United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Pathways Out of Poverty Act of 2014 - Division A: Education - Title I: Strong Start for America's Children - Subtitle A: Access to Voluntary Prekindergarten for Low- and Moderate-Income Families - Directs the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to allot matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), childhood education program providers, or consortia of those entities to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families. Allots grants to states based on each state's proportion of children who are age four and who are from families with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty level. Defines "high-quality prekindergarten programs." Conditions grant eligibility on a state demonstrating to the Secretary that it: (1) has established or will establish early learning and development standards, (2) has established or will develop the ability to link prekindergarten data with elementary and secondary school data, (3) offers state-funded kindergarten for children, and (4) has established a State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a process to provide Head Start program services to children who are younger than age four in states or regions that provide four-year-olds whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level with sustained access to high-quality prekindergarten programs. Subtitle B: Prekindergarten Development Grants - Directs the Secretary to award competitive, matching, capacity-building grants to states that assure that they will use their grant to become eligible, within three years of receiving the grant, for this Act's grants for high-quality prekindergarten programs. Title II: Restoring Summer Pell Grants - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow the Secretary to award a student two Pell Grants during a single award year if the student is enrolled in an associate or baccalaureate degree program or a certificate program at an institution of higher education (IHE) on at least a half-time basis for the equivalent of more than one academic year during the Pell Grant award year. Title III: Restoring Title IV Ability-to-Benefit Eligibility - Allows students who are not high school graduates or have not met certain home schooling requirements to receive student assistance under title IV of the HEA if they demonstrate that they can benefit from the education or training being offered by an IHE through: (1) their performance on an independently administered examination, (2) a state prescribed process, or (3) their satisfactory completion of six credit hours or the equivalent coursework toward a degree or certificate offered by the IHE. Title IV: Youth Promise/Federal Coordination of Local and Tribal Juvenile Justice Information and Efforts - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity. Requires the Administrator of the Office to award grants to organizations to collect and use data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Title V: Promise Grants - Subtitle A: PROMISE Assessment and Planning Grants - Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to assist local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs) with planning and assessing evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth. Subtitle B: PROMISE Implementation Grants - Directs the Administrator to award additional grants to assist PCCs to implement PROMISE plans for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Subtitle C: General PROMISE Grant Provisions - Directs the Administrator, in conjunction with the PROMISE Advisory Panel, to establish and utilize a system for evaluating applications for PROMISE Assessment and Planning grants and for PROMISE Implementation grants. Division B: Housing - Title VI: Common Sense Housing Investment - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for mortgage interest, to: (1) allow, in lieu of such deduction, a tax credit for 15% of mortgage interest paid in a taxable year for the taxpayer's principal residence and one other residence; (2) provide for a phaseout of the tax deduction for mortgage interest between 2014 and 2018; (3) allow a deduction for interest and taxes relating to land for dwelling purposes owned or leased by cooperative housing corporations; and (4) increase the state housing credit ceiling for the low-income housing tax credit. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to apply the savings from the enactment of this Act to the Housing Trust Fund, for assistance under the Section 8 low-income housing program, and for the Public Housing Capital Fund. Title VII: Low-Income Housing Tax Credit for Homeless Youth - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to qualify low-income building units that provide housing for full-time students who were homeless youth or homeless veterans prior to occupying a low-income housing unit for the low-income housing tax credit. Title VIII: Renters Tax Credit - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business-related tax credit for a portion of the rent paid by a qualified renter. Defines "qualified renter" as a family unit with income not greater than the higher of 60% of local median income or 150% of the federal poverty line. Establishes the amount of such credit as the rent reduction amount, which: (1) is the amount by which the fair market rent for a rental unit exceeds the rent charged to the qualified renter; and (2) shall not exceed the excess of the rent charged to the qualified renter (or, if lower, specified modest rent) over 30% of the qualified renter's income (prorated monthly). Division C: Nutrition - Title IX: Improving the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require state TANF plans to address whether and how states will give priority to providing assistance in areas with the greatest need. Extends the TANF program. Establishes matching grants to the states for subsidized employment. Sets a flat minimum participation rate of 50% with respect to all families residing in a state that include a work-eligible individual.. Gives TANF recipients the option to have trained personnel assess certain barriers to employment. Revises the contents of individual responsibility plans. Authorizes a state to develop a modified employability plan for a TANF recipient with, or caring for a family member with, a disability. Prohibits a state from imposing a lifetime sanction or full-family sanction on assistance to any individual or family on the basis of a family member's failure to comply with a program requirement. Prohibits sanctioning individuals for failure to engage in work if the failure results from the inability to secure child care or after-school arrangements for a child under age 13. Prohibits imposing a limit of less than 60 months on duration of TANF assistance. Makes the durational limit inapplicable during a recession. Requires that states establish personnel standards through a merit-based system in the administration of TANF programs. Requires TANF assistance to meet basic family economic needs. Makes reducing child poverty a purpose of the TANF program. Requires that states adopt standards and procedures to address domestic and sexual violence suffered by TANF recipients. Requires a state to guarantee child care services to TANF recipients employed or participating in a work activity. Eliminates the ban on providing assistance to families not assigning certain support rights to the state. Gives states the option to extend TANF eligibility to children through age 21. Prohibits considering financial aid tied to education of a child in determining eligibility for or the amount of TANF. Eliminates bars to TANF assistance for persons convicted of drug felonies, unwed teen parents not in school, and teens not in an adult-supervised living arrangement. Title X: Employment Advancement, Retention, and Navigation Act - Makes it a purpose of TANF to promote employment among needy families. Requires a state to use any funds received under a grant from the TANF Contingency Fund for State