United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2018
Augmenting Research and Educational Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-Edge and Helpful Act or the AG RESEARCH Act This bill amends the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to provide funding for maintenance at agricultural research facilities. The bill requires the Department of Agriculture to: (1) establish a grant program within the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to provide agricultural research facilities with a federal share of the cost for the alteration, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of the research facilities or the equipment necessary for agricultural research; and (2) use specified Commodity Credit Corporation funds to provide direct payments to research facilities of the Agricultural Research Service for addressing deferred maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2018
Border Zone Reasonableness Restoration Act of 2018 This bill revises the border zone area in which Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers may take certain immigration-related actions without a warrant. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to permit DHS officers to take the following actions without a warrant in order to patrol the border and prevent the illegal entry of persons: board and search any vessel within U.S. territorial waters and any railway car, aircraft, conveyance, or vehicle within 25 air miles from an external U.S. boundary (a vehicle may not be stopped at a fixed checkpoint beyond 10 air miles from such boundary without reasonable suspicion that an occupant is illegally in the United States); and access private lands, but not dwellings, within 10 air miles from such boundary. DHS may establish, and shall certify to Congress, that: (1) a distance of up to 100 air miles is required in a sector for conveyance searches, and (2) a distance of up to 25 air miles is required in a sector for private land access. In making such certifications DHS shall consider reasons such as land topography, transportation, or consultations with state, local, and tribal governments.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2018
Secure America from Russian Interference Act of 2018 This bill sets forth provisions for countering specified subversive activities by the government of the Russian Federation against the United States and U.S. allies.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2018
9-1-1 Fee Integrity Act This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission, after consulting with public safety organizations and governmental entities, to issue final rules to prevent states from diverting 9-1-1 taxes, fees, or charges from purposes and functions related to 9-1-1 services and operational expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2018
America's Natural Treasures of Immeasurable Quality Unite, Inspire, and Together Improve the Economies of States Act of 2018 or the ANTIQUITIES Act of 2018. This bill directs the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to administer each specified national monument under their joint or exclusive jurisdiction, including the Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Gold Butte, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monuments and the Rose Atoll and Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monuments in accordance with: (1) the one or more presidential proclamations that apply to the applicable covered monument; (2) any Act of Congress enacted before December 4, 2017, that provides for an adjustment to the boundary or administration of such monument; and (3) this bill. The bill establishes the National Monument Enhancement Fund to furnish funding: (1) to such federal agencies to develop management plans for their national monuments that were designated under current federal law, (2) for federal acquisition and development of certain land and other areas, and (3) to develop and enhance recreational infrastructure on such designated lands. The bill designates: (1) specified BLM lands within the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande del Norte National Monuments in New Mexico and in the Gold Butte National Conservation Area in Nevada as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System; and (2) approximately 100 acres of BLM land in New Mexico as a potential wilderness area and, when specified conditions have been met, for incorporation into the Robledo Mountains Wilderness.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2018
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the federal government and is not subject to privatization.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
By the People Resolution Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should enact various reforms with respect to voter registration and protection, campaign-finance contribution limits and violations, and political advertisements.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution; (2) LGBTQ Pride Month should be celebrated; and (3) all Americans should be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Social Security Administration Fairness Act This bill (1) provides funding for certain administrative expenses of the Social Security Administration (SSA); (2) makes individuals eligible to receive Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits beginning in the first month of disability; (3) eliminates the Medicare waiting period for recipients of OASDI benefits; and (4) requires the SSA to satisfy certain public-notice and reporting requirements before closing or consolidating a field office or hearing office.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Repelling Encroachment by Foreigners into U.S. Elections Act or the REFUSE Act This bill (1) expands the ban on contributions by foreign nationals to elections to include corporations subject to specified levels of ownership or control by foreign nationals or governments; (2) prohibits certain types of tax-exempt, foreign-affiliated organizations from taking certain campaign-related actions, such as contributing to a super political action committee (super PAC); and (3) prohibits foreign nationals from participating in the decision-making process with regard to any person's election-related activities. The bill also makes various changes to the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (FARA), such as by (1) repealing an exemption from FARA requirements for individuals registered as lobbyists, and (2) expanding filing and labeling requirements related to the transmission of informational materials in the interests of a foreign principal.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2018 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2018 This bill expands the ban on election contributions by foreign nationals to include corporations subject to specified levels of ownership or control by foreign nationals. The bill also expands (1) reporting requirements related to campaign contributions, and (2) disclosure requirements related to the funding sources of political advertisements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2018
