United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal, beginning with taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the excise tax on employer-sponsored health care coverage for which there is an excess benefit (high-cost plans).
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Mortgage Debt Tax Forgiveness Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of qualified principal residence indebtedness.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training Act or the ENLIST Act This bill authorizes the enlistment in the Armed Forces of aliens unlawfully present in the United States on December 31, 2012, who: (1) have been continuously present in the United States since such date; (2) were younger than 15 years of age when they initially entered the United States; and (3) are otherwise eligible for original enlistment in a regular component of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. The Department of Homeland Security shall adjust the status of an alien enlisted under such authority to the status of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act applicable to aliens who entered the United States prior to January 1, 1972. The bill rescinds such lawful permanent resident status if the alien is separated from the Armed Forces under other than honorable conditions before serving the term of enlistment.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016
Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Act This bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish a nonregulatory Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Restoration Program, under which it shall: draw on management plans for the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin and work with applicable management entities, including the federal government, state and local governments, and regional and nonprofit organizations, to identify, prioritize, and implement water resources activities within the basin; adopt a basin-wide strategy that coordinates activities being undertaken by the basin states (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont), advisory committees, local governments, institutions of higher education, and nongovernmental organizations to address environmental, economic, and cultural issues associated with the management and use of water resources in the basin and that supports implementation of science-based restoration and protection activities; and establish the Hudson-Mohawk River Basin grant program to provide competitive matching grants and technical assistance to state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other eligible entities to carry out specified restoration and protection activities. Program purposes are listed, including: addressing the management, development, conservation, and use of water resources throughout the basin; coordinating restoration and protection activities; carrying out coordinated restoration and protection activities and providing technical assistance throughout the basin states; maintaining an inventory of historic and cultural resources of the basin and identifying projects to provide for cultural enrichment, preservation of cultural resources, public education about local heritage and historical significance of properties, canals, and historic sites within the basin; and providing a mechanism to promote communication, coordination, and collaborative working relationships among entities working in the basin. Interior shall develop criteria to ensure that activities funded through the grant program accomplish identified purposes and advance the implementation of priority actions or needs identified in the basin-wide strategy.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2016
NIST Plumbing Research Act of 2016 This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to: establish or designate a laboratory to conduct research on premise plumbing in relation to water safety, security, efficiency, sustainability, and resilience; conduct an organizational review of all research and other activities related to premise plumbing conducted by federal entities; and appoint one or more officers or employees of the NIST to liaise with non-federal entities that are conducting research or other activities related to premise plumbing. The bill defines "premise plumbing" as the water distribution system within the property lines of a property, including all buildings and permanent structures on such property. This term also includes building supply and distribution pipes, fixtures, fittings, water heaters, water-treating and water-using equipment, and all respective joints, connections, devices, and appurtenances.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2016
Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act of 2016 This bill authorizes executive agencies to: (1) use crowdsourcing and citizen science approaches to conduct activities designed to advance their missions, (2) accept volunteer services performed as part of a crowdsourcing or citizen science project, and (3) enter into an agreement to share administrative duties for such activities with private sector entities or state, tribal, local, or foreign government agencies. "Citizen science" means a form of open collaboration in which individuals or organizations participate in the scientific process. "Crowdsourcing" means a method to obtain needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting voluntary contributions from a group of individuals or organizations, especially from an online community. Agencies shall: (1) make public and promote such projects to encourage broad participation of consenting participants, and (2) endeavor to make data collected through such projects open and available, in machine readable formats, to the public. The General Services Administration shall identify and develop relevant products, training, and services to facilitate the use of crowdsourcing and citizen science activities.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2016
Recognizes the Weatherization Assistance Program for 40 years of reducing the energy burden on low-income families, positively impacting the environment, and supporting jobs and new technology. Encourages the Weatherization Assistance Program to continue performing essential weatherization services going forward. Applauds the dedicated professionals at the federal, state, and local levels who run the daily operations of the Weatherization Assistance Program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016
National Observations of Hate, Assaults, and Threats to Equality Act of 2016 or the NO HATE Act of 2016 This bill requires a state or local government that receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to report hate crime information to the Department of Justice (DOJ). DOJ must reduce the JAG allocation of a state or local government state that fails to comply. The bill directs the Federal Bureau of Investigation to include hate crime information in the Uniform Crime Reports and the National Incident-Based Reporting System.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2016
Applauds the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) for 75 years of continuous service. Recognizes the critical emergency services, training support, and mission capabilities that the CAP offers state and national homeland security agencies, as well as the Armed Forces. Commends the more than 23,500 youth and 32,500 adult volunteers of the CAP.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2024 Jerome Avenue, in Bronx, New York, as the "Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Preserving America's Downtowns and Heritage Act of 201 6 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the rate of the rehabilitation tax credit for commercial buildings and for certified historic structures, and (2) allow a new 20% rehabilitation tax credit for certified historic buildings used by a taxpayer as a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Scoring Calculations for Our Residential Energy Act of 2016 or the SCORE Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Energy to maintain a Home Energy Score Program that provides for: (1) home energy scores to homeowners and borrowers to enable cost-effective reduction in energy use in homes, and (2) home assessments that collect energy use information for energy scores. The energy scores must include cost-effective recommendations for improving the score and energy efficiency of homes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2016
Transit Tax Credit Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for commuting mass transit costs. The credit is equal to 15% of the amount paid or incurred by the taxpayer during the year for a transit pass that the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or a dependent uses for travel between the residence and place of employment of the taxpayer, spouse, or dependent. The credit allowed for transit passes for any individual may not exceed $460 per year (adjusted for inflation after 2017).
