United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Eliminates the time limit for ratification of the equal rights amendment (prohibits discrimination on account of sex) proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972. Declares that such amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Expresses: (1) sympathy to the people of Nepal for the loss of life and destruction as a result of the earthquake, (2) solidarity with the people of Nepal and continued commitment assist Nepal recover from this tragedy, and (3) support for relief and reconstruction assistance provided by relief agencies and the international community. Urges the treatment of gender equality, female empowerment, and preventing and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) against women and children as a priority for the U.S. government's humanitarian relief and recovery efforts in Nepal. Recognizes that GBV is a human rights violation that must be addressed. Urges U.S. agencies to fund and implement programs that are consistent with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines on Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Settings. Affirms a commitment to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls through U.S.-led post-disaster recovery and reconstruction activities to promote the realization of social, economic, and political rights.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2015
Transparency for Lethal Control Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to report annually to Congress on the animals killed under the Wildlife Services program or by a state or local entity acting in cooperation with or on behalf of the program. The report must be made publicly available on the Internet and must include: the number of animals killed, species names, methods used to kill the animals, and reasons for killing the animals.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2015
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act or the Youth PROMISE Act Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to establish a PROMISE Advisory Panel to assist the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in: (1) assessing and developing standards and evidence-based and promising practices to prevent juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity, and (2) collecting data in designated geographic areas to assess the needs and existing resources for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention. Authorizes the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to local governments and Indian tribes to: (1) plan and assess evidence-based and promising practices for juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention, especially for at-risk youth; and (2) implement PROMISE plans, developed by local PROMISE Coordinating Councils (PCCs), for coordinating and supporting the delivery of juvenile delinquency and gang prevention and intervention programs in local communities and Indian tribes. Establishes a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices to provide PCCs and the public with research and other information about evidence-based practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang prevention or intervention. Directs the Office to award grants to institutions of higher education to serve as regional research partners with PCCs that are located in the same geographic region as the educational institution.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act Directs the President to report annually to Congress regarding: (1) the number of fugitives and others residing in other countries for whom the United States is seeking extradition or rendition, together with a list of those countries; (2) U.S. diplomatic and other efforts to secure such fugitives' return; (3) the average length of time these cases have been outstanding; (4) the number of satisfactorily resolved cases; (5) factors that have been barriers to case resolution; and (6) information on the number of U.S. citizens whose extradition has been sought by other countries during the past five years, a list of those countries seeking extradition, and the outcomes of those requests.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Raise the Wage Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $8.00 an hour on January 1, 2016, or, if later, on the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act; (2) $9.00 an hour after one year; (3) $10.00 an hour after two years; (4) $11.00 an hour after three years; (5) $12.00 an hour after four years; and (6) the amount the Department of Labor determines (based on increases in the median hourly wage of all employees) after five years, and annually thereafter. The federal minimum wage for tipped employees shall increase to $3.15 an hour for one year on January 1, 2016, or the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act, whichever is later. Subsequent annual adjustments of the wage increase, according to a specified formula, shall ensure that it remains equal to the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees. Employers must notify their employees of the right to retain any received tips. The separate minimum wage requirements for tipped employees shall end, effective one day after the hourly wage established for them under this Act takes effect. The Department must publish any increase in the minimum wage in the Federal Register and on the Department's website 60 days before it takes effect.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
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 · 30 April 2015
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the classification, for depreciation purposes, of leasehold, restaurant buildings, and retail improvements as 15-year property.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the taxpayer election to deduct state and local general sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the special rule allowing taxpayers other than C corporations a tax deduction for charitable contributions of food inventory.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the tax credit for differential wage payments to employees who are active duty members of the uniformed services.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the exclusion from gross income, for income tax purposes, of distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for charitable purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Protecting America's Workers Act Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to expand its coverage to federal, state, and local government employees. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, under specified conditions, to cede OSHA jurisdiction to another federal agency with respect to certain occupational standards or regulations for such agency's employees. Declares OSHA inapplicable to working conditions covered by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. Increases protections for whistle blowers under OSHA. Prescribes requirements relating to: a employer's duty to furnish a place of employment free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm that the employer creates or controls or in which the employer exposes any individual (not just an employer's employee) performing work there; the posting of employee rights; a site-controlling employer's duty to keep a site log for recordable injuries and illnesses of all employees, including employees of the site-controlling employer or others (including independent contractors) performing work there; employer reporting of employee work-related deaths or hospitalizations; a prohibition against employers adopting or implementing policies or practices that discourage or discriminate against employee reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses; a prohibition against the loss of wages or employee benefits due to an employee participating in a workplace inspection; investigations of incidents resulting in death or the hospitalization of two or more employees which occur in a place of employment; and a prohibition against the issuing, modifying, or settling of unclassified citations for occupational health and safety standard violations. Continues requirements relating to: (1) the rights of an employee (including a former employee or family member in lieu of an employee) who has sustained a work-related injury or illness that is the subject of an inspection or investigation; (2) an employer's right to contest citations and penalties; and (3) periods permitted for an employer to correct serious, willful, or repeated violations pending an employer's contest to a citation and procedures for stays of the time period for abatement of those violations. Increases civil and criminal penalties for certain OSHA violators. States that pre-final order interest on any penalties owed shall begin to accrue on the date a party contests a citation, at an interest rate calculated at the current underpayment rate. Prescribes requirements for the Secretary's evaluation of state occupational safety and health plans as well as workplace health hazard evaluations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Revises requirements for state plans for the development and enforcement of state occupational safety and health standards in lieu of applicable federal occupational safety and health standards. Requires the Secretary to approve plans that provide for state consideration of repeated occupational safety and health violations committed by an employer within the state as well as those committed under other occupational safety and health plans in states where the Secretary has jurisdiction. Requires a state that has an approved plan for the development and enforcement of occupational safety and health standards to amend its plan to conform to the requirements of this Act within 12 months after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 Declares that no predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute. Declares, further, that the validity and enforceability of an agreement to arbitrate shall be determined by a court, under federal law, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement. Exempts from this Act arbitration provisions in a contract between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations. Denies to any such arbitration provision, however, the effect of waiving the right of an employee to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under the U.S. Constitution, a state constitution, a federal or state statute, or related public policy.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Iran should release all detained U.S. citizens and provide any information it possesses regarding any U.S. citizens who have disappeared within its borders.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
American Families United Act States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to enable the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to expand his or her discretionary authority beyond a case-by-case basis, or to provide legalization or nationalization of persons covered under this Act. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to revise waiver of inadmissibility requirements, among other things waiving inadmissibility for: (1) certain persons who entered the United States before age 16 who have earned a degree from a U.S. institution of higher education, (2) false claims of U.S. citizenship by persons under age 18 or lacking mental competence to knowingly misrepresent a claim, and (3) false claims of U.S. citizenship if inadmissibility would create family separation hardship for the alien (including a self-petitioner under the Violence Against Women Act) or for a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member. Authorizes parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility for unlawful presence. Places a three-year limit on immigration-related misrepresentations rendering aliens inadmissible. Revises the definition "conviction" for INA purposes. Authorizes an immigration judge in specified circumstances, including family separation hardship, but with certain exceptions, to decline to order an alien removed, deported, or excluded and terminate related proceedings or grant permission to reapply for admission or for relief from removal.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Expresses deepest condolences to and solidarity with the people of Nepal following the devastating earthquake on April 25, 2015. Supports the Administration's efforts to coordinate an immediate U.S. humanitarian response. Commends the efforts and honors the sacrifice of the men and women engaged in the response, including the citizens and government of Nepal, the United States, and international humanitarian and nongovernmental organizations. Urges the Administration, in coordination with the government of Nepal and other donors, to provide emergency relief and reconstruction efforts in Nepal.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the $1 million limitation on the deductibility of employee compensation, to: (1) extend such limitation to any individual who is a current or former officer, director, or employee of a publicly-held corporation; (2) eliminate the exemption from such limitation for compensation payable on a commission basis or upon the attainment of a performance goal; and (3) make such limitation applicable to all publicly-held corporations that are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission to register securities and provide periodic reports to their investors.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal, beginning with taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the excise tax on employer-sponsored health care coverage for which there is an excess benefit (high-cost plans).
