United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 or the American SAFE Act of 2015 This bill requires that, in addition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) screening, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall take all actions necessary to ensure that each covered alien receives a background investigation before U.S. refugee admission. A "covered alien" is any alien applying for U.S. refugee admission who: is a national or resident of Iraq or Syria, has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Iraq or Syria, or has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011. A covered alien: may not be admitted as a refugee until the FBI certifies to DHS and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) that he or she has received a background investigation sufficient to determine whether the alien is a U.S. security threat; and may only be admitted to the United States after DHS, with the unanimous concurrence of the FBI and the DNI, certifies to Congress that he or she is not such a threat. The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct annual risk-based reviews of all certifications. DHS shall report monthly to Congress on the total number of admission applications for which a certification was made and the number of covered aliens for whom such a certification was not made for the preceding month. The report shall include for each covered alien for whom a certification was not made the concurrence or nonconcurrence of each person whose concurrence was required by the certification.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
States' Right of Refugee Refusal Act of 2015 This bill prohibits the Office of Refugee Resettlement or the federal agency administering refugee resettlement from resettling or coordinating placement of any refugee in a state whose government has communicated to the Office that the state government does not accede to such resettlement or placement.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 or the American SAFE Act of 2015 This bill prohibits a covered refugee from being admitted to the United States until the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certifies to Congress that such individual is not a security threat to the United States. The Inspector General of DHS shall review 20% of all such certifications each fiscal year. The term "covered refugee" is defined as any alien applying for refugee status who is: (1) a national or resident of Iraq or Syria, or (2) present in Iraq or Syria at any time while the application for refugee status is pending. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall take actions to ensure that each covered refugee receives a thorough background investigation prior to admission. A covered refugee may not be admitted until the FBI certifies that such covered refugee has received such an investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard Deadline Harmonization Act of 2015 This bill delays the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2015 national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone issued under the Clean Air Act. Each state must designate all of its areas as attainment, nonattainment, or unclassifiable with respect to the 2015 ozone standards by October 26, 2024. The EPA must promulgate final designations for those areas by October 26, 2025. States must submit a state implementation plan for the 2015 ozone standards by October 26, 2026. The 2015 ozone standards do not apply to the review and disposition of an application for a preconstruction permit for the construction or modification of a major emitting facility or major stationary source if: (1) the application is completed before final designations under the Clean Air Act, or (2) the applicable permitting authority publishes a public notice of a preliminary determination or draft permit for the application before a certain date. The bill changes the interval by which the EPA must review its NAAQS for criteria pollutants from a 5-year review cycle to a 10-year review cycle. The EPA must not complete any review of ozone criteria or its ozone NAAQS before October 26, 2025, or propose any revisions to them.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of American Diabetes Month, including encouraging individuals to fight diabetes through public awareness about prevention and treatment options and enhancing education about the disease; and (2) decreasing the prevalence of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes in the United States through increased research, treatment, and prevention. Recognizes the importance of early detection, awareness of the symptoms, and the risk factors that often lead to the development of diabetes.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2015
Office of Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Office of Strategic Services in recognition of their service and contributions during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015
Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2015 Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Muslim Brotherhood has met the criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization, and (2) the Department of State should so designate it. Requires the State Department to report to Congress within 60 days whether the Muslim Brotherhood meets the criteria for foreign terrorist designation and, if not, which criteria have not been met.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015
Stopping EPA Overreach Act of 2015 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to exclude carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride pollution from the scope of that Act. The bill declares that current law does not authorize or require the regulation of climate change or global warming and nullifies certain proposed rules relating to greenhouse gas and carbon pollution emissions. Before proposing or finalizing regulations or policies, the Environmental Protection Agency must analyze the net and gross impact of those regulations and policies on employment. Regulations and policies may not take effect if they have a negative impact on employment, unless they are approved by Congress and signed by the President.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015
