United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
International Violence Against Women Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of State to establish an Office of Global Women's Issues which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. Directs the Ambassador-at-Large to coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender integration and advancing the status of women and girls in U.S. foreign policy. Establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) a Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall direct USAID activities, policies, programs, and funding relating to gender equality and women's empowerment. Directs the Ambassador-at-Large to develop or update annually for six years a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Authorizes the Secretary and the Administrator of USAID to provide assistance to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Protecting the Freedoms and Benefits for All Veterans Act - Revises the definition of "surviving spouse" for purposes of veterans benefits provisions to eliminate the requirement that the person who was the spouse of a veteran at the time of the veteran's death be a person of the opposite sex. Considers an individual to be a "spouse" if: (1) the marriage is valid in the state in which it was entered into; or (2) in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, the marriage is valid in the place in which it was entered into and could have been entered into in a state, or it was valid in the place in which all parties to it resided at the time it was entered into.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
Recognizes that all Americans should be treated fairly and equally regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Acknowledges the struggle of the Stonewall protestors (human rights protesters at the Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 28, 1969) and other lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people for equality. Encourages the celebration of LGBT Pride Month to provide an opportunity for people in the United States to learn about discrimination and inequality that continues to face LGBT people. Recognizes that the United States must continue to strive to ensure that the promise of equality is realized for all Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish preclearance facilities, conduct preclearance operations, or provide customs services outside of the United States to prevent terrorists, terrorist instruments, and other national security threats from gaining access to the United States. Declares such requirements shall not apply to any preclearance facility that was in operation outside of the United States before enactment of this Act. Declares that any preclearance facility located, preclearance operations conducted, or customs services provided at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, or Doha International Airport in Qatar shall not be considered to have been in operation, conducted, or provided before enactment of this Act. Prohibits such facility, operations, or services from being established, conducted, or provided at any of such airports on or after such enactment. Requires the Secretary, not later than 180 days before entering into any agreement to establish a preclearance facility, conduct preclearance operations, or provide customs services outside of the United States, to: (1) notify Congress and the General Accountability Office (GAO) of the intent to establish such facility, conduct such operations, or provide such services; as well as (2) assess any impacts on passengers traveling to the United States, or economic or security impacts on the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to eliminate the funding mechanism for the three-year transitional reinsurance program, under which group health plans are required to pay a fee to reinsurance entities for plan years beginning January 1, 2014. (The fees are distributed to individual health plans that cover high-risk individuals.) Authorizes appropriations for such reinsurance program instead.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Teacher Tax Deduction Enhancement Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend until 2020 the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school educators (i.e., teachers, instructors, counselors, principals, or aides); (2) increase to $500 the allowable amount of such deduction for full-time educators (working at least 900 hours during the school year); and (3) allow such tax deduction for educators in preschool programs.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 13127 Broadway Street in Alden, New York, as the "Sergeant Brett E. Gornewicz Memorial Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Strong Start for America's Children Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to allot matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), childhood education program providers, or consortia of those entities to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families. Allots grants to states based on each state's proportion of children who are age four and who are from families with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty level. Defines "high-quality prekindergarten programs" as those that: serve children who are three or four by the eligibility determination date or have attained the legal age for state-funded prekindergarten; require staff to have high qualifications, which for teachers include specified alternative requirements that all involve possessing a bachelor's degree; maintain an evidence-based maximum class size and child-to-instructional staff ratio; offer a full-day program; provide developmentally appropriate, evidence-based curricula and learning environments that are aligned with state early learning and development standards; offer teachers salaries comparable to those earned by kindergarten through grade twelve teachers; provide for ongoing monitoring and program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement; offer accessible comprehensive services for children, including specified minimum services; provide high-quality professional development for all staff; meet education performance standards under the Head Start Act; and maintain evidence-based health and safety standards. Conditions states' grant eligibility on demonstrating to the Secretary that they: (1) have or will establish early learning and development standards, (2) have or will develop the ability to link prekindergarten data with their elementary and secondary school data, (3) offer state-funded kindergarten for children, and (4) have established a State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. Allows states to reserve up to 20% of their grant funds over the first four years of their grant for prekindergarten quality improvement activities, including support for teachers seeking a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education or a closely-related field. Authorizes states to apply to the appropriate Secretary to use up to 15% of their grant for subgrants to high-quality early childhood education and care programs for infants and toddlers whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level. Requires state to develop, implement, and make publicly available performance measures and targets for their grant activities. Prohibits state grantees from requiring any child to participate in any federal, state, local, or private early childhood education program. Limits the use of assessments funded by the grant program. