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![Official portrait of Rep. Franks, Trent [R-AZ-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/f000448_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
2,806 records where Rep. Franks, Trent [R-AZ-8] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2017
Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make the tax credit for adoption expenses refundable.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2017
Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to expand liability protections to volunteer nonprofit organizations for harm caused by an act or omission of a volunteer on behalf of the organization. The bill prohibits such liability protections from applying if the organization: (1) would be liable under laws governing the direct or vicarious liability of organizations, and (2) expressly authorized the specific conduct constituting the act or omission. The bill bars such an organization from liability for harm caused by the organization, or a volunteer acting on its behalf, if the act or omission was at the request of, or pursuant to an authorization by, a state, the United States, or another governmental subdivision, provided that: (1) the requesting or authorizing governmental entity would have been immune either from suit or from liability in damages if it had engaged in the acts or omissions itself or through employees or independent contractors; or (2) the governmental employee, agent, or contractor would have been immune either from suit or from liability in damages by virtue of immunity extended to individual governmental actors. The bill prohibits punitive damages from being awarded against a volunteer nonprofit organization for the actions of a volunteer within the scope of the volunteer's responsibilities to the organization unless the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the organization itself expressly authorized the volunteer's action with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2017
Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to promoting religious freedom globally. Calls on the President to: strengthen U.S. religious freedom diplomacy; appoint a new Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom; name a Special Advisor for International Religious Freedom at the National Security Council; develop a national security strategy on international religious freedom; support international religious freedom in United Nations institutions; leverage the growing network of foreign international religious freedom focused institutions; develop a strategic plan for U.S. diplomatic missions to promote and protect international religious freedom; direct grants to specified groups engaged in innovative programs to build and strengthen pluralistic societies, protect freedom of religion, reduce conflict, and counter violent religious extremism and terrorism; develop a comprehensive and multiyear strategy that partners with specified entities to achieve rapid levels of closed society access to the Internet in promotion of democracy and human rights; and develop a comprehensive response to protect war crimes victims and to provide assistance to affected individuals from religious and ethnic groups in Iraq and Syria. Urges the Department of State to: (1) implement Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act provisions that direct the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center to conduct training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers and all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors, (2) develop a training curriculum for American diplomats in international religious freedom policy, and (3) reestablish the Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2017
Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2017 This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include community centers, including tax-exempt houses of worship, as "private nonprofit facilities" for purposes of disaster relief and emergency assistance eligibility under such Act. A church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other house of worship, and a private nonprofit facility operated by a religious organization, are eligible for federal contributions for the repair, restoration, and replacement of facilities damaged or destroyed by a major disaster, without regard to the religious character of the facility or the primary religious use of the facility. This bill is applicable to the provision of assistance in response to a major disaster or emergency declared on or after October 28, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2017
Western Area Power Administration Transparency Act This bill directs the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) to establish a pilot project to provide increased transparency for its customers. WAPA must publicly display on its website specific information dating back to FY2008, including rates charged by power systems to customers for power and transmission services, the amount of capacity or energy sold by power systems, and a detailed accounting at the functional and budget activity level of all its expenditures and capital costs by region and for the headquarters office. Additionally, WAPA must annually update the information it provides on the website, including the changes it publishes, the reasons for the changes, and the amount of the unobligated balances it retains at the end of the prior fiscal year within each marketing area and at headquarters. The pilot project shall terminate in seven years.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2017
Supports designation of National Foster Care Month, and recognizes it as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children face in the foster care system.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2017
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith in recognition of their contributions to the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2017
