United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Restoring the Patient's Voice Act of 2017 This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require a group health plan to establish an exception to medication step-therapy protocol in specified cases. A medication step-therapy protocol establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs are covered by a group health plan or a health insurance issuer. To warrant an exception to the protocol, at least one of the following circumstances must be met: (1) the treatment is contraindicated, (2) the treatment is expected to be ineffective, (3) the treatment will cause or is likely to cause an adverse reaction to the individual, (4) the treatment is expected to decrease the individual's ability either to perform daily activities or occupational responsibilities or adhere to the treatment plan, or (5) the individual is stable based on the prescription drugs already selected. The bill requires a group health plan to implement a clear process for an individual to request an exception to the protocol. The process shall be readily available on the website of the group health plan and must list the requirements for a request and any necessary forms and contact information. Requests shall be granted no later than three days after receipt of the request. In certain cases where the life, health, and ability of the individual are jeopardized by the protocol, the request shall be granted no later than 24 hours after receipt of the request.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Condemns hate crimes and any other form of racism, religious or ethnic bias, discrimination, incitement to violence, or animus targeting a minority in the United States. Affirms that the United States stands united in condemning hate and evil in all forms. Rejects hate-motivated crime as an attack on the fabric of society and the ideals of pluralism and respect. Calls on federal law enforcement officials, working with state and local officials, to: (1) expeditiously investigate all credible reports of hate crimes and incidents and threats against minorities in the United States, and (2) bring the perpetrators to justice. Encourages: (1) the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to work to improve the reporting of hate crimes and to emphasize the importance of the agencies' collection and reporting of data pursuant to federal law, and (2) the development of an interagency task force to collaborate on the development of effective strategies and efforts to detect and deter hate crime in order to protect minority communities. Calls on the executive branch to: (1) offer federal assistance that may be available for victims of hate crimes; and (2) enhance security measures and improve preparedness for religious institutions, places of worship, and other institutions that have been targeted because of their affiliation with any particular religious, racial, or ethnic minority in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity Act This bill establishes in the legislative branch an Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity to determine whether the President is mentally or physically unable to discharge the powers and duties of office. The commission: (1) within 72 hours after Congress adopts a concurrent resolution directing it to do so, shall conduct a medical examination to determine if the President is temporarily or permanently impaired by physical illness or disability, mental illness, mental deficiency, or alcohol or drug use to the extent that he or she lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to execute the powers and duties of the office of President; and (2) within 72 hours after completing the examination, shall report its findings and conclusions to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate. Any refusal by the President to undergo such examination shall be taken into consideration by the commission in reaching a conclusion.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Military Asset Protection Act This bill authorizes the Department of Defense (DOD), in order to mitigate the threat of an unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft to the safety or security of a covered facility or asset or to classified information, to take actions or authorize the Armed Forces or DOD contractors to take actions to: (1) disrupt, seize control of, or confiscate the system or aircraft; (2) use reasonable force to disable or destroy the system or aircraft; or (3) disrupt, alter, or intercept any communications to or from the system or aircraft. DOD may provide exceptions to such provisions. The bill provides that: (1) DOD shall develop such actions with Department of Transportation assistance, consistent with the protection of sensitive defense information; and (2) any such system or aircraft shall be subject to U.S. seizure and forfeiture. "Covered facility, asset, or classified information" means any facility, asset, or classified information that is: (1) so identified by DOD; (2) located in the United States or its territories and possessions; and (3) relating to DOD's missions of nuclear deterrence, missile defense, national space security, or homeland defense or other DOD missions involving vital security or infrastructure assets or information.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Supports the goals and ideals of Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month to increase the visibility of mathematics and statistics as fields of study and to communicate the benefits of an education in mathematics and statistics. Recognizes that mathematics and statistics underpin all of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Celebrates the role that mathematics and statistics play in the everyday lives of all Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
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, transgender, and gay people in schools). Requests that the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the National Day of Silence. 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 · 5 April 2017
Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise physician supervision requirements under the Medicare program for radiology services performed by advanced level radiographers. Specifically, with respect to a state that has established such requirements for those services, the bill aligns Medicare's requirements with state requirements. An "advanced level radiographer" is a radiographer who has obtained specified certification from either the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists or the Certification Board for Radiology Practitioner Assistants.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Social Security 2100 Act This bill increases various Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits and related taxes. The bill increases the primary insurance amount (e.g., the amount a Social Security beneficiary receives if the beneficiary begins receiving benefits at normal retirement age) by increasing the percentage of the beneficiary's average indexed monthly earnings used to calculate the amount. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shall publish a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers, which the Social Security Administration (SSA) shall use to calculate cost-of-living adjustments to benefits. Currently, the SSA uses a price index for wage earners to make such adjustments. The bill increases the minimum benefit amount for individuals who worked for more than 10 years by creating an alternative minimum benefit. A qualifying beneficiary shall receive that alternative minimum if it is higher than the standard calculated benefit amount. The bill increases the income threshold that a beneficiary must reach before Social Security benefits are taxable. Increased benefits from this bill shall not count as income when determining an individual's eligibility or benefit amounts for (1) Medicaid, (2) the Children's Health Insurance Program, or (3) the Supplemental Security Income program. Income above $400,000 shall be included when calculating Social Security benefits and taxes. The bill also increases rates for the payroll and self-employment taxes that fund OASDI. The bill establishes the Social Security Trust Fund, which replaces the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit conduct, including bullying and harassment, that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to: (1) limit students' ability to participate in, or benefit from, school programs; or (2) create a hostile or abusive educational environment that adversely affects students' education. LEAs shall also provide: (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics shall collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act This bill provides a permanent appropriation for the payment of death gratuities and related benefits to survivors of deceased members of the uniformed services during a period of lapsed appropriations. The bill provides the appropriations at the rate and under the conditions provided for the most recent fiscal year for which an Act making appropriations for the uniformed services has been enacted. The appropriations are provided during a period of lapsed appropriations, in which appropriations are unavailable due to the absence of the timely enactment of an Act or joint resolution providing appropriations or continuing appropriations for the death gratuity and related benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Restoring American Privacy Act of 2017 This bill makes broadband Internet access service providers subject to the customer privacy order and rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission on October 27, 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill amends equal pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to: (1) restrict the use of the bona fide factor defense to wage discrimination claims, (2) enhance nonretaliation prohibitions, (3) make it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages, and (4) increase civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs shall train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. The bill directs the Department of Labor to: (1) establish and carry out a grant program for negotiation skills training for girls and women, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace is established for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. The bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Recognizes that the intent of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 included the presumption that veterans who served in the Armed Forces in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, served in Vietnam for all purposes under the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Expresses the intent that such veterans who served in those areas and other areas exposed to Agent Orange who have been diagnosed with connected medical conditions should be equally recognized for such exposure through equitable benefits and coverage as those who served in the inland rivers and on the Vietnamese land mass. Calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs to review its policy that excludes presumptive coverage for Agent Orange exposure for such veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to specify that communications decency provisions protecting providers or users of interactive computer services from liability for the private blocking or screening of offensive material shall not be construed to impair the enforcement of, or limit availability of victim restitution or civil remedies under, state or federal criminal or civil laws relating to sexual exploitation of children or sex trafficking. The bill amends the federal criminal code to specify that the violation for benefiting from "participation in a venture" engaged in sex trafficking of children, or by force, fraud, or coercion, includes knowing or reckless conduct by any person or entity and by any means that furthers or in any way aids or abets the violation. A provider of an interactive computer service that publishes information provided by an information content provider with reckless disregard that the information is in furtherance of a sex trafficking offense shall be subject to a criminal fine or imprisonment for not more than 20 years.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Big Cat Public Safety Act This bill amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit any person from breeding or possessing prohibited wildlife species (i.e., any live species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). Breeding means facilitating propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent propagation or reproduction. The bill revises the list of entities that are exempt from Lacey Act prohibitions regarding those wildlife species to include: (1) certain entities that hold Class C licenses in good standing under the Animal Welfare Act, and (2) current owners of animals that were born before this bill's enactment if the animals are registered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Those entities and owners may not allow direct contact between the public and the prohibited wildlife species. A person who knowingly violates the prohibition must be fined not more than $20,000, or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both. The bill considers each violation to be a separate offense. The offense must be deemed to have been committed not only in the district where the violation first occurred, but also in any district in which the defendant may have taken or been in possession of the prohibited wildlife species. The bill extends forfeiture provisions to fish, wildlife, or plants that are bred or possessed.