Welfare Programs solely to support training programs leading to a credential directly linked to the employment opportunities in the local area or region. Eliminates the maintenance of effort requirement, and related administrative penalty, for state use of amounts from the Contingency Fund. Revises the definition of vocational educational training as a work activity to include up to 24 months of such training for any individual participating in a training program leading to a credential directly linked to employment opportunities in the individual's local area or region. Removes from the limitation on the number of persons who may be treated as engaged in work by reason of participation in educational activities all single heads of household or married individuals under age 20 who maintain satisfactory school attendance. Title XI: Restoring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs Funding Cuts Instituted in Farm Bill (Heat-and-Eat) - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to remove restrictions on providing standard utility allowances under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) to certain households based on the receipt of nominal benefits under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 or similar energy assistance programs. Title XII: Helping Hungry Students Learn - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to expand the school lunch program, provide free breakfast to students, and establish a pilot program to provide commodities to state agencies to assist in providing food to at-risk children on weekends and during school holidays. Title XIII: Food Assistance to Improve Reintegration Act - Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to repeal provisions making individuals convicted of certain drug-related offenses ineligible for SNAP benefits. Division D: Labor/Job Training - Title XV [ sic ]: Assistance for the Unemployed and Pathways Back to Work - Subtitle A: Supporting Unemployed Workers - Supporting Unemployed Workers Act of 2014 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before January 1, 2016. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until December 31, 2015, 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 June 30, 2016, 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. Amends FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to December 31, 2015, 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 Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2015, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits. Establishes the Reemployment NOW program to facilitate the reemployment of individuals receiving emergency unemployment compensation (EUC claimants). Requires a state to submit for approval by the Secretary of Labor a plan meeting certain minimum requirements in order to be eligible for an allotment of federal funds under such program. Authorizes a state to use its allotted funds to establish: (1) a Bridge to Work program to provide EUC claimants with short-term work experience placements with eligible employers; (2) a wage insurance program to pay, for up to two years, an EUC claimant who obtains reemployment up to 50% of the difference between the wages received at the time of work separation and the wages received for reemployment; and (3) a program of enhanced reemployment services to EUC claimants, including unemployed individuals who have exhausted their EUC rights. Prescribes requirements for federal financing of state short-time compensation programs. Subtitle B: Long-Term Unemployed Hiring Preferences - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an increased work opportunity tax credit for long-term unemployed individuals (individuals who are unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation for six months or more). Subtitle C: Pathways Back to Work - Pathways Back to Work Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make certain allocations of federal funds to states with approved plans, qualifying outlying areas (U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau), and Native American program grantees to provide: (1) subsidized employment to unemployed, low-income adults; and (2) summer and year-round employment opportunities to low-income youth. Requires the Secretary of Labor to award competitive grants to local entities for work-based training and other work-related and educational strategies and activities of demonstrated effectiveness to provide unemployed, low-income adults and low-income youths with skills that will lead to employment. Subjects activities funded under this Act to federal labor standards and nondiscrimination protections. Subtitle D: Prohibition of Discrimination in Employment on the Basis of an Individual's Status as Unemployed - Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2014 - Makes it an unlawful practice for certain employers to: (1) publish a job advertisement or announcement that includes provisions indicating that an individual's status as unemployed disqualifies the individual for employment or that the employer will not consider or hire an individual for employment based on such status, (2) fail or refuse to consider or hire an individual because of such status, or (3) direct or request that an employment agency take an individual's status into account to disqualify an applicant for consideration for employment or when screening or referring employees. Makes it an unlawful practice for an employment agency to commit similar acts, including to: (1) screen, or fail or refuse to consider or refer, an individual for employment because of the individual's unemployed status; or (2) limit, segregate, or classify any such individual in any manner that would limit access to job information or consideration, screening, or referral for jobs. Makes it unlawful for any employer or employment agency to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of any right provided under this Act; or (2) fail or refuse to hire, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against an employee because such individual opposed any practice made unlawful by this Act or asserted any right under it. Prescribes enforcement authorities and legal remedies for violations of this Act. Title XVI: Living American Wage - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to at least the amount determined by the Secretary of Labor according to the formula prescribed by this Act beginning September 1, 2014. Requires the Secretary to determine such minimum wage rate by June 1, 2014, and once every four years thereafter. Prohibits any adjustment if the determination would result in a minimum wage lower than the current one. Requires the minimum wage so determined to be the minimum hourly wage sufficient for a person working for it 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, to earn an annual income 15% higher than the federal poverty threshold for a four-person household, with two children under age 18, and living in the 48 contiguous states, as published for each such year by the Census Bureau. Title XVII: Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (SSA, 2008) to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before January 1, 2015. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until December 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 June 30, 2015 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. Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to December 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 SSA, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 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.) Division E: Anti-Poverty Tax Provision - Title XVIII: Child Tax Credit Permanency - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the child tax credit, to: (1) make permanent the reduction (from $10,000 to $3,000) of the eligibility threshold for the refundable portion of such credit, and (2) require an annual inflation adjustment to the allowable amount of such credit (i.e., $1,000) after 2013. Title XIX: Earned Income Tax Credit - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the earned income tax credit, to: (1) increase the rate of such credit for individuals with no qualifying children; (2) allow an annual inflation adjustment to the increased phaseout amount of such credit for taxable years beginning after 2014; and (3) expand eligibility for such credit to individuals who have attained age 21 (currently, age 25) but have not attained the full retirement age under the Social Security Act. Title XX: Child Care Access and Refundability Expansion Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for dependent care expenses, to: (1) make such credit refundable, (2) deny such credit to nonresident aliens, and (3) allow an annual cost-of-living adjustment after 2013 to the amounts used to determine an income-based reduction in the amount of such credit. Division F: Miscellaneous - Title XXI: Poverty Impact Trigger - Amends Rule XXI (Restrictions on Certain Bills) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to make it out of order to consider a public bill or joint resolution authorizing an appropriation of $10 million or more, unless: (1) the accompanying committee report includes a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Poverty Impact Division impact statement, or (2) the chair of the committee reporting the legislation submits such statement for publication in the Congressional Record before consideration of the measure. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish the CBO Poverty Impact Division to prepare and submit poverty impact statements to the chair of House committees. Title XXII: Half in Ten Act to Create a National Strategy to Reduce Poverty - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a Federal Interagency Working Group on Reducing Poverty, which shall develop a National Strategy to reduce the number of persons living in poverty in America in half within 10 years after release of the 2012 Census report on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Put a Registered Nurse in the Nursing Home Act of 2014 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act with respect to coverage of nursing care services in skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities, respectively, to revise the standards for 24-hour licensed nursing service care which a professional registered nurse is required to provide at least 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week. Requires such facilities, instead, to use the services of at least one registered professional nurse to provide assessment, surveillance, and direct care to residents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
CHIP Extension and Improvement Act of 2014 - Revises and extends through FY2019 at generally increased levels the program under title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA), and adjusts CHIP allotment requirements accordingly, including the rebasing and growth factor update rules for computing state allotments. Makes appropriations for certain allotments. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make payments to shortfall states from the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund in each of FY2016-FY2019. Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to minimum essential coverage for a targeted pregnant low-income woman under CHIP, to exclude from such coverage, at a woman's option, pregnancy-related assistance. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations to ensure continuity of care for children who: (1) are undergoing an active course of treatment; and (2) involuntarily change coverage under health insurance, the state plan under Medicaid (SSA title XIX), or the state child health plan under CHIP during such course of treatment for any reason. Amends SSA title XIX to allow a state Medicaid plan to provide that an adult determined eligible for Medicaid benefits shall remain eligible for those benefits until the end of a period (not to exceed 12 months) following the determination. Makes permanent the express lane option and the CHIP outreach and enrollment grant program. Gives states the option to extend express lane Medicaid eligibility to adults. Makes permanent the program of grants to conduct outreach and enrollment efforts designed to increase the enrollment and participation of eligible children under CHIP. Requires each contract with a managed care entity under Medicaid to require the provision of and payment for language services for enrolled individuals who are limited English proficient. Prescribes additional cost-sharing requirements under CHIP. Amends SSA titles XIX and XXI to cover preventive services for children or pregnant women without cost-sharing. Amends SSA title XIX to cover newly approved vaccines within 30 days after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approves them. Treats CHIP-eligible children as federally vaccine-eligible children. Extends Medicaid coverage of primary care services through calendar 2019, and expands the types of physicians and health care practitioners eligible for reimbursement for providing such services. Amends SSA title XI to extend the pediatric quality measures program through calendar 2019. Revises the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP, or federal matching rate) for activities related to pediatric quality measures. Extends the technical assistance provided to states in adopting and utilizing certain core sets of child health measures to assistance in building their data collection infrastructures as well. Revises requirements for initial core measures. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the core set of child health quality measures. Modifies and extends through FY2019: (1) the demonstration projects for improving the quality of children's health care and the use of health information technology, and (2) funding for childhood obesity demonstration projects. Amends SSA title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) to extend funding through FY2019 for maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting programs. Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to extend through calendar 2019 the Pediatric Accountable Care Organization Demonstration Project. Amends SSA title XIX to cover therapeutic foster care services.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Audiology Patient Choice Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the coverage of audiology services to treat as physicians qualified audiologists authorized by the state and acting within the scope of their license to furnish such services. Enables Medicare beneficiaries to choose a qualified audiologist without regard to any requirement to be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or that services be provided under the supervision of a physician or other health care practitioner.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Patriot Employer Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a Patriot employer a business-related tax credit for up to 10% of the first $15,000 of wages paid to any employee in a taxable year. Sets forth criteria for designation as a Patriot employer, including requirements that such employer: (1) maintains its headquarters in the United States and does not expatriate to avoid payment of U.S. income taxes, (2) complies with the employer mandate to provide minimum essential health care coverage to its employees under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, (3) compensates at least 90% of its employees at a level that is 150% of the federal poverty level for a family of three and provides 90% of its employees with a basic level of retirement benefits, (4) provides for differential wage payments to its employees who are members of the Uniformed Services, and (5) increases the number of its employees performing substantially all of their services inside the United States to offset the number of employees who work outside the United States. Sets forth a rule for the deferral of the tax deduction for foreign-related interest expense.
