United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016
Moving Housing Forward Act of 2016 This bill directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to require the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) to establish a pilot program that shares with the private sector the credit risk on a pool of single-family residential mortgage loans that back securities on which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee the timely payment of principal and interest. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that credit risk transfer transactions should be encouraged that: (1) reduce taxpayer exposure to credit risk assumed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and (2) do not expose Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to excessive counterparty risk that persons contractually obligated to them will fail to perform their obligations. After the pilot program is executed for three years, the FHFA must examine the economics of developing it into a continuous risk sharing program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2016
Creating Financial Prosperity for Businesses and Investors Act This bill amends the Small Business Investment Incentive Act of 1980 to require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to issue a public statement, and disclose any actions it intends to take, each time its annual government-business forum submits findings or recommendations regarding the current status of problems and programs relating to small business capital formation. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is amended to establish within the SEC an Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation and a Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. The Investment Company Act of 1940 is amended to increase from 100 to 250 the limit on the number of people who may own securities in certain venture capital funds (with no more than $10 million in invested capital, adjusted annually for inflation) before the issuer is required to register as an investment company. The bill allows a crowdfunding issuer to sell shares through a crowdfunding vehicle (a company that aggregates small individual contributions into a single investment in the issuer) that meets certain requirements and revises conditions upon which the SEC exempts securities issued in crowdfunding transactions from SEC registration requirements. The Securities Act of 1933 is amended to add to the definition of accredited investor certain categories of natural persons whose net worth or income exceeds specified levels, who are licensed or registered as brokers or investment advisors, or whose verified education or job experience qualifies as professional knowledge for a particular investment. The Investment Company Act of 1940 is amended to repeal the exemption from its coverage of investment companies created under the laws of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or any other U.S. possession.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Christen O'Donnell Equestrian Helmet Labeling Act of 2016 This bill directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a rule requiring warning labels for equestrian helmets that are not approved safety helmets under ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) International standards for horse sports and horseback riding. The rule must be treated as a consumer product safety rule under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must make grants available for states, local governments, or tax-exempt nonprofit organizations to carry out education and awareness campaigns on proper equestrian helmet selection for riders and the dangers of nonapproved headgear. The bill does not apply to polo, horse racing, or rodeo helmets.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2016
Race to the Job Initiative Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to establish and administer a grant program to provide anchor institution (i.e., a hospital, college, research center, or nonprofit institution) grants and infrastructure grants to eligible low-income communities for community development. Treasury shall select: (1) within the first year after enactment of this bill, 30 of such low-income communities to receive these grants; and (2) within the second year, an additional 20 of these communities. Treasury must award a capital assistance grant to each community development financial institution specified in the grantee's application to make loans to, and invest in, businesses, organizations, or public-private partnerships located in the eligible low-income community. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a new markets tax credit for investment in a partner community development financial institution without regard to allocation limitations on such credit. The bill amends the Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994 to limit to $20 million (in the aggregate, during a three-year period) an award from the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund to a community development financial institution and its subsidiaries and affiliates receiving a capital assistance grant under this bill. CDFI funds are limited annually for these entities to: (1) $10 million for financial assistance, and (2) $500,000 for technical assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2016
United States and Israel Space Cooperation Act This bill directs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to continue to work with the Israel Space Agency in identifying and cooperatively pursuing peaceful space exploration and science initiatives in areas of mutual interest.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2016
Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act This bill includes veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands between January 1, 1977, and December 31, 1980, as radiation exposed veterans for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs presumption of service-connection for specified cancers.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2016
Supports the designation of National Estuaries Week. Acknowledges the importance of estuaries to sustaining employment in the United States and the nation's economic well-being and prosperity. Expresses the intent of the House of Representatives to continue working to understand, protect, and restore U.S. estuaries.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2016
Expanding Rent-to-Own Protections Act of 2016 This bill amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to revise and expand the definition of the term "consumer financial product or service" to include terminable lease or bailment of personal property contracts (rent-to-own transactions) (other than a lease or bailment of a motor vehicle) for use by the consumer primarily for personal, family, or household purposes under which: a consumer has the right of possession and use of the property, as well as the option to periodically renew the contract by making payments; and a seller agrees to transfer property ownership to the consumer upon the fulfillment of all contract obligations of the consumer. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shall: prevent unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices in connection with such contracts; and issue regulations identifying methods to protect consumers from entering into them.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2016
Saving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2016 This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop a strategy to expand the use of data analytics in managing government purchase and travel charge card programs for the purpose of: identifying questionable transactions and developing enhanced tools and methods for agency use in identifying questionable transactions and recovering improper payments; identifying potential opportunities for agencies to further leverage administrative process streamlining and cost reduction from purchase and travel card use; developing a set of purchase and travel card metrics and benchmarks for high risk activities to assist agency purchase and travel card management and oversight activities; and developing a plan to create a library of analytics tools and data sources for use by agencies. The OMB must issue guidance on improving information sharing by government agencies, including by: (1) requiring relevant officials to identify and communicate information about high-risk activities; (2) requiring appropriate agency officials to review the reports issued by charge card-issuing banks on questionable transaction activity and suspicious timing or amounts of cash withdrawals or advances; and (3) providing for the appropriate sharing of information related to potential questionable transactions, fraud schemes, and high risk activities with GSA's Office of Charge Card Management and appropriate federal officials. The GSA and the OMB must establish a purchase and travel charge card data management group to develop and share best practices. The GSA shall report on further potential savings opportunities for government agencies under the federal charge card programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Transparency in Student Lending Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand disclosure requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in the Direct Loan program. Specifically, it requires an IHE to disclose, in federal student loan application materials, the annual percentage rate applicable to a Direct Loan.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit conducting geological or geophysical activities in support of oil or gas exploration and development on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. The geological and geophysical activities are described in a final programmatic environmental impact statement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled "Atlantic OCS Proposed Geological and Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas."
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Fairness for Our Hospitals Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow a hospital that meets specified criteria and is located in a state with no rural areas to be considered a Medicare-dependent hospital. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shall establish and implement a process for reimbursing impacted hospitals for any underpayments resulting from this bill's implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
Modernizing Government Travel Act This bill requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to: (1) prescribe regulations to provide for the reimbursement of federal employees traveling on official business for the use of a transportation network company or innovative mobility technology, and (2) report on government savings resulting from such use. The Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall prescribe such regulations with respect to judicial branch employees. An "innovative mobility technology company" is an entity that utilizes innovative mobility technologies to provide alternatives to driving alone, including car-share, bike-share, carpool or vanpool, multimodal fare payment system, and app-based mobility providers. A "transportation network company": (1) is an entity that uses a digital network to connect riders to drivers affiliated with such entity in order for the driver to transport the rider using the driver's personal vehicle to a point chosen by the rider; and (2) does not include a shared expense carpool, a vanpool arrangement, or any other arrangement or service in which the driver receives a fee that does not exceed the driver's cost associated with providing the ride.
