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723 records where Barbara Comstock is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
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 · 3 December 2018
This resolution commemorates the 100th anniversary of Polish independence and reaffirms the close bonds between Poland and the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2018
Supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2018
Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2018 This bill directs various U.S. government bodies to prepare reports on China's treatment of the Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim Turkic ethnic group. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence shall report to Congress on issues including the security threats caused by the Chinese government's reported crackdown on the Uyghur population in Xinjiang province. The Federal Bureau of Investigation shall report on topics such as its efforts to protect ethnic Uyghurs and Chinese nationals in the United States from Chinese government intimidation. The U.S. Agency for Global Media shall report on media-related matters, including the reach of U.S. media into Xinjiang and assessments of Chinese propaganda strategies. The Department of State shall report on the scope of the reported crackdown in Xinjiang, including the number of detained individuals, an assessment of government surveillance in the province, and U.S. diplomatic efforts to address the crackdown.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2018
Brian Tally VA Medical Care and Liability Improvement Act This bill subjects independent contractors of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) who provide medical care to veterans at VA facilities to the same federal tort laws for medical malpractice that apply to VA health care personnel. An insurance claim for malpractice benefits by a contractor-defendant shall be subrogated to the United States. The VA shall: (1) revoke the authorization to provide VA care of a contractor who has been the defendant in at least three cases during a five-year period that resulted in a judgment or settlement against the United States, and (2) bring an adverse action against certain VA health care personnel for similar reasons.
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 · 5 October 2018
Expresses support for the designation of World Space Week and Earth Science Week. Recognizes the importance of: (1) international cooperation in space missions and outreach and education in advancing our knowledge and discovery of new worlds; and (2) education and public outreach efforts to ensure that the public gains a better understanding of, and appreciation for, the impact of the earth sciences on their daily lives.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2018
Condemns the attacks against civilians by Burma's military and security forces. Considers the actions by the Burmese military against the Rohingya in northern Rakhine State in 2017 to be genocide. Calls on State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint to pardon Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo and other journalists and political prisoners.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2018
Expresses support for the designation of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2018
Expresses the sense of Congress honoring Senator John McCain's legacy as one of the greatest patriots and statesmen in U.S. history.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2018
Grants for Reliable, Efficient, and Accountable Transit Act This bill amends the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 to reauthorize capital and preventive maintenance projects for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The bill revises provisions relating to standards for WMATA arbitrators and enforcement of awards in labor disputes. The state of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia (Signatories) shall amend the WMATA Compact to limit the annual growth in the rate of spending by each signatory by not more than 3% to subsidize operational needs of WMATA. The bill sets forth whistle-blower protections for WMATA employees and criteria for pension benefits for current and prospective WMATA employees.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2018
Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act or the Pregnant Women in Custody Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to limit the use of restraints and restrictive housing for prisoners who are pregnant or in postpartum recovery. Additionally, it requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics to include, in the National Prison Statistics Program and Annual Survey of Jails, statistics on the health needs of incarcerated pregnant women. A Bureau of Prisons facility must provide appropriate services and programs to address the health and safety needs of women inmates related to pregnancy and childbirth. The Government Accountability Office must study the services and protections for pregnant incarcerated women in state and local correctional settings.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2018
Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of: one Congressional Gold Medal to Katherine Johnson, in recognition of her service to the United States as a mathematician; one Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Christine Darden, in recognition of her service to the United States as an aeronautical engineer; two Congressional Gold Medals in commemoration of the lives of Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, in recognition of their service to the United States during the Space Race; and one Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of all of the women who served as computers, mathematicians, and engineers at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from the 1930s to the 1970s.
