United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2016
Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act This bill declares that it shall be the policy of the U.S. government not to pay ransom or release prisoners for the purpose of securing the release of U.S. citizens taken hostage abroad. The U.S. government is prohibited from providing promissory notes (including currency) issued by the U.S. government or by a foreign government to the government of Iran. The conduct of a transaction or payment in connection with a claim settlement agreement brought before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal (established on January 19, 1981) may be made only: (1) on a case-by-case basis pursuant to a specific license by the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, and (2) in a manner that does not contradict such promissory note prohibition. The President must publish a list of such transactions or payments. Such promissory note prohibition and licensing requirement shall remain in effect until the President certifies that: (1) a preliminary or final rule providing for Iran's designation as a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern has been rescinded, and (2) the Department of State has removed Iran from the list of countries that have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. The President shall: (1) submit, every 180 days for 3 years, a report that evaluates each outstanding claim before the tribunal; and (2) provide notice prior to conducting a transaction or payment from the U.S. government to the government of Iran in connection with a claim settlement agreement. Nothing in this bill shall: (1) apply to activities subject to the non-covert intelligence reporting requirements under title V of the National Security Act of 1947, or (2) be construed to authorize any U.S. government payment to the government of Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity for Children Act or the RACE for Children Act This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to expand requirements for assessing the use of medications in pediatric populations. Applications and supplements to applications for certain drugs and biological products, including orphan drugs, that could be used to treat pediatric cancer must include an assessment of pediatric use. Upon request, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must meet with the sponsor of such a medication to discuss the plan for pediatric studies. The FDA may require the sponsor of an approved medication that could be used to treat pediatric cancer to complete a pediatric assessment if: (1) the medication is used for a substantial number of pediatric cancer patients, or (2) there is reason to believe the medication would have a meaningful therapeutic benefit over existing therapies for pediatric cancer patients. The bill limits waivers of pediatric assessment requirements for certain medications that could be used to treat a pediatric cancer for which there is a need for additional treatment options. The FDA must meet with medication sponsors to discuss a deferral or waiver of the pediatric assessment requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act of 2016 This bill amends the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996 to require the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council and each of the federal financial regulators to conduct, at least once every five years, a comprehensive review of all regulations prescribed by the council or the regulator, including all regulations issued after December 31, 2006, in order to identify outdated or otherwise unnecessary regulatory requirements imposed on covered persons. "Covered persons" are those that engage in offering or providing a consumer financial product or service and affiliates who provide services to them. Under the process for conducting such a review, the council and the appropriate regulator shall also: consider the impact of the regulations on the financial safety and soundness, as well as on the risk profile and business models, of the covered persons; and determine the necessity, appropriateness, and impact of continuing to apply the regulatory action. The bill requires the council and the appropriate regulator to ensure that the notice and comment period with respect to the regulations reviewed is conducted at least once every 5 years (rather than, as currently, 10 years). The council and the appropriate regulator shall eliminate or tailor unnecessary regulations so as to limit the regulatory compliance burdens.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Bank Service Company Examination Coordination Act of 2016 This bill amends the Bank Service Company Act to allow the appropriate federal banking agency with respect to the principal shareholder or principal member of a bank service company to authorize a state banking agency (in addition to any other federal banking agency, as under current law) that supervises any other shareholder or member to make an examination of the bank service company.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Recognizes the 75th anniversary of the American Tree Farm System. Encourages the public to participate in ceremonies and activities that recognize the importance of this program, working family-owned forests, and the clean water, wildlife habitat, and wood supply they provide. Supports conservation and management of the nation's trees and forests through landowner participation in the Conservation Reserve Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, and the Forest Stewardship Program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016 This bill declares that it is U.S. policy that all diplomatic and coercive economic means should be used to compel the government of Bashir al-Assad to halt the slaughter of the Syrian people and actively work toward transition to a democratic government. This bill directs the President to impose specified entry and U.S.-based property sanctions against a foreign person that knowingly provides significant financial, material, or technological support: (1) to the government of Syria and the Central Bank of Syria, including Syria's intelligence and security services or its armed forces, including through money laundering or with respect to Syria's gas or petroleum production or civilian aircraft services; and (2) that materially contributes to Syria's ability to acquire or develop ballistic missiles, chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, or destabilizing numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons. The Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012 is amended to direct the President to impose entry and U.S.