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![Official portrait of Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_ri_1_cicilline_david_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
4,107 records where Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that any replacement for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act must keep costs to health care consumers at or below their current rates and keep the uninsured rate at or below its current level.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2017
Expresses sympathy and condolences to the families of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, as well as to Alok Madasani, Ian Grillot, and all victims of hate crime throughout the United States. (Kuchibhotla, Madasani, and Grillot were shot in Olathe, Kansas, on February 22, 2017. Kuchibhotla was killed; Madasani and Grillot were injured.) Urges the Department of Justice to carry out a full hate crime investigation into these attacks and ensure that adequate funding and resources are available to carry out other hate crimes investigations, including additional funding for Civil Rights Division prosecutors and Community Relations Service professionals. Calls on the President to end his inflammatory rhetoric and policies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2017 This bill makes it illegal to possess, buy, or sell shark fins or any product containing shark fins. A person may possess a shark fin that was lawfully taken consistent with a license or permit under certain circumstances. Penalties are imposed for violations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Recognizes that Robert Levinson is the longest held U.S. civilian in U.S. history. Notes that repeated pledges by Iranian officials to provide their government's assistance have not led to any meaningful progress in locating or returning him. Urges the government of Iran to take meaningful steps towards fulfilling its promises to assist in locating and returning Levinson, including immediately providing all information from all entities of such government regarding his disappearance. Urges the President and U.S. allies to continue to press the Iranian government to locate and return Levinson, notwithstanding disagreements with Iran on a broad array of issues, including Iran's ballistic missile program, sponsorship of international terrorism, and human rights abuses. Notes that further delay in locating and returning Levinson remains a significant obstacle to improving U.S.-Iran relations. Expresses sympathy to Levinson's family and expresses hope that their ordeal can be brought to an end in the near future.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Agency for International Development should: (1) increase emergency funding in March 2017 to respond to the famine in South Sudan by providing food and other essential resources and to collaborate with international relief organizations to reach vulnerable populations, and (2) provide emergency food assistance under the Food for Peace Act. Calls upon the government of South Sudan to: (1) declare and observe a cessation of hostilities to allow food and essential supplies to reach affected civilians; and (2) allow immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to southern Unity, where the famine is underway. Condemns all threats and violence against civilian populations and aid workers. Supports efforts of the U.S. government, working with partners in the international community, to facilitate humanitarian access to affected areas and encourages greater diplomatic pressure on the parties to return to the negotiation table to stop the violence and allow full humanitarian access.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017 This bill expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill on active duty prior to September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001). Services to caregivers of veterans under such program are expanded to include child care services, financial planning services, and legal services. The bill terminates the support program for caregivers of covered veterans on October 1, 2022, except that any caregiver activities carried out on September 30, 2022, shall be continued on and after October 1, 2022. The bill authorizes the transfer of entitlement to post 9/11 education assistance to family members by veterans who are retired for a physical disability or who are seriously injured veterans in need of family caregiver services, without regard to length-of-service requirements. The VA is authorized to pay monthly special compensation to seriously injured or ill veterans in need of personal care services and to their caregivers. Flexible work schedules or telework are authorized for federal employees who are caregivers of veterans. The Public Health Service Act is amended to designate a veteran participating in the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers as an adult with a special need for purposes of the lifespan respite care program. An interagency working group is established in the executive branch to review and report on policies relating to the caregivers of veterans and members of the Armed Forces. The VA shall provide for studies on members of the Armed Forces who commenced service after September 11, 2001, and veterans who have incurred a serious injury or illness, including a mental health injury, and their caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Requests the President, and directs the Attorney General, to transmit to the House of Representatives within 14 days after adoption of this resolution copies of any document or other communication in their possession that refers or relates to: any meeting or communication between Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III and any representative of the Russian government; the Attorney General's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 10, 2017, his written response to Senator Patrick Leahy's letter of January 17, 2017, his letter of March 6, 2017, to such committee, his preparation for confirmation hearings before such committee with respect to contact between President Trump's campaign and any Russian government representative, and his recusal from any investigation related to the 2016 presidential election and the implementation of that recusal; the application of provisions regarding grounds for appointing a Special Counsel to any case involving the 2016 presidential election or any related matter; and any meeting between any employee of President Trump's campaign or transition team and any Russian government representative, including any meeting that involved Donald J. Trump, Michael Flynn, Jared Kushner, Carter Page, J.D. Gordon, Richard Burt, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, or Michael Cohen.