United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 States as the purposes of this Act to: (1) improve the quality of the deliberations of Congress with respect to proposed federal mandates by providing Congress and the public with more complete information about the effects of such mandates and by ensuring that Congress acts on such mandates only after focused deliberation on their effects; and (2) enhance the ability of Congress and the public to identify federal mandates that may impose undue harm on consumers, workers, employers, small businesses, and state, local, and tribal governments. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to: (1) require the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), at the request of the chairman or ranking member of a congressional committee, to conduct an assessment comparing the authorized level of funding in legislation to the prospective costs of carrying out any changes to a condition of federal assistance being imposed on state, local, or tribal governments participating in the federal assistance program; (2) modify the definition of "direct costs" to require CBO to consider, in accounting for the costs of federal mandates, forgone business profits, costs passed onto consumers and other entities, and behavioral changes; (3) eliminate the exemption of independent regulatory agencies (except the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the Federal Open Market Committee) from reporting requirements under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA); and (4) make the raising of points of order in the consideration of congressional legislation applicable to legislation that would increase the direct cost of private sector mandates beyond limits established by UMRA. Amends UMRA to: (1) transfer certain responsibilities under such Act from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs; (2) set forth detailed criteria to guide agencies in assessing the effects of federal regulatory actions on state, local, and tribal governments and the private sector; (3) revise requirements for agency statements accompanying significant regulatory actions to require an analysis of the annual effect of a proposed final rule on state, local, or tribal governments or the private sector and to require all statements and summaries under UMRA to be detailed; and (4) extend to the the private sector (including small business) the requirement for consultation with agencies in the development of regulatory proposals containing significant federal mandates and set forth detailed guidelines for such consultation. Revises UMRA reporting requirements to require: (1) the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to provide guidance and oversight so that agency regulations are consistent with the principles and policies of UMRA and do not conflict with the policies or actions of another agency; and (2) agencies to include in their annual compliance statements an appendix detailing consultation activities with state, local, and tribal governments and the private sector. Amends UMRA to require an agency, at the request of the chairman or ranking member of a standing or select House or Senate Committee, to conduct a retrospective analysis of an existing regulation promulgated by such agency and submit to the chairman of the relevant committee, Congress, and the Comptroller General a report on such regulation. Expands judicial review under UMRA to include review of provisions of such Act relating to agency assessment of the effects of the regulatory process and agency selection of the least costly or least burdensome alternative to a regulatory mandate. Grants courts expanded powers to compel agencies to comply with UMRA reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Birthright Citizenship Act of 2015 Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to consider a person born in the United States "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States for citizenship at birth purposes if the person is born in the United States of parents, one of whom is: (1) a U.S. citizen or national, (2) a lawful permanent resident alien whose residence is in the United States, or (3) an alien performing active service in the U.S. Armed Forces. States that this Act shall not be construed to affect the citizenship or nationality status of any person born before the date of its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
FairTax Act of 2015 This bill is a tax reform proposal that imposes a national sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services in lieu of the current income and corporate income tax, employment and self-employment taxes, and estate and gift taxes. The rate of the sales tax will be 23% in 2017, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years. There are exemptions from the tax for used and intangible property, for property or services purchased for business, export, or investment purposes, and for state government functions. Under the bill, family members who are lawful U.S. residents receive a monthly sales tax rebate (Family Consumption Allowance) based upon criteria related to family size and poverty guidelines. The states have the responsibility for administering, collecting, and remitting the sales tax to the Treasury. Tax revenues are to be allocated among: (1) the general revenue, (2) the old-age and survivors insurance trust fund, (3) the disability insurance trust fund, (4) the hospital insurance trust fund, and (5) the federal supplementary medical insurance trust fund. No funding is allowed for the operations of the Internal Revenue Service after FY2019. Finally, the bill terminates the national sales tax if the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (authorizing an income tax) is not repealed within seven years after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-free rollovers from tax-exempt retirement plans, annuities, and deferred compensation plans into a simple individual retirement account.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) community-based outpatient clinic located in Hamlet, North Carolina, as the "Edward 'Ed' James O'Neal Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic."
