United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2018
This bill prohibits federal funds from being used to transfer an F-35 aircraft or related intellectual property or technical data to Turkey unless the President certifies to Congress that Turkey is not: (1) degrading North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) interoperability or member country security, or exposing NATO assets to hostile actors; (2) seeking to import or purchase defense articles from a U.S.-sanctioned foreign country; (3) wrongfully or unlawfully detaining U.S. citizens or lawful permanent resident aliens; or (4) engaging in military action without following international legal norms to prevent civilian casualties.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018
Food Security Improvement Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits to be calculated using a low-cost food plan. The Department of Agriculture must determine the requirements for the low-cost food plan using the diet described in the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion's publication entitled "The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, 2007" and adjustments specified in this bill. The bill revises the amounts of nutrition assistance block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa and requires the amounts to be modified based on adjustments to the low-cost food plan.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Recognizes the fourth anniversary of the Chibok girls kidnapping and calls for the release of all Boko Haram captives, especially the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu. Acknowledges U.S. and Nigerian efforts to defeat Boko Haram. Requests that the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development create a plan to address the needs of women and girls adversely impacted by extremism and conflict. Commends the swift enactment of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2018 or the BURMA Act of 2018 This bill provides humanitarian assistance for Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh and imposes sanctions on Burmese military or security officials responsible for serious human rights abuses. The bill provides humanitarian assistance for Burma, Bangladesh, and the surrounding region, including assistance for the Rohingya minority. The Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Agency for International Development shall jointly submit to Congress a strategy for promoting economic growth in Burma.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Executive Cyberspace Coordination Act of 2018 This bill establishes the National Office for Cyberspace within the Executive Office of the President to coordinate cyberspace issues within the federal government. The responsibilities of the office include achieving an assured, reliable, secure, and survivable information infrastructure and related capabilities for the federal government, while promoting national economic interests, security, and civil liberties.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Educators Expense Deduction Modernization Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the deduction from gross income for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, to: (1) increase from $250 to $500 the annual limit on the expenses that may be deducted, and (2) require the limit to be adjusted for inflation after 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018
Cambodia Democracy Act of 2018 This bill directs the President to apply property-blocking and visa restriction sanctions against each senior official of the Cambodian government, military, or security forces who has directly and substantially undermined democracy in Cambodia and committed or directed serious human rights violations. Sanctions may be suspended for up to one year if the President certifies to Congress that Cambodia is making progress toward ending government efforts to undermine democracy, ending human rights violations, and conducting elections that allow for the participation of credible opposition candidates.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2018
Workplace Democracy Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act and related labor laws to preserve workers' rights to join labor organizations and engage in collective bargaining. Specifically, it prohibits employers from classifying employees as independent contractors or supervisors to avoid employee participation in union activities; allows the National Labor Relation Board to certify a union, without a secret election, if it receives the consent of the majority of eligible workers; requires employers to begin negotiating with a new union within 10 days of its certification; prohibits coercion of employees to to participate in campaign activities unrelated to their job duties; requires employers to make disclosures of anti-labor organization activities; and repeals provisions allowing states to prevent labor organizations from collecting dues from nonunion workers who benefit from union representation (right to work laws).
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
Directs the Department of Commerce to transmit to the House of Representatives, by 14 days after the adoption of this resolution, copies of any document, correspondence, or other communication that refers or relates to: (1) the addition of a question on citizenship to the 2020 decennial census of population; and (2) the December 12, 2017, letter from Arthur E. Gary, General Counsel, Justice Management Division, Department of Justice, to Ron Jarmin, Acting Director, Bureau of the Census.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that compensation of public school teachers should be comparable to other college graduates with years in the workforce where the teachers are employed.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2018
Burn Pits Accountability Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the military departments to evaluate whether each member of the Armed Forces has been (1) based or stationed where an open air burn pit was used to dispose of waste, or (2) exposed to toxic airborne chemicals. Members located where an open burn pit was used or exposed to toxic airborne chemicals must be enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless the member elects not to enroll. The evaluations must be included in periodic health assessments, physical exams conducted immediately prior to separation from active duty, and deployment assessments. DOD must share the results of the evaluations with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018
Supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gay people in schools). Requests that the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the National Day of Silence. Encourages each state, city, and local educational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018
Supports: (1) the designation of National Small Business Week, (2) efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally, and (3) efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of locally owned small business on the U.S. economy. Honors the vital role of small business and entrepreneurs in the United States during such week. Recognizes: (1) the important role of the Small Business Administration as a valuable resource for the U.S. entrepreneur, (2) the importance of creating policies that promote a business friendly environment for small business owners free of unnecessary regulations, and (3) the National Small Business Person of the Year and the National Lender of the Year. Encourages young entrepreneurs to pursue their passions and create more start-up businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Medical Cannabis Research Act of 2018 This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish a new, separate registration process for manufacturers of cannabis for research. The Drug Enforcement Administration must assess whether there is an adequate and uninterrupted supply of research cannabis and register additional manufacturers.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
