United States · United States Congress · 30 August 2019
Chronic Absenteeism Reduction in Every School (CARES) Act This bill allows local educational agencies to use specified federal funds for mentoring programs and other activities that address chronically absent students (i.e., students who miss 10% or more of school days). Such activities may include, among other things implementing data collection systems that assist schools in collecting and tracking attendance data; creating data-sharing and confidentiality agreements between schools, social service agencies, city and county governments, and partner agencies or community organizations working with students; partnering with local health, transportation, and service providers to target intervention efforts; training and integrating school personnel for mentoring; and implementing evidence-based restorative justice strategies aimed at reducing suspensions in order to keep students in school.
United States · United States Congress · 20 August 2019
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to designate 9–8–8 as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental-health crisis hotline.
United States · United States Congress · 16 August 2019
Homeland and Cyber Threat Act or the HACT Act This bill allows claims in federal or state court against foreign states that conduct or participate in cyberattacks against U.S. nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Medicare Demonstration of Coverage for Low Vision Devices Act of 2019 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to carry out a demonstration project to evaluate the fiscal impact of covering low-vision devices under Medicare in the same manner as Medicare coverage is provided for durable medical equipment. The bill defines low-vision device to mean a physician-prescribed device that magnifies, enhances, or otherwise augments or interprets visual images; the term does not include ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses. The bill appropriates $2.5 million for FY2020 and each of the next four fiscal years for the CMS to carry out the project.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Negro National League, a professional baseball league that was formed in response to African-American players being banned from baseball's major leagues. The design of the coins shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion. All surcharges from sales of these coins shall be paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to fund educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill revises and reauthorizes through FY2024 the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The bill expands the goals of ARPA-E to include the development of energy technologies that (1) provide transformative solutions to improve the management, clean-up, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel; and (2) improve the resilience, reliability, and security of infrastructure to produce, deliver, and store energy. The bill also authorizes DOE to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate how well ARPA-E is achieving its goals and missions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Save Our Seas 2.0 Act or the SOS 2.0 Act This bill establishes requirements and incentives to reduce, recycle, and prevent marine debris (e.g., plastics), including requirements to establish a Marine Debris Response Trust Fund, a Marine Debris Foundation, a Genius Prize for Save Our Seas Innovations, a strategy to improve waste management and recycling infrastructure, a Waste Management Revolving Fund for states, a Waste Management Infrastructure Grant program, a Drinking Water Infrastructure Grant program, a Wastewater Infrastructure Grant program, and a Trash-Free Water Grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2019 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of certain audiologist services. Specifically, the bill expands coverage to include diagnostic and treatment services that are furnished by audiologists and that would otherwise be covered if provided by a physician, including incidental services, regardless of whether such services are provided pursuant to a referral from, or under the supervision of, a physician or other health care practitioner.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Clean School Bus Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the Clean School Bus Grant Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Under the program, DOE must award grants for the replacement of existing school buses with electric buses.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Portable Benefits for Independent Workers Pilot Program Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to award grants for FY2020, on a competitive basis, to states, local governments, or nonprofit organizations to support broad innovation and experimentation with respect to portable benefits. Portable benefits are work-related benefits that are provided to workers who are not traditional full-time employees in a manner that allows the worker to maintain the benefits upon changing jobs. The grants must be used for (1) the evaluation, or improvement to the design or implementation, of existing models or approaches for providing portable benefits; or (2) the design, implementation, and evaluation of new models or approaches for providing such benefits. The grants may not be used for a model or approach that provides only retirement-related benefits. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate and report to Congress on the outcome of the grants awarded pursuant to this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
This resolution recognizes the 71st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and urges the U.S. government, as well as U.N. member states, to promote human rights globally.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
This resolution commends the Global Fund to Fight AIDS and its partners for their contributions to ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The resolution also affirms previous U.S. commitments to provide 33% of the fund's budget, including for the Sixth Global Fund Replenishment, as demonstrated by legislation passed by the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
