United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Condemns the attacks against civilians by Burma's security services and calls on Burma's Commander-in-Chief, Min Aung Hlaing, to end such attacks in the state of Rakhine. Expresses appreciation to the government of Bangladesh for providing refuge to those fleeing violence. Condemns the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacks but warns that these attacks do not justify the response that has resulted in severe human rights violations and atrocities against civilians. Calls on Burma's government and military and security forces to: (1) implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, and (2) allow humanitarian access to refugees and internally displaced persons. Urges support and access for the United Nations Fact Finding Mission to Burma. Calls on Burma's military and government to allow refugees to return to Burma and to change laws and policies that have contributed to insecurity in Rakhine. Calls on the President to impose sanctions on those responsible for human rights abuses, including members of Burma's military and security services.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Sugar Policy Modernization Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 and other agricultural laws to modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) sugar program. The bill modifies the sugar program to: reduce the rates for price support loans to processors of domestically grown sugarcane and sugar beets; require USDA to recover the net cost of the program from domestic sugar processors; extend through 2019 and then terminate the Feedstock Flexibility Program under which USDA purchases surplus sugar from domestic processors for resale to ethanol producers; extend through 2020 and then repeal the flexible marketing allotments which limit the amount of sugar that domestic processing companies may sell for domestic human use; require USDA to administer the program to provide adequate supplies of sugar at reasonable prices; require USDA to adjust sugar tariff-rate quota imports to achieve specified ratios of sugar stocks to total sugar use; and allow the transfer of quotas between countries.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2017
Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act or the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award cooperative agreements to state and local health departments to expand activities related to Alzheimer's disease, including activities involving early detection, support for caregivers, and public awareness.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
Iranian Proxies Terrorist Sanctions Act of 2017 This bill directs the President to block the assets of foreign persons or entities and prohibit transactions with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism with respect to As-Saib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) and Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba (Nujaba) and foreign persons who are officials, agents, or affiliates of AAH or Nujaba. The Department of State shall annually establish and publish as part of its Annual Country Reports on Terrorism a global list of armed groups, militias, or proxy forces receiving logistical, military, or financial assistance from the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or from groups over which the IRGC exerts control or influence.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) examine what actions DHS is undertaking to combat the threat of vehicular terrorism, and (2) report to Congress. The report should outline examinations of: the current threat level for vehicular terrorism, what DHS is currently doing to guard against vehicular terrorism, how the threat of vehicular terrorism may be mitigated, the extent to which DHS is doing any outreach or training with private sector partners in response to such threat, and any actions that Congress can take to help DHS mitigate the threat.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2017 or the BURMA Act of 2017 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that the government of Burma (Myanmar) should ensure the safe and voluntary return of displaced people and fully implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. The U.S. Executive Director of each international financial institution shall use U.S. influence to support only projects in Burma that do not partner or contract with or otherwise benefit any enterprise owned or controlled by the Burmese military. The United States may not supply security assistance or engage in military programs with the Burmese armed forces or security forces until the Department of Defense certifies that such armed forces have demonstrated significant progress in abiding by international human rights standards and are undertaking significant security sector reform. U.S. import restrictions on Burmese jadeite and rubies shall remain in effect until the President certifies that Burma has taken substantial measures to reform its gemstone industry. The President shall: (1) submit a list of each senior Burmese military or security official who has played a substantial role in the commission of human rights abuses or who has failed to investigate human rights abuses, and (2) exclude any such individual from U.S. entry. The President shall determine whether specified individuals should be included in the list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Department of State, Treasury, and the U.S. Agency for International Development shall jointly submit to Congress an assistance strategy to promote broad-based economic development in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Recognizes and encourages the observance of Small Business Saturday. Supports efforts to: (1) encourage consumers to shop locally, and (2) increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of such businesses on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2017
Expresses the sense of Congress that it should be U.S. policy to: make the treatment of the Tibetan people an important factor in the conduct of U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China; consistent with the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, encourage the Chinese government to enter into a dialogue with the Dalai Lama leading to a negotiated agreement on Tibet, publicly call for the release of those held prisoner for expressing their political or religious views in Tibetan areas, and establish an office in Lhasa, Tibet, to assist visiting U.S. citizens and monitor political, economic, and cultural developments in Tibet; appoint the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues at the highest levels of government; revoke appropriate privileges of any Chinese official found responsible for impeding access of U.S. citizens to Tibet and ensure that reciprocal visa processing measures are occurring; continue to designate China as a country of particular concern pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; and engage with appropriate Chinese officials to stop the demolition of Tibetan Buddhist religious institutions, revise religious and travel regulations to conform with international human rights standards, and ensure that Tibetan nomads are allowed to continue their way of life on the Tibetan Plateau and are not forcibly relocated into "socialist villages."
