United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2019
Equal Right to Life Act This bill prohibits prenatal genetic testing and abortions based on possible sexual orientation. Specifically, the bill establishes new criminal offenses and related penalties for a physician who (1) performs a prenatal genetic test to identify the likely sexual orientation of the child, or (2) performs an abortion as a result of a prenatal genetic test for sexual orientation. A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 27 August 2019
Preserving Qualified Housing Assistance Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to verify the declaration of immigration status made by an individual receiving financial assistance for housing. Under current law, verification is required only if a declaration states that the individual is not a U.S. citizen or national and is younger than 62 years of age.
United States · United States Congress · 13 August 2019
This concurrent resolution recognizes the 35th anniversary of the Mexico City policy, which prohibits foreign nongovernmental organizations that receive U.S. global-health assistance from performing or promoting abortion as a method of family planning. The resolution expresses support for the codification of this policy in U.S. law.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Tribal Access to Homeless Assistance Act This bill allows an Indian tribe or tribally designated housing entity to apply for a Homeless Assistance Grant under the Continuum of Care Program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Under current law, nonprofit and government entities may apply for and use such grants to provide shelter and other services to eligible individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Financial Inclusion in Banking Act of 2019 This bill expands the duties of the Office of Community Affairs within the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regarding under-banked, un-banked, and underserved consumers. The office must, in part (1) report on impeding factors for individuals and families that do not participate in the banking system, and (2) develop strategies to increase such participation.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act This bill revises requirements regarding the sale and delivery of electronic nicotine delivery systems (e.g., e-cigarettes, e-hookah, e-cigars, and vape pens). Specifically, the bill subjects the sale and delivery of these systems to certain requirements, including tax, licensing, and labeling requirements; prohibits the sale and delivery of these systems to anyone under the legal age to purchase tobacco products; and requires the U.S. Postal Service to implement regulations to prohibit the mailing of these systems. The bill does not apply to products approved by the Food and Drug Administration for tobacco cessation or any other therapeutic purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2019
Appraisal Reform Act of 2019 This bill revises provisions related to real estate appraisals. Specifically, the bill adds trainee appraisers to the National Registry of Appraisers, allows the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council's Appraisal Subcommittee to adjust annual registry fees for appraisal management companies, requires the disclosure of appraisal fees in the case of an appraisal coordinated by an appraisal management company, allows nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to receive certain grants, and adds a designee of the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Appraisal Subcommittee.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Financial Stability Oversight Council Improvement Act of 2019 The bill requires the Financial Stability Oversight Council, prior to determining that a U.S. nonbank financial company shall be supervised by the Federal Reserve Board and therefore subject to certain prudential standards, to first determine that certain alternative actions would not mitigate the threat the company may pose to U.S. financial stability
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Fair Flood Insurance Act of 2019 This bill exempts from rulemaking the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) implementation of monthly premium payment schedules for flood insurance. FEMA may implement this schedule as a pilot program. The Government Accountability Office must report on the costs associated with monthly payment of premiums. FEMA must annually report on these costs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019 This bill revises requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program of the Department of Agriculture. The bill permits schools participating in the program to offer students low-fat flavored milk.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2019
Shareholder Protection Act of 2019 This bill directs the Securities and Exchange Commission to increase specified resubmission thresholds for shareholder proposals. (Current regulations allow the resubmission of a shareholder proposal that has been previously included in an issuer's proxy materials if, when the proposal was last included, it received a specified percentage of the vote; this percentage, which varies depending upon the number of times a proposal has been previously submitted, represents the minimum threshold at which resubmission is permissible.)
