United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act of 2019 This bill requires federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to collect, compile, and submit data to the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Bureau of Justice Statistics on the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers. DOJ must reduce by 10% the allocation of funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program for a state or local government that fails to substantially comply.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Amend the Code for Marriage Equality Act of 2019 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), the Social Security Act (SSAct), and other federal laws to replace (1) references to "wife" or "husband" with references to "spouse"; and (2) references to "husband and wife" or "husband or wife" with references to "married couple" or " married person." For purposes of federal laws or regulations, "marriage" is defined as a legal union between two people as spouses. The bill eliminates a definition of "spouse" that refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. Requirements concerning compensation to a surviving wife after the disability or death of a person employed at a military, air, or naval base outside the United States are revised to make surviving spouses eligible for such compensation. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, provisions concerning the amount of leave available to a husband and wife employed by the same employer are revised to apply to a married couple employed by the same employer. Requirements under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 that make disability and death benefits payable to the wife or widow of a miner are revised to make the benefits payable to the spouse or surviving spouse of a miner. IRC provisions that require a divorced wife's gross income to include the income of any trust she is entitled to receive that would otherwise be includible in the gross income of her husband, or vice versa, are revised to apply to the gross income of individuals who are divorced from their spouse. The bill revises title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the SSAct to consolidate separate provisions for a wife's insurance benefits and a husband's insurance benefits into a single standard for a spouse's insurance benefits. Criminal penalties that currently apply to persons who threaten to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon a former President's wife or widow are revised to apply to threats made to a former President's spouse or surviving spouse.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Vote by Mail Act of 2019 This bill requires states to allow voting in federal elections to be by mail without additional conditions or requirements, except a deadline for returning the ballot. States must mail ballots to individuals registered to vote in a federal election not later than two weeks before the election. The U.S. Postal Service must carry ballots mailed by a state expeditiously and free of postage. This bill authorizes automatic voter registration of individuals through state motor vehicle authorities.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Gun Trafficking Prohibition Act This bill establishes stand-alone criminal offenses for trafficking in firearms and straw purchasing of firearms. The bill expands the categories of prohibited persons (i.e., persons barred from receiving or possessing a firearm or ammunition) to include persons who intend (1) to sell or transfer a firearm or ammunition to a prohibited person, (2) to sell or transfer a firearm to further a crime of violence or drug trafficking offense, or (3) to unlawfully export. It increases the maximum prison term for the sale or transfer of a firearm to or the receipt or possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The bill revises the existing prohibition on transferring a firearm knowing that it will be used to commit a crime of violence or drug trafficking offense. It broadens the scope of unlawful conduct and increases the maximum prison term for a violator. The bill also revises the existing prohibition on smuggling a firearm into the United States with the intent to unlawfully import or to promote a crime of violence or drug trafficking offense. It broadens the scope of unlawful conduct and increases the maximum prison term for a violator. Finally, the bill makes it a crime to smuggle a firearm or ammunition out of the United States, or conspire or attempt to do so, with the intent to unlawfully export or to promote a crime of violence or drug trafficking offense.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting the President from granting a pardon or reprieve to himself or herself, to certain members of the President's family, to members of the President's administration, or to paid employees of the President's presidential campaign.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2018
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about December 22, 2018, to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period of such lapse as soon as practicable after such lapse ends.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2018
Trauma-Informed Schools Act of 2018 This bill provides for the use of trauma-informed practices in public elementary and secondary schools and allows states to use certain federal funds to train teachers in such practices.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2018
Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2018 or the GLOBE Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of State to include information about the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals in its annual report on human rights in foreign countries. The bill also contains other provisions to protect LGBTI rights, including provisions barring foreign individuals who commit serious human rights violations against LGBTI individuals from entering the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2018
Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of State to include in its annual reports on human rights in countries receiving U.S. development and security assistance a discussion of the status of reproductive rights in each country, including whether a country has adopted policies to: (1) promote access to contraception, (2) provide services to ensure safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth, (3) expand or restrict access to safe abortion services, (4) prevent maternal deaths, and (5) prevent and treat sexually transmitted diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2018
This resolution recognizes the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and encourages all nations to continue working towards freedom, peace, and security through democracy and respect for human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2018
Small Business Reorganization Act of 2018 This bill establishes new, streamlined bankruptcy procedures for small businesses under chapter 11 (reorganization).
