United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Repeal Existing Policies that Encourage and Allow Legal HIV Discrimination Act of 2013 or the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that federal and state laws, policies, and regulations regarding people living with HIV/AIDS should: (1) not place unique or additional burdens on such individuals solely as a result of their HIV status; and (2) demonstrate a public health-oriented, evidence-based, medically accurate, and contemporary understanding of HIV transmission, health implications, treatment, and the impact of punitive HIV-specific laws, policies, regulations, and judicial precedents and decisions on public health and on affected people, families, and communities. Directs: (1) the Attorney General (AG), Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Secretary of Defense (DOD) to initiate a national review of federal (including military) and state laws, policies, regulations, and judicial precedents and decisions regarding criminal and related civil commitment cases involving people living with HIV/AIDS; and (2) the AG to transmit to Congress and make publicly available the results of such review with related recommendations. Requires the AG and HHS Secretary to: (1) develop and publicly release guidance and best practice recommendations for states, and (2) establish an integrated monitoring and evaluation system to measure state progress. Directs the AG and HHS and DOD Secretaries to transmit to the President and Congress any proposals necessary to implement adjustments to federal laws, policies, or regulations. Prohibits this Act from being construed to discourage the prosecution of individuals who intentionally transmit or attempt to transmit HIV to another individual.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Email Privacy Act - Amends the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 to prohibit a provider of remote computing service or electronic communication service to the public from knowingly divulging to any governmental entity the contents of any communication that is in electronic storage or otherwise maintained by the provider. Revises provisions under which the government may require, pursuant to a warrant, the disclosure by such a provider of the contents of such communications. Eliminates the different requirements applicable under current law depending on whether such communications were stored for fewer than, or more than, 180 days. Requires a law enforcement agency, within 10 days after receiving the contents of a customer's communication, or a governmental entity, within 3 days, to provide the customer a copy of the warrant and a notice that such information was requested by, and supplied to, the government entity. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of a governmental entity to use an administrative or civil discovery subpoena to: (1) require an originator or recipient of an electronic communication to disclose the contents of such communication to the governmental entity; or (2) require an entity that provides electronic communication services to employees or agents of the entity to disclose the contents of an electronic communication to or from such employee or agent to a governmental entity if the communication is held, stored, or maintained on an electronic communications system owned or operated by the entity. Authorizes a governmental entity that is: (1) seeking a warrant for the contents of communications to include in the application a request for an order delaying the notification required for up to 180 days, in the case of a law enforcement agency, or up to 90 days, in the case of any other governmental entity; and (2) obtaining the contents of a communication, or information or records, to apply to a court for an order directing a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service to which a warrant, order, subpoena, or other directive is directed not to notify any other person of the existence of the directive for up to 180 days, in the case of of a law enforcement agency, or up to 90 days, in the case of any other governmental entity. Provides for extensions. Requires service providers, after such extension, to provide the government three business days' notice of their intent to inform a customer or subscriber that the provider has disclosed the individual's electronic communications information to the government. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress by September 30, 2015, regarding the disclosure by electronic communication service providers of customer communications and records, including an analysis and evaluation of such disclosure under provisions: (1) as in effect before the enactment of this Act, and (2) as amended by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Arbitration Fairness Act of 2013 - Declares that no predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute. Declares, further, that the validity and enforceability of an agreement to arbitrate shall be determined by a court, under federal law, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement. Exempts from this Act arbitration provisions in a contract between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations. Denies to any such arbitration provision, however, the effect of waiving the right of an employee to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under the U.S. Constitution, a state constitution, a federal or state statute, or related public policy.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Family Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 50% of qualified infertility treatment expenses. Limits the dollar amount of such credit to $12,970 for taxable years beginning in 2013, with a phase-out of such credit for taxpayers based on adjusted gross income. Defines "qualified infertility treatment expenses" as amounts paid for the treatment of infertility via in vitro fertilization if such treatment is provided by a licensed physician, surgeon, or other medical practitioner and is administered with respect to a diagnosis of infertility by a physician licensed in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children in the foster care system face. Encourages Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system. Supports the designation of National Foster Care Month.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2013