Charitable Automobile Red-Tape Simplification Act of 2015 or the CARS Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for charitable contributions, to modify the substantiation rules for donations of qualified vehicles (i.e., motor vehicles manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways and boats or airplanes) with a claimed value exceeding $500 but not $2,500, to require: (1) a statement with respect to such qualified vehicles and a good faith estimate of their value at the time of donation; and (2) a contemporaneous written acknowledgement of the contribution by the donee organization, with information about the donor and the qualified vehicle.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2015
Stingray Privacy Act of 2015 This bill prohibits the use of cell-site simulators by law enforcement agencies. Cell-site simulators are surveillance devices designed to capture data from cell phones. Law enforcement agencies must obtain warrants for the use of cell-site simulators. However, agencies are permitted to use the devices without a warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or in emergency situations. Evidence obtained from a cell-site simulator unlawfully cannot be used in any legal or official proceeding. Use of a cell-site simulator outside the scope of this bill is punishable by a fine and/or up to 10 years in prison.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2015
Expresses the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to American families and businesses and is not in the best interest of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian hostility, and (2) the House supports Israel's efforts to maintain its sovereignty.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2015
Crop Insurance Restoration Act This bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to repeal changes regarding the Standard Reinsurance Agreement that were enacted as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. The bill eliminates provisions that: (1) require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to renegotiate the Standard Reinsurance Agreement no later than December 31, 2016, and at least once every five years thereafter, and (2) establish an 8.9% cap on the overall rate of return for insurance providers under the agreement. (The Standard Reinsurance Agreement is an agreement between USDA and the private companies that administer the federal crop insurance program. It specifies details such as administrative and operating expense reimbursements and risk sharing between USDA and the companies in the operation of the program.)
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2015
Impeaches John Andrew Koskinen, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, for high crimes and misdemeanors and sets forth the articles of impeachment.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2015
Nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule published on October 23, 2015, that requires states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units (EGUs). (Those EGUs convert fossil fuel energy to electric energy.)
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2015
Nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule published on October 23, 2015, that establishes new source performance standards under the Clean Air Act for carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units (EGUs) if the EGUs are newly constructed, modified, or reconstructed. (Those EGUs convert fossil fuel energy to electric energy.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2015
Ending Special National Origin-Based Immigration Programs for Cubans Act of 2015 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that Cuban nationals should be treated under the same immigration rules as nationals of other countries with which the United States has diplomatic relations and should not receive preferential treatment. The bill repeals P.L. 89-732, which provides for the adjustment of Cuban citizens or nationals to lawful permanent resident status in the United States. No funds, resources, or fees made available to the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, or to any other federal agency, including deposits into the Immigration Examinations Fee Account, may be used to implement or administer any of the policy changes set forth in the 2007 memorandum from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement entitled "Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program."
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2015
Hearing Protection Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate the $200 transfer tax on firearm silencers, and (2) treat any person who acquires or possesses a firearm silencer as meeting any registration or licensing requirements of the National Firearms Act with respect to such silencer. Any person who pays a tax on a silencer after October 22, 2015 may receive a refund of such tax. The bill amends the federal criminal code to preempt state or local laws that tax or regulate firearm silencers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2015
Veterans' Expanded Trucking Opportunities Act This bill authorizes a qualified Department of Veterans Affairs physician to perform a medical examination and provide a medical certificate for purposes of compliance with medical standards and guidelines for the physical qualifications of operators of commercial motor vehicles. Such an operator is a veteran who is enrolled in the veterans' health care system and had a valid medical certificate prior to May 21, 2014. The certification shall include a statement that the physical condition of the operator is adequate to enable such operator to operate a commercial motor vehicle safely.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2015
Securing Every Relevant and Vital Electronic Record Act of 2015 or the SERVER Act This bill prohibits the Secretary of a cabinet-level executive department from maintaining a private email server to conduct official government business. The Inspector General of each such department shall ensure compliance with such prohibition. A Secretary who violates such prohibition is subject to a fine and/or prison term and shall forfeit his or her office and be disqualified from holding any U.S. government office.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2015
