United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2017
Requires both chambers of Congress to assemble annually in the Hall of the House of Representatives to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General on the Government Accountability Office's audited financial statement of the accounts and associated activities of the executive branch, together with an analysis of the financial position and condition of the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017 This bill includes as part of the Republic of Vietnam its territorial seas for purposes of the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure by veterans to certain herbicide agents while in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2700 Cullen Boulevard in Pearland, Texas, as the "Endy Nddiobong Ekpanya Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Refusing to Assist Paying for United Nations Actions Against Israel Act This bill prohibits funds from being made available for U.S. contributions to the United Nations (U.N.) or to any affiliated body of the U.N. until Security Council Resolution 2334, regarding Israel's settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, is repealed in its entirety.
United States · United States Congress · 5 January 2017
Protect Family Farms and Businesses Act This bill prohibits proposed Internal Revenue Service regulations published on August 4, 2016, relating to restrictions on liquidation of an interest with respect to estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes from taking effect. The bill prohibits funds from being used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the proposed regulations or any substantially similar regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2017
Protect Our Military Families' 2nd Amendment Rights Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to allow a licensed gun dealer, importer, or manufacturer to sell or ship a firearm to the spouse of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty. (Current law already allows a licensed dealer, importer, or manufacturer to sell a firearm to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty.) The bill also specifies that, for purposes of federal firearms laws, a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty, or his or her spouse, is a resident of the state in which: (1) the member or spouse maintains legal residence, (2) the permanent duty station of the member is located, and (3) the member maintains a home from which he or she commutes to the permanent duty station.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2017
Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act This bill states that it is U.S. policy to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel. The bill 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 signal U.S. commitment to Israel, (3) the President and the Department of State should affirm as a matter of U.S. policy that Jerusalem must remain Israel's undivided capital, (4) the President should implement the provisions of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 and begin the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and (5) U.S. officials should refrain from actions that contradict U.S. law on this subject. The bill states that any official U.S. government document that lists countries and their capital cities should identify Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The President shall relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by January 1, 2019. The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 is amended to eliminate the President's authority, effective January, 1, 2018, to waive certain funding limitations for State Department acquisition and maintenance of buildings abroad until the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has officially opened.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2017
Timely Repatriation Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to publish a report every six months listing: (1) countries that have refused or unreasonably delayed repatriation of an alien who is a national of that country (the report must include the total number of such aliens) and countries that have an excessive repatriation failure rate, and (2) each country that was included in both the report preceding the current report and the current report (DHS may exclude a country if the total number of nonrepatriations outstanding is less than 10 for the preceding three-year period). The Department of State, with respect to a listed country: (1) may not issue visas to attendants, servants, and personal employees of such country's officials and employees who receive nonimmigrant status; and (2) shall reduce the number of visas available for such country's diplomats and officials/employees by 10% for each six months that a country is listed.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2017
Trust Returned to the United States Taxpayer Act or the TRUST Act This bill denies retirement benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System to a Member of Congress who is convicted of any crime committed after the enactment of this bill that is a felony under federal or state law (currently, limited to specified felonies under federal law).
