United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress regarding how sole source suppliers of components to the DOD procurement supply chain create vulnerabilities to military attack, terrorism, natural disaster, industrial shock, financial crisis, or geopolitical crisis, such as an embargo of key raw materials or industrial inputs. Requires the report to include: (1) a list of the supply chain components for which there is a supplier that controls over 50% of the global market; (2) a list of parts of the supply chain where there is inadequate information to ascertain whether there is a single source supplier of components; and (3) the Secretary's recommendations on which single source suppliers create vulnerabilities and on how to reduce those vulnerabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to declare that nothing in it or in the Public Health Service Act shall prevent or restrict, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall not implement or enforce any law to prevent or restrict, the importation, distribution, or sale of investigational drugs or devices for terminally ill patients.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Seniors Have Eyes, Ears, and Teeth Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the exclusion from coverage (and so include) eyeglasses and eye exams for prescribing eye glasses, hearing aids and examinations therefor, and dental care.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Scrap the Cap Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the cap ($117,000 in 2014) on income that is subject to employment and self-employment taxes used to fund social security benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Honoring Our Veterans By Exercising The Right To Vote On Veterans Day Act - Moves Veterans Day from November 11 to the Tuesday after the first Monday in November each year.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
You Earned It Act - Amends the Internet Revenue Code to repeal the inclusion in gross income of Social Security and tier 1 railroad retirement benefits, and so exclude them.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Paid Sick Leave Act - Requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Allows employees to use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members ; or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2014
Grand Jury Reform Act of 2014 - Requires a state to comply with the requirements of this Act in order for it, or a local governmental unit thereof, to be eligible to receive funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. Directs the governor of a state to: (1) appoint a special prosecutor to present evidence on the state's behalf at a hearing before a judge to determine whether probable cause exists to bring criminal charges against a law enforcement officer who uses deadly force against a person and thereby causes his or her death; and (2) use a random process to select the special prosecutor from among the prosecutors in the state, excluding the prosecutors of the locality in which the death took place. Requires: (1) the judge to issue the determination in writing and submit it to the chief prosecutor of the locality in which the death took place; (2) the special prosecutor, upon conclusion of the hearing, to submit written recommendations to such chief prosecutor, including regarding whether criminal charges should be brought against the officer; and (3) the court to remain open to the public in such hearing, except as determined appropriate by the presiding judge.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2014
Servicemembers Foreclosure Protection Act of 2014 - Amends the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 to extend through calendar 2016 the one-year period after a servicemember's military service during which: (1) a court may stay proceedings to enforce an obligation on real or personal property owned by the servicemember before such military service; and (2) any sale, foreclosure, or seizure of such property shall be invalid without a court order or a waiver agreement signed by the servicemember. Repeals the revival, effective January 1, 2015, of the old nine-month period in place of the one-year period granted by such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2014
Amends the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 with respect to the one-year period after a service member's military service during which: (1) a court may stay proceedings to enforce an obligation on real or personal property owned by the service member before such military service; and (2) any sale, foreclosure, or seizure of such property shall be invalid without a court order or waiver agreement signed by the service member. Repeals the revival, effective January 1, 2015, of the old nine-month period in place of the one-year period granted by such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to implement security measures in the electronic tax return filing process designed to prevent tax refund fraud from being perpetrated through electronic identity theft, including the use of security questions that allow for electronic matching of the answers to establish the taxpayer's identity.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Foreclosure Restitution Act of 2014 - Appropriates specified funds from any amounts received by the Treasury as a civil monetary penalty from the recent settlement agreement between the United States, together with specified individual states, and the Bank of America, together with current and former subsidiaries and affiliates, to remain available until expended. Limits the use of the funds to providing assistance, under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), to states and local governments for redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes. Permits the use of the funds to assist in providing affordable housing or to mitigate indirect costs relating to foreclosures on residential mortgages.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Honors the contribution that Gibraltar has made to advancing U.S. security interests in the Mediterranean region since 1801. States that the views and rights of Gibraltarians should always be imperative in any discussion of Gibraltar's status as a British Overseas Territory.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2014
Elder Justice Reauthorization Act - Reauthorizes the Elder Justice Act of 2009 and funding for its programs through FY2019. Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to reauthorize through FY2019: (1) the National Training Institute for Federal and State Surveyors, and (2) grants by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to state agencies that perform surveys of skilled nursing facilities or nursing facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2014
Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act - Amends the program under which the Secretary of Defense is authorized to transfer excess personal property of the Department of Defense (DOD) to federal and state agencies for law enforcement activities. Excludes counter-drug activities from the categories of law enforcement activities for which DOD property may be transferred under such program. Requires recipients of DOD property to certify that they: (1) have personnel, technical capacity, and training to operate the property; and (2) will return to the DOD any property that is surplus to the recipient's needs. Requires recipients that are not federal agencies to certify that they have notified their local community of requests for DOD property with a notice on a publicly accessible Internet website and postings at prominent locations in the jurisdiction. Requires the Secretary to submit annually to Congress a description of property to be transferred along with a certification that the transfers are not prohibited by law. Prohibits transfers of: automatic weapons that are not suitable for law enforcement purposes; weapons of .50 caliber or greater; tactical vehicles, including highly mobile multi-wheeled vehicles, armored vehicles, and mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles; armored or weaponized drones; aircraft that are combat configured or combat coded, or that have no established commercial flight application; grenades and similar explosives; silencers; and long range acoustic devices. Prohibits transfers conditioned upon the agency demonstrating the use of any small arms or ammunitions. Requires the Secretary to ensure that certain items are not transferred from one federal or state agency to another such agency. Prohibits obligations or expenditures of appropriations to carry out the DOD's property transfer program unless specified conditions have been met, including requirements to verify: (1) that in-person inventories of transferred property have been conducted at each agency, and (2) that 100% of such property was accounted for during the inventories or that agencies unable to account for such property have been suspended from the program. Requires the Defense Logistics Agency to maintain an Internet website that makes available publicly a description of: (1) each transfer broken down by state, county, and recipient; and (2) during the 30-day period preceding the date on which any property is transferred, the property to be transferred and the recipient.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2014
States that Congress: (1) should debate and vote on a statutory authorization for any sustained U.S. combat role in Iraq or Syria, (2) does not support the deployment of ground combat troops in Iraq or Syria, (3) should ensure that any such statutory authorization is limited, and (4) should ensure that any statutory authorization includes robust reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2014
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2013 - Reauthorizes and amends authorities relating to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps). Directs the Department of Commerce to prescribe obligated service requirements for appointments, training, promotions, separations, continuations, and retirement of officers not otherwise covered by law. Revises provisions concerning appointment and promotion of officers, including by requiring certain reappointments and temporary appointments to be made only by the President. Directs the Department to coordinate with the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating to promote and streamline inter-service transfers. Establishes: (1) training, fitness, and academic standards; (2) membership criteria for personnel boards; and (3) guidelines for officer candidate appointments and a basic officer training program. Applies specified rights and benefits of the Armed Forces to the NOAA Corps. Establishes programs to provide financial assistance for student loans in exchange for active duty service obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2014
Made-in-America Bank Act - Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to redesignate the Export-Import Bank as the Made-in-America Bank. Declares that all guarantees, loans, insurance, and any other benefits historically provided by the Export-Import Bank may only be made to a domestic entity that is not majority-owned by any foreign person or entity, and only for the purpose of acquiring goods or services made in America. Extends the termination date of the Export-Import Bank from 2014 to 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2014
Reforming CFPB Indirect Auto Financing Guidance Act - Declares without force or effect Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Bulletin 2013-02 (Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act), published March 21, 2013. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the CFPB, when proposing and issuing guidance primarily related to indirect auto financing, to: provide for a public notice and comment period before issuing the guidance in final form; make publicly available all information relied on by the CFPB; redact any information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act; consult with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Department of Justice (DOJ); and study the costs and impacts of the guidance to consumers and women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of door delivery for all businesses and residential customers.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Condemns: (1) all forms of anti-Semitism and rejects attempts to justify anti-Jewish hatred or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of disapproval over political events, and (2) the comparison of Israel to Nazis perpetrating a Holocaust or genocide. Applauds those foreign leaders, especially in France, Italy, and Germany, who have condemned anti-Semitic acts, and calls on those who have yet to take firm action against anti-Semitism in their countries to do so. Reaffirms support for the mandate of the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Supports Holocaust educational programs at home and abroad. Urges the Secretary of State to: maintain the fight against anti-Semitism as a U.S. foreign policy priority, urge governments to ensure that adequate laws are in place to punish anti-Semitic violence and hate crimes as well as establish mechanisms to investigate and punish perpetrators, continue U.S. reporting on anti-Semitism as a human rights and religious freedom issue, provide training for diplomatic and law enforcement personnel posted abroad to report on anti-Semitic incidents, deepen engagement with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and support its specialized efforts to monitor and address anti-Semitism, and oppose efforts to prevent any individual from exercising his or her religion without fear of prosecution or violence.