I ntercountry Adoption Information Act of 2018 This bill amends the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 to direct the Department of State to include in its annual intercountry adoptions report to Congress information on: (1) countries that have halted or reduced adoptions of children by American parents, and (2) State Department efforts to encourage the resumption of such halted or reduced adoption proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Restoring and Improving Merger Enforcement Act of 2018 This bill revises the standard for determining whether a proposed corporate acquisition would substantially lessen competition. Specifically, the bill establishes that a court may consider a claim that the acquisition would increase efficiency only if such increased efficiency (1) is verifiable, (2) could not be accomplished without the acquisition, and (3) would promote competition. The bill also places the burden of proof on the defendant claiming that increased efficiency will eliminate the substantial lessening of competition that would result from the proposed acquisition.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
End Employer Collusion Act This bill makes it unlawful for any entity to enter into a restrictive employment agreement, or enforce or threaten to enforce a restrictive employment agreement. A "restrictive employment agreement" is any agreement between two or more employers that prohibits or restricts one employer from soliciting or hiring another employer's employees or former employees. The bill allows aggrieved individuals to bring a civil action for actual and punitive damages, plus attorney's fees, against an entity that enters into, or threatens to enforce, a restrictive employment agreement. The bill grants the Federal Trade Commission the power to enforce the requirements of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Workforce Mobility Act of 2018 This bill prohibits an employer from entering into a covenant not to compete with any employee of such employer. A "covenant not to compete" is an agreement between an employer and employee that restricts such employee from performing any work for another employer for a specified period of time, any work in a specified geographic area, or any work for another employer that is similar to the work performed for the employer who is a party to such agreement. Such an agreement in an employment contract is presumed to be illegal as anticompetitive unless the employer establishes otherwise. An aggrieved party may file a civil action for actual and punitive damages, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs if the action is successful.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Economic Freedom and Financial Security for Working People Act of 2018 This bill amends the Clayton Act to establish that a corporate acquisition that tends to create a monopsony (i.e., a situation where a single buyer substantially controls the purchasing power in a market for a good or service) is a violation of antitrust law. Currently, the Clayton Act prohibits only acquisitions that would lead to a monopoly (i.e., where a single supplier of a good or service substantially controls the market).
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Access to Increased Drug Disposal Act of 2018 This bill directs the Office of Justice Programs in the Department of Justice to award grants to states to increase the number of pharmacies and other eligible entities (e.g., narcotic treatment programs) that collect unused controlled substances for disposal.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Cyber Deterrence and Response Act of 2018 This bill establishes a process to identify and impose sanctions against foreign persons, entities, and countries responsible for state-sponsored cyberattacks against the United States. The President may impose financial, export, and entry sanctions against foreign nations that have aided or directed such cyberattacks or may waive such sanctions on a case-by-case basis for up to a year. The President shall periodically brief Congress on state-sponsored cyber activities against the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act of 2018 This bill establishes a series of grant programs to assist localities with addressing the opioid epidemic, such as through prevention and treatment services, training centers, and research activities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act This bill requires the Department of Justice to submit to Congress all investigative materials related to an offense for which the President pardons an individual if the offense arises from an investigation in which the President, or a relative of the President, is a target, subject, or witness.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2018
Special Counsel Transparency Act of 2018 This bill establishes reporting requirements with respect to a special counsel appointed under Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations. Specifically, it establishes these requirements: a special counsel must report periodically on the status of an investigation; a special counsel who is removed from office must report on the status of an investigation, as of the date of dismissal; and DOJ must report on the status of an investigation following the removal of a special counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2018
Recognizes Estonia's, Latvia's, and Lithuania's 100th anniversary of independence, the 27th anniversary of their independence from the Soviet Union, and their political, economic, social, and military progress. Reiterates support for the European Deterrence Initiative as a means to enhance deterrence and increase military capabilities on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastern flank.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2018
Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 This bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to ensure that gender equality and female empowerment considerations are integrated into its strategies, projects, and activities. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to expand USAID microenterprise assistance authorities to include programs for small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those that serve and are owned and managed by women. The bill revises requirements for the measurement of poverty levels by implementing partners. It also authorizes the establishment of a USAID office to support efforts to broaden local financial markets and support the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on USAID assistance for such enterprises.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
