United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
Generating Renewal, Opportunity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America Act or the GROW AMERICA Act Prescribes requirements for environmental reviews with respect to state and federal agency engagement, obstruction of navigation, historic sites, categorical exclusion of multimodal projects from environmental review, and creation in the Department of Transportation (DOT) of an Interagency Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Center. Directs DOT to establish a multimodal freight incentive grant program and a National Freight Infrastructure Program. Redesignates the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways as the National Highway System and the National Freight Network. Requires the federal long-range transportation plan to include a transportation system resilience assessment. Prescribes criteria for high performing metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) representing urbanized areas with populations of over 200,000. Removes the congestion management process from the transportation planning process for MPOs. Directs DOT to establish a pilot program for up to 10 MPOs to improve multimodal connectivity and increase connections for disadvantaged Americans and neighborhoods with limited transportation options. Revises requirements with respect to congestion mitigation and air quality improvement, including electric vehicle charging stations and commercial motor vehicle anti-idling facilities in rest areas along the Interstate System. Establishes in DOT: a discretionary TIGER Infrastructure Grant Program for various transportation projects; and a discretionary FAST Grant Program to reform the way surface transportation investments and decisions are made, implemented, and funded to achieve national transportation outcomes. Revises requirements for the funding of railroad rehabilitation and improvement financing, the state infrastructure bank program, toll roads, bridges, tunnels, and ferries. Establishes within DOT the position of Assistant Secretary for Innovative Finance. Reauthorizes the federal-aid highway and related programs through FY2021, including revised obligation limitation and apportionment requirements. Directs DOT to: establish a nationally significant federal lands and tribal projects program to fund construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of nationally significant federal lands and tribal transportation projects; carry out a broadband infrastructure deployment initiative; create a program to make critical and immediate improvements to infrastructure and highway safety; set-aside specified funds for states for highway safety data improvement activities on public roads; and create and maintain data sets and data analysis tools to assist MPOs, states, and the DOT in carrying out performance management analyses. Federal Public Transportation Act of 2015 Revises fixed guideway capital investment grants requirements. Authorizes grants to state and local governments for very small starts projects. Revises requirements for formula grants for enhanced mobility and for rural areas, workforce development programs, and the public transportation safety program. Requires recipients of transportation assistance to meet certain standards for hiring locally. Reauthorizes specified public transportation assistance programs through FY2021. Authorizes DOT to make competitive grants to state and local governmental entities for bus rapid transit projects. Authorizes appropriations for specified highway safety programs through FY2021, and revises related requirements. Revises criteria for state graduated driver licensing incentive grants. Adds a 24-7 sobriety program to criteria for state repeat offender and open container laws. Authorizes specified amounts of grant funds to states for distracted driving enforcement. Authorizes appropriations for specified motor vehicle safety programs through FY2021, and increases penalties for safety violations. Revises certain reporting requirements for tire manufacturers. Requires DOT to conduct a pilot grant program to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness for a state process for informing consumers of open motor vehicle recalls at the time of motor vehicle registration. Revises specified requirements for commercial motor vehicle and commercial driver safety. Requires disqualification to operate a commercial motor vehicle for anyone who fails to pay an assessed civil penalty for a motor vehicle safety violation. Revises certain medical and registration requirements for commercial motor vehicle operators. Revises requirements for the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. Directs DOT to administer a High Priority Program, an innovative technology deployment grant program, and a Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators Grant Program. Authorizes DOT to establish: a motor carrier safety facility working capital fund, and a financial assistance program for commercial driver's license program implementation. Directs DOT to maintain for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration a motor carrier safety advisory committee. Revises requirements for the Unified Carrier Registration System plan. Repeals the authorization for self-insurance by motor carriers. Prescribes notice requirements relating to decisions that electronic logging devices fail to comply with standards. Authorizes DOT to issue regulations: governing contractors that exercise control over motor carrier operations; and requiring motor vehicle employers to track and compensate employees for on-duty, not-driving time. Authorizes DOT, with respect to unsafe conditions or practices in the transportation of hazardous materials (hazmat transportation), to order necessary: operational controls, restrictions, and prohibitions without prior notice or an opportunity for a hearing; and removal, remediation, or disposal of hazardous materials causing unreasonable risk of death, personal injury, or significant harm to the property or the environment. Authorizes DOT to collect reasonable fees for the administration of the special permits and approvals for deposit into a Hazardous Materials Approvals and Permits Fund. Revises requirements for planning and training grants under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986. Reauthorizes the program for regulating hazmat transportation through FY2021. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through FY2023 specified highway-related taxes as well as requirements for expenditures from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. Replaces the Highway Trust Fund with a Transportation Trust Fund, and authorizes appropriations to it through FY2021. Directs DOT to establish and support a National Cooperative Freight Transportation Research Program and a Priority Multimodal Research Program. Revises the competitive selection process for the university transportation centers consortia program. Requires the Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to create data sets and data analysis tools for intermodal transportation data. Establishes in the BTS a National Transportation Library. Authorizes the BTS Director to establish a Port Performance Statistics Program to provide nationally consistent measures of performance of the nation's maritime ports. Revises requirements for the intelligent transportation system (ITS) program. Includes as an ITS program goal the development and deployment of automated vehicles in all modes of surface transportation. Prescribes requirements for the use of funds to develop ITS infrastructure, equipment, and systems. Rail for America Act Directs DOT to facilitate by financial assistance