United States · United States Congress · 21 December 2017
National Law Enforcement Museum 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 that are emblematic of the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, DC, and the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers throughout the history of the United States. All sales of such coins shall include specified surcharges, which shall be distributed to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Inc., for educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2017
Welfare of Our Friends Act of 2017 or the WOOF! Act This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from licensing a dealer of dogs whose previous licenses have been suspended or revoked in the last 10 years if the license is for operating a facility that the dealer previously used. Further, USDA may not issue or renew a license to: (1) the dog dealer's immediate family members, (2) a person who resides at the same address as the dog dealer, or (3) certain legal entities if such dealer holds an ownership interest in the entity.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2017
Save Net Neutrality Act of 2017 This bill prevents the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from using the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the matter of restoring Internet freedom adopted by the FCC on May 18, 2017, to satisfy the general notice requirement for ending the FCC's public-utility regulation of the Internet.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2017
Recognizes the 69th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the celebration of Human Rights Day. Supports the ideals of human rights and reaffirms the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Encourages all nations to continue working towards freedom, peace, and security which can be achieved only through democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2017
Fair Access to Insurance for Retired (FAIR) Heroes Act of 2017 This bill permits a veteran who is disability-retired for a condition or injury incurred during service in the U.S. Armed Forces to choose health care coverage through Medicare or TRICARE. (TRICARE is a Department of Defense managed health care program for uniformed service members, military retirees, and their dependents.)
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2017
Continuing Community Health and Medical Professional Programs to Improve Our Nation and Keep Insurance Delivery Stable Act of 2017 or the CHAMPION KIDS Act of 2017 This bill extends funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), community health centers, and other specified public health programs, and otherwise modifies provisions related to Medicaid, CHIP, and public health.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2017
Living Shorelines Act of 2017 This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide grants for climate resilient living shoreline projects and to encourage innovation in the use of natural materials to protect coastal communities.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2017
Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise the international education programs at the Department of Education.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2017
Directs the Committee on House Administration to issue regulations requiring Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives to complete a training program on workplace rights and responsibilities, including anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, during each congressional session. Requires Members, officers, or employees to certify completion of such training within 90 days after a congressional session begins or within 90 days after beginning service during a session. (Sets forth a special rule requiring such training to be completed within 180 days after the beginning of the second session of the 115th Congress.) Directs the committee to issue regulations requiring that each House employing office post in a prominent location in its office and in each Member's congressional district office a statement of rights and protections provided to House employees under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, including procedures for responding to and adjudicating allegations of violations of such rights and protections.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
Simple FAFSA Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and increase the availability of federal financial student assistance for low-income students.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
Member and Employee Training and Oversight On Congress Act or the ME TOO Congress Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise procedures for reporting, investigating, and resolving allegations of legislative branch employees that their rights and protections under the CAA, such as protections against sexual harassment and discrimination, have been violated.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
Supports: (1) the designation of National Apprenticeship Week; (2) the expansion of apprenticeships in in-demand industry sectors and occupations; (3) the development and expansion of effective preapprenticeship programs that lead to success in a registered apprenticeship program; and (4) a closer alignment between registered apprenticeship programs, the workforce development system, career and technical education, and postsecondary education. Calls for increased awareness about the value of the registered apprenticeship program model as an effective earn-and-learn model. Recognizes the importance of apprenticeships in developing a well-trained, highly skilled, and more diverse workforce. Commends organizations and employers that actively support apprenticeship programs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2017
This bill nullifies a rule finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on November 13, 2017, that modifies payment under Medicare for certain drugs purchased through the 340B discount program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report to Congress annually on the access of women veterans to gender-specific medical care (mammograms, maternity care, and gynecological care) provided by contracting non-VA medical providers. Each VA medical facility must report quarterly to the VA on the facility's compliance with the environment of care standards for women veterans, which are standards intended to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women veterans when they receive medical care. The VA must report to Congress with a plan to strengthen such standards.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Gun Safety: Not Sorry Act of 2017 This bill establishes a seven-day waiting period for certain firearm and ammunition transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals).
