United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
National Commission on Federal Marijuana Policy Act of 2013 - Establishes the National Commission on Federal Marijuana Policy to undertake a comprehensive review of current policies of the federal government toward marijuana in light of the growing number of states in which marijuana is legal for medicinal or personal use. Requires such review to include: (1) how federal policy should interact with state laws that make marijuana legal for such use; (2) the cost of the prohibition and potential regulation of marijuana and the potential revenue generated by taxation of marijuana; (3) the impact of federal banking and tax laws on businesses operating in compliance with state laws related to marijuana; (4) the health impacts related to marijuana use, and in comparison to alcohol and tobacco use; (5) the public safety effects and impact of the prohibition, and the regulation and control, of marijuana; (6) the impact of marijuana prohibition on criminal justice and the collateral consequences of prosecution for marijuana possession; (7) recommendations for the appropriate placement of marijuana in the schedule of the Controlled Substances Act; and (8) the effects of the prohibition or future regulation and control of marijuana on international relationships and treaty obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin, (2) Grand Staircase-Escalante, (3) Moab-La Sal Canyons, (4) Henry Mountains, (5) Glen Canyon, (6) San Juan-Anasazi, (7) Canyonlands Basin, (8) San Rafael Swell, and (9) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas, (2) federal reservation of water rights, (3) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness, (4) authorized livestock grazing, and (5) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces (military spouse) who moves with such member to another state under a permanent change of station order a tax credit for up to $500 of qualified relicensing costs incurred by such spouse. Defines "qualified relicensing costs" as costs for a state license or certification to engage in the profession that such military spouse engaged in while residing in the former state.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools). Encourages each state, city, and local educational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Chained Consumer Price Index should not be used to calculate cost of living adjustments for Social Security benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Student Loan Relief Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act or STOP Act - Establishes a Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Council, composed mainly of civilians, as an independent entity from the chain of command of the Department of Defense (DOD). Directs the Council to: (1) appoint personnel to the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, and advise such Office; (2) appoint the Director of Military Prosecutions (Director); (3) review each request of the Director with respect to a case stemming from a sexual-related offense that has been referred to a military appellate court or to the Department of Justice (DOJ); and (4) submit to the Secretary of Defense, Congress, and the Attorney General a report on each Director request for referral to a higher court. Requires the Council to advise on the development of sexual assault reporting protocols, risk-reduction and response training, and policy. Establishes within DOD the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, headed by an Executive Director, to undertake specified duties and responsibilities relating to the investigation, prevention, and reduction of sexual assault incidents within the Armed Forces. Requires the Office to establish protocols to ensure that all reports of sexual assault are taken out of the chain of command and reported directly to the Office. Establishes the position of Director of Military Prosecutions, appointed by the Council, to have independent and final authority to oversee the prosecution of all sexual-related offenses committed by a member of the Armed Forces, and to refer such cases to trial by courts-martial.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Veteran's I.D. Card Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to issue a veteran's identification card to any veteran who requests such card and is neither entitled to military retired pay nor enrolled in the VA system of patient enrollment. Requires such card, among other things, to: (1) display their name and photograph, and (2) serve as proof that the veteran honorably served in the Armed Forces and has a DD-214 form or other official document in their personnel file that describes their military service. Directs the Secretary to charge a card fee. States that such card shall not serve as proof of entitlement to any benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Native American Suicide Prevention Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require a state or state-designated eligible entity, as a condition of receiving a grant or cooperative agreement for development or implementation of a statewide youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategy, to agree to consult with each federally recognized Indian tribe and tribal organization and each urban Indian organization regarding such development or implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2013
Medicare Drug Savings Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require drug manufacturers to pay the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) drug rebates for rebate eligible (low-income) individuals. Excludes from Medicare coverage as a part D drug any drug or biological manufactured by a manufacturer that has not entered into and have in effect a rebate agreement with the Secretary. Requires a rebate agreement to require a drug or biological manufacturer to provide to the Secretary a rebate, determined according to a specified formula, for each rebate period ending after December 31, 2011, for any covered Medicare part D drug dispensed after that date to any rebate eligible individual for which payment was made by a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor or MedicareAdvantage (MA) organization for such period. Specifies a formula for determination of Medicaid rebate amounts for such drugs or biologicals. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to exclude any amounts paid under a rebate agreement from the determination of best price and average manufacturer price under the Medicaid program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2013
