United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Protecting Immigrants From Legal Exploitation Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to subject a person to fine, imprisonment, or both, 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 person is an attorney or an accredited representative in any federal immigration law-related matter. Directs the Attorney General (DOJ) and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), to promulgate regulations, forms, and procedures defining the circumstances in which: (1) persons submitting immigration-related applications, petitions, motions, or other written materials must identify who (other than immediate family members) assisted them in preparing or translating such submissions; 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 materials must sign the form as a preparer and provide identifying information. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring a civil injunction against an immigration service provider engaging 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. Authorizes an alien to withdraw an immigration-related application or other submission if the alien: (1) submits information indicating that the application or submission 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 application or submission was prepared or submitted by such an individual. 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. Directs the Secretary and the Attorney General, through the Director of the Office for Immigration Review, to carry out an outreach program to educate aliens regarding who may provide legal services and representation in immigration proceedings. Directs the Secretary and the Attorney General to 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 · 26 February 2015
Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of State to submit an annual, publicly-available report to Congress containing: (1) an assessment of the level of access Chinese authorities granted U.S. diplomats, journalists, and tourists to Tibetan areas in China; (2) a list of the persons in senior leadership positions in Tibet Autonomous Region and other specified provinces, prefectures, and autonomous entities; and (3) a list of the persons in senior leadership positions at the national and regional levels as defined by this Act. Makes certain listed persons ineligible for U.S entry under specified circumstances. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) reciprocity forms the basis of diplomatic law and the practice of mutual exchanges between countries; (2) consular access should be given on a reciprocal basis; and (3) the Secretary, when granting Chinese diplomats access to parts of the United States, should take into account the extent to which China grants U.S. diplomats access to parts of China, including the level of access to Tibetan areas.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Police Accountability Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to require a state or local law enforcement officer in a public agency which receives federal funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, who engages in conduct in the line of duty that would constitute murder or manslaughter if it were to occur in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, to be punished as provided for that offense under federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Recognizes the contribution of the Greensboro Four to the revitalization of the civil rights movement and their significance as a catalyst for the mobilization of college students coalescing in the formation of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Recognizes that ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation. Encourages states to include the history and contributions of the Greensboro Four in their year-round educational curriculum.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the low-income housing tax credit, to make permanent the minimum 9% credit rate for new buildings that are not federally-subsidized and to establish a minimum 4% credit rate for existing buildings that are not federally-subsidized.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2015 Establishes a Department of Peacebuilding in the executive branch, to be headed by a Secretary of Peacebuilding, dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking, and the study and promotion of conditions conducive to both domestic and international peace and a culture of peace. Sets forth the mission of the Department, which includes the: (1) cultivation of peace and peacebuilding as a strategic national policy objective; and (2) development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful conflict resolution, and structured conflict mediation. Establishes in the Department: (1) the Office of Peace Education and Training, (2) the Office of Domestic Peacebuilding Activities, (3) the Office of International Peacebuilding Activities, (4) the Office of Technology for Peace, (5) the Office of Arms Control and Disarmament, (6) the Office of Peacebuilding Information and Research, (7) the Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights, and (8) the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace. Establishes a Federal Interagency Committee on Peace to coordinate the actions of the Department with other federal agencies. Directs the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to consult with the Secretary concerning nonviolent means of conflict resolution when a conflict between the United States and any other government or entity is imminent or occurring. Directs the Secretary to encourage citizens to observe and celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on Peace Days, which shall include discussions of the professional activities and the achievements in the lives of peacemakers.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces (military spouse) who moves with such member to another state under a permanent change of station order a tax credit for up to $500 of qualified relicensing costs incurred by such spouse. Defines "qualified relicensing costs" as costs for a state license or certification to engage in the profession that such military spouse engaged in while residing in the former state.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Investor Choice Act of 2015 Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to revise the authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission to prohibit, or impose conditions or limitations on the use of, agreements that require customers or clients of any broker, dealer, or municipal securities dealer to arbitrate any future dispute between them arising under the federal securities laws, related rules and regulations, or the rules of a self-regulatory organization if it finds that prohibition, imposition of conditions, or limitations are in the public interest and for the protection of investors. Declares unlawful for a broker, dealer, funding portal, or municipal securities dealer (entities) to enter into, modify, or extend an agreement with customers or clients governing a future dispute between the parties that would mandate arbitration. Declares likewise unlawful acts by such entities that would restrict, limit, or condition the ability of a customer or client to: (1) select or designate a forum for dispute resolution, or (2) pursue a claim relating to a dispute in an individual or representative capacity or on a class action or consolidated basis.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Expresses the sense of Congress that the tax exemption of fraternal benefit societies continues to generate significant returns to society and that the work of such societies should continue to be promoted.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2015
