United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Marriage and Religious Freedom Act - Prohibits the federal government from taking an adverse action against a person on the basis that such person acts in accordance with a religious belief that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. Defines "adverse action" as any federal government action to discriminate against such person, including: (1) denying or revoking certain tax exemptions or disallowing a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person; (2) denying or excluding such person from receiving any federal grant, contract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status; or (3) denying or withholding any benefit under a federal benefit program. Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government. Authorizes the Attorney General (DOJ) to bring actions to enforce this Act. Specifies that the term "person" includes any person regardless of religious affiliation, as well as corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.
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 Restores or revives provisions amended or repealed by such Act or such health care provisions.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 · 12 September 2013
Stability, Security, and Fairness Resolution of 2013 - Makes continuing appropriations for FY2014. Appropriates amounts for continuing operations, projects, or activities which were conducted in FY2013 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available in: the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division A of P.L. 113-6); the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division B of P.L. 113-6); and The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (division F of P.L. 113-6). Requires the rate for operations for each account to be calculated to reflect the full amount of any reduction required in FY2013 pursuant to: section 3004 of division G of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6), if any; and the sequestration order issued to enforce a specified budget goal pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). (The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act was amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011 to revise the discretionary spending limits and reduce the discretionary appropriations and direct spending specified in the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act unless a joint committee bill achieving an amount greater than $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction would be enacted by January 15, 2012.) Provides funding under this joint resolution through FY2014, unless otherwise provided for in this division or in the applicable appropriations Act. Authorizes continuation of other specified activities (including those for entitlements and other mandatory payments) through such fiscal year. Enacts the following bills into law: H.R. 2216 (Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014), as engrossed by the House of Representatives on June 4, 2013; H.R. 2217 (Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2014), as engrossed by the House on June 6, 2013; and H.R. 2397 (Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014), as engrossed by the House on July 24, 2013. Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to reduce the discretionary category in new budget authority for FY2014 from $1.066 trillion to $967.473 million. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), if for FY2014 the amount of new budget authority provided by this joint resolution exceeds such discretionary spending limits, to increase the applicable percentage of 0% by the amount necessary to eliminate the excess of the limit. Rescinds the applicable 0%, subject to such requirement, of: the budget authority provided (or obligation limit imposed) for FY2014 for any discretionary account in section 101 of this joint resolution, the budget authority provided in any advance appropriation for FY2014 for any discretionary account (excluding any account funded under section 111 of this joint resolution) in any prior fiscal year appropriation Act, and the contract authority provided in FY2014 for any program subject to limitation incorporated or otherwise contained in section 101 of this joint resolution. Exempts: amounts designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT) or for disaster relief; or the amount made available by this joint resolution for "Social Security Administration, Limitation on Administrative Expenses" for continuing disability reviews under titles II (Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance [OASDI] Benefits) and XVI (Grants to States for Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled) of the Social Security Act (SSA), and for the cost associated with conducting redeterminations of eligibility under SSA title XVI. Prohibits, during any fiscal year, the use of federal funds to carryout: (1) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA); or (2) certain PPACA related requirements in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Rescinds any funds provided by PPACA, its title, or subtitle for FY2014. Delays: the obligation of any PPACA funds for FY2015 until January 1, 2015; and implementation of PPACA, its related requirements in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or amendments made by either Act until December 31, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2013
