The world's political record
Person
![Official portrait of Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000598_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
3,735 records where Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 regarding the supplemental food assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) to include as a retail store an agricultural producer marketing agricultural products directly to consumers. Requires participating retailers to pay 100% of the costs of acquiring, and arranging for the implementation of, electronic benefit transfer (EBT) point-of-sale equipment and supplies. Allows exemptions, including for farmers' markets, direct farmer-to-consumer marketing outlets, military commissaries, nonprofit food buying cooperatives, and group living arrangements. Ends manual vouchers, except as necessary. Establishes a pilot program to test mobile technologies for SNAP transactions. Permits using benefits to purchase a community-supported agriculture share. Provides for a five-state grant pilot program to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to schools and service institutions participating in food service programs under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Permits each school food authority with a low annual commodity entitlement value to elect to substitute locally and regionally grown and raised food for the authority's allotment of commodity assistance for the school lunch program, subject to specified conditions. Increases funding for community food projects and the seniors farmers' market nutrition program. Revises the hunger-free community provisions, including by prohibiting state or local sales taxes and providing specified mandatory funding through FY2018. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish a Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program to increase knowledge of agriculture and improve the nutritional health of children. Establishes a special initiative within the Research, Education, and Extension Office to coordinate Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant and animal breeding research. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide for guaranteed loans to eligible producers for the production of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products. Gives loan priority to projects that will increase access to locally or regionally grown food in underserved communities, create new market opportunities for local or regional agricultural producers, or support regional economic and community development. Amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971 to include assistance for the production of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products. Amends the the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to expand the scope of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. Amends the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 to reference locally and regionally produced agricultural products and give priority to projects that benefit underserved communities. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018. Amends the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to specify making grants for locally or regional produced agricutural products. Provides for grants through FY2018. Provides for a study on local food production and program evaluation. Requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to: (1) conduct activities or enter into contracts to carry out research and development for a whole farm risk management insurance plan, and (2) offer organic crop producers price elections for all organic crops that reflect actual retail and wholesale prices. Provides, with regard to the agricultural management assistance program, for: (1) nationwide program expansion, (2) organic certification cost assistance, and (3) funding through FY2018.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Equal Justice for Our Military Act of 2013 - Amends the federal judicial code to allow for review by writ of certiorari of certain cases denied relief or review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Declares that the time for application for such a writ shall be as prescribed by rules of the Supreme Court.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2013 - Deems certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts as active military service for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in determining eligibility under this Act, to take into account any relevant service documentation, including documentation other than the Missouri List (the list of all discharged and deceased veterans from the 20th century).
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Work-Study for Student Veterans Act - Reauthorizes through June 30, 2018 (under current law, the authorization expires as of June 30, 2013) certain qualifying work-study activities for individuals receiving educational assistance through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2013 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Benefits) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend the months of coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to make eligible for enrollment in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), solely for the purpose of such drug coverage, every individual whose insurance benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) have ended by reason of a kidney transplant or the end of any requirement for a regular course of dialysis. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine a monthly premium rate for such individuals equal to 35% of the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 and over. Prescribes a formula for detemination of a government contribution to such a premium.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities relating to scleroderma, with particular emphasis on: (1) research focused on the etiology of scleroderma and the development of new treatment options; (2) clinical research to evaluate new treatments options; and (3) basic research on the relationship between scleroderma and secondary conditions, such as pulmonary hypertension, gastroparesis, Raynaud's phenomenon, and Sjogren's Syndrome. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to carry out an educational campaign to increase public awareness of scleroderma. Permits print, video, and web-based materials distributed through this campaign to include: (1) basic information on scleroderma and its symptoms; and (2) information on the incidence and prevalence of scleroderma, diseases and conditions affiliated with scleroderma, or the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of scleroderma.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Security in Energy and Manufacturing Act of 2013 or the SEAM Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the qualifying advanced energy project credit by allocating in 2013 $5 billion of grants or tax credit amounts to manufacturers of goods and components (other than for assembly of components) in the United States that are used in alternative energy projects.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Recognizes the significance of Equal Pay Day to illustrate the disparity between wages paid to men and women.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Designates the U.S. courthouse located at 333 West Broadway in San Diego, California, as the "James M. Carter and Judith N. Keep United States Courthouse."