Native American Indian Education Act Directs the Department of Education to pay four-year Native American-serving nontribal institutions of higher education the out-of-state tuition of their Indian students if those schools are required to provide a tuition-free education, with the support of their state, to Indian students in fulfillment of a condition under which the college or state received its original grant of land and facilities from the federal government. Prohibits the amount paid to any such college from exceeding the lower of the following amounts: (1) the charges for tuition for the Indian students of that college who were non-residents of the state in which the college is located and who were enrolled in the college for academic year 2014-2015, or (2) $15 million. Treats such payments as reimbursements to such institutions from their states. Rescinds unobligated discretionary appropriations to offset the costs of this program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2015
Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to supporting U.S. actions that promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians and are designed to ensure the security of Israel and its people. Reaffirms support for previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians and adopted by third parties that recognize Israel's right to exist and promote a Palestinian state. Commends the Obama administration and its predecessors for their commitment to Israel's security and for their efforts to demonstrate this commitment through the promotion of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Calls on Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist, denounce violence, abide by existing agreements, and prevent missile attacks against Israel. Calls upon states, international organizations, and individuals to oppose efforts to deny the Jewish people's historical, cultural, and spiritual connection to Israel. Calls upon Arab and Muslim-majority states to build upon efforts towards full normalization of state-to-state relations with Israel. Calls on the Israeli government to prevent further settlement expansion in the Occupied Territories. Commends the Obama administration for supporting Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense System. Calls on Israel and Hamas to uphold the existing cease fire agreement. Applauds the Obama administration's efforts to facilitate Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2015
Promoting U.S. Jobs Through Exports Act of 2015 This bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to raise the cap on outstanding loans, guarantees, and insurance of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for FY2015-FY2022 and afterwards, subject to specified formulae. The Bank, the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee, and authority for dual use exports (of nonlethal defense articles or services primarily for civilian use) are reauthorized through FY2022. The Bank shall: provide technical assistance to small businesses on how to apply for financial assistance from the Bank; and study the extent to which Bank financial programs and products adequately meet the needs of small business concerns and enterprises that use, or seek to use, its medium-term programs to support the maintenance or creation of jobs in the United States through exports. The Bank shall also: conduct a comparative assessment of the practices of export credit agencies of other major providers of official export credit and member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with respect to risk- or fee-sharing arrangements, in order to determine the extent to which the Bank could take steps to increase the share of loan-level risk borne by the private sector; and establish programs, if warranted, under which private financial institutions may share risk in the loans, guarantees, and other Bank products in exchange for receiving fees received from program participants. The fees to a private financial institution shall be commensurate with the level of risk taken by the institution. The Bank may enter into up to $25 billion worth of contracts of reinsurance, co-finance, or other risk-sharing arrangements on its portfolio or individual transactions with insurance companies, financial institutions, or export credit agencies. The Bank shall develop a strategic plan to identify how most effectively to promote the export of goods and services related to renewable energy and end-use energy efficiency technology. The Bank President shall appoint a Chief Risk Officer to develop and manage a comprehensive process for identifying, assessing, monitoring, and reducing Bank-wide risk. The Bank shall: report to specified congressional committees on its ethics programs, financial disclosure requirements, fraud detection training programs, conflicts of interest rules, and related matters; conduct a risk assessment of the vulnerability of its programs to employee misconduct and, if appropriate, issue updated supplemental standards of ethical conduct for Bank employees; and require all Bank directors, officers, and employees to certify annually that they have read, understood, complied with, and will continue to comply with, the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Requirements are prescribed or revised for enhanced Bank audit controls, an independent evaluation of the Bank portfolio, and an external review of fraud controls subject to the Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 (EIBRA). The Bank must also perform (or cause to be performed) "risk-based Due Diligence," "Know Your Customer," and "Character Reputational Transaction Integrity" assessments of participants who benefit directly from Bank financing in structured finance and project finance transactions. The Bank shall: develop a specific monitoring plan for each structured or project finance transaction before final Board of Directors approval that addresses the specific risks presented