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Congressional Leadership In Mitigating Administration Threats to the Earth Act or the CLIMATE Act This bill nullifies the Executive Order entitled "Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth" that was released on March 28, 2017. No federal funds may be used to implement or enforce the order. The bill takes effect on March 28, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2017 or the PAST Act This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to establish a new system for inspecting horses for soring, revise penalties for violations of the Act, and modify enforcement procedures. The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions to detect and diagnose sore horses. A license may not be issued to a person with conflicts of interest, and USDA must give preference to veterinarians. USDA may revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. USDA must assign licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. An inspector must issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of violations. USDA must publish information on violations of this bill and disqualify a horse that is sore. The bill prohibits a person in any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning the horse. The bill prohibits the use of specified devices on a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse at a show, exhibition, sale, or auction. The bill increases the maximum criminal and civil liability penalties for certain violations. USDA may disqualify violators from specified activities related to horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act This bill establishes a comprehensive women's history museum within the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, to provide for: (1) the collection, study, and establishment of programs related to women's contributions that have influenced the direction of the United States; (2) collaboration with other Smithsonian museums and facilities, outside museums, and educational institutions; and (3) the creation of exhibitions and programs that recognize diverse perspectives on women's history and contributions. The bill establishes a council within the Smithsonian Institution to: (1) make recommendations to the Smithsonian's Board of Regents for the construction of the museum; (2) advise and assist the board on the administration and preservation of the museum; (3) recommend annual operating budgets for the museum; and (4) report annually to the board on the acquisition, disposition, and display of objects related to women's art, history, and culture. The council shall have sole authority to: (1) acquire artifacts for the museum's collections, (2) dispose of any part of the collections but only if funds generated are used for additions to the collections, (3) specify criteria for the use of the museum's collections and resources, and (4) preserve and maintain the collections. The museum's director may carry out educational and liaison programs in support of its goals.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Passenger Fee Restructuring Exemptions Act of 2017 This bill revises aviation security service fee requirements. The bill makes an exception to the $5.60 per one-way trip fee for certain passengers for domestic flights that originate at a U.S. airport. The bill limits such fees to $2.50 per enplanement, with the total not to exceed $5.00 per one-way trip, for any passengers: (1) boarding to an eligible small community for which essential air service compensation is paid; or (2) on flights, including flight segments, between two or more points in Hawaii or two or more points in Alaska.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Honors the members of the U.S. Armed Forces for their service during World War I. Congratulates the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard during the commemoration of the centennial of World War I.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act or the AIM HIGH Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the Secretary of Education to establish an independent commission to develop and issue voluntary accessibility guidelines for postsecondary electronic instructional materials and an annotated list of information technology standards. The Department of Education must review and, as appropriate, update the voluntary guidelines and information technology standards every five years. An institution of higher education (IHE) that uses electronic instructional materials or related technologies that conform to the voluntary guidelines is deemed to be in compliance with its obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. An IHE that uses electronic instructional materials or related technologies that do not fully conform to the voluntary guidelines qualifies for a limited safe harbor from monetary liability under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 if the IHE complies with specified requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2017
Access Technology Affordability Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit equal to the amounts paid for qualified access technology for use by a blind individual who is the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or any dependent of the taxpayer. "Qualified access technology" is hardware, software, or other information technology with the primary function of converting or adapting information that is visually represented into forms or formats useable by blind individuals. The credit is limited to: (1) costs that are not compensated by insurance or otherwise, and (2) an aggregate amount of $2,500 per blind individual in any period comprising three consecutive taxable years. The credit is also subject to limits based on modified adjusted gross income and adjustments for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Israel Anti-Boycott Act This bill declares that Congress: (1) opposes the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution of March 24, 2016, which urges countries to pressure companies to divest from, or break contracts with, Israel; and (2) encourages full implementation of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 through enhanced, governmentwide, coordinated U.S.