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![Official portrait of Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/v000130_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
3,272 records where Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Urges the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of its six-day mail delivery service.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016
National Guard Bonus Repayment and Financial Relief Act This bill requires the Army to review all bonuses, incentive pays, or similar benefits received by members of the Army National Guard between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2010, to determine if such benefits were issued erroneously and to either: (1) waive repayment of such an erroneous payment if the member concerned fully satisfies any period of service otherwise agreed to or imposed upon the member in connection with receipt of the payment; or (2) repay any such erroneous payment and any interest that was repaid by a member before this bill's enactment if the member fully satisfies any such period of service. The Army may require an Army National Guard member to repay any such erroneous payment upon determining that: (1) the member knowingly received the benefit through fraud or misrepresentation in which the member participated, or (2) repayment is otherwise consistent with provisions governing repayment of unearned pay. For any such member granted relief under this bill, the Army shall: (1) notify all consumer credit reporting agencies that any debt subject to the relief was never valid, and (2) provide assistance to the member facing financial hardship as a result of recoupment actions taken in connection with receipt of the payment. A consumer reporting agency notified of the invalidity of such a debt may not, after the date of notice, make any consumer report containing information relating to the debt.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016
Constitutional Amendment Every Vote Counts Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the President and the Vice President to be elected by people of the several states and the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2016
Promise of Citizenship Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for up to $500 of the costs associated with naturalization as a U.S. citizen. Naturalization costs include naturalization application costs, English as a Second Language and other course costs, and legal services. The credit applies to costs paid or incurred by the taxpayer during the year or the three preceding years with respect to the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or any dependent of the taxpayer if the taxpayer, spouse, or dependent is naturalized as a U.S. citizen during the year.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2016
This bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system at 5901 East 7th Street, Long Beach, California, as the "Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center."
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2016
Norman Yoshio Mineta Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Norman Yoshio Mineta in recognition of his dedication to public service, civic engagement, and civil rights.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2016
Declares that Congress, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: pays tribute to the members of the Armed Forces and civilians who died in the attack; honors the men and women of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in defense of freedom and liberty during World War II; acknowledges the peaceful and mutually beneficial U.S-Japan relationship; appreciates Japan's efforts as one of the most reliable security partners of the United States; and encourages Japan to continue to develop strategic and economic policies, in partnership with the United States, that promote stability throughout Asia and reduce trade barriers between the two nations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2016
Protecting Israel Against Economic Discrimination Act of 2016 This bill declares that Congress opposes politically motivated boycotts, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel. The bill amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 to declare that it shall be U.S. policy to oppose: requests by foreign countries to impose restrictive practices or boycotts against other countries friendly to the United States or against U.S. persons; and restrictive trade practices or boycotts fostered or imposed by an international governmental organization, or requests to impose such practices or boycotts, against Israel. The bill prohibits U.S. persons engaged in interstate or foreign commerce from: requesting the imposition of any boycott by a foreign country against a country which is friendly to the United States; or supporting any boycott fostered or imposed by an international organization, or requesting imposition of any such boycott, against Israel. The bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to include as a reason for the Export-Import Bank to deny credit applications for the export of goods and services between the United States and foreign countries, opposition to policies and actions that are politically motivated and are intended to penalize or otherwise limit commercial relations specifically with citizens or residents of Israel, entities organized under the laws of Israel, or the Government of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Safeguarding America's Armed Forces and Effectiveness Act or the SAAFE Act This bill amends the federal judicial code to limit civil claims against a foreign state for injuries, death, or damage that occurs inside the United States as a result of an act of international terrorism or a tortious act. Specifically, it limits such claims to only those for injuries, death, or damage that occurred on September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Norman Yoshio Mineta Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Norman Yoshio Mineta in recognition of his dedication to public service, civic engagement, and civil rights.