provide tailored analytical support on threats posed by anthrax to state, local, and tribal authorities, as well as other national biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders. Directs DHS to carry out a pilot program, which lasts at least 18 months, to administer such vaccines and antimicrobials to emergency response providers. Requires DHS: (1) prior to implementing such program, to establish a communication platform and education and training modules for the program , to conduct economic analysis of the program, and to create a logistical platform for the anthrax vaccine request process; and (2) to select providers based in at least two states to participate in the program. Requires DHS to provide to each participating provider disclosures and educational materials regarding the risks of any vaccine or antimicrobial administered and of exposure to anthrax.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Pet and Women Safety Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit threats or acts of violence against a person's pet under the offenses of stalking and interstate violation of a protection order. Defines "pet" to mean a domesticated animal that is kept for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes. Requires the "full amount of the victim's losses" for purposes of restitution in domestic violence and stalking offenses to include any costs incurred for veterinary services relating to physical care for the victim's pet. Directs the Department of Agriculture to award grants to eligible entities to carry out programs to provide specified housing assistance, support services, and training of relevant stakeholders to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and their pets. Expresses the sense of Congress that states should encourage the inclusion of protections against violent or threatening acts against the pet of the person in domestic violence protection orders.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2015 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend the registration of members of the nitro group of neonicotinoid insecticides that are registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for use in seed treatment, soil application, or foliar treatment on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals until the EPA determines that the insecticides will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators. The determination must be based on: an evaluation of the published and peer-reviewed scientific evidence on whether the use or uses of those neonicotinoids cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators, including native bees, honeybees, birds, bats, and other species of beneficial insects; and a completed field study that meets the criteria required by the EPA and evaluates residues, chronic low-dose exposure, and cumulative effects of multiple chemical exposures. The EPA may not issue new registrations of the neonicotinoid pesticides for any seed treatment, soil application, and foliar treatment on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals under FIFRA until it has made the determination with respect to the insecticide. For purposes of protecting and ensuring the long-term viability of native bees and other pollinators, the Department of the Interior must: (1) regularly monitor the health and population status of native bees, (2) identify the scope and likely causes of unusual native bee mortality, and (3) submit to Congress and make public an annual report on the health and population status of native bees.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Condemns Boko Haram for its violent attacks, particularly the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, especially women and girls, and the use of children as fighters and suicide bombers. Stands with: (1) the people of Nigeria in their right to live free from fear of state or nonstate actors; (2) the people of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger who are increasingly at risk from Boko Haram's violence; and (3) the international community in its efforts to defeat Boko Haram. Supports the Abuja Accord, and calls on candidates, party officials, and adherents of all political movements to refrain from divisive rhetoric and actions. Condemns civilian abuses by Nigerian security forces. Urges the government of Nigeria to: conduct credible and peaceful elections, refrain from using security services for political purposes, prioritize the security of Nigerians vulnerable to Boko Haram, implement a civilian security response to defeat Boko Haram that addresses political and economic grievances of citizens in the north, improve Nigeria's security forces, and cooperate with regional and international partners to defeat Boko Haram. Urges all Nigerians to engage in the electoral process and to reject divisive actions. Reaffirms that the people of the United States stand with the people of Nigeria in support of peace and democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
National Health Service Corps Improvement Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to include optometry services in primary health services for purposes of the National Health Service Corps. Optometrists are eligible for the fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, and the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Postal Service should issue a commemorative postage stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of the three civil rights marches from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2015
American Opportunity Tax Credit Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to replace the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credits with a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that: (1) allows an income tax credit of up to $2,500 of the qualified tuition and related expenses of a student who is carrying at least one half of a normal course load, (2) increases the income threshold for reductions in the credit amount based upon modified adjusted gross income, (3) allows a lifetime dollar limitation on such credit of $15,000 for all taxable years, and (4) makes a portion of such credit refundable. Allows an exclusion from gross income of any amount received as a Federal Pell Grant.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2015
