United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2016
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 coins, 400,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in recognition and celebration of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The coins shall be in the shape of a dome, and the design on the common reverse of the coins shall depict a basketball. Treasury shall hold a competition to determine the design of the common obverse of the coins, which shall be emblematic of the game of basketball. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the Hall to fund an endowment for its operations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2016
Supports the goals and ideals of Engineers Week to increase understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers. Recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2016
Keep It in the Ground Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from issuing, renewing, reinstating, or extending any nonproducing lease, or issuing any authorization for the exploration or production of oil, natural gas, or any other fossil fuel in the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, or any other area of the Outer Continental Shelf. BOEM shall also cancel within 60 days any lease issued in the Beaufort Sea, Cook Inlet, or Chukchi Sea (three of the five bodies of water that encompass the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf). The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) must not issue, renew, reinstate, or extend any nonproducing lease for the exploration or production of any onshore fossil fuels, including coal, oil, tar sands, oil shale, and gas, on land subject to the Mineral Leasing Act. The bill provides for exceptions if there is an imminent national security threat that would be significantly reduced by granting an exception. In addition, BOEM and the BLM may allow a nonproducing lease to be renewed or extended if the lease contract was signed before this bill, and giving effect to any provision of this bill is likely to lead to a material breach of contract.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2016
Expresses support for the designation of "National No One Eats Alone Day" to acknowledge the positive impact of ending social isolation. Encourages middle schools to participate in related events.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2016
This bill repeals the Military Selective Service Act. No person may be denied a right, privilege, benefit, or employment position under federal law on the grounds that the person failed to present himself for and submit to registration under the Military Selective Service Act before its repeal by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2016
Lake Berryessa Recreation Enhancement Act of 2016 This bill establishes as the Lake Berryessa Recreation Area specified land administered by the Bureau of Reclamation that is underlying or adjacent to Lake Berryessa in California, including any improvements. The bill transfers the administrative jurisdiction over the area from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of the Department of the Interior. Interior shall develop a management plan for the area and may establish guidelines and restrictions on recreational uses to ensure the safety and security of recreational users. Interior may also issue recreation concession permits, including at the area, to allow a third party to provide facilities and services to visitors on lands and waters managed by the BLM in support of outdoor recreational opportunities. Reclamation shall continue to administer and operate the Monticello Dam and any related facility, including any power facility.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2016
Recognizes Black History Month as an important time to acknowledge and reflect on the significant contributions of African-Americans in the nation's history. Honors the contributions of African-American service members, including the 88 who have been awarded the Medal of Honor for military bravery, heroism, and valor.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Safe Drinking Water Act Improved Compliance Awareness Act This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require public water systems to notify their customers of lead concentration levels in drinking water that exceed lead limits under national primary drinking water regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must notify customers of a violation of a national primary drinking water regulation with significant potential to have serious adverse effects on human health as a result of acute exposure, if the state or the public water system fails to notify the public within 24 hours of receiving notice from the EPA of the exceedance. Community water systems' consumer confidence reports must include a definition of "action level," which is generally a certain contaminant level that triggers a requirement for the public water system to take additional actions to control corrosion. The EPA must establish a strategic plan for conducting targeted outreach, education, technical assistance, and risk communication to populations affected by lead in the public water system. EPA employees must forward to the public water system any data indicating that drinking water contains lead that exceeds limits. The public water system must then disseminate to its customers information on the exceedance of a lead limit, its potential adverse effects on human health, corrective steps underway, and advice on whether customers should seek alternative water supplies. The EPA must disseminate the information if the public water system or the state fails to do so. The EPA must: (1) make information about lead in drinking water available to the public, and (2) carry out targeted outreach strategies that focus on educating groups that are at greater risk than the general population for adverse health effects from exposure to lead in drinking water.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Truth in Tuition Act of 2016 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify eligibility requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) to participate in federal student aid programs. Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to provide to an admitted graduate or undergraduate 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. An IHE that provides a single-year tuition and fee schedule must include, in its multi-year estimate of net costs, the average difference between previous year estimates and actual net costs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Albatross and Petrel Conservation Act This bill authorizes the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to promulgate regulations to implement and enforce the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, done at Cape Town, South Africa, on February 2, 2001. This bill authorizes USFWS and NMFS to take action to conserve albatrosses and petrels, including to: reestablish albatrosses and petrels; prevent the introduction of, eradicate, or control invasive and nonnative species that have or may have an adverse effect on albatrosses and petrels; conserve, protect, and restore breeding sites; undertake measures for the conservation and protection of albatross and petrel habitat and other marine habitats that provide food for albatrosses and petrels; undertake scientific research to assess the effects of pollutants and marine debris on albatrosses and petrels; develop and implement measures to prevent, minimize, or mitigate the taking or disturbance of albatrosses and petrels in U.S. waters or by U.S. vessels; develop and undertake measures to minimize the bycatch of albatrosses and petrels; and share information on the conservation status of albatrosses and petrels, the threats facing albatrosses and petrels, and any actions taken under this bill. This bill prohibits the taking of an albatross or petrel without a permit, authorization, or exemption. USFWS, in consultation with NMFS, may authorize the taking of an albatross or petrel under exceptional circumstances or incidental to otherwise lawful activities. This bill gives the USFWS, the NMFS, and the Coast Guard authority to enforce this bill. This bill authorizes cooperation with other countries to achieve and maintain a favorable conservation status of albatrosses and petrels.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Families of Flint Act This bill provides support for Flint, Michigan in addressing lead in the city's drinking water and related issues. The bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act by establishing a 10-year grant program to ensure that Flint's drinking water does not contain: (1) lead levels that threaten public health or the environment, or (2) other drinking water contaminants and pathogens that threaten public health. The bill also establishes specified grant programs for assisting Flint that are established within the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, by allowing states to use more than 20% of funds from Drinking Water State Revolving Fund capitalization grants for addressing a threat to public health from heightened exposure to lead in a municipal drinking water supply if a federal or state emergency declaration has been issued for that threat. HHS must establish in Flint a Center of Excellence on Lead Exposure. The bill amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to increase the allowable participation period in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for children residing in areas that are in a state of emergency. A state may elect to allow those children to participate in the program for a period that ends on the earlier of: (1) the child's tenth birthday (currently fifth), or (2) five years after the emergency (currently children may participate for a one-year period).
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Commemorates Representatives Sam Johnson and John Lewis for their patriotic service and sacrifice to the country they love and for becoming the first ever recipients of the Congressional Patriot Award.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2016
Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act This bill provides FY2016 supplemental appropriations for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address heroin and opioid drug abuse. The funds are designated as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules. For DOJ, the bill provides funds for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs. For HHS, the bill provides funds for: the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2016
Recognizes: (1) National Mentoring Month, and (2) the staff and volunteers at quality mentoring programs who help young people reach their full potential. Acknowledges that mentoring is beneficial in that it encourages educational achievement, reduces juvenile delinquency, improves life outcomes, and strengthens communities. Expresses support for: (1) the creation and expansion of quality mentoring programs across the United States, and (2) initiatives to increase the percentage of young people who have a mentor.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2016
Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act This bill amends the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act to repeal provisions that prohibit state or federal civil actions or administrative proceedings from being brought against firearm or ammunition manufacturers, sellers, importers, dealers, or trade associations for criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm by the person bringing the action or a third party. The bill lifts the immunity from legal process of the Firearms Trace System database maintained by the National Trace Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In state or federal civil actions or administrative proceedings, the contents of the database: (1) shall be subject to discovery and admissible as evidence; and (2) may be used, relied on, or disclosed in any manner. Testimony or other evidence may also be permitted based on that data.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2016
Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Reduction Act This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to revise requirements for and limitations on practitioners who dispense narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish grant programs to: (1) encourage prescribing and purchase of opioid overdose reversal drugs (e.g., naloxone), and (2) develop prescribing guidelines for such drugs. (Opioids are drugs with effects similar to opium, such as heroin or certain pain medications.) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must provide support to improve drug overdose surveillance and reporting capabilities. HHS may support syringe exchange programs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must provide support to: (1) reduce drug overdose deaths; and (2) develop, expand, and enhance substance use recovery support services. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to extend residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment must: (1) carry out a pilot program to support services for pregnant and postpartum women with a substance use disorder; (2) award grants to expand treatment activities in areas with a high rate of, or a rapid increase in, the use of opioids; and (3) support increasing the capacity of substance use disorder services for adolescents. This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and Internal Revenue Code to direct HHS and the Departments of Labor and the Treasury to require disclosures, issue guidance, conduct audits, and publish information regarding the requirement for group health plans and health insurance coverage to have parity between mental health and substance use disorder benefits and medical and surgical benefits. HHS must establish a consumer parity portal website. HHS must establish a loan repayment program for substance use disorder health professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2016