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2014
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3136) to establish a demonstration program for competency-based education, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4984) to amend the loan counseling requirements under Higher Education Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2014
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 113 West Jackson Street in Rich Square, North Carolina, as the "Chief Joseph E. White, Jr. Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2014
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend by one year, through FY2015, the term of: (1) the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, and (2) the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2014
Condemns the use of innocent civilians as human shields, including Hamas's use of this illegal tactic. Calls on: (1) the international community to recognize Hamas's grave breaches of international law by using human shields, and (2) Mahmoud Abbas to condemn the use of innocent civilians as human shields. Places responsibility for launching the rocket attacks on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as Islamic Jihad, in Gaza. Supports Israel's sovereign right to defend its territory and stop the rocket attacks on its citizens. Expresses condolences to the families of the innocent victims on both sides of the conflict. Supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and all forms of terrorism and who desire to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to eliminate the restriction of college cost calculations to those costs incurred by first-time students. Eliminates the requirement that the Secretary of Education make publicly available on the College Navigator website: (1) college affordability and transparency lists, (2) state higher education spending charts, and (3) the multi-year tuition calculator. Requires that the Secretary develop, annually update, and make publicly available a College Dashboard website that displays the following information regarding each institution of higher education (IHE) participating in the programs under title IV (Student Assistance) of the HEA: a link to the IHE's website; an identification of the IHE's type; the number of students enrolled at the IHE; the student-faculty ratio; the percentage of degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduate students at the IHE who obtain a certificate within the normal time for completing their program, within 150% of that time period, and within 200% of that time period; the average net price per year for undergraduate students at the IHE and a link to the net price calculator for the IHE; the average federal student loan debt incurred by undergraduate students who borrowed federal student loans in the course of obtaining a certificate or degree from the IHE; the IHE's cohort default rate; and a link to national and regional data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on starting salaries in all major occupations. Directs the Secretary to publish more detailed and disaggregated IHE information regarding student enrollment, completion rates, costs, and use of financial aid on Internet web pages that are linked to through the College Dashboard website. Requires the Secretary to: (1) include on the College Dashboard website a function enabling users to easily compare information between IHEs, and (2) provide each student who submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with a link to the web page of the College Dashboard website that contains information for each IHE on the student's FAFSA.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2014
Regulatory Agency Demilitarization Act - Prohibits a federal agency from purchasing or using a firearm. Excludes the Departments of Defense (DOD), Justice (DOJ), and Homeland Security (DHS), the military departments, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the U.S. Capitol Police, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Directs the Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress annually that includes: information regarding each federal agency that has specialized units that receive special tactical or military-style training or use hard-plated body armor, shields, or helmets and that respond to high-risk situations that fall outside the capabilities of regular law enforcement officers; a description of each such unit; a description of the training and weapons of each such unit; the criteria for activating each such unit and how often each such unit was activated for each of the previous ten years; the annual cost of equipping and operating each such unit; and any other information that is relevant to understanding the usefulness and justification for the units. Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to repeal provisions authorizing law enforcement powers for an Inspector General, any Assistant Inspector General for Investigations under an Inspector General, and any special agent supervised by such an Assistant Inspector General.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2014
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 10) to amend the charter school program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; relating to consideration of the bill (H.R. 4438) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to simplify and make permanent the research credit.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) prevent Hezbollah's global logistics and financial network from operating in order to curtail funding of its domestic and international activities; and (2) utilize diplomatic, legislative, and executive avenues to combat Hezbollah's criminal activities in order to block that organization's ability to fund its global terrorist activities. Directs the President to report to Congress: (1) a list of satellite, broadcast, or other providers that knowingly transmit the content of al-Manar TV; and (2) the identity of those providers that have or have not been sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly: (1) facilitates the activities of Hezbollah or its agents, instrumentalities, affiliates, or successors; (2) facilitates the activities of a person acting on behalf of or owned or controlled by an agent, instrumentality, affiliate, or successor; (3) engages in money laundering to carry out such an activity; (4) facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services to carry out such an activity, including services that involve a transaction of gold, silver, platinum, or other precious metals; or (5) facilitates any of these activities, conspires to facilitate or participate in such an activity, or is owned or controlled by a foreign financial institution that knowingly engages in such an activity. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe reporting, information sharing, and due diligence requirements for domestic financial institutions that maintain a correspondent account or payable-through account in the United States for a foreign financial institution. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such requirements if in the U.S. national security interests, and with congressional notification. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to identify to Congress every 180 days each foreign central bank that carries out an activity prohibited under this Act. Sets forth penalty requirements for specified violations under this Act. Directs the President to designate Hezbollah as: (1) a significant foreign narcotics trafficker if Hezbollah meets meets the criteria set forth under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and (2) a significant transnational criminal organization if Hezbollah meets the criteria set forth under specified executive orders and statutes. Requires the President to report to Congress which of these criteria the President determines that Hezbollah has not met, if it does not. Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress regarding Hezbollah's involvement in the trade in rough diamonds outside of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. Declares that nothing in this Act shall apply to authorized U.S. intelligence activities. States that any requirement of this Act shall cease to be in effect 30 days after the President certifies to Congress that Hezbollah: (1) is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist organization; (2) is no longer listed in the Annex to Executive Order 13224 (blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit or support terrorism); and (3) poses no significant threat to U.S. national security, interests, or allies.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Designates the facility of the Grandfather Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service located at 109 Lawing Drive in Nebo, North Carolina, as the "Jason Crisp Forest Service Building."
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2014
Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to: (1) the Taiwan Relations Act as the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations; and (2) deepening U.S.-Taiwan trade and investment relations, including support for Taiwan's inclusion in bilateral and regional trade agreements. Reaffirms: (1) support for Taiwan's democratic institutions, and (2) that peace in the Taiwan Strait should be maintained to the benefit of the free people of Taiwan. Supports the commitment to Taiwan's security, including the sale of sophisticated defensive weapons to Taiwan.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) remove any individual from the Senior Executive Service upon determining that such individual's performance warrants such removal, and (2) remove such individual from federal service or transfer the individual to a General Schedule position at any grade the Secretary deems appropriate. Requires: (1) the Secretary to notify the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees within 30 days after removing such an individual, and (2) such removal to be done in the same manner as the removal of a professional staff member employed by a Member of Congress. .