Inclusive Prosperity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose an excise tax on the transfer of ownership in certain securities (covered transaction), including any share of stock in a corporation, any partnership or beneficial interest in a partnership or trust, any note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (excluding tax-exempt municipal bonds), or derivative financial instruments; (2) impose a penalty on taxpayers who fail to include a covered transaction on their tax return or information statement; and (3) allow an individual taxpayer whose modified adjusted gross income does not exceed $50,000 ($75,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns) a tax credit for the amount of tax paid on covered transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to reauthorize for FY2014-FY2017 the grant program for improvements to the criminal history record system. Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to: (1) establish a four-year implementation plan to ensure maximum coordination and automation of reporting of records or making records available to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; (2) direct the Attorney General to make grants to states, Indian tribal governments, and state court systems to improve the automation and transmittal of mental health records and criminal history dispositions; (3) provide for reductions in grant funding to states that have not implemented a relief from disabilities program; (4) make federal court information available for inclusion in the System; and (5) allow the submission to the System of mental health records that would otherwise be protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) expand the enforcement authority or jurisdiction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); (2) allow the establishment, directly or indirectly, of a federal firearms registry; or (3) extend background check requirements to transfers of firearms other than those made at gun shows or over the Internet, or to temporary transfers for purposes including lawful hunting or sporting, or to temporary possession of a firearm for purposes of examination or evaluation by a prospective transferee. National Commission on Mass Violence Act of 2013 - Establishes the National Commission on Mass Violence to study the availability and nature of firearms, including the means of acquiring firearms, issues relating to mental health, and the impacts of the availability and nature of firearms on incidents of mass violence or in preventing mass violence. Requires the Commission to conduct a comprehensive factual study of incidents of mass violence, including incidents not involving firearms, to determine the root causes of such mass violence.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue orders applicable to manufacturers of concrete masonry products (concrete). Requires any such order to provide for the establishment of a Concrete Masonry Products Board, which shall carry out a program of promotion, research, and information regarding concrete products. Requires manufacturers and importers to maintain, and make available, specified records. Requires any such order to provide that assessments shall be paid by concrete manufacturers with respect to concrete manufactured and marketed in the United States. Provides assessment rates. Requires at least 50% of the assessments paid by a manufacturer to be used to support research, education, and promotion plans and projects in support of the geographic region of the manufacturer. Directs the Secretary, during the 60-day period preceding the proposed effective date of an order, to conduct a referendum for order approval among the manufacturers required to pay assessments under the order. Outlines referendum procedures. Provides for petition and review of an order, and order enforcement through U.S. district courts. Authorizes the Secretary to conduct appropriate investigations in order to administer this Act (with power of subpoena). Directs the Secretary to suspend or terminate any order or provision that obstructs or does not tend to effectuate the purposes of this Act, or that is not favored by persons voting in a referendum.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Respect for Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2013 - Amends the Peace Corps Act to allow former volunteers or applicants for enrollment as a volunteer to use the seal, emblem, or name "Peace Corps" on death announcements, plaques, grave stones, or other grave markers.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit a veterinarian who is registered to manufacture or distribute controlled substances from being required to have a separate registration in order to transport and dispense controlled substances in the usual course of veterinary practice at a site other than such veterinarian's principal place of business or professional practice, as long as the dispensing site is located in a state where the veterinarian is licensed to practice.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Act of 2013 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group or individual health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection, insofar as the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, determines such stay to be medically necessary; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act, and (2) ensure that coverage is provided for secondary consultations. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Allows a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage to nonrenew or discontinue an individual's coverage based on the intentional concealment of material facts regarding a health condition related to the condition for which coverage is being claimed.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide that provisions of such Act related to marihuana shall not apply to any person acting in compliance with state laws relating to the production, possession, distribution, dispensation, administration, or delivery of marihuana.