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
This bill authorizes the military department concerned, in the case of a military manufacturing arsenal, depot, or plant (a government-owned, government-operated defense plant of the Department of the Army that manufactures weapons, weapon components, or both), to authorize leases of and contracts for non-excess military property for a term of up to 25 years if it determines that such a lease or contract will promote the national defense or be in the public interest for the purpose of: helping to maintain the viability of such arsenal, depot, or plant and any military installations on which it is located; eliminating, or at least reducing, the cost of government ownership of the arsenal, depot, or plant; and leveraging private investment at the arsenal, depot, or plant through long-term facility use contracts, property management contracts, leases, or other agreements that support and advance the preceding purposes. The department concerned may delegate such authority to the commander of the major subordinate command of the Army responsible for the arsenal, depot, plant, or installation. The commander may approve such a lease or contract on a case-by-case or class basis. Any lease or contract approved utilizing such authority is subject to a 90-day hold period so that the Army real property manager may review it. If such manager disapproves of it, the agreement shall be null and void upon transmittal to the delegating authority of a written disapproval, including a justification, within the hold period. If no such disapproval is transmitted within such period, the agreement shall be deemed approved. If, by 60 days after receiving a disapproval, the delegating authority submits a new contract or lease that addresses the manager's concerns, it shall be deemed approved unless the manager transmits a disapproval within 30 days of submission. The authority under this bill shall terminate at the close of September 30, 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Apollo I Memorial Act This bill directs the Department of the Army to construct in Arlington National Cemetery a memorial marker in honor of the three crew members of the mission that became known as the Apollo I mission who died during a launch rehearsal test on January 27, 1967, at the Kennedy Space Center.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Climate Resiliency, Security, and Source Water Protection Act This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act by requiring each community water system to submit to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) source water and distribution system vulnerability assessments that identify threats from: industrial activity, pipelines and storage tanks, contaminated sites, agricultural activity, and oil and gas exploration; climate change, extreme weather, drought, and temperature changes; and intentional acts, including intentional contamination, sabotage, and theft of any chemical of interest. Each community water system must also submit to the EPA protection plans that mitigate the threats to source water and distribution systems. The EPA must establish a grant program for increasing the resiliency or adaptability of the community water systems to threats.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 2016 This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to revise regulations for drinking water contaminants, including by: requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine whether or not to regulate no fewer than 10 contaminants every 3 years (current law requires 5 contaminants every 5 years); revising the process and requirements for setting maximum containment levels in national primary drinking water regulations; directing the EPA to revise national primary drinking water regulations for lead and copper; setting deadlines for the EPA to publish maximum contaminant level goals and promulgate national drinking water regulations for perchlorate, perfluorinated compounds, and microcystin (algal) toxin; establishing grant programs for reducing lead in drinking water in schools; requiring community water systems to assess their vulnerabilities to contamination, including vulnerabilities from climate change or sabotage, and develop plans for addressing those vulnerabilities; establishing the Drinking Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Program, under which the EPA may award grants for community water systems to increase their resiliency to those threats; removing a regulatory exemption for hydraulic fracturing; requiring the EPA to develop a strategic plan for assessing and managing the risks of drought to drinking water provided by public water systems; revising requirements for the drinking water state revolving fund (SRF); creating a process for consolidating water systems that repeatedly fail to comply with drinking water standards; requiring the EPA to create an inventory of data about drinking water violations; directing the EPA to revise regulations for consumer confidence reports; establishing research grants for monitoring technology; and requiring the EPA to study the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in drinking water sources. The bill reauthorizes specified programs under the Act, including reauthorizing through FY2021 the SRF.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
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 their impact on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Commends the leadership, staff, scholars, designers, construction workers, volunteers, charter members, and donors who worked tirelessly to realize the venerable dream of opening the National Museum of African American History and Culture of the Smithsonian Institution. Encourages all citizens and residents of, and visitors to, the United States to visit the museum when touring the nation's capital.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Recognizes the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Fulbright-Hays Programs. Congratulates Fulbright-Hays award recipients. Calls on elementary, secondary, and postsecondary teachers, scholars, and professionals around the world to seek opportunities to engage with each other and promote international goodwill and global learning.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2016