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2019
Border Crisis Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 This bill provides FY2019 supplemental appropriations to several federal agencies for expenses related to border security, including the response to the rise in unaccompanied minors and family unit aliens at the southwest border. The bill provides specified appropriations to the Department of Defense, the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Marshals Service.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2019
Secure Our Schools Today Act of 2019 This bill revises the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program and the Secure Our Schools (SOS) grant program. First, it reauthorizes through FY2020 the COPS program and otherwise revises the program to (1) restore authority to make COPS grants for hiring and rehiring additional career law enforcement officers, (2) specify the minimum amount of funds to be made available for hiring and rehiring additional career law enforcement officers, and (3) decrease the federal match from 75% to 50%. In addition, the bill revises the SOS program to require a school to complete a facilities risk assessment in order for a state, local government, or Indian tribe to use grant funds to improve security at such school and on its grounds.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Heroes Entering Roles Of Education Service Act or the HEROES Act This bill revises and expands the Troops-to-Teachers Program, which supports the transition of current and former military personnel to employment positions in education. The program places personnel in (1) elementary and secondary schools that serve more than a certain percentage of lower-income students or those who qualify for aid under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and (2) Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded schools. The bill renames the program as the Troops-To-Support-Education Program and expands the positions covered to include a number of teaching support, administrative, and security personnel. Excluded from eligibility are positions performed outside the grounds of a school or for a contractor. For placement in non-teacher positions, the service member must obtain credentials required by the state in which the position is located. The bill increases the total number of stipends and bonuses provided. It also increases the limit on the amount of obligations for the program for each fiscal year. The Department of Defense may enter into partnership agreements with tax-exempt charitable organizations to assist with the placement of participants.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Homebuyer Assistance Act of 2019 This bill modifies requirements for appraisers of Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgages. Currently, an appraiser must be certified by certain state or national entities. The bill removes the national entities from the list of approved certification entities and allows an appraiser to be state-licensed rather than state-certified to meet requirements. The bill also provides specified educational requirements for appraisers.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Protecting Home Oxygen and Medical Equipment Act of 2019 or the Protecting HOME Act of 2019 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to apply specified payment adjustments for durable medical equipment under Medicare. The bill also excludes the creation of separate payment classes and monthly payment rates for oxygen items under Medicare from certain budget neutrality requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Honest Ads Act This bill applies requirements, limitations, and protections regarding political advertising in traditional media to internet or digital political advertising. The bill sets forth special rules for disclosure statements for certain internet or digital ads. Each television or radio station, provider of cable or satellite television, or online platform must ensure that the political advertising it hosts is not directly or indirectly purchased by a foreign national. Online platforms must publish a record of requests to purchase political advertising.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Safe Routes Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Transportation to waive vehicle weight limits for covered logging vehicles. The term "covered logging vehicle' means a vehicle that (1) is transporting raw or unfinished forest products, including logs, pulpwood, biomass, or wood chips; (2) is traveling a distance not greater than 150 air miles from origin to a storage or processing facility; and (3) meets state legal weight tolerances and vehicle configurations for transporting raw or unfinished forest products within the state boundaries in which the vehicle is operating.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
National Museum of the American Latino Act This bill establishes the National Museum of the American Latino in the Smithsonian Institution. The purposes of the museum are to (1) illuminate Latino contributions to the story of the United States; (2) provide for the collection, study, research, publication, and establishment of exhibitions and programs related to Latino life, art, history, and culture; and (3) provide for collaboration with Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers and other museums and educational institutions in the United States and abroad to promote the study and appreciation of Latino life, art, history, culture, and its impact on society in the United States. The bill establishes a Board of Trustees for the museum to advise and assist the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian on all matters related to the administration and preservation of the museum. The Director of the museum shall manage the museum and may carry out educational and liaison programs in support of its goals. The Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services shall establish and carry out specified grant programs and a scholarship program, including a grant program to promote the understanding of the Latin American diaspora in the United States. The Board of Regents shall designate a site for the museum and is authorized to design and construct it.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2019
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2019 or the PRENDA Act of 2019 This bill creates new federal crimes related to the performance of sex-selection abortions (i.e., abortions based on the sex or gender of an unborn child). It subjects a violator to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. It also authorizes civil remedies, including damages and injunctive relief. A woman who undergoes a sex-selection abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2019
Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the "Ghost Army," collectively, in recognition of its service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2019
21st Century NICS Act This bill modifies provisions governing the national instant criminal background check system (NICS). Specifically, it permits the NICS to query an additional database—the National Data Exchange—as part of a firearm-related background check.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2019