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth Promise Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention or intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Women Act or MARCH for Military Women Act - Repeals a statutory restriction on using a medical treatment facility or other facility of the Department of Defense (DOD) to perform an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for the establishment or operation of Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. Requires such Centers to: (1) improve the training of health professionals in palliative care for individuals with serious or life-threatening illnesses; (2) develop and disseminate related curricula; (3) support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in palliative care; (4) support continuing education of health professionals who provide palliative care; (5) provide students with clinical training in palliative care in long-term care facilities, home care, hospices, chronic and acute disease hospitals, and ambulatory care centers; and (6) establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees in palliative care. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and enter into contracts with schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to provide support for projects that fund the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to eligible individuals; (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, clinical social workers, 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 certified nurse assistant to develop and implement programs and initiatives to train individuals in providing palliative care in health-related educational, hospice, home, or long-term care settings.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1444 Main Street in Ramona, California, as the "Nelson 'Mac' MacWilliams Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Short Sale Transparency Act of 2013 - Directs the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to require the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), in any case in which one or the other denies the purchase of a residential mortgage loan made to finance the purchase, under a short sale, of a covered dwelling on the basis that the purchase price involved is insufficient, to disclose promptly to the prospective seller the amount by which the purchase price was less than the minimum purchase price sufficient for approval of the purchase of such mortgage.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
Healthy Families Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit. Allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner's parent or child); or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Grants the same authority, for employees under their jurisdiction, to the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General (GAO), the Board of Directors of the congressional Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this Act. Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to a suit brought by an employee of a federally-assisted state program or activity for relief authorized under this Act. Requires the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to annually compile information on paid sick time and the Comptroller General to study related matters. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
National Fab Lab Network Act of 2013 - Grants a federal charter to the Fab Foundation for the National Fab Lab Network.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Medicare Audit Improvement Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a process which subjects to a single, combined maximum annual limit, applied incrementally, the number of additional documentation requests made to a hospital by Medicare administrative contractors, recovery audit contractors, or Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) program contractors pursuant to prepayment and postpayment audits requiring a hospital to submit a medical record for audit purposes. Directs the Secretary also to establish a distinct additional documentation request limit, computed according to a specified formula, for each hospital claim type for each hospital for a 45-day period in a year. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the Medicare Integrity Program and use of recovery audit contractors. Requires the Secretary to ensure that recovery audit contracts include certain mandatory terms and conditions pertaining to: (1) penalties for certain compliance failures, (2) penalties for overturned appeals, (3) postpayment and prepayment audits, and (4) guidelines for prepayment review. Directs the Secretary to publish on the Internet website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services information on recovery audit contractor performance regarding: (1) audit rates, denials, and appeals outcomes; and (2) independent performance evaluations. Deems to be an original claim for Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) payment a resubmitted hospital claim for Medicare part A payment for inpatient hospital services which a recovery audit contractor determines: (1) were not medically necessary and reasonable based on the site of service, but (2) would be medically necessary and reasonable in an outpatient setting of the hospital. Requires payment to be made for such a resubmitted claim for all furnished items and services for which payment may be made under Medicare part B. Deems to be a reopened claim, for purposes of a hospital's ability to resubmit a claim for Medicare payment in timely fashion, any claim that is the subject of an audit by a recovery audit contractor or a Medicare administrative contractor. Requires contracts for a recovery audit contractor to require that a physician review each denial of a claim for medical necessity made by an employee of the contractor who is not a physician. Subjects to administrative and judicial review the Secretary's compliance with guidelines for reopening and revising benefit determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include physical therapy within the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps. Makes physical therapists eligible for repayment of their educational loans in order to ensure an adequate supply of physical therapists.