United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the July 16, 2015, attack upon members of the Armed Forces at the Navy Operational Support Center and Marine Corps Reserve Center and the Armed Forces Career Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, meets the criteria for the award of the Purple Heart, and (2) the Secretary of the Navy should award the Purple Heart to the members of the Marine Corps and Navy who were killed or wounded in the attack.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2015
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 · 23 July 2015
Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify loan counseling requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student aid programs. Currently, an IHE must provide entrance counseling to a student who is a first-time federal student loan borrower. This bill replaces required entrance counseling with required annual counseling. Also, it expands the required recipients of such annual counseling to include, in addition to student borrowers, Federal Pell Grant recipients and parent PLUS Loan borrowers. Each annual counseling recipient must receive comprehensive information on the terms, conditions, and responsibilities with respect to a grant or loan and general information on a typical student budget, the right to request an annual credit report, average income and employment data, and financial management resources. Additionally, the bill revises, expands, or establishes specific annual counseling information requirements for student borrowers, Pell Grant recipients, or parent PLUS Loan borrowers. The legislation revises and expands exit counseling information requirements to include an outstanding loan balance summary, the anticipated monthly payments under standard and income-based repayment plans, an explanation of the grace period preceding repayment, the option to pay accrued interest before it capitalizes, the right to request an annual credit report, and loan servicer contact information. It directs ED to maintain a consumer-tested online counseling tool that provides annual and exit counseling. The Institute of Education Sciences must study the impact and effectiveness of exit counseling, annual counseling, and the online counseling tool.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2015
Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act This bill amends title I (General Provisions) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify consumer information disclosure requirements related to college costs and student characteristics. Specifically, it eliminates the existing restriction that limits calculations of cost of attendance, net price, and tuition and fees to first time students only. Additionally, it eliminates provisions that require the Department of Education (ED) to make publicly available the following: (1) college affordability and transparency lists, (2) annual summaries of institutional reports, (3) state higher education spending charts; and (4) a multi-year tuition and fees calculator. The bill directs ED to develop, annually update, and make publicly available a College Dashboard website to replace the College Navigator website. It revises the consumer information ED must make publicly available regarding an institution that participates in title IV federal student aid programs. ED must also publish and link to the College Dashboard website additional information regarding student enrollment, completion rates, costs, use of financial aid, and faculty. The bill establishes certain minimum requirements for an institution's net price calculator, including website location and information provided. Sale or distribution of personally identifiable information collected by a net price calculator is prohibited.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2015
Flexible Pell Grant for 21st Century Students Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow an eligible student to receive more than one Federal Pell Grant award in a single award year. An eligible student is a student who: (1) has already received a Pell Grant during an award year and is enrolled in an eligible program for one or more additional payment periods (e.g., a summer term) during the same award year, (2) continues to meet Pell Grant program eligibility requirements, and (3) is accelerating progress toward a degree or certificate. An eligible student's total Pell Grant amount must not exceed 150% of the annual maximum Pell Grant for that award year. An institution must notify a student that any period of additional Pell Grant receipt counts toward that student's lifetime Pell Grant eligibility period (currently 12 full-time semesters). If an additional Pell Grant spans two award years, then an institution must determine the award year to which such Pell Grant applies. The Department of Education must provide to each Pell Grant recipient an annual status report that includes certain information related to such student's remaining lifetime Pell Grant eligibility period.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2015
Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 This joint resolution amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt any employee with coverage under a health care program administered by the Department of Defense, including the TRICARE program, or by the Department of Veterans Affairs from classification as an eligible employee of an applicable large employer for purposes of the employer mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide eligible employees with minimum essential health care coverage. The budgetary effects of this joint resolution are not entered on either PAYGO scorecard under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2015
Lionfish Elimination and Prevention Act of 2015 or the LEAP Act of 2015 This bill amends the Lacey Act to prohibit the importation or interstate shipment of the: red lionfish of the species Pterois volitans, devil lionfish of the species Pterois miles, Hawaiian turkeyfish of the species Pterois sphex, soldier lionfish of the species Pterois russelii, clearfin lionfish of the species Pterois radiata, lionfish species Pterois paucispinula, frillfin turkeyfish of the species Pterois mombasae, luna lionfish of the species Pterois lunalata, mandritsa of the species Pterois brevipectoralis, spotfin lionfish of the species Pterois antennata, and scorpionfish of the species Pterois andover.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2015