Immediate Establishment of Syrian War Crimes Tribunal Resolution - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should urge the government of Syria and other groups involved in the civil war in Syria to implement an immediate cease fire and engage in negotiations to end the bloodshed; (2) the United States should declare that it is a requirement of basic justice that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, whether committed by officials of the government of Syria or members of other groups involved in the civil war in Syria, should be investigated and prosecuted; (3) the President should direct the U.S. representative to the United Nations (U.N.) to promote the establishment of a Syrian war crimes tribunal; (4) in working with other countries to establish a Syrian war crimes tribunal the United States should promote judicial procedures that enable the prosecution of the most culpable persons guilty of directing such crimes; (5) the United States should make an immediate priority the collection of information for use as evidence to support the indictment and trial of any person responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in Syria; and (6) the United States should urge other interested states to apprehend and deliver into the custody of a Syrian war crimes tribunal persons indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in Syria, and urge such states to provide relevant information to the tribunal.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 442 Miller Valley Road in Prescott, Arizona, as the "Barry M. Goldwater Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2013 - Expands the federal prohibition against state taxation of interstate commerce to: (1) include taxation of out-of-state transactions involving all forms of property, including intangible personal property and services (currently, only sales of tangible personal property are protected); and (2) prohibit state taxation of an out-of-state entity unless such entity has a physical presence in the taxing state. Sets forth criteria for: (1) determining that a person has a physical presence in a state, and (2) the computation of the tax liability of affiliated businesses operating in a state.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Government Litigation Savings Act - Revises provisions of the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) and the federal judicial code relating to the fees and other expenses of parties in agency proceedings and court cases against the federal government. Restricts awards of fees and other expenses under EAJA to prevailing parties with a direct and personal interest in an adjudication, including because of medical costs, property damage, determination of benefits, an unpaid disbursement, and other expenses of adjudication, or because of a policy interest. Requires (currently, authorizes) the reduction or denial of an award if the party during the course of the proceedings engaged in conduct which unduly or unreasonably (currently, unduly and unreasonably) protracted the final resolution of the matter in controversy. Increases to $200 per hour the cap on attorney fees awarded under EAJA and eliminates the cost-of-living and special factor considerations for allowing an increase in the hourly rate for such fees. Eliminates the net worth exemption for determining eligibility for fees and expenses under EAJA for tax-exempt organizations and cooperative associations under the Agricultural Marketing Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Armed Services Always Paid Act or ASAP Act - Provides for funding the pay and allowances, without interruption, of members of the Armed Forces, including reserve personnel, during any period of lapsed appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Supports economic and political reforms that uphold the fundamental rights of all Egyptian citizens, equal access to justice, due process, and transparent and accountable governance. Calls on interim Egyptian President Adly Mansour and the government of Egypt to restore the Egyptian Constitution and the rule of law. Urges: (1) the process of amending the Egyptian Constitution to be transparent and secure broad consensus; (2) the Egyptian Armed Forces and security services to respect the rights of all Egyptian citizens; and (3) full restoration of media and civil society freedoms, including protecting media and journalists and overturning the verdicts in which 43 U.S. citizens, Egyptians, and others were given harsh sentences for their work to support democracy. Calls on: (1) the government of Egypt to continue to meet its obligations under the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty; and (2) interim President Mansour and the Egyptian Armed Forces to end the climate of impunity, end arbitrary arrests and politically motivated detentions, prosecute acts of violence, and make the protection of of all Egyptian citizens an urgent priority.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Saving More American Resources Today Grid Study Act of 2013 or SMART Grid Study Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), and the heads of other federal departments and agencies, as necessary, to enter into an agreement with the National Research Council to research the future resilience and reliability of the nation's electric power transmission and distribution system. Names such research the "Saving More American Resources Today Study" or "SMART Study."
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Directs 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 in honor of President Shimon Peres of Israel.
