United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Responsible Student Loan Solutions Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to limit the unpaid amount of Direct Stafford loans that students may amass before completing their undergraduate education. Varies that limit on the basis of whether a student is a dependent student, independent student, or dependent student whose parents are unable to borrow a Direct PLUS loan. Limits the amount of Direct Stafford loans that students may borrow in any academic year before the completion of their undergraduate studies. Varies that limit on the basis of whether a student: (1) is a dependent student, independent student, or dependent student whose parents are unable to borrow a Direct PLUS loan; and (2) has or has not successfully completed the first year or first and second years of their undergraduate studies. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct loans at the bond equivalent rate on 91-day Treasury bills plus a percentage that: (1) represents the total cost of administering the Direct Loan program and borrower benefits, and (2) results in the program being revenue neutral for the applicable 12-month period. Allows the Secretary of Education to use different percentages under that formula for the Direct Stafford Loan, Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, PLUS Loan, and Consolidation Loan programs. Caps the annual interest rate for Direct Stafford loans at 6.8%, and for Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans and Direct PLUS and Consolidation loans at 8.25% Directs the Secretary to charge the borrower of a Direct PLUS loan an origination fee of up to 3% of the loan principal. Limits the applicability of the preceding provisions to loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2013. Authorizes the Secretary to refinance federal PLUS and Stafford loans to permit borrowers to obtain an interest rate determined pursuant to this Act's provisions. Allows the Secretary to charge borrowers an administrative fee for refinancing such loans that does not exceed 0.5% of the loan principal.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2013 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal the exemption from restrictions on underground injection of fluids or propping agents granted to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities under such Act. Requires: (1) state underground injection programs to direct a person conducting hydraulic fracturing operations to disclose to the state (or the Administrator if the Administrator has primary enforcement responsibility in such state) the chemicals intended for use in underground injections prior to the commencement of such operations and the chemicals actually used after the end of such operations, and (2) a state or the Administrator to make such disclosure available to the public. Requires a person conducting hydraulic fracturing operations, when a medical emergency exists and the proprietary chemical formula of a chemical used in such operations is necessary for medical treatment, to disclose such formula or the specific chemical identity of a trade secret chemical to the state, the Administrator, or the treating physician or nurse upon request, regardless of whether a written statement of need or a confidentiality agreement has been provided. Authorizes such person to require a written statement of need and a confidentiality agreement as soon thereafter as circumstances permit.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Gestational Diabetes Act of 2013 or the GEDI Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a multisite gestational diabetes research project within the diabetes program of the CDC to expand and enhance surveillance data and public health research on gestational diabetes. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand and intensify public health research on gestational diabetes, including; (1) developing and testing novel approaches for improving postpartum testing or screening and for preventing type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes, and (2) conducting research to further understanding of the factors and health systems that influence the risk of gestational diabetes and the development of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes. Requires the Director to: (1) award grants for demonstration projects to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes, the recurrence of such disease in subsequent pregnancies, and the development of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes; and (2) work with state and Indian tribal-based diabetes prevention and control programs assisted by the CDC to encourage postpartum follow-up after gestational diabetes to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes and its recurrence, the development of type 2 diabetes in at-risk women, and related complications.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reduce from $18 to $9 (the pre-1991 level) the per-barrel tax on beer; and (2) further reduce the rate of such tax on brewers who produce not more than 2 million barrels of beer during the calendar year.
