United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019
Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act This bill provides funds to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for an affordable child care and early learning program. Children who are at least six weeks of age but not yet required to attend school may participate in the program regardless of family income, disability status, citizenship status, or employment of a family member. Under the program, HHS must support sponsors (e.g., states, local governments, tribal organizations, and nonprofit community organizations) that provide child care and early learning services for families. Families must pay a subsidized fee, based on their income, for the services. The fees are waived for children from families with incomes below 200% of the poverty line. The fees are capped at 7% of a family's income regardless of the family's income level.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019
This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to make payments to specified U.S. possessions (i.e., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa), beginning in 2020 and each calendar year thereafter, for expenditures made by such possessions relating to the earned income tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that gender-specific services are continuously available at every VA medical center and community-based outpatient clinic. Additionally, the VA must conduct a study, interviewing women veterans and employees, to assess the need for and use of extended hours as a means of reducing barriers to care.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Office of Territorial Exporting Act This bill establishes the Office of Territorial Exporting within the Export-Import Bank to facilitate the provision of financial assistance to export businesses in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act This bill makes permanent, beginning in FY2020, funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The President shall annually submit to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Transportation Emergency Relief Funds Availability Act This bill revises the treatment of deadlines for federal-aid highways and public transportation projects emergency relief funds awarded by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The bill repeals the current two-year deadline for emergency relief projects to advance to the construction obligation stage. DOT must allow up to six years for projects funded through an emergency relief program to advance to construction. The new six-year deadline starts following the date on which a disaster was declared by a state's governor or the President.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Labor to update the salary threshold applicable to bona fide executive, administrative, and professional employees for purposes of determining eligibility for overtime pay. The bill adopts rulemaking promulgated by Labor in 2016 that established the threshold for exempting such employees from overtime requirements at the 40th percentile of earnings for full-time salaried employees in the lowest-wage census region. The bill also requires updates to the threshold amount every three years. In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shall publish quarterly on its public website data on the weekly earnings of nonhourly, full-time salaried workers by census region.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2019
75th Anniversary of the End of World War II Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 coins, 500,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The coins shall be emblematic of the sacrifices made by millions of people of the United States 75 years ago in bringing an end to World War II. The design on each coin shall represent the World War II Victory Medal, which was awarded to all 16 million U.S. military personnel who served from December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946. The bill requires all sales of such coins include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the congressionally designated National WWII Museum to fund its educational mission of telling the story of the U.S. experience in World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Living Shorelines Act of 2019 This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to award grants to state or local governments, Indian tribes, or nonprofit organizations to (1) implement climate-resilient living shoreline projects; and (2) encourage innovation in the use of natural materials to protect coastal communities, habitats, and natural system functions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Every Child Deserves a Family Act This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or religion in the provision of child welfare programs and services by entities receiving federal funding. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide technical assistance to help states follow this requirement, including (1) guidance for bringing state laws into compliance, (2) developing training to increase cultural competency related to social identity, and (3) training for judges and attorneys involved in child welfare cases, among other supports. Additionally, HHS must establish the National Resource Center on Safety, Well-Being, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ Children and Youth Involved with Child Welfare Services to provide training, technical assistance, and guidance to applicable state and local agencies and service providers. Further, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act may not be the basis for challenging the application or enforcement of this bill. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on states' compliance with the requirements of the bill no later than three years after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
This resolution (1) recognizes World Oceans Day and affirms the individual and collective duty, both nationally and internationally, to protect, conserve, maintain, and rebuild our oceans and its resources; and (2) expresses commitment to increasing the investment of federal funds into scientific research and monitoring to better understand the changing oceans.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2019
This resolution calls on the United States and North Korea to reunited Korean-American divided family members with their immediate relatives as a humanitarian policy of immediate concern.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Samish Indian Nation Land Reaffirmation Act This bill ratifies and confirms that certain land has been taken into trust for the benefit of the Samish Indian Nation per a decision from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This reaffirmation applies to all claims pending or filed on or after the passage of this bill. Additionally, the Samish Indian Nation retains all future rights to seek to have additional land taken into trust.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