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 · 1 August 2013
Schoolchildren's Health Protection Act - Amends the General Education Provisions Act to prohibit the provision of federal education funding to state or local educational agencies that: (1) provide, or permit the provision of, postcoital emergency contraception or prescriptions for such contraception on the premises of elementary or secondary schools; or (2) contract with a school-based health center to provide students with health services, unless the center agrees to deny students postcoital emergency contraception or prescriptions for such contraception pursuant to the contract.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue in commemoration of the United States Coast Guard: (1) $5 gold coins, (2) $1 silver coins, and (3) half-dollar clad coins. Requires the design of such coins to be emblematic of the traditions, history, and heritage of the Coast Guard, and its role in securing our nation since 1790. Prescribes design requirements. Restricts the issuance of such coins to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2017. Prescribes the sale price of the coins and coin surcharges. Requires such surcharges to be paid by the Secretary to the National Coast Guard Museum Foundation to help finance the design and construction of the National Coast Guard Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Fairness for America's Heroes Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to exempt veterans, until January 1, 2015, from the penalty for failure to maintain minimum essential health care coverage. Defines a "veteran," for purposes of this Act, as an individual who served on active duty (other than active duty for training) and who has been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 350,000 $1 silver coins, and 300,000 half dollar clad coins to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the 100 years of Boys Town, one of the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the United States. Permits issuance of such coins only between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2013
Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act- Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should recognize the sovereign status of an undivided Jerusalem as Israel's capital; (2) recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and transferring the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv will send a signal of U.S. commitment to Israel; and (3) the Secretary of State should transfer the Embassy to 14 David Flusser Street, Jerusalem, repurpose or sell the Embassy in Tel Aviv, and deposit any sale proceeds in the Asset Management Account of the Department of State. Amends the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 to repeal, as of January 1, 2014, the President's authority to waive the limitation on the obligation of funds for acquisition and maintenance of buildings abroad until the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has officially opened.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
All Economic Regulations are Transparent Act of 2013 or ALERT Act of 2013 - Requires the head of each federal agency to submit a monthly report to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each rule which such agency expects to propose or finalize during the upcoming year. Sets forth the required content of such report, including: (1) a summary of the nature of the rule, (2) the objectives of and legal basis for the issuance of the rule, (3) the stage of the rule making as of the date of submission, (4) whether the rule is subject to periodic review as a rule with a significant economic impact, (5) an approximate schedule for completing action on the rule, and (6) an estimate of its cost. Requires the Administrator to post reports on the Internet. Requires the Administrator to publish annually in the Federal Register: (1) information that the Administrator receives from each agency under this Act; (2) the number of rules and a list of each such rule that was proposed by each agency and each rule that was finalized by each agency; (3) the number of agency actions that repealed a rule, reduced the scope of a rule, reduced the cost of a rule, or accelerated the expiration date of a rule; (4) the total cost of all rules proposed or finalized; and (5) the number of rules for which an estimate of the cost of the rule was not available. Requires the Administrator to post on the Internet on an annual basis: (1) the analysis of the costs or benefits of each proposed or final rule issued by an agency for the preceding year; (2) the docket number and regulation identifier number for each such rule; (3) the number of rules reviewed by OMB for the preceding year; and (4) the number of rules for which a review by the head of an agency was completed, the number of rules submitted to the Comptroller General (GAO), and the number of rules for which a resolution of disapproval was introduced in Congress. Prohibits a rule from taking effect until the information required by this Act is posted on the Internet for not less than six months, unless the agency proposing the rule seeks an exemption under FOIA or the President determines by executive order that such rule is necessary because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency, for the enforcement of criminal laws, for national security, or to implement an international trade agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