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2014
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 7) to prohibit taxpayer funded abortions, and providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany the bill (H.R. 2642) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2014
Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act of 2014 - Requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) standards and definitions in effect on January 1, 2010, for determining whether an organization qualifies for tax-exempt status as an organization operated exclusively for social welfare to apply to such determinations after enactment of this Act. Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from issuing, revising, or finalizing any regulation (including proposed regulations), revenue ruling, or other guidance not limited to a particular taxpayer relating to such standards and definitions. Terminates this Act one year after its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Electricity Security and Affordability Act - Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing, implementing, or enforcing any proposed or final rule under the Clean Air Act that establishes a performance standard for greenhouse gas emissions from any new source that is a fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating unit unless the rule meets specified requirements of this Act. Requires the Administrator to separate sources fueled with coal and natural gas into separate categories. Prohibits the Administrator, however, from setting a standard based on the best system of emission reduction for new sources within the coal category unless it has been achieved on average for at least one continuous 12-month period (excluding planned outages) by each of at least 6 units within the category. Requires each such unit to: (1) be located at a different electric generating station in the United States, (2) be representative of the operating characteristics of electric generation at its location, and (3) be operated for the entire 12-month period on a full commercial basis. Prohibits the use of any results obtained from a demonstration project in setting the standard. Requires the Administrator, in separating sources fueled with coal into a separate category, to establish a separate subcategory for new sources that are fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units using coal with an average heat content of 8300 or less British Thermal Units (BTUs) per pound. Prohibits the Administrator, in issuing any rule establishing performance standards for greenhouse gas emissions from new sources in such subcategory, from setting a standard based on the best system of emission reduction unless the standard has been achieved on average for at least one continuous 12-month period (excluding planned outages) by each of at least 3 units within such subcategory that meets the unit requirements specified by this Act for the coal category. Precludes from taking effect, unless a federal law is enacted specifying an effective date, any EPA rule or guideline that: (1) establishes any performance standard for greenhouse gas emissions from a modified or reconstructed source that is a fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating unit, or (2) applies to greenhouse gas emissions from such an existing source. Nullifies the force and effect of specified proposed rules (or similar successor proposed or final rules) for Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions for New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units that are issued before enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Exempts from the reduction in the cost-of-living adjustment of retired pay of members of the Armed Forces under the age of 62 enacted by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 the retired pay of any member or former member who is: (1) retired, (2) eligible for combat-related special compensation, or (3) entitled to concurrent payment of retired pay and veterans' disability compensation. Makes such reduction in the cost-of-living adjustment inapplicable to percentage increases allowed for annuities under survivor benefit plans based on retired or retainer pay.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Recognizes the importance of Christmas symbols and traditions. Disapproves of attempts to ban references to Christmas. Expresses support for the use of these symbols and traditions by those who celebrate Christmas.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Immigration Compliance Enforcement (ICE) Act - Prohibits the use of federal funds for: (1) the position of Public Advocate within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); (2) the position of Deputy Assistant Director of Custody Programs and Community Outreach within ICE; or (3) any other position within ICE whose functions are substantially the same as those which as of March 26, 2013, were assigned to the position of Public Advocate within ICE, or as of the date of the enactment of this Act were assigned to the position of Deputy Assistant Director of Custody Programs and Community Outreach within ICE.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
Second Amendment Enforcement Act - Amends specified law prohibiting the killing of wild birds and wild animals in the District of Columbia to declare that nothing in it or any other provision of law shall authorize or be construed to permit the Council, the Mayor, or any governmental or regulatory authority of the District to prohibit, constructively prohibit, or unduly burden the ability of persons otherwise not prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law from acquiring, possessing in their homes or businesses, transporting for legitimate purposes, or using for sporting, self-protection or other lawful purposes, any firearm neither prohibited by federal law nor subject to the National Firearms Act. Denies the District any authority to enact laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms. Declares that nothing in such prohibitions shall be construed to prohibit the District from regulating the carrying of firearms by a person, either concealed or openly, other than at the person's dwelling place, place of business, or on other land possessed by the person. Amends the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (FCRA) to repeal the definition of a machine gun as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading. (Thus repeals the ban on semiautomatic weapons.) Redefines "machine gun" as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot automatically, more than one shot without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger. Includes also the frame or receiver of any such firearm, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a firearm into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person. Repeals the District's: (1) registration requirement for possession of firearms, and (2) requirement that licensed firearms dealers keep records of ammunition received into inventory and ammunition sold or transferred. Maintains the current ban on the possession and control of a sawed-off shotgun, machine gun, or short-barreled rifle. Permits a licensed firearms dealer to sell or transfer ammunition, excluding restricted pistol bullets, to persons not otherwise prohibited from possessing or receiving ammunition. Declares that, in the case of a sale or transfer of a handgun to a District resident, a federally licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer of firearms in Maryland or Virginia shall be treated as a dealer licensed under this Act if: (1) the transferee meets in person with the transferor to accomplish the transfer; and (2) the sale, delivery, and receipt fully comply with the legal conditions of sale in both the District and the jurisdiction in which the transfer occurs. Amends FCRA to allow an individual to possess ammunition in the District if the individual owns (currently, holds the valid registration certificate for) a firearm of the same gauge or caliber as such ammunition. (In effect, repeals the handgun ammunition ban.) Repeals the requirement that firearms in the possession of individuals (other than law enforcement personnel) must be kept unloaded, disassembled, or with the trigger locked, unless the firearm is kept at an individual's place of business, or while being used for lawful recreational purposes within the District . Continues current criminal penalties for allowing access of a minor (under age 16) to loaded firearms, except in specified circumstances. Repeals increased penalties for violations of the prohibition against allowing access of a minor to loaded firearms if injury or death results to the minor or another person. Requires the U.S. attorney, however, to consider both the extent of the minor's injuries and the effect of the minor's injury or death on both of the minor's parents when deciding whether to file charges. Prohibits any prosecution in such circumstances unless the person who committed the violation behaved in a grossly