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a process to provide Head Start program services to children who are younger than age four in states or regions that provide four-year-olds whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level with sustained access to high-quality prekindergarten programs. Directs the Secretary to award competitive, matching, capacity-building grants to states that assure the Secretary that they will use their grant to become eligible, within three years of receiving the grant, for this Act's grants for high-quality prekindergarten programs. Amends the Head Start Act to direct the Secretary of HHS to make grants to Early Head Start agencies to partner with center-based or family child care providers, particularly those that receive support under the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 1990 (CCDBGA), to assist those providers in meeting applicable Head Start and Early Head Start program performance standards. Authorizes those partnerships to serve children through age three. Directs the Secretary of HHS to give Early Head Start program grant priority to Early Head Start agencies that agree to enter into such partnerships with center-based or family child care providers. Amends the CCDBGA to require states to: (1) ensure that the funding they receive for child care services under the Community Services Block Grant Act and the program of block grants for social services under the Social Security Act is subject to the requirements and limitations of the CCDBGA; (2) provide children with assistance under the CCDBGA for at least 12 months before redetermining their eligibility, provided their family income does not exceed 85% of the state median income for their family size; and (3) use the CCDBGA's funding to supplement, not supplant, other public funding for child care services and activities. Authorizes the Secretary of HHS to: (1) reserve a specified amount of Child Care and Development Block Grant program funds, in fiscal years in which program funding exceeds a specified amount, for formula grants to states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to improve the quality of child care programs and services; and (2) carry out demonstration and pilot projects designed to develop and implement strategies and practices useful in supporting the needs of low-income families in-need of, or receiving, child care services. Reauthorizes appropriations under the Child Care and Development Block Grant program for FY2014-FY2023. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the need for Congress to continue providing resources to the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program to support the work of states in helping at-risk families voluntarily receive home visits from nurses and social workers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of a Small Business Saturday, (2) efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally, and (3) efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and their impact on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2013
Supports the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month. Encourages the implementation of inclusive adoption policies that allow a growing number of diverse families to adopt.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Girls Count Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to: (1) support programs that will contribute to improved civil registration and vital statistics systems with a focus on birth registration; and (2) promote programs that build the capacity of developing countries' national and local legal and policy frameworks to prevent discrimination against girls, and help increase property rights, social security, land tenure, and inheritance rights for women.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
True Understanding of the Economy and Safety Act or TRUE Safety Act - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO), after the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports to Congress on an hours of service field study, to assess the methodology followed by the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) in carrying out the efficacy of the restart rule ("Hours of Service of Drivers") published on December 27, 2011, which applies to operators of commercial motor vehicles of property subject to maximum DOT driving time requirements. Requires the assessment to evaluate the extent to which that methodology meets the requirements of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) that: (1) the data collected is representative of the drivers subject to the restart rule, (2) the methodology is statistically valid, and (3) the study followed the FMCSA plan for the "Scheduling and Fatigue Recovery Project." Directs GAO to assess the Regulatory Impact Analysis that accompanied the final 2011 restart rule. Nullifies the 2011 restart rule until six months after the study report required by this Act has been submitted to Congress. Prohibits the Secretary from applying the restart rule if the conclusions of the field study completed pursuant to MAP-21 do not support or concur with the conclusions of the laboratory study on which the rule was based.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Critical Access Hospital Flexibility Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to the Medicare rural hospital flexibility program and criteria for designation of critical access hospitals, specifically the requirement to provide not more than 25 acute care inpatient beds for inpatient care for up to 96 hours per patient as an annual average. Permits a facility that was designated a critical access hospital before enactment of this Act, in the alternative, to satisfy such requirement by providing not more than 20 acute care inpatient beds. Requires all beds to be occupied for the bed count to meet this critical access hospital criterion.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act - Authorizes burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration of the remains of any individual: (1) who was naturalized pursuant to the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000 and who resided in the United States at the time of death; or (2) who the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines served with a special guerrilla unit or irregular forces operating from a base in Laos in support of the U.S. Armed Forces between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, and who, at the time of death, resided in the United States and was a U.S. citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to delay until 2016 the imposition of the annual fee on health insurance providers. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue guidance directing covered entities to return any amounts collected from consumers or other sources that were attributed to the annual fee that was scheduled to be imposed for 2014 and 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a final rule to advance the safety and continued development of small airplanes by reorganizing the certification requirements to streamline the approval of safety advancements. Requires the final rule to meet certain consensus-based standards and FAA Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee objectives, including: (1) establishment of a regulatory regime for small airplane safety; (2) the establishment of broad, outcome-driven objectives that will spur small plane innovation and technology adoption; (3) the replacement of current, prescriptive requirements under Part 23 with performance-based regulations; and (4) the use of FAA-accepted consensus standards to clarify how Part 23 safety objectives may be met using specific small plane safety designs and technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) allow licensed firearms importers, manufacturers, dealers, or collectors (licensees) to sell or deliver any firearm (currently, rifles or shotguns) to a resident of a state other than the state in which the licensee is located or temporarily located if the licensee meets with the purchaser to complete the sale or delivery and the transaction complies with the laws of the state in which the transfer is conducted and the purchaser's state of residence; and (2) eliminate the requirement that a licensee must conduct business at a gun show only in the state that is specified on the licensee's license. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition: (1) between licensed firearms dealers at any location in any state; or (2) by a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to an unlicensed person at a temporary location in any state. Amends definitions for federal firearms provisions to: (1) revise the definition of a "member of the Armed Forces on active duty" to include a member (or member's spouse) who is a resident of the state in which such person maintains legal residence or in which the member maintains a place of abode from which the member commutes each day to the permanent duty station; and (2) provide that an officer or employee of the United States (other than a member of the Armed Forces) stationed outside the United States for a period exceeding one year, or a spouse residing with such an officer or employee, is a resident of the state in which the person maintains legal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Authorizes and requests the President to award the Medal of Honor to Bennie G. Adkins and Donald P. Sloat of the U.S. Army for acts of valor during the Vietnam Conflict. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 to authorize the award of the Medal of Honor to a veteran who, although not a Jewish- or Hispanic-American veteran who was previously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, or the Air Force Cross, was identified during a review of service records and regarding whom the Secretary of Defense submitted, before January 1, 2014, a recommendation that the President award the Medal of Honor to that veteran.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in order to provide a positive incentive for certain hospitals to lower their excess readmission ratios for inpatient services, to make an additional payment to a hospital in such proportion that provides for a sharing of the savings from better-than-expected performance between the hospital and the Medicare program. Authorizes the Secretary, in the case of a state that has amended its Medicaid plan to provide coordinated care through a health home for individuals with chronic conditions, to contract with the state medical assistance agency to serve eligible individuals with chronic conditions who select a designated provider, a team of health care professionals operating with such a provider, or a health team as the individual's health home. Authorizes the Secretary to contract with a national or multi-state regional center of excellence with a network of affiliated local providers to provide through one or more medical homes for targeted, accessible, continuous, and coordinated care to individuals under Medicare and Medicaid with a long-term illness or medical condition that requires regular medical treatment, advising, and monitoring. Authorizes an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) to include coverage of telehealth and remote patient monitoring services as supplemental health care benefits to the same extent as a Medicare Advantage plan is permitted to provide such coverage of such services as supplemental health care. Recognizes telehealth services and remote patient monitoring in the national pilot program on payment bundling. Includes among originating sites (at which an eligible telehealth individual is located at the time a service is furnished via a telecommunications system), but without receiving payment of a facility fee, any critical access hospitals, sole community hospitals, home telehealth sites, as well as specified others. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to give states the option to provide coordinated care for enrollees with high-risk pregnancies and births. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to specify additional health care providers to which universal telecommunications service support must be provided. Requires Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules for enhancing health care provider access to advanced telecommunications and information services to disregard provider location.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Sensible Oversight for Technology which Advances Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 or the SOFTWARE Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) to apply it to medical software to the same extent and in the same manner as it applies to devices. Defines "medical software" as software that is intended to be marketed: to directly change the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals; or for use by consumers and makes recommendations for clinical action that includes the use of a drug, device, or procedure to cure or treat a disease or other condition without requiring the involvement of a health care provider and which, if followed, would change the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals. Excludes from such definition software whose primary purpose is integral to the functioning of a drug or device and is not a component of a device. Excludes clinical software and health software (defined as follows) from FDCA regulation. Defines "clinical software" as software that: (1) captures, analyzes, changes, or presents patient or population clinical data or information and may recommend courses of clinical action, but does not directly change the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals; and (2) is intended for use only by a health care provider in a health care setting. Defines "health software" as software that is not medical software or clinical software and that: (1) captures, analyzes, changes, or presents patient or population clinical data or information or supports administrative or operational aspects of health care and is not used in the direct delivery of care; or (2) has as its primary purpose to act as a platform for a secondary software, to run or act as a mechanism for connectivity, or to store data. Expresses the sense of Congress concerning the value of clinical software and health software to health care quality and efficacy and the need for legislation that establishes a risk-based regulatory framework that reduces regulatory burdens, promotes patient safety, and fosters innovation. Excludes medical software, clinical software, and health software from the FDCA definition of "device."
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Currency Optimization, Innovation, and National Savings Act - Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board) to sequester all $1 coins bearing the design common to those $1 coins minted and issued from 1979-1981 and again in 1999. Allows the release of such sequestered coins to collectible coin dealers and countries that have adopted the U.S. dollar as their base unit of exchange. Directs the Federal Reserve Board to: (1) undertake efforts to improve, and remove barriers to, the circulation of all other $1 coins; and (2) work with the U.S. Mint, consumer groups, media outlets, and schools to publicize the Presidential $1 Coin Program. Requires the Federal Reserve Board to report to Congress on the Board's efforts to improve the circulation of, and remove barriers to, the circulation of $1 coins bearing Native American designs. Declares it is U.S. policy that after consumers and retailers are comfortable using and able to obtain adequate supplies of $1 coins, such $1 coins should replace $1 Federal Reserve notes as the only $1 monetary unit issued and circulated by the Federal Reserve System.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2013
Appropriates for FY2014, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2014 are not in effect, such sums as are necessary, at a rate for operations as provided in the applicable appropriations Acts for FY2013 and under the authority and conditions provided in such Acts, to administer and furnish the compensation, pension benefits, readjustment benefits, insurance and indemnities, housing benefits, and vocational rehabilitation benefits provided for under federal veterans' benefits laws. Requires the appropriations and funds made available and authority granted pursuant to this Act to remain available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment of an appropriation (including a continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are made available in this Act, (2) enactment of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any appropriation for such purpose, or (3) January 1, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2013
Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act of 2013 or the SHARE Act of 2013 - Title I: Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components. Title II: Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of BLM to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training. Title III: Public Lands Filming - Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary. Makes such a permit valid for such activities or projects that occur in areas designated for public use during public hours on all federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary for a 12-month period. Title IV: Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act - Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person who submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before May 15, 2008 (currently by February 18, 1997), when polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior. Title V: Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act - Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013 - Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps. Sets forth state electronic duck stamp application requirements. Allows the Secretary to determine the number of new states permitted per year to participate in the electronic duck stamp program. Instructs the Secretary to require electronic stamp revenue and customer information collected by each state to be transmitted in accordance with a written agreement between the Secretary and the state. Title VI: Access to Water Resources Development Projects Act - Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of the Army from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm at a water resources development project administered by the Chief of Engineers if: (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, and (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state in which the project is located. Title VII: Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (USDA) on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting, and recreational shooting. (Abolishes the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council.) Title VIII: Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Declares that recreational fishing and hunting are environmentally acceptable and beneficial activities that occur and can be provided on public lands and waters without adverse effects on other uses or users. Requires a federal public land management official, in cooperation with the respective state and fish and wildlife agency, to exercise the authority of the official under law, including regarding land use planning, to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public land for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports and facilitates hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. Prohibits actions taken under this Act or actions concerning the National Wildlife Refuge System under the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 from being considered to be a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. Prohibits public land management officials from being required to consider the existence or availability of recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting opportunities on adjacent or nearby lands in the planning for or determination of which public lands are open for these activities or in the setting of levels of use for these activities on public lands, unless the combination or coordination of such opportunities would enhance the opportunities available to the public. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land, excluding land on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such land for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, protection of private property rights, or compliance with other law. Requires agencies to: (1) lease or permit use of federal public land for shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific land for recreational shooting activities. Declares that the provision of opportunities for hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and the conservation of fish and wildlife to provide sustainable use recreational opportunities on designated wilderness areas on federal public lands constitutes the measures necessary to meet the minimum requirements for the administration of such areas. Provides that such declaration does not authorize or facilitate commodity development, use, or extraction, motorized recreational access or use that is not otherwise allowed under the Wilderness Act, or permanent road construction or maintenance within designated wilderness areas. Reaffirms the provisions of the Wilderness Act that stipulate that wilderness purposes are "within and supplemental to" the purposes of the underlying federal land unit. Requires the head of each federal agency, when seeking to carry out fish and wildlife conservation programs and projects or providing fish and wildlife dependent recreation opportunities on designated wilderness areas, to implement these supplemental purposes while not impeding on the underlying conservation purpose. Prohibits such implementation from authorizing or facilitating commodity development, use or extraction, or permanent road construction or use within designated wilderness areas. Requires biennial reports on closures of federal public lands to sport hunting, recreational fishing, or shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 640 or more contiguous acres of federal public land or water to hunting or recreational fishing or related activities. Instructs federal public land agencies to consult with the advisory councils specified in Executive Orders 12962 (relating to recreational fisheries) and 13443 (relating to the facilitation of hunting heritage and wildlife conservation) in carrying out this Act. Title IX: Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Conservation Act - Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Conservation Act of 2013 - Directs the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission to: (1) prepare and adopt a data collection strategy for the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery; and (2) prepare, adopt, and submit to the Secretary of Commerce a fishery management plan providing for the conservation and management of Gulf of Mexico red snapper and describing the standards of compliance for Gulf coastal states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) to use in developing fishery management measures. Permits an increase in the quota of Gulf of Mexico red snapper apportioned to commercial fishing based on stock assessments. Prohibits such plan, for a three-year period, from reducing such quota, except in the event of a reduction in stock prior to the end of such period in which case the quotas apportioned to all fishing sectors shall be reduced to ensure a sustainable harvest. Directs the Secretary to determine whether the plan: (1) includes fishery management measures compatible with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and (2) ensures the long-term sustainability of Gulf of Mexico red snapper. Requires each Gulf coastal state to submit for the Commission's approval appropriate management measures that ensure compliance with the objectives of the fishery management plan. Directs the Secretary, upon receiving the Commission's certification that the management measures of all such states have been approved, to: (1) revoke federal regulations and portions of the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico that conflict with the plan for Gulf of Mexico red snapper, and (2) transfer management of Gulf of Mexico red snapper to such states. Directs the Commission to determine, periodically, whether state enforcement is satisfactory. Requires the Commission to: (1) offer assistance to noncompliant states, and (2) vote on whether to notify the Secretary when a state remains noncompliant. Authorizes the Secretary to close a fishery within federal waters adjacent to a noncompliant state. Directs the Secretary to report biennially to Congress, the governor of each Gulf coastal state, and the Commission regarding the economic impacts for the local, regional, and national economy of the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exempt from maximum hours requirements any employee who: (1) adjusts or evaluates claims resulting from or relating to a major disaster for at least $591 per week (or any minimum weekly amount established by the Secretary of Labor, whichever is greater) during the 2-year period after the disaster; and (2) is employed as an adjuster or evaluator by an employer not itself engaged, directly or through an affiliate, in underwriting, selling, or marketing property, casualty, or liability insurance policies or contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2013