End Sex Trafficking Act of 2013 - Amends: (1) the federal criminal code to expand the scope of prohibitions against sex trafficking to include patronizing or soliciting a commercial sex act with a victim of sex trafficking, and (2) the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to expand the definition of "sex trafficking" to include patronizing or soliciting a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act. Directs the Attorney General to ensure that all task forces and working groups within the Innocence Lost National Initiative engage in activities, programs, or operations to increase the investigative capabilities of state and local law enforcement officers in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of persons who patronize or solicit children for sex.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Delays for one year the effective date of any provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or of any health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2011 that were scheduled to take effect on or after January 1, 2014. Suspends for one year, beginning January 1, 2014, any tax or tax increase imposed by such provisions if the tax or increase takes effect before that date.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2013
Rape Survivor Child Custody Act - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to states that have in place a law that allows the mother of any child that was conceived through rape to seek court-ordered termination of the parental rights of her rapist with regard to that child, which the court shall grant upon clear and convincing evidence of rape. Limits such a grant to: (1) an amount that is not greater than 10% of the average of the total funding of the 3 most recent awards a state received under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program and the Sexual Assault Services Program; and (2) a 1-year term, subject to renewal for not more than 3 additional years. Requires a state that receives such a grant to use: (1) 25% of grant funds for permissible uses under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program, and (2) 75% of funds for permissible uses under the Sexual Assault Services Program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2013
Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners Act of 2013 - GSE Bailout Elimination and Taxpayer Protection Act - Directs the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), five years after enactment of this Act, to appoint FHFA as receiver of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government sponsored enterprises or (GSEs) under the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992, to carry out mandatory receivership (thus terminating the current conservatorship for such GSEs). Repeals the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charters effective five years after enactment of this Act. Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992, the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act to prescribe specified requirements, limitations, and prohibitions on GSE activities until their charters are repealed and authorities terminated. FHA Reform and Modernization Act of 2013 - Establishes the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) as a wholly owned government corporation to: (1) provide residential mortgage insurance and other credit enhancement and related activities; (2) supplement private sector activity by serving hard-to-serve markets, developing new mortgage products, and filling gaps in the provision and delivery of mortgage credit; and (3) deliver housing mortgage insurance and credit enhancement and provide other services in a non-discriminatory manner. Prescribes FHA requirements concerning: (1) budget and business plans; (2) examinations, reports, and cost estimates; (3) the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund and capital ratios, reserves, and restoration plans; (4) borrower suspension, ineligibility, and foreclosure; (5) mortgage repurchase; (6) mortgagee indemnification; (7) eminent domain; and (8) residual income. Transfers to FHA, at the end of a five-year transition period, the functions of, authority provided to, and the responsibilities of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and HUD personnel. Amends the National Housing Act to repeal the home equity conversion mortgage (reverse mortgage) program and mortgage insurance for hospitals. National Mortgage Market Utility Act of 2013 - Requires the Director of FHFA to provide for the organization, incorporation, examination, operation, and regulation of a not-for-profit national mortgage market Utility to: (1) enhance efficiency, liquidity, and security in the secondary market for residual mortgages; (2) establish standards for originating and servicing eligible collateral and for issuers and trustees of qualified securities, which would be exempt from the Securities Act of 1933; and (3) operate a common securitization platform that could be available to issues of residential mortgage-backed securities. Prohibits the Utility from: (1) originating, servicing, insuring, or guaranteeing any residential mortgage or other associated financial instrument; or (2) guaranteeing timely payment of principal or interest on any mortgage-related security. Requires the Director to: (1) issue a charter for the Utility; and (2) oversee the transfer to the Utility of the securitization infrastructure announced by the FHFA on October 4, 2012, and as developed by an enterprise or the enterprises in conservatorship (the Platform). Sets forth standards for qualified securities. Directs the utility to organize and operate a national mortgage data repository. United States Covered Bond Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a covered bond regulatory oversight program for the evaluation and maintenance of programs of eligible issuers under which, on the security of a single cover pool, one or more series of covered bonds may be issued. Defines covered bonds as any recourse debt obligation of an eligible issuer that: (1) has an original term to maturity of not less than one year, (2) is secured by a perfected security interest in or other perfected lien on a cover pool owned directly or indirectly by the obligation's issuer, (3) is issued under a covered bond program approved by the applicable covered bond regulator, (4) is identified in a register of covered bonds maintained by the Secretary, and (5) is not a deposit subject to the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. Amends the Secondary Mortgage Market Enhancement Act of 1984 to authorize any person, trust, corporation, partnership, association, business trust, or business entity created under federal or state law to purchase, hold, and invest in covered bonds. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the tax treatment of estates created under covered bond programs and certain transfers under covered bond programs. Imposes a tax on certain estates created under covered bond programs. Directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Comptroller of the Currency to study the impact of the Regulatory Capital Rules finalized by the Board on July 2, 2013 (pursuant to the Third Basel Accord on capital adequacy, stress testing, and market liquidity risk, or Basel III). Prohibits the Board, the FDIC, and the Comptroller of the Currency, in implementing the Basel III Liquidity Coverage Ratio amendments, from requiring, as a condition for status as a high quality liquid asset, that residential mortgage-backed securities be collateralized only by (or be collateralized by a certain percentage of) full recourse mortgage loans. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to modify the items, compensation, and charges included in points and fees with respect to a high-cost mortgage. Amends the Bank Holding Company Act to exclude from hedge funds and private equity funds certain issuers of asset-backed securities. Amends the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to exemptions from specified prohibitions relating to interstate commerce and the mails for transactions by any person other than an issuer, underwriter, or dealer or transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering. Prohibits the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from conditioning the availability of such exemptions upon an issuer's undertaking to provide to investors, in connection with initial offers or sales or on an ongoing basis after an initial offer or sale, the same or substantially similar information as would be required in a transaction to which such prohibitions apply. (Thus suspends Regulation AB II rulemaking.) Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to repeal the requirement that federal banking agencies and the SEC jointly prescribe credit risk regulations for securitizers to retain an economic interest in a portion of the credit risk for any asset the securitizer, through the issuance of an asset-backed security, transfers, sells, or conveys to a third party. Amends the Truth in Lending Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975, the Truth in Lending Act, and the Dodd-Frank Act to make exemptions from specified requirements, or repeal related requirements, for certain residential mortgages, particularly those serving as collateral for a qualified security. Amends the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 with respect to: (1) timeliness of examination reports, (2) examination standards, (3) establishment of an Office of Examination Ombudsman, and (4) the right to appeal before an independent administrative law judge. Common Sense Economic Recovery Act of 2013 - Cites circumstances under which, for purposes of determining capital requirements or measuring an insured depository institution's capital, such an institution may treat a non-accrual loan as an accrual loan. (Non-accrual [also known as non-performing or doubtful] loans are those on which interest is overdue and full collection of principal is uncertain, and so interest, if it has not been paid in over 90 days, cannot be credited to the bank's revenue account until it has actually been received.)
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2013
Sanctity of Life Act of 2013 - Declares that: (1) human life is deemed to exist from fertilization, without regard to race, sex, age, health, defect, or condition of dependency; and (2) "person" includes all such human life. Recognizes that each state has a compelling interest in protecting the lives of those within the state's jurisdiction whom the state rationally regards as human beings. Amends the federal judicial code to remove Supreme Court and district court jurisdiction to review cases arising out of any statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, or practice, or any act interpreting such a measure on the grounds that such measure: (1) protects the rights of human persons between conception and birth; or (2) prohibits, limits, or regulates the performance of abortions or the provision of public funds, facilities, personnel, or other assistance for abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2013
United States-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation Act of 2013 - Authorizes the President, acting through the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of State, to provide assistance, upon request of the Israeli government, for the procurement of the Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system, as well as authorization for cooperation on the development, maintenance, enhancement, and sustainment of the David's Sling, Arrow, and Arrow 3 anti-missile defense systems, for the purposes of intercepting rockets, missiles, and projectiles launched against Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2013
Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2013 - Amends the sanctions provisions in Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. Removes a provision that prohibits filing a motion for sanctions if the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, or denial is withdrawn or appropriately corrected within 21 days after service or within another time the court sets. Authorizes the court to impose additional sanctions, including striking the pleadings, dismissing the suit, nonmonetary directives, or penalty payments if warranted for effective deterrence.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2013
