United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2018
Keep Families Together Act This bill prohibits an agent or contractor of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, or the Department of Health and Human Services from removing a child who is under the age of 18 and has no permanent immigration status from his or her parent or legal guardian at or near the port of entry or within 100 miles of the U.S. border unless: an authorized state court determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed; a state or county child welfare official with expertise in child trauma and development determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed because of abuse or neglect; or the Chief Patrol Agent or the Area Port Director authorizes separation based on a documented finding that the child is a trafficking victim or is at significant risk of becoming a victim, a strong likelihood exists that the adult is not the parent or legal guardian, or the child is in danger of abuse or neglect. A child may not be removed from a parent or guardian unless an independent licensed child welfare expert authorizes the separation within 48 hours of such removal. An agency may not remove a child from a parent or legal guardian solely for the policy goals of deterring migration to the United States or of promoting immigration law compliance. The bill sets forth presumptions: (1) in favor of family and sibling unity and parental rights, and (2) that detention is not in the best interests of families and children. The bill limits the prosecution of asylum seekers.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2018
Scientific Assistance for Very Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Act of 2018 or the SAVE Right Whales Act This bill requires the Department of Commerce to provide financial assistance for the conservation of North Atlantic right whales ( Eubalaena glacialis ).
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2018
International Human Rights Defense Act of 2018 This bill establishes in the Department of State a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex) Peoples who shall serve as the principal State Department advisor regarding human rights for LGBTI people and represent the United States in diplomatic matters relevant to the human rights of LGBTI people. The special envoy shall periodically provide Congress with a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to criminalization, discrimination, and violence against LGBTI people. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development may provide assistance to prevent and respond to such activities against LGBTI people. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to require that annual country reports on human rights practices include information on criminalization, discrimination, and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2018
Bus Operator and Pedestrian Protection Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to require public transportation safety grant recipients that operate fixed route bus service to: (1) develop a risk reduction program for bus operations to improve safety by reducing the number and rates of accidents, injuries, assaults on bus operators, and fatalities; (2) submit the program, including the implementation plan required by this bill, to DOT for review and approval; and (3) implement the program and plans approved by DOT. The recipient of a public transportation safety grant shall report to DOT, for inclusion in the National Transit Database, any information on each assault on an public transportation vehicle operator.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2018
Minorities in Aviation Education Act of 2018 This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration to establish the Bessie Coleman Aviation Education Program to improve the preparation and representation of students, particularly women and minorities, in aviation-related fields.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2018
Energizing American Shipbuilding Act This bill amends (1) the Natural Gas Act to direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to require specified percentages of liquefied natural gas exports to be transported on vessels built in the United States and documented under its laws, and (2) the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 to direct the President to require specified percentages of crude oil exports to be transported on vessels built in the United States and documented under its laws. DOE and the President may waive these requirements under specified circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2018
Gold Star Spouses Leasing Relief Act This bill amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to permit a widow or widower of a service member who died while in military service to terminate a lease of premises occupied, or intended to be occupied, by the service member or the service member's dependents for a residential, professional, business, agricultural, or similar purpose without penalty within one year of the service member's death.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2018
Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2018 This bill requires the House of Representatives and the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. merchant mariners of World War II, in recognition of their service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2018
Water Resources Development Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes, deauthorizes, and modifies various projects under the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 and the National Dam Safety Program Act and provides for specified studies. The bill extends the National Levee Safety Program and the National Dam Safety Program through FY2023. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shall issue guidance on the use of mitigation banks (sites where resources such as wetlands or streams are restored, established, enhanced, or preserved to compensate for the impact of authorized activity) to meet specified goals. Before developing implementation guidance for certain water resources development laws, the Corps of Engineers shall: (1) inform nonfederal stakeholders of the intent to develop guidance, and (2) provide an opportunity for such stakeholders to provide input and recommendations. The Corps of Engineers shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to study: (1) the ability of the Corps to carry out its statutory missions and responsibilities, and (2) improving the Corps's project delivery processes. The bill extends the nonfederal implementation pilot program through FY2023. The Corps of Engineers must develop a list of water resources development projects to deauthorize. A water resources development project, or separable element thereof, authorized by this bill is deauthorized after 10 years unless: (1) funds have been obligated for construction or a postauthorization study, or (2) the authorization has been modified by a subsequent Act of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2018
Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act This bill directs certain aviation and rail transportation carriers (i.e., covered entities) and passenger vessels to issue a formal policy with respect to transportation sexual assault or harassment incidents. Such policy shall include a statement that no transportation sexual assault or harassment incident is acceptable under any circumstances. The bill expands the prohibition against interference with cabin or flight crew by including sexual assaults against such personnel and increasing the penalty for such interference. The Department of Transportation (DOT) shall establish a program to annually collect and maintain data from each covered entity on: (1) the number of transportation sexual assault or harassment incidents committed against passengers and personnel, and (2) the number of transportation sexual assault or harassment incidents reported to law enforcement. Such data must be made publicly available on the primary website of DOT.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2018 or the BURMA Act of 2018 This bill provides humanitarian assistance for Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh and imposes sanctions on Burmese military or security officials responsible for serious human rights abuses. The bill provides humanitarian assistance for Burma, Bangladesh, and the surrounding region, including assistance for the Rohingya minority. The Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Agency for International Development shall jointly submit to Congress a strategy for promoting economic growth in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Opioid Workforce Act of 2018 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