-based property sanctions against persons responsible for or complicit in: (1) directing the commission of serious human rights abuses against citizens of Syria or their family members, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Syria; or (2) transferring to Syria certain military items or goods or technologies that may be used to commit human rights abuses. The Department of State and the Agency for International Development shall report on the monitoring and evaluation of ongoing assistance programs in Syria and to the Syrian people. The bill requires the President to: (1) submit an updated list of Syrian officials who are responsible for or complicit in the commission of serious human rights abuses against Syrian citizens, and (2) assess the potential effectiveness of a no-fly zone over Syria. The State Department shall provide assistance to entities taking criminal and evidence gathering actions for prosection of individuals who have committed crimes against humanity or war crimes in Syria since March 2011. The President may suspend sanctions against Syria under specified conditions. The bill: (1) expresses the sense of Congress with respect to a transitional government in Syria, and (2) sets forth activities and transactions that are exempt from sanctions.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Preventing Iranian Destabilization of Iraq Act of 2016 This bill declares it shall be the policy of the United States to impose sanctions with respect to terrorist organizations and foreign countries, including the government of Iran, that threaten the peace or stability of Iraq. The bill directs the President to impose sanctions to block transactions in property and interests in property in the United States of, and the Department of State or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deny admissions into the United States or revoke the visa of, any foreign person that State or DHS determines: has knowingly committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, violence that threatens the peace or stability of Iraq or that undermines economic reconstruction, political reform, or humanitarian efforts in Iraq; has knowingly materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, any such act; or is owned or controlled by, or has acted on behalf of, a foreign person that has carried out any such act or activity. Such admissions-related sanctions shall not apply if a person's admission is necessary to permit the United States to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations or other applicable international obligations. The President may waive the application of sanctions under this bill for up to 90 days if the President provides prior certification that the waiver is vital to U.S. national security interests. The sanction provisions of this bill shall cease to be effective on January 1, 2022. It is the sense of Congress that the government of Iran has committed acts of violence, and poses a significant risk of committing further acts of violence, that threaten the peace or stability of Iraq. The bill directs the President to determine whether specified Iranian officials are responsible for engaging in acts or activities described in this bill and, if so, to impose admissions-related sanctions on such officials. The President must report, every 180 days for 5 years, on Iranian activities in Iraq, including Iran's support for Iraqi militias or political parties.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
Requires both chambers of Congress to assemble annually in the Hall of the House of Representatives to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General on the Government Accountability Office's audited financial statement of the accounts and associated activities of the executive branch, together with an analysis of the financial position and condition of the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2016
No Ex-Im Financing for Iran Act This bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to prohibit the Export-Import Bank from guaranteeing, insuring, extending credit, or participating in the extension of credit in connection with the export of U.S. goods or services to any entity that does business with or provides credit or a guarantee to any other entity in connection with exports involving: the Government of Iran, or an entity in which the Government of Iran participates, an entity created under Iranian law, or an operation in Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
CFPB Rule Accountability Act of 2016 This bill amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), before any federal agency rule may take effect, to publish in the Federal Register a list of information on which the rule is based, including data, scientific and economic studies, and cost-benefit analyses, identify how the public can access such information online, and report to Congress and to the Government Accountability Office a classification of the rule as a major or nonmajor rule. Congress must enact a joint resolution of approval of major rules before they may take effect. If a joint resolution of approval is not enacted by the end of 70 session days or legislative days, as applicable, after the CFPB reports on the rule to Congress, the major rule shall be deemed not to be approved and shall not take effect. A major rule may take effect, however, for one 90-calendar day period without such approval if the President determines it is necessary because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency, for the enforcement of criminal laws, for national security, or to implement an international trade agreement. The bill prescribes the congressional approval procedure for major rules and the congressional disapproval procedure for nonmajor rules. A joint resolution addressing a report classifying a rule as a major rule must be introduced within three legislative days in the House of Representative and three session days in the Senate. No amendments to such a joint resolution shall be permitted at any stage of the legislative process. The bill prescribes a procedure for expedited consideration of a joint resolution of approval, requiring a vote on the resolution in the Senate within 15 session days after it is reported by the committee to which it was referred, or after the committee has been discharged from further consideration of it. A court may review whether an agency has completed the necessary requirements under this bill for a rule to take effect. No determination, finding, action, or omission under this bill shall be subject to judicial review. The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended to provide that any congressional approval procedure set forth in this bill affecting budget authority, outlays, or receipts shall be assumed to be effective unless it is not approved in accordance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2016
Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow energy tax credits through 2020 for investments in: (1) qualified biogas property, or (2) qualified manure resource recovery property. The bill also permits new clean renewable energy bonds to be used for such properties. "Qualified biogas property" comprises a system that: (1) uses anaerobic digesters or other specified processes to convert biomass into a gas which is at least 52% methane; and (2) captures the gas for use as a fuel. The term includes property that cleans and conditions the gas for use as a fuel. "Qualified manure resource recovery property" comprises a system that uses specified processes to recover the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus from a non-treated digestate or animal manure by reducing or separating at least 50% of the nutrients, excluding any reductions during the incineration, storage, composting, or field application of the non-treated digestate or animal manure. The term also includes certain processing equipment. The Department of the Treasury must enter into an agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for a study of biogas and report to Congress on the study.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016