the establishment of a National High-Performance Rail System of integrated passenger and freight rail services, including a Current Passenger Rail Service Program and a Rail Service Improvement Program. Authorizes appropriations through FY2021 for the System and for the planning, development, construction, and implementation of rail corridors and related infrastructure improvements. Requires Amtrak to submit to the Secretary draft 5-year business line plans and draft 5-year capital asset plans. Authorizes DOT to establish Regional Rail Development Authorities, including a Regional Committee, to facilitate the development of multi-state high-performance rail services, and to coordinate these investments with other rail, transit, highway, and aviation system services. Prescribes requirements for the standardization of passenger equipment and level-entry boarding platforms. Directs DOT to: evaluate the shared-use of right-of-way by passenger and freight rail systems and the operational, institutional, and legal structures that would best support improvements to both of these systems; and conduct a nationwide disparity and availability study to establish the availability and utilization of small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in publicly funded railroad projects. Requires DOT to complete a National Rail Development Plan meeting certain criteria, and facilitate development of Regional Rail Development Plans. Authorizes DOT to prescribe regulations or issue orders to require host railroads for joint operations that occur within a small geographic area to develop unified rules governing all operations within that area. Revises or prescribes requirements relating to positive train control, hours of service, maximum employee duty hours, safety appliances, locomotive inspections, noise emission standards, and damaged track inspection equipment. Authorizes federal agency heads to construct, install, operate, and maintain electric charging infrastructure for official agency vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
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 requirements for: (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 · 19 May 2015
Every Child Deserves a Family Act Prohibits adoption or foster care placement service entities that receive federal assistance (or that contract with entities receiving such assistance) from using the sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status of a prospective adoptive or foster parent, or from using the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child, to: (1) deny a person the opportunity to become an adoptive or foster parent; (2) delay or deny the placement of a child for adoption or into foster care; or (3) require different or additional screenings or procedures for adoptive or foster placement decisions, including whether to seek the termination of birth parent rights or to make a child legally available for adoptive placement. Allows individuals aggrieved by a violation of this Act to bring an action seeking relief in federal court. Directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish guidance on legal compliance and to assist entities with casework practices, recruitment efforts, and cultural competency training. Allows HHS to withhold payments under part B (Child and Family Services) or part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to states that fail to comply with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2015 Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to increase from $240 to $1,344 (increased for inflation each calendar year after 2016) the first amount of general income per year excluded in determining SSI program eligibility. Increases from $780 to $4,368 (similarly increased) the first amount of earned income similarly excluded (including for a blind or disabled individual or spouse under age 65). Sets at: (1) $15,000 in calendar year 2016 (increased for inflation) the resource limit for couples, and (2) $10,000 in calendar year 2016 (similarly increased) the resource limit for individuals without a spouse. Prescribes an inflation adjustment in benefits in any calendar year after 2016. Removes support and maintenance furnished in kind from determination of unearned income. Repeals the administrative penalty which renders individuals (and spouses) ineligible for SSI for a certain period of time if after the look-back date (usually 36 months preceding their application for SSI) they dispose of their resources for less than market value.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act Prohibits sexual orientation or gender identity conversion therapy from being provided in exchange for monetary compensation. Bars advertisements for such therapy that claim to: (1) change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, (2) eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender, or (3) be harmless or without risk. Makes this Act inapplicable to practices that do not seek to change sexual orientation or gender identity if the therapy provides: (1) assistance to an individual undergoing a gender transition; or (2) acceptance, support, and understanding of clients or facilitation of clients' coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, including sexual orientation-neutral interventions to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices. Provides authority to Federal Trade Commission to enforce this Act and treats violations as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
Expresses support for the observance of National Asian American and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Recognizes the importance of: (1) culturally and linguistically competent services as a core element in reducing HIV/AIDS rates in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities; and (2) addressing the gaps in research and data in order to fully understand the HIV/AIDS epidemic in such communities. Recognizes the people across the United States infected and affected by HIV/AIDS who are commemorating this day and who work to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
On-the-Job Training Tax Credit Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers who employ not more than 500 full-time employees during the taxable year an on-the-job training tax credit equal to the lesser of: 50% of the job training program expenditures for a full-time employee participating in a qualified training program, or $5,000. Defines "qualified training program" as a written plan of study and training that is either: (1) an apprenticeship program registered and certified with the Department of Labor under the National Apprenticeship Act; (2) a program licensed, registered, or certified by the workforce investment board or apprenticeship agency or council of a state or administered in compliance with state apprenticeship laws; (3) a program conducted by a vocational or technical education school, community college, industrial or trade training organization, or labor organization; (4) a program which conforms to apprentice training programs developed or administered by an employer trade group or committee; or (5) an industry-sponsored or -administered program which is clearly identified and commonly recognized. Terminates such credit after 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
Student Loan Tax Debt Relief Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of student loan indebtedness to include indebtedness discharged pursuant to income-contingent and income-based repayment plans.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