Government Shutdown Fairness Act - Requires a reduction in the annual rate of pay of a Member of Congress during a government shutdown equal to the product of 1 day's worth of pay under such annual rate and the number of 24-hour periods during which the government shutdown is in effect. Makes such reduction applicable to days occurring after the date of the general election for federal office held in November 2014. Requires any amount of pay of a Member of Congress in the 113th Congress that is reduced due to a government shutdown to be held in escrow until the last day of the 113th Congress and released for payment to Members at that time.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2013 - Amends provisions of federal civil service law to extend employment-related and retirement benefits to domestic partners of federal employees and to set forth requirements for establishing and terminating a domestic partnership, including the filing of an affidavit attesting to the existence and legitimacy of the partnership. Modifies provisions relating to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) to extend eligibility for annuity and survivor benefits to current and former domestic partners of federal employees on the same basis as married employees. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations to provide that domestic partners and former domestic partners shall be considered as spouses or former spouses for purposes of creditable service determinations under CSRS and FERS. Makes domestic partners of federal employees eligible for: (1) the federal employee group life insurance (FEGLI) program, (2) federal employees health benefits (FEHB), (3) dental and vision benefit plans, and (4) long-term care insurance coverage. Grants the head of an federal agency authority to reimburse an employee for taxes incurred by the domestic partner of such employee for travel, transportation, or relocation expense reimbursements. Modifies provisions of the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to make domestic partners of federal employees eligible for worker compensation benefits under such Act. Adds "domestic partner" to the list of relatives subject to restrictions on federal employment of relatives and related prohibitions. Includes a biological, adopted, or foster child of a domestic partner as a "son or daughter" for purposes of federal employee family and medical leave provisions. Allows a federal employee family and medical leave to care for a domestic partner. Requires the President to prescribe regulations necessary to ensure that specified provisions relating to the following are administered in a manner consistent with the purposes of this Act: (1) the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; (2) travel, transportation, and related payments and benefits under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and for civilian employees of the Department of Defense (DOD); (3) certain benefits for members of the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and (4) benefits related to federal employees or annuitants and benefits necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to make provisions of that Act applicable to domestic partners of federal employees to the same extent as married employees, including provisions relating to financial disclosure, government-wide limitations on outside earned income and employment, gifts to superiors and to federal employees, bribery, acceptance of travel expenses from nonfederal sources, taxes on self-dealing, and disqualification of a justice, judge, or magistrate judge. Requires reporting by: (1) the President on the implementation of this Act, and (2) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the effect of this Act on premiums or other periodic charges under FEHB and the impact of extending benefits to domestic partners on federal employee retention and recruitment efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Designates the building occupied by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) located at 801 Follin Lane, Vienna, Virginia, as the "Michael D. Resnick Terrorist Screening Center."
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to implement or enforce a requirement providing for the screening, testing, or treatment of individuals operating commercial motor vehicles for sleep disorders (including obstructive sleep apnea) only if it is adopted pursuant to a rulemaking proceeding. Applies this Act only to a requirement adopted on or after September 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Declares that the federal excise tax on new tractor trailer trucks, heavy duty trucks, and certain truck trailers should not be increased and that Congress should review the detrimental impacts of such tax in considering future transportation policy.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2013
Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 - Title I: Program Reforms and Streamlining - Revises requirements for feasibility studies under the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 to: (1) limit the duration of any feasibility study to 3 years; (2) limit the cost of any such study to $3 million; and (3) require personnel of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to conduct concurrent reviews of feasibility studies (currently, sequential reviews are permitted). Requires the Secretary of the Army, not later than 90 days after the initiation of a feasibility study, to initiate federally-mandated reviews, including environmental reviews. Amends the WRDA of 2000 to authorize the Secretary to accept and expend funds contributed by a public utility company to expedite the evaluation of a permit for a water resources project or activity under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army. Amends the WRDA of 2007 to designate the Corps as the federal lead agency in the environmental review process (i.e., preparation of an environmental impact statement, environmental assessment, categorical exclusion, or other document under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [NEPA]) for a water resources project study. Requires the Corps to: (1) facilitate the expeditious resolution of the environmental review process and complete documents required by NEPA, (2) conduct concurrent environmental reviews, and (3) establish a plan for coordinating public and agency participation in and comment on the environmental review process for a project. Repeals requirements for: (1) a reconnaissance study by the Corps prior to initiating a feasibility study, and (2) review of the cost effectiveness of the design of each water resources project that has a total cost in excess of $10 million. Requires the Secretary to establish a process for the review of section 14 applications. Defines a "section 14 application" as an application for the temporary occupation or use of a public work or the alteration or permanent occupation or use of a public work. Authorizes a non-federal interest (i.e., a sponsor for a water resources project, including federally-recognized Indian tribes and nonprofit entities) to: (1) provide funds to the Corps to carry out feasibility studies and to carry out authorized federal water resources development projects, and (2) make contributions to the operation and maintenance of the inland navigation facilities. Extends the authority of the Secretary to carry out water-related planning activities and studies in Indian country in FY2014-FY2023. Directs the Secretary to establish a pilot program to evaluate the cost effectiveness and project delivery efficiency of allowing non-federal interests