Improving the Juvenile Justice System for Girls Act of 2013 - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to include gender-responsive services in the grant program for juvenile delinquency prevention. Defines "gender-responsive services" to mean promising practices and evidence-based services that comprehensively address the needs of girls in the juvenile justice system by providing services that reflect an understanding of: (1) the unique pathways of girls into the juvenile justice system; (2) the need for interventions that address common experiences of girls in the system, including histories of abuse, violence, broken family relationships, and substance abuse; and (3) the social and cultural factors of girls in the system. Includes in such definition trauma-specific services. Authorizes appropriations for the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Grant Program from FY2014-FY2019.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2013
Enhanced Access to Medicaid Services Act of 2013 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to apply the Medicaid primary care payment rate in 2013 and 2014 to additional physicians with a primary specialty designation of neurology, psychiatry, or obstetrics and gynecology.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2013
Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act of 2013 - Directs the President to establish the Commission to Accelerate the End of Breast Cancer to help end breast cancer by January 1, 2020. Directs the Commission to: (1) identify opportunities and ideas within government and the private sector that are key components in achieving the end of breast cancer and which have been overlooked, yet are ripe for collaboration and investment; (2) recommend projects to leverage such opportunities and ideas in the areas of the primary prevention of breast cancer and the causes and prevention of breast cancer metastasis; and (3) ensure that its activities are coordinated with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, programs and laboratories of other government agencies. Directs the President to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine for an evaluation of the Commission's progress. Terminates the Commission on June 1, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2013
Clean Water Protection Act - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to define "fill material" to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a comprehensive approach to expanding and supporting a strong home care workforce and making long-term services and supports affordable and accessible in communities is necessary to uphold the right of seniors and individuals with disabilities to a dignified quality of life.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2013
Cancer Drug Coverage Parity Act of 2013 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group or individual health plan providing benefits with respect to anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable coverage for prescribed, patient-administered anticancer medications used to kill, slow, or prevent the growth of cancerous cells and that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Applies such requirement to medication that is prescribed based on a finding by the treating physician that the medication is: (1) medically necessary for the purpose of killing, slowing, or preventing the growth of cancerous cells in accordance with nationally accepted standards of medical practice; and (2) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration. Permits such coverage to be subject to the same cost-sharing applicable to anticancer medications administered by a health care provider under the plan. Prohibits a health plan from imposing an increase in out-of-pocket costs, reclassifying benefits with respect to anticancer medications, or applying more restrictive limitations on prescribed orally- or intravenously-administered or injected anticancer medications. Requires a plan to provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to assess how closing the Medicare part D donut hole affects Medicare coverage for orally-administered anticancer medications, with a particular focus on cost and accessibility.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2013
Domestic Refugee Resettlement Reform and Modernization Act of 2013 - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study regarding the effectiveness of the Office of Refugee Resettlement's domestic refugee resettlement programs. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish as head of the Office an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Refugee and Asylee Resettlement. (Currently, the head of such Office is a Director.) Revises the refugee grant and contract assistance allocation formula. Directs the Assistant Secretary to: (1) report to Congress regarding states experiencing departures and arrivals due to secondary migration; and (2) expand the Office's data analysis, collection, and sharing activities to include data on mental and physical medical cases, housing needs, and refugee employment. Directs the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide refugee resettlement guidance to appropriate national, state, and local entities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2013
Rural Hospital Access Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend through FY2014: (1) the Medicare-dependent hospital program, and (2) increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2013
Medical Debt Responsibility Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit a consumer reporting agency from making any report containing information related to a fully paid or settled medical debt that had been characterized as delinquent, charged off, or in collection which, from the date of payment or settlement, antedates the report by more than 45 days.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2013
