United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2018
Family Unity Rights and Protection Act This bill requires the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, State, and Defense to ensure that alien children (i.e., children under the age of 18 removed from their parents or legal guardians at or near a port of entry or within 100 miles of the U.S. border pursuant to a zero tolerance policy for criminal illegal reentry) are reunited at the earliest possible date with their parents and guardians from whom they were separated. It also requires notification of parents and guardians of procedures for reuniting with such children and for the location of such children. The bill requires the creation of an electronic registry for information used to locate such alien children and their parents and guardians. The information in such registry may only be used for locating such children and may not be used in any criminal prosecution or other immigration proceeding. The bill also sets forth conditions on the termination of parental rights in immigration proceedings and requires the consolidation of asylum and immigration proceedings involving alien children.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2018
Continue American Safety Act (CASA) This bill extends temporary protected status (TPS) for certain designated countries until January 21, 2021. It also grants TPS to nationals of Guatemala who meet certain requirements for 18 months after the enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2018
Expresses support for the designation of Journeyman Lineman Recognition Day. (A journeyman lineman is a person who builds and maintains electrical power systems.)
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution; (2) LGBTQ Pride Month should be celebrated; and (3) all Americans should be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States must address gun violence. Expresses support for the following: reinstating the ban on the sale of assault weapons, ensuring that children can attend school and live free from the threat of violence, ensuring that school districts create learning environments where all students can excel, providing evidence-based school threat assessments, keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of unauthorized individuals, promoting information sharing to facilitate the early identification of threats, providing evidence-based training to recognize the indicators of violent behavior, and facilitating relevant research to expand access for mental health services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Restoring Oversight for Members of Congress Act This bill requires agencies or managers that control access to federal facilities to provide immediate access to Members of Congress, excluding the Vice President, unless access is denied for national security reasons with congressional approval.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Recognizes the contributions of African Americans to the musical heritage of the United States. Recognizes that Black History Month and African-American Music Appreciation Month is an important time to celebrate this impact and to encourage greater access to music education.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Family Unity Rights and Protection Act This bill requires the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, State, and Defense to ensure that alien children (i.e., children under the age of 18 removed from their parents or legal guardians at or near a port of entry or within 100 miles of the U.S. border pursuant to a zero tolerance policy for criminal illegal reentry) are reunited at the earliest possible date with their parents and guardians from whom they were separated. It also requires notification of parents and guardians of procedures for reuniting with such children and for the location of such children. The bill requires the creation of an electronic registry for information used to locate such alien children and their parents and guardians. The information in such registry may only be used for locating such children and may not be used in any criminal prosecution or other immigration proceeding. The bill also sets forth conditions on the termination of parental rights in immigration proceedings and requires the consolidation of asylum and immigration proceedings involving alien children.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2018 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2018 This bill expands the ban on election contributions by foreign nationals to include corporations subject to specified levels of ownership or control by foreign nationals. The bill also expands (1) reporting requirements related to campaign contributions, and (2) disclosure requirements related to the funding sources of political advertisements.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2018
Central America Family Protection and Reunification Act This bill states that it shall be: (1) U.S. policy to not separate immigrant families as a deterrent and to reunite families that were separated due to the criminal prosecution of parents for illegal entry, and (2) Department of State policy to prioritize supporting governments and citizens to facilitate reunification of such families. The State Department shall submit to Congress: reports concerning gender-based violence in the Northern Triangle (the region encompassing Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador); reports concerning gang and organized-crime related violence in the Northern Triangle; strategies to use portions of funds for the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America to combat gender-based violence in the Northern Triangle, as well as to address the damage to the health and well-being of children and caregivers caused by separating children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border. The State Department shall establish an office to study serious crimes committed against aliens who were removed from the United States and against U.S. citizens who left the United States because of having an alien parent who was removed from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Family Reunification Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure that each unaccompanied alien child removed by a federal official or employee from the custody of a parent or legal guardian at or near a port of entry or within 100 miles of the border be reunited with the parent or legal guardian at the earliest possible date unless: a state court terminates the rights of a parent or legal guardian, determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed from the parent or legal guardian, or makes any similar determination that is authorized under state law; a state or county child welfare official determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed from his or her parent or legal guardian because the child is in danger of abuse or neglect from the parent or legal guardian; or DHS requires continued separation because the child is a trafficking victim or is at significant risk of becoming a trafficking victim, there is a strong likelihood that the adult is not the child's parent or legal guardian, or the child is in danger of abuse or neglect from the parent or legal guardian.