by the structure of the deal, and reserve the right to inspect any credit agreement for a transaction subject to Board approval sufficient to validate that disbursements comply with the law and Bank policies and procedures. The Bank shall also: implement policies to accept electronic documents in a manner that will not undermine any potential civil or criminal enforcement related to a transaction, assess its information technology infrastructure and use, and develop a clear and comprehensive information technology strategic plan meeting specified requirements. Information technology updating is reauthorized through FY2022. The bill amends the EIBRA to direct the Department of the Treasury to initiate negotiations with non-OECD-member countries to bring them into a multilateral agreement establishing rules and limitations on officially supported export credits. The U.S. Trade Representative shall seek to identify within the World Trade Organization (WTO) the extent to which countries that are not a party to the OECD Arrangement On Officially Supported Export Credits are also not in compliance with the terms of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures with respect to export finance, and seek appropriate WTO action for each one of them.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2015
Healthy Climate and Family Security Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to require the Department of the Treasury to establish a carbon trading program that caps the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from crude oil, coal, and natural gas. Beginning in 2017, crude oil refineries, petroleum importers, coal mines, coal importers, and natural gas suppliers or processors must purchase carbon permits equivalent to the amount of CO2 that would be emitted by covered fuels. Treasury will auction these permits to those entities. This bill establishes a declining cap on the quantity of permits issued to reduce CO2 emissions until 2050 when the permits issued represent an amount 80% below 2005 CO2 emission levels. Treasury must issue permits for carbon capture and sequestration of CO2 from covered fuels. This bill provides for the trading or sale of permits between entities, the banking by entities of permits for future years, and the borrowing by Treasury of permits from future years to stabilize permit prices. Auction proceeds and penalties are returned to U.S. citizens lawfully present in the United States using the Healthy Climate Trust Fund established by this bill. Treasury must impose fees on the import and pay fees for the export of carbon-intensive goods when the export country does not have equivalent measures to regulate greenhouse gases. Carbon-intensive goods are goods with an increased cost due to the regulation of greenhouse gases. The Environmental Protection Agency must regulate within 10 years all sources of greenhouse gases that are anthropogenically emitted (caused by human activity). This excludes gases attributable to the production of animals for food.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2015
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend and the U.S. Postal Service to issue a commemorative postage stamp to honor: (1) civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner; and (2) the 50th anniversary of the campaign in Mississippi to register African-American voters during the summer of 1964, which is commonly referred to as the Freedom Summer of 1964. Calls for such stamp to be based upon a Congress of Racial Equality poster from 1964 created by civil rights movement photographer Danny Lyon.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Renewable Energy Jobs Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to carry out a pilot program to train individuals for careers in renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, specifically: the energy-efficient building, construction, or retrofits industry; the renewable electric power industry, including the wind, solar, and geothermal energy industries; or the energy efficiency assessment industry that serves the residential, commercial, or industrial sectors. Labor must also award grants under the program to the five states with the highest installed alternative energy power capacity, which is the amount of wind, solar, and geothermal power generation installed in a state.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Achievement Through Technology and Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2015 Amends title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to rename part D (Achievement through Technology and Innovation) as the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation Act of 2015 or the ATTAIN Act and to reauthorize it through FY2020. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to reserve a portion of the part D funding to provide states with technical assistance and information in adopting evidence-based best practices for using technology to transform learning. Directs the Secretary to allot part D grants to states on the basis of each state's share of school improvement funds under part A of title I of the ESEA. Requires state grantees to develop and implement challenging academic content and achievement standards to ensure that students are technologically literate. Declares that such standards are only for tracking technological literacy and not for assessing adequate yearly progress (AYP) under title I. Permits the assessment of student performance in gaining technology literacy through embedding assessment items in other state tests or performance-based assessments portfolios or through other valid and reliable means. Directs states to use the bulk of their allotment to award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve student learning, technology literacy, and achievement. Requires that priority be given to LEAs serving schools that have been identified as needing improvement. Require an LEA to: (1) include a new or updated local long-range strategic educational technology plan in its subgrant application, (2) use up to 5% of its subgrant to evaluate its use of the subgrant, and (3) use its remaining subgrant to implement a plan for systemic school redesign through technology integration in at least one of its schools. Requires the plans for systemic school redesign to include: (1) professional development activities for educators; (2) the acquisition and application of technology, in conjunction with curricular or instructional changes, to improve students' learning opportunities, academic achievement, and technical literacy; and (3) the acquisition and application of technology to identify individual student learning needs and support personalized learning.