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Nutrition Education Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require local educational agencies participating in the school lunch or breakfast programs to include in their school wellness policies the requirement that each student receive 50 hours of nutrition education each school year. Requires such instruction to meet specified standards, including that it is consistent with nutritional requirements for food served under the school lunch, school breakfast, and child and adult care food programs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education for Alzheimer's Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for comprehensive Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and services.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures Act - Prohibits using funds appropriated to the Department of Defense (DOD) for FY2014 or thereafter: (1) to arm a B-2 or B-52 aircraft with a nuclear weapon; (2) for the research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) or procurement of a long-range penetrating bomber aircraft; (3) to make the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons; or (4) for the B61 or W78 life extension program. Requires that, beginning in FY2014, the Navy shall include no more than eight operational ballistic-missile submarines available for deployment. Prohibits the use of DOD funds: (1) for FY2014-FY2023 to procure an SSBN-X submarine, and (2) for FY2024 and thereafter to procure more than eight such submarines. Prohibits using DOD funds for FY2014 or thereafter: (1) to maintain more than 200 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), (2) to maintain more than 250 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, (3) for the RDT&E or procurement of a new ICBM, or (4) for the medium extended air defense system. Prohibits using DOD or Department of Energy (DOE) funds for FY2014 or thereafter for: (1) the mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility project, (2) the chemistry and metallurgy research replacement nuclear facility, and (3) the uranium processing facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Requires an initial and subsequent annual reports from the Secretaries of Defense and Energy to Congress outlining their respective plans to carry out the requirements of this Act. Directs the President to submit annually to Congress a comprehensive accounting by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the amounts obligated or expended by the federal government for each nuclear weapon and related nuclear program during the fiscal year covered by the report and the life cycle of such weapon or program.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to replace the Designated Qualified Persons program responsible for inspecting horses for soring with a new inspection system. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prescribe regulatory requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Authorizes USDA to revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. Requires USDA to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians in issuing the licenses. Requires USDA to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. Directs an inspector to issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of the violations within five days of the citation being issued. Requires USDA to: (1) publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act; and (2) disqualify a horse that is sore for specified time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse. Prohibits showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device that causes friction by rotating around a horse's leg or sliding up and down the leg or strikes the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter a horse's gait and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations. Authorizes USDA to disqualify a violator from: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted. Permits USDA to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide independent counsel to Congress on policy issues associated with the recruitment for, and retention, research, and reinvestment in, the profession of social work. Directs the Commission to study and report to Congress on issues facing the social work profession, including: (1) fair market compensation, high social work educational debt, social work workforce trends, translating social work research to practice, and social work safety; and (2) state-level social work licensure policies and reciprocity agreements for providing services across state lines. Requires such study to assess the professional capacity of the social work workforce to serve and respond successfully to the increasing biopsychosocial needs of individuals, groups, and communities in certain areas, including aging and child welfare. Terminates the Commission 30 days after it submits such report within 18 months of its first meeting. Authorizes the Secretary to award: (1) workplace improvement grants to eligible entities and individuals to address workplace concerns for the social work profession, including caseloads, compensation, social work safety, supervision, and working conditions; and (2) research grants, education and training grants, and community-based programs of excellence grants. Directs the Secretary to: (1) contract with a national social work entity to serve as a coordinating center and clearinghouse for information on activities funded under the grants, and (2) develop a multi-media outreach campaign and issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the social work profession.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Buy America Accountability Act of 2013 - Amends the Buy American Act to require the head of each federal department or independent establishment to submit to Congress a report that contains an evaluation of contractor compliance with the provisions of that Act for at least 10% of the contracts awarded during the fiscal year for the procurement of articles, materials, or supplies. Requires the report to be publicly available. Prohibits the report from covering acquisitions made by an agency, or a component thereof, that is an element of the intelligence community.