-Israel scientific and technological cooperation in civilian areas. The bill amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 to declare that it shall be U.S. policy to oppose: requests by foreign countries to impose restrictive practices or boycotts against other countries friendly to the United States or against U.S. persons; and restrictive trade practices or boycotts fostered or imposed by an international governmental organization, or requests to impose such practices or boycotts, against Israel. The bill prohibits any U.S. person engaged interstate or foreign commerce from supporting: any request by a foreign country to impose any boycott against a country that is friendly to the United States and that is not itself the object of any form of boycott pursuant to United States law or regulation, or any boycott fostered or imposed by any international governmental organization against Israel or any request by any international governmental organization to impose such a boycott. The bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to include as a reason for the Export-Import Bank to deny credit applications for the export of goods and services between the United States and foreign countries, opposition to policies and actions that are politically motivated and are intended to penalize or otherwise limit commercial relations specifically with citizens or residents of Israel, entities organized under the laws of Israel, or the government of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Iran Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act This bill states that it is U.S. policy to prevent Iran from undertaking any activity related to nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. The President shall report to Congress regarding the foreign and domestic supply chain in Iran that supports Iran's ballistic missile program. The report shall identify individuals and companies involved in such activities. The President shall submit to Congress a determination of whether any Iranian ballistic missile test violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. Such resolution endorses the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and sets out a mechanism to monitor Iranian compliance. The President shall impose sanctions against: (1) Iranian government agencies involved in ballistic missile development; (2) foreign entities that supply material for, or otherwise facilitate or finance, such efforts; (3) foreign persons or foreign government agencies that import, export, or re-export prohibited arms or related material to or from Iran; and (4) foreign persons or entities that transfer goods or technologies contributing to Iran's ability to acquire or develop ballistic missiles, including launch technology, and destabilizing numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons. The President shall investigate potential violations of ballistic missile and conventional weapons sanctions against Iran. The President shall report to Congress regarding credible information about Iran's violations of arms restrictions and attempts to pursue sanctionable activities.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Making Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness Act or the MAR-A-LAGO Act This bill directs the President to establish and update, every 90 days, a publicly available database that contains records of: the name of each visitor at the White House, residence of the Vice-President, or any other location at which the President or Vice President regularly conducts official business (covered location); the name of each individual with whom the visitor met at the covered location; and the purpose of the visit. The President shall not include in the database any such record: (1) the posting of which would implicate personal privacy or law enforcement concerns or threaten national security, or (2) relating to a purely personal guest at a covered location. For a particularly sensitive meeting, the President shall: (1) include in the database the number of visitors at the covered location, and (2) post the applicable records in the database when their release is no longer sensitive.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide support for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. These centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees, social work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may provide support to schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs for training physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must: (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development; (2) support entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) support advanced practice nurses, social workers, physician assistants, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a nurse assistant to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Infrastructure 2.0 Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the taxation of earnings and profits of a deferred foreign income corporation, to: (1) make such earnings and profits subject to taxation in the last year that ends before the enactment of this bill; (2) reduce the tax rate on such earnings and profits by allowing an exemption of 75% (equal to a tax of 8.75% of repatriated earnings and profits); and (3) allow corporations to pay the tax in installments. The bill also: establishes and provides appropriations for a fund to assist various public and private entities in investing in public infrastructure projects, appropriates revenues from this bill to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), establishes a commission to make recommendations to achieve long-term solvency of the HTF and requires Congress to consider the proposed legislation using expedited procedures, and directs the Department of Transportation to establish a regional infrastructure accelerator pilot program to assist public entities in developing infrastructure projects. The bill establishes a deadline of 18 months after the enactment of this bill for the enactment of legislation to reform the international tax system by eliminating the incentive to hold earnings in low-tax foreign jurisdictions. If the legislation is not enacted by the deadline, a specified reform proposal takes effect, which includes provisions relating to subpart F income and insurance income, the taxation of repatriated offshore corporate earnings, gains and losses from the sale or exchange of stock in controlled foreign corporations, limitations on the foreign tax credit, and the tax treatment of previously deferred foreign income.