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United States · Official source
3,969 records where Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Chained Consumer Price Index should not be used to calculate cost of living adjustments for Social Security benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Student Loan Relief Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act or STOP Act - Establishes a Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Council, composed mainly of civilians, as an independent entity from the chain of command of the Department of Defense (DOD). Directs the Council to: (1) appoint personnel to the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, and advise such Office; (2) appoint the Director of Military Prosecutions (Director); (3) review each request of the Director with respect to a case stemming from a sexual-related offense that has been referred to a military appellate court or to the Department of Justice (DOJ); and (4) submit to the Secretary of Defense, Congress, and the Attorney General a report on each Director request for referral to a higher court. Requires the Council to advise on the development of sexual assault reporting protocols, risk-reduction and response training, and policy. Establishes within DOD the Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office, headed by an Executive Director, to undertake specified duties and responsibilities relating to the investigation, prevention, and reduction of sexual assault incidents within the Armed Forces. Requires the Office to establish protocols to ensure that all reports of sexual assault are taken out of the chain of command and reported directly to the Office. Establishes the position of Director of Military Prosecutions, appointed by the Council, to have independent and final authority to oversee the prosecution of all sexual-related offenses committed by a member of the Armed Forces, and to refer such cases to trial by courts-martial.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Charles August Long Undiagnosed Diseases Research and Collaboration Network Act of 2013 or CAL Undiagnosed Diseases Research and Collaboration Network Act of 2013 - Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish and maintain an undiagnosed diseases patient network. Includes among the purposes of the CAL Network to: (1) provide physicians who are handling cases of undiagnosed diseases with a means to search for similar cases and to network and collaborate with physicians handling similar cases, (2) better enable and examine cross-disease research, (3) better describe the types and prevalence of cases of undiagnosed diseases in the United States, and (4) provide such data necessary to better understand the length of time for a diagnosis to be rendered and to identify barriers to diagnoses and reasons for misdiagnosis of diseases. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for: (1) the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on cases of undiagnosed diseases and other disorders that can often go undiagnosed or be misdiagnosed as other diseases or disorders; and (2) the establishment of separate undiagnosed disease programs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2013 - Amends title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to increase from $240 to $1,320 (increased for inflation each calendar year after 2015) the first amount of general income per year excluded in determining SSI program eligibility. Increases from: (1) $780 to $4,284 (similarly increased) the first amount of earned income similarly excluded (including for a blind or disabled individual [or spouse] under age 65), (2) $3,000 to $15,000 in calendar year 2015 (increased for inflation) the resource limit for couples, and (3) $2,000 to $10,000 in calendar year 2015 (similarly increased) for individuals without a spouse. Prescribes an inflation adjustment in benefits in any calendar year after 2015. Removes support and maintenance furnished in kind from determination of unearned income. Repeals the administrative penalty which renders individuals (and spouses) ineligible for SSI for a certain period of time if after the look-back date (usually 36 months preceding their application for SSI) they dispose of their resources for less than market value.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Thanks and promotes the teaching profession by encouraging students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to participate in National Teacher Appreciation Week.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2013
Inclusive Prosperity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose an excise tax on the transfer of ownership in certain securities (covered transaction), including any share of stock in a corporation, any partnership or beneficial interest in a partnership or trust, any note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (excluding tax-exempt municipal bonds), or derivative financial instruments; (2) impose a penalty on taxpayers who fail to include a covered transaction on their tax return or information statement; and (3) allow an individual taxpayer whose modified adjusted gross income does not exceed $50,000 ($75,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns) a tax credit for the amount of tax paid on covered transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to reauthorize for FY2014-FY2017 the grant program for improvements to the criminal history record system. Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to: (1) establish a four-year implementation plan to ensure maximum coordination and automation of reporting of records or making records available to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; (2) direct the Attorney General to make grants to states, Indian tribal governments, and state court systems to improve the automation and transmittal of mental health records and criminal history dispositions; (3) provide for reductions in grant funding to states that have not implemented a relief from disabilities program; (4) make federal court information available for inclusion in the System; and (5) allow the submission to the System of mental health records that would otherwise be protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) expand the enforcement authority or jurisdiction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); (2) allow the establishment, directly or indirectly, of a federal firearms registry; or (3) extend background check requirements to transfers of firearms other than those made at gun shows or over the Internet, or to temporary transfers for purposes including lawful hunting or sporting, or to temporary possession of a firearm for purposes of examination or evaluation by a prospective transferee. National Commission on Mass Violence Act of 2013 - Establishes the National Commission on Mass Violence to study the availability and nature of firearms, including the means of acquiring firearms, issues relating to mental health, and the impacts of the availability and nature of firearms on incidents of mass violence or in preventing mass violence. Requires the Commission to conduct a comprehensive factual study of incidents of mass violence, including incidents not involving firearms, to determine the root causes of such mass violence.