United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
Authorizes the Speaker of the House of Representatives to initiate or intervene in civil actions in a federal court of competent jurisdiction to seek appropriate relief regarding the failure of the President, any department or agency head, or any other executive branch officer or employee to act in a manner consistent with that official's duties with respect to the implementation of provisions of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016, or any related provision, regarding the relinquishment of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's responsibility with respect to Internet domain name system functions. The Speaker shall notify the House of any decision to initiate or intervene in any such civil action. The House's Office of the General Counsel, at the direction of the Speaker, shall represent the House in any such civil action and may employ the services of outside counsel and other experts. The chair of the Committee on House Administration shall publish in the Congressional Record a statement setting forth the aggregate amounts expended by the Office on outside counsel and other experts for each calendar quarter.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Protect Our Southwestern States Enforcement Act or the POSSE Act This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to: (1) ensure that specified Border Patrol sectors in Texas, California, and Arizona are fully staffed, including by hiring additional CBP and Border Patrol personnel as needed; and (2) maintain the number of Border Patrol stations in each such sector at current levels. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 is amended to direct the Department of Homeland Security to construct double-layered fencing along the entire southwest border by December 31, 2019. (Current law provides for reinforced fencing along at least 700 miles of such border.)
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Federal Employee Accountability Act of 2016 or FEAA This bill allows federal agencies, under Office of Personnel Management regulations, to remove certain employees from civil service or to reduce their grade or pay. An employee may appeal within 7 days to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which must refer the case to an administrative judge to expedite a final decision within 45 days after the MSPB receives the appeal. If the administrative judge cannot reach a decision within 45 days, the removal or reduction becomes final. But the MSPB must explain to Congress why a decision was not issued.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Detain and Deport Act This bill provides that a state or political subdivision that has in effect a statute, policy, or practice providing that it not comply with any Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainer ordering it to temporarily hold an alien in its custody so that the alien may be taken into federal custody or to transport the alien for transfer to federal custody shall not be eligible to receive any law enforcement or DHS grant. A state or political subdivision acting in compliance with such a DHS detainer shall be considered to be acting under color of federal authority for purposes of determining its liability and immunity from suit in civil actions brought by the aliens. It is the sense of Congress that DHS has probable cause to believe that an alien is inadmissible or deportable when it issues a detainer regarding the alien under the standards in place on the date of introduction of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Illegal Alien Capture Notification Act This bill amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to provide that a person or agency shall (currently, may) not prohibit or restrict a federal, state, or local government entity from undertaking any of the following law enforcement activities (current law refers to information activities) regarding an individual's immigration status: notifying the federal government regarding the presence of inadmissible and deportable aliens who are encountered by state or local law enforcement personnel, or complying with federal law enforcement information requests. A federal, state, or local government entity or official shall not issue ordinances, administrative actions, general or special orders, or departmental policies that violate federal law or restrict a state or political subdivision from complying with federal law or coordinating with federal law enforcement. A state or political subdivision that has in effect a statute, policy, or practice that prohibits state or local law enforcement officers from assisting or cooperating with federal immigration law enforcement in the course of carrying out the officers' routine law enforcement duties shall not be eligible to receive: (1) funds for the incarceration of undocumented criminal aliens or for the Cops on the Beat program, or (2) any other law enforcement or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant. States or political subdivisions not in compliance shall: (1) be ineligible to receive such assistance for at least one year, and (2) become eligible for such assistance only after DHS certifies that the jurisdiction is in compliance. Withheld funds shall be reallocated to complying states or political subdivisions. States and political subdivisions shall provide DHS with identifying information regarding each incarcerated alien who is believed to be inadmissible or deportable. Nothing in this bill shall require state or local law enforcement officials to: (1) provide DHS with information related to a victim of a crime or witness to a criminal offense, or (2) otherwise report or arrest such a victim or witness.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Religious Freedom International Reciprocity Enhancement Act or the Religious FIRE Act This bill prohibits a foreign national of a country that limits the free exercise of religion in that country from making any expenditure in the United States promoting a religion. An asset consisting of such an expenditure or the proceeds of such an expenditure is subject to U.S. forfeiture.