to carry out at least 15 authorized water resources development projects for coastal harbor improvement, channel improvement, inland navigation, flood damage reduction, and hurricane and storm damage reduction. Requires the Secretary to submit annual reports to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on feasibility studies under this Act and on proposed modifications to an authorized water resources development project or feasibility study. Requires the President, as part of the President's annual budget submission to Congress, to identify and recommend Corps construction projects for which Congress should provide funding at the full level authorized for such projects. Requires the Corps, as part of such budget process, to report on the prioritization of federal action for the next fiscal year to mitigate for fish and wildlife losses due to Corps water resources projects in the Missouri River Basin. Directs the Secretary to make specific project recommendations relating to flood and storm damage reduction activities under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a locally preferred plan that provides a higher level of flood protection and is funded by non-federal interests; (2) evaluate alternatives to ensure safety of affected communities and the resiliency of water resources development projects to future flooding and storm events; and (3) establish procedures for providing the public and governmental entities, including Indian tribes, with timely information regarding expected water levels and preparedness actions. Amends the WRDA of 1974 to authorize the Secretary to provide technical assistance to states to encourage state programs for levee safety. Requires the Secretary to establish federal guidelines relating to levee safety. Requires the Secretary to: (1) undertake a comprehensive review of Corps policy on vegetation management for levees, and (2) report on the use of electronic commerce in federal procurement. Amends the WRDA of 1992 to require the Secretary to consider the beneficial use of dredged material in a manner that contributes to the maintenance of sediment resources in the nearby costal system. Directs the Secretary to encourage: (1) advanced modeling technologies, including 3-dimensional digital modeling, for activities related to water resources development projects and studies; (2) corrosion prevention activities at water resources development projects; and (3) the use of durable, resilient, and sustainable material and practices in carrying out Corps activities. Requires the Secretary to conduct an assessment of the management practices, priorities, and authorized purposes at Corps reservoirs in arid regions. Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should consider a water resources development bill not less than once every Congress. Title II: Navigation Improvements - Subtitle A: Ports - Authorizes the Secretary, for any fiscal year in which specified target appropriations are met, to use up to 5% of the total amount made available from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for eligible operations and maintenance costs described in the WRDA of 1986 for that fiscal year for expanded uses of such Trust Fund. Amends the WRDA of 1986 to direct the Secretary to: (1) assess the operation and maintenance needs of harbors used for commercial navigation and fishing and other purposes; (2) make expenditures to pay for operation and maintenance costs of the harbors, based on an equitable allocation of funds among all such harbors, regardless of the size or tonnage throughput of the harbor; (3) allocate, in each of FY2015-2016, not less than 10% of the total amount of the expenditures to pay for operation and maintenance costs of emerging harbors (those that transit less than 1 million tons of commerce annually); and (4) manage and allocate funding for all individually authorized projects in the Great Lakes Navigation System as components of a single, comprehensive system, recognizing the interdependence of the projects. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into an agreement with a non-federal interest to maintain a navigation project for a harbor or inland harbor (federally authorized harbor) in accordance with the WRDA of 1986. Amends the WRDA of 2007 to direct the Secretary to consolidate deep draft navigation expertise within the Corps into a deep draft navigation planning center of expertise. Authorizes the Secretary, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to reopen the Cape Arundel Disposal Site in Maine as an alternative dredged material disposal site. Subtitle B: Inland Waterways - Directs the Secretary, for certain projects for navigation infrastructure of the inland and intracoastal waterways, to utilize certified project managers, utilize risk-based cost estimates, evaluate early contractor involvement acquisition procedures, review the use of fully funded contracts or continuing contracts, identify best management practices to speed project delivery, and develop a portfolio of standard design for inland navigation locks. Directs the Secretary to develop and submit a 20-year investment strategy for making capital investments on the inland and intracoastal waterways. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to prepare a report on the efficiency of collecting the fuel tax for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. Directs the Secretary to study methods of financing the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, including issuance of tax-exempt bonds and imposing user fees, and to consider the feasibility of fees and revenues from alternative sources. Directs the Secretary to conduct an inland waterways stakeholder roundtable to provide for a review and evaluation of alternative approaches to: (1) address the financial needs of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, and (2) support the water infrastructure needs of the Inland Waterways System. Requires 25% of the cost of construction for the Olmsted Project (a navigation project for Locks 52 and 53 on the Lower Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky) to be paid from amounts appropriated from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. Expresses the sense of Congress that the appropriation for the Project should not be less than $150 million for each fiscal year until construction of the Project is completed. Requires the Secretary to submit to Congress an annual financial plan for any inland waterways project that has an estimated total cost of $500 million or more. Directs the Secretary, at least 90 days before carrying out a proposed modification to the operation of a lock at a project for navigation on the inland waterways, to: (1) provide notice of the proposed modification in the Federal Register, and (2) accept public comments on the proposed modification. Directs the Secretary to assess the operation and maintenance needs of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Directs the Secretary to study and report on the impact of closing the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minnesota on the economy and the environment. Provides for the closure of such facility if the annual average tonnage moving through it during the preceding 5 years was not more than 1.5 million tons. Authorizes the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to: (1) design and construct one or more hydroelectric generating facilities at the W.D. Mayo Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River, Oklahoma; and (2) market the electricity generated from any such facility. Title III: Deauthorizations and Backlog Prevention - Directs the Secretary to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and publish in the Federal Register, a report that lists each authorized water resources development project, or separable element of a project, authorized for construction before November 8, 2007: (1) for which construction was not initiated before the enactment of this Act or for which no funds were obligated for construction of the project during the 5-year period ending on July 1, 2013; and (2) that has an estimated cost to complete of at least $12 billion. Directs