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 · 10 September 2018
Family Savings Act of 2018 This bill modifies the requirements for employer-provided retirement plans and tax-favored savings accounts. With respect to employer-provided retirement plans, the bill modifies requirements regarding: multiple employer and pooled employer plans, nonelective contributions to 401(k) plans, loans, the portability of lifetime income investments, the treatment of custodial accounts upon termination of section 403(b) plans, retirement income accounts for church-controlled organizations, required minimum distributions, retirement plan contributions picked up by government employers for new or existing employees, elective deferrals by members of the Ready Reserve of a reserve component of the Armed Forces, and nondiscrimination rules. The bill modifies requirements for other tax-favored savings account to: treat taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments as compensation for the purpose of an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), repeal the maximum age for traditional IRA contributions, allow individuals to establish tax-favored universal savings accounts, expand the purposes for which qualified tuition programs (commonly known as 529 plans) may be used, and allow certain penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans if a child is born or adopted.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2018
Protecting Our Communities and Rights Act of 2018 This bill authorizes state grants to implement laws that permit courts to issue extreme risk protection orders. An extreme risk protection order is a state court order that prohibits an individual from purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm. Additionally, the bill expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm or ammunition. Specifically, it adds a new category of prohibited persons—persons who are subject to a court order that restrains them from possessing a firearm.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2018
Safe to Tell Act of 2018 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to make grants to states for establishing anonymous school threat reporting programs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 August 2018
Analyzing and Leveraging Existing Rx Transactions Act of 2018 or the ALERT Act of 2018 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration to establish an electronic system to provide pharmacists with a patient's prescription and dispensing history with respect to covered drugs (i.e., those identified as having a risk of misuse or abuse).
United States · United States Congress · 24 August 2018
Claude Moore Farm Land Conveyance Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to convey to the Friends of the Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run, Inc., approximately 69 acres of land identified as the Claude Moore Colonial Farm Land Assignment for use as an 18th century living history museum that shall be open to the public, if the Friends request such a conveyance.
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 · 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 · 26 July 2018
Sex Offender Registration and Victim Protection Act of 2018 This bill requires aliens who are registered sex offenders and are subject to removal to provide additional information for inclusion in the sex offender registry, including the alien's registration number, country of nationality, immigration status, and biometric information.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Closing the Law Enforcement Consent Loophole Act of 2018 This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it unlawful for a federal law enforcement officer to engage in a sexual act with an individual who is under arrest, in detention, or in custody. Consent is not a defense to prosecution for unlawful conduct. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 15 years, or both. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Department of Justice to make grants to states that have in effect similar laws. Grants must be used for the same purposes as formula grants under the STOP Violence Against Women Program and the Sexual Assault Services Program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the type of health insurance that is required for an individual to be eligible for a health savings account (HSA). The bill changes the required insurance from a high deductible health plan to a qualified health plan offered through an exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2018
National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Reauthorization Act This bill amends the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 to reauthorize for FY2018-FY2022 the Urban Search and Rescue Response System.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2018
AG and Legal Workforce Act This bill establishes a new H-2C nonimmigrant visa for aliens coming temporarily to the United States to perform agricultural labor or services. In addition, the bill (1) directs the Department of Homeland Security to create an electronic employment-eligibility confirmation system modeled after the E-Verify system, and (2) mandates the use of such a system by employers.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2018
Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a research program in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing that is focused on the development of tools to: (1) solve big data challenges associated with veterans' health care, and (2) support the Department of Veterans Affairs in identifying potential health risks and challenges. DOE shall carry out a pilot program to develop tools for big data analytics in order to advance artificial intelligence technologies to solve complex big data challenges.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2018
Ending the Monopoly of Power Over Workplace Harassment through Education and Reporting Act or the EMPOWER Act This bill makes it an unlawful practice (with exceptions regarding certain settlement or separation agreements) for an employer to: (1) enter into a contract with an employee or applicant, as a condition of employment, promotion, compensation, benefits, or change in employment status or contractual relationship, or as a term, condition, or privilege of employment, if that contract contains a nondisparagement or nondisclosure clause that covers workplace harassment; and (2) enforce, or attempt to enforce, a nondisparagement clause or nondisclosure clause. Notwithstanding signing any nondisparagement or nondisclosure clause, an employee or applicant retains any right that person would otherwise have had to report a concern about workplace harassment to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other specified agencies, and any right that person would otherwise have had to bring an action in a court of the United States. The bill: (1) sets forth enforcement powers of the EEOC and various entities, and the jurisdiction of U.S. courts, regarding workplace harassment; and (2) makes specified procedures and remedies applicable. The EEOC shall: (1) establish a confidential tip-line that supplements its existing process for submitting a charge of discrimination, and (2) provide for the development and dissemination of workplace training programs and information regarding workplace harassment, including sexual harassment. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to modify the tax treatment of amounts related to employment discrimination and workplace harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2018
Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act of 2018 or the SUCCESS Act This bill directs the Small Business Administration to (1) report to Congress on the benefits of increasing the number of patents obtained by small business concerns owned and controlled by women and by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and (2) provide legislative recommendations on how to promote entrepreneurial and patenting activities by these individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2018
Recognizes the value of the American Physical Society Bridge Program. Expresses support for increasing diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields and closing the representation gap. Encourages continued federal investments in higher-education programming.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2018
Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2018 This bill provides paid parental leave for federal employees. Specifically, it provides up to 12 workweeks of paid leave during the 12-month period following a child's birth or placement for adoption or foster care. Additionally, the Office of Personnel Management may increase the amount of paid parental leave to up to 16 workweeks based on a consideration of certain factors (e.g., enhanced recruitment and retention of employees).