Pay Stub Disclosure Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require each employer to provide an initial disclosure to each employee who is not subject to certain exemptions from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements within 15 days after: (1) the employee is hired, or (2) specified information in the initial disclosure changes. The information specified in that initial disclosure shall include: the pay rate and form of compensation; the name of the employer and any other name used by the employer to conduct business; and the physical address and telephone number of the employer's main office or principal place of business, and a mailing address if different from the first one. The bill specifies additional disclosures that must be in each pay stub, including the pay period covered, the employee's name and truncated Social Security number, the total hours worked by the employee, benefits, allowances, and reimbursements. The bill also prescribes the form of the pay stub as well as employer notice requirements. An employer shall keep records of the information disclosed in an employee's pay stub for three years from each stub's issuance. In the event that an employee requests an inspection of his or her records, the employer shall provide copies of them for up to three years before the request. The bill prescribes civil penalties for employer failure to comply with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2016
Servicemember Retirement Improvement Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow members of the Ready Reserve of a reserve component of the Armed Forces to make the maximum allowable contribution ($18,000 in 2016) to their Thrift Savings Plans without limiting the amount such members may contribute to a retirement plan based upon other employment. The bill also doubles the maximum allowable contribution amount to the Thrift Savings Plans of federal employees in the Ready Reserve.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2016
Faster Care for Veterans Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin an 18-month pilot program in at least three Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) under which veterans use an Internet website to schedule and confirm appointments at VA medical facilities. The pilot program's duration may be extended and the number of VISNs may be increased.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2016
Women Airforce Service Pilot Arlington Inurnment Restoration Act This bill directs the Department of the Army to ensure that the cremated remains of persons who served as Women's Air Forces Service Pilots are eligible for interment in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2016
Condemns the unlawful, armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon and calls on those involved to end their occupation and surrender to law enforcement authorities immediately.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2015
Expresses condolences for the victims of anti-Muslim hate crimes. Declares that the House of Representatives: confirms its dedication to the rights and dignity of all citizens; denounces the increase of hate speech and hate crimes targeted against mosques, Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim; and recognizes the positive contributions made by the U.S. Muslim community to U.S. society. Declares that the civil rights and liberties of all U.S. citizens, including Muslims in the United States, should be protected. Urges law enforcement authorities to work to prevent hate crimes and to prosecute the perpetrators of such crimes. Reaffirms the inalienable rights of every citizen to live without fear and intimidation and to practice freedom of faith.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2015
Consumers Rebate to ban Emissions and Boost AlTernative Energy Act or the Consumers REBATE Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose as of January 1, 2017, an excise tax on the production or importation of a taxable carbon substance (i.e., coal, oil, and natural gas), payable by the producer, miner, or importer of such substance. The tax does not apply to exports of a taxable carbon substance. The bill requires the Department of the Treasury to: (1) impose carbon equivalency fees on imports of goods containing or produced using a taxable carbon substance; and (2) make quarterly payments, from the amounts deposited pursuant to imposition of the carbon excise tax, to lawful residents of the United States with a valid social security number.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2015
Medicare Mental Health Access Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to expand the definition of "physician," for purposes of the Medicare program, to include a clinical psychologist with respect to the furnishing of qualified psychologist services. The bill excludes a clinical psychologist, in 2017 and 2018, from certain negative payment adjustments for failing to be a meaningful electronic health records user.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2015
Assault Weapons Ban of 2015 This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is: (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. Additionally, the bill does not prohibit, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The legislation amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to require law enforcement agencies to be notified when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a grandfathered SAW. It also amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to allow a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2015
Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt Act or the POST GRAD Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make graduate and professional students eligible to receive subsidized Stafford Loans under the Federal Direct Loan Program beginning on July 1, 2016. (Graduate and professional students have been ineligible to receive subsidized Stafford Loans since July 1, 2012.)