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 · 30 July 2014
Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Social Security Act to expand the collection and analysis of data in programs of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Sets forth provisions to improve cultural competence in federal health care programs and services, including by establishing the Robert T. Matsui Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Health Care. Requires the Secretary of HHS (Secretary) to engage in activities to improve health workforce diversity, including by: (1) establishing a working group and a technical clearinghouse; (2) awarding grants to academic institutions; (3) establishing a health and health care disparities education program; and (4) providing for scholarships, student loan repayment and loan forgiveness, and research fellowships. Health Empowerment Zone Act of 2014 - Provides for the establishment of health empowerment zones in communities that experience disproportionate disparities in health status and health care. Requires the Secretary to engage in activities to improve the quality of and access to health care, including by expanding access to health care and health care insurance for immigrants, designating centers of excellence at public hospitals and other health systems serving minority patients, increasing Medicaid payments to territories and to Native Hawaiian health centers, and providing for border health grants. Sets forth programs to reduce health disparities affecting minorities and rural residents. Establishes an Office of Minority Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Sets forth provisions to improve health for women and children, including by expanding access to federal programs for immigrant women and children, creating public awareness campaigns, engaging in activities to eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes, and establishing programs to reduce teenage pregnancies, including contraception education and information programs, programs to support healthy adolescent development, maintaining a database of systematic reviews of maternity care, designating maternity care health professional shortage areas, and establishing a research center on optimal maternity outcomes. Directs the Secretary to develop a multisite gestational diabetes research project within the diabetes program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Requires pharmacies to provide in stock contraceptives to customers without delay. Expands Medicare coverage of marriage and family therapist services, mental health counselor services, and substance abuse counselor services. Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary to implement the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Program to achieve a reduction of at least 25% in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2020. Prostate Research, Outreach, Screening, Testing, Access, and Treatment Effectiveness Act of 2014 or the PROSTATE Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take action to address prostate cancer, including by establishing the Interagency Prostate Cancer Coordination and Education Task Force. Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary to implement programs to address hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act of 2014 - Requires the Director of CDC to establish the National Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Registry. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop guidelines to screen minority patient populations which have a higher than average risk for many chronic diseases and cancers. Expands Medicaid to cover a beneficiary's routine medical costs when they are in an approved clinical trial. Requires the Secretary to expand HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention activities, including: (1) identification of issues that impede disease status awareness and retention in appropriate care, (2) research into treatment adherence strategies, (3) grants to public health agencies and faith-based organizations, (4) the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative, and (5) health workforce training for culturally competent care. Directs the Secretary to award grants for comprehensive sex education programs for adolescents. Eliminates a program that supports abstinence education. Permits community organizations to distribute sexual barrier protection devices (e.g., condoms) and to engage in sexually transmitted infection counseling and prevention education in federal correctional facilities. Stop AIDS in Prison Act - Requires the Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to provide HIV testing, treatment, and prevention for inmates. Requires the Secretary to conduct research and other activities with respect to diabetes in minority populations and the prevention of lung disease. Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Disorders Health Disparities Act - Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand research addressing sleep health disparities. Requires the Director of CDC to expand activities regarding sleep disorders. Sets forth provisions regarding the use of health information technology to reduce health disparities, particularly in racial and ethnic minority communities. Prohibits discrimination in federal health care programs or research activities. Requires the Secretary to establish the Office of Health Disparities in the Office for Civil Rights and to establish civil rights compliance offices in each HHS agency that administers health programs. Directs the Secretary to establish a program at the National Center for Environmental Health on health impact assessment (the process of determining the potential effects of a policy, program, or project on health). Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the type and scope of health care services provided to racial and ethnic minorities affected by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling unit on April 20, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Survivor Outreach and Support Campus Act or the SOS Campus Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in the programs under title IV (Student Assistance) to designate an independent advocate for campus sexual assault prevention and response (Advocate) with experience in providing sexual assault victim services. Directs the Secretary of Education to prescribe regulations for IHEs to follow in appointing Advocates. Requires each Advocate to: (1) report to an individual outside the body responsible for investigating and adjudicating sexual assault complaints at the IHE, (2) submit to such individual an annual report summarizing how the resources supplied to the Advocate were used, and (3) represent the interests of each student victim even when they conflict with the IHE's interests. Directs each Advocate to: ensure that sexual assault victims at the IHE receive, with their consent, specified information and services; guide sexual assault victims who request assistance through the reporting, counseling, administrative, medical and health, academic accommodations, or legal processes of the IHE or local law enforcement; attend, at the request of a sexual assault victim, any administrative or IHE-based adjudication proceeding related to such assault as an advocate for the victim; maintain the privacy and confidentiality of the victim and any witness to such sexual assault, without notifying the IHE or any other authority of the identity of the victim or of any such witness or the alleged circumstances surrounding the reported sexual assault, unless otherwise required to do so by state law; and conduct a public information campaign to inform the students enrolled at the IHE of the existence of, contact information for, and services provided by the Advocate.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Pet and Women Safety Act of 2014 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit threats or acts of violence against a person's pet under the offenses of stalking and interstate violation of a protection order. Defines "pet" to mean a domesticated animal that is kept for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes. Requires the "full amount of the victim's losses" for purposes of restitution in domestic violence and stalking offenses to include any costs incurred for veterinary services relating to physical care for the victim's pet. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to award grants to eligible entities to carry out programs to provide specified housing assistance, support services, and training of relevant stakeholders to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and their pets. Expresses the sense of Congress that states should encourage the inclusion of protections against violent or threatening acts against the pet of the person in domestic violence protection orders.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a new tax credit for employment-related expenses necessary to care for a dependent of a taxpayer who has attained age 50, including expenses for household services and for the care of the dependent, including respite care and hospice care. Limits the amount of such credit to $3,000 for the care of one dependent and $6,000 for the care of two or more dependents of the taxpayer in a taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Condemns: (1) the attack that occurred at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin on August 5, 2012; and (2) intolerance, including religious and racial discrimination, and calls for continued vigilance against violence. Honors the memory of Suveg Singh Khattra, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Ranjit Singh, Sita Singh, Paramjit Kaur, and Prakash Singh, who died in the attack. Applauds the bravery of Lieutenant Brian Murphy and other first responders who prevented the gunman from taking more lives and treated wounded individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2014
Emergency Iron Dome Replenishment Act - Authorizes the President, through the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of State, to provide assistance to Israel for the procurement, maintenance, and sustainment of the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2014
Notario Victim Relief Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the time limit on the filing of a motion to reopen a removal proceeding if the basis of the motion is fraud, negligence, misrepresentation, or extortion by, or the attempted, promised, or actual practice of law without authorization on the part of, a representative.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2014
Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude therapeutic hemp and cannabidiol: (1) from the definition of "marihuana," and (2) from treatment as a controlled substance under such Act. Defines: (1) "therapeutic hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis; and (2) "cannabidiol" to mean the substance cannabidiol, as derived from therapeutic hemp. Exempts therapeutic hemp or cannabidiol from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Declares that nothing in this Act shall restrict any activities related to the use, production, or distribution of marihuana in a state in which such activities are legal under state law.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2014
Recognizes the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, which occurred during World War II and serves as a symbol of heroism and the power of the human spirit.