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017 This bill modifies various provisions of federal firearms laws. Among other things, it does the following: prohibits certain firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check; and requires states to implement plans to improve the submission of mental health and criminal history records to the national instant criminal background check system.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
Promoting Apprenticeships through Regional Training Networks for Employers' Required Skills Act of 2017 or the PARTNERS Act This bill establishes a grant program to promote registered apprenticeships and other work-based learning programs for small and medium-sized businesses within in-demand industry sectors, through the establishment and support of industry or sector partnerships.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes is beneficial to American taxpayers and should remain intact.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
USS Indianapolis Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the House of Representatives and the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design to the crew of the USS Indianapolis, in recognition of their perseverance, bravery, and service. Following the award of the gold medal, it shall be given to the Indiana War Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it will be displayed and made available for research. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Indiana War Memorial Museum should make the gold medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations and events associated with the USS Indianapolis.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
This bill provides that the Department of Veterans Affairs per diem payment calculation for an entity receiving homeless veterans shelter grants for a homeless veteran who has care of a minor dependent while receiving services from such entity shall be the sum of the daily cost of care for the veteran plus, for each minor dependent, an amount that equals 50% of the veteran's daily cost of care.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2017
Protect Access to Birth Control Act This bill nullifies interim final rules issued by the Department of Labor, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services that allow employers with religious or moral objections to be exempt from the requirement in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to cover contraceptive services without cost-sharing.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2017
Central Coast Heritage Protection Act This bill designates specified lands in the Bakersfield Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and in the Lost Padres National Forest in California as wilderness areas and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. It also designates certain land in Los Padres National Forest as the Machesna Mountain Potential Wilderness Area, which shall be incorporated into the Machesna Mountain Wilderness Area. Specified segments of the Indian, Mono, Matilija, Sespe, and Piru Creeks and Sisquoc River in California are designated as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Certain land in the Los Padres National Forest in California is designated as the Fox Mountain Potential Wilderness Area, which shall be incorporated into the San Rafael Wilderness. This bill designates specified land: (1) in Los Padres National Forest as the Condor Ridge Scenic Area; and (2) in Los Padres National Forest and in the BLM Bakersfield Field Office as the Black Mountain Scenic Area. The Department of Agriculture shall: (1) study connecting the northern and southern parts of the Los Padres National Forest using a trail corridor across parts of the Northern and Southern Santa Lucia Mountains of the Southern California Coastal Range; (2) designate the Condor National Recreation Trail, extending from Lake Piru to the Botchers Gap Campground in the Monterey County corridor in California; and (3) conduct a study to improve nonmotorized recreation trail opportunities (including mountain bicycling) on land not designated as wilderness within the Santa Barbara, Ojai, and Mt. Pinos ranger districts. The Forest Service shall study the feasibility of opening a new trail, for vehicles measuring 50 inches or less, connecting Forest Service Highway 95 to the existing off-highway vehicle trail system in the Ballinger Canyon off-highway vehicle area. Indian tribes shall be assured access to the wilderness areas, scenic areas, and potential wilderness areas designated by this bill for traditional cultural and religious purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
This bill prohibits the involuntary separation of a member of the Armed Forces, or denial of reenlistment or continuation in the Armed Forces, solely on the basis of the member's gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Keep Americans Safe Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly transfer, possess, import, or bring into the United States a large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). It permits the continued possession of a grandfathered LCAFD. Additionally, the bill does not prohibit, with respect to an LCAFD: manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; transfer or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification that clearly shows the device was manufactured after this bill's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2017 This bill prohibits a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle (except a vehicle operated exclusively on rail or rails) containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another. The bill prescribes civil penalties for knowing violations of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Title IX Protection Act This bill amends the Department of Education Organization Act to require recipients of federal financial assistance to comply with specified procedural requirements when responding to sexual harassment and sexual violence to prevent and effectively respond to sexual discrimination as required by title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
United States Postal Service Shipping Equity Act This bill authorizes the mailing of alcoholic beverages by a covered entity in accordance with the delivery requirements otherwise applicable to a privately carried shipment. "Covered entity" is defined as an entity (including a winery, brewery, or beverage distilled spirits plant, or other wholesale, distributer, or retailer of alcoholic beverages) that has registered with, obtained a permit from, or obtained approval of an application from the Department of the Treasury pursuant to the Federal Alcohol Administration Act or the Internal Revenue Code provisions regarding alcohol, tobacco, and certain other excise taxes. The bill directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to prescribe regulations: (1) requiring such mailing to be through a means that ensures direct delivery to a duly authorized agent at a postal facility or to the addressee, who must be at least 21 years of age and present a valid, government-issued photo identification at the time of delivery; (2) prohibiting such alcoholic beverages from being for resale or any other commercial purpose; and (3) requiring such covered entity to certify that the mailing is not in violation of applicable laws or regulations and to provide other information as directed by the USPS, including with respect to the prepayment of state alcohol beverage taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2017 This bill directs the President to establish a five-year strategy to accelerate progress toward ending preventable child and maternal deaths within a generation and ensure healthy and productive lives for women and children. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shall: (1) identify target countries with the greatest need and the highest burden of preventable child and maternal deaths, and (2) designate a current USAID employee serving in the Senior Executive Service or at the level of a Deputy Assistant Administrator or higher to serve concurrently as the Senior Coordinator for Child and Maternal Survival.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2017
Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a trigger crank, a bump-fire device, or any part, combination of parts, component, device, attachment, or accessory that is designed or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun. The bill does not prohibit, with respect to such firearm accessories, the importation or manufacture for, sale or transfer to, or possession by a federal, state, or local government. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2017
Police Creating Accountability by Making Effective Recording Available Act of 2017 or the Police CAMERA Act of 2017 This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to make grants to states, local governments, and Indian tribes to purchase or lease body-worn cameras and to implement body-worn camera programs. A state, local government, or Indian tribe that receives a grant must comply with certain requirements, including to establish policies and procedures for the use of body-worn cameras and to adopt recorded data collection and retention protocols. The BJA must establish and maintain a toolkit to provide training and technical assistance, including best practices for implementation, model policies and procedures, and research materials. The BJA must also study and report to Congress on the efficacy, impact, and effect of using body-worn cameras.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2017
Student Loan Fair Prepayment Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to set forth how a student loan borrower's prepayment amount on a Federal Family Education Loan, Federal Direct Loan, or Federal Perkins Loan must be applied.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2017
Eliminating the Hidden Student Loan Tax Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to repeal the authority of the Department of Education (ED) to charge an origination fee on future loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program. Specifically, the bill repeals ED's authority to charge an origination fee on a direct loan first disbursed, or, in the case of a direct consolidation loan, for which an application is received, on or after July 1, 2017. (Origination fees are the fees lenders charge for processing new loan applications.)