New American Success Act of 2015 This bill states that it is U.S. policy to promote the civic, linguistic, and economic integration of immigrants and their young children into the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall award Initial Entry, Adjustment, and Citizenship Assistance grants to units of local government, community-based organizations, or public or private nonprofit organizations that provide direct assistance to immigrants to the United States. Such grants shall be available for 10 fiscal years beginning with FY2018. Assistance shall be available to a non-citizen who is seeking: (1) permanent residency or naturalization, or (2) relief from removal in order to remain lawfully in the United States. DHS may make grants on a competitive basis to state or local governments to improve the economic, linguistic, and civic integration of immigrants and their children. Such grants shall be available for 10 fiscal years beginning with FY2018. The bill establishes in the Treasury the Integration Success Fund. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to revise the waiver of the English language naturalization requirement for senior individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2015
Veterans Health Care Freedom Act This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to make the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Choice Program permanent. Eligibility requirements under the Program are revised. The VA shall submit an annual report to Congress that includes the following: (1) any increase or decrease in the number of veterans seeking hospital care or medical services at each VA medical facility, and (2) facility budget recommendations based upon such increase or decrease.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2015
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. These Centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees, social work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may make grants to, and enter into contracts with, schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to support the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must: (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award incentive grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, social workers, physician assistants, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a nurse assistant to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2015
Securing Military Personnel Response Firearm Initiative Act or SEMPER FI Act This bill directs the Secretary concerned to authorize an eligible member of the Armed Forces assigned to an Armed Forces recruitment center to carry a service-issue sidearm as a personal- or force-protection measure while on duty at the recruiting center, notwithstanding any federal, state, or local law or Department of Defense policy to the contrary. In lieu of authorizing eligible members of the Armed Forces to carry a service-issue sidearm, or in addition, the Secretary concerned may implement additional security measures for Armed Forces recruitment centers, including improved structural security measures. This Act shall not be interpreted to grant any member of the Armed Forces the authority to conduct civilian law enforcement functions within U.S. territory.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2015 or the RAISE Family Caregivers Act This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop, maintain, and periodically update a National Family Caregiving Strategy. HHS shall convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise it on recognizing and supporting family caregivers. Federal departments and agencies must share with HHS any data they maintain that HHS needs to prepare the initial and updated Strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Thoroughbred Horseracing Integrity Act of 2015 Establishes the Thoroughbred Horseracing Anti-Doping Authority as an independent organization with responsibility for developing and administering an anti-doping program for Thoroughbred horses (covered horses), the trainers, owners, veterinarians, and employees of such persons and other personnel who are engaged in the care, training, or racing of such horses (covered persons), and horseraces that involve only Thoroughbreds and that are the subject of interstate off-track wagers (covered horseraces). Grants the Authority exclusive jurisdiction for anti-doping matters over all covered horses, persons, and horseraces, effective January 1, 2017. Imposes the jurisdiction and authority of the Authority as conditions upon the privilege to accept, receive, or transmit wagers on, and to participate in, covered horseraces. Vests the Authority with the same powers over Thoroughbred horseracing licensees as the state racing commissions have. Directs the Authority to develop and administer the Thoroughbred horseracing anti-doping program, which shall include: lists of permitted and prohibited substances and methods; a schedule of sanctions for violations; programs relating to anti-doping research and education; testing procedures, standards, and protocols for in-competition and out-of-competition testing; procedures for investigating, charging, and adjudicating violations and for the enforcement of sanctions for violations; and laboratory standards for accreditation and testing requirements, procedures, and protocols. Conditions eligibility to participate in covered horseraces on covered persons agreeing that they and their covered horses shall be bound by the provisions of the program. Directs the Authority to establish: (1) a list of anti-doping rule violations applicable to either horses or covered persons; (2) standards of accreditation for laboratories involved in the testing of samples taken from Thoroughbred horses, the process for achieving and maintaining accreditation, and the standards and protocols for testing of samples; (3) rules for anti-doping results management and the disciplinary process for anti-doping rule violations; and (4) uniform rules imposing sanctions against covered persons and/or covered horses for anti-doping rule violations. Requires funds for the establishment and administration of the anti-doping program to be paid by the Thoroughbred horseracing industry.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Expresses disapproval of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed to by the P5+1 and Iran on July 14, 2015. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to: (1) prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, and (2) encourage global stability and security by strongly supporting strategic regional allies.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2015