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Respect for Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2013 - Amends the Peace Corps Act to allow former volunteers or applicants for enrollment as a volunteer to use the seal, emblem, or name "Peace Corps" on death announcements, plaques, grave stones, or other grave markers.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Fairness in International Taxation Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit a reduction under any treaty of the United States of tax withholding for a tax deductible payment made between persons who are members of the same foreign controlled group of entities unless there would be a similar reduction for payments made directly to the foreign parent corporation of such entities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
International Tax Competitiveness Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) treat foreign corporations that are managed, directly or indirectly, within the United States as domestic corporations for U.S. tax purposes; (2) subject certain royalty income and income from intangibles received from a controlled foreign corporation to U.S. taxation; and (3) revise the tax treatment of property other than stock received in connection with a corporate reorganization (i.e., boot) to provide that such property shall be treated as a taxable dividend.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to impose restrictions on foreign jurisdictions or financial institutions operating in the United States that are of prime money laundering concern or that significantly impede U.S. tax enforcement. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a rebuttable presumption against the validity of transactions by institutions that do not comply with reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, (2) treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes, (3) require tax withholding agents and financial institutions to report certain information about beneficial owners of foreign-owned financial accounts, (4) treat swap payments sent offshore as taxable U.S. source income, (5) allow the use of tax return information to evaluate foreign financial account reports, (6) increase penalties for promoting abusive tax shelters and for aiding and abetting the understatement of tax liability, (7) prohibit tax advisor contingent fee agreements for obtaining a tax savings or benefit, and (8) impose additional requirements for third party summonses used to obtain information in tax investigations that do not identify the person with respect to whose liability the summons is issued (i.e., John Doe summons). Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to: (1) require corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report annually, on a country-by country basis, on employees, pre-tax gross revenues, and payments made to governments; and (2) authorize a fine of up to $1 million for failure to disclose any holding or transaction involving equity or debt instruments known to involve a foreign entity that would otherwise be subject to disclosure requirements. Requires the Secretary to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register requiring investment advisors to establish anti-money laundering programs and submit suspicious activity reports. Extends anti-money laundering requirements to persons engaged in the business of forming new businesses or other legal entities. Requires federal banking agencies and the SEC to develop examination techniques to detect and prevent abusive tax shelter activities or the aiding or abetting of tax evasion by financial institutions. Requires the Secretary to: (1) disclose tax return information to federal financial regulators for purposes of tax shelter investigations; (2) disclose to Congress documents relating to a determination to grant, deny, revoke, or restore the tax-exempt status of an organization; and (3) expand the standards applicable to tax practitioners for issuing written advice on transactions which have a potential for tax avoidance or evasion.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit a veterinarian who is registered to manufacture or distribute controlled substances from being required to have a separate registration in order to transport and dispense controlled substances in the usual course of veterinary practice at a site other than such veterinarian's principal place of business or professional practice, as long as the dispensing site is located in a state where the veterinarian is licensed to practice.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Breast Cancer Patient Protect 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 that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection, insofar as the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, determines such stay to be medically necessary; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act, and (2) ensure that coverage is provided for secondary consultations. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Allows a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage to nonrenew or discontinue an individual's coverage based on the intentional concealment of material facts regarding a health condition related to the condition for which coverage is being claimed.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
National Financial Literacy Act of 2013 - Amends the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 to require federal financial supervisory agencies jointly to prescribe regulations establishing: (1) minimum standards to be met by a community-based financial literacy program in order to be eligible for consideration as a qualified community-based financial literacy program; (2) procedures for financial institutions to apply to a federal financial supervisory agency for approval of such a program; and (3) a requirement that financial institutions submit a regular report on how the institution supported and promoted financial literacy in its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Authorizes a federal financial supervisory agency to take an institution's direct support of a qualified community-based financial literacy program into account when it assesses the institution's record of meeting the community's credit needs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit to small businesses for 35% of the expenses paid or incurred for providing qualified continuing financial education to their employees.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Student Loan Interest Deduction Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the maximum tax deduction for interest paid on any qualified education loan to $5,000 ($10,000 for married couples filing a joint tax return), and (2) repeal the limitation on such deduction based upon modified adjusted gross income.