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Resettlement Accountability National Security Prioritization Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the admission of covered aliens into the United States for four years unless Congress passes a joint resolution giving the Department of Homeland Security authority to admit them. No covered alien may be admitted into the United States after such four-year period. "Covered alien" means an alien applying for refugee admission to the United States who: (1) is a national of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, or Yemen; or (2) has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, or Yemen. 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 section 8 rental assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Naming the Enemy Within Homeland Security Act This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from providing any financial or other assistance or advice to, or otherwise engaging with, organizations associated with the Muslim Brotherhood or any individual or other person determined by DHS to be associated with it. DHS shall treat each person or entity named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation , any other organization that is a successor to such person, and any individual determined to be associated with such organizations as a person associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Second Amendment protects the individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense and that such right is fully applicable to the states.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Veterans Transplant Coverage Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) provide for an operation on a live donor to carry out a transplant procedure for an eligible veteran notwithstanding that the live donor may not be eligible for VA health care, and (2) provide for such an operation at a VA or a non-VA facility. The VA shall furnish to such a donor any care or services that may be required before and after conducting with such procedure.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2016
Military Amnesty Prevention Act This bill permits the enlistment into the Armed Forces of aliens other than U.S. nationals and permanent resident aliens when such enlistment is vital to the U.S. national interest only if such individuals are in lawful immigration status.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
Honors the life, work, and legacy of Elie Wiesel. Extends the deepest sympathies of the House of Representatives to the members of Wiesel's family. Reaffirms Wiesel's efforts to preserve the memory of those who perished and prevent the recurrence of another Holocaust, to combat hate and intolerance, and to never forget and also learn from the lessons of history.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act This bill prohibits a sanctuary jurisdiction from receiving grants under certain Economic Development Assistance Programs and the Community Development Block Grant Program. A sanctuary jurisdiction is a state or political subdivision that has a statute, policy, or practice in effect that prohibits or restricts: (1) information sharing about an individual's immigration status, or (2) compliance with a lawfully issued detainer request or notification of release request. A state or political subdivision that complies with a detainer is deemed to be an agent of the Department of Homeland Security and is authorized to take actions to comply with the detainer. The bill limits the liability of a state or political subdivision, or an officer or employee of such state or political subdivision, for actions in compliance with the detainer.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016
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 · 6 July 2016
One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2016 This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to establish and enforce new spending caps. The bill establishes an outlay cap (less net interest payments) for FY2017 of $3.645 trillion, less 1%. For each year from FY2018-FY2021, the bill reduces the outlay cap by 1% of the previous year's outlay cap. For FY2022 and subsequent years, total outlays may not exceed 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for that year as estimated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Beginning in FY2023, total projected outlays may not be less than the total projected outlays for the preceding year. The OMB must enforce the spending caps using a sequestration to eliminate any excess spending through automatic cuts. The bill eliminates most of the existing exemptions from sequestration, with the exception of interest payments on the debt. If the OMB projects a sequestration, the congressional budget committees may report a resolution directing congressional committees to change existing law to achieve the spending reductions necessary to meet the outlay limits. The bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish procedures for Congress to enforce the outlay caps established by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act of 2016 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to remove or demote a VA employee based on performance or misconduct and provides that specified federal employee performance appraisal provisions shall not apply to such removals or demotions. The VA may remove such individual from the civil service or demote the individual through a reduction in grade or annual pay rate. A demoted individual shall not be placed on administrative leave or any other category of paid leave during the appeals period and can receive pay only if he or she reports for duty. An expedited appeals process is established under which: (1) an employee shall have the right to an appeal before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) within seven days of removal or demotion, (2) the MSPB shall issue a decision within 60 days of the appeal or the removal or demotion becomes final, (3) an MSPB decision and any final removal or demotion may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals, and (4) the MSPB may not stay any removal or demotion. The VA may not remove or demote an employee: (1) without the approval of the Special Counsel if the individual seeks corrective action from the Office of Special Counsel based on an alleged prohibited personnel practice, and (2) until a final decision in the case of a whistle blower complaint. The VA shall reduce the federal annuity of an individual removed from the VA Senior Executive Service (SES) who is convicted of