21st Century Cures Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through FY2018. The NIH Innovation Fund is established to fund a strategic plan, early stage investigators, and high-risk, high-reward research. The NIH may require scientific data to be shared if the research is fully funded by the NIH. The NIH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must implement a system that allows further research on clinical trial data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must expand surveillance of neurological diseases. The Council for 21st Century Cures is established to accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of innovative cures, treatments, and preventive measures. The Department of Health and Human Services must monitor the use of antibacterial and antifungal drugs and resistance to these drugs. Requirements are established for interoperability and certification of health information technology. Practices that discourage the exchange of electronic health information are prohibited. This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the drug approval process, including by: (1) allowing patient experience data to be considered in the risk-benefit assessment of a new drug, (2) requiring the FDA to qualify drug development tools, (3) allowing the FDA to rely upon data previously submitted for a different purpose to expedite the development of certain drugs, and (4) establishing a streamlined data review program for approval of a drug for an additional indication. Manufacturers and distributors of investigational drugs for serious conditions must publish their policies on compassionate use requests. The marketing exclusivity period is extended by six months for a drug approved for a new indication that is a rare disease or condition. The priority review voucher program for rare pediatric diseases is revised and extended. The FDA must: (1) establish a program for priority review of breakthrough medical devices, (2) identify types of devices that do not require a report preceding introduction, and (3) rely on a third-party to determine the safety and effectiveness of changes to medical devices. Regarding medical devices, this bill defines “valid scientific evidence” and makes changes to classification panels and the humanitarian device exemption. “Health software” is defined and, with certain exceptions, exempted from FDA regulations. This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to: (1) increase certain payments for new antimicrobial drugs, (2) establish a payment methodology for certain medical devices, and (3) publish online estimated payments for certain outpatient items and services. A pharmaceutical and technology ombudsman within the CMS must respond to complaints from manufacturers of medical products. Medicare prescription drug plan sponsors may limit the access of certain beneficiaries to frequently abused drugs. This bill amends the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to allow exported controlled substances to be re-exported within the European Economic Area.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2015
Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in addition to qualified primary care physicians and other primary care practitioners, to cover intensive behavioral therapy for obesity furnished by: (1) a physician who is not a qualified primary care physician; (2) an evidence-based, community-based HHS-approved lifestyle counseling program; or (3) any other appropriate health care provider (including a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, a clinical psychologist, and a registered dietitian or nutrition professional). Allows coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity furnished by another appropriate health care provider or program only if it is furnished: (1) upon referral from, and in coordination with, a physician or primary care practitioner in a primary care or other HHS-specified setting; and (2) in an office setting, a hospital outpatient department, a community-based site that complies with the federal regulations concerning the privacy of individually identifiable health information, or another HHS-specified setting. Authorizes HHS to cover under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) medication for treatment of obesity or for weight loss management for an overweight individual with one or more related comorbidities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2015
Career-Ready Student Veterans Act This bill adds the following new criteria for state approval, with respect to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance, of applications of educational institutions providing veterans with non-accredited courses: a program designed to prepare an individual for state licensure or certification must meet any state instructional curriculum licensure or certification requirements; or a program designed to prepare an individual for employment pursuant to standards developed by a state board or agency in an occupation requiring approval or licensure must be approved or licensed by that state board or agency. The VA may waive either of these two requirements if: the educational institution is accredited by an agency or association recognized by the Department of Education; the program did not meet the requirements at any time during the two-year period preceding the waiver date; the waiver furthers the purposes of the educational assistance programs or would further the education interests of individuals eligible for assistance under such programs; and the educational institution does not provide any incentive payment based on securing enrollments or financial aid to any persons or entities engaged in student recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance, except for recruitment of foreign students residing in foreign countries who are ineligible for federal student assistance. The criteria added by this Act also apply to approval of accredited courses at for-profit educational institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2015
Student Support Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education to make matching grants of at least $1 million to states for allocation to local educational agencies (LEAs) so that additional school-based mental health and student service providers may be hired, thereby reducing the student-to-provider ratios in elementary and secondary schools to specified minimum levels recommended by the leading counseling, guidance, and mental health organizations. These minimum ratios are: (1) 1 school counselor for every 250 students, (2) 1 school psychologist for every 1,000 students, and (3) 1 school social worker for every 250 students. Grants to states and state allocations to LEAs must be made pursuant to specified formulas that take into account a state's and school district's share of children in poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2015
Global Respect Act Directs the President to submit to Congress a list of each foreign person that the President determines is responsible, or acted as an agent, for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights committed against an individual in a foreign country based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Makes a listed foreign person ineligible to enter or be admitted to the United States. Requires revocation of any visa issued for such person. Authorizes the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive such prohibition if in U.S. national security interests or if necessary for compliance with the Agreement between the United Nations (U.N.) and the United States regarding the U.N. Headquarters. Requires congressional notification prior to any such waiver. Directs the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor to designate a senior officer or officers to track violence, criminalization, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms in foreign countries based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include information on sexual orientation or gender identity violence or restrictions in the annual country reports on human rights practices.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2015