This resolution calls on the President and the Department of State to (1) make the repeal of blasphemy, heresy, and apostasy laws a priority in bilateral relationships between the United States and countries that have such laws; (2) designate countries that enforce such laws as countries of particular concern for religious freedom; and (3) oppose efforts by the United Nations to implement an international anti-blasphemy norm. The resolution also calls on the governments of countries that enforce such laws to amend or repeal them and to release anyone imprisoned pursuant to them.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Visa Transparency Anti-Trafficking Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to build a searchable database with certain information about each temporary foreign nonimmigrant worker. The database shall include information such as (1) each worker's age, gender, and country of origin; (2) the type of visa used and the status of such visa; (3) where each worker is employed; and (4) each worker's occupation and the compensation received. The database shall only be available to (1) law enforcement, (2) service providers to human trafficking victims, (3) worker protection organizations, and (4) entities agreeing to use the information only for research purposes. The bill expands existing reporting requirements related to temporary foreign nonimmigrant workers to include additional information such as (1) the 10 employers that hired the most temporary foreign nonimmigrant workers, and (2) the 10 occupations with the most temporary foreign nonimmigrant workers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
This resolution recognizes (1) the importance of reminding U.S. citizens of the vital importance of democracy, and (2) the sacrifices of past generations to preserve the freedoms and principles of the United States. The resolution encourages (1) state and local governments to also recognize the importance of helping individuals understand the vital importance of democracy, and (2) the people of the United States to reflect on and appreciate the contributions made by the democratic system of government created by the Constitution to a more free and stable world.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2019
Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2019 or the GLOBE Act of 2019 This bill contains provisions related to (1) the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals globally; and (2) immigration protections for vulnerable individuals. The bill establishes (1) an interagency group to respond to urgent threats to LGBTI people in foreign countries, and (2) a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Peoples in the Department of State. The President shall impose visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violating the human rights of individuals due to actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The State Department shall establish the Global Equality Fund to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations working to advance and protect human rights. The U.S. Agency for International Development shall establish the LGBTI Global Development Partnership to work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to support LGBTI rights. The bill removes prohibitions against providing foreign assistance to nongovernmental organizations that offer certain medical services using non-U.S. government funds. The bill contains several immigration-related provisions, such as those (1) establishing that persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity may form the basis of an asylum request, (2) removing the general requirement that an asylum claim must be filed within one year of the applicant's arrival in the United States, (3) establishing that a permanent partnership between two partners is a marriage for immigration law purposes, and (4) establishing that indigent aliens have a right to free counsel in certain immigration proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Economic Mobility Corps Act of 2019 This bill establishes the Economic Mobility Corps for the purpose of providing support to community development financial institutions and projects related to financial counseling, financial services, job placement, small business financing, affordable rental housing financing, commercial facility financing, community facility financing, single-family home financing, and foreclosure prevention services. Specifically, the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Department of the Treasury must establish grants and other support for this program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2019
Teacher Education for Computer Science Act or the Teach CS Act This bill authorizes the Department of Education to award grants to institutions of higher education for establishing and maintaining teacher education programs for computer science. It also includes computer science as an eligible education category with respect to receiving various teacher preparation grants and graduate fellowships.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2019
This resolution expresses congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Internal Revenue Service relating to charitable contribution and estate tax deductions when a taxpayer receives or expects to receive a corresponding state or local tax credit, and such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2019
This resolution states that immigrants and their descendants have made America stronger and naturalized citizens are just as American as those whose families have been in the United States for generations. It also expresses a commitment to keep America open to those who lawfully seek refuge from violence and oppression and those willing to work hard to achieve the American Dream, regardless of race, ethnicity, faith, or country of origin. The resolution strongly condemns as racist the President’s comments about immigrants and those who look to the President like immigrants and states that these have legitimized hatred of new Americans and people of color, including his reference to immigrants and asylum seekers as “invaders.”