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2017
Health Savings Account Expansion Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the requirements for health savings accounts (HSAs) to: increase the maximum contribution amounts, permit the use of HSAs to pay health insurance premiums and direct primary care expenses, repeal the restriction on using HSAs for over-the-counter medications, eliminate the requirement that a participant in an HSA be enrolled in a high deductible health care plan, and decrease the additional tax for HSA distributions not used for qualified medical expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Safe Freight Act of 2017 This bill prohibits the operation of a freight train or light locomotive engine used in the movement of freight unless it has a crew of at least two individuals, one of whom is certified by the Federal Railroad Administration as a locomotive operator and the other as a train conductor.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to allow a qualified individual to carry a concealed handgun into or possess a concealed handgun in another state that allows individuals to carry concealed firearms. A qualified individual must: (1) be eligible to possess, transport, or receive a firearm under federal law; (2) carry a valid photo identification document; and (3) carry a valid concealed carry permit issued by any state or be eligible to carry a concealed firearm in his or her state of residence. Additionally, the bill specifies that a qualified individual who lawfully carries or possesses a concealed handgun in another state: (1) is not subject to the federal prohibition on possessing a firearm in a school zone, and (2) may carry or possess the concealed handgun in federally owned lands that are open to the public.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus is 20 weeks or more. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. The bill provides exceptions for an abortion: (1) that is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A physician who performs or attempts to perform an abortion under an exception must comply with specified requirements. A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2017 This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to complete, within 12 months, an audit of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks. In addition, the bill allows the GAO to audit the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks with respect to: (1) international financial transactions; (2) deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy matters; (3) transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee; and (4) discussions or communications among Federal Reserve officers, board members, and employees regarding any of these matters.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2017 This bill revises provisions relating to congressional review of agency rulemaking. A federal agency promulgating a rule must publish information about the rule in the Federal Register and include in its report to Congress and to the Government Accountability Office: (1) a classification of the rule as a major or nonmajor rule, and (2) a copy of the cost-benefit analysis of the rule that includes an analysis of any jobs added or lost. A "major rule" is any rule that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget finds results in: (1) an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, government agencies, or geographic regions; or (3) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises. A joint resolution of approval must be enacted within 70 session days or legislative days after the agency proposing a major rule submits its report on such rule to Congress in order for the rule to take effect. A major rule may take effect for 90 days without such approval if the President determines it 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. The bill sets forth the congressional approval procedure for major rules and the congressional disapproval procedure for nonmajor rules. A joint resolution addressing a report classifying a rule as a major rule must be introduced within three legislative days in the House of Representative and three session days in the Senate. The bill prohibits any amendments to, and provides for expedited consideration of, such a joint resolution. A court may review whether an agency has completed the necessary requirements under this bill for a rule to take effect. The bill limits the effect of a joint resolution of approval of a major rule. The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended to provide that any congressional approval procedure set forth in this bill affecting budget authority, outlays, or receipts shall be assumed to be effective unless it is not approved in accordance with this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
ObamaCare Repeal Act This bill repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of their enactment. Provisions of law amended by those Acts are restored.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2017 This bill permits an individual to transport a knife between two places (i.e., states) where knife possession, carry, or transport is legal. A knife must be securely stored during transport, unless it is an emergency knife designed to cut seat belts. This bill prohibits the arrest or detention of an individual for a knife violation unless there is probable cause to believe the individual failed to securely store the knife during transport. An individual may assert compliance with this bill as a claim or defense in any civil or criminal proceeding. This bill repeals provisions, commonly known as the Federal Switchblade Act, that prohibit the introduction of switchblade knives into interstate commerce. It also repeals the Ballistic Knife Prohibition Act of 1986, which prohibits the possession, manufacture, sale, or importation of a ballistic knife. Finally, it amends the federal criminal code to eliminate two provisions—one that restricts the mailability of switchblade knives, and one that restricts the mailability of ballistic knives.