United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Charitable Pension Flexibility Act of 2013 - Amends the Pension Protection Act of 2006, as amended by the Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010, to allow the sponsor of a multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan to elect for a plan to cease to be treated as an eligible charity plan for plan years beginning after December 31, 2013. Permits revocation of such an election, however, only with the consent of the Secretary of the Treasury. Allows a plan sponsor also to elect to apply specified requirements with respect to the shortfall amortization base in minimum funding standards for such plans.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Flood Insurance Implementation Reform Act of 2013 - Delays until three years after enactment of this Act the requirement of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (Biggert-Waters) that any property located in an area participating in the national flood insurance program have the risk premium rate charged for flood insurance on the property adjusted to accurately reflect its current risk of flood. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to delay until five years after enactment of Biggert-Waters the prohibition against provision to prospective insureds of flood insurance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at (subsidy) rates less than full actuarial estimates for property purchased after enactment of Biggert-Waters. Prohibits FEMA, when determining whether a community has made adequate progress on flood protection improvement systems, from counting federal funding or participation in such efforts. Makes flood insurance available at certain special flood hazard area rates to riverine and coastal levees located in a community which FEMA has determined to be in the process of restoring a flood protection system previously accredited on a Flood Insurance Rate Map as providing 100-year frequency flood protection but which no longer does so. Requires such rates to apply without regard to the level of federal funding or participation. Amends Biggert-Waters to authorize FEMA to to use other funds in addition to those specified in that Act to carry out a specified affordability study. Requires FEMA, upon notice to certain congressional committees that it cannot submit the report on that study by the current deadline, to specify in such notice an alternative method of gathering the requisite information and subsequently to submit the information so gathered. Directs FEMA to: (1) identify, review, update, maintain and publish National Flood Insurance rate maps pertaining to areas protected by non-structural flood mitigation features; and (2) work with states, local communities, and property owners to identify such areas and features.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to take certain actions regarding eating disorder research, including to: (1) implement a scientifically justified budget for research on eating disorders, (2) coordinate and evaluate NIH research activities and programs, (3) expand NIH research on eating disorders, (4) establish a task force on eating disorder research, and (5) provide for centers of excellence for research on eating disorders. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) provide for the collection, analysis, and reporting of epidemiological data on eating disorders; (2) establish a Center of Eating Disorders Epidemiology to collect and analyze information on eating disorders; and (3) establish a CDC clearinghouse for the collection and storage of data generated under this Act. Sets forth requirements for providing education and training on eating disorders, including: (1) developing and implementing a training program for health professionals on eating disorders; (2) establishing the Task Force on Eating Disorders Prevention in Educational Institutions to develop and provide training on eating disorders identification and prevention for students, faculty, coaches, and staff in schools; and (3) conducting public service announcements. Amends the PHSA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to also provide coverage for eating disorders. Applies such requirement to coverage offered under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to expand coverage for eating disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to award grants for patient advocacy to help individuals with eating disorders obtain adequate health care services and insurance coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2013
Responding to Urgent Needs of Survivors of the Holocaust Act or RUSH Act - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to include specifically within its purview older Americans who are Holocaust survivors. Authorizes the Administrator for Community Living to designate, within the Administration for Community Living of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a person with specialized training, background, or experience with issues of Holocaust survivors to implement services for them. Requires a state nutrition project to: (1) ensure that project meals meet the dietary needs of program participants based on religious, cultural, or ethnic requirements; and (2) encourage individuals who distribute nutrition services to engage in conversation with homebound older individuals and to be aware of the warning signs of medical emergencies, injury, or abuse in order to reduce isolation and promote wellbeing. Amends the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006 to require the study of nutrition projects to analyze the abilities of service providers to obtain viable contracts for special foods necessary to meet a religious requirement, required dietary need, or ethnic consideration. Authorizes the HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging to make grants to or contract with states, public agencies, private nonprofit agencies, institutions of higher education, and organizations, including tribal organizations, to support programs that provide transportation services and resources to older individuals with the greatest economic or social need.