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2018
Care Packages for Our Heroes Act of 2018 This bill directs the Postal Regulatory Commission to promulgate regulations to establish rates of postage for packages shipped by priority mail from the United States to a foreign Army Post Office, Fleet Post Office, or Diplomatic Post Office address whereby a person may not be charged for such packages traveling through a zone other than a first or second zone.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2018
National Quantum Initiative Act This bill directs the President to implement a National Quantum Initiative Program to, among other things, establish the goals and priorities for a 10-year plan to accelerate the development of quantum information science and technology applications. The bill defines "quantum information science" as the storage, transmission, manipulation, or measurement of information that is encoded in systems that can only be described by the laws of quantum physics. The National Science and Technology Council shall establish a Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science, including membership from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to guide program activities. The President must establish a National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee to advise the President and subcommittee on quantum information science and technology research and development. NIST shall carry out specified quantum science activities and convene a workshop to discuss the development of a quantum information science and technology industry. The National Science Foundation shall: carry out a basic research and education program on quantum information science and engineering, and award grants for the establishment of Multidisciplinary Centers for Quantum Research and Education. The Department of Energy (DOE) shall carry out a basic research program on quantum information science. The Office of Science of DOE shall establish and operate National Quantum Information Science Research Centers to conduct basic research to accelerate scientific breakthroughs in quantum information science and technology.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2018
National Institute of Standards and Technology Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through FY2019. NIST shall carry out specified quantum information science and technology activities and convene a workshop to discuss the development of quantum information science. NIST shall: enhance and expand its guidance and assistance to federal agencies in helping them to effectively use its Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; expand fundamental and applied research to address key questions related to the measurement of privacy, security, and vulnerability of software tools and communications networks; and implement the recommendations in the December 2017 Road Mapping Workshop Report on Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Composites in Sustainable Infrastructure. NIST shall continue to: support the development of artificial intelligence and data science; and conduct research on the expanded connectivity, interoperability, and security of interconnected systems and other aspects of the Internet of things. The bill grants NIST the authority to appoint scientific, engineering, and professional personnel regardless of the civil service laws to carry out research and development that requires the services of personnel who are specially qualified.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2018
Protect Kids and Parents Act This bill requires that a child of alien parents or legal guardians who are asylum applicants must be detained in the same facility. A "child" is defined as an individual who has not reached the age of 18, has no permanent immigration status, and was in the custody and presence of a parent or legal guardian when the parent or legal guardian was detained for illegally entering the United States. The bill also: directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to increase the total number of immigration judges and Board of Immigration staff attorneys; directs Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to increase the total number of DHS personnel who process asylum applications; requires DOJ and DHS to establish procedures for expedited consideration and processing of asylum applications; requires expedited removal of asylum applicants whose applications have been denied; establishes a strong presumption in favor of family unity; requires DHS to publish guidance for locating separated children; and requires the Government Accountability Office to study, and report on, the prosecution of asylum seekers between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2018
Family Reunification Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure that each unaccompanied alien child removed by a federal official or employee from the custody of a parent or legal guardian at or near a port of entry or within 100 miles of the border be reunited with the parent or legal guardian at the earliest possible date unless: a state court terminates the rights of a parent or legal guardian, determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed from the parent or legal guardian, or makes any similar determination that is authorized under state law; a state or county child welfare official determines that it is in the child's best interests to be removed from his or her parent or legal guardian because the child is in danger of abuse or neglect from the parent or legal guardian; or DHS requires continued separation because the child is a trafficking victim or is at significant risk of becoming a trafficking victim, there is a strong likelihood that the adult is not the child's parent or legal guardian, or the child is in danger of abuse or neglect from the parent or legal guardian.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2018