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1715 Linnerud Drive in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, as the "Fire Captain Cory Barr Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2019
Exposing the Financing of Human Trafficking Act This bill modifies the minimum standard for foreign government action toward the elimination of human trafficking. Specifically, an assessment of whether a government has made serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking shall include consideration as to whether the government vigorously investigates, seeks to prevent, and prosecutes financial crimes associated with such trafficking.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2019
Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas and Lands Act of 2019 or the RURAL Act of 2019 This bill modifies the definition of income used to determine the tax-exempt status of a mutual or cooperative telephone or electric company to exclude certain government grants, contributions, and assistance. Specifically, the bill excludes from income (1) grants, contributions, and assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act or by local, state, or regional governmental entities for disasters or emergencies; and (2) certain grants or contributions provided by a government entity for electric, communications, broadband, internet, or other utility facilities or services.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2019
Legacies of War Recognition and Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act This bill authorizes the President to provide humanitarian aid to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia for (1) the clearance of unexploded ordnance, and (2) assistance for victims of the explosive remnants of war in the region. The President shall annually brief Congress on such assistance activities.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2019
This resolution acknowledges over 85 years of effective state-based alcohol regulation since the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment to the Constitution (repealing Prohibition) and reaffirms the continued support of Congress for policies that allow states to effectively regulate alcohol.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2019
Conscience Protection Act of 2019 This bill provides statutory authority for certain restrictions prohibiting discrimination against health care providers that refuse to perform abortions. Specifically, the bill prohibits the federal government, as well as state and local governments that receive federal financial assistance for health-related activities, from penalizing or discriminating against a health care provider based on the provider's refusal to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortions. Currently, similar provider nondiscrimination requirements apply to certain employment or personnel decisions (the Church Amendments), abortion services training (the Coats-Snowe Amendment), and qualified health plans offered through health insurance exchanges. Annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies have also included similar language (the Weldon Amendment). The HHS Office for Civil Rights, in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), must investigate complaints alleging discrimination based on an individual's religious belief, moral conviction, or refusal to be involved in an abortion. DOJ or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may obtain equitable or legal relief in a civil action. Administrative remedies do not need to be sought or exhausted prior to commencing an action or granting relief. Such an action may be brought against a governmental entity and may include money damages against such entity.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2019
Lymphedema Treatment Act of 2019 This bill includes certain lymphedema compression treatment items as covered durable medical equipment under Medicare. (Lymphedema is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling that is caused when the lymphatic system is damaged or blocked.)
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2019
Wage Equity Act of 2019 This bill addresses pay discrimination in the workplace between men and women. Specifically, the bill allows an employer to base a wage differential determination on an employee's participation in a flexible work arrangement; protects employers who conduct a pay analysis audit to identify and correct pay discrimination from liability for damages relating to such discrimination; makes it an unlawful practice for an employer to rely on the wage history of a prospective employee for hiring and wage determination purposes unless the wage history is voluntarily provided by the prospective employee; makes it an unlawful practice for an employer to prohibit an employee from requesting wage information from another employee or from requesting information about wage differentials; authorizes the Department of Labor to establish a grant program for negotiation skills training for women and girls; and requires the Government Accountability Office to study and report on the causes and effects of pay disparities among men and women in the workplace and the impact on pay and opportunity for employees who leave the workforce for parental reasons.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2019
This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of the Congress regarding the benefits that tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies provide to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2019
Restoring Investment in Improvements Act This bill confirms that the applicable recovery period for qualified improvement property (nonresidential real estate) for depreciation purposes is 15 years under the modified accelerated cost recovery system (MACRS) and 20 years under the alternative depreciation system (ADS).
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2019
United States-Israel Cooperation Enhancement and Regional Security Act This bill authorizes various joint research and cooperation programs between the United States and Israel, reauthorizes security assistance to Israel, and establishes reporting requirements regarding various related issues. The bill authorizes the Department of State to work with Israel on research and development to establish directed energy capabilities. It authorizes through FY2024 cooperative projects involving the United States, Israel, and developing countries to identify and address sustainability challenges related to water resources, agriculture, and energy storage. The bill authorizes through FY2022 (1) activities of the U.S.-Israel Energy Center; (2) cooperation with and assistance to Israel related to security, explosives detection, and cybersecurity; (3) activities related to the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund; and (4) activities to establish a cooperative program with Israel to develop health technologies. The State Department shall establish a grant program to support cybersecurity research and development and commercialization of cybersecurity technology open to joint ventures involving U.S. and Israeli entities. The President shall establish contingency plans to provide Israel with necessary defense articles and services and assess plans to assist and supply Israel with munitions in the event of a sustained armed confrontation with Hezbollah. The bill authorizes the President to (1) waive export control requirements and immediately transfer defense articles to Israel in response to an existing or imminent military threat, and (2) transfer precision guided munitions to Israel as necessary for legitimate self-defense. The bill extends through FY2024 security assistance and loan guarantees for Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2019