Recognizes: (1) the disparate impacts of climate change on women and the efforts of women globally to address it, and (2) the need for balanced participation of men and women in climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. Encourages the use of gender-sensitive frameworks in developing climate change policies. Affirms Congress's commitment to: (1) support women who are particularly vulnerable to prepare for and adapt to climate change impacts, including a commitment to increase education and training opportunities for women to develop local resilience plans to address the effects of climate change; (2) empower women in the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of climate change strategies; and (3) include women in economic development planning, policies, and practices that directly improve conditions that result from climate change. Encourages the President to: (1) integrate a gender approach in all U.S. policies and programs that are globally related to climate change, and (2) ensure that those policies and programs support women globally to prepare for and adapt to climate change.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal in honor of the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, in recognition of its pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and many acts of valor in the face of adversity. Requires the medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) for display. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with the 65th Infantry Regiment, including locations in Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Recognizing Achievement in Classified School Employees Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award National Classified School Employees of the Year Awards to public school employees within certain occupational specialties who provide exemplary service to students in pre-kindergarten through higher education. Requires the Secretary to choose an awardee each year, out of nominations received from each state, from each of the following occupational specialties: (1) paraprofessionals, (2) clerical and administrative services, (3) transportation services, (4) food and nutrition services, (5) custodial and maintenance services, (6) security services, (7) health and student services, (8) technical services, and (9) skilled trades.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 - Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees). Prohibits preferential treatment or quotas. Allows only disparate treatment claims. Prohibits related retaliation. Makes this Act inapplicable to: (1) religious organizations, and (2) the relationship between the United States and members of the Armed Forces. Declares that this Act does not repeal or modify any federal, state, territorial, or local law creating a special right or preference concerning employment for a veteran. Prohibits this Act from being construed to: (1) prohibit an employer from requiring an employee to adhere to reasonable dress or grooming standards, or (2) require the construction of new or additional facilities. Prohibits the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from compelling collection or requiring production of statistics from covered entities on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Provides for enforcement, including giving the EEOC, the Librarian of Congress (LOC), the Attorney General (DOJ), and U.S. courts the same enforcement powers as they have under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and other specified laws. Allows actions and proceedings, subject to exception, against the United States and the states.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to provide for employee leave to care for a domestic partner or his or her child, parent-in-law, adult child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law (as well as for a spouse, child, or parent), if such person has a serious health condition. Amends federal civil service law to apply the same leave allowance to federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Enforce Existing Gun Laws Act - Repeals provisions of specified consolidated appropriations acts that: prohibit the use of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) appropriations for salaries or administrative expenses in connection with consolidating or centralizing, within the Department of Justice (DOJ), records of the acquisition and disposition of firearms maintained by federal firearms licensees; prohibit expending funds appropriated to ATF to promulgate or implement any rule requiring a physical inventory of any firearms business; prohibit using appropriated funds for any criminal background check system that does not require the destruction of identifying information submitted for a transferee within 24 hours after the system advises a licensee that the transferee's receipt of a firearm is not prohibited; prohibit the use of ATF appropriations to disclose the contents of the Firearms Trace System database or any information required to be kept or reported on the acquisition and disposition of firearms by firearms licencees, except to a law enforcement agency, a prosecutor in connection with in a criminal investigation or prosecution; prohibit using appropriations to take any action on a Freedom of Information Act request with respect to certain records collected, maintained, or provided by law enforcement agencies in connection with arson or explosives incidents or the tracing of a firearm; require ATF data releases to include language that would make clear that firearms trace data cannot be used to draw broad conclusions about firearms-related crime; prohibit the use of appropriations to pay administrative expenses or the compensation of any federal employee to implement an amendment to regulations permitting the importation of certain firearms classified as curios or relics, to change the definition of "curios or relics" under such regulations, or to deny an application for a permit to import U.S.-origin curios or relics firearms, parts, or ammunition; and prohibit the use of ATF appropriations to deny issuance or renewal of a firearms license due to a licensee's lack of business activity.