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2015 Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to reauthorize for FY2016-FY2019 the grant program for improvements to the criminal history record system. Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to: (1) establish a four-year implementation plan to ensure maximum coordination and automation of reporting of records or making records available to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; (2) direct the Attorney General to make grants to states, Indian tribal governments, and state court systems to improve the automation and transmittal of mental health records and criminal history dispositions; (3) provide for withholding grant funds from states that have not implemented a relief from disabilities program and the reallocation of such funds to states that are in compliance; (4) make federal court information available for inclusion in the System; and (5) allow the submission to the System of mental health records that would otherwise be protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) expand the enforcement authority or jurisdiction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; (2) allow the establishment, directly or indirectly, of a federal firearms registry; or (3) extend background check requirements to transfers of firearms other than those made at gun shows or over the Internet, or to temporary transfers for purposes including lawful hunting or sporting, or to temporary possession of a firearm for purposes of examination or evaluation by a prospective transferee. National Commission on Mass Violence Act of 2015 Establishes the National Commission on Mass Violence to study the availability and nature of firearms, including the means of acquiring firearms, issues relating to mental health, and the impacts of the availability and nature of firearms on incidents of mass violence or in preventing mass violence. Requires the Commission to conduct a comprehensive factual study of incidents of mass violence, including incidents not involving firearms, to determine the root causes of such mass violence.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2015
Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to waive coinsurance for colorectal cancer screening tests (in order to cover 100% of their cost under Medicare part B [Supplementary Medical Insurance Benefits for the Aged and Disabled]), regardless of the code billed for a diagnosis as a result of a test, or for the removal of tissue or other procedure furnished in connection with, as a result of, and in the same clinical encounter as the screening test.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2015
National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission to evaluate and recommend solutions regarding better coordination and leveraging of federal programs that relate to supporting appropriate clinical care for people with pre-diabetes, diabetes, and the chronic diseases and conditions that are complications of or caused by diabetes. The duties of the Commission include: evaluating HHS programs regarding the utilization of preventive health benefits, identifying current activities and critical gaps in federal efforts to support clinicians in providing integrated care, making recommendations regarding the development and coordination of federally funded clinical practice support tools, recommending clinical pathways for new technologies and treatments, evaluating and expanding education and awareness to health care professionals regarding prevention of diabetes, and reviewing and recommending appropriate methods for outreach and dissemination of educational resources. The Commission must submit an operating plan to HHS and Congress within 90 days of its first meeting.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2015
Credit Union Small Business Jobs Creation Act Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to prohibit an insured credit union from making any member business loan that would result in the total amount of such loans outstanding at that credit union at any one time exceeding either: (1) 1.75 times the actual net worth of the credit union, or (2) 12.25% of the total assets of the credit union. Authorizes the National Credit Union Administration Board to approve an application by an insured credit union to make one or more member business loans that would result in a total amount of such loans outstanding at any one time of up to 27.5 % of the total assets of the credit union, if the credit union meets specified safety and soundness criteria. Prohibits an insured credit union that has made such a member business loan but that is not well capitalized from making any new member business loans until it becomes well capitalized and obtains Board approval. Directs the Board to develop a tiered approval process, including lending standards, under which an insured credit union gradually increases the amount of member business lending in a manner consistent with safe and sound operations. Directs the Comptroller General to study the status of member business lending by insured credit unions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2015
Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad Act Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a governmental entity to require the disclosure by a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service of the contents of a wire or electronic communication that is in electronic storage with or otherwise stored, held, or maintained by the provider only pursuant to a warrant issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. Authorizes such a warrant to require such disclosure regardless of where such contents may be in electronic storage or otherwise stored, held, or maintained by the provider if the holder of the account the contents of which are sought by the warrant is a U.S. person. Requires a court, on a service provider's motion, to modify or vacate such a warrant upon finding that it would require the provider to violate the laws of a foreign country. Sets forth requirements for government notification of provider customers or subscribers regarding the receipt of communication contents pursuant to such a warrant. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a form for use by a foreign government filing a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) request; (2) establish an online docketing system for all MLAT requests; and (3) publish statistics annually on MLAT requests made by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to foreign governments, and by foreign governments to DOJ, to obtain the contents of communications or other information or records from a provider of electronic communications or remote computing services. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) data localization requirements imposed by foreign governments on data providers are incompatible with the borderless nature of the Internet, an impediment to online innovation, and unnecessary to meet the needs of law enforcement; and (2) DOJ, the Department of State, and the U.S. Trade Representative should pursue open data flow policies with foreign nations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2015