negligent manner, or unless similarly egregious circumstances exist. Eliminates criminal penalties for possessing an unregistered firearm. Amends the District of Columbia Code to: (1) allow private persons or entities owning property in the District to prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms on their property (other than authorized law enforcement personnel or lessees occupying residential or business premises), (2) prohibit unauthorized carrying of rifles or shotguns in the District, (3) authorize certain individuals to carry firearms in certain places and for certain purposes, (4) prescribe requirements for lawful transportation of firearms, and (5) prohibit the use of toy and antique pistols to commit a violent or dangerous crime. Authorizes the District of Columbia to prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms (except to lessees occupying residential or business premises) within any building or structure under its control, or in any area of it, which has implemented security measures to identify and exclude unauthorized or hazardous persons or articles. Amends the Office of Administrative Hearings Establishment Act of 2001 to grant jurisdiction to the Office of Administrative Hearings to hear cases pertaining to denial or revocation of firearm dealer licenses. Repeals provisions of FCRA that require a gun offender to register and to verify certain identifiable information with the District's Chief of Police. Defines "gun offender" as a person: convicted at any time of a gun offense in the District; convicted at any time of a gun offense who resides in the District within the registration period established under the Act; or who has, as a mandatory condition of release, a registration requirement in the District certified by the District Superior Court. Repeals: the Firearms Registration Amendment Act of 2008, the Inoperable Pistol Amendment Act of 2008, the Firearms Amendment Act of 2012, and the Administrative Disposition for Weapons Offenses Amendment Act of 2012. Restores and revives any provision of law amended or repealed by such Acts as if they had not been enacted into law.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Debt Management Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, within 21 to 60 days before any date on which the Secretary anticipates the public debt will reach the current debt limit, to appear before specified congressional committees to provide specified information. (The debt limit was $16.699 trillion before its suspension in the Continuing Appropriations Act, FY2014 [P.L. 113-46].) Requires the Secretary to include in such appearance: a report on the state of the public debt, including (1) its historical trajectory, major drivers of the current debt and their quantities, and debt projections; and (2) how, if the debt limit is raised, the United States will meet existing debt obligations, including principal and interest; a detailed explanation of: (1) any proposal of the President to reduce the structural deficit in the short-term (the following fiscal year), medium-term (approximately 3-5 years), and long-term (approximately 10 years); (2) the impact an increased debt limit will have on future federal spending, service provision, and the status of the U.S. dollar as the international reserve currency; (3) projections of fiscal health and resilience to long-term entitlement program pressures (including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid), given the proposed measures to reduce the structural deficit and the amount of increase in the debt limit; and (4) any proposal of the President to reduce the debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio, based on current trends, with the exclusion of extreme events (i.e. military, economic, and natural catastrophes); and a detailed report on the progress of implementing all such proposals. Declares that this report shall only be delivered if a Secretary has already appeared at least once during any term of office for a particular President.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Textile Enforcement and Security Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Textile and Trade Agreements (TTA) division of the Office of International Trade within CBP should ensure that seizures, detentions, special operations, and Textile Product Verification Teams (TPVTs) remain the primary focus of their efforts to enforce U.S. customs laws with respect to imports of textile or apparel articles, particularly as they relate to enforcement of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), and other free trade agreements and trade preference programs to prevent transshipments and origin fraud. Requires the seizure and forfeiture of an imported textile or apparel article for which a trade preference has been claimed in cases where the importer: (1) has either misdescribed, not verified the article's country of origin, or used accompanying false documentation; or (2) provides false information as to his or her address or does not meet certain documentation or informational requirements upon entry of an article. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), the CBP Commissioner, or the Secretary of the Treasury to use amounts from fines, penalties, and forfeitures of articles due to violations of the U.S. customs laws to pay for expenses directly related to special operations, TPVTs, and other enforcement actions, including expenses related to training and education of certain specialists who participate in the enforcement of such laws. Authorizes the use of such amounts also to pay for a reward of the lesser of at least 20% of that amount, value of property forfeited, or $20,000 to any person who furnishes information that leads to an arrest, conviction, civil penalty assessment, or forfeiture of articles due to violations enforced by the Secretary, the Commissioner, or the Secretary of the Treasury. Directs the Commissioner to ensure specified staffing of the Textile Enforcement Branch, the Textile Policy Branch, and the Quota Branch of TTA. Requires the Commissioner to certify, with respect to the 15 largest U.S. ports of entry for textile or apparel articles, that a certain number of Import Specialists are trained in preventing textile or apparel importer fraud, trade preference verification, classification, and undervaluation. Requires the Commissioner also to increase the number of dedicated textile and import specialists at such ports by 25%. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to require the Secretary of the Treasury (who is now merely authorized) to publish in the Federal Register: (1) the names of persons located outside of the U.S. customs territories against whom the CBP has issued a penalty claim for violating U.S. customs laws, including for violations of quotas, duties, or trade preferences; and (2) a list of high-risk countries involved in the transshipment of textile or apparel products. Requires the President, acting through the Commissioner and in coordination with the head of the Office of Textiles and Apparel of the Department of Commerce, to establish an electronic verification system for tracking textile or apparel articles imported or exported under the CAFTA-DR, NAFTA, or any other free trade agreement to which the United States is a party to ensure compliance with such agreements. Directs the Commissioner to establish a new textile and apparel importer program that requires the CBP to adjust bond amounts for new importers of textile and apparel goods based on the level of assessed risk. Requires the Commissioner to establish a nonresident importer declaration program for the import of textile or apparel articles. Directs the President, acting through the Commissioner and in coordination with the head of the Office of Textiles and Apparel of the Department of Commerce, to establish an electronic Textile and Apparel Manufacturing Supplier Registry pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
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 · 28 October 2013
Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013 - Permits a health insurance issuer that has in effect health insurance coverage in the individual market as of January 1, 2013, to continue offering such coverage for sale during 2014 outside of a health care exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Treats such coverage as a grandfathered health plan for purposes of an individual meeting the requirement to maintain minimum essential health coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2013
Sets forth the rule for consideration of: H.Res. 378 (Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives regarding certain provisions of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2642 [Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013] relating to the Secretary of Agriculture's administration of tariff-rate quotas for raw and refined sugar), and H.Res. 379 (Expresses the sense of the House regarding certain provisions of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2642 relating to crop insurance).