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2019
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2019 This bill provides funding for (1) the conservation or restoration of wildlife and plant species of greatest conservation need; (2) the wildlife conservation strategies of states, Indian tribes, or territories; or (3) wildlife conservation education and recreation projects. The Department of the Interior must use a portion of the funding for a grant program. The grants must be used for innovative recovery efforts for species of greatest conservation need, species listed as endangered or threatened species, or the habitats of such species.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2019
Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2019 This bill expands Medicare coverage of chiropractic services to include all services provided by chiropractors, rather than only subluxation corrections through manual manipulation of the spine.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2019
This resolution 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 · 9 July 2019
This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that global warming has resulted in a climate emergency that demands a massive-scale mobilization of U.S. resources to halt, reverse, mitigate, and prepare for the consequences of the emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Greg LeMond, in recognition of his contributions to the nation as an athlete, activist, role model, and community leader.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Redistricting Reform Act of 2019 This bill requires that congressional redistricting be conducted in accordance with a plan developed by (1) a state-established independent commission; or (2) if such a commission fails to enact a plan, a three-judge panel from a U.S. District Court.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Laboratory Access for Beneficiaries Act or the LAB Act This bill revises the periods during which laboratories must report clinical diagnostic test information to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for purposes of determining Medicare payment rates. The CMS must also contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to evaluate the methodology used to determine a specified laboratory fee schedule.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2019 This bill prohibits commercial conversion therapy, which is a practice or treatment designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity or otherwise change behaviors, thoughts, or expressions related to gender or sexual attraction. This prohibition does not apply to treatment that assists an individual undergoing a gender transition or facilitates identity exploration and development.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Financial Stability Oversight Council Improvement Act of 2019 The bill requires the Financial Stability Oversight Council, prior to determining that a U.S. nonbank financial company shall be supervised by the Federal Reserve Board and therefore subject to certain prudential standards, to first determine that certain alternative actions would not mitigate the threat the company may pose to U.S. financial stability
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
Improve Well-Being for Veterans Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to award grants for a period of three years to eligible entities for the provision of suicide prevention services to veterans and their families. Under the bill, eligible entities include tribally designated housing entities, community-based organizations, and other private entities that meet certain requirements. Entities must submit an application to receive financial assistance that includes a description of the services they propose to provide, among other elements. The bill requires the VA to equitably distribute grants across geographic regions and areas with the most need. Additionally, the VA shall give preference to entities that are experienced in providing suicide prevention services. Entities receiving funding must notify service recipients that funding is wholly or partially from the VA.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
This resolution expresses support for (1) equal rights and protections for all people, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; and (2) the designation of LGBTQ Equality Day on June 26 to commemorate Supreme Court decisions handed down on that day in 2003, 2013, and 2015. The resolution also acknowledges the need for further legislation to ensure that people in the United States are free from all forms of discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
This resolution 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 · 26 June 2019
Safeguard our Elections and Combat Unlawful Interference in Our Democracy Act or the SECURE Our Democracy Act This bill directs the Department of State to identify each foreign person who engaged in U.S. election interference since January 1, 2015. The bill imposes financial and immigration sanctions on these individuals. Specifically, such individuals shall be ineligible to receive a U.S. entry visa and any current visa shall be revoked. The Department of the Treasury must (1) freeze and prohibit a listed foreign person's transactions in property and property interests that are in the United States, and (2) require financial institutions to certify that they have frozen all such assets.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
Restore Honor to Service Members Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to review the discharge characterization of a service member who was discharged on the basis of sexual orientation (i.e., on the basis of Don't Ask Don't Tell or a similar policy) if the service member requests such a review. If the service member's discharge is characterized as other than honorable, and if there were no aggravating circumstances that would have independently caused the discharge to be characterized as other than honorable, then DOD must change its characterization of the discharge to honorable.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act This bill requires federal agencies that collect information through a survey that includes demographic data (where subjects self-report information or a proxy provides information about the subject or responds for all persons in a household) to review existing data sets to determine in which data sets information about sexual orientation and gender identity is not included, and to assess needed changes in survey methods related to asking questions on sexual orientation and gender identity. Agencies that publish reports relying on survey demographic data must include information on sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Prevention and Oversight of Intelligence Sharing with Enemies Act or the POISE Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that elements of the intelligence community are obligated to notify Congress upon discovering that an individual in the executive branch has disclosed, outside established intelligence channels, certain classified information to specified adversary foreign governments (North Korea, Iran, China, Russia, and Cuba).
