Bill· HRH.R. 5476 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2014
Cabin Fee Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to set an annual fee for the issuance of a special use permit for the use and occupancy of National Forest System land for recreational residence purposes. Requires the Secretary to: (1) complete the current appraisal cycle, including receipt of timely second appraisals, for such residences within one year after enactment of this Act; and (2) assess an interim annual fee for them according to a specified formula. Specifies the annual fee for each of 11 fee tiers based on the value of the lot of which the recreational residence is located, adjusted annually for inflation. Requires the Secretary to report after 10 years on these annual fees in order to ensure that they reflect fair value for the use of System land, and on any recommendations to modify the fee system. Directs the Secretary to establish a transfer fee of $1,200 for the issuance of a new recreational residence permit due to a change in ownership of the recreational residence. Permits the Secretary, beginning 10 years after enactment of this Act, to: (1) retain and expend any fees collected under this Act, without further appropriation; and (2) use them to administer the recreational residence program and other recreation programs carried out on System land. Repeals the Cabin User Fees Fairness Act of 2000, effective on the date the annual permit fees are first assessed under this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 4 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2014
Jobs for America Act - Division I: Ways and Means - Title I: Save American Workers - Save American Workers Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to redefine "full-time employee," for purposes of the mandate requiring employers to provide health care coverage for their employees, as an employee who is employed on average at least 40 hours of service a week (currently, at least 30 hours of service a week). Title II: Hire More Heroes - Hire More Heroes Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit an employer, for purposes of determining whether such employer is an applicable large employer and thus required to provide health care coverage to its employees under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to exclude employees who have coverage under a health care program administered by the Department of Defense (DOD), including TRICARE, or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Title III: American Research and Competitiveness - American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for research expenses, to establish a 20% tax rate for such credit and make such credit permanent. Title IV: America's Small Business Tax Relief - America's Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the expensing allowance for depreciable business property, to make permanent: (1) the increased $500,000 expensing allowance for such property, (2) the increased $2,000,000 threshold amount for such property over which the amount of the expensing allowance is reduced, (3) expensing of computer software, and (4) rules for the expensing of qualified real property (i.e., leasehold improvement, restaurant, and retail improvement property). Allows an inflation adjustment to the dollar amounts of the expensing allowance for taxable years beginning after 2014. Makes air conditioning and heating units eligible for the expensing allowance. Title V: S Corporation Permanent Tax Relief - S Corporation Permanent Tax Relief Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the taxation of S corporations, to make permanent: (1) the reduction of the period (from 10 years to 5 years) during which the built-in gains of such corporations are subject to tax, and (2) the rule requiring an adjustment to the basis of a shareholder's stock in an S corporation that makes tax deductible contributions of appreciated property. Title VI: Bonus Depreciation Modified and Made Permanent - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the additional 50% depreciation allowance (bonus depreciation) for qualified property (i.e., property which has a recovery period of 20 years or less and is computer software, water utility property, or qualified leasehold or retail improvement property); (2) make permanent the election to increase the alternative minimum tax (AMT) credit limitation in lieu of bonus depreciation; and (3) allow an additional depreciation allowance for a tree or vine bearing fruits or nuts, in the taxable year in which the tree or vine is planted or grafted to a plant in the ordinary course of the taxpayer's farming business. Title VII: Repeal of Medical Device Excise Tax - Repeals the excise tax on medical devices. Division II: Financial Services - Title I: Small Business Capital Access And Job Preservation - Small Business Capital Access And Job Preservation Act - Amends the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to exempt private equity fund investment advisers from its registration and reporting requirements, provided that each private equity fund has not borrowed and does not have outstanding a principal amount exceeding twice its invested capital commitments. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to promulgate final rules that: (1) require such investment advisers to maintain records the SEC may require, taking into account fund size, governance, investment strategy, and risk; and (2) define the term "private equity fund" for purposes of this Act. Title II: Small Business Mergers, Acquisitions, Sales, and Brokerage Simplification - Small Business Mergers, Acquisitions, Sales, and Brokerage Simplification Act of 2014 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to exempt from its registration requirements certain merger and acquisition brokers and associated persons. Denies such registration exemption, however, to brokers who: (1) receive, hold, transmit, or have custody of any funds or securities to be exchanged by parties to a transfer of ownership of an eligible privately held company; or (2) engage on behalf of an issuer in a public offering of securities that are either subject to mandatory registration, or with respect to which the issuer must file periodic information, documents, and reports. Prohibits this Act from being construed to limit any other authority of the SEC to exempt any person, or any class of persons, from any provision of this Act, including any related rule or regulation. Division III: Oversight - Subdivision A: Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency - Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2014 -Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require Congressional Budget Office (CBO) studies on the costs for state, local, or tribal governments to comply with changes to conditions of federal assistance. Expands the point of order against legislation increasing the costs of federal intergovernmental mandates above the statutory threshold to include private sector mandates. Amends the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 to establish principles for agencies to use in assessing the effects of federal regulatory actions. Expands the scope of agency statements accompanying significant regulatory actions to require a more detailed analysis of the effect on state, local, tribal governments, or the private sector. Revises the process for consulting state, local, and tribal governments about proposed regulations to include private sector input. Requires the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to provide guidance and oversight so that each agency's regulations are consistent with this title, other laws, and policies of other agencies. Expands judicial review to include agency assessments of regulations and selection of the least costly or least burdensome regulatory alternative. Subdivision B: Achieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency - Achieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency Act of 2014 or the ALERRT Act of 2014 - Title I: All Economic Regulations Are Transparent Act - All Economic Regulations are Transparent Act of 2014 or the ALERT Act of 2014 - Requires the head of each federal agency to submit a monthly report to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each rule such agency expects to propose or finalize during the following year. Requires the Administrator to publish in the Federal Register, by October 1 of each year, information that the Administrator receives from each agency under this Act and statistics on each rule proposed by an agency. Requires the Administrator to make publicly available on the Internet, by October 1 of each year, the analysis of the costs or benefits of each proposed or final rule issued by an agency for the previous year and other information pertaining to each such rule. Prohibits a rule from taking effect until the information required by this Act is posted on the Internet for not less than six months, with exceptions. Title II: Regulatory Accountability Act - Regulatory Accountability Act of 2014 - Revises procedures for rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to require a federal agency to make all preliminary and final factual determinations based on evidence and to consider other criteria in evaluating a rule. Revises rulemaking notice requirements. Imposes new requirements for issuing any major guidance or guidance that involves a novel legal or policy issue arising out of statutory mandates. Provides for electronic access to transcripts of testimony and exhibits and other papers filed in a rulemaking proceeding. Requires the record of decision in a rulemaking proceeding to include information from a hearing under the Information Quality Act or information on a high-impact rule. Requires an agency to grant a petition for a hearing in the case of a major rule, unless the agency reasonably determines that a hearing would not advance consideration of the rule or would unreasonably delay completion of the rulemaking. Provides that an agency's denial of an Information Quality Act