Protecting Job Opportunities for Borrowers Act or the Protecting JOBs Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit states from suspending, revoking, or denying driver's licenses, teaching licenses, or professional licenses based solely on individuals' default or delinquency on student loans.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2018
Pet Emergency Transparency and Accountability in Disasters Act or the PET AID Act This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to require a governmental entity that receives assistance under such Act to maintain for a specified period, and make available to the public, records on activities relating to the intake, care, and disposition of animals funded with such assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2018
Preserving America's Battlefields Act This bill reauthorizes though FY2028 the Battlefield Acquisition Grant Program and expands the purposes of the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2002. Specifically, the Act's purposes shall include: the preservation and protection of nationally significant battlefields of not only the Civil War but also the American Revolution and the War of 1812, and the enhancement of visitors' experiences at those battlefields.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2018
Congratulates the Washington Capitals for becoming the 2018 National Hockey League Stanley Cup champions.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2018
Calls upon the Chinese Communist Party to cease its persecution of Falun Gong. Supports the Tuidang Movement and its pursuit of a free and democratic government in China.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2018
This bill reauthorizes the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act through FY2023. The Act provides services and support for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence.
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2018
Bill Mulder and Ryan Larkin Posttraumatic Growth Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a two-year pilot program to study the effectiveness of nonprofit post-traumatic growth programs to determine: (1) the outcomes of such programs in contrast to traditional models of mental health care, (2) the possible integration of such nonprofit programs into VA mental health care programs, and (3) the budgetary impact of such integration. Veterans who are at risk of suicide and not participating in traditional mental health treatment are eligible for such program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
This bill extends the suspension of the annual fee on health-insurance providers until 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018
Recognizes the importance of the Chesapeake Bay and expresses support for the Clean the Bay Day.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2018
National Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Control and Accountability Act of 2018 This bill establishes the Office of Oversight and Coordination for Tick-Borne Diseases within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The office must oversee the creation of a national strategy to address Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and disorders. The national strategy must include program assessments, benchmarks for progress, and recommendations from the previously established Tick-Borne Disease Working Group. The bill also requires HHS to undertake specific actions that promote research, prevention, and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and disorders. Among other things, HHS must: support expansive research into the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of such diseases and disorders; establish a surveillance system to track the prevalence of such diseases and disorders in humans; establish a surveillance system to track the prevalence of disease-carrying ticks; conduct educational campaigns; and hold a series of research symposiums.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018
Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act This bill aligns federal privacy standards for substance use disorder patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, including authorized disclosures and penalty structures for violations.
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 · 11 May 2018
Combating Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals Act of 2018 or the COACH Act of 2018 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to: (1) publish guidance for hospitals on pain management and opioid-use disorder prevention strategies for Medicare beneficiaries, (2) convene a technical expert panel to recommend opioid and opioid-use disorder quality measures for possible use in hospital payment and reporting models under Medicare, and (3) publish and periodically update all guidance issued since January 1, 2016, related to the prescription of opioids for Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must: (1) convene a technical expert panel to recommend ways to reduce opioid use in surgical settings and best practices for pain management, specifically during the perioperative (pre-operative through post-operative) period; and (2) report on diagnosis-related group codes that have the highest volume of surgeries and the availability of associated data regarding post-operative opioid use, including prescription patterns and rates of consumption.