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Directs the Department of the Treasury to provide to the House of Representatives the full tax returns of President Donald J. Trump for tax years 2006-2015, financial documentation, and any information in its possession that specifies President Trump's: debts held by foreign governments and foreign companies; investments in foreign countries and foreign enterprises; and use of any tax shelters, corporate structures, tax avoidance maneuvers, abatements, or other loopholes to reduce or eliminate tax liability.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to make trafficking in firearms a crime. Specifically, it prohibits: purchasing or transferring a firearm with the intent to deliver it to a prohibited person; providing false or misleading material information in connection with a firearm purchase or transfer; and directing, promoting, or facilitating such prohibited conduct. The prohibition does not apply to a firearm lawfully acquired to give as a gift or lawfully received as a gift. A person who commits a gun trafficking offense is subject to a prison term of up to 20 years (or 25 years if such person also acted as an organizer). A person who conspires to commit a gun trafficking offense is subject to a prison term of up to 10 years. The U.S. Sentencing Commission must review and, if appropriate, amend the sentencing guidelines and policy statements that apply to persons convicted of trafficking in firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017 This bill amends the Fair Housing Act (FHA) under the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to add sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected against discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing. (Currently, the FHA prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.) The bill defines: (1) "gender identity" as gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth; and (2) "sexual orientation" as homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality. The bill also extends prohibitions against housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, handicap, familial status, or national origin to include discrimination based on: (1) an individual's association with another person who is a member of such a protected class; and (2) a perception or belief, even if inaccurate, that an individual is a member of such a protected class.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Gun Violence Research Act This bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 to eliminate the prohibition on the Department of Health and Human Services using federal funds to advocate or promote gun control.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Prohibit Expansion of U.S. Combat Troops into Syria Act This bill prohibits the obligation or expenditure of Department of Defense funds for the purpose of: deploying members of the Armed Forces to Syria to engage in ground combat operations; awarding a contract to a private security contractor to conduct any activity on the ground of Syria; or otherwise establishing or maintaining any presence of members of the Armed Forces or private security contractors on the ground of Syria, unless the purpose of such presence is limited solely to rescuing or protecting members of the Armed Forces from imminent danger. The prohibition does not apply to the deployment of the Armed Forces to protect, rescue, or remove U.S. personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
No Money Bail Act of 2017 This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to make ineligible for funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program a state with a bail system that uses payment of money as a condition of pretrial release in criminal cases. The Department of Justice must reallocate such state's JAG funding among eligible states. Additionally, the bill prohibits payment of money as a condition of pretrial release in any federal criminal case.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act This bill amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the use or possession of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The bill imposes on persons who possess or use such traps in the System: (1) for a first offense, a civil fine of up to $500 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used; and (2) for subsequent offenses, a civil fine of up to $1,000 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used, imprisonment for up to 180 days, or both such a civil fine and imprisonment. The bill makes any body-gripping traps that are possessed or used in violation of this bill, and any wildlife captured by the use of such traps, including the pelts and raw fur, subject to civil forfeiture. Persons found to be in violation of such prohibition shall pay all associated court costs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to deem an individual receiving outpatient observation services in a hospital to be an inpatient for purposes of satisfying the three-day inpatient hospital-stay requirement with respect to Medicare coverage of skilled nursing facility services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Keeping Our Campaigns Honest Act of 2017 This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to revise its sponsorship identification rules to require the disclosure announcements required for broadcast matter or origination cablecasting matter that is political or that involves the discussion of a controversial issue of public importance to include the names of significant donors to the person whose identity is required to be disclosed in such an announcement.