Opportunity for Military Academies and Readiness Act Authorizes an alien who possesses an employment authorization document issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy of the Department of Homeland Security and who otherwise satisfies the requirements for admission to a military service academy, other than U.S. citizenship, to be appointed to and to attend such academy and, upon graduation, to be appointed as a commissioned officer in the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2015
Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to make it unlawful for any person to operate a gun show unless such person: (1) has attained 21 years of age; (2) is not prohibited from transporting, shipping, or receiving firearms and has not violated any federal firearms requirements; (3) has registered with the Attorney General as a gun show operator and has provided a photograph and fingerprints; (4) has not concealed material information nor made false statements in connection with a gun show operator registration; and (5) notifies the Attorney General of the date, time, and duration of a gun show not later than 30 days before the commencement of such show and verifies the identity of each vendor at the gun show. Imposes recordkeeping requirements on gun show operators and criminal penalties for failure to register as a gun show operator and maintain required records. Grants the Attorney General authority to enter the business premises of any gun show operator, without a showing of reasonable cause or a warrant, to examine records and inventory to determine compliance with this Act. Increases criminal penalties for serious recordkeeping violations and violations of criminal background check requirements. Authorizes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to hire additional investigators to carry out inspections of gun shows.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2015
Work-Study for Student Veterans Act Reauthorizes through June 30, 2020 (under current law, the authorization expires as of June 30, 2013) certain qualifying work-study activities for individuals receiving educational assistance through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2015
Women's Preventive Health Awareness Campaign This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide for a national public outreach and educational campaign, including a website, to raise awareness of women's preventive health. The campaign must describe guidelines for women's preventive services, promote well-woman visits, explain the women's preventive services that are covered by health insurance without patient cost sharing, and address health disparities. Well-woman visits that a health care provider determines a woman needs in order to obtain all necessary preventive services must be covered by health insurance without patient cost sharing. Health insurers may limit coverage of women's preventive services where guidelines do not specify the frequency, method, treatment, or setting for the services. Cost sharing for a preventive health service provided by an out-of-network provider shall not be imposed if a woman does not have an in-network provider with the capacity to provide the service. For a preventive health service that varies based on the patient's risk of disease, a woman must be treated as being at high risk for a disease if she has a family history of the disease or if a health care provider determines she is at high risk. Requirements are described for women's preventive services coverage of breast cancer susceptibility screening, HIV testing, breastfeeding support, and contraception. HHS must enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine (or another entity) to study and recommend the appropriate billing codes for a well-woman visit.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2015
Constitutional Amendment Declares that women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. Prohibits the United States or any state from denying or abridging equal rights under the law on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2015
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of an International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Encourages: (1) health care providers to offer culturally and clinically competent care to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) community; (2) schools to support the creation of gay-straight alliances to achieve safer learning environments; (3) individuals to learn about national resources for those who identify as LGBT; and (4) the federal government, states, international funding organizations, and U.S. bilateral and multilateral aid efforts to prioritize the health and human rights of LGBT people.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2015
Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act Authorizes burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration of the remains of any individual: (1) who was naturalized pursuant to the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000 and who resided in the United States at the time of death; or (2) who the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines served with a special guerrilla unit or irregular forces operating from a base in Laos in support of the U.S. Armed Forces between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, and who, at the time of death, resided in the United States and was a U.S. citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Securing Participation, Engagement, and Knowledge Freedom by Reducing Egregious Efforts Act of 2015 or the SPEAK FREE Act of 2015 Amends the federal judicial code to allow a person against whom a lawsuit is asserted to file a special motion to dismiss claims referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation ("SLAPP suits") that arise from an oral or written statement or other expression, or conduct in furtherance of such expression, by the defendant in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter of public concern. Defines "matter of public concern" as an issue related to: (1) health or safety; (2) environmental, economic, or community well-being; (3) the government; (4) a public official or public figure; or (5) a good, product, or service in the marketplace. Requires courts to grant such a special motion to dismiss if the party filing the motion makes a prima facie showing that the claim asserted against them is a SLAPP suit, unless the responding party demonstrates that the claim is likely to succeed on the merits. Provides exceptions prohibiting courts from granting such a special motion to dismiss if the claim concerns: a government enforcement action, a business making representations of fact in commercial speech to consumers about its own or a business competitor's goods or services, or a public interest claim on behalf of the general public. Allows dismissal of private suits, notwithstanding such commercial speech and public interest exceptions, if the claim is against: a person or entity engaged in activities to disseminate or express ideas to the public in a book or academic journal; any person or entity based upon statements or conduct concerning the creation, dissemination, exhibition, advertisement, or other promotion of journalistic, consumer commentary, dramatic, literary, musical, political, or artistic works, including motion pictures, television programs, or articles published online or in a newspaper or magazine of general circulation; or a nonprofit organization that receives more than 50% of annual revenue grants or awards from, programs of, or reimbursements for services rendered to the government. Sets forth special procedural requirements for discovery and motions. Requires courts to award litigation costs, expert witness fees, and reasonable attorney's fees to private parties that filed and prevailed on certain motions under this Act or to parties that responded to motions found to be frivolous.