This resolution recognizes the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States. The resolution also recognizes that the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Extinction Prevention Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of the Interior to provide financial assistance for the conservation of butterflies and moths in North America; plant species in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands; freshwater mussels in the United States; and bony fish found in desert ecosystems in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Among other things, the bill establishes the North America Butterfly Conservation Fund, the Pacific Islands Plant Conservation Fund, the Freshwater Mussels Conservation Fund, and the Southwest Desert Fish Conservation Fund. In selecting projects for assistance, Interior must prioritize projects that conserve threatened and endangered species.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
GI Bill Access to Career Credentials Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide educational assistance for certain preparatory courses. Under the bill, veterans who are entitled to educational assistance may also receive assistance for preparatory courses that are required for licensing or certification tests for employment in specified professions.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Fairness and Accuracy in Employment Background Checks Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish and enforce procedures to ensure the prompt exchange of accurate records and information for employment-related purposes through the Federal Bureau of Investigation background check system. DOJ must also report to Congress on all federal statutes, regulations, and policies providing employment restrictions and disqualifications based on criminal records.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Protecting LGBTQ Youth Act This bill expands programs that prevent and treat child abuse and neglect to address issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Specifically, these programs include (1) research and reporting requirements, (2) providing technical assistance, (3) grants to states and local agencies to train child-welfare personnel, and (4) community-based prevention-service grants, among others.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
This bill directs the Department of Commerce, in 2025 and every 10 years thereafter, to take a mid-decade census of population of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act This bill prohibits employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for job applicants or employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Specifically, the bill declares that it is an unlawful employment practice to (1) fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations of such job applicants or employees, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on an entity's business operation; (2) deny employment opportunities based on the need of the entity to make such reasonable accommodations to an applicant or employee; (3) require such job applicants or employees to accept an accommodation that they do not want, if such accommodation is unnecessary to perform the job; (4) require such employees to take paid or unpaid leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to their known limitations; or (5) take adverse action in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment against an employee requesting or using such reasonable accommodations. The bill sets forth enforcement procedures and remedies under various statutes that cover different types of employees in relation to such unlawful employment practices. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must provide examples of reasonable accommodations that shall be provided to affected job applicants or employees unless the employer can demonstrate that doing so would impose an undue hardship. The bill prohibits state immunity under the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution from an action for a violation of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Securing America's Federal Elections Act or the SAFE Act This bill addresses election security through grant programs and requirements for voting systems and paper ballots. The bill establishes requirements for voting systems, including that systems (1) use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots; (2) make a voter's marked ballot available for inspection and verification by the voter before the vote is cast; (3) ensure that individuals with disabilities are given an equivalent opportunity to vote, including with privacy and independence, in a manner that produces a voter-verified paper ballot; and (4) be manufactured in the United States. The National Science Foundation must award grants to study, test, and develop accessible voter-verified paper ballot voting and best practices to enhance the accessibility of such voting for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must award grants to states to (1) replace certain voting systems, carry out voting system security improvements, and implement and model best practices for ballot design, ballot instructions, and the testing of ballots; and (2) conduct risk-limiting audits. States may use elections requirements payments to carry out activities related to election security. The EAC must provide for the testing of voting system hardware and software and decertify such technology that does not meet guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through December 31, 2027, provisions requiring the U.S. Postal Service to issue a special postage stamp for first-class mail that costs more than the regular first-class stamp to raise funds for breast cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Strength in Diversity Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to specified educational agencies to develop or implement plans to improve diversity and reduce or eliminate racial or socioeconomic isolation in publicly funded early childhood education programs, public elementary schools, or public secondary schools.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act This bill authorizes private civil causes of action for disparate impact violations (to the same extent as intentional violations) of federal regulations of general applicability that prohibit discrimination on the ground of race, color, or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Education programs that receive financial assistance authorized or extended by the Department of Education (ED) must designate at least one compliance coordinator to carry out these nondiscrimination responsibilities and investigate complaints. The bill requires ED to appoint a Special Assistant for Equity and Inclusion to (1) promote, coordinate, and evaluate equity and inclusion programs; and (2) advise ED on matters relating to equity and inclusion.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act of 2019 This bill establishes various programs to address substance use disorder and opioid addiction, including grants for treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services as well as a program to distribute overdose reversal drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Home Health Payment Innovation Act of 2019 This bill makes a series of changes relating to payment and coverage of home health services under Medicare and Medicare Advantage (MA). Specifically, the bill allows the home-confinement requirement (also known as the homebound requirement) for home health services to be waived under Medicare and MA. Currently, as a condition of eligibility for such services, a physician must certify that an individual has difficulty leaving home without assistance (e.g., a wheelchair, special transportation, or help from another person) due to an illness or injury. The bill also alters the payment methodology under the Medicare prospective payment system for home health services, including by eliminating the requirement that such methodology include certain behavioral assumptions regarding the implementation of specified changes to units of payment and case-mix adjustment factors.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Act This bill expands eligibility for certain Small Business Administration programs to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