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Egg Products Inspection Act to revise provisions concerning housing and treatment of egg-laying hens and enforcement of such requirements. Sets forth separate caging device and environmental and housing conversion provisions for California. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to delegate to the California Department of Food and Agriculture certain enforcement authority with respect to eggs produced, shipped, handled, transported, or received in California prior to the date that is 15 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act - Makes any veteran who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during World War II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam era, the Persian Gulf War, Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom, or any other period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities, eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for any mental illness through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the mental illness is attributable to such service.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Preserving American Homeownership Act of 2013 - Requires the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Federal Housing Commissioner each to establish a pilot program to encourage, through assistance provided under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) under the Secretary of the Treasury's Making Home Affordable initiative, the use of shared appreciation mortgage modifications that: (1) are designed to return greater cash flow to investors than other loss-mitigation activities, including foreclosure; and (2) result in positive net present value for the investor. Requires a shared appreciation mortgage modification to: (1) reduce by specified action the loan-to-value ratio of a covered mortgage to 115% immediately upon modification and to 95% within 3 years; (2) reduce the interest rate if such a principal reduction would not result in an affordable reduced monthly payment; (3) reduce to a specified amount any periodic payment the homeowner is required to make; (4) require the homeowner to pay the investor, after refinancing or selling the real property securing a covered mortgage, up to 50% of the amount of any increase in the value of the real property during a specified period; and (5) result in a positive net present value for the investor after taking into account the principal reduction and, if necessary, any interest rate reduction. Requires the Director to: (1) provide that an enterprise may negotiate regarding a shared appreciation mortgage modification of a covered mortgage with any mortgage insurance provider for a mortgage on the subject property, and (2) allow advanced claim agreements with respect to such mortgage insurance policies.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
America Votes Act of 2013 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit an individual required to present identification as a condition for voting in a federal election to meet the requirement by presenting the appropriate state or local election official with a sworn written statement, signed by the individual under penalty of perjury, attesting to the individual's identification and that he or she is registered to vote in the election. Allows an individual desiring to vote by mail to submit such a statement with the ballot. Requires any state subject to this identification requirement to: (1) prepare a pre-printed version of the statement which includes a blank space for an individual to provide a name and signature, (2) make copies of the pre-printed version available at polling places for election officials to distribute to individuals who desire to vote in person, and (3) include a copy of the pre-printed version with each blank absentee or other ballot transmitted to an individual who desires to vote by mail. Prohibits a state from requiring an individual who presents or submits such a sworn written statement to cast a provisional ballot in the election. Excepts first-time voters registering by mail from application of this Act. Requires states requiring an individual to present identification as a condition of receiving and casting a ballot in a federal election to include the use of a sworn written statement in voting information posted at polling places.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
American Opportunity Tax Credit Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to replace the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credits with a new 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) increases the income threshold for reductions in the credit amount based upon modified adjusted gross income, (3) allows a lifetime dollar limitation on such credit of $15,000 for all taxable years, and (4) makes 40% of the credit refundable. Allows an exclusion from gross income of any amount received as a Federal Pell Grant.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Shareholder Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that any solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any security of an issuer: (1) describe the specific nature (to the extent known) and total amount of expenditures proposed for political activities for the forthcoming fiscal year but not yet authorized by a vote of the issuer's shareholders, and (2) provide for a separate shareholder vote to authorize such proposed expenditures. Prohibits an issuer from making an expenditure for political activities in any fiscal year unless: (1) such expenditure is of the nature of those proposed by the issuer according to the requirements of this Act, and (2) authorization for such expenditure has been granted by votes representing a majority of outstanding shares. Deems a violation of this requirement to be a breach of the fiduciary duty of the officers and directors who authorized such expenditure. Subjects officers and directors who authorize the expenditure without prior shareholder authorization to joint and several liability to any shareholder or class of shareholders for the amount of such expenditure. Requires certain institutional investment managers to disclose annually in mandatory reports how they voted (proxies) in certain shareholder votes. Prohibits any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against