a felony that influenced his or her performance while employed in such position. The VA may reduce the federal annuity of an individual who was convicted of such a felony and was subject to removal or transfer from the SES but who left the VA before final action was taken. The VA may recoup an award, a bonus, or relocation expenses paid to a VA employee under specified circumstances. The VA may suspend, reprimand or admonish an SES employee for misconduct or performance that does not merit removal. The VA must notify an individual five days before taking such proposed action. Appeals may be made to the Senior Executive Disciplinary Appeals Board (as provided for by this bill) and may not be appealed to the MSPB. The bill establishes an additional whistle blower complaint process, which shall include suspension and removal actions against supervisory employees who commit prohibited personnel actions against a whistle blower. The bill amends the disability benefits appeals process. The bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to prohibit payment of an award or bonus to any VA SES employee during each of FY2017-FY2021.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting the President from filling any vacancy during the recess of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2016
Contributions Legally Interdicted from Noncitizens To Our Nonprofits Act of 2016 or the CLINTON Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit a federal official organization from being treated as a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) for any period after the date on which the organization knowingly or willingly accepts or solicits any contribution from any person connected to a foreign government. A tax-exempt organization is a "federal official organization" if one or more current or former specified federal officials established, control, or actively participate in the management of the organization. If the organization accepts a contribution from any person and learns that that the person is connected to a foreign government after the acceptance, it will not be treated as knowingly or willingly accepting the contribution if the contribution is returned within 30 days of learning of the status of the person. The bill imposes a tax on any federal official organization that knowingly or willingly accepts any contribution from any person connected to any foreign government in an amount equal to the amount of the contribution.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
End Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act of 2016 This bill prohibits a provider of commercial mobile service or commercial mobile data service from receiving universal service support under the Communications Act of 1934 through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) Lifeline program, which provides subsidies for discounts on monthly telephone or broadband service (e.g., Internet service on mobile phones) to qualifying low-income consumers. The FCC must continue to collect universal service contributions from telecommunications carriers through 2017 based on mobile service support provided in 2016 despite the bill's prohibition on Lifeline universal service support for mobile services. But the amounts collected for mobile services must be deposited in the Treasury for deficit reduction instead of being distributed for universal service support.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Providing Retrospective Observations Validating Economics and Increasing Transparency Act of 2016 or the PROVE IT Act of 2016 This bill requires a federal agency that publishes a final major rule in the Federal Register to publish, biannually while the rule remains in effect, a report on the benefits and costs of such rule to regulated entities. The report shall: assess the impacts of the rule on such entities, include a determination about how the actual benefits and costs of the rule have varied from those anticipated when the rule was issued, assess the effectiveness and benefits of the rule in producing its regulatory objectives, and be reviewed by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) when required under executive order. The agency shall: (1) within 90 days after determining that the cost of a rule to regulated entities has exceeded the cost anticipated, report to Congress on the effectiveness and necessity of, and lower-cost alternatives to, the rule; and (2) reopen the public docket to receive additional comments and consider modifications or alternatives that reduce costs and increase benefits to regulated entities. The bill defines "major rule" as any rule that OIRA finds has resulted in or is likely to result in: an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, government agencies, or geographic regions; or significant adverse effects on competition, employment investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Agency Accountability Act of 2016 This bill requires any agency that receives a fee, fine, penalty, or proceeds from a settlement to deposit the amount in the general fund of the Treasury. The funds may not be used unless the funding is provided in advance in an appropriations bill. Any amounts deposited during the fiscal year in which this bill is enacted may not be obligated during the fiscal year and must be used for deficit reduction. The bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require offsetting receipts and collections to be treated as revenue. (Offsetting receipts and collections are funds collected by agencies from other government accounts or from the public in businesslike or market-oriented transactions. Under current law, the collections are treated as negative budget authority and outlays rather than revenue and may be used to offset spending for budget enforcement purposes.) The requirements of the bill do not apply to the U.S. Postal Service or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the USPTO must submit annually to Congress a report describing any fee, fine, penalty, or proceeds from a settlement collected by the USPTO during the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
This joint resolution declares that: Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to defining and delimiting the exemptions from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for executive, administrative, professionals, outside sales, and computer employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2016