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2017
Dialysis Patient Access to Integrated-care, Empowerment, Nephrologists, Treatment, and Services Demonstration Act of 2017 or the Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act of 2017 This bill establishes a demonstration program for the provision of integrated care to Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Under the voluntary program, eligible participating providers may form organizations to offer ESRD integrated care models and serve as medical homes for program-eligible beneficiaries. Such a model: (1) shall cover medical and hospital services, other than hospice care, under Medicare; (2) must include benefits for transition into transplantation, palliative care, or hospice; and (3) may cover prescription drug benefits. An organization must offer at least one open network model but may also offer one or more preferred network models. An organization shall return savings achieved under the models to program-eligible beneficiaries. A beneficiary shall have the opportunity to: (1) opt out of the program, (2) make an assignment change into an open network model offered by a different organization, or (3) elect a preferred network model. The bill establishes requirements regarding: (1) benefits for program-eligible beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid benefits, (2) program quality and reporting, (2) ESRD integrated care strategy, (3) program operation and scope, (4) beneficiary notification, and (5) payment. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission must, before 2025, submit to Congress an interim report on the program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
Supports the goals and ideals of National Veterans Small Business Week. Celebrates the millions of people in the United States, especially veterans and their spouses, who benefit from Small Business Administration programs. Expresses appreciation for the continued service to the United States by the nation's veterans through small business ownership and entrepreneurship.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
No Abortion Bonds Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose taxes on state, local, and tax credit bonds that are used to provide a facility owned or used (for any purpose) by an abortion provider for more than 30 days during a year in which interest is paid on the bond. An entity is not considered an abortion provider solely as a result of performing abortions if: (1) the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest; or (2) a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself. The Department of the Treasury may exempt certain hospitals from being considered an abortion provider by making the name of the hospital available on Treasury's public website.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2017 This bill revises the federal charter for the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association: to eliminate the provision that requires the foundation to be incorporated and domiciled in the District of Columbia; to require the board of directors to decide, and specify in the bylaws, the location of the principal office; to specify that the bylaws—not the charter—must provide for the terms of membership, the responsibilities of the board of directors, and the election of officers; to prohibit a director or officer, in his or her corporate capacity, from contributing to, supporting, or participating in political activities; to allow income and assets of the corporation to be used to reasonably compensate or reimburse expenses of an officer, director, or member; to award a grant to the Federal Bar Association chapter of an officer, director, or member; and to reasonably compensate employees; to expand a prohibition on loans for directors and officers to include members and employees; and to specify that on dissolution or final liquidation, any remaining assets must be distributed as provided by the board of directors instead of deposited in the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
USS Indianapolis Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the House of Representatives and the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design to the crew of the USS Indianapolis, in recognition of their perseverance, bravery, and service. Following the award of the gold medal, it shall be given to the Indiana War Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it will be displayed and made available for research. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Indiana War Memorial Museum should make the gold medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations and events associated with the USS Indianapolis.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
This bill provides that the Department of Veterans Affairs per diem payment calculation for an entity receiving homeless veterans shelter grants for a homeless veteran who has care of a minor dependent while receiving services from such entity shall be the sum of the daily cost of care for the veteran plus, for each minor dependent, an amount that equals 50% of the veteran's daily cost of care.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
75th Anniversary of the End of World War II Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 coins, 500,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The coins shall be emblematic of the sacrifices made by millions of people of the United States 75 years ago in bringing an end to World War II. The design on each coin shall represent the World War II Victory Medal, which was awarded to all 16 million U.S. military personnel who served from December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946. The bill requires all sales of such coins include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the congressionally designated National WWII Museum to fund its educational mission of telling the story of the U.S. experience in World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
NIE on Iranian Proxy Forces Act This bill requires the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to produce a National Intelligence Estimate on Iranian support of proxy forces in Syria and Lebanon and the threat such support poses to Israel, other U.S. regional allies, and specified U.S. interests. Not later than 60 days after the National Intelligence Estimate is completed, the President shall provide to Congress a strategy to prevent Iran from expanding its power in Syria and Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2017