an institutional investment manager, or any of its employees, officers, or directors, based solely upon the investment manager's decision to divest from, or not to invest in, securities of an issuer because of expenditures for political activities made by that issuer. Requires the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to direct the national securities exchanges and national securities associations to prohibit the listing of any equity security of an issuer whose corporate bylaws do not expressly provide for a vote of the issuer's directors on any individual expenditure for political activities in excess of $50,000. Requires an issuer to make public, within 48 hours, the individual votes of the directors regarding any such expenditure. Directs the SEC to: (1) require issuers to disclose expenditures for political activities made during the preceding quarter and the individual votes by board members authorizing such expenditures, and (2) make such reports publicly available through the SEC website. Requires the SEC to make annual assessments of the compliance by public corporations and their management with the reporting and disclosure requirements of this Act, and the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate periodically the effectiveness of SEC oversight of these requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Fairness in Taxation Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase individual income tax rates for taxpayers whose taxable income exceeds $1 million, and (2) provide for an adjustment in the capital gains tax of taxpayers whose taxable income is subject to the 45% tax bracket.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Sudan Peace, Security, and Accountability Act of 2013 - Directs the President to develop and transmit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to end serious human rights violations in Sudan and to promote comprehensive peace and democratic reform. Requires the strategy to include an interagency plan along with a description of the resources and additional personnel required for the diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military activities to be undertaken to address and end human rights violations, strengthen democratic institutions, and expand democratic participation and governance, including capacity building of Sudanese civil society, political parties, and nongovernmental organizations seeking peaceful democratic change. Requires a description of: (1) the options for expanding U.S. diplomatic engagement with countries with close political or economic relations with Sudan, including China, Russia, Qatar, Egypt, and other traditional allies and multilateral organizations; and (2) the manner in which sanctions against Sudan or Sudanese individuals will be more effectively enforced, including by providing adequate resources and personnel to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) within the Department of the Treasury, prioritizing the enforcement of Sudan sanctions within OFAC, and mandating increased collection of intelligence information on Sudanese targets of sanctions. Directs the President to impose specified visa, development assistance, security assistance, property, credit, financial assistance, export, cultural, or scientific sanctions on any person or government that: (1) supported or assisted Sudan in the commission of serious human rights violations in Sudan, including by selling, leasing, or otherwise transferring military equipment to Sudan or providing property, goods, technology, services, or other support in the amount of $500,000 or more that directly and significantly contributes to Sudan committing or assisting in the commission of serious human rights violations; (2) is interfering or has interfered with the delivery of humanitarian aid to Sudan; (3) is impeding the peace process or threatening the stability of any part of Sudan or the region; or (4) failed to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against any Sudanese official if such person or government had the jurisdictional authority to execute the warrant and failed to make the arrest without reasonable justification. Prohibits the imposition of sanctions or other prohibitions on any government or person that is: (1) acting on behalf of the government of South Sudan in connection with the shipment or payment for oil from South Sudan or the advancement of peace between Sudan and South Sudan, or (2) providing humanitarian aid to Sudan. Amends: (1) the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004 to make its asset and visa sanctions applicable to Sudan, and (2) the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 to impose such sanctions on Janjaweed commanders and coordinators threatening peace and stability in Sudan. Terminates sanctions upon certification by the President that specified conditions have been met.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem misbranded any food that has been genetically engineered or contains one or more genetically engineered ingredients, unless such information is clearly disclosed. Exempts from this requirement any food that: (1) is served in restaurants or other similar eating establishments, (2) is a medical food, (3) would be subject to such requirement solely because it was produced using a genetically engineered vaccine, or (4) would be subject to such requirement solely because it includes the use of a genetically engineered processing aid (including yeast) or enzyme. Defines "genetically engineered" as a material intended for human consumption that is: (1) an organism produced through the intentional use of genetic engineering, or (2) the progeny of intended sexual or asexual reproduction (or both) of one or more organisms that is the product of genetic engineering. Defines "genetically engineered ingredient" as an ingredient in a food that is derived from any part of an organism that has been genetically engineered, without regard to whether: (1) the altered molecular or cellular characteristics of the organism are detectable in the material, and (2) the organism is capable for use as human food. Excludes from penalties for misbranding of genetically engineered food or ingredients any recipient