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Nutrition Education Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require local educational agencies participating in the school lunch or breakfast programs to include in their school wellness policies the requirement that each student receive 50 hours of nutrition education each school year. Requires such instruction to meet specified standards, including that it is consistent with nutritional requirements for food served under the school lunch, school breakfast, and child and adult care food programs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education for Alzheimer's Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for comprehensive Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and services.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures Act - Prohibits using funds appropriated to the Department of Defense (DOD) for FY2014 or thereafter: (1) to arm a B-2 or B-52 aircraft with a nuclear weapon; (2) for the research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) or procurement of a long-range penetrating bomber aircraft; (3) to make the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons; or (4) for the B61 or W78 life extension program. Requires that, beginning in FY2014, the Navy shall include no more than eight operational ballistic-missile submarines available for deployment. Prohibits the use of DOD funds: (1) for FY2014-FY2023 to procure an SSBN-X submarine, and (2) for FY2024 and thereafter to procure more than eight such submarines. Prohibits using DOD funds for FY2014 or thereafter: (1) to maintain more than 200 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), (2) to maintain more than 250 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, (3) for the RDT&E or procurement of a new ICBM, or (4) for the medium extended air defense system. Prohibits using DOD or Department of Energy (DOE) funds for FY2014 or thereafter for: (1) the mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility project, (2) the chemistry and metallurgy research replacement nuclear facility, and (3) the uranium processing facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Requires an initial and subsequent annual reports from the Secretaries of Defense and Energy to Congress outlining their respective plans to carry out the requirements of this Act. Directs the President to submit annually to Congress a comprehensive accounting by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the amounts obligated or expended by the federal government for each nuclear weapon and related nuclear program during the fiscal year covered by the report and the life cycle of such weapon or program.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to replace the Designated Qualified Persons program responsible for inspecting horses for soring with a new inspection system. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prescribe regulatory requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Authorizes USDA to revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. Requires USDA to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians in issuing the licenses. Requires USDA to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. Directs an inspector to issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of the violations within five days of the citation being issued. Requires USDA to: (1) publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act; and (2) disqualify a horse that is sore for specified time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse. Prohibits showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device that causes friction by rotating around a horse's leg or sliding up and down the leg or strikes the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter a horse's gait and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations. Authorizes USDA to disqualify a violator from: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted. Permits USDA to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Coast Guard Academy Opportunity Act - Modifies the Coast Guard Academy cadet nomination process by requiring that half of each incoming class be composed of cadets nominated by: (1) the Vice President or, if there is no Vice President, the President pro tempore of the Senate; (2) a Senator; (3) a Member of the House of Representatives; and (4) the various delegates to Congress, including the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico. Entitles each Senator, House Member, Delegate, and Resident Commissioner to nominate three persons each year. Requires nominees to be citizens or nationals of the United States and meet any minimum requirements established by the Secretary of the respective department in which the Coast Guard is operating. Directs the Superintendent of the Academy to furnish any Member of Congress, upon written request, the name of the nominating authority responsible for the nomination of any named or identified person for appointment to the Academy.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide independent counsel to Congress on policy issues associated with the recruitment for, and retention, research, and reinvestment in, the profession of social work. Directs the Commission to study and report to Congress on issues facing the social work profession, including: (1) fair market compensation, high social work educational debt, social work workforce trends, translating social work research to practice, and social work safety; and (2) state-level social work licensure policies and reciprocity agreements for providing services across state lines. Requires such study to assess the professional capacity of the social work workforce to serve and respond successfully to the increasing biopsychosocial needs of individuals, groups, and communities in certain areas, including aging and child welfare. Terminates the Commission 30 days after it submits such report within 18 months of its first meeting. Authorizes the Secretary to award: (1) workplace improvement grants to eligible entities and individuals to address workplace concerns for the social work profession, including caseloads, compensation, social work safety, supervision, and working conditions; and (2) research grants, education and training grants, and community-based programs of excellence grants. Directs the Secretary to: (1) contract with a national social work entity to serve as a coordinating center and clearinghouse for information on activities funded under the grants, and (2) develop a multi-media outreach campaign and issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the social work profession.