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment and Training Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary 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. Requires the Secretary, through studies conducted by the Department of Labor or through independent studies, to: review the effectiveness of job training and job creation programs under this Act; disseminate information concerning best practices for achieving the Act's goals; and acquire a better understanding of the true cost of the programs. Establishes arbitration procedures for resolution of disputes for grant recipients. Requires the Secretary to post a whistleblower hotline on the Department's website for the public to report noncompliance with the Act's requirements. Directs the Secretary to convene a national employment conference to meet annually to discuss the role of this Act in addressing all aspects of the problems of unemployment, the sharing of best practices in addressing those problems, and the discussion of problems in the administration of this Act. Amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 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. Amends the Internal Revenue Code 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. Prescribes a penalty for persons who fail to include such transactions on any tax return or statement. Directs the Secretary to suspend new hiring of unemployed persons and to freeze the hourly wages paid for jobs funded under this Act 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 · 13 February 2015
Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act Designates specified National Forest System lands, National Park System lands, and public lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and as components or additions to existing components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Designates specified federal lands as biological connecting corridors and as special corridor management areas. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Designates specified areas as wildland recovery areas. Requires the development of a wildland recovery plan for each recovery area. Directs roadless lands greater than 1,000 acres that are within the National Forest System in the Wild Rockies bioregion in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming and that are not designated as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System to be studied for their role in maintaining biological diversity in the Northern Rockies and as part of the overall forest reserve system. Prohibits any new road construction or reconstruction or timber harvest in those lands after the evaluation without an Act of Congress. Prohibits oil or gas leasing, mining, or other development which impairs the natural and roadless qualities of the land. Permits provisions of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to be applied, as appropriate, in the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2015 Includes as part of the Republic of Vietnam its territorial seas for purposes of the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure by veterans to certain herbicide agents while in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Protecting America's Sovereignty Act Prohibits the President from entering into any free trade agreement or investment treaty with a foreign country or countries that grants foreign investors the right to access an international tribunal to seek cash damages from or injunctive relief against the U.S. government if such investors believe that U.S. actions are in breach of rights conferred on foreign investors in the agreement or treaty.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
End Unnecessary Borrowing Act of 2015 Amends the National Housing Act with respect to the requirement that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development endeavor to ensure that the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund attains a capital ratio of not less than 2% within 10 years after enactment of that requirement (November 5, 1990) and to ensure that the Fund maintains at least that capital ratio at all times thereafter. Prohibits these requirements from being construed to authorize or require the Secretary to borrow any amounts to comply with the capital ratio requirement. Limits the use of any authority of the Secretary to borrow from the Treasury for the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund only to the extent necessary to pay claims on mortgage insurance that is an obligation of such Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force to develop: (1) best practices for pain management and prescribing pain medication, and (2) a strategy for disseminating such best practices. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to: states (with priority to states that provide civil liability protection for first responders, health professionals, and family members administering naloxone to counteract opioid overdoses), local governments, and nonprofit organizations to expand educational efforts to prevent abuse of opioids, heroin, and other substances of abuse, understand addiction as a chronic disease, and promote treatment and recovery; organizations that have received a grant under the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 to implement comprehensive community-wide strategies that address local drug crises; states (with priority to states that provide civil liability protection for administering naloxone), local governments, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations for treatment alternative to incarceration programs for individuals who have come into contact with the juvenile or criminal justice system or have been arrested or charged with an offense, who have a substance use disorder, mental illness, or both, and who have been approved for participation in such a program; state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies to create a demonstration law enforcement program to prevent opioid and heroin overdose death; state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies, manufacturers, distributors, or reverse distributor of prescription medications, retail pharmacies, registered narcotic treatment programs, hospitals or clinics with an on-site pharmacy, eligible long-term care facilities, or any other entity authorized by the Drug Enforcement Administration to dispose of prescription medications to expand or make available disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications; states (with priority to states that provide civil liability protection for administering naloxone), local governments, and Indian tribes to implement medication assisted treatment programs through their criminal justice agencies; states, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes for educational programs for incarcerated offenders; state substance abuse and criminal justice agencies, jointly, to address the use of opioids and heroin among pregnant and parenting female offenders in a state to promote public safety, public health, family permanence, and well-being; establish or expand veterans treatment court programs, peer to peer services or programs for qualified veterans, practices that identify and provide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, and transitional services to incarcerated veterans, and training programs to teach criminal justice, mental health, and substance abuse personnel how to identify and appropriately respond to incidents involving veterans; and states to prepare a comprehensive plan for and implement an integrated opioid abuse response initiative. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment to award grants to enable state substance abuse agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes or tribal organizations that have a high rate of, or have had a rapid increase in, the use of heroin or other opioids to expand activities, including medication assisted treatment, for the treatment of addiction in the geographical areas affected. Authorizes the Recovery Branch of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to: (1) enable high schools and colleges with substance abuse recovery programs and nonprofit organizations to provide substance abuse recovery support services to high school and college students, to help build communities of support for young people in recovery, and to encourage initiatives designed to help young people achieve and sustain recovery; and (2) enable recovery community organizations to develop, expand, and enhance recovery services. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit the Department of Education from including any question about the conviction of an applicant for the possession or sale of illegal drugs on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. Directs HHS to establish a bipartisan Task Force on Recovery and Collateral Consequences to: (1) identify collateral consequences for individuals with drug convictions who are in recovery for a substance use disorder, and (2) determine whether such consequences unnecessarily delay such individuals from resuming their personal and professional activities. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act to direct the Attorney General to report annually on how grants awarded under such Act are used for family-based substance abuse treatment programs that serve as alternatives to incarceration for custodial parents to receive treatment and services as a family. Expresses the sense of Congress that the amounts expended to carry out this Act should be offset by a corresponding reduction in federal non-defense discretionary spending. Directs the Comptroller General to report on the impact that the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Disease exclusion (defined as the prohibition on federal matching payments under Medicaid for patients who have attained age 22, but have not attained age 65, in an institution for mental diseases) has on access to treatment for individuals with a substance use disorder.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Healthy Families Act Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Authorizes small employers with fewer than 15 employees to provide the same paid sick time, but allows them to opt out. Requires any small employer that opts out to provide at least 56 hours of unpaid sick time to each employee per calendar year. Declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit. Allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner's parent or child); or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights. Directs the Secretary of Labor to exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by this Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. Grants the same authority, for employees under their jurisdiction, to the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this Act. Waives a state's sovereign immunity with respect to a suit brought by an employee of a federally-assisted state program or activity for relief authorized under this Act. Requires the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to compile information annually on paid sick time and the Comptroller General to study related matters. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Smarter Sentencing Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to direct the court to impose a sentence for specified controlled substance offenses without regard to any statutory minimum sentence if the court finds that the criminal history category for the defendant is not higher than category two. (Currently, the court may disregard the statutory minimum if the defendant does not have more than one criminal history point.) Authorizes a court that imposed a sentence for a crack cocaine possession or trafficking offense committed before August 3, 2010, on motion of the defendant, the Bureau of Prisons, the attorney for the government, or the court, to impose a reduced sentence as if provisions of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 were in effect at the time such offense was committed, provided such sentence was not previously imposed or reduced under such Act or such a motion wasn't previously denied. Amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (CSIEA) to reduce mandatory minimum sentences for manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing, importing, or exporting specified controlled substances and for such violations by a courier (defined as a person whose role was limited to transporting or storing drugs or money). Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend its guidelines and policy statements applicable to persons convicted of such an offense under the CSA and CSIEA to ensure consistency with this Act and to consider specified factors, including: (1) its mandate to formulate guidelines to minimize the likelihood that the federal prison population will exceed federal prison capacity, and (2) the need to reduce and prevent racial disparities in sentencing. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) report on how the reduced expenditures on federal corrections and cost savings resulting from this Act will be used to help reduce overcrowding in the Bureau of Prisons, increase investment in law enforcement and crime prevention, and reduce recidivism; (2) report a list of all criminal statutory offenses and the potential criminal penalty, the number of prosecutions brought by the Department of Justice each year for the previous 15 years, and the mens rea requirement for each offense; and (3) establish a publicly accessible index of each criminal statutory offense.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Voices for Veterans Act Expands the membership of the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to include veterans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Terminates the Commission on December 31, 2017 (currently, 2015).