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
Email Privacy Act - Amends the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 to prohibit a provider of remote computing service or electronic communication service to the public from knowingly divulging to any governmental entity the contents of any communication that is in electronic storage or otherwise maintained by the provider. Revises provisions under which the government may require, pursuant to a warrant, the disclosure by such a provider of the contents of such communications. Eliminates the different requirements applicable under current law depending on whether such communications were stored for fewer than, or more than, 180 days. Requires a law enforcement agency, within 10 days after receiving the contents of a customer's communication, or a governmental entity, within 3 days, to provide the customer a copy of the warrant and a notice that such information was requested by, and supplied to, the government entity. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of a governmental entity to use an administrative or civil discovery subpoena to: (1) require an originator or recipient of an electronic communication to disclose the contents of such communication to the governmental entity; or (2) require an entity that provides electronic communication services to employees or agents of the entity to disclose the contents of an electronic communication to or from such employee or agent to a governmental entity if the communication is held, stored, or maintained on an electronic communications system owned or operated by the entity. Authorizes a governmental entity that is: (1) seeking a warrant for the contents of communications to include in the application a request for an order delaying the notification required for up to 180 days, in the case of a law enforcement agency, or up to 90 days, in the case of any other governmental entity; and (2) obtaining the contents of a communication, or information or records, to apply to a court for an order directing a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service to which a warrant, order, subpoena, or other directive is directed not to notify any other person of the existence of the directive for up to 180 days, in the case of of a law enforcement agency, or up to 90 days, in the case of any other governmental entity. Provides for extensions. Requires service providers, after such extension, to provide the government three business days' notice of their intent to inform a customer or subscriber that the provider has disclosed the individual's electronic communications information to the government. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress by September 30, 2015, regarding the disclosure by electronic communication service providers of customer communications and records, including an analysis and evaluation of such disclosure under provisions: (1) as in effect before the enactment of this Act, and (2) as amended by this Act.
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
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
Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act of 2013 - Directs the President to establish the Commission to Accelerate the End of Breast Cancer to help end breast cancer by January 1, 2020. Directs the Commission to: (1) identify opportunities and ideas within government and the private sector that are key components in achieving the end of breast cancer and which have been overlooked, yet are ripe for collaboration and investment; (2) recommend projects to leverage such opportunities and ideas in the areas of the primary prevention of breast cancer and the causes and prevention of breast cancer metastasis; and (3) ensure that its activities are coordinated with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, programs and laboratories of other government agencies. Directs the President to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine for an evaluation of the Commission's progress. Terminates the Commission on June 1, 2020.
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 · 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
Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to provide for employee leave to care for a domestic partner or his or her child, parent-in-law, adult child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law (as well as for a spouse, child, or parent), if such person has a serious health condition. Amends federal civil service law to apply the same leave allowance to federal employees.
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
America Votes Act of 2013 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit an individual required to present identification as a condition for voting in a federal election to meet the requirement by presenting the appropriate state or local election official with a sworn written statement, signed by the individual under penalty of perjury, attesting to the individual's identification and that he or she is registered to vote in the election. Allows an individual desiring to vote by mail to submit such a statement with the ballot. Requires any state subject to this identification requirement to: (1) prepare a pre-printed version of the statement which includes a blank space for an individual to provide a name and signature, (2) make copies of the pre-printed version available at polling places for election officials to distribute to individuals who desire to vote in person, and (3) include a copy of the pre-printed version with each blank absentee or other ballot transmitted to an individual who desires to vote by mail. Prohibits a state from requiring an individual who presents or submits such a sworn written statement to cast a provisional ballot in the election. Excepts first-time voters registering by mail from application of this Act. Requires states requiring an individual to present identification as a condition of receiving and casting a ballot in a federal election to include the use of a sworn written statement in voting information posted at polling places.