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. Encourages state and local governments to recognize and support such a day. Promotes effective and comprehensive HIV prevention education programs as a tool to ensure that all people in the United States are educated about HIV. Urges youth-friendly and accessible health care services to better provide for the early identification of HIV through voluntary routine testing and to connect those in need to clinically and culturally appropriate care and treatment as early as possible. Commends the work of AIDS service organizations, community and faith-based organizations, and school-based health centers that are providing youth-friendly, effective, prevention, treatment, care, and support services to young people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Recognizes the importance of interventions that address young people's structural barriers to living healthy lives. Prioritizes youth leadership and development to ensure youth involvement in decisions that impact their health and well-being as well as to advance a pipeline for the next generation of HIV/AIDS professionals as a necessary means to achieving an AIDS-free generation.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Federal Direct Stafford loans to loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 regarding the supplemental food assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) to include as a retail store an agricultural producer marketing agricultural products directly to consumers. Requires participating retailers to pay 100% of the costs of acquiring, and arranging for the implementation of, electronic benefit transfer (EBT) point-of-sale equipment and supplies. Allows exemptions, including for farmers' markets, direct farmer-to-consumer marketing outlets, military commissaries, nonprofit food buying cooperatives, and group living arrangements. Ends manual vouchers, except as necessary. Establishes a pilot program to test mobile technologies for SNAP transactions. Permits using benefits to purchase a community-supported agriculture share. Provides for a five-state grant pilot program to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to schools and service institutions participating in food service programs under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Permits each school food authority with a low annual commodity entitlement value to elect to substitute locally and regionally grown and raised food for the authority's allotment of commodity assistance for the school lunch program, subject to specified conditions. Increases funding for community food projects and the seniors farmers' market nutrition program. Revises the hunger-free community provisions, including by prohibiting state or local sales taxes and providing specified mandatory funding through FY2018. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish a Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program to increase knowledge of agriculture and improve the nutritional health of children. Establishes a special initiative within the Research, Education, and Extension Office to coordinate Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant and animal breeding research. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide for guaranteed loans to eligible producers for the production of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products. Gives loan priority to projects that will increase access to locally or regionally grown food in underserved communities, create new market opportunities for local or regional agricultural producers, or support regional economic and community development. Amends the Farm Credit Act of 1971 to include assistance for the production of locally or regionally produced agricultural food products. Amends the the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to expand the scope of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. Amends the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 to reference locally and regionally produced agricultural products and give priority to projects that benefit underserved communities. Authorizes appropriations through FY2018. Amends the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to specify making grants for locally or regional produced agricutural products. Provides for grants through FY2018. Provides for a study on local food production and program evaluation. Requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to: (1) conduct activities or enter into contracts to carry out research and development for a whole farm risk management insurance plan, and (2) offer organic crop producers price elections for all organic crops that reflect actual retail and wholesale prices. Provides, with regard to the agricultural management assistance program, for: (1) nationwide program expansion, (2) organic certification cost assistance, and (3) funding through FY2018.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2013 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Benefits) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend the months of coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to make eligible for enrollment in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), solely for the purpose of such drug coverage, every individual whose insurance benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) have ended by reason of a kidney transplant or the end of any requirement for a regular course of dialysis. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine a monthly premium rate for such individuals equal to 35% of the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 and over. Prescribes a formula for detemination of a government contribution to such a premium.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Weekends Without Hunger Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), subject to the availability of appropriations, to implement a pilot program providing commodities, on a competitive basis, to nonprofits for the provision of nutritious food to at-risk school children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the school year. (At-risk school children are those who participate in the school lunch program and reside in an area served by a school in which at least 50% of the students receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs.) Includes elementary and secondary schools, school food authorities, food banks or pantries, homeless shelters, and other Secretary-approved emergency feeding agencies as eligible nonprofit recipients of such commodities. Requires commodity recipients to satisfy safe food storage, handling, and delivery standards established by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to: (1) complete an interim evaluation of the pilot program by November 30, 2016, and (2) submit a final report to Congress by December 31, 2018, that contains an evaluation of such program and any recommendations the Secretary may have for legislative action. Authorizes appropriations for the pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of cosmetics by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires any brand owner engaged in bringing a cosmetic to market for use in the United States to register annually and pay a fee for oversight and enforcement of this Act. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish labeling requirements, (2) establish a safety standard that provides a reasonable certainty of no harm from exposure to a cosmetic or an ingredient in a cosmetic and that protects the public from any known or anticipated adverse health effects associated with the cosmetic or ingredient, and (3) issue guidance prescribing good manufacturing practices for cosmetics and ingredients. Requires brand owners to submit to the Secretary safety data for the ingredients listed on the cosmetic label and the cosmetic itself, which shall be published in a database. Requires the Secretary to review and evaluate the safety of cosmetics and ingredients of cosmetics that are marketed in interstate commerce, including nanotechnology and contaminants of concern linked to severe acute reactions or long-term adverse health effects. Requires the Secretary, based on an initial review and evaluation, to establish three lists for ingredients: (1) a prohibited and restricted list, (2) a safe without limits list, and (3) a priority assessment list. Authorizes the Secretary to order a recall or cease of distribution for a cosmetic that is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise in violation of the FFDCA. Requires reporting of any serious adverse event associated with cosmetics. Requires the Secretary to take action to minimize the use of animal testing of ingredients and cosmetics. Establishes an Interagency Council on Cosmetic Safety. Requires the Secretary of Labor to promulgate an occupational safety and health standard relating to cosmetics for professional use.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Wildlife Refuge System Conservation Semipostal Stamp Act of 2013 - Directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) to issue and sell, at a premium, a Wildlife Refuge System Conservation Semipostal Stamp. Requires the use of such stamp to be voluntary on the part of postal patrons. Requires proceeds from the sale of the semipostal stamp to be transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to help fund the maintenance backlog and operational shortfall of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Requires the stamp to be made available to the public for at least two years.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to rename: (1) the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 as the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 1993, and (2) the Public Lands Corps as the Public Lands Service Corps (the Corps). Permits Corps participants to work in the National Marine Sanctuary System, coral reefs, and other coastal, estuarine, and marine habitats, and other lands and facilities administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Requires the: (1) establishment of a department-level office within the Department of the Interior, Forest Service, and NOAA for the coordination of Corps activities; and (2) designation of a Corps coordinator for each agency within the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce that administers such activities. Establishes an Indian Youth Service Corps liaison. Expands those authorized to be in the Corps to permit the enrollment of consulting interns. Permits enrollment for a term of up to two years. Requires: (1) a recruitment program for the Corps, and (2) a training program at residential conservation centers or at other sites to provide training for Corps participants. Describes the types of natural and cultural resources conservation projects that may be carried out by the Corps. Authorizes: (1) the Corps to provide certain visitor and interpretation services, (2) establishing residential conservation centers, and (3) individual placements of consulting interns to perform management analysis activities for agencies under the Secretary's jurisdiction carrying out appropriate natural and cultural resources conservation projects. Authorizes cooperative agreements and competitive grants for Indian tribes and qualified youth or conservation corps to establish Indian Youth Service Corps programs. Requires the Secretary to issue management guidelines for programs of the Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Catching Up To 1968 Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase to $10.50 an hour (adjusted annually based on increases in the Consumer Price Index) the federal minimum wage for employees. Prescribes the federal minimum wage for tipped employees to be 70% of the federal minimum wage in effect for employees. Directs the Secretary of Labor, 60 days before any increase in the minimum wage, to publish the increase in the Federal Register and on the Department of Labor's website. Revises the exemption from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements of agricultural employees to eliminate (and so subject to such requirements) all agricultural employees except those who are members of the employer's immediate family. Eliminates from that same exemption (and thereby subject to such requirements) any employee employed in domestic service employment to provide companionship services for individuals who because of age or infirmity are unable to care for themselves.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Project Ready STEM Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to national and regional intermediaries and, through them, subgrants to their community-based affiliates to operate in-school, after school, summer, and weekend programs that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Defines a "national intermediary" as a national private nonprofit organization that has: (1) a network comprising community-based affiliates in at least 50 urban communities, (2) expertise in overseeing programs to help middle and secondary school students succeed, and (3) operated in at least 25 states continuously for at least 20 years. Defines a "regional intermediary" as a private nonprofit community-based organization that has: (1) a network comprising community-based affiliates in a prescribed region, and (2) expertise in extending educational services to middle and secondary school students. Requires the STEM programs to primarily serve students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM field careers, and include project-based learning opportunities and individualized instruction. Directs each subgrantee to collaborate with an institution of higher education in providing such services. Requires grantees to direct at least: (1) 50% of their grant to community-based affiliates that are successfully operating STEM programs so that they can expand them to reach more students traditionally underrepresented in STEM field careers, and (2) 25% of their grant to the development of STEM programs by community-based affiliates not currently operating any.