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United States · Official source
3,969 records where Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2017
Same Day Registration Act of 2017 This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require states with a voter registration requirement to make same-day voter registration available at the polling place on any day voting is permitted.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2017
North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act This bill amends the National Trails System Act to revise the authorized route of the North Country National Scenic Trail to extend it to the Appalachian Trail in Vermont and to modify the route in northeastern Minnesota.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2017
Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2017 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 · 13 February 2017
Haiti Emergency Relief Act of 2017 This bill extends 18-month temporary protected status to a national of Haiti who: (1) has been continuously physically present in the United States since November 4, 2016, (2) is admissible as an immigrant and not ineligible for temporary protected status, and (3) registers for temporary protected status in a manner that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall establish. Such an alien may travel abroad if the alien establishes to the satisfaction of DHS that emergency and extenuating circumstances beyond the alien's control require his or her departure for a brief, temporary trip abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2017
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide an individual in any removal, exclusion, or deportation proceeding or inspection (excluding primary inspections as defined by Department of Homeland Security policies) with a right to representation (at no expense to the government) by counsel of such individual's choosing, including remote counseling if counsel cannot personally meet with the individual. A person held or detained at a port of entry may not submit a valid Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status or Withdrawal of Application for Admission if such person has been denied access to counsel. The bill extends the right to be accompanied, represented, and advised by counsel or other qualified representative before a government agency to any person subject to a proceeding, examination, holding, or detention. The holding or detention of individuals at a port of entry or at any holding or detention facility overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall: (1) be limited to the briefest term and the least restrictive conditions practicable, (2) be consistent with the rationale for such holding or detention; and (3) shall include access to food, water, and rest room facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2017
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of International Flower Workers' Day to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to practices that respect labor rights in other countries, and (2) the elimination of exploitative labor practices as a key U.S. policy goal. Urges the governments of Colombia and other flower-producing countries to investigate and respond to the social and environmental impacts of the flower-producing industry. Notes that the Colombian Action Plan Related to Labor Rights, signed on April 7, 2011, has not adequately strengthened or improved working conditions in Colombia. Recognizes that Colombian flower workers should not suffer harm from free trade but should share in its economic benefits. Encourages the development and implementation of new measures to uphold and fulfill the strong labor commitments made under the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2017
This bill directs the Department of Transportation to make appropriate arrangements with the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies to study the cost and impact of rerouting freight rail traffic of hazardous material to avoid its transportation through urban areas.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2017
Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act of 2017 or the Jobs for All Act This bill directs the Department of Labor to establish a Full Employment National Trust Fund with two separate accounts for: (1) Employment Opportunity Grants to states, Indian tribes, local governments, publicly-funded elementary and secondary educational institutions, educational institutions in the Federal Work-Study Program, and tax-exempt non-profit organizations for job-creating activities in communities whose economy is not at a level of full employment; and (2) Workforce Investment programs. Labor is required, through studies it conducts or through independent studies, to: review the effectiveness of job training and job creation programs under this bill, disseminate information concerning best practices for achieving the bill's goals, and acquire a better understanding of such programs' true cost. Arbitration procedures are established for resolution of disputes for grant recipients. Labor is required to post a whistleblower hotline on its website for the public to report noncompliance with the bill's requirements. Labor must convene an annual national employment conference to discuss this bill's role in addressing all aspects of unemployment problems, the sharing of best practices in addressing them, and the discussion of problems in the administration of this bill. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is amended to revise member composition requirements for state and local workforce development boards to include at least 25% of the chief executive officers of minority-serving, community-based organizations. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to impose a tax on the transfer of ownership in certain covered securities transactions, payable by trading facilities or brokers that deal in such transactions. A penalty is imposed against persons who fail to include such transactions on any tax return or statement. Labor shall suspend new hiring of unemployed persons and freeze the hourly wages paid for jobs funded under this bill whenever it is determined that: the unemployment rate is less than 4%, and the consumer price index (inflation) is greater than 3%.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2017 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and maintain a voluntary registry of firefighters to collect history and occupational information that can be linked to existing data in state cancer registries. The registry must be used to improve monitoring of cancer among firefighters and to collect and publish epidemiological information regarding cancer among firefighters. The CDC should seek to include specified information in the registry, including the number and type of fire incidents attended by an individual. To collect information for the registry, the CDC may incorporate questions into existing public health surveys, questionnaires, and other databases. The CDC must: (1) develop a strategy to maximize participation in the registry; (2) develop guidance for states and firefighting agencies regarding the registry; (3) encourage inclusion in the registry of data on minority, female, and volunteer firefighters; and (4) seek feedback on the registry from nonfederal experts. The CDC must develop a process for making registry data available for research without a fee if findings or publications from the research are made public or available to stakeholders.