Ensuring Equal Access to Treatments Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to the prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department (OPD) services, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create certain additional groups of covered OPD services that classify separately, from those that do not utilize such a drug, procedures that utilize a drug (other than contrast agents, diagnostic radiopharmaceutical, or anesthesia drugs) that both has a cost above the drug packaging threshold and functions as a supply when used in a diagnostic test or procedure.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Police Accountability Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to require a state or local law enforcement officer in a public agency which receives federal funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, who engages in conduct in the line of duty that would constitute murder or manslaughter if it were to occur in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, to be punished as provided for that offense under federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Recognizes the contribution of the Greensboro Four to the revitalization of the civil rights movement and their significance as a catalyst for the mobilization of college students coalescing in the formation of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Recognizes that ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation. Encourages states to include the history and contributions of the Greensboro Four in their year-round educational curriculum.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2015 Establishes a Department of Peacebuilding in the executive branch, to be headed by a Secretary of Peacebuilding, dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking, and the study and promotion of conditions conducive to both domestic and international peace and a culture of peace. Sets forth the mission of the Department, which includes the: (1) cultivation of peace and peacebuilding as a strategic national policy objective; and (2) development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful conflict resolution, and structured conflict mediation. Establishes in the Department: (1) the Office of Peace Education and Training, (2) the Office of Domestic Peacebuilding Activities, (3) the Office of International Peacebuilding Activities, (4) the Office of Technology for Peace, (5) the Office of Arms Control and Disarmament, (6) the Office of Peacebuilding Information and Research, (7) the Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights, and (8) the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace. Establishes a Federal Interagency Committee on Peace to coordinate the actions of the Department with other federal agencies. Directs the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to consult with the Secretary concerning nonviolent means of conflict resolution when a conflict between the United States and any other government or entity is imminent or occurring. Directs the Secretary to encourage citizens to observe and celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on Peace Days, which shall include discussions of the professional activities and the achievements in the lives of peacemakers.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2015
Farm to School Act of 2015 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to reauthorize the Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Farm to School Program through FY2021 and modify the program. The program currently provides grants and technical assistance to schools, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers, and nonprofit entities to improve access to local foods in schools. The bill makes schools participating in the Summer Food Service Program for children, the early care and afterschool portions of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the School Breakfast Program eligible to participate in the program. It also permits USDA to provide land-grant colleges and universities with grants, research, and technical assistance under the program. The purposes for grants awarded under the program are expanded to include agricultural literacy and nutrition education. The bill requires USDA to provide technical assistance, research, and information to increase awareness of and participation in farm to school programs among agricultural producers. In awarding grants, USDA must improve local food procurement and distribution options for agricultural producers and eligible schools. USDA is permitted to fund projects that include innovative approaches to aggregation, processing, transportation, and distribution. The bill establishes new limitations on the amount and duration of grants. The bill also establishes reporting requirements and limits funds that may be used for administrative costs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2015
Promoting U.S. Jobs Through Exports Act of 2015 This bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to raise the cap on outstanding loans, guarantees, and insurance of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for FY2015-FY2022 and afterwards, subject to specified formulae. The Bank, the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee, and authority for dual use exports (of nonlethal defense articles or services primarily for civilian use) are reauthorized through FY2022. The Bank shall: provide technical assistance to small businesses on how to apply for financial assistance from the Bank; and study the extent to which Bank financial programs and products adequately meet the needs of small business concerns and enterprises that use, or seek to use, its medium-term programs to support the maintenance or creation of jobs in the United States through exports. The Bank shall also: conduct a comparative assessment of the practices of export credit agencies