United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Wildfire Disaster Funding Act This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require specified adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2015-FY2022 to accommodate appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior. If USDA or Interior determines that supplemental appropriations are necessary for wildfire suppression operations, the bill requires the relevant department to submit to Congress a request for the funding and a plan for obligating the funds. The bill also requires the President's budget to include the average costs for wildfire suppression over the previous 10 years.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Close the Floodgates Act Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended by the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, to repeal certain limits on separate contributions by persons or multicandidate political committees to political committees of a national political party which are not the authorized political committees of any candidate. Specifies those contributions used to defray expenses for: a presidential nominating convention; the construction, purchase, renovation, operation, and furnishing of party headquarters buildings; and the preparation for and the conduct of election recounts, contests, and other legal proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2014
Nazi Social Security Benefits Termination Act of 2014 - Makes any participant in Nazi persecution ineligible for: (1) Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits under title II of the Social Security Act (SSA), and (2) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits under SSA title XVI. Requires the Attorney General (AG), as soon as practicable after determining that an individual is a participant in Nazi persecution, to notify the Commissioner of Social Security of the individual's identity and residence. Directs the AG, in cooperation with the Commissioner, to report to Congress specified information regarding such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2014
College Affordability and Innovation Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award 5-year grants to up to 15 institutions of higher education (IHEs) to carry out new or existing high-quality programs designed to graduate students with certificates or degrees at significantly lower student costs and within shorter time periods than traditional programs. Includes among those programs, those that: use online instruction; use direct assessments rather than credit hours or clock hours as the measure of student learning; integrate experiential learning and customized curricula to promote completion or alignment with medium- and long-term employment needs; allow students to be dually or concurrently enrolled in the postsecondary program and a secondary school, or a postsecondary program and a graduate program; or use any other innovative, evidence-based method of providing students with a cost-effective, high-quality, postsecondary education. Authorizes the Secretary to waive the application to grantees of specified provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) that would inhibit their operation of innovative education programs. Directs the Secretary to: establish and annually administer an evaluation and accountability process for the programs; review policies and identify those that impede the development and use of innovative methods of expanding access to, and success in, education; establish measures to assess the quality of the programs, including a minimum standard of quality that they must meet; and direct an independent third-party evaluator to conduct a final evaluation of the effectiveness of each program in providing students with a quality education at lower costs and within shorter time periods than traditional programs. Requires the establishment of a Commission on Higher Education Accountability Standards, composed of higher education stakeholders, to make recommendations to the Secretary on a set of minimum accountability standards IHEs' undergraduate programs must meet with respect to affordability, accessibility, and value in order to participate in the programs under title IV (Student Assistance) of the HEA. Directs the Secretary, after considering those recommendations, to establish IHE affordablity, accessibility, and value accountability standards that, at a minimum, take into account each IHE's: (1) average or mean cost of attendance, minus grant aid; (2) percentage of enrolled students who are recipients of a Federal Pell Grant; and (3) student loan repayment rates. Requires the Secretary to conduct an annual assessment of schools' compliance with those standards. Deems noncompliant schools to be on probation and requires them to work with the Secretary on a plan to achieve compliance within five years. Requires schools that do not make continuous improvement toward the accountability standards 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years after being placed on probation to pay the Secretary an amount equal to 10%, 20%, and 30%, respectively, of the title IV funds they make available to undergraduate students. Makes schools that fail to achieve compliance within five years of being placed on probation ineligible for title IV funds. Directs the Secretary to place the amounts collected from noncompliant schools in a special fund that is to be used to award competitive grants to IHEs that meet or exceed the accountability standards. Requires grantees to use the funds to provide need-based aid to students who are eligible for Federal Pell Grants.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Copyright and Marriage Equality Act - Amends federal copyright law to revise the definition of "widow" or "widower" for purposes of provisions concerning the transfer of a copyright to an author's spouse or other next of kin following the author's death. Declares that an individual is the widow or widower of an author if the courts of the state in which the individual and the author were married (or, if the individual and the author were not married in any state but were validly married in another jurisdiction, the courts of any state) would find that the individual and the author were validly married at the time of the author's death. (Currently, only the author's surviving spouse under the law of the author's domicile at the time of death is considered a widow.)