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Employee Empowerment Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to authorize a person alleging an unfair labor practice by an employer by discrimination regarding hiring or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment to encourage or discourage membership in any labor organization, in addition to filing a charge alleging an unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board, to bring a civil action against such employer in U.S. district court. The court may grant relief (including injunctive and equitable relief, back pay, and compensatory and punitive damages) and allow the prevailing party a reasonable attorney's fee (including expert witness fees) as part of the costs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Immigrant Detainee Legal Rights Act This bill directs the Department of Justice to: establish within the Executive Office for Immigration Review an Office of Legal Access Programs to administer a system of legal orientation programs to make immigration proceedings more efficient by educating aliens regarding administrative procedures and legal rights under U.S. immigration law and to establish other programs to assist in providing aliens access to legal information; and submit a plan to Congress that includes a schedule to develop and deploy legal orientation programs for all detainees. The legal orientation programs shall: provide programs to assist detained aliens in making decisions regarding their removal and eligibility for relief from removal in order to increase efficiency s in immigration proceedings and federal custody processes and to improve access to legal services; ensure that programs and written notice of rights are available in English and the five most common native languages spoken by the detainees held in custody at that location during the preceding fiscal year; and identify unaccompanied alien children, aliens with a serious mental disability, and other particularly vulnerable aliens for right to counsel considerations. Such programs may provide services to detained aliens in specified immigration (detention and removal) and asylum proceedings. The Department of Homeland Security shall establish procedures: (1) that ensure that legal orientation programs are available for all detained aliens within five days of arrival into custody; and (2) to inform such aliens of the basic procedures of immigration hearings, their rights relating to those hearings, information that may deter such aliens from filing frivolous legal claims, and a contact list of potential legal resources and providers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Protecting Immigrants From Legal Exploitation Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to subject to a fine, imprisonment, or both any individual who: (1) knowingly or recklessly executes a scheme in connection with any federal immigration law-related matter to defraud a person or to obtain money or anything else of value from a person by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises; or (2) knowingly and falsely represents that such individual is an attorney or an accredited representative in any federal immigration law-related matter. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall promulgate regulations, forms, and procedures defining the circumstances in which: (1) persons submitting immigration documents must identify who (other than immediate family members) assisted them in preparing or translating such documents; and (2) any person who received compensation (other than a normal fee for copying, mailing, or similar services) in connection with the preparation or submission of such documents must sign the documents as a preparer and provide identifying information. DOJ may bring a civil injunction against an immigration service provider who engages in fraudulent conduct that substantially interferes with the administration of the immigration laws or who willfully misrepresents such provider's legal authority to provide representation before DOJ or DHS. An alien may withdraw an immigration submission if the alien: (1) submits information indicating that thesubmission was prepared or submitted by an individual engaged in the unauthorized practice of law or immigration practitioner fraud, and (2) attests that he or she had no prior knowledge that the submission was prepared or submitted by such an individual. This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to waive the bar on reentry for an alien who left the United States based on the erroneous advice of an individual engaged in the unauthorized practice of law or immigration practitioner fraud. DOJ and DHS shall: (1) carry out, through the Director of the Office for Immigration Review, an outreach program to educate aliens regarding who may provide legal services and representation in immigration proceedings; and (2) establish, within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, programs to award grants to eligible nonprofit organizations for direct legal services to aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
VA Employee Fairness Act of 2017 This bill repeals provisions excluding any matter or question concerning professional conduct or competence, peer review, or the establishment, determination, or adjustment of employee compensation from the applicability of collective bargaining rights for Veterans Health Administration employees.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act or the FAMILY Act This bill establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration (SSA). The bill entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for each month beginning on the first day of the 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. An individual qualifies for such a benefit payment if such individual: is insured for disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act at the time an application is filed; has earned income from employment during the 12 months before filing it; and was engaged in qualified caregiving (any activity for which the individual would be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993), or anticipates being so engaged, during the 90-day period before the application is filed or within 30 days after. The bill prescribes a formula for determination of an individual's monthly benefit, as well as for the maximum and minimum amounts. An FMLI benefit payment shall be coordinated with any periodic benefits received under a state or local temporary disability insurance or family leave program. The bill prescribes criteria that make an individual ineligible for an FMLI benefit payment and specifies prohibited acts by an employer and penalties for violations. The bill establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund. FMLI benefit payments shall be made only from this fund. No amounts from the Social Security Trust Funds or appropriated to the SSA to administer Social Security programs may be used for FMLI benefits or administration. The bill 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 for FMLI benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Lymphedema Treatment Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover certain lymphedema compression treatment items as 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 · 7 February 2017