American Gateway Communities Economic Development and Conservation Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish an American Gateway Communities Economic Development and Conservation Program. Interior may provide grants under the program to assist local government entities in improving gateways to National Park System units.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 This bill extends access to Department of Defense commissaries and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) facilities to Purple Heart recipients, veterans with a service-connected disability, Medal of Honor recipients, former prisoners of war, and veteran caregivers. (Commissaries are grocery/department stores on military installations that sell food and some household items. MWR facilities offer a range of services on bases including libraries, outdoor recreation, dining, golf courses, and sports and fitness centers.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act This bill sets forth requirements and limitations with respect to the removal from office of a special counsel appointed by the Attorney General, or of another official appointed by the Attorney General who exercises a similar degree of independence from the Department of Justice (DOJ) chain of command. Specifically, a special counsel or other appointed official: may only be removed by the Attorney General or the most senior Senate-confirmed DOJ official, in certain circumstances; may only be removed for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause; must be provided written notice that specifies the reason for removal; and may file an action to challenge the removal not later than 10 days after notice was provided.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Music Modernization Act This bill makes various changes to copyright law related to sound recordings, including providing protection for sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, creating a system for paying royalties to producers and sound engineers, and establishing a statutory blanket license for digital music services. The blanket license allows music services to distribute sound recordings covered by the license without negotiating for the rights for each individual recording, as long as the music service complies with the license's requirements, such as paying the required royalties.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Pink Tax Repeal Act This bill prohibits product manufacturers or service providers from selling substantially similar products at different prices based on the gender of the intended purchaser. If, for example, the only difference between two products is the color, they are substantially similar.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Recognizes the significance of Equal Pay Day to illustrate the disparity between wages paid to men and women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2018
Help Separated Families Act of 2018 This bill helps reunify children of detained or deported parents with their parents, legal guardians, or relatives and expands requirements governing state plans for foster care and adoption assistance to include provisions that assist children separated from detained or deported parents.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about March 23, 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 · 22 March 2018
Federal Retirement Fairness Act This bill modifies the federal civilian service that is creditable service under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Specifically, it allows service as a temporary or intermittent employee performed after December 1, 1988, to be creditable under FERS if an employee or Member deposits a certain amount into the retirement fund.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2018
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2018 This bill prohibits discrimination, under a federally assisted program, against public school students on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. The bill authorizes federal departments and agencies to terminate the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating this prohibition. An aggrieved individual may assert a violation of this bill in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2018
Nuclear Cooperation Reform Act of 2018 This bill imposes additional requirements for Congressional approval of nuclear cooperation agreements with foreign countries, such as a requirement for the foreign country to have acceded to various international agreements relating to weapons development and proliferation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2018
No Disrupting Accountability Act or the NDA Act This bill states that a nondisclosure agreement based on an individual's employment in the Executive Office of the President or the White House may not be enforced against the individual for disclosing information, in violation of the nondisclosure agreement, about wrongdoing.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2018
Iran Human Rights Accountability Act of 2018 This bill amends the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 with respect to the list of sanctionable Iranian government officials or persons acting on behalf of such government who are responsible for or complicit in certain human rights abuses to include as sanctionable activities human rights abuses committed against U.S. citizens or legal permanent resident aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2018
Condemns the attack in the United Kingdom on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer, and his daughter Yulia on March 4, 2018. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States stands in firm partnership with the United Kingdom, and (2) Russian aggression across all domains should not be accepted.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2018
Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act of 2018 This bill directs the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to: (1) establish the Global Initiative to Reduce Fragility and Violence, related to reducing and addressing the causes of violence, violent conflict, and fragility, with a focus on 10 pilot countries to be determined by USAID; and (2) develop and submit to Congress an initial interagency implementing strategy which shall include individual pilot country plans. The bill provides for initiative and pilot plan updates. The Government Accountability Office shall review U.S. government activities in each pilot country.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2018
Global Electoral Exchange Act This bill directs the Department of State to establish and administer a Global Electoral Exchange Program to promote the utilization of sound election administration practices in the United States and foreign countries. The State Department shall maintain a publicly available website detailing the Global Electoral Exchange Program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2018
Reaffirms support for the Good Friday Agreement, signed on April 10, 1998, as a blueprint for sustainable peace in Northern Ireland. Urges the Department of State to appoint a Special Envoy for Northern Ireland and to promote full implementation of that agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2018
Expresses support for the designation of a National Animal Rescue Day to create awareness for animal rescue programs throughout the year and address the challenge of overpopulation through continued spaying and neutering.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2018
Don't Tax Higher Education Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the 1.4% excise tax on the net investment income of certain private colleges and universities.
![Official portrait of Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_ri_1_cicilline_david_200.jpg)