of other major providers of official export credit and member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with respect to risk- or fee-sharing arrangements, in order to determine the extent to which the Bank could take steps to increase the share of loan-level risk borne by the private sector; and establish programs, if warranted, under which private financial institutions may share risk in the loans, guarantees, and other Bank products in exchange for receiving fees received from program participants. The fees to a private financial institution shall be commensurate with the level of risk taken by the institution. The Bank may enter into up to $25 billion worth of contracts of reinsurance, co-finance, or other risk-sharing arrangements on its portfolio or individual transactions with insurance companies, financial institutions, or export credit agencies. The Bank shall develop a strategic plan to identify how most effectively to promote the export of goods and services related to renewable energy and end-use energy efficiency technology. The Bank President shall appoint a Chief Risk Officer to develop and manage a comprehensive process for identifying, assessing, monitoring, and reducing Bank-wide risk. The Bank shall: report to specified congressional committees on its ethics programs, financial disclosure requirements, fraud detection training programs, conflicts of interest rules, and related matters; conduct a risk assessment of the vulnerability of its programs to employee misconduct and, if appropriate, issue updated supplemental standards of ethical conduct for Bank employees; and require all Bank directors, officers, and employees to certify annually that they have read, understood, complied with, and will continue to comply with, the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Requirements are prescribed or revised for enhanced Bank audit controls, an independent evaluation of the Bank portfolio, and an external review of fraud controls subject to the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 (EIBRA). The Bank must also perform (or cause to be performed) "risk-based Due Diligence," "Know Your Customer," and "Character Reputational Transaction Integrity" assessments of participants who benefit directly from Bank financing in structured finance and project finance transactions. The Bank shall: develop a specific monitoring plan for each structured or project finance transaction before final Board of Directors approval that addresses the specific risks presented by the structure of the deal, and reserve the right to inspect any credit agreement for a transaction subject to Board approval sufficient to validate that disbursements comply with the law and Bank policies and procedures. The Bank shall also: implement policies to accept electronic documents in a manner that will not undermine any potential civil or criminal enforcement related to a transaction, assess its information technology infrastructure and use, and develop a clear and comprehensive information technology strategic plan meeting specified requirements. Information technology updating is reauthorized through FY2022. The bill amends the EIBRA to direct the Department of the Treasury to initiate negotiations with non-OECD-member countries to bring them into a multilateral agreement establishing rules and limitations on officially supported export credits. The U.S. Trade Representative shall seek to identify within the World Trade Organization (WTO) the extent to which countries that are not a party to the OECD Arrangement On Officially Supported Export Credits are also not in compliance with the terms of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures with respect to export finance, and seek appropriate WTO action for each one of them.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2015
This bill: (1) supports the designation of "National Voting Rights Day" in commemoration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; (2) acknowledges the significance of the Voting Rights Act with regard to enforcing the civil rights of all U.S. citizens; and (3) emphasizes the importance of ensuring the ability of all U.S. citizens to fully participate in the electoral process.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2015
SNAP Work Opportunities Act of 2015 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to exempt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) beneficiaries from work requirements if they are not offered a position in a state job training or workfare program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2015 This bill directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue orders applicable to manufacturers of concrete masonry products. Any such order must provide for the establishment of a Concrete Masonry Products Board to carry out a program of promotion, research, and information regarding concrete masonry products. Manufacturers and importers shall maintain, and make available, specified records. An order must also provide that assessments be paid by concrete masonry product manufacturers with respect to concrete masonry products manufactured and marketed in the United States. Assessment rates are specified. At least 50% of the assessments paid by a manufacturer must be used to support research, education, and promotion plans and projects in support of the geographic region of the manufacturer. During the 60-day period preceding the proposed effective date of an order, the Secretary shall conduct a referendum for order approval among the manufacturers required to pay assessments under it. Referendum procedures are outlined. The bill allows petition and review of an order, and order enforcement through U.S. district courts. The Secretary: (1) may conduct appropriate investigations in order to administer this Act (with power of subpoena); and (2) must suspend or terminate any order or provision that obstructs or does not tend to effectuate the purposes of this Act, or that is not favored by persons voting in a referendum.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act Designates specified National Forest System lands, National Park System lands, and public lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and as components or additions to existing components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Designates specified federal lands as biological connecting corridors and as special corridor management areas. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Designates specified areas as wildland recovery areas. Requires the development of a wildland recovery plan for each recovery area. Directs roadless lands greater than 1,000 acres that are within the National Forest System in the Wild Rockies bioregion in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming and that are not designated as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System to be studied for their role in maintaining biological diversity in the Northern Rockies and as part of the overall forest reserve system. Prohibits any new road construction or reconstruction or timber harvest in those lands after the evaluation without an Act of Congress. Prohibits oil or gas leasing, mining, or other development which impairs the natural and roadless qualities of the land. Permits provisions of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to be applied, as appropriate, in the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2015 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 · 13 February 2015
Social Security Fairness Act of 2015 Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal the government pension offset requirement applicable to and reducing husband's and wife's insurance benefits, widow's and widower's insurance benefits, and divorced mother's and divorced father's insurance benefits with respect to federal, state, or local government employees who receive a government pension and did not pay Social Security taxes during their years of government service, and so did not earn entitlement to Social Security benefits for those years. Repeals also the windfall elimination requirement with respect to computation of an individual's primary insurance amount under which OASDI retirement or disability benefits are reduced if the individual receives a federal, state, or local government pension, did not pay Social Security taxes during the years of government service, and so did not earn entitlement to Social Security benefits for those years.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Healthy Families Act Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Authorizes small employers with fewer than 15 employees to provide the same paid sick time, but allows them to opt out. Requires any small employer that opts out to provide at least 56 hours of unpaid sick time to each employee per calendar year. Declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit. Allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner's parent or child); or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by this Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Grants the same authority, for employees under their jurisdiction, to the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this Act. Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to a suit brought by an employee of a federally-assisted state program or activity for relief authorized under this Act. Requires the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to compile information annually on paid sick time and the Comptroller General to study related matters. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Voices for Veterans Act Expands the membership of the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to include veterans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Terminates the Commission on December 31, 2017 (currently, 2015).
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Saracini Aviation Safety Act of 2015 Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to issue an order to require: (1) the installation of secondary barriers, other than the cockpit door, to prevent access to the flight deck of each covered aircraft; (2) such barriers on the aircraft with a cockpit door to remain locked while the aircraft is in flight and the cockpit door separating the flight deck and the passenger area is open; and (3) such barriers on the aircraft without a cockpit door to remain locked as determined by the pilot in command. Defines "covered aircraft" to mean a commercial aircraft: (1) equipped with more than 75 passenger seats, and (2) with a maximum gross takeoff weight of more than 75,000 pounds.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale of food that has been genetically engineered or contains genetically engineered ingredients, unless that information is clearly disclosed. This prohibition does not apply to: (1) food served in restaurants, (2) medical food, (3) packaged food that is less than 0.9% genetically engineered material, and (4) food that qualifies as genetically engineered solely because it is produced using a genetically engineered vaccine or because it includes the use of a genetically engineered processing aid (including yeast) or enzyme. Labeling or advertising foods containing genetically engineered material as “natural,” or using similar words, is prohibited. A food recipient is not subject to penalties for misbranding of genetically engineered food or ingredients if the recipient has a guaranty that is signed by the person from whom they received the food (including seeds) and the guaranty states that the food is not genetically engineered or does not contain a genetically engineered ingredient. Food is deemed to have been produced without the knowing or intentional use of genetic engineering if: (1) the food is certified as organic; or (2) an independent organization determines the food has not been knowingly or intentionally genetically engineered or commingled with genetically engineered food, with that determination being based on testing that is consistent with international standards and not reliant on processed foods with no detectable DNA. An agricultural producer is not subject to penalties for misbranding of genetically engineered food or ingredients if a violation occurs because food unintentionally becomes contaminated with genetically engineered material and the contamination is not due to the producer’s negligence.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