Restore Honor to Service Members Act Requires appropriate military record correction boards or discharge review boards to review the discharge characterization of any former members of the Armed Forces requesting a review who were discharged because of their sexual orientation. Permits such boards to change a characterization to honorable if such characterization is any characterization except honorable. Directs the Department of Defense to ensure that any such changes are carried out consistently and uniformly across the military departments using specified criteria, including that: (1) the original discharge was based on the policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell (as in effect before it was repealed pursuant to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010) or a similar earlier policy; and (2) the discharge characterization will be changed if, with respect to the original discharge, there were no aggravating circumstances, such as misconduct, that would have independently led to any discharge characterization except honorable. Prohibits "aggravating circumstances" from including: (1) an offense of sodomy committed by the member against a consenting person of the same sex; or (2) statements, consensual sexual conduct, or consensual acts relating to sexual orientation or identity, or the disclosure of such statements, conduct, or acts, that were prohibited at the time of discharge but that became permitted after such discharge. Directs the Secretary of each military department to ensure that oral historians of the department: (1) review discharges between World War II and September 2011 based on sexual orientation, and (2) receive oral testimony of individuals who personally experienced discrimination and discharge because of actual or perceived sexual orientation so that such testimony may serve as an official record of such discriminatory policies and their impact on American lives. Requires the reissuance of specified military personnel records and discharge forms in a manner that shall not reflect the sexual orientation of the member. Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice to remove from the offense of sodomy specified activity referred to as unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2015
National 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Act This bill designates the National September 11 Memorial located at the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, as a national memorial. The Department of the Interior may award a grant of not more than $25 million each fiscal year to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center Foundation, Inc., for the operation and maintenance of the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2015
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the prohibition against, and so permit, administrative or judicial review of any estimate used and any period selected for determining additional Medicare disproportionate share hospital payments to subsection (d) hospitals. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Merchant Marine of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal to the U.S. Merchant Marine of World War II, in recognition of their dedicated and vital service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Urges the U.S. government to work with European governments and European law enforcement agencies encouraging them to: partner with, share information, and train Jewish community groups to strengthen preparedness and response to anti-Semitic attacks; consider formal partnerships in the United States, United Kingdom, and France between government entities and Jewish community security groups as examples of such partnering; support assessments of the environments of hate crimes and anti-Semitism, including analysis of crimes and law enforcement and community response, and cooperation between European governments and intergovernmental and interorganizational entities; help Jewish communities develop safety standards; implement a standardized pan-European information-sharing and alerting system among governments, inter-governmental agencies, and Jewish communities; ensure that law enforcement personnel are trained to monitor, prevent, and respond to anti-Semitic violence, and that senior officials with commensurate authority and resources have been appointed to combat anti-Semitism; and work with law enforcement associations and other relevant professional entities to combat anti-Semitism. Supports the mandate of the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism as part of the broader policy priority of fostering international religious freedom. Urges the Department of State to continue U.S. reporting on anti-Semitism by the Department and the Special Envoy to Combat and Monitor Anti-Semitism.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