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Recognizes Sergeant Rafael Peralta, a Mexican-American who joined the Marine Corps on the same day he received his permanent residence status, for his dedication to the Marine Corps and the United States and for upholding the highest standards of military service. Recognizes that his courageous and selfless actions in combat saved the lives of his fellow Marines. Concurs with the Marine Corps and the Navy that his actions are in the spirit and tradition of the Medal of Honor. Maintains that eyewitness accounts confirm that Sergeant Peralta deliberately pulled a live grenade into his body in order to save his fellow Marines, and such accounts should be the leading and deciding factor in evaluating his Medal of Honor nomination. Recommends that Sergeant Peralta be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2013
Expresses support for the designation of National Stroke Awareness Month. Encourages: (1) support for the efforts, programs, services, and advocacy of organizations that work to enhance public awareness of stroke; and (2) continued coordination and cooperation between government, researchers, families, and the public to improve treatments and prognoses for individuals who suffer strokes.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2013
Fairness for Military Homeowners Act of 2013 - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to prohibit the absence of a servicemember from his or her principal place of residence due to active-duty military service from preventing such servicemember from refinancing a mortgage on such residence. Makes such prohibition inapplicable to a servicemember who entered into a refinancing on such residence within the past five years.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2013
Directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to arrange for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal in honor of the members of the 17 Bombardment Group (Medium), who became known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, in recognition of their military service during World War II. Requires the medal to be given to the National Museum of the United States Air Force for display. Expresses the sense of Congress that such Museum should make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations and events associated with the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2013 - 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. Requires LEAs to 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; (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level; and (4) discipline policies that minimize the removal of students from instruction and prevent disproportionate punishment. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Education to conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools; and (2) the Commissioner for Education Statistics to collect state data, that are subject to independent review, to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA discipline policies.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013
Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydrofracking Environmental Regulation Act of 2013 or the FRESHER Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to repeal provisions prohibiting the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from requiring or directing a state to require a permit under the national pollutant discharge elimination system for discharges of stormwater runoff from mining, oil, and gas operations or transmission facilities composed entirely of flows from conveyances used for collecting and conveying precipitation runoff that are not contaminated by contact with any overburden, raw material, intermediate products, finished product, byproduct, or waste products located on the site of such operations. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to study and report on stormwater impacts with respect to any area that may be contaminated by stormwater runoff associated with oil or gas operations, including an analysis of: (1) measurable contamination in such area, (2) ground water resources in such area, and (3) the susceptibility of aquifers in such area to contamination from stormwater runoff associated with such operations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013
Bringing Reductions to Energy's Airborne Toxic Health Effects Act or the BREATHE Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to repeal prohibitions against: (1) aggregating emissions from any oil or gas exploration or production well and emissions from any pipeline compressor or pump station with emissions from other similar units, whether or not such units are in a contiguous area or under common control, to determine whether such units or stations are major sources of listed toxic air pollutants under such Act; (2) aggregating such emissions for any purpose under such Act, in the case of any oil or gas exploration or production well; and (3) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listing an oil and gas production well as an area source category of toxic air pollutants under such Act. Requires the Administrator to: (1) issue a final rule adding hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous air pollutants; and (2) revise such list within 365 days after issuing such rule to include categories and subcategories of major sources and area sources of hydrogen sulfide, including oil and gas wells.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013
Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require an applicant for approval of a new animal drug that is a medically important antimicrobial to demonstrate that there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the nontherapeutic use of the drug. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to refuse approval if the applicant fails to make such a demonstration. Defines “medically important antimicrobial” as a drug intended for use in food-producing animals and composed wholly or partly of: (1) any kind of specified antibiotics, including penicillin and tetracycline; or (2) a drug from an antimicrobial class that is listed on the World Health Organization’s list of critically important antimicrobials. Requires the Secretary to withdraw approval for the nontherapeutic use in food-producing animals of a medically important antimicrobial marketed for human use unless the Secretary makes a final written determination that, based on either the application holder's demonstration or an HHS risk analysis, there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the drug's nontherapeutic use. Requires the Secretary to rescind approval of an exemption for investigational use of, or of approval of a new drug application for, a medically important antimicrobial for its nontherapeutic use in a food-producing animal two years after the exemption is granted or the application for approval is submitted. Exempts from this requirement any drugs for which there has been found a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health. Prohibits the administration of a medically important antimicrobial (including by means of animal feed) to a food-producing animal for nonroutine disease control unless there is a significant risk that a disease or infection present on the premises will be transmitted to the food-producing animal. Requires the administration of the antimicrobial to be: (1) necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission; (2) for the shortest duration possible to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission; and (3) at a scale no greater than the barn, house, or pen level and to the fewest animals possible to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal in commemoration of the contributions of Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, two former Navy SEAL members who sacrificed their lives on September 11, 2012, while serving as part of a U.S. diplomatic security detachment in Libya.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2013
Supports the goals and ideals of Professional Social Work Month and World Social Work Day.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2013
Iron Dome Support Act - Authorizes the President to provide assistance to the government of Israel for the procurement, maintenance, enhancement, and sustainment of the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system for purposes of intercepting short- and medium-range rockets, missiles, and projectiles launched against Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2013
Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants to eligible institutions of higher education to improve mental and behavioral health services and outreach on college and university campuses. Directs the Secretary to give special consideration to programs that: (1) demonstrate the greatest need, (2) propose effective approaches for initiating or expanding campus services, (3) target underserved and at-risk populations, (4) coordinate with a community mental health center or other community mental health resources, (5) identify how the college or university will address psychiatric emergencies, and (6) demonstrate the greatest potential for replication and dissemination. Allows the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grantees. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to convene an interagency, public-private sector working group to plan, establish, and begin coordinating and evaluating a targeted public education campaign that is designed to focus on mental and behavioral health on college campuses. Requires the Secretary to establish the College Campus Task Force to discuss mental and behavioral health concerns on college and university campuses.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2013
Elementary Educator STEM Content Coach Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to states and, through them, subgrants to partnerships between local educational agencies and public or nonprofit organizations to carry out professional development training programs for elementary school teachers that have at least three years of classroom teaching experience and exhibit content knowledge in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Refers to those teachers as STEM Coaches. Requires grant applicants to have adopted college- and career-ready standards in the STEM disciplines. Requires public or nonprofit subgrantees to have expertise in developing or implementing before school, after school, summer learning, or expanded learning time activities for students. Requires the professional development training programs to: (1) give STEM Coaches a deep understanding of the principles and concepts of the STEM disciplines; (2) create enthusiasm for the STEM disciplines; (3) provide opportunities for collaboration and teacher mentoring among STEM Coaches and between STEM Coaches and other teachers; and (4) allow STEM Coaches to connect student learning in the STEM disciplines to real-life applications, to out of school programs, and across the curriculum. Directs the Secretary to plan a national evaluation of the professional development training program for STEM Coaches.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2013