Democratic Republic of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act of 2018 This bill (1) urges the President to support efforts at the United Nations with respect to the humanitarian and political crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (2) provides statutory authority for specified sanctions related to the Congo, and (3) requires the Department of State to report on human rights abuses and corruption there.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Mental Health Care for Children Inhumanely Separated from Parents by the Federal Government Act of 2018 This bill requires the federal government to ensure that children who are separated from their parents at the border by the Department of Homeland Security receive mental health services for free, including a mental health assessment within 24 hours of such separation and annually thereafter. Children who have already been separated (since April 6, 2018) must receive a mental health assessment within 24 hours after enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act of 2018 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to establish an Office for Gender Equity to support state and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and elementary and secondary schools in fully implementing title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities. The office may provide grants and perform activities to reduce or prevent discrimination, bias, harassment, or violence based on actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions or stereotypes in all areas of education. The office must provide technical assistance and annual training to title IX coordinators and develop a handbook for conducting self-evaluations of title IX compliance. The training must address "compound discrimination" (defined as discrimination based on sex and other characteristics, including race, ethnicity, national origin, disability status, religion, age, perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, and related stereotypes). The office may award grants to eligible entities and partnerships to: train students, teachers, faculty, and personnel; increase campus resources, facilities, and course offerings; support title IX coordinators in performing outreach, advocacy, and education; identify patterns or systemic problems in title IX compliance; strengthen prevention education and awareness programs; conduct campus climate and victimization surveys; identify gender inequities; and improve data collection and reporting of gender equity indicators from academic assessments, civil rights data, campus data, employment data, attendance and absenteeism data, or title IX coordinator-to-student ratios. ED must coordinate with the Institute of Education Sciences and other federal offices and entities to investigate, identify, and disseminate best practices to: (1) reduce and prevent sex stereotyping, bias, and discrimination in curricula and educational materials; (2) address sex-based harassment and violence on campuses; (3) develop counseling and career guidance training; (4) mitigate implicit bias in teaching and discipline; and (5) address the needs of students who face compound discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Guarantee Access to Arts and Music Education Act of 2018 or the GAAME Act of 2018 This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to specify that Title I funds (which support the instructional needs of students from low-income families) may be used for arts and music programs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Keep Families Together Act This bill prohibits an agent or contractor of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, or the Department of Health and Human Services from removing a child who is under the age of 18 and has no permanent immigration status from his or her parent or legal guardian at or near the port of entry or within 100 miles of the U.S. border unless: an authorized state court determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed; a state or county child welfare official with expertise in child trauma and development determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed because of abuse or neglect; or the Chief Patrol Agent or the Area Port Director authorizes separation based on a documented finding that the child is a trafficking victim or is at significant risk of becoming a victim, a strong likelihood exists that the adult is not the parent or legal guardian, or the child is in danger of abuse or neglect. A child may not be removed from a parent or guardian unless an independent licensed child welfare expert authorizes the separation within 48 hours of such removal. An agency may not remove a child from a parent or legal guardian solely for the policy goals of deterring migration to the United States or of promoting immigration law compliance. The bill sets forth presumptions: (1) in favor of family and sibling unity and parental rights, and (2) that detention is not in the best interests of families and children. The bill limits the prosecution of asylum seekers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Reducing Drug Waste Act of 2018 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to develop an action plan to address drug waste and related costs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2018
Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act This bill specifies that individuals with metastatic breast cancer are not subject to certain waiting periods for disability insurance benefits under the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program and related Medicare coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2018
Workers' Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2018 This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act (NRLA) and related labor laws to extend protections to union workers. Specifically, it: revises the definition of "employee" and "supervisor" to prevent employers from removing employees from the protections of the labor laws, prohibits employers from interfering with certain rights granted to employees under the NLRA, expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of worker who strike or discrimination against them, imposes new penalties against employers who violate labor law requirements, allows workers to bring civil actions against employers for labor law violations and unfair labor practices, requires certain disclosures with respect to worker wages, and requires contractors seeking federal contracts over $500,000 to disclose labor law violations when applying for such contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2018
Federal Protective Service Parity Act of 2017 This bill makes law enforcement officers in the Federal Protective Service of the Department of Homeland Security eligible for federal retirement benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees Retirement System.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2018
Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act or the STATES Act This bill eliminates regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act for marijuana-related conduct and activities that are authorized by state or tribal law, subject to specified exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2018
Counting Our Unexpected Natural Tragedies' Victims Act of 2018 or the COUNT Victims Act This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to contract with the National Academy of Medicine to conduct a study of matters concerning best practices in mortality counts as a result of a major disaster. A report on the study must be completed and transmitted to FEMA within two years after the contract date of September 30, 2018. The study shall address approaches to quantifying mortality and significant morbidity among populations affected by major disasters and shall include best practices and policy recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2018