This resolution supports the designation of National Small Business Week and efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally. It also supports and encourages young entrepreneurs to pursue their passions and create more startup businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act or the FUTURE Act This bill extends through FY2021 and revises mandatory funding programs for historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions, including by allocating a portion of the funding for grants to predominantly black institutions for programs in (1) science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; (2) health education; (3) internationalization or globalization; (4) teacher preparation; or (5) improving educational outcomes of African-American males.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019 This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act and related labor laws to extend protections to union workers. Specifically, it revises the definition of "employee" and "supervisor" to prevent employers from classifying employees as exempt from labor law protections, expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of or discrimination against workers who participate in strikes, makes it an unfair labor practice to require or coerce employees to attend employer meetings designed to discourage union membership, permits workers to participate in collective or class action litigation, allows injunctions against employers engaging in unfair labor practices involving discharge or serious economic harm to an employee, expands penalties for labor law violations, including interference with the National Labor Relations Board or causing serious economic harm to an employee, and allows any person to bring a civil action for harm caused by labor law violations or unfair labor practices.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act This bill treats certain military survivor benefits that are received by children as earned income of the child for the purposes of the kiddie tax (the tax on the unearned income of children). This has the effect of exempting the benefits from such tax.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa College Access Act This bill establishes a grant program to cover the difference between in-state tuition and out-of-state tuition for students who are from either the Northern Mariana Islands or American Samoa and who attend a public institution of higher education in a different state or territory. The Government Accountability Office must report on the program's effectiveness in expanding educational opportunities for such students.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
What You Can Do For Your Country Act This bill revises the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, including by allowing borrowers with loans under the Federal Family Education Loan program to be eligible for the PSLF program, allowing borrowers to receive loan forgiveness on half of their total loans after satisfying 60 qualifying payment obligations, revising provisions related to loan consolidation, revising the types of payments that count toward qualifying payment obligations, defining full-time employment as 30 hours per week, requiring the Department of Education (ED) to provide certain notices to borrowers, revising the process for certification of employment, requiring ED to establish a database of qualifying employers, providing a process for borrowers to satisfy past monthly payment obligations, requiring lenders to provide to ED necessary borrower repayment history information, and requiring ED to establish a dispute resolution process.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
National Museum of the American Latino Act This bill establishes the National Museum of the American Latino in the Smithsonian Institution. The purposes of the museum are to (1) illuminate Latino contributions to the story of the United States; (2) provide for the collection, study, research, publication, and establishment of exhibitions and programs related to Latino life, art, history, and culture; and (3) provide for collaboration with Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers and other museums and educational institutions in the United States and abroad to promote the study and appreciation of Latino life, art, history, culture, and its impact on society in the United States. The bill establishes a Board of Trustees for the museum to advise and assist the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian on all matters related to the administration and preservation of the museum. The Director of the museum shall manage the museum and may carry out educational and liaison programs in support of its goals. The Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services shall establish and carry out specified grant programs and a scholarship program, including a grant program to promote the understanding of the Latin American diaspora in the United States. The Board of Regents shall designate a site for the museum and is authorized to design and construct it.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
Women's Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 400,000 $1 silver coins that are emblematic of the women who played a vital role in rallying support for the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Such coins may be issued during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2020. All surcharges received from the sales of such coins shall be paid to the American Women's History Initiative of the Smithsonian Institution.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2019
This resolution urges (1) the President to issue a proclamation recognizing Earth Day, consistent with the practice of the previous administration; and (2) governments and people to continue building upon the Paris Agreement and other efforts to ensure that future generations inherit a livable, sustainable, and ecologically rich planet. In addition, it encourages the American people to mark Earth Day by working to address environmental challenges, educate others about the need for year-round action, and honor the stewardship ethic for which Senator Gaylord Nelson stood.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2019
Duty to Refuse and Report Foreign Interference in American Elections Act of 2019 This bill prohibits campaigns from accepting foreign assistance and requires a campaign to report an offer of foreign assistance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2019
Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 the Community Health Center Fund, which provides enhanced funding for community health centers and the National Health Service Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2019
Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act This bill revises the methodology for calculating Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits and phases out the cap on compensation subject to Social Security taxation. The bill directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics to prepare and publish a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-E) to track cost-of-living changes for individuals age 62 or older. The Social Security Administration shall use the CPI-E to calculate the cost-of-living adjustment for OASDI benefits, where it currently uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. The bill phases out and after 2025 eliminates the cap on compensation ($132,900 in 2019) subject to Social Security taxation. This change applies to both wage earners and the self-employed. The bill also changes the calculation for the primary insurance amount (the amount received by a beneficiary who elects to receive OASDI benefits at full retirement age) by including the additional earnings that are now taxed as a result of the cap elimination.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2019
National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act or the NO BAN Act This bill imposes limitations on the President's authority to suspend or restrict aliens from entering the United States and terminates certain presidential actions implementing such restrictions. It also prohibits religious discrimination in various immigration-related decisions, such as whether to issue an immigrant or non-immigrant visa, with certain exceptions. The President may temporarily restrict the entry of any aliens or class of aliens after the Department of State determines that the restriction would address specific acts that threaten U.S. interests such as security or public safety. The bill also imposes limitations on such restrictions, such as requiring the President, State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide specific evidence of a need for the restriction, and to narrowly tailor the restriction to meet a compelling government interest. Before imposing a restriction, the President, State Department, and DHS shall consult with Congress. The State Department and DHS shall report to Congress about the restriction within 48 hours of the restriction's imposition, with regular updates. If such reports are not made, the restriction shall immediately terminate.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2019
Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination in the Workplace Act or the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act This bill sets forth provisions to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace and raises the minimum wage for tipped employees. Specifically, the bill (1) makes it an unlawful employment practice to discriminate against an individual in the workplace based on sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, and a sex stereotype; (2) prohibits employers from entering into contracts or agreements with workers that contain certain nondisparagement or nondisclosure clauses; (3) prohibits predispute arbitration agreements and postdispute agreements with certain exceptions, and (4) establishes grant programs to prevent and respond to workplace discrimination and harassment, provide legal assistance for low-income workers related to employment discrimination, and establish a system of legal advocacy in states to protect the rights of workers. Additionally, the bill, among other things requires employers who have 15 or more employees to adopt a comprehensive nondiscrimination policy; requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to provide specified training and resource materials, establish and convene a harassment prevention task force, and establish an Office of Education and Outreach with regard to prohibited discrimination and harassment in employment; requires specified studies, reports, and research on prohibited harassment in employment; and grants employees the right to retain their tips.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2019
This resolution states that it is U.S. policy to (1) commemorate the Armenian Genocide, the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923; (2) reject efforts to associate the U.S. government with efforts to deny the existence of the Armenian Genocide or any genocide; and (3) encourage education and public understanding about the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2019
Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 and revises the Lifespan Respite Care Program, which supports state lifespan respite care services (i.e., services for family caregivers of children and adults with special needs). The bill requires each state agency that is awarded a grant under the program to report any data required by the Department of Health and Human Services for program monitoring and evaluation.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2019
This resolution recognizes the disparity between wages paid to men and women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation and reaffirms Congress' commitment to supporting equal pay for equal work and to narrowing the gender wage gap.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2019
This resolution expresses support for National Public Health week, recognizes the efforts of public health professionals, and encourages strengthening the public health system.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2019
This resolution urges the Department of Justice (DOJ) to cease its efforts against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and reverse its position in Texas v. United States . (On March 25, 2019, DOJ submitted a letter to the appellate court agreeing with the lower court's decision that PPACA should be struck in its entirety).
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2019
Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act This bill establishes in the Smithsonian Institution a comprehensive women's history museum. Such museum shall be named by the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. The bill establishes a council, that, among other things, shall make recommendations to the board on the planning, design, and construction of the museum. The board shall designate a site for the museum, with priority given to a site that is on or near the National Mall.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2019
Community Health Center and Primary Care Workforce Expansion Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 the Community Health Center Fund, which provides enhanced funding for community health centers and the National Health Service Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2019
Lymphedema Treatment Act of 2019 This bill includes certain lymphedema compression treatment items as covered durable medical equipment under Medicare. (Lymphedema is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling that is caused when the lymphatic system is damaged or blocked.)
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2019
Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Shirley Chisholm, in recognition of her activism, independence, and groundbreaking achievements in politics, election as the first African American woman in Congress, and campaign to be the first African American to gain the nomination of a major political party for President of the United States. Following its award, the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution where it shall be available for display and research.
![Official portrait of Del. Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho [D-MP-At Large]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001177_200.jpg)