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2017 This bill imposes criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly or knowingly attempts to: (1) perform an abortion knowing that the abortion is sought based on the sex, gender, color or race of the child, or the race of a parent; (2) use force or the threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion; (3) solicit or accept funds for the performance of such an abortion; or (4) transport a woman into the United States or across a state line for the purpose of obtaining such an abortion. Violations or attempted violations shall result in fines and/or imprisonment for up to five years. The bill authorizes civil actions (for verifiable money damages for injuries and punitive damages) by: (1) fathers, or maternal grandparents if the mother is an unemancipated minor, of unborn children who are the subject of an abortion performed or attempted through any of the above violations; or (2) women upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted with a knowing or attempted use of force or threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion. To prevent an abortion provider from performing or attempting further abortions in violation of this bill, the bill authorizes injunctive relief to be obtained by: (1) the women upon whom such an abortion is performed or attempted, (2) a maternal grandparent of the unborn child if the woman is an unemancipated minor, (3) the father of such an unborn child, or (4) the Department of Justice. Violations of this bill are deemed to be prohibited discrimination under title VI (Federally Assisted Programs) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Violators of title VI lose federal funding.) Medical or mental health professionals must report known or suspected violations to law enforcement authorities. Criminal penalties are established for a failure to so report. A woman having such an abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable. Courts must make such orders as necessary to protect the anonymity of any woman upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted if she does not give her written consent to such disclosure. In the absence of such a woman's written consent, any party, other than a public official, who brings an action must use a pseudonym. For purposes of this bill, "abortion" is defined as the act of using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman, with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child, unless the act is intended to: (1) save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, (2) remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion, or (3) remove an ectopic pregnancy.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Birthright Citizenship Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to consider a person born in the United States "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States for citizenship at birth purposes if the person is born in the United States of parents, one of whom is: (1) a U.S. citizen or national, (2) a lawful permanent resident alien whose residence is in the United States, or (3) an alien performing active service in the U.S. Armed Forces. This Act shall not be construed to affect the citizenship or nationality status of any person born before the date of its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Religious Worker Visa Reciprocity Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit, as of October 1, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from approving a petition for classification of an alien as a special immigrant religious worker/minister if DHS has determined that the alien's country of nationality: is identified as a Country of Particular Concern or a country where religious freedom is of significant interest in the 2013 International Religious Freedom Report, or does not extend reciprocal immigration treatment to U.S. nationals who are seeking resident status in order to work in a religious vocation or occupation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
New IDEA Act or the New Illegal Deduction Elimination Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny a tax deduction for wages and benefits paid to or on behalf of an unauthorized alien. The bill also extends to six years the period for assessing and collecting underpayments of tax due to deductions claimed for wages paid to unauthorized aliens. The Social Security Administration (SSA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of the Treasury must jointly establish a program to share information that may lead to the identification of unauthorized aliens. Treasury must provide information to DHS and the SSA regarding employers who paid nondeductible wages to unauthorized aliens and the aliens to whom such wages were paid. The bill amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to: (1) make permanent the E-Verify Program for verifying the employment eligibility of alien workers, (2) apply such program to current employees in addition to new hires, (3) establish a rebuttable presumption that employers who participate in the E-Verify Program and obtain confirmation of identity and employment eligibility have not violated hiring requirements under such Act, and (4) allow employers participating in the E-Verify Program to make a conditional offer of employment pending final verification of the identity and employment eligibility of the job applicant.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Sarah's Law This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the detention of an alien: (1) who was not inspected and admitted into the United States, who held a revoked nonimmigrant visa (or other nonimmigrant admission document), or who is deportable for failing to maintain nonimmigrant status; and (2) who has been charged in the United States with a crime that resulted in the death or serious bodily injury of another person. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall make reasonable efforts to: obtain information about the identity of any victims of the crimes for which such alien was charged or convicted; and provide the victim, or a parent, guardian, spouse, or closest living relative of a deceased victim, with information about such alien, including name, date of birth, nationality, immigration status, criminal history, and a description of any related removal efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Criminal Alien Deportation Enforcement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to prohibit financial assistance to a foreign country that refuses or unreasonably delays the acceptance of an alien who: (1) is a citizen, subject, national, or resident of such country; and (2) has received a final order of removal from the United States. A country shall be deemed to have refused or unreasonably delayed acceptance of an alien if it does not accept such alien within 90 days of receiving an authorized repatriation request. The Department of Homeland Security shall submit a report to Congress every three months that: (1) lists the countries that refuse or unreasonably delay repatriation; and (2) includes the total number of aliens who were refused repatriation, organized by country, detention status, and criminal status. A listed country shall be subject to U.S. entry and financial assistance prohibitions unless it issues appropriate travel documents: (1) within 100 days after such report's submission for aliens convicted of a crime committed in the United States, and (2) within 200 days after such report's submission for all other aliens. A victim (or an immediate family member thereof) of a crime committed by any alien who has been issued a final order of removal shall have standing in federal district court to enforce entry and financial prohibitions. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to: (1) discontinue granting visas to a subject, national, or resident of a listed country unless the country has issued the appropriate travel documents pursuant to this bill; and (2) grant standing to enforce such provision in federal district court to a victim (or an immediate family member thereof) of a crime committed by any alien who has been issued a final order of removal.