Recognizes the Boy Scouts of America for over 100 years of promoting community service and leadership development. Encourages the Boy Scouts of America to continue to emphasize character building, responsible citizenship, and outdoor stewardship. Applauds the Boy Scouts of America for instilling the values of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law in young Americans. Congratulates the Boy Scouts of America on the 100th anniversary of June 15, 1916, the day it was granted a federal charter.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2016
This bill redesignates as the "Nancy Reagan Memorial Park" the Gravelly Point Park located along the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington County, Virginia.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016
Public Water Supply Invasive Species Compliance Act of 2016 This bill amends the Lacey Act and Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 by exempting certain water transfers between public water supplies located on, along, or across the boundaries of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana from prohibitions on illegal trade of plants and wildlife. Specifically, the prohibitions do not apply to covered water transfers containing a prohibited species if: (1) the species are present in both public water supplies before the transfer and the water is transferred directly between them; or (2) the water is transferred in a closed conveyance system (a closed system that collects, contains, and transports the flow of water, e.g., pipe systems) and sent directly to treatment facilities where the species will be destroyed.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016
Protecting Internet Freedom Act This bill prohibits the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information from allowing the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's responsibility for Internet domain name system functions, including the authoritative root zone file and the performance of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority functions, to cease unless a federal statute enacted after enactment of this bill expressly grants the Assistant Secretary such authority. The Assistant Secretary must certify to Congress that the U.S. government has: (1) secured sole ownership of the .gov and .mil top-level domains, and (2) entered into a contract with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers that provides the U.S. government with exclusive control and use of those domains in perpetuity.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2016
Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act This bill requires the President to include in the annual budget proposal the total level of means-tested welfare spending by the federal, state, and local governments for the most recent fiscal year for which such data is available, and estimated levels for the current and 10 ensuing fiscal years. For each of FY2018-FY2028 each state that receives means-tested welfare spending by the federal government shall report annually to the Congressional Budget Office on the total amount of such spending by the state for the fiscal year. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is amended to define means-tested welfare spending as spending for any federal program designed specifically to give assistance or benefits exclusively to low-income Americans, including certain targeted community and economic development programs, unless they: are based on earned eligibility, are not need-based, are designed exclusively or primarily for veterans of military service, or offer universal or near universal eligibility to the working population and their dependents. The bill specifies federal cash assistance, medical, food, housing, energy, education training, child care, services, and community development programs deemed means-tested welfare spending, as well as federal programs that are not so deemed, including Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare, unemployment insurance, Social Security retirement and survivor benefits, and military service veterans programs. The refundable portion of certain tax credits shall also be means-tested welfare spending, as well as the refundable portion of the premium and out-of-pocket health care subsidies to be paid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 is amended to specify, as an additional purpose for the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), promoting prosperous self-sufficiency, which means the ability of households to maintain an income above the poverty-level without services and benefits from the federal government. The bill revises work eligibility requirements under SNAP As a condition of receiving SNAP funds, a state agency shall operate a work activation program for adults with dependent children. Part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act is amended to create the work preparation program for TANF families. The bill eliminates separate participation rate requirements for two-parent families. A family with a child under age 6 shall be deemed to meet work participation requirements if any parent is engaged in work for at least 20 hours per week. No federal funds shall be made available to carry out any means-tested housing program, but states may receive grants to fund their own housing programs. The bill prohibits funding for abortions and for health benefits that cover abortion, including certain tax credits, except where the pregnancy results from rape or incest or in certain other health cases.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2016
Health Savings Account Expansion Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the requirements for health savings accounts (HSAs). The bill modifies the requirements 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 · 25 May 2016
Stopping Mass Hacking Act This bill rejects an amendment to rule 41 (Search and Seizure) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure adopted by the U.S. Supreme Court and transmitted to Congress for review on April 28, 2016. (The amendment allows a federal magistrate judge to issue a warrant to use remote access to search computers and seize electronically stored information located inside or outside that judge's district in specific circumstances.)