petition, or a failure to grant or deny such petition within 90 days, is reviewable by a court as a final action. Allows immediate judicial review of interim rules issued without compliance with the notice requirements of this Act, other than in cases involving national security interests. Revises standards for the scope of judicial review of agency rulemaking. Defines "substantial evidence" for purposes of evaluating agency adjudications and for rulemaking under APA. Title III: Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act - Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2014 - Amends the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) to revise the definitions of "rule" and "economic impact" under such Act. Requires initial and final regulatory flexibility analyses to: (1) describe alternatives to a proposed rule that minimize any adverse significant economic impact or that maximize the beneficial significant economic impact on small entities, and (2) include revisions or amendments to a land management plan developed by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior under specified Acts. Requires each federal agency to include in its regulatory flexibility agenda a brief description of the sector of the North American Industrial Classification System that is affected by a proposed agency rule that is likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Requires an agency's detailed statement in an initial regulatory flexibility analysis to include an estimate of the additional cumulative economic impact of the proposed rule on small entities and a description of any disproportionate economic impact on small entities or a specific class of such entities. Requires an agency, in developing an initial and final regulatory flexibility analysis, to provide: (1) a quantifiable or numerical description of the effects of a proposed or final rule and alternatives to such rule, or (2) a more general descriptive statement and a detailed statement explaining why quantification is not practicable or reliable. Repeals provisions allowing a waiver or delay of the completion of an initial regulatory flexibility analysis. Revises requirements for agency notification of the SBA Chief Counsel for Advocacy prior to the publication of any proposed rule. Provides for judicial review of an agency final rule for compliance with RFA requirements after publication of such rule. Amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Chief Counsel for Advocacy to specify detailed definitions or standards by which a business may be determined to be a small business (size standard). Amends the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 to require federal agencies, in developing small entity compliance guides, to solicit input from affected small entities or associations of small entities. Requires the Comptroller General to complete and publish a study that examines whether the SBA Chief Counsel for Advocacy has the capacity and resources to carry out the duties of Chief Counsel under this Act. Title IV: Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act - Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2014 - Defines a "covered civil action" as a civil action seeking to compel agency action and alleging that an agency is unlawfully withholding or unreasonably delaying an agency action relating to a regulatory action that would affect the rights of: (1) private persons other than the person bringing the action; or (2) a state, local, or tribal government. Defines a "covered consent decree" and a "covered settlement agreement" as: (1) a consent decree or settlement agreement entered into in a covered civil action; and (2) any other consent decree or settlement agreement that requires agency action relating to a regulatory action affecting the rights of private persons other than the person bringing the action or a state, local, or tribal government. Requires an agency against which a covered civil action is brought to publish the notice of intent to sue and the complaint in a readily accessible manner and to provide interested parties an opportunity to intervene and to conduct settlement negotiations through mediation. Requires an agency seeking to enter a covered consent decree or settlement agreement to publish such decree or agreement in the Federal Register and online. Requires a court to grant de novo review to any motion filed by an agency to modify a previously-entered consent decree if the basis of such motion is that the terms of the decree are no longer fully in the public interest due to the agency's obligations to fulfill other duties or due to changed facts and circumstances. Division IV: Judiciary - Title I: Regulations From The Executive In Need Of Scrutiny - Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2014 - States that the purpose of this Act is to increase accountability for and transparency in the federal regulatory process by requiring Congress to approve all new major regulations. Revises provisions relating to congressional review of agency rulemaking to require a federal agency promulgating a rule to include in its report to Congress and to the Comptroller General a classification of the rule as a major or nonmajor rule. Requires a joint resolution of approval of major rules to be enacted before such rules may take effect. Provides that if a joint resolution of approval is not enacted by the end of 70 session days or legislative days, as applicable, after the agency proposing the rule submits its report on such rule to Congress, the major rule shall be deemed not to be approved and shall not take effect. Permits a major rule to take effect for one 90-calendar-day period without such approval if the President determines it is necessary because of an imminent threat to health or safety or other emergency, for the enforcement of criminal laws, for national security, or to implement an international trade agreement. Sets forth the congressional approval procedure for major rules and the congressional disapproval procedure for nonmajor rules. Requires the introduction of a joint resolution addressing a report classifying a rule as a major rule within three legislative days in the House of Representative and three session days in the Senate. Prohibits any amendments to such a joint resolution at any stage of the legislative process. Provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution of approval and requires a vote on such resolution in the Senate within 15 session days after it is reported by the committee to which it was referred, or after such committee has been discharged from further consideration of the resolution. Allows a court to review whether an agency has completed the necessary requirements under this Act for a rule to take effect. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to provide that any congressional approval procedure set forth in this Act affecting budget authority, outlays, or receipts shall be assumed to be effective unless it is not approved in accordance with this Act. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct and report on a study to determine how many rules and major rules were in effect as of the date of enactment of this Act and the total estimated economic cost imposed by all such rules. Title II: Permanent Internet Tax Freedom - Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. Division V: Natural Resources - Subdivision A: Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities - Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act - Title I: Restoring the Commitment to Rural Counties and Schools - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish at least one Forest Reserve Revenue Area within each unit of the National Forest System (NFS) designated for sustainable forest management for the production of national forest materials (the sale of trees, portions of trees, or forest products from NFS lands) and forest reserve revenues (to be derived from the sale of such materials in such an Area). Title II: Healthy Forest Management and Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to NFS land, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands, to implement a hazardous fuel reduction project or forest health project in at-risk forests in a manner that focuses on surface, ladder, and canopy fuels reduction activities. Allows a state governor to designate high-risk areas of federal land in the state for purposes of addressing: (1) deteriorating forest health conditions due to the bark beetle epidemic or drought, with the resulting imminent risk of devastating wildfires; and (2) the future risk of insect infestations or disease outbreaks through preventative treatments to improve forest health conditions. Title III: Oregon and California Railroad Grant Lands Trust, Conservation, and Jobs - O&C Trust, Conservation, and Jobs Act - Establishes the Oregon and California Railroad Grant Lands Trust to produce annual maximum sustained revenues in perpetuity for Trust counties by managing the timber resources on Trust lands. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer administrative jurisdiction over all Oregon and California Railroad Grant lands and O&C Region Public Domain lands not designated as O&C Trust lands, except for certain tribal lands, to the Secretary of Agriculture for inclusion in the NFS. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint an Old Growth Review Panel to define old growth as it applies to the ecologically, geographically, and climatologically unique Oregon and California Railroad Grant lands and O&C Region Public Domain lands managed by the O&C Trust or the Forest Service only (but not to tribal lands). Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer management authority over the reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands, with certain exceptions, and their surface resources to the Coos County government in Oregon. Designates certain federal land in Oregon as the Devil's Staircase Wilderness for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate specified segments of the Molalla River and the Rogue River in Oregon as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Holds in trust for the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians all interest of the United States in and to the Council Creek specified land composed of approximately 17,519 acres. Makes that land part of the Tribe's reservation. Holds in trust for the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians all interest of the United States in and to approximately 14,804 acres of specified federal land. Makes that land part of the Tribes' reservation. Title IV: Community Forest Management Demonstration - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the community forest demonstration area of a state. Conditions establishment of an area upon: (1) inclusion of at least 200,000 acres of NFS land; (2) a state forest practices law applicable to state or privately owned forest land, or established silvicultural best management practices or other regulations for forest management practices related to clean water, soil quality, wildlife, or forest health; and (3) a revenue-sharing agreement between a county and the state governor requiring the county, in using certain revenues received from the area, to continue to meet obligations for the use of such revenues for the benefit of public schools and roads. Limits to a total of 4 million acres the amount of NFS land that may be established as community forest demonstration areas. Title V: Reauthorization and Amendment of Existing Authorities and Other Matters - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, during February 2015, to distribute to each beneficiary county a payment equal to the amount distributed to the county for FY2010 under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, during February 2015, to distribute to all counties that received a payment for FY2010new payments totalling the difference between: (1) the total amount distributed to all such counties for FY2010, and (2) $27 million. Subdivision B: National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production - National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2014 - Title I: Development Of Domestic Sources Of Strategic And Critical Minerals - Deems a domestic mine that will provide strategic and critical minerals to be an "infrastructure project" as described in Presidential Order "Improving Performance of Federal Permitting and Review of Infrastructure Projects" dated March 22, 2012. Sets forth the responsibilities of the lead agency (federal, state, local, tribal, or Alaska Native Corporation) with responsibility for issuing a mineral exploration or mine permit with respect to project coordination, agency consultation, project proponents, contractors, and the status and scope of any environmental impact statement. Requires the lead agency to determine that any such action does not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 if the procedural and substantive safeguards of the lead agency's permitting process alone, any applicable state permitting process alone, or a combination of the two processes together, provide an adequate mechanism to ensure that environmental factors are taken into account. Requires the lead agency's project lead, at a project proponent's request, to enter into an agreement with the project proponent and other cooperating agencies that sets time limits for each part of the permitting process. Applies this Act to a mineral exploration or mine permit for which an application was submitted before enactment of this Act if the applicant so requests in writing. Requires the lead agency, with respect to strategic and critical minerals within a federally administered unit of the NFS, to: (1) exempt from federal regulations governing Special Areas all areas of identified mineral resources in Land Use Designations (other than Non-Development Land Use Designations); (2) apply such exemption to all additional routes and areas that the agency finds necessary to facilitate the construction, operation, maintenance, and restoration of the areas of the identified mineral resources; and (3) continue to apply such exemptions after approval of the Minerals Plan of Operations for the unit. Title II: Judicial Review of Agency Actions Relating to Exploration and Mine Permits - Authorizes the holder of a mineral exploration or mine permit to intervene as of right in any covered civil action by a person affecting rights or obligations of the permit holder under the permit. Bars a civil action claiming legal wrong caused by an agency action unless it is filed within the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date of the final federal agency action to which it relates. Requires the court to hear and determine any covered civil action as expeditiously as possible. Prohibits the court, in a covered civil action, from granting or approving prospective relief unless it finds that it is narrowly drawn, extends no further than necessary to correct the violation of a legal requirement, and is the least intrusive means necessary to correct such violation. Prohibits payment from the federal government for court costs of a party in such a civil action, including attorneys' fees and expenses. Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions - Prohibits the construction of this subdivision to affect any aspect of Secretarial Order 3324, issued by the Secretary of the Interior on December 3, 2012, with respect to potash and oil and gas operators.
Bill· HRH.R. 2 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2014
American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act - Division A: Energy and Commerce - Northern Route Approval Act - Declares that a presidential permit shall not be required for a certain pipeline application filed by TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to the Department of State for the Keystone XL pipeline (including the Nebraska reroute evaluated in the Final Evaluation Report issued by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and approved by the Nebraska governor). Deems a certain final environmental impact statement issued by the Secretary of State, coupled with such Final Evaluation Report, to satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act. Deems the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary in this Act, unless otherwise indicated) to have issued a written opinion that the Keystone XL pipeline project will neither jeopardize the American burying beetle, nor destroy or adversely modify its critical habitat. Requires the Secretary of the Army to issue by a specified deadline certain permits under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Rivers and Harbors Appropriations Act of 1899 for pipeline construction, operation, and maintenance. Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from prohibiting or restricting any activity or use of an area authorized under this Act. Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act - Amends the Natural Gas Act to direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve or deny a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a prefiled project within 12 months after receiving a complete application that is ready to be processed. Requires the agency responsible for issuing any federal license, permit, or approval regarding the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a project to approve or deny the certificate within 90 days after FERC issues its final environmental document. Declares that, if the agency fails to approve or deny a permit, license, or approval within the prescribed time-frame, the license, permit, or approval shall take effect upon expiration of 30 days after the period's end. North American Energy Infrastructure Act - Declares a certificate of crossing under this Act to be a prerequisite for construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of a cross-border segment of an oil or natural gas pipeline or electric transmission facility at the national boundary of the U.S. for the import or export of oil, natural gas, or electricity to or from Canada or Mexico. Amends the Natural Gas Act to declare that a FERC order is not required for the export or import of natural gas to or from Canada or Mexico. Amends the Federal Power Act to repeal the requirement that the transmission of electric energy to a foreign country necessitates prior FERC authorization. Declares that no Presidential permit shall be necessary for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of an oil or natural gas pipeline or electric transmission facility, including any cross-border segment. Energy Consumers Relief Act of 2014 - Prohibits EPA from promulgating a final rule governing production, supply, distribution, or use of energy that is estimated to impose aggregate costs of more than $1 billion if the Department of Energy (DOE) determines that it will cause significant adverse effects to the economy. Requires EPA, before promulgating such a final rule, to report on: (1) an estimate of the total costs and benefits of the rule, (2) an estimate of the increases in energy prices that may result from the rule, and (3) a detailed description of the employment effects that may result from the rule. Directs DOE to: (1) determine whether such rule will increase consumer energy prices, or impact fuel diversity of the nation's electricity generation portfolio or electric reliability; (2) cause an adverse effect on energy supply, distribution, or use; and (3) determine whether the rule will cause significant adverse effects to the economy. Prohibits EPA from using the social cost of carbon in any cost-benefit analysis relating to an energy-related rule estimated to cost more than $1 billion unless a federal law is enacted authorizing such use. Electricity Security and Affordability Act - Prohibits EPA from issuing, implementing, or enforcing any rule under the Clean Air Act that establishes a performance standard for greenhouse gas emissions from a new source that is a fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating unit unless the rule meets specified requirements of this Act. Requires EPA to separate sources fueled with coal and natural gas into separate categories. Prohibits EPA from setting a standard based on the best system of emission reduction for new sources within a fossil-fuel category unless the standard meets certain criteria. Precludes from taking effect, unless a federal law is enacted specifying an effective date, any EPA rule or guideline that: (1) establishes any performance standard for greenhouse gas emissions from a modified or reconstructed source that is a fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating unit, or (2) applies to greenhouse gas emissions from such an existing source. Nullifies specified proposed rules for Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions for New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units that are issued before enactment of this Act. Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act - Directs DOE to issue a decision on an application to export natural gas within 30 days after the later of: (1) the conclusion of the review to site, construct, expand, or operate the liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities required by NEPA; or (2) the date of enactment of this Act. Deems any NEPA review to be concluded: (1) 30 days after publication of a required Environmental Impact Statement; (2) 30 days after DOE publication of a Finding of No Significant Impact if the project needs an Environmental Assessment; and (3) upon a determination by the lead agency that an application is eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to NEPA regulations. (A "categorical exclusion" under NEPA is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment [EA] nor an environmental impact statement [EIS] is required.) Confers exclusive jurisdiction upon the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the LNG export facility will be located regarding any civil action for the review of: (1) a DOE order regarding the application, or (2) DOE failure to issue a final decision on the application. Amends the Natural Gas Act to require DOE to require, as a condition for approval to export LNG, that the applicant make public disclosure of the export's specific destination. Division B: Natural Resources Committee - Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act of 2014 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to direct the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary in this Act) to implement a leasing program that includes at least 50% of the available unleased acreage within each outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning area considered to have the largest undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources. Sets the production goal as an increase by 2032 of at least: (1) 3 million barrels of oil produced daily, and (2) 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas produced daily. Directs the Secretary to: (1) submit to Congress a new proposed oil and gas leasing program for the five-year period from July 15, 2015, to July 15, 2021, and (2) approve a final oil and gas leasing program by July 15, 2016. Directs the Secretary to conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 220 on the OCS offshore Virginia within one year after enactment of this Act. Directs the Secretary to conduct a lease sale within two years after enactment of this Act for areas off the coast of South Carolina with the most geologically promising hydrocarbon resources and constituting at least 25% of the leasable area within the South Carolina offshore administrative boundaries. Directs the Secretary to offer for sale by December 31, 2015, leases of tracts in the Santa Maria and Santa Barbara/Ventura Basins of the Southern California OCS Planning Area. Allocates 37.5% of the amount of new federal leasing revenues to coastal states affected by the leases under which those revenues are received by the U.S. Prescribes an allocation schedule for coastal states within 200 miles of the leased tract. Establishes in the Department of the Interior: (1) an Under Secretary for Energy, Lands, and Minerals; (2) an Assistant Secretary of Ocean Energy and Safety; (3) an Assistant Secretary of Land and Minerals Management; (4) a Bureau of Ocean Energy; (5) an Ocean Energy Safety Service; and (6) an Office of Natural Resources Revenue. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a National Offshore Energy Safety Academy as an agency of the Ocean Energy Safety Service, and (2) an Outer Continental Shelf Energy Safety Advisory Board. Abolishes the Minerals Management Service. Establishes in the Treasury the Ocean Energy Enforcement Fund as depository for non-refundable fees collected from the operators of facilities subject to inspection. Redefines the OCS to include all submerged lands lying within the U.S. exclusive economic zone and the Continental Shelf adjacent to any U.S. territory. Directs the Secretary to promulgate rules regarding the revenue streams contemplated by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, including the timing and methods of disbursements of certain funds under such Act. Prescribes requirements for judicial review of any action or decision by a federal official regarding the issuance of an energy lease. Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act - Directs the Secretary to encourage the use of U.S. workers and equipment manufactured in the U.S. in all construction related to mineral resource development under this Act. Streamlining Permitting of American Energy Act of 2014 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) to direct the Secretary to decide whether to issue a permit to drill within 30 days after receiving a permit application, with specified allowable deadline extensions. Deems a permit application approved if the Secretary has not made a decision by 60 days after its receipt. Directs the Secretary to collect: (1) a single $6,500 permit processing fee per application; and (2) a $5,000 documentation fee to accompany each protest for a lease, right of way, or application for permit to drill. Requires the Secretary to establish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project in every Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field office responsible for permitting energy projects on federal land. Prescribes procedures for judicial review of an agency action affecting leasing federal lands for energy activities. Requires the Secretary to provide matching funding of up to 50% for joint projects with states to conduct oil and gas resource assessments on federal lands with significant oil and gas potential. Providing Leasing Certainty for American Energy Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary, in conducting lease sales under the MLA, to offer for sale at least 25% of the annual nominated acreage not previously made available for lease. Shields such acreage from protest or the test of extraordinary circumstances. Amends the MLA to prohibit the Secretary from: (1) withdrawing any covered energy project without finding a violation of lease terms by the lessee; (2) delaying indefinitely issuance of project approvals, drilling and seismic permits, and rights of way for activities under a lease; or (3) cancelling or withdrawing any lease parcel after a competitive lease sale has occurred and a winning bidder has made the last payment for the parcel. Declares without force or effect BLM Instruction Memorandum 2010-117 (which establishes a process to ensure orderly, effective, timely, and environmentally responsible leasing of oil and gas resources on federal lands). Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security Act or the PIONEERS Act - Deems the final regulations regarding oil shale management published by the BLM on November 18, 2008, to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements. Deems the November 17, 2008, BLM Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments/Record of Decision for Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resources to Address Land Use Allocations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements. Directs the Secretary to hold, within 180 days after enactment of this Act, a lease sale that offers for lease additional ten parcels for research, development, and demonstration of oil shale resources under terms offered in specified bid solicitations. Requires the Secretary, by January 1, 2016, to hold at least five separate commercial lease sales, in multiple lease blocs, in areas of at least 25,000 acres, which: (1) have been nominated through public comment, and (2) are considered to have the most potential for oil shale development. Planning for American Energy Act of 2014 - Amends the MLA to direct the Secretary to publish a Quadrennial Federal Onshore Energy Production Strategy to direct federal land energy development and department resource allocation. Directs the Secretary to determine a domestic strategic production objective for the development of energy resources. Expresses the sense of Congress that federally recognized Indian tribes may elect to set their own production objectives as part of such strategy. National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act - Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to require the mandatory program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) to include at least one lease sale annually in areas deemed most likely to produce commercial quantities of oil and natural gas each year in the period 2014-2024. Directs the Secretary to ensure permits according to a specified timeline for all surface development activities, including pipelines and roads construction, to: (1) develop and bring into production areas within the NPR that are subject to oil and gas leases, and (2) transport oil and gas from and through the NPR to existing transportation or processing infrastructure on the North Slope of Alaska. Directs the Secretary to ensure that any federal permitting agency issue permits for construction for transportation of oil and natural gas under existing federal oil and gas leases with drilling permits within 60 days after enactment