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Naugatuck River Valley National Heritage Area Study Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a study on the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Naugatuck River Valley National Heritage Area in Connecticut. Requires submission of the study's results to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2014
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Fund through FY2041 and index appropriations to the medical care component of the consumer price index for urban consumers. Makes funding available for: a quality assurance program for services delivered by health care providers, the WTC Program annual report, WTC Health Program Steering Committees, and contracts with Clinical Centers of Excellence. Removes the disqualification of individuals on the terrorist watch list maintained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from being identified as WTC responders or WTC survivors eligible for benefits provided by the WTC Health Program. Amends the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to make individuals (or relatives of deceased individuals) who were injured or killed in the rescue and recovery efforts after the aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, eligible for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Allows individuals to file claims for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 up to 30 years after regulations are updated based on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. Removes the cap on payments under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Adds the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and World Trade Center Health Program Fund to the list of accounts that are not subject to budget sequestration.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2014
Access to Contraception for Women Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2014 - Expands the TRICARE health care program managed by the Department of Defense (DOD) to entitle additional female beneficiaries and dependents to care related to the prevention of pregnancy. (Currently, such care is limited to certain female members of the uniformed service or a reserve component performing active duty or certain servicewomen performing inactive-duty training.) Prohibits cost-sharing from being imposed or collected for such pregnancy prevention care, including for any method of contraception provided through a facility of the uniformed services, the TRICARE retail pharmacy program, or the national mail-order pharmacy program. Provides for such pregnancy prevention care to include all methods of contraception approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling. Directs the DOD Secretary to: (1) ensure that every military treatment facility has a sufficient stock of a broad range of FDA-approved methods of contraception to dispense to any women members of the Armed Forces and female covered beneficiaries who receive care through such facility; (2) disseminate clinical practice guidelines and decision support tools to DOD-employed health care providers; (3) ensure that women members of the Armed Forces have access to contraception counseling during health care visits; and (4) establish an education program for all members of the Armed Forces, including both men and women members, consisting of a uniform standard curriculum on family planning. Requires questions regarding family planning services and counseling to be incorporated into DOD health surveys. Requires every military treatment facility, upon request, to provide emergency contraception, or information about FDA-approved methods of emergency contraception, to any woman who: (1) states to personnel that she is a victim of sexual assault or is accompanied by another individual who states that the woman is a victim of sexual assault, or (2) is reasonably believed to be a survivor of sexual assault.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Condemns: (1) all forms of anti-Semitism and rejects attempts to justify anti-Jewish hatred or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of disapproval over political events, and (2) the comparison of Israel to Nazis perpetrating a Holocaust or genocide. Applauds those foreign leaders, especially in France, Italy, and Germany, who have condemned anti-Semitic acts, and calls on those who have yet to take firm action against anti-Semitism in their countries to do so. Reaffirms support for the mandate of the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Supports Holocaust educational programs at home and abroad. Urges the Secretary of State to: maintain the fight against anti-Semitism as a U.S. foreign policy priority, urge governments to ensure that adequate laws are in place to punish anti-Semitic violence and hate crimes as well as establish mechanisms to investigate and punish perpetrators, continue U.S. reporting on anti-Semitism as a human rights and religious freedom issue, provide training for diplomatic and law enforcement personnel posted abroad to report on anti-Semitic incidents, deepen engagement with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and support its specialized efforts to monitor and address anti-Semitism, and oppose efforts to prevent any individual from exercising his or her religion without fear of prosecution or violence.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2014
Rosoboronexport Embargo Act of 2014 - Prohibits the head of an executive agency from entering into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative agreement with, or make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan agreement to Rosoboronexport (the state intermediary agency for Russia's exports/imports of defense-related and dual use products, technologies, and services). Authorizes the President to: (1) waive such prohibition under specified circumstances, and (2) reprogram funds for a country that enters into any such arrangement with Rosoboronexport. Prohibits any U.S. person (individual or corporation) from assisting Rosoboronexport through the provision of financing. Imposes a ban on dealing in government finance and restrictions on U.S. business operations on a person that engages in such activity. Authorizes: (1) the President to waive the application of sanctions under specified circumstances, and (2) the Attorney General (DOJ) to bring an action in U.S. district court for injunctive and other relief with respect to such activities. Imposes procurement and export sanctions on any U.S. person that transfers goods or technology, enters into contracts, or engages in trade with Rosoboronexport. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress regarding: (1) transfers of lethal military equipment by Rosoboronexport to separatist groups in Ukraine and to the government of Syria; and (2) contracts, memorandums of understanding, cooperative agreements, grants, and loans and loan guarantees between DOD and Rosoboronexport.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2014
Commends the GAVI Alliance, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, civil society, the private sector, faith-based organizations, and the international community on the progress made in reducing child mortality through the increased availability of vaccines. Supports the ideals and goals of the GAVI Alliance. Recognizes that the United States, in addition to being an important donor, is a critical technical partner to the GAVI Alliance. Encourages the continued use of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) global immunization resources. Encourages continued U.S. and international commitment and investment, through the GAVI Alliance, to the global effort to ensure that children in developing nations have access to vaccines and immunizations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Transparency in Reporting to Protect American Workers and Prevent Human Trafficking Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise and expand the data reporting requirements to cover all nonimmigrant employees. Requires that such information be available on a public website.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Ukraine Security Assistance Act of 2014 - Authorizes the the President to provide Ukraine with specified defense articles, services, and training. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to conduct or complete an ongoing assessment of the capabilities and needs of Ukraine's armed forces, and provide it to Congress. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: provide Ukraine with appropriate intelligence and other information to determine the location, strength, and capabilities of the military and intelligence forces of the Russian Federation located on Ukraine's eastern border and within its territorial borders, including Crimea; take steps to ensure that such intelligence information is protected from further disclosure; and report to Congress detailing such disclosure. States that during the period in which Ukraine meets specified democratic government and security cooperation criteria it shall be treated as a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally. Directs the President to increase: (1) military-to-military interactions of the U.S. Armed Forces with the armed forces of Ukraine, and (2) U.S. and NATO security assistance to Ukraine. Directs the Secretary of State to seek to enter into negotiations with Ukraine to establish new, or strengthen existing, bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation agreements, including agreements related to cyber defense cooperation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2014