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Resettlement Accountability National Security Act of 2017 This bill prohibits the admission of alien refugees into the United States unless Congress passes a joint resolution giving the Department of Homeland Security authority to resume admitting them. The Government Accountability Office shall report on: (1) the national security impact of refugee admissions; and (2) specified costs of providing refugees with benefits under Medicare, Medicaid, disability insurance under title II of the Social Security Act, the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program), and low income rental housing assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to require any health care practitioner who is present when a child is born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion to: (1) exercise the same degree of care as reasonably provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure that such child is immediately admitted to a hospital. The term "born alive" means the complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother, at any stage of development, who after such expulsion or extraction breathes or has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, regardless of whether the umbilical cord has been cut. Also, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with these requirements must immediately report such failure to an appropriate law enforcement agency. An individual who violates the provisions of this bill is subject to a criminal fine, up to five years in prison, or both. An individual who commits an overt act that kills a child born alive is subject to criminal prosecution for murder. The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive for conspiracy to violate these provisions, for being an accessory after the fact, or for concealment of felony. A woman who undergoes an abortion or attempted abortion may file a civil action for damages against an individual who violates this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Safe Students Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to repeal provisions that prohibit the possession or discharge of a firearm in a school zone.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Require Evaluation before Implementing Executive Wishlists Act of 2017 or the REVIEW Act of 2017 This bill prohibits a final agency rule from being published or taking effect until the agency submits the rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), and the OIRA makes a determination as to whether the rule is a high-impact rule. The bill defines a "high-impact rule" as a rule that may impose an annual cost on the economy of at least $1 billion. An agency shall postpone the effective date of a high-impact rule until the final disposition of all actions seeking judicial review of the rule.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act This bill requires that the website of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) include a program inventory that identifies each program of the federal government for which there is more than $1 million in annual budget authority. For programs identified in such inventory for which there is more than $1 million and not more than $10 million in annual budget authority (smaller programs), the inventory must include: an identification of the program activities that are aggregated, disaggregated, or consolidated as part of identifying programs; for each such program activity, the amount of funding for the current fiscal year and the previous two fiscal years; an identification of the statutes that authorize the program and any major regulations specific to the program; a description of the individuals served by a program and beneficiaries who received financial assistance under a program for the most recent fiscal year; and links to any evaluation, assessment, or program performance reviews by the agency, an Inspector General, or the Government Accountability Office released during the preceding five years. For programs identified in such inventory for which there is more than $10 million in annual budget authority (larger programs), the inventory must include: an identification of the program activities that are aggregated, disaggregated, or consolidated as part of identifying programs; for each program activity, the amount of funding for the current fiscal year and the previous two fiscal years; an estimate of the amount of funding for the program; an identification of the statutes that authorize the program and any major regulations specific to the program; a description and estimate of the number of individuals served by a program and beneficiaries who received financial assistance under a program for the most recent fiscal year; a description of the federal employees who administer the program and other individuals whose salary is paid in full or in part by the federal government through a grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or another form of financial award or assistance; links to any evaluation, assessment, or program performance reviews by the agency, an Inspector General, or the Government Accountability Office released during the preceding five years; and financial and other information for each program activity required to be reported under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. The OMB shall: (1) archive and preserve the information included in the program inventory; and (2) annually publish the total amount of undisbursed grant funding remaining in grant accounts for which the period of availability to the grantee has expired. The bill requires the OMB, by June 30, 2018, to: (1) prescribe guidance to implement this Act, and (2) issue guidance to assist agencies in identifying how the program activities used in budget or appropriations accounts correspond with programs identified in the program inventory required by this Act. The OMB may: (1) issue guidance to agencies to ensure that programs are presented at a similar level of detail across agencies and are not duplicative or overlapping; (2) exempt from the requirements of this Act, based on an analysis of the costs of implementation, agencies that are not required to have a chief financial officer and that have not more than $10 million in budget authority; and (3) extend the Act's implementation deadline by up to one year. Implementation of the requirements in this bill must be completed not later than June 30, 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the prohibition against churches and other tax-exempt organizations participating in political campaigns or supporting or opposing candidates for public office. The bill specifies that provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 are not invalidated or limited by the repeal.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Unaccompanied Alien Children Assistance Control Act This bill directs the President to reduce foreign assistance allocations for Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, or El Salvador by an amount equal to the number of unaccompanied alien children who are nationals or citizens of any of those countries placed in federal custody in the preceding fiscal year because of their immigration status multiplied by $15,000.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
