United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2014 - Amends the federal judicial code to prohibit a court, in any civil action in which the pleadings state facts relevant to the protection of public health or safety, from entering an order restricting the disclosure of information obtained through discovery, approving a settlement agreement that would restrict such disclosure, or restricting access to court records, unless in connection with such order the court has first made independent findings of fact that: (1) the order would not restrict the disclosure of information relevant to the protection of public health or safety; or (2) the public interest in the disclosure of past, present, or potential health or safety hazards is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information, and the requested protective order is no broader than necessary to protect the confidentiality interest asserted. Prohibits a court from: (1) enforcing any provision of an agreement between or among parties to the civil action, or an order entered under this Act, that restricts a party from disclosing information to any federal or state agency with authority to enforce laws regulating an activity relating to such information; or (2) enforcing any provision of a settlement agreement between or among parties to such civil action that prohibits a party from disclosing that a settlement was reached or the terms of the settlement (excluding any money paid) that involve matters relevant to the protection of public health or safety, or from discussing matters relevant to the protection of public health or safety involved in such civil action. Excepts from this enforcement prohibition (thus allowing enforcement of) a settlement agreement provision about which the court finds that the public interest in the disclosure of past, present, or potential public health or safety hazards is outweighed by a specific and substantial interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information in question, and the requested protective order is no broader than necessary to protect the confidentiality interest asserted. Creates a rebuttable presumption that the interest in protecting personally identifiable information of an individual outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to permit, require, or authorize the disclosure of classified information, as defined under the Classified Information Procedures Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Alzheimer's Accountability Act of 2014 - Amends the National Alzheimer's Project Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for each fiscal year through FY2025, to submit to the President for review and transmittal to Congress, after reasonable opportunity for comment (but without change) by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services, an annual budget estimate (including regarding personnel needs) for the NIH initiatives under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Eliminates the time limit for ratification of the equal rights amendment (prohibits discrimination on account of sex) proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972. Declares that such amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2014
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) community-based outpatient clinic located at 704 Veterans Drive, The Dalles, Oregon, as the "Loren R. Kaufman Memorial Veterans' Clinic."
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2014
Stop Foreclosures Due to Congressional Dysfunction Act of 2014 - Requires the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to prohibit mortgagees of certain eligible mortgages from initiating a foreclosure during a specified six-month moratorium with respect to any of those mortgages owned, held, securitized, or guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). Tolls the term of such mortgages during the moratorium, and requires deferral of any principal and interest payments due. Qualifies for this mortatorium only Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgages on a 1- to 4-family residence that is the principal residence of a mortgagor who: (1) was current on principal, interest, tax, and insurance payments at the start of the moratorium; (2) has received unemployment compensation during a certain period but exhausted all rights to it; and (3) as of the beginning of the moratorium has a ratio of debt to income on the mortgage greater than 40%.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2014
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of the Interior (Secretaries), in response to the declaration of a state of drought emergency in California, to provide the maximum quantity of water supplies possible to Central Valley Project (CVP) and Klamath Project agricultural, municipal and industrial, and refuge service and repayment contractors, State Water Project contractors, and any other locality or municipality in California. Sets forth actions to be taken to increase water supply, including: (1) authorizing actions to provide for real time operations of the Delta Cross Channel Gates to provide water supply and quality standards and ecosystem benefits for the duration of the drought, (2) implementing the San Joaquin River inflow-to-export ratio established by the National Marine Fisheries Service, (3) maintaining all rescheduled water supplies held in the San Luis Reservoir and Millerton Reservoir for all water users, (4) making WaterSMART grant funding administered by the Bureau of Reclamation available for eligible projects on a priority and expedited basis, and (5) issuing proposed rules to update stormwater regulations for urban and suburban runoff sources and guidance on use of rainwater capture. Makes emergency appropriations in FY2014 for water supply projects and assistance under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991. Requires the National Resources Conservation Service to provide water supply planning assistance in preparation for and in response to dry, critically dry, and below normal water year types to any state water agency requesting such assistance. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to treat the California emergency drought declaration as a request for a determination under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act that there is a commercial fisheries failure and catastrophic regional fishery disaster for fisheries that originate in California. Requires federal agency heads to consult with the Council on Environmental Quality to develop alternative arrangements to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Directs the EPA Administrator to prioritize projects under state water pollution control revolving funds to provide water to areas at risk of having an inadequate supply of water for public health and safety purposes. Fixing Operations of Reservoirs to Encompass Climatic and Atmospheric Science Trends for Emergency Droughts Act or the FORECASTED Act - Requires the Secretary of the Army, not later than one year after a request of a non-federal sponsor of a reservoir, to review the operation of such reservoir, including the water control manual and rule curves, using improved weather forecasts and run-off forecasting methods, including the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction System of the National Weather Service and the Hydrometeorology Testbed program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Requires the Secretary to determine if a change in operations will improve core functions of the Army Corps of Engineers, including: (1) reducing risks to human life, public safety, and property; (2) reducing the need for future disaster relief; (3) improving local water storage capability and reliability in coordination with the non-federal sponsor and other water users; (4) restoring, protecting, or mitigating the impacts of a water resources development project on the environment; or (5) improving fish species habitat or population within the boundaries and downstream of a water resources project. Requires the Secretary, upon the declaration of a state drought emergency, to use no more than 90 days in complying with all provisions of this Act and to make use of the emergency provisions of the Council on Environmental Quality guidelines to expedite the delivery of water supplies to address emergency drought conditions. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to the Secretary of Agriculture emergency supplemental appropriations to provide: (1) drought assistance to agricultural producers and for mitigation activities related to drought and wildfire hazards, (2) emergency community water assistance grants to address impacts of drought, and (3) grants to assist low-income migrant and seasonal farm workers affected by drought and for forest restoration. Requires: (1) the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to determine the amount of water diverted for marijuana cultivation in each of the high intensity drug trafficking areas within the state of California, and (2) the EPA Administrator to assign additional criminal investigators to such trafficking areas. Declares that nothing in this Act: (1) preempts any state law, including area of origin and other water rights protections; or (2) diminishes the water, fishing, or other rights of Indian tribes or the obligations of the United States to assert and protect such rights. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to expand federal emergency assistance to provide for disaster unemployment, emergency nutrition, and crisis counseling assistance. Amends the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to take actions to reduce water consumption or demand or to restore ecosystems in the Klamath Basin watershed, including tribal fishery resources held in trust. Directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, not later than January 1, 2016, in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, to prepare a California salmon drought plan. Amends the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cost-shared financial assistance agreements with non-federal entities in Reclamation States and Hawaii for the planning, design, and construction of permanent water storage and conveyance facilities used solely to regulate and maximize water supplies.. Directs the President to update the National Response Plan and the National Disaster Recovery Framework to include a plan for catastrophic drought.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2014
Lake Berryessa Recreation Enhancement Act of 2014 - Transfers the administrative jurisdiction over specified water and land that is within or adjacent to Lake Berryessa in California from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for administration as the Lake Berryessa Recreation Area. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to act in accordance with any existing agreement with any organization for the management of campgrounds and marinas located in the Area. Authorizes the Secretary to develop a management plan for the Area as a new document or by adopting the recreational use plan adopted by the Bureau of Reclamation on June 2, 2006. Declares that, nothing in this Act or any subsequent management plan shall impair the ability of the Bureau of Reclamation and its managing partners to operate, maintain, or manage Monticello Dam, Lake Berryessa, and other Solano Project facilities in accordance with that project's authorized purposes. Requires the Commissioner of Reclamation to continue to administer and operate the Dam and any power facility related to it. Authorizes the Secretary to establish, modify, charge, and collect recreation or concession fees at the Area in accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Permits the Secretary to retain such fees for purposes of managing the Area.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2014
Transparent Airfares Act of 2014 - Declares that it shall not be an unfair or deceptive practice for an air carrier or other covered entity to state the base airfare in an advertisement or solicitation for passenger air transportation if it clearly and separately discloses: (1) the government-imposed taxes and fees for the air transportation, and (2) its total cost. Defines "base airfare" to mean the cost of passenger air transportation, excluding government-imposed taxes and fees. Defines "covered entity" as an air carrier, including an indirect air carrier, foreign carrier, ticket agent, or other person offering to sell tickets for passenger air transportation or a tour or tour component that must be purchased with air transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2014
Student Testing Improvement and Accountability Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to eliminate the requirement that students be tested against state academic content and achievement standards in mathematics and reading or language arts in each of grades three through eight. Requires, instead, that those tests be administered at least once during: (1) grades 3 through 5, (2) grades 6 through 9, and (3) grades 10 through 12.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2014
Humane Cosmetics Act - Prohibits: (1) any entity from conducting or contracting for cosmetic animal testing in the United States, in or affecting interstate commerce, effective on the date that is one year after enactment of this Act; and (2) selling, offering for sale, or transporting in interstate commerce any cosmetic if the final product or any component was developed or manufactured using cosmetic animal testing conducted or contracted for after such date, effective three years after this Act's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2014
West Hunter Street Baptist Church Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the historic West Hunter Street Baptist Church located at 775 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, S.W., Atlanta, Georgia, to evaluate the national significance of the Church and to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating such area as a unit of the National Park System.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2014
IDEA Full Funding Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reauthorize and make appropriations for the grant program to assist states and outlying areas in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities. Sets the amount to be authorized and the amount to be appropriated for each fiscal year from FY2015-FY2023 as the greater of: (1) a specified amount, or (2) a specified percentage of an amount determined pursuant to a formula that multiplies the number of children receiving special education services by the average per-pupil expenditure in public elementary and secondary schools. Authorizes and appropriates funds for FY2024 and each subsequent fiscal year equal to the greater of a specified amount or 40% of the amount determined using such formula. Requires amounts appropriated to be expended consistent with pay-as-you-go requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2014
Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2014 - Reauthorizes the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) and funding for its programs for FY2014-FY2018. Makes it an objective of such Act the acquiring for older individuals of high-quality services in a manner that is culturally and linguistically responsive to such individuals and family caregivers. Includes older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) individuals within the purview of such Act and specifically among certain reporting requirements. Requires the Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (in the Administration on Aging [AOA] of the Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]) to collect, analyze, and report on best practices related to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in long-term care facilities. Requires the Assistant Secretary for Aging of the AOA to: (1) focus on the health and economic needs and welfare of older individuals; (2) conduct studies and collect data to determine the services that are needed by LGBT older individuals; (3) ensure that authorized programs include appropriate training in the prevention of abuse, neglect, and exploitation and provision of services that address elder justice and the exploitation of older individuals; and (4) establish and operate a National Resource Center for Women and Retirement, a National Adult Protective Services Resource Center, and a National Resource Center on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Aging. Establishes an Advisory Committee to Assess, Coordinate, and Improve Legal Assistance Activities to study the legal services activities assistance system for older individuals. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2014-FY2018, and revises requirements for, the AOA, the Eldercare Locator Service, pension counseling and information programs, supportive services, congregate nutrition services, disease prevention and health promotion services, family caregiver support, the nutrition services incentive program, the Community Service Senior Opportunity Act, grants for Native Americans. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award a grant to or enter into a cooperative agreement with a public or private nonprofit entity to establish a National Resource Center on Family Caregiving. Directs the Assistant Secretary to award grants and enter into contracts with eligible entities to carry out projects to: (1) support and promote modern multipurpose senior center models; (2) build an evidence base of modern, replicable practices that allow senior centers to serve a diverse array of older individuals, as well as their families and other caregivers; and (3) mobilize services and leverage resources to support the role of multipurpose senior centers as community focal points, and for the establishment, construction, maintenance, and operation of centers. Directs the Assistant Secretary to make a grant on a competitive basis to enable an eligible nonprofit organization to provide training and technical assistance to grant recipients. Revises requirements for the national family caregiver support program and the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, revising conflict-of-interest requirements and prohibitions for the latter. Requires health programs for older individuals to cover behavioral health. Directs the Comptroller General to study the transportation services for older individuals. Directs the Assistant Secretary to issue guidance to applicable to states, area agencies on aging, and providers of services for older individuals, with respect to serving Holocaust survivors.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2014
Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to: (1) the Taiwan Relations Act as the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations; and (2) deepening U.S.-Taiwan trade and investment relations, including support for Taiwan's inclusion in bilateral and regional trade agreements. Reaffirms: (1) support for Taiwan's democratic institutions, and (2) that peace in the Taiwan Strait should be maintained to the benefit of the free people of Taiwan. Supports the commitment to Taiwan's security, including the sale of sophisticated defensive weapons to Taiwan.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2014
Maritime Goods Movement Act for the 21st Century - Directs the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to impose a Maritime Goods Movement User Fee of 0.125% on all commercial cargo (except a U.S. export) that: (1) is unloaded from or loaded on a commercial vessel at a U.S. port, or (2) enters a U.S. point of entry. Prescribes a special rule prohibiting the imposition of such fee on: (1) cargo (except crude oil with respect to Alaska) loaded on a vessel in a mainland U.S. port and transported for use or consumption in Alaska, Hawaii, or any U.S. possession; (2) cargo loaded on a vessel in Alaska, Hawaii, or any U.S. possession and transported for use or consumption in the U.S. mainland, Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. possession; (3) the unloading of such cargo in Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. possession, or U.S. mainland, respectively; or (4) cargo loaded on a vessel in Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. possession and unloaded in the state or U.S. possession in which loaded, or passengers transported on U.S.-flag vessels operating solely within Alaskan or Hawaiian waters and adjacent international waters. Prohibits imposition of such fee on: (1) on the United States or any U.S. agency, or (2) a nonprofit organization or cooperative for cargo intended for use in humanitarian or development assistance overseas. Requires use of up to $10 million of fees collected during any fiscal year for administrative expenses of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Transportation (DOT). Makes certain fee allocations for: (1) harbor maintenance programs; (2) low-use ports; and (3) super donor ports to carry out projects or activities under a competitive grant for maritime improvement projects for movement of goods, as well as for other specified maritime improvement projects for movement of international maritime cargo. Defines "super donor port" as a port for which average expenditures in the 5 previous fiscal years: (1) from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, for fiscal years beginning before enactment of this Act, are less than 10% percent of the total average amount of harbor maintenance taxes collected through landings at the port in such fiscal years; or (2) from the amounts collected for the Maritime Goods Movement User Fee, for fiscal years starting after enactment of this Act, are less than 10% of the total average amount of such fees collected through landings at the port. Establishes a Competitive Grant Program for Goods Movement. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the harbor maintenance tax. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent application of requirements that locally prevailing wages (Davis-Bacon Act) be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics working on harbor maintenance improvement projects.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2014
Reduce Expenditures in Nuclear Infrastructure Now Act or the REIN-IN Act - Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Defense (DOD) for FY2014-FY2023: (1) for the research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) or procurement of a long-range penetrating bomber aircraft; (2) to procure an SSBN-X submarine (and prohibits the use of such funds for FY2024 and thereafter to procure more than eight such submarines); or (3) for the RDT&E or procurement of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds authorized to be appropriated for FY2014 or thereafter for DOD or the Department of Energy (DOE): (1) to make the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons; (2) until the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy jointly certify that the total cost of the B61 life extension program has been reduced to not more than $5 billion; (3) for the W78 life extension program; (4) for the mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility project; (5) to replace the chemistry and metallurgy research building at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico; or (6) for the uranium processing facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Prohibits Navy forces, beginning in FY2020, from including more than eight operational ballistic-missile submarines available for deployment. Prohibits the use of DOD funds for FY2014 or thereafter: (1) to maintain more than 250 submarine-launched ballistic missiles; (2) to maintain more than 150 intercontiental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on a 24-hour, high alert status; or (3) for the medium extended air defense system. Requires initial and annual reports from the Secretaries of Defense and Energy outlining their respective plans to carry out the requirements of this Act. Directs the President to submit to Congress an annual report containing a comprehensive accounting by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the amounts obligated or expended by the federal government for each nuclear weapon and related nuclear program during the fiscal year covered by the report for the life cycle of such weapon or program.