United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2018
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Economic Exclusion Act This bill expands sanctions against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The President shall report to Congress regarding: foreign and domestic supply chains that significantly aid the IRGC; Iranian state-owned entities that provide support to terrorist entities, including Mahan Air; and foreign persons owned or controlled by the IRGC, including companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange or companies with a value in excess of $100 million. The bill states that it is U.S. policy to prevent Iran's membership in the World Trade Organization and similar international bodies as long as Iran remains a state sponsor of terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill amends the Global Food Security Act of 2016 to revise policy objectives and to: (1) extend through FY2021 the program to carry out those portions of the global food security strategy that relate to the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and (2) expand requirements for reporting by the President regarding strategy implementation. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to extend through FY2021 the assistance program for international disaster relief and rehabilitation, including the set-aside for the emergency food security program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission entitled "Restoring Internet Freedom." The rule published on February 22, 2018: (1) restores the classification of broadband Internet access service as a lightly-regulated "information service"; (2) reinstates private mobile service classification of mobile broadband Internet access service; (3) requires Internet service providers to disclose information about their network management practices, performance characteristics, and commercial terms of service; and (4) eliminates the Internet Conduct Standard and the bright-line rules.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
Federal Contractor Anti-Harassment Training Act of 2018 This bill requires an executive agency, as a condition for the award of a federal contract, to: (1) require a contractor, and any subcontractor, to provide mandatory sexual-harassment training to each of its employees on a biennial basis and, to each employee hired on or after the contract date, within 90 days of that date and biennially thereafter; and (2) allow such contractor, and any subcontractor, to use the agency's sexual-harassment training materials and resources in providing such training.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the taxation of the foreign-source income of domestic corporations, to: eliminate an exemption for certain returns from tangible investments made overseas, eliminate deductions for a domestic corporation's foreign-derived intangible income and global intangible low-taxed income, repeal a provision that excludes foreign oil and gas extraction income from the tested income of a controlled foreign corporation, limit the tax deduction for the interest expenses of a U.S. corporation that is a member of a financial reporting group (i.e., a group that prepares consolidated financial statements according to generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards), modify the rules for the taxation of inverted corporations (U.S. corporations that acquire foreign companies to reincorporate in a foreign jurisdiction with income tax rates lower than the United States), and treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2018
Raise the Age Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it unlawful for a licensed gun dealer, importer, manufacturer, or collector to sell or deliver a semiautomatic center-fire rifle that has the capacity to accept more than five rounds to an individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under age 21. The prohibition does not apply if the individual under age 21 is a full-time law enforcement officer or active-duty member of the Armed Forces. Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation must report to Congress on the operation of its public access line, including the protocols and procedures with respect to information sharing.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2018
Assault Weapons Ban of 2018 This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is: (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. Additionally, the bill does not prohibit, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The legislation amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to require law enforcement agencies to be notified when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a grandfathered SAW. It also amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to allow a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2018
Calls for: (1) the President, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of State to impose sanctions with respect to activities of the Russian Federation undermining cybersecurity, corruption in the Russian Federation, or other sanctionable conduct; and (2) the President to work with Congress to protect U.S. democratic institutions in advance of the 2018 elections.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 2018
Reaffirms that it is U.S. policy to support the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Moldova. Supports the Strategic Dialogue as a means to strengthen U.S.-Moldova relations and enhance Moldova's democratic, economic, and security reforms. Encourages enhanced U.S. partnerships with Moldova's government, private sector, and civil society and a focus of U.S. assistance on strengthening democratic institutions, diversifying and securing energy supplies, and promoting rural economic growth, trade, and job creation. Encourages Moldova to continue implementing democratic reforms. Encourages the President to expedite the implementation of Public Law 113-96 providing for U.S. international broadcast programming to counter Russian disinformation. Supports efforts to counter disinformation campaigns in Eastern Europe. Affirms Moldova's right to: (1) determine its own partnerships free of external pressure, and (2) associate with the European Union or any regional organization. Calls upon the Russian Federation to withdraw its military forces from the internationally recognized territory of Moldova, refrain from economic threats against Moldova, and cease support of separatist movements within Moldova. Supports efforts to resolve the Transnistria issue through a comprehensive settlement that secures Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity while providing a special status for the Transnistrian region within Moldova. Urges all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that may undermine efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution or jeopardize existing agreements. Encourages Transnistrian leaders and the Moldovan government to continue negotiations toward a political settlement. Affirms that Moldova's stability and security is a U.S. priority that can only be achieved if the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Moldova and other European countries are respected.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2018