Protecting Internet Freedom Act This bill prohibits the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information from allowing the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's responsibility for Internet domain name system functions, including the authoritative root zone file and the performance of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority functions, to cease unless a federal statute enacted after enactment of this bill expressly grants the Assistant Secretary such authority. The Assistant Secretary must certify to Congress that the U.S. government has: (1) secured sole ownership of the .gov and .mil top-level domains, and (2) entered into a contract with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers that provides the U.S. government with exclusive control and use of those domains in perpetuity.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2016
Corporate Governance Reform and Transparency Act of 2016 This bill amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require the registration of proxy advisory firms and make it unlawful for an unregistered proxy advisory firm to make use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce to provide proxy voting research, analysis, or recommendations to any client. "Proxy advisory firm" means any person registered under this bill who is engaged in the business of providing proxy voting research, analysis, or recommendations to clients, which conduct constitutes a solicitation, except to the extent that the person is exempted by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and regulations from requirements that otherwise apply to persons engaged in a solicitation. The bill prescribes both registration and termination procedures. The SEC shall report annually on its Internet website about proxy advisory firm registration applicants, actions taken on the applications, and specified related matters.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2016
Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act or PROMESA This bill addresses Puerto Rico's debt by establishing an oversight board, a process for restructuring debt, and expedited procedures for approving critical infrastructure projects. The bill establishes the Financial Oversight and Management Board to oversee the development of budgets and fiscal plans for Puerto Rico's instrumentalities and government. The board may issue subpoenas, certify voluntary agreements between creditors and debtors, seek judicial enforcement of its authority, and impose penalties. The board's responsibilities include: approving the governor's fiscal plan; approving annual budgets; enforcing budgets and ordering any necessary spending reductions; and reviewing laws, contracts, rules, regulations, or executive orders for compliance with the fiscal plan. The bill establishes procedures and requirements for Puerto Rico to restructure its debt and designates the board as the representative of the debtor. The board may initiate a procedure for debt restructuring and submit or modify a plan of adjustment. The establishment of the board operates as an automatic stay of creditor actions to enforce claims against the government of Puerto Rico. The bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to permit the governor, subject to the approval of the board, to designate a time period of no more than four years during which employers in Puerto Rico may pay certain employees less than the national minimum wage. The bill establishes a Revitalization Coordinator to designate critical infrastructure projects that meet specified requirements. Critical projects approved by the oversight board are eligible for an expedited permitting process. The board shall divide creditors into pools based on the characteristics of the debt, and each pool may vote on a plan to restructure the debt. If at least two-thirds of the outstanding principal amount of a pool agrees with the plan, the pool may file a petition in court to bind the dissenting bondholders to the modification.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2016
Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act of 2016 or the PADME Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a bid ceiling for durable medical equipment (such as wheelchairs) under Medicare's competitive acquisition program, through which rates are set according to a bidding process rather than by an established fee schedule. Specifically, the bid ceiling for such an item shall not be less than the fee schedule amount that would otherwise be determined. Under current law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must use payment information from competitive acquisition programs to make payment adjustments for areas outside of such programs. The bill requires CMS, in making these adjustments, to account for stakeholder input. In addition, CMS must account for a comparison of competitive acquisition areas and other areas with respect to the following factors: average travel distance and cost associated with furnishing items and services, barriers to access, average delivery time, average volume of items and services furnished by suppliers, and number of suppliers. In addition, CMS shall delay by 15 months the full implementation of new Medicare payment rates for durable medical equipment. On a monthly basis, CMS must publish on its website the results of the monitoring of health outcomes and Medicare beneficiaries' access to durable medical equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2016
Promoting Life-Saving New Therapies for Neonates Act of 2016 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to award the sponsor of a new drug or biological product for the treatment of newborns a neonatal drug exclusivity voucher upon approval of the medication. A neonatal drug exclusivity voucher is a transferable voucher for a one-year extension of all existing patents and marketing exclusivities for a brand name medication. For a sponsor to be eligible for a voucher, the new medication must: (1) treat a condition identified in the Priority List of Critical Needs for Neonates required under this bill, and (2) have been studied in newborns. A voucher may be revoked if the new medication is not marketed in the United States within one year of approval. A voucher may not be used: (1) to extend the marketing exclusivity period for a drug for which the FDA requires an assessment of the safety and effectiveness in newborns, or (2) on the same product as a priority review voucher. A sponsor intending to use a voucher must notify the FDA at least 15 months before the expiration of the patents or exclusivity to be extended. The Government Accountability Office must study the effectiveness of this voucher program.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016