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2015
Transportation Megaprojects Accountability and Oversight Act of 2015 This bill requires a recipient of federal financial assistance under National Highway System provisions for a megaproject (a project that has an estimated total cost of $2.5 billion or more and such other projects as may be identified by the Department of Transportation [DOT]), in order to be authorized for construction, to submit to DOT a comprehensive risk management plan that contains: a description of the process by which the recipient will identify, quantify, and monitor the risks that might result in cost overruns, project delays, reduced construction quality, or reductions in benefits; examples of mechanisms the recipient will use to track such risks; a plan to control such risks; and assurances that the recipient will regularly submit updated cost estimates and maintain and regularly reassess financial reserves for addressing risks. A recipient also must establish a peer review group to give expert advice on the scientific, technical, and project management aspects of the project. Each peer review group must: meet annually until the project is completed; review the project within 90 days after any significant change in its scope, schedule, or budget; and report on the findings of each review to DOT, Congress, and the recipient. Each recipient must publish such report on its website, along with the name, license number, and license type of each engineer supervising an aspect of the project.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2015
CLEANER Act of 2015 or the Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act of 2015 This bill amends the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to eliminate the exemption for waste derived from the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy from regulations governing the disposal of hazardous waste. Within a year of this bill's enactment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must: determine whether waste associated with oil, gas, or geothermal energy activities meet the criteria promulgated for the identification or listing of hazardous waste; identify or list as hazardous waste any of those wastes if they meet the identification or listing criteria; and promulgate regulations regarding standards applicable to generators, transporters, and owners and operators of facilities for the treatment, storage, or disposal of those wastes. The EPA may modify the regulation of those standards to consider the special characteristics of those wastes so long as the modified regulations protect human health and the environment. Within a year of this bill's enactment, the EPA must promulgate revisions of certain criteria concerning landfills and waste management practices of open dumping for facilities that may receive wastes that are: (1) associated with those activities, and (2) not identified or listed as hazardous waste. Those revisions must: protect human health and the environment, while allowing consideration of the practicable capability of such facilities; and require groundwater monitoring as necessary to detect contamination; establish criteria for the acceptable location of new or existing facilities; and provide for corrective action and financial assurance as appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2015
Denounces the attacks on health care centers for women, providers of health care for women, and patients. Affirms that all women have the right to access reproductive health care services without fear of violence, intimidation, or harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2015
Food Recovery Act of 2015 This bill amends the following to provide funding, expand tax deductions, and establish requirements to reduce food waste: the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; the Internal Revenue Code; the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; the Solid Waste Disposal Act; and several agricultural laws. The bill expands and establishes federal grant and loan programs to: improve the nutritional health of children and raise awareness about food waste, improve cooperation between agricultural producers and emergency feeding organizations, assist schools in using food from farms that would otherwise go to waste and providing farms with compostable materials, and install facilities that include composting or anaerobic digesters that use food or crop waste to produce energy. Recipients of grants to install anaerobic digesters that use waste to produce energy must meet specified requirements regarding environmental laws and the distribution of certain food to hunger-serving organizations. USDA must: (1) establish an Office of Food Recovery to coordinate federal programs to measure and reduce food waste, and (2) study techniques for decreasing food waste and estimating the amount of food wasted by farms. The bill provides that composting is a conservation practice eligible for support under USDA's conservation programs. The bill extends and expands tax deductions for the donation of food to charitable organizations. "Sell-by" dates included on food labeling must indicate that the dates are only the manufacturer's suggestion and use uniform language. Companies that receive food service contracts with the federal government must donate surplus food to nonprofit organizations that assist food-insecure people.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2015
Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2015 This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to authorize a person or the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to furnish to a consumer reporting agency information relating to the performance of a consumer in making payments: (1) under a lease agreement for a dwelling, including a lease in which HUD provides subsidized payments; or (2) pursuant to a contract for a utility or telecommunications service. Information about a consumer's usage of any utility or telecommunications services may be furnished to a consumer reporting agency only to the extent that such information relates to payment by the consumer for such services or other terms of the provision of such services, including any deposit, discount, or conditions for interruption or termination of service. An energy utility firm may not report payment information to a consumer reporting agency with respect to an outstanding balance of a consumer as late if the firm and the consumer have entered into a payment plan and the consumer is meeting the obligations of such plan. The bill amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to make provisions regarding civil liability to consumers of persons for willful or negligent noncompliance with requirements imposed by such Act on credit reporting agencies inapplicable to any violation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2015
Expresses support for: (1) equal rights and protections for all people, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; and (2) the designation of LGBT Equality Day. Acknowledges the need for further legislation to ensure that people in the United States are free from all forms of discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2015
