United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2019
Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to state and local educational agencies to promote media literacy and digital citizenship. Among other things, media literacy includes the ability to access relevant information, analyze media content, evaluate the accuracy of information, and make educated decisions about products and services, education, health, and wellness based on information obtained from media and digital sources. The bill defines digital citizenship as, among other things, the ability to safely, responsibly, and ethically use communication technologies and to participate in the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of life related to technology and the digital world. ED must establish a Federal Advisory Council to assist in evaluating and awarding grants and developing and making available to states and local educational agencies evidence-based model curricula and standards for media literacy education. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on media literacy and digital citizenship competencies in schools, and related issues.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2019
Pell Grant Sustainability Act This bill requires the Department of Education to calculate the award amount for Pell Grants for award year 2020–2021 and each subsequent award year by indexing the award amount to the rate of inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2019
Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy Act or the SHIELD Act This bill establishes a duty to report election interference from foreign entities, applies existing campaign advertising requirements to online advertisements, and generally limits political spending and election interference by foreign entities. Specifically, a political committee must report certain foreign contacts involving an offer of unlawful election assistance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Election Commission. The bill establishes criminal penalties for violations of these requirements. Existing requirements for political advertisements and electioneering communications apply to internet and digital advertisements, including requirements related to disclosures and contributions. Additionally, large online platforms must maintain a public database of certain political advertisements. The bill places limitations on political spending by foreign entities. Specifically, foreign entities may not (1) contribute to campaigns related to ballot initiatives and referenda, or (2) make disbursements for certain internet activity referring to a candidate or a political issue. A candidate is prohibited from offering to share nonpublic campaign information with certain foreign entities. The bill also prohibits (1) the dissemination of false statements regarding federal elections or public endorsement, or (2) the intentional hindering of voting or registering to vote. The bill establishes criminal penalties and a private right of action with respect to these prohibitions.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2019
Collecting and Analyzing Resources Integral and Necessary for Guidance for Social Determinants Act of 2019 or the CARING for Social Determinants Act of 2019 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue guidance to help states address social determinants of health (e.g., socioeconomic factors) under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
This joint resolution nullifies a rule issued by the Department of Education (ED) on September 23, 2019. The rule revised the process for a student loan borrower to obtain a discharge from a student loan if an institution of higher education misrepresented a material fact. Among other requirements, the 2019 rule requires each borrower to apply to ED for a defense to repayment. However, under the previous 2016 rule, an application could be submitted on behalf of an entire group (e.g., veterans).
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2019
Chronic Condition Copay Elimination Act This bill requires health insurers to cover, without cost sharing, preventive items and services for certain chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma, among others.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2019
Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act of 2019 This bill modifies the criminal civil rights statute that prohibits the deprivation of rights under color of law. Currently, the second prong of the prohibition bars the application of different punishments, pains, or penalties based on an individual's alien status, color, or race. This bill specifies that the application of any pressure to a person's throat or windpipe which may prevent or hinder breathing or reduce intake of air (e.g., a chokehold) constitutes a punishment, pain, or penalty.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2019
Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Training Act of 2019 This bill requires the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) within the Administration for Children and Families to award grants to nonprofits, state agencies, elementary and secondary schools for demonstration projects to train students, teachers, and school personnel how to better understand, recognize, prevent, and respond to human trafficking and the exploitation of children and youth. Such projects also must collect data about the number of human trafficking survivors served and develop procedures to coordinate with law enforcement and appropriate social service organizations. The OTIP must consult with the appropriate agencies to determine and prioritize funding for geographic areas with the highest prevalence of human trafficking and largest underserved youth populations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2019
School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act This bill requires the Department of Education to publish an annual report on indicators of school crime and safety. Such report shall collect specified information, including (1) the number of school shootings that have taken place nationwide; (2) the age, gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality of each victim; (3) the motivation of the shooter; (4) how the shooting was stopped; and (5) the number and type of firearms and ammunition used in each shooting.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2019
Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act This bill requires the Department of Education to encourage institutions of higher education to develop and implement comprehensive campus mental health and suicide prevention plans.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2019
Access to Contraception Expansion for Veterans Act or the ACE Veterans Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to authorize veterans to fill prescriptions for a year's supply of contraceptive pills, transdermal patches, and vaginal rings.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2019