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Medicare DMEPOS Market Pricing Program Act of 2013 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish a market pricing program for durable medical equipment (DME), prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) as a replacement for the competitive acquisition program, which is terminated as of December 31, 2013. Terminates contracts awarded before enactment of this Act on July 1, 2013. Prescribes requirements for transitional payments for items and services, including payments for diabetic supplies and off-the-shelf orthotics, in areas designated for rounds 1 and 2 of the erstwhile phase-in of the competitive acquistion program, as well as during the initial two-year period of the market pricing program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct market-priced auctions in eligible auction areas throughout the United States for the furnishing of market priced items and services, (2) establish an auction design through a specified process and meeting certain requirements, and (3) ensure that the first auction will be conducted for all eligible auction areas not later than 14 months after contracting with an auction expert. Directs the Secretary to: (1) select a combination of two categories of items and services for each auction, (2) establish a lead product for each product category, (3) establish for each market priced item and service a clearing price equal to the highest cost bid that will meet capacity targets in the market area, (4) award a contract to any entity in an auction's eligible market area whose bid is at or below the clearing price, and (5) monitor the performance of suppliers that are awarded a contract to ensure their compliance with certain requirements. Requires the Secretary, through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, to contract with an auction expert and a market monitor to assist in the design, development, implementation, and functioning of the auction. Requires the market monitor, on an ongoing basis, also to monitor suppliers and the effects of the market pricing program. Rescinds unobligated balances of all discretionary appropriations for each fiscal year (except those for accounts, programs, projects and activities operated by the Department of Defense [DOD] or the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA]) in an amount necessary to make this Act budget neutral for such fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Broadband Adoption Act of 2013 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt a final rule establishing support for broadband under the Universal Service Fund Lifeline Assistance Program to enable qualifying low-income customers residing in urban and rural areas to purchase broadband service at reduced charges by reimbursing providers who elect to participate in the program for each such customer served. Establishes a program model under which qualifying individuals may elect to apply support from the Lifeline program to basic telephone service, voice telephony service, or broadband service, whether each service is purchased stand-alone or in a bundle. Authorizes the FCC to determine whether state matching funds may be provided as a condition of eligibility for low-income households within such state. Requires the program to be technology neutral to promote competition from service providers. Requires a broadband service provider that is not an eligible telecommunications carrier to obtain FCC authorization to participate in the program. Directs the FCC to: (1) adopt regulations to prevent duplicative Lifeline subsidies from being awarded to an individual eligible household, and (2) establish a national database to determine consumer eligibility. Limits qualifying individuals to only one Lifeline program support amount per eligible household.
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
Native American Indian Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to pay four-year Native American-serving nontribal institutions of higher education the out-of-state tuition of their Indian students if those schools are required to provide a tuition-free education, with the support of their state, to Indian students in fulfillment of a condition under which the college or state received its original grant of land and facilities from the federal government. Limits that payment each fiscal year to the institution's total out-of-state tuition for Indian students in academic year 2012-2013. Treats such payments as reimbursements to such institutions from their states. Rescinds unobligated discretionary appropriations to offset the costs of this program.
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
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund until 19 years after enactment of this Act. Prescribes additional periods of required presence in an affected area during atmospheric nuclear testing for individuals filing leukemia or specified disease claims. Increases the amount of compensation an individual filing a claim may receive to $150,000. Expands "affected area" to include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and New Mexico, as well as any county in Arizona, Nevada, or Utah. Extends to December 31, 1990, the period during which an individual employed at any time in a uranium mine or uranium mill is made eligible to receive compensation for a disease claim due to radiation exposure. Makes a core driller eligible to receive compensation upon filing of a disease claim. Makes miners, core drillers, and ore transporters who suffer renal cancer or any other chronic renal disease, including nephritis and kidney tubal tissue injury, eligible for compensation due to exposure to radiation while on the job. Requires the Attorney General to accept written affidavits meeting specified requirements regarding employment history, physical presence in an affected area, or participation at a nuclear testing site in determining the eligibility of claimants. Extends until 19 years after enactment of this Act the statute of limitations for the filing of such claims. Increases from 2% to 10% of the payment received by a claimant the maximum amount of attorneys fees that can be charged for the filing of an initial claim. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, to establish a program of grants to institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among non-occupationally exposed individuals, including family members of uranium miners and millers. Amends the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 to include as a member of the Special Exposure Cohort entitled to compensation with respect to chronic beryllium disease under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program any Department of Energy (DOE) employee or contractor who contracted cancer after beginning employment between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1990, in a uranium mine or mill located in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Washington, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, or any other state the Attorney General includes.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin, (2) Grand Staircase-Escalante, (3) Moab-La Sal Canyons, (4) Henry Mountains, (5) Glen Canyon, (6) San Juan-Anasazi, (7) Canyonlands Basin, (8) San Rafael Swell, and (9) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas, (2) federal reservation of water rights, (3) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness, (4) authorized livestock grazing, and (5) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces (military spouse) who moves with such member to another state under a permanent change of station order a tax credit for up to $500 of qualified relicensing costs incurred by such spouse. Defines "qualified relicensing costs" as costs for a state license or certification to engage in the profession that such military spouse engaged in while residing in the former state.