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Tijuana River Valley Comprehensive Protection and Rehabilitation Act of 2017 This bill directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out a comprehensive protection and rehabilitation program to enhance the physical infrastructure in both the United States and Mexico to prevent flooding and wastewater, sewage, trash, and sediment spills in the Tijuana River Valley, including carrying out coordinated restoration and protection activities that enhance the infrastructure. Grants and technical assistance must be provided under the program to state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education, in both countries. In addition, the Corps of Engineers must develop a feasibility and technical assistance plan for updated wastewater infrastructure and flood preparedness in the river valley. Using the systems of the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, the Department of State must establish the Transboundary Waterway Alert System, an updated and online system to protect U.S. citizens from undue and avoidable harm from wastewater, sewage, trash, and sediment spills and flooding for each major waterway along the U.S.-Mexico border. The State Department must notify Mexico, the cities of San Diego and Imperial Beach, and the county of San Diego upon the initial discovery of such spills.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment Opportunity Act or the Direct CARE Opportunity Act This bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants to recruit, retain, or provide advancement opportunities to direct care workers. The term "direct care worker" includes home health aides, psychiatric aides, nursing assistants, and personal care aids who assist seniors and persons with disabilities in their homes.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Middle School Technical Education Program Act or the Middle School STEP Act This bill directs the Department of Education to: create a pilot program for career and technical education exploration programs; and award grants to eligible partnerships (local educational agencies, area career and technical education schools, educational service agencies, and other organizations) to develop a middle school career and technical education exploration program that transition to career and technical education programs of study.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Child Care for Working Families Act This bill provides additional grant funding for child care and preschool programs. It also modifies various requirements for the programs, including policies regarding compensation and training for employees.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Recognizes: (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2017
Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act of 2017 This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to extend through FY2022 and make appropriations for enhanced funding for the community health centers program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2017
Recognizes school principals' and assistant principals' contributions to the success of elementary and secondary students, and encourages the observation of National Principals Month in a manner that promotes awareness of the importance of school leadership in ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2017
Fostering Success in Higher Education Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education to provide formula grants to states, Indian tribes, and territories for increasing the number of foster and homeless youth that apply and enroll in institutions of higher education (IHEs). States that receive grants must use at least 70% of the grant funds to award subgrants to IHEs to enable the IHEs to become institutions of excellence by improving college access, retention, and completion rates for foster and homeless youth.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2017
Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise provisions related to financial aid and higher education programs for children and youths who are homeless or in foster care.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2017
Survivor Outreach and Support Campus Act or the SOS Campus Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in a program under title IV (Student Assistance) to designate an independent advocate for campus sexual assault prevention and response with experience in providing sexual assault victim services. Each advocate must: ensure that sexual assault victims at the IHE are able to receive, at their election, specified information and services; guide sexual assault victims who request assistance through the reporting, counseling, administrative, medical and health, academic accommodations, or legal processes of the IHE or local law enforcement; attend, at the request of a sexual assault victim, any administrative or IHE-based adjudication proceeding related to the assault as an advocate for the victim; maintain the privacy and confidentiality of the victim and any witness to the sexual assault and not notify the IHE or any other person of the identity of the victim or of any such witness or the alleged circumstances surrounding the reported sexual assault except as otherwise required by state law or, with respect to the identity of the victim or witness, with the consent of the victim or witness; and conduct a public information campaign to inform the students enrolled at the IHE of the existence of, contact information for, and services provided by the advocate. In addition, the bill prohibits IHEs from retaliating against: (1) advocates for representing the interests of a student victims, or (2) student victims for reporting sexual assaults to advocates.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2017
Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to protect individual application information submitted to DHS after June 15, 2012, as part of a request for consideration or reconsideration for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program from disclosure to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for any purpose other than implementing such program. Such information may be shared with national security and law enforcement agencies: (1) to identify or prevent fraudulent claims, (2) for national security purposes relating to an individual application, or (3) for the investigation or prosecution of a felony not related to immigration status. DHS may not refer an individual whose case has been deferred pursuant to the DACA program to ICE, CBP, the Department of Justice, or any other law enforcement agency.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2017