the Secretary to conduct an assessment of all properties under the control of the Corps of Engineers and develop an inventory of the properties that are not needed for its missions. Provides that a water resources development project, or separable element of such project, shall not be authorized for construction by this Act after the last day of the seven-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act unless during that period funds have been obligated for construction of such project. Deauthorizes projects for flood protection, navigation, shoreline protection, and other improvement at specified locations in California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, and Wisconsin. Provides for land conveyances in Oklahoma and Washington. Title IV: Water Resources Infrastructure - Authorizes specified final feasibility studies for water resources development and conservation and other purposes, including regarding: (1) navigation in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia; (2) flood risk management in Kansas, California, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Kentucky; (3) hurricane and storm damage risk reduction in North Carolina and California; (4) hurricane and storm damage risk reduction and environmental restoration in Mississippi; and (5) environmental restoration in Maryland, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, and North Carolina. Modifies projects for: (1) navigation at Miami Harbor, Miami-Dade County, Florida, and at the Lower Ohio River, Illinois and Kentucky; and (2) flood control at Little Calumet River Basin (Cady Marsh Ditch), Indiana.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Technology and Research Accelerating National Security and Future Economic Resiliency Act of 2013 or the TRANSFER Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to replace provisions requiring the Director of the National Institutes of Health to use funds for a Proof of Concept Partnership pilot program to accelerate the creation of small businesses and the commercialization of research innovations made by certain institutions with provisions directing each federal agency required to establish a small business technology transfer (STTR) program to carry out an Innovative Approaches to Technology Transfer Grant Program to support innovative approaches to technology transfer at institutions of higher education, nonprofit research institutions, and federal laboratories in order to accelerate the commercialization of federally funded research and technology by small businesses. Outlines activities eligible for funding, application requirements, and award procedures and amounts. Requires successful grant proposals to include a plan to assemble a program oversight board to establish award programs for individual projects and evaluate project applications. Provides the percentage of each agency's extramural budget to be expended on such Program for FY2014-FY2017. Directs each agency to: (1) develop a Program evaluation plan and collect information from grantees annually to evaluate the Program, and (2) submit a Program activities report to specified congressional committees. Requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to include information on the Program on the public database of small businesses participating in STTR or Small Business Innovation Research programs.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2014 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Expresses support for the designation of National Innovation in Education Day to recognize the advances that the nation's schools have made incorporating both creative teaching methods and technology into the classroom. Recognizes: (1) the importance of creative teaching methods as a means of engaging students in their education and inspiring more students to pursue higher education; (2) that technological advancements within the classroom prepare students for a more information-driven market, thus closing the gap between education and the workforce by allowing students to obtain the skills necessary for employment in competitive science and technology fields in the United States; and (3) the achievements of outstanding educators who have exemplified innovative teaching methods.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the initial U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Water and Development Strategy is a significant accomplishment and improves USAID's capacity to provide sustainable and effective water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance; and (2) the Secretary of State, through the Special Advisor for Water Resources, should develop a Global Water Resources Strategy relating to U.S. foreign policy water objectives. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct: (1) the Administrator to designate a Global Water Coordinator to coordinate and oversee water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance; and (2) the Secretary of State to designate a Special Advisor for Water Resources to coordinate and oversee policy relating to water, hygiene, and sanitation assistance. Sets forth principles to ensure that water, sanitation, and hygiene projects carried out under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 achieve maximum impact. Amends the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 to direct: (1) the President, through the Secretary, to develop a strategy every five years to further the U.S. foreign policy objective to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries; and (2) the Administrator, through the Global Water Coordinator, to develop a complementary strategy to further the U.S. foreign assistance objective to provide affordable and equitable drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a person who is carrying a valid, government-issued identification document containing that person's photograph and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state, and who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law, to possess or carry a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state in accordance with the restrictions of that state.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Coal Healthcare and Pensions Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to address potential shortages in the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan for payment of health care benefits to retired coal miners by expanding the eligible uses of interest transferable to the plan from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, and supplemental payments from the General Fund of the Treasury. Requires calculation of such amount by taking into account only those beneficiaries who are actually enrolled in the plan as of enactment of this Act, as well as those retirees whose health benefits, payable directly by an employer in the bituminous coal industry under a coal wage agreement as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding commenced in 2012, would be denied or reduced. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to the trustees of the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan a certain additional amount of funds, to pay pension benefits required under that plan, if the $490 million limitation on certain transfers to the UMWA Combined Benefit Fund and distributions to states and Indian tribes exceeds the aggregate amount required to be transferred to them. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe a special rule that employer contributions to an employees' trust or annuity benefit plan providing supplemental benefits solely to participants in a pension plan are neither deductible nor nondeductible as such from the employer's gross income. Subjects such contributions, on the other hand, to deduction as an allowable trade or business expense. Treats a trust holding the assets of such a pension benefit plan as a tax-exempt organization. Excludes from taxable wages any payments made to, or on behalf of, an employee or his or her beneficiary under such a plan.