Personal Drug Importation Fairness Act of 2017 This bill allows a drug to be imported by a person other than the drug's manufacturer if the drug: (1) has the same active ingredients, route of administration, and strength as an approved drug; (2) may be lawfully marketed in, and is imported or reimported from, a country included on a list in this Act that the Food and Drug Administration determines has standards for ensuring drug safety and effectiveness that are at least as protective as U.S. standards; (3) is dispensed by a licensed pharmacist; (4) is shipped directly to, or is imported by, the ultimate consumer; (5) is shipped or imported in quantities that do not exceed a 90-day supply; (6) is accompanied by a copy of a valid prescription; and (7) is not a controlled substance.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Mobility, Opportunity, and Vocation Enabling Act or the MOVE Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue regulations necessary to establish performance measures relating to multimodal transportation connectivity and accessibility for states and metropolitan planning organizations to use to assess the connectivity and accessibility of roadways, public transit infrastructure, pedestrian and bikeway infrastructure, and other transportation infrastructure. Such performance measures must include ones to assess specified transportation accessibility factors with respect to the general population as well as disadvantaged populations (low-income or minority populations and people with disabilities). A metropolitan planning organization shall coordinate selection of multimodal transportation accessibility performance targets with the relevant state and public transportation providers to ensure consistency with the performance measures DOT shall require under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act of 2017 This bill directs executive agencies to require any covered contractor (a for-profit business with gross receipts exceeding $1 billion for the previous year) awarded a contract of $5 million or more to submit, within 60 days: data on the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of such contractor's board of directors and senior executives; data on the affiliation of any such board member or executive to a historically underrepresented group, including veterans and individuals with disabilities; and any plan or strategy to improve the diversity of such board members or executives. Each agency shall submit quarterly reports on such data to the General Services Administration, which shall report to Congress annually on the diversity of such contractor boards and executives. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is amended to require each issuer of a registered security to disclose such data, plan, and strategy in its required annual report. The Securities and Exchange Commission must revise corporate governance regulations to require that when the description is presented in a proxy or information statement relating to the election of directors, the nominee's qualities and skills, along with the nominee's gender, race, ethnicity, and affiliation with a historically underrepresented group, are presented in a chart or matrix form.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Common Sense Housing Investment Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for mortgage interest, to: (1) allow, in lieu of such deduction, a tax credit for 15% of mortgage interest paid in a taxable year for the taxpayer's principal residence and one other residence; (2) provide for a phaseout of the tax deduction for mortgage interest between 2017 and 2021; (3) allow a deduction for interest and taxes relating to land for dwelling purposes owned or leased by cooperative housing corporations; and (4) increase the state housing credit ceiling for the low-income housing tax credit. The bill directs the Department of the Treasury to apply the savings from the enactment of this bill to the Housing Trust Fund, rental assistance programs, and the Public Housing Capital Fund. The Department of Housing and Urban Development must revise regulations for the Housing Trust Fund to: (1) increase the limitation on funds that are available for operating assistance for housing, (2) allow public housing agencies and tribally designated housing entities to be the recipients of grants that are allocated to a state or a state designated entity, and (3) eliminate the applicability of rules for the fund that are based on the HOME Investment Partnerships Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Permanently Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2015 This bill restores and revives the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009, and any regulations promulgated pursuant to it, as if the Act had not expired after 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Pet and Women Safety Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to broaden the definition of stalking to include conduct that causes a person to experience a reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury to his or her pet. Additionally, an interstate violation of a protection order includes interstate travel with the intent to violate a protection order against a pet that is included within the scope of the protection order. The bill specifies the applicable criminal penalty—a prison term of up to five years, a fine, or both—for a person who commits an interstate violation of a protection order against a pet. With respect to a defendant who commits a domestic violence offense or an interstate violation of a protection order, mandatory restitution in the "full amount of victim's losses" includes costs incurred for veterinary services related to the pet. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture to award grants for shelter and housing assistance and support services for domestic violence victims with pets. Finally, it expresses the sense of Congress that states should include, in domestic violence protection orders, protections against violence or threats against a person's pet.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Reaffirms the strong commitment of the House of Representatives to the U.S.-Mexico partnership. Encourages the President to prioritize a U.S.-Mexico relationship based on mutual respect.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Constitutional Amendment Every Vote Counts Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the President and Vice President to be elected directly by the people of the states and the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Honors the contributions of school counselors to the success of students in elementary and secondary schools. Encourages the observation of National School Counseling Week with ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the crucial role school counselors play in preparing students for fulfilling lives as contributing members of society.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2017
Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act This bill allows the Global War on Terror Memorial Foundation to establish the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial as a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2017
Stop Debt Collection Abuse Act of 2017 This bill amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to apply that Act's restrictions to collectors of debt owed to a federal agency. A federal agency that is a creditor may not sell or transfer a debt to a debt collector until 90 days after the obligation becomes delinquent or defaults. Specified notice to the consumer of such a sale or transfer is required. A collector of debt owed to a federal agency may not collect any interest, fee, charge, or expense that is: (1) unreasonable in relation to actual costs, (2) not authorized by a contract between the debt collector and the federal agency, or (3) greater than 10% of the amount collected. The Government Accountability Office shall study and report to Congress on the use of debt collectors by federal, state, and local government agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2017
Freedom of Religion Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that an alien may not be denied U.S. entry, reentry, or admission, or any other immigration benefit because of the alien's religion or lack of religious beliefs. Nothing in this bill shall be construed to affect immigration law authority when exercised on a case-by-case basis with respect to an individual who a consular officer, an immigration officer, the Justice Department, the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, or the President determines may pose a threat to U.S. national security.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2017
Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act This bill: (1) repeals certain provisions that require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military retired pay or who would be entitled to retired pay except for being under 60 years of age, (2) prohibits requiring repayment of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund, and (3) requires (current law authorizes) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member's dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse. The Secretary concerned shall restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to the surviving child or children of a member.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) gun violence is a public health issue; and (2) Congress should expand enforceable background checks for all commercial gun sales, improve the mental health system, and make gun trafficking and straw purchasing a federal crime.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2017
DREAMers, Immigrants, and Refugees (DIRe) Legal Aid Act This bill directs the Department of Justice to make grants to nonprofit legal services providers with immigration law expertise to provide immigration-related legal services and advice to an alien who: (1) is present in the United States as a lawful permanent resident; (2) has received a grant of deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, has been admitted as a refugee (or the alien's spouse or parent has been so admitted), or has been determined to be qualified for such admission; and (3) has been ordered removed, is in removal proceedings, or is at risk of being denied U.S. entry or admission. The Department of Homeland Security shall provide such aliens: (1) with provider contact information; and (2) if in detention, with an opportunity to arrange representation by such a provider. The Under Secretary for Science and Technology shall carry out a study on the outcomes for individuals in removal proceedings with legal representation compared to the outcomes for such individuals without legal representation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2017
Save Access to a Valuable Investment Needed to Generate Savings Act of 2017 or the SAVINGS Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to allow: (1) an individual taxpayer to use a portion or all of a tax refund to purchase U.S. savings bonds in paper form for the taxpayer or for any individual designated by the taxpayer; or (2) an option for a tax return that allows for the gifting of such bonds and that serves individuals who rarely, if ever, have held a bank account and individuals who lack access to the Internet.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the elimination of poverty and hunger should remain key U.S. foreign and domestic policy goals, (2) a Global Marshall Plan holds the potential to transform development assistance in a manner that would significantly reduce poverty, and (3) the President should implement such a plan to increase U.S. assistance towards the elimination of poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2017
Build Bridges Not Walls Act This bill provides that the executive order titled "Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements" signed by the President on January 25, 2017, or any other substantially similar action by the President to use taxpayer dollars or fees to construct a continuous wall or fence between the United States and Mexico shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2017
End Surprise Billing Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require a critical access hospital or other hospital to comply, as a condition of participation in Medicare, with certain requirements related to billing for out-of-network services. With respect to an individual who has health benefits coverage and is seeking services, a hospital must provide notice as to: (1) whether the hospital, or any of the providers furnishing services to the individual at the hospital, is not within the health care provider network or otherwise a participating provider with respect to the individual's health care coverage; and (2) if so, the estimated out-of-pocket costs of the services to the individual. At least 24 hours prior to providing those services, the hospital must document that the individual: (1) has been provided with the required notice, and (2) consents to be furnished with the services and charged an amount approximate to the estimate provided. Otherwise, the hospital may not charge the individual more than the individual would have been required to pay if the services had been furnished by an in-network or participating provider. With respect to such an individual who is seeking same-day emergency services, a hospital may not charge more than the individual would be required to pay for such services furnished by an in-network or participating provider.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2017
Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2017 or the Childhood Cancer STAR Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide support to collect the medical specimens and information of children, adolescents, and young adults with selected cancers that have the least effective treatments in order to achieve a better understanding of these cancers and the effects of treatment. The national childhood cancer registry is reauthorized through FY2022 and revised to authorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants to state cancer registries to improve tracking of childhood cancers. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may: (1) support pilot programs to develop or study models for monitoring and caring for childhood cancer survivors throughout their lives, (2) establish a task force to develop and test standards for high-quality childhood cancer survivorship care, and (3) carry out a demonstration project to improve care coordination as childhood cancer survivors transition to adult care. HHS must convene a Workforce Development Collaborative on Medical and Psychosocial Care for Pediatric Cancer Survivors. The NIH may support research on: (1) outcomes for, and barriers faced by, pediatric cancer survivors within minority or medically underserved populations; and (2) follow-up care for pediatric cancer survivors, including research on the late effects of cancer treatment and long-term complications. The Government Accountability Office must make recommendations to address barriers to childhood cancer survivors obtaining and paying for adequate medical care.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2017
Phone the White House Act This bill specifies that no funds are authorized to be appropriated to the Executive Office of the President for any period during which a system is not in effect in which members of the public may submit comments to the office by telephone.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2017
Expand American Educational Opportunity Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to replace the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credits with a modified American Opportunity Tax Credit that: (1) allows an income tax credit of up to $2,500 of the qualified tuition and related expenses of a student who is carrying at least one half of a normal course load, (2) allows a lifetime dollar limitation for the credit of $15,000 for all taxable years, and (3) increases the refundable portion of the credit to a maximum of $1,500. The bill allows an exclusion from gross income of any amount received as a Federal Pell Grant.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2017
Child Tax Credit Improvement Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the child tax credit, to: (1) allow taxpayers an increased $3,600 tax credit for each young child under the age of six (young child tax credit), subject to specified limitations based on adjusted gross income; (2) require the Department of the Treasury to establish a program to make advance payments of the young child tax credit; (3) modify the refundable portion of the child tax credit; and (4) require annual inflation adjustments for both the child tax credit and the young child tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2017 This bill repeals existing caps on Medicare payment for certain outpatient physical-therapy services and speech-language pathology services. Under current law, annual payment for such services is capped at $1,980 in 2017, with specified percentage increases to that limit in subsequent years.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Simeon Saunders Booker, Jr., in recognition of his achievements in the field of journalism, including his reporting during the civil rights movement and his social and political commentary.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
New Deal Rural Broadband Act of 2017 This bill amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to establish a rural broadband office within the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and authorize new grants and loans for developing broadband in rural, underserved, and tribal areas. The bill establishes the Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives and the position of Under Secretary for Rural Broadband Initiatives to: administer all rural broadband-related grant and loan programs currently administered by the Rural Utilities Service, conduct specified outreach and coordination activities, and conduct and release to the public an inventory of federal and state property on which a broadband facility could be constructed. The bill establishes the Breaking Ground on Rural Broadband Program and the Tribal Broadband Assistance Program to provide grants, loans, or loan guarantees for the development of broadband in rural, underserved, and tribal areas. The bill modifies existing programs to authorize USDA to: (1) provide grants, in addition to loans and loan guarantees permitted under current law, for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment for broadband service in rural areas; and (2) give priority to multijurisdictional projects for the development of broadband or telecommunications services through the collaboration and participation of multiple stakeholders in the service area. The bill authorizes federal land management agencies to retain and use certain rental fees for communications activities on federal lands. The agencies may use the fees for specified activities related to administering and managing communications sites.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) it is an indisputable fact that the Nazi regime targeted the Jewish people in its perpetration of the Holocaust, and (2) to deny or minimize that the Holocaust was an effort to eliminate the Jewish people is shameful. Calls on all executive branch entities, including the White House, to affirm that the Nazi regime targeted the Jewish people in the Holocaust.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
Original Black History Month Resolution of 2017 Recognizes: (1) the significance of Black History Month as an important time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of African-Americans in the nation's history, and (2) that the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation. Encourages: (1) the continued celebration of this month to provide an opportunity for all peoples of the United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the nation, and (2) states to include in their year-round educational curriculum the history and contributions of African-Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