International Human Rights Defense Act of 2018 This bill establishes in the Department of State a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex) Peoples who shall serve as the principal State Department advisor regarding human rights for LGBTI people and represent the United States in diplomatic matters relevant to the human rights of LGBTI people. The special envoy shall periodically provide Congress with a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to criminalization, discrimination, and violence against LGBTI people. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development may provide assistance to prevent and respond to such activities against LGBTI people. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to require that annual country reports on human rights practices include information on criminalization, discrimination, and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2018
This bill reauthorizes the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act through FY2023. The Act provides services and support for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require private health insurance plans that cover obstetrical services to also cover infertility treatments (e.g., in vitro fertilization). The bill also extends coverage to federal employees, members of the U.S. military, and veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2018
Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections for Separated Children Act or the HELP Separated Children Act This bill sets forth Department of Homeland Security apprehension procedures with respect to children involved in immigration enforcement actions, including detention center access to courts, welfare agencies, and consular officials.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2018
Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act This bill prohibits the Bureau of Land Management from administering an oil and gas leasing, development, production, and transportation program in and from the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2018
National Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Control and Accountability Act of 2018 This bill establishes the Office of Oversight and Coordination for Tick-Borne Diseases within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The office must oversee the creation of a national strategy to address Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and disorders. The national strategy must include program assessments, benchmarks for progress, and recommendations from the previously established Tick-Borne Disease Working Group. The bill also requires HHS to undertake specific actions that promote research, prevention, and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and disorders. Among other things, HHS must: support expansive research into the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of such diseases and disorders; establish a surveillance system to track the prevalence of such diseases and disorders in humans; establish a surveillance system to track the prevalence of disease-carrying ticks; conduct educational campaigns; and hold a series of research symposiums.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2018
Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2018 This bill requires the House of Representatives and the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. merchant mariners of World War II, in recognition of their service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2018
Reducing Drug Waste Act of 2018 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to develop a joint action plan to reduce drug waste and better manage costs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018
Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act of 2018 This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) require the labels of fuel pumps that dispense E15 fuel (fuel that contains 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline) to include additional details, such as warning information; and (2) implement a public education campaign concerning the risks associated with the improper use of E15 fuel in vehicles, engines, and equipment, such as boats, lawnmowers, and snowmobiles.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2018 or the BURMA Act of 2018 This bill provides humanitarian assistance for Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh and imposes sanctions on Burmese military or security officials responsible for serious human rights abuses. The bill provides humanitarian assistance for Burma, Bangladesh, and the surrounding region, including assistance for the Rohingya minority. The Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Agency for International Development shall jointly submit to Congress a strategy for promoting economic growth in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the deduction from gross income for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, to: (1) increase from $250 to $500 the annual limit on the expenses that may be deducted, and (2) require the limit to be adjusted for inflation after 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018
Growing Value-Added Economies Act This bill amends the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to reauthorize and modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Value-Added Producer Grants Program. (The program provides grants for the development and marketing of value-added agricultural products, which are products that have increased in value due to processing.) The bill modifies the program to require USDA to: establish independent external review panels to review and evaluate each eligible application based on merit and relevance, develop and implement an outreach and technical assistance strategy, and provide for periodic evaluations that measure the impact of the program and the impact of projects on achieving the purposes of the program. The bill also: (1) provides mandatory funding for the program; and (2) prohibits more than 5% of the total annual funding for the program from being used for administrative expenses, program evaluation, outreach, and technical assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2018
Workplace Democracy Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act and related labor laws to preserve workers' rights to join labor organizations and engage in collective bargaining. Specifically, it prohibits employers from classifying employees as independent contractors or supervisors to avoid employee participation in union activities; allows the National Labor Relation Board to certify a union, without a secret election, if it receives the consent of the majority of eligible workers; requires employers to begin negotiating with a new union within 10 days of its certification; prohibits coercion of employees to to participate in campaign activities unrelated to their job duties; requires employers to make disclosures of anti-labor organization activities; and repeals provisions allowing states to prevent labor organizations from collecting dues from nonunion workers who benefit from union representation (right to work laws).