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 regarding the supplemental food assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) to include as a retail store an agricultural producer marketing agricultural products directly to consumers. Requires participating retailers to pay 100% of the costs of acquiring, and arranging for the implementation of, electronic benefit transfer (EBT) point-of-sale equipment and supplies. Allows exemptions, including for farmers' markets, direct farmer-to-consumer marketing outlets, military commissaries, nonprofit food buying cooperatives, and group living arrangements. Ends manual vouchers, except as necessary. Establishes a pilot program to test mobile technologies for SNAP transactions. Permits using benefits to purchase a community-supported agriculture share. Provides for a five-state grant pilot program to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to schools and service institutions participating in food service programs under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Permits each school food authority with a low annual commodity entitlement value to elect to substitute locally and regionally grown and raised food for the authority's allotment of commodity assistance for the school lunch program, subject to specified conditions. Increases funding for community food projects and the seniors farmers' market nutrition program. Revises the hunger-free community provisions, including by prohibiting state or local sales taxes and providing specified mandatory funding through FY2018. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish a Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program to increase knowledge of agriculture and improve the nutritional health of children. Establishes a special initiative within the Research, Education, and Extension Office to coordinate Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant and animal breeding research. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide for guaranteed loans to eligible producers for the production of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products. Gives loan priority to projects that will increase access to locally or regionally grown food in underserved communities, create new market opportunities for local or regional agricultural producers, or support regional economic and community development. Amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971 to include assistance for the production of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products. Amends the the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to expand the scope of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. Amends the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 to reference locally and regionally produced agricultural products and give priority to projects that benefit underserved communities. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018. Amends the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to specify making grants for locally or regional produced agricutural products. Provides for grants through FY2018. Provides for a study on local food production and program evaluation. Requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to: (1) conduct activities or enter into contracts to carry out research and development for a whole farm risk management insurance plan, and (2) offer organic crop producers price elections for all organic crops that reflect actual retail and wholesale prices. Provides, with regard to the agricultural management assistance program, for: (1) nationwide program expansion, (2) organic certification cost assistance, and (3) funding through FY2018.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) which apply such grants to their collegiate housing property.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Postal Employee Appeal Rights Amendments Act of 2013 - Extends federal employee protections against adverse personnel actions, including the right to appeal such actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board, to any career or noncareer U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee who is not represented by a bargaining representative and is in a supervisory, professional, technical, clerical, administrative, or managerial position covered by the Executive and Administrative Schedule.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Helping Heroes Fly Act - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration [TSA]) to develop and implement a process to provide expedited passenger screening services for severely injured or disabled Armed Forces members and veterans. Requires the Assistant Secretary also to maintain an operations center to provide for the movement of such members and veterans through screening before boarding a domestic or foreign passenger aircraft. Directs the Assistant Secretary to establish and publish certain protocols for severely injured or disabled Armed Forces members and veterans or their family members and others to contact the operations center to request expedited screening services for the member or veteran.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to require the Secretary of Labor (Secretary), in conducting health and safety related accident investigations in coal or other mines, to: (1) determine why an accident occurred and whether there were violations of law, mandatory health and safety standards, or other requirements; (2) in cases involving violations of federal criminal law, refer them to the Attorney General; and (3) make recommendations to avoid any recurrence. Requires an independent accident investigation by an independent panel appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for any accident: (1) involving three or more deaths, or (2) whose severity or scale merits an independent investigation. Requires the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), at the request of a majority of the panel or upon his or her own initiative, to issue subpoenas for the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of relevant papers, books, and documents, and administer oaths with respect to an investigation. Authorizes: (1) the Secretary's representatives and attorneys to question any individual privately during an inspection or investigation; and (2) any individual willing to speak with or provide a statement to such representatives or attorneys to do so without the presence, involvement, or knowledge of the mine operator or mine operator's agents or attorneys. Allows the closest relative of a miner who is entrapped, disabled, killed, or otherwise prevented by an accident to designate a representative for the miner to participate in a mine inspection. Requires mine inspections to be conducted during various shifts and days of the week when miners are normally present. Directs the Secretary, upon the request of the mine operator, to review with appropriate mine officials the Secretary's most recent evaluation for pattern of violations status during the