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
Calls on: (1) the United States to prioritize the rights of migrant workers in their relations with Qatar by offering technical assistance and expertise in combating human trafficking and the provision of victim-centered services, and (2) U.S. corporations involved in constructing World Cup related infrastructure in Qatar to ensure that working conditions are in compliance with international human rights standards by holding subcontractors accountable for labor violations and incorporating mechanisms for enforcement of such contractual obligations. Calls on the Qatari authorities to implement existing legislation and enact new legislation to prevent human rights violations. Calls on the migrant laborers' countries of origin, notably Bangladesh, India, Nepal, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, to protect their nationals from deceptive recruitment agencies in their countries and intervene on behalf of their nationals whose rights are abused when working in Qatar and other Persian Gulf states. Urges the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to: (1) ensure that the World Cup is a symbol of global cooperation, (2) deliver a strong message to Qatar to make sure that the 2022 World Cup is not staged with the assistance of modern slavery by continuing the organization's involvement in Qatar, and (3) advocate for fair labor practices on all World Cup related projects.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Reaffirms the commitments of the House of Representatives to promoting and protecting religious freedom around the world and providing relief to minority groups facing persecution. Calls on the Department of State to work with the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Iraqi central government, neighboring countries, the diaspora community in the United States, the United Nations (U.N.) High Commissioner for Refugees, and other key stakeholders to help secure safe havens for those claiming amnesty in Iraq. Requests the addition of a Special Representative for Religious Minorities to be included in Prime Minister al-Maliki's newly reconstructed government.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of Defense (DOD) should review exceptions to citizenship, residency, and disqualification standards for enlistment in the Armed Forces to make a determination regarding the enlistment of aliens who possess an employment authorization document issued under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established pursuant to the DHS Secretary's memorandum dated June 15, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Condemns the religious bigotry, property destruction, and violent attacks on, and intimidation of, Iraqi civilians by armed extremists. Calls upon the government of Iraq to protect the safety and constitutional rights of all Iraqi citizens. Calls on the President, Secretary of State, and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (U.N.) to implement a humanitarian intervention to protect civilians, stabilize the security situation in the Nineveh Plain region of Iraq, and facilitate humanitarian assistance in the Kurdistan region to help absorb the influx of refugees. Calls on the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to document human rights abuses against Iraqi civilians and develop a plan to facilitate access to potable water, health care, fuel, electricity, and basic security for the most vulnerable civilian populations. Calls on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to coordinate with international humanitarian organizations working in Iraq to develop an effective strategy for resettlement assistance and mechanisms to ensure that assistance reaches the intended recipients.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2014
Providing Opportunities for Savings, Transactions, and Lending Act of 2014 or the POSTAL Act of 2014 - Expands the specific powers of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to include the provision of basic financial services, including: (1) small-dollar loans; (2) checking accounts, interest-bearing savings accounts, and services relating to international money transfers, each of which may be provided by the USPS alone or in partnership with depository institutions and credit unions; (3) other basic financial services as appropriate in the public interest; and (4) the creation of a Postal Card that allows users to engage in such financial services.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2014
Travel and Tourism For All Act - Directs the National Council on Disability to report to Congress with recommendations to improve the implementation of: (1) the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) with respect to the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries; and (2) the 2010 ADA standards for public accommodations and commercial facilities under federal regulations setting forth accessibility guidelines for buildings, facilities, new construction, alterations, and architectural barriers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2014
Schedules That Work Act - Grants an employee the right to request that his or her employer change the terms and conditions of employment relating to: the number of hours or times the employee is required to work or be on call; the location; the amount of notification he or she receives of work schedule assignments; and minimizing fluctuations in the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Requires the employer, if the request is made, to engage in a timely, good faith interactive process with the employee that includes a discussion of potential schedule changes that would meet his or her needs. Outlines the process for either granting or denying a change. Requires the employer to grant a request, unless there is a bona fide business reason for denying it, if the request is made because of the employee's serious health condition, his or her responsibilities as a caregiver, or enrollment in a career-related educational or training program, or if a part-time employee requests such a change for a reason related to a second job. Authorizes an employer, if an employee requests a change for any other reason, to deny it for any reason that is not unlawful. Requires the employer to give the employee the reason for the denial, including whether it was a bona fide business reason. Outlines employer requirements for paying reporting time and split shift pay and for giving advance notice of work schedules to retail, food service, or cleaning employees, except for those in bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacities. Makes it unlawful for any employer or other person to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise or the attempt to exercise any right of an employee specified in this Act; (2) retaliate against an individual for exercising his or her rights, or (3) interfere with proceedings or inquiries with respect to violation of an individual's rights. Sets forth administrative enforcement procedures and civil remedies for violation of these prohibitions. Directs the Secretary of Labor to give information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning compliance with this Act. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the impact of certain difficult scheduling practices on employees and employers. Makes this Act inapplicable to any employee covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement if its terms govern work scheduling practices.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2014
Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act of 2014 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit a creditor from extending credit to a consumer under an open end consumer credit plan (credit card) for which the fee and interest rate exceeds 36%. Sets forth criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Empowers state Attorneys General to enforce this Act. Revises requirements for a periodic statement for each billing cycle with respect to where the total finance charge exceeds 50 cents for a monthly or longer billing cycle, or the pro rata part of 50 cents for a billing cycle shorter than monthly. Requires inclusion of the fee and interest rate, displayed as "FAIR," instead of the total finance charge expressed as an annual percentage rate (APR).