This bill amends title V (Developing Institutions) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand grant activities under the Hispanic-Serving Institutions program to include support programs and services that facilitate student advancement to allopathic or osteopathic medical schools.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training Enhancement Act This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to award grants to enable eligible community colleges and other public institutions of higher education to expand upon existing programs in maritime and energy workforce technical training, including by admitting more students, training faculty, expanding facilities, creating new maritime career pathways from associate degree to baccalaureate degree programs, and awarding credit for prior learning experience, or increasing cooperation with specified federal departments or the National Science Foundation. DOE shall give priority to institutions that have entered into a partnership with one of such departments. DOE may also award a grant to a nonprofit organization with a track record of at least 10 years of expertise in working with community colleges on developing workforce development programs, to provide assistance in carrying out this Act. Recipients shall use grant amounts for: training related to maritime or energy transportation, logistics, and supply chain management or to shipbuilding and ship repair; enhancement of academic and workforce training programs for maritime and energy employment; salary supplementation for faculty in maritime or energy training and education; operation and maintenance of maritime or energy related equipment and technology for use in instructional programs; acquisition of marine vessels and other assets and equipment for use in maritime or energy related training and education; renovation or construction of buildings to house maritime or energy training and education programs; and tuition reimbursement for successful completion of a maritime or energy course, program, or certification. The bill defines an "eligible institution" as a community college or other public postsecondary educational institution located in close proximity to marine or port facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, or Great Lakes that offers a maritime training and education program and that has an established association with a port authority and appropriate government agencies. DOE shall award a grant to to enable up to 10 eligible institutions to: (1) establish Centers of Excellence in Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training; and (2) improve and expand maritime and energy workforce training opportunities for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, federal employees, and civilians by implementing new programs in specified training areas, including port related transportation systems and job placement in maritime and energy related employment fields.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2015 This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit conduct, including bullying and harassment, that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to: (1) limit students' ability to participate in, or benefit from, school programs; or (2) create a hostile or abusive educational environment that adversely affects their education. LEAs shall also provide: (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their discipline policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics shall collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA discipline policies.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Sensenbrenner-Scott Over-Criminalization Task Force Safe, Accountable, Fair, Effective Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015 or the Sensenbrenner-Scott SAFE Justice Reinvestment Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to: (1) compile and publish federal law violations with criminal penalties, (2) reduce over-federalization of criminal conduct and over-incarceration due to pretrial detention, (3) create a online complaint process to challenge prosecutions and (4) create training and best practices for prosecutors and law enforcement officers that reduce the inaccuracy and unreliability of evidence in criminal cases. It prohibits sentencing courts from considering defendant's acquitted conduct and grants discretion to disregard manipulated conduct involving the Controlled Substances Act. It reauthorizes the Innocence Protection Act of 2001 for FY2016-FY2021. The bill expands pre-judgment probation, safety valve, and compassionate release eligibility. It creates problem-solving courts, establishes a presumption of probation for certain non-violent first-time offenders, and limits prior drug offenses that trigger enhanced mandatory minimum prison terms. It limits application of drug offense mandatory minimums to drug trafficking organization leaders, organizers, or employees. (Drug offenses include unlawful import, export, manufacture, or distribution of, or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.) It also reduces from life to 35 years the maximum mandatory minimum for certain drug offenses. The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 applies retroactively to permit resentencing of a convicted crack cocaine offender sentenced before August 3, 2010. DOJ must develop a post-sentencing risk and needs assessment system. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) must provide residential substance abuse treatment to all eligible offenders. The bill establishes a standardized graduated sanctioning system for supervised release or probation violations. It eliminates mandatory revocation for certain minor violations and creates a performance-incentive funding program for judicial districts. BOP may grant 54 days of good time credit regardless of satisfactory GED progress. Probation officers may award positive reinforcement (e.g. discharge credits) for compliance with terms of supervision. The bill adds one non-voting, public defender member to the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: allow taxpayers who are liable for not more than $50,000 per year in excise taxes on distilled spirits, wine, or beer to file and pay such taxes quarterly without the requirement of posting a bond covering the operations and withdrawals of such distilled spirits, wines, or beer; allow such taxpayers who reasonably expect to have a tax liability of not more than $1,000 per year and who were liable for not more than $1,000 in taxes in the preceding calendar year to file and pay such taxes annually rather than quarterly; exclude the aging period from the production period for beer, wine, or distilled spirits for purposes of determining whether a taxpayer can expense, rather than capitalize, interest costs paid or incurred during the production period; reduce excise tax rates on beer, wine, and distilled spirits produced in the United States; permit the transfer of beer between bonded facilities without payment of tax; modify the definition of "hard cider" for excise tax purposes; and exempt home distillery establishments that produce distilled spirits solely for personal or family use from excise tax and bonding requirements. Directs the Department of the Treasury to amend applicable Treasury regulations with respect to the use of wholesome products suitable for human consumption in the production of fermented beverages. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to establish funding levels in FY2016-FY2021 for the enforcement and compliance activities of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Caregivers Access and Responsible Expansion for All Veterans Act or the CARE for All Veterans Act Expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill (or aggravated such injury or illness) on active duty before September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001). Establishes three monthly caregiver stipend starting dates for pre-September 11, 2001, members of the Armed Forces or veterans based upon the amount and degree of personal care services provided. Includes among program eligibility criteria a veteran's need for regular or extensive instruction or supervision in completing two or more instrumental activities of daily living.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Cuban Military Transparency Act This bill prohibits a U.S. person from engaging in any financial transaction with or transfer of funds to: the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba or the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba (or any of their subdivisions); a senior member of such Ministries; any agency, instrumentality, or other entity that is more than 25% owned, or that is operated or controlled by, such a Ministry; or any individual or entity for the purpose of avoiding a prohibited financial transaction or transfer of funds that is for the benefit of that individual or entity. Such prohibitions shall not apply to: the sale to Cuba of agricultural commodities, medicines, and medical devices; a remittance to an immediate family member; assistance in furtherance of democracy-building efforts for Cuba; payments in furtherance of the lease agreement or other financial transactions necessary for maintenance and improvements of the military base at Guantanamo Bay; or customary and routine financial transactions necessary for the maintenance or regular duties of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, including outreach to the pro-democracy opposition. A person that violates or attempts to violate such prohibitions shall be subject to specified penalties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The Department of State rewards program under the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 shall include rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual responsible for or aiding in the February 1996 attack on the aircraft of U.S. persons in international waters by the Cuban military. The Attorney General shall seek to coordinate with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to pursue the location and arrest of U.S. fugitives in Cuba, including current and former members of the Cuban military.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Flood Insurance Fairness Act of 2015 Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to repeal provisions that prohibit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from estimating subsidized risk premium rates for flood insurance coverage on: (1) residential property which is not the primary residence of an individual, and (2) any business property. Qualifies those properties for such rates. Requires FEMA, when developing guidance and rate tables necessary to implement this Act, to consult with Write Your Own companies, which are participating property and casualty insurance companies that write and service standard flood insurance policies in cooperation with FEMA. Directs Write Your Own companies to implement the changes required by the final guidance and rate tables within six to eight months after their issuance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2015
Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships as corporations, to expand the definition of "qualifying income" for such partnerships to include income and gains from renewable and alternative fuels (in addition to fossil fuels), including energy derived from thermal resources, waste, renewable fuels and chemicals, energy efficient buildings, gasification, and carbon capture in secure geological storage.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2015
Humane Cosmetics Act This bill prohibits testing cosmetics on animals, effective on the date that is one year after enactment of this Act. No cosmetic may be sold or transported if the final product or any component was developed or manufactured using animal testing after such date, effective three years after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015
Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine Act or the FAST Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) expand access to certain stroke telehealth services to any originating site at which the eligible telehealth individual is located at the time the service is furnished, regardless of where the site is located; and (2) waive the facility fee for certain such originating sites.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015
Recognizes Immigrant Heritage Month in honor of the role of immigrants and their children in shaping U.S. history and culture. Declares that the House of Representatives pledges to celebrate immigrant contributions to, and immigrant heritage in, each congressional district. Encourages the people of the United States to commemorate the history of immigrants in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2015