course of a regular mine inspection, or at the Secretary's discretion, during the pre-inspection conference. Prohibits an attorney from representing both a mine operator and miner during an inspection, investigation, or litigation, unless such miner knowingly waives all possible conflicts of interest. Declares that title 30 CFR Part 104 of chapter I, as revised by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration and published at 78 Federal Register 5073 (January 23, 2013), regarding procedures and criteria for determining a mine operator's pattern of violations, shall have the force and effect of law and be subject to an Act of Congress. Requires the Secretary to: (1) revoke the approval of mine operator plans or programs based on certain criteria; and (2) order withdrawal of all persons from a mine or mine area, and prohibit them from entering it, until the operator submits and the Secretary approves a new plan. Revises civil and criminal penalties and related administrative procedures. Prescribes a civil penalty for: (1) any unapproved change to a coal mine ventilation system or ventilation control which is required by a ventilation plan, safety standard, or order; (2) a violation of a mandatory health and safety standard requiring rock dusting in a coal mine; (3) a violation of the statutory prohibition on providing advance notice of an inspection; or (4) a violation of a mandatory health and safety standard requiring examinations of work areas in an underground coal mine. Revises certain miner protections against discrimination. Prohibits discriminating against a miner or other employee of a mine operator for refusing to perform duties out of a good-faith and reasonable belief that performing such duties would pose a safety or health hazard. Entitles a miner to full compensation by a mine operator at the regular rate of pay for the entire period (not to exceed 60 days) for which the miner is idled because of a Secretary's withdrawal order. (Under current law, miners are entitled to full compensation only for the time that they are idled, or for one week, whichever is the lesser, after all interested parties are given an opportunity for a public hearing and after such order is final.) Prohibits an underground coal mine operator whose mine has been in pattern of violations status for three years from discharging (or constructively discharging) a miner paid on an hourly basis without reasonable job-related grounds based on certain failures to perform job duties satisfactorily if the miner has completed the employer's probationary period of up to six months. Allows a miner aggrieved by violation of this prohibition to file a complaint in federal district court for reinstatement and compensatory damages. Requires each underground coal mine operator to implement a communication program to ensure that each miner is orally briefed on and made aware of current mine conditions before traveling to or arriving at the mine work area and commencing assigned tasks. Prescribes additional requirements for the monitoring of coal dust in underground mines. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations to require each operator of an underground coal mine to install atmospheric monitoring systems. Revises mine operator health and safety training program requirements. Increases from 8 to 9 the minimum number of hours of refresher training all miners must receive at least once every 12 months, including 1 hour of training on miners statutory rights and responsibilities. Requires such training programs to include distribution of miners' rights as well as a toll-free hotline telephone number. Requires the Secretary to order a mine operator to provide additional training to miners if a serious or fatal accident has occurred at a mine, it has experienced above-average accident and injury rates, citations, or withdrawal orders, or the operator has a history of failing to adequately train miners. Amends the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 to require the Secretary to give special emphasis in the award of competitive grants for education and training (Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants) to programs and materials that provide underground mine accident rescue simulation training to workers in smaller mines. Requires the Secretary to issue mandatory standards to establish certification requirements and procedures for persons authorized by a mine operator to perform duties or provide training under such Act. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations to require mine operators to retain certain required records and data that are in electronic form. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to states to assist them in developing and implementing miner certification programs. Amends the Black Lung Benefits Act to require a mine operator to deliver within 14 days a complete copy of the examining physician's report to any miner required to submit to a medical examination. Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to authorize the Director of NIOSH, acting through the Office of Mine Safety and Health, to enter into cooperative agreements with international institutions and private entities to improve mine safety and health through new interventions. Authorizes the Secretary to double encumber a position or utilize early replacement hiring for authorized representatives and technical positions in the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Requires the Secretary to develop and report to Congress a succession plan for the replacement of qualified Administration employees for the next five years.