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) remove any individual from the Senior Executive Service upon determining that such individual's performance warrants such removal, and (2) remove such individual from federal service or transfer the individual to a General Schedule position at any grade the Secretary deems appropriate. Requires: (1) the Secretary to notify the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees within 30 days after removing such an individual, and (2) such removal to be done in the same manner as the removal of a professional staff member employed by a Member of Congress. .
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Access to Hearing Healthcare Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the definition of Medicare-covered audiology (hearing and balance assessment) services provided by a qualified and legally authorized audiologist to state that such services are covered without regard to any requirement that: (1) the individual receiving them be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or (2) such services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other health practitioner. Includes audiology services as medical services, as so redefined, under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a congressional gold medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medal at a price sufficient to cover the costs of such medals.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the Freedom Riders in recognition of their contribution to civil rights, which inspired a movement to equality in interstate travel. Requires such medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display and research. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Freedom Riders.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2014
SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) end and remove sustainable growth rate (SGR) methodology from the determination of annual conversion factors in the formula for payment for physicians' services, (2) establish an update to the single conversion factor for 2014 through 2018 of 0.5%, (3) freeze the update to the single conversion factor at 0.00% for 2019 through 2023, and (4) establish an update of 1% for health professionals participating in alternative payment models (APMs) and an update of 0.5% for all other health professionals after 2023. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to report to Congress on the relationship between: (1) physician and other health professional utilization and expenditures (and their rate of increase) of items and services for which Medicare payment is made; and (2) total utilization and expenditures (and their rate of increase) under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance), B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), and D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program). Directs MEDPAC to report to Congress on: (1) the payment update for professional services applied under Medicare for 2014 through 2018; (2) the effect of such update on the efficiency, economy, and quality of care provided under such program; (3) the effect of such update on ensuring a sufficient number of providers to maintain access to care by Medicare beneficiaries; and (4) recommendations for any future payment updates for professional services under such program to ensure adequate access to care is maintained for Medicare beneficiaries Revises and consolidates components of the three specified existing performance incentive programs into a merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is directed to establish, under which MIPS-eligible professionals (excluding most Alternative Payment Model [APM] participants) receive annual payment increases or decreases based on their performance. Applies the MIPS program to payments for items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2018. Requires specified incentive payments to be made to eligible partial qualifying APM participants. Directs the Secretary to make available on the Physician Compare website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) certain information, including information regarding the performance of MIPS-eligible professionals. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate the MIPS program. Requires GAO to submit to Congress a report that: (1) compares the similarities and differences in the use of quality measures under the original Medicare fee-for-service programs, the Medicare Advantage (MA) program under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice), selected state Medicaid programs, and private payer arrangements; and (2) make recommendations on how to reduce the administrative burden involved in applying such quality measures. Directs GAO to report to Congress on: (1) whether entities that pool financial risk for physician services can play a role in supporting physician practices in assuming financial risk for treatment of patients; and (2) the transition to an APM of professionals in rural areas, health professional shortage areas, or medically underserved areas. Establishes the Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the Secretary on physician-focused payment models. Requires the Secretary to study: (1) the application of federal fraud prevention laws related to APMs; (2) the effect of individuals' socioeconomic status on quality and resource use outcome measures for individuals under Medicare; and (3) the impact of risk factors, race, health literacy, limited English proficiency (LEP), and patient activation, on quality and resource use outcome measures under Medicare. Directs the Secretary to: (1) post on the CMS Internet website a draft plan for the development of quality measures to assess professionals, (2) establish new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes for chronic care management services, and (3) conduct an education and outreach campaign to inform professionals who furnish items and services under Medicare part B and Medicare part B enrollees of the benefits of chronic care management services. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) collect and use information on the resources directly or indirectly related to physicians' services in the determination of relative values under the Medicare physician fee schedule; and (2) establish or adjust practice expense relative values using cost, charge, or other data from suppliers or service providers. Revises and expands factors for identification of potentially misvalued codes. Sets an annual target for relative value adjustments for misvalued services. Phases-in of significant relative value unit (RVU) reductions. Directs GAO to study the processes used by the Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) to make recommendations to the Secretary regarding relative values for specific services under the Medicare physician fee schedule. Makes Metropolitan Statistical Areas in California fee schedule areas for Medicare payments. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to promote the use of appropriate use criteria for certain imaging services furnished by ordering professionals and furnishing professionals, and (2) make publicly available on the CMS Physician Compare website specified information with respect to eligible professionals. Expands the kinds and uses of data available to qualified entities for quality improvement activities. Directs the Secretary to provide Medicare data to qualified clinical data registries to facilitate quality improvement or patient safety. Permits continuing automatic extensions of a Medicare physician and practitioner election to opt-out of the Medicare physician payment system into private contracts. Directs the Secretary to: (1) make publicly available through an appropriate publicly accessible website information on the number and characteristics of opt-out physicians and practitioners; and (2) report to Congress recommendations to amend existing fraud and abuse laws, through exceptions, safe harbors, or other narrowly targeted provisions, to permit gainsharing or similar arrangements between physicians and hospitals that improve care while reducing waste and increasing efficiency. Declares it a national objective to achieve widespread exchange of health information through interoperable certified electronic health record (EHR) technology nationwide by December 31, 2017, as a consequence of a significant federal investment in the implementation of health information technology through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR programs. Directs the Secretary to study the feasibility of establishing mechanisms that includes aggregated results of surveys of meaningful EHR users on the functionality of certified EHR products to enable such users to compare directly the functionality and other features of such products. Requires GAO studies on the use of telehealth under federal programs and on remote patient monitoring services.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2014
Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2014 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), with regard to sequestration adjustments, to require any adjustments in enacted appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior for a fiscal year, to be the amount of additional new budget authority provided for wildfire suppression operations in the appropriations Act, but not to exceed $2.689 billion in such authority in each of FY2014-FY2021. Defines "additional new budget authority" as the amount specified in an appropriations Act for a fiscal year to pay for wildfire suppression operations, but only to the extent such authority exceeds 70% of the average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years. Prescribes requirements for any request by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture for supplemental appropriations necessary for wildfire suppression operations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2014
Government By the People Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow a refundable credit of 50% of qualified congressional House campaign contributions paid or incurred during the taxable year (contributions of cash by an individual to a House candidate or a political committee established and maintained by a national political party if the contribution is not prohibited under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 [FECA], to be known as "My Voice Federal" contributions). Directs the Government by the People Oversight Commission, established by this Act, to launch a pilot program under which it shall select three eligible states to operate a voucher pilot program. Requires a state under a voucher pilot program to provide each qualified individual during the election cycle, upon his or her request, with a "My Voice Voucher" worth $50 (in either paper or electronic form), which will be assigned a routing number. Authorizes the individual, using the assigned routing number, to submit the My Voice Voucher, in either electronic or paper form, to qualified federal election candidates, allocating a portion of its value in $5 increments. Requires the Commission to pay any candidate who transmits a My Voice Voucher that portion of its value which the individual allocated to the candidate. Considers this transaction a contribution by the individual to the candidate for purposes of FECA. Requires a state operating a voucher pilot program also to permit an individual to revoke a My Voice Voucher within two days after submitting it to a candidate. Requires such a state to establish a commission or designate an existing entity to oversee and implement the program in the state, except that no such commission or entity may be composed of elected officials. Amends FECA with respect to: benefits for participating House of Representatives candidates; Federal Election Commission (FEC) payments to such candidates; candidate use of payments; qualified small dollar contributions, expenditures, and fundraising requirements; certification of participating candidates; campaign administration; prevention of the unnecessary spending of public funds; establishment of the Freedom From Influence Fund in the Treasury and of a Government by the People Oversight Commission in the FEC; remittal of unspent funds to the Freedom From Influence Fund after an election; eligibility of participating candidates for additional payments; civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements; a Commission action appeals process; and contributions and expenditures by multicandidate and political party political committees on behalf of participating candidates. Prohibits a certified participating candidate's authorized committee from establishing a joint fundraising committee with any political committee other than another authorized committee of the candidate. Prohibits a certified participating candidate from establishing, financing, maintaining, or controlling a leadership PAC (political action committee). Prohibits use of contributions by a participating candidate for any purposes other than an election campaign. Revises bundler disclosure requirements to repeal a specified exception and so require disclosure of persons who provided bundled contributions to the reporting committee. Amends FECA to empower the FEC to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action to enforce the Act. Requires all political committee designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed: (1) directly with the FEC; and (2) in electronic form accessible by computers. Reduces from 48 hours to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to set a station's lowest unit price for preemptible use as the charge for a broadcast by the national committee of a political party for an affiliated candidate. Authorizes the FEC to revoke a broadcast station license or construction permit only for at least three willful failures to allow reasonable access to, or to permit purchase of reasonable amounts of time for the use of, a broadcasting station or cable system by a legally qualified candidate for federal office. Amends the IRC to allow tax payers to designate that a specified portion of any overpayment of tax be contributed to the Freedom From Influence Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2014
Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the 96-hour physician certification requirement for inpatient critical access hospital services under which a physician must certify that a patient may reasonably be expected to be discharged or transferred to a hospital within 96 hours after admission to the critical access hospital.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2014