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act This bill expands programs to address neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which are infections caused by pathogens, including viruses, microbes, and helminths (parasitic worms), that disproportionately impact individuals living in extreme poverty, especially in developing countries. The NTDs Program of the U.S. Agency for International Development must incorporate specified priorities, including: (1) conducting monitoring and evaluation of program investments, (2) including morbidity management in treatment plans, (3) addressing additional NTDs recognized as high-burden diseases, and (4) continuing investments in research and development. The President must direct the U.S. Executive Director at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to urge the World Bank Institute to take actions on NTDs, including deworming programs. The Department of Health and Human Services must: (1) continue to promote the need for NTDs programs and activities through interagency groups and international forums; (2) report to Congress on NTDs in the United States; and (3) establish a panel to evaluate issues relating to worm infections, including potential solutions such as deworming medicines. The bill authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to enter into agreements and make grants to support one or more centers of excellence for NTD research, training, and treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 201 7 This bill prohibits the wages or other remuneration earned by an employee who performs employment duties in more than one state from being subject to income tax in any state other than: (1) the state of the employee's residence, and (2) the state within which the employee is present and performing employment duties for more than 30 days during the calendar year. The bill exempts employers from state income tax withholding and information reporting requirements for employees not subject to income tax in the state under this bill. For the purposes of determining penalties related to an employer's state income tax withholding or reporting requirements, an employer may rely on an employee's annual determination of the time expected to be spent working in a state in the absence of fraud or collusion by such employee. For the purposes of this bill, the term "employee" excludes: professional athletes; professional entertainers; production employees who perform services in connection with certain film, television, or other commercial video productions; and public figures who are persons of prominence who perform services for wages or other remuneration on a per-event basis.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) establish a program to permit eligible deported noncitizen veterans to enter the United States as, and to permit eligible noncitizen veterans in the United States to adjust their status to that of, a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence; and (2) cancel the removal of eligible noncitizen veterans and allow them to similarly adjust their status. An "eligible" veteran is a veteran who: (1) was not ordered removed, or removed, from the United States due to a criminal conviction for a crime of violence or for a crime that endangers U.S. national security for which the noncitizen served at least five years' imprisonment; and (2) is not inadmissible to, or deportable from, the United States due to such a conviction. DHS may waive such eligibility requirements for humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, due to exceptional service in the U.S. Armed Forces, or if such waiver otherwise is in the public interest. A noncitizen veteran or service member shall not be removed from the United States unless he or she has a criminal conviction for a crime of violence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for naturalization through service in the U.S. Armed Forces, except that: (1) the grounds on which the noncitizen was ordered removed from, or rendered inadmissible to or deportable from, the United States shall be disregarded when determining whether the noncitizen is a person of good moral character; and (2) any period of absence from the United States due to the noncitizen having been removed or being inadmissible shall be disregarded when determining if the noncitizen satisfies any requirement relating to continuous residence or physical presence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for all military and veterans benefits for which the individual would have been eligible if he or she had never been been removed from, or voluntarily departed, the United States. DHS shall: (1) identify cases involving service members and veterans at risk of removal from the United States, and (2) annotate all DHS immigration and naturalization records relating to any noncitizen involved and afford an opportunity to track the outcome.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017 This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit people from knowingly slaughtering a dog or cat for human consumption. In addition, the bill prohibits people from knowingly transporting, possessing, buying, selling, or donating: (1) a dog or cat to be slaughtered for human consumption, or (2) dog or cat parts for human consumption. The bill subjects a violator to imprisonment for up to a year, a fine, or both. The bill applies to conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Restoring Statutory Rights and Interests of the States Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Arbitration Act to invalidate arbitration agreements between parties in certain commercial contracts or transactions if they require arbitration of a claim for damages or injunctive relief brought by an individual or small business arising from the alleged violation of a federal or state statute, the U.S. Constitution, or a state constitution, unless the written agreement to arbitrate is entered into by both parties after the claim has arisen and pertains solely to an existing claim. The grounds upon which a contract with an arbitration agreement is revocable shall include federal or state statutes or court findings that prohibit an agreement to arbitrate if the agreement is unconscionable, invalid because there was no meeting of the minds, or otherwise unenforceable as a matter of contract law or public policy. A court, rather than an arbitrator, shall determine whether an arbitration agreement is enforceable.