Supports the goals and ideals of Engineers Week to increase understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers. Recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2018
International Violence Against Women Act of 2018 This bill provides for a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The bill establishes in the Department of State an Office of Global Women's Issues which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. The Ambassador-at-Large shall: (1) coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in foreign policy, and (2) develop or update periodically a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The bill establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development the position of Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall direct policies, programs, and funding regarding gender equality and women's empowerment. The bill requires that U.S. assistance made available for humanitarian relief, conflict mitigation, and post-conflict reconstruction prevents and responds to violence against women and girls. The Department of State shall also identify incidents that occur during armed conflict and implement emergency responses.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2018
Election Security Act This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to establish grant programs to support (1) states' compliance with certain voting system security requirements, including the use of voting systems that require individual paper ballots marked by hand; (2) states' audits of federal election results (i.e., manual counts of paper ballots); and (3) research and development directed at improving the security and reliability of election infrastructure. The bill also (1) requires the President to develop a national strategy to protect against attacks on U.S. democratic institutions, and (2) establishes the National Commission to Protect U.S. Democratic Institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2018
Protecting Diplomats from Surveillance Through Consumer Devices Act This bill directs the Department of State to: (1) establish a policy on the use of location-tracking consumer devices, including GPS-enabled devices, at U.S. diplomatic and consular facilities by U.S. government employees, contractors, locally employed staff, and members of other agencies deployed to or stationed at such facilities; and (2) submit a related report to Congress. Existing and new employees at such facilities shall, as a part of their security briefings, be informed of such policy and given instructions on the use of location-tracking consumer devices on and off facility premises. The State Department may coordinate policy formulation with other agencies whose employees are deployed to or stationed at U.S. diplomatic and consular facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2018
Keep Our Pets Safe Act of 2018 This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit a person from knowingly confining a common household pet in an enclosed space if the confinement could harm or kill the pet through exposure to excessive heat or cold, lack of ventilation, or lack of water. A common household pet is a domesticated animal (e.g., dog, cat, bird, rodent, rabbit, fish, or turtle) that is traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes. The bill specifies the applicable criminal penalty—a prison term of up to one year, a fine, or both—for a person who violates this prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2018
Women and Climate Change Act of 2018 This bill establishes a Federal Interagency Working Group on Women and Climate Change within the Department of State. The duties of the working group include: (1) coordinating the development of policies and activities of the federal government relating to addressing the effects of climate change on women, and (2) identifying and disseminating best practices for improved data collection relevant to the disparate impact of climate change on women. The working group and the State Department's Office of Global Women's Issues must develop a strategy to prevent and respond to the effects of climate change on women. The office must designate a Senior Coordinator for Women and Climate Change.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2018
Celebrates the 325th anniversary of the College of William and Mary's Royal Charter and congratulates W. Taylor Reveley, III, on his retirement after a decade of service as the college's president.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2018
Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act This bill requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine whether a state substantially provides public safety officers or employees: the right to form and join a labor organization; recognition by public safety employers of the employees' labor organization, agreement to bargain with the organization, and reduction of any agreements to writing in a contract or memorandum of understanding; the right to bargain over hours, wages, and terms and conditions of employment; and binding interest arbitration to resolve an impasse in collective bargaining negotiations. The bill makes the authority responsible for: (1) determining the appropriateness of units for labor representation; (2) supervising elections; (3) conducting hearings and resolving complaints of unfair labor practices; and (4) protecting the right of employees to form, join, or assist any labor organization, or to refrain from doing so. An employer, public safety officer, or labor organization may not engage in a lockout, sickout, work slowdown, strike, or any other organized job action that will measurably disrupt the delivery of emergency services and is designed to compel an employer, public safety officer, or labor organization to agree to the terms of a proposed contract.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2018
Defending Economic Livelihoods and Threatened Animals Act or the DELTA Act This bill directs the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to work with Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, and in partnership with donors, the private sector, and local, regional, and nongovernmental entities, to develop a strategy to: (1) promote sustainable natural resource and wildlife management practices in the greater Okavango River Basin, (2) protect migration routes of elephants and other threatened wildlife species, (3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking, (4) address local health needs, and (5) catalyze economic growth.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2018
Expresses support and respect for Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations. Censures and condemns President Trump for his derogatory statements about Haiti and other countries at the January 11, 2018, White House meeting and calls on him to retract and apologize for such remarks.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2018
Restraining Excessive Federal Enforcement & Regulations of Cannabis Act of 2018 or the REFER Act of 2018 This bill prohibits the use of funds made available by Congress to a federal department or agency: to restrict a state or local law that authorizes the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of cannabis; to detain, prosecute, sentence, or initiate civil proceedings against an individual, business, or property involved in cannabis-related activities in accordance with state or local law; or to penalize a financial institution for providing financial services to a business engaged in cannabis-related activities in compliance with state or local law.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2018
Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act or the FAIR Act This bill increases by 3% the rates of basic pay for federal employees under the statutory pay systems (i.e., the General Schedule, the Foreign Service Schedule, and various schedules related to the Veterans Health Administration) for calendar year 2019. Additionally, it increases by 3% the rates of basic pay for prevailing rate employees for FY2019.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2018
Prevent Crime and Terrorism Act of 2018 This bill amends the Arms Export Control Act to prohibit the President from removing any of the following items under category I, II, or III (firearms, armament, ammunition) of the United States Munitions List in order to transfer them to the Commerce Control List: (1) significant military equipment or their components, parts, or accessories; (2) flame throwers designed or modified for military application; or (3) devices for launching or delivering ordnance. Such items are currently under Department of State jurisdiction.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2017
Welfare of Our Friends Act of 2017 or the WOOF! Act This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from licensing a dealer of dogs whose previous licenses have been suspended or revoked in the last 10 years if the license is for operating a facility that the dealer previously used. Further, USDA may not issue or renew a license to: (1) the dog dealer's immediate family members, (2) a person who resides at the same address as the dog dealer, or (3) certain legal entities if such dealer holds an ownership interest in the entity.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2017
Inclusive Campuses Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions of higher education to use federal aid provided under title III of the Act to establish resource centers on campus that provide support to and education about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2017
Promoting Women in the Aviation Workforce Act This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration to create and facilitate the Women in Aviation Advisory Board to promote organizations and programs that provide education, training, mentorship, outreach, and recruitment of women into the aviation industry.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2017
Providing Rational Options Toward the Elimination of Catastrophic Terrorism Act of 2017 or the PROTECT Act This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct: (1) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and provide guidance on terrorism preparedness and response to assist in the development of plans for addressing active shooter and mass casualty incidents, including in facilities identified by DHS as vulnerable targets; and (2) the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to consider the threat from active shooters in allocating grant funds under the Urban Area Security Initiative and the State Homeland Security Grant Program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2017
Recognizes the 69th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the celebration of Human Rights Day. Supports the ideals of human rights and reaffirms the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Encourages all nations to continue working towards freedom, peace, and security which can be achieved only through democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2017
Condemns slave auctions of migrants and refugees in Libya. Calls on the government of Libya to: investigate the existence of slave auctions and forced labor involving migrants and refugees; hold smugglers, traffickers, detention center guards, and anyone else involved accountable; manage migration flows in a humane manner; end the violent and inhumane conditions of official migrant detention centers; and register asylum seekers swiftly and process their refugee claims fairly. Calls on the United Nations (U.N.) to investigate allegations of forced labor in Libya, encourage Libya to allow the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights to regularly monitor and publicly report on the situation of refugees and migrants in Libya, and impose sanctions against Libya if the country fails to end forced labor. Calls on the African Union to conduct its own investigation, work to assist migrants in Libya who wish to return home, and impose sanctions against Libya if the forced labor does not end. Calls on the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to use funds appropriated for: (1) humanitarian assistance for migrants and refugees in detention centers in Libya, and (2) the development of a holistic strategy for Libya to address the political and security situation that includes issues related to migrants and refugees in detention centers. Calls on the President to ensure that the State Department and the USAID are adequately staffed.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2017
Stop Harmful and Abusive Telecommunications Expression Act of 2017 or the Stop HATE Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Commerce and the Department of Justice to report about the role of telecommunications in violent acts and the commission of crimes of hate against individuals or groups of individuals on the basis of race, gender and gender identity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, color, or national origin. The report must analyze information about the use of telecommunications to advocate and encourage violent acts and the commission of crimes of hate, including: (1) the role that such telecommunications are playing in giving groups that advocate and commit such crimes a platform to spread their messages and to organize; (2) how such use and the role of telecommunications have changed with new forms of communication on the Internet and other electronic media; and (3) any recommendations, consistent with the First Amendment, necessary to address such use and such role of telecommunications.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2017
Fix NICS Act of 2017 This bill amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to require each federal agency and department, including a federal court, to: certify whether it has provided to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) disqualifying records of persons prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm, and establish and substantially comply with an implementation plan to maximize record submissions and verify their accuracy. The bill amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to: direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a state implementation plan, including benchmarks, to maximize the automation and submission of mental health and criminal history records to the NICS; waive the grant match requirement under the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) for a state that complies with its implementation plan; reauthorize through FY2022 the NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP); establish, as a priority area for NARIP grant funding, a domestic abuse and violence prevention initiative; and create a funding preference under the NARIP program for states that establish an implementation plan and use grant funds to upload felony conviction and domestic violence records. It amends the Crime Identification Technology Act of 1998 to reauthorize through FY2022 the NCHIP program. If a state complies with its implementation plan, then the federal share of an NCHIP grant may exceed 90% of program costs. DOJ's Bureau of Justice Assistance must report to Congress on the number of times that a bump stock has been used in the commission of a crime.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2017