Defund Obamacare Act of 2013 - Prohibits any federal funds from being made available to carry out the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Prohibits any entitlement to benefits under such provisions from remaining in effect on and after the date of the enactment of this Act. Prohibits any payments from being awarded, owed, or made to any state, district, or territory under any such provision. Rescinds any unobligated balances available under such provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2013
Preventing Unionization of Revenue Service Employees Act or the PURSE Act - Excludes employees of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from provisions of federal personnel law allowing federal employees to organize, bargain collectively, and participate in labor organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2013
Responsibly And Professionally Invigorating Development Act of 2013 or the RAPID Act - States that the purpose of this Act is to establish procedures to streamline, increase the efficiency of, and enhance coordination of agency administration of the regulatory review, environmental decision making, and permitting process for major actions that are construction activities undertaken, reviewed, or funded by federal agencies. Authorizes a project sponsor, upon the request of a lead agency (the agency responsible preparing the environmental document), to prepare any document for environmental review required in support of, or for approval of, such an activity if such agency furnishes oversight and independently evaluates, approves, and adopts such document prior to taking action or making any approval based on such document. Defines "environmental review" as federal agency procedures for preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS), environmental assessment (EA), categorical exclusion, or other document under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Prohibits requiring more than one EIS and one EA for a project, except for supplemental environmental documents prepared under NEPA or environmental documents prepared pursuant to a court order. Requires the lead agency to prepare the EIS or EA, except as otherwise provided by law. Prohibits, after the lead agency issues a record of decision, any federal agency responsible for making any approval for a project from relying on a document other than the environmental document prepared by the lead agency. Allows the lead agency, upon the request of a project sponsor, to: (1) adopt, use, or rely upon secondary and cumulative impact analyses included in documents prepared under NEPA for projects in the same geographic area if such documents are pertinent to the NEPA decision for the project under review; and (2) adopt a document that has been prepared for a project under state laws as the EIS or EA for the project if such laws provide environmental protection and opportunities for public involvement that are substantially equivalent to NEPA. Requires the lead agency to publish a supplement to the state document if: (1) a significant change has been made to the project that is relevant for purposes of environmental review, or (2) there have been significant changes in circumstances or availability of information relevant to such review. Requires a lead agency to issue its record of decision or finding of no significant impact based upon such adopted document. Authorizes a lead agency to adopt for a project an environmental document for a similar project that is in geographical proximity and that was subject to environmental review or similar state procedures within the preceding five years if the agency determines that there is a reasonable likelihood that the projects will have similar environmental impacts. Requires the lead agency to invite and designate as a participating agency in the preparation of an environmental document for a project any federal agency that is required to adopt such document. Requires such an agency to collaborate on the preparation of such document unless it informs the lead agency that it has no jurisdiction, authority, expertise, or information with respect to, and does not intend to submit comments on, the project. Precludes any agency that declines to participate from submitting comments on such document or taking measures to oppose any permit, license, or approval related to that project based on the environmental review. Prohibits the lead agency from acting upon, responding to, or including in any document prepared under NEPA any comment submitted by a participating agency that concerns matters outside of such agency's authority and expertise. Requires federal agencies to carry out: (1) obligations under other applicable laws concurrently and in conjunction with the review required under NEPA; and (2) such rules, policies, and procedures as may be reasonably necessary to enable such agency to ensure the completion of the environmental review and environmental decision making process in a timely, coordinated, and environmentally responsible manner. Sets forth provisions concerning requirements for initiating and completing environmental review for a project, including requirements for: (1) determining the range of alternatives to be considered; (2) methodologies for analyzing such alternatives, including potential effects on employment; (3) a plan for coordinating public and agency participation in the review; (4) periods for public and agency comments on draft EISs; and (5) a schedule for completing the review. Requires all participating agencies to comply with such schedule. Establishes: (1) for projects requiring preparation of an EA, a one-year deadline for issuing a finding of no significant impact or a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS; and (2) for projects requiring preparation of an EIS, a two-year deadline for completing the EIS. Sets forth conditions for extensions. Sets forth deadlines for decisions required under any other federal law relating to the undertaking of a project being reviewed under NEPA. Deems: (1) a project to be approved