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Partnership to Build America Act of 2017 This bill establishes the American Infrastructure Fund (AIF) as a wholly-owned government corporation to provide bond guarantees and make loans to state and local governments, non-profit infrastructure providers, private parties, and public-private partnerships for state or local government sponsored transportation, energy, water, communications, or educational facility infrastructure projects (Qualified Infrastructure Projects [QIPs]). The AIF may also to make equity investments in QIPs. The Department of the Treasury, acting through the AIF, shall issue American Infrastructure Bonds with an aggregate face value of $50 billion. The proceeds from the sale of the bonds shall be deposited into the AIF. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow U.S. corporations to exclude from gross income qualified cash dividend amounts received during a taxable year from a foreign-controlled corporation equal to the face value of qualified infrastructure bonds the corporation has purchased. The bill prohibits allowance of: a foreign tax credit for the excluded portion of any dividend received by a U.S. corporation, and a deduction for expenses directly allocable to that excludable portion.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. The bill limits the issuance of such coins to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2020. The bill prescribes surcharges for coin sales, which shall be paid to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc., to help finance the construction of a new building and renovation of existing National Purple Heart Hall of Honor facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States, in seeking to prevent war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against religious and ethnic groups in the Middle East, should draw upon relevant lessons of the U.S. government, civil society, and humanitarian response to the Armenian Genocide, Seyfo, and the broader genocidal campaign by the Ottoman Empire.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2017
Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the low-income housing credit, to rename the credit "the affordable housing credit" and make several modifications to the credit. The bill revises tenant eligibility requirements, with respect to: the average income test, income eligibility for rural projects, increased tenant income, student occupancy rules, and tenant voucher payments that are taken into account as rent. The bill revises various requirements to: establish a 4% minimum credit rate for certain projects, permit relocation costs to be taken into account as rehabilitation expenditures, repeal the qualified census tract population cap, require housing credit agencies to make certain determinations regarding community revitalization plans, prohibit local approval and contribution requirements, increase the credit for certain projects designated to serve extremely low-income households, increase the credit for certain bond-financed projects designated by state agencies, increase the population cap for difficult development areas, and eliminate the basis reduction for a property that receives the tax credit for investments in energy property if the affordable housing credit is allowed for the property. The bill also modifies requirements regarding the reconstruction or replacement period after a casualty loss, rights related to building purchases, the prohibition on claiming acquisition credits for properties placed in service in the previous 10 years, foreclosures, and projects that assist Native Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2017
Education and Training for Health Act of 2017 or the EAT for Health Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidelines to federal agencies to ensure that federal, full time primary care health professionals have continuing education relating to nutrition. Agencies must annually report information including the extent to which they have adopted and encouraged the guidelines. The continuing education must: (1) include content on the role of nutrition in the prevention, management, and reversal of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or cancer; and (2) meet requirements for continuing medical education or continuing education by medical or nurse practitioner professional organizations or certified accrediting bodies.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2017
National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality Act of 2017 or the NO HATE Act This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue grants to states and local governments to assist in implementing the National Incident-Based Reporting System, including training employees in identifying hate crimes. A state or local government receiving such funding must provide DOJ, through the Uniform Crime Reporting system, information pertaining to hate crimes committed in that jurisdiction. A state or local government failing to provide the required data must repay the grants. The bill directs DOJ to issue grants to states to create hate crime reporting hotlines. The bill creates a cause of action for: (1) a victim of a crime motivated by actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin; and (2) a victim of a crime motivated by actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, occurring in the special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the United States or affecting interstate commerce. Under both civil actions, the victims must demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that the crime was based on one of the classifications listed. A criminal prosecution need not be brought before a civil action can be filed. A court imposing a penalty for a violation of the federal hate crime statute may order the defendant to participate in education classes or community service related to the community harmed by the defendant's offense as part of his or her supervised release.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2017
Strengthening Homeland Security, Intelligence, and Essential Law Enforcement Departments Act of 2017 or the SHIELD Act of 2017 This bill requires, in the event that the U.S. public debt limit is reached, priority payment of the pay and allowances of: (1) members of the Armed Forces, including reserves, who perform active service; and (2) critical law enforcement officers employed by federal agencies. This bill requires the Department of the Treasury, during a period of lapsed appropriations for the Armed Forces or federal agencies employing critical law enforcement officers, to make available necessary amounts to continue such pay and allowances.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2017