Appalachian Communities Health Emergency Act or ACHE Act This bill requires the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct or support studies on the health impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on individuals in the surrounding communities. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), upon receiving the results of these studies, must determine whether such mining presents any health risks to individuals in those communities. This bill applies to surface coal mining that uses blasting with explosives in the steep slope regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia. The bill prohibits authorization for any mountaintop removal coal mining project or expansion under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) or the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 unless HHS determines that such mining does not present any health risk to individuals in the surrounding communities. The bill requires monitoring of air, water, and soil for pollution, including noise pollution, until HHS makes its determination. HHS must publish pollution monitoring results. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement of the Department of the Interior must assess a one-time fee upon such mining projects, sufficient to cover the federal cost of the studies and pollution monitoring required by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
Original NAACP Resolution of 2017 Recognizes the 108th anniversary of the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Honors the NAACP for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic rights of all persons.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2017 This bill prohibits an insured depository institution from affiliating with any person or firm engaged principally in, among other things, issuing or selling stocks, bonds, notes, or other securities. Officers, directors and employees of securities firms are prohibited from simultaneously serving as an officer, director, or employee of a depository institution, except in specified circumstances. Any such individual serving as an officer, director, employee, or other institution-affiliated party of any insured depository institution must terminate such service as soon as practicable after enactment of this bill. Any affiliation of an insured depository institution with any broker, dealer, investment adviser, or investment company must be terminated as soon as practicable. No entity issuing or selling stocks, bonds, or other securities may engage in the business of receiving deposits, which includes the establishment and maintenance of transaction accounts, as defined in the Federal Reserve Act. This bill declares that Congress ratifies the interpretation by the Supreme Court of specified statutory language in Investment Company Institute v. Camp (ICI) regarding permissible activities of banks and securities firms. It further declares that the reasoning of the Court in that case shall continue to apply to the limitations placed upon security affiliations under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act as enacted by this bill. No federal banking agency or federal court shall issue an interpretation regarding such security affiliations that is narrower than that of the court in ICI . This bill repeals certain provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, including those pertaining to regulation of financial holding companies and the conditions for engaging in financial activities.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
Protect the National Security Council From Political Interference Act of 2017 This bill amends the National Security Act of 1947 to prohibit the President from designating any individual whose primary or predominant responsibility is political in nature to serve as a member of the National Security Council (NSC) or to regularly attend or participate in NSC meetings or meetings convened under the auspices of the NSC, including Principals Committee meetings. Organized under presidential memorandum, the Principals Committee is a cabinet-level senior interagency forum chaired by the National Security Advisor or the Homeland Security Advisor to consider policies that affect U.S. national security interests. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that no limitations should be imposed on the ability of the Director of National Intelligence or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or their designees, to attend any Principals Committee meeting convened under the auspices of the NSC or any other senior interagency meeting convened to consider policy issues that affect U.S. national security interests.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance to include payments of qualified education loans by an employer to either an employee or a lender.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2017
Streamlined and Improved Methods at Polling Locations and Early (SIMPLE) Voting Act of 2017 This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to require each state to allow individuals to vote in a federal election on each day during the 15-day period ending on the second day immediately preceding the election date in the same manner as voting is allowed on election day. A state shall ensure that each polling place that allows early voting in a federal election is located within reasonable walking distance of a stop on a public transportation route. The Election Assistance Commission shall issue standards for the administration of early voting in a federal election. Each state shall provide a sufficient number of voting systems, poll workers, and other election resources (including physical resources) at a polling place used in a federal election to ensure: (1) a fair and equitable waiting time for all voters in the state, and (2) that no individual will be required to wait longer than one hour to cast a ballot at the polling place. Each state shall develop, and implement to the greatest extent practicable, a contingency plan under which it shall provide any polling place on a federal election day whose waiting times exceed one hour with additional poll workers, machines, ballots, and other equipment and supplies. Requirements are prescribed for the counting of provisional ballots that will be treated as votes. Civil money penalties, intervention by aggrieved parties, and private actions to address HAVA violations by a state or jurisdiction are allowed.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2017
Anwar Sadat Centennial Celebration Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Anwar Sadat in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions to attain comprehensive peace in the Middle East.