United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2019
Minority Business Development Act of 2019 This bill permanently authorizes the Minority Business Development Administration to assist socially and economically disadvantaged business concerns. Specifically, the bill redesignates the Minority Business Development Agency as the Minority Business Development Administration (MBDA). The MBDA shall (1) assist disadvantaged business concerns entering domestic and foreign markets by providing education and training, management and technological assistance, a skilled labor pool, and financial and marketing services; and (2) encourage such businesses to establish joint ventures and projects among themselves or in cooperation with public or private sector organizations. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission must consult and cooperate with the MBDA to promote access by disadvantaged businesses to securities markets.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Medicare for All Act of 2019 This bill establishes a national health insurance program that is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Among other requirements, the program must (1) cover all U.S. residents; (2) provide for automatic enrollment of individuals upon birth or residency in the United States; and (3) cover items and services that are medically necessary or appropriate to maintain health or to diagnose, treat, or rehabilitate a health condition, including hospital services, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, dental and vision services, and long-term care. The bill prohibits cost-sharing (e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments) and other charges for covered services. Additionally, private health insurers and employers may only offer coverage that is supplemental to, and not duplicative of, benefits provided under the program. Health insurance exchanges and specified federal health programs terminate upon program implementation. However, the program does not affect coverage provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Indian Health Service. The bill also establishes a series of implementing provisions relating to (1) health care provider participation; (2) HHS administration; and (3) payments and costs, including the requirement that HHS negotiate prices for prescription drugs. Individuals who are age 18 or younger, age 55 or older, or already enrolled in Medicare may enroll in the program starting one year after enactment of this bill; other individuals may buy into the program at this time. The program must be fully implemented two years after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of one Congressional Gold Medal to Katherine Johnson, in recognition of her service to the United States as a mathematician; one Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Christine Darden, for her service to the United States as an aeronautical engineer; two Congressional Gold Medals in commemoration of the lives of Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, in recognition of their service to the United States during the Space Race; and one Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of all the women who served as computers, mathematicians, and engineers at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) between the 1930s and the 1970s.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Original NAACP Resolution of 2019 This resolution recognizes the 110th anniversary of the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The resolution also honors the NAACP for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic rights of all persons.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Tribal Marijuana Sovereignty Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the federal government, when determining a Native American tribe's eligibility for funds, benefits, or contracts, from considering the tribe's authority to produce, purchase, or possess marijuana on tribal lands. The Indian Health Service's medical professionals may make medical recommendations to their patients with regard to marijuana.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Respect for Peace Corps Volunteers Act This bill allows the official seal or emblem of the Peace Corps and the name "Peace Corps" to be used on any death announcement, plaque, grave stone, or other grave marker of a former volunteer, officer, or employee of the Peace Corps.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2019 This bill prohibits a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle (except a vehicle operated exclusively on rail or rails) containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another. The bill prescribes civil penalties for knowing violations of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2019
ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 This bill eliminates the five-month waiting period for disability benefits under the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a progressive neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord). Under current law, individuals must wait five months after becoming disabled before their disability insurance benefit payments may begin.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Big Cat Public Safety Act This bill revises requirements governing the trade of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). Specifically, it revises restrictions on the possession and exhibition of big cats, including to restrict direct contact between the public and big cats.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover diagnosis and treatment services for congenital anomalies and birth defects, such as reconstructive services and prosthetics. Coverage must include services that functionally improve, repair, or restore any body part that is medically necessary for normal bodily functions or appearance, as determined by the treating physician.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act This bill withdraws 1,006,545 acres of federal lands in Arizona, including any land or interest in land acquired by the United States after enactment of this bill, from entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws; location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and operation of the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws and mineral materials laws.