This bill makes 1% across-the-board rescissions in discretionary spending for FY2017 and FY2018, excluding spending for defense, homeland security, and veterans affairs. It also requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit a report to Congress specifying the account and amount of each rescission made pursuant to this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Tax Code Termination Act This bill terminates the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 after December 31, 2021, except for self-employment taxes, Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes, and railroad retirement taxes. A two-thirds majority vote in Congress is required to change such termination date. The bill declares that any new federal tax system should be a simple and fair system that: (1) applies a low rate to all Americans, (2) provides tax relief for working Americans, (3) protects the rights of taxpayers and reduces tax collection abuses, (4) eliminates the bias against savings and investment, (5) promotes economic growth and job creation, and (6) does not penalize marriage or families. The new federal tax system must be approved by Congress in its final form by July 4, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2017
Disapproves of: (1) United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted on December 23, 2016; and (2) President Obama and his administration's failure to veto such resolution. (The resolution reaffirms that settlements established by Israel in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, constitute a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to a two-state solution and comprehensive peace.) Calls for the U.S. government to oppose and veto Security Council resolutions that are one-sided and anti-Israel. Affirms the commitment of the House of Representatives: (1) to Israel, and (2) to work with future Presidents to strengthen the U.S. alliance with Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 30 December 2016
Disapproves of: (1) United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted on December 23, 2016; and (2) President Obama and his administration's failure to veto such resolution. (The resolution reaffirms that settlements established by Israel in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, constitute a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to a two-state solution and comprehensive peace.) Calls for the U.S. government to oppose and veto Security Council resolutions that are one-sided and anti-Israel. Affirms the commitment of the House of Representatives: (1) to Israel, and (2) to work with future Presidents to strengthen the U.S. alliance with Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2016
Federal Immigration Law Compliance Act of 2016 or the FILCA of 2016 This bill prohibits an entity (including a university, a state political subdivision, or other person) that receives federal funds in a fiscal year from receiving additional federal funds in that fiscal year or the succeeding fiscal year if it fails to comply with a lawful request for information or detainment of an alien made by any federal immigration officer or employee. Unobligated federal funds made available to a non-compliant entity are rescinded. A state or political subdivision that complies with a detainer is deemed to be an agent of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has authority available to DHS to take actions to comply with the detainer, and shall not be liable for such actions. DHS may issue a detainer for an alien who is in federal, state, or local custody requesting: (1) all relevant information collected pertaining to such alien and notification of his or her future release, or (2) continued detention until DHS assumes custody. DHS may request from any entity that receives federal funds other immigration-related information pertaining to an alien that is not otherwise precluded from disclosure.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2016
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) Associate Justice Clarence Thomas is a historically significant African-American who has made an important contribution to U.S. jurisprudence, and (2) his life and work should have a prominent place in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2016
Protect the Flag Act This bill makes an institution of higher education ineligible for federal funds if it has an official policy that prohibits or limits the display of the U.S. flag.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016
TPS Reform Act of 2016 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise the criteria for designation of a foreign state as eligible to have its citizens be given temporary protected status (TPS) in the United States. Such revisions include the following: (1) such a foreign state shall be designated by an Act of Congress rather than by the Department of Justice; (2) such Act must find that an environmental disaster in such a foreign state is immediately life-threatening; (3) such Act may provide for early termination of a foreign state's designation; (4) such Act shall include an estimate of the number of a foreign state's nationals who are TPS eligible, their U.S. immigration status, and a time period for the effectiveness of the designation of not more than 18 months; and (5) an alien lacking lawful immigration status shall be ineligible for TPS.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Private Corrado Piccoli Purple Heart Preservation Act of 2016 This bill provides that regulations restricting the purchase, production, sale, or exchange of military medals or decorations may not authorize the sale of a Purple Heart awarded to a member of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