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2018
Restoring the Public Trust Act This bill sets forth provisions to (1) prohibit the personal enrichment of federal employees, (2) reduce conflicts of interest in the federal government, (2) require Presidents and certain presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns, (3) require the disclosure of certain White House visitor and employee records, and (4) modify the procedures for nominating or changing the status of an inspector general.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2018
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in the health care and social service sectors. Specifically, Labor must promulgate an occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers in the health care and social service sectors, as well as employers in sectors that conduct activities similar to the activities in the health care and social service sectors, to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for protecting health care workers, social service workers, and other personnel from workplace violence.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2018
Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act This bill makes widespread changes to federal laws governing campaign finance, public corruption, ethics, lobbying, and conflicts of interest. Among other things, the bill does the following: strengthens post-employment lobbying restrictions, expands financial disclosure requirements, creates a new ethics agency to oversee federal employees, makes changes to presidential conflict of interest laws, requires certain transition teams to develop ethics plans, and makes the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges applicable to Supreme Court Justices.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2018
Restoring Justice for Workers Act This bill prohibits predispute arbitration agreements that require arbitration of an employment dispute. It allows a postdispute arbitration agreement if the employee enters into it voluntarily without coercion and is informed in writing of rights and protections under such agreement. An employer may not retaliate against an employee for refusing to enter into an agreement for arbitrating an employment dispute. The bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it an unfair labor practice to interfere with the right of an employee to collectively litigate employment disputes.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2018
Corrections Public Health and Community Re-entry Act of 2018 This bill authorizes the National Institute of Corrections to make grants to, and enter cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2018
Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act This bill funds through FY2090 the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Additionally, the bill modifies the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF): to allow claims to be filed until October 2089, to require VCF policies and procedures to be reassessed at least once every five years (currently, at least once annually), to require claimants to be paid for the amount by which a claim was reduced on the basis of insufficient funding, to remove the cap on noneconomic damages in special circumstances, and to adjust the annual limit on economic loss compensation for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2018
Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Wild and Scenic River Act This bill designates specified river segments in the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed in Rhode Island and Connecticut as scenic, recreational, or wild rivers and as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2018
Giving Increased Resources to Learning Students Act or the GIRLS Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow states to use Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants to supply menstrual hygiene products to students.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2018
Lady Liberty Act of 2018 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the President to set the number of post-FY2018 refugee admissions at not less than 110,000 persons per fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2018
Directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in Yemen, except for Armed Forces engaged in operations authorized under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, within 30 days unless and until a declaration of war or specific authorization for such use has been enacted into law.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2018
EITC Modernization Act of 2018 This bill modifies the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to: (1) make certain individuals who are college students or have an aged or disabled dependent eligible for the credit, (2) specify minimum credit amounts for the qualifying students and individuals with an aged or disabled dependent, (3) allow certain EITC recipients to elect to receive the credit payments monthly, and (4) decrease from 25 to 18 the minimum age of eligibility for individuals without dependents. The bill also requires the Internal Revenue Service to establish a Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Matching Grant Program to provide matching funds for the development, expansion, or continuation of tax preparation programs to assist low-income taxpayers and members of underserved populations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2018
This bill provides statutory authority for, and extends, a specified methodology used to calculate the minimum Medicare hospital wage index for all-urban states.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2018
Reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of refugees, including through U.S. resettlement for those who cannot return home. Urges President Trump and his administration to affirm the importance of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and to make a presidential determination for FY2019 that the admission of at least 110,000 refugees is justified. (Under the program, such determination establishes the overall admissions levels and regional allocations of all refugees for an upcoming fiscal year.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2018
United States Territorial Relief Act of 2018 This bill establishes a process under which Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories may terminate certain debts if they meet eligibility criteria. The bill allows territories to terminate their public, unsecured debt if they meet two of three criteria: the population of the territory has decreased by more than 5% over 10 years, the territory received major federal disaster assistance, and the territory's per capita debt exceeds $15,000. The bill also provides funding that a special master must allocate to certain creditors whose debts were discharged under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2018
Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act of 2018 or the SUCCESS Act This bill directs the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to study and report to Congress on the number of patents applied for and obtained: (1) by women and minorities, and (2) by small businesses owned by women and minorities. The USPTO must provide legislative recommendations to increase the number of women and minorities who participate in entrepreneurship activities and apply for patents. Additionally, the bill amends the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act to extend for eight years the authority of the USPTO to set and adjust patent fees.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2018
Affirms strong U.S.-Liberia ties. Urges the government and people of Liberia to support full implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations, including the establishment of an Extraordinary Criminal Tribunal. Supports efforts by the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to advance Liberian national reconciliation.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2018
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 20 Ferry Road in Saunderstown, Rhode Island, as the "Captain Matthew J. August Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 24 August 2018