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2014
International Human Rights Defense Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of State to establish in the Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Peoples who shall: (1) direct U.S. government efforts regarding human rights abuses against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender) community internationally and the advancement of human rights for LGBT people in U.S. foreign policy, and (2) represent the United States internationally in bilateral and multilateral engagement on these matters. Directs the Special Envoy to develop or update annually for six years a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to discrimination and violence against LGBT people. Authorizes the Secretary and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide assistance to prevent and respond to discrimination and violence against LGBT people.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2014
Audit the Pentagon Act of 2014 - Requires, on March 2 of FY2015 and each subsequent fiscal year, a .5% reduction in the discretionary budget authority of a federal agency that is identified by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as required to have an audited financial statement: (1) that has not submitted a financial statement for the previous fiscal year, or (2) whose statement has not received either an unqualified or a qualified audit opinion by an independent external auditor. Excludes from such reduction accounts for military, reserve and National Guard personnel and the Defense Health Program account of the Department of Defense (DOD). Authorizes: (1) the Secretary of Defense to make such a reduction in the discretionary budget authority of any agency in a manner that minimizes any effect on national security, and (2) the President to waive a reduction in discretionary budget authority if such reduction would harm national security or members of the Armed Forces who are in combat. Requires a report to Congress listing required DOD reports that interfere with DOD's capacity to achieve an audit of its financial statements with an unqualified opinion. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) congressional defense committees and DOD should not endanger the nation's troops by reducing wounded warrior accounts or vital protection for members of the Armed Forces in harm's way, (2) the valuation of legacy assets by DOD should be simplified without compromising essential controls or generally accepted government auditing standards, and (3) this Act should not be construed to require or permit the declassification of accounting details about classified defense programs and DOD should ensure financial accountability in such programs. .
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2014
Condemns the use of innocent civilians as human shields, including Hamas's use of this illegal tactic. Calls on: (1) the international community to recognize Hamas's grave breaches of international law by using human shields, and (2) Mahmoud Abbas to condemn the use of innocent civilians as human shields. Places responsibility for launching the rocket attacks on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as Islamic Jihad, in Gaza. Supports Israel's sovereign right to defend its territory and stop the rocket attacks on its citizens. Expresses condolences to the families of the innocent victims on both sides of the conflict. Supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and all forms of terrorism and who desire to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2014
Amends the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 to direct the House Committee on Ethics to conduct ongoing ethics training and awareness programs for Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner of the House of Representatives (Members). Requires the ethics training program to be completed by: (1) new Members within 60 days after commencing service; and (2) Members serving on or after noon, January 3, 2015, during each session of a Congress, beginning with the 1st session of the 114th Congress.
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 · 14 July 2014
Supports the goals and ideals of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, now in its 40th year of continuous service. Recognizes the benefits the CDBG program has provided to urban, suburban, and rural communities. Acknowledges the importance of this federal grant program to states and local communities throughout the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2014
Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act or the Clay Hunt SAV Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Secretary of Defense (DOD), at least annually, to each arrange for an independent third party evaluation of, respectively, the VA and DOD mental health care and suicide prevention programs. Requires a board reviewing the discharge or dismissal of a former member of the Armed Forces whose application for relief is based at least in part on post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury related to military operations or sexual trauma, to: (1) review the medical evidence from the VA or a civilian health provider that is presented by the former member; and (2) review the case, with a presumption of administrative irregularity, and place the burden on the VA or DOD to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that no error or injustice occurred. Directs the VA Secretary to publish an Internet website that serves as a centralized source to provide veterans with regularly updated information regarding all of the VA's mental health care services. Requires the VA Secretary and the DOD Secretary to enter into certain strategic relationships to facilitate: the mental health referrals of members of the reserve components who have a service-connected disability and are being discharged or released from the Armed Forces, timely behavioral health services for such members, communication when such members are at risk for behavioral health reasons, and the transfer of documentation for line-of-duty and fitness-for-duty determinations. Requires the VA Secretary to carry out a three-year pilot program to repay the education loans relating to psychiatric medicine that are incurred by individuals who: are eligible to practice psychiatric medicine in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) or are enrolled in the final year of a residency program leading to a specialty qualification in psychiatric medicine, demonstrate a commitment to a long-term career as a psychiatrist in the VHA, and agree to a period of obligated service with the VHA in the field of psychiatric medicine. Directs the VA Secretary to carry out a program, as part of the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program, under which the VA Secretary and an institution of higher education (IHE) agree to cover the full cost of charges not covered by post-9/11 educational assistance that are incurred by veterans who: (1) are pursuing an advanced degree in mental health at the IHE, and (2) intend to seek employment as a mental health professional in the VA. Allows the VA Secretary to cover up to 64% of those charges, if the school covers the remainder. Requires the DOD Secretary to submit to Congress a zero-based review of the staffing requirements for individual State National Guard Commands with respect to Directors of Psychological Health. Directs the VA Secretary to establish a pilot program at not less than five Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) to assist veterans transitioning from active duty and to improve the access of veterans to mental health services. Requires the pilot program at each VISN to include: (1) a community oriented veteran peer support network, and (2) a community outreach team for each medical center in such VISN.
