United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2018
Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act or the FAIR Act This bill increases by 3% the rates of basic pay for federal employees under the statutory pay systems (i.e., the General Schedule, the Foreign Service Schedule, and various schedules related to the Veterans Health Administration) for calendar year 2019. Additionally, it increases by 3% the rates of basic pay for prevailing rate employees for FY2019.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2018
Safer Streets Act of 2018 This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to award grants to local governments with high rates of violent crime to support law enforcement efforts such as hiring additional officers, acquiring surveillance equipment, and promoting prevention programs.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2018
Healthy Fields and Farm Economies Act This bill reauthorizes and modifies the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977, which provides the Department of Agriculture (USDA) with strategic assessment and planning authority for the conservation, protection, and enhancement of soil, water, and related natural resources. The bill authorizes USDA to establish a conservation effects assessment project to: quantify the environmental and economic effects of conservation practices, develop the science base for managing the agricultural landscape for environmental quality and sustainable productive capacity, and improve the efficacy of conservation practices and programs by evaluating conservation effects. USDA must establish a goals and assessment process for conservation programs that includes: the identification of natural resource and environmental objectives, outcomes, and results for the programs; assessments of the resulting changes in the status and conditions of natural resources and the environment; and a monitoring and evaluation process for the programs and initiatives. In implementing the monitoring and evaluation process, USDA must use certain funds provided for conservation programs and establish a National Technical Committee. USDA may enter into cooperative agreements with government agencies, universities and colleges, and nongovernmental organizations to assist in implementing the monitoring and evaluation process. The bill also sets forth reporting requirements regarding the progress conservation programs have made in achieving the objectives and outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2018
Emancipation National Historic Trail Act This bill designates the Emancipation National Historic Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles and follows the migration route taken by newly freed slaves and other persons of African descent from Galveston, Texas, to Houston, Texas.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2018
Defending U.S. Government Communications Act This bill prohibits federal agencies from procuring or obtaining, renewing or extending a contract to obtain or procure, or entering into a contract with an entity that uses any equipment, system, or service with telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system that is from Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation, or an entity reasonably believed to be owned or controlled by China.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2017
Truth in Tuition Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand notification requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) to participate in federal student aid programs. Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to provide to a student: (1) a multi-year tuition and fee schedule; or (2) a single-year tuition and fee schedule and a nonbinding, multi-year estimate of net costs after financial aid is awarded. The bill authorizes the Department of Education to waive this requirement under certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2017
Welfare of Our Friends Act of 2017 or the WOOF! Act This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from licensing a dealer of dogs whose previous licenses have been suspended or revoked in the last 10 years if the license is for operating a facility that the dealer previously used. Further, USDA may not issue or renew a license to: (1) the dog dealer's immediate family members, (2) a person who resides at the same address as the dog dealer, or (3) certain legal entities if such dealer holds an ownership interest in the entity.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2017
Recovering America's Wildlife Act This bill amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to direct the Department of the Treasury to transfer, beginning in FY2018, revenues from energy and mineral development on federal lands totaling $1.3 billion to the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Subaccount of the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund, to be available without further appropriation. The bill revises the requirements governing how the funds from the subaccount may be used, including by requiring funds to be used to develop, revise, and implement state wildlife conservation strategies. The bill expands the allowable uses of the subaccount, including by allowing funds to be used for managing invasive and nuisance species and for law enforcement activities that are directly related to the conservation of species of the greatest conservation need. Funds apportioned from the subaccount may not be conditioned upon the provision of public access to private lands, waters, or holdings. The bill specifies what types of funds and donations states may use to meet matching fund requirements. The bill revises the formula used to determine how funds are distributed to states.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2017
National Jazz Preservation, Education, and Promulgation Act of 2017 This bill establishes a National Jazz Preservation Program and a National Jazz Appreciation Program, to be carried out by the Smithsonian Institution through the National Museum of American History, to: (1) preserve knowledge and promote education about jazz, and (2) further the appreciation of jazz music throughout the nation. The Smithsonian Institution shall: (1) record interviews with leading jazz artists; (2) acquire, preserve, and interpret jazz artifacts; (3) continue to recognize Jazz Appreciation Month; (4) establish collaborative agreements for the sharing of such artifacts; and (5) encourage, consult with, and engage in capacity building with community-based and regional organizations with the potential to establish jazz archival collections. The bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow the use of certain funds for programs to promote jazz education, which may include: (1) a Jazz Artists in the Schools program, (2) a program for the development and distribution of educational materials about jazz and teacher training on jazz education, and (3) an Ambassadors of Jazz program. The Smithsonian Institution shall establish a series of jazz performances at Smithsonian affiliates that provides broad geographic access to jazz and supports public appreciation for the diversity of jazz music.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2017