Social Security and Medicare Parity Act of 2014 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act with respect to the determination of a valid marriage to account for marriages in jurisdictions other than a state. Authorizes the courts of any state to find that an OASDI benefit applicant and an insured individual were validly married in a jurisdiction other than a state at the time the applicant files a benefit application or, if the insured individual is dead, at the time the individual died. Waives the nine-month marriage requirement to make eligible for widow or widower benefits certain widows or widowers whose marriage to a deceased individual would not have been treated as a marriage for federal law purposes before June 26, 2013. Waives the same requirement for anyone who became a stepchild of the deceased individual as a result of such a marriage. Waives the one-year marriage requirement to make eligible for husband's or wife's OASDI benefits certain husbands and wives whose marriage to an individual would not have been treated as a marriage for federal law purposes before June 26, 2013. Waives the same requirement for anyone who became a stepchild of the individual as a result of such a marriage. Directs the Commissioner of Social Security to conduct a comprehensive and effective three-year outreach campaign to encourage benefit applications by individuals newly eligible for OASDI benefits as a result of changes in law relating to same-sex marriage and occurring on or after June 26, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2014
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of the seventh annual National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day. Encourages: (1) primary care physicians and other clinicians nationwide to become actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services; (2) the media to observe this Awareness Day by educating clinicians about the important role they play in providing access to HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services and by educating clinicians and the public about the benefits of HIV testing; and (3) individuals to get tested for HIV and educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2014
Pay For Success Affordable Housing Energy Modernization Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish a demonstration program under which, between enactment of this Act and September 30, 2017, the Secretary may enter into budget-neutral, performance-based agreements (for up to 12 years each) that result in a reduction in energy or water costs with appropriate entities to carry out projects for energy or water conservation improvements at up to 20,000 residential units in multifamily buildings participating in: Section 8 project-based rental assistance programs under the United States Housing Act of 1937, other than Section 8 (voucher program) assistance; supportive housing for the elderly programs under the Housing Act of 1959; or supportive housing for persons with disabilities programs under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act. Specifies requirements for payment under an agreement, which shall be contingent on documented utility savings, as well as for eligibility, geographical diversity, and funding for the program. Requires the Secretary to submit to specified congressional committees a detailed plan for the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2014
Constitutional Amendment - Authorizes Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. Grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by appropriate legislation. Allows them to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections. Declares that nothing in this amendment shall be construed to grant Congress or the states the power to abridge the freedom of the press.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2014
Partnership to Strengthen Homeownership Act of 2014 - Amends the National Housing Act to remove the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and establish it as an independent entity, with a Director in place of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Transfers to Ginnie Mae the powers, duties, personnel, and property of Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which is hereby abolished. Establishes within Ginnie Mae the Issuing Platform, available for use only by eligible originators and aggregators of mortgages, to issue standardized mortgage-backed securities. Requires Ginnie Mae to establish: (1) a method of assessing a national average single-family house price for use in calculating the loan limits for single-family mortgage loans, and (2) an insurance fund and insure 100% of each security issued by the Platform. Prescribes requirements for: (1) a participating mortgage originator or aggregator to deliver to the Platform a pool of eligible mortgage loans; and (2) the Platform, upon receiving a pool of eligible mortgages, to create standardized mortgage-backed securities collateralized by such mortgages and transfer them to the mortgage originator or aggregator. Exempts standardized mortgage-backed securities issued by the Platform from federal securities laws. Outlines requirements for: (1) servicing rights, representations, and warranties; (2) insurance for securities issued by the Platform, (3) capital and related solvency standards, and (4) Fund reserve balance. Prescribes requirements for Ginnie Mae's actions if unusual and exigent circumstances have created or threaten to create an anomalous lack of mortgage credit availability within the housing market that could materially and severely disrupt the functioning of the housing finance system of the United States. Prohibits Ginnie Mae, in exercising such authority, from: (1) bailing out approved entities or affiliates, or (2) assisting companies to avoid bankruptcy. Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to make any lender of home mortgage loans eligible to become a member of a Federal Home Loan Bank. Requires each such Bank to provide pooling services to both members and non-members who wish to pool eligible mortgages for purposes of securitizing them through the Issuing Platform. Directs the Director of Ginnie Mae to: (1) prohibit the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) (Federal National Mortgage Association [Fannie Mae] and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation [Freddie Mac]) after a specified certification date from issuing, guaranteeing, or purchasing any security backed by mortgages on 1- to 4-family residences except as specifically authorized by this Act; (2) permit a GSE to act until a certain time as a participating aggregator of eligible mortgages for securitization if the business volume of their originators is insufficient to allow them to aggregate and securitize such mortgages; and (3) allow a GSE to act as a reinsurer for a mortgage-backed security until the GSE goes into receivership under this Act. Requires each GSE to establish a risk-sharing pilot program to develop private sector first-loss positions on mortgage-backed securities. Continues the current conservatorships of the GSEs until the commencement of mandatory receivership under this Act. Requires the Director to appoint Ginnie Mae as receiver of the GSEs by a certain date. Prescribes requirements for winding down the GSEs. Directs the Director to direct Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop a plan to establish a multifamily subsidiary for purposes of providing sufficient multifamily housing financing and establishing a competitive multifamily housing market for multifamily housing guarantors engaging in multifamily covered securities. Makes necessary transfers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac functions to the multifamily subsidiary. Directs the Director to develop, adopt, publish, and enforce standards for the approval of multifamily guarantors to: (1) issue securities collateralized by eligible multifamily mortgage loans, and (2) guarantee the timely payment of principal and interest on such securities collateralized by eligible multifamily mortgage loans and insured by Ginnie Mae. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 to allow Ginnie Mae to securitize multifamily loans insured or reinsured under such Act under certain circumstances. Requires the Platform in each fiscal year to: (1) charge and collect a certain fee for the outstanding principal balance of all eligible mortgage loans that collateralize securities insured under this Act and all other mortgage loans collateralizing securities on which Ginnie Mae guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest; and (2) allocate or otherwise transfer on an annual basis specified percentages of such fee amounts to fund the Housing Trust Fund, the Capital Magnet Fund, and the Market Access Fund (which Ginnie Mae is directed to establish). Amends the Safety and Soundness Act with respect to the Housing Trust Fund and housing for Indians. Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to authorize Federal Home Loan Banks to make long-term secured advances to their members to provide funds to community development financial institutions. Requires a Federal Home Loan Bank, at the time of origination or renewal of a loan or advance, to obtain and maintain a security interest in collateral eligible pursuant to any secured loan for a community development financial institution.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2014
Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014 - Affirms requirements, notwithstanding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, that: (1) an employer that establishes or maintains a group health plan for its employees must provide coverage of a specific item or service for the employees or their dependents where the coverage is required under federal provisions or regulations pursuant to those provisions; and (2) group health plans sponsored by an employer or employee organization, and any health insurance coverage, must provide coverage required under the Public Health Service Act, including preventive health services. Authorizes the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury to modify regulations concerning coverage of contraceptive services by group health plans of religious employers consistent with the purposes and findings (regarding coverage of birth control services and the Supreme Court decisions in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Burwell ) of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2014
Reaffirms the support of the House of Representatives for Israel's right to defend itself and its citizens. Condemns the unprovoked rocket fire at Israel and calls on Hamas to cease all rocket and other attacks against Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Multifamily Housing Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014 - Requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to analyze and report on the relationship between energy savings improvements to homes and buildings, utility and energy expenses, and mortgage performance. Directs HUD to make the results of the analysis publicly available. Requires HUD and the Federal Housing Finance Agency to evaluate departmental procedures and policies to assess if they accurately reflect the energy expenses and benefits of energy savings improvements for homeowners and building owners. Amends the National Housing Act to revise provisions concerning mortgage insurance by establishing a green refinancing program for multifamily housing projects to increase the amount of mortgage loans that may be insured to finance the cost of residential energy conservation measures. Requires HUD to carry out a Multifamily Housing Energy Innovation Plan to make grants to establish or expand an energy savings plan that will result in at least a 20% reduction in the energy, water, or gas consumption of multifamily housing. Authorizes HUD to waive during the next five years any requirement regarding the eligibility of multifamily properties for an existing risk-sharing agreement entered into under multifamily mortgage credit programs, if the waiver facilitates the adoption of energy or water conservation measures in the properties.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Bottled Water Quality Information Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue regulations requiring each bottled water manufacturer or distributor to annually prepare a report that includes the following: the manufacturer’s or distributor’s name and contact information; type of water source; a plainly worded definition of “Standard of Identity” and “Standard of Quality” as prescribed in current bottled water regulations; a brief description of primary treatment methods used; and test results for the water’s microbiological, physical, chemical, and radiological quality. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations requiring each bottled water label to include the following: the manufacturer’s or distributor’s name and contact information, a statement notifying consumers how to obtain the quality report required by this Act, and type of water source. Prescribes means by which refillable and reusable multiservice containers may fulfill this Act’s requirements. Preempts inconsistent state or local reporting or labeling requirements. Prohibits the distribution of bottled water products not in compliance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2014
Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to amend regulations concerning the height and dimensions of station antenna structures to prohibit a private land use restriction from applying to amateur service communications if the restriction precludes such communications, fails to accommodate such communications, or does not constitute the minimum practicable restriction on such communications to accomplish the legitimate purpose of the private entity seeking to enforce such restriction.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2014
Demands the release of the three captives, Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Sha'er and Naftali Frankel. Expresses: (1) support for Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, with secure borders, living in peace alongside an independent Palestinian state; (2) concern and sympathy for the families of Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Sha'er, and Naftali Frankel; and (3) a commitment to seek the captives' release. Reiterates the commitment of the House of Representatives to uphold the conditions in U.S. law regarding U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2014
Protecting American Jobs and Exports Act - Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States through FY2021. Extends through FY2021 and gradually increases (with a specified exception) the Bank's aggregate outstanding loan, guarantee, and insurance authority. Extends through FY2021 Bank authority to provide financing for the export of nonlethal defense articles or services whose primary end use will be for civilian purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2014
Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act - Amends federal firearms provisions to expand the definition of: (1) "intimate partner" to include a dating partner or former dating partner; and (2) "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include a misdemeanor offense that has, as an element, the use or attempted use of force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon by a dating partner or former dating partner against the victim. Prohibits the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition to, or the possession or receipt of a firearm by, a person who: (1) is subject to a court order, or an ex parte order, that restrains such person from harassing, stalking, threatening, or engaging in other conduct that would put an individual in reasonable fear of bodily injury, including an order issued at the request of an employer on behalf of its employee or at the request of an institution of higher education on behalf of its student, or from intimidating or dissuading a witness from testifying in court; or (2) has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of stalking under federal, state, territorial, or tribal law or of a crime that involves conduct that would be proscribed by prohibitions against stalking if committed within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2014
Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of State to submit an annual, publicly-available report to Congress containing: (1) an assessment of the level of access Chinese authorities granted U.S. diplomats, journalists, and tourists to Tibetan areas in China; (2) a list of the persons in senior leadership positions in Tibet Autonomous Region and other specified provinces, prefectures, and autonomous entities; and (3) a list of the persons in senior leadership positions at the national and regional levels as defined by this Act. Makes certain listed persons ineligible for U.S entry under specified circumstances. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) reciprocity forms the basis of diplomatic law and the practice of mutual exchanges between countries; (2) consular access should be given on a reciprocal basis; and (3) the Secretary, when granting Chinese diplomats access to parts of the United States, should take into account the extent to which China grants U.S. diplomats access to parts of China, including the level of access to Tibetan areas.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2014