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to rename: (1) the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 as the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 1993, and (2) the Public Lands Corps as the Public Lands Service Corps (the Corps). Permits Corps participants to work in the National Marine Sanctuary System, coral reefs, and other coastal, estuarine, and marine habitats, and other lands and facilities administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Requires the: (1) establishment of a department-level office within the Department of the Interior, Forest Service, and NOAA for the coordination of Corps activities; and (2) designation of a Corps coordinator for each agency within the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce that administers such activities. Establishes an Indian Youth Service Corps liaison. Expands those authorized to be in the Corps to permit the enrollment of consulting interns. Permits enrollment for a term of up to two years. Requires: (1) a recruitment program for the Corps, and (2) a training program at residential conservation centers or at other sites to provide training for Corps participants. Describes the types of natural and cultural resources conservation projects that may be carried out by the Corps. Authorizes: (1) the Corps to provide certain visitor and interpretation services, (2) establishing residential conservation centers, and (3) individual placements of consulting interns to perform management analysis activities for agencies under the Secretary's jurisdiction carrying out appropriate natural and cultural resources conservation projects. Authorizes cooperative agreements and competitive grants for Indian tribes and qualified youth or conservation corps to establish Indian Youth Service Corps programs. Requires the Secretary to issue management guidelines for programs of the Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth Promise Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention or intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2013 or JOLT Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Secretary of State (Secretary) to establish a pilot fee-based premium processing service to expedite visa interview appointments. Authorizes the Secretary to collect and set fee amounts. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to admit into the United States a qualifying Canadian citizen over 50 years old and spouse for a period not to exceed 240 days if the person maintains a Canadian residence and owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of such stay. Directs the Secretary to require overseas visa processing posts to make public the availability of visa appointments during periods of low demand to encourage visa applicants to apply when interview wait times are lowest. Revises the visa waiver program to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate any country as a program country; (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate; and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions. Directs the Secretary to require U.S. diplomatic and consular missions to: (1) conduct nonimmigrant visa application interviews expeditiously, consistent with national security requirements and in recognition of resource allocation considerations; and (2) set a goal of interviewing 90% of all nonimmigrant visa applicants, worldwide, within 10 days of application receipt. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and conduct a pilot program for processing visas using secure remote videoconferencing technology, and (2) seek to coordinate enrollment and interview processes for individuals eligible for both a U.S. visa and enrollment in the Global Entry program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for the establishment or operation of Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. Requires such Centers to: (1) improve the training of health professionals in palliative care for individuals with serious or life-threatening illnesses; (2) develop and disseminate related curricula; (3) support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in palliative care; (4) support continuing education of health professionals who provide palliative care; (5) provide students with clinical training in palliative care in long-term care facilities, home care, hospices, chronic and acute disease hospitals, and ambulatory care centers; and (6) establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees in palliative care. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and enter into contracts with schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to provide support for projects that fund the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to eligible individuals; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award incentive grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, clinical social workers, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant to develop and implement programs and initiatives to train individuals in providing palliative care in health-related educational, hospice, home, or long-term care settings.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act - Amends the definition of the term "law enforcement officer" under provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to include: (1) federal employees not otherwise covered by such term whose duties include the investigation or apprehension of suspected or convicted individuals and who are authorized to carry a firearm, and (2) such employees of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whose duties are primarily the collection of delinquent taxes and the securing of delinquent returns. Requires such service that is performed by an incumbent law enforcement officer: (1) on or after enactment of this Act to be treated for all purposes other than retirement as service performed as a law enforcement officer; and (2) before, on, or after enactment of this Act to be treated for federal retirement purposes as service performed as such an officer only if an appropriate written election is submitted to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) within five years after enactment of this Act or before separation from government service, whichever is earlier. Provides that nothing under current law respecting mandatory separation from government service under CSRS or FERS shall cause the involuntary separation of an officer before the end of the three-year period following enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) for its: (1) continued violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions; (2) December 12, 2012, ballistic missile launch; (3) February 12, 2013, explosion of a nuclear device; and (4) threats and acts of provocation that aim to destabilize international security. Calls for North Korea to renounce further acts of aggression and abide by the Korean War Armistice Agreement. Condemns North Korea for its acts of oppression against its people. Reaffirms the support of the United States for its strategic allies. Supports Security Council Resolution 2094 (2013), and calls on the U.S. government and all responsible nations to apply all sanctions and obligations contained within Security Council Resolutions 1695 (2006), 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), and 2094 (2013).