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Reunite Children With Their Parents Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to reunite an alien who entered the United States with the alien's minor child (under the age of 18) who was separated from the child pending prosecution for improper entry or the adjudication of an asylum application.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act of 2018 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to establish an Office for Gender Equity to support state and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and elementary and secondary schools in fully implementing title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities. The office may provide grants and perform activities to reduce or prevent discrimination, bias, harassment, or violence based on actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions or stereotypes in all areas of education. The office must provide technical assistance and annual training to title IX coordinators and develop a handbook for conducting self-evaluations of title IX compliance. The training must address "compound discrimination" (defined as discrimination based on sex and other characteristics, including race, ethnicity, national origin, disability status, religion, age, perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, and related stereotypes). The office may award grants to eligible entities and partnerships to: train students, teachers, faculty, and personnel; increase campus resources, facilities, and course offerings; support title IX coordinators in performing outreach, advocacy, and education; identify patterns or systemic problems in title IX compliance; strengthen prevention education and awareness programs; conduct campus climate and victimization surveys; identify gender inequities; and improve data collection and reporting of gender equity indicators from academic assessments, civil rights data, campus data, employment data, attendance and absenteeism data, or title IX coordinator-to-student ratios. ED must coordinate with the Institute of Education Sciences and other federal offices and entities to investigate, identify, and disseminate best practices to: (1) reduce and prevent sex stereotyping, bias, and discrimination in curricula and educational materials; (2) address sex-based harassment and violence on campuses; (3) develop counseling and career guidance training; (4) mitigate implicit bias in teaching and discipline; and (5) address the needs of students who face compound discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Guarantee Access to Arts and Music Education Act of 2018 or the GAAME Act of 2018 This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to specify that Title I funds (which support the instructional needs of students from low-income families) may be used for arts and music programs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Keep Families Together Act This bill prohibits an agent or contractor of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, or the Department of Health and Human Services from removing a child who is under the age of 18 and has no permanent immigration status from his or her parent or legal guardian at or near the port of entry or within 100 miles of the U.S. border unless: an authorized state court determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed; a state or county child welfare official with expertise in child trauma and development determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed because of abuse or neglect; or the Chief Patrol Agent or the Area Port Director authorizes separation based on a documented finding that the child is a trafficking victim or is at significant risk of becoming a victim, a strong likelihood exists that the adult is not the parent or legal guardian, or the child is in danger of abuse or neglect. A child may not be removed from a parent or guardian unless an independent licensed child welfare expert authorizes the separation within 48 hours of such removal. An agency may not remove a child from a parent or legal guardian solely for the policy goals of deterring migration to the United States or of promoting immigration law compliance. The bill sets forth presumptions: (1) in favor of family and sibling unity and parental rights, and (2) that detention is not in the best interests of families and children. The bill limits the prosecution of asylum seekers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Recognizes the historical significance and supports the continued celebration of Juneteenth Independence Day, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2018
Stop Automatically Voiding Eligible Voters Off Their Enlisted Rolls in States Act or the Save Voters Act This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit states from removing individuals from voting rolls on the basis of a change of address unless the state has obtained objective and reliable evidence of an individual's change of residence. States may not use the failure of a registered individual to vote or respond to a notice as the basis for initiating the removal of the individual from the voting rolls due to a change of address.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2018
Preserving America's Battlefields Act This bill reauthorizes though FY2028 the Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program and expands the purposes of the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2002. Specifically, the Act's purposes shall include: the preservation and protection of nationally significant battlefields of not only the Civil War but also the American Revolution and the War of 1812, and the enhancement of visitors' experiences at those battlefields.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2018
This bill specifies that an offense involving lynching is a hate crime act. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2018