Transparent Insurance Standards Act of 2016 This bill specifies U.S. objectives regarding international insurance standards. The United States may not agree to, accept, establish, enter into, or consent to the adoption of a final international insurance standard with an international standard-setting organization or a foreign government, authority, or regulatory entity unless certain publication requirements and capital standards are met. Before U.S. adoption of any such international insurance standard the Department of the Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, in consultation with the state insurance commissioners, shall analyze and report to Congress on the impact of the standard on U.S. consumers and markets and whether any changes in state law will result from such final standard. Congress shall have 90 days to approve or reject the final standard. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act is amended to authorize the Independent Member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council to: perform specified consultant duties with international insurance supervisors, international financial stability counterparts, as well as Treasury; attend the Financial Stability Board of The Group of Twenty, and arrange for the attendance and participation at the Board of state insurance commissioners on matters related to insurance and financial stability; and attend, with the U.S. delegation, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and observe and participate at the OECD Insurance and Private Pensions Committee on those same matters. Parties representing the United States at the Financial Stability Board of the Group of Twenty on matters, and in meetings, related to insurance and financial stability shall consult with the state insurance commissioners and seek to include them in those meetings.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016
Rural Hospital Enhancement and Long Term Health Act of 2016 This bill revises the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act by increasing the maximum grant amount for hospitals under the community facilities grant program. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may not condition grants on the inability of applicants to finance their projects. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act by reauthorizing through FY2021 and revising the grant program for state offices of rural health, including by requiring HHS to make the grants, thus removing HHS' discretion to make them. HHS must report annually to Congress and each state office of rural health on rural hospitals' closures.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2016
Investing in Opportunity Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the designation of opportunity zones in low-income communities and to provide tax incentives for investments in the zones, including deferring the recognition of capital gains that are reinvested in the zones. Governors may submit nominations for a limited number of opportunity zones to the Department of the Treasury for certification and designation. Governors must give particular consideration to areas that: are currently the focus of mutually reinforcing state, local, or private economic development initiatives to attract investment and foster startup activity; have demonstrated success in geographically targeted development programs such as promise zones, the new markets tax credit, empowerment zones, and renewal communities; and have recently experienced significant layoffs due to business closures or relocations. Treasury must designate zones if a governor fails to submit nominations within a specified period of time. The bill defines opportunity funds as any investment vehicle organized as a corporation or a partnership to invest in opportunity zones that holds at least 90% of its assets in opportunity zone assets. Taxpayers may temporarily defer the recognition of capital gains that are invested in opportunity zones or opportunity funds. Investments that are held for at least five years are eligible for capital gains tax reductions or exemptions, depending on how long the investment is held. Treasury must report to Congress on the opportunity zone incentives enacted in this bill, including an assessment of opportunity fund investments at the national and state levels.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2016
Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 This bill prohibits government officials from entering into a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States, or from enforcing such a settlement agreement, if that agreement requires a donation to be made to any person by any party (other than the United States) to such agreement. Government officials or agents who violate this prohibition may be removed from office or required to forfeit to the government any money they hold for such purposes to which they may otherwise be entitled. The term "donation" excludes a payment by a party to provide restitution for or otherwise remedy the actual harm caused by the alleged conduct that is the basis for the settlement agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2016
Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to identify: certain severance payments to veterans with combat-related injuries paid after January 17, 1991, from which DOD withheld amounts for tax purposes, and the individuals to whom such severance payments were made. DOD shall provide each such veteran with: notice of the amount of improperly withheld severance payments, and instructions for filing amended tax returns to recover such amount. The period for filing a related claim with the Internal Revenue Service for a credit or refund is extended beyond the three-year limitation to the date that is one year after DOD provides the veteran with the information required by this Act. DOD shall ensure that amounts are not withheld for tax purposes from DOD severance payments to individuals when such payments are not considered gross income.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2016
End Executive Overreach Act This bill prohibits, until January 21, 2017, the use of federal funds, fees, or resources to implement an executive order issued on or after the enactment of this bill. The bill prohibits any agency, until such date, from making or finalizing: a major rule (a rule that is likely to result in an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more); a rule that may raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in Executive Order 12866 (which requires that significant regulatory actions be submitted for review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget); or a rule that may create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an action taken or planned by another agency.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2016
American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016 This bill declares the sense of Congress that it should consider a miscellaneous tariff bill. The U.S. International Trade Commission shall: conduct a process, meeting specified requirements, for the submission and consideration of petitions for duty suspensions and reductions; and report to Congress on the effects of duty suspensions and reductions enacted pursuant to this Act on producers, purchasers, and consumers in the United States. The bill prescribes requirements for publication by specified congressional committees of a list of limited tariff benefits contained in a miscellaneous tariff bill.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2016