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2019 This bill revises the requirements for calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits. Specifically, the bill increases the minimum SNAP benefit and requires that benefits be calculated using a low-cost food plan (i.e., the diet required to feed a family of four); directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to determine the requirements for the low-cost food plan; requires USDA to make adjustments to the plan to account for household size, changes in the cost of the diet, and the costs of food in specified areas; revises the amounts authorized for nutrition assistance block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa and requires that the amounts be modified based on adjustments to the low-cost food plan; modifies the requirements for calculating household income to determine SNAP eligibility by authorizing a standard medical expense deduction for households containing an elderly or disabled member and eliminating the cap on the deduction for excess shelter expenses; and revises eligibility requirements under SNAP for certain students enrolled in institutions of higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act This bill includes veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands between January 1, 1977, and December 31, 1980, as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs presumption of service-connection for specified cancers. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific diseases diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Children and Media Research Advancement Act or the CAMRA Act This bill requires the National Institutes of Health to fund research regarding the effects of media on infants, children, and adolescents. Such research must examine the impact of media (e.g., social media, television, video games) on cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Vietnam Human Rights Act This bill amends various reporting requirements related to foreign assistance and human rights. It also authorizes various aid programs related to Vietnam. In its annual reports to Congress on human rights in foreign countries and U.S. security assistance programs, the Department of State shall include assessments of online freedom of expression in each country, including efforts by governments to censor information, punish individuals for their speech, and monitor communications. The State Department's annual report on human rights in Vietnam shall include information regarding the country's progress in various areas, including with respect to ending torture and violence against religious groups and returning property improperly confiscated by the Vietnamese government. The bill authorizes the State Department to establish programs to (1) monitor and halt sex trafficking of women from Vietnam and other Asian countries, and (2) address Vietnam's growing sex-ratio disparity. It authorizes the President to provide assistance for ethnic minority groups in Vietnam affected by human rights violations and directs the State Department to report on such efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Child Care for Working Families Act This bill provides funds and otherwise revises certain child care and early learning programs for low- to moderate-income families. Specifically, the bill provides funds for the Child Care and Development Block Grant program and reestablishes it as a child care and development assistance program. It also allocates program funds for states to provide services and support to infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities. Further, it revises the program to require each state to, among other things create a tiered and transparent system for measuring the quality of child care providers, which must include evidence-based standards and payment rates that are based on a certain cost estimation model; assure that copayments are based on a sliding scale and that no family receiving assistance pays more than 7% of their household income on child care; and use quality child care amounts for certain activities, such as improving the supply of child care providers who provide care to infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities (e.g., professional development). It also provides funds and establishes grants for states to create preschool programs for low- to moderate-income children between the ages of three and five years. Finally, the Department of Health and Human Services must make grants to Head Start agencies to (1) provide children with access to full-school-year and full-school-day services, (2) provide access to additional service hours for migrant and seasonal agencies, or (3) enhance the quality of existing services.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
This resolution pays tribute to the veterans and victims of the Korean War and the families divided by the war. It states that the House of Representatives would welcome a statement by the President declaring the end of the state of war with North Korea, and affirms that such a declaration would not affect U.S. commitments under the mutual defense treaty between the United States and South Korea.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2019
Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices in these areas may take effect. (Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights.) A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if (1) 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years; or (2) 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. A state or political subdivision that obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a voting practice to deny or abridge the right to vote shall be exempt from preclearance. The bill specifies practices that all jurisdictions must preclear before implementing. The bill expands the circumstances under which (1) a court may retain the authority to preclear voting changes made by a state or political subdivision, or (2) the Department of Justice may assign election observers. States and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. The bill revises the circumstances under which a court must grant preliminary injunctive relief in a challenge to voting practices.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act This bill funds through FY2090 the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Additionally, the bill modifies the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF): to allow claims to be filed until October 2089, to require VCF policies and procedures to be reassessed at least once every five years (currently, at least once annually), to require claimants to be paid for the amount by which a claim was reduced on the basis of insufficient funding, to remove the cap on noneconomic damages in certain circumstances, and to adjust the annual limit on economic loss compensation for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victim Empowerment Act or the SURVIVE Act This bill requires the Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime to make grants to Native American tribes for programs and services for crime victims, such as domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, child abuse programs, child advocacy centers, elder abuse programs, medical care, legal services, relocation, and transitional housing. In addition, the bill makes 5% of the Crime Victims Fund available for these grants.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2019
Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2019 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Pollinator Protection Board to develop an independent review process for pesticides that pose a threat to pollinators and their habitats. The bill also requires the EPA to cancel the registrations of any pesticides containing imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, acetamiprid, sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, or fipronil until the board has made a determination that such insecticide will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators based on findings that include results of studies of neonicotinoids and the effects of residues, repeated applications, and multiple chemical exposures. Under the bill, the EPA shall not issue any new registrations for any seed treatment, soil application, and foliar treatment on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals until the board has made determinations on such insecticides. The bill requires the Department of the Interior, the EPA, and the Department of Agriculture to coordinate monitoring activities and report on the health and population status of native bees and other pollinators. The bill prohibits unregistered uses of pesticides by a federal or state agency to address emergency conditions except (1) to avert significant risk to threatened or endangered species, (2) to quarantine invasive species, or (3) to protect public health.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2019
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment providing that the rights protected by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, such as corporations, shall have no rights under the Constitution and are subject to regulation. The amendment requires federal, state, and local government to (1) regulate, limit, or prohibit election contributions and expenditures, including a candidate's own contributions and expenditures; and (2) require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The judiciary is prohibited from construing the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment, and the amendment shall not be construed to abridge the freedom of the press.
United States · United States Congress · 22 February 2019
Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act This bill designates specified National Forest System lands, National Park System lands, and public lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and as components or additions to existing components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The bill also designates (1) specified federal lands as biological connecting corridors and as special corridor management areas; (2) segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; and (3) specified areas as wildland recovery areas. The Department of Agriculture shall develop a wildland recovery plan for each recovery area. A specified panel of independent scientists shall study roadless lands greater than 1,000 acres that are within the National Forest System in the Wild Rockies bioregion in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming and that are not designated as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System for their role in maintaining biological diversity in the Northern Rockies and as part of the overall forest reserve system. Any new road construction or reconstruction or timber harvest is prohibited in those lands after the evaluation without an Act of Congress. Oil or gas leasing, mining, or other development which impairs the natural and roadless qualities of the land is also prohibited.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 2019
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in the health care and social service sectors. Specifically, Labor must promulgate an occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers in the health care and social service sectors, as well as employers in sectors that conduct activities similar to the activities in the health care and social service sectors, to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for protecting health care workers, social service workers, and other personnel from workplace violence. In addition, those employers must investigate workplace violence incidents, risks, or hazards as soon as practicable; provide training and education to employees who may be exposed to workplace violence hazards and risks; meet record keeping requirements; and prohibit acts of discrimination or retaliation against employees for reporting workplace violence incidents, threats, or concerns.
United States · United States Congress · 19 February 2019
This concurrent resolution declares that Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2019
Higher Education Dream Act of 2019 This bill prohibits institutions of higher education that receive federal student aid from discriminating or taking adverse action against Dreamer students (i.e., students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status) based on their immigration status, including charging out-of-state tuition to students who would qualify as residents of the state. The bill also makes Dreamer students eligible for federal financial aid. The bill prohibits the use or publication of certain identifiable information related to such students, subject to civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2019
Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2019 This bill includes armor-piercing, concealable weapons in the definition of firearm under the National Firearms Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2019
Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The bill requires law enforcement agencies to be notified when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a grandfathered SAW. It also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019 This bill addresses extreme risk protection order laws. Extreme risk protection order laws, or red flag laws, generally allow certain individuals (e.g., law enforcement officers or family members) to petition a court for a temporary order that prohibits an at-risk individual from purchasing and possessing firearms. First, the bill establishes a grant program to help states and Indian tribes implement extreme risk protection order laws and carry out related activities. Local governments and other entities may also receive grants to carry out certain activities, such as raising public awareness of extreme risk protection order laws. Further, grant recipients must use a specified portion of funds to provide training for law enforcement. In addition, the bill expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from receiving, possessing, shipping, or transporting a firearm or ammunition to include persons who are subject to an extreme risk protection order.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
No Guns for Abusers Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make grants for state and local governments to implement procedures to remove firearms from individuals who are charged with or convicted of domestic violence or subject to a domestic violence protective order. Additionally, the bill sets forth the following requirements: the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) must report to Congress on best practices for implementing such procedures, the NIJ must contract with nongovernmental entities to study the comparative effectiveness of such procedures, and DOJ must submit federal legislative recommendations in accordance with the best practices.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to make grants to states, local governments, or gun dealers to conduct gun buyback programs. The BJA may distribute smart prepaid cards for use by a state, local government, or gun dealer to compensate individuals who dispose of firearms. Additionally, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for using or accepting a smart prepaid card in the acquisition or transfer of a firearm or ammunition. A violator is subject to a fine, up to two years in prison, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
America's Public Land Act of 2019 This bill reaffirms that it is U.S. policy to retain public land in federal ownership unless its disposal has been authorized by an Act of Congress; to retain management authority over public land, except where a nonfederal individual or entity is authorized to exercise management authority pursuant to an Act of Congress or another applicable law; and that retention of public land and the management authority over it is in the public interest. Neither the Department of the Interior nor of Agriculture shall approve or permit the conveyance of public land or the granting of management authority over such land to nonfederal individuals or entities except as authorized by an Act of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Restrictions Against Illegitimate Declarations for Emergency Re-appropriations Act of 2019 or the RAIDER Act of 2019 This bill prohibits funds that were appropriated or otherwise made available before the enactment of this bill from being used for the construction of barriers, land acquisition, or associated activities on the southern border without a specific statutory authorization from Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
First Responder Fair Return for Employees on Their Initial Retirement Earned Act of 2019 or the First Responder Fair RETIRE Act This bill allows disabled federal first responders (e.g., law enforcement officers, customs and border protection officers, and firefighters) to continue receiving federal retirement benefits in the same manner as though they had not been disabled. Under current law, federal first responders are subject to a mandatory retirement age of 57. To facilitate this earlier retirement, federal first responders are required to pay a greater percentage of their salary towards retirement. Additionally, their annuity amount is calculated at a higher rate than other federal employees. This bill allows a federal first responder to remain in the accelerated retirement system if they are placed in another civil service position outside of that system after returning to work from a work-related injury or illness. Further, if such an employee is separated from service before they are entitled to receive an annuity, they may receive a refund of their accelerated contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Act This bill adjusts the method of determining the average pay of a federal firefighter by adding one-half of a firefighter's basic hourly rate multiplied by the number of overtime hours included as part of such firefighter's regular tour of duty for purposes of computing retirement and annuity benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 201 9 This bill modifies several tax provisions that refer to married couples to make the provisions equally applicable to legally married same-sex couples.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act This bill amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to establish an unlawful employment practice when the complaining party demonstrates that age or participation in investigations, proceedings, or litigation under such Act was a motivating factor for any unlawful employment practice, even though other factors also motivated the practice (thereby allowing what are commonly known as "mixed motive" claims). The bill (1) permits a complaining party to rely on any type or form of admissible evidence, which need only be sufficient for a reasonable trier of fact to find that an unlawful practice occurred; and (2) declares that a complaining party shall not be required to demonstrate that age or retaliation was the sole cause of the employment practice (thereby rejecting the Supreme Court's decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. , which requires a complainant to prove that age was the "but-for" cause for the employer's decision). The bill authorizes a court in a claim in which age discrimination is shown to grant declaratory and injunctive relief, but prohibits a court from awarding damages or issuing an order requiring any admission, reinstatement, hiring, promotion, or payment. The bill applies the same standard of proof to other employment discrimination and retaliation claims, including claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
This resolution expresses support for the goals of the International Decade for People of African Descent and calls on the United States, in cooperation with African descent communities and organizations, to develop strategies to combat racism domestically and globally.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2019