Cuba Agricultural Exports Act This bill amends the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 to exempt from prohibitions against U.S. assistance to Cuba any exports under the market access program, the export credit guarantee program, and the foreign market development cooperator program, including any federal commodity promotion program obligations or expenditures of funds. This exemption shall not apply if the U.S. assistance recipient would be an entity controlled by the Cuban government, including the armed forces, the Ministry of the Interior, or any subdivision of either governmental entity. A person subject to U.S. jurisdiction may invest in the development of an agricultural business in Cuba if the Department of State and the Department of Agriculture jointly determine that the agricultural business: is not controlled by the government of Cuba, including the armed forces, the Ministry of the Interior, or any subdivision of either governmental entity; and does not traffic in property of persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction which was confiscated by Cuba on or after January 1, 1959. Certain language limiting financing of agricultural sales to Cuba is repealed.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2015
Affirms that private equity: (1) plays an important role in growing and strengthening U.S. businesses throughout all sectors of the economy and in every state and congressional district, and (2) has fostered significant investment in the U.S. economy. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should maintain normative tax policy that carried interest income resulting from the sale of a capital asset is capital gains income.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015
This bill authorizes FY2016-FY2021 appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) for the University Transportation Centers Program and requires the Federal Highway Administration to administer the program. The program provides grants to nonprofit institutions of higher education to establish and operate university transportation centers to advance transportation expertise and technology, provide a transportation knowledge base outside of the Department of Transportation, address critical workforce needs, and educate the next generation of transportation leaders.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2015
Positive Train Control Enforcement and Implementation Act of 2015 This bill extends deadlines and modifies requirements for railroad carriers and providers of intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation to implement positive train control (PTC) systems. (A PTC system is a communications and signaling system designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into established work zone limits, and the movement of a train through a switch left in the wrong position. Railroads which carry passengers or have high-volume freight traffic with certain hazardous materials are required to implement a PTC system.) Within 60 days of enactment of this bill, each Class I railroad carrier (the largest operators by revenue) and provider of intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation must submit to the Department of Transportation (DOT) a plan for implementing PTC by December 31, 2018, instead of the December 31, 2015, deadline required under current law. DOT may extend the deadline if specified requirements are met. The revised plan must include a detailed schedule and sequence for fully implementing PTC in a manner that complies with specified regulations, and railroads must implement PTC in accordance with the plan. DOT may authorize a railroad carrier or other entity to begin the provisional operation of a PTC system without the required certification if it is necessary to enable the safe implementation of PTC in phases.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015
Interim Consolidated Storage Act of 2015 This bill amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to authorize the Department of Energy (DOE) to enter into new contracts (or modify existing contracts) with the licensee of an interim consolidated storage facility in order to take title to and store in it either high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel of domestic origin. The bill defines: "interim consolidated storage facility" as a facility licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the storage of high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel received from DOE or from two or more persons that generate or hold title to such fuel generated at a civilian nuclear power reactor, and "high-level radioactive waste" as including Greater than Class C waste. The bill assigns priority to storage of such waste and spent fuel located on sites without an operating nuclear reactor. The bill makes appropriations targeted for the Nuclear Waste Fund available to pay for costs in connection with storage in an interim consolidated storage facility. Beginning in FY2016 DOE shall not expend, on fees for dry modes of storage of high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel, any amounts exceeding the cumulative amount of interest generated by the Fund each fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015
Mental Health Awareness Semipostal Stamp Act This bill directs the United States Postal Service to issue and sell, at a premium, a Mental Health Awareness Semipostal Stamp. Use of this stamp must be voluntary for postal patrons. Proceeds from the sale of this stamp must be transferred to the National Institute of Mental Health to help fund mental illness research and suicide prevention programs. The stamp must be available to the public for at least six years.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2015
Ensuring Affordable Energy Act This bill prohibits funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from being used to implement or enforce: (1) a cap-and-trade program, or (2) any statutory or regulatory requirement pertaining to emissions of one or more greenhouse gases from stationary sources that is issued or becomes applicable or effective after the date of enactment of this bill. A cap-and-trade program is any regulatory program established after enactment of this bill that provides for the sale, auction, or other distribution of a limited amount of allowances that permit the emission of one or more greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or any other designated anthropogenic gas (caused by human activity).