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2013
Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2013 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with respect to abortion coverage in qualified plans offered through a Health Benefit Exchange, to modify the notice rules to require that: in the case of services regarding abortions both for which public funding is prohibited and allowed, the extent of coverage shall be prominently displayed in any marketing or advertising materials, comparison tools, or summary of benefits and coverage explanation made available by the issuer of the plan, by an Exchange, or by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), including information made available through an Internet portal or Exchange; and in the case of abortions for which public funding is prohibited and where the premium for the plan is disclosed, the surcharge attributable to such services, consisting of an amount equal to the actuarial value of the coverage, shall be disclosed and identified separately.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2013 - Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the United Nations (U.N.) on a wide variety of issues, including to shift the funding mechanism for the regular budget of the U.N. from an assessed to a voluntary basis. Withholds up to 50% of nonvoluntary U.S. contributions to the regular budget of the U.N. unless the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that 80% of the total regular budget of the U.N. is apportioned on a voluntary basis. Requires the annual congressional budget justification to include a detailed itemized request in support of the U.S. contribution to the regular budget of the U.N. Sets forth requirements for the Secretary of State with respect to oversight of U.S. contributions to the U.N. and their use by U.N. entities. Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of a U.S. contribution to any U.N. entity unless the entity has provided the Secretary with a transparency certification and is in compliance with it. Prohibits the use of funds made available: (1) for international organizations for any purpose other than an assessed U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; (2) for international organizations and programs for any purpose other than a voluntary U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; and (3) for international peacekeeping activities for any purpose other than a U.S. contribution to U.N. peacekeeping activities, to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), or to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Directs the Secretary to withhold from the regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount of U.S. overpayments to the U.N. States that it is U.S. policy to oppose any proposals on expansion of the U.N. Security Council that would: (1) diminish U.S. influence on the Security Council, or (2) include veto rights for new Security Council members. Expresses the sense of Congress that any U.N. definition of terrorism should not be used to undermine peaceful, pro-freedom, pro-democracy movements against authoritarian rule. Directs the Secretary to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to ensure: (1) Taiwan's participation in relevant U.N. entities, and (2) that no representative of a country designated as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 shall preside as chair or president of any U.N. entity. Directs the Secretary to withhold U.S. contributions from any U.N. entity that recognizes a Palestinian state or upgrades the status of the Palestinian observer mission at the U.N., the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Authority (PA), or any other Palestinian administrative organization or governing entity before achievement of a final peace agreement with Israel. Provides that until the Secretary makes a specified certification to Congress: (1) the Secretary shall withhold from a U.S. contribution to a regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), (2) the Secretary shall not make a voluntary contribution to UNHRC, and (3) the United States shall not run for a UNHRC seat. Directs the Secretary to withhold from a U.S. contribution to a regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for: (1) the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; and (2) any other U.N. Special Procedures used to display bias against the United States or Israel or to provide support for any member state which is subject to U.N. Security Council sanctions, under a Security Council-mandated human rights investigation, has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, or is a country of particular concern for religious freedom. States that it is U.S. policy to oppose any legitimization of the Goldstone Report and to lead a diplomatic campaign supporting its revocation. Directs the Secretary to withhold from the U.S. contribution to the regular budget of the U.N. an amount that is equal to the percentage of such contribution that would be or has been expended by the U.N. for any part of the Goldstone Report process. Prohibits funds from being used for U.S. participation in any part of the Durban III process. Withholds U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) or to any successor or related entity unless the Secretary makes specified certifications to Congress. Prohibits any U.S. contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from being used to support Technical Cooperation program assistance to any country, including North Korea, that: (1) has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism; or (2) is in breach of, or under investigation for breach of, obligations regarding its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or any relevant U.N. Security Council resolution. Directs the Secretary to withhold from the U.S. voluntary contribution to the IAEA an amount proportional to that spent by the IAEA in 2007-2008 on Technical Cooperation program assistance to such countries. Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the IAEA to make Iran and Syria ineligible to receive any nuclear material, technology, equipment, or assistance from any member state. Sets forth U.S. policy regarding reform of U.N. peacekeeping operations. Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to oppose the creation of new, or expansion of existing, U.N. peacekeeping operations until the Secretary certifies to Congress that specified peacekeeping reforms have been adopted by the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations or the General Assembly.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
American Health Care Reform Act of 2013 - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of their enactment. Restores or revives provisions amended or repealed by such Act or such health care provisions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow an income tax standard deduction for a specified percentage of an individual's health insurance costs, regardless of whether or not the taxpayer itemizes other deductions. Excludes the amount of such a deduction from employment taxes. Allows a taxpayer, for earned income credit purposes, to exclude from earned income any employer contributions to a qualified accident or health plan. Allows double additional contributions to a health savings account (HSA) if both spouses are age 55 or older and one spouse is not an account beneficiary. Prescribes special rules for HSA coverage eligibility for certain individuals: (1) participating in a Medicare Advantage Medical Savings Account (MSA), (2) receiving periodic hospital care or medical services for a service-connected disability, (3) eligible for Indian Health Service assistance, or (4) eligible for TRICARE coverage. Prescribes requirements for interaction of health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements with HSAs. Prohibits the payment of health insurance premiums from HSAs, with certain exceptions. Prescribes circumstances in which certain medical expenses incurred before establishment of an HSA may still be qualified expenses. Prescribes requirements for protection of any HSA in a bankruptcy proceeding. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize additional health opportunity account demonstration programs. Treats membership in a health care sharing ministry as coverage under a high deductible health plan. Renames high deductible health plans as HSA qualified plans. Allows payments from an HSA for: (1) direct primary care service arrangements, (2) certain exercise equipment and physical fitness programs, (3) certain nutritional and dietary supplements, and (4) periodic fees paid to a primary care physician for the right to receive medical services on an as-needed basis. Increases the maximum limit on contributions to an HSA to match deductible and out-of-pocket expenses limitations. Prescribes requirements for establishment of child health savings accounts, for which an income tax deduction shall be allowed a taxpayer equal to the aggregate cash amount paid into the account during the taxable year. Amends the IRC to include in gross income any distributions from an HSA for an abortion. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), and the IRC to authorize premium and cost-sharing variances in group health plans based on certain financial incentives for participation (or lack of it) in a standards-based wellness program. Amends the PHSA to direct the Secretary to provide a grant of up to $5 million to each state for the costs of creation and initial operation of a qualified high risk pool if it has not created such a pool as of September 1, 2013. Limits participation in such a pool to U.S. citizens and nationals. Declares that the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) shall apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with conditions of this Act. Prohibits a health insurance issuer from offering, selling, or issuing individual health insurance coverage in a secondary state if its insurance commissioner does not use a risk-based capital formula for determining capital and surplus requirements for all health insurance issuers. Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to declare that nothing in it shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance (including the business of dental insurance). Amends SSA title XI (General Provisions) to require the Secretary to make available to the public Medicare claims and payment data, including data on payments made to any provider of services or supplier. Authorizes a state to establish a Health Plan and Provider Portal website to standardize information on: (1) health insurance plans available in the state, and (2) price and quality information on health care providers (including physicians, hospitals, and other health care institutions). Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with the doctor-patient relationship or the practice of medicine. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to eliminate the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Amends ERISA to prescribe requirements for establishment and governance of association health plans, which are group health plans meeting certain ERISA certification criteria whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations. Limits the commencement of a health care lawsuit, except in certain cases including fraud or intentional concealment, to three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers, or through the use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first. Limits to $250,000 the amount of noneconomic damages in such a lawsuit, but allows a claim for the full amount of any economic damages. Requires the court, in any health care lawsuit, to supervise the arrangements for payment of damages to protect against conflicts of interest that may have the effect of reducing the amount of damages awarded that are actually paid to claimants. Specifies criteria for the award of punitive damages, limited to the greater of $250,000 or double the amount of economic damages. Preempts state law with respect to health care lawsuits. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) require any health plan to provide coverage of or access to abortion services; or (2) allow the Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, or any other federal or non-federal person or entity in implementing this Act to require coverage of, or access to, abortion services. Prohibits the use of funds authorized or appropriated by this Act to pay for any abortion or to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes abortion coverage, except: (1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest; or (2) in the case where a pregnant female suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the female in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act - Directs: (1) the Secretary of the military department concerned to award the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces (members) who were killed or wounded in the attack at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009; and (2) the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to award the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom to civilian employees and contractors of DOD who were killed or wounded in such attack. Deems, for purposes of all applicable federal benefit laws, regulations, and policies: (1) such members to have been killed or wounded in a combat zone as the result of an enemy act; and (2) such employees to have been killed or wounded by hostile action while serving with the Armed Forces in a contingency operation and to have been killed or wounded in a terrorist attack. Excludes any member whose death or wound was the result of willful misconduct. Applies such provisions to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other psychological injuries that were a a result of such attack.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a person who is carrying a valid, government-issued identification document containing that person's photograph and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state, and who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law, to possess or carry a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state in accordance with the restrictions of that state.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2013
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5) to support State and local accountability for public education, protect State and local authority, inform parents of the performance of their children's schools.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2013
Supporting Academic Freedom through Regulatory Relief Act - Repeals certain Department of Education regulations that for purposes of determining whether a school is eligible to participate in programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA): (1) require institutions of higher education (IHEs) and postsecondary vocational institutions (except religious schools) to be legally authorized by the state in which they are situated, (2) delineate what such legal authorization requires of states and schools, (3) impose standards and disclosure requirements on programs that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation, and (4) define "credit hour." Prohibits the Secretary of Education from promulgating or enforcing any regulation or rule not in effect on the date of this Act's enactment regarding: (1) the state authorization for IHEs to operate within a state, or (2) the definition or application of the term "gainful employment." Ends that prohibition when a law is enacted that extends by at least two fiscal years the authorization or duration of one or more programs under the HEA. Prohibits the Secretary from promulgating or enforcing any regulation or rule that defines "credit hour" for any purpose under the HEA. Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the HEA to authorize nonprofit IHEs to make payments to third-party entities for services that include student recruitment and are based on the amount of tuition that the IHE generates from student enrollment if the third-party entity: (1) is not affiliated with the IHE, (2) does not provide incentive payments to its employees for their success in enrolling students or securing financial aid for them, (3) is not paid by the IHE solely or separately for student recruitment services, and (4) will not make student recruitment information available to any other person or entity.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that before the United States ends its commitment in Afghanistan and U.S. involvement in the conflict draws to a close, the nation needs to ensure that no one is left behind and all members of the U.S. Armed Forces are accounted for.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Calls on China (PRC) to end the practice of organ harvesting from prisoners, and particularly from Falun Gong prisoners of conscience and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups. Calls for a Department of State investigation into organ transplant practices in China, and for the prosecution of those found to have engaged in such practices. Demands an end to the persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual practice by the Communist Party of China and the release of all Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience. Recommends that: (1) the Department issue a travel warning for U.S. citizens traveling to China for organ transplants informing them that the organ source for their operation may be a prisoner of conscience; and (2) the U.S. government condemn organ transplantation abuses in China, ban the entry of those who have participated in such activities, and prosecute such individuals should they be found on U.S. soil.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Artist-Museum Partnership Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers who create literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly compositions or similar property a fair market value (determined at the time of contribution) tax deduction for contributions of such properties, the copyrights thereon, or both, to certain tax-exempt organizations, if such properties are properly appraised and are donated no sooner than 18 months after their creation. Limits the amount of such deduction based upon the donor's artistic adjusted gross income, as defined by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Death Tax Repeal Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and a $5 million lifetime gift tax exemption. Provides for an inflation adjustment to such exemption amount.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2013