Truth-in-Billing, Remedies, and User Empowerment over Fees Act of 2019 or the TRUE Fees Act of 2019 This bill relates to transparency for prices of covered services such as internet, television, voice, and data services. Specifically, the bill prohibits a provider of a covered service from advertising the price of the service unless that price is the total amount the provider will charge, including fees or other charges. Additionally, providers are prohibited from providing bills electronically unless consumers are notified by email (or a functional equivalent of email) of the bill's availability and are provided an itemized statement of charges. If there is an increase in charges, a provider must give clear notice and allow consumers to terminate the contract without paying a fee or penalty. Providers are prohibited from increasing fees for equipment rental unless the equipment is upgraded to increase functionality. Finally, the bill prohibits providers from including in a contract a requirement for alternative dispute resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
Water Recycling Investment and Improvement Act This bill makes permanent, and otherwise revises, the Bureau of Reclamation's grant program for the funding of water recycling and reuse projects. The bill removes priority under the program for projects in areas that, in the preceding four-year period, have been (1) identified as experiencing severe, extreme, or exceptional drought; or (2) designated as a disaster area by a state. Additionally, the bill increases the authorization of appropriations for the program and otherwise revises provisions related to program funding.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
Keep Americans Safe Act This bill establishes a new criminal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The bill does not prohibit certain conduct with respect to an LCAFD, including the following: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification and the date of manufacture. Additionally, the bill allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender an LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
This resolution reaffirms that the promotion of human rights and democracies, including the empowerment of women and girls, is a longstanding bedrock of U.S. foreign policy. It also condemns Saudi Arabia's continued detention and alleged abuse of women's rights advocates and urges the immediate and unconditional release of such advocates. The resolution also urges Saudi Arabia to end its male guardianship system and calls on the United States to impose sanctions on Saudi Arabian government officials responsible for gross human rights violations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
Preventing Unkind and Painful Procedures and Experiments on Respected Species Act of 2019 or the PUPPERS Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs, in carrying out research within the Veterans Health Administration, from purchasing, breeding, transporting, housing, feeding, maintaining, disposing of, or experimenting on dogs as part of the conduct of any study that causes significant pain or distress.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
Humane and Existing Alternatives in Research and Testing Sciences Act of 2019 or the HEARTS Act of 2019 This bill directs the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to promote nonanimal research methods. Specifically, NIH must (1) provide incentives for nonanimal research and (2) require the evaluation of viable nonanimal methods before approving animal-based research. Additionally, NIH applications for research grants must include (1) harm-benefit analyses for animal-based research proposals and (2) assurance that nonanimal methods for such research are not available.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
Climate Change National Security Strategy Act of 2019 This bill requires the impacts of climate change to be identified and considered in the development and implementation of national security policies and plans. Specifically, the bill requires the National Security Advisor and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to jointly establish an interagency Climate and National Security Working Group, which must develop an action plan on climate-related impacts on national security interests. Further, specified federal departments and agencies must each develop a plan that ensures that such impacts are identified and considered in the development and implementation of relevant national security doctrine, policies, and plans. The plans must be updated at least annually.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
Native American Suicide Prevention Act of 2019 This bill requires a state or state-designated entity that receives support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for development and implementation of a statewide youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategy to agree to collaborate with each of the state's federally recognized Indian tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, and Native Hawaiian health care systems regarding the strategy.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act or the FAMILY Act This bill establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration. The bill entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for a specified benefit period and prescribes a formula for determining the individual's monthly benefit amount, An FMLI benefit payment shall be coordinated with any periodic benefits received under a state or local temporary disability insurance or family leave program. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on employers, employees, and self-employed individuals to fund FMLI benefits. It also establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund to hold tax revenues.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2019
Reining in Irresponsible Decorating Expenses Act This bill requires certain federal employees to notify Congress at least 30 days before spending more than $5,000 to furnish or redecorate their offices. The bill applies to individuals who are (1) the head of a federal agency, or (2) occupy a position in the federal government that requires confirmation by the Senate. The notice must include (1) a justification and explanation for the expenditure, and (2) an overview of the current state of agency affairs. Individuals who fail to comply with the notice requirement must repay the Treasury for the expenditures that exceed $5,000.
![Official portrait of Rep. Haaland, Debra A. [D-NM-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001080_200.jpg)