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act of 2017 or the PAWS Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a five-year pilot program under which it provides grants to eligible nonprofit organizations to provide service dogs to veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after completing other evidence-based treatment. An organization that receives a grant shall provide for each participating service dog and veteran: coverage by a commercially available veterinary health insurance policy, hardware clinically determined to be required by the dog to perform the tasks necessary to assist the veteran, payments for travel expenses to obtain the dog, and travel expenses required to obtain a replacement service dog. To be eligible for a grant, an organization must: (1) agree to cover all costs in excess of the grant amount to guarantee such benefits, (2) be certified by Assistance Dogs International, (3) provide one-on-one training for each service dog and recipient for 30 hours or more over 90 days or more, and (4) provide an in-house residential facility or other accommodations nearby in which service dog recipients stay for a minimum of 10 days while receiving at least 30 hours of training. The VA shall develop metrics to measure the improvement in psychosocial function and therapeutic compliance and changes independence on prescription narcotics and psychotropic medication of veterans participating in the program. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on the methodology used for the pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2017
United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue in commemoration of the U.S. Coast Guard: (1) $5 gold coins, (2) $1 silver coins, and (3) half-dollar clad coins. The design of such coins shall be emblematic of the traditions, history, and heritage of the Coast Guard and its role in securing the United States since 1790. The bill prescribes certain design requirements. The issuance of such coins is restricted to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2020. The bill prescribes the sale price of the coins and coin surcharges. Surcharges shall be paid by Treasury to the National Coast Guard Museum Association to help finance the design, construction, operations, and maintenance of this museum. Treasury shall ensure that minting and issuing coins under this bill will not result in any net cost to the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2017
Faith in Health Savings Accounts Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat membership in a tax-exempt health care sharing ministry as coverage under a high deductible health plan for purposes of the tax deduction for contributions to a health savings account.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2017
Repeal of the Obamacare Bay State Boondoogle Act This bill requires that the Medicare hospital wage index floor for non-rural areas be calculated using state-specific, rather than national, budget neutrality. (The Medicare hospital wage index is used to calculate geographic adjustments to Medicare reimbursements.)
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2017
Promoting Equality and Accountability at the United Nations Act of 2017 This bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to withhold U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and funding for the United Nations Human Rights Council or the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) unless the Department of State certifies to Congress that such agencies have no connections to terrorism, anti-American, anti-Israel, or anti-Semitic rhetoric, human trafficking, or abuses of human rights or religious freedoms. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that responsibility for the Palestinian refugees should be fully transferred to the OHCHR. The bill reaffirms that it is U.S. law to prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars for certain contributions regarding Palestinian status at the United Nations (U.N.). It shall be U.S. policy to: (1) repeal Resolution A/HRC/31/L.38, which requests the OHCHR to establish a database of entities involved with settlements, and (2) oppose recognition of a Palestinian state by any U.N. entity prior to the achievement of a final peace agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States shall: (1) not make any U.S. government official available to serve as a representative to any U.N. agency that has granted full state membership to any organization that does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood; and (2) use it's influence to work toward the reduction of anti-Semitic language and anti-Israel resolutions in the U.N. and its agencies, programs, and funds.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2017
This bill requires the Joint Committee on the Library to enter into an agreement to obtain a statue or bust of Eli Wiesel. The Joint Committee may authorize the Architect of the Capitol to enter into the agreement and related contracts. The Joint Committee shall place the statue or bust in a suitable permanent location in the U.S. Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act, if the American Health Care Act (H.R. 1628) is enacted, to make plans made available by the federal government to Members of Congress and congressional staff subject to state waivers of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requirement for health insurance to cover the essential health benefits and PPACA restrictions on premium variation by age and health status.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017
Citizens' Right to Know Act of 2017 This bill requires a state or local government that receives funds under a Department of Justice (DOJ) grant program and uses such funds for a pretrial services program to annually report the amount of funds received by the pretrial services program and certain information about participating defendants. DOJ must publish the information. Additionally, DOJ must reduce the grant allocation of a state or local government that fails to comply.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017
Armed Services Always Paid Act or ASAP Act This bill 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 · 26 April 2017