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2015
Nepal Temporary Protected Status Act of 2015 Expresses the sense of Congress that the extraordinary and temporary conditions caused by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, its aftershocks, and additional damage in Nepal qualifies Nepal for designation under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, pursuant to which nationals of Nepal would be eligible for temporary protected status in the United States. Extends 18-month temporary protected status to a national of Nepal who: (1) has been continuously physically present in the United States since April 25, 2015, (2) is admissible as an immigrant and not ineligible for temporary protected status, and (3) registers for temporary protected status in a manner that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish. Permits such an alien to travel abroad if the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary that emergency and extenuating circumstances beyond the alien's control require his or her departure for a brief, temporary trip abroad.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Condemns the government of Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. Calls on the government of Iran to release the 7 imprisoned Baha'i leaders, the 12 imprisoned Baha'i educators, and all other prisoners held on account of their religion. Urges the President and the Secretary of State to utilize available authorities, including the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, to impose sanctions on officials of the government of Iran and other individuals directly responsible for serious human rights abuses, including abuses against the Baha'i community.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the use or possession of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Imposes on persons who possess or use such traps in the System: (1) for a first offense, a civil fine of up to $500 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used; and (2) for subsequent offenses, a civil fine of up to $1,000 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used, imprisonment for up to 180 days, or both such a civil fine and imprisonment. Makes any body-gripping traps that are possessed or used in violation of this Act, and any wildlife captured by the use of such traps, including the pelts and raw fur, subject to civil forfeiture. Requires persons found to be in violation of such prohibition to pay all associated court costs.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Smartphone Theft Prevention Act of 2015 Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require commercial mobile service providers to make available on smartphones, in coordination with smartphone manufacturers and operating system providers, a function that an account holder may use remotely to: (1) delete or render inaccessible all information on the smartphone relating to the account holder, (2) render the smartphone inoperable on the global networks of such service providers, (3) prevent reactivation or reprogramming without a passcode or similar authorization after the smartphone has been rendered inoperable or has been subject to an unauthorized factory reset, and (4) restore personal information from the smartphone onto a compatible or interoperable device. Requires service providers to ensure that smartphones: (1) prompt the account holder to enable such functions during the initial setup process, and (2) allow only the account holder to opt out. Prohibits a smartphone from being manufactured in the United States or imported into the United States for sale or resale to the public, unless the smartphone is configured in such a manner that a service provider may comply with such functionality requirements. Prohibits service providers from charging a fee for making available such functions, the initial prompt, and the ability to opt out. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a common national framework for smartphone anti-theft measures to protect consumers. Requires the FCC to determine whether this Act should apply to tablets with commercial mobile services.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2015
21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act Authorizes the President, in order to relieve widespread unemployment, restore depleted natural resources in the United States, and advance public works programs, to establish a Civilian Conservation Corps to employ unemployed or underemployed U.S. citizens in the construction, maintenance, and carrying on of works of a public nature, such as forestation of U.S. and state lands, prevention of forest fires, floods, and soil erosion, and construction and repair of National Park System paths and trails. Authorizes the President to extend Corps activities to state- and private-owned lands to prevent and control forest fires and floods and attacks of forest tree pests and diseases. Requires the President, based on certain criteria, to give preference to the employment of additional persons in the Corps in the following order: (1) unemployed Armed Forces veterans (including Reserve members); (2) unemployed U.S. citizens who have exhausted their unemployment compensation; (3) unemployed U.S. citizens who are eligible for unemployment compensation immediately before employment in the Corps, including any additional compensation or extended compensation; and (4) other unemployed or underemployed U.S. citizens. Authorizes the President to provide housing and transportation for Corps employees. Prohibits discrimination in the hiring of Corps employees.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2015
Veterans Conservation Corps Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a veterans conservation corps to assist unemployed veterans in the transition from service in the Armed Forces to civilian life and to employ such veterans: (1) in conservation, resource management, firefighting, law enforcement, and historic preservation projects on public lands; (2) in maintenance and improvement projects for cemeteries under the jurisdiction of the National Cemetery Administration; and (3) as firefighters, law enforcement officers, and disaster relief personnel. Requires priority to be given to the employment of veterans who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Requires, as part of the veterans conservation corps: (1) the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to award grants under the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to hire veterans as firefighters, (2) the Attorney General to award grants under the public safety and community policing grant program (COPS ON THE BEAT grant program) under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to hire veterans as law enforcement officers, and (3) the DHS Secretary to provide funds to increase participation by veterans in the Federal Emergency Management Agency Corps program. Authorizes the VA Secretary to transfer amounts to carry out the corps to the Attorney General, the Chief of Engineers, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, DHS, and the Interior. Directs the VA Secretary to establish a steering committee to establish selection criteria for, and provide advice to the VA Secretary on, the awarding of assistance under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2015
Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2015 Requires the Supreme Court to promulgate a code of ethics for the Justices of the Supreme Court that shall include the five canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, with any amendments or modifications that the Supreme Court determines appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2015
Safeguard American Food Exports Act of 2015 Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem equine (horses and other members of the equidae family) parts to be an unsafe food additive or animal drug. Prohibits the knowing sale or transport of equines or equine parts in interstate or foreign commerce for purposes of human consumption.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2015
End Racial Profiling Act of 2015 Prohibits any law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. Grants the United States or an individual injured by racial profiling the right to obtain declaratory or injunctive relief. Requires federal law enforcement agencies to maintain adequate policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling and to cease existing practices that permit racial profiling. Requires state or local governmental entities or state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies that apply for grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and the Cops on the Beat Program to certify that they maintain adequate policies and procedures for eliminating racial profiling and have eliminated any existing practices that permit or encourage racial profiling. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants and contracts for the collection of data relating to racial profiling and for the development of best practices and systems to eliminate racial profiling. Requires the Attorney General to issue regulations for the collection and compilation of data on racial profiling and for the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2015
Health Equity and Access under the Law for Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2015 or the HEAL Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2015 This bill amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act to extend Medicaid and CHIP coverage to aliens lawfully present in the United States. Individuals granted deferred action are eligible for: (1) health insurance exchanges and reduced cost sharing under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, (2) premium subsidies under the Internal Revenue Code, and (3) Medicaid and CHIP.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
Encourages North Korea to allow Korean Americans to meet with their family members from North Korea. Calls on North Korea to take steps to build goodwill that is conducive to peace on the Korean Peninsula.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2015 Establishes, revises, and extends specified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, as well as education, research, and training programs. Authorizes appropriations for FY2016-FY2020 for: (1) the National Science Foundation (NSF), (2) the Department of Energy (DOE) for activities of the Office of Science, and (3) the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2015 Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish a body under the National Science and Technology Council to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen science and technology enterprise, improve economic and national security, and support foreign policy goals. National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2015 Amends The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act to expand reporting and other requirements for the National Nanotechnology Program, including a requirement for a triennial review of the Program. Expands the Program to include undergraduate education programs in science and engineering education, expanded research and development initiatives, and nanomanufacturing research. Engineering Biology Research and Development Act of 2015 Directs the President to: (1) implement a National Engineering Biology Research and Development Program to advance societal well-being, national security, and economic productivity and competitiveness; and (2) designate an advisory committee on engineering biology research and development. STEM Opportunities Act of 2015 Requires the OSTP to develop consistent federal policies for recipients of federal research awards who have caregiving responsibilities, including care for a newborn or newly adopted child, and consistent federal guidance to grant reviewers and program officers on best practices to minimize the effects of implicit bias based on gender, race, or ethnicity in the review of federal research grants. Requires the NSF to: (1) collect demographic data of STEM faculty and develop and disseminate guidance to universities to identify cultural and institutional barriers limiting the recruitment, retention, and achievement of women and minorities in research careers; and (2) award grants to institutions of higher educations to increase the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals from underrepresented minority groups in academic STEM careers. National Institute of Standards and Technology Authorization Act of 2015 Authorizes appropriations for FY2016-FY2020 for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for: (1) scientific and technical research and services laboratory activities; (2) facilities construction and maintenance; and (3) industrial technology services activities. Department of Energy Office of Science Authorization Act of 2015 Sets forth the mission of the DOE Office of Science as the delivery of scientific discoveries, capabilities, and major scientific tools to transform the understanding of nature and to advance the energy, economic, and national security of the United States. Establishes programs in the Office for basic energy sciences, biological and environmental research, advanced scientific computing research, fusion energy research, physics and nuclear physics research, and improvement of the infrastructure at Office of Science laboratories. ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2015 Directs DOE to make five-year (renewable) awards to consortia for establishing and operating Energy Innovation Hubs to conduct and support, whenever practicable at one centralized location, multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development, and demonstration of advanced energy technologies. Establishes in DOE the position of Under Secretary for Science and Energy and grants the Under Secretary special hiring authority for scientific, engineering, and personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