Keeping Gun Dealers Honest Act of 2018 This bill establishes new requirements and penalties for individuals who engage in the business of dealing, importing, or manufacturing firearms. Among other things, the bill increases the allowable number of annual compliance inspections, strengthens criminal penalties for recordkeeping violations, and authorizes civil penalties for certain other violations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2018
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the War on Drugs has failed to achieve its goal of reducing drug use. Apologizes to those harmed through the War on Drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2018
Duty to Report Act of 2018 This bill requires each candidate for public office (and certain affiliated individuals) to notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation upon receiving unsolicited information (or an offer of such information) about another candidate for the same office from a source the candidate knows to be a foreign power, unless (1) the candidate reasonably believes the information is in the public domain, or (2) the information could not give an advantage to the receiving candidate. An individual who fails to comply with this bill may be criminally liable.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2018
International Human Rights Defense Act of 2018 This bill establishes in the Department of State a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex) Peoples who shall serve as the principal State Department advisor regarding human rights for LGBTI people and represent the United States in diplomatic matters relevant to the human rights of LGBTI people. The special envoy shall periodically provide Congress with a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to criminalization, discrimination, and violence against LGBTI people. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development may provide assistance to prevent and respond to such activities against LGBTI people. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to require that annual country reports on human rights practices include information on criminalization, discrimination, and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2018
This bill reauthorizes the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act through FY2023. The Act provides services and support for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2018
Bus Operator and Pedestrian Protection Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to require public transportation safety grant recipients that operate fixed route bus service to: (1) develop a risk reduction program for bus operations to improve safety by reducing the number and rates of accidents, injuries, assaults on bus operators, and fatalities; (2) submit the program, including the implementation plan required by this bill, to DOT for review and approval; and (3) implement the program and plans approved by DOT. The recipient of a public transportation safety grant shall report to DOT, for inclusion in the National Transit Database, any information on each assault on an public transportation vehicle operator.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2018
Minorities in Aviation Education Act of 2018 This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration to establish the Bessie Coleman Aviation Education Program to improve the preparation and representation of students, particularly women and minorities, in aviation-related fields.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2018
Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act or the MOMMA's Act This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements to address maternal mortality in the United States, including expanded coverage under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for pregnant and postpartum women.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2018
Corey Adams Searchlight Act This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a national communications network—the Green Alert communications network—to support regional and local search efforts for missing veterans. The Green Alert communications network must operate in coordination with the AMBER Alert communications network (i.e., the communications network that supports search efforts for abducted children).
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2018
Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act This bill prohibits the Bureau of Land Management from administering an oil and gas leasing, development, production, and transportation program in and from the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2018
Executive Branch Comprehensive Ethics Enforcement Act of 2018 This bill expands the duties and authorities of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). Among other things, the bill authorizes the OGE to do the following: issue subpoenas during investigations; and order corrective actions (e.g., divestiture) and issue administrative remedies (e.g., suspension or demotion).
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2018
Building Innovation Growth through Data for Intellectual Property Act or the BIG Data for IP Act This bill amends the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act to extend for eight years the authority of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to set and adjust patent fees.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2018
Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2018 This bill requires the House of Representatives and the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. merchant mariners of World War II, in recognition of their service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2018
Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act This bill directs certain aviation and rail transportation carriers (i.e., covered entities) and passenger vessels to issue a formal policy with respect to transportation sexual assault or harassment incidents. Such policy shall include a statement that no transportation sexual assault or harassment incident is acceptable under any circumstances. The bill expands the prohibition against interference with cabin or flight crew by including sexual assaults against such personnel and increasing the penalty for such interference. The Department of Transportation (DOT) shall establish a program to annually collect and maintain data from each covered entity on: (1) the number of transportation sexual assault or harassment incidents committed against passengers and personnel, and (2) the number of transportation sexual assault or harassment incidents reported to law enforcement. Such data must be made publicly available on the primary website of DOT.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2018