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Police Training and Independent Review Act of 2015 Requires states receiving funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program, the Local Government Law Enforcement Block Grants Program, or the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to: (1) require all individuals enrolled in an academy of a law enforcement agency and all law enforcement officers of the state to fulfill a training session on sensitivity each fiscal year, including training on ethnic and racial bias, cultural diversity, and police interaction with the disabled, mentally ill, and new immigrants; and (2) certify to the Attorney General that such training sessions have been completed. Subjects a state that fails to comply to a reduction of up to 20% of such funds that would otherwise be allocated to the state. Authorizes the Attorney General to waive such requirements if compliance would violate a state's Constitution. Directs the Attorney General to reduce by 20% the amount that would otherwise be awarded to a state or local government under such grant programs for a fiscal year if it fails to enact or have in effect by the end of the previous fiscal year a statute requiring the appointment of an independent prosecutor to conduct any criminal investigation and prosecution in which: (1) one or more of the possible defendants is a law enforcement officer, (2) one or more of the alleged offenses involves the law enforcement officer's use of deadly force in the course of carrying out that officer's duty, and (3) the law enforcement officer's use of deadly force resulted in a death or injury.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit intentionally engaging in animal crushing in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. (Current law prohibits knowingly creating or distributing an animal crush video.) Adds exceptions for conduct that is for predator or pest control, medical or scientific research, or necessary to protect the life or property of a person from a serious threat caused by an animal.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Eliminates the time limit for ratification of the equal rights amendment (prohibits discrimination on account of sex) proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972. Declares that such amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Freedom from Discrimination in Credit Act of 2015 Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to expand the categories of prohibited discrimination when extending credit to include discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity. (Currently, such discrimination in credit is prohibited only on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex or marital status, or age.) Provides for such Act to apply whether the basis for certain prohibited forms of discrimination is actual or perceived. Defines: (1) "gender identity" as the gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual with or without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth; and (2) "sexual orientation" as homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2015
Commercial Real Estate and Economic Development Act of 2015 or the CREED Act of 2015 Reinstates for a five-year period beginning after 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 that terminated such authority as of September 26, 2012. Restores and revives any provision of law struck by the provision, and any regulations promulgated pursuant to it as they were in effect on that date.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2015
Recognizes the National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children face in the foster-care system and supports the designation of National Foster Care Month.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2015
Home Energy Utility Assistance Act This bill amends the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 to reauthorize the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for FY2016-FY2025. The bill also requires states to ensure that households seeking assistance under the program are not required to file more than one application per year.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2015
Caring Start Act of 2015 This bill amends the Head Start Act to require that in providing and allocating resources for training and technical assistance, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) give priority consideration to activities that: support the implementation of evidence-based trauma-informed practices, age-appropriate positive behavioral interventions and supports, early childhood mental health consultation, and prevention of suspension and expulsion; and increase coordination between Head Start agencies and other programs that serve very young children. Such assistance must also, to the maximum extent practicable, assist Head Start agencies in adopting evidence-based approaches to best identify and serve children whose experiences have elicited a toxic stress response. (Toxic stress response can result from strong or prolonged adversity without adequate adult support.) HHS shall fund personnel training in: evidence-based trauma-informed practices, as well as early childhood mental health consultation and age-appropriate positive behavioral interventions and supports; and helping children who are victims of trauma or toxic stress.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2015
Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act Amends federal firearms provisions to expand the definition of: (1) "intimate partner" to include a dating partner or former dating partner; and (2) "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include a misdemeanor offense that has, as an element, the use or attempted use of force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon by a dating partner or former dating partner against the victim. Prohibits the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition to, or the possession or receipt of a firearm by, a person who: (1) is subject to a court order, or an ex parte order, that restrains such person from harassing, stalking, threatening, or engaging in other conduct that would put an individual in reasonable fear of bodily injury, including an order issued at the request of an employer on behalf of its employee or at the request of an institution of higher education on behalf of its student, or from intimidating or dissuading a witness from testifying in court; or (2) has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of stalking under federal, state, territorial, or tribal law or of a crime that involves conduct that would be proscribed by prohibitions against stalking if committed within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2015