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Social Security Act to expand the collection and analysis of data in programs of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Sets forth provisions to improve cultural competence in federal health care programs and services, including by establishing the Robert T. Matsui Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Health Care. Requires the Secretary of HHS (Secretary) to engage in activities to improve health workforce diversity, including by: (1) establishing a working group and a technical clearinghouse; (2) awarding grants to academic institutions; (3) establishing a health and health care disparities education program; and (4) providing for scholarships, student loan repayment and loan forgiveness, and research fellowships. Health Empowerment Zone Act of 2014 - Provides for the establishment of health empowerment zones in communities that experience disproportionate disparities in health status and health care. Requires the Secretary to engage in activities to improve the quality of and access to health care, including by expanding access to health care and health care insurance for immigrants, designating centers of excellence at public hospitals and other health systems serving minority patients, increasing Medicaid payments to territories and to Native Hawaiian health centers, and providing for border health grants. Sets forth programs to reduce health disparities affecting minorities and rural residents. Establishes an Office of Minority Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Sets forth provisions to improve health for women and children, including by expanding access to federal programs for immigrant women and children, creating public awareness campaigns, engaging in activities to eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes, and establishing programs to reduce teenage pregnancies, including contraception education and information programs, programs to support healthy adolescent development, maintaining a database of systematic reviews of maternity care, designating maternity care health professional shortage areas, and establishing a research center on optimal maternity outcomes. Directs the Secretary to develop a multisite gestational diabetes research project within the diabetes program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Requires pharmacies to provide in stock contraceptives to customers without delay. Expands Medicare coverage of marriage and family therapist services, mental health counselor services, and substance abuse counselor services. Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary to implement the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Program to achieve a reduction of at least 25% in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2020. Prostate Research, Outreach, Screening, Testing, Access, and Treatment Effectiveness Act of 2014 or the PROSTATE Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take action to address prostate cancer, including by establishing the Interagency Prostate Cancer Coordination and Education Task Force. Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary to implement programs to address hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment Act of 2014 - Requires the Director of CDC to establish the National Acquired Bone Marrow Failure Disease Registry. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop guidelines to screen minority patient populations which have a higher than average risk for many chronic diseases and cancers. Expands Medicaid to cover a beneficiary's routine medical costs when they are in an approved clinical trial. Requires the Secretary to expand HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention activities, including: (1) identification of issues that impede disease status awareness and retention in appropriate care, (2) research into treatment adherence strategies, (3) grants to public health agencies and faith-based organizations, (4) the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative, and (5) health workforce training for culturally competent care. Directs the Secretary to award grants for comprehensive sex education programs for adolescents. Eliminates a program that supports abstinence education. Permits community organizations to distribute sexual barrier protection devices (e.g., condoms) and to engage in sexually transmitted infection counseling and prevention education in federal correctional facilities. Stop AIDS in Prison Act - Requires the Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to provide HIV testing, treatment, and prevention for inmates. Requires the Secretary to conduct research and other activities with respect to diabetes in minority populations and the prevention of lung disease. Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Disorders Health Disparities Act - Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand research addressing sleep health disparities. Requires the Director of CDC to expand activities regarding sleep disorders. Sets forth provisions regarding the use of health information technology to reduce health disparities, particularly in racial and ethnic minority communities. Prohibits discrimination in federal health care programs or research activities. Requires the Secretary to establish the Office of Health Disparities in the Office for Civil Rights and to establish civil rights compliance offices in each HHS agency that administers health programs. Directs the Secretary to establish a program at the National Center for Environmental Health on health impact assessment (the process of determining the potential effects of a policy, program, or project on health). Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the type and scope of health care services provided to racial and ethnic minorities affected by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling unit on April 20, 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2014
Notario Victim Relief Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the time limit on the filing of a motion to reopen a removal proceeding if the basis of the motion is fraud, negligence, misrepresentation, or extortion by, or the attempted, promised, or actual practice of law without authorization on the part of, a representative.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2014
Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude therapeutic hemp and cannabidiol: (1) from the definition of "marihuana," and (2) from treatment as a controlled substance under such Act. Defines: (1) "therapeutic hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis; and (2) "cannabidiol" to mean the substance cannabidiol, as derived from therapeutic hemp. Exempts therapeutic hemp or cannabidiol from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Declares that nothing in this Act shall restrict any activities related to the use, production, or distribution of marihuana in a state in which such activities are legal under state law.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2014
Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to permit employees of the Foreign Service and other executive branch employees to designate beneficiaries of their death benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2014
Commends the GAVI Alliance, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, civil society, the private sector, faith-based organizations, and the international community on the progress made in reducing child mortality through the increased availability of vaccines. Supports the ideals and goals of the GAVI Alliance. Recognizes that the United States, in addition to being an important donor, is a critical technical partner to the GAVI Alliance. Encourages the continued use of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) global immunization resources. Encourages continued U.S. and international commitment and investment, through the GAVI Alliance, to the global effort to ensure that children in developing nations have access to vaccines and immunizations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Care Coordination for Older Americans Act of 2014 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to make it a duty and function of the Administration on Aging (AOA) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide technical assistance to, and share best practices with, states, area agencies on aging, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, and service providers to carry out outreach and coordinate activities with health care entities in order to assure better care coordination for individuals with multiple chronic illnesses. Requires AOA also to coordinate activities with other federal agencies working to improve care coordination and developing new models and best practices. Requires the designated state agency to promote the development and implementation of a state system to: (1) address the care coordination needs of older individuals with multiple chronic illnesses; and (2) work with acute care providers, area agencies on aging, service providers, and federal agencies to ensure that the system uses best practices. Requires area and state plans to provide assurances that the area agencies on aging will facilitate the area-wide development and implementation of an area-wide system to address the care coordination needs of older individuals with multiple chronic illnesses.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2014
Schedules That Work Act - Grants an employee the right to request that his or her employer change the terms and conditions of employment relating to: the number of hours or times the employee is required to work or be on call; the location; the amount of notification he or she receives of work schedule assignments; and minimizing fluctuations in the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Requires the employer, if the request is made, to engage in a timely, good faith interactive process with the employee that includes a discussion of potential schedule changes that would meet his or her needs. Outlines the process for either granting or denying a change. Requires the employer to grant a request, unless there is a bona fide business reason for denying it, if the request is made because of the employee's serious health condition, his or her responsibilities as a caregiver, or enrollment in a career-related educational or training program, or if a part-time employee requests such a change for a reason related to a second job. Authorizes an employer, if an employee requests a change for any other reason, to deny it for any reason that is not unlawful. Requires the employer to give the employee the reason for the denial, including whether it was a bona fide business reason. Outlines employer requirements for paying reporting time and split shift pay and for giving advance notice of work schedules to retail, food service, or cleaning employees, except for those in bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacities. Makes it unlawful for any employer or other person to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise or the attempt to exercise any right of an employee specified in this Act; (2) retaliate against an individual for exercising his or her rights, or (3) interfere with proceedings or inquiries with respect to violation of an individual's rights. Sets forth administrative enforcement procedures and civil remedies for violation of these prohibitions. Directs the Secretary of Labor to give information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public concerning compliance with this Act. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the impact of certain difficult scheduling practices on employees and employers. Makes this Act inapplicable to any employee covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement if its terms govern work scheduling practices.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2014
Condemns the use of innocent civilians as human shields, including Hamas's use of this illegal tactic. Calls on: (1) the international community to recognize Hamas's grave breaches of international law by using human shields, and (2) Mahmoud Abbas to condemn the use of innocent civilians as human shields. Places responsibility for launching the rocket attacks on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as Islamic Jihad, in Gaza. Supports Israel's sovereign right to defend its territory and stop the rocket attacks on its citizens. Expresses condolences to the families of the innocent victims on both sides of the conflict. Supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and all forms of terrorism and who desire to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2014