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Put a Registered Nurse in the Nursing Home Act of 2015 Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act with respect to coverage of nursing care services in skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities, respectively, to revise the standards for 24-hour licensed nursing service care which a professional registered nurse is required to provide at least eight consecutive hours a day, seven days a week. Requires such facilities, instead, to use the services of at least one registered professional nurse to provide assessment, surveillance, and direct care to residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Helping Effective Antibiotics Last Act of 2015 or the HEAL Act This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve an antibacterial drug or biological product that is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition only for treating a well-defined population of patients. To be approved, the antibacterial product must produce superior outcomes over available therapies in the well-defined patient population. A product approved by this pathway must include in its prescribing information the population of patients expected to benefit from using the product and the method for identifying members of that population. The FDA must require each product to have a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must monitor changes to bacterial drug resistance and changes to patient outcomes caused by bacterial drug resistance. Upon approval of antibacterial products, the FDA must identify susceptibility test interpretive criteria (the drug concentrations where a type of bacteria is categorized as susceptible, intermediate, or resistant) and update the criteria as needed based upon evidence of changes in patient outcomes. To be eligible for an exclusivity period extension, a qualified infectious disease product must be demonstrated to produce superior outcomes over available therapies. The FDA must issue guidance on the development of target product profiles for antibacterial drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Audit the Pentagon Act of 2015 This bill reduces discretionary spending by 0.5% for federal agencies that have either not submitted a financial statement for a fiscal year or have submitted a financial statement that has not received an unqualified or a qualified audit opinion by an independent external auditor. The bill excludes specified Department of Defense (DOD) accounts for personnel and the Defense Health Program from the reductions. The President may waive the reductions for any account by certifying that the cuts would harm national security or members of the Armed Forces who are in combat. The bill establishes reporting requirements for the Office of Management and Budget and DOD.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 350,000 $1 silver coins, and 300,000 half-dollar clad coins to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the 100 years of Boys Town, one of the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the United States. Permits issuance of such coins only between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017. Subjects all coin sales to specified surcharges, which shall be paid to Boys Town to carry out its cause of caring for and assisting children and families in underserved communities across America. Directs the Secretary to ensure that: (1) minting and issuing such coins will not result in any net cost to the federal government; and (2) no funds, including surcharges, will be disbursed to Boys Town until the total cost of designing and issuing all authorized coins is recovered by the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
No Child Left Inside Act of 2015 Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct the Secretary of Education to award grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to eligible partnerships to support the implementation of state environmental literacy plans that include environmental education standards and teacher training. Includes in the eligible partnerships a local educational agency (LEA) and at least one institution of higher education, another LEA, an elementary or secondary school, or a government or nonprofit entity experienced in environmental literacy. Requires use of the subgrants for one or more of the following activities: providing targeted, job-embedded professional development that improves teachers' environmental content knowledge and pedagogical skills; establishing and operating environmental education summer workshops or institutes for teachers; developing or redesigning more rigorous environmental education curricula; designing programs that prepare teachers to provide environmental education mentoring and training to other teachers in their school; establishing and operating programs to bring teachers and students into contact with working professionals in environmental fields; creating initiatives that incorporate environmental education within teacher training programs or accreditation standards; and promoting the integration of outdoor environmental education lessons into the regular school curriculum and schedule. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to eligible partnerships for one or more of the following activities: developing and implementing state curriculum frameworks for environmental education that meet challenging state academic content and achievement standards for environmental education, replicating or disseminating information about proven and tested model environmental education programs, and developing and implementing new approaches to advancing environmental education and the adoption and use of environmental education content standards. Amends part B (Mathematics and Science Partnerships) of title II of the ESEA to: (1) include nonprofit environmental education organizations and government science, environmental, or natural resource management agencies among the entities eligible to participate in part B partnerships; and (2) allow the use of part B funds to train teachers to use environmental education to enhance student understanding of science and mathematics. Amends part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers) of title IV of the ESEA to include environmental literacy activities among the before and after school activities that such program funds at community learning centers. Directs the Secretary to: request all federal agencies to provide information on any environmental literacy assistance program that they operate, sponsor, or support; make that information searchable and accessible through the Department of Education's website and cross-referenced with the United States Green Ribbon School application information; coordinate environmental literacy activities between the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Commerce; and appoint an advisory panel of stakeholders to advise and support interagency environmental literacy planning and assessment activities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