of this Act. Requires approval of drilling permits under new federal oil and gas leases within six months after submission of a permit request to the Secretary. Nullifies the February 21, 2013, Record of Decision, including its integrated activity plan and environmental impact statement. Requires the Secretary to assess all technically recoverable fossil fuel resources within the NPR, including conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas. BLM Live Internet Auctions Act - Amends the MLA to authorize the Secretary to conduct onshore oil and gas lease sales, within seven days, through Internet-based live bidding methods. Native American Energy Act - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to allow either the Secretary, an affected Indian tribe, or a certified third-party appraiser under contract with the Indian tribe to appraise Indian land or trust assets involved in a transaction requiring the Secretary's approval. Amends NEPA to make the environmental impact statement for major federal action on Indian lands available for review and comment only to the affected Indian tribe and individuals residing within the affected area. Prescribes requirements for judicial review of energy-related actions. Amends the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 to direct the Secretary to enter into agreements with Indian tribes to carry out demonstration projects that promote biomass energy production on Indian forest land and in nearby communities by providing tribes with reliable supplies of woody biomass from federal lands. Amends the Long-Term Leasing Act to authorize the Navajo Nation to enter into commercial or agricultural leases of up to 99 years on their restricted lands without the Secretary's approval if they are executed under tribal regulations approved by the Secretary. Permits the Navajo Nation to enter into mineral resource leases on their restricted lands without the Secretary's approval if they are executed under approved tribal regulations and do not exceed 25 years, though they may include a renewal option for one additional term not exceeding 25 years. Prohibits any Department of the Interior rule regarding hydraulic fracturing used in oil and gas development or production, from having any effect on land held in trust or restricted status for Indians, except with the express consent of its Indian beneficiaries. Directs the Secretary to establish an Office of Energy Employment and Training. Bureau of Reclamation Conduit Hydropower Development Equity and Jobs Act - Amends the Water Conservation and Utilization Act (WCUA) to authorize the Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to enter into 40-year leases of power privileges for electric power generation in connection with any project constructed under such Act. Requires the Bureau to apply its categorical exclusion process under NEPA to small conduit hydropower under WCUA, excluding siting of associated transmission facilities on federal lands. Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act - Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to modify the boundary of the Crooked River, Oregon. Requires the developer for any hydropower development at Bowman Dam to analyze any impacts to the Outstanding Remarkable Values of the Wild and Scenic River that may be caused by such development and propose impact mitigationas part of any license application submitted to FERC. Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act - Amends the MLA to prohibit the Department of the Interior from enforcing any federal regulation, guidance, or permit requirement regarding hydraulic fracturing (including any component of that process), relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on or under any land in any state that has regulations, guidance, or permit requirements for that activity. Extends that prohibition, with an exception, to land held either in trust or restricted status for the benefit of Indians. Requires the Department to recognize and defer to state regulations, permitting, and guidance for hydraulic fracturing relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on federal land. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to examine the economic benefits of domestic shale oil and gas production resulting from hydraulic fracturing. EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study Improvement Act - Requires EPA to adhere to prescribed requirements when conducting its study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to require state programs for regulation of surface coal mining to incorporate the necessary rule concerning excess spoil, coal mine waste, and buffers for perennial and intermittent streams published by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Division C: Judiciary - Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development Act of 2014 or the RAPID Act - Authorizes a project sponsor, upon the request of a lead agency, to prepare any document required for environmental review if the agency furnishes oversight and independently evaluates, approves, and adopts the document before taking action on it. Prohibits requiring more than one EIS and one EA for a project, except for supplemental environmental documents prepared under NEPA or pursuant to court order. Requires the lead agency to prepare the EIS or EA. Prohibits the lead agency from using the social cost of carbon in any environmental review or environmental decision making process. Requires the Council on Environmental Quality and each federal agency to amend NEPA implementing regulations to implement this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 5412 (113th)reported
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2014
Bureau of Reclamation Surface Water Storage Streamlining Act - Sets forth provisions governing feasibility studies for surface water storage projects initiated by the Secretary of the Interior under the Reclamation Act of 1902 (project studies). Requires a project study initiated after enactment of this Act to: (1) result in the completion of a final feasibility report within three years; (2) have a maximum federal cost of $3 million; and (3) ensure that personnel from the local project area, region, and headquarters levels of the Bureau of Reclamation concurrently conduct the required review. Sets forth factors for extending such time line for complex projects. Requires the Secretary, within 90 days after the initiation of a project study, to: (1) initiate the process for completing reviews, including environmental reviews, required to be completed as part of such study; (2) convene a meeting of federal, tribal, and state agencies required to act; and (3) provide information that will enable required reviews and analyses to be conducted by other agencies in a thorough and timely manner. Directs the Secretary to: (1) expedite the completion of any ongoing project study initiated before the enactment of this Act; and (2) proceed directly to preconstruction planning, engineering, and design of a project the Secretary determines is justified. Sets forth requirements applicable to project studies initiated after enactment of this Act for which an environmental impact statement is prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Requires the Secretary to: annually prepare a list of all such studies that do not have adequate funding for study completion; develop and implement a coordinated environmental review process for the development of such studies; identify, as early as practicable in such process, all federal, state, and local government agencies and Indian tribes that have jurisdiction and that are required to act, which the federal lead agency shall invite to become participating or cooperating agencies; issue guidance regarding the use of programmatic approaches to carry out the environmental review process; and establish an electronic database and issue reporting requirements to make publicly available the status and progress with respect to compliance with applicable NEPA requirements and any other federal, state, or local approval or action required for a project study. Sets forth the authorities and responsibilities of the joint lead agency, which may be a project sponsor, and the federal lead agency in the environmental review process, including: (1) the preparation and use of environmental documents; (2) establishing a plan for coordinating public and agency participation; (3) working with cooperating and participating agencies to identify and resolve issues that could delay process completion or result in the denial of any approval required for the project study; and (4) establishing, upon request, memoranda of agreement with the project sponsor, Indian tribes, and state and local governments to carry out the early coordination activities. Requires a federal jurisdictional agency to complete any required approval or decision for the environmental review process on an expeditious basis using the shortest existing applicable process. Provides for a reduction of funds for such an agency that fails to render such a decision by a specified deadline. Directs the Secretary to: (1) survey the use by the Bureau of categorical exclusions in projects since 2005 and propose a new categorical exclusion for a category of activities if merited, and (2) establish a program to measure and report on progress made toward improving and expediting the planning and environmental review process. Directs the Secretary to develop and submit by February 1 of each year a Report to Congress on Future Surface Water Storage Development that identifies the costs and benefits of, the non-federal interests associated with, and the support for project reports, proposed project studies, and proposed modifications to authorized surface water storage projects and project studies that are related to the missions and authorities of the Bureau, that require specific congressional authorization, that have not been congressionally authorized, that have not been included in any previous annual report, and that, if authorized, could be carried out by the Bureau.