National Freight Network Trust Fund Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish the National Freight Network Trust Fund, from which expenditures shall be made to fund awards under the National Freight Network Grant Program. Appropriates to the Fund amounts equivalent to 5% of the import duties imposed under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. Establishes such Program in the Department of Transportation (DOT), under which the Secretary of Transportation shall make grants to states, regional or local transportation organizations, or port authorities to assist projects that improve the performance of the national freight network. Directs the Secretary to evaluate and select projects on a competitive basis by considering their potential to: generate national economic benefits, improve the performance of key corridors and gateways, reduce congestion, improve transportation safety, and enhance the network. Requires the Secretary to update the national freight network every five years.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2014
Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to remove the National Security Agency (NSA) from the list of agencies and offices that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is required to consult during the development of security standards for information systems.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2014
Constitutional Amendment - Authorizes Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. Grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by appropriate legislation. Allows them to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections. Declares that nothing in this amendment shall be construed to grant Congress or the states the power to abridge the freedom of the press.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2014
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2000 Mulford Road in Mulberry, Florida, as the "Sergeant First Class Daniel M. Ferguson Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2014
Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act or the Clay Hunt SAV Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Secretary of Defense (DOD), at least annually, to each arrange for an independent third party evaluation of, respectively, the VA and DOD mental health care and suicide prevention programs. Requires a board reviewing the discharge or dismissal of a former member of the Armed Forces whose application for relief is based at least in part on post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury related to military operations or sexual trauma, to: (1) review the medical evidence from the VA or a civilian health provider that is presented by the former member; and (2) review the case, with a presumption of administrative irregularity, and place the burden on the VA or DOD to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that no error or injustice occurred. Directs the VA Secretary to publish an Internet website that serves as a centralized source to provide veterans with regularly updated information regarding all of the VA's mental health care services. Requires the VA Secretary and the DOD Secretary to enter into certain strategic relationships to facilitate: the mental health referrals of members of the reserve components who have a service-connected disability and are being discharged or released from the Armed Forces, timely behavioral health services for such members, communication when such members are at risk for behavioral health reasons, and the transfer of documentation for line-of-duty and fitness-for-duty determinations. Requires the VA Secretary to carry out a three-year pilot program to repay the education loans relating to psychiatric medicine that are incurred by individuals who: are eligible to practice psychiatric medicine in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) or are enrolled in the final year of a residency program leading to a specialty qualification in psychiatric medicine, demonstrate a commitment to a long-term career as a psychiatrist in the VHA, and agree to a period of obligated service with the VHA in the field of psychiatric medicine. Directs the VA Secretary to carry out a program, as part of the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program, under which the VA Secretary and an institution of higher education (IHE) agree to cover the full cost of charges not covered by post-9/11 educational assistance that are incurred by veterans who: (1) are pursuing an advanced degree in mental health at the IHE, and (2) intend to seek employment as a mental health professional in the VA. Allows the VA Secretary to cover up to 64% of those charges, if the school covers the remainder. Requires the DOD Secretary to submit to Congress a zero-based review of the staffing requirements for individual State National Guard Commands with respect to Directors of Psychological Health. Directs the VA Secretary to establish a pilot program at not less than five Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) to assist veterans transitioning from active duty and to improve the access of veterans to mental health services. Requires the pilot program at each VISN to include: (1) a community oriented veteran peer support network, and (2) a community outreach team for each medical center in such VISN.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2014
Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014 - Affirms requirements, notwithstanding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, that: (1) an employer that establishes or maintains a group health plan for its employees must provide coverage of a specific item or service for the employees or their dependents where the coverage is required under federal provisions or regulations pursuant to those provisions; and (2) group health plans sponsored by an employer or employee organization, and any health insurance coverage, must provide coverage required under the Public Health Service Act, including preventive health services. Authorizes the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury to modify regulations concerning coverage of contraceptive services by group health plans of religious employers consistent with the purposes and findings (regarding coverage of birth control services and the Supreme Court decisions in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Burwell ) of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2014