Stepping Up to STEM Act of 2013 - Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to establish the Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education within the Department of Education to administer STEM education. Directs the Office of STEM Education to conduct an independent evaluation of the Department's STEM Education programs at least once every five years. Establishes an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Education (ARPA-ED) within the Department to pursue breakthrough research and development in educational technology and to facilitate the effective use of that technology to improve student achievement. Directs the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to state-based STEM networks or similar organizations of STEM stakeholders to increase students' achievement in the STEM disciplines in elementary and secondary schools and in out of school and afterschool programs. Includes among grant uses: testing, sharing, and scaling up STEM education research, promising practices, and exemplary programs; identifying state STEM education weaknesses and prioritizing strategies to address them; implementing rigorous career and college ready standards in STEM education; developing and implementing innovative STEM assessments that measure student progress toward those career and college ready standards; promoting and developing pre- and in-service STEM teacher training; developing STEM career pathways and workforce education and training programs that reflect 21st century workforce needs; facilitating the implementation of expanded STEM learning opportunities on school sites; and promoting, supporting, and designing programs that develop STEM content coaches and master educators in order to strengthen core competencies of the classroom practitioner. Requires grantees to conduct periodic independent evaluations of their effectiveness in accomplishing those activities. Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) endorsing or approving any STEM curriculum designed for use in an elementary school, secondary school, or institution of higher education; or (2) requiring a state, local educational agency, or school to adopt a specific STEM program or instructional materials.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2013
Safeguard American Food Exports Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale or transport of equines (horses and other members of the equidae family) or their parts (including flesh, meat, and viscera), or the importing or exporting of equines or their parts into or out of the United States, by any person who knows or should have known that such equines are to be slaughtered for human consumption as food.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2013
No Knives Act of 2013 - Requires the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration [TSA]) to prohibit passengers from carrying aboard a domestic or foreign air carrier passenger aircraft any item that was prohibited from being carried aboard such aircraft on March 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2013
National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission to evaluate and make recommendations regarding better coordination and leveraging of federal programs that relate in any way to supporting appropriate clinical care for people with pre-diabetes and diabetes. Sets forth the duties of the Commission, which shall include: (1) evaluating HHS programs, (2) identifying current activities and critical gaps in federal efforts to support clinicians in providing care to people with pre-diabetes and diabetes, (3) recommending how an outcomes-based registry may be developed and then used to evaluate various care models and methods, (4) evaluating and expanding education and awareness to health care professionals regarding clinical practices for the prevention of diabetes and the precursor conditions of diabetes, and (5) reviewing and recommending appropriate methods for outreach and dissemination of educational resources related to diabetes prevention and treatments. Requires the Commission to submit an operating plan to the Secretary and Congress within 90 days of its first meeting.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2013
Condemns Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. Calls on Iran to release all prisoners held solely on account of their religion. Calls on the President and Secretary of State, in cooperation with responsible nations, to condemn Iran's continued violation of human rights and demand the release of prisoners held solely on account of their religion. Urges the President and Secretary to impose sanctions on Iranian government officials and other individuals directly responsible for serious human rights abuses, including abuses against the Baha'i community of Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2013
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $8.20 an hour on the first day of the third month after the enactment of this Act; (2) $9.15 an hour after one year; (3) $10.10 an hour after two years; and (4) the amount determined by the Secretary of Labor (based on increases in the Consumer Price Index) after three years, and annually thereafter. Increases the federal minimum wage for tipped employees to $3.00 an hour for one year on the first day of the third month after the enactment of this Act. Provides a formula for subsequent annual adjustments of the wage increase to ensure that it remains equal to 70% of the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees. Directs the Secretary of Labor, 60 days before any increase in the minimum wage, to publish it in the Federal Register and on the Department of Labor's website.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2013
Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD), in order to continue and expand the DOD report submitted in 2011, to establish the Task Force on Urotrauma to: (1) conduct a study on urotrauma (injury to the urinary tract from a penetrating, blunt, blast, thermal, chemical, or biological cause) among members of the Armed Forces and veterans; and (2) provide an interim and final report to the congressional defense and veterans committees on such study.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2013
Low Value Shipment Regulatory Modernization Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) should encourage other countries, through bilateral, regional, and multilateral fora, to establish commercially meaningful de minimis values for express and postal shipments of articles that are exempt from customs duties and certain entry documentation requirements, as appropriate. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to increase from $200 to $800 for 2014, and to $800 adjusted annually for inflation after 2014, the aggregate retail value in the country of shipment of articles that may be imported duty-free into the United States by one person on one day.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2013