Supports community-oriented policing and encourages efforts to increase the hiring and retention of diverse law enforcement officers within law enforcement agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2017
Save Net Neutrality Act of 2017 This bill prevents the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from using the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the matter of restoring Internet freedom adopted by the FCC on May 18, 2017, to satisfy the general notice requirement for ending the FCC's public-utility regulation of the Internet.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2017
Recognizes the 69th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the celebration of Human Rights Day. Supports the ideals of human rights and reaffirms the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Encourages all nations to continue working towards freedom, peace, and security which can be achieved only through democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2017
Workplace Action for a Growing Economy Act or the WAGE Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to award back pay and additional damages to any employee whose rights under the NLRA have been violated by an employer; impose penalties upon an employer for failing to post a notice of the rights of their employees under the NLRA; impose penalties upon an employer whose violations of the NLRA result in the discharge of an employee or other serious economic harm to the employee; provide civil remedies, including restraining orders, and a private right of action for violations of the NLRA; require the NLRB to issue an order requiring collective bargaining when a majority of valid ballots have been cast in favor of union representation; prevent the classification of employees as supervisors for the purpose of denying such employees the protections of the NLRA; and expedite the establishment of initial collective bargaining agreements. The bill empowers the NLRB to enforce its own orders without petitioning a court for enforcement.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2017
Supports the designation of a National Day of 3D Printing. Recognizes the economic impact of 3D printing and its positive implications for the U.S. advanced manufacturing sector. Encourages the promotion and celebration of 3D printing technology.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2017
Bears Ears National Monument Expansion Act This bill expands the boundaries of the Bear Ears National Monument in Utah. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture USDA shall administer the lands under their jurisdictions within the expanded boundaries: (1) as part of the monument; and (2) in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 9558, dated December 28, 2016, which provided for establishment of the monument. Interior and USDA shall promptly carry out the proclamation's provisions, including the provisions requiring them to engage the Bear Ears Commission to: ensure the proper care and management of the objects identified; ensure that management decisions affecting the monument reflect tribal expertise and traditional and historical knowledge; and provide guidance and recommendations on the development and implementation of management plans and on management of the monument. The National Park Service shall administer Natural Bridges National Monument and those portions of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area that are within the expanded boundaries as part of the monument. Interior and USDA may acquire lands, waters, or interests in land that are located within the revised boundaries of the monument by donation, purchase, or exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2017
Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Labor to update the salary threshold applicable to bona fide executive, administrative, and professional employees for purposes of determining eligibility for overtime pay. The bill adopts rulemaking promulgated by Labor in 2016 that established the threshold for exempting such employees from overtime requirements at the 40th percentile of earnings for full-time salaried employees in the lowest-wage census region. The bill also requires updates to the threshold amount every three years.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2017
Directs the Committee on House Administration to issue regulations requiring Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives to complete a training program on workplace rights and responsibilities, including anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, during each congressional session. Requires Members, officers, or employees to certify completion of such training within 90 days after a congressional session begins or within 90 days after beginning service during a session. (Sets forth a special rule requiring such training to be completed within 180 days after the beginning of the second session of the 115th Congress.) Directs the committee to issue regulations requiring that each House employing office post in a prominent location in its office and in each Member's congressional district office a statement of rights and protections provided to House employees under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, including procedures for responding to and adjudicating allegations of violations of such rights and protections.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2017 This bill amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to reauthorize for FY2019-FY2023 the national harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program and the action strategy of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia. (Hypoxia is a deficiency of oxygen.) The task force must include a representative from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Each required scientific assessment of harmful algal blooms in coastal waters must examine freshwater harmful algal blooms that originate in freshwater lakes or rivers and migrate to coastal waters. In administering the program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must provide: (1) grants for accelerating the utilization of effective methods of intervention and mitigation to reduce the frequency, severity, and impacts of harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events; and (2) technical assistance to regional state, tribal, and local governments with respect to harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events. NOAA must use cost effective methods in carrying out the Act and develop contingency plans for the long-term monitoring of hypoxia. Federal officials may determine whether a harmful algal bloom or hypoxia event is an event of national significance and give funding to the affected state or local government for assessing and mitigating the detrimental environmental, economic, subsistence use, and public health effects of an event of national significance.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act This bill establishes the Pension Rehabilitation Administration within the Department of the Treasury and a related trust fund to make loans to certain multiemployer defined benefit pension plans. To receive a loan, a plan must be either in critical and declining status (including any plan with respect to which a suspension of benefits has been approved) or insolvent, if the plan became insolvent after December 16, 2014, and has not been terminated. Treasury must issue bonds to fund the loan program and transfer amounts equal to the proceeds to the trust fund established by this bill. The Pension Rehabilitation Administration may use the funds, without a further appropriation, to make loans, pay principal and interest on the bonds, or for administrative and operating expenses. The bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow the sponsor of a multiemployer pension plan that is applying for a loan under this bill to also apply to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) for financial assistance if, after receiving the loan, the plan will still become (or remain) insolvent within the 30-year period beginning on the date of the loan. The bill also appropriates to the PBGC the funds that are necessary to provide the financial assistance required by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