Outer Continental Shelf Energy Access Now Act or the OCEAN Act This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to limit the President's authority to prohibit oil and gas leasing on the outer Continental Shelf. The President may prohibit oil and gas leasing on areas of the outer Continental Shelf located in a national marine sanctuary designated in accordance with the National Marine Sanctuaries Act or by statute or rule. Any suspension of operations under a lease arising from a state of war or declaration of national emergency shall be for 90 days and may be renewed. The bill rescinds existing moratoriums on oil and gas leasing on areas of the outer Continental Shelf other than marine sanctuaries and national monuments. The President may not declare or reserve any ocean waters or lands beneath ocean waters as a national monument.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017
Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 This bill amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other Acts, to: repeal Volcker Rule restrictions on certain speculative investments by banks; with respect to winding down failing banks, eliminate the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's orderly liquidation authority and establish new provisions regarding financial institution bankruptcy; and repeal Durbin Amendment limitations on fees that may be charged to retailers for debit card processing. Certain banks may exempt themselves from specified regulatory standards if they maintain a certain ratio of capital to total assets and meet other specified requirements. The bill removes the Financial Stability Oversight Council's authority to designate non-bank financial institutions and financial market utilities as "systemically important" (also known as "too big to fail"). Under current law, entities so designated are subject to additional regulatory restrictions. Designations made previously are retroactively repealed. The bill also amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to: convert the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau into a consumer law enforcement agency; subject the agency to the congressional appropriations process, expanded judicial review, and additional congressional oversight; eliminate supervisory authority over financial institutions; and limit the agency's authority to take action against entities for abusive practices. In addition, the bill: modifies provisions related to the Securities and Exchange Commission's managerial structure and enforcement authority; eliminates the Office of Financial Research within the Department of the Treasury; and revises provisions related to capital formation, insurance regulation, civil penalties for securities laws violations, and community financial institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2017
Partner with Korea Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to create an E-4 treaty trader visa category for up to 15,000 nationals of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) each fiscal year who are coming to the United States solely to perform specialty occupation services and with respect to whom the Department of Labor has certified to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State that the intending employer has filed an attestation concerning U.S. worker protections with the Department of Labor.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2017
No Coverage, No Penalty Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the requirement to maintain minimum essential health coverage (commonly referred to as the individual mandate) individuals who reside in a rating area or county in which the Department of Health and Human Services certifies that no qualified health plans are offered through an exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Protecting the Rights of IndiViduals Against Technological Exploitation Act or the PRIVATE Act This bill amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice to prohibit a person from knowingly and wrongfully broadcasting or distributing an intimate visual image of a private area of another individual who is at least 18 years old, who is identifiable from the image or from information displayed in connection with the image, and who does not explicitly consent, if the person knows or reasonably should have known that: the image was made under circumstances in which the individual depicted retained a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding any broadcast or distribution of such image; and the broadcast or distribution of the intimate visual image is likely to cause harm, harassment, intimidation, emotional distress, or financial loss for the individual depicted or to harm substantially the depicted individual's health, safety, business, calling, career, financial condition, reputation, or personal relationships. The perpetrator of such offense is guilty of wrongful distribution of intimate visual images and shall by punished as a court-martial may direct.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
End Discriminatory State Taxes for Automobile Renters Act of 201 7 This bill prohibits state or local taxes that discriminate against the rental of motor vehicles, the business of renting motor vehicles, or motor vehicle rental property, except where such tax is imposed as of the enactment date of this bill, the tax does not lapse, the tax rate does not increase, and the tax base for such tax does not change. A tax that is imposed on the rental of motor vehicles or a motor vehicle rental business is discriminatory if: (1) it is not generally applicable to more than 51% of other rentals of tangible personal property or businesses within a state or locality, or (2) the rate exceeds the generally applicable tax rate on at least 51% of the other rentals of tangible personal property or businesses within the jurisdiction. A tax discriminates against motor vehicle rental property if a state or locality: (1) assesses the property at a value that has a higher ratio to the true market value of the property than the ratio applicable to commercial and industrial property, or (2) levies or collects either a tax on an assessment prohibited by this bill or an ad valorem property tax on motor vehicle rental property at a generally applicable rate that exceeds the rate for commercial and industrial property in the jurisdiction. A person who is aggrieved by a discriminatory tax may bring a civil action in a U.S. district court for damages, injunctive relief, other legal or equitable relief, or declaratory relief.