Aretha Franklin Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill instructs 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 in commemoration of Aretha Franklin in recognition of her outstanding artistic and historical significance to the culture of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 August 2018
Screening With Dignity Act of 2018 This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop procedures to appropriately and respectfully screen self-identified transgender air passengers and begin training of all TSA Officers on such procedures. The TSA must implement protections for transgender passengers including prohibiting human viewing of passenger images and conducting pat-downs by an officer of the gender requested by the passenger. The TSA shall separately study and report on: (1) the cost and feasibility of retrofitting advanced image technology screening equipment to distinguish between foreign objects and human body parts in a manner that is gender neutral, and (2) the impact of imaging technology on transgender passengers.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2018
PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018 This bill amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to extend certain provisions related to the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a U.S. governmental initiative addressing the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Specifically, the bill extends through FY2023 provisions that: require the Inspectors General of the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for Global Media, jointly with the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to coordinate and conduct oversight of PEPFAR programs; limit U.S. contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to 33% of funds contributed from all sources; require that certain fund contributions be withheld under specified circumstances; and require that at least half of the PEPFAR budget be allocated for specified HIV/AIDS treatment and care. The bill also extends through FY2024 annual reporting requirements relating to HIV/AIDS treatment providers and costs.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2018
3D Printed Gun Safety Act of 2018 This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it unlawful to intentionally publish digital instructions for programming a three-dimensional printer to make a firearm.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2018
Innovative Materials for America's Growth and Infrastructure Newly Expanded Act of 2018 or the IMAGINE Act This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish an Interagency Innovative Materials Standards Task Force to coordinate and improve, with respect to infrastructure construction, retrofitting, rehabilitation, and other improvements: (1) federal testing standards, (2) federal design and use guidelines, and (3) other applicable standards. The task force shall collaborate with certain nonfederal entities to: (1) identify and carry out appropriate research, testing methods, and processes relating to the development and use of innovative materials; (2) develop new methods and processes relating to the development and use of innovative materials; and (3) contribute to the development of standards and guidelines for the use of innovative materials and approaches in civil infrastructure projects. The term "innovative material," with respect to an infrastructure project, includes high performance asphalt mixtures and concrete formulations, geosynthetic materials, advanced alloys and metals, reinforced polymer composites, including any coating or other corrosion prevention method used in conjunction with those materials, advanced polymers, and any other material or aggregate materials, as determined by the appropriate agency or department head. The Department of Transportation shall carry out a program to enhance the development of innovative materials in the United States. The Federal Highway Administration shall establish the Innovative Bridge Program to provide grants for coastal and rural infrastructure bridge projects. The Environmental Protection Agency shall establish the Water Infrastructure Innovation Program to provide grants for the design and installation of water infrastructure projects.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2018
Untraceable Firearms Act of 2018 This bill generally prohibits and penalizes the manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase, or receipt of a ghost gun. A ghost gun is a firearm that lacks a unique serial number.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill revises and reauthorizes through FY2023 various programs and activities under the Violence Against Women Act that seek to prevent and respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Among other things, the bill also authorizes new programs, makes changes to federal firearms laws, and establishes new protections to promote housing stability and economic security for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Recognizes the immense hardships that people with disabilities in the United States must overcome every day. Pledges to make universal and inclusive design a guiding principle for all infrastructure bills and projects.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Data Broker Accountability and Transparency Act of 2018 This bill prohibits data brokers from obtaining or causing to be disclosed personal information relating to any person by making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation, including by providing any document that the broker knows or should know to: (1) be forged, counterfeit, lost, stolen, or fraudulently obtained; or (2) contain a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation. The bill defines "data broker" as a commercial entity that collects, assembles, or maintains personal information concerning an individual who is not a customer or an employee of that entity in order to sell or provide third-party access to the information. Data brokers must establish procedures to ensure the accuracy of the personal information they collect, assemble, or maintain, and provide individuals a cost-free means to review their personal or identifying information. Individuals may dispute the accuracy of their personal information with a written request that the data broker make a correction. Data brokers must provide individuals with a reasonable means of expressing a preference to exclude their information from being used, shared, or sold for marketing purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Application Privacy, Protection, and Security Act of 201 8 or the APPS Act of 201 8 This bill directs mobile device application developers, before the application collects personal data about the user, to notify the user and obtain the user's consent regarding the terms and conditions governing the collection, use, storage, and sharing of such personal data.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Democracy Restoration Act of 2018 This bill establishes that an individual's right to vote in a federal election may not be abridged due to a criminal conviction unless the individual is incarcerated for a felony sentence at the time of the election. The bill also (1) requires incarcerated individuals to be notified of the restoration of their voting rights upon release, and (2) prohibits states and local governments that do not comply with this bill from receiving federal funds for constructing or improving prisons.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Aim Higher Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reauthorize and revise federal financial aid programs for postsecondary education and institutions of higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Reaffirms U.S. commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and recognizes the many contributions that NATO member states have made to U.S. national security.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2018
Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act This bill establishes the National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund and requires 50% of all energy development revenues for FY2019-FY2023 to be deposited into such fund. Amounts deposited in the fund must not exceed $1.3 billion for any fiscal year and must be used for meeting high-priority deferred maintenance needs of the National Park Service.
![Official portrait of Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_ri_1_cicilline_david_200.jpg)