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2016
Article I Regulatory Budget Act This bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and other laws to establish and enforce a federal regulatory budget. The President's annual budget submission must include an analysis of the cost of compliance with current and proposed federal regulations and proposals for complying with the levels and allocations established pursuant to this bill. The bill amends the Regulatory Flexibility Act to require agencies to provide additional analysis of the private sector costs for compliance with new regulations. An agency may not issue certain guidance documents setting forth policies or interpretations regarding statutory, regulatory, or technical issues unless it has provided notice and an opportunity for comment. A concurrent resolution on the budget must include levels for the federal regulatory cost for at least five years. The bill establishes a process for allocating the totals among congressional committees, agencies, programs, and major functional categories. The bill establishes procedures for enforcing the requirements, including: points of order which may be raised against legislation to enforce the allocations, subject to a waiver by Congress; private rights of action in federal court; and a requirement for appropriations legislation to include enforcement provisions. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) must submit: (1) a baseline projecting the federal regulatory cost over at least five years, (2) analysis of the federal regulatory cost of legislation reported by congressional committees, and (3) look-back reviews comparing CBO estimates with actual costs. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the CBO must submit jointly to the President and Congress an analysis of the cost and economic effects of federal regulations, including recommendations for improvements to the regulatory budgeting process. Federal agencies and the Government Accountability Office must provide reports and cost estimates for specified regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2016
Title IX Clarification Act of 2016 This bill amends title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to define "sex" as the biological sex of an individual for purposes of enforcing the prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sex under education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2016
Corps' Obligation to Assist in Safeguarding Texas Act or the COAST Act This bill requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the: (1) completion of the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study by taking into consideration information developed by the Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District, (2) completion of the reports for the study, and (3) congressional approval process of coastal protection projects along the Texas coast by allowing projects that are justified by the Corps of Engineers in the reports to proceed directly to project preconstruction, engineering, and design. (The study will evaluate the feasibility of developing a comprehensive plan for flood risk management, hurricane and storm risk management, and ecosystem restoration for Texas coastal areas.)
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2016
Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act of 2016 or the PADME Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a bid ceiling for durable medical equipment (such as wheelchairs) under Medicare's competitive acquisition program, through which rates are set according to a bidding process rather than by an established fee schedule. Specifically, the bid ceiling for such an item shall not be less than the fee schedule amount that would otherwise be determined. Under current law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must use payment information from competitive acquisition programs to make payment adjustments for areas outside of such programs. The bill requires CMS, in making these adjustments, to account for stakeholder input. In addition, CMS must account for a comparison of competitive acquisition areas and other areas with respect to the following factors: average travel distance and cost associated with furnishing items and services, barriers to access, average delivery time, average volume of items and services furnished by suppliers, and number of suppliers. In addition, CMS shall delay by 15 months the full implementation of new Medicare payment rates for durable medical equipment. On a monthly basis, CMS must publish on its website the results of the monitoring of health outcomes and Medicare beneficiaries' access to durable medical equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2016
Visa Integrity and Security Act of 2016 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to require that: (1) visa and admissions petitions and applications filed with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or a consular officer must contain all required signatures; (2) each immigrant visa application must be signed in the presence of a consular officer and verified by oath; (3) supporting documents that contain information in a foreign language may not be accepted without a certified English translation; and (4) any requested additional information must be provided in complete form before a petition or application is approved. No petition or application may be approved unless a background check is completed to determine whether each petitioner/applicant or beneficiary/derivative is a national security threat or is otherwise ineligible for entry. A background check shall include a review of social media activity. No immigrant or nonimmigrant visa may be issued (with specified exceptions) until completion of a security advisory opinion for an alien: (1) who is a national of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, or any other country that the Department of State determines appropriate; (2) who is a national of a country that the State Department has designated as a country whose nationals should be subject to a security advisory opinion; or (3) for whom the consular officer determines a security advisory opinion is appropriate. A petition or application for an immigrant visa based upon a biological relationship between the petitioner or applicant and the beneficiary or derivative must include genetic test results confirming such relationship. DHS shall conduct an in-person interview with a person seeking any INA benefit, except for work authorization. DHS shall: (1) submit and implement a plan for the use of advanced analytics software to ensure the proactive detection of fraud in immigration benefits applications and petitions and to ensure that any such applicant or petitioner does not pose a national security threat; and (2) complete a benefit fraud assessment for certain visa categories by FY2021. The State Department may impose visa security surcharges. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended to require the assignment of DHS personnel to each diplomatic and consular post that issues visas. INA is amended to require an alien seeking U.S. entry to establish by clear and convincing evidence (currently, to establish to the satisfaction of the consular officer or the Attorney General, respectively) that he or she is eligible to receive the document required for entry or that he or she is is not inadmissible.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2016