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 · 9 July 2014
Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2014 - Prohibits the distribution of a food if its container is composed, in whole or in part, of bisphenol A (BPA) or can release BPA into food. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to grant one-year renewable waivers to a facility for a particular container if such facility: (1) demonstrates that it is not technologically feasible to replace BPA in the container or to use an alternative container that does not contain BPA, and (2) submits to the Secretary a plan and timeline for removing BPA from such container. Sets forth labeling requirements for a product granted a waiver. Requires the Secretary to promote and facilitate the use of BPA replacements. Prohibits replacement of BPA with substances that: (1) are known or are likely human carcinogens; (2) have been found by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic; (3) cause reproductive or developmental toxicity; or (4) are endocrine disrupting chemicals. Requires the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (FDA) to review substances used in food containers in order determine whether there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate exposure to such substance, taking into consideration potential adverse effects from low-dose exposure and the effects on vulnerable populations and populations with high exposure. Sets forth remedial actions based on the Secretary's determination. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require a manufacturer or supplier of a food contact substance to notify the Secretary of the identity and intended use of any such substance prior to its introduction into interstate commerce and of its determination that: (1) no adverse health effects result from low-dose exposures to such substance; and (2) such substance has not been shown, after tests which are appropriate for the evaluation of the safety of food contact substances, to cause reproductive or developmental toxicity in humans or animals.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2014
Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2014 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act with respect to determining entitlement to and the amount of any monthly benefit, including any lump-sum death payment, payable under OASDI on the basis of the wages and self-employment income of any individual. Deems such an individual to have been paid a wage (according to a specified formula) during each month during which the individual was engaged for at least 80 hours in providing care to a dependent relative without monetary compensation for up to five years of such service. Makes this Act inapplicable in the case of any monthly benefit or lump-sum death payment if a larger benefit or payment would be payable without its application.
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
Summer Meals Act of 2014 - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to redefine "areas in which poor economic conditions exist," where the summer food service program for children may operate, as areas in which at least 40% (currently, 50%) of the children have been determined to be eligible for free or reduced price school meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs. Reimburses service institutions (other than school food authorities) for up to one meal and one snack per child each day during after-school hours, weekends, and school holidays during the regular school calendar. (Currently, such institutions are reimbursed for meals and snacks served to children over the summer months or to children who are on vacation under a continuous school calendar.) Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to award competitive grants to service institutions to increase participation in the summer food service program for children at congregate feeding sites through innovative approaches to limited transportation and mobile meal trucks. Allows service institutions that are participating in the summer food service program for children to serve up to three meals, or two meals and one snack, during each day of operation. (Currently, this option is reserved for camps and service institutions that serve meals primarily to migrant children.)
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Working Families Child Care Act of 2014 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to create a supplemental state entitlement for child care assistance for families with infants or toddlers under age three. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to enable eligible states (including Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers, especially those from low-income families. Authorizes the use of grant funds to: (1) make grants to organizations with expertise in providing child care and related technical assistance, to establish new staffed family child care networks or to operate existing staffed family child care networks or systems that offer, to eligible infant and toddler care providers, technical assistance, training, administrative support, or direct services including monitoring visits to providers; (2) support a statewide network of infant and toddler care specialists; and (3) support initiatives to improve the quality of the provider workforce. Allows the use of such funds also to: (1) develop infant and toddler components for the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System or a similar rating system, child care licensing regulations, or voluntary early learning guidelines; (2) improve the ability of parents to obtain information about high-quality infant and toddler care; or (3) assist eligible infant and toddler care providers seeking to increase their ranking on the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System or similar rating system, meet performance standards applicable to an Early Head Start agency, or become accredited by a national accrediting body.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Stop Selling and Marketing to Our Kids E-Cigarettes Act or the SMOKE Act - Amends the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to define "electronic nicotine delivery system" (e-cigarette) and "e-liquid" (solution used in an e-cigarette). Gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate e-cigarettes and e-liquids as tobacco products. Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to include e-cigarettes and e-liquids in the definition of cigarettes, thereby: (1) requiring warning labels to appear on packaging and advertising, and (2) prohibiting advertising in electronic media regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Requires the FDA to study the effects of flavorings added to e-cigarettes and e-liquids, including whether flavorings appeal to children or help adults quit smoking. Requires, upon completion of the study, the FDA to consider restricting the use of flavorings. Directs the FDA to require child-proof packaging for e-cigarettes and e-liquids. Directs the FDA to set nicotine dosage and concentration limits for e-cigarettes and e-liquids, respectively, and allows for exceptions. Prohibits advertisement, promotion, or marketing of e-cigarettes and e-liquids in a manner that increases their use by minors. Sets forth authority for: (1) the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce violations as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, and (2) states to bring civil actions on behalf of residents threatened or adversely affected by such a violation. Allows the FTC to intervene and appeal in state actions.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Stop Corporate Expatriation and Invest in America's Infrastructure Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise rules for the taxation of inverted corporations (i.e., U.S. corporations that acquire foreign companies to reincorporate in a foreign jurisdiction with income tax rates lower than the United States) to provide that a foreign corporation that acquires the properties of a U.S. corporation or partnership after May 8, 2014, shall be treated as an inverted corporation and thus subject to U.S. taxation if, after such acquisition: (1) it holds more than 50% of the stock of the new entity (expanded affiliated group), or (2) the management or control of the new entity occurs primarily within the United States and the new entity has significant domestic business activities. Authorizes additional appropriations to the Highway Account and Mass Transit Account in the Highway Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2014
Charitable Automobile Red-Tape Simplification Act of 2014 or the CARS Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for charitable contributions, to modify the substantiation rules for donations of qualified vehicles (i.e., motor vehicles manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways and boats or airplanes) to require: (1) a statement with respect to such qualified vehicles and a good faith estimate of their value at the time of donation; and (2) a contemporaneous written acknowledgement of the contribution by the donee organization, with information about the donor and the qualified vehicle.