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2016 This bill imposes criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly or knowingly attempts to: (1) perform an abortion knowing that the abortion is sought based on the sex, gender, color or race of the child, or the race of a parent; (2) use force or the threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion; (3) solicit or accept funds for the performance of such an abortion; or (4) transport a woman into the United States or across a state line for the purpose of obtaining such an abortion. Violations or attempted violations shall result in fines and/or imprisonment for up to five years. The bill authorizes civil actions (for verifiable money damages for injuries and punitive damages) by: (1) fathers, or maternal grandparents if the mother is an unemancipated minor, of unborn children who are the subject of an abortion performed or attempted through any of the above violations; or (2) women upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted with a knowing or attempted use of force or threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion. To prevent an abortion provider from performing or attempting further abortions in violation of this bill, the bill authorizes injunctive relief to be obtained by: (1) the women upon whom such an abortion is performed or attempted, (2) a maternal grandparent of the unborn child if the woman is an unemancipated minor, (3) the father of such an unborn child, or (4) the Department of Justice. Violations of this bill are deemed to be prohibited discrimination under title VI (Federally Assisted Programs) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Violators of title VI lose federal funding.) Medical or mental health professionals must report known or suspected violations to law enforcement authorities. Criminal penalties are established for a failure to so report. A woman having such an abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable. Courts must make such orders as necessary to protect the anonymity of any woman upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted if she does not give her written consent to such disclosure. In the absence of such a woman's written consent, any party, other than a public official, who brings an action must use a pseudonym. For purposes of this bill, "abortion" is defined as the act of using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman, with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child, unless the act is intended to: (1) save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, (2) remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion, or (3) remove an ectopic pregnancy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2016
Kevin and Avonte's Law of 2016 Missing Americans Alert Program Act of 2016 This bill amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to revise and rename the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program as the Missing Americans Alert Program and to reauthorize it through FY2021. It directs the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Bureau of Justice Assistance to award grants to state and local law enforcement or public safety agencies and nonprofit organizations to prevent wandering and locate missing individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities. DOJ must establish and certain grant recipients must comply with standards and best practices related to the use of tracking technology to locate missing individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities. The bill amends the Missing Children's Assistance Act to specify that, with respect to training and technical assistance provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, cases involving missing and exploited children include cases involving children with developmental disabilities such as autism.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2016
Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act or PROMESA This bill addresses Puerto Rico's debt by establishing an oversight board, a process for restructuring debt, and expedited procedures for approving critical infrastructure projects. The bill establishes the Financial Oversight and Management Board to oversee the development of budgets and fiscal plans for Puerto Rico's instrumentalities and government. The board may issue subpoenas, certify voluntary agreements between creditors and debtors, seek judicial enforcement of its authority, impose penalties, and enforce territorial laws prohibiting public sector employees from participating in strikes or lockouts. The board's responsibilities include: approving the governor's fiscal plan; approving annual budgets; enforcing budgets and ordering any necessary spending reductions; and reviewing laws, contracts, rules, and regulations for compliance with the fiscal plan. The bill establishes procedures and requirements for Puerto Rico to restructure its debt and designates the board as the representative of the debtor. The board may initiate a procedure for debt restructuring and submit or modify a plan of adjustment. The establishment of the board operates as an automatic stay of creditor actions to enforce claims against the government of Puerto Rico. The bill establishes a Revitalization Coordinator to designate critical infrastructure projects that address an infrastructure emergency, have access to private capital, and meet other requirements. Critical projects approved by the oversight board are eligible for an expedited permitting process. The board shall divide creditors into pools based on the characteristics of the debt, and each pool may vote on a plan to restructure the debt. If at least two-thirds of the outstanding principal amount of a pool agrees with the plan, the pool may file a petition in court to bind the dissenting bondholders to the modification.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2016
Conscience Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to codify the prohibition against the federal government and state and local governments that receive federal financial assistance for health-related activities penalizing or discriminating against a health care provider based on the provider's refusal to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortion. Health care providers include health care professionals, health care facilities, social services providers, health care professional training programs, and health insurers. The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services, 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.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2016