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop (1) a suicide prevention and lethal means training session, and (2) a suicide prevention and lethal means counseling session tailored to veterans who served in the Armed Forces any time after September 11, 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2019
Reducing Waste in National Parks Act This bill directs each regional office of the National Park Service (NPS) to establish a program to recycle and reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles within each NPS unit located in its region. NPS regional offices may eliminate the sale of water in disposable plastic bottles within their NPS units after having considered several specified factors. Where, prior to enactment of this bill, an NPS unit does not offer water for sale in disposable plastic bottles, the unit may continue that practice if it submits to the regional office an evaluation of those factors. NPS regional offices shall develop for each NPS unit a proactive visitor education strategy to address visitor expectations of water availability and explain the rationale for the program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2019
Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act or the Broadband DATA Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change the way broadband data is collected, verified, and reported. Specifically, the FCC must collect and disseminate granular broadband service availability data (broadband maps) from wired, fixed-wireless, satellite, and mobile broadband providers. To do this, the FCC is required to establish the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (a dataset of geocoded information for all broadband service locations, atop which broadband maps are overlaid) as the vehicle for reporting broadband service availability data. Additionally, the FCC must put forth specified requirements for service availability data collected from broadband providers, and it must create a challenge process to enable the submission of independent data challenging the accuracy of FCC broadband maps.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2019
File Once FAFSA Act This bill makes adjustments to the process of filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Specifically, a student who submits a FAFSA and learns they are eligible for a Pell Grant will not be required to refile the FAFSA. The Department of Education must develop a certification form that determines student certification for each academic year by asking whether the student's circumstances have significantly changed, and a student shall not be required to refile a FAFSA unless they indicate that their circumstances or dependency status have changed.
United States · United States Congress · 20 August 2019
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to designate 9–8–8 as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental-health crisis hotline.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Negro National League, a professional baseball league that was formed in response to African-American players being banned from baseball's major leagues. The design of the coins shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion. All surcharges from sales of these coins shall be paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to fund educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Stop Supporting Foreign Interference in Our Democracy Act This bill provides statutory authority for the prohibition against a person knowingly providing substantial assistance regarding illegal political spending by a foreign national.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2019 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of certain audiologist services. Specifically, the bill expands coverage to include diagnostic and treatment services that are furnished by audiologists and that would otherwise be covered if provided by a physician, including incidental services, regardless of whether such services are provided pursuant to a referral from, or under the supervision of, a physician or other health care practitioner.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2019 This bill establishes the Social Determinants Accelerator Interagency Council and provides funds for the council to (1) assist the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in awarding specified grants, (2) increase coordination among health and social service programs, and (3) provide program evaluation guidance and technical assistance to increase the impact of social service programs. Specifically, the bill provides funds for the CMS to award up to 25 grants to state, local, or tribal health or human services agencies for the development of social determinants accelerator plans that address at least one health and one social outcome for a specified target population.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Smoke-Free Schools Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the use of any tobacco product (e.g., electronic nicotine delivery systems such as e-cigarettes) in an indoor facility that is regularly used for children's services, including health care, day care, early development, education, or library services. Current law prohibits smoking in such facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Renewable Energy Extension Act of 2019 This bill extends the energy tax credit for certain renewable resources and the credit for residential energy efficient property for five years.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
Veterans Preventive Health Coverage Fairness Act This bill eliminates veterans' copayments for medication, hospital care, and medical services related to preventive health services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill expands the definition of preventive health services to include (1) evidence-based items or services that have an A or B rating in the recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force; (2) immunizations that have a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to the individual involved; and (3) with respect to women, the preventive care and screenings provided for in the Health Resources and Services Administration Preventive Services Guidelines in effect as of January 1, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Equality in Medicare and Medicaid Treatment Act of 2019 This bill requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a payment model that addresses social determinants of health and health disparities, particularly with respect to minorities, underserved areas, and high-risk individuals. The bill also generally incorporates consideration of such factors into the selection, implementation, and evaluation of other models, including the decision as to whether to expand a model's duration and scope.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2019