Directs the Department of Commerce to transmit to the House of Representatives, by 14 days after the adoption of this resolution, copies of any document, correspondence, or other communication that refers or relates to: (1) the addition of a question on citizenship to the 2020 decennial census of population; and (2) the December 12, 2017, letter from Arthur E. Gary, General Counsel, Justice Management Division, Department of Justice, to Ron Jarmin, Acting Director, Bureau of the Census.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
This bill authorizes the Federal Aviation Administration to carry out a pilot program to provide grants to support the education and recruitment of aviation maintenance technical workers and the development of the aviation maintenance industry workforce.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that compensation of public school teachers should be comparable to other college graduates with years in the workforce where the teachers are employed.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2018
Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), during the three-year period beginning on October 1, 2019, to transfer upon request a veteran for whom the VA is required to provide nursing home care to a medical foster home that meets VA standards. A veteran shall agree, as a transfer condition, to accept VA home health services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month. (PCOS is caused by a hormone imbalance. Symptoms can include infertility, weight gain, excess hair growth, and acne.) Recognizes the need for further research, improved treatment and care options, and a cure for PCOS. Acknowledges the struggles affecting all women and girls afflicted with PCOS.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018
Supports: (1) the designation of National Small Business Week, (2) efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally, and (3) efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of locally owned small business on the U.S. economy. Honors the vital role of small business and entrepreneurs in the United States during such week. Recognizes: (1) the important role of the Small Business Administration as a valuable resource for the U.S. entrepreneur, (2) the importance of creating policies that promote a business friendly environment for small business owners free of unnecessary regulations, and (3) the National Small Business Person of the Year and the National Lender of the Year. Encourages young entrepreneurs to pursue their passions and create more start-up businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2018
Recognizes the significance of the 43rd anniversary of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Honors: the contributions of Vietnamese Americans to the United States, the service of members of the U.S. Armed Forces and of the South Vietnamese forces who fought in Vietnam, and the memory of the Vietnamese who lost their lives while attempting to flee Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2018
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into an agreement with the city of Vallejo, California, for the transfer to the VA of Mare Island Naval Cemetery in Vallejo, California, to be maintained as a national shrine.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Repeated Objectionable Bothering of Consumers on Phones Act or the ROBOCOP Act This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) require providers of text messaging or voice services, for no additional charge, to enable technology that verifies the accuracy of caller ID information; (2) require providers to offer subscribers optional free robocall-technology blocking technology; and (3) provide an exemption process for subscribers originating a call if there is a need to provide misleading or inaccurate information (such as a call to conduct an activity of a domestic violence shelter or medical practice). The bill allows private actions to enjoin or recover damages for violations of the FCC's caller identification technology standards. States may bring civil actions for a pattern or practice of a failure to provide such technology or options. The bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make it unlawful for persons within or outside the United States, with the intent to cause harm, to intentionally interfere with call-blocking technology. The FCC must report on whether the requirements of this bill have reduced unwanted calls to consumers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act This bill requires the Department of Justice to submit to Congress all investigative materials related to an offense for which the President pardons an individual if the offense arises from an investigation in which the President, or a relative of the President, is a target, subject, or witness.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2018
This bill provides that veterans participating in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) vocational rehabilitation program who are unable to complete the program because they are called to active reserve duty for a preplanned training operation in support of a combat command or in response to a natural disaster or emergency shall not have the period of the program for which they did not get credit count toward their VA assistance limit.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2018
Disabled Access Credit Expansion Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for expenditures by an eligible small business to provide access to disabled individuals, to: (1) increase from $10,250 to $20,500 the annual dollar limitation for eligible access expenditures, (2) require the $20,500 limit to be adjusted for inflation after 2018, and (3) increase from $1 million to $2.5 million the gross receipts limitation for an eligible small business.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2018
VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety of certain forms of cannabis and cannabis delivery for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system diagnosed with conditions such as chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder. Collected data shall be preserved in a manner that facilitates further research.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 This bill extends access to Department of Defense commissaries and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) facilities to Purple Heart recipients, veterans with a service-connected disability, Medal of Honor recipients, former prisoners of war, and veteran caregivers. (Commissaries are grocery/department stores on military installations that sell food and some household items. MWR facilities offer a range of services on bases including libraries, outdoor recreation, dining, golf courses, and sports and fitness centers.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act This bill sets forth requirements and limitations with respect to the removal from office of a special counsel appointed by the Attorney General, or of another official appointed by the Attorney General who exercises a similar degree of independence from the Department of Justice (DOJ) chain of command. Specifically, a special counsel or other appointed official: may only be removed by the Attorney General or the most senior Senate-confirmed DOJ official, in certain circumstances; may only be removed for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause; must be provided written notice that specifies the reason for removal; and may file an action to challenge the removal not later than 10 days after notice was provided.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Reduce Unemployment for Veterans of All Ages Act of 2018 This bill makes all veterans with qualifying employment handicaps or service-connected disabilities eligible for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs by eliminating the 12-year period of program eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Pink Tax Repeal Act This bill prohibits product manufacturers or service providers from selling substantially similar products at different prices based on the gender of the intended purchaser. If, for example, the only difference between two products is the color, they are substantially similar.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Recognizes the significance of Equal Pay Day to illustrate the disparity between wages paid to men and women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2018
Honors the achievements of: (1) Bella Savitsky Abzug, former Representative of New York, as a feminist and civil rights leader; and (2) all American women who have overcome adversity to play a contributing role in society.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
Recognizes the accomplishments and example of Cesar Estrada Chavez, pledges to promote his legacy, and encourages the people of the United States to commemorate his legacy and to always remember his rallying cry, "Si, se puede!" ("Si, se puede!" is Spanish for "Yes, we can!")