Condemns the adoption of a resolution or policy by any institution of higher education or scholarly association that formally calls for or establishes the restriction of discourse, cooperation, exchange, or any other involvement with academic institutions or scholars on the basis of their connection to Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2015
Remote Transactions Parity Act of 2015 This bill authorizes both member states under the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement and states that have not adopted the Agreement (the multistate agreement for the administration and collection of sales and use taxes adopted on November 12, 2002) to require remote sellers (i.e., sellers who make remote sales in a state without a physical presence) to collect and remit sales and use taxes with respect to remote sales sourced to such states. States that have not adopted the Agreement must show that they have adopted and implemented minimum simplification requirements for the administration of sales and use taxes in order to collect such taxes. Such requirements include: (1) the designation of a single state entity responsible for all state and local sales and tax administration, return processing, and audits of remote sales; (2) a single audit of a remote seller for all taxing jurisdictions in the state; (3) direct contact with a certified software provider utilized by the remote seller in conducting an audit; (4) a single sales and use tax return for use by remote sellers that is filed with a single entity responsible for tax administration; (5) a uniform sales and use tax base; and (6) sourcing of all remote sales in compliance with criteria established by this Act. This bill expressly prohibits a state from requiring a remote seller to file sales and use tax returns any more frequently than is required for nonremote sellers. Additionally, remote sellers whose gross annual receipts are less than $5 million are exempt from audits unless there is a reasonable suspicion of intentional misrepresentation or fraud. For the first three years after the effective date of this Act, the requirement for remote sellers to collect and remit sales and use taxes is limited to remote sellers whose gross annual receipts exceed a certain level (i.e., $10 million in the first year, $5 million in the second year, and $1 million in the third year) and who utilize an electronic marketplace for making sales to the public. After the third year after the effective date of this Act, there is no exemption for remote sellers to collect and remit such taxes. The bill specifies limitations on the applicability of this Act, including by providing that nothing in this Act shall be construed as: (1) subjecting a remote seller to any type of tax other than sales and use taxes, or (2) enlarging or reducing the authority of a state to impose such taxes. The bill suspends the authority of a state to collect sales and use taxes in the first year after the effective date of this Act and between October 1 and December 31 of such first year. The bill also prohibits a state from exercising any authority under this Act unless it: (1) provides certification procedures for persons to be approved as certified software providers, (2) refrains from denying or revoking certification to a software provider without a reasonable basis, (3) has certified multiple national certified software providers and such certifications are in effect, and (4) provides compensation for certified software providers.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2015
Affirms that the policies of aggression and ethnic cleansing implemented by Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 meet the terms of genocide. Urges the Atrocities Prevention Board, a U.S. interagency committee established by the Administration in 2012, to study the lessons of Srebrenica and issue guidance on how to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future. Encourages the United States to reaffirm its policy of supporting the independence and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, peace and stability in southeastern Europe, and the right of all people living in the region to return to their homes and enjoy the benefits of democratic institutions, as well as to know the fate of missing relatives and friends. Recognizes the achievement of the International Commission for Missing Persons in accounting for those missing in conflicts or natural disasters around the world. Welcomes the arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia of all persons indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, particularly those of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Asserts that it is in the U.S. national interest that those individuals who are responsible for these crimes should continue to be held accountable for their actions. Honors the thousands of innocent people killed or executed at Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 1995, along with all individuals who were victimized during the conflict and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995, as well as the foreign nationals who risked and in some cases lost their lives during their defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015
National Collegiate Athletics Accountability Act or the NCAA Act This bill amends title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require program participation agreements to prohibit an institution with an intercollegiate athletic program from membership in a nonprofit athletic association unless the association: requires annual baseline concussion testing prior to a student athlete's participation in contact sports; requires certain due process procedures for students and institutions prior to enforcing a remedy for any infraction; requires athletically related student aid to be guaranteed for the duration of the student's attendance, up to four years, and irrevocable due to skill or injury; and permits member institutions to pay stipends to student athletes. The legislation also establishes the Presidential Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics to review, analyze, and report to the President and Congress on certain issues related to intercollegiate athletics, including the interaction of athletics and academics, the financing of intercollegiate athletics, the recruitment and retention of student athletes, oversight and governance practices, health and safety protections for student athletes, and due process and equal enforcement of student athlete rules and regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015
Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the Filipino Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. Requires that the medal, following its award, be given to the Smithsonian Institution where it will be available for research and for display at other appropriate locations associated with such veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, half-dollar clad, and proof silver coins in recognition and celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon. Treasury may issue coins minted under this Act for only a one-year period, beginning January 1, 2019. All sales of coins minted under this Act shall include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, $5 per half-dollar clad coin, and $50 per proof silver coin. All of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins shall be paid as follows: one-half to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum's "Destination Moon" exhibit; one-quarter to the Astronauts Memorial Foundation; and one-quarter to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, to aid its missions by providing college scholarships for the very best and brightest students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015
Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the fight against breast cancer. The Treasury shall: select the design for the coins based upon the winning design from a juried, compensated design competition following certain specifications; and issue the coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2018. All such coin sales must include the following surcharges: $35 per $5 gold coin, $10 per $1 dollar silver coin, and $5 per half-dollar coin. The Treasury shall pay received surcharges promptly to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation according to a specified distribution formula.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2015
Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2015 This bill creates the position of Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders to take over the responsibilities of the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Mental health programs are extended and training regarding mental health is expanded. SAMHSA must establish the National Mental Health Policy Laboratory and the Interagency Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the National Institute of Mental Health to translate evidence-based interventions and the best available science into systems of care. Certain mental health care professional volunteers are provided liability protection. Pediatric mental health subspecialists are eligible for National Health Service Corps programs. An underserved population of children or a site for training in child psychiatry can be designated as a health professional shortage area. The protected health information of an individual with a serious mental illness may be disclosed to a caregiver under certain conditions. This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to conditionally expand coverage of mental health services. Part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the SSAct is amended to require coverage of antidepressants and antipsychotics. If it will not increase Medicare spending, Medicare's 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services is eliminated. Health information technology activities and incentives are expanded to include certain mental health and substance abuse professionals and facilities. This bill restricts the lobbying and counseling activities of protection and advocacy systems for individuals with mental illness. These systems must focus on safeguarding the rights of individuals with mental illness to be free from abuse and neglect.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2015
Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2015 Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to extend through FY2020 the authorization for deposit and use of lease revenues under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. Makes such funds available to the Department of the Interior for FY2015 and afterwards to implement both the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. Directs the Bureau of Land Management to establish priority and variance areas on covered land for geothermal, solar, and wind energy projects. Requires Interior to establish a program to improve federal permit coordination with respect to renewable energy projects carried out on public land administered by Interior and not excluded from the development of geothermal, solar, or wind energy (covered land). Defines "variance area" as covered land that is neither an exclusion area (not suitable for development of renewable energy projects) nor a priority area. Establishes in the Treasury the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund, to be available in regions affected by the development of wind or solar energy on federal land for: (1) protecting and restoring important fish and wildlife habitat; and (2) ensuring and improving right-of-way access to federal land and water in the impacted region for fishing, hunting, and other forms of outdoor recreation. Requires the Department of Agriculture as well as Interior to determine the feasibility of carrying out a conservation banking program on federal land. Denies the rental fee exemption for rights-of-way under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to wind or solar generation projects with a capacity of 20 megawatts or more that are issued a lease, right-of-way, permit, or other authorization.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2015