America's College Promise Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to states and Indian tribes to waive tuition and fees at community colleges. To receive a grant, states and Indian tribes must agree to waive tuition and fees at all their community colleges and for all eligible students. An eligible student is a student who: (1) qualifies for resident tuition, (2) enrolls in the college and attends at least half-time, (3) maintains satisfactory academic progress, and (4) enrolls in an academic program with credits that are fully transferable to any public institution of higher education in the state or enrolls in a training program that leads to credentials in an in-demand industry. The bill appropriates $1.5 billion in FY2018, an increasing annual amount through FY2026, and $15.7 billion for FY2027 and each succeeding fiscal year for grants under this community college program. This bill also requires ED to award grants to four-year historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to waive or reduce tuition and fees for up to 60 credits for low-income students. HBCUs and MSIs that participate must: (1) enroll a student body that contains at least 35% low-income students; (2) maintain or adopt reforms and practices to improve completion rates and student outcomes; (3) set performance goals; and (4) execute an articulation agreement with community colleges, if accepting transfer students. It appropriates $61 million for FY2018, an increasing annual amount through FY2026, and $1.6 billion for FY2027 and each succeeding fiscal year for grants under this HBCU/MSI program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2017
Pre-Registration Of Voters Everywhere Act or the PROVE Act This bill requires each state to implement a process to allow an individual who has turned 16 years old to register to vote in federal elections that occur after the individual turns 18 years old.
United States · United States Congress · 18 August 2017
Censures and condemns President Trump for his inadequate response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12, 2017, for his failure to condemn the White supremacist groups responsible for actions of domestic terrorism, for asserting that "both sides" were to blame and excusing the violent behavior of participants in the Unite the Right rally, and for employing people with ties to White supremacist movements in the White House. Urges President Trump to fire all White House advisors who have urged him to cater to the White supremacist movement.
United States · United States Congress · 15 August 2017
Special Counsel Independence Protection Act This bill sets forth requirements and limitations with respect to the removal from office of a special counsel appointed by the Attorney General, or of another official appointed by the Attorney General who exercises a similar degree of independence from the Department of Justice (DOJ) chain of command. Specifically, a special counsel or other appointed individual may be removed only if: (1) the Attorney General files an action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and files a contemporaneous notice of the action with Congress; and (2) the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issues an order finding misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause, including violation of DOJ policies.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Providing Opportunities for Savings, Transactions, and Lending Act of 2017 or the POSTAL Act of 2017 This bill expands the specific powers of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to include the provision of basic financial services, including: (1) small-dollar loans; (2) checking accounts, interest-bearing savings accounts, and services relating to international money transfers, each of which may be provided by the USPS alone or in partnership with depository institutions and credit unions; (3) other basic financial services as appropriate in the public interest; and (4) the creation of a Postal Card that allows users to engage in such financial services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
American Hope Act of 2017 This bill amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to allow a state to extend higher-education benefits to state residents regardless of whether they are lawfully present in the United States. In addition, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to cancel the removal, and adjust the status, of certain residents who entered the United States as children prior to 2017. An individual whose status has been so adjusted shall be considered to have obtained conditional permanent-resident status, valid for a period of eight years and subject to termination on the basis of specified deportable conduct. In order for an individual's conditional status to become permanent, the individual must timely file with DHS a petition indicating, among other specified information, that the individual has maintained conditional permanent-resident status for at least three years. Any period of time in which the individual was granted deferred action pursuant to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy shall count toward this three-year period. Information furnished by an individual in such a petition may not be used by an officer or employee of the United States to initiate removal proceedings. The bill also: (1) allows DHS to establish a competitive grant program for the provision of nonprofit assistance to eligible applicants for conditional permanent-resident status; (2) establishes the Presidential Award for Business Leadership in Promoting American Citizenship; (3) allows the Department of Education to develop an open-source, electronic English-learning program; (4) specifies requirements related to federal higher-education assistance for individuals with conditional permanent-resident status; and (5) requires the Government Accountability Office to report on specified data related to the bill.