Renovate and Enhance Veterans' Meeting Halls and Posts Act of 2015 or REVAMP Act of 2015 Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to make competitive grants to eligible veterans service organizations for: (1) repairs or rehabilitation of their existing facilities, and (2) acquiring or upgrading computers and technology for such facilities. Defines "eligible veterans service organization" as: (1) a tax-exempt entity organized on a local or area basis; and (2) a tax-exempt local or area chapter, post, or other unit of a national, regional, statewide, or other larger entity of which local or area chapters, posts, or units are members (but not any such national, regional, statewide, or other larger entity itself). Prohibits an eligible veterans service organization from receiving such grant amounts, for any single fiscal year, in an amount exceeding the lesser of: (1) the aggregate cost of the proposed activities and uses for which the grant amounts will be used, or (2) $200,000. Makes a grant recipient ineligible to receive another such grant for any of the five succeeding fiscal years. Prohibits the use of such grants for construction or acquisition of a new facility.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2015
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 and promising 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 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 and Indian tribes. 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 Office 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 · 1 May 2015
Supports: (1) the designation of National Small Business Week, (2) efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally, and (3) efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of locally owned small business on the U.S. economy. Honors the vital role of small business and entrepreneurs in the United States during such week. Recognizes: (1) the important role of the Small Business Administration as a valuable resource for the U.S. entrepreneur, (2) the importance of creating policies that promote a business friendly environment for small business owners free of unnecessary regulations, and (3) the National Small Business Person of the Year and the National Lender of the Year. Encourages young entrepreneurs to pursue their passions and create more start-up businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Protections and Regulation for Our Students Act or the PRO Students Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require proprietary institutions of higher education (IHEs) to derive at least 15% of their revenue from non-federal sources or risk becoming ineligible for title IV funding. The legislation establishes a Proprietary Education Oversight Coordination Committee. IHEs and other postsecondary educational institutions must meet certain requirements regarding entrance counseling for first-time borrowers, disclosure of clinical training agreement terms, disclosure of a mandatory program review, and preparation of students upon successful program completion. IHEs and other post-secondary educational institutions must not use revenues derived from federal educational assistance funds for recruiting or marketing activities. It amends title IV program participation requirements to broaden the incentive compensation ban, to prohibit predispute arbitration agreements in student contracts, to establish certain institutional requirements related to student default risk, and to prohibit retaliation against whistleblowers who disclose institutional violations. The Department of Education (ED) must establish a complaint tracking system, conduct mandatory program reviews of institutions that pose a significant risk of failing to comply with title IV requirements, and recalculate the cohort default rate and redetermine title IV eligibility for institutions that engage in default manipulation. The legislation permits a federal student loan borrower or ED, on behalf of multiple borrowers, to assert an IHE's unlawful acts or omissions as an affirmative claim or defense against student loan repayment. It also permits ED to impose civil penalties on IHEs that engage in substantial misrepresentation or other serious violations. Accrediting agencies or associations must not require institutions to enter predispute arbitration agreements with students.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Raise the Wage Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $8.00 an hour on January 1, 2016, or, if later, on the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act; (2) $9.00 an hour after one year; (3) $10.00 an hour after two years; (4) $11.00 an hour after three years; (5) $12.00 an hour after four years; and (6) the amount the Department of Labor determines (based on increases in the median hourly wage of all employees) after five years, and annually thereafter. The federal minimum wage for tipped employees shall increase to $3.15 an hour for one year on January 1, 2016, or the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act, whichever is later. Subsequent annual adjustments of the wage increase, according to a specified formula, shall ensure that it remains equal to the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees. Employers must notify their employees of the right to retain any received tips. The separate minimum wage requirements for tipped employees shall end, effective one day after the hourly wage established for them under this Act takes effect. The Department must publish any increase in the minimum wage in the Federal Register and on the Department's website 60 days before it takes effect.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Equal Access to Quality Education Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of Education to award competitive matching grants to partnerships between high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish or support: (1) teacher preparation programs, and (2) teacher induction and retention programs. Teacher preparation programs must: (1) require participants to complete at least one year of residency followed by at least three years of teaching at the LEA's high-need schools, and (2) award participants a teaching credential or degree that meets state requirements for a teaching license or certification upon completion of the program. Teacher induction and retention programs must use high-quality mentoring, teacher collaboration, and research-based instructional practices to: (1) support and advance the retention of beginning teachers and principals, and (2) promote effective teaching and leadership skills. Grants may be used for certain other activities designed to improve the quality of education in high-need areas. Grant priority is given to partnerships that: (1) use a valid and reliable teacher performance assessment and have a plan to recruit teachers from among minority and local candidates and the disabled; or (2) use that assessment and include an IHE that is eligible to participate in the TEACH Grant program, a Tribal College or University, an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, a Hispanic-serving institution, or a historically Black college and university.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Servicemembers' Choice in Transition Act Directs the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to permit members of the Armed Forces who are being separated from active duty and their spouses to elect to receive the following types of additional training under the Department of Labor's transition assistance program: preparation for higher education or training, preparation for career or technical training, and preparation for entrepreneurship.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Local Task Forces on 21st Century Policing Act of 2015 Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the use of funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program by state and local governments for the establishment of a task force to identify the best ways to create an effective partnership between local law enforcement officers and the community those officers serve that reduces crime and increases trust.