Bill· HRH.R. 5213 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2014
Simplifying Technical Aspects Regarding Seasonality Act of 2014 or the STARS Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt seasonal employees from the definition of "full-time employee" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide employees with minimum essential health care coverage. Defines "seasonal employee" as an employee who is employed in a position for which the customary annual employment is not more than six months and which requires performing labor or services that are ordinarily performed at certain seasons or periods of the year.
Bill· HRH.R. 5078 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2014
Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014 - Prohibits the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from: developing, finalizing, adopting, implementing, applying, administering, or enforcing the proposed rule entitled, "Definition of 'Waters of the United States' Under the Clean Water Act," issued on April 21, 2014, or the proposed guidance entitled, "Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected By the Clean Water Act," dated February 17, 2012; or using the proposed rule or proposed guidance, any successor document, or any substantially similar proposed rule or guidance as the basis for any rulemaking or decision regarding the scope or enforcement of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act). Requires the Army Corps and the EPA to withdraw the interpretive rule entitled, "Notice of Availability Regarding the Exemption from Permitting Under Section 404(f)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act to Certain Agricultural Conservation Practices," issued on April 21, 2014. Requires the Army Corps and the EPA to consult with relevant state and local officials to develop recommendations for a regulatory proposal that would identify the scope of waters covered under the Clean Water Act and the scope of waters not covered.
Bill· HRH.R. 5071 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2014
Agricultural Conservation Flexibility Act of 2014 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw the interpretive rule issued on March 25, 2014, entitled, "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of the Army Interpretive Rule Regarding the Applicability of the Clean Water Act Section 404(f)(1)(A)." Prohibits the Corps and the EPA from using the interpretive rule, or any substantially similar rule or guidance, as the basis for any rulemaking, decision, or action regarding the scope or enforcement of the Clean Water Act. Provides that the use of rule or a substantially similar rule or guidance as the basis for any rule, decision, or action is grounds for vacating the rule, decision, or action. Requires soil and water conservation practices to be treated as normal farming, silviculture, and ranching activities under permits for non-prohibited discharges of dredged or fill material. Prohibits such practices from being treated as a new use of an area of navigable waters, an impairment of the flow or circulation of navigable waters, or a reduction in the reach of such waters under those permits. Applies this Act to activities occurring on or after March 25, 2014.
Bill· HRH.R. 4981 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the federal criminal code to expand the definition of "full amount of the victim's losses" for purposes of provisions governing mandatory restitution of victims of offenses involving sexual exploitation and other abuse of children to include medical services, physical and occupational therapy or rehabilitation, and lost income for the victim's lifetime, as well as any losses suffered by the victim from any sexual act or conduct in preparation for or during the production of child pornography depicting the victim involved in the offense. Sets forth guidelines for determining restitution where the victim of of a specified child pornography offense was harmed by one defendant (requiring restitution for not less than the full amount of the victim's losses) or by more than one defendant (requiring restitution for not more than the full amount of the victim's losses and not less than specified minimum amounts for certain offenses). Requires joint and several liability where there are multiple defendants and allows each defendant who is ordered to pay restitution and who has made full payment to the victim equal to or exceeding the specified minimum amount to recover contribution from any other defendant ordered to pay. Sets forth contribution claim procedures. Requires the Attorney General to report to Congress within one year after enactment of this Act on any progress of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in obtaining restitution for victims of such offenses.
Bill· HRH.R. 4959 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2014
EEOC Transparency and Accountability Act - Directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to provide information on its public website regarding each case brought in court by the EEOC after a judgment is made with respect to any cause of action. Requires such information to include: (1) instances in which the EEOC was ordered to pay fees and costs; (2) cases in which a sanction was imposed on the EEOC; (3) the total number of charges of an alleged unlawful employment practice filed under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and (4) cases of systemic discrimination, including pattern or practice discrimination. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit the EEOC from bringing a suit unless it exhausts its obligation to engage in an informal conciliation and certifies that conciliation is at impasse. Makes the determination as to whether the EEOC has engaged in a bona fide conciliation subject to judicial review. Directs the EEOC Inspector General to notify Congress of any sanctions, fees, or costs imposed on the EEOC by a court. Requires the Inspector General to investigate such cases and the EEOC to report to Congress regarding the steps being taken to reduce such instances.
Bill· HRH.R. 4933 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2014
Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the accelerated depreciation (seven-year recovery period) of motorsports entertainment complexes.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 634 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2014
Expresses condolences to the victims of the devastating landslide near Oso, Washington on March 22, 2014. Extends thanks to the first responders, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, volunteers, and medical personnel who took quick action to provide aid and comfort to the victims. Commends the resiliency of the affected communities. Commits to provide the necessary resources and to stand by the people of those communities.