All-American Flag Act Requires any flags of the United States acquired for use by the federal government to be entirely manufactured in the United States from articles, materials, or supplies entirely grown, produced, or manufactured in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2015 Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with respect to the requirement that a federal court retain jurisdiction for an appropriate period to prevent commencement of new devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Expands the types of violations triggering the authority of a court to retain such jurisdiction to include certain violations of the Act as well as violations of any federal voting rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group. Excludes from the list of violations triggering jurisdiction retention authority any voting qualification or prerequisite which results in a denial or abridgement of the right to vote that is based on the imposition of a requirement that an individual provide a photo identification as a condition of receiving a ballot for voting in a federal, state, or local election. Revises requirements for determining which states and political subdivisions are covered or not covered by criteria for declaratory judgments that they have not used devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Subjects to the requirements for making such a determination any state (and all of its political subdivisions) during a calendar if five or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 15 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself (as opposed to a political subdivision within it). Specifies application of such new coverage requirements to any specific political subdivision if: (1) three or more voting rights violations occurred in it during the previous 15 calendar years; or (2) one or more voting rights violations occurred in it during the previous 15 calendar years and the subdivision had persistent, extremely low minority turnout during that period. Provides that, if a state obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a device to deny or abridge the right to vote, the requirements for a new declaratory judgment generally will not apply, unless the new coverage requirements of this Act apply to the state solely on the basis of voting rights violations occurring after the declaratory judgment was issued. Prescribes transparency requirements, including reasonable public notice, regarding any changes to: (1) voting prerequisites, standards, or procedures; (2) polling place resources; or (3) demographics and electoral districts. Modifies authority to assign observers, including authorizing the assignment of observers to enforce bilingual election requirements. Revises requirements for injunctive relief, including its scope and the persons authorized to seek relief as well as the grounds for granting it.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 Provides FY2015 appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Provides appropriations for Departmental Management and Operations for the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management, the Office of the Under Secretary for Management, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Analysis and Operations, and the Office of Inspector General. Provides appropriations for Security, Enforcement, and Investigations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Secret Service. Provides appropriations for Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, the Office of Health Affairs, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Provides appropriations for Research, Development, Training, and Services for U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Science and Technology, and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. Sets forth permissible, restricted, and prohibited uses for funds provided by this Act. Rescinds specified amounts previously appropriated to DHS.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2015
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2015 Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Stop AIDS in Prison Act of 2015 Directs the Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to provide HIV testing, treatment, and prevention for inmates in federal prisons and upon reentry into the community. Requires such policy to include provisions for: (1) testing of inmates upon intake and counseling; (2) HIV/AIDS prevention education; (3) HIV testing of prisoners annually upon request or upon exposure to HIV; (4) HIV testing of pregnant inmates; (5) comprehensive medical treatment of inmates who test positive for HIV and confidential counseling on managing their medical condition and preventing its transmission to other persons; (6) protection of confidentiality; (7) testing, counseling, and referral prior to reentry into the community; (8) allowing inmates the right to refuse routine HIV testing; (9) excluding as "routine" the testing of an inmate who may have transmitted HIV to any U.S. officer or employee or to any person lawfully present but not incarcerated in a correctional facility; and (10) timely notification of test results. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) require HIV testing for all federal prison inmates upon intake regardless of length of sentence or risk factors, (2) allow inmates to decline testing prior to release from incarceration, and (3) make HIV testing part of the routine health screening conducted at intake. Requires the Bureau to report on: (1) testing, treatment, and prevention education programs for hepatitis and other diseases transmitted through sexual activity and intravenous drug use; and (2) the incidence among prison inmates of diseases transmitted through sexual activity and intravenous drug use.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit: (1) the transfer or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, except for such a device lawfully possessed within the United States on or before the date of this Act's enactment; and (2) the importation or bringing into the United States of such a device. Exempts: (1) the transfer or possession of such a device by a federal, state, or local agency or law enforcement officer; (2) certain transfers to licensees under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954; (3) possession of such a device transferred to an individual upon retirement from a law enforcement agency if such individual is not otherwise prohibited from receiving ammunition; and (4) the manufacture, transfer, or possession of such a device by a licensed manufacturer or importer for authorized testing or experimentation purposes. Sets penalties for violations. Requires a large capacity ammunition feeding device manufactured after this Act's enactment to be identified by a serial number that clearly shows that the device was manufactured after such enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Animal Welfare in Agricultural Research Endeavors Act or the AWARE Act This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to apply standards for humane treatment to farm animals at federal research or laboratory animal facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2015 Requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency to: (1) waive a debt owed to the United States related to federal assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to an individual or household in relation to a major disaster declared by the President between January 1, 2012, and the date of enactment of this Act, unless the debt involves fraud, the intentional presentation of a false claim, or intentional misrepresentation by the debtor or any party having an interest in the claim; and (2) reimburse a debtor for any payments already made on such a debt.