United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2018
Stopping Abuse and Fraud in Electronic Lending Act of 2018 or the SAFE Lending Act of 2018 This bill amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and the Truth in Lending Act. The bill revises requirements related to consumer financial protection and small-dollar lending, including matters concerning remotely created checks, electronic fund transfers, registration of small-dollar lenders, overdraft fees, and the collection of personal information.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2018
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about February 8, 2018, to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period of such lapse as soon as practicable after such lapse ends.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2018
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1075 North Tustin Street in Orange, California, as the "Specialist Trevor A. Win'E Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2018
Reuniting Families Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to recapture unused employment-based and family-sponsored visas from FY1992-FY2016; reclassify spouses, permanent partners, minor children, and stepchildren of permanent residents as immediate relatives; repeal the per-country immigration limits; repeal specified bars to reentry and allow waivers of inadmissibility to promote family unity; exempt children of naturalized Filipino veterans from immigration limitations; and allow relatives of a deceased alien to maintain visa eligibility. The bill defines "permanent partner" to purposes of applying the INA to LGBT families and individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2018
Women and Climate Change Act of 2018 This bill establishes a Federal Interagency Working Group on Women and Climate Change within the Department of State. The duties of the working group include: (1) coordinating the development of policies and activities of the federal government relating to addressing the effects of climate change on women, and (2) identifying and disseminating best practices for improved data collection relevant to the disparate impact of climate change on women. The working group and the State Department's Office of Global Women's Issues must develop a strategy to prevent and respond to the effects of climate change on women. The office must designate a Senior Coordinator for Women and Climate Change.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2018
Recognizes the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike. Honors the perseverance of the members of Union Local 1733 and the contribution of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in resolving the labor dispute.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2018
Safe Coasts, Oceans, And Seaside Towns Act or the Safe COAST Act This bill provides statutory authority for specified safety regulations that govern offshore oil and gas production in the Outer Continental Shelf and provide protections for human, marine, and coastal environments. The Department of the Interior must contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to complete the study titled "Review and Update of Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Offshore Oil and Gas Operations Inspection Program" within 21 months.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2018
Fair Auto Insurance Ratemaking Reporting to Allow a Transparent Evaluation of Statistics Act of 2018 or the FAIR RATES Act of 2018 This bill directs the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) of the Department of the Treasury to collect private passenger automobile insurance data from certain automobile insurers, federal and state agencies, or other intermediaries. FIO must report on any racial disparities in premium costs and claims payment amounts.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2018
SNAP Healthy Incentives Act of 201 8 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide a financial incentive for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) participants to purchase fruits and vegetables.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2018
Artificial Intelligence Job Opportunities and Background Summary Act of 2018 or the AI JOBS Act of 2018 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that technology can improve the lives of individuals, but can also disrupt jobs, and for this reason, innovation should be encouraged while training and retraining American workers. The Department of Labor shall prepare and submit to Congress a report on artificial intelligence and its impact on the workforce.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2018
Advancing Seniors and Kids Act or the ASK Act This bill extends, and otherwise revises, various public health and social welfare programs. Specifically, the bill: permanently extends the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); extends by one year, but reduces by half, additional federal financial participation for CHIP; extends CHIP's qualifying-states option, express-lane eligibility option, and outreach and enrollment program; extends the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund, the Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project, and the Pediatric Quality Measures Program; modifies Medicare payment rules and reporting requirements with respect to ground-ambulance services; permanently extends specialized Medicare Advantage (MA) plans for certain special-needs individuals; expands certain supplemental benefits under MA for chronically ill enrollees; extends the Medicare payment adjustment known as the "home-health rural add-on"; makes permanent or extends other specified programs and payment rules under Medicare; under Medicaid, extends certain health workforce demonstration projects as well as specified programs related to community health centers, diabetes, graduate medical education, family-to-family health-information centers, abstinence education, and personal-responsibility education; delays certain changes, under Medicaid, to disproportionate-share hospital allotments and to third-party liability provisions; extends the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program and requires, under the program, continued demonstration of improvements in certain benchmark areas; establishes a grant program for the monitoring of representative payees under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program and the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program; otherwise revises provisions related to representative payment under SSI and OASDI; and with respect to the child-welfare system, modifies provisions related to information sharing and to overpayment liability.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2018