Know Your Oil Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to issue regulations that require companies that extract or refine oil to disclose oil data, including the amounts and sources of greenhouse gas emitted during the oil extraction, refining, and combustion process. DOE must consult with federal agencies and state and tribal governments to carry out this bill. Additionally, DOE must publicly disclose and maintain the data it collects on greenhouse gas emissions and oil field resources.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
No Lead in School Water Act This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize through FY2022 a grant program for state programs that test and remediate lead contamination in the drinking water of schools and day care facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Offshore Wind Incentives for New Development Act or the Offshore WIND Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the tax credit for investment in energy property to include a qualified offshore wind property until January 1, 2026. Under the bill, a qualified offshore wind property is an offshore facility that uses wind to produce electricity, excluding certain small wind energy property which uses a small wind turbine to generate electricity.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2016
Mead Equality And Definition Act of 2016 or the MEAD Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify rules regarding the taxation of mead (honey wine) and other agricultural wines. The bill repeals the limitations on adding wine spirits to an agricultural wine or using any coloring material, herbs, or other flavoring material (except hops in the case of honey wine) in the production. The Department of the Treasury must modify regulations for the production of agricultural wine to allow: (1) the use of spirits in the production of agricultural wine; and (2) additional ingredients to be added during the production of mead, including limited amounts of fruits, vegetables, spices, and other ingredients that are suitable for human food consumption and safe for use in an alcoholic beverage. In modifying the regulations, Treasury must also: eliminate limitations on the quantity of hops used in mead; specify certain requirements for the density of the honey and water mixture when additional ingredients are added to mead; limit the alcohol content of mead to 24% by volume; and allow an agricultural wine to be produced for research and development without an approved formula, as long as the wine is not marketed or sold prior to approval of the formula. The bill also: (1) specifies a tax rate of 22.6 cents per gallon for mead containing not more than 0.64 grams of carbon dioxide per hundred milliliters of mead, and (2) allows a credit against such tax on meads for small domestic producers.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Disability Community Act of 2016 This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to temporarily establish a higher federal matching rate with respect to Medicaid expenditures for certain services furnished to individuals with developmental disabilities if such expenditures are attributable to compliance with specified regulations. In the case of a state Medicaid program that does not require the use of an electronic visit verification system for personal care services and home health services, the federal matching rate for medical assistance expended on such services shall be incrementally reduced.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
America's Call To Improve Opportunities Now for National Service Act or the ACTION for National Service Act This bill amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to reestablish the Corporation for National and Community Service as an independent executive agency called the National and Community Service Administration. An individual who successfully completes a term of full-time national service shall be entitled to a national service educational award equal to twice the amount of tuition for the institution of higher education where the individual is enrolled, not to exceed twice the average in-state tuition. Current law limits the award's value to the maximum amount of a Federal Pell Grant that an individual is eligible to receive in the aggregate. Within the administration, the bill establishes an interagency working group to evaluate specified issues related to: (1) eligibility for tuition and student loan repayment assistance with regard to participation in certain national or volunteer service programs, (2) the advisability of granting federal hiring preference to certain volunteer program participants, and (3) methods for increasing the participation of seniors in national service programs. The National Service Foundation, a nonprofit corporation established by the bill, shall accept and administer gifts made in connection with the administration. The bill expresses support for the authorization of appropriations sufficient to provide, within 10 years, volunteer service opportunities for at least 1 million volunteers in full-time national service annually. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude AmeriCorps educational awards from gross income.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Brownfields Authorization Increase Act of 2016 This bill amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 by: (1) reauthorizing through FY2022 and revising the brownfield revitalization funding program, and (2) permanently reauthorizing a grant program for state and tribal response programs (programs responding to brownfields). (Brownfield sites are certain commercial properties that are hindered from reuse or redevelopment due to the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.) Certain nonprofit organizations and community development entities are made eligible for brownfields revitalization funding. The bill increases the cap on the amount that may be given in grants for direct remediation of brownfield sites. The brownfield site characterization and assessment grant program is revised by authorizing eligible entities to receive grants for property they acquired on or before January 11, 2002. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must establish a program to provide multipurpose grants to carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, or remediation activities at brownfield sites. In addition, the EPA must establish a grant program for brownfield projects that reduce the brownfield's environmental impact, increase community livability, and encourage sustainability. The EPA must establish a grant program that provides training, research, and technical assistance to facilitate the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation. (Currently, the EPA may provide funding for this purpose.) The bill authorizes the EPA to use up to a specified amount of the funding made available for the grant program on grants to assist small communities, Indian tribes, rural areas, or disadvantaged areas.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