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), with respect to charges that allege an offense triable by court-martial (with certain exclusions) for which the maximum punishment includes confinement for more than one year, to direct the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to require the Secretaries of the military departments to provide for the determination of whether to try such charges by general or special court-martial to be made by a commissioned officer of grade O-6 or higher with significant experience in such trials and who is outside the chain of command of the accused. Provides that a determination not to proceed to trial shall not preclude a commanding officer from either referring such charges for trial by summary court-martial or imposing non-judicial punishment. Requires Rule 306 (relating to policy on initial disposition of offenses) of the Manual for Courts-Martial to be amended to strike the character and military service of the accused from factors to be considered by the disposition authority. Revises the list of officers authorized to convene general and special courts-martial to include those in grade O-6 or higher assigned such responsibility by their department chief of staff (with the same prohibition against an officer in the same chain of command as the accused). Requires each chief of staff to establish an office which shall convene general and special courts-martial and detail judges and members. Requires a military judge to call a general or special court-martial trial into session within 90 days of the determination of its necessity. Requires a convening authority (the official acting on the sentence of a court-martial), when taking any action other than approving a sentence, to prepare a written justification of such action which shall be made part of the record of the court-martial. Prohibits a convening authority from: (1) dismissing or setting aside a finding of guilty, or (2) reducing a finding of guilty to a finding of guilty to a lesser included offense. Requires a commanding officer who receives a report of a sexual-related offense involving a member in such officer's chain of command to act immediately upon such report by way of referral to the appropriate criminal investigative office or service. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 to require an independent panel established by the DOD Secretary to monitor and assess the implementation and efficacy of this Act and its amendments.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Every Child Deserves a Family Act - Prohibits an entity that receives federal assistance and is involved in adoption or foster care placements from discriminating against prospective adoptive or foster parents solely on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identification, or marital status or on the basis of the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child involved. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in order to ensure compliance with, and ensure understanding of the legal, practice, and culture changes required by this Act in making foster care and adoption placement decisions, to provide specified technical assistance to all entities covered by this Act. Requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of whether states have substantially complied with this Act in eliminating policies, practices, or statutes that deny adoption rights on the basis of these criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Savings, Accountability, Value, and Efficiency Act or the SAVE Act - Requires within six months after the enactment of this Act and every two years thereafter: (1) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop and publish a national strategy for managing excess and underutilized federal real property; and (2) the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to develop and implement a plan to improve the Federal Real Property Profile that ensures the data collected is complete, accurate, and consistent. Requires the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy to issue guidance to federal agencies for reinvigorating the role of the competition advocate. Requires OMB to issue government-wide savings goals for the strategic sourcing of goods and services by executive agencies. Requires agency chief information officers to report to OMB on agency efforts to identify and eliminate potentially duplicative information technology investment. Requires the Federal Chief Information Officer to develop and implement the Federal Data Center Optimization Initiative to optimize the usage and efficiency of federal data centers. Requires OMB to issue recommendations for reducing or consolidating the number of federal data centers by at least 40% by the end of FY2018 and by at least 80% by the end of FY2023. Rescinds unobligated budget authority for the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. Amends title XI (General Provisions) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to submit to Congress a report on efforts to finalize plans and schedules for fully implementing and expanding the use of the Integrated Data Repository and on actions taken to plan, schedule, and conduct training on the One Program Integrity System. Amends the USEC Privatization Act to expand the definition of "uranium" for purposes of transfers and sales to include depleted uranium and any byproduct of uranium processing. Requires OMB to develop a strategy to assess the collective results of federal funding for the reduction of mobile source diesel emissions and to identify and eliminate any unnecessary duplication, overlap, and fragmentation of such activities. Repeals a provision of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 establishing an inspection and grading program for catfish and other species of farm-raised fish or shellfish.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit any person from importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, purchasing in interstate or foreign commerce, breeding, or possessing any prohibited wildlife species (current law prohibits importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing such a species in interstate or foreign commerce). Includes among exemptions to such prohibition the breeding transportation, or possession of such species by authorized persons. Defines "breeding" as facilitating the propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent the propagation or reproduction, of a prohibited wildlife species or other animal. Removes from the list of persons authorized to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, purchase, breed, or possess such species a person that is licensed or registered, and inspected, by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) or any other federal agency with respect to such species. Includes in such list: an institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) or certified related facilities that coordinate with an AZA Species Survival Plan for breeding of species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; a wildlife sanctuary that cares for such species, is a tax exempt corporation, does not commercially trade in or propagate such species, does not allow direct contact between the public and animals, and does not allow the transportation and display of such species off-site; a person that is in possession of animals of such species that were born before the date of this Act's enactment and that are registered with APHIS within 180 days after such regulations are promulgated; and a traveling circus that regularly travels in interstate commerce to conduct performances featuring live prohibited wildlife species and multiple trained human entertainers, that does not allow members of the public to be in direct contact with or unsafe proximity to a prohibited wildlife species of any age, and that, during the three years preceding this Act's enactment, has not been determined by the Secretary of Agriculture to have violated the Animal Welfare Act by reason of jeopardizing the health and well-being of a prohibited wildlife species. Establishes civil and criminal penalties and forfeiture requirements for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act - Authorizes the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico to provide for a ratification vote on the admission of Puerto Rico as a state of the United States on an equal footing with the several states in all respects. Requires (if a majority of votes cast in the ratification vote are for the admission of Puerto Rico as a state): (1) the President to submit to Congress legislation to admit Puerto Rico as a state, and (2) Congress to act, through legislation, to admit Puerto Rico as a state.