Open Internet Preservation Act of 2014 - Restores rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the Report and Order in the matter of preserving the open Internet and broadband industry practices (adopted on December 21, 2010) that were vacated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Verizon v. Federal Communications Commission (decided on January 14, 2014). Requires such rules to remain in effect until the FCC takes final action in the proceedings remanded to the FCC in such D.C. Circuit decision.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2014
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a bona fide volunteer providing firefighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services to a state or local government or a tax-exempt organization shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for purposes of the employer mandate to provide health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2014
Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2014 - Declares it an unlawful practice for certain employers with at least 15 employees for each working day in each of at least 20 calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year to: (1) refuse to consider or offer employment to an individual based on present or past unemployment regardless of the length of time such individual was unemployed, (2) publish an advertisement or announcement for any job with provisions indicating that such an unemployed status disqualifies an individual and that an employer will not consider an applicant based on such status, and (3) direct or request that an employment agency account for such status when screening or referring applicants. Prohibits an employment agency (including agents and persons maintaining a website publishing job advertisements or announcements), based on such an individual's status as unemployed, from: (1) refusing to consider or refer an individual for employment; (2) limiting, segregating, or classifying individuals in any manner limiting access to job information; or (3) publishing an advertisement or announcement for any job vacancy that includes provisions indicating that such an individual is disqualified and that an employer will not consider such individuals. Allows consideration of an individual's status as unemployed where an individual's employment in a similar or related job for a period of time reasonably proximate to the hiring of such individual is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to successful performance of the job being filled. Authorizes, subject to termination upon the filing of certain complaints by the Secretary of Labor, one or more persons for and in behalf of the affected individual, or the affected individual and other individuals similarly situated, to bring actions in federal or state court for specified actual damages and equitable relief including employment and compensatory and punitive damages. Directs the Secretary to: (1) receive, investigate, and attempt to resolve complaints according to specified provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and (2) pay directly to each affected individual applicable sums recovered in any civil actions brought by the Secretary under this Act. Sets forth a two-year statute of limitations period (three years for willful violations) for specified civil actions under this Act, subject to tolling when the Secretary is considering certain complaints.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2014
Preventing Abuse of Cough Treatments Act of 2014 or the PACT Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale or offering for sale of a drug containing dextromethorphan, and not subject to practitioner supervision requirements, to an individual under age 18, except if the sale is made: (1) pursuant to a validly issued prescription; or (2) to an individual who provides proof of being actively enrolled in the military, including a valid military identification card. Imposes civil monetary penalties that escalate upon repeated violation. Deems to be adulterated any unfinished dextromethorphan that is possessed, received, or distributed in violation of this Act. Prohibits a person from: (1) possessing or receiving unfinished dextromethorphan unless the person is registered with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a producer of a drug or device or otherwise registered, licensed, or approved under federal or state law to engage in the practice of pharmacy, pharmaceutical production, or manufacture or distribution of drug ingredients; or (2) distributing unfinished dextromethorphan to any person other than a registered or otherwise authorized person. Excludes from such prohibitions common carriers that possess, receive, or distribute unfinished dextromethorphan for purposes of distributing it between registered, licensed, or approved persons. Imposes additional civil monetary penalties for such possession and distribution violations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2014
National Commission on the Structure of the Army Act of 2014 - Establishes the National Commission on the Structure of the Army to undertake a comprehensive study of the structure of the Army to determine: (1) the proper force mixture of the active component and reserve component, and (2) how the structure should be modified to best fulfill mission requirements in a manner consistent with available resources. Directs the Commission to give particular consideration to evaluating a structure that: (1) meets current and anticipated requirements of the combatant commands; (3) achieves a cost-efficiency balance between the regular and reserve components, with a focus on fully burdened and lifecycle cost of Army personnel; (3) ensures that the regular and reserve components have the capacity needed to support homeland defense and disaster assistance missions in the United States; (4) provides for sufficient numbers of regular members of the Army to provide a base of trained personnel from which the personnel of the reserve components could be recruited; (5) maintains a peacetime rotation force to support operational tempo goals of 1:2 for regular members and 1:5 for members of the reserve components; and (6) maximizes and appropriately balances affordability, efficiency, effectiveness, capability, and readiness. Prohibits the use of any funds made available for FY2015 for the Army to: (1) divest, retire, or transfer, or prepare to divest, retire, or transfer, any aircraft of the Army assigned to units of the Army National Guard as of January 15, 2014; or (2) reduce personnel below the authorized end strength levels of 350,000 for the Army National Guard as of September 30, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 - Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with respect to the requirement that a federal court retain jurisdiction for an appropriate period to prevent commencement of new devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Expands the types of violations triggering the authority of a court to retain such jurisdiction to include certain violations of the Act as well as violations of any federal voting rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group. Excludes from the list of violations triggering jurisdiction retention authority any voting qualification or prerequisite which results in a denial or abridgement of the right to vote that is based on the imposition of a requirement that an individual provide a photo identification as a condition of receiving a ballot for voting in a federal, state, or local election. Revises requirements for determining which states and political subdivisions are covered or not covered by criteria for declaratory judgments that they have not used devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Subjects to the requirements for making such a determination any state (and all of its political subdivisions) during a calendar if 5 