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about January 19, 2018, to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period of such lapse as soon as practicable after such lapse ends.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2018
Expresses support and respect for Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations. Censures and condemns President Trump for his derogatory statements about Haiti and other countries at the January 11, 2018, White House meeting and calls on him to retract and apologize for such remarks.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2018
Restraining Excessive Federal Enforcement & Regulations of Cannabis Act of 2018 or the REFER Act of 2018 This bill prohibits the use of funds made available by Congress to a federal department or agency: to restrict a state or local law that authorizes the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of cannabis; to detain, prosecute, sentence, or initiate civil proceedings against an individual, business, or property involved in cannabis-related activities in accordance with state or local law; or to penalize a financial institution for providing financial services to a business engaged in cannabis-related activities in compliance with state or local law.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2018
Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act or the FAIR Act This bill increases by 3% the rates of basic pay for federal employees under the statutory pay systems (i.e., the General Schedule, the Foreign Service Schedule, and various schedules related to the Veterans Health Administration) for calendar year 2019. Additionally, it increases by 3% the rates of basic pay for prevailing rate employees for FY2019.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2018
Supports the goals and ideals of Korean American Day. Recognizes the 115th anniversary of the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2018
Emancipation National Historic Trail Act This bill designates the Emancipation National Historic Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles and follows the migration route taken by newly freed slaves and other persons of African descent from Galveston, Texas, to Houston, Texas.
United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2017
National Law Enforcement Museum Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins that are emblematic of the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, DC, and the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers throughout the history of the United States. All sales of such coins shall include specified surcharges, which shall be distributed to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc., for educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2017
Puppy Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to require the Department of Agriculture to expand standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals to include new requirements for commercial dog dealers. Specifically, the standards must require dog dealers to provide to dogs: (1) adequate housing, exercise, and veterinary care; (2) appropriate and nutritious food; (3) continuous access to potable water; and (4) meaningful socialization with humans and compatible dogs for at least 30 minutes each day. The standards must also include requirements for breeders to use safe breeding practices and make all reasonable efforts to find humane placement for retired breeding dogs.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2017
Welfare of Our Friends Act of 2017 or the WOOF! Act This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from licensing a dealer of dogs whose previous licenses have been suspended or revoked in the last 10 years if the license is for operating a facility that the dealer previously used. Further, USDA may not issue or renew a license to: (1) the dog dealer's immediate family members, (2) a person who resides at the same address as the dog dealer, or (3) certain legal entities if such dealer holds an ownership interest in the entity.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2017
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about December 22, 2017, to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period of such lapse as soon as practicable after such lapse ends.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2017
Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to modify the detention authority of the United States. Specifically, it adds a provision to prohibit the detention or imprisonment of an individual based solely on an actual or perceived protected characteristic of that individual. A protected characteristic includes race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2017
Promoting Women in the Aviation Workforce Act This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration to create and facilitate the Women in Aviation Advisory Board to promote organizations and programs that provide education, training, mentorship, outreach, and recruitment of women into the aviation industry.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2017
Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act This bill makes a postsecondary program designed to prepare students for a recognized occupation or profession requiring licensing or other entry pre-conditions ineligible to participate in a federal financial assistance program, unless it meets specified student consumer protection requirements within one year. Each program must: (1) fully prepare students to satisfy those entry pre-conditions in the metropolitan statistical areas and states in which the students reside and in any state the program claims a successful program graduate will be prepared to work in the particular occupation or profession involved; and (2) provide timely placement of students in required pre-licensure positions, such as clinical placements, internships, or apprenticeships.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2017
Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax credits for: (1) energy storage technologies, and (2) battery storage technology. The bill expands the tax credit for investments in energy property to include equipment that: (1) receives, stores, and delivers energy using batteries, compressed air, pumped hydropower, hydrogen storage (including hydrolysis), thermal energy storage, regenerative fuel cells, flywheels, capacitors, superconducting magnets, or other technologies identified by the Internal Revenue Service; and (2) has a capacity of at least five kilowatt hours. The bill also expands the tax credit for residential energy efficient property to include expenditures for battery storage technology that: (1) is installed on or in connection with a dwelling unit located in the United States and used as a residence by the taxpayer, and (2) has a capacity of at least three kilowatt hours.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2017
Prioritizing Energy-Efficient Renewables Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the tax credits for producing electricity from wind, geothermal energy, hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities; (2) repeal the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs for oil and gas wells; (3) repeal the tax deduction for income attributable to the production, refining, transportation, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any primary product thereof; and (4) repeal the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas wells.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2017
Notario Victim Relief Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the time limit on the filing of a motion to reopen a removal proceeding if the basis of the motion is fraud, negligence, misrepresentation, or extortion by, or the attempted, promised, or actual practice of law without authorization on the part of, a representative.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2017
Military and Veterans Education Protection Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise a requirement, commonly known as the 90/10 rule, which directs proprietary (for profit) institutions of higher education to derive at least 10% of their revenue from nonfederal financial aid sources, or risk becoming ineligible for title IV funding. Currently the rule allows federal educational assistance for military personnel and veterans to count toward the 10%. This bill defines federal educational assistance to include federal educational assistance for military personnel and veterans. Thus, the bill prohibits proprietary institutions from counting federal educational assistance for military personnel and veterans as nonfederal funding sources.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2017
Receiving Electronic Statements To Improve Retiree Earnings Act This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the electronic delivery of pension plan documents required to be furnished to a plan participant, beneficiary, or other individual. The system for furnishing such a document must: (1) be designed to result in effective access to the document, (2) permit the recipient to select the electronic means through which the document is received or request paper documents, and (3) protect the confidentiality of personal information. An annual paper notice must be provided describing: the selection of electronic means for furnishing documents, the right to modify the selection or to elect to receive paper versions of the documents at no additional direct cost and how to make the election, and any election that has been made to receive paper documents. An electronically furnished document must be prepared and furnished in a manner that is consistent with the style, format, and content requirements for the document. It must also include a notice that apprises the individual of the significance of the document when it is not otherwise reasonably evident as transmitted.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2017
Workplace Action for a Growing Economy Act or the WAGE Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to award back pay and additional damages to any employee whose rights under the NLRA have been violated by an employer; impose penalties upon an employer for failing to post a notice of the rights of their employees under the NLRA; impose penalties upon an employer whose violations of the NLRA result in the discharge of an employee or other serious economic harm to the employee; provide civil remedies, including restraining orders, and a private right of action for violations of the NLRA; require the NLRB to issue an order requiring collective bargaining when a majority of valid ballots have been cast in favor of union representation; prevent the classification of employees as supervisors for the purpose of denying such employees the protections of the NLRA; and expedite the establishment of initial collective bargaining agreements. The bill empowers the NLRB to enforce its own orders without petitioning a court for enforcement.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2017
Continuing Community Health and Medical Professional Programs to Improve Our Nation and Keep Insurance Delivery Stable Act of 2017 or the CHAMPION KIDS Act of 2017 This bill extends funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), community health centers, and other specified public health programs, and otherwise modifies provisions related to Medicaid, CHIP, and public health.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2017