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Recognizes the celebration of Filipino American History Month as: a study of the advancement of Filipino Americans; and a time to renew efforts toward the research and examination of history and culture so as to provide an opportunity for all people of the United States to learn more about Filipino Americans, and to appreciate the historic contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Recognizes the role of Latinos in protecting and preserving U.S. land, water, and wildlife. Supports the engagement of Latinos in environmental protection and conservation efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Establishes an ad hoc Joint Committee on the Organization of the Congress to make a full and complete study of the organization, operations, functions, and relevant interactions of the Members of Congress and to make recommendations that serve specified objectives. Requires the committee to include in its report to both chambers at the end of a congressional session recommendations for its continuation or designation of a similar entity to continue the pursuit of improvements in the congressional process.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2016
Academic Success Centers and Education Networks for Dreamers (ASCEND) Act This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to not-for-profit institutions of higher education to develop programs that support Dreamer students in successfully completing postsecondary education. A "Dreamer student" is an individual who is a beneficiary of, or eligible for, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 560 East Pleasant Valley Road, Port Hueneme, California, as the "U.S. Naval Construction Battalion 'Seabees' Fallen Heroes Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Recognizes the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Esteems the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Commends the leadership, staff, scholars, designers, construction workers, volunteers, charter members, and donors who worked tirelessly to realize the venerable dream of opening the National Museum of African American History and Culture of the Smithsonian Institution. Encourages all citizens and residents of, and visitors to, the United States to visit the museum when touring the nation's capital.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Never Again Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), upon the request of a veteran who is enrolled in the VA health care system and entitled to in-patient psychiatric care, to furnish such veteran with in-patient psychiatric care at: (1) the VA facility that is closest to where the veteran resides and that has the capacity and capability to provide such care, or (2) at a non-VA facility if the VA facility lacks such capacity or capability.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Immigration Courts Bail Reform Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the minimum bond amount needed to release a detained alien. An immigration judge may review an initial custody determination for an adult alien, subject to specified rules, which include the following: the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall, within 72 hours, file the notice to appear or charging document with the appropriate immigration court and serve such notice on the detained alien; except for criminals or suspected terrorists, DHS may continue to detain an alien only if no conditions will reasonably assure the alien's appearance and the safety of any other person and the community; the Department of Justice shall ensure that an alien has the opportunity to promptly appear before an immigration judge for a custody redetermination hearing; except for criminals or suspected terrorists, an immigration judge shall review the custody determination de novo and may continue to detain the alien only if DHS demonstrates that no conditions will reasonably assure the alien's appearance and the community's safety; DHS and an immigration judge shall order an alien's release on personal recognizance or upon an unsecured appearance bond unless such release will not reasonably assure the alien's appearance or the community's safety; if DHS or an immigration judge determines that such release will not reasonably assure the alien's appearance or such safety, DHS or the immigration judge shall order the alien's release under the least restrictive conditions that will assure the alien's appearance and the community's safety; DHS or an immigration judge shall consider the alien's financial ability in determining whether to impose a bond as a condition of release; and DHS or an immigration judge may not impose a financial condition that results in an alien's detention.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Healthcare Opportunities for Patriots in Exile (HOPE) Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Department of Homeland Security to parole into the United States an alien veteran who: (1) is seeking temporary admission to receive health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and (2) resides permanently abroad after having been removed or voluntarily departed from the United States. Such parole shall not be available for an alien who is inadmissible due to a criminal conviction for: (1) a crime of violence for which the alien has served at least five years in prison, or (2) a crime that endangers U.S. national security for which the alien has served at least five years in prison.