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 15 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself (as opposed to a political subdivision within it). Specifies application of such new coverage requirements to any specific political subdivision if: (1) 3 or more voting rights violations occurred in it during the previous 15 calendar years; or (2) 1 or more voting rights violations occurred in it during the previous 15 calendar years and the subdivision had persistent, extremely low minority turnout during that period. Provides that, if a state obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a device to deny or abridge the right to vote, the requirements for a new declaratory judgment generally will not apply, unless the new coverage requirements of this Act apply to the state solely on the basis of voting rights violations occurring after the declaratory judgment was issued. Prescribes transparency requirements, including reasonable public notice, regarding any changes to: (1) voting prerequisites, standards, or procedures; (2) polling place resources; or (3) demographics and electoral districts. Modifies authority to assign observers, including authorizing the assignment of observers to enforce bilingual election requirements. Revises requirements for injunctive relief, including its scope and the persons authorized to seek relief as well as the grounds for granting it.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2014
Amends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (the Act) to exempt from any presidential sequestration order issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) funds made available under the Act or derived from the other authorized funding sources for the purpose of making payments to eligible states and counties containing certain federal lands (payments in lieu of federal payment of state property taxes). Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, using authorized payment sources, to reimburse each state or county that, in response to a presidential sequestration order issued during FY2013, repaid some of the payment it received during FY2013 either by: (1) returning a portion of it to the Secretary, (2) having funds deducted from other amounts due the state or county under the Act, or (3) providing some combination of returning and deducting funds. Requires the Secretary to waive the repayment requirement for any state or county that did not repay the required portion of the payment it received during FY2013 despite such order.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2014
Lymphedema Treatment Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to cover certain lymphedema compression treatment items as durable medical equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2014
Oil and Gas Leasing Inflation Adjustment Act - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to increase from $2 per acre to $4 per acre the national minimum acceptable bid for oil and gas leases. Increases from $2 per acre to $5 per acre the minimum acceptable bid for a tar sand lease. Increases the annual rental of a lease from $1.50 per acre to $3 per acre for the first through the fifth year of the lease. Increases the annual lease rental from $2 per acre to $4 per acre for each year after such fifth year. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to make a cost-of-living adjustment of such dollar amounts at least once every four years and to publish each one in the Federal Register.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2014
Intelligence Budget Transparency Act of 2014 - Requires the President's annual federal budget submission to include the total dollar amount proposed for intelligence or intelligence related activities of each element of the government engaged in such activities in the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and the estimated appropriation required for each of the ensuing four fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before April 1, 2014. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until March 31, 2014, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and September 30, 2014, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to March 31, 2014, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through the first quarter of FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through March 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits. Makes a change in application of a certain requirement (nonreduction rule) to a state that has: (1) entered a federal-state EUC agreement, under which the federal government would reimburse the state's unemployment compensation agency making EUC payments to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment compensation under state or federal law and meet specified other criteria; and (2) enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. (Under the nonreduction rule such an agreement does not apply with respect to a state whose method for computing regular unemployment compensation under state law has been modified to make the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010, less than what would have been paid before June 2, 2010.) Declares that the nonreduction rule shall not apply to a state which has enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. Allows such a state, however, to enter into a subsequent federal-state EUC agreement on or after enactment of this Act if, taking into account this inapplicability of the nonreduction rule, it would otherwise meet the requirements for an EUC agreement. (Thus allows such a subsequent EUC agreement to permit payment of less than the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the Medicare durable medical equipment face-to-face encounter documentation requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Military Retirement Restoration Act - Repeals the provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat a foreign corporation managed and controlled, directly or indirectly, primarily in the United States as a domestic corporation for U.S. tax purposes if the stock of such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market or the aggregate gross assets of such corporation during the taxable year or any preceding taxable year is $50 million or more.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2013
Ocean Energy Safety and Technology Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, with respect to the consideration of permits for geological explorations and development and production, to allow the Secretary of the Interior to give priority to reviewing and processing plans and applications that use, develop, or demonstrate new safety-enhancing technologies. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a small business innovation research program or technology transfer program, or both, to broaden participation in the development of safer technologies for offshore oil and gas exploration and development; and (2) an Ocean Energy Safety Institute, as a collaborative federally funded research and development center or university-affiliated research center, to enhance safe and responsible operations across the offshore oil and gas industry. Funds operations of the Institute through an annual fee applicable to areas of the outer Continental Shelf subject to an oil or gas lease under which production is not occurring.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2013