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 13500 SW 250 Street in Princeton, Florida, as the "Corporal Christian A. Guzman Rivera Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Working Families Child Care Act of 2014 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to create a supplemental state entitlement for child care assistance for families with infants or toddlers under age three. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to enable eligible states (including Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers, especially those from low-income families. Authorizes the use of grant funds to: (1) make grants to organizations with expertise in providing child care and related technical assistance, to establish new staffed family child care networks or to operate existing staffed family child care networks or systems that offer, to eligible infant and toddler care providers, technical assistance, training, administrative support, or direct services including monitoring visits to providers; (2) support a statewide network of infant and toddler care specialists; and (3) support initiatives to improve the quality of the provider workforce. Allows the use of such funds also to: (1) develop infant and toddler components for the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System or a similar rating system, child care licensing regulations, or voluntary early learning guidelines; (2) improve the ability of parents to obtain information about high-quality infant and toddler care; or (3) assist eligible infant and toddler care providers seeking to increase their ranking on the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System or similar rating system, meet performance standards applicable to an Early Head Start agency, or become accredited by a national accrediting body.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2014
National Homeowners Bill of Rights Act of 2014 - Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to require servicers of federally related mortgage loans to: (1) establish for each borrower's account a single electronic record accessible throughout the servicer, including its agents, and all its affordable loan modification staff, foreclosure staff, and bankruptcy staff; and (2) maintain a free, publicly accessible website where borrowers may check their estimated net present value. Requires servicers to provide free oral interpretation services, as well as translated documents, upon borrower request, which may be provided by contracting with housing counseling agencies approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Prescribes requirements for the affordable loan modification process, including: (1) evaluation of borrowers facing imminent default, (2) assistance in applying for affordable loan modification, (3) treatment of successors in interest, (4) loan transfers, and (5) restrictions upon foreclosure proceedings. Bars sale of the property securing the mortgage if the servicer of the mortgage does not file a certification with the appropriate land records office where the property securing the mortgage is located, stating that the servicer has determined the eligibility of the mortgagor for an affordable loan modification. Prescribes criteria governing: (1) mortgagor's eligibility to participate in an affordable loan modification, (2) earned principal forgiveness, (3) principal reduction, and (4) treatment of junior liens. Subjects a servicer who violates this Act to a civil penalty, and to liability to the borrower. Limits to $1 million the maximum penalty for all violations committed by any particular servicer during any one-year period. Directs the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to appoint a Mortgage Servicer Ombudsman. Subjects to a maximum fine of $7,500 per loan a servicer who records or files with a land records office or a court more than one document with material deficiencies (robo-signing) with respect to a mortgage loan. Extends indefinitely the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 by repealing its termination date.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2014
Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act of 2014 or the ACE Kids Act of 2014 - Amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act to extend medical assistance to payment for items and services furnished under a Medicaid Children's Care Coordination (MCCC) Program which the state may elect to provide to eligible children with complex medical conditions. Requires an MCCC program, among other things, to coordinate, integrate, and provide for the furnishing of the full range of MCCC program services to enrolled children, as well as designate pediatric care management services and pediatric focused care coordination and health promotion. Requires eligible children to be enrolled prospectively in an MCCC program through initial assignment to a nationally designated children's hospital network.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2014
Transparency in Education Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Education from issuing a final rule or implementing a proposed rule affecting the determination as to whether a postsecondary career education program provides training that leads to gainful employment in a recognized occupation, which is required if it is to participate in a program under title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), until 90 days after: the Secretary publishes a complete data analysis on the impact of such proposed rule on all postsecondary education programs and students at all categories of institutions of higher education that participate in a program under title IV of the HEA, that analysis is published in a format similar to the Gainful Employment 2012 Informational Rate Calculations published by the Department of Education, and the Comptroller General (GAO) issues a report that reviews such data analysis for accuracy and completeness.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the government of Mexico should release U.S. Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi and provide for his return to the United States so he can receive appropriate medical assistance, and (2) the President should utilize the full powers and authorities of his office to secure Sgt. Tahmooressi's release.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2014