Uniting and Strengthening American Liberty Act of 2017 or the USA Liberty Act of 2017 This bill amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to allow the contents of communications by persons outside of the United States to be accessed if the Department of Justice (DOJ) determines there is probable cause to believe that those contents may provide evidence of a crime. Noncontent communication information may be accessed only if DOJ determines that the noncontent information is relevant to an authorized investigation or assessment. DOJ must establish specific procedures when unmasking information is requested. (Unmasking means providing the identity of a U.S. person mentioned in an intelligence report that contains a reference to the person but does not identify the person.) The National Security Act of 1947 is amended to prevent federal employees from taking any personnel action against a contractor employee who has made a lawful disclosure of information that the contractor employee believes provides evidence of a violation of federal law or mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. The bill extends to September 30, 2023, the authorization of title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows DOJ and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to jointly authorize the electronic surveillance of non-U.S. persons who are outside the United States. The bill increases the criminal penalty (from one to up to five years imprisonment) for knowingly removing classified information without authority and with intent to retain such information at an unauthorized location and imposes a criminal penalty of up to one year imprisonment for negligently removing such information. The bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study the unauthorized disclosure of classified information and the U.S. classification system.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2017
Access to Marketplace Insurance Act This bill requires health insurers to accept, on behalf of individuals enrolled in qualified health plans, cost-sharing payments made by certain third parties (e.g., state and federal government programs) and count such payments toward annual cost-sharing limitations. (Qualified health plans are eligible for subsidies and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.)
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2017
Simplifying Technical Aspects Regarding Seasonality Act of 2017 or the STARS Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude seasonal employees from the definition of "full-time employee" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide employees with minimum essential health care coverage. The bill defines a "seasonal employee" as an employee who is employed in a position for which the customary annual employment is not more than six months and which requires performing labor or services that are ordinarily performed at certain seasons or periods of the year.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2017
Help Ensure Lives are Protected Act of 2017 or the HELP Act of 2017 This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to impose a criminal penalty of life imprisonment or death on a person who commits a drug offense involving a specified quantity of heroin that contains a detectable amount of fentanyl or fentanyl that is represented to be or sold as heroin, if death or serious bodily injury results from the use of such substance.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2017 This bill sets forth U.S. international cyberspace policy, in furtherance specifically of the promotion of an open, interoperable, reliable, unfettered, and secure Internet governed by a model that promotes human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, while respecting privacy and guarding against deception, fraud, and theft. The bill includes the establishment of an Office of Cyber Issues in the Department of State. The President is encouraged to enter into executive arrangements with foreign governments that support the cyberspace policy.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to modify provisions related to theft of firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to steal a firearm from a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, or from their business premises. This bill broadens the scope of unlawful conduct to also prohibit stealing a firearm from a gun range that rents firearms or a shooting club. Additionally, the bill modifies criminal penalties for an offense: to increase from 10 to 20 years the maximum prison term, and to create a 3- or 5-year mandatory minimum prison term for an offense that occurs during the commission of a burglary or robbery. Finally, an attempt to commit an offense is subject to the same penalties as a substantive offense.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Supports the designation of Isaac M. Wise Temple Day. Recognizes the importance of the Isaac M. Wise Temple in Cincinnati, Ohio, in: U.S. Jewish history; establishing Cincinnati as a great center of Jewish life, and contributing to religious life in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2017
Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to include pediatric subspecialties in primary health services for purposes of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Psychiatrists who are pediatric subspecialists are included in behavioral and mental health professionals. (These amendments make pediatric subspecialists, including psychiatrists, eligible for the NHSC fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, the NHSC Scholarship Program, and the NHSC Loan Repayment Program.) “Health professional shortage area” can mean an underserved population of children and adolescents.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2017