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
America's Call To Improve Opportunities Now for National Service Act or the ACTION for National Service Act This bill (1) converts the Corporation for National and Community Service into the National and Community Service Administration; (2) reauthorizes programs carried out by the administration; (3) establishes a National Service Foundation to accept and administer gifts on behalf of the administration; and (4) modifies the calculation of national service educational awards. Furthermore, the bill creates a 21st Century American Service Outreach Program to notify individuals age 17 and not more than age 30 about their eligibility to participate in national service programs,; increases living stipends for such volunteers and the cap on such full-time positions; provides a living allowance to members of the National Civilian Community Corps, under specified conditions; and provides an exclusion from gross income, for income tax purposes, for such educational awards and living allowances.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2019 This bill prohibits strikes by certain individuals and requires the issuance of rules that provide for federal minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) shall determine for each state whether the laws of such state substantially provide for each of the minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures specified by this bill, including the right of public employees and supervisory employees to self-organize, form or join a labor organization, or collectively bargain. The FLRA must issue rules and take actions to establish and administer bargaining rights and procedures for those states that do not substantially provide for them. No employers, emergency services employees, or law enforcement officers may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action that would probably result in a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. Furthermore, no labor organization may be the cause of a violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections for Separated Children Act of 2019 or the HELP Separated Children Act of 2019 This bill provides protections for children whose parent or caregiver has been detained for immigration enforcement purposes. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and entities cooperating with DHS on immigration enforcement shall determine as soon as possible whether a detained individual is a parent or caregiver of a child in the United States. Detained parents and caregivers shall (1) have the chance to make at least two phone calls to arrange for child care; and (2) receive contact information for child welfare agencies, family courts, consulates, attorneys, and other relevant entities. DHS shall not transfer the detained individual to another geographical area until child care arrangements have been made, absent extraordinary circumstances. DHS shall (1) permit detained individuals regular contact with their children, and (2) give detained individuals the opportunity to participate in all proceedings impacting custody of their children.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
Help Separated Families Act of 201 9 This bill prohibits states from disqualifying a prospective adoptive or foster parent based on that person's immigration status. It also expands the requirements for state foster-care cases in which a parent has been detained or deported as the result of an immigration proceeding. Specifically, states may not initiate a proceeding to terminate the parental rights of a parent who has been detained or deported unless the state has made reasonable efforts to (1) locate the parent, (2) notify the parent about the proceeding, (3) provide the parent with appropriate services, and (4) reunify the parent and child. States also must (1) ensure that case managers can communicate in separated children's native language, (2) provide assistance for separated children to accompany their parent to the family's country of origin, (3) keep information about such children confidential, and (4) publish a list of legal services available to separated children. Further, case management plans must provide (1) the location of the child's parent who has been detained or deported, and (2) a written record of information about such child that is disclosed to government agencies or nonlegal guardians. The bill requires states to accept specified forms of foreign identification to complete background checks for prospective foster care placements. States also must notify prospective foster or adoptive relatives that such relatives' immigration status will not be requested except with respect to eligibility for certain social services.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2019
National Green Bank Act of 2019 This bill establishes a U.S. Green Bank to finance climate change mitigation and adaptation projects at the state and local level by capitalizing regional, state, and municipal green banks. The Department of the Treasury must issue green bonds to provide the bank with (1) an initial capitalization of $10 billion; and (2) additional capitalization, upon the bank's request, of no more than $50 billion in aggregate at any one time. The bill also establishes in the Treasury a revolving Green Bank Establishment Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Global Respect Act This bill imposes visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for or complicit in violating the human rights of individuals due to actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The President shall report and periodically update a list of foreign persons responsible for such human rights violations and apply sanctions accordingly. The Department of State shall designate at least one senior officer who shall be responsible for tracking violence and discrimination against individuals based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics in foreign countries.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