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Arbitration Fairness Act of 2017 This bill prohibits a predispute arbitration agreement from being valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute. The validity and enforceability of an agreement to arbitrate shall be determined by a court, under federal law, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement. Nothing in this bill applies to arbitration provisions in a contract between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations, except that no such arbitration provision shall have the effect of waiving the right of an employee to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under the U.S. Constitution, a state constitution, a federal or state statute, or related public policy.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Justice for Victims of Fraud Act of 2017 This bill amends the Truth in Lending Act and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to prohibit predispute arbitration agreements with consumers (i.e., agreements to arbitrate any future disputes between parties instead of pursuing the claims in court) from being valid or enforceable in disputes related to credit card accounts or personal bank accounts that are not subject to a final judgment by a court if the credit card or bank account was not issued in response to a request or application for that account. The bill excludes from this prohibition accounts held by a financial institution pursuant to a bona fide trust agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: the Russian Federation has engaged in a widespread hacking and misinformation campaign in order to influence politics and elections in democracies throughout Europe; Russian officials have expressed their desire to divide the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance, weaken democratic institutions, and support extremist, pro-Moscow candidates throughout Europe; Russia should immediately cease all hacking and cyber-attacks aimed at European governments, political parties, government officials, election entities, and public information systems; and it is U.S. government policy to sanction entities and individuals within Russia or associated with the Russian government engaged in hacking, cyber-attacks, and propaganda campaigns with the intention of interfering in democratic elections.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2017
Animal Welfare Accountability and Transparency Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to maintain and publicly disclose records relating to the administration of the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act, including specified details regarding inspections, enforcement actions, regulations, registrations, and licenses under the two laws. Within 90 days of the enactment of this bill, USDA must make the records available to the public in an online searchable database in a machine-readable format on its website. The bill also amends the Internal Revenue Code to require a taxpayer who has been convicted or assessed civil penalties for violating certain provisions of the Animal Welfare Act or the Horse Protection Act to use the alternative depreciation system that increases the number of years over which property is depreciated. The taxpayer must use the system for any property placed in service during the five-year period beginning with the year in which the period for seeking judicial review of a civil penalty has lapsed or in which there has been a final judgment entered with respect to the violation, whichever is earlier.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program under which HHS may make grants to states for the purpose of: (1) reviewing pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated deaths (maternal deaths); (2) establishing and sustaining a maternal mortality review committee to review relevant information; (3) ensuring that the state department of health develops a plan for ongoing health care provider education in order to improve the quality of maternal care, disseminate findings, and implement recommendations; (4) disseminating a case abstraction form to aid information collection for HHS review and preserve its uniformity; and (5) providing for the public disclosure of information included in state reports. The bill defines "pregnancy-associated death" as the death of a woman while pregnant or during the one-year period following the date of the end of pregnancy, irrespective of the cause of death. It defines "pregnancy-related death" as the death of a woman while pregnant or during the one-year period following the date of the end of pregnancy, irrespective of the pregnancy's duration, from any cause related to, or aggravated by, the pregnancy or its management, excluding any accidental or incidental cause. States shall develop procedures for mandatory reporting to their departments of health by health facilities and professionals concerning maternal deaths and for voluntary reporting of such deaths by family members. States shall investigate each case and prepare a case summary for each case, to be reviewed by the committee and included in applicable reports. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to direct HHS to take specified steps to eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Scientific Integrity Act This bill requires, subject to Freedom of Information Act disclosure restrictions and privacy requirements, federal agencies that fund or conduct scientific research to: (1) promote and maximize the communication and open exchange of scientific data and findings to other agencies, policymakers, and the public; and (2) prevent the suppression or distortion of such data and findings. The bill amends the America COMPETES Act to require federal agencies that fund or conduct scientific research to develop and enforce a scientific integrity policy and submit it to Congress and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). A scientific integrity policy must, at a minimum, ensure that scientific conclusions are not made based on political considerations. It must be made available to the public on agency websites and be disseminated to each new agency employee and contractor. Agencies must also develop and require training on the policy for its employees and contractors. The OSTP shall enter into an agrement with the National Academy of Public Administration to study the appropriateness of scientific integrity policies.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the application of Medicare competitive acquisition rates to complex rehabilitative wheelchairs and accessories. (A competitive bidding program has replaced the use of established fee schedule amounts to determine payments under Medicare for certain durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs.)