Legal Workforce Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish an employment eligibility verification system (EEVS), patterned after the E-Verify system. An employer shall attest, during the verification period and under penalty of perjury, that the employer has verified that an individual is not an unauthorized alien. An individual shall attest that he or she is a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident, or an alien authorized to work in the United States. The bill establishes a phased-in EEVS participation deadline for different categories of employers, including agricultural employers. The bill requires reverification of certain groups of workers who have not been verified under E-verify. An employer may voluntarily reverify employees. Employment recruitment and referral are included within the scope of EEVS. The bill sets forth provisions regarding: (1) an employer utilizing a good faith defense, (2) preemption of state or local law, (3) employer penalties, and (4) worker remedies for EEVS errors. DHS shall establish programs to: (1) block the use of misused social security numbers, (2) suspend or limit the use of social security account numbers of identity fraud victims, and (3) permit parents or legal guardians to suspend or limit the use of a minor's social security account number or other identifying information. DHS shall establish at least two Identity Authentication Employment Eligibility Verification pilot programs using distinct technologies to provide employers with identity authentication and employment verification of enrolled new employees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2017
Small Business Owners' Tax Simplification Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to several requirements that affect small businesses and self-employed individuals, to: align the deadlines for quarterly estimated tax payments with the calendar year quarters; modify the dollar thresholds for various information reporting requirements; allow certain self-employed individuals to participate in cafeteria benefit plans; exclude from self-employment income net earnings that are less than the amount required under the Social Security Act for a quarter of coverage for the calendar year in which the tax year began; allow certain health insurance costs of self-employed individuals to be deducted for self-employment tax purposes; and specify that voluntary tax withholding agreements, training, or group discount programs have no effect on whether an individual is classified as an employee or an employer. The Department of the Treasury must: (1) establish uniform standards and procedures for the acceptance of digital or electronic signatures, and (2) use prenotification testing to verify recipient information before transferring a tax refund or credit through an electronic funds transfer.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2017
Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment Act or the Military SAVE Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), through the Office of Community Care, to carry out a three-year pilot program of hospital care and medical services for eligible veterans at non-VA health care providers to treat physical and psychological injuries or illnesses that, in the judgment of a VA mental health professional, resulted from sexual assault or battery or sexual harassment while the veteran was serving on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training. The program shall be carried out at not more than five locations, at least one of which shall be a rural location, based upon criteria including: (1) distance from a military installation, (2) city size, and (3) rates of sexual assault and rape. An eligible veteran may elect to participate in the pilot program. The VA may not restrict a participant's ability to choose the non-VA health care provider. The bill: (1) sets forth payment provisions for current and new non-VA providers, and (2) provides for program data collection and analysis.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2017
Free File Permanence Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to continue to operate the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Free File Program. The program must work with state government agencies to enhance and expand the use of the program, while continuing to: provide free commercial-type online individual income tax preparation and electronic filing services to the lowest 70% of taxpayers by income; provide all taxpayers (regardless of income) with a basic, online electronic fillable forms utility; and work with the private sector to provide the free tax preparation and electronic filing services. Treasury must work with the private sector through the program to identify and implement innovative new program features to improve and simplify the taxpayer's experience with completing and filing individual income tax returns. The IRS and members of the tax software and electronic industry involved in the program must support and promote improvements within the program by mutually testing, piloting, and offering innovative solutions to: simplify the tax system, reduce compliance and reporting burdens, increase tax return accuracy through financial data authentication, strengthen the tax system against fraud through cybersecurity collaboration, avoid duplication, and maximize the use of electronic technology. The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee must report annually to Congress regarding the program, including website statistics, cybersecurity standards, demographic information, marketing and education efforts, simplifications and innovations, and state and local participation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Census Accuracy Act of 2017 This bill requires any questionnaire used in the decennial census to determine the total population by states to include: (1) a checkbox or other similar option for a respondent to indicate whether he or she is a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, is lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, is an alien who otherwise has lawful status under the immigration laws, or is none of these; and (2) a question regarding which federal program or legal provision accorded the respondent such status.