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Immigrant Veterans Eligibility Tracking System (I-VETS) Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: identify aliens, when they apply for an immigration benefit or are placed in an immigration enforcement proceeding, who are serving, or have served, as a member of a regular or reserve component of the Armed Forces on active duty or as a member of a reserve component in an active status; and annotate all DHS immigration and naturalization records relating to an identified alien to reflect such identification and afford an opportunity to track the outcomes for such aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Naturalization at Training Sites Act of 2016 or the NATS Act This bill directs the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard, to establish a naturalization office with trained personnel at each initial military training site of the Armed Forces. The military department concerned shall: (1) identify members of the Armed Forces who are not U.S. citizens and inform them of the availability of naturalization services at such offices; and (2) pending establishment of a naturalization office at all initial military training sites, assign new non-citizen members of the Armed Forces to an initial military training site that has such an office.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2016
This bill amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require candidates for nomination or election to the office of President or Vice President to include in financial disclosure reports a statement from the Department of the Treasury indicating whether or not the Internal Revenue Service is in the process of auditing any of the candidates' individual federal income tax returns, and, if so, the year of the tax return involved. Each candidate who won the nomination of a political party for election to the office of President or Vice President in 2016 must comply with this bill by September 26, 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2016
Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act This bill allows the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation to establish the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial as a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty in support of the Global War on Terrorism. No federal funds may be used to pay any expense to establish the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2016
Expresses the sense of Congress that: the return of the displaced indigenous peoples of the Nineveh Plain, including those in Iraq, to their ancestral homeland should be a policy priority of United States and the international community; their fundamental human rights should be fully restored upon their return to their homeland; the indigenous communities of Iraq's Nineveh Plain region have a right to security and self-determination within the federal structure of Iraq; the United States, the Counter ISIL Coalition, the international community, the government of Iraq, and the Kurdish regional government should remain committed to liberation, economic revitalization, and prosperity of that region; the United States, the international community, international observers, the government of Iraq, and the Kurdish regional government should be committed to the territorial integrity and security of the Nineveh Plain; and the United States, the Counter ISIL Coalition, the international community, and international observers should be committed to working with the national and regional governments of Iraq toward a sustainable security settlement in the Nineveh Plain. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States and the international community should: make the peaceful resolution of questions pertaining to Iraq's disputed internal boundaries a priority; work with the national and regional governments of Iraq to oversee the peaceful reintegration of the indigenous peoples of the Nineveh Plain to their ancestral homeland; work with the national and regional governments of Iraq, including the Kurdish regional government, to establish the Nineveh Plain as an undisputed territory, politically represented by the indigenous peoples and communities of the region; and be committed to supporting the Iraqi government in implementing the decision to create a Nineveh Plain Province and support the new provincial administration to attain its full potential.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of State to provide assistance to entities taking specified criminal and judicial actions against individuals who are suspected of committing genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes in Iraq since January 2014 or in Syria since March 2011. The State Department shall encourage foreign governments to identify and prosecute individuals who are suspected of committing such crimes, including members of foreign terrorist organizations operating in Iraq or Syria. The Department of Justice shall review existing criminal statutes concerning genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes to determine: the extent to which U.S. courts have jurisdiction over such crimes where the perpetrators or victims are U.S. nationals, residents, or persons present in a U.S. territory; current statutes that would apply to such conduct and whether additional statutory authorities are necessary; and the extent to which the absence of criminal statutes defining the crimes or granting jurisdiction impede their prosecution in U.S. courts. The State Department shall identify: threats of persecution, genocide, crimes against humanity, and forced migration against members of Iraqi or Syrian religious or ethnic groups with respect to whom the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has committed such crimes in Iraq or Syria since January 2014 or who are members of other persecuted religious or ethnic groups; humanitarian, stabilization, and recovery needs of these individuals; and assistance provided by the United States, the U.N., and other entities, including faith-based entities. The Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1990 is amended to: include as a category for U.S. refugee determinations aliens who are or were nationals and residents of Iraq or Syria and who share common characteristics that identify them as targets of persecution on account of religion or membership in an ethnic minority in such foreign states, include in such category aliens who are or were nationals and residents of Iraq or Syria and who are members of a religious or ethnic community against which genocide has been committed or that has otherwise been identified as a persecuted group, and extend such Act's coverage to refugee applications submitted before October 1, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