Small Public Housing Agency Opportunity Act of 2016 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to subject a small public housing agency (PHA) to the same requirements as a PHA. A small PHA is a PHA for which the sum of the number of public housing dwelling units and the number of vouchers under Section 8 (tenant-based assistance) it administers is 550 or fewer. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shall: carry out physical inspections of a small PHA public housing project at least once every three years, unless it is a troubled small PHA; determine the financial condition of a small PHA public housing program solely on the basis of the ratio of current assets to current liabilities; and determine management condition of a small PHA public housing program solely on the basis of the ratio of vacant unit months to eligible unit months. A small PHA administering Section 8 tenant-based assistance under the housing voucher program must make physical inspections of assisted units at least once every three years. HUD shall evaluate the management of a small PHA's voucher program solely on the basis of its lease-up rate or the budget utilization rate, which must be at least 90% to be acceptable. HUD shall designate a small PHA as a high-performing agency if it exceeds acceptability criteria. HUD may designate a small PHA as a troubled small PHA with respect to its public housing program or housing voucher program only if it meets certain negative criteria. HUD shall establish an appeals process for a small PHA to dispute a determination of deficiency. HUD and a troubled small PHA shall enter into a one-year corrective action agreement (renewable at HUD option) under which the small PHA must undertake actions to correct deficiencies. The bill prescribes and/or revises requirements to reduce the administrative burden on small PHAs with respect to: certain reports; community service; economic opportunities for low- and very low-income persons; exemption of a small PHA administering not more than 400 public housing dwelling units, upon request, from any asset management requirement; exemption from environmental review for a development or modernization project involving new construction if the new construction portion of the total cost does not exceed $100,000; and streamlined HUD procedures for such reviews. Small PHAs shall also be exempt from Green Physical Needs Assessment requirements for any fiscal year for which a specified circumstance occurs. HUD shall carry out a demonstration project to examine how various methods of determining rent in public housing affect the administrative burden on small PHAs and public housing residents. The bill establishes rent-setting mechanisms for demonstration project participants based on: (1) a tiered system for initial rents for extremely low-income families, very low-income families, and low-income families; (2) a certain range of gross income percentages; or (3) the existing method for establishing rents. A small PHA may elect to be paid for its utility and waste management costs under a HUD assistance formula for a period, at its discretion, of up to 20 years based on its average annual consumption during the three-year period preceding the year in which the election is made. HUD shall develop and deploy all electronic information systems necessary to accommodate full consolidated reporting by PHAs electing to operate in consortia.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
FDIC Accountability Act of 2016 This bill amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to authorize the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to incur obligations or allow and pay expenses only pursuant to an appropriations Act, except for obligations or expenses that have either been: paid for with funds from the Deposit Insurance Fund; or incurred, allowed, or paid to implement the insurance function of the FDIC. Any FDIC-collected fees that are not deposit insurance fees must be deposited and credited as offsetting collections to the account providing appropriations to the FDIC.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act This bill declares that the proposed or the final rule of the Department of Labor entitled "Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees" shall cease to have any force or effect. The rule revises the "white collar" exemption of executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees from minimum wage and maximum hour, or overtime, requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). If the proposed rule is a final rule on the date of enactment of this bill: Labor shall not enforce it based on conduct occurring before that enactment date, an employee shall not have any right of action against an employer for the employer's failure to comply with the final rule at any time before that enactment date, any regulations that were amended by the final rule shall be restored and revived as if the final rule had never taken effect, and nothing in this bill shall be construed to create a right of action for an employer against an employee for the recoupment of any payments made to the employee before the enactment of this bill that were in compliance with that final rule. Labor may promulgate any substantially similar rule only if it has completed certain required actions; but the rule shall not contain any automatic updates to the salary threshold for purposes of exemptions to minimum wage and maximum hour requirements under the FLSA. The requirement that definitions applicable for such exemptions be defined and delimited from time to time by Labor regulations shall be construed to: require Labor to issue a new rule through notice and comment rulemaking for each change in any salary threshold it has proposed; and exclude any rule that would result in changes to any salary threshold for multiple time periods, including through any automatic updating procedure. Labor may not promulgate any final rule that includes any revision to duties tests for exemption from minimum wage and maximum hours requirements unless specific regulatory text for the provision was proposed in the proposed rule.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2016
Advancing Medical Resident Training in Community Hospitals Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise payment rules for graduate medical education (GME) costs with respect to a hospital that establishes a new medical residency training program. With respect to a hospital that has not entered into a GME affiliation agreement, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall 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. In the case of a hospital with an approved FTE resident amount based on the training of no more than 1.0 FTE resident in a cost reporting period before October 1, 1997, or 3.0 FTE residents in a cost reporting period after that date, CMS shall provide the hospital an opportunity to have its FTE resident amount reestablished when the hospital begins training FTE residents in excess of the applicable threshold. Current law limits the number, subject to the application of certain adjustments, of FTE residents a hospital may have in allopathic and osteopathic medicine for purposes of Medicare payment. The bill specifies that CMS shall determine a hospital's limitation adjustment only after determining that the hospital's medical residency training program trains more than 1.0 FTE residents in a cost reporting period. In the case of a hospital with a limitation adjustment based on the training of no more than 1.0 FTE resident in a cost reporting period before October 1, 1997, or 3.0 FTE residents in a cost reporting period after that date, CMS shall provide the hospital an opportunity to have its adjustment re-determined when the hospital begins training FTE residents in excess of the applicable threshold.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2016