Microloan Modernization Act of 2015 This bill amends the Small Business Act with respect to the rule under the Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan Program (assisting low-income individuals to start and operate a small business) that permits SBA-designated microloan intermediary lenders to expend up to 25% of the grant funds they receive from the SBA to provide information and technical assistance to small business concerns that are their prospective borrowers. The SBA must establish a process by which these microloan intermediaries may apply for, and the SBA may grant, a waiver of this 25/75 allocation. This rule shall require any waiver applicant to: specify how it will use the additional technical assistance, and make assurances that the intermediary will have sufficient funds to provide technical assistance to all of the intermediary's borrowers. The total amount of loans outstanding and committed to any particular intermediary (excluding outstanding grants) from the SBA business loan and investment fund is increased from $5 million to $6 million for the remaining years of the intermediary's participation in the program. The SBA may not impose limitations on the repayment term of a loan by an intermediary to a small business concern or entrepreneur. This repayment term, however, may not exceed: 6 years for a loan of $10,000 or less, or 10 years for a loan greater than $10,000. An eligible intermediary may include lines of credit among the short-term, fixed rate loans it makes to startup, newly established, and growing small business concerns from SBA funds made available to the intermediary for working capital and the acquisition of materials, supplies, furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The Government Accountability Office shall: compare the operations of a representative sample of eligible intermediaries that participate in the microloan program and of eligible intermediaries that do not, study the reasons why the latter do not participate, recommend how to encourage increased participation by intermediaries in the microloan program, and recommend how to decrease the associated costs for intermediary participation. The SBA Office of Advocacy shall report to Congress on the economic impact of a mandatory savings requirement on business concerns eligible to participate in the microloan program, including on the benefits and costs of such a requirement, and make implementing recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2015
Power Efficiency and Resiliency Act or the POWER Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a 30% energy tax credit for combined heat and power system property and increase the capacity limitations for such property, (2) extend until December 31, 2018, the placed-in-service deadline for such property, and (3) allow a 30% energy tax credit for waste heat to power property (property comprising a system generating electricity through the recovery of a qualified waste heat resource) placed in service before January 1, 2019. Includes within the definition of "qualified waste heat resource": (1) exhaust heat or flared gas from any industrial process; (2) waste gas or industrial tail gas that would otherwise be flared, incinerated, or vented; and (3) a pressure drop in any gas for an industrial or commercial process. Excludes from such definition any heat resource from a process the primary purpose of which is the generation of electricity utilizing a fossil fuel or nuclear energy.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2015
Supports individuals and organizations working to encourage cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians, including Professor Mohammed Dajani Daoudi, the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information, United Hatzalah, and Breaking the Impasse. Reiterates condemnation of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement in the Palestinian Authority (PA) as antithetical to peace. Urges President Abbas and PA officials to discontinue all official incitement and exert influence to discourage anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement in Palestinian civil society. Directs the Department of State to regularly monitor and publish information on all official PA incitement against Jews and Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2015
State Licensing Efficiency Act of 2015 Amends the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 to direct the Attorney General to provide appropriate state officials responsible for regulating financial service providers (in addition to state officials responsible for regulating state-licensed loan originators) with access to criminal history information to the extent that criminal history background checks are required under state law for the licensing of such parties.
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2015
Harriet Tubman Tribute Act of 2015 - This bill amends the Federal Reserve Act to require the Department of the Treasury to designate a denomination of federal reserve note and ensure that each such denomination printed after December 31, 2017, bears the likeness of Harriet Tubman.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2015
Accelerating Innovation in Medicine Act of 2015 or the AIM Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop an accelerating innovation in medicine (AIM) list of medical devices for which, because of their inclusion on the list, insurance benefits and payments are prohibited under Medicare (either directly or on a capitated basis), with the result that no Medicare claim may be submitted and an individual who consents to receive such a device is responsible for paying for it and for any related services. Directs the Secretary to post on a public HHS website or other publicly accessible media an updated list of the medical devices on the AIM list.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2015
Honors American veterans disabled for life. Expresses appreciation to the men and women left permanently wounded, ill, or injured as a result of service in the Armed Forces.