National Flood Insurance Program Debt Forgiveness Act of 2016 This bill cancels all indebtedness outstanding as of September 30, 2016, of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under any notes or other obligations issued pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 and the Federal Flood Insurance Act of 1956. Such cancelled indebtedness may be treated as a public debt of the United States and is designated as an emergency pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2016
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 830 Kuhn Drive in Chula Vista, California, as the "Jonathan 'J.D.' De Guzman Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2016 This bill requires the chief state election official of each state to establish and operate a system of automatic registration for the registration of eligible individuals to vote for elections for federal office in the state. The chief state election official shall ensure that all individuals who are eligible to be, but are not currently, registered to vote in federal elections in the state is promptly registered to vote, unless the individual declines registration by providing appropriate notice. Each contributing agency in a state, including the state motor vehicle authority, shall assist the state's chief election official in registering to vote all eligible individuals the agency serves. For each individual already listed in a contributing agency's records, and for whom the agency retains specified personal information, the agency shall promptly transmit that information to the appropriate state election official. No individual shall be prosecuted under any federal law, or adversely affected in any civil adjudication concerning immigration status or naturalization, or by an allegation in any legal proceeding that an individual who is not a U.S. citizen is removable or inadmissible: for notifying an election official of the individual's automatic registration; on the grounds that the individual is not an eligible voter and has been automatically registered to vote under this bill; or because the individual has been automatically registered to vote at the incorrect address. The bill allows correction of registration information at the polling place. Each state shall ensure that application for or any update to voter registration can be done online. The Election Assistance Commission shall make grants to each eligible state to assist it in implementing this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
America's Call To Improve Opportunities Now for National Service Act or the ACTION for National Service Act This bill amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to reestablish the Corporation for National and Community Service as an independent executive agency called the National and Community Service Administration. An individual who successfully completes a term of full-time national service shall be entitled to a national service educational award equal to twice the amount of tuition for the institution of higher education where the individual is enrolled, not to exceed twice the average in-state tuition. Current law limits the award's value to the maximum amount of a Federal Pell Grant that an individual is eligible to receive in the aggregate. Within the administration, the bill establishes an interagency working group to evaluate specified issues related to: (1) eligibility for tuition and student loan repayment assistance with regard to participation in certain national or volunteer service programs, (2) the advisability of granting federal hiring preference to certain volunteer program participants, and (3) methods for increasing the participation of seniors in national service programs. The National Service Foundation, a nonprofit corporation established by the bill, shall accept and administer gifts made in connection with the administration. The bill expresses support for the authorization of appropriations sufficient to provide, within 10 years, volunteer service opportunities for at least 1 million volunteers in full-time national service annually. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude AmeriCorps educational awards from gross income.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Protect and Grow American Jobs Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise the definition of "exempt H-1B nonimmigrant" to eliminate the masters or higher degree requirement and raise the annual salary threshold requirement from $60,000 to $100,000. (An exempt H-1B nonimmigrant is a nonimmigrant H-1B [specialty occupation] worker meeting certain criteria whom an H-1B dependent employer may hire without having to satisfy certain otherwise applicable H-1B hiring criteria. An H-1B dependent employer is generally one whose H-1B workers comprise 15% or more of the employer's total workforce, with different thresholds applying to smaller employers.) The bill requires an inflation adjustment to the salary threshold every third fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016 This bill declares that it is U.S. policy that all diplomatic and coercive economic means should be used to compel the government of Bashir al-Assad to halt the slaughter of the Syrian people and actively work toward transition to a democratic government. This bill directs the President to impose specified entry and U.S.