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2015
Refugee Resettlement Oversight and Security Act of 2015 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the President, after appropriate consultation with certain congressional committees, to recommend to Congress the number of refugees who may be admitted into the United States in a fiscal year. Except in the case of an unforeseen emergency refugee situation, no refugees may be admitted in a fiscal year until Congress enacts a joint resolution setting the number of refugees who may be admitted in that fiscal year. In determining an alien's admissibility on security and related grounds the Department of Homeland Security shall consult with the Director of National Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Beginning in FY2016 and ending in FY2020, the President, when considering the admission of refugees who are nationals or citizens of Iraq or Syria, shall give priority to members of a persecuted religious minority. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the effectiveness of the refugee screening process in protecting U.S. security.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2015
Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to prohibit an alien who is not in a lawful immigration status from being eligible for any postsecondary education benefit unless every citizen and national of this country is eligible to receive that benefit in no less of an amount, duration, or scope. (This replaces a prohibition against a state's offering such aliens postsecondary benefits on the basis of their residence in the state that are more generous than those offered citizens or naturals of this country without regard to their state residence.) Allows any citizen or national who is enrolled at a postsecondary educational institution that is alleged to have violated that prohibition to bring a civil action against any state official overseeing the institution to obtain appropriate relief, attorneys' fees, and court costs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2015
No Exemptions for EPA Act of 2015 This bill removes the government's discretionary function exemption from tort claims in connection with a response under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), thereby allowing claims against the Environmental Protection Agency for damages caused by its response at a hazardous waste cleanup site under CERCLA.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2015
Big Cat Public Safety Act This bill amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit any person from breeding or possessing any live animal of any prohibited wildlife species (i.e., any live species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). Breeding means facilitating propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent propagation or reproduction. The bill extends forfeiture provisions to fish, wildlife, or plants that are bred or possessed. The bill revises the list of entities that are exempt from Lacey Act prohibitions to include: institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; certain facilities that have an active written contract with an Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan or Taxon Advisory Group for breeding prohibited wildlife species; persons who do not allow the transportation and display of prohibited wildlife species off-site; current owners of animals that were born before this bill's enactment if the animals are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service within 180 days; and certain traveling circuses that hold Class C licenses under the Animal Welfare Act. Entities exempt from Lacey Act prohibitions must require that current owners and circuses not allow direct contact between the public and the prohibited wildlife species.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2015
Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2015 This bill amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a physician from knowingly performing a dismemberment abortion. It provides a definition of the term "dismemberment abortion." A physician who performs a dismemberment abortion is subject to a criminal fine, up to two years in prison, or both, unless the dismemberment abortion was necessary to save the mother's life. A woman or a parent of a minor who undergoes a dismemberment abortion may file a civil action for damages against an individual who violates this bill. The legislation bars the criminal prosecution of a woman who undergoes a dismemberment abortion for conspiracy to violate the provisions of this bill, for being a principal or an accessory after the fact, or for concealment of felony.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2015
Social Security Beneficiary 2nd Amendment Rights Protection Act This bill amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act to prohibit any determination by the Commissioner of Social Security with respect to an individual, including one that OASDI and SSI benefits to which that individual is entitled shall be paid to a representative payee, from being considered to be a determination that the individual has been adjudicated as a mental defective to make it unlawful for the individual to engage in the shipment or transport of firearms or ammunition or receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2015
Supports the designation of Special Operations Forces Appreciation Month to honor members of U.S. Special Operations Forces for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2015
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to require any health care practitioner who is present when a child is born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion to: (1) exercise the same degree of care as reasonably provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure that such child is immediately admitted to a hospital. The term "born alive" means the complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother, at any stage of development, who after such expulsion or extraction breathes or has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, regardless of whether the umbilical cord has been cut. Also, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with these requirements must immediately report such failure to an appropriate law enforcement agency. An individual who violates the provisions of this Act is subject to a criminal fine, up to five years in prison, or both. An individual who commits an overt act that kills a child born alive is subject to criminal prosecution for murder. The legislation bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive for conspiracy to violate the provisions of this Act, for being an accessory after the fact, or for concealment of felony. A woman who undergoes an abortion or attempted abortion may file a civil action for damages against an individual who violates this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2015