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Urban Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Labor to make competitive grants to national or regional private nonprofit community-based organizations to carry out Urban Jobs Programs to provide job training, education, and support services and activities for eligible urban youth to provide them with a pathway to employment, or education leading to employment. Defines "eligible youth" as individuals ages 18 to 24 who: (1) are not enrolled in secondary or post-secondary school, or (2) are or have been subject to the criminal justice process. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Jobs Council Advisory Committee. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) community-based affiliates should establish local jobs council advisory committees to aid in establishing local community support for local implementation of the program; and (2) at least one-third of the members of the committee should be employers in high-impact, high-growth industries in the locality.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Student Loan Fairness Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish a 10/10 Loan Repayment Plan that allows borrowers of Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) and Direct Loans (DLs) to limit their monthly payment on such loans to one-twelfth of 10% of the amount by which their adjusted gross income and that of their spouse (if applicable) exceeds 150% of the federal poverty level. Establishes a 10/10 Loan Forgiveness Program that provides FFEL and DL forgiveness to borrowers who, after the date that is 10 years before the date of this Act's enactment, have made 120 monthly payments under the 10/10 Loan Repayment Plan or under another repayment plan that required them to make payments at least as large as those they would have made under the 10/10 Loan Repayment Plan. Credits the months during which an individual is in deferment due to an economic hardship as months for which payment was made for purposes of the 10/10 Loan Forgiveness Program. Caps the amount of loan forgiveness that the program will provide to individuals who become new borrowers after the date of this Act's enactment. Caps the interest rate on new DLs at 3.4%. Amends the public service employee loan forgiveness program to forgive the DLs of participants who have made 60 (currently, 120) monthly payments on such loans pursuant to specified repayment plans. Includes primary care physicians in medically underserved areas in the public service employee loan forgiveness program. Allows certain borrowers to consolidate their private education loans as Direct Consolidation Loans, provided the private loans were made on or before the date of this Act's enactment. Limits such borrowers to those who: (1) were students eligible for unsubsidized Stafford loans or PLUS loans under the FFEL or DL programs for their enrollment at an institution of higher education, or would have been had they been enrolled on at least a half-time basis; (2) borrowed at least one private education loan for such enrollment; and (3) have an average adjusted gross income that does not exceed their total education debt. Caps the interest rate on those Direct Consolidation Loans at 3.4%. Requires borrowers to apply for such loans within one year of this Act's enactment. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to direct the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) to issue regulations that require private education lenders to sell private education loans to the Secretary of Education for consolidation as Direct Consolidation Loans. Sets forth the data to be used in determining the price paid for such loans. Amends title IV of the HEA to direct the Secretary of Education to pay the interest that accrues on unsubsidized FFELs and DLs that are deferred due to a student borrower's lack of full-time employment. Requires the Secretary to pay the interest that accrues on Federal Consolidation Loans that are in deferment due to a borrower's lack of full-time employment, provided the application for such a loan is received on or after the date of this Act's enactment. Directs the Secretary to pay the interest that accrues on FFELs and DLs that are subject to income-based repayment provisions and are in deferment due to a borrower's lack of full-time employment. Limits these interest-free deferment periods to those occurring on or after the date of this Act's enactment and covering no more than three years of full-time unemployment. Excludes from a borrower's taxable income the principal and interest on FFELs and DLs that is forgiven pursuant to income-based repayment plans.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth Promise Act - Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention or intervention. Directs the Administrator to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Firearm Risk Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to: (1) prohibit the purchase or sale of a firearm unless the purchaser presents proof to the seller and the seller verifies that the purchaser is covered by a qualified liability insurance policy, and (2) require any person who purchases a firearm on or after this Act's effective date to be covered by such a policy. Exempts the purchase or sale of a firearm for use by a federal, state, or local agency. Defines "qualified liability insurance policy" to mean a policy that: (1) provides liability insurance covering the purchaser specifically for losses resulting from use of the firearm while it is owned by the purchaser, and (2) is issued by an insurer licensed or authorized to provide the coverage by the state in which the purchaser resides.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Refugee Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) eliminate the one-year time limit for filing an asylum claim; and (2) permit, and set forth the requirements for, reopening a claim that was denied because of failure to file within one year. Revises the definition of terrorist activity for purposes of alien inadmissibility. Excludes activity committed under duress from such definition. Revises: (1) the definition of refugee, and (2) the criteria for granting asylum. Authorizes the Attorney General to appoint counsel to represent an alien in a removal proceeding. Prohibits an alien from being removed during the 30-day petition for review period unless the alien indicates in writing that he or she wishes to be removed before the expiration of such period. Makes discretionary certain currently required detention provisions regarding arriving aliens who request asylum. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) establish a secure alternatives to detention program, (2) establish specified conditions of detention, (3) file notice of immigration charges with the court and the individual within 48 hours of detention, and (4) establish procedures to ensure the accuracy of statements taken by DHS employees exercising expedited removal authority. Authorizes the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to conduct a study to determine whether certain immigration officers are properly handling asylum and removal/detention authority with regard to aliens apprehended after entering the United States. Authorizes waiver of the continuous one-year presence requirement for permanent resident status adjustment for a qualifying refugee/asylee who: (1) is or was employed by the U.S. government or a U.S. government contractor for not more than one year overseas and worked on behalf of the U.S. government for such time, and (2) returns immediately to the United States upon such employment's conclusion. Exempts aliens under the age of 18 from certain restrictions on applying for asylum. Sets forth protections for: (1) refugees; (2) aliens interdicted at sea; and (2) stateless persons in the United States, including mechanisms for regularizing status. Authorizes the President to designate refugee groups. Permits applicants for refugee admission to simultaneously pursue other forms of admission. Authorizes the spouse or child of a refugee or asylee to bring his or her accompanying or following child into the United States as a refugee or asylee. States that if the President does not issue a refugee allocation determination before the beginning of a fiscal year the number of refugees that may be admitted in each quarter shall be 25% of the number of refugees admissible during the previous fiscal year. Directs the Secretary of State to notify Congress regarding the amount of funds that will be provided in Reception and Placement Grants in the coming fiscal year. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, with respect to naturalization of an Afghan or Iraqi translator who is a lawful permanent resident, to count a period of absence from the United States working as a translator for the United States or a U.S. contractor in Afghanistan or Iraq towards the accumulation of the required U.S. physical presence. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study of the Office of Refugee Resettlement's domestic refugee resettlement programs. Revises the refugee grant and contract assistance allocation formula. Directs the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Refugee and Asylee Resettlement (HHS) 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. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to extend the eligibility for supplemental security income (SSI) assistance to certain aliens (including asylees and refugees) and trafficking victims.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Women Act or MARCH for Military Women Act - Repeals a statutory restriction on using a medical treatment facility or other facility of the Department of Defense (DOD) to perform an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act of 2013 - Withdraws the approximately 982,550 acres of the Tusayan Ranger District in Arizona and federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the vicinity of Kanab Creek and in House Rock Valley from: (1) entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) operation of the mineral leasing, geothermal leasing, and mineral materials laws. Subjects such withdrawal to valid, existing rights.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for the establishment or operation of Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. Requires such Centers to: (1) improve the training of health professionals in palliative care for individuals with serious or life-threatening illnesses; (2) develop and disseminate related curricula; (3) support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in palliative care; (4) support continuing education of health professionals who provide palliative care; (5) provide students with clinical training in palliative care in long-term care facilities, home care, hospices, chronic and acute disease hospitals, and ambulatory care centers; and (6) establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees in palliative care. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and enter into contracts with schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to provide support for projects that fund the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to eligible individuals; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award incentive grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, clinical social workers, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant to develop and implement programs and initiatives to train individuals in providing palliative care in health-related educational, hospice, home, or long-term care settings.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Project Rebuild Act of 2013 - Appropriates funds for assistance to eligible entities including state and local governments, and qualified nonprofit organizations, businesses or eligible consortia for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties and for stabilization of affected neighborhoods (Project Rebuild). Allows the use of funds to: (1) establish financing mechanisms for the purchase and redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties; (2) purchase and rehabilitate such properties; (3) establish and operate land banks for them; (4) demolish blighted structures (except public housing); and (5) redevelop abandoned, foreclosed, demolished, or vacant properties. Requires each state to receive at least $20 million of formula funds, all of which shall be used with respect to low and moderate-income individuals and families. Requires each state and local government grantee to establish procedures to create preferences for development of affordable rental housing. Allows a grantee to use up to 10% to create jobs by establishing and operating a program to maintain eligible neighborhood properties. Sets forth Buy American requirements. Requires all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors on federally-assisted projects to be paid wages at the locally prevailing rates (Davis-Bacon Act).
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Restoring Confidence in Our Democracy Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to set forth special rules for electioneering communications, especially targeted communications, which national banks, corporations, and labor organizations are prohibited from paying for. Defines "targeted communications" as electioneering communications distributed from a television or radio broadcast station or provider of cable or satellite television service and, in the case of a communication which refers to a candidate for an office other than President or Vice President, is targeted to the relevant electorate. Prohibits independent expenditures by national banks, corporations, and labor organizations. Applies certain limitations on contributions made by any person to a political committee to any contribution to a political committee which accepts donations or contributions that do not comply with contribution or source prohibitions (or made to any account of a political committee established to accept such noncompliant donations or contributions).