Repealing Ineffective and Incomplete Abstinence-Only Program Funding Act of 2013 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) eliminate the abstinence-only education program, (2) rescind unobligated FY 2014 program appropriations, and (3) reprogram such rescinded appropriations for the personal responsibility education program (PREP) for FY2014.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act of 2013 - Prohibits a state or local jurisdiction from imposing multiple or discriminatory taxes on the sale or use of a digital good or service delivered or transferred electronically to a customer. Excludes from the definition of "digital service" a service that is predominantly attributable to the direct, contemporaneous expenditure of live human effort, skill, or expertise, a telecommunications service, an ancillary service, an Internet access service, an audio or video programming service, or a hotel intermediary service. Restricts taxation of a digital good or service to taxation by a state or local jurisdiction whose territorial limits encompass a customer tax address, as defined by this Act. Makes the seller of digital goods or services responsible for obtaining and maintaining such address. Provides for the taxation of digital goods and services transactions that are aggregated and not separately stated.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act of 2013 - Establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration (SSA), to be headed by the Deputy Commissioner of SSA. Entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for each month beginning on the first day of the first month in which the individual meets the criteria specified below and ending 365 days later (benefit period), not to exceed 60 qualified caregiving days per period. Qualifies for such a benefit payment any individual who: is insured for disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act at the time his or her application is filed; has earned income from employment during the 12 months before filing it; has filed an application for a FMLI benefit in accordance with this Act; and was engaged in qualified caregiving, or anticipates being so engaged, during the 90-day period before the application is filed or within 30 days after. Defines "qualified caregiving" as any activity engaged in by an individual, other than regular employment, for a reason for which an eligible employee would be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). Prescribes a formula for determination of an individual's monthly FMLI benefit payment, as well as for the maximum and the minimum monthly benefit amounts. Requires a FMLI benefit payment to be coordinated with any periodic benefits received from temporary disability insurance or family leave insurance programs under any state law or plan, local government, or an instrumentality of two or more states. Prescribes criteria that makes an individual ineligible for a FMLI benefit payment. Specifies prohibited acts by an employer, and penalties for violations. Establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund in the Treasury. Requires FMLI benefit payments to be made only from this Fund. Prohibits the use of amounts from the Social Security Trust Fund or appropriated to the SSA to administer Social Security programs for FMLI benefits or administration. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on every individual and employer, all self-employment income, and every railroad employee, employee representative, or railroad employer to finance the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund in the Treasury for FMLI benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Two-Midnight Rule Delay Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from enforcing the two-midnight rule to a hospital for which payment is made under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for admissions occurring before October 1, 2014. (The two-midnight rule allows Medicare coverage of only hospital stays for which a physician admits to a hospital a beneficiary expected to require care that crosses two midnights, but generally denies coverage of care expected to require less than a two-midnight stay.) Applies such prohibition to Medicare review contracts. Prohibits Medicare review contractors from denying a claim for inpartient hospital services furnished by a hospital, or inpatient critical access hospital services furnished by a critical access hospital, for discharges occurring before October 1, 2014: (1) for medical necessity due to the length of an inpatient stay in such hospital or due to a determination that the services could have been provided on an outpatient basis; or (2) for requirements for orders, certifications, or recertifications, and associated documentation relating to such matters. Prohibits the Secretary from increasing the sample of claims selected for prepayment review under the Medicare Probe and Educate program above the number and type established by the Secretary as of November 4, 2013. Directs the Secretary to develop: (1) a Medicare hospital payment methodology for short inpatient hospital stays; (2) general equivalency maps to link the relevant International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10 codes (used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient procedures) to relevant Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, and the relevant CPT codes to relevant ICD-10 codes, in order to permit comparison of inpatient hospital services and hospital outpatient department servives; and (3) a second crosswalk between Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes for inpatient hospital services and Ambulatory Payment Class codes for outpatient hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a qualified emergency services volunteer shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for the purpose of shared responsibility requirements for employers with respect to health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Defines "qualified emergency services volunteer" as a bona fide volunteer performing fire fighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
Prohibiting In-Flight Voice Communications on Mobile Wireless Devices Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to issue regulations prohibiting an individual on an aircraft from engaging in voice communications using a mobile device during a flight in scheduled passenger interstate or intrastate air transportation. Exempts from such prohibition: (1) on-duty flight crews and attendants, and (2) federal law enforcement officers acting in an official capacity.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the fight against breast cancer. Instructs the Secretary to select the design for the coins based upon the winning design from a juried, compensated design competition following certain specifications. Restricts the period of coin issuance to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2018. Requires all sales of such coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin. Prescribes a surcharge distribution formula.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
States that the House of Representatives has learned with profound sorrow of the death of Nelson Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa. Tenders its sympathies to the members of his family and his fellow citizens. Honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Mandela and for his friendship to the United States. Requests the Secretary of State to communicate these expressions of sentiment to Nelson Mandela's family and to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Requests that when the House adjourns today it do so as a mark of respect to the memory of Nelson Mandela.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a single congressional gold medal in commemoration of the Monuments Men (men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives [MFA] Section under the Allied Armies during World War II) in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following the War. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Monuments Men and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
![Official portrait of Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000191_200.jpg)