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2013
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act - Declares it an unlawful employment practice for employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and other specified entities to: (1) fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations related to the pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions of job applicants or employees, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on such an entity's business operation; (2) deny employment opportunities based on the need of the entity to make such reasonable accommodations; (3) require such job applicants or employees to accept an accommodation that they choose not to accept; or (4) require such employees to take leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to their known limitations. Sets forth enforcement procedures and remedies under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and the rights and protections extended to presidential offices. Directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to issue regulations to carry out this Act, including the identification of reasonable accommodations addressing known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2013
Free Flow of Information Act of 2013 - Prohibits a federal entity (an entity or employee of the judicial or executive branch or an administrative agency of the federal government), in any matter arising under federal law, from compelling a covered person to testify or produce any document related to information obtained or created as part of engaging in journalism unless a court makes specified determinations by a preponderance of the evidence, including determinations that: (1) alternative sources have been exhausted; (2) the testimony or document sought is critical to the investigation, prosecution, or defense of a crime or the successful completion of a noncriminal matter; (3) disclosure of an information source's identity is necessary to prevent an act of terrorism, harm to national security, imminent death, significant bodily harm or to identify a person who has disclosed a trade secret, individually identifiable health information, or certain nonpublic personal information; and (4) the public interest in compelling disclosure of the information or document involved outweighs the public interest in gathering or disseminating news or information. Defines "covered person" as a person who, for financial gain or livelihood, is engaged in journalism, including a supervisor, employer, parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of such a person. Excludes from that definition foreign powers and their agents and certain designated foreign terrorist organizations. Defines "journalism" as the gathering, preparing, collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing of news or information that concerns local, national, or international events or other matters of public interest for dissemination to the public. Requires the content of compelled testimony or documents to be limited and narrowly tailored. Prohibits this Act from being construed as applying to civil defamation, slander, or libel claims or defenses under state law. Applies this Act to communications service providers with regard to testimony or any record, information, or other communication that relates to a business transaction between such providers and covered persons. Sets forth notice requirements. Permits a court to delay notice to a covered person upon determining that such notice would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of a criminal investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2013
Support Working Parents Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the phaseout of the tax credit for dependent care services for taxpayers whose adjusted gross incomes exceed $15,000.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2013
Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 2013 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish an office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection to advise the FTC on the prevention of fraud targeting seniors and to assist the FTC in monitoring the market for mail, television, Internet, and telemarketing fraud including recorded message telephone calls (robocalls) targeting seniors. Requires the FTC, through such office, to: (1) disseminate to seniors and their families and caregivers information on the most common fraud schemes, including methods of reporting complaints either to the FTC's national toll-free telephone number or to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network, where complaints become immediately available to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), state attorneys general, and other appropriate law enforcement agencies; (2) provide, in response to a specific request about a particular entity or individual, publicly available information regarding the FTC's enforcement action; and (3) maintain a website as a resource for information on fraud targeting seniors. Directs the FTC to establish procedures through such office to: (1) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints by individuals who believe they have been a victim of such fraud in the Consumer Sentinel Network, and to make such complaints immediately available to federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities; and (2) provide individuals with information on such fraud as well as the most common schemes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to jurisdiction of courts in the United States over foreign manufacturers that import products into the United States. Directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (with respect to drugs, devices, cosmetics, and biological products), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) (with respect to consumer products), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (with respect to chemical substances, new