LGBTQ Essential Data Act This bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to take measures to increase the frequency of collection of information on the sexual orientation and gender identity of deceased individuals through the National Violent Death Reporting System.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
JROTC Cyber Training Act This bill directs the Department of Defense to implement a program to prepare Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps students for careers in computer science and cybersecurity. The program may include such elements as internships and cooperative research opportunities, funding for training of instructors, activities to improve the quality of training in these fields, and informal education.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act This bill imposes requirements and standards related to the care of aliens in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. CBP shall conduct an initial health screening of each alien in custody to identify those with acute conditions and high-risk vulnerabilities and to provide appropriate healthcare. CBP shall conduct the screening within 12 hours of each alien's initial detention, and within 3 hours for certain priority individuals such as children, pregnant women, and those with disabilities. The bill imposes various requirements related to the services, personnel, and infrastructure for providing such screenings, such as providing interpreters, chaperones, and mental health treatment when necessary. CBP shall ensure detainees have access to drinking water, toilets, sanitation facilities, hygiene products, food, and shelter. The bill imposes certain standards relating to such requirements, such as the minimum amount of drinking water and space for each detainee. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall enter into memoranda of understanding with various emergency government relief agencies to address instances when surge capacity is necessary. The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct unannounced inspections of ports of entry, border patrol stations, and detention facilities and report the results to Congress. The Government Accountability Office shall assess CBP's management of such facilities and whether CBP and DHS processes are in compliance with this bill's requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Defending the Integrity of Voting Systems Act This bill broadens the definition of "protected computer," for purposes of computer fraud and abuse offenses, to include a computer that is part of a voting system and (1) is used for a federal election, or (2) has moved in or otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Improvement Act of 2019 This bill creates an allowance for a deceased veteran's or deceased service member's surviving spouse who is receiving dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) from the Department of Veterans Affairs. DIC is a monthly payment made to survivors and dependents of (1) certain veterans, and (2) service members killed while on active military duty. The bill provides a formula for calculating the monthly rate of the allowance based on the DIC amount the spouse is entitled to receive. Payment amounts under the Survivor Benefit Plan shall not be affected by the implementation of the DIC allowance.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Anti-Collusion Act This bill expands the ban on solicitations of campaign contributions or donations by foreign nationals to include providing nonpublic campaign information, including polling data and opposition research. Specifically, the ban shall apply if a candidate, a political committee, or an affiliate offers or provides nonpublic campaign material to a foreign power. Upon receipt of an offer of assistance by a foreign power, a candidate, committee, or individual must report the offer to the Department of Justice within 72 hours.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act This bill makes permanent, beginning in FY2020, funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The President shall annually submit to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2019 or the BURMA Act of 2019 This act imposes sanctions, limits security assistance, authorizes assistance, and requires the establishment of various programs and strategies related to Burma (Myanmar). The President shall impose sanctions against current or former officials who are responsible for or who supported serious human rights abuses in Burma, as well as against entities controlled by such officials and military-linked entities that provide such officials significant financial benefits. The sanctions shall include asset blocking and visa blocking. The bill authorizes humanitarian aid for Burma, Bangladesh, and the surrounding region for various purposes, including aid for ethnic minorities targeted by Burma's military and support for voluntary resettlement of displaced persons. The bill also prohibits security assistance for or security cooperation with Burma's military and security forces, with exceptions for certain existing programs related to training, research, and reconciliation. The Department of State shall maintain a publicly available website listing entities in Burma's gemstone sector that meet certain transparency and due-diligence requirements related to ownership, control, and supply-chain standards. The State Department shall also issue guidance for U.S. companies as to best practices for supply-chain due diligence when dealing with Burmese gemstone entities. The State Department shall report to Congress on topics including (1) accountability for war crimes in Burma, (2) a strategy for promoting economic development in Burma, and (3) a strategy for U.S. engagement with Burma's military and security forces.
![Official portrait of Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001047_200.jpg)