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 · 5 July 2016
Requires both chambers of Congress to assemble annually in the Hall of the House of Representatives to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General on the Government Accountability Office's audited financial statement of the accounts and associated activities of the executive branch, together with an analysis of the financial position and condition of the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2016
This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to deny the transfer of a firearm or explosive, or the issuance of an explosives license or permit, to known or suspected terrorists. Specifically, the bill authorizes DOJ to deny those transfers, licenses, or permits if the citizens or permanent residents of the United States are included in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Terrorist Screening Database's no-fly list or the selectee list. DOJ and federal, state, and local law enforcement must be notified immediately of requests to transfer a firearm or explosive to a person who is, or in the last five years was, identified on the database. The bill establishes a judicial review process for appealing a denial by DOJ.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Equal Access to Banking Act This bill requires the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to issue regulations: (1) easing the restrictive impact of regulations issued pursuant to the Federal Deposit Insurance Act relating to the factors to be considered for deposit insurance on non-profit community development financial institution banks, and (2) easing restrictions on the operation of such banks insured by the FDIC. The FDIC shall ensure that such regulations issued under this bill: (1) will not provide an opportunity for individuals or for-profit financial institutions to avoid taxation or other requirements related to deposit insurance, and (2) allow charitable contributions and grants to such banks. The FDIC shall terminate the deposit insurance of such a bank if the bank loses its certification as a community development financial institution. The bill defines a "non-profit community development financial institution bank" as a non-profit depository institution that: (1) is certified as a community development financial institution by the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and (2) serves low-income and moderate-income customers.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2016
Social Security Must Avert Identity Loss (MAIL) Act of 2016 This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to direct the Social Security Administration to ensure that no document it sends by mail includes a complete Social Security account number unless necessary.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2016
Corporate Governance Reform and Transparency Act of 2016 This bill amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require the registration of proxy advisory firms and make it unlawful for an unregistered proxy advisory firm to make use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce to provide proxy voting research, analysis, or recommendations to any client. "Proxy advisory firm" means any person registered under this bill who is engaged in the business of providing proxy voting research, analysis, or recommendations to clients, which conduct constitutes a solicitation, except to the extent that the person is exempted by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and regulations from requirements that otherwise apply to persons engaged in a solicitation. The bill prescribes both registration and termination procedures. The SEC shall report annually on its Internet website about proxy advisory firm registration applicants, actions taken on the applications, and specified related matters.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2016
Reaffirms: that Israel is a major U.S. strategic partner, that it is U.S. policy and law to ensure that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge and self-defense capacity, and support of an Israeli tiered missile defense program. Urges finalization of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel. Supports a long-term Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel that increases the amount of aid from previous agreements and enhances Israel's military capabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2016
Higher Education Loan Payments for Students and Parents Act or the HELP for Students and Parents Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the tax exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance programs to exclude from the gross income of an employee: (1) employer payments of principal or interest on loans for higher education expenses incurred by an employee, and (2) any qualified dependent 529 contributions made by the employer. (Under current law, the maximum exclusion for educational assistance programs is $5,250 per year.) A "qualified dependent 529 contribution" is any amount contributed by an employer to a qualified tuition program the designated beneficiary of which is an employee's child who: (1) has not attained the age of 19 at the time of the contribution, or (2) is a student who has not attained the age of 24 at the time of the contribution. The bill also allows a business tax credit for employer-provided higher education assistance, including: (1) 50% of the student loan repayment expenditures of the taxpayer for the year, and (2) 50% of the qualified dependent 529 contributions made by the taxpayer for the year. The amount taken into account for each expenditure with respect to any employee for any taxable year may not exceed $5,250.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2016
Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act This bill amends title IV of the Social Security Act to require the Department of the Treasury to publish in the Federal Register a request for proposals from states or local governments for social impact partnership projects which produce one or more measurable, clearly defined outcomes that result in social benefit, such as employment for the unemployed between ages 16 and 24, high school graduation, and reduction of teen and unplanned pregnancies as well as incidences and adverse consequences of child abuse and neglect. Treasury shall decide whether to enter into an agreement for such a social impact partnership project within six months after receiving an application. The bill requires an independent evaluation to determine whether the state or local government project has met an outcome specified in the agreement in order for such governments to receive outcome payments. The bill establishes the Federal Interagency Council on Social Impact Partnerships and a Commission on Social Impact Partnerships.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2016
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend and modify tax credits for investments in certain energy property. The bill extends the tax credits to apply to investments in certain energy property with construction that begins before January 1, 2022. The extensions apply to investments in: qualified fuel cell property, qualified microturbine property, combined heat and power system property, qualified small wind energy property, and thermal energy property. The bill sets forth a schedule for reducing from 30% to 22% the credit rate for investments in qualified fuel cell property and small wind energy property.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016
Recognizes the special ties between Ireland and the United States and the importance of nurturing the unique relationship between the the two countries. Welcomes the program of commemorations in the United States marking the 100th anniversary of Ireland's 1916 Rising, including the events taking place in Washington, DC.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016