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Border Security for America Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) construct and operate infrastructure and technology to deter and detect illegal border activity in high traffic areas, (2) deploy the most practical and effective technology to achieve situational awareness and operational control of the border, (3) deploy additional capabilities to specified border sectors or regions, (4) submit a plan for evaluating and using independent verification and validation resources for border security technology, (5) establish a National Border Security Advisory Committee, (6) submit a southern border threat analysis, (7) implement the Border Security Deployment Program, (8) establish a biometric exit data system, and (9) begin eradicating the carrizo cane plant and any salt cedar along the Rio Grande River. The bill provides for: (1) U.S. Border Patrol personnel increases and infrastructure improvements, including forward base upgrades along the southern border; and (2) National Guard and Department of Defense border assistance. The bill: (1) prohibits federal agency restrictions on U.S. Customs and Border Protection activities on federal land within 100 miles of the border, (2) requires increases in immigration and law enforcement personnel and agricultural specialists, (3) authorizes appropriations for specified immigration purposes, and (4) requires electronic passport screening and biometric matching at airports of entry. The Anti-Border Corruption Act of 2010 is amended to provide for hiring flexibility. Operation Stonegarden is established as a DHS program to provide border security grants. This bill authorizes DHS to construct new ports of entry along the northern and southern borders.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
End Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act of 2017 This bill prohibits a provider of commercial mobile service or commercial mobile data service from receiving universal service support through the Lifeline program, which provides subsidies for discounts on monthly telephone or broadband service to qualifying low-income consumers. For 2018, telecommunications carriers must contribute to the universal service fund based on mobile service support provided in 2017. The amounts collected for mobile services must be used for deficit reduction.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2017
Save Local Business Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide that a person may be considered a joint employer in relation to an employee only if such person directly, actually, and immediately, and not in a limited and routine manner, exercises significant control over the essential terms and conditions of employment (including hiring employees, discharging employees, determining individual employee rates of pay and benefits, day-to-day supervision of employees, assigning individual work schedules, positions, and tasks, and administering employee discipline).
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act or the ACE Kids Act This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to establish a state Medicaid option to provide for medical assistance with respect to coordinated care provided through a health home (i.e., a designated provider or team of health-care professionals) for children with medically complex conditions. A state shall make payments for such health-home services regardless of whether they are provided through a fee-for-service or managed-care system. For an initial period of eight fiscal-year quarters, the federal matching rate applicable to such payments shall be increased by 20 percentage points, not to exceed 90%. A state that exercises this option shall specify its methodology for determining payment and evaluating quality of care, in accordance with requirements established by the bill. In addition, the state must meet specified requirements regarding hospital referrals, out-of-state providers, education and outreach, data collection, and reporting. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must issue guidance on best practices for using out-of-state providers to provide care to children with medically complex conditions. The Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Payment and Access Commission must report to Congress and to the Department of Health and Human Services on specified matters related to children with medically complex conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Transparency in Music Licensing and Ownership Act This bill amends federal copyright law to direct the U.S. Copyright Office to establish and maintain a publicly accessible database of nondramatic musical works and sound recordings subject to copyright protection. It limits available remedies, in copyright infringement actions against certain parties, for a copyright owner who fails to provide or maintain the minimum information required in the database.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Bob Dole Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Bob Dole in recognition for his service to the nation as a soldier, legislator, and statesman.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Ensuring Quality in the Unemployment Insurance Program (EQUIP) Act This bill allows states to enact unemployment compensation laws that require an applicant for unemployment compensation, before receiving any such compensation, to: (1) complete a substance abuse risk assessment, and (2) test negative for controlled substances within one week after the results of such assessment if determined to be high-risk. It prescribes retesting requirements and payment suspensions for applicants who test positive.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Honors the patriotism of, and contributions to the United States by, generations of veterans service organizations. Commends members of such organizations for their dedicated service to, and support of, members of the Armed Forces. Calls on the people of the United States to follow the example of such organizations by volunteering support and services to those who have served this country.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Honors the patriotism of, and contributions to the United States by, generations of veterans service organizations. Commends members of such organizations for their dedicated service to, and support of, members of the Armed Forces. Calls on the people of the United States to follow the example of such organizations by volunteering support and services to those who have served this country.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