American Patriots of WWII through Service with the Canadian and British Armed Forces Gold Medal Act of 2017 This bill directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to all U.S. nationals who voluntarily joined the Canadian and British armed forces and their supporting entities during World War II, in recognition of their dedicated service.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2017
Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2017 This bill amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to modify definitions relating to homeless individuals and homeless children or youth as used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to verify eligibility for HUD homeless assistance programs and to align them with the definitions of "homeless" used to verify eligibility for other federal assistance programs. (The amended definitions would increase access to federal homeless programs by homeless children, youth, and families.) The community-wide homeless management information system shall be made publicly available on HUD's website.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2017
Healthy Families Act This bill 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. The bill authorizes small employers with fewer than 15 employees to provide the same paid sick time, but allows them to opt out. Any small employer that opts out shall provide at least 56 hours of unpaid sick time to each employee per calendar year. The bill declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit. Employees may use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner's parent or child); 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. The bill prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights. The Commissioner of Labor Statistics must compile information annually on paid sick time and the Comptroller General shall study related matters. The bill declares that nothing in this bill shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies. The Department of Labor shall exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by this bill, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. The same authority is granted to the Library of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, the Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board for employees under their jurisdictions. The bill authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2017
Statue of Liberty Values Act 2.0 of 2017 or the SOLVE Act 2.0 of 2017 This bill states that: (1) beginning on March 6, 2017, Executive Order 13780, entitled "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States," is null and void, shall have no force and effect, and may not be implemented or enforced; and (2) no federal funds may be used to implement or enforce any of the policy changes set forth in such order. Among the order's major provisions are restrictions on the entry of nationals from sixcountries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) and additional limitations on refugee admissions to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2017
Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act or the PACT Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to revise and expand provisions with respect to animal crushing. It retains existing criminal offenses that prohibit knowingly creating or distributing an animal crush video using interstate commerce. The bill also adds a new provision to criminalize an intentional act of animal crushing. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to seven years, or both. It provides additional exceptions for conduct, or a video of conduct, including conduct that is: (1) medical or scientific research, (2) necessary to protect the life or property of a person, (3) performed as part of euthanizing an animal, or (4) unintentional.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2017
Expresses sympathy and condolences to the families of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, as well as to Alok Madasani, Ian Grillot, and all victims of hate crime throughout the United States. (Kuchibhotla, Madasani, and Grillot were shot in Olathe, Kansas, on February 22, 2017. Kuchibhotla was killed; Madasani and Grillot were injured.) Urges the Department of Justice to carry out a full hate crime investigation into these attacks and ensure that adequate funding and resources are available to carry out other hate crimes investigations, including additional funding for Civil Rights Division prosecutors and Community Relations Service professionals. Calls on the President to end his inflammatory rhetoric and policies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act of 2017 This bill makes it illegal to possess, buy, or sell shark fins or any product containing shark fins. A person may possess a shark fin that was lawfully taken consistent with a license or permit under certain circumstances. Penalties are imposed for violations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017 This bill expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill on active duty prior to September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001). Services to caregivers of veterans under such program are expanded to include child care services, financial planning services, and legal services. The bill terminates the support program for caregivers of covered veterans on October 1, 2022, except that any caregiver activities carried out on September 30, 2022, shall be continued on and after October 1, 2022. The bill authorizes the transfer of entitlement to post 9/11 education assistance to family members by veterans who are retired for a physical disability or who are seriously injured veterans in need of family caregiver services, without regard to length-of-service requirements. The VA is authorized to pay monthly special compensation to seriously injured or ill veterans in need of personal care services and to their caregivers. Flexible work schedules or telework are authorized for federal employees who are caregivers of veterans. The Public Health Service Act is amended to designate a veteran participating in the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers as an adult with a special need for purposes of the lifespan respite care program. An interagency working group is established in the executive branch to review and report on policies relating to the caregivers of veterans and members of the Armed Forces. The VA shall provide for studies on members of the Armed Forces who commenced service after September 11, 2001, and veterans