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Encourages the United States Trade Representative to commence negotiations to enter into a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Patriot Inventory Protection Act This bill requires the Army to evaluate its ability to meet war fighter requirements and operational needs, if GEM-T interceptors are removed from its operational inventory, by either: (1) recertifying GEM-T interceptors; or (2) developing, testing, and fielding a new low-cost interceptor that can be placed on the Army's operational inventory prior to the retirement of GEM-T interceptors. GEM-T interceptors are surface-to-air Patriot Guided Enhanced Missiles. The bill prohibits funds made available for the Army for FY2018 or thereafter from being obligated or expended to demilitarize any GEM-T interceptor or to remove any such interceptor from its operational inventory until the Army submits such evaluation to the congressional defense committees. Such limitation shall not apply to activities that the Army determines are critical to the safety of GEM-T interceptors.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act This bill provides a permanent appropriation for the payment of death gratuities and related benefits to survivors of deceased members of the uniformed services during a period of lapsed appropriations. The bill provides the appropriations at the rate and under the conditions provided for the most recent fiscal year for which an Act making appropriations for the uniformed services has been enacted. The appropriations are provided during a period of lapsed appropriations, in which appropriations are unavailable due to the absence of the timely enactment of an Act or joint resolution providing appropriations or continuing appropriations for the death gratuity and related benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Child Tax Credit Protection Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the identification requirements for the child tax credit to require taxpayers to provide a valid identification number (i.e., a Social Security account number issued by the Social Security Administration) on their tax returns in addition to the name and taxpayer identification number of each qualifying child. A "valid identification number" does not include a taxpayer identification number issued by the Internal Revenue Service.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of State to submit an annual, publicly-available report to Congress that includes: (1) a list of individuals holding specified senior Chinese leadership positions at the national and subnational levels; and (2) an assessment of the level of access Chinese authorities granted U.S. diplomats, journalists, and tourists to Tibetan areas in China. Such assessment shall include: a comparison with the level of access granted to other areas of China, a comparison between the levels of access granted to Tibetan and non-Tibetan areas in relevant provinces, a comparison of the level of access in the reporting year and the previous year, and a description of the measures that impede the freedom to travel in Tibetan areas. Listed persons shall be ineligible for a visa to enter or to be present in the United States if specified restrictions on foreign travelers entering Tibetan areas remain in effect, subject to a national interests waiver. Expresses the sense of Congress that the State Department, when granting Chinese diplomats access to parts of the United States, should take into account the extent to which China grants U.S. diplomats access to parts of China, including the Tibetan areas.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to shield a health care professional from liability under federal or state law for harm caused by any act or omission if: (1) the professional is serving as a volunteer in response to a disaster; and (2) the act or omission occurs during the period of the disaster, in the professional's capacity as a volunteer, and in a good faith belief that the individual being treated is in need of health care services. This protection from liability does not apply if: (1) the harm was caused by an act or omission constituting willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed; or (2) the professional rendered the health care services under the influence of alcohol or an intoxicating drug.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Protecting Life and Integrity in Research Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the use of tissue from an induced abortion for research conducted or supported by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS may develop or support new high-efficiency cell lines so long as the cell lines are not derived from tissue from an induced abortion. Soliciting or acquiring a donation of fetal tissue from an induced abortion for a purpose other than autopsy or burial is prohibited. The bill applies requirements on the research of transplantation of fetal tissue for therapeutic purposes to research on fetal tissue.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to specify that communications decency provisions protecting providers or users of interactive computer services from liability for the private blocking or screening of offensive material shall not be construed to impair the enforcement of, or limit availability of victim restitution or civil remedies under, state or federal criminal or civil laws relating to sexual exploitation of children or sex trafficking. The bill amends the federal criminal code to specify that the violation for benefiting from "participation in a venture" engaged in sex trafficking of children, or by force, fraud, or coercion, includes knowing or reckless conduct by any person or entity and by any means that furthers or in any way aids or abets the violation. A provider of an interactive computer service that publishes information provided by an information content provider with reckless disregard that the information is in furtherance of a sex trafficking offense shall be subject to a criminal fine or imprisonment for not more than 20 years.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting the United States or a state from denying or abridging certain rights of crime victims (e.g., the right to be notified of proceedings related to the offense).