Supports the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day and recognizes its 29th anniversary. Commends the President and state and local governments for recognizing such day and encouraging individuals to undergo testing for HIV. Supports: the goal of ending HIV/AIDS; continued funding for prevention, care, treatment services, and research programs for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States; the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States: Updated to 2020 (NHAS) and achieving the goals within the NHAS Federal Action Plan; continued funding for the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; the goal of improving access to comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care, and support programs; the goal of protecting human rights for all people; and efforts to address the factors that make populations vulnerable to HIV/AIDS by combatting poverty and hunger, expanding educational opportunities for children, and empowering women and girls.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2017
Supports the designation of a National Day of 3D Printing. Recognizes the economic impact of 3D printing and its positive implications for the U.S. advanced manufacturing sector. Encourages the promotion and celebration of 3D printing technology.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2017
Bears Ears National Monument Expansion Act This bill expands the boundaries of the Bear Ears National Monument in Utah. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture USDA shall administer the lands under their jurisdictions within the expanded boundaries: (1) as part of the monument; and (2) in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 9558, dated December 28, 2016, which provided for establishment of the monument. Interior and USDA shall promptly carry out the proclamation's provisions, including the provisions requiring them to engage the Bear Ears Commission to: ensure the proper care and management of the objects identified; ensure that management decisions affecting the monument reflect tribal expertise and traditional and historical knowledge; and provide guidance and recommendations on the development and implementation of management plans and on management of the monument. The National Park Service shall administer Natural Bridges National Monument and those portions of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area that are within the expanded boundaries as part of the monument. Interior and USDA may acquire lands, waters, or interests in land that are located within the revised boundaries of the monument by donation, purchase, or exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2017
Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Labor to update the salary threshold applicable to bona fide executive, administrative, and professional employees for purposes of determining eligibility for overtime pay. The bill adopts rulemaking promulgated by Labor in 2016 that established the threshold for exempting such employees from overtime requirements at the 40th percentile of earnings for full-time salaried employees in the lowest-wage census region. The bill also requires updates to the threshold amount every three years.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2017
Directs the Committee on House Administration to issue regulations requiring Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives to complete a training program on workplace rights and responsibilities, including anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, during each congressional session. Requires Members, officers, or employees to certify completion of such training within 90 days after a congressional session begins or within 90 days after beginning service during a session. (Sets forth a special rule requiring such training to be completed within 180 days after the beginning of the second session of the 115th Congress.) Directs the committee to issue regulations requiring that each House employing office post in a prominent location in its office and in each Member's congressional district office a statement of rights and protections provided to House employees under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, including procedures for responding to and adjudicating allegations of violations of such rights and protections.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act This bill establishes the Pension Rehabilitation Administration within the Department of the Treasury and a related trust fund to make loans to certain multiemployer defined benefit pension plans. To receive a loan, a plan must be either in critical and declining status (including any plan with respect to which a suspension of benefits has been approved) or insolvent, if the plan became insolvent after December 16, 2014, and has not been terminated. Treasury must issue bonds to fund the loan program and transfer amounts equal to the proceeds to the trust fund established by this bill. The Pension Rehabilitation Administration may use the funds, without a further appropriation, to make loans, pay principal and interest on the bonds, or for administrative and operating expenses. The bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow the sponsor of a multiemployer pension plan that is applying for a loan under this bill to also apply to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) for financial assistance if, after receiving the loan, the plan will still become (or remain) insolvent within the 30-year period beginning on the date of the loan. The bill also appropriates to the PBGC the funds that are necessary to provide the financial assistance required by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
Member and Employee Training and Oversight On Congress Act or the ME TOO Congress Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise procedures for reporting, investigating, and resolving allegations of legislative branch employees that their rights and protections under the CAA, such as protections against sexual harassment and discrimination, have been violated.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