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Redistricting Reform Act of 2015 Prohibits a state that has been redistricted after an apportionment from being redistricted again until after the next apportionment of Representatives, unless the state is ordered by a court to conduct a subsequent redistricting in order to comply with the U.S. Constitution or enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Requires such redistricting to be conducted in accordance with the plan developed and enacted into law by the independent redistricting commission established in the state or, if such a plan is not enacted into law, with the redistricting plan developed and enacted into law by a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) the establishment by a nonpartisan agency of a state independent redistricting commission (including requirements for holding each of its meetings in public and maintaining a public Internet site); (2) the development and publication of a preliminary redistricting plan and the holding of at least three public hearings on such plan; (3) the enactment of a redistricting plan, under specified conditions, by a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; (4) redistricting conducted under a federal court order; and (5) Election Assistance Commission payments to states for carrying out redistricting. Authorizes the Department of Justice to bring a civil action to enforce this Act, which shall be given expedited consideration.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
VA Employee Fairness Act of 2015 Repeals provisions excluding any matter or question concerning professional conduct or competence, peer review, or the establishment, determination, or adjustment of employee compensation from the applicability of collective bargaining rights for Veterans Health Administration employees.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Veteran's Benefits Claims Faster Filing Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to post notices of average times for the processing of compensation claims, as well as the percentage of claims approved, in a conspicuous place in each VA regional office and claims intake facility and on the VA website. Requires the Secretary to notify each person submitting a claim of the above information, as well as the person's eligibility to receive up to an extra year of benefit payments upon filing a claim that is fully developed. Requires the notice information to be updated at least quarterly.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Medicare Audit Improvement Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) with respect to the practices of recovery audit contractors (RACs) under the Medicare program fin identifying underpayments and overpayments and recouping overpayments. Incentive payments to a RAC for recovery activities are prohibited for FY2015 and subsequent fiscal years. Payments for recovery activities shall be reduced, according to a sliding scale established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to any RAC with a complex audit denial rate at the end of a fiscal year, determined pursuant to a specified formula, that is .1% or greater. The one-year timely filing limit for certain rebilled SSAct title XVIII part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) claims is eliminated, extending the deadline for the rebill to 180 days after final denial of the claim. A determination of whether inpatient hospital services or inpatient critical access hospital services furnished to an individual are reasonable and necessary shall now be based solely on information available to the admitting physician at the time of the inpatient admission of the individual for such services, as documented in the medical record.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to distribution of additional resident positions as they affect calculation of payments for direct graduate medical education costs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for each of FY2017-FY2021 (and each succeeding fiscal year if additional residency positions are available to distribute), to increase the otherwise applicable resident limit for each qualifying hospital. Directs the Secretary to determine the total number of additional residency positions available for distribution, in accordance with guidelines for allocating 33% to hospitals already operating over the resident limit, and generally setting the aggregate number of increases in the resident limit to 3,000 in each year. Specifies the process for distributing positions. Declares that, for discharges occurring on or after July 1, 2017, the indirect teaching adjustment factor, with respect to additional payments for subsection (d) hospitals with indirect costs of medical education, insofar as those additional payments are attributable to resident positions distributed to a hospital according to such process, shall be computed in a specified manner with respect to those resident positions. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.) Directs the National Health Care Workforce Commission established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to study the physician workforce. Directs the Comptroller General to study strategies for increasing the diversity of the health profession workforce.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
This bill directs the Department of Energy to establish a pilot program to award grants, through FY2020, to nonprofit organizations for retrofitting their buildings with energy-efficiency improvements. This bill amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to offset the costs of the grants by decreasing the amount of appropriations authorized for the Zero Net Energy Commercial Buildings Initiative in FY2016.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Keeping Our Campaigns Honest Act of 2015 Directs the Federal Communications Commission to revise its sponsorship identification rules to require the disclosure announcements required for broadcast matter or origination cablecasting matter that is political or that involves the discussion of a controversial issue of public importance to include the names of significant donors to the person whose identity is required to be disclosed in such an announcement.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Protecting America's Workers Act Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to expand its coverage to federal, state, and local government employees. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, under specified conditions, to cede OSHA jurisdiction to another federal agency with respect to certain occupational standards or regulations for such agency's employees. Declares OSHA inapplicable to working conditions covered by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. Increases protections for whistle blowers under OSHA. Prescribes requirements relating to: a employer's duty to furnish a place of employment free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm that the employer creates or controls or in which the employer exposes any individual (not just an employer's employee) performing work there; the posting of employee rights; a site-controlling employer's duty to keep a site log for recordable injuries and illnesses of all employees, including employees of the site-controlling employer or others (including independent contractors) performing work there; employer reporting of employee work-related deaths or hospitalizations; a prohibition against employers adopting or implementing policies or practices that discourage or discriminate against employee reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses; a prohibition