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or a dependent of the taxpayer. Denies such tax credit to any taxpayer whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Asserts that the region's leaders and the international community should break the cycle of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding region. Calls on: (1) the signatories of the February 24, 2013, Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region to abide by the Framework's provisions; and (2) governments of the Great Lakes region of Africa to respect the national security and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Recognizes efforts by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to end child recruitment into the armed forces and demands the cessation of militia recruitment and exploitation of children. Calls on the Obama Administration to: (1) mobilize a comprehensive response to prevent further deterioration of regional peace and stability and to ensure that humanitarian assistance be provided to populations in need, and (2) develop actionable recommendations to ensure accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses. Acknowledges the good work of the United States Special Advisor on the Great Lakes and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Calls on all nations to increase cooperation to stop the trade of illegal goods that fuels violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Urges the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate and prosecute those who have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. Acknowledges the appointment by the United Nations (U.N.) of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa. Urges the U.N. Security Council to lead efforts to strengthen the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Reaffirms the important role of frontline health workers in saving lives and fostering a healthier and more secure world. Commends the progress made by the United States in helping to build local capacity and to save lives in the world's most vulnerable communities by training and supporting frontline health care workers. Calls on all relevant federal agencies to develop a comprehensive health workforce strengthening strategy for increasing access to qualified health workers in developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and revise a grant program for screening, counseling, and other services related to heritable disorders. Expands eligible grantees to include a health professional organization and an early childhood health system. Extends a grant program to evaluate the effectiveness of screening, counseling, or health care services in reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by heritable disorders in newborns and children. Expands the program to include evaluation of treatment and follow-up care for newborns and their families after screening and diagnosis. Extends for five years the operation of the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue the Advisory Committee after such time. Requires the Advisory Committee to meet in person at least twice each year. Extends the clearinghouse for newborn screening information. Expands the duties of the clearinghouse to include: (1) maintaining current data on the number of conditions for which screening is conducted in each state; and (2) establishing or disseminating guidelines for services and personnel necessary for follow-up, diagnosis, counseling, and treatment of to conditions detected by newborn screening. Extends requirements for the Secretary to provide for quality assurance of laboratories involved in screening newborns and children for heritable disorders. Extends the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Newborn and Child Screening. Authorizes the Secretary to have the Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening Research Program to: (1) provide research and data for newborn conditions under review by the Advisory Committee to be added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel; and (2) conduct pilot studies on conditions recommended by the Advisory Committee to ensure that screenings are ready for nationwide implementation. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements with, eligible entities to develop longitudinal followup and tracking programs for newborn screening.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
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. 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 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 (GAO), the Board of Directors of the congressional 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 annually compile information 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 · 20 March 2013
Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to include as a "countervailable subsidy" requiring action under a countervailing duty or antidumping duty proceeding the benefit conferred on merchandise imported into the United States from foreign countries with fundamentally undervalued currency. Defines "benefit conferred," in cases where the currency of a foreign country is exchanged for foreign currency (i.e., U.S. dollars) obtained from export transactions, as the difference between: (1) the amount of currency provided by a foreign country in which the subject merchandise is produced, and (2) the amount of currency such country would have provided if the real effective exchange rate of its currency were not fundamentally undervalued. Declares that the fact that such a subsidy is also provided in circumstances not involving export shall not, for that reason alone, mean it cannot be considered export contingent and actionable under a countervailing duty and antidumping duty proceeding. Requires the administering authority to determine that the currency of a foreign country is fundamentally undervalued if for an 18-month period: (1) the government of the country engages in protracted, large-scale intervention in one or more foreign exchange markets; (2) the country's real effective exchange rate is undervalued by at least 5%; (3) the country has experienced significant and persistent global current account surpluses; and (4) the country's government has foreign asset reserves exceeding the amount necessary to repay all its debt obligations falling due within the coming 12 months, 20% percent of the country's money supply, and the value of the country's imports during the previous 4 months. Requires the use, for calculating a country's "real effective exchange rate undervaluation," of certain guidelines of the Consultative Group on Exchange Rate Issues of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or, if those guidelines are not available, generally accepted economic and econometric techniques and methodologies. Requires the use, also, of inflation-adjusted, trade-weighted exchange rates. Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
Lead Hazard Title X Amendments Act - Amends the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 to revise the purpose for grants for lead-based paint hazard reduction in target housing. Requires such grants to be made instead for reduction of lead-based paint hazards and correction of other housing-related hazards. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish a process by which, in order to verify a family's income level, a grantee may first obtain and use income and program participation information from an entity administering: (1) the HOME Investment Partnerships program under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act; (2) the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) established under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966; (3) reduced price or free lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; (4) the weatherization assistance program for low-income persons established under the Energy Conservation and Production Act; (5) the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) program under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA); (6) the supplemental security income (SSI) program under SSA title XVI; or (7) any other program consistent with the family income requirements of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992. Makes eligible to apply for such a grant, in addition to certain state or local governments, for specified activities relating to lead-based paint hazards: (1) an Indian tribe, and (2) private nonprofit organization partnering with the state or unit of general local government in which the activities will be carried out. Makes a private nonprofit organization not partnering with a state or local government eligible all the same to apply for a grant to reduce housing-related health hazards, including any condition of residential real property that poses a risk of biological, physical, radiological, or chemical exposure that can adversely affect human health. Revises grantee selection criteria for a grant to carry out activities relating to lead-based paint hazards, and prescribes criteria for activities relating to housing-related hazards. Prescribes an allocation of funds for grants to assess and correct housing-related health hazards and evaluate the effectiveness of such assessments and corrections. Reauthorizes the Act for FY2014-FY2018.