in the event that a federal agency fails to approve or otherwise act upon a permit, license, or other similar application for approval related to a project within such deadlines, and (2) such approval to be final agency action that may not be reversed by an agency. Prescribes responsibilities of the lead agency and the participating agencies to work cooperatively to identify and resolve issues that could delay completion of the environmental review or could result in denial of any approvals required for the project under applicable laws. Requires the head of each federal agency to report annually on: (1) the projects for which the agency initiated preparation of an EIS or EA; (2) the projects for which the agency issued a record of decision or a finding of no significant impact and the length of time it took the agency to complete the environmental review for each such project; and (3) the filing and resolution of any lawsuits against the agency seeking judicial review of a permit, license, or approval issued by the agency for an action subject to NEPA. Sets forth limitations to claims arising under federal law seeking judicial review of a permit, license, or approval issued by a federal agency for an action subject to NEPA. Prohibits this Act from being construed to supersede, amend, or modify specified regulations concerning environmental review of transportation projects. Requires the Council on Environmental Quality and each federal agency to amend NEPA implementing regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President has violated Section 3 of Article II of the Constitution by refusing to enforce the employer mandate provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA); (2) republican government depends upon the rule of law; (3) the executive branch, which has no constitutional authority to write or rewrite law at whim, has invaded upon the exclusive legislative power of Congress; and (4) PPACA has proven to be unworkable and should be repealed by Congress immediately.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2013
Save American Workers Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to redefine "full-time employee," for purposes of the mandate requiring employers to provide health care coverage for their employees, as an employee who is employed on average at least 40 hours of service a week (currently, at least 30 hours of service a week).
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2013
Small Business Job Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to redefine "applicable large employer," for purposes of the mandate requiring employers to provide health insurance for their employees, to mean an employer with at least 100 full-time employees (currently, 50).
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Marriage Protection Amendment - Defines marriage in the United States as consisting only of the union of a man and a woman. Prohibits either the U.S. Constitution or the constitution of any state from being construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents of marriage be conferred upon any other union.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Imprisonment for Tax Targeting of Americans Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a mandatory fine and prison term of five years (currently, not more than five years) for: (1) unauthorized disclosure of tax return and return information and for unlawful solicitation to obtain such information, and (2) unauthorized inspection of tax returns or return information. Imposes a mandatory fine and a prison term of not more than five years for willful oppression under color of law by U.S. revenue officers and employees (currently, a fine or a prison term, or both, may be imposed).
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Police Officers Protecting Children Act - Amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to provide that the prohibitions against possessing or discharging a firearm in a school zone shall not apply to off-duty or retired law enforcement officers who are authorized to carry a concealed firearm.
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 · 26 June 2013
Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act - Grants any state sole authority to promulgate or enforce any regulation, guidance, or permit requirement regarding the treatment of a well by the application of fluids under pressure to which propping agents may be added for the expressly designed purpose of initiating or propagating fractures in a target geologic formation in order to enhance production of oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on or under land within the boundaries of that state. Subjects such a well treatment on federal land to state law as well.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require alignment of updates for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services under a revised prospective payment system (PPS) with updates for hospital outpatient department (OPD) services. Revises requirements for the reporting and applying of quality measure data by ASCs and hospital OPDs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an ASC value-based purchasing program under which each ASC that the Secretary determines meets (or exceeds) performance standards established, with respect to selected quality measures, for the performance period for a calendar year is eligible for shared savings in the form of a payment increase determined according to a specified formula. Revises requirements for the composition of the expert outside advisory panel the Secretary is required to consult during the annual review of the clinical integrity of the groups and payment weights in the PPS for hospital OPD services. Requires the panel to include suppliers subject to the PPS as well as at least one ASC representative. Requires the Secretary, when excluding from a final rule updating ASC lists a procedure whose inclusion was requested during the public comment period, to cite in the final rule specific criteria based on which the procedure was excluded. Requires the Secretary also to identify the peer reviewed research or the evidence upon which the exclusion is based if certain of those criteria are cited for it. Prohibits the Secretary from using or citing as a criterion or a basis for an exclusion that the procedure can only be reported using a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) unlisted surgical procedure code.