Bill· HRH.R. 4899 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2014
Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act of 2014 - Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to implement a leasing program that includes at least 50% of the available unleased acreage within each outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning area considered to have the largest undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources, with an emphasis on offering the most geologically prospective parts of the planning area. Directs the Secretary to: (1) submit to Congress a new proposed oil and gas leasing program for the 5-year period from July 15, 2015, to July 15, 2021; and (2) approve a final oil and gas leasing program by July 15, 2016. Prohibits construction of this Act as authorizing the issuance of a lease under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to any person designated for the imposition of sanctions pursuant to specified law. Directs the Secretary to conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 220 on the OCS offshore Virginia within one year after the date of enactment of this Act. Directs the Secretary to conduct a lease sale within two years after enactment of this Act for certain areas off the coast of South Carolina. Directs the Secretary to offer for sale by December 31, 2015, leases of tracts in the Santa Maria and Santa Barbara/Ventura Basins of the Southern California OCS Planning Area. Retains the authority of the Secretary of Defense (DOD) with the approval of the President, to designate national defense areas on the OCS. Establishes in the Department of the Interior: (1) an Under Secretary for Energy, Lands, and Minerals; (2) an Assistant Secretary of Ocean Energy and Safety; (3) an Assistant Secretary of Land and Minerals Management; (4) a Bureau of Ocean Energy; (5) an Ocean Energy Safety Service; and (6) an Office of Natural Resources Revenue. Abolishes the Minerals Management Service. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a National Offshore Energy Health and Safety Academy, and (2) an Outer Continental Shelf Energy Safety Advisory Board. Establishes in the Treasury the Ocean Energy Enforcement Fund as depository for non-refundable fees collected from the operators of facilities subject to inspection. Prohibits the Bureau of Ocean Energy and the Ocean Energy Safety Service from developing, proposing, finalizing, administering, or implementing any limitation on activities under their jurisdictions as a result of the coastal and marine spatial planning component of the National Ocean Policy developed under Executive Order 13547. Redefines the OCS to include all submerged lands lying within the U.S. exclusive economic zone and the Continental Shelf adjacent to any U.S. territory. Directs the Secretary to promulgate rules regarding the revenue streams contemplated by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, including the timing and methods of disbursements of certain funds under such Act. Increases, for FY2024-FY2055, the maximum amount of qualified OCS revenues distributed to Gulf producing states. Prescribes requirements for judicial review of any action or decision by a federal official regarding the issuance of an energy lease under this Act. Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act - Directs the Secretary, when practicable, to encourage the use of U.S. workers and equipment manufactured in the U.S. in all construction related to mineral resource development under this Act. Streamlining Permitting of American Energy Act of 2014 - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) to direct the Secretary to decide whether to issue a permit to drill within 30 days after receiving a permit application, with specified allowable deadline extensions. Deems a permit application approved if the Secretary has not made a decision by 60 days after its receipt. Prescribes requirements for denial and resubmission of an application. Requires the Secretary to collect a single $6,500 permit processing fee per application at the time the decision is made whether to issue a permit. Directs the Secretary to collect a $5,000 documentation fee to accompany each protest for a lease, right of way, or application for permit to drill. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project in every Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field office with responsibility for permitting energy projects on federal land, and (2) enter into a related memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers. Requires the Secretary to provide matching funding of 50% for joint projects with states to conduct oil and gas resource assessments on federal lands with significant oil and gas potential. Providing Leasing Certainty for American Energy Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary, in conducting lease sales under the MLA, to offer for sale at least 25% of the annual nominated acreage not previously made available for lease. Shields such acreage from protest and the test of extraordinary circumstances. Amends the MLA to prohibit the Secretary from: (1) withdrawing any covered energy project without finding a violation of lease terms by the lessee; (2) delaying indefinitely issuance of project approvals, drilling and seismic permits, and rights of way for activities under a lease; or (3) cancelling or withdrawing any lease parcel after a competitive lease sale has occurred and a winning bidder has made the last payment for the parcel. Requires federal land managers to follow existing resource management plans and continue to lease actively in areas designated as open when resource management plans are being amended or revised, until such time as a new record of decision is signed. Declares without force or effect BLM Instruction Memorandum 2010-117 (which establishes a process to ensure orderly, effective, timely, and environmentally responsible leasing of oil and gas resources on federal lands). Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security Act or the PIONEERS Act - Deems the final regulations regarding oil shale management published by the BLM on November 18, 2008, to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements under any law, including the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Directs the Secretary to implement those regulations, including the oil shale leasing program they authorize, without any other administrative action necessary. Directs the Secretary to hold a lease sale, within 180 days after enactment of this Act, that offers an additional ten parcels for lease for research, development, and demonstration of oil shale resources under the terms offered in the solicitation of bids published on January 15, 2009. Requires the Secretary, by January 1, 2016, to hold at least five separate commercial lease sales, in multiple lease blocs, in areas of at least 25,000 acres, which: (1) have been nominated through public comment, and (2) are considered to have the most potential for oil shale development. Planning for American Energy Act of 2014 - Amends the MLA to direct the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) with regard to lands administered by the Forest Service, to publish every four years a Quadrennial Federal Onshore Energy Production Strategy to direct federal land energy development and department resource allocation in order to promote the energy and national security of the United States in accordance with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mission to promote the multiple use of federal lands. Requires the Secretary to determine a domestic strategic production objective for the development of energy resources from such lands. Expresses the sense of Congress that federally recognized Indian tribes may elect to set their own production objectives as part of the Strategy. Grants the relevant Secretary all necessary authority to make determinations regarding which additional federal lands available for leasing at the time the lease sale occurs will be available to meet the production objectives established by the strategies. National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act - Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to require the mandatory program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) in Alaska to include at least one lease sale annually in those areas most likely to produce commercial quantities of oil and natural gas each year in the period 2014-2024. Directs the Secretary to ensure permits according to a specified time line for all surface development activities, including pipelines and roads construction, to: (1) develop and bring into production areas within the NPR that are subject to oil and gas leases, and (2) transport oil and gas from and through the NPR to existing transportation or processing infrastructure on the North Slope of Alaska. Requires the Secretary to ensure that any federal permitting agency shall issue construction permits for transportation of oil and natural gas under existing federal oil and gas leases with drilling permits within 60 days after enactment of this Act. Requires approval of drilling permits under new federal oil and gas leases within six months after submission of a permit request to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to issue: (1) a new proposed integrated activity plan from among the non-adopted alternatives in the NPR Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision dated February 21, 2013, and (2) an environmental impact statement under NEPA for issuance of oil and gas leases in the NPR-Alaska to promote efficient and maximum development of oil and natural gas resources of such reserve. Nullifies the February 21, 2013, Record of Decision, including its integrated activity plan and environmental impact statement. Prescribes requirements for the new proposed integrated activity plan. Requires the Secretary to assess all technically recoverable fossil fuel resources within the NPR, including all conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas. Directs the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the state of Alaska and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, to conduct and complete a resource assessment within 24 months after enactment of this Act. BLM Live Internet Auctions Act - Amends the MLA to authorize the Secretary to conduct onshore oil and gas lease sales through Internet-based live bidding methods. Requires each individual Internet-based lease sale to conclude within seven days. Directs the Secretary to analyze the first ten such lease sales and evaluate the effectiveness of different structures for lease sales.
Bill· HRH.R. 4873 (113th)reported
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2014
Cabin Fee Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to set an annual fee for the issuance of a special use permit for the use and occupancy of National Forest System land for recreational residence purposes. Requires the Secretary to: (1) complete the current appraisal cycle, including receipt of timely second appraisals, for such residences within one year after enactment of this Act, and (2) assess an interim annual fee for them according to a specified formula. Specifies the annual fee for each of 11 fee tiers based on the value of the lot of which the recreational residence is located, adjusted annually for inflation. Requires the Secretary to report after ten years on these annual fees in order to ensure that they reflect fair value for the use of System land, and on any recommendations to modify the fee system. Directs the Secretary to establish a transfer fee of $1,200 for the issuance of a new recreational residence permit due to a change in ownership of the recreational residence. Permits the Secretary, beginning ten years after enactment of this Act, to: (1) retain and expend any fees collected under this Act, without further appropriation, and (2) use them to administer the recreational residence program and other recreation programs carried out on System land. Repeals the Cabin User Fees Fairness Act of 2000, effective on the date the annual permit fees are first assessed under this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 4810 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2014
Veteran Access to Care Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into contracts with such non-VA facilities as may be necessary to furnish hospital care and medical services to veterans who: have waited longer than the wait-time goals of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) (as of June 1, 2014) for an appointment for hospital care or medical services in a VA facility; have been notified by a VA facility that an appointment for hospital care or medical services is not available within such wait-time goals; or reside more than 40 miles from the VA medical facility, including a community-based outpatient clinic, that is closest to their residence. Allows eligible veterans who opt for hospital care or medical services in a non-VA facility to receive such care or services through the completion of the episode of care, but for no longer than 60 days. Directs the Secretary, to the extent that appropriations are available to the VHA for medical services, to reimburse non-VA facilities with which the VA does not have such a contract for providing hospital care and medical services to such veterans, if such care and services cannot be provided within the VHA's wait-time goals in a facility with which the VA has a contract. Sets the reimbursement rate for such care or services at the greatest of the VA, Medicare, or TRICARE (a Department of Defense [DOD] managed care program) payment rate for such care or services. Terminates the Secretary's authority to contract with or reimburse non-VA facilities for the provision of such care and services two years after this Act's enactment. Directs the Secretary to enter into a contract or contracts with a private entity or entities with experience in VHA and private delivery systems and in health care management to conduct an independent assessment of the hospital care and medical services furnished in VA facilities. Prohibits the Secretary from paying awards and bonuses to VA employees for FY2014-FY2016.