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts or 18.5% of the economic output of the United States for the fiscal year. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing. The amendment requires a three-fourths roll call vote of each chamber of Congress to increase the public debt limit or revenue. It also requires the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually and specifies that the failure to do so will be considered an impeachable offense. Congress may waive these requirements when: (1) a declaration of war is in effect, or (2) the United States is engaged in a military conflict which causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security that has been declared by a joint resolution. Waivers must identify and be limited to the excess that is necessary for a year due to the identified military conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2016
Food and Fuel Consumer Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends the Clean Air Act by revising the renewable fuel program, which requires transportation fuel to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuel. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must cap the total volume of ethanol blended into the transportation fuel supply at 9.7% of projected gasoline demand as determined by the Energy Information Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2016
Central American Amnesty Termination Act of 2016 This bill prohibits any funds, resources, or fees available to the Department of Homeland Security or any other federal agency, including Immigration Examinations Fee Account deposits, from being used for the Central American Minors Refugee/Parole Program or any successor program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2016
Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016 This bill prohibits government officials from entering into a settlement agreement resolving a civil action on behalf of the United States, or from enforcing such a settlement agreement, if that agreement requires a donation to be made to any person by any party (other than the United States) to such agreement. Government officials or agents who violate this prohibition may be removed from office or required to forfeit to the government any money they hold for such purposes to which they may otherwise be entitled. The term "donation" excludes a payment by a party to provide restitution for or otherwise remedy the actual harm caused by the alleged conduct that is the basis for the settlement agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2016
Stop Animal Fat Tax Credits Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make fuels derived from animal fats ineligible for the tax credits for: (1) biodiesel and renewable diesel, and (2) alternative fuels.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2016
This joint resolution disapproves the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Interpretation of the 'Advice' Exemption in Section 203(c) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act." The joint resolution declares that such rule shall have no force or effect. (Under section 203 of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, an employer must report any agreement or arrangement with a third party consultant to persuade employees as to their collective bargaining rights or to obtain certain information concerning the activities of employees or a labor organization in connection with a labor dispute involving the employer. The consultant, also, is required to report concerning such an agreement or arrangement with an employer. Statutory exceptions to these reporting requirements are set forth in LMRDA section 203[c], which provides, in part, that employers and consultants are not required to file a report by reason of the consultant's giving or agreeing to give "advice" to the employer.)
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2016
End Executive Overreach Act This bill prohibits, until January 21, 2017, the use of federal funds, fees, or resources to implement an executive order issued on or after the enactment of this bill. The bill prohibits any agency, until such date, from making or finalizing: a major rule (a rule that is likely to result in an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more); a rule that may raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles set forth in Executive Order 12866 (which requires that significant regulatory actions be submitted for review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget); or a rule that may create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an action taken or planned by another agency.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2016
Stopping Partisan Policy at the Library of Congress Act This bill directs the Library of Congress to retain the headings "Aliens" and "Illegal aliens," as well as related headings, in the Library of Congress Subject Headings in the same manner as they were in effect during 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2016
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2016 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 · 12 April 2016
Grow Philanthropy Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of an individual who is at least 70-1/2 years of age up to $100,000 in distributions from an individual retirement plan to a donor-advised fund. (A donor-advised fund is a fund or account that is separately identified by reference to contributions of a donor or donors. The account is owned and controlled by a sponsoring charitable organization, while the donor retains advisory privileges with respect to the distribution and investment of funds in the account.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3130 Grants Lake Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, as the "LCpl Garrett W. Gamble, USMC Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2016
Conscience Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to codify the prohibition against the federal government and state and local governments that receive federal financial assistance for health-related activities penalizing or discriminating against a health care provider based on the provider's refusal to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortion. Health care providers include health care professionals, health care facilities, social services providers, health care professional training programs, and health insurers. The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), must investigate complaints alleging discrimination based on an individual's religious belief, moral conviction, or refusal to be involved in an abortion. DOJ or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may obtain equitable or legal relief in a civil action. Administrative remedies do not need to be sought or exhausted prior to commencing an action or granting relief. Such an action may be brought against a governmental entity.
![Official portrait of Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_tx_1_gohmert_louie_200.jpg)