Supports the designation of Darwin Day (February 12, 2016, the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin in 1809). Recognizes Charles Darwin as a worthy symbol on which to celebrate the achievements of reason, science, and the advancement of human knowledge.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2015
Rural Broadband Infrastructure Investment Act This bill amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to authorize the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide additional loans and grants for the development of telecommunications and broadband services in rural areas. USDA may give preference to loan applications for projects that support the development of telecommunications services in rural areas on a multijurisdictional basis. In evaluating applications, USDA must consider whether: the project was developed through the collaboration and participation of multiple stakeholders in the service area; the applicant understands the regional resources that could support the project, including natural resources, human resources, infrastructure, and financial resources; and the project has clear objectives and a means to establish performance measures. For the purpose of loans, loan guarantees, and grants, a rural area is any area of the United States not included within the boundaries of any incorporated or unincorporated city, village, or borough having a population in excess of 20,000 inhabitants. USDA may provide grants, in addition to loans and loan guarantees permitted under current law, for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment for broadband service in rural areas. In providing loans, loan guarantees, and grants, USDA may give priority to multijurisdictional projects for the development of broadband service in rural areas that are developed through the collaboration and participation of multiple stakeholders in the service area.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2015
Visa Waiver Program Firearms Clarification Act of 2015 The bill amends the federal criminal code to modify the eligibility of certain foreign nationals to purchase and possess firearms in the United States. Current law prohibits firearm sale or transfer to or possession by a foreign national (i.e., alien) who is: (1) unlawfully present in the United States, or (2) lawfully present under a nonimmigrant visa (e.g., tourist visa). The prohibitions do not apply in certain circumstances. This bill expands the prohibition to bar firearm sale or transfer to or possession by a foreign national who was lawfully admitted to the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program. The prohibitions do not apply to a foreign national lawfully admitted under the Visa Waiver Program if that foreign national is a government official or law enforcement officer, or possesses a hunting license. Additionally, such foreign national may apply for a Department of Justice waiver to allow firearm possession.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2015
Expresses support for the designation of June 2016 as National Gun Violence Awareness Month. Calls on the people of the United States to: promote greater awareness about gun violence and gun safety; concentrate annual heightened attention to gun violence during the summer months, when gun violence typically increases; and bring citizens and community leaders together to discuss ways to make the communities safer.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2015
Child Protection Improvements Act of 2015 This bill amends the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to direct the Department of Justice to: (1) establish policies and procedures to streamline the process of obtaining national criminal history background checks on covered individuals, and (2) establish a criminal history review program to provide covered entities with reliable and accurate information on the criminal history of a covered individual. It defines "covered entity" as any business or organization that provides, or licenses, certifies, or coordinates individuals or organizations to provide care, care placement, supervision, treatment, education, training, instruction, or recreation to vulnerable populations including elderly persons, disabled persons, and children. It defines "covered individual" as an individual who: (1) has, seeks to have, or may have unsupervised access to vulnerable populations served by a covered entity; (2) is employed by or volunteers with, or seeks to be employed by or volunteer with, a covered entity; or (3) owns or operates, or seeks to own or operate, a covered entity.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
IDEA High Cost Pool Funding Act This bill amends the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) to establish additional grants for the purpose of assisting states in addressing the needs of high-need children with disabilities. The bill establishes limitations on grant amounts and how grant funds may be used. To be eligible to receive such a grant, a state shall: (1) provide matching funds equal to at least 25% of the grant amount; and (2) provide any information that the Department of Education may require, as specified by the bill. A state may request a waiver of certain grant requirements that are incompatible with aspects of the state's governmental structure.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
High School Football Safety Study Act This bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to: (1) conduct a study to more precisely identify the causes of deaths related to high school football and to develop recommendations to prevent such deaths, and (2) submit to Congress and publish on the public website of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality a report on the study's results.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Education Relief and Restoration Act of 2015 This bill declares that, if a veteran is forced to discontinue a course as a result of a a permanent school closure and did not receive credit or lost training time toward completion of the education program, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance payments shall not, for a specified period of time, be: charged against the individual's entitlement to educational assistance, or counted against the aggregate period for which such assistance may be provided. The bill applies to courses and programs of education discontinued beginning with FY2015. The VA may continue to pay educational assistance and subsistence allowances to eligible veterans and eligible persons enrolled in specified courses for up to 4 weeks in any 12-month period when schools are temporarily closed under an established policy based on an executive order of the President or due to an emergency situation. The VA may also continue to pay a monthly housing stipend following a permanent school closure, but only until the earlier of: (1) the date of the end of the term, quarter, or semester during which the school closure occurred; and (2) the date that is four months after the school closure.