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 · 18 April 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Chained Consumer Price Index should not be used to calculate cost of living adjustments for Social Security benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act or STOP Act - Establishes a Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Council, composed mainly of civilians, as an independent entity from the chain of command of the Department of Defense (DOD). Directs the Council to: (1) appoint personnel to the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, and advise such Office; (2) appoint the Director of Military Prosecutions (Director); (3) review each request of the Director with respect to a case stemming from a sexual-related offense that has been referred to a military appellate court or to the Department of Justice (DOJ); and (4) submit to the Secretary of Defense, Congress, and the Attorney General a report on each Director request for referral to a higher court. Requires the Council to advise on the development of sexual assault reporting protocols, risk-reduction and response training, and policy. Establishes within DOD the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, headed by an Executive Director, to undertake specified duties and responsibilities relating to the investigation, prevention, and reduction of sexual assault incidents within the Armed Forces. Requires the Office to establish protocols to ensure that all reports of sexual assault are taken out of the chain of command and reported directly to the Office. Establishes the position of Director of Military Prosecutions, appointed by the Council, to have independent and final authority to oversee the prosecution of all sexual-related offenses committed by a member of the Armed Forces, and to refer such cases to trial by courts-martial.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2013
Medicare Drug Savings Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require drug manufacturers to pay the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) drug rebates for rebate eligible (low-income) individuals. Excludes from Medicare coverage as a part D drug any drug or biological manufactured by a manufacturer that has not entered into and have in effect a rebate agreement with the Secretary. Requires a rebate agreement to require a drug or biological manufacturer to provide to the Secretary a rebate, determined according to a specified formula, for each rebate period ending after December 31, 2011, for any covered Medicare part D drug dispensed after that date to any rebate eligible individual for which payment was made by a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor or MedicareAdvantage (MA) organization for such period. Specifies a formula for determination of Medicaid rebate amounts for such drugs or biologicals. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to exclude any amounts paid under a rebate agreement from the determination of best price and average manufacturer price under the Medicaid program.
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
International Tax Competitiveness Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) treat foreign corporations that are managed, directly or indirectly, within the United States as domestic corporations for U.S. tax purposes; (2) subject certain royalty income and income from intangibles received from a controlled foreign corporation to U.S. taxation; and (3) revise the tax treatment of property other than stock received in connection with a corporate reorganization (i.e., boot) to provide that such property shall be treated as a taxable dividend.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to impose restrictions on foreign jurisdictions or financial institutions operating in the United States that are of prime money laundering concern or that significantly impede U.S. tax enforcement. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a rebuttable presumption against the validity of transactions by institutions that do not comply with reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, (2) treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes, (3) require tax withholding agents and financial institutions to report certain information about beneficial owners of foreign-owned financial accounts, (4) treat swap payments sent offshore as taxable U.S. source income, (5) allow the use of tax return information to evaluate foreign financial account reports, (6) increase penalties for promoting abusive tax shelters and for aiding and abetting the understatement of tax liability, (7) prohibit tax advisor contingent fee agreements for obtaining a tax savings or benefit, and (8) impose additional requirements for third party summonses used to obtain information in tax investigations that do not identify the person with respect to whose liability the summons is issued (i.e., John Doe summons). Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to: (1) require corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report annually, on a country-by country basis, on employees, pre-tax gross revenues, and payments made to governments; and (2) authorize a fine of up to $1 million for failure to disclose any holding or transaction involving equity or debt instruments known to involve a foreign entity that would otherwise be subject to disclosure requirements. Requires the Secretary to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register requiring investment advisors to establish anti-money laundering programs and submit suspicious activity reports. Extends anti-money laundering requirements to persons engaged in the business of forming new businesses or other legal entities. Requires federal banking agencies and the SEC to develop examination techniques to detect and prevent abusive tax shelter activities or the aiding or abetting of tax evasion by financial institutions. Requires the Secretary to: (1) disclose tax return information to federal financial regulators for purposes of tax shelter investigations; (2) disclose to Congress documents relating to a determination to grant, deny, revoke, or restore the tax-exempt status of an organization; and (3) expand the standards applicable to tax practitioners for issuing written advice on transactions which have a potential for tax avoidance or evasion.
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
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education for Alzheimer's Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for comprehensive Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and services.