Member and Employee Training and Oversight On Congress Act or the ME TOO Congress Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise procedures for reporting, investigating, and resolving allegations of legislative branch employees that their rights and protections under the CAA, such as protections against sexual harassment and discrimination, have been violated.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2017
This bill nullifies a rule finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on November 13, 2017, that modifies payment under Medicare for certain drugs purchased through the 340B discount program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2017
Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act This bill prohibits U.S. assistance to Israel from being used to support the military detention, interrogation, or ill-treatment of Palestinian children in violation of international humanitarian law or the use against Palestinian children of: (1) torture, inhumane, or degrading treatment; (2) physical violence or psychological abuse; (3) incommunicado or administrative detention; (4) solitary confinement; (5) denial of parental or legal access during interrogations; or (6) force or coercion to obtain a confession. The Department of State shall annually submit to Congress: (1) a certification that none of the funds obligated or expended in the previous fiscal year for assistance to Israel have been used to support any of such activities; or (2) if the State Department cannot make such certification, a report describing each activity and the amount of funds used by Israel in violation of this bill. The State Department shall include in each annual report on the barring of development assistance to a country that engages in human rights violations a description of the nature and extent of detention, interrogation, or ill-treatment of Palestinian children by Israeli military forces or police in violation of international humanitarian law.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act of 2017 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that veterans treatment courts are a successful program aimed at helping veterans charged with non-violent crimes receive the help and the benefits to which they are entitled. The Department of Justice (DOJ) shall establish a Veteran Treatment Court Program to provide assistance to state circuit court systems that have adopted or filed a notice of intent to establish such a program. The DOJ program shall include veterans treatment court grant programs carried out pursuant to laws establishing other incarceration alternatives programs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
Celebrates the 99th anniversary of Polish independence as an opportunity to remember the historic events and courageous individuals that brought about reconstitution of Poland's sovereignty. Honors the resolve and sacrifice of the people of Poland. Reaffirms the close bonds between Poland and the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
Supports providing members of the Armed Forces the opportunity to receive vocational trade training and credentialing opportunities for no cost. Recognizes that: (1) such training promotes members' success in their post military career and life and will likely lead to a reduction in unemployment costs borne by the Department of Defense, and (2) veterans and employers benefit directly from ensuring that newly transitioned veterans are trained for growing career fields. Celebrates the contribution well-trained veterans provide to the American workforce and economy.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
Openness in Political Expenditures Now Act or the OPEN Act This bill requires each corporation that submits regular and periodic reports to shareholders to (1) include information about certain political activities during the time period covered by the report, and (2) provide copies of reports disclosing political activities to the Federal Election Commission. The bill also prohibits an organization from obtaining tax-exempt status under 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code if its expenditures on covered political activities exceed certain thresholds in a taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2017
Fallen Warrior Battlefield Cross Memorial Act This bill states that the Department of Veterans Affairs may not prohibit the display of a Battlefield Cross in any national cemetery. "Battlefield Cross" means a memorial monument in honor of fallen members of the Armed Forces that may include a replica of an inverted rifle, boots, helmets, and identification tag.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2017
Admiral Lloyd R. "Joe" Vasey Pacific War Commemorative Display Establishment Act This bill authorizes the Pacific Historic Parks to establish and maintain a commemorative display to honor the members of the U.S. Armed Forces and Allies who served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Federal funds may not be used to design, procure, prepare, install, or maintain the commemorative display, but the National Park Service may accept and expend contributions of nonfederal funds and resources for such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2017
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2017 This bill modifies several Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs to authorize additional assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers. The bill modifies USDA programs that address conservation, credit, rural development, research and education, and crop insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Recognizes the 85th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine (Holodomor) of 1932-1933 and extends sympathies to the victims, survivors, and families of that tragedy. Encourages dissemination of information regarding the famine. Condemns the systematic violations of human rights of the Ukrainian people by the Soviet government. Supports the continuing efforts of the people of Ukraine to work toward ensuring democratic principles, a free-market economy, and full respect for human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2017