Boosting America's Exports Act This bill directs the International Trade Administration (ITA) of the Department of Commerce to assess the location of and services provided by U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEACs) in relation to the location of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that export U.S. products and services in order to identify: those USEACs that should be closed or moved based on low productivity, and those locations where a USEAC should be located based on need. The ITA shall take necessary steps, through actions by the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service of the Department of Commerce, to increase exports by SMEs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2016
Improving Small Business Cyber Security Act of 2016 This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a Small Business Development Center Cyber Strategy after the Government Accountability Office issues a report that reviews federal cybersecurity resources aimed at assisting small businesses. The strategy must include: plans for incorporating small business development centers (SBDCs) into existing cyber programs to assist small businesses; counsel and assistance to improve small businesses' cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and training programs for employees, including agreements with Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to gain awareness of actionable threat information that may be beneficial to small businesses; and an analysis of how SBDCs can leverage federal programs and develop partnerships to improve cyber support services to small businesses. The Small Business Act is amended to authorize the SBA to make SBDC grants in furtherance of such strategy. SBDCs shall have access to cyber security specialists to counsel their small business clients. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Small Business Act are amended to authorize DHS and other federal agencies coordinating with DHS to assist SBDCs, through the dissemination of cyber security risk information and other homeland security information, to help small businesses in developing such cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and employee training programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2016
Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary Government Data Act or the OPEN Government Data Act This bill requires government data assets made available by federal agencies (excluding the Government Accountability Office, the Federal Election Commission, and certain other government entities) to be published as machine-readable data. When not otherwise prohibited by law, the data must be available: (1) in an open format that does not impede use or reuse and that has standards maintained by a standards organization; and (2) under open licenses with a legal guarantee that the data be available at no cost to the public with no restrictions on copying, publication, distribution, transmittal, citing, or adaptation. If published government data assets are not available under an open license, the data must be considered part of the worldwide public domain. Agencies may engage with outside organizations and citizens to leverage public data assets for innovation in public and private sectors. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must oversee the completeness and public availability of an enterprise data inventory that agencies must develop to account for any data assets that they create, collect, control, or maintain. Agencies must: (1) make their enterprise data inventories available to the public on Data.gov, and (2) designate a point of contact to assist the public and respond to complaints about adherence to open data requirements. For privacy, security, confidentiality, or regulatory reasons, agencies may maintain a nonpublic portion of their inventories. The OMB's Office of Electronic Government is renamed the Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer. Agencies are not required to publish notices in the Federal Register about information collection that is focused on gathering input about the performance of, or public satisfaction with, the agency's service if the collection is: (1) online and electronic, (2) voluntary with no benefit to the provider of the information, and (3) an extremely low burden that is typically completed in five minutes or less. But agencies must publish representative summaries of such information collections. The General Services Administration must maintain a single public interface online as a point of entry dedicated to sharing open government data with the public. The Chief Information Officers Council must work with the Office of Government Information Services and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to promote data interoperability and comparability of data assets across the government. The OMB must assess the extent of each agency's use of data assets to support decisionmaking, cost savings, and performance.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2016
This bill provides FY2016 emergency supplemental appropriations to the Departments of State and Health and Human Services (HHS) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the Zika virus and other infectious diseases. The bill specifies permissible uses for the funds and designates the funds as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits. The bill provides appropriations to HHS for: the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to permit Project BioShield to be used to support the advanced development and procurement of medical countermeasures to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or treat harm from any infectious disease that may pose a threat to the public health. (Under current law, Project BioShield supports only countermeasures against specific chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terrorist threats.) The bill temporarily increases from 55% to 65% the Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage in the territories (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands). The bill provides appropriations to the Department of State for: the Administration of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Bilateral Economic Assistance, International Security Assistance, and Multilateral Assistance. Unobligated balances of specified funds provided for the Ebola virus may be used to respond to the Zika virus and other infectious diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2016
Fair Access to Investment Research Act of 2016 This bill directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to revise a specified regulation to create a safe harbor for certain publications or distributions of research reports by brokers or dealers distributing securities. The revised regulation shall declare that a published or distributed investment fund research report shall not be deemed to constitute an offer for sale or an offer to sell a security that is the subject of the offering pursuant to an effective registration statement, even if the broker or dealer is participating or will participate in the registered offering of the covered investment fund's securities. The covered investment fund research report shall indeed be deemed to satisfy the regulation's requirements as well as those of any self-regulatory organization. The SEC shall not impose specified conditions and requirements when implementing the safe harbor. Until the SEC has adopted such safe harbor revisions, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has revised a related rule, a covered investment fund shall be deemed to be a security listed on a national securities exchange that is not subject to a certain filing requirement of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2016
Declares that, whenever a moment of silence related to a tragedy involving gun violence occurs on the floor of the House, the Speaker shall announce on the next legislative day the standing committee (or subcommittee) designated to hold a hearing on the event.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2016
Pension and Budget Integrity Act of 2016 This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to exclude the receipts and disbursements of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) from the federal budget. (The PBGC is a federal agency that insures the benefits of private sector, defined benefit pension plans. The PBGC receives no federal funds and is financed by insurance premiums paid by sponsors of the plans, investment income, assets from pension plans taken over by the PBGC, and recoveries from the companies formerly responsible for the plans.)