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 · 9 April 2013
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2013 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Benefits) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend the months of coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to make eligible for enrollment in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), solely for the purpose of such drug coverage, every individual whose insurance benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) have ended by reason of a kidney transplant or the end of any requirement for a regular course of dialysis. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine a monthly premium rate for such individuals equal to 35% of the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 and over. Prescribes a formula for detemination of a government contribution to such a premium.
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
Student Loan Fairness Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish a 10/10 Loan Repayment Plan that allows borrowers of Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) and Direct Loans (DLs) to limit their monthly payment on such loans to one-twelfth of 10% of the amount by which their adjusted gross income and that of their spouse (if applicable) exceeds 150% of the federal poverty level. Establishes a 10/10 Loan Forgiveness Program that provides FFEL and DL forgiveness to borrowers who, after the date that is 10 years before the date of this Act's enactment, have made 120 monthly payments under the 10/10 Loan Repayment Plan or under another repayment plan that required them to make payments at least as large as those they would have made under the 10/10 Loan Repayment Plan. Credits the months during which an individual is in deferment due to an economic hardship as months for which payment was made for purposes of the 10/10 Loan Forgiveness Program. Caps the amount of loan forgiveness that the program will provide to individuals who become new borrowers after the date of this Act's enactment. Caps the interest rate on new DLs at 3.4%. Amends the public service employee loan forgiveness program to forgive the DLs of participants who have made 60 (currently, 120) monthly payments on such loans pursuant to specified repayment plans. Includes primary care physicians in medically underserved areas in the public service employee loan forgiveness program. Allows certain borrowers to consolidate their private education loans as Direct Consolidation Loans, provided the private loans were made on or before the date of this Act's enactment. Limits such borrowers to those who: (1) were students eligible for unsubsidized Stafford loans or PLUS loans under the FFEL or DL programs for their enrollment at an institution of higher education, or would have been had they been enrolled on at least a half-time basis; (2) borrowed at least one private education loan for such enrollment; and (3) have an average adjusted gross income that does not exceed their total education debt. Caps the interest rate on those Direct Consolidation Loans at 3.4%. Requires borrowers to apply for such loans within one year of this Act's enactment. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to direct the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) to issue regulations that require private education lenders to sell private education loans to the Secretary of Education for consolidation as Direct Consolidation Loans. Sets forth the data to be used in determining the price paid for such loans. Amends title IV of the HEA to direct the Secretary of Education to pay the interest that accrues on unsubsidized FFELs and DLs that are deferred due to a student borrower's lack of full-time employment. Requires the Secretary to pay the interest that accrues on Federal Consolidation Loans that are in deferment due to a borrower's lack of full-time employment, provided the application for such a loan is received on or after the date of this Act's enactment. Directs the Secretary to pay the interest that accrues on FFELs and DLs that are subject to income-based repayment provisions and are in deferment due to a borrower's lack of full-time employment. Limits these interest-free deferment periods to those occurring on or after the date of this Act's enactment and covering no more than three years of full-time unemployment. Excludes from a borrower's taxable income the principal and interest on FFELs and DLs that is forgiven pursuant to income-based repayment plans.
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
Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Women Act or MARCH for Military Women Act - Repeals a statutory restriction on using a medical treatment facility or other facility of the Department of Defense (DOD) to perform an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for the establishment or operation of Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. Requires such Centers to: (1) improve the training of health professionals in palliative care for individuals with serious or life-threatening illnesses; (2) develop and disseminate related curricula; (3) support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in palliative care; (4) support continuing education of health professionals who provide palliative care; (5) provide students with clinical training in palliative care in long-term care facilities, home care, hospices, chronic and acute disease hospitals, and ambulatory care centers; and (6) establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees in palliative care. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and enter into contracts with schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to provide support for projects that fund the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to eligible individuals; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award incentive grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, clinical social workers, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant to develop and implement programs and initiatives to train individuals in providing palliative care in health-related educational, hospice, home, or long-term care settings.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Restoring Confidence in Our Democracy Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to set forth special rules for electioneering communications, especially targeted communications, which national banks, corporations, and labor organizations are prohibited from paying for. Defines "targeted communications" as electioneering communications distributed from a television or radio broadcast station or provider of cable or satellite television service and, in the case of a communication which refers to a candidate for an office other than President or Vice President, is targeted to the relevant electorate. Prohibits independent expenditures by national banks, corporations, and labor organizations. Applies certain limitations on contributions made by any person to a political committee to any contribution to a political committee which accepts donations or contributions that do not comply with contribution or source prohibitions (or made to any account of a political committee established to accept such noncompliant donations or contributions).