Recognizes the importance of conducting research, education, and awareness on dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities. Recognizes the importance of acknowledging the struggles and successes of those who live with dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities. Commends the excellent work of organizations dedicated to dyslexia research to educate, support, and provide hope for people with dyslexia and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Promoting Healthy Minds for Safer Communities Act of 2014 - Title I: Strengthening and Improving Intervention Efforts - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program to award grants to states, political subdivisions, or nonprofit private entities for the expansion of mental health crisis assistance programs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. Requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with at least one relevant community-based entity that clearly states how school-employed mental health professionals will be utilized and the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires grantees to comply with the health information privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures. Amends the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 to: (1) expand the assistance provided under such Act, and (2) reauthorize appropriations for FY2015-FY2019. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to establish or expand: (1) veterans treatment court programs, which involve collaboration among criminal justice, veterans, and mental health and substance abuse agencies to provide qualified veterans (preliminarily qualified offenders who were discharged from the armed forces under conditions other than dishonorable) with intensive judicial supervision and case management, treatment services, alternatives to incarceration, and other appropriate services, including housing, transportation, job training, education, and assistance in obtaining benefits; (2) peer to peer services or programs to assist such veterans in obtaining treatment, recovery, stabilization, or rehabilitation; (3) practices that identify and provide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, transitional, and other appropriate services to such veterans who have been incarcerated; and (4) training programs to teach criminal justice, law enforcement, corrections, mental health, and substance abuse personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving such veterans. Revises the definition of "preliminarily qualified offender" to include, in the case of a veterans treatment court program, an adult or juvenile accused of an offense who has been diagnosed with, or manifests obvious signs of, mental illness or a substance abuse disorder or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder. Removes a requirement that the adult or juvenile be accused of a nonviolent offense. Requires preliminarily qualified offenders to be unanimously approved for participation in a collaboration program by, when appropriate, the relevant prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, probation or corrections official, judge, and representative from the relevant mental health agency. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to enhance the capabilities of a correctional facility to: (1) identify and screen for mentally ill inmates; (2) plan and provide assessments of the clinical, medical, and social needs of inmates and appropriate treatment and services that address mental health and substance abuse needs; (3) develop, implement, and enhance post-release transition plans that coordinate services and public benefits, the availability of mental health care and substance abuse treatment services, alternatives to solitary confinement and segregated housing, and mental health screening and treatment for inmates placed in solitary confinement or segregated housing; and (4) train employees in identifying and responding to incidents involving inmates with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) award not more than six grants per year to applicants for the purpose of reducing the use of public services by mentally ill individuals who consume a significantly disproportionate quantity of public resources, and (2) make grants to provide support for programs that teach law enforcement personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving persons with such disorders. Directs the Attorney General to give priority in awarding grants for adult or juvenile collaboration programs to applications that: (1) propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism, and (2) use validated assessment tools to target preliminarily qualified offenders with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment and services. Title II: Improving Mental Health Research - Directs the Secretary to expand research on self-directed and other-directed violence associated with mental illness. Title III: Understanding the Epidemic of Gun Violence - Requires the Secretary to expand: (1) the National Violent Death Reporting System to all 50 states, and (2) research and grants of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address gun violence. Authorizes FY2015-FY2019 appropriations for CDC research and grants. Title IV: Mental Health and Access to Firearms - Amends federal criminal code prohibitions on the sale, purchase, transport, or possession of firearms or ammunition to: (1) specify that prohibitions with respect to persons committed to a mental institution apply to persons committed on an involuntary inpatient or involuntary outpatient basis, and (2) expand the prohibitions to persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking. Expands the definition of: (1) "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include offenses by children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, or dating partners; and (2) "intimate partner" to include such individuals as well as parents and guardians. (Thus, adds such individuals to the categories of persons that may be prohibited from possessing or receiving guns under domestic violence laws.) Authorizes the Attorney General to reserve not more than 5% of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds for grants to states that: (1) give state and local law enforcement the authority to seize firearms or ammunition from an individual pursuant to a warrant, where there is probable cause to believe the individual possessing such firearms or ammunition poses an elevated risk of harm to himself or herself or to another individual; or (2) temporarily prohibit an individual involuntarily hospitalized for mental illness on an emergency basis from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Directs the Attorney General to establish a system for the prompt notification of state and local enforcement agencies when the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) notifies a licensed dealer that an individual attempting to obtain a firearm is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal or state law. Title V: Restoration - Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to set forth requirements for persons adjudicated to have a mental disorder or committed to a mental institution to apply for relief (restoration of firearm ownership rights) after one year by submitting an opinion of a psychiatrist or licensed clinical psychologist in order to seek a determination by the adjudicating agency that the person no longer manifests the symptoms that elevate the risk of harm. Title VI: Submission of Mental Health Records to National Instant Criminal Background Check System - Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to report annually to Congress regarding the number of persons reported by each state to NICS who are prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm based on a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Reauthorizes the national criminal history improvement program for FY2015-FY2018. Requires the Attorney General to establish a four-year implementation plan for each state or Indian tribal government desiring a grant to improve the automation and transmittal to federal and state repositories of: (1) mental health records and criminal history dispositions, (2) records relevant to determining whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, (3) court orders, and (4) mental health adjudications or commitments. Requires each federal agency in possession of records relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under specified circumstances to make such records, updated at least quarterly, available to the Attorney General for use in NICS background checks. Directs HHS, under HIPAA, to allow states to make information concerning persons adjudicated as a mental defective or those committed to mental institutions available for NICS.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2014