against the loss of wages or employee benefits due to an employee participating in a workplace inspection; investigations of incidents resulting in death or the hospitalization of two or more employees which occur in a place of employment; and a prohibition against the issuing, modifying, or settling of unclassified citations for occupational health and safety standard violations. Continues requirements relating to: (1) the rights of an employee (including a former employee or family member in lieu of an employee) who has sustained a work-related injury or illness that is the subject of an inspection or investigation; (2) an employer's right to contest citations and penalties; and (3) periods permitted for an employer to correct serious, willful, or repeated violations pending an employer's contest to a citation and procedures for stays of the time period for abatement of those violations. Increases civil and criminal penalties for certain OSHA violators. States that pre-final order interest on any penalties owed shall begin to accrue on the date a party contests a citation, at an interest rate calculated at the current underpayment rate. Prescribes requirements for the Secretary's evaluation of state occupational safety and health plans as well as workplace health hazard evaluations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Revises requirements for state plans for the development and enforcement of state occupational safety and health standards in lieu of applicable federal occupational safety and health standards. Requires the Secretary to approve plans that provide for state consideration of repeated occupational safety and health violations committed by an employer within the state as well as those committed under other occupational safety and health plans in states where the Secretary has jurisdiction. Requires a state that has an approved plan for the development and enforcement of occupational safety and health standards to amend its plan to conform to the requirements of this Act within 12 months after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 Declares that no predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute. Declares, further, that the validity and enforceability of an agreement to arbitrate shall be determined by a court, under federal law, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement. Exempts from this Act arbitration provisions in a contract between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations. Denies to any such arbitration provision, however, the effect of waiving the right of an employee to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under the U.S. Constitution, a state constitution, a federal or state statute, or related public policy.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
American Families United Act States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to enable the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to expand his or her discretionary authority beyond a case-by-case basis, or to provide legalization or nationalization of persons covered under this Act. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to revise waiver of inadmissibility requirements, among other things waiving inadmissibility for: (1) certain persons who entered the United States before age 16 who have earned a degree from a U.S. institution of higher education, (2) false claims of U.S. citizenship by persons under age 18 or lacking mental competence to knowingly misrepresent a claim, and (3) false claims of U.S. citizenship if inadmissibility would create family separation hardship for the alien (including a self-petitioner under the Violence Against Women Act) or for a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member. Authorizes parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility for unlawful presence. Places a three-year limit on immigration-related misrepresentations rendering aliens inadmissible. Revises the definition "conviction" for INA purposes. Authorizes an immigration judge in specified circumstances, including family separation hardship, but with certain exceptions, to decline to order an alien removed, deported, or excluded and terminate related proceedings or grant permission to reapply for admission or for relief from removal.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Student Digital Privacy and Parental Rights Act of 2015 Prohibits an operator of a school's Internet or online service that is designed and marketed for K-12 educational or administrative purposes from presenting students or parents with targeted advertisements that are selected based on information obtained or inferred from: (1) students' online behavior or use of online or mobile applications, or (2) personally identifiable information about the student. Exempts online advertisements that are contextually relevant and selected based on a single visit or session of use during which the advertisements are presented, provided that information about students' online behavior is not collected or retained over time. Prohibits operators from: (1) selling students' personal information to third parties; or (2) collecting student information to create a personal profile or for purposes unrelated to educational instruction, school collaboration, or administrative activities. Requires operators to: (1) implement information security procedures and a process for responding to data breaches; (2) notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and students, parents, educational agencies or institutions, school officials, or teachers of unauthorized acquisitions of, or access to, personal information; and (3) delete certain student information that is not required to be maintained by the school within 45 days after a request from an educational agency, institution, or student's parent or within one year after the operator ceases to provide the service. Requires operators to disclose publicly the types of personal information they collect or generate, the purposes for which the information is used or disclosed to third parties, and the identity of any such third parties. Instructs operators to establish procedures for parents and system users to access and correct certain information. Allows operators to disclose students' information only for certain lawful purposes or pursuant to a process that requires the student's or parent's express affirmative request. Requires an operator to receive the student's or parent's request before providing transcripts for admission to an institution of higher education or to a potential employer. Provides authority to the FTC to enforce this Act and treats violations as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Authorizes a student who is at least 18 years of age, enrolled in an institution of higher education, or a secondary school graduate to provide any required consent or to exercise rights provided to parents under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
Recognizes the significance of the 40th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Honors: the contributions of Vietnamese Americans to the United States over the last 40 years and their tireless commitment to upholding freedom and democracy in Vietnam; the service of members of the U.S. Armed Forces and of the South Vietnamese forces who fought in Vietnam, including those who gave their lives; and the memory of the Vietnamese who lost their lives while attempting to flee Vietnam. Encourages all U.S. citizens to join in remembering the Fall of Saigon, honoring the contributions of the Vietnamese American community, and calling for freedom and democracy in Vietnam.
![Official portrait of Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000472_200.jpg)