Foreign Influence Reporting in Elections Act This bill requires all campaign officials to report any contacts (i.e., offers of contributions or services) by foreign nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Cahokia Mounds Mississippian Culture National Historical Park Act This bill provides for the establishment of the Cahokia Mounds Mississippian Culture National Historical Park in Collinsville, Illinois; Monroe, Madison, and St. Clair Counties, Illinois; and St. Louis City County, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System. The Department of the Interior may acquire lands and interests within the boundary of the park by donation, purchase, or exchange, except that land owned by such states or their political subdivisions may only be acquired by donation. Interior may enter into cooperative agreements with such states and their political subdivisions, colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes, and individuals to (1) mark, interpret, and restore nationally significant historic or cultural and natural resources related to the life of the Mississippi culture within the park, if the agreement provides for reasonable public access; and (2) conduct research related to Mississippi culture.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Climate and Health Protection Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Climate and Health Program within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2019
This resolution expresses congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Internal Revenue Service relating to charitable contribution and estate tax deductions when a taxpayer receives or expects to receive a corresponding state or local tax credit, and such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2019
Successful Entrepreneurship for Reservists and Veterans Act or the SERV Act This bill requires (1) the Small Business Administration to report on the veterans interagency task force; and (2) the Government Accountability Office to report on access to credit for small businesses owned and controlled by veterans, Reservists, or their spouses.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2019
Strategic and Humane Southern Border Migrant Response Act This bill imposes requirements related to the handling of migrants from Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) and terminates certain policies requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico before applying and while cases are pending. The President shall report on a plan for processing asylum seekers apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall establish a task force to implement the plan. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall maintain family unity to the greatest extent possible, unless there is a legal requirement or safety concern requiring otherwise. DHS shall (1) make every effort to ensure that apprehended individuals have access to bathrooms and showers, water, appropriate nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation (currently, the statute only requires access to food and water); (2) establish uniform medical screening procedures for detained individuals and programs that provide alternatives to detention; (3) increase its capacity to care for families and unaccompanied children by contracting with qualified entities and hiring additional CBP officers; and (4) restore a program that allowed certain minors in Northern Triangle countries to apply for refugee status without traveling to the United States. The Government Accountability Office and DHS Inspector General shall audit and conduct uninspected inspections of detention facilities. Any Member of Congress may inspect such facilities without prior notification The Department of State shall work with the United Nations to increase the capacity of Northern Triangle countries and Mexico to handle and care for those seeking refugee resettlement.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2019
Patriotic Employer Protection Act of 2019 This bill makes various Small Business Administration programs currently available to active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces also available to those on full-time National Guard duty.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2019
Protecting Job Opportunities for Borrowers Act or the Protecting JOBs Act This bill prohibits states from suspending, revoking, or denying driver's licenses, teaching licenses, or professional licenses based solely on individuals' default or delinquency on student loans.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2019
Caring For Our Women Veterans Act This bill establishes various reporting requirements for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) related to women veterans and health care. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to submit reports on (1) women veterans' use of health care from the VA; (2) use by the VA of general primary care clinics, separate but shared spaces, and women's health centers as models of providing health care to women veterans; and (3) the staffing of the VA related to the treatment of women.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2019
Federally Requiring Earned Education-debt Discharges for Vets Act or the FREED Vets Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to automatically discharge loans under the Federal Family Education Loan program for certain borrowers who are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Specifically, ED must automatically discharge a veteran borrower's loan when the Department of Veterans Affairs has assigned the borrower a rating of total disability for a service-connected disability or has determined the borrower to be unemployable due to a service-connected condition, determine whether a state might impose a tax liability for the discharge of such a loan, and provide the borrower with a notification related to potential tax liability and an opportunity to opt out of such loan discharge.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Greg LeMond, in recognition of his contributions to the nation as an athlete, activist, role model, and community leader.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2019 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 · 27 June 2019
Counter Terrorist Network Act This bill directs the National Targeting Center of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collaborate with federal, state, local, tribal, and international entities to enhance border security through such operations as those that seek to disrupt terrorist networks. The bill authorizes the CBP to assign its personnel to other appropriate agencies for counter terrorism activities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