Impeaches Regina McCarthy, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for high crimes and misdemeanors regarding testimony on the EPA's Clean Water Rule defining "waters of the United States." Sets forth the articles of impeachment.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2015
Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act T his bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to allow two or more employers to be considered joint employers for purposes of the Act only if each shares and exercises control over essential terms and conditions of employment and such control over these matters is actual, direct, and immediate.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2015
Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2015 This bill requires the Secretary of the Treasury to provide a report to Congress prior to any date on which the Secretary anticipates the public debt will reach the statutory limit. The Secretary must appear before the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee to submit a report including: the historic, current, and projected levels of the debt; the drivers and composition of future debt; and how the U.S. will meet debt obligations if the debt limit is raised. The Secretary must also provide a detailed explanation of: proposals of the President to reduce the debt and a progress report on implementing them; the impact an increased debt limit will have on future government spending, debt service, and the position of the U.S. dollar as the international reserve currency; and projections of the fiscal health and sustainability of major entitlement programs (including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid). The Department of the Treasury must make the information required by this bill available to the public on the Treasury website.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2015
Women's Health Accountability Act This bill prohibits federal family planning funding from being made available to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., and its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, and clinics until Congress reviews the report described below. Within two years, the Government Accountability Office must report on all medical items and services offered in the facilities of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., and its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, and clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2015
Protecting American Lives Act This bill amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to declare that a person or agency shall not prohibit or restrict a federal, state, or local government entity from undertaking any of the following law enforcement activities (current law refers to information activities) regarding an individual's immigration status: notifying the federal government regarding the presence of inadmissible and deportable aliens who are encountered by law enforcement personnel of a state or political subdivision of a state (political subdivision), or complying with federal law enforcement information requests. A federal, state, or local government entity or official shall not issue ordinances, administrative actions, general or special orders, or departmental policies that violate federal law or restrict a state or political subdivision from complying with federal law or coordinating with federal law enforcement. A state or political subdivision that has in effect a statute, policy, or practice that prohibits state or local law enforcement officers from assisting or cooperating with federal immigration law enforcement in the course of carrying out the officers' routine law enforcement duties shall not be eligible to receive: (1) funds for the incarceration of undocumented criminal aliens or for the Cops on the Beat program, or (2) any other law enforcement or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant. States or political subdivisions not in compliance shall: (1) be ineligible to receive such assistance for at least one year, and (2) become eligible for such assistance only after DHS certifies that the jurisdiction is in compliance. Withheld funds shall be reallocated to complying states or political subdivisions. States and political subdivisions shall provide DHS with identifying information regarding each incarcerated alien who is believed to be inadmissible or deportable. Nothing in this Act shall require state or local law enforcement officials to: (1) provide DHS with information related to a victim of a crime or witness to a criminal offense, or (2) otherwise report or arrest such a victim or witness. A state or a political subdivision acting in compliance with a DHS detainer that temporarily holds aliens in its custody so that they may be taken into federal custody, or transports the aliens for transfer to federal custody, shall be considered to be acting under color of federal authority for purposes of determining its liability, and immunity from suit in civil actions brought by the aliens under federal or state law. It is the sense of Congress that DHS has probable cause to believe that an alien is inadmissible or deportable when it issues a detainer regarding the alien under the standards in place on the date of introduction of this Act. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to increase mandatory minimum sentences for the illegal re-entry of an alien who: (1) was previously denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed; or (2) was removed for certain criminal convictions or excluded for security-related grounds.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015
Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2015 or the Childhood Cancer STAR Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to permit the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide support to collect the medical specimens and information of children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer to improve the understanding of these cancers and of the effects of treatment. The national childhood cancer registry is reauthorized through FY2020 and revised to require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants to states to improve tracking of childhood cancers. This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require manufacturers and distributors of investigational drugs to publish policies for compassionate use of the drugs. The Department of Health and Human Services must: (1) support pilot programs to develop or study models for monitoring and caring for childhood cancer survivors throughout their lives, (2) convene a Workforce Development Collaborative on Medical and Psychosocial Care for Pediatric Cancer Survivors, (3) establish a task force on standards for high-quality childhood cancer survivorship care, and (4) carry out a demonstration project to improve care coordination as childhood cancer survivors transition to adult care. The NIH must support research on: (1) outcomes for, and barriers faced by, pediatric cancer survivors within minority or medically underserved populations; and (2) follow-up care for pediatric cancer survivors, including research on the late effects of cancer treatment and long-term complications. The Government Accountability Office must make recommendations to address barriers to childhood cancer survivors obtaining and paying for adequate medical care.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015
Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2015 This bill amends the federal criminal code to create a private civil cause of action for trade secret misappropriation. Specifically, the bill authorizes a trade secret owner to file a civil action in a U.S. district court seeking relief for trade secret misappropriation related to a product or service in interstate or foreign commerce. It establishes remedies, such as an injunction and damages. The statute of limitation is set at five years from the date of discovery of the misappropriation. A trade secret owner may apply for and a court may grant a seizure order to prevent dissemination of the trade secret if the court makes specific findings, including that an immediate and irreparable injury will occur if seizure is not ordered. A court must take custody of the seized materials and hold a seizure hearing within seven days. Any party harmed by the order may move to dissolve or modify the order and may also seek relief against the applicant of the seizure order for wrongful or excessive seizure. The Department of Justice must submit to Congress and publish a biannual report on trade secret theft outside the United States. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) trade secret theft occurs in the United States and around the world, (2) trade secret theft harms owner companies and their employees, and (3) the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 applies broadly to protect trade secrets from theft.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015
Agent Orange Extension Act of 2015 This bill extends for two years the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicides, including Agent Orange, with respect to veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. The Agent Orange Act of 1991 is amended to extend for two years the authority of the VA to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the scientific evidence regarding associations between diseases and exposure to dioxin and other chemical compounds in herbicides, including the association between exposure to a herbicide used in U.S. and allied military operations in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era and each disease suspected to be associated with such exposure.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015
Resettlement Accountability National Security Act of 2015 This bill prohibits the admission of refugees into the United States until Congress passes a joint resolution giving the Department of Homeland Security authority to resume admitting refugees. Requires the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on refugees who received benefits under any of the following programs: Medicare, Medicaid, disability insurance under title II of the Social Security Act, the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program), and section 8 rental assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015
Protecting Honest Fishermen Act of 2015 This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to ensure that its seafood inspection activities are coordinated with the national sea grant college program to provide outreach on seafood safety to states, local health agencies, consumers, and the seafood industry. The Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must ensure that seafood inspections and tests collect information for seafood fraud detection and prevention. "Seafood fraud" is defined as the mislabeling or misrepresentation of seafood information. Seafood imported into the United States or distributed or offered for sale in interstate commerce must display (on its packaging or otherwise accompanying the seafood) through processing, distribution, and final sale: (1) the market and scientific species names, (2) whether the seafood was harvested wild or was farm-raised, (3) the harvest method and date of the catch, and (4) the weight or number of product for an individual fish or lot. Additional information is required for seafood that was: (1) previously frozen, treated with substances affecting weight, or processed in a country other than that in which it was landed or harvested; or (2) farm-raised. The bill exempts importers, processors, distributors, or retailers from violations for unknowingly selling a product that was already mislabeled upon receipt, provided that such entities can produce the appropriate product traceability documentation. As an alternative to the disclosure requirements for certain categories of information, an importer, processor, distributor, or retailer (including a restaurant) may make the information available upon request to federal, state, or local officials authorized to conduct inspections of: (1) seafood, or (2) any facility that processes or sells seafood. Persons engaging in fishing on a U.S. vessel in the exclusive economic zone under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act are deemed to be in compliance with traceability requirements if they disclose data required for a fishery management plan. Seafood imports from an exporter shall be refused admission if any shipment of such seafood appears to be in violation of such seafood traceability requirements or other applicable federal laws or regulations. An exception is provided for individual shipments if the exporter presents evidence of compliance from an accredited laboratory. HHS and Commerce must post on their public websites a list that: (1) includes, by country, each exporter whose seafood is imported or offered for import into the United States; and (2) tracks, for each exporter, the timing, type, and frequency of violations. Commerce is required to: (1) increase the number of shipments inspected for seafood fraud by NOAA inspectors and authorized officers, (2) prevent the percentage of seafood shipments inspected from declining in a subsequent year, and (3) ensure that inspections for fraud prevention also collect seafood safety information. The bill also authorizes states to bring civil actions for seafood fraud violations.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2015
Fairness in Flood Insurance Act of 2015 This bill amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to declare that, in any appeal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), or any judicial review of a final administrative determination, regarding the designation of flood elevation determinations or the identification of special flood hazard areas, FEMA shall have the burden of proving, by clear and convincing evidence, that the elevations proposed or the designation of an identified special flood hazard area is scientifically and technically correct. FEMA shall: reimburse the reasonable legal and related expenses of any individual or community that succeeds on such an appeal; and revise and update any floodplain areas and flood-risk zones upon the request from any owner or lessee of real property located in a floodplain area or flood-risk zone (currently, only upon the request of FEMA or of a state or local government), if sufficient technical data justifying the request is submitted. A state or local government, or the owner or lessee of real property, who has formally requested FEMA to update a flood map that FEMA has denied may at any time appeal the denial according to a specified procedure. The basis for appeal shall be possession of knowledge or information that: the base flood elevation level or designation of any aspect of a flood map is scientifically or technically inaccurate; or specified factors exist, including natural or manmade topographical features, that mitigate the risk of flooding. These flood mitigation factors shall also be considered in the establishment and updating of areas with special flood hazards. When estimating risk premium rates for flood insurance, and prescribing chargeable premium rates, FEMA shall take into consideration the differences between properties located in coastal areas and properties located inland. FEMA shall consult with the Technical Mapping Advisory Council about methods of making or actions to make the Council's flood map processes more efficient and achieve other specified goals. The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 is amended to require FEMA to ensure that the Flood Insurance Advocate has sufficient staff to carry out all of the Advocate's duties and responsibilities, which shall include providing direction as necessary, including by direct conversations with insurance agents. The Government Accountability Office shall study: the scientific and technical adequacy of the flood maps FEMA proposes and establishes, and the effects on the National Flood Insurance Program and otherwise of changing the standard for designating special flood hazard areas from having a 1% or greater to having a 10% or greater chance of experiencing flooding in any given year.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2015
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2015 or the PAST Act This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to establish a new system for inspecting horses for soring, revise penalties for violations of the Act, and modify enforcement procedures. 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. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions to detect and diagnose sore horses. A license may not be issued to a person with conflicts of interest, and USDA must give preference to veterinarians. USDA may revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. USDA must assign licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. An inspector must issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of violations. USDA must publish information on violations of this bill and disqualify a horse that is sore. The bill prohibits a person in any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning the horse. The bill prohibits the use of specified devices on a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse at a show, exhibition, sale, or auction. The bill increases the maximum criminal and civil liability penalties for certain violations. USDA may disqualify violators from specified activities related to horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2015