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1947) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1797) to amend title 18, United States Code, to protect pain-capable unborn children in the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013
Elects specified named Members to the following House Committees: Homeland Security; Judiciary; Natural Resources; Science, Space, and Technology; and Transportation and Infrastructure.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2013
Wireless Tax Fairness Act of 2013 - Prohibits states or local governments from imposing any new discriminatory tax on mobile services, mobile service providers, or mobile service property (i.e., cell phones) for five years after the enactment of this Act. Defines "new discriminatory tax" as a tax imposed on mobile services, providers, or property that is not generally imposed on other types of services or property, or that is generally imposed at a lower rate, unless such tax was imposed and actually enforced prior to the date of enactment of this Act. Amends the federal judicial code to grant jurisdiction to federal district courts to grant injunctive and other appropriate relief to prevent, restrain, or terminate any acts in violation of this Act. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study of the impact of state and local taxes on mobile services, providers, or property on the costs consumers pay for mobile services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Student Success Act - Authorizes FY2014-FY2019 appropriations for the programs under titles I, II, III, and IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by this Act. Title I: Aid to Local Educational Agencies - Replaces title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the ESEA with a new title I (Aid to Local Educational Agencies). Amends the education accountability requirements under part A of title I of the ESEA and places them in a new subpart 1 (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies) under part A (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the ESEA. Eliminates the requirement that local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools make adequate yearly progress toward state academic performance standards or be subject to specified improvements, corrective action, or restructuring. Requires states to adopt academic content and achievement standards for mathematics, reading or language arts, and science that ensure that all their public school students graduate from high school fully prepared for postsecondary education or the workforce. Requires states to implement a set of high-quality assessments of student progress toward those standards that measure the overall performance of students in each public school and the performance of their poor, minority, disabled, and English learner subgroups. Allows states to adopt alternate academic achievement standards and assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Allows states to measure student growth toward those standards and to develop and administer computer adaptive assessments that measure student proficiency against, and growth toward, the standards for the student's grade level. Requires education accountability efforts to include school improvement systems that require LEAs to implement interventions that address weaknesses in low-performing schools. Amends schoolwide programs that allow LEAs to consolidate educational funds to upgrade the entire educational program of schools in order to eliminate the requirement that such schools serve a high proportion of low-income families. Repeals provisions that established deadlines by which teachers in basic programs operated by LEAs must be highly qualified. Requires states to designate an ombudsman to ensure that private school children receive educational services and benefits that are equitable to those received by public school children under subpart 1. Strikes parts B (Student Reading Skills Improvement Grants), F (Comprehensive School Reform), G (Advanced Placement Programs), and H (School Dropout Prevention) of title I of the ESEA. Amends part C of the current title I and transfers it to a new subpart 2 (Education of Migratory Children) under part A of the ESEA. Amends part D of the current title I and transfers it to a new subpart 3 (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk) under part A. Amends part A of title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) and transfers it to a new subpart 4 (English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement) under part A. Changes the current references to "limited English proficient students" to "English learners." Amends requirements for the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs under part C of title III and transfers them to subpart 4 under part A. Amends part B (Rural Education Initiative) of title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) and transfers it to a new subpart 5 (Rural Education Achievement Program) under part A. Amends part A (Indian Education) of title VII and transfers it to a new subpart 6 (Indian Education) under part A. Omits subpart 3 (National Activities) of part A of title VII from subpart 6. Gives states and LEAs flexibility in transferring funds among the programs under part A of title I. Removes maintenance of effort requirements that require states and LEAs to maintain their education funding at certain levels in order to be eligible for federal education funds. Amends part E (National Assessment) of title I and transfers it to a new part B of title I of the ESEA. Repeals the Demonstrations of Innovative Practices grant program and the Close Up Fellowship program. Amends part I (General Provisions) of title I and transfers it to a new part C of title I of the ESEA. Title II: Teacher Preparation and Effectiveness - Replaces title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the ESEA with a new title II (Teacher Preparation and Effectiveness). Directs the Secretary of Education, under part A (Supporting Effective Instruction) of title II, to make formula grants to states and, through them, subgrants to LEAs to develop and implement a teacher evaluation system that: (1) uses student achievement data as a significant factor in determining a teacher's evaluation, (2) uses multiple measures of evaluation, (3) uses more than two categories for rating teachers, (4) is used by the LEA to make personnel decisions, and (5) is based on input from parents and school staff. Directs the Secretary, under part B (Teacher and School Leader Flexible Grant) of title II, to make formula grants to states and, through them, competitive matching subgrants to LEAs, institutions of higher education, and business or nonprofit entities to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive programs and activities that may include: (1) initiatives to assist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining highly effective teachers and school leaders; (2) the recruitment of qualified individuals from other fields; (3) model instructional programs in the core academic subjects; (4) professional development for teachers and school leaders; and (5) programs that are based on the current science of learning. Preserves the teacher liability protection provisions under part C (Innovation for Teacher Quality) of title II, but eliminates the other programs under part C. Replaces part D (Enhancing Education through Technology) of title II with a new part D (General Provisions). Requires LEAs receiving grants under title II to notify parents of the availability of the results of the evaluations of their children's teachers. Treats charter schools as LEAs under title II. Title III: Parental Engagement and Local Flexibility - Replaces title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) of the ESEA with a new title III (Parental Engagement and Local Flexibility). Amends subparts 1 (Charter School Programs) and 2 (Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation) of part B of title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs) and moves them to a new subpart 1 (Charter School Program) under part A (Parental Engagement) of title III. Replaces the current charter school grant program with a program awarding grants to state entities and, through them, subgrants to charter school developers to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools. Allows charter schools to serve prekindergarten or postsecondary school students. Amends part C of title V of the ESEA and transfers it to a new subpart 2 (Magnet Schools Assistance) of part A of title III. Establishes a subpart 3 (Family Engagement in Education Programs) of part A of title III. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to statewide organizations to establish Statewide Family Engagement Centers that provide comprehensive training and technical assistance to states, LEA, schools, and organizations that support family engagement in education. Establishes a part B (Local Academic Flexible Grant) of title III under which the Secretary shall allot funds to states for: (1) state activities that include developing state educational assessments and standards; (2) competitive grants to LEAs, community-based organizations, and businesses to improve student academic achievement through student support programs; and (3) competitive matching grants to nongovernmental entities to improve academic achievement. Title IV: Impact Aid - Replaces title IV (21st Century Schools) with the Impact Aid program currently under title VIII of the ESEA. (The Impact Aid program compensates LEAs for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their areas.) Amends the Impact Aid program to alter methods used and considerations made in determining whether LEAs are eligible for Impact Aid payments, as well as formulae used in determining the amounts they are owed. Amends the Impact Aid Improvement Act of 2012 to make amendments that Act made to the Impact Aid program permanent, including the requirement that the Secretary complete Impact Aid payments to eligible LEAs within three fiscal years of their appropriation. Title V: General Provisions for the Act - Replaces title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs) of the ESEA with a new title V (General Provisions). Amends title IX (General Provisions) and transfers it to the new title V. Requires the Secretary to establish a multi-disciplinary peer review team to review requests for waivers of statutory or regulatory requirements under the ESEA. Prohibits the Secretary from imposing new or additional requirements that are not specified in the ESEA on states, LEAs, or Indian tribes in exchange for the receipt of a waiver. Prohibits states from considering payments under the ESEA, other than under title IV, in determining an LEA's eligibility for state aid or the amount of that aid. Prohibits the federal government from mandating, directing, or controlling a state's, LEA's, or school's specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curricula, or program of instruction. Establishes requirements regarding the peer review panels used under the ESEA to review program applications. Prohibits federal employees from participating in, or working to influence, the peer review process. Places the gun-free school requirements in part A (Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities) of title IV of the ESEA in the new title V. Title VI: Repeal - Repeals title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the ESEA. Title VII: Homeless Education - Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act's program of grants to states and, through them, subgrants to LEAs for the education of homeless youth. Includes amendments that: (1) require student-centered factors to be considered before an LEA places a homeless youth in a school, (2) require schools to enroll homeless youth immediately despite missed application or enrollment deadlines, (3) protect the privacy of information about a homeless youth's living situation, and (4) focus on the identification of homeless youth. Authorizes appropriations for that program for FY2014-FY2019.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1911) to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish interest rates for new loans made on or after July 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2013
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act - Prohibits the expenditure of funds authorized or appropriated by federal law or funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law (federal funds) for any abortion. (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services, except in cases involving rape, incest, or life endangerment.) Prohibits federal funds from being used for any health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. (Thus making permanent existing federal policies.) Prohibits the inclusion of abortion in any health care service furnished by a federal or District of Columbia health care facility or by any physician or other individual employed by the federal government or the District. Excludes an abortion from such prohibitions if: (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest; or (2) the woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, as certified by a physician. Applies such prohibitions to District of Columbia funds. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disqualify, for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses, any amounts paid for an abortion. Excludes from the definition of "qualified health plan" after December 31, 2013, for purposes of the refundable tax credit for premium assistance for such plans, any plan that includes coverage for abortion. Excludes from the definitions of "qualified health plan" and "health insurance coverage," for purposes of the tax credit for small employer health insurance expenses, any health plan or benefit that includes coverage for abortions. Includes any reimbursements or distributions to pay for an abortion in the gross income of participants in flexible spending arrangements under a tax-exempt cafeteria plan, Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs), and health savings accounts (HSAs). Exempts from the application of such tax provisions: (1) abortions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or in cases where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness that would, as certified by a physician, endanger her life if an abortion were not performed; and (2) the treatment of any infection, injury, disease, or disorder that was caused by or exacerbated by the performance of an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2013
Improving Postsecondary Education Data for Students Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to convene an Advisory Committee on Improving Postsecondary Education Data that is composed of higher education stakeholders, business representatives, and experts in higher education policy, consumer choice, and privacy. Requires the Committee to study: the types of information the federal government should collect and report on institutions of higher education (IHEs) to assist students and families in their search for an IHE, including information related to postsecondary education costs, student outcomes, and postgraduation earnings; how that information should be collected and reported, including how to disaggregate student outcome information by student subgroups; and ways in which the federal government could make that information more readily available to students and their families in an easily accessible and understandable format, and to states, IHEs, and private-sector entities. Requires the Committee, in conducting the study, to: (1) review relevant research concerning the types of information students and parents seek in searching for an IHE; (2) consider whether additional information would be beneficial or confusing; and (3) consult with parents, students, and a broad range of parties interested in higher education. Directs the Committee to submit an interim and final report on the study to Congress and the Secretary.
![Official portrait of Rep. Foxx, Virginia [R-NC-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_nc_5_foxx_virginia_200.jpg)