-based property sanctions against a foreign person that knowingly provides significant financial, material, or technological support: (1) to the government of Syria and the Central Bank of Syria, including Syria's intelligence and security services or its armed forces, including through money laundering or with respect to Syria's gas or petroleum production or civilian aircraft services; and (2) that materially contributes to Syria's ability to acquire or develop ballistic missiles, chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, or destabilizing numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons. The Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012 is amended to direct the President to impose entry and U.S.-based property sanctions against persons responsible for or complicit in: (1) directing the commission of serious human rights abuses against citizens of Syria or their family members, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Syria; or (2) transferring to Syria certain military items or goods or technologies that may be used to commit human rights abuses. The Department of State and the Agency for International Development shall report on the monitoring and evaluation of ongoing assistance programs in Syria and to the Syrian people. The bill requires the President to: (1) submit an updated list of Syrian officials who are responsible for or complicit in the commission of serious human rights abuses against Syrian citizens, and (2) assess the potential effectiveness of a no-fly zone over Syria. The State Department shall provide assistance to entities taking criminal and evidence gathering actions for prosection of individuals who have committed crimes against humanity or war crimes in Syria since March 2011. The President may suspend sanctions against Syria under specified conditions. The bill: (1) expresses the sense of Congress with respect to a transitional government in Syria, and (2) sets forth activities and transactions that are exempt from sanctions.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016
Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) establish a program to permit eligible deported noncitizen veterans to enter the United States as, and to permit eligible noncitizen veterans in the United States to adjust their status to that of, a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence; and (2) cancel the removal of eligible noncitizen veterans and allow them to similarly adjust their status. An "eligible" veteran is a veteran who: (1) was not ordered removed, or removed, from the United States due to a criminal conviction for a crime of violence or for a crime that endangers U.S. national security for which the noncitizen served at least five years' imprisonment; and (2) is not inadmissible to, or deportable from, the United States due to such a conviction. DHS may waive such eligibility requirements for humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, due to exceptional service in the U.S. Armed Forces, or if such waiver otherwise is in the public interest. A noncitizen veteran or service member shall not be removed from the United States unless he or she has a criminal conviction for a crime of violence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for naturalization through service in the U.S. Armed Forces, except that: (1) the grounds on which the noncitizen was ordered removed from, or rendered inadmissible to or deportable from, the United States shall be disregarded when determining whether the noncitizen is a person of good moral character; and (2) any period of absence from the United States due to the noncitizen having been removed or being inadmissible shall be disregarded when determining if the noncitizen satisfies any requirement relating to continuous residence or physical presence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for all military and veterans benefits for which the individual would have been eligible if he or she had never been been removed from, or voluntarily departed, the United States. DHS shall: (1) identify cases involving service members and veterans at risk of removal from the United States, and (2) annotate all DHS immigration and naturalization records relating to any noncitizen involved and afford an opportunity to track the outcome.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016
This bill requires the Joint Committee on the Library to enter into an agreement to obtain a statue of Eli Wiesel. The Joint Committee may authorize the Architect of the Capitol to enter into the agreement as well as related contracts. The Joint Committee shall place the statue in a suitable permanent location in the U.S. Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
Honors the life, work, and legacy of Elie Wiesel. Extends the deepest sympathies of the House of Representatives to the members of Wiesel's family. Reaffirms Wiesel's efforts to preserve the memory of those who perished and prevent the recurrence of another Holocaust, to combat hate and intolerance, and to never forget and also learn from the lessons of history.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
Amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to exclude from the definition of, and moratorium on, "congressional earmarks" any provisions or report language arranging for, authorizing, or recommending a specific amount of spending authority for an expenditure with or to an entity, or targeted to a specific state, locality, or congressional district, if the language relates to an existing or proposed water resources development project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016
California New River Restoration Act of 2016 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a California New River restoration program for the river that starts in Mexicali, Mexico, flows north into the United States through Calexico, passes through the Imperial Valley, and drains into the Salton Sea. In carrying out the program, the EPA must: (1) adopt a New River-wide strategy, and (2) provide grants and technical assistance for coordinating restoration and protection activities.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