Supports: (1) the designation of National Apprenticeship Week; (2) the expansion of apprenticeships in in-demand industry sectors and occupations; (3) the development and expansion of effective preapprenticeship programs that lead to success in a registered apprenticeship program; and (4) a closer alignment between registered apprenticeship programs, the workforce development system, career and technical education, and postsecondary education. Calls for increased awareness about the value of the registered apprenticeship program model as an effective earn-and-learn model. Recognizes the importance of apprenticeships in developing a well-trained, highly skilled, and more diverse workforce. Commends organizations and employers that actively support apprenticeship programs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: (1) encourage veterans to study and pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and computer science in coordination with other federal agencies that serve veterans, and (2) submit a plan to Congress for enhancing outreach efforts to veterans. The National Science Board shall provide in its annual report on the state of science and engineering in the United States relevant data on veterans in science and engineering careers or education programs. The bill provides for veterans' participation and outreach in: (1) the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program to recruit and train mathematics and science teachers, (2) NSF fellowships and masters fellowships for mathematics and science teachers, (3) computer and network security capacity building grants, and (4) traineeship grants leading to a doctorate degree in computer and network security research. The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall: (1) establish a subcommittee under the Committee on STEM Education of the National Science and Technology Council to coordinate federal programs and policies for transitioning and training veterans and military spouses for STEM careers, and (2) monitor federal agency efforts to ensure that the objectives of the subcommittee's strategic plan required by this bill are met.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
GI Education Benefits Fairness Act This bill revises who is eligible to receive GI education benefits as a dependent under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Safeguarding Election Infrastructure Act of 2017 This bill requires voting systems for federal elections to produce paper ballots that the voter may inspect and verify before the vote is cast and counted. The bill also requires (1) the paper ballot to be suitable for manual audits, (2) each state to audit federal election results by administering hand counts of paper ballots at randomly selected precincts, and (3) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress and the affected state if DHS believes a state's voter-registration database or voting system has been breached.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Gun Safety: Not Sorry Act of 2017 This bill establishes a seven-day waiting period for certain firearm and ammunition transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals).
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2017
Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act or the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award cooperative agreements to state and local health departments to expand activities related to Alzheimer's disease, including activities involving early detection, support for caregivers, and public awareness.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017 This bill modifies various provisions of federal firearms laws. Among other things, it does the following: prohibits certain firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check; and requires states to implement plans to improve the submission of mental health and criminal history records to the national instant criminal background check system.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
American Promise Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit an alien who is in temporary protected status (TPS) or deferred enforced departure (DED) status to apply for legal permanent resident status if such alien: is eligible for permanent resident status, applies for adjustment within three years, was granted or was eligible for TPS or DED status on or before October 1, 2017, and has been continuously physically present in the U.S. for at least three years. (TPS designations permit eligible nationals of designated counties affected by armed conflict or natural disasters to temporarily reside and work in the United States. DED designations permit eligible nationals of presidentially-designated counties to be temporarily not subject to removal from the United States.) The bill: waives certain grounds of inadmissibility; authorizes the waiver of the continuous physical presence requirement if an alien's removal would cause extreme hardship to the alien or to the alien's spouse, children, parents, or domestic partner; authorizes an alien who has applied for status adjustment to work; and authorizes an alien who has been ordered removed or granted voluntary departure to apply for status adjustment. An alien's spouse, parent, or unmarried child shall have his or her status adjusted to legal permanent resident if such person is eligible for status adjustment and applies within three years. Aliens from countries that no longer have valid TPS designation and aliens who no longer have valid DED status are not included in this bill unless such TSP or DED status expires on or after January 1, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Recognizes and encourages the observance of Small Business Saturday. Supports efforts to: (1) encourage consumers to shop locally, and (2) increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of such businesses on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2017
Security and Financial Empowerment Act of 2017 This bill sets forth various provisions to promote the safety and security of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, Among other things, the bill does the following: requires employers to provide up to 30 days of safe leave in a 12-month period; and prohibits states from imposing additional restrictions on eligibility for unemployment compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2017
Restoring Identity and Dignity Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to require the Bureau of Prisons, as part of prerelease planning procedures, to help a prisoner pay the cost of applying for benefits and obtaining documents.