Directs the Committee on House Administration to issue regulations requiring Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives to complete a training program on workplace rights and responsibilities, including anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, during each congressional session. Requires Members, officers, or employees to certify completion of such training within 90 days after a congressional session begins or within 90 days after beginning service during a session. (Sets forth a special rule requiring such training to be completed within 180 days after the beginning of the second session of the 115th Congress.) Directs the committee to issue regulations requiring that each House employing office post in a prominent location in its office and in each Member's congressional district office a statement of rights and protections provided to House employees under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, including procedures for responding to and adjudicating allegations of violations of such rights and protections.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2017
Veteran Entrepreneurs Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit of up to $400,000 for 25% of the franchise fees paid or incurred by an eligible veteran for the purchase of a franchise. The bill reduces the amount of such credit if the veteran does not own 100% of the stock or capital or profits interest of the franchisee. An "eligible veteran" is a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service; was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable; and who pays or incurs a franchise fee in connection with a franchise agreement with a franchisor. The veteran may elect to transfer the credit to an eligible franchisor in exchange for a discount in the franchise fee commensurate with the value of the credit. The Small Business Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs must provide information about the tax credit allowed by this bill to veterans service organizations and veteran advocacy groups.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act This bill establishes the Pension Rehabilitation Administration within the Department of the Treasury and a related trust fund to make loans to certain multiemployer defined benefit pension plans. To receive a loan, a plan must be either in critical and declining status (including any plan with respect to which a suspension of benefits has been approved) or insolvent, if the plan became insolvent after December 16, 2014, and has not been terminated. Treasury must issue bonds to fund the loan program and transfer amounts equal to the proceeds to the trust fund established by this bill. The Pension Rehabilitation Administration may use the funds, without a further appropriation, to make loans, pay principal and interest on the bonds, or for administrative and operating expenses. The bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow the sponsor of a multiemployer pension plan that is applying for a loan under this bill to also apply to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) for financial assistance if, after receiving the loan, the plan will still become (or remain) insolvent within the 30-year period beginning on the date of the loan. The bill also appropriates to the PBGC the funds that are necessary to provide the financial assistance required by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
Safe Emergency Response Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to suspend immigration enforcement operations and initiatives, including initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering and the use of checkpoints within an area for which the President has declared a major disaster or an emergency. State and local immigration enforcement participation, including lawful detentions of non-citizens, shall be suspended except in cases specifically identified by DHS and communicated to the state or locality that pose an urgent and individualized threat to public safety or national security. With respect to persons in state or local detention during a major disaster or an emergency, DHS is urged to support state and local law enforcement agencies to prioritize the safety needs of their communities and individual detainees.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
Member and Employee Training and Oversight On Congress Act or the ME TOO Congress Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise procedures for reporting, investigating, and resolving allegations of legislative branch employees that their rights and protections under the CAA, such as protections against sexual harassment and discrimination, have been violated.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2017
Bare County Buy-in Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a public health insurance option for individuals who do not have access to a qualified health plan through a health insurance exchange, in accordance with specified criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2017
Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program. Under the program, grants may be awarded for providing and expanding study abroad opportunities for undergraduate students.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report to Congress annually on the access of women veterans to gender-specific medical care (mammograms, maternity care, and gynecological care) provided by contracting non-VA medical providers. Each VA medical facility must report quarterly to the VA on the facility's compliance with the environment of care standards for women veterans, which are standards intended to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women veterans when they receive medical care. The VA must report to Congress with a plan to strengthen such standards.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2017