This bill prohibits any alien from being naturalized until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement completes the digitization of all remaining paper-based fingerprint records for inclusion in the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS shall, upon completion of such digitization and prior to naturalizing an alien who has a application pending on the date of enactment of this bill, review the alien's eligibility for naturalization using the updated IDENT. The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to require a DHS officer or employee who has good cause to believe that a naturalized citizen has illegally or by misrepresentation procured such status to refer such case to the Department of Justice for denaturalization proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Pre-Claims Undermine Seniors' Health Act of 2016 or the PUSH Act of 2016 This bill delays the Medicare demonstration for pre-claim review of home health services and requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to report on such pre-claim review. Specifically, CMS shall delay or suspend the demonstration by the later of: (1) one year after either the bill's enactment or the demonstration's scheduled start-date, as applicable; or (2) six months after CMS submits its report.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Promote Accountability and Government Efficiency Act This bill requires civil service employees to be hired on an at-will basis beginning one year after this bill's enactment. Such an employee may be removed or suspended from service by the agency head for good cause, bad cause, or no cause at all, without notice or right to appeal. The bill specifies how an employee or applicant may seek a remedy under specified employment protection statutes with respect to an adverse personnel action. The bill permits an agency to suspend an employee for misconduct or poor performance. The employee may appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board, which may not reinstate the employee until a final decision is made on such appeal. In the case of critical necessity, an agency may immediately replace a suspended employee. An employee or applicant may not appeal an adverse personnel action to more than one agency. The bill prohibits an employee who does not receive a score of four or five out of five (or an equivalent rating) on his or her latest performance review from receiving a pay raise. A grievance filed on behalf of such employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement that results in an increased performance rating for such employee may not result in a pay raise. The OPM shall submit a report that contains recommendations for a single-agency rating system. An individual appointed to the civil service who is not subject to this bill's requirements regarding at-will employment may not be paid an annuity or retired pay on the basis of such service if the individual was finally convicted of a felony offense: (1) when such individual was performing creditable service, or (2) after such individual has separated from service if such offense is related to the performance of his or her government position. An agency may transfer an individual occupying a Senior Executive Service position who is not an at-will employee to a position within the General Schedule. The bill: (1) eliminates provisions authorizing official time for an employee serving as an exclusive representative in the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement, and (2) prohibits an employee from using government property in carrying out any activities relating to the internal business of a labor organization.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
This bill 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 to Don Stephens, President and Founder of Mercy Ships.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Free Speech Fairness Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit a tax-exempt organization to make certain statements related to a political campaign without losing its tax-exempt status. An organization may not lose its tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) or be deemed to have participated in, or intervened in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, solely because of the content of any statement that: (1) is made in the ordinary course of the organization's regular and customary activities in carrying out its exempt purpose, and (2) results in the organization incurring not more than de minimis incremental expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
This joint resolution provides continuing FY2017 appropriations to federal agencies until the earlier of February 28, 2017, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations legislation. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur when FY2017 begins on October 1, 2016, because the twelve FY2017 regular appropriations bills that fund the federal government have not been enacted. The resolution specifies the rates of operations for security and nonsecurity programs. It also includes several provisions that restrict or prohibit the use of funds for specified purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Follow the Rules Act This bill extends the prohibition (regarding employment in the federal government) against a person taking, failing to take, or threatening to take or fail to take a personnel action against any employee or applicant for employment for refusing to obey an order that would require the individual to violate a law to personnel actions against such an individual for refusing to obey an order that would violate a rule or regulation.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Allow State Sovereignty Upon Refugee Entry (ASSURE) Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to set forth requirements for programs for domestic resettlement of, and assistance to, refugees. Before initial placement or resettlement of a refugee in a state, and before any assistance under such Act is provided to a refugee in a state, the Office of Refugee Resettlement must submit to the state legislature, and the state must enact, a plan covering that refugee, which includes: the costs to the state for housing, providing benefits to, and education of, the refugee; vaccination and health records, and the criminal history, of the refugee; any ties to a terrorist organization; whether the refugee is affiliated with groups listed as unindicted co-conspirators in the case of United States of America v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development ; records of the refugee found in the Department of State's Consular Lookout and Support System; and records from the refugee interview conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. If such plan is signed into law, the state may enter contracts to carry out programs for domestic resettlement of, and assistance to, covered refugees. The state shall be reimbursed by the federal government for expenses incurred. The Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall ensure that every Identity History Summary provided by the FBI includes: (1) the subject's immigration or citizenship status, and (2) any violation of federal immigration laws that has been adjudicated regarding the subject.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Protect Family Farms and Businesses Act This bill prohibits proposed Internal Revenue Service regulations published on August 4, 2016, relating to restrictions on liquidation of an interest with respect to estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes from taking effect. The bill prohibits funds from being used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the proposed regulations or any substantially similar regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit Medicare Prescription Drug Plan sponsors from retroactively reducing payment on clean claims submitted by pharmacies. (A "clean claim" is a Medicare claim that is free of defects such as incomplete documentation.)
![Official portrait of Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_tx_1_gohmert_louie_200.jpg)