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Section 526 Repeal Act - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the requirement that any federal agency procurement contract for an alternative or synthetic fuel, including those from nonconventional petroleum sources, for any mobility-related use (except research or testing) specify that lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with the fuel must, on an ongoing basis, be less than or equal to such emissions from equivalent conventional fuel produced from conventional petroleum sources.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Expresses the support of the House of Representatives for the goals and ideals of the USA Science & Engineering Festival to promote science scholarship and an interest in scientific research and development as the cornerstones of innovation and competition in the United States. Supports festivals such as the USA Science & Engineering Festival which focus on the importance of science and engineering to everyday life through exhibits in such topics as human spaceflight, weather forecasting, and satellite technology. Congratulates all the individuals and organizations whose efforts will make the USA Science & Engineering Festival possible. Invites state and local governments to recognize a National Science Week.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to declare that nothing in those Acts shall be construed to preempt a law of any state, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia that prohibits, criminalizes, or creates a civil cause of action for identity theft or the release of an individual's personally identifiable information.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to declare that nothing in those Acts shall be construed to preempt a law of any state, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia that prohibits, criminalizes, or creates a civil cause of action for stalking, cyberstalking, or harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Authorizes the President to extend the term of the Agreement for Cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Korea Concerning Civil Uses of Nuclear Energy for a period not to exceed March 19, 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Medicare Beneficiary Preservation of Choice Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to repeal the allowance for disenrollment, between January 1 and March 15 of each year, only from an MedicareAdvantage plan to elect enrollment in the original Medicare fee-for-service program. Restores the option under previous law to elect to change from a MedicareAdvantage to the original Medicare fee-for-service plan, or from the original Medicare fee-for-service to a MedicareAdvantage plan, once a year during the first three months.
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 · 18 June 2013
Prohibits the use of federal funds to require or continue to require a person licensed to deal in firearms to report information to the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the sale of multiple rifles or shotguns to the same person.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Secure High-voltage Infrastructure for Electricity from Lethal Damage Act or SHIELD Act - Amends the Federal Power Act to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), with or without notice, hearing, or report, to order emergency measures to protect the reliability of either the bulk-power system or the defense critical electric infrastructure whenever the President issues a written directive or determination identifying an imminent grid security threat. Directs FERC to consult with governmental authorities in Canada, Mexico, and the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) regarding implementation of emergency measures. Prescribes: (1) implementation procedures; and (2) related cost recovery measures affecting owners, operators, and users of either the bulk-power system or the defense critical electric infrastructure. Directs FERC to require any owner, user, or operator of the domestic bulk-power system to implement measures to protect the system against specified vulnerabilities. Requires FERC to issue an order directing ERO to submit for approval, within 30 days, a reliability standard requiring implementation, by any owner, operator, or user of the bulk-power system in the United States, of measures to protect the bulk-power system against an identified grid security vulnerability (including a protection plan with automated hardware-based solutions). Directs FERC also to order the ERO to submit reliability standards to: (1) protect the bulk-power system from a reasonably foreseeable geomagnetic storm event or electromagnetic pulse event (EMP); and (2) require entities that own or operate large transformers to ensure their adequate availability to restore promptly the reliable operation of the bulk-power system in the event of destruction or disability as a result of attack or a geomagnetic storm or EMP. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to: (1) develop technical expertise in the protection of electric energy systems against either geomagnetic storms or malicious acts using electronic communications or electromagnetic weapons; and (2) share it with owners, operators, or users of systems for the generation, transmission, or distribution of electric energy located in the United States and with state commissions.
![Official portrait of Rep. Franks, Trent [R-AZ-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/f000448_200.jpg)