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2016
Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study access by underserved populations to general surgeons, including whether the health professional shortage area designation under the National Health Service Corps program accurately assesses adequacy of access or whether another measure or designation would be more appropriate. HHS must consider potential methodologies for designating surgical health professional shortage areas.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2016
Small Financial Institution Advisory Committees Act of 2016 This bill establishes within the Department of the Treasury: the Community Bank Advisory Committee to advise Treasury about its efforts regarding legislation and regulation that affect financial institutions, federal departments and agencies that regulate or insure financial institutions, and securities markets, as these efforts relate to community banks; and the Credit Union Advisory Committee to advise Treasury about such efforts as they relate to credit unions.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2016
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of National Brain Tumor Awareness Month; (2) research to develop better treatments for brain tumors that will improve the quality of life and the long-term prognosis for those with brain tumors; and (3) those who are battling brain tumors and their families, friends, and caregivers. Encourages increased public awareness of brain tumors to honor individuals who are living with or who have lost their lives to brain tumors. Urges a collaborative public-private approach to brain tumor research.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2016
Encourages local school districts, youth sports associations, and college and university athletic departments to regularly update their pre-participation physical examination policies in accordance with evidence-based best practices and with respect for parental considerations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2016
Urges the United States to: (1) establish a national goal of 50% clean and carbon-free electricity by 2030, and (2) enact legislation to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2016
Keeping Communities Safe through Treatment Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a pilot program to provide grants to law enforcement agencies in designated high intensity drug trafficking areas for programs to divert low-level drug offenders to drug treatment programs.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
Preserving Access to CRE Capital Act of 2016 This bill amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 concerning credit risk retention standards for commercial real estate loans to revise the optional standard that may include retention of the first-loss position by a third-party purchaser that specifically negotiates for the purchase of that first loss position, holds adequate financial resources to back losses, provides due diligence on all individual assets in the pool before issuance of the asset-backed securities, and meets the same standards for risk retention as the federal banking agencies and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) require of the securitizer. The revised specifications for retention of the first-loss position by a third-party purchaser shall mean the permissible risk retention of the first-loss position by a one or two party third-party purchaser, who may hold the retention obligation in either a senior-subordinate structure or pari passu (where two or more assets, securities, creditors or obligations are equally managed without any display of preference), as long as each party meets the requirements expressed above. The bill exempts from risk retention requirements the securitization of a single commercial real estate loan or a group of cross-collateralized or cross-defaulted commercial real estate loans that represent the obligation of one or more related borrowers secured by commercial properties under direct or indirect common ownership or control. The SEC and the federal banking agencies shall jointly maintain specified regulations which exempt qualified commercial real estate loans from risk retention requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2016
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 coins, 400,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in recognition and celebration of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The coins shall be in the shape of a dome, and the design on the common reverse of the coins shall depict a basketball. Treasury shall hold a competition to determine the design of the common obverse of the coins, which shall be emblematic of the game of basketball. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the Hall to fund an endowment for its operations.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2016
This bill makes eligible for TRICARE health care benefits certain National Guard members (and dependents) who are performing disaster response duty, if the performance of such a duty immediately follows a period in which the member served on full-time additional National Guard duty. "Disaster response duty" means duty performed by a member of the National Guard in state status pursuant to an emergency declaration by the state governor (or, for the District of Columbia, by the mayor) in response to a disaster or in preparation for an imminent disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2016