This bill establishes a U.S. Green Bank that provides financial support to assist regional, state, and local institutions finance: (1) clean energy (e.g. solar or wind energy) projects, or (2) energy efficiency projects that reduce energy use or substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Department of the Treasury must issue Green Bonds to provide the bank with: (1) an initial capitalization of $10 billion; and (2) additional capitalization, upon the bank's request, of no more than $50 billion in aggregate at any one time. Treasury must also establish a revolving Green Bank Establishment Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2016
Local Coverage Determination Clarification Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the process by which Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) issue and reconsider local coverage determinations (LCDs) that: (1) are new, (2) restrict or substantively revise existing LCDs, or (3) are otherwise specified in regulation. (MACs are private insurers that process Medicare claims within specified geographic areas.) Before such an LCD may take effect, the MAC issuing the determination must, with respect to each geographic area to which the determination applies: publish online a proposed version of the determination and other specified, related information; convene one or more public meetings to review the draft determination, receive comments, and secure the advice of an expert panel; post online a record of the minutes from each such meeting; provide a period for submission of written public comments; and post online specified information related to the rationale for the final determination. Upon the filing of an applicable request by an interested party with regard to the reconsideration of a specified LCD, the MAC that issued the determination shall: provide specified information related to whether the determination failed to correctly apply qualifying relevant evidence, exceeds the scope of its intended purpose, fails to apply as intended, or is otherwise erroneous; preserve the determination, modify the determination, or rescind the determination in part; and make publicly available a written description of such action. An interested party may appeal a reconsideration decision to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS shall appoint a Medicare Reviews and Appeals Ombudsman to carry out specified duties with regard to LCDs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016
Disability Integration Act of 2016 This bill prohibits states or local governments that provide institutional placements for individuals with disabilities who need long-term assistance with daily living activities or health-related tasks, and prohibits insurance providers that fund such long-term services, from denying community-based services that would enable such individuals, as an alternative to institutionalization, to live in the community and lead an independent life. States, local governments, or insurance providers may not discriminate against such individuals in the provision of community-based services by: (1) imposing prohibited eligibility criteria, cost caps, waiting lists, or payment structures; (2) failing to provide a specific community-based service; or (3) requiring an individual to receive a service in a congregate or disability-specific setting. Community-based services must be offered to individuals with such disabilities prior to institutionalization. Institutionalized individuals must be notified regularly of community-based alternatives. States, local governments, and public insurance providers must assess: (1) transportation barriers that prevent individuals from receiving services in integrated settings, and (2) the availability of integrated employment opportunities. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must issue regulations requiring states, local governments, or insurance providers to offer community-based long-term services as an alternative to institutional placement. State and local governments, in conjunction with housing agencies, must ensure sufficient availability of affordable, accessible, and integrated housing that is not a disability-specific residential setting or a setting where services are tied to tenancy. Such regulations must also require states and local governments to begin implementing a transition plan to achieve the requirements of this Act within 12 years after its enactment. For 10 years after issuance of the regulations, HHS must determine annually whether each state is complying with the transition plan. If a state is complying, HHS must increase by five percentage points the federal medical assistance percentage for a state requesting an increase for expenditures on home and community-based services furnished under the state Medicaid plan under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, or a waiver of such plan, that are identified as: (1) improvements to ensure accessibility or self-directed receipt of such services, (2) funding shifts from institutional settings to integrated community-based services, or (3) environmental modifications for housing targeted toward the lowest income individuals. The bill provides for DOJ enforcement and allows civil actions by individuals subjected to, or about to be subjected to, a violation of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