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Women's Health Protection Act of 2017 This bill prohibits any government from imposing on abortion services: a requirement that a medical professional perform specific tests or medical procedures; a requirement that the same clinician who performs a patient's abortion also perform additional tests, services or procedures; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to prescribe or dispense drugs or provide services via telemedicine; a requirement or limitation concerning the physical plant, equipment, staffing, or hospital transfer arrangements of facilities where abortions are performed, or the credentials, hospital privileges, or status of personnel at those facilities; a requirement that, prior to obtaining an abortion, a patient make medically unnecessary in-person visits to any individual or entity; a limitation on medical training for abortion procedures; a prohibition prior to fetal viability, including a prohibition on a particular abortion procedure; a prohibition after fetal viability when continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the woman's life or health; a restriction on a woman's ability to obtain an immediate abortion when a delay would pose a risk to the woman's health; or a restriction on obtaining an abortion prior to fetal viability based on a woman's reasons or perceived reasons or that requires her to state her reasons before obtaining an abortion. A measure or action that is similar to a requirement or limitation listed above is prohibited if it singles out abortion services or makes abortion services more difficult to access and does not significantly advance women's health or the safety of abortion services.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires a business that employs 50 or more call center employees, excluding part-time employees, or 50 or more call center employees who in the aggregate work at least 1,500 hours per week, exclusive of overtime, to notify the Department of Labor at least 120 days before relocating such center outside of the United States. Violators are subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day. Labor must make publicly available a list of all such employers that relocate a call center. It may remove from the list an employer that has relocated the call center from a location outside the United States to a location inside the United States. Employers must remain on the list for up to three years after each relocation. An employer is ineligible for federal grants or federal guaranteed loans for five years after being added to the list, except where the employer demonstrates that a lack of such loan or grant would threaten national security, result in substantial job loss in the United States, or harm the environment. Federal or state executive agencies or military departments, when awarding a civilian or defense-related contract, must give preference to a U.S. employer that does not appear on the list. Businesses that initiate or receive a customer service communication must require each of their employees or agents participating in the communication to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each such communication unless all involved employees or agents are located in the United States. The bill exempts any communication: (1) initiated by a consumer if the consumer knows or reasonably should know that the employee or agent is located outside the United States, or (2) related to the provision of emergency services. Upon request, businesses must transfer a customer to a customer service agent who is physically located in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may exclude certain classes or types of business entities or customer service communications from the requirements of this bill under exceptionally compelling circumstances. The bill sets forth authority for the FTC to enforce against violations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Department of Defense Overhead Cost Savings and Transparency Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to: (1) submit to specified congressional committees the Defense Business Board study entitled "Transforming Department of Defense's Core Business Processes for Revolutionary Change" and any supporting information used by the board to conduct such study, and (2) make such study publicly available. The bill sets forth House and Senate procedures for the expedited consideration of legislation to implement at least 80% of the DOD cost savings identified in such study.