Women in Aerospace Education Act This bill amends the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to require the National Science Foundation (NSF) to encourage eligible entities that administer a fellowship program using grant funds awarded on or after October 1, 2018, under the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program to include in such fellowship program opportunities for the placement of fellows in research or education internship opportunities at national laboratories and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) centers. The NSF may give priority to proposals for placements that provide female fellows with research experience in aerospace engineering and related fields in which women are underrepresented. By October 1, 2018, NASA must institute a process to prioritize the promotion and recruitment of qualified candidates who are women or individuals who are historically underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science for internships and fellowships that are relevant to the aerospace sector and related fields.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2017
Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax credits and grants for activities that provide access to healthy food in food deserts. A food desert must be more than 1 mile away from a grocery store in a metropolitan area or more than 10 miles away outside of a metropolitan area. It must also meet population requirements and have either a poverty rate of at least 20% or a median family income that does not exceed 80% of the median for the state or metropolitan area. For entities that are certified by the Department of the Treasury as special access food providers using specified criteria, the bill allows tax credits for operating a new grocery store or renovating an existing grocery store in a food desert. The bill also authorizes grants for a portion of: (1) the construction costs of building a permanent food bank in a food desert, and (2) the annual operating costs of temporary access merchants (mobile markets, farmers markets, and food banks). Treasury, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (USDA), must annually allocate the tax credits and grants to special access food providers. Grants authorized by this bill are not considered gross income for tax purposes. The bill also amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to require USDA to update the Food Access Research Atlas at least annually to account for food retailers that are placed in service during that year.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
Rebuilding Resilient Energy Systems Act of 2017 This bill permits amounts awarded under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for essential assistance, hazard mitigation, repair, restoration, and replacement of damaged facilities, federal assistance to individuals and households, and public assistance program alternative procedures to be used to build, repair, restore, reconstruct, or replace an energy system or building as a result of a major disaster or emergency designated by the President during calendar year 2017 in a manner that: is more resilient and more efficient; provides continuous flow of power to facilities critical to public health, safety, and welfare; maximizes the use of clean energy resources and energy storage technologies; and promotes lower energy bills. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): (1) shall designate a representative to coordinate with private entities interested in donating energy system technologies and services for such purposes following a major disaster or emergency, (2) is encouraged to coordinate with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Homeland Security in designating such representative, and (3) is encouraged to consult with the Department of Defense (DOD) regarding DOD's experience in building resilient power systems. Each National Laboratory, in coordination with DOE programs that provide assistance to states and industry, must make technical assistance available to federal, state, and local agencies and private entities interested in: (1) developing plans or providing guidance on the design of a resilient and efficient energy system or building; and (2) building, repairing, restoring, reconstructing, or replacing an energy system or building following a major disaster or emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017 This bill modifies various provisions of federal firearms laws. Among other things, it does the following: prohibits certain firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check; and requires states to implement plans to improve the submission of mental health and criminal history records to the national instant criminal background check system.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) examine what actions DHS is undertaking to combat the threat of vehicular terrorism, and (2) report to Congress. The report should outline examinations of: the current threat level for vehicular terrorism, what DHS is currently doing to guard against vehicular terrorism, how the threat of vehicular terrorism may be mitigated, the extent to which DHS is doing any outreach or training with private sector partners in response to such threat, and any actions that Congress can take to help DHS mitigate the threat.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Protecting Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment Access Act of 2017 or the Protecting HOME Access Act of 2017 This bill: (1) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to delay by one year the full implementation of new Medicare payment rates for durable medical equipment, and (2) revises a Medicare budget-neutrality requirement related to oxygen. Under current law, the CMS may establish separate payment classes under Medicare for items of oxygen and related equipment only if doing so does not result in increased program expenditures. The bill provides an exception to this budget-neutrality requirement with respect to such items that are included in a competitive acquisition program.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2017
Security and Financial Empowerment Act of 2017 This bill sets forth various provisions to promote the safety and security of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, Among other things, the bill does the following: requires employers to provide up to 30 days of safe leave in a 12-month period; and prohibits states from imposing additional restrictions on eligibility for unemployment compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2017
Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act This bill makes a series of changes relating to the prices of prescription drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans, including requirements relating to rebates for low-income individuals and drug price negotiations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2017
Congressional Sexual Harassment Training Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to require each employing office under the Act to ensure that its covered employees enroll in the Office of Compliance's program of education that informs employees of the rights provided under the Act against sexual harassment: (1) within 60 days after first becoming an employee; (2) for existing employees, within 90 days after enactment of this bill; and (3) every two years.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2017