Honors the life, work, and legacy of Elie Wiesel. Extends the deepest sympathies of the House of Representatives to the members of Wiesel's family. Reaffirms Wiesel's efforts to preserve the memory of those who perished and prevent the recurrence of another Holocaust, to combat hate and intolerance, and to never forget and also learn from the lessons of history.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016
National Institute of Standards and Technology Improvement Act of 2016 This bill amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act regarding the functions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the Department of Commerce, the membership of the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, police protection of NIST buildings and plant facilities, and research fellowships (including the Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program). The NIST shall contract with: the National Academy of Sciences to review NIST laboratory programs; and the National Research Council to assess the technical quality and impact of the work conducted at NIST laboratories, and conduct additional assessments of NIST programs and projects that involve collaboration across NIST laboratories and centers and assessments of selected scientific and technical topics. The bill revises requirements for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Hollings Manufacturing Extension Centers to eliminate from Center activities the making of selective, short-term loans of advanced manufacturing equipment to small manufacturing firms with less than 100 employees. Center activities shall instead include facilitation of collaborations and partnerships between small and medium-sized manufacturing companies and community colleges and area career and technical education schools to help achieve mutual understanding. The bill repeals the six-year limitation on financial support Commerce may give to any Center created under the Partnership. A Center must: (1) undergo an independent review in its eighth year of operation, and (2) be placed on probation for one year if the evaluation is not positive. The bill requires each Center's advisory boards to institute a conflict of interest policy that ensures representation of local small and medium-sized manufacturers in the Center's region. The bill changes the membership on the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board. Under the competitive grant program, the NIST shall select proposals that will promote the transfer and commercialization of research and technology from institutions of higher education, national laboratories, and nonprofit research institutes. The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 is amended to repeal the limitation to 75% of the total program cost on the total amount of any grant or cooperative agreement to assist technology innovation activities under the Act. The bill expresses the sense of Congress concerning U.S.-Israeli cooperation with regard to basic scientific research.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2016
Plymouth 400th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to issue up to 100,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the landing and settlement of Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the role of the indigenous Wampanoag tribes in the realization of the settlement. These coins may be issued only during a two-year period beginning January 1, 2020. Sales of such coins shall include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury as follows: 50% to Plymouth 400, Inc., to support the its work to develop, implement, and provide oversight for the commemorations surrounding the events of 2020-2021 and to be distributed, at the organization's discretion, to local historical preservation and cultural organizations to support their work in educating the public about the settlement of 1620 and their continued existence for the benefit of future generations; 15% to Plimoth Plantation to support its effort to maintain the replica of the 1627 Plantation, the Mayflower II, and the replica of the Wampanoag Village; 15% to a Wampanoag tribal organization to continue programs to educate people about the life of the Wampanoag people prior to the Plymouth settlement and their interactions with the settlers; 10% to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants to support the continued restoration of the main facility in Plymouth, to provide funding for its research library at that site, and for educational purposes; and 10% to the Pilgrim Society to continue its work in displaying the story of the settlement and settlement artifacts.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016
Poll Tax Prohibition Act of 2016 This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit requiring: an individual to present a piece of information that has an associated cost as a condition of voting in a federal election, or an individual wishing to vote by mail to include a piece of identification (or a copy of one) that has an associated cost.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to prohibit the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement (OSMRE) and state regulatory authorities from accepting new self-bonds for coal reclamation. Additionally, any existing self-bonds or corporate bonds utilized for coal reclamation must be converted to surety or collateral bonds. The OSMRE may approve state or federal alternative coal mining bond programs that result in no greater risk of financial liability to the federal government than a surety or collateral bond program. The bill also requires the OSMRE to issue rules establishing limitations on surety bonds to minimize the financial liability to the federal or state government.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Condemns the June 12, 2016 attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Offers condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were killed and expresses hope for the recovery of those who were wounded. Applauds the bravery and dedication of the law enforcement officials, emergency medical responders, and others who offered their support and assistance. Declares that the House of Representatives stands together united against terrorism and hatred.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2016