Condemns the atrocities and terrorist attack that occurred at Garissa University College in Garissa, Kenya, on April 2, 2015. Recognizes the heroic and selfless acts by Kenyan citizens, first responders, and the Kenya Red Cross to rescue those caught in such attack. Condemns al Shabaab's apparent effort to foment divisions among the Kenyan people along religious lines. Reaffirms U.S. support for the efforts of the government and people of Kenya to combat terrorism, counter extremism, promote tolerance, and bring all the perpetrators of such attack to justice. Commends the Kenyan government's continued participation in the African Union Mission in Somalia. Urges Kenya to maintain its commitment to protecting Somali refugees who are fleeing from al Shabaab. Recognizes Kenya as an important regional ally and partner of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
Grant Residency for Additional Doctors Act of 2015 or the GRAD Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of State to: designate a Department of State officer or employee whose sole responsibility during the months of March, April, May, June, and any other period of time determined by the Secretary, shall be to facilitate the expedited review of J-visa applications of aliens applying for U.S. admission to participate in a graduate medical education or training program; and provide appropriate Foreign Service officers with training related to medical graduates and medical graduate programs in the countries in which they are serving.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
Increases the amounts payable through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for: (1) burial and funeral expenses of certain veterans, and (2) such expenses in connection with a veteran's death due to a service-connected disability. Directs VA, with respect to any fiscal year, to provide percentage increases for burial and funeral expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
Caregivers Expansion and Improvement Act of 2015 Extends to all veterans with a serious service-connected injury the eligibility to participate in the Department of Veterans Affairs program of comprehensive assistance to family caregivers of such veterans. (Under current law, such eligibility is limited to those veterans who incurred such an injury on or after September 11, 2001.)
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
The Secretary of State shall provide appropriate Foreign Service officers with training related to medical graduates and medical graduate programs in the countries in which they are serving.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
Expresses support for efforts to: ensure that all students have access to debt-free higher education upon graduation from public institutions of higher education; provide support to states to make increased investments in higher education that will result in lower tuition and costs for students; increase financial aid to help students afford attending college without taking on debt; encourage innovation by states and institutions of higher education to cut costs for students and make college more affordable by increasing efficiency and enabling speedy and less-costly degree completion; and reduce the burden of existing student loan debt.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
This bill instructs the Director of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science to make awards, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to multi-institutional collaborations or other appropriate entities to conduct fundamental and use-inspired energy research to accelerate scientific breakthroughs related to needs identified in both the Grand Challenges report and the report of the DOE Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee entitled "From Quanta to the Continuum: Opportunities for Mesoscale Science," as well as in the Basic Energy Sciences Basic Research Needs workshop report. Such collaborations may include multiple types of institutions and private sector entities. No funding may be used to construct new buildings or facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
Requires the Office of Science of the Department of Energy (DOE) to: (1) carry out a research program, and support relevant facilities, to discover various forms of nuclear matter; and (2) continue supporting the construction of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. Repeals provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requiring DOE to construct and operate a Rare Isotope Accelerator. Directs the Office of Science to carry out a program for the production of isotopes that are determined to be necessary for research and applications, including the development of techniques to produce isotopes and support for infrastructure required for isotope research and production. Requires DOE to ensure that such isotope production activities do not compete with private industry unless critical national interests necessitate the federal government's involvement.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to carry out a grant program to enhance the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by making awards to consortia for establishing and operating Energy Innovation Hubs to conduct and support multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of advanced energy technologies. Advanced energy technologies are innovative technologies or research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities necessary to ensure the long-term, secure, and sustainable supply of energy critical elements. These elements have a high risk of a supply disruption and are critical to new, energy-related technologies in that a shortage of the element would significantly inhibit large-scale deployment of technologies that produce, transmit, store, or conserve energy. Examples of advanced energy technology include an innovative technology that: produces energy from renewable energy resources; produces nuclear energy; includes carbon capture and sequestration; enables advanced vehicles, vehicle components, and related technologies that result in significant energy savings; generates, transmits, distributes, utilizes, or stores energy more efficiently than conventional technologies; and enhances the energy independence and security of the United States by enabling improved or expanded supply and production of domestic energy resources. DOE must designate a unique advanced energy technology focus for each hub. Grants may not be used for constructing new buildings or facilities for hubs. Further, construction of new buildings or facilities may not be considered as part of the non-federal share of a hub cost-sharing agreement. Grants and non-federal cost share funds may be used for research or for the construction of a test bed or renovations to existing buildings or facilities for the purposes of research.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