Disclosing Official Spending at Presidential Businesses Act This bill requires each executive agency to submit a quarterly report to the Office of Government Ethics listing each instance that the agency obligated or expended federal funds with any privately held company that is owned by the President. With respect to each such instance, the report shall include the amount of the obligation or expenditure and the name of the company. Not later than 10 days after receiving a report, the office shall publish the report on its public website.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018
Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Justice to award competitive matching grants to state, local, and tribal governments to establish or maintain witness protection programs in cases: (1) involving a homicide, serious violent felony, or serious drug offense; or (2) involving gangs or organized crime.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018
No Couches for Congress Act This bill amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to: (1) prohibit Members of the House from using congressional offices or official House resources for personal overnight accommodations, and (2) require the House Committee on Ethics to respond to complaints filed by Members of the House. The bill also amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow Members of the House a deduction of up to $3,000 for living expenses with an adjustment for inflation after 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Recognizes the fourth anniversary of the Chibok girls kidnapping and calls for the release of all Boko Haram captives, especially the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu. Acknowledges U.S. and Nigerian efforts to defeat Boko Haram. Requests that the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development create a plan to address the needs of women and girls adversely impacted by extremism and conflict. Commends the swift enactment of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2018 or the BURMA Act of 2018 This bill provides humanitarian assistance for Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh and imposes sanctions on Burmese military or security officials responsible for serious human rights abuses. The bill provides humanitarian assistance for Burma, Bangladesh, and the surrounding region, including assistance for the Rohingya minority. The Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Agency for International Development shall jointly submit to Congress a strategy for promoting economic growth in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the deduction from gross income for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, to: (1) increase from $250 to $500 the annual limit on the expenses that may be deducted, and (2) require the limit to be adjusted for inflation after 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2018
Jobs and Justice Act of 2018 This bill addresses a wide variety of domestic policy matters and focuses on economically distressed communities, opportunities for minorities and the disadvantaged, and civil rights enforcement. Included in the programs and requirements affected are those concerning: diversity in contracting; infrastructure development; areas of persistent poverty; job training for youth and older Americans; education of girls and minorities in STEM fields; the federal minimum wage; military family benefits; health care coverage and access; small business investment; commercial investment in underserved areas, including through tax benefits; housing, including affordability and homelessness programs, landlord-tenant matters, public housing, foreclosure mitigation, and discrimination; access to higher education, including through community college attendance; science, technology, and information security education; hate crimes; law enforcement officer conduct; law enforcement resources and administration; juvenile justice; sentencing procedures; voting rights and administration; prison administration; and firearms sales and possession.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018
Ending Maternal Mortality Act of 2018 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services to publish every two years a national plan to reduce the rate of preventable maternal mortality (maternal deaths that occur during or within 12 months of pregnancy). Each plan must address specific issues relating to maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short- or long-term consequences to a woman's health), such as issues surrounding public awareness, at-risk populations and disparities, and quality of care.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018
Offering Promising Persons Occupations Relevant To Upholding National Interests For Years Act of 2018 or the OPPORTUNITY Act of 2018 This bill revises the Cyber Scholarship Program of the Department of Defense (DOD). In awarding grants and scholarships under the program, DOD must give special consideration to minority-serving institutions of higher education (IHEs) and the students who attend such IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2018
Military Research and Development Act This bill directs the Department of Defense to submit to Congress an annual report on its research, development, test, and evaluation capabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
Directs the Department of Commerce to transmit to the House of Representatives, by 14 days after the adoption of this resolution, copies of any document, correspondence, or other communication that refers or relates to: (1) the addition of a question on citizenship to the 2020 decennial census of population; and (2) the December 12, 2017, letter from Arthur E. Gary, General Counsel, Justice Management Division, Department of Justice, to Ron Jarmin, Acting Director, Bureau of the Census.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
The Solitary Confinement Study and Reform Act of 2018 This bill establishes the National Solitary Confinement Study and Reform Commission: (1) to study the impact of solitary confinement in correctional facilities on governments, communities, and social institutions; (2) to report findings; and (3) to recommend national standards to reduce the use of solitary confinement. The bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish national standards to reduce solitary confinement in correctional facilities. The Bureau of Prisons must comply with the national standards immediately. A state or local government must certify compliance with the national standards to be eligible for DOJ-administered grant program funding to construct, maintain, or operate correctional facilities.
![Official portrait of Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/j000288_200.jpg)