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Border Wall Funding Act of 2017 This bill amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to require a remittance transfer provider to collect from the sender a remittance fee of 2% of the U.S. dollar amount to be transferred to a recipient in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Aruba, Curacao, the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, or Argentina. Such fees shall be submitted to the Treasury to be expended for improving border security. By September 30, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shall provide a system for remittance transfer providers to: (1) submit such fees, and (2) retain a portion of such fees to cover administrative costs. The bill establishes penalties for individuals who, with intent to evade such fee, request or facilitate an initial transfer of such remittance to a recipient located in a different country. Countries that aid or harbor an individual conspiring to avoid the fee shall be ineligible to receive foreign assistance or participate in the visa waiver program or any other programs at the discretion of the Departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, and State.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of the Army should submit to Congress: a report on the modernization strategy for Army ground combat systems; a report on the current technological, engineering, and capability needs for a future Army ground combat vehicle; classified briefs on the capabilities of ground combat vehicles that are used by U.S. allies and adversaries, that are available from industry, and that require further development or that have the potential to become fully developed over the course of development and production; and a research and development timeline for the rapid innovation and production of future vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2017 or the PAST Act This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to establish a new system for inspecting horses for soring, revise penalties for violations of the Act, and modify enforcement procedures. The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions to detect and diagnose sore horses. A license may not be issued to a person with conflicts of interest, and USDA must give preference to veterinarians. USDA may revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. USDA must assign licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. An inspector must issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of violations. USDA must publish information on violations of this bill and disqualify a horse that is sore. The bill prohibits a person in any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning the horse. The bill prohibits the use of specified devices on a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse at a show, exhibition, sale, or auction. The bill increases the maximum criminal and civil liability penalties for certain violations. USDA may disqualify violators from specified activities related to horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Fair Play Fair Pay Act of 2017 This bill amends federal copyright law to extend a sound recording copyright owner's rights to include the exclusive right to perform or authorize the performance of the recording publicly by means of any audio transmission, thereby requiring terrestrial AM/FM broadcast radio stations that play copyrighted sound recordings to pay royalties for the nondigital audio transmissions of the recordings. (Currently, sound recording copyright owners have a performance right that applies only to digital transmissions by cable, satellite, and Internet radio stations.) Copyright Royalty Judges (CRJs) must commence a proceeding to determine royalty rates and terms for nonsubscription broadcast transmissions. In determining royalty rates for statutory licensing of such digital or nondigital transmissions, the CRJs must: (1) distinguish among different types of services, and (2) include a minimum fee for each type of service. Differences may be based on the quantity and nature of the use of sound recordings and the degree to which use of the service may substitute for or promote consumer purchases of phonorecords. The CRJs must establish rates that most clearly represent the rates and terms that would have been negotiated in the marketplace between a willing buyer and a willing seller. The decision must be based on economic, competitive, and programming information presented by the parties, including: (1) the sound recording copyright owner's other streams of revenue from the recordings; and (2) the relative creative contribution, technological contribution, capital investment, cost, and risk of the copyright owner and the transmitting entity. The bill caps the annual royalty rate at: (1) $500 for small commercial broadcast stations with less than $1 million in revenues for the calendar year, and (2) $100 for public broadcasting stations. Exemptions are provided for religious service broadcasts or incidental uses of music from royalty payment requirements. Proceeds for direct licenses of transmissions otherwise licensable under the statutory license must be distributed in the same manner as statutory license proceeds. The bill requires payment of 45% to featured artists, 2.5% to nonfeatured musicians, and 2.5% to nonfeatured vocalists. Such payments shall be the sole payments to which featured and nonfeatured artists are entitled under a direct license. Performance royalties for sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, must be paid in the same manner as royalties for sound recordings fixed after such date. A collective designated by the CRJs must implement a policy to accept instructions (referred to as a "letter of direction") from a sound recording copyright owner, or from a recording artist, to distribute a portion of performance royalty payments to a producer, mixer, or sound engineer who was part of the creative process behind the sound recording. The collective must adopt special procedures for a producer, mixer, or sound engineer to receive a portion of royalties for recordings fixed before November 1, 1995, by certifying that a reasonable effort has been made to obtain a letter of direction from an artist who owns the right to receipts payable with respect to the sound recording.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017