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prevent guidelines applicable to permits for the discharge of dredged or fill material into the navigable waters at disposal sites from prohibiting specification of a site due to the lack of a final site plan resulting from the lack of an identified end user or industry or industrial classification when determining whether there is a practicable alternative to a proposed discharge that would result in less adverse impact on the aquatic ecosystem.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Cider Industry Deserves Equal Regulation Act or the CIDER Act - Amends the Internal Revenue to revise the definition of "hard cider," for purposes of the excise tax on distilled spirits, wines, and beer, to mean any wine: (1) the carbonation level of which does not exceed 6.4 grams per liter; (2) which is derived primarily from apples, apple juice concentrate and water, pears, or pear juice concentrate and water; (3) which contains no fruit product or fruit flavoring other than apple or pear; and (4) which contains at least one-half of 1% and less than 8.5% alcohol by volume.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Improving Opportunities for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to expand the definition of "small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans" for purposes of federal agencies awarding small business contracts pursuant to Small Business Administration (SBA) programs to include: (1) a small business concern not less than 51% of which is owned by one or more veterans with service-connected disabilities that are permanent and total who are unable to manage the daily business operations of such concern; or (2) in the case of a publicly owned business, a small business concern not less than 51% of the stock of which is owned by one or more such veterans. (Currently, such veterans with permanent and total disabilities are provided for in a separate small business program under veterans' benefits laws carried out by the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA].) Revises the VA definition of "small business concern owned and controlled by veterans" to be the same as the SBA definition of such term, thereby making the eligibility requirements for participation in veteran-owned small business contracting programs consistent for both SBA programs and VA programs. Provides that if the death of a service-disabled veteran causes a small business concern to be less than 51% owned by one or more such veterans, the surviving spouse who acquires ownership rights shall be treated as if the surviving spouse were the veteran for the purpose of maintaining the business's status as a small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans until the earlier of the date on which the surviving spouse either remarries or relinquishes the ownership interest or 10 years after the veteran's death. Directs the SBA Administrator to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the VA Secretary that transfers from the Secretary to the Administrator control and administration of a required database of veteran-owned businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Growing Small Farms Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the liability of employers of agricultural labor for federal unemployment tax under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), to increase from $20,000 or more to $40,000 or more the amount of wages which such employers must pay in a calendar quarter for agricultural labor before being treated as employers for FUTA purposes. Provides for an inflation adjustment to such increased wage threshold after 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 350,000 $1 silver coins, and 300,000 half dollar clad coins to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the 100 years of Boys Town, one of the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the United States. Permits issuance of such coins only between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Conservation Easement Incentive Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax deduction for charitable contributions by individuals and corporations of real property interests for conservation purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement or SHARE Act - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (USDA) on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting, and recreational shooting. Abolishes the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Responsible Electronics Recycling Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to: (1) prohibit the export of restricted electronic waste to countries that are not members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) or the European Union (EU), or Liechtenstein; (2) require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and promulgate procedures for identifying certain electronic equipment as well as additional restricted toxic materials contained in such equipment which poses a potential hazard to human health or the environment; and (3) establish criminal penalties for knowingly exporting restricted electronic waste in violation of this Act. Allows certain exceptions to such export ban. Defines "restricted electronic waste" to include electronic equipment (excluding parts of a motor vehicle), such as computers, televisions, printers, copiers, video game systems, telephones, and similar used electronic products, that contain cathode ray tubes, batteries, switches, and other parts containing lead, cadmium, mercury, organic solvents, hexavalent chromium, beryllium, or other toxic ingredients. Requires persons who handle restricted electronic wastes to permit appropriate EPA and state officials access to such wastes upon request. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a competitive research application program to provide grants for research in the recovering and recycling of critical minerals and rare earth elements found in electronic devices.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2013
Design-Build Efficiency and Jobs Act of 2013 - Modifies the procedure for awarding design and construction contracts for federal buildings and facilities to require: (1) a contracting officer to provide a written justification to the head of an agency for requiring more than five finalists in the bidding process for such contracts and agency approval of such justification; and (2) the use of the two-phase selection process (i.e., submission of qualifications and then the submission of price and technical proposals in response to a request for proposal) for contracts having a value of $750,000 or greater. Requires each agency that awards design and construction contracts to submit to the Comptroller General (GAO) and publish in the Federal Register an annual report on: (1) all contracts for which more than five finalists were selected for phase-two requests for competitive proposals, and (2) contracts having a value of $750,000 or greater for which the two-phase selection process was not used. Requires the Comptroller General to publish a report that analyzes the compliance of federal agencies with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2013
Commonsense Construction Contracting Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to prohibit reverse auction methods (bidding from high to low) from being used in the case of any contract for the procurement of design and construction services if the contract is suitable for award to a small business, or if the award is made under Small Business Administration (SBA) requirements concerning the federal award of procurement contracts or subcontracts to: small businesses; HUBZone (historically underutilized business zone) small businesses; and small businesses owned and controlled by veterans, disabled veterans, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, or women.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2013
Reauthorizes appropriations through FY2018 for the Votes for Women History Trail Route in the state of New York, the National Women's Rights History Project Registry, and the National Women's Rights History Project Partnership Network.
![Official portrait of Rep. Hanna, Richard L. [R-NY-22]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001051_200.jpg)