Huntington's Disease Parity Act of 2013 - Directs the Commissioner of Social Security, for purposes of determining cognitive, behavioral, and physical disability under titles II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act (SSA), to amend specified Listings of Impairments by providing medical and evaluation criteria for Huntington's Disease. Amends SSA title II to waive the 24-month waiting period for coverage under the Medicare program for individuals diagnosed with Huntington's Disease.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2013
Community Post Office Relocation Act - Authorizes the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to sell, at fair market value, to certain tax-exempt private organizations fee simple title to USPS-owned post office buildings containing an office subject to relocation. Requires such tax-exempt private organizations, in order to be considered an eligible buyer, to have operated primarily within the geographic area served by the relevant post office building for at least five years prior to a USPS announcement that the building will be available for sale. Sets forth a procedure for the USPS to enter negotiations with eligible buyers in the order in which buyers submit their offers. Directs the USPS to sell such a building to the first organization submitting an offer for fair market value if all other relevant conditions are met within specified time periods. Permits the USPS, after the sale of a building under this Act, to lease the building from the buyer at fair market value for purposes of operating a post office. Requires the USPS, if a buyer under this Act makes the building available for sale, to maintain a right of first refusal to purchase the building back from the buyer at the lesser of fair market value or the purchase price plus any improvements.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2013
Stopping Abuse and Fraud in Electronic Lending Act of 2013 or SAFE Lending Act of 2013 - Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to authorize the issuance of remotely created checks only if the consumer has designated in writing a person to issue them. Defines a "remotely created check" as one that: (1) is not created by the financial institution that holds the customer account from which the check is to be paid; and (2) does not bear a signature applied, or purported to be applied, by the person from whose account the check is to be paid. Treats as a preauthorized electronic fund transfer (EFT) subject to the protections of such Act any voluntary repayment by a consumer of an extension of a small-dollar ($5,000 or less) consumer credit transaction by means of an EFT. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require any small-dollar consumer credit transaction made over the Internet, telephone, FAX, mail, electronic mail, or other electronic communication, as well as any conducted by a national bank, to comply with the laws of the state in which the consumer resides with respect to annual percentage rates, interest, fees, charges, and such other matters as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may determine. Prohibits a person from facilitating, brokering, arranging, gathering applications for, distributing sensitive personal financial information, or extending credit in connection with a small-dollar consumer credit transaction unless that person is directly providing the small-dollar consumer credit to the consumer. Empowers the CFPB to investigate violations of this Act. Sets forth investigative and cease-and-desist enforcement procedures, particularly with respect to both covered onshore persons (state governments or Indian tribes) or offshore persons (which conduct business directed to U.S. residents but from a location outside, and without a domain name registered or assigned by an authority within, any U.S. judicial district). Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the availability of capital on Indian reservations and the impact that small-dollar consumer credit extended through Internet and non-Internet means to members of Indian tribes has had upon economic opportunity and wealth for tribal members.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the federal government and state governments should make the transition of a member of the Armed Forces and the member's spouse from military to civilian life as seamless as possible by creating opportunities for them to earn civilian occupational credentials and licenses, with an emphasis on well-paying industries and occupations that have a high demand for skilled workers; (2) the federal government should assist state governments in translating military training and experience into credit towards professional licensure; and (3) state governments should streamline approaches for assessing the equivalency of military training and experience and accelerate occupational licensing processes for members, veterans, and their spouses.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2013
Medicare Diabetes Prevention Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of diabetes prevention program services to an eligible diabetes prevention program individual. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the criteria for a diabetes prevention program in accordance with the standards under the National Diabetes Prevention Program established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Excludes items and services under a diabetes prevention program from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system. Includes: (1) items and services under a diabetes prevention programs among federally qualified health center services, (2) rates of referrals of eligible individuals to diabetes prevention programs among the quality measures for covered professional services in the Medicare physician quality reporting system, and (3) an individual's diabetes risk assessment in the individual's Medicare personalized prevention plan. Expresses the sense of the House that the National Diabetes Prevention Program presents an opportunity for states to reduce the incidence of diabetes among individuals enrolled in their Medicaid programs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2013