chemical substances, and pesticides) to require foreign manufacturers and producers of such products (or components used to manufacture them), in excess of a minimum value or quantity, to establish a registered agent in the United States authorized to accept service of process on their behalf for the purpose of any state or federal regulatory proceeding or civil action in state or federal court. Deems a foreign manufacturer or producer of products covered under this Act that registers an agent to consent to the personal jurisdiction of the state or federal courts of the state in which the agent is located for the purpose of any civil or regulatory proceeding. Requires any person who imports into the United States a covered product manufactured or produced outside the United States to provide to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) a declaration that to the best of the person's knowledge, with respect to the importation of each covered product, the foreign manufacturer or producer of the product has registered an agent in the United States. Directs the CBP Commissioner to prescribe related regulations. Subjects an importer who fails to provide or files a false declaration to certain penalties. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs jointly to study the feasibility and advisability of requiring foreign producers of food distributed in commerce to establish a registered agent in the United States who is authorized to accept service of process on behalf of such producers for the purpose of all civil and regulatory actions in state and federal courts. Requires the head of each agency cited in this Act similarly to study feasible and advisable methods of requiring foreign manufacturers or producers of component parts of covered products distributed in U.S. commerce to establish registered agents in the United States for purposes of such service of process.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Breast Cancer Recovery Improvement Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) to require payment for post-mastectomy external breast prosthesis garments regardless of whether such items are supplied to the beneficiary before or after the mastectomy or other breast cancer surgical procedure. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop policies to ensure appropriate beneficiary access and utilization safeguards for such items.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Eliminates the time limit for ratification of the equal rights amendment (prohibits discrimination on account of sex) proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972. Declares that such amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Arbitration Fairness Act of 2013 - Declares that no predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute. Declares, further, that the validity and enforceability of an agreement to arbitrate shall be determined by a court, under federal law, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement. Exempts from this Act arbitration provisions in a contract between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations. Denies to any such arbitration provision, however, the effect of waiving the right of an employee to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under the U.S. Constitution, a state constitution, a federal or state statute, or related public policy.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Family Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 50% of qualified infertility treatment expenses. Limits the dollar amount of such credit to $12,970 for taxable years beginning in 2013, with a phase-out of such credit for taxpayers based on adjusted gross income. Defines "qualified infertility treatment expenses" as amounts paid for the treatment of infertility via in vitro fertilization if such treatment is provided by a licensed physician, surgeon, or other medical practitioner and is administered with respect to a diagnosis of infertility by a physician licensed in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children in the foster care system face. Encourages Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system. Supports the designation of National Foster Care Month.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2013
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2013
Gold Star Fathers Act of 2013 - Includes as a preference eligible for federal employment purposes a parent (currently, the mother only) of either an individual who lost his or her life under honorable conditions while serving in the Armed Forces during a war, in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized, or during the period beginning April 28, 1952, and ending July 1, 1955, or a service-connected permanently and totally disabled veteran, if: (1) the spouse of such parent is totally and permanently disabled; or (2) such parent, when preference is claimed, is unmarried or legally separated from his or her spouse.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2013
Cancer Drug Coverage Parity Act of 2013 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group or individual health plan providing benefits with respect to anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable coverage for prescribed, patient-administered anticancer medications used to kill, slow, or prevent the growth of cancerous cells and that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Applies such requirement to medication that is prescribed based on a finding by the treating physician that the medication is: (1) medically necessary for the purpose of killing, slowing, or preventing the growth of cancerous cells in accordance with nationally accepted standards of medical practice; and (2) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration. Permits such coverage to be subject to the same cost-sharing applicable to anticancer medications administered by a health care provider under the plan. Prohibits a health plan from imposing an increase in out-of-pocket costs, reclassifying benefits with respect to anticancer medications, or applying more restrictive limitations on prescribed orally- or intravenously-administered or injected anticancer medications. Requires a plan to provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to assess how closing the Medicare part D donut hole affects Medicare coverage for orally-administered anticancer medications, with a particular focus on cost and accessibility.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal in honor of the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, in recognition of its pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and many acts of valor in the face of adversity. Requires the medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) for display. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with the 65th Infantry Regiment, including locations in Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees). Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Prohibits related retaliation. Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations, and (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the Armed Forces. Declares that this Act does not repeal or modify any federal, state, territorial, or local law creating a special right or preference concerning employment for a veteran. Prohibits this Act from being construed to: (1) prohibit an employer from requiring an employee to adhere to reasonable dress or grooming standards, or (2) require the construction of new or additional facilities. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from compelling collection or requiring production of statistics from covered entities on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Provides for enforcement, including giving the EEOC, the Librarian of Congress (LOC), the Attorney General (DOJ), and U.S. courts the same enforcement powers as they have under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and other specified laws. Allows actions and proceedings, subject to exception, against the United States and the states.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Assessing Progress in Haiti Act - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report to Congress on the status of post-earthquake recovery and development efforts in Haiti, including efforts to prevent the spread of cholera and treat persons infected with the disease.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Helping Ensure Life- and Limb-Saving Access to Podiatric Physicians Act or HELLPP Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to include podiatrists as physicians in order to cover their services under the Medicaid program. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to revise requirements for coverage of therapeutic shoes for individuals with diabetes regarding the processes of: (1) documentation by a physician of, and certification of a comprehensive plan of care related to, the diabetic condition; (2) prescription by a podiatrist or other qualified physician upon a finding of the medical necessity for the therapeutic shoes, including findings communicated to a certifying doctor of medicine or osteopathy of certain related foot conditions; and (3) fitting and supplying the shoes. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to subject to the continuing levy upon property and property rights, for collection of unpaid taxes, any payments made to a Medicaid provider or supplier.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Egg Products Inspection Act to revise provisions concerning housing and treatment of egg-laying hens and enforcement of such requirements. Sets forth separate caging device and environmental and housing conversion provisions for California. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to delegate to the California Department of Food and Agriculture certain enforcement authority with respect to eggs produced, shipped, handled, transported, or received in California prior to the date that is 15 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
CDBG Public Services Flexibility Act of 2013 - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to revise requirements for activities eligible for community development block grant (CDBG) assistance. Increases from 15% to 25% the limitation on the amount of CDBG assistance that may be used to provide public services (e.g., those concerned with employment, crime prevention, child care, health, drug abuse, education, energy conservation, welfare or recreation needs). (Currently, only the city and county of Los Angeles, California, and the city of Miami, Florida, are favored with the 25% limit on the amount of CDBG assistance that may be used to provide public services.)
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Community Lending Enhancement and Regulatory Relief Act of 2013 or CLEAR Relief Act of 2013 - Directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) to publish in the Federal Register proposed revisions to the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement on the Assessment of Financial and Managerial Factors that: (1) apply the policy to bank holding companies having pro forma consolidated assets of less than $5 billion (adjusted annually), no engagement in nonbanking activities involving significant leverage, and no significant amount of outstanding debt; and (2) increase from 1.1 to 3.1 the debt-to-equity ratio allowable for a small bank holding company in order to retain its eligibility both to pay a corporate dividend and to implement expedited processing procedures under Regulation Y of the Board. Amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to require the Board to exempt from certain escrow or impound requirements a loan secured by a first lien on a consumer's principal dwelling if the loan is held by a creditor with assets of $10 billion or less. Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt from its annual privacy policy notice requirement any financial institution which: (1) provides nonpublic personal information only in accordance with specified requirements, and (2) has not changed its policies and practices regarding disclosures of nonpublic personal information from those disclosed in the most recent disclosure sent to consumers. Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to conduct cost-benefit analyses of certain new or amended generally accepted accounting principles. Requires the SEC to determine, as a prerequisite to recognition of such new or amended principles, whether the benefits to investors significantly outweigh the costs. Amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt community banks having total assets on a consolidated basis of $10 billion or less from mandatory annual management assessment of internal controls. Amends TILA to: (1) add to the definition of a qualified residential mortgage loan that it is originated and retained in a portfolio for at least three years by a creditor having less than $10 billion total assets, and (2) redefine a balloon loan that is a "qualified mortgage" to specify a balloon loan extended by a creditor that originates and retains balloon loans in a portfolio for at least three years, and, together with all affiliates, has total assets of $10 billion or less. Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to provide either exemptions or adjustments from the mortgage loan servicing and escrow account administration requirements of the Act for servicers of 20,000 or fewer mortgage loans. Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to require federal financial institutions regulatory agencies to establish a $250,000 threshold level at or below which a certified or licensed appraiser is not required to perform appraisals in connection with federally related transactions. Declares that, if an order to request for the transfer of funds (entry) is received via an automate clearing house, a receiving depository financial institution shall not be required to verify that the entry is not a prohibited transaction if the originating depository financial institution has warranted its compliance with the sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in connection with the entry.