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act This bill prohibits funds from being made available to Honduras for the police or military (including for equipment and training), and directs the Department of the Treasury to instruct U.S. representatives at multilateral development banks to vote against any loans for the police or military of Honduras, until the Department of States certifies that the government of Honduras has: prosecuted members of the military and police for human rights violations and ensured that such violations have ceased; established the rule of law and guaranteed a judicial system capable of bringing to justice members of the police and military who have committed human rights abuses; established that it protects the rights of trade unionists, journalists, human rights defenders, government critics, and civil society activists to operate without interference; withdrawn the military from domestic policing; and brought to trial and obtained verdicts against those who ordered and carried out the attack on Felix Molina and the killings of Berta Caceres, Joel Palacios Lino, Elvis Armando Garcia, and over 100 small-farmer activists in the Aguan Valley.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Congratulates the New England Patriots on their victory in Super Bowl LI.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Women's History Month. Recognizes and honors the women and organizations in the United States that have fought for and continue to promote the teaching of women's history.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to revise the requirements for calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits. The bill increases the minimum SNAP benefit and requires benefits to be calculated using a low-cost food plan. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must determine the requirements for the low-cost food plan, which is the diet required to feed a family of four, consisting of: a man and a woman 19-50 years of age, a child 6-8 years of age, and a child 9-11 years of age. USDA must make adjustments to the plan to account for household size, changes in the cost of the diet, and the costs of food in specified areas. The bill revises the amounts authorized for 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. The bill modifies the requirements for calculating household income to determine SNAP eligibility by: (1) authorizing a standard medical expense deduction for households containing an elderly or disabled member, and (2) eliminating the cap on the deduction for excess shelter expenses. The bill exempts from SNAP work requirements able-bodied adults without dependents who are not offered a position in a SNAP Employment and Training Program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Living Donor Protection Act of 2017 This bill prohibits discrimination based on an individual's status as a living organ donor in the offering, issuance, cancellation, coverage, price, or any other condition of a life insurance policy, disability insurance policy, or long-term care insurance policy. The bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to specifically include living organ donation as a serious health condition that entitles a covered employee to leave under that Act. The Department of Health and Human Services must update public service announcements, websites, and other media regarding live organ donation to educate the public on the benefits of live organ donation and on access to insurance for living organ donors.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Ghost Guns Are Guns Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to broaden the definition of "firearm" to include any combination of parts designed and intended to be used to convert a device into a firearm and from which a firearm may be readily assembled.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for admission into the United States of the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. The Commonwealth shall be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the other states. The Mayor of the District of Columbia shall issue a proclamation for the first elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth shall consist of all Washington, DC territory as of enactment of this bill, with specified exclusions for federal buildings and monuments. The Commonwealth may not impose taxes on federal property except as Congress permits. The bill applies current DC laws to the Commonwealth and continues pending judicial proceedings. The bill maintains: (1) DC as the seat of the federal government, and (2) the federal government's authority over military lands and specified other property. The bill provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution repealing the Twenty-Third Amendment to the Constitution (which provides for the appointment of electors for President and Vice President).