United States Postal Service Stabilization Act of 2013 - Amends provisions concerning the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), with respect to employees of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), to: (1) provide a new formula for calculating employee pension contributions using the normal-cost percentage method multiplied by the aggregate amount of basic pay payable to employees of USPS and the Postal Regulatory Commission, and (2) provide for the use of excess FERS contributions to pay USPS debt obligations and make pension contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2013
Workforce Infrastructure for Skilled Employees Investment Act or WISE Investment Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to award competitive grants to local boards, community colleges, postsecondary vocational institutions, community-based organizations, and apprenticeship programs and joint labor-management training programs, to promote local economic growth and eliminate gaps between the workforce skills available and the workforce skills needed with respect to small businesses in local areas or regions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2013
Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvements Act of 2013 - Includes fertility counseling and treatment within authorized Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical services. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish such counseling and treatment, including the use of assisted reproductive technology, to a spouse or surrogate of a severely wounded, ill, or injured veteran who has an infertility condition incurred or aggravated in the line of duty and who is enrolled in the VA health care system, as long as the spouse and veteran apply jointly for such counseling and treatment. Authorizes the Secretary to pay to any such veteran an amount to assist in the adoption of one or more children. Directs the Secretary to: (1) report annually to the congressional veterans committees on the counseling and treatment provided under this Act; (2) prescribe regulations on the furnishing of such counseling, treatment, and adoption assistance; and (3) coordinate the furnishing of such counseling and treatment with that provided by the Department of Defense (DOD). Directs the Secretary to facilitate research conducted collaboratively by the Secretaries of Defense and Health and Human Services (HHS) in order to improve VA's ability to meet the long-term reproductive health care needs of veterans who have a service-connected genitourinary disability or a condition that was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, such as a spinal cord injury, that affects the veterans' ability to reproduce. Requires the Secretary to enhance the capabilities of the VA women veterans contact center: (1) to respond to requests for assistance with accessing VA health care and benefits, and (2) for referral to community resources to obtain assistance with services not furnished by the VA. Amends the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 relating to a pilot program of group retreat reintegration and readjustment counseling for women veterans recently separated from service to: (1) increase from at least 3 to at least 14 the number of locations for such counseling, and (2) extend the pilot program for an additional 2 years. Directs the Secretary to carry out a pilot program of providing child care assistance to veterans receiving or in need of VA readjustment counseling and related mental health services. Directs the Secretary to impose, as a contract condition, a contractor user fee with respect to each contract entered into by the VA for a good or service. Provides for the determination of fee amounts. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such fee if the contractor is an individual or a small business. Establishes in the Treasury the Department of Veterans Affairs Fertility Counseling and Treatment Fund. Provides for the deposit into such Fund of all contractor user fee amounts.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the federal government should ensure that citizens continue to be provided with paper-based information, products, services, and public notices while providing citizens the ability to opt-in to electronic delivery; and (2) decisions by federal agencies regarding the elimination of paper-based information, products, or services should be subject to congressional oversight.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2013
United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013 - Declares that Israel is a major strategic partner of the United States. Amends the Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 to extend authority to: (1) make additions to foreign-based defense stockpiles, and (2) transfer certain obsolete or surplus Department of Defense (DOD) items to Israel. Authorizes the President to carry out U.S.-Israel cooperative activities and to provide assistance for cooperation in the fields of energy, water, homeland security, agriculture, and alternative fuel technologies. Amends the the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to extend the grant program for U.S.-Israeli cooperation on research, development, and commercialization of renewable energy or energy efficiency. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States and Israel should increase cyber-security cooperation. Urges the President to provide assistance for enhancement of the David's Sling Weapon System, the joint United States-Israel Arrow Weapon System, and the Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system. States that it shall be U.S. policy to include Israel in the visa waiver program when Israel satisfies such program's inclusion requirements.