Innovative STEM Networks Act or the I-STEM Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to states or local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) innovation networks in partnership with nonprofit organizations, businesses, institutions of higher education (IHEs), educational service agencies, or other entities to prepare students for postsecondary education and careers in the STEM fields. Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) award no less than 5 and no more than 10 of those grants each fiscal year, and (2) give priority to grantees that include or serve a high-need LEA. Requires the grants to be used to: increase student awareness about STEM career pathways that reflect STEM workforce needs in the area, develop statewide plans that integrate and align workforce needs with STEM education and training programs that provide students with STEM-specific skills and credentials, and identify the strengths and weaknesses in state STEM education efforts and prioritize strategies to address those weaknesses. Authorizes the grants to be used to: promote and develop in-school and out-of-school curricular tools and professional development for STEM educators at the elementary and secondary school level; provide induction and mentoring services to new teachers in STEM subjects; promote and develop rigorous undergraduate pre-service teacher programs at IHEs that emphasize STEM content; support the participation of elementary and secondary school students in STEM-related competitions, out-of-school activities, and field experiences; assist in the implementation and assessment of rigorous career and college ready standards in STEM education for students in prekindergarten through grade 12; and develop STEM-related education and workforce training programs in secondary schools and community colleges that reflect local community needs.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Prohibits federal funds from being used to enter into agreements with, make grants or awards to, or provide loans or loan guarantees to institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in a boycott of the Israeli government, economy, or academia. Terminates the application of that prohibition to an IHE that the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, determines has ceased participating in such a boycott.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2014
Commends the government of Afghanistan for holding a successful first round of the presidential election and expresses support for a credible second round on June 14, 2014. Supports the mandate of Afghan electoral bodies such as the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) to administer polls to prevent fraud and misconduct. Encourages the government of Afghanistan to implement measures that will increase voter participation, particularly among the Afghan female population. Recognizes the determination of the Afghan people to exercise their right to vote and determine their country's destiny. Urges the government of Afghanistan to assure that fraudulent electoral activities do not take place during the runoff. Urges: (1) communication between the IEC and the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) to provide security for vulnerable areas of the country during the election period; and (2) the ANSF to ensure the safety of voters, candidates, poll workers, and election observers. Encourages all elements of Afghan society to refrain from fomenting disturbances in voting areas. Recognizes the sacrifices of U.S. and coalition armed forces to Afghanistan's security and stability.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 to allow the return of personal property retained as evidence in connection with an incident of sexual assault involving a member of the Armed Forces to its rightful owner after the conclusion of all legal, adverse action, and administrative proceedings related to such incident.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014
Prohibiting False "Made in America" Claims Act - Requires a person convicted of intentionally affixing a "Made in America" label to any product sold in or shipped to the United States that is not made in America to be debarred from contracting with the Department of Defense (DOD) unless the Secretary of Defense waives such debarment in the interest of national security (current law requires the Secretary to decide whether a convicted person should be debarred). Directs the Secretary to notify the congressional defense committees annually of any exercise of such waiver authority.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Space Protection Strategy Extension Act - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2008 to extend the time period required to be covered by the United States Space Protection Strategy through FY2030 (currently, FY2025).
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Commends the government of Afghanistan for holding the first round of a presidential election on April 5, 2014, and for preparing for the peaceful transition to a new government. Encourages the government of Afghanistan to implement measures that will increase voter participation, particularly among the Afghan female population. Salutes the bravery of the Afghan citizenry in facing violence and death to exercise their right to vote. Encourages all elements of Afghan society to restrain themselves and their supporters from fomenting disturbances in voting areas. Advises that the Ministry of Communications leave texting capabilities functional on election day. Commends the Afghan government for reducing the number of casualties on election day, and urges the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to continue efforts to ensure the safety of voters and candidates. Remembers those members of the ANSF who gave their lives protecting their democracy on April 5, 2014, and honors service members from U.S., coalition, and Afghan forces who have been killed or injured in defense of the democratic rights of the Afghan people. Supports the U.N. mandate to assist Afghan electoral bodies and other stakeholders with technical preparations and the promotion of an inclusive democratic process. Recommends a pause in the drawdown of U.S. and International Security Assistance Force security, intelligence, and diplomatic assets until June 14, 2014. Recognizes the substantial investments made by U.S. taxpayers in support of democracy in Afghanistan. Reaffirms the U.S. policy position that successful political transition is an essential prerequisite for sustainable security in Afghanistan. Concurs in the Senate's urging of the Secretary of State to condition financial and logistical support for future Afghanistan elections on the implementation of reforms that would increase female participation and combat fraud throughout the electoral process.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2014
Veterans TRICARE Choice Act - Allows an individual who is eligible to participate in the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense [DOD] managed health care program) to: (1) elect to be ineligible to enroll in such program, (2) make tax deductible contributions to a health savings account during the period such individual elects to be ineligible for TRICARE coverage, and (3) enroll in the TRICARE program at a later date during a special enrollment period.
![Official portrait of Rep. Grayson, Alan [D-FL-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/g000556_200.jpg)