FAFSA Fairness Act of 2015 Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to disclose, on the form notifying students of their expected family contribution, the special circumstances under which students may qualify as independent for purposes of the determination regarding their need and eligibility for title IV assistance. Allows students who may qualify as independent on the basis of those special circumstances to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as independent students for purposes of the initial determination of their title IV assistance by a financial aid administrator at an institution of higher education to which they are applying. Requires the financial aid administrators to: (1) provide those students with an initial determination regarding their title IV assistance in the same manner as, and by no later than the date that, they provide other independent students with that determination; and (2) use, in making a final determination regarding that assistance, the discretion provided to them under title IV to verify whether such students meet the special circumstances to qualify as independent students.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
Subsidy Reserve Act of 2015 Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to require a nonbank financial company supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and each bank holding company with total consolidated assets of $500 billion or more to establish and maintain a Subsidy Reserve. Instructs the Board to: establish a formula for determining the financial benefit received by such companies as a result of the expectations on the part of their shareholders, creditors, and counterparties that the government will shield them from losses in the event of their failure; require them to apply the formula annually to their annual financial statement; and maintain the resulting amount in their Subsidy Reserve, in addition to any such previous amounts. Prohibits a decrease in the amount of funds in the Subsidy Reserve unless a company makes a sale of assets, spins off a subsidiary, or makes a similar divestiture. Permits the decrease only in an amount that reflects the amount of such sale, spin off, or similar divestiture, either on a pro-rata basis or according to the risk weighting of the property sold, spun off, or divested. Permits amounts in the Subsidy Reserve to be taken into account when determining the companies' capital for purposes of meeting any regulatory capital requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the special rule for the exclusion from gross income of amounts received by an employee from a governmental accident or health plan to include amounts paid from plans established by or on behalf of a state or political subdivision.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 Provides FY2015 appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Provides appropriations for Departmental Management and Operations for the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management, the Office of the Under Secretary for Management, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Analysis and Operations, and the Office of Inspector General. Provides appropriations for Security, Enforcement, and Investigations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Secret Service. Provides appropriations for Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, the Office of Health Affairs, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Provides appropriations for Research, Development, Training, and Services for U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Science and Technology, and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. Sets forth permissible, restricted, and prohibited uses for funds provided by this Act. Rescinds specified amounts previously appropriated to DHS.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2015
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2015 Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2015
Huntington's Disease Parity Act of 2015 Directs the Commissioner of Social Security, for purposes of determining cognitive, behavioral, and physical disability under titles II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act (SSAct), to amend specified Listings of Impairments by providing medical and evaluation criteria for Huntington's Disease. Amends SSAct title II to waive the 24-month waiting period for coverage under the program under SSAct title XVIII (Medicare) for individuals diagnosed with Huntington's Disease.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2015
Supporting Afterschool STEM Act Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish an afterschool STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant program awarding competitive grants to afterschool or STEM networks to: develop quality standards for STEM programming in afterschool programs and provide those programs with technical assistance in implementing such standards, work with state education stakeholders to define and promote appropriate measurable outcomes for afterschool programs that include STEM content, provide technical assistance to afterschool programs to start or grow their afterschool STEM efforts and define appropriate learning outcomes for such efforts, coordinate professional development for afterschool program educators, help afterschool program providers form strategic partnerships to advance STEM learning in afterschool programs, create and disseminate tool kits to afterschool programs wanting to form partnerships and incorporate STEM professionals as mentors and role models, and provide technical assistance to federally funded STEM researchers and professionals who wish to engage with afterschool programs. Requires the Director to reserve 20% of the funds appropriated for such grant program to develop and support new afterschool or STEM networks in states or areas where they do not exist. Defines: (1) an "afterschool program" as a structured program offered for elementary, middle, or secondary school students when school is not in session, such as before or after school, during recess, on the weekend, or during the summer; and (2) an "afterschool or STEM network" as a coalition that fosters partnerships and provides support to afterschool program providers and STEM education providers. Includes as goals of the grant program: (1) to support the development and delivery of high-quality STEM education to populations underrepresented in STEM fields, and (2) to provide hands-on learning and exposure to STEM research facilities and businesses through in-person or virtual distance-learning experiences. Requires the Director to provide each recipient of a STEM research grant who is under the Director's authority with information on opportunities to engage with students in out-of-school-time programs, such as through mentorships.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2015
New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the new markets tax credit, (2) provide for an inflation adjustment to the limitation amount for such credit after 2014, and (3) allow an offset against the alternative minimum tax for such credit (determined with respect to qualified equity investments initially made after the enactment of this Act).