Grace Period Alleviation Act or the GPA Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow a borrower of a Federal Direct Stafford Loan (whether subsidized or unsubsidized) to elect a one-year grace period before beginning repayment on the loan. The Department of Education, through a loan modification process, must pay to each borrower who received a Federal Direct Stafford Loan for which the first disbursement was made between July 1, 2012, and July 1, 2014, an amount equal to the amount of interest that accrued on the loan prior to the beginning of the repayment period.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2016
Plymouth 400th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to issue up to 100,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the landing and settlement of Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the role of the indigenous Wampanoag tribes in the realization of the settlement. These coins may be issued only during a two-year period beginning January 1, 2020. Sales of such coins shall include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury as follows: 50% to Plymouth 400, Inc., to support the its work to develop, implement, and provide oversight for the commemorations surrounding the events of 2020-2021 and to be distributed, at the organization's discretion, to local historical preservation and cultural organizations to support their work in educating the public about the settlement of 1620 and their continued existence for the benefit of future generations; 15% to Plimoth Plantation to support its effort to maintain the replica of the 1627 Plantation, the Mayflower II, and the replica of the Wampanoag Village; 15% to a Wampanoag tribal organization to continue programs to educate people about the life of the Wampanoag people prior to the Plymouth settlement and their interactions with the settlers; 10% to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants to support the continued restoration of the main facility in Plymouth, to provide funding for its research library at that site, and for educational purposes; and 10% to the Pilgrim Society to continue its work in displaying the story of the settlement and settlement artifacts.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2016
Protecting Veterans Credit Act of 2016 This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to exclude from a consumer report: (1) for one year, information related to a veteran's choice medical program (program) debt; and (2) information related to a fully paid or settled program debt that had been characterized as delinquent, charged off, or in collection. The Consumer Credit Protection Act is amended to provide a mechanism for veterans to dispute the inclusion of program debt already on a credit report. A consumer reporting agency shall, within 30 days after receiving notice of such dispute, delete such information from the veteran's file and notify the furnisher and the veteran. Within five days after the initial communication with a veteran, a debt collector shall, unless the appropriate information is contained in the initial communication or the veteran has paid the debt, send the veteran a written notice containing specified debt-related information, including information concerning debt amount, creditors, the insurance company involved, and the hospital or medical care provider. If a veteran notifies the debt collector within such one-year period that the program debt is disputed or that the veteran requests the name and address of the original creditor, the debt collector shall cease collection until debt verification or the name and address of the original creditor is obtained.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016
Reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United States to promote the safety and well-being of the millions of refugees who flee war, persecution, or torture in search of peace, hope, and freedom. Calls upon the U.S. government to: (1) continue its international leadership role in response to those who have been displaced, (2) find political solutions to existing conflicts and prevent new conflicts, (3) provide humanitarian and development support to countries that are hosting millions of refugees, and (4) encourage the international community to increase resources to address current and protracted refugee crises. Commends those who have risked their lives working individually and for nongovernmental organizations and international agencies that have provided life-saving assistance and helped protect those displaced by conflict. Reiterates the bipartisan U.S. commitment to protect and assist refugees and other forcibly uprooted persons.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Condemns the June 12, 2016 attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Offers condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were killed and expresses hope for the recovery of those who were wounded. Applauds the bravery and dedication of the law enforcement officials, emergency medical responders, and others who offered their support and assistance. Declares that the House of Representatives stands together united against terrorism and hatred.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016