Condemns the charge of apostasy and adultery of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag in Sudan and her sentence of 100 lashes and the death penalty. Calls for the release from prison of Ibrahim, her 20-month-old son, and newborn daughter. Urges the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize granting Ibrahim asylum or refugee status. Encourages U.S. efforts to support religious freedom within Sudan, including by requiring before normalizing relations or lifting certain sanctions that Sudan abide by international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Recognizes that every individual should have the opportunity to practice his or her religion without fear of discrimination. Reaffirms the commitment of the United State to end religious discrimination and to pursue policies that guarantee the basic human rights of all individuals. Encourages the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to continue their support for religious freedom initiatives.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2014
Recognizes National Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month. Supports the work of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in pursuit of medical progress on pediatric stroke.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Authorizes appropriations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for each of FY2015-FY2020 to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention under the Public Health Service Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2014
Social Security and Marriage Equality Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act with respect to the determination of a valid marriage to account for marriages in jurisdictions other than a state. Authorizes the courts of any state to find that an OASDI benefit applicant and an insured individual were validly married in a jurisdiction other than a state at the time the applicant files a benefit application or, if the insured individual is dead, at the time the individual died.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2014
Caring for Military Children with Developmental Disabilities Act of 2014 - Includes in the treatment of military dependents' developmental disabilities under the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE program behavioral health treatment, including applied behavior analysis, that is prescribed by a physician or psychologist. Makes such behavioral health treatment available to retired members of the Coast Guard, the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Commissioned Corps of Public Health Service, or their dependents only to the extent that amounts are specifically appropriated to the Defense Health Program Account for their coverage. Expresses the sense of Congress that amounts should be appropriated for the behavioral health treatment of TRICARE beneficiaries in a manner that ensures that all beneficiaries receive appropriate and equitable access to such treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2014
Recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children in the foster care system face. Encourages Congress to implement policy to minimize the number of children entering the foster care system, to improve the lives of children in the foster care system, and to maximize the number of children exiting foster care to the protection of safe, loving, and permanent families. Supports the designation of National Foster Care Month.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2014
Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia Diagnosis and Treatment Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and implement a hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT, a vascular genetic bleeding disorder that causes abnormalities of the blood vessels) initiative to assist in coordinating activities to improve early detection, screening, and treatment of people who suffer from HHT, focusing on advancing research on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of HHT and increasing physician and public awareness of HHT. Directs the Secretary to establish the HHT Coordinating Committee to develop and coordinate implementation of a plan to advance research and understanding of HHT, including by: (1) conducting or supporting research across relevant National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutes, and (2) conducting evaluations and making recommendations regarding the prioritization and award of NIH research grants relating to HHT. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to carry out activities with respect to HHT, including conducting population screening and establishing an HHT resource center to provide comprehensive education on and disseminate information about HHT to health professionals, patients, industry, and the public. Requires the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to award grants for research, including an analysis of health care expenditures associated with untreated HHT and costs associated with preventable medical events among Medicare beneficiaries with HHT.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to issue regulations to ensure that all controlling locomotives operated at speeds exceeding 25 miles mph, regardless of when the locomotive is placed in service for the first time, are equipped with a functioning alerter. Directs the Secretary to require all railroad carriers to establish and implement a fatigue management plan that identifies and evaluates any fatigue related railroad safety hazards on its system and to determine the degree of risk associated with each hazard. Directs the Secretary biannually to require any railroad carrier implementing a positive train control system to report to the Secretary on the progress of the implementation. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations to require that on-track safety programs include requiring implementation of redundant signal protection, such as shunting, for maintenance-of-way work crews who depend on a train dispatcher to provide signal protection. Instructs the Secretary to ensure that railroad carriers provide railroad employees with predictable and defined work and rest schedules.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Peace Corps Equity Act of 2014 - Amends the Peace Corps Act to subject abortion service coverage by the Peace Corps for volunteers to the same limitations that apply to Peace Corps employees regarding coverage of abortion services. States that such restriction shall not be construed to limit medical evacuation coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2014
Christen O'Donnell Equestrian Helmet Safety Act of 2013 [ sic ] - Establishes an interim standard for equestrian helmets manufactured nine months after enactment of this Act, pending establishment of a final standard. Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to begin rulemaking proceedings for development of a final standard. Excludes such proceedings from specified laws governing the CPSC's reliance on voluntary standards, the development of consumer product safety rules, and the CPSC's regulation of consumer products in accordance with other laws. Prohibits application of judicial review provisions to any standard issued pursuant to such proceedings. Requires any failure to meet the interim standard to be treated as a violation of a consumer product safety standard promulgated under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Requires any final standard to be considered a CPSA consumer product safety standard.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2014
Brownfields Redevelopment Tax Incentive Reauthorization Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2018 the election to expense (i.e., deduct in the current taxable year) environmental remediation costs (i.e., costs for the abatement or control of hazardous substances at a qualified contaminated site). Makes this Act applicable to expenditures paid or incurred after December 31, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2014