Transnational Criminal Organization Illicit Spotter Prevention and Elimination Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit: (1) transmitting to another person the location, movement, or activities of law enforcement agents while intending to further a federal crime relating to U.S. immigration; (2) destroying, altering, or damaging any physical or electronic device used by the federal government to control the border or any port of entry; or (3) carrying or using a firearm in an alien smuggling crime.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2017
Protecting American Jobs Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act, with respect to the authority of the National Labor Relations Board, to: repeal the authority of the General Counsel of the board to issue, and prosecute before the board, complaints of unfair labor practices; limit the board's rulemaking authority to rules concerning the internal functions of the board; prohibit the board from promulgating rules that affect the substantive rights of any person, employer, employee, or labor organization; repeal the board's authority to prevent persons from engaging in unfair labor practices, limiting such authority to the investigation of allegations of such practices; and repeal the board's authority to petition courts for enforcement of its orders, seek injunctions, or hold hearings on jurisdictional strikes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act of 2017 This bill amends federal copyright law to require the Register of Copyrights to be a U.S. citizen with a professional background and experience in copyright law who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. (Currently, the Register of Copyrights is appointed by the Librarian of Congress.) The term of office for the Register of Copyrights is limited to 10 years, but the individual may be reappointed subject to the same Senate advice and consent requirement. The President may remove the Register of Copyrights from office and must notify both chambers of Congress of any such removal.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Israel Anti-Boycott Act This bill declares that Congress: (1) opposes the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution of March 24, 2016, which urges countries to pressure companies to divest from, or break contracts with, Israel; and (2) encourages full implementation of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 through enhanced, governmentwide, coordinated U.S.-Israel scientific and technological cooperation in civilian areas. The bill amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 to declare that it shall be U.S. policy to oppose: requests by foreign countries to impose restrictive practices or boycotts against other countries friendly to the United States or against U.S. persons; and restrictive trade practices or boycotts fostered or imposed by an international governmental organization, or requests to impose such practices or boycotts, against Israel. The bill prohibits any U.S. person engaged interstate or foreign commerce from supporting: any request by a foreign country to impose any boycott against a country that is friendly to the United States and that is not itself the object of any form of boycott pursuant to United States law or regulation, or any boycott fostered or imposed by any international governmental organization against Israel or any request by any international governmental organization to impose such a boycott. The bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to include as a reason for the Export-Import Bank to deny credit applications for the export of goods and services between the United States and foreign countries, opposition to policies and actions that are politically motivated and are intended to penalize or otherwise limit commercial relations specifically with citizens or residents of Israel, entities organized under the laws of Israel, or the government of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act of 2017 This bill amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to specify that a retailer of manufactured housing is generally not a "mortgage originator" subject to requirements under that Act. Similarly, the bill amends the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 to specify that such a retailer is generally not a "loan originator" subject to requirements under that Act. In addition, the bill increases the annual percentage rates and transaction values at which mortgages for certain dwellings are considered "high-cost mortgages" under TILA.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2017 This bill declares that it is U.S. policy to use all diplomatic and economic means to compel the government of Bashar al-Assad to halt the slaughter of the Syrian people and work toward a democratic government. The President shall prohibit, or impose conditions on, the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or payable-through account by any domestic financial institution or domestic financial agency for or on behalf of the Central Bank of Syria that is of primary money laundering concern. The bill directs the President to impose specified entry and U.S.-based property sanctions against a foreign person that knowingly: (1) provided significant financial or material support to Syria, the Central Bank of Syria, or to a foreign person subject to specified sanctions; (2) supported Syria's domestic production of natural gas or petroleum; (3) sold or provided civilian aircraft or spare parts or other significant goods or services to a foreign person operating in Syria's shipping, transportation, or telecommunications sectors; or (4) financed money laundering activities. The President shall impose specified entry and U.S.-based property sanctions against a foreign person that has knowingly provided support to Syria to acquire or develop ballistic missiles, chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, or advanced conventional weapons. The Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012 is amended to direct the President to impose entry and U.S.-based property sanctions against persons responsible for: (1) committing serious human rights abuses against Syrian citizens or their family members, or (2) transferring to Syria certain military items or goods or technologies that may be used to commit human rights abuses. The President shall submit and update a list of, and impose entry and U.S.-based property sanctions against, persons responsible for hindering access to humanitarian relief activities in Syria. The President shall report with respect to whether each of specified Syrian persons, including Bashar al Assad, meets the requirements for inclusion on the list of persons who are responsible for certain human rights abuses against Syrian citizens. The President may: (1) provide assistance to advance a comprehensive relief and recovery strategy in Syria, and (2) suspend sanctions against Syria under specified conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States, in seeking to prevent war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against religious and ethnic groups in the Middle East, should draw upon relevant lessons of the U.S. government, civil society, and humanitarian response to the Armenian Genocide, Seyfo, and the broader genocidal campaign by the Ottoman Empire.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2017