This resolution opposes the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement (BDS) and other efforts targeting Israel, and states that BDS undermines the possibility for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The resolution urges both sides to return to direct negotiations and expresses support for a solution resulting in the state of Israel existing alongside a democratic Palestinian state.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, Milk, and Cheese To Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act or the DAIRY PRIDE Act This bill prohibits the sale of any food that uses the market name of a dairy product (such as milk , yogurt , or cream cheese ) unless the food (1) is the milk of a hooved animal, (2) is derived from such milk, or (3) contains such milk as a primary ingredient.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
This bill repeals the limitation on the amount of distilled spirits excise taxes covered over (paid) to the treasuries of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The bill also requires the Department of the Treasury to transfer a portion of the amount required to be covered over to Puerto Rico to the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2019
Student Agriculture Protection Act of 2019 This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from the gross income of a student agriculturist up to $5,000 of the gain from the sale or exchange of personal property (including livestock, crops, and agricultural mechanics or shop products) produced or raised by the student agriculturist. A "student agriculturist" is an individual who is under 22 years of age and is enrolled in (1) an FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter or a program established by the National FFA Organization; (2) a 4H Club or other program established by 4H; or (3) a student agriculture program that is under the direction or guidance of an agricultural educator, advisor, or club leader.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2019
Violence Against Women Extension Act of 2019 This bill extends through March 31, 2020, 19 grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and subsequent legislation and administered by the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2019
Cancer Drug Parity Act of 2019 This bill requires health plans that cover anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable cost sharing for patient-administered anticancer medications. This requirement applies to medications that are (1) approved by the Food and Drug Administration; (2) medically necessary for the cancer treatment; and (3) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration. To comply with this requirement, health plans may not, with respect to anticancer medications (1) change or replace benefits to increase out-of-pocket costs, (2) reclassify benefits to increase costs, or (3) apply more restrictive limitations to orally administered medications than to intravenously administered or injected medications.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2019
Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish a program to provide children with parents on active duty in the uniformed services with funds to pay educational expenses. Specifically, ED shall establish a tax-exempt Military Education Savings Account for dependent children of parents in the uniformed services for the payment of the children's educational expenses. Funds in the savings account may be used for, among other things, the cost of attendance at a private elementary or secondary school or institution of higher education, private tutoring, or costs associated with an apprenticeship or other vocational training program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2019
Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2019 This bill waives Medicare coinsurance requirements with respect to colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of the code billed for a resulting diagnosis or procedure.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2019
American Workers for Security Act of 2019 This bill requires iron or steel used to build a border wall with Mexico to be produced in the United States, with exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2019 This bill delays reimposition of the annual fee on health insurers until 2022. Under current law, the annual fee for a health insurer is calculated based on the insurer's share of total premiums from the preceding year. The fee is suspended for 2019 (i.e., there is no fee based on premiums from 2018); reimposition is scheduled for 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover diagnosis and treatment services for congenital anomalies and birth defects, such as reconstructive services and prosthetics. Coverage must include services that functionally improve, repair, or restore any body part that is medically necessary for normal bodily functions or appearance, as determined by the treating physician.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act or the DRIVE-Safe Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to promulgate regulations to implement an apprenticeship program for licensed commercial motor vehicle drivers under the age of 21.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Responsible Additions and Increases to Sustain Employee Health Benefits Act of 201 9 This bill modifies the tax exclusion for distributions from health flexible spending arrangements provided to employees under a cafeteria plan to (1) increase the annual limit on employee salary reduction contributions to $5,000, with an additional $500 for each additional employee dependent above two dependents that has not been taken into account by another person for the year; (2) revise the adjustment for inflation after 2020; and (3) allow a carryforward into the next year for unused amounts in such plans.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Advancing Medical Resident Training in Community Hospitals Act of 2019 This bill revises payment rules under Medicare for graduate medical education (GME) costs with respect to a hospital that establishes a new medical residency training program. If a hospital has not entered into a GME affiliation agreement, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must establish the hospital's full-time equivalent (FTE) resident amount only after determining that the hospital's medical residency training program trains more than 1.0 FTE resident in a cost reporting period. If a hospital has an approved FTE resident amount that is based on other specified thresholds, the CMS must give the hospital the opportunity to have the amount reestablished when the hospital begins training FTE residents in excess of the applicable threshold. The bill also establishes similar thresholds for new determinations of certain adjustments to hospital payment limitations regarding FTE residents in allopathic and osteopathic medicine; a hospital that has an adjustment has the opportunity to have it redetermined once the applicable threshold is exceeded.