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Start-up America's Students Act This bill amends the Small Business Act to direct the Small Business Administration to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education (with program participation agreements) for the purpose of establishing, maintaining, expanding, and improving business incubators operated by or affiliated with them. A business incubator is a facility primarily used to provide space where start-up businesses in operation for under 4 years with 10 or fewer employees: share space, support staff or services, physical resources, or overhead expenses; and receive technical assistance, financial advice, or business planning services.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Student Loan Transfers Disclosure Act of 2015 This bill amends the Truth in Lending Act and the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish requirements related to the transfer of servicing of postsecondary education loans. "Transfer of servicing" refers to the assignment, sale, or transfer of student loan servicing from one servicer to another. A postsecondary education lender must disclose to each loan applicant, at the time of application, whether there may be a transfer of servicing of the loan. Both the transferor servicer and the transferee servicer must provide specified notice of a transfer to the borrower within a certain timeframe. Loan payments improperly received by the transferor servicer instead of the transferee servicer (or vice versa) during the transfer period may not be treated as late. A transferee servicer shall make available a simple, online process through which the borrower may transfer any electronic fund transfer authority that the borrower had provided to the transferor servicer. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is authorized to establish regulations and grant reasonable exceptions in accordance with the bill. A lender shall not be liable to a borrower for failure to comply with the bill's disclosure and notice requirements with respect to events that occur before such regulations take effect. As a condition of eligibility for certain federal funding, an institution of higher education must ensure compliance with the bill's requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Housing Our Heroes Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin a three-year pilot grant program to assess the feasibility of awarding grants to eligible entities to purchase and renovate abandoned homes for homeless veterans. Eligible entities are: (1) veterans service agencies and organizations, (2) homeless organizations, and (3) other nongovernmental organizations. The Veterans Homelessness Grant Fund is established in the Treasury. The VA shall give grant priority to communities with the greatest need of homeless services, and may give grant priority to achieve geographic grant distribution.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6531 Van Nuys Boulevard in Van Nuys, California, as the "Marilyn Monroe Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2015
West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2015 This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Department of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any area of the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, or Washington.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2015
Gun Violence Research Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to specifically include injuries from gun violence as a research subject for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nothing in the CDC's research authorization may be construed to authorize support for advocacy or promotion of gun control. The CDC must improve the National Violent Death Reporting System, particularly through the voluntary participation of additional states. Nothing in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act may be construed to prohibit a health care provider from discussing guns or gun safety with a patient or reporting a patient's threat of violence.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2015
Office of Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires 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 the members of the Office of Strategic Services in recognition of their service and contributions during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015
Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to revise several provisions related to the child and adult care food program. Under current law: (1) an institution that provides child or day care under the program may be reimbursed for up to two meals and one supplement per day per child; and (2) a family or group day care home sponsoring organization may receive the same maximum reimbursement, but only with respect to a child maintained in a child care setting for at least eight hours per day. The bill eliminates this distinction between institutions and sponsoring organizations, and increases maximum reimbursement for both to: (1) two meals and one supplement or one meal and two supplements per day per child; or (2) three meals and one supplement or two meals and two supplements per day per child, for each child maintained in a child care setting for at least eight hours per day. A determination of a for-profit day care center's eligibility to participate in the program shall be in effect for six months. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must issue guidance and, as appropriate, regulations to assist in ensuring a fair and effective process for the identification, review, and correction of serious program deficiencies. USDA shall establish an advisory committee to examine the feasibility of reducing unnecessary or duplicative paperwork for those participating or seeking to participate in the program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2015
Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act This bill includes veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands during the period January 1, 1977-December 31, 1980, as radiation exposed veterans for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs presumption of service-connection for specified cancers.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2015
Community College to Career Fund Act This bill amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to direct the Department of Labor to award competitive grants to eligible community colleges, four-year public institutions of higher education, tribal colleges or universities, private or nonprofit two-year institutions of higher education in specified U.S. territories, or a consortium of any of them, in partnership with employers or an employer or industry partnership representing multiple employers, in order to develop, offer, improve, and provide educational or career training programs for workers. The governor of the state in which at least one of these entities is located shall establish criteria for an educational or career training program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential for which an eligible entity submits a grant proposal.
![Official portrait of Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_ca_11_desaulnier_mark_200.jpg)