Admiral Lloyd R. "Joe" Vasey Pacific War Commemorative Display Establishment Act This bill authorizes the Pacific Historic Parks to establish and maintain a commemorative display to honor the members of the U.S. Armed Forces and Allies who served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Federal funds may not be used to design, procure, prepare, install, or maintain the commemorative display, but the National Park Service may accept and expend contributions of nonfederal funds and resources for such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Community Partnerships in Education Act This bill modifies various Department of Education programs to establish requirements for including nonprofit organizations, such as community partners and intermediary organizations, in the planning and delivery of education and career training programs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Sugar Policy Modernization Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 and other agricultural laws to modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) sugar program. The bill modifies the sugar program to: reduce the rates for price support loans to processors of domestically grown sugarcane and sugar beets; require USDA to recover the net cost of the program from domestic sugar processors; extend through 2019 and then terminate the Feedstock Flexibility Program under which USDA purchases surplus sugar from domestic processors for resale to ethanol producers; extend through 2020 and then repeal the flexible marketing allotments which limit the amount of sugar that domestic processing companies may sell for domestic human use; require USDA to administer the program to provide adequate supplies of sugar at reasonable prices; require USDA to adjust sugar tariff-rate quota imports to achieve specified ratios of sugar stocks to total sugar use; and allow the transfer of quotas between countries.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017 This bill modifies various provisions of federal firearms laws. Among other things, it does the following: prohibits certain firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check; and requires states to implement plans to improve the submission of mental health and criminal history records to the national instant criminal background check system.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
American Promise Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit an alien who is in temporary protected status (TPS) or deferred enforced departure (DED) status to apply for legal permanent resident status if such alien: is eligible for permanent resident status, applies for adjustment within three years, was granted or was eligible for TPS or DED status on or before October 1, 2017, and has been continuously physically present in the U.S. for at least three years. (TPS designations permit eligible nationals of designated counties affected by armed conflict or natural disasters to temporarily reside and work in the United States. DED designations permit eligible nationals of presidentially-designated counties to be temporarily not subject to removal from the United States.) The bill: waives certain grounds of inadmissibility; authorizes the waiver of the continuous physical presence requirement if an alien's removal would cause extreme hardship to the alien or to the alien's spouse, children, parents, or domestic partner; authorizes an alien who has applied for status adjustment to work; and authorizes an alien who has been ordered removed or granted voluntary departure to apply for status adjustment. An alien's spouse, parent, or unmarried child shall have his or her status adjusted to legal permanent resident if such person is eligible for status adjustment and applies within three years. Aliens from countries that no longer have valid TPS designation and aliens who no longer have valid DED status are not included in this bill unless such TSP or DED status expires on or after January 1, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Protecting Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment Access Act of 2017 or the Protecting HOME Access Act of 2017 This bill: (1) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to delay by one year the full implementation of new Medicare payment rates for durable medical equipment, and (2) revises a Medicare budget-neutrality requirement related to oxygen. Under current law, the CMS may establish separate payment classes under Medicare for items of oxygen and related equipment only if doing so does not result in increased program expenditures. The bill provides an exception to this budget-neutrality requirement with respect to such items that are included in a competitive acquisition program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2017
Expresses the sense of Congress that it should be U.S. policy to: make the treatment of the Tibetan people an important factor in the conduct of U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China; consistent with the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, encourage the Chinese government to enter into a dialogue with the Dalai Lama leading to a negotiated agreement on Tibet, publicly call for the release of those held prisoner for expressing their political or religious views in Tibetan areas, and establish an office in Lhasa, Tibet, to assist visiting U.S. citizens and monitor political, economic, and cultural developments in Tibet; appoint the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues at the highest levels of government; revoke appropriate privileges of any Chinese official found responsible for impeding access of U.S. citizens to Tibet and ensure that reciprocal visa processing measures are occurring; continue to designate China as a country of particular concern pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; and engage with appropriate Chinese officials to stop the demolition of Tibetan Buddhist religious institutions, revise religious and travel regulations to conform with international human rights standards, and ensure that Tibetan nomads are allowed to continue their way of life on the Tibetan Plateau and are not forcibly relocated into "socialist villages."
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2017
Parity in Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act or the PACE Act This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the sponsoring or exhibiting of animal fights involving live birds (such as cockfights). Under current law, the fights are unlawful only if they take place in states or U.S. territories or possessions that have banned it.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2017
Security and Financial Empowerment Act of 2017 This bill sets forth various provisions to promote the safety and security of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, Among other things, the bill does the following: requires employers to provide up to 30 days of safe leave in a 12-month period; and prohibits states from imposing additional restrictions on eligibility for unemployment compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2017
Closing the Bump-Stock Loophole Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to regulate a reciprocating stock, or any other device which is designed to accelerate substantially the rate of fire of a semiautomatic weapon (i.e., bump stocks) in the same manner as a machine gun. Any person possessing such a device when this bill is enacted must register the device with the ATF within one year of the enactment of this bill, and the registration must be included in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The bill defines a "semiautomatic weapon" as any repeating weapon that: (1) utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and (2) requires a separate function of the trigger to fire each cartridge.
![Official portrait of Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/6809296b6c2e6631263de728_200.jpg)