Lake Berryessa Recreation Enhancement Act of 2016 This bill establishes as the Lake Berryessa Recreation Area specified land administered by the Bureau of Reclamation that is underlying or adjacent to Lake Berryessa in California, including any improvements. The bill transfers the administrative jurisdiction over the area from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of the Department of the Interior. Interior shall develop a management plan for the area and may establish guidelines and restrictions on recreational uses to ensure the safety and security of recreational users. Interior may also issue recreation concession permits, including at the area, to allow a third party to provide facilities and services to visitors on lands and waters managed by the BLM in support of outdoor recreational opportunities. Reclamation shall continue to administer and operate the Monticello Dam and any related facility, including any power facility.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2016
Promoting Responsible Opioid Prescribing Act of 2016 or the PROP Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to exclude certain pain-related measures for purposes of calculating incentive payments under the value-based purchasing program (VBP). (VBP is a program that links hospital payments to the quality of care provided.) Specifically, VPB measures shall not include measures based on a patient's assessment of: (1) the patient's need for pain medicine during a hospital stay; (2) how often, during the stay, the patient's pain was well controlled; or (3) how often, during the stay, hospital staff did everything they could to help manage the patient's pain.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Truth in Tuition Act of 2016 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify eligibility requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) to participate in federal student aid programs. Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to provide to an admitted graduate or undergraduate student: (1) a multi-year tuition and fee schedule; or (2) a single-year tuition and fee schedule, and a nonbinding, multi-year estimate of net costs after financial aid is awarded. An IHE that provides a single-year tuition and fee schedule must include, in its multi-year estimate of net costs, the average difference between previous year estimates and actual net costs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Families of Flint Act This bill provides support for Flint, Michigan in addressing lead in the city's drinking water and related issues. The bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act by establishing a 10-year grant program to ensure that Flint's drinking water does not contain: (1) lead levels that threaten public health or the environment, or (2) other drinking water contaminants and pathogens that threaten public health. The bill also establishes specified grant programs for assisting Flint that are established within the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, by allowing states to use more than 20% of funds from Drinking Water State Revolving Fund capitalization grants for addressing a threat to public health from heightened exposure to lead in a municipal drinking water supply if a federal or state emergency declaration has been issued for that threat. HHS must establish in Flint a Center of Excellence on Lead Exposure. The bill amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to increase the allowable participation period in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for children residing in areas that are in a state of emergency. A state may elect to allow those children to participate in the program for a period that ends on the earlier of: (1) the child's tenth birthday (currently fifth), or (2) five years after the emergency (currently children may participate for a one-year period).
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Commemorates Representatives Sam Johnson and John Lewis for their patriotic service and sacrifice to the country they love and for becoming the first ever recipients of the Congressional Patriot Award.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2016
Made in America Act of 2016 This bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish labels that persons or businesses may use voluntarily to indicate to consumers the extent to which products introduced, delivered for introduction, sold, advertised, or offered for sale in commerce are of U.S. origin. The FTC must establish four categories of such labels, to be known as America Star labels, which may be used to designate products: (1) that satisfy the standard for an unqualified U.S. origin claim set forth by the FTC in the Enforcement Policy Statement on U.S. Origin Claims; or (2) for which not less than 90%, 80%, or 70% of the total cost of manufacturing is attributable to U.S. costs. The FTC must promulgate regulations for such labels and enforce such regulations under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The bill also preempts certain state law requirements relating to the use of "Made in the U.S.A." or "Made in America" labels. The preemption provisions provide for: (1) the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to supersede state laws that impose more stringent requirements, and (2) FTC regulations under this bill to supersede state laws.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2016
Commends the cooperative owners and the employees of the Farm Credit System for their continuing service in meeting the credit and financial-services needs of rural communities and agriculture.
![Official portrait of Rep. Carney, John C., Jr. [D-DE-At Large]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001083_200.jpg)