NSA Internal Watchdog Act - Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to require the President to appoint, with advice and consent of the Senate, the Inspector General of the National Security Agency (NSA). (Currently, the NSA Inspector General is appointed by the NSA Director.) Directs the Inspector General to include in an annual report to Congress a review of the mechanisms for NSA employees or contractors to submit complaints. Establishes a General Counsel to the NSA Inspector General, to be appointed by the Inspector General. Requires the General Counsel to prescribe professional rules of ethics and responsibilities for NSA employees, officers, and contractors. Authorizes the Inspector General, after providing the Attorney General (DOJ) with seven days' advance notice, to subpoena the attendance and testimony of former NSA employees or NSA contractors, former contractors, or former detailees. Requires the Inspector General to provide Congress with an evaluation of any notice or statement of reasons the Inspector General receives from the Secretary of Defense (DOD) regarding the Secretary's exercise of authority in the interest of national security to prohibit the Inspector General from initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation. Directs the Inspector General, in carrying out any audit or investigation of a surveillance or data collection program, to assess the impact of such program on civil rights and liberties. Requires the Inspector General's reports to Congress to be made available to all Members of Congress. Directs the Inspector General to audit and report to Congress regarding the effectiveness and use (including improper or illegal use) of NSA surveillance and data collection programs, including programs under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) that authorize: (1) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to submit applications to the FISA court for an order requiring the production of tangible things (commonly referred to as business records, including books, records, papers, documents, and other items); and (2) the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), with the approval of the FISA court or under exigent circumstances, to authorize the targeting of persons located outside the United States. Requires such audit to address: (1) the interactions between the NSA and the FISA court, and (2) the process for conducting background investigations of persons for NSA employment or for receiving access to classified information.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2014
Establishes the Green Bank as a federally-owned independent corporation with a 20-year charter. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue Green Bonds in order to provide the Bank with an initial capitalization of $10 billion and to provide additional capitalization of up to $50 billion upon request of the Bank. Requires the Bank to establish a program to provide financial support or risk management for qualifying clean energy or energy efficiency projects. Authorizes the Bank to provide funding for low-interest loans to establish state clean energy financing institutions and to co-fund the projects with an institution. Gives the Bank immunity from impairment, limitations, or restrictions under laws. Authorizes the Bank to conduct its business without regard to state law relating to incorporation. Exempts the Bank from all state or local taxation except real property taxation. Requires the Chief Executive Officer of the Bank to set forth spending safeguards, including: (1) deobligating financial support to entities that demonstrate an insufficient level of performance or wasteful or fraudulent spending, and (2) creating a publicly available online database with information about financing support or risk management. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to limit and defer tax deduction amounts for foreign-related interest expense (i.e., interest expense allocated and apportioned to income from sources outside the United States).
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2014
Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act of 2014 - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act concerning establishment of minimum leverage and minimum risk-based capital requirements on a consolidated basis for a depository institution holding company or a nonbank financial company supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board). States that federal banking agencies shall not be required to subject any person to such minimum capital requirements, to the extent that such person either: (1) acts in its capacity as a regulated insurance entity regulated by a state insurance regulator, or (2) is a regulated foreign subsidiary engaged in the business of insurance (including a regulated foreign affiliate of such subsidiary). Exempts from any requirement to prepare holding company financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles any Board-supervised depository institution holding company or nonbank financial company that is also a person regulated by a state insurance regulator or a regulated foreign subsidiary (or a regulated foreign affiliate) that files its holding company financial statements using only Statutory Accounting Principles in accordance with state law.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2014
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Enhancement Act - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to include the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board as a recipient of: (1) FISA court procedural rule changes, decisions, and pleadings; (2) the Attorney General's (DOJ) annual report to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Court regarding applications and orders for electronic surveillance; (3) the Attorney General's reports to Congress concerning electronic surveillance, physical searches, pen registers and trap and trace devices, production of tangible things (commonly referred to as business records), the number of persons targeted by the government under FISA authorities, and procedures for targeting persons; (4) reports by the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) assessing compliance with minimization procedures for targeting persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States other than U.S. persons, including reviews of the number of targets who were later determined to be located in the United States; and (5) annual reports of each element of the intelligence community authorized to acquire targeted foreign intelligence information.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2014
Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2014 - Prohibits a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle (except a vehicle operated exclusively on rail or rails) containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another. Sets forth civil penalties for persons who knowingly violate such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) prevent Hezbollah's global logistics and financial network from operating in order to curtail funding of its domestic and international activities; and (2) utilize diplomatic, legislative, and executive avenues to combat Hezbollah's criminal activities in order to block that organization's ability to fund its global terrorist activities. Directs the President to report to Congress: (1) a list of satellite, broadcast, or other providers that knowingly transmit the content of al-Manar TV; and (2) the identity of those providers that have or have not been sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly: (1) facilitates the activities of Hezbollah or its agents, instrumentalities, affiliates, or successors; (2) facilitates the activities of a person acting on behalf of or owned or controlled by an agent, instrumentality, affiliate, or successor; (3) engages in money laundering to carry out such an activity; (4) facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services to carry out such an activity, including services that involve a transaction of gold, silver, platinum, or other precious metals; or (5) facilitates any of these activities, conspires to facilitate or participate in such an activity, or is owned or controlled by a foreign financial institution that knowingly engages in such an activity. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe reporting, information sharing, and due diligence requirements for domestic financial institutions that maintain a correspondent account or payable-through account in the United States for a foreign financial institution. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such requirements if in the U.S. national security interests, and with congressional notification. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to identify to Congress every 180 days each foreign central bank that carries out an activity prohibited under this Act. Sets forth penalty requirements for specified violations under this Act. Directs the President to designate Hezbollah as: (1) a significant foreign narcotics trafficker if Hezbollah meets meets the criteria set forth under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and (2) a significant transnational criminal organization if Hezbollah meets the criteria set forth under specified executive orders and statutes. Requires the President to report to Congress which of these criteria the President determines that Hezbollah has not met, if it does not. Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress regarding Hezbollah's involvement in the trade in rough diamonds outside of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. Declares that nothing in this Act shall apply to authorized U.S. intelligence activities. States that any requirement of this Act shall cease to be in effect 30 days after the President certifies to Congress that Hezbollah: (1) is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist organization; (2) is no longer listed in the Annex to Executive Order 13224 (blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit or support terrorism); and (3) poses no significant threat to U.S. national security, interests, or allies.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2014 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (SAA, 2008) to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before June 1, 2014. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until May 31, 2014, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and November 30, 2014, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to May 31, 2014, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the SAA, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through the first five months of FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Requires the provision of such activities to an individual, at a minimum, within a time period after he or she begins to receive Tier-1 EUC benefits, and if applicable, again within a time period after he or she begins to receive Tier-3 EUC benefits. Requires the Secretary of Labor to determine appropriate time periods. Specifies the purposes of the activities, namely to: better link the unemployed with the overall workforce system by bringing individuals receiving unemployment insurance benefits in for personalized assessments and referrals to reemployment services; and provide them with early access to specific strategies that can help get them back into the workforce faster, including through: (1) the development of a reemployment plan, (2) provision of access to relevant labor market information, (3) provision of access to information about industry-recognized credentials that are regionally relevant or nationally portable, (4) provision of referrals to reemployment services and training, and (5) an assessment of the individual's on-going eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through May 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits. Makes a change in application of a certain requirement (nonreduction rule) to a state that has entered a federal-state EUC agreement, under which the federal government would reimburse the state's unemployment compensation agency making EUC payments to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment compensation under state or federal law and meet specified other criteria. (Under the nonreduction rule such an agreement does not apply with respect to a state whose method for computing regular unemployment compensation under state law has been modified to make the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010, less than what would have been paid before June 2, 2010.) Declares that the nonreduction rule shall not apply to a state which has enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. Allows a state whose agreement was terminated, however, to enter into a subsequent federal-state EUC agreement on or after enactment of this Act if, taking into account this inapplicability of the nonreduction rule, it would otherwise meet the requirements for an EUC agreement. (Thus allows such a subsequent EUC agreement to permit payment of less than the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010.) Prohibits the use of federal funds to: (1) make payments of unemployment compensation to any individual whose adjusted gross income in the preceding year was at least $1 million, or (2) determine whether or not this prohibition applies to an individual. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to: study the use of work suitability requirements to strengthen them to ensure that unemployment insurance benefits are being provided to individuals who are actively looking for work and truly want to return to the labor force; and brief Congress on the ongoing study, including preliminary recommendations for appropriate legislation and administrative action. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code to revise the applicable percentages for determining minimum funding standards for single-employer defined benefit pension plans (funding stabilization). Exempts plans providing accelerated benefit distributions from the application of such standards. Amends ERISA, with respect to pension insurance premiums paid by a designated payor (i.e., the contributing sponsor or plan administrator for a single employer pension plan and the plan administrator for the multiemployer plan) to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Allows a designated payor to elect to prepay, during any plan year, the applicable PBGC flat dollar insurance premium due for up to five consecutive subsequent plan years specified in the election. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend through FY2024 the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to collect customs user fees for the processing of certain merchandise. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a bona fide volunteer providing firefighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services to a state or local government or tax-exempt organization shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for purposes of the employer mandate to provide minimum essential health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Excludes services rendered as a bona fide volunteer to any governmental entity and any tax-exempt organization (specified employer) from the determination of the number of full-time employees of an employer for purposes of such mandate. Defines "bona fide volunteer" as an employee whose only compensation from a specified employer is in the form of: (1) reimbursement for (or reasonable allowance for) reasonable expenses incurred in the performances of volunteer services; or (2) reasonable benefits and nominal fees, customarily paid in connection with the performance of volunteer services.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act of 2014 - Exempts expatriate health plans, employers acting as sponsors of such plans, and health insurance issuers providing coverage under such plans from the health care coverage requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Deems expatriate health coverage to be minimum essential coverage under an eligible employer-sponsored plan according to the Internal Revenue Code. Declares that a qualified expatriate (and any dependent) enrolled in an expatriate health plan shall not be considered a U.S. health risk for purposes of assessing the annual fee on health insurance providers that provide health coverage to any U.S. health risk for any year after 2014. Establishes a special rule for calculating the amount of this fee for calendar 2014. Defines a "qualified expatriate" as: (1) a participant in a group health plan who is a U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or nonimmigrant about whom there is a good faith expectation of being abroad, in connection with his or her employment, for at least 90 days in a 12-month period, or of traveling abroad on at least 15 occasions during such a period; or (2) an individual who is abroad as a member of a group determined appropriate by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to tax-exempt qualified tuition programs (529 plans), to: (1) make permanent the allowance for computer technology and equipment expenses and require that such technology and equipment be used primarily by the plan beneficiary (formerly, beneficiary and beneficiary's family); (2) allow contributors to a 529 plan or a plan beneficiary to direct plan investments, but not more frequently than four times per calendar year; (3) permit a recontribution to a 529 plan of amounts refunded to a student who withdraws from an educational institution if the recontribution is made not later than 60 days after the date of such refund and does not exceed the refunded amount; and (4) allow tax-free rollovers to a Roth individual retirement account (Roth IRA) of distributions from a qualified tuition program which has been maintained by the account holder for a 10-year period.
![Official portrait of Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001047_200.jpg)