End Outsourcing Act This bill modifies provisions of tax, labor, and federal contracting laws related to the outsourcing of jobs. The bill amends the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act to require employers to include an outsourcing statement in the notice that must be provided to employees, state dislocated worker units, and local governments prior to plant closings and mass layoffs. The statement must specify whether part or all of the positions held by affected employees will be moved outside of the United States, regardless of whether the positions are moved within the business enterprise involved or to another business enterprise. The Department of Labor must publish on its website a list of employers that have included an outsourcing statement in the notice or have incurred liability for failing to provide the required notice. The bill also amends the Internal Revenue Code to: deny certain tax deductions and accounting methods for outsourcing employers; require the recapture of certain tax credits and grants that were provided to outsourcing employers and were related to the design, construction, operation, or maintenance of an outsourced facility; and grant business taxpayers a tax credit for up to 20% of insourcing expenses incurred for eliminating a business located outside the United States and relocating it within the United States if there is an increase in the taxpayer's employment of full-time employees in the United States. Federal contracting officers must: (1) require contractors submitting bids or proposals to disclose specified details regarding the outsourcing of jobs, and (2) take the disclosure into account in awarding contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
Competitive Deals Resulting in Unleashed Generics and Savings Act of 2017 or the Competitive DRUGS Act of 2017 This bill establishes a series of requirements and prohibitions regarding certain patent infringement agreements between brand name and generic drug manufacturers in which the generic drug manufacturer agrees to delay the availability of applicable generic drugs. Among other things, the bill specifies that such agreements constitute an unfair method of competition and are subject to specified civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
Transparent Drug Pricing Act of 2017 This bill requires drug manufacturers to report specified financial and sales information, including drug pricing, tax credit, and patent information; violations are subject to civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
Contractor Accountability and Workplace Safety Act of 2017 This bill requires contracting officers of the Department of Defense (DOD), before awarding or renewing a contract for the procurement of property or services, including construction, valued over $1 million, to consider any identified violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) or equivalent state laws by the offeror and any subcontractors. The bill requires DOD to: (1) establish policies and practices with respect to responsibility determinations for contractors, and (2) protect the rights of contractors to protest bids and appeal actions taken under this bill. The Government Accountability Office must report on the health and safety records of DOD contractors.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
USS Indianapolis Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the House of Representatives and the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design to the crew of the USS Indianapolis, in recognition of their perseverance, bravery, and service. Following the award of the gold medal, it shall be given to the Indiana War Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it will be displayed and made available for research. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Indiana War Memorial Museum should make the gold medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations and events associated with the USS Indianapolis.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
This bill provides that the Department of Veterans Affairs per diem payment calculation for an entity receiving homeless veterans shelter grants for a homeless veteran who has care of a minor dependent while receiving services from such entity shall be the sum of the daily cost of care for the veteran plus, for each minor dependent, an amount that equals 50% of the veteran's daily cost of care.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
Recognizes the International Day of Rural Women. Calls on the people of the United States and interested groups to: celebrate rural women as integral members of societies and economies around the world; recognize women farmers for their role in feeding their families and fellow countrymen and for their productivity which helps maintain economic stability and stronger democracies; ensure rural women have access to the tools and productive resources they need to engage in entrepreneurship; and recommit to reducing limitations, breaking down barriers to success, and prioritizing initiatives that wholly support rural women farmers at the local level.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2017
Fentanyl and Heroin Task Force Act This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish the Fentanyl and Heroin Inter-Agency Task Force: (1) to coordinate federal efforts to identify, target, and dismantle organizations that traffic fentanyl or heroin; (2) to identify sources of fentanyl and heroin production and distribution; and (3) to provide best practices, updated information, and support to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Title IX Protection Act This bill amends the Department of Education Organization Act to require recipients of federal financial assistance to comply with specified procedural requirements when responding to sexual harassment and sexual violence to prevent and effectively respond to sexual discrimination as required by title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2017 This bill directs the President to establish a five-year strategy to accelerate progress toward ending preventable child and maternal deaths within a generation and ensure healthy and productive lives for women and children. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shall: (1) identify target countries with the greatest need and the highest burden of preventable child and maternal deaths, and (2) designate a current USAID employee serving in the Senior Executive Service or at the level of a Deputy Assistant Administrator or higher to serve concurrently as the Senior Coordinator for Child and Maternal Survival.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
This bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to revise the quorum requirement for the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States to require the lesser of three members or the number of members holding office on the board (currently, at least three members) for there to be a quorum.