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2018
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2018 This bill prohibits discrimination, under a federally assisted program, against public school students on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. The bill authorizes federal departments and agencies to terminate the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating this prohibition. An aggrieved individual may assert a violation of this bill in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2018
Southwest Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes the separate regional economic and infrastructure development programs of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, the Southwest Border Regional Commission, and the Northern Border Regional Commission through FY2023.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2018
Agricultural Certainty for Reporting Emissions Act This bill amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to exempt air emissions from animal waste at a farm from specified release notification requirements, recordkeeping requirements, and associated penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2018
Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2018 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to grant automatic citizenship to all qualifying children adopted by a U.S. citizen parent. (Currently, an adopted child must have been under 18 years old as of February 27, 2001, in order to qualify for automatic citizenship.) An individual born outside of the United States who was adopted by a U.S. citizen parent shall automatically become a U.S. citizen when the following conditions have been fulfilled: the individual was adopted by a U.S. citizen before the individual reached age 18, the individual was physically present in the United States in the citizen parent's legal custody pursuant to a lawful admission before the individual reached age 18, the individual never acquired U.S. citizenship before the enactment of this bill, and the individual was lawfully residing in the United States on the date of enactment of this bill. An individual who meets such criteria, except for lawfully residing in the United States on the date of enactment of this bill, shall automatically become a U.S. citizen on the date on which the individual is physically present in the United States pursuant to a lawful admission. A visa may not be issued to such an individual unless: the individual was subjected to a criminal background check, and the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State coordinated with law enforcement agencies to ensure that appropriate action is taken regarding any unresolved criminal activity. Automatic citizenship may not be granted to an individual who was deported for an offense that involved the use of physical force against another person.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2018
DUI Reporting Act of 2018 This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to withhold national priority safety program grant funds from a state that does not appear on the most recent list provided to DOT by the Department of Justice identifying states that are appropriately reporting arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2018
Coach-Only Airfare for Capitol Hill Act of 2018 This bill prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the official travel of a Member of Congress or other officer or employee of the legislative branch for airline accommodations which are not coach-class accommodations. Such prohibition is inapplicable for an individual if the use would be permitted for an employee of an agency subject to specified federal regulations for temporary duty travel allowances.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2018
Directing Implementation of Sanctions and Accountability for Russian Mischief Act or the DISARM Act This bill directs the President to impose property-blocking and U.S. entry sanctions against certain senior Russian foreign political figures or oligarchs and parastatal entities (and associated individuals) not currently subject to sanctions.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2018
Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2018 This bill provides statutory authority for the Boots to Business program, which provides entrepreneurship training to individuals including veterans and active members of the Armed Forces, to be administered by the Small Business Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2018
Tip Income Protection (TIP) Act of 2018 This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with respect to the definition of wage to provide that except in the case of the pooling of tips, all tips received by any employee, including an employee that is not a tipped employee, shall be the property of, and retained by, the employee, including in the case of an employer that pays a tipped employee a cash wage that equals or exceeds the minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2018
Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to expand the categories of prohibited persons (i.e., persons who are prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm or ammunition) to include the following: (1) persons convicted of a crime of violence in the most recent 10-year period; (2) persons under age 25 who have been adjudicated as having committed an offense that would have been a crime of violence if committed by an adult; (3) persons convicted, during a consecutive 3-year period in the most recent 10-year period, of two separate offenses involving drug or alcohol possession or distribution; and (4) persons convicted of stalking.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2018
Undo Sabotage and Expand Affordability of Health Insurance Act of 2018 This bill makes a series of changes relating to health insurance coverage, costs, and funding mechanisms. Among other things, the bill expands requirements relating to coverage of preexisting conditions to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and also establishes a national reinsurance program.