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Sudan Peace, Security, and Accountability Act of 2013 - Directs the President to develop and transmit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to end serious human rights violations in Sudan and to promote comprehensive peace and democratic reform. Requires the strategy to include an interagency plan along with a description of the resources and additional personnel required for the diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military activities to be undertaken to address and end human rights violations, strengthen democratic institutions, and expand democratic participation and governance, including capacity building of Sudanese civil society, political parties, and nongovernmental organizations seeking peaceful democratic change. Requires a description of: (1) the options for expanding U.S. diplomatic engagement with countries with close political or economic relations with Sudan, including China, Russia, Qatar, Egypt, and other traditional allies and multilateral organizations; and (2) the manner in which sanctions against Sudan or Sudanese individuals will be more effectively enforced, including by providing adequate resources and personnel to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) within the Department of the Treasury, prioritizing the enforcement of Sudan sanctions within OFAC, and mandating increased collection of intelligence information on Sudanese targets of sanctions. Directs the President to impose specified visa, development assistance, security assistance, property, credit, financial assistance, export, cultural, or scientific sanctions on any person or government that: (1) supported or assisted Sudan in the commission of serious human rights violations in Sudan, including by selling, leasing, or otherwise transferring military equipment to Sudan or providing property, goods, technology, services, or other support in the amount of $500,000 or more that directly and significantly contributes to Sudan committing or assisting in the commission of serious human rights violations; (2) is interfering or has interfered with the delivery of humanitarian aid to Sudan; (3) is impeding the peace process or threatening the stability of any part of Sudan or the region; or (4) failed to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against any Sudanese official if such person or government had the jurisdictional authority to execute the warrant and failed to make the arrest without reasonable justification. Prohibits the imposition of sanctions or other prohibitions on any government or person that is: (1) acting on behalf of the government of South Sudan in connection with the shipment or payment for oil from South Sudan or the advancement of peace between Sudan and South Sudan, or (2) providing humanitarian aid to Sudan. Amends: (1) the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004 to make its asset and visa sanctions applicable to Sudan, and (2) the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 to impose such sanctions on Janjaweed commanders and coordinators threatening peace and stability in Sudan. Terminates sanctions upon certification by the President that specified conditions have been met.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Patient Centered Quality Care for Life Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a Patient-Centered Health Care and Quality of Life Stakeholder Strategic Summit to: (1) analyze key health system barriers to providing patient-centered health care that integrates symptom management and other aspects of coordinated or palliative care; and (2) identify strategic solutions for collectively addressing quality of life concerns for the rapidly expanding population of patients and survivors facing serious, complex, and chronic illness in the United States and for the families of such patients and survivors. Requires the Secretary to establish a Summit Steering Committee, which shall draft a summary report detailing Summit recommendations for a national strategic action agenda to improve patient-centered care and quality of life. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a national quality of life education and awareness grants program initiative for seriously ill patients, their families, and health professionals who treat them for the purposes of encouraging an increased demand for and delivery of integrated and patient-centered care for managing their pain and symptoms and improving their quality of life. Requires the Director to award competitive grants to develop new and expand existing information, resources, and communication materials about symptom management and other aspects of patient-centered care as an integral part of quality care for serious illnesses. Directs the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish a health care professional workforce training grants program initiative for purposes of promoting and enhancing symptom assessment and management, communications skills, coordinated patient-centered care, and other quality of life focused clinical core competencies across all clinical specialties that serve seriously ill patients and patients with multiple or complex chronic diseases. Requires the Secretary: (1) to update and expand the September 2002 HRSA report, titled "The Supply, Demand and Use of Palliative Care Physicians in the United States"; (2) to establish a Quality of Life Cross-Agency Advisory Committee to assist the CDC and HRSA in conducting the national quality of life education and awareness initiative and the health care professional workforce training initiative and to disseminate initiative findings for cross agency implementation of best practices; and (3) acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop and implement a strategy to be applied across NIH institutes and centers that is in accordance with the Advisory Committee's recommendations to expand national research programs in symptom management, palliative, psychosocial, and survivorship care.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Speaker should follow regular House procedure and immediately request a conference and appoint conferees to negotiate a FY2014 budget resolution conference agreement with the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 - 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 · 18 April 2013
Help Entrepreneurs Create American Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make the increase (from $5,000 to $10,000) in the tax deduction for the start-up expenditures of an active trade or business permanent (currently, limited to taxable years beginning in 2010).