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Executive Order Transparency Act This bill requires the President to publish an executive order on the White House website at least 72 hours before signing such order.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Amends Rule X (Organization of Committees) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to establish a Permanent Select Committee on Aging.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2017
400 Years of African-American History Commission Act This bill establishes the 400 Years of African-American History Commission to develop and carry out activities throughout the United States to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in the English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619. The commission must: plan programs to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on the United States; encourage civic, patriotic, historical, educational, artistic, religious, and economic organizations to organize and participate in anniversary activities; assist states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration; and coordinate for the public scholarly research on the arrival of Africans in the United States and their contributions to this country. The commission may provide: (1) grants to communities and nonprofit organizations for the development of programs; (2) grants to research and scholarly organizations to research, publish, or distribute information relating to the arrival of Africans in the United States; and (3) technical assistance to states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the commemoration. The commission must prepare a strategic plan and submit a final report to Congress that contains a summary of its activities, an accounting of its received and expended funds, and its recommendations. The commission shall terminate on July 1, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2017
CPI-E Act of 2017 This bill bases cost-of -living increases in benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System, the Federal Employees Retirement System, military retirement and survivor benefit programs, the Social Security old-age, survivors, or disability insurance benefit program, and other specified veterans benefits programs on increases in the Consumer Price Index for the elderly.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2017
Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act or the BEST Practices Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD), by no later than: (1) October 1, 2020, to complete the development, testing, and validation of human-based training methods for training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment of combat trauma injuries, with the goal of replacing live animal-based training methods; and (2) October 1, 2022, to use only use human-based training methods for such purposes. No animals may be used in such training after the latter date. DOD shall submit an annual report to Congress regarding the development and implementation of the human-based training methods.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
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 increased operations and educational programming.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Protecting the Rights Of Towns against federal Eforcement contrary to Constitutional Tenets for Immigration Act of 2017 or the PROTECT Immigration Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that the authority to inquire about or verify immigration or citizenship status and to investigate, apprehend, arrest, or detain an individual for a violation of such Act is restricted to immigration officers and authorized employees of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and subject to limits set forth in other provisions of law. DHS authority to enter into written agreements with a state or state subdivision to perform immigration-related investigations, apprehensions, or detentions of aliens in the United States is eliminated. The bill exempts from the restriction under this bill DOJ authority to enter into other state and local agreements: (1) in the event of an actual or imminent mass influx of aliens representing urgent circumstances; and (2) with respect to immigration-related detentions in non-federal facilities, including personnel and facilities construction. The bill also exempts from such restriction state and local enforcement authority to arrest and detain certain previously-deported illegal aliens who have been convicted of a felony.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Save America's Science Act This bill requires each federal agency to: (1) maintain each data asset of the agency, including any asset collected for the agency under a contract, in accordance with its records management program; (2) establish safeguards against the removal or loss of such assets; and (3) make any requirements and penalties related to such removal or loss known to agency officials and employees. Each agency shall: (1) notify the Archivist of the United States and Congress of any actual or threatened unlawful removal, defacing, alteration, or other destruction of data assets in the agency's custody; and (2) initiate action through the Attorney General for the recovery of such assets. In any case in which an agency does not initiate recovery within a reasonable period after being notified of any such unlawful action, or is believed to be participating in any such unlawful action, the Archivist shall request the Attorney General to initiate recovery and notify Congress when such a request has been made. Each data asset that has been made available to the public by an agency shall remain available to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of State, with respect to covered countries, to annually include within either the relevant Annual Country Report on Human Rights Practices, the International Religious Freedom Report, or other appropriate report an assessment of the nature and extent of national laws or enforceable policies regarding the identification, return, or restitution of wrongfully seized or transferred Holocaust era assets and compliance with the goals of the Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets and Related Issues, including: the return to the rightful owner of wrongfully seized or transferred property, including religious or communal property, or the provision of comparable substitute property or the payment of equitable compensation to the rightful owner; the use of the Washington Conference Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art and the Terezin Declaration in settling claims involving publicly and privately held movable property; the restitution of heirless property to assist needy Holocaust survivors; and progress on the resolution of claims for U.S. citizen Holocaust survivors and family members. "Covered countries" means signatories to the Terezin Declaration that are determined by the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues to be countries of particular concern with respect to such restitution.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2017
Burial Rights for America's Veterans' Efforts Act of 2017 or the BRAVE Act of 2017 This bill increases the amounts payable through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for: (1) burial and funeral expenses of certain veterans, and (2) such expenses in connection with a veteran's death due to a service-connected disability. The VA shall increase such amounts each fiscal year by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2017
Reducing Barriers for Veterans Education Act of 2017 This bill makes an individual who is eligible for educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance program eligible for assistance with the fees for applying to institutions of higher education (IHEs). The amount of such assistance payable to an individual shall be the lesser of: (1) the total application fees charged to the individual by the IHEs, or (2) $750.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2017
Social Security Fairness Act of 2017 This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal the "government pension offset" and the "windfall elimination provision." Under current law, those provisions reduce OASDI benefits for individuals who receive a pension based on earnings in government employment that was not covered under the Social Security program.