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Disaster Assistance Recoupment Fairness Act of 2015 Authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive a debt owed to the United States related to federal assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to individuals and households in relation to a major disaster declared by the President on or after January 1, 2011, if such assistance was distributed based on an error by FEMA, there was no fault on behalf of the debtor, and the collection of the debt would be against equity and good conscience, unless the debt that involves fraud, the presentation of a false claim, or misrepresentation by the debtor or any party having an interest in the claim. Requires FEMA, in determining whether to waive such a debt, to presume that the debtor should be required to make at least a partial payment if the adjusted gross income of the debtor's household for the last taxable year exceeds $100,000. Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security: (1) to report, every six months, on the cost-effectiveness of FEMA's efforts to recoup improper payments of such assistance; (2) to monitor the distribution of such assistance to determine the amount distributed based on a FEMA error; and (3) upon determining that such amount exceeds 4% of the total amount distributed, to notify FEMA and publish the determination in the Federal Register. Cancels FEMA's authority to waive debt with respect to any major disaster declared by the President after the date of such a determination.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Recognizes and honors the 50th anniversary of Project Head Start. Applauds President Lyndon Baines Johnson, all persons whose support and efforts led to the creation of Project Head Start in 1965, and the Head Start record of success over the ensuing half century.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2015
All Students Count Act of 2015 Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require information on the annual state report cards on student achievement at each proficiency level to be disaggregated by the same major racial groups as the decennial census of the population. (Currently, that information is to be disaggregated by race, but the racial groups are not specified.) Requires the proficiency information which is disaggregated by such racial groups and by ethnicity, gender, disability status, migrant status, and status as economically disadvantaged to be cross-tabulated across all of those subgroups by gender and by disability. Provides that such disaggregation and cross-tabulation shall not be required when the number of students in a subgroup is insufficient to yield statistically reliable information or the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2015
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act of 2015 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 FY2016-FY2020. 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 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.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2015
Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for railroad track maintenance, to: (1) expand the types of maintenance expenditures eligible for such credit, and (2) extend such credit through 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2015
Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act Establishes the Medicare for All Program to provide all individuals residing in the United States and U.S. territories with free health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, dietary and nutritional therapies, prescription drugs, emergency care, long-term care, mental health services, dental services, and vision care. Prohibits an institution from participating unless it is a public or nonprofit institution. Allows nonprofit health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that deliver care in their own facilities to participate. Allows patients to choose from participating physicians and institutions. Prohibits a private health insurer from selling health insurance coverage that duplicates the benefits provided under this Act. Allows insurers to sell benefits that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery benefits. Sets forth methods to pay institutional providers of care and health professionals for services. Prohibits financial incentives between HMOs and physicians based on utilization. Establishes the Medicare for All Trust Fund to finance the Program with amounts deposited: (1) from existing sources of government revenues for health care, (2) by increasing personal income taxes on the top 5% of income earners, (3) by instituting a progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income, (4) by instituting a tax on unearned income, and (5) by instituting a tax on stock and bond transactions. Transfers and appropriates to carry out this Act amounts that would have been appropriated for federal public health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Requires the Medicare for All Program to give employment transition benefits and first priority in retraining and job placement to individuals whose jobs are eliminated due to reduced clerical and administrative work. Requires creation of a confidential electronic patient record system. Establishes a National Board of Universal Quality and Access to provide advice on quality, access, and affordability. Requires the eventual integration of the Indian Health Service into the Program, and an evaluation of the continued independence of Department of Veterans Affairs health programs.
![Official portrait of Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/w000822_200.jpg)