who have incurred a serious injury or illness, including a mental health injury, and their caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Requests the President, and directs the Attorney General, to transmit to the House of Representatives within 14 days after adoption of this resolution copies of any document or other communication in their possession that refers or relates to: any meeting or communication between Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III and any representative of the Russian government; the Attorney General's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 10, 2017, his written response to Senator Patrick Leahy's letter of January 17, 2017, his letter of March 6, 2017, to such committee, his preparation for confirmation hearings before such committee with respect to contact between President Trump's campaign and any Russian government representative, and his recusal from any investigation related to the 2016 presidential election and the implementation of that recusal; the application of provisions regarding grounds for appointing a Special Counsel to any case involving the 2016 presidential election or any related matter; and any meeting between any employee of President Trump's campaign or transition team and any Russian government representative, including any meeting that involved Donald J. Trump, Michael Flynn, Jared Kushner, Carter Page, J.D. Gordon, Richard Burt, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, or Michael Cohen.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Directs the Department of the Treasury to provide to the House of Representatives the full tax returns of President Donald J. Trump for tax years 2006-2015, financial documentation, and any information in its possession that specifies President Trump's: debts held by foreign governments and foreign companies; investments in foreign countries and foreign enterprises; and use of any tax shelters, corporate structures, tax avoidance maneuvers, abatements, or other loopholes to reduce or eliminate tax liability.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017 This bill amends the Fair Housing Act (FHA) under the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to add sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected against discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing. (Currently, the FHA prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.) The bill defines: (1) "gender identity" as gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth; and (2) "sexual orientation" as homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality. The bill also extends prohibitions against housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, handicap, familial status, or national origin to include discrimination based on: (1) an individual's association with another person who is a member of such a protected class; and (2) a perception or belief, even if inaccurate, that an individual is a member of such a protected class.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Gun Violence Research Act This bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 to eliminate the prohibition on the Department of Health and Human Services using federal funds to advocate or promote gun control.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Amends Rule XXI (Restrictions on Certain Bills) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to make it out of order to consider: a bill or joint resolution proposing to repeal or amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 unless an easily searchable electronic estimate and comparison prepared by the Congressional Budget Office is made available on a publicly available House website, or a rule or order that waives the application of this resolution.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) establish a program to permit eligible deported noncitizen veterans to enter the United States as, and to permit eligible noncitizen veterans in the United States to adjust their status to that of, a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence; and (2) cancel the removal of eligible noncitizen veterans and allow them to similarly adjust their status. An "eligible" veteran is a veteran who: (1) was not ordered removed, or removed, from the United States due to a criminal conviction for a crime of violence or for a crime that endangers U.S. national security for which the noncitizen served at least five years' imprisonment; and (2) is not inadmissible to, or deportable from, the United States due to such a conviction. DHS may waive such eligibility requirements for humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, due to exceptional service in the U.S. Armed Forces, or if such waiver otherwise is in the public interest. A noncitizen veteran or service member shall not be removed from the United States unless he or she has a criminal conviction for a crime of violence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for naturalization through service in the U.S. Armed Forces, except that: (1) the grounds on which the noncitizen was ordered removed from, or rendered inadmissible to or deportable from, the United States shall be disregarded when determining whether the noncitizen is a person of good moral character; and (2) any period of absence from the United States due to the noncitizen having been removed or being inadmissible shall be disregarded when determining if the noncitizen satisfies any requirement relating to continuous residence or physical presence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for all military and veterans benefits for which the individual would have been eligible if he or she had never been been removed from, or voluntarily departed, the United States. DHS shall: (1) identify cases involving service members and veterans at risk of removal from the United States, and (2) annotate all DHS immigration and naturalization records relating to any noncitizen involved and afford an opportunity to track the outcome.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017 This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit people from knowingly slaughtering a dog or cat for human consumption. In addition, the bill prohibits people from knowingly transporting, possessing, buying, selling, or donating: (1) a dog or cat to be slaughtered for human consumption, or (2) dog or cat parts for human consumption. The bill subjects a violator to imprisonment for up to a year, a fine, or both. The bill applies to conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
![Official portrait of Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001050_200.jpg)