Investment Advisers Modernization Act of 2016 This bill directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to amend specified regulations for investment advisers as they apply to private equity firms and private investment funds. A specified regulation regarding books and records that investment advisers must maintain shall be amended to declare that an investment adviser is not required to maintain: any communications or materials (including any made available in a secure electronic or physical data room) used in connection with due diligence for a prospective investment, if the communications or materials are subject to a confidentiality agreement; or any written communications regarding recommendations, advise, purchase or sell orders, or the receipt, disbursement or delivery of funds or securities if they are sent and received only by supervised persons of the investment adviser. The bill revises the disclaimer that, in the case of an investment adviser that is a partnership, an assignment shall not be deemed to result from the death, withdrawal, sale or transfer of minority interests to apply the disclaimer also to minority members, shareholders, for other equity owners of the investment adviser. The Investment Advisers Act of 1940 is amended to repeal the requirement that advisers organized as partnerships notify the other party to an investment adviser contract every time there is a change in the composition of the partnership. The SEC shall waive the application of specified antifraud prohibitions to advisers who advertise exclusively to accredited investors, qualified clients, qualified purchasers, or knowledgeable employees. Another regulation shall declare that an investment adviser is not required to deliver a brochure or brochure supplement to a client that is a limited partnership, limited liability company, or other pooled investment vehicle for which each limited partner, member, or other equity owner has received, before purchasing a security issued by the pooled investment vehicle, a prospectus, private placement memorandum, or other offering document containing (to the extent material to the private fund offering) substantially the same information as would be required by Part 2A or 2B of Form ADV. The SEC must amend a certain regulation regarding Form PF which registered investment advisers with at least $150 million in private funds assets under management must file with the SEC to report information about the private funds that they manage. This amendment shall state that an investment adviser to a private fund is not required to report any information beyond that which is required by sections 1a and 1b of Form PF unless it is a large hedge fund adviser or a large liquidity fund adviser. The SEC shall also amend the regulation requiring that client funds and securities of which an investment adviser has custody are verified by actual examination periodically by an independent public accountant. The current "privately offered securities" exemptions from this custody rule must apply to both certificated and uncertificated securities and exempt special purpose vehicles managed by private fund sponsors and co-investment funds that hold only one investment. The SEC shall amend the proxy voting regulation to waive its application to any voting authority exercised by an investment adviser regarding client securities that are not public securities. On the other hand, the SEC may not: amend a specified regulation to extend its requirements and prohibitions concerning investment company sales literature to offerings of securities issued by private funds, or adopt substantially similar rules applicable to such offerings. This bill shall not apply to advisory services supplied to an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2016
Terminates the Select Investigative Panel of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2016
Condemns the Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China, because it: (1) is a spectacle of extreme animal cruelty, (2) is a commercial activity not grounded in Chinese history, (3) is opposed by a majority of the Chinese people, and (4) threatens global public health. Urges: the government of China and the Yulin authorities to ban the killing and eating of dogs as part of Yulin's festival and to enforce China's food safety laws regulating the processing and sale of animal products and the 2011 Agriculture Ministry of China Regulation on the Quarantine of Dogs at the Place of Origin requiring one certificate for one dog on trans-provincial transport trucks, and the National People's Congress of China to enact an animal anticruelty law that bans the dog meat trade. Affirms the commitment of the United States to the protection of animals and to the progress of animal protection.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2016
Senate's Court Obligations Trump Unconstitutional Stalling Resolution or the SCOTUS Resolution Prohibits the House of Representatives or Senate from adjourning, remaining adjourned, or convening solely in a pro forma session for a period of more than two days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, except when the House or Senate is in session on such a day) during the remainder of the 114th Congress unless, at the time the period of adjournment begins, the Senate has taken action on the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by: (1) holding a hearing on the nomination in the Senate Judiciary Committee, or (2) holding a vote on the nomination in the Senate. Requires such prohibition to take effect July 19, 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2016
Recognizes and honors the 40th anniversary of the Judgment of Paris and the impact of the California victory at the 1976 Paris Tasting on the world of wine and the U.S. wine industry. (At the 1976 Paris Tasting, French wine experts were invited to blind taste wines from California and France.)
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2016
Supports designation of National Foster Care Month, and recognizes it as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children face in the foster-care system.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2016
Reaffirms: that Israel is a major U.S. strategic partner, that it is U.S. policy and law to ensure that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge and self-defense capacity, and support of an Israeli tiered missile defense program. Urges finalization of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel. Supports a long-term Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel that increases the amount of aid from previous agreements and enhances Israel's military capabilities.