that establishes a guaranty or undertaking that: (1) is signed by, and contains the name and address of, a person residing in the United States from whom the recipient received the food in good faith (including the receipt of seeds to grow raw agricultural commodities); and (2) contains a statement to the effect that the food is not genetically engineered or does not contain a genetically engineered ingredient. Applies this exclusion from penalties without regard to the manner in which the recipient uses the food. Excludes an agricultural producer also from such penalties when a violation occurs because food the producer has grown, raised, or otherwise produced, which neither contains nor was produced with a genetically engineered material, is subsequently contaminated with a food that does contain or was produced with a genetically engineered material, and the agricultural producer has not intended any such contamination nor was negligent in the matter.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require a state Medicaid plan to provide 12-month continuous enrollment for an eligible individual, regardless of age. Amends SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) to require a state CHIP plan also to provide 12-month continuous enrollment for an eligible individual.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Money Remittances Improvement Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, with respect to compliance with reporting requirements for monetary instrument transactions of certain financial institutions, to rely upon examinations conducted by the relevant state supervisory agency if: (1) the category of financial institution is required by state law to comply with federal requirements, or (2) the state supervisory agency is authorized to ensure that the financial institution complies with such federal requirements. Empowers the Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) to furnish research, analytical, and informational services to foreign regulatory agencies in the interest of detection, prevention, and prosecution of terrorism, organized crime, money laundering, and other financial crimes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Trash Reduction Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require retailers to pay a $0.05 excise tax on each disposable carryout bag provided to a consumer. Defines "disposable carryout bag" to mean a bag of any material, commonly plastic or kraft paper, which is provided to a consumer at the point of sale to carry or cover purchases, merchandise, or items. Exempts reusable bags and certain other bags used for specified purposes from such tax. Allows a refund of such tax for retailers who establish a disposable carryout bag recycling program. Establishes in the Treasury the Disposable carryout bag Trust Fund to hold tax revenues generated by this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make payments from such Trust Fund for the disposable carryout bag recycling program and for the land and water conservation fund established by the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the effectiveness of this Act in reducing the use of disposable carryout bags and encouraging recycling of such bags.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Yosemite National Park Boundary Expansion Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the approximately 1,575 acres of identified land that is adjacent to Yosemite National Park in California for addition to the Park. Permits an acquisition of such land to be made by donation, purchase from a willing seller, or exchange and revises the boundary of the Park to reflect the acquisition. Requires the Secretary to administer any acquired land as part of the Park.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Prevention of Escapement of Genetically Altered Salmon in the United States Act - Prohibits a person from: (1) shipping, transporting, offering for sale, selling, or purchasing a covered fish, or a food product containing such fish, in interstate commerce; (2) having custody, control, or possession of, with the intent to ship, transport, offer for sale, sell, or purchase such fish or food products, in interstate or foreign commerce; (3) engaging in net-pen aquaculture of such fish; (4) releasing such fish into a natural environment; or (5) having custody, control, or possession of such fish with the intent to release it into a natural environment. Defines "covered fish" as any finfish (live or dead, including the gametes, fertilized eggs, offspring, and descendants) that is modified or produced through the application of recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technologies, using DNA from an organism's own genome or that of another species, that overcome natural physiological reproductive barriers and that are not techniques used in traditional breeding and selection. Exempts from such prohibitions fish, fish parts, or products confined for scientific research or collected to enforce this Act. Sets forth an additional exception if the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, upon reviewing any application requesting a federal agency to permit activity prohibited by this Act: (1) prepares a finding of no significant impact in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, or (2) finds the application to be consistent with an environmental impact statement that includes an environmental risk analysis and specified assessments of costs and potential economic damage. Directs each federal agency to promptly notify the Under Secretary when an action involving such covered fish or food products is first identified by such agency. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to enforce penalties for violations of this Act under specified provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Patient Centered Quality Care for Life Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a Patient-Centered Health Care and Quality of Life Stakeholder Strategic Summit to: (1) analyze key health system barriers to providing patient-centered health care that integrates symptom management and other aspects of coordinated or palliative care; and (2) identify strategic solutions for collectively addressing quality of life concerns for the rapidly expanding population of patients and survivors facing serious, complex, and chronic illness in the United States and for the families of such patients and survivors. Requires the Secretary to establish a Summit Steering Committee, which shall draft a summary report detailing Summit recommendations for a national strategic action agenda to improve patient-centered care and quality of life. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a national quality of life education and awareness grants program initiative for seriously ill patients, their families, and health professionals who treat them for the purposes of encouraging an increased demand for and delivery of integrated and patient-centered care for managing their pain and symptoms and improving their quality of life. Requires the Director to award competitive grants to develop new and expand existing information, resources, and communication materials about symptom management and other aspects of patient-centered care as an integral part of quality care for serious illnesses. Directs the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish a health care professional workforce training grants program initiative for purposes of promoting and enhancing symptom assessment and management, communications skills, coordinated patient-centered care, and other quality of life focused clinical core competencies across all clinical specialties that serve seriously ill patients and patients with multiple or complex chronic diseases. Requires the Secretary: (1) to update and expand the September 2002 HRSA report, titled "The Supply, Demand and Use of Palliative Care Physicians in the United States"; (2) to establish a Quality of Life Cross-Agency Advisory Committee to assist the CDC and HRSA in conducting the national quality of life education and awareness initiative and the health care professional workforce training initiative and to disseminate initiative findings for cross agency implementation of best practices; and (3) acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop and implement a strategy to be applied across NIH institutes and centers that is in accordance with the Advisory Committee's recommendations to expand national research programs in symptom management, palliative, psychosocial, and survivorship care.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Speaker should follow regular House procedure and immediately request a conference and appoint conferees to negotiate a FY2014 budget resolution conference agreement with the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2013
Improving Cancer Treatment Education Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend Medicare coverage to comprehensive cancer patient treatment education services, including a one-hour patient treatment education session delivered, in advance of treatment, by a registered nurse to an individual diagnosed with cancer (or whose course of treatment has been materially modified). Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate research programs to: (1) improve the treatment and management of symptoms and side effects associated with cancer and cancer treatment, and (2) evaluate the role of nursing interventions in the amelioration of such symptoms and side effects.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Native American Indian Education Act - Directs the Secretary 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. Limits that payment each fiscal year to the institution's total out-of-state tuition for Indian students in academic year 2012-2013. 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 · 18 April 2013
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 - 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 · 18 April 2013
Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act - Requires the Secretary of Education to make grants to states for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, including early learning facilities and charter schools, to make them safe, healthy, high-performing, and technologically up-to-date. Allocates grant funds among states on the basis of the relative portion of school improvement funds provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) in each state under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Reserves 2% of the grant funds for assistance to outlying areas and Indian schools. Reserves 5% of the grant funds for LEAs serving geographic areas: (1) with significant economic distress, (2) recovering from a natural disaster, or (3) containing a military installation selected for closure. Requires states to reallocate such grant funds to LEAs on the basis of each LEA's share of school improvement funds received by LEAs in the state for the previous fiscal year. Allows LEAs to give priority to projects involving the abatement, removal, or interim control of asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, mold, mildew, lead-based hazards, or a proven carcinogen. Requires the iron and steel used in projects funded under this Act to have been produced in the United States, subject to specified exceptions. Directs LEA grantees to use their grants for public school modernization, renovation, repairs, construction, or maintenance that meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System standards, Energy Star standards, Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) criteria, Green Building Initiative environmental design and rating standards (Green Globes), or equivalent standards adopted by the entities that have jurisdiction over such LEAs. Requires the Secretary to work with grant recipients to promote appropriate opportunities for individuals enrolled in YouthBuild, Job Corps, junior or community college, or preapprenticeship programs to gain employment experience on projects funded under this Act. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) grants to institutions of higher education to provide an additional 250,000 part-time work-study jobs; (2) creation of an additional 100,000 Public Lands Corps positions; (3) the retention, rehiring, and hiring of 300,000 education jobs; (4) grants to state, local, and Indian tribal governments to hire and rehire overall an additional 40,000 career law enforcement officers; and (5) the hiring and rehiring of an additional 12,000 firefighters. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to eligible health care and long-term care (LTC) providers to hire and retain 40,000 health care and LTC professionals. Authorizes appropriations for state and local government units to establish a Community Corps to create an additional 750,000 jobs for unemployed individuals to carry out specified activities. Amends the Head Start Act to authorize appropriations to employ an additional 100,000 full-time infant and toddler Head Start specialists.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act - Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin, (2) Grand Staircase-Escalante, (3) Moab-La Sal Canyons, (4) Henry Mountains, (5) Glen Canyon, (6) San Juan-Anasazi, (7) Canyonlands Basin, (8) San Rafael Swell, and (9) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative provisions regarding: (1) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas, (2) federal reservation of water rights, (3) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness, (4) authorized livestock grazing, and (5) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Coal Tar Sealants Reduction Act of 2013 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit any person from: (1) manufacturing any coal tar sealant beginning one year after this Act's enactment, (2) processing or distributing in commerce any such sealant beginning one and one-half years after such enactment, or (3) using any such sealant beginning two and one-half years after such enactment. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate rules to prescribe methods for the transportation, storage, and disposal of such sealants. Defines "coal tar sealant" to mean any product intended for use on a paved surface that contains any substance identified by the Chemical Abstracts Service number 65996-93-2, including ingredients listed as coal tar, refined coal tar, refined tar, or refined coal tar pitch.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Making Investments Now for Dementia Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to issue bonds to aid in the funding of Alzheimer's research. Authorizes appropriations to the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for such research. Expresses the sense of Congress that any funds collected pursuant to this Act are in addition to yearly appropriated funds and are not to be used to supplement current funding.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Pro Football Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5-gold coins, 400,000 $1-silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins emblematic of the game of professional football. Requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by the Secretary to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to help finance the construction of a new building and the renovation of existing Pro Football Hall of Fame facilities. Directs the Secretary to ensure that: (1) minting and issuing such coins will not result in any net cost to the government, and (2) no proceeds are disbursed until the total cost of designing and issuing such coins is recovered by the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Investment Adviser Examination Improvement Act of 2013 - Declares the sense of Congress that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should increase the number and frequency of examinations of investment advisers. Amends the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to direct the SEC to collect an annual fee from investment advisers subject to SEC inspection or examination to defray the cost of such inspections and examinations. Exempts certain state-regulated investment advisers from the requirement to pay an annual fee. Prescribes a fee calculation formula. Requires the SEC to make the formula publicly available on its website along with the factors used to reach the fee determination. Requires the Comptroller General to audit biennially the use of such fees, SEC reviews of the fee formula, and any adjustments to it. Makes such fees available to the SEC, without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation, to pay costs associated with inspecting and examining investment advisers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Fairness and Transparency in Contracting Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to exclude as a small business, for purposes of meeting federal agency contracting goals with small businesses, any small business (or subsidiary thereof) that is publicly traded, or any business (or subsidiary thereof) with more than 50% non-U.S. citizen ownership. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to notify the head of each federal department or agency regarding this Act and its amendments, and the department or agency head to then notify its contractors. Directs the Administrator to: (1) publish a report regarding federal prime contracts awarded to businesses identified as small businesses for purposes of achieving small business contracting goals, and (2) establish procedures to ensure that the Central Contractor Registration database provides an adequate warning regarding criminal penalties for misrepresenting the status of a small business or person in order to obtain federal contracts. Provides for enforcement of complaints about the classification of a business for such purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Help Entrepreneurs Create American Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make the increase (from $5,000 to $10,000) in the tax deduction for the start-up expenditures of an active trade or business permanent (currently, limited to taxable years beginning in 2010).
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2013 - 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 · 18 April 2013
Supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools). Encourages each state, city, and local educational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.
![Official portrait of Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_mn_5_ellison_keith_200.jpg)