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 · 20 June 2014
Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act of 2014 or the ACE Kids Act of 2014 - Amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act to extend medical assistance to payment for items and services furnished under a Medicaid Children's Care Coordination (MCCC) Program which the state may elect to provide to eligible children with complex medical conditions. Requires an MCCC program, among other things, to coordinate, integrate, and provide for the furnishing of the full range of MCCC program services to enrolled children, as well as designate pediatric care management services and pediatric focused care coordination and health promotion. Requires eligible children to be enrolled prospectively in an MCCC program through initial assignment to a nationally designated children's hospital network.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2014
Creating Higher Education Affordability Necessary to Compete Economically Act or the Middle Class CHANCE Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the maximum Federal Pell Grant for award year 2014-2015 and adjust it each subsequent award year to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index. Directs the Secretary of Education to award an additional Pell Grant to an eligible student who: (1) has received a Pell Grant for an award year, and (2) is enrolled in a program of study for one or more additional payment periods during the same award year that are not otherwise covered by the Pell Grant. Limits the total amount of the Pell Grants awarded to such student for the award year to 150% of the maximum Pell Grant for such award year. Raises, from 12 semesters to 15 semesters, the period during which a student may receive Federal Pell Grants.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2014
Coordinated Recovery Initiative for Babies Act of 2014 or the CRIB Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study the treatment and surveillance of, and available information concerning, neonatal abstinence syndrome (a group of problems occurring in a newborn who was exposed to addictive drugs while in the mother's womb). Requires the Secretary to establish an advisory panel to identify and compile best practices and to disseminate the practices, including through the public HHS website. Requires a review of the best practices at least every two years.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2014
Supports the designation of Make Music Day (the Summer Solstice, June 21, 2014) to celebrate the national commitment to making music and the importance of access to music education for all children. Recognizes Make Music Day organizers and volunteers across the United States for promoting such Day and for their efforts in promoting awareness of the benefits of making music and the importance of access to music education.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2014
Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act of 2014 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate regulations that prohibit broadband providers, in transmitting network traffic over the broadband Internet access service of an end user, from: (1) entering an agreement with an edge provider (a provider of Internet content, applications, services, or access devices) to give preferential treatment or priority to the traffic of such edge provider in exchange for consideration (commonly referred to as "paid prioritization"); and (2) giving preferential treatment or priority to content, applications, services, or devices that are provided or operated by such broadband provider or an affiliate of such broadband provider. Prohibits this Act from superseding any obligation or authorization of a broadband provider to address the needs of emergency communications, law enforcement, public safety, or national security authorities. Sets forth enforcement authority under the Communications Act of 1934, with modified forfeiture standards.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2014
Research for All Act of 2014 - Directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review and develop policies to ensure that the design and size of clinical trials for products granted expedited approval to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition are sufficient to determine the safety and effectiveness of the products for men and women using subgroup analysis. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require FDA, at the request of the sponsor of a new drug, to facilitate the development and expedite its review if the drug is: intended to avoid serious adverse events or to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, intended for safer or more effective treatment for either men or women than a currently available product approved to treat the general population or the other sex, and supported by results of clinical trials that include and separately examine outcomes for men and women. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine when it is appropriate for projects of basic research involving cells, tissues, or animals to include both male and female cells, tissues, or animals. Requires, in such cases, disaggregation of results according to sex. Provides guidelines for ensuring that sex differences are examined and analyzed. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support the continued operation and expansion of Special Centers of Research on Sex Differences. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to provide to Congress updated versions of the reports entitled “Women's Health: NIH Has Increased Its Efforts To Include Women in Research” and “Women's Health: Women Sufficiently Represented in New Drug Testing, But FDA Oversight Needs Improvement,” including in the reports examination of: the inclusion of women, female animals, and female-derived cells and tissues in federally funded research over the past decade; federal reporting and analysis of subgroup information and the translation of differences to the medical community and patients; the effect of inclusion rates in research on the quality of women’s health care; and current efforts within government agencies to encourage the sharing of research data on sex differences and mechanisms to improve such sharing.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2014
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend to all domestic corporations, including S corporations, provisions allowing deferral of tax on gain from the sale of employer securities to an S corporation-sponsored employer stock ownership plan (ESOP); and (2) allow a tax deduction for 50% of the interest incurred on loans to S corporation-sponsored ESOPs for the purchase of employer securities. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations. Amends the Small Business Act to define "ESOP business concern" and allow such a concern to continue to qualify for loans, preferences, and other programs under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2014
States that the House of Representatives: (1) recognizes that heart disease remains the number one killer of women in the United States, that this is untenable, and that basic, preventive heart disease screenings should be a routine part of women's health care; (2) recognizes the importance of early screening wherever women seek primary care; and (3) commits to improving the heart health of all women, tearing down barriers that prevent women from getting screened for heart disease, ensuring women are provided with personalized lifestyle modification recommendations and support, and ensuring all women have a healthy heart.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2014
Recognizes Jeanne Sobelson Manford as a national hero who advanced the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the United States. Commends her for helping to create a more perfect union based on the ideal that all men and women are created equal.
![Official portrait of Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_il_9_schakowsky_janice_200.jpg)