Employee Rights Act Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to make it an unlawful labor practice for a labor organization or its agents to interfere with the rights of employees to organize and select representation to collectively bargain. Adds a requirement that representatives be selected by secret ballot in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by a majority of the employees in a unit. Defines "majority" for purposes of determining the majority of employees in an election to mean the majority of all employees in the unit, and not the majority of employees voting in the election. Requires the NLRB, in cases where an existing certified or voluntarily recognized bargaining unit experiences turnover, expansion, or alteration by merger of more than 50% of the unit's employees, to conduct a secret paper ballot among the unit employees: (1) between the 120th day and 110th day before the collective bargaining agreement's expiration or before the end of three years, if there is an agreement between the labor organization and the employer; or (2) within 30 days, if there is no agreement between such parties. Requires the NLRB to decide, before the election of a labor organization as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of all employees of an appropriate unit, whether such unit shall be the employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or subdivision unit. Requires the NLRB to give 14 days advance notice before a hearing when it is investigating an election petition if it has reasonable cause to believe that a question of representation affecting commerce exists. Revises the requirement that the NLRB direct an election by secret ballot, and certify its results, whenever it finds upon the record of such a hearing that a question of representation exists. Adds a requirement that the NLRB also review all post-hearing appeals before finding that such a question exists. Requires an employer to provide the NLRB a list consisting only of employee names and home addresses of all eligible voters within 7 days after an NLRB determination of the appropriate unit or following any agreement between the employer and the labor organization regarding eligible voters. Prohibits an election after the filing of a petition unless and until: (1) a hearing is conducted before a qualified hearing officer on any and all material, factual issues regarding jurisdiction, statutory coverage, appropriate unit, unit inclusion or exclusion, or eligibility of individuals; and (2) the issues are resolved by a regional Director, subject to appeal and review, or by the NLRB. Declares that election results shall not be final nor any labor organization be certified as a bargaining representative unless the NLRB has ruled on: (1) each pre-election issue not resolved before the election; and (2) the NLRB conducts a hearing and resolves each issue pertaining to the conduct or results of the election. Makes any labor organization found to have interfered with, restrained, or coerced employees in the exercise of their rights to form or join a labor organization or to refrain from forming or joining (including the filing of a decertification petition) liable for lost wages and unlawfully collected union dues and fees, if any, and an additional amount as liquated damages. Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act) to permit an election by secret ballot to be conducted through votes cast by electronic ballot cast in the privacy of a voting booth. Requires every employee in a bargaining unit represented by a labor organization, regardless of membership status, to have the same right as members to vote by secret ballot to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with, or to engage in, a strike or refusal to work of any kind against their employer. Prohibits the use of an employee's union dues for any purpose not directly related to the labor organization's collective bargaining, unless that employee authorizes such expenditure in writing. Prohibits a strike without the consent of a majority of all unit employees affected, determined by a secret ballot vote conducted by a neutral, private organization chosen by agreement between the employer and the labor organization. Requires each labor organization to make the independently verified annual audit report of its financial condition and operations available to all of its members and represented nonmembers. Makes it unlawful for a person to use force or violence, or threaten the use of force or violence, to restrain, coerce, or intimidate a person, or attempt to, in order to obtain from any person any right to represent employees, compensation, or other term or condition of employment. Subjects persons who willfully violate such prohibitions to both civil and criminal penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the July 16, 2015, attack upon members of the Armed Forces at the Navy Operational Support Center and Marine Corps Reserve Center and the Armed Forces Career Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, meets the criteria for the award of the Purple Heart, and (2) the Secretary of the Navy should award the Purple Heart to the members of the Marine Corps and Navy who were killed or wounded in the attack.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2015
Save Rural Hospitals Act This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to increase payments to, and modify various requirements regarding, rural health care providers under the Medicare program. Among other provisions, the bill: (1) reverses cuts to reimbursement of bad debt for critical access hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals, as well as alters certain requirements with regard to CAHs; (2) extends payment levels for low-volume hospitals and Medicare-dependent hospitals (MDHs); (3) reinstates revised diagnosis-related group payments to MDHs and sole community hospitals (SCHs), as well as reinstates hold harmless treatment for hospital outpatient services for SCHs; (4) delays the application of penalties for a rural hospital's failure to become a meaningful electronic health record user; (5) makes permanent increased Medicare payments for ground ambulance services in rural areas; (6) alters certain supervision requirements for therapeutic hospital outpatient services; (7) modifies requirements related to the use and payment of recovery audit contractors; and (8) establishes a program under which rural hospitals meeting specified requirements may be eligible for enhanced payment for qualified outpatient services. In addition, the bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to eliminate Medicare sequestration for rural hospitals. The bill also amends title XIX (Medicaid) of SSAct to extend Medicaid primary care payments. With respect to both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the bill eliminates disproportionate share hospital payment reductions for rural hospitals. The bill also amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize several competitive grant programs to assist eligible rural hospitals.
![Official portrait of Rep. Farenthold, Blake [R-TX-27]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/9bb76877cdde784fed7b730ffc5fb9a0_200.jpg)