This bill amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to authorize Federal Home Loan Banks to make investments related to rural infrastructure development. Federal Home Loan Banks may purchase investment-grade securities from nonmember lenders that are organized as cooperatives, have received financing from the Federal Financing Bank, and have experience providing loans to cooperatives eligible to receive loans from the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2016
Combating BDS Act of 2016 This bill authorizes a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, or prohibit investment of its assets in: (1) an entity that such government determines, using credible information available to the public, engages in a commerce or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel; or (2) an entity that owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership or control with, such an entity. Such government shall provide written notice to such an entity before applying such a measure. Such a measure by a state or local government is not preempted by any federal law or regulation. The bill applies to measures adopted by a state or local government before, on, or after the date of this Act's enactment. The bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to prohibit any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against any registered investment company, or any officer or employee thereof, based solely upon such company divesting from, or avoiding investing in, securities issued by persons that such company determines, using credible information available to the public, engage in commerce or investment-related boycotts, divestments, or sanctions activities targeting Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2016
Sound of Freedom Act This bill states that it shall be Department of Defense (DOD) policy that flyovers of public events in support of community relations activities may only be flown as part of an approved training mission at no additional expense to the federal government. The Adjutant General of a state in which an Army National Guard or Air National Guard unit is based shall be the approval authority for all Air National Guard and Army National Guard flyovers in that state, including any flyover request in any civilian domain at a non-aviation related event. DOD shall maintain records of flyover requests and approvals in a publicly accessible database updated annually. "Flyover" means aviation support: in which a straight and level flight limited to one pass by a single military aircraft, or by a single formation of four or fewer military aircraft of the same type, from the same military department over a predetermined point on the ground at a specific time; that does not involve aerobatics or demonstrations; and that uses bank angles of up to 90 degrees if required to improve spectator visibility of the aircraft.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Fairness for Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the placed-in-service restriction on the depreciation of certain farming business machinery and equipment and to make permanent the five-year recovery period for such property.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2016
Stop Act This bill amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit an individual holding federal office from soliciting funds directly from any person: (1) for or on behalf of any political committee, or (2) for or on the behalf of any person for use for federal election activity. Such an individual, however, may participate in a fundraising event, including planning or attending it, speaking at it, or serving as a featured guest at the event, so long as he or she does not engage in any written or verbal solicitation of funds in connection with the event.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2016
Commends the cooperative owners and the employees of the Farm Credit System for their continuing service in meeting the credit and financial-services needs of rural communities and agriculture.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2016
Faster Care for Veterans Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin an 18-month pilot program in at least three Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) under which veterans use an Internet website to schedule and confirm appointments at VA medical facilities. The pilot program's duration may be extended and the number of VISNs may be increased.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2015
This bill amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to: (1) require each voting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council to testify at least twice each year before the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee if invited to do so; and (2) permit Members of Congress who serve on such committees to attend council meetings, regardless of whether such meetings are open to the public, if in any year a council member fails to testify at least twice before each such committee after being invited to do so.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2015
Puerto Rico Financial Stability and Debt Restructuring Choice Act This bill establishes the Puerto Rico Financial Stability Council, subject to enactment of a law by the Legislative Assembly and the governor of Puerto Rico. For each fiscal year the governor of Puerto Rico shall develop a financial plan, and the Legislative Assembly shall develop a budget, that meet specified requirements to promote financial stability, and both shall submit them to the Council for its approval. The bill prescribes procedures for submission to the Council of revised financial plans or revised budgets in the event of disapproval for failing meet specified criteria. The government of Puerto Rico may not borrow money unless the Council certifies in advance that both the receipt of borrowed funds and the repayment of obligations incurred are consistent with the financial plan and budget for the year. The bill also prescribes procedures for addressing any variance of actual revenues and expenditures from the adopted financial plan and budget, including the withholding of funds under federal programs. The Council shall recommend to the governor, the Legislative Assembly, the President, and Congress actions for the government of Puerto Rico or the federal government to take to ensure compliance with a financial plan and budget. The bill amends federal bankruptcy law to apply to Puerto Rico treatment as a state with respect to Adjustments of Debts of a Municipality.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2015
Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2015 This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to authorize a person or the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to furnish to a consumer reporting agency information relating to the performance of a consumer in making payments: (1) under a lease agreement for a dwelling, including a lease in which HUD provides subsidized payments; or (2) pursuant to a contract for a utility or telecommunications service. Information about a consumer's usage of any utility or telecommunications services may be furnished to a consumer reporting agency only to the extent that such information relates to payment by the consumer for such services or other terms of the provision of such services, including any deposit, discount, or conditions for interruption or termination of service. An energy utility firm may not report payment information to a consumer reporting agency with respect to an outstanding balance of a consumer as late if the firm and the consumer have entered into a payment plan and the consumer is meeting the obligations of such plan. The bill amends the Consumer Credit Protection Act to make provisions regarding civil liability to consumers of persons for willful or negligent noncompliance with requirements imposed by such Act on credit reporting agencies inapplicable to any violation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
This bill amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act with respect to the prohibition declaring that an insured depository institution that is not well-capitalized may not accept funds obtained, directly or indirectly, by or through any deposit broker for deposit into one or more deposit accounts. Reciprocal deposits of an insured depository institution, however, shall not be considered to be prohibited broker deposits if: the composite condition of the institution at its most recent examination was adjudged either good or outstanding, or total reciprocal deposits of the institution do not exceed either $10 billion or 20% of its total liabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 220 East Oak Street, Glenwood City, Wisconsin, as the Second Lt. Ellen Ainsworth Memorial Post Office.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015
Stopping EPA Overreach Act of 2015 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to exclude carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride pollution from the scope of that Act. The bill declares that current law does not authorize or require the regulation of climate change or global warming and nullifies certain proposed rules relating to greenhouse gas and carbon pollution emissions. Before proposing or finalizing regulations or policies, the Environmental Protection Agency must analyze the net and gross impact of those regulations and policies on employment. Regulations and policies may not take effect if they have a negative impact on employment, unless they are approved by Congress and signed by the President.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2015
SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2015 This bill amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to establish within the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) an Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation. The Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation shall: assist small businesses and small business investors in resolving significant problems they may have with the SEC or with self-regulatory organizations; identify areas in which such businesses and investors would benefit from changes in SEC regulations or the rules of such organizations; identify problems that small businesses have with securing access to capital; analyze the potential impact on such businesses and investors of proposed SEC regulations and proposed rules that are likely to have a significant economic impact on small businesses and small business capital formation; conduct outreach to such businesses and investors to solicit views on relevant capital formation issues; propose to the SEC changes in its regulations or orders, and propose to Congress legislative, administrative, or personnel changes, to mitigate problems identified and to promote the interests of such businesses and investors; consult with the Investor Advocate on such proposals and advise the Investor Advocate on small business-related issues; submit annual reports on its activities to specified congressional committees; and be responsible for planning, organizing, and executing the annual Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. The bill also establishes the Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee, which shall provide the SEC with advice on SEC rules, regulations, and policies regarding its mission of protecting investors, maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation, as they relate to: capital raising by emerging, privately held small businesses and publicly traded companies with less than $250 million in public market capitalization through securities offerings; trading in the securities of such businesses and companies; and public reporting and corporate governance requirements of such businesses and companies. The SEC shall assess the Committee's recommendations and disclose any action it intends to take with respect to such recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2015
Trees on the Interstate Means a Better Economy and Roads Act of 2015 or the TIMBER Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of Transportation to waive certain Interstate Highway System vehicle weight limitations for covered logging vehicles. The bill defines "covered logging vehicle" to mean a vehicle that: is transporting raw or unfinished forest products, including logs, pulpwood, biomass, or wood chips; has a gross vehicle weight of not more than 98,000 pounds; has at least 6 axles; and is operating on a segment of Interstate Route 39 in Wisconsin from mile marker 175.8 to mile marker 189.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015
Safe Responsible Ethical Scientific Endeavors Assuring Research for Compassionate Healthcare Act or the Safe RESEARCH Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the use of tissue from a spontaneous or induced abortion in research conducted or supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (A spontaneous abortion is the death of a fetus before the age of viability, also known as a miscarriage.) Research with human fetal tissue conducted or supported by the NIH must meet requirements, including informed consent requirements for the donor and researcher, currently applied only to research on the transplantation of human fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015
Financial Regulatory Clarity Act of 2015 Requires the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the National Credit Union Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, before issuing a regulation or order, to assess other federal regulations and orders to determine whether: (1) the agency's proposal is in conflict with, inconsistent with, or duplicative of such regulations or orders; and (2) such other federal regulations or orders are outdated.
![Official portrait of Rep. Duffy, Sean P. [R-WI-7]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000614_200.jpg)