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and revise a grant program for screening, counseling, and other services related to heritable disorders. Expands eligible grantees to include a health professional organization and an early childhood health system. Extends a grant program to evaluate the effectiveness of screening, counseling, or health care services in reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by heritable disorders in newborns and children. Expands the program to include evaluation of treatment and follow-up care for newborns and their families after screening and diagnosis. Extends for five years the operation of the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue the Advisory Committee after such time. Requires the Advisory Committee to meet in person at least twice each year. Extends the clearinghouse for newborn screening information. Expands the duties of the clearinghouse to include: (1) maintaining current data on the number of conditions for which screening is conducted in each state; and (2) establishing or disseminating guidelines for services and personnel necessary for follow-up, diagnosis, counseling, and treatment of to conditions detected by newborn screening. Extends requirements for the Secretary to provide for quality assurance of laboratories involved in screening newborns and children for heritable disorders. Extends the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Newborn and Child Screening. Authorizes the Secretary to have the Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening Research Program to: (1) provide research and data for newborn conditions under review by the Advisory Committee to be added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel; and (2) conduct pilot studies on conditions recommended by the Advisory Committee to ensure that screenings are ready for nationwide implementation. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, eligible entities to develop longitudinal followup and tracking programs for newborn screening.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Access to Quality Diabetes Education Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to recognize state-licensed or -registered certified diabetes educators or state-licensed or -registered health care professionals who specialize in teaching individuals with diabetes to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the individual's diabetic condition and are certified as a diabetes educator by a recognized certifying body. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the barriers that exist for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes in accessing diabetes self-management training services under the Medicare program. Requires the Director of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a series of recommendations on effective outreach methods to educate primary care physicians and other health care providers as well as the public about the benefits of diabetes self-management training.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Preventing Diabetes in Medicare Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend Medicare coverage to medical nutrition therapy services for people with pre-diabetes and risk factors for developing type-2 diabetes.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Excellence in Mental Health Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to set forth criteria for the certification of federally-qualified community behavioral health centers. Limits such a certification to five years, but requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to provide an opportunity for recertification at the end of each certification period. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to make such centers eligible for payments for services under Medicaid. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award matching grants to states or Indian tribes to expend funds for the construction or modernization of facilities used to provide community-based mental health and substance abuse services to individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include physical therapy within the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps. Makes physical therapists eligible for repayment of their educational loans in order to ensure an adequate supply of physical therapists.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit conduct, including bullying and harassment, that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to: (1) limit students' ability to participate in, or benefit from school programs; or (2) create a hostile or abusive educational environment that adversely affects their education. Requires LEAs to also provide: (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their discipline policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level; and (4) discipline policies that minimize the removal of students from instruction and prevent disproportionate punishment. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Education to conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools; and (2) the Commissioner for Education Statistics to collect state data, that are subject to independent review, to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA discipline policies.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to distribution of additional resident positions as they affect calculation of payments for direct graduate medical education (DGME) costs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for each of FY2015-FY2019 (and each succeeding fiscal year if additional residency positions are available to distribute), to increase the otherwise applicable resident limit for each qualifying hospital. Directs the Secretary to determine the total number of additional residency positions available for distribution, in accordance with guidelines for allocating 33% to hospitals already operating over the resident limit, and generally setting the aggregate number of increases in the resident limit to 3,000 in each year. Specifies the process for distributing positions. Declares that, for discharges occurring on or after July 1, 2015, the indirect teaching adjustment factor, with respect to additional payments for subsection (d) hospitals with indirect costs of medical education (IME), insofar as those additional payments are attributable to resident positions distributed to a hospital according to such process, shall be computed in a specified manner with respect to those resident positions. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.) Directs the National Health Care Workforce Commission established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to study the physician workforce. Directs the Comptroller General to study strategies for increasing the diversity of the health profession workforce.
![Official portrait of Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_co_1_degette_diana_200.jpg)