Affirms that the U.S.-Israel economic partnership has benefitted both countries and is a foundational component of the strong alliance. Recognizes that science and technology innovation present promising new frontiers for U.S.-Israel economic cooperation, particularly in light of widespread drought, cybersecurity attacks, and other major challenges impacting the United States. Encourages the President to regularize and expand forums of economic dialogue with Israel and foster public and private sector participation. Supports the exploration of new agreements with Israel, including in the fields of energy, water, agriculture, medicine, neurotechnology, and cybersecurity.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2017
Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a National Computer Forensics Institute, to be operated by the U.S. Secret Service. The institute: shall disseminate homeland security information related to the investigation and prevention of cyber and electronic crime and related threats; shall educate, train, and equip state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges; shall ensure that timely, actionable, and relevant expertise and homeland security information related to cyber and electronic crime and related threats is shared with such officers and prosecutors; may provide such officers with computer equipment, hardware, software, manuals, and tools necessary to conduct cyber and electronic crime and related threat investigations and computer and mobile device forensic examinations; and shall facilitate the expansion of the network of Electronic Crime Task Forces of the Secret Service through the addition of such officers educated and trained at the institute.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2017
Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act This bill establishes a framework for health care liability lawsuits to undergo review by independent medical review panels if health care professionals (practicing physicians or their agents or employees), providers, or organizations allege adherence to clinical practice guidelines. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must publish clinical practice guidelines provided and maintained by national or state medical societies or medical specialty societies designated by HHS. HHS must ensure that guidelines are developed in accordance with certain standards, including standards related to transparency, the composition of the panel, and the review of existing evidence. Professional organizations and participants in guideline development may not be held liable for injury allegedly caused by adherence to a guideline to which they contributed. The bill does not preempt: (1) any state or federal law that imposes greater procedural or substantive protections for health care providers and health care organizations from liability, loss, or damages than those provided under this bill; (2) any state or federal law that creates a cause of action; or (3) any defenses otherwise available. The bill gives district courts jurisdiction over health care liability actions against health care professionals, providers, or organizations practicing within clinical practice guidelines. Defendants may remove health care liability actions brought in a state court to a district court.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2017
National Park Service Transparency and Accountability Act This bill directs the National Park Service (NPS) to submit to Congress a report that contains: (1) an evaluation of its capital investment strategy, (2) a determination of whether the strategy is achieving its intended outcomes, and (3) any changes to the strategy that the NPS recommends to improve such outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2017
Holding Health Insurers Harmless Act This bill exempts health insurers and group health plan sponsors from penalties for offering coverage or plans that fail to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Coverage and plans must continue to comply with: (1) the prohibition on excluding preexisting conditions from coverage, and (2) the requirement for coverage of dependent children to be available until the dependent turns 26 years old.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2017
Duty First Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to issue up to 20,000 $5 gold coins, 100,000 $1 silver coins, and 200,000 half-dollar clad coins, emblematic of the 100-year anniversary of the 1st Infantry Division. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins shall be paid to the Society of the 1st Infantry Division for renovation of the existing 1st Infantry Division Memorial located in the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2017
Fair and Open Competition Act or FOCA Act This bill prohibits a federal executive agency that awards any construction contract after the enactment of this bill from requiring or prohibiting a contract bidder from entering into agreements with labor organizations (i.e., Project Labor Agreements [PLAs]) or otherwise discriminating against a bidder or contractor who signs, or refuses to sign, a PLA. Agencies that award grants, provide financial assistance, or enter into cooperative agreements for construction projects after the enactment of this bill must ensure that the bid specifications, project agreements, or other controlling documents for such projects do not contain any requirements or prohibitions relating to PLAs. An agency may exempt a particular project or grant from the prohibition of this bill if it determines that special circumstances exist requiring an exemption to avert an imminent threat to public health or safety or to serve the national security.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2017
Udall Park Land Exchange Completion Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to convey, without consideration, to the city of Tucson, Arizona, the reversionary interest of the United States in and to an approximately 172.8-acre parcel of land owned by the city for the purpose of unencumbering the title to such land to enable its economic development.