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and revise a grant program for screening, counseling, and other services related to heritable disorders. Expands eligible grantees to include a health professional organization and an early childhood health system. Extends a grant program to evaluate the effectiveness of screening, counseling, or health care services in reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by heritable disorders in newborns and children. Expands the program to include evaluation of treatment and follow-up care for newborns and their families after screening and diagnosis. Extends for five years the operation of the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue the Advisory Committee after such time. Requires the Advisory Committee to meet in person at least twice each year. Extends the clearinghouse for newborn screening information. Expands the duties of the clearinghouse to include: (1) maintaining current data on the number of conditions for which screening is conducted in each state; and (2) establishing or disseminating guidelines for services and personnel necessary for follow-up, diagnosis, counseling, and treatment of to conditions detected by newborn screening. Extends requirements for the Secretary to provide for quality assurance of laboratories involved in screening newborns and children for heritable disorders. Extends the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Newborn and Child Screening. Authorizes the Secretary to have the Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening Research Program to: (1) provide research and data for newborn conditions under review by the Advisory Committee to be added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel; and (2) conduct pilot studies on conditions recommended by the Advisory Committee to ensure that screenings are ready for nationwide implementation. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, eligible entities to develop longitudinal followup and tracking programs for newborn screening.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
School Nutrition Flexibility Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from promulgating rules and regulations applicable to the school lunch and breakfast programs that establish a maximum quantity of grains, meat, or meat alternates that may be served in any meal or during any period of time of any school year. Makes the formula that school food authorities are required to use to establish the price for a paid lunch (a lunch provided to children who are not eligible for free or reduced price meals) applicable only to school food authorities that had a negative balance in their nonprofit school food service account for the previous school year.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit. Allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner's parent or child); or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Grants the same authority, for employees under their jurisdiction, to the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General (GAO), the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this Act. Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to a suit brought by an employee of a federally-assisted state program or activity for relief authorized under this Act. Requires the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to annually compile information on paid sick time and the Comptroller General to study related matters. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act of 2013 - Amends the Trademark Act of 1946 to conclusively presume that a mark that uses the term "redskin" or any derivation of that term consists of matter which may disparage persons if: (1) it has been, is, or is intended to be used in commerce in connection with references to or images of Native Americans; or (2) the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Director) determines that the term as included in the mark is commonly understood to refer to Native Americans. (The possibility that a mark disparages persons is grounds for refusing its registration.) Requires the Director to cancel the registration of a mark containing the term "redskin" or any derivation of that term if: (1) it has been or is used in commerce in connection with references to or images of Native Americans, or (2) the Director determines that the term as included in the mark is commonly understood to refer to Native Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to include as a "countervailable subsidy" requiring action under a countervailing duty or antidumping duty proceeding the benefit conferred on merchandise imported into the United States from foreign countries with fundamentally undervalued currency. Defines "benefit conferred," in cases where the currency of a foreign country is exchanged for foreign currency (i.e., U.S. dollars) obtained from export transactions, as the difference between: (1) the amount of currency provided by a foreign country in which the subject merchandise is produced, and (2) the amount of currency such country would have provided if the real effective exchange rate of its currency were not fundamentally undervalued. Declares that the fact that such a subsidy is also provided in circumstances not involving export shall not, for that reason alone, mean it cannot be considered export contingent and actionable under a countervailing duty and antidumping duty proceeding. Requires the administering authority to determine that the currency of a foreign country is fundamentally undervalued if for an 18-month period: (1) the government of the country engages in protracted, large-scale intervention in one or more foreign exchange markets; (2) the country's real effective exchange rate is undervalued by at least 5%; (3) the country has experienced significant and persistent global current account surpluses; and (4) the country's government has foreign asset reserves exceeding the amount necessary to repay all its debt obligations falling due within the coming 12 months, 20% percent of the country's money supply, and the value of the country's imports during the previous 4 months. Requires the use, for calculating a country's "real effective exchange rate undervaluation," of certain guidelines of the Consultative Group on Exchange Rate Issues of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or, if those guidelines are not available, generally accepted economic and econometric techniques and methodologies. Requires the use, also, of inflation-adjusted, trade-weighted exchange rates. Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Medicare Audit Improvement Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a process which subjects to a single, combined maximum annual limit, applied incrementally, the number of additional documentation requests made to a hospital by Medicare administrative contractors, recovery audit contractors, or Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) program contractors pursuant to prepayment and postpayment audits requiring a hospital to submit a medical record for audit purposes. Directs the Secretary also to establish a distinct additional documentation request limit, computed according to a specified formula, for each hospital claim type for each hospital for a 45-day period in a year. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the Medicare Integrity Program and use of recovery audit contractors. Requires the Secretary to ensure that recovery audit contracts include certain mandatory terms and conditions pertaining to: (1) penalties for certain compliance failures, (2) penalties for overturned appeals, (3) postpayment and prepayment audits, and (4) guidelines for prepayment review. Directs the Secretary to publish on the Internet website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services information on recovery audit contractor performance regarding: (1) audit rates, denials, and appeals outcomes; and (2) independent performance evaluations. Deems to be an original claim for Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) payment a resubmitted hospital claim for Medicare part A payment for inpatient hospital services which a recovery audit contractor determines: (1) were not medically necessary and reasonable based on the site of service, but (2) would be medically necessary and reasonable in an outpatient setting of the hospital. Requires payment to be made for such a resubmitted claim for all furnished items and services for which payment may be made under Medicare part B. Deems to be a reopened claim, for purposes of a hospital's ability to resubmit a claim for Medicare payment in timely fashion, any claim that is the subject of an audit by a recovery audit contractor or a Medicare administrative contractor. Requires contracts for a recovery audit contractor to require that a physician review each denial of a claim for medical necessity made by an employee of the contractor who is not a physician. Subjects to administrative and judicial review the Secretary's compliance with guidelines for reopening and revising benefit determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include physical therapy within the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps. Makes physical therapists eligible for repayment of their educational loans in order to ensure an adequate supply of physical therapists.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Job Skills for America's Students Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers who partner with educational institutions to provide skills training a tax credit of $2,000 for each participating student, up to a maximum credit of $10,000 in a taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2013
Commercial Real Estate and Economic Development Act of 2013 or CREED Act of 2013 - Reinstates for a five-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act the authority for Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest refinancing of small business debt not involving business expansion under the SBA's local development business loan program. Repeals a provision of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 which terminated such authority as of September 27, 2012. States that no additional appropriations are authorized for the reinstated refinancing program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2013
Expresses support for the designation of National Stroke Awareness Month. Encourages: (1) support for the efforts, programs, services, and advocacy of organizations that work to enhance public awareness of stroke; and (2) continued coordination and cooperation between government, researchers, families, and the public to improve treatments and prognoses for individuals who suffer strokes.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2013
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 300 Packerland Drive in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the "Corporal Justin D. Ross Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2013
Security and Financial Empowerment Act - Authorizes appropriations for grants for the national resource center on workplace responses to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence for FY2014-FY2018. Establishes limits on the use of funds for administrative costs. Requires the center to provide information and assistance to enable victim service organizations to provide resource materials or other assistance to employers, labor organizations, or employees. Amends the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to set forth entitlement standards and implementation guidelines for employee use of emergency leave to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking (domestic or sexual violence). Prohibits: (1) any employer from interfering with the exercise of any right provided under this Act; or (2) discrimination against any individual for exercising any such right, opposing any practice made unlawful by this Act, or instituting any proceeding under this Act. Establishes a private right of action to enforce this Act. Directs the Secretary of Labor to receive, investigate, and attempt to resolve complaints of violations of this Act. Permits victims of domestic or sexual violence to substitute existing leave in lieu of emergency leave. Authorizes state use of funds under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to provide nonrecurrent short-term emergency benefits for victims of domestic or sexual violence on emergency leave. Adds provisions to VAWA, entitled the Victims' Employment Sustainability Act, to prohibit certain discriminatory practices against victims of domestic or sexual violence by: (1) employers with respect to the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment; or (2) public agencies with respect to the terms or conditions of public assistance. Authorizes civil actions by individuals or the Attorney General to enforce such provisions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit denial of unemployment compensation to individuals separated from employment due to their experience of domestic or sexual violence. Amends the Social Security Act to require training of unemployment compensation and TANF personnel to provide necessary services to victims of domestic or sexual violence. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award a grant to a national victim services organization to develop and disseminate a model training program. Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits denial or restriction of insurance coverage (including termination of health insurance coverage) or addition of a premium differential based on the status of the applicant or insured as a victim of abuse by a household or family member, intimate partner, or caretaker. Provides for enforcement of such prohibitions by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and by a private cause of action.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2013
Common Sense Housing Investment Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for mortgage interest, to: (1) allow, in lieu of such deduction, a tax credit for 15% of mortgage interest paid in a taxable year for the taxpayer's principal residence and one other residence; (2) provide for a phaseout of the tax deduction for mortgage interest between 2014 and 2018; (3) allow a deduction for interest and taxes relating to land for dwelling purposes owned or leased by cooperative housing corporations; and (4) increase the state housing credit ceiling for the low-income housing tax credit. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to apply the savings from the enactment of this Act to the Housing Trust Fund, for assistance under the Section 8 low-income housing program, and for the Public Housing Capital Fund.
![Official portrait of Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000607_200.jpg)