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
This bill authorizes the Federal Aviation Administration to carry out a pilot program to provide grants to support the education and recruitment of aviation maintenance technical workers and the development of the aviation maintenance industry workforce.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
National Guard Promotion Accountability Act This bill permits the date of promotion of a commmissioned officer of the National Guard to be backdated, after federal recognition is granted, to the date such officer's promotion was published by the state.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that compensation of public school teachers should be comparable to other college graduates with years in the workforce where the teachers are employed.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2018
Burn Pits Accountability Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the military departments to evaluate whether each member of the Armed Forces has been (1) based or stationed where an open air burn pit was used to dispose of waste, or (2) exposed to toxic airborne chemicals. Members located where an open burn pit was used or exposed to toxic airborne chemicals must be enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless the member elects not to enroll. The evaluations must be included in periodic health assessments, physical exams conducted immediately prior to separation from active duty, and deployment assessments. DOD must share the results of the evaluations with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month. (PCOS is caused by a hormone imbalance. Symptoms can include infertility, weight gain, excess hair growth, and acne.) Recognizes the need for further research, improved treatment and care options, and a cure for PCOS. Acknowledges the struggles affecting all women and girls afflicted with PCOS.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018
Encourages the people of the United States to recognize the contributions of senior volunteers and join in the celebration of National Senior Corps Week. Supports adequately funding and growing the proven Senior Corps programs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018
Supports: (1) the designation of National Small Business Week, (2) efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally, and (3) efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of locally owned small business on the U.S. economy. Honors the vital role of small business and entrepreneurs in the United States during such week. Recognizes: (1) the important role of the Small Business Administration as a valuable resource for the U.S. entrepreneur, (2) the importance of creating policies that promote a business friendly environment for small business owners free of unnecessary regulations, and (3) the National Small Business Person of the Year and the National Lender of the Year. Encourages young entrepreneurs to pursue their passions and create more start-up businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Medical Cannabis Research Act of 2018 This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish a new, separate registration process for manufacturers of cannabis for research. The Drug Enforcement Administration must assess whether there is an adequate and uninterrupted supply of research cannabis and register additional manufacturers.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Congratulates the volunteers and staff of the Independent Transportation Network of America in communities across the United States for the one million rides they have provided to older and visually challenged people, their families, and their communities. Recognizes the Independent Transportation Network of America as a nonprofit transportation network company that serves the common good and has helped people remain in their own homes and communities after they can no longer drive safely.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Communications Jobs Training Act of 2018 This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to make grants for the establishment or expansion of job training programs for communications tower service, construction, maintenance, and structural modification.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2018
Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2018 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Trust Fund; and (2) increase the corporate income tax rate to 24.5% to provide revenues for programs created by this bill. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture must allocate funds from the trust fund to clean water programs, drinking water programs, and water well systems. The bill amends Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize the EPA to make grants for providing technical assistance for water and sanitation infrastructure and drinking water systems to rural and small municipalities and tribal governments. The EPA must establish a grant program for repairing, replacing, or upgrading septic tanks and drainage fields. The bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to make permanent a grant program for household water well systems in rural areas. The bill revises requirements concerning the clean water state revolving fund (SRF) and the drinking water SRF. The bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the EPA to make grants to local educational agencies for: (1) infrastructure to ensure that drinking water in schools is lead free, and (2) testing drinking water in schools for lead.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Gus Schumacher Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes and modifies the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive grant program. The program supports projects to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) by providing incentives at the point of purchase. The bill renames the program the Gus Schumacher Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive program and modifies requirements regarding the nonfederal share, application criteria, and the priorities for awarding grants. The bill also requires USDA to establish a Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Evaluation, and Information Center to assist grant recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act of 2018 This bill establishes a series of grant programs to assist localities with addressing the opioid epidemic, such as through prevention and treatment services, training centers, and research activities.
![Official portrait of Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000597_200.jpg)