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2015
Comprehensive Solution to ISIL Resolution Directs the President to develop and submit to Congress a comprehensive diplomatic, political, economic, and regionally led strategy to degrade and dismantle the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Prohibits funds available to the Department of Defense or any other department or agency from being used to deploy U.S. ground forces in a combat role against ISIL. States that nothing in this resolution shall be construed as limiting or prohibiting any authority of the President: (1) under any provision of law other than the Authorization for Use of Military Force and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002; and (2) to respond to, or to prevent imminent attacks, on the United States, its territorial possessions, its embassies, its consulates, or its Armed Forces abroad, consistent with and limited to the President's constitutional powers and responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief. Repeals the Authorization for Use of Military Force and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
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 · 5 February 2015
Stop AIDS in Prison Act of 2015 Directs the Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to provide HIV testing, treatment, and prevention for inmates in federal prisons and upon reentry into the community. Requires such policy to include provisions for: (1) testing of inmates upon intake and counseling; (2) HIV/AIDS prevention education; (3) HIV testing of prisoners annually upon request or upon exposure to HIV; (4) HIV testing of pregnant inmates; (5) comprehensive medical treatment of inmates who test positive for HIV and confidential counseling on managing their medical condition and preventing its transmission to other persons; (6) protection of confidentiality; (7) testing, counseling, and referral prior to reentry into the community; (8) allowing inmates the right to refuse routine HIV testing; (9) excluding as "routine" the testing of an inmate who may have transmitted HIV to any U.S. officer or employee or to any person lawfully present but not incarcerated in a correctional facility; and (10) timely notification of test results. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) require HIV testing for all federal prison inmates upon intake regardless of length of sentence or risk factors, (2) allow inmates to decline testing prior to release from incarceration, and (3) make HIV testing part of the routine health screening conducted at intake. Requires the Bureau to report on: (1) testing, treatment, and prevention education programs for hepatitis and other diseases transmitted through sexual activity and intravenous drug use; and (2) the incidence among prison inmates of diseases transmitted through sexual activity and intravenous drug use.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Complete America's Great Trails Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for the fair market value of any National Scenic Trail conservation contribution. Requires the Department of the Interior to study and report on the efficacy of such tax credit in completing, extending, and increasing the number of National Scenic Trails and the feasibility and cost of making such credit refundable and transferable.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to prohibit: (1) the transfer or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, except for such a device lawfully possessed within the United States on or before the date of this Act's enactment; and (2) the importation or bringing into the United States of such a device. Exempts: (1) the transfer or possession of such a device by a federal, state, or local agency or law enforcement officer; (2) certain transfers to licensees under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954; (3) possession of such a device transferred to an individual upon retirement from a law enforcement agency if such individual is not otherwise prohibited from receiving ammunition; and (4) the manufacture, transfer, or possession of such a device by a licensed manufacturer or importer for authorized testing or experimentation purposes. Sets penalties for violations. Requires a large capacity ammunition feeding device manufactured after this Act's enactment to be identified by a serial number that clearly shows that the device was manufactured after such enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the caps on Medicare outpatient rehabilitation physical therapy services and speech-language pathology services.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Animal Welfare in Agricultural Research Endeavors Act or the AWARE Act This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to apply standards for humane treatment to farm animals at federal research or laboratory animal facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Protect Overnight Delivery Act Repeals the service standards for market-dominant products implemented by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on January 5, 2015, and directs USPS to reinstate the service standards that were in effect on December 31, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Cancel the Sequester Act of 2015 This bill repeals provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 that authorize sequestration to enforce specified deficit reduction goals. Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Federal Employee Pension Fairness Act of 2015 Repeals provisions requiring federal employees, including foreign service employees, who began service after 2012 to pay an increased contribution (4.4%) for funding their annuities under the Federal Employees Retirement System. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for U.S. tax purposes; and (2) revise rules for the taxation of inverted corporations (i.e., U.S. corporations that acquire foreign companies to reincorporate in a foreign jurisdiction with lower income tax rates than the United States).
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Recognizes and honors the 50th anniversary of Project Head Start. Applauds President Lyndon Baines Johnson, all persons whose support and efforts led to the creation of Project Head Start in 1965, and the Head Start record of success over the ensuing half century.
![Official portrait of Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_mn_5_ellison_keith_200.jpg)