U.S. Border Patrol Medical Screening Standards Act This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to establish procedures to ensure consistent and efficient medical screenings for all individuals stopped between ports of entry. The screenings shall take place within 12 hours of the initial stop. The bill imposes various requirements for screenings, including documentation of current medical complaints and recordkeeping. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall research and report to Congress new approaches to improve the screening procedures and recommend any necessary corrective actions, as well as a plan to record the results of the screenings in electronic health records that are interoperable with other DHS systems.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Redistricting Reform Act of 2019 This bill requires that congressional redistricting be conducted in accordance with a plan developed by (1) a state-established independent commission; or (2) if such a commission fails to enact a plan, a three-judge panel from a U.S. District Court.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2019 This bill prohibits commercial conversion therapy, which is a practice or treatment designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity or otherwise change behaviors, thoughts, or expressions related to gender or sexual attraction. This prohibition does not apply to treatment that assists an individual undergoing a gender transition or facilitates identity exploration and development.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 and revises the illicit drug and alcohol abuse prevention program, including to expand the program to include efforts to prevent substance misuse on campuses.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Higher Education Mental Health Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Education to establish an Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education. The commission must conduct a study and report on (1) services available to students with mental health disabilities in institutions of higher education (IHEs) and the effectiveness of such services in supporting these students; (2) the impact of policies and procedures, such as reasonable accommodation and disciplinary policies, that help or hinder the goal of providing equal opportunity to these students; (3) the use of protected health information of these students by IHEs; (4) the impact of providing mental health services on a student's academic performance, well-being, and ability to complete college; (5) conclusions on the major challenges facing these students; and (6) recommendations to improve the overall education, retention, and graduation rates of these students. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report on the challenges faced by students with mental health disabilities in IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Earl N. Williams, Sr., First Chance Act This bill expands the student support services program to include grants to students at institutions of higher education for basic and emergency supplemental living assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2019 This bill prohibits strikes by certain individuals and requires the issuance of rules that provide for federal minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) shall determine for each state whether the laws of such state substantially provide for each of the minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures specified by this bill, including the right of public employees and supervisory employees to self-organize, form or join a labor organization, or collectively bargain. The FLRA must issue rules and take actions to establish and administer bargaining rights and procedures for those states that do not substantially provide for them. No employers, emergency services employees, or law enforcement officers may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action that would probably result in a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. Furthermore, no labor organization may be the cause of a violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2019
Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain medicine programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Stopping Bad Robocalls Act This bill updates various policies and regulations relating to robocalls. Specifically, the bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect consumer privacy as it relates to robocalls. The FCC must update regulations involving certain robocalls that are exempt from criminal liability to include specific requirements identifying classes of parties who may make such calls, parties who may be called, and how many times they may be called. Additionally, the bill removes the requirement that a citation be issued prior to a forfeiture penalty being imposed in cases where violations involving illegal robocalls have been intentional and where inaccurate caller identification information has been provided. The bill also implements a three-year statute of limitation for such violations requiring notice, and a four-year statute of limitation where an intentional violation has occurred. The FCC must promulgate regulations to address requirements for effective call authentication technology as well as to establish a process to streamline the ways in which a private entity may voluntarily share with FCC information relating to an illegal call or text or for calls with misleading or inaccurate caller identification information. Finally, the bill requires the FCC to ensure robocall blocking services provided on an opt-out basis are provided free of cost with transparency and redress options for consumers and callers.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2019
Affordability is Access Act This bill establishes several requirements relating to health-insurance coverage of, and access to, over-the-counter contraceptives. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury to specify that private health-insurance plans must cover over-the-counter contraceptives that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), even without a prescription. Under current law, private health-insurance plans (with some exceptions) must cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, without cost-sharing requirements. The bill also prohibits retailers from interfering with an individual's access to oral contraceptives that are meant for routine, daily use and are FDA-approved for use without a prescription.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to study the sites associated with the life and legacy of Julius Rosenwald, a part-owner and President of Sears, Roebuck and Company and a noted philanthropist. The study shall include a special focus on the Rosenwald Schools (the 5,357 schools and related buildings that were constructed in 15 southern states between 1912 and 1932). In conducting such study, Interior shall (1) determine which sites are of national significance, (2) prioritize the study of any Rosenwald Schools recommended to Interior by the State Historic Preservation Officer of any of the states in which such schools exist, and (3) determine the suitability and feasibility of designating one or more units of the National Park System to include those Rosenwald Schools and other sites representing Julius Rosenwald's life and legacy.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Traveling Parents Screening Consistency Act of 2019 This bill directs the Government Accountability Office to review implementation of requirements regarding screening by the Transportation Security Administration of baby formula, breast milk, purified deionized water for infants, and juice on airlines.
![Official portrait of Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/u000040_200.jpg)