Voting Access Act This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require each state to comply with national standards established by the Election Assistance Commission for the location and operation of polling places used in elections for federal office. The Commission shall establish such standards and study instances of the misidentification by election officials of the political party registration of individuals attempting to vote in primary elections for federal office.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2016
Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act This bill prohibits funds from being made available to Honduras for the police and military (including for equipment and training), and directs the Department of the Treasury to vote against multilateral loans to Honduras for its police and military, until the Department of States certifies that the government of Honduras has: prosecuted members of the military and police for human rights violations and ensured that such violations have ceased; established the rule of law and guaranteed a judicial system capable of bringing to justice members of the police and military who have committed human rights abuses; established that it protects the rights of trade unionists, journalists, human rights defenders, government critics, and civil society activists to operate without interference; withdrawn the military from domestic policing; and brought to trial and obtained verdicts against those who ordered and carried out the attack on Felix Molina and the killings of Berta Caceres, Joel Palacios Lino, Elvis Armando Garcia, and over 100 small-farmer activists in the Aguan Valley.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2016
This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow a state Medicaid program to provide, and receive an enhanced federal matching rate for providing, administrative activities carried out with respect to a behavioral health access program for individuals under 21 years of age.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016
SNAP Healthy Incentives Act of 2016 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 · 9 June 2016
PHMSA Accountability Act This bill allows a private person to bring a civil action for a writ of mandamus in an appropriate U.S. district court to compel the Department of Transportation to perform a nondiscretionary duty under federal pipeline safety provisions that it has failed to perform.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2016
Fair Care for Kids Act This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide for medical assistance under a state Medicaid program with respect to the full-range of early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services for children in inpatient psychiatric hospitals, whether or not such services are furnished by the child's inpatient psychiatric provider.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2016
Finger Lakes National Heritage Area Study Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating specified counties and other areas in the state of New York as the Finger Lakes National Heritage Area.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2016
Recognizes the 75th anniversary of the opening of the National Gallery of Art. Acknowledges its contribution to the cultural life of the United States. Applauds the Gallery's work to collect and preserve art, educate people in the United States, and bring exciting exhibitions for all to enjoy. Commends the work of its staff to ensure that all people in the United States have access to the highest quality of art.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2016
Condemns the Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China, because it: (1) is a spectacle of extreme animal cruelty, (2) is a commercial activity not grounded in Chinese history, (3) is opposed by a majority of the Chinese people, and (4) threatens global public health. Urges: the government of China and the Yulin authorities to ban the killing and eating of dogs as part of Yulin's festival and to enforce China's food safety laws regulating the processing and sale of animal products and the 2011 Agriculture Ministry of China Regulation on the Quarantine of Dogs at the Place of Origin requiring one certificate for one dog on trans-provincial transport trucks, and the National People's Congress of China to enact an animal anticruelty law that bans the dog meat trade. Affirms the commitment of the United States to the protection of animals and to the progress of animal protection.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2016
Expresses support for the designation of June 2016 as National Gun Violence Awareness Month and June 2, 2016, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Calls on the people of the United States to: promote greater awareness of gun violence and gun safety; wear orange on National Gun Violence Awareness Day; concentrate heightened attention on gun violence during the summer months, when gun violence typically increases; and bring citizens and community leaders together to discuss ways to make the communities safer.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016
Consortia-Led Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Networks Act This bill requires the Department of Commerce to carry out a grant program for establishing consortia to enhance U.S. economic, environmental, and energy security by promoting domestic research, development, manufacture, and deployment of clean technologies and advanced manufacturing processes. Clean technology means technologies, production processes, or methodologies that: produce energy from renewable energy sources; transmit, distribute, or store energy more efficiently; enhance energy efficiency for buildings and industry; enable the development of a Smart Grid (an evolving electric power network that utilizes new information technology systems, including those that enable customers to reduce or shift their power use during peak demand periods); produce an advanced or sustainable material with energy or energy efficiency applications; improve energy efficiency for transportation; or enhance water security through improved water management, conservation, distribution, or end use applications.