This bill requires the annual reports submitted by the Department of State to Congress concerning the U.S. plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly (WHA) held by the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, to include an account of the changes and improvements that the State Department has made to such plan following any annual meetings of the WHA at which Taiwan did not obtain such status.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Wounded Officers Recovery Act of 2017 This bill authorizes the Capitol Police Board to make payments from the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund to employees of the U.S. Capitol Police who have sustained serious line-of-duty injuries. The board is required to issue specific regulations governing the fund's use for making such payments. These regulations shall ensure that the payments are in addition to, and do not otherwise affect, other forms of compensation payable to the employee, including worker's compensation benefits. The bill requires amounts received by the board in response to the shooting incident at the practice for the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity on June 14, 2017, to be deposited into the fund.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
HUBZone Unification and Business Stability Act of 2017 This bill reauthorizes through FY2020 and revises the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program, including by revising criteria for HUBZone area designations.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2017
ELD Extension Act of 2017 This bill delays for an additional two years the effective date of regulations implementing the requirement that a commercial motor vehicle involved in interstate commerce and operated by a driver subject to federal hours of service (HOS) and record of duty status regulations be equipped with an electronic logging device to improve vehicle operator compliance with HOS regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2017
President John F. Kennedy Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of President John F. Kennedy. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, which shall be paid by Treasury to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to support the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2017
Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2017 This bill amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration to establish a program for certifying employees of small business development centers to provide cybersecurity planning assistance to small businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Urges adherence to the "one country, two systems" policy established by the Joint Declaration between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China with respect to: Hong Kong's exercise of a high degree of autonomy; Hong Kong's enjoyment of executive, legislative, and independent judicial power; and protection of the fundamental rights of Hong Kong residents.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017 This bill amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to initiate a program to consolidate and temporarily store commercial spent nuclear fuel during the development, construction, and operation of a permanent nuclear waste repository. The bill addresses federal land withdrawal and related management issues, including the permanent withdrawal of specific federal land for repository use by DOE, updating the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing process and conditions for the repository, and limiting activities relating to developing a separate defense waste repository used for storing high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel derived from the atomic energy defense activities of DOE. DOE may enter into agreements to provide benefits to state, local, and Tribal governments that might host or be affected by facilities related to storing nuclear waste. The bill revises the method by which DOE funds its nuclear waste management activities though the collection and usage of the Nuclear Waste Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Calls for an end to the dog and cat meat industry. Urges the governments of China, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, India, and all other nations to: (1) adopt and enforce laws banning the dog and cat meat trade, (2) increase efforts to prevent any leather or fur byproducts of such trade from entering international markets, and (3) use their food safety laws to crack down on the sale of dog and cat meat. Affirms the U.S. commitment to the protection of animals and to advancing the progress of animal protection around the world. Urges executive branch officials to include the dog and cat meat trade on the agenda for discussion with the officials of countries that have a dog or cat meat industry.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Reform Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to modify the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) work requirements that apply to able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). The bill modifies the work requirements to: terminate the authority of the Department of Agriculture to waive the requirements, upon the request of a state agency, for individuals residing in an area that has an unemployment rate of over 10% or does not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for the individuals; shorten from three months to one month the time limit for receiving benefits in a three-year period without meeting the requirements; decrease from 15% to 5% the portion of ABAWDs that a state may exempt from the requirements; allow participation in a supervised job search to satisfy the requirements; require states receiving SNAP funds to provide ABAWDs with opportunities to participate in a work program, a workfare program, or a supervised job search; and reduce SNAP allotments for states that fail to comply with requirements regarding eligibility disqualifications. The bill also modifies the congressional declaration of policy to specify that the purpose of SNAP is to increase employment, to encourage healthy marriage, and to promote prosperous self-sufficiency (maintaining an income above the poverty level without services and benefits from the federal government).
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Small Business Cyber Training Act of 2017 This bill amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration to establish a program for certifying employees of small business development centers to provide cybersecurity planning assistance to small businesses.