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools). Encourages each state, city, and local educational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Student Loan Relief Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Directs the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to convey to Miami Dade College of Miami Dade County, Florida, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the David W. Dyer Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse at 300 NE 1st Avenue in Miami, Florida. Allows the college to use such property as a cultural and educational complex, including additional class and programming space for workforce training, community workshops, lectures, performances, exhibitions, and screenings. Exempts the conveyed land from environmental impact statement requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to reauthorize for FY2014-FY2017 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 reductions in grant funding to states that have not implemented a relief from disabilities program; (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 (HIPAA). 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 (ATF); (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 2013 - 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 · 15 April 2013
Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue orders applicable to manufacturers of concrete masonry products (concrete). Requires any such order to provide for the establishment of a Concrete Masonry Products Board, which shall carry out a program of promotion, research, and information regarding concrete products. Requires manufacturers and importers to maintain, and make available, specified records. Requires any such order to provide that assessments shall be paid by concrete manufacturers with respect to concrete manufactured and marketed in the United States. Provides assessment rates. Requires at least 50% of the assessments paid by a manufacturer to be used to support research, education, and promotion plans and projects in support of the geographic region of the manufacturer. Directs the Secretary, during the 60-day period preceding the proposed effective date of an order, to conduct a referendum for order approval among the manufacturers required to pay assessments under the order. Outlines referendum procedures. Provides for petition and review of an order, and order enforcement through U.S. district courts. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct appropriate investigations in order to administer this Act (with power of subpoena). Directs the Secretary to 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 · 15 April 2013
SAFE ID Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the use of a taxpayer identification number, in lieu of a social security number, in reporting wages of employees.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act - Amends the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 to require a federal financial institutions regulatory agency to make a final examination report to a financial institution within 60 days of the later of: (1) the exit interview for an examination of the institution, or (2) the provision of additional information by the institution relating to the examination. Sets a deadline for the exit interview if a financial institution is not subject to a resident examiner program. Sets forth examination standards for financial institutions. Prohibits federal financial institutions regulatory agencies from requiring a well capitalized financial institution to raise additional capital in lieu of an action prohibited by the examination standards. Establishes in the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council an Office of Examination Ombudsman. Grants a financial institution the right to appeal a material supervisory determination contained in a final report of examination. Requires the Ombudsman to determine the merits of the appeal on the record, after an opportunity for a hearing before an independent administrative law judge. Declares the decision by the Ombudsman on an appeal to: (1) be the final agency action, and (2) bind the agency whose supervisory determination was the subject of the appeal and the financial institution making the appeal. Amends the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to require: (1) the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish an independent intra-agency appellate process in connection with the regulatory appeals process; and (2) appropriate safeguards to protect an insured depository institution or insured credit union from retaliation by the CFPB, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) Board, or any other federal banking agency for exercising its rights.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Act of 2013 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group or individual health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection, insofar as the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, determines such stay to be medically necessary; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act, and (2) ensure that coverage is provided for secondary consultations. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Allows a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage to nonrenew or discontinue an individual's coverage based on the intentional concealment of material facts regarding a health condition related to the condition for which coverage is being claimed.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to replace the Designated Qualified Persons program responsible for inspecting horses for soring with a new inspection system. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prescribe regulatory requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Authorizes USDA to revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. Requires USDA to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians in issuing the licenses. Requires USDA to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. Directs an inspector to issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of the violations within five days of the citation being issued. Requires USDA to: (1) publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act; and (2) disqualify a horse that is sore for specified time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse. Prohibits showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device that causes friction by rotating around a horse's leg or sliding up and down the leg or strikes the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter a horse's gait and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations. Authorizes USDA to disqualify a violator from: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted. Permits USDA to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
RFS Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Clean Air Act to revise the renewable fuel program. Requires "renewable fuel," beginning on January 1, 2014, to be advanced biofuel. Revises the renewable fuel standards by: (1) decreasing the volume of renewable fuel that is required to be contained in gasoline sold or introduced into commerce in the United States in 2014 through 2022; and (2) eliminating the separate advanced biofuel volume requirements for those years. Requires the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, in estimating the projected volume of cellulosic biofuel production in the next year, to determine for each cellulosic biofuel production facility: (1) the average monthly volume of biofuel produced by such facility based on the actual volume produced through October 31 of the current year, and (2) the estimated annualized volume of biofuel production for such facility for the current year. Requires the estimate of cellulosic biofuel projected to be sold or introduced into commerce in the following year to equal the total of the estimated annual volumes of cellulosic biofuel production for all such facilities. Requires (currently, authorizes) the Administrator, in any year in which the Administrator reduces the applicable volume of cellulosic biofuel required in gasoline, to also reduce the applicable volume of renewable fuel and advanced biofuels required by the same (currently, by the same or a lesser) volume. Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from allowing the introduction into commerce of gasoline containing greater than 10-volume-percent ethanol. Nullifies waivers from requirements for new fuels and fuel additives that were granted before this Act's enactment and that allow the introduction of such gasoline for use in motor vehicles. Nullifies portions of the rule entitled, "Regulation to Mitigate the Misfueling of Vehicles and Engines with Gasoline Containing Greater Than Ten Volume Percent Ethanol and Modifications to the Reformulated and Conventional Gasoline Programs."