Equality for All Resolution of 2015 Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals are valuable, contributing members of society who deserve equal treatment under the law. Declares that: (1) discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is a serious problem; (2) existing federal protections are inadequate to ensure nondiscrimination; and (3) Congress should pass legislation that prohibits such discrimination in areas including credit, employment, education, federally funded programs, housing, jury service, and public accommodations. Encourages states to prohibit such discrimination and to reject laws that undermine nondiscrimination protections.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
Supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools). Encourages each state, city, and local educational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2015
Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to make permanent the authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Requires not less than 1.5% of the annual authorized funding amount or $10 million, whichever is greater, to be used for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2015
Ensure Fair Prices in Title Insurance Act of 2015 This bill amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to exempt affiliated business arrangements from the prohibitions against kickbacks and unearned fees so long as no fee, kickback, or thing of value (including any return on ownership based on referrals paid for or received from an affiliated business arrangement) is paid or received pursuant to any agreement or understanding for referrals of business incident to or a part of a real estate settlement service involving a federally related mortgage loan. Persons who violate such Act shall be jointly and severally liable, upon a finding from a court of competent jurisdiction that such a violation occurred, to any party providing services substantially similar to settlement services in the same state where the violation occurred, and in an amount equal to attorneys' fees and court costs incurred in initiating an action. A court may grant, in addition to the principal remedies, either injunctive relief, restitution, or other appropriate equitable relief. The statute of limitations is extended from one year to three years for violation of the prohibitions against: (1) kickbacks and unearned fees, and (2) any requirement by a property seller involving a purchase assisted by a federally related mortgage loan that the buyer also purchase title insurance from any particular title company.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2015
Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to select a VA medical center to serve as the national center for research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of the biological children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces that are related to such exposure. Requires: (1) the Department of Defense (DOD) or the head of a federal agency to make available to the VA for review records held by DOD, an Armed Force, or that federal agency that might assist the VA in making determinations regarding individuals and descendents afflicted with a health condition as a result of such exposure; (2) the VA and DOD or such agency head to jointly establish a mechanism for the availability and review of records by the VA; and (3) the national center to employ at least one licensed clinical social worker to coordinate access of individuals to appropriate social and health care programs and to handle case management. Establishes an Advisory Board to oversee and assess the national center and to advise the VA regarding the center's work. Directs DOD to declassify documents (other than documents that would materially and immediately threaten national security) related to any known incident in which at least 100 members of the Armed Forces were exposed to a toxic substance that resulted in at least one case of an associated disability. Directs the VA to conduct a national outreach and education campaign directed toward members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their family members to communicate information on: (1) incidents of exposure of members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances, health conditions resulting from such exposure, and the potential long-term effects; and (2) the national center. Requires DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services to assist the VA in implementing such campaign.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2015
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Fund indefinitely and index appropriations to the medical care component of the consumer price index for urban consumers. Makes funding available for: a quality assurance program for services delivered by health care providers, the WTC Program annual report, WTC Health Program Steering Committees, and contracts with Clinical Centers of Excellence. Amends the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to make individuals (or relatives of deceased individuals) who were injured or killed in the rescue and recovery efforts after the aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, eligible for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Allows individuals to file claims for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 anytime after regulations are updated based on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. Removes the cap on payments under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Adds the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and World Trade Center Health Program Fund to the list of accounts that are not subject to budget sequestration.
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