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Recognizes the independence of Israel as a significant event in providing refuge and a national homeland for the Jewish people and in establishing a democracy in the Middle East. Commends the bipartisan commitment of successive U.S. administrations and Congresses since 1948 to stand by Israel. Asserts the commitment of Congress to stand with Israel during times of uncertainty and reaffirms its bipartisan support for the alliance and friendship between the United States and Israel. Supports Israel's right to exist as a democratic, Jewish state and to defend itself and its people. Congratulates the United States and Israel for the strengthening of bilateral relations during the past decade in the fields of defense, diplomacy, and homeland security. Congratulates the people of Israel as they celebrate the 65th anniversary of Israel's independence.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2013 - Deems certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts as active military service for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in determining eligibility under this Act, to take into account any relevant service documentation, including documentation other than the Missouri List (the list of all discharged and deceased veterans from the 20th century).
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of cosmetics by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires any brand owner engaged in bringing a cosmetic to market for use in the United States to register annually and pay a fee for oversight and enforcement of this Act. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish labeling requirements, (2) establish a safety standard that provides a reasonable certainty of no harm from exposure to a cosmetic or an ingredient in a cosmetic and that protects the public from any known or anticipated adverse health effects associated with the cosmetic or ingredient, and (3) issue guidance prescribing good manufacturing practices for cosmetics and ingredients. Requires brand owners to submit to the Secretary safety data for the ingredients listed on the cosmetic label and the cosmetic itself, which shall be published in a database. Requires the Secretary to review and evaluate the safety of cosmetics and ingredients of cosmetics that are marketed in interstate commerce, including nanotechnology and contaminants of concern linked to severe acute reactions or long-term adverse health effects. Requires the Secretary, based on an initial review and evaluation, to establish three lists for ingredients: (1) a prohibited and restricted list, (2) a safe without limits list, and (3) a priority assessment list. Authorizes the Secretary to order a recall or cease of distribution for a cosmetic that is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise in violation of the FFDCA. Requires reporting of any serious adverse event associated with cosmetics. Requires the Secretary to take action to minimize the use of animal testing of ingredients and cosmetics. Establishes an Interagency Council on Cosmetic Safety. Requires the Secretary of Labor to promulgate an occupational safety and health standard relating to cosmetics for professional use.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth Promise Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention or intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2013 or JOLT Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Secretary of State (Secretary) to establish a pilot fee-based premium processing service to expedite visa interview appointments. Authorizes the Secretary to collect and set fee amounts. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to admit into the United States a qualifying Canadian citizen over 50 years old and spouse for a period not to exceed 240 days if the person maintains a Canadian residence and owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of such stay. Directs the Secretary to require overseas visa processing posts to make public the availability of visa appointments during periods of low demand to encourage visa applicants to apply when interview wait times are lowest. Revises the visa waiver program to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate any country as a program country; (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate; and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions. Directs the Secretary to require U.S. diplomatic and consular missions to: (1) conduct nonimmigrant visa application interviews expeditiously, consistent with national security requirements and in recognition of resource allocation considerations; and (2) set a goal of interviewing 90% of all nonimmigrant visa applicants, worldwide, within 10 days of application receipt. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and conduct a pilot program for processing visas using secure remote videoconferencing technology, and (2) seek to coordinate enrollment and interview processes for individuals eligible for both a U.S. visa and enrollment in the Global Entry program.
![Official portrait of Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_fl_23_wassermanschultz_debbie_200.jpg)