Bill· HRH.R. 4742 (113th)reported
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2014
Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act - Revises and reauthorizes through FY2018 the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Revises requirements for fishery management plans for overfished fisheries. Modifies annual catch limit requirements, including by authorizing Regional Fishery Management Councils to consider changes in an ecosystem and the economic needs of the fishing communities when establishing the limits. Replaces the term “overfished” with “depleted” throughout the MSA to distinguish between fish that are depleted due to fishing and those that are depleted for other reasons. Requires fishery management plans to include a fishery impact statement to assess, specify, and analyze the likely effects and impacts of the proposed action on the quality of the human environment. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to issue regulations governing the use of electronic monitoring of fisheries. Authorizes the Secretary to obligate amounts received as fisheries enforcement penalties for collecting information on data-poor fisheries. Requires the Secretary to publish within a year a plan for implementing the Cooperative Research and Management Program. Extends the offshore jurisdiction of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama from three miles to nine miles for the recreational management of red snapper. Specifies the role of the MSA in relationship to certain environmental laws. Revitalizing the Economy of Fisheries in the Pacific Act or the REFI Pacific Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue a loan to refinance the existing debt obligation funding the fishing capacity reduction program for the West Coast groundfish fishery implemented under the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003.
Bill· HRH.R. 4682 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2014
Veterans TRICARE Choice Act - Allows an individual who is eligible to participate in the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense [DOD] managed health care program) to: (1) elect to be ineligible to enroll in such program, (2) make tax deductible contributions to a health savings account during the period such individual elects to be ineligible for TRICARE coverage, and (3) enroll in the TRICARE program at a later date during a special enrollment period.
Bill· HRH.R. 4589 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2014
Personal Holding Company Tax Parity and Reinvestment Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude dividends received by a U.S. shareholder from a controlled foreign corporation from the definition of "personal holding company income" for purposes of personal holding company taxation.
Bill· HRH.R. 4567 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the special rule for the exclusion from gross income of amounts received by an employee from a governmental accident or health plan to include amounts paid from plans established by or on behalf of a state or political subdivision.
Bill· HRH.R. 4510 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2014
Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act of 2014 - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act concerning establishment of minimum leverage and minimum risk-based capital requirements on a consolidated basis for a depository institution holding company or a nonbank financial company supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board). States that federal banking agencies shall not be required to subject any person to such minimum capital requirements, to the extent that such person either: (1) acts in its capacity as a regulated insurance entity regulated by a state insurance regulator, or (2) is a regulated foreign subsidiary engaged in the business of insurance (including a regulated foreign affiliate of such subsidiary). Exempts from any requirement to prepare holding company financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles any Board-supervised depository institution holding company or nonbank financial company that is also a person regulated by a state insurance regulator or a regulated foreign subsidiary (or a regulated foreign affiliate) that files its holding company financial statements using only Statutory Accounting Principles in accordance with state law.
Bill· HRH.R. 4411 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) prevent Hezbollah's global logistics and financial network from operating in order to curtail funding of its domestic and international activities; and (2) utilize diplomatic, legislative, and executive avenues to combat Hezbollah's criminal activities in order to block that organization's ability to fund its global terrorist activities. Directs the President to report to Congress: (1) a list of satellite, broadcast, or other providers that knowingly transmit the content of al-Manar TV; and (2) the identity of those providers that have or have not been sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly: (1) facilitates the activities of Hezbollah or its agents, instrumentalities, affiliates, or successors; (2) facilitates the activities of a person acting on behalf of or owned or controlled by an agent, instrumentality, affiliate, or successor; (3) engages in money laundering to carry out such an activity; (4) facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services to carry out such an activity, including services that involve a transaction of gold, silver, platinum, or other precious metals; or (5) facilitates any of these activities, conspires to facilitate or participate in such an activity, or is owned or controlled by a foreign financial institution that knowingly engages in such an activity. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe reporting, information sharing, and due diligence requirements for domestic financial institutions that maintain a correspondent account or payable-through account in the United States for a foreign financial institution. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such requirements if in the U.S. national security interests, and with congressional notification. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to identify to Congress every 180 days each foreign central bank that carries out an activity prohibited under this Act. Sets forth penalty requirements for specified violations under this Act. Directs the President to designate Hezbollah as: (1) a significant foreign narcotics trafficker if Hezbollah meets meets the criteria set forth under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and (2) a significant transnational criminal organization if Hezbollah meets the criteria set forth under specified executive orders and statutes. Requires the President to report to Congress which of these criteria the President determines that Hezbollah has not met, if it does not. Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress regarding Hezbollah's involvement in the trade in rough diamonds outside of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. Declares that nothing in this Act shall apply to authorized U.S. intelligence activities. States that any requirement of this Act shall cease to be in effect 30 days after the President certifies to Congress that Hezbollah: (1) is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist organization; (2) is no longer listed in the Annex to Executive Order 13224 (blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit or support terrorism); and (3) poses no significant threat to U.S. national security, interests, or allies.
Bill· HRH.R. 4318 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Endangered Species Litigation Reasonableness Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to replace the current standard for awarding court costs, including attorney fees, in citizen suits with the federal judicial code standard for awarding costs to a prevailing party.
Bill· HRH.R. 4315 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
21st Century Endangered Species Transparency Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce, as appropriate, to make publicly available on the Internet the best scientific and commercial data available that are the basis for the determination of whether a species is an endangered species or a threatened species, including each proposed regulation for the listing of a species.
Bill· HRH.R. 4316 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Endangered Species Recovery Transparency Act - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) to require the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) submit an annual report detailing federal expenditures for civil actions brought under the ESA containing claims that are based on the actions of the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, or the National Marine Fisheries Service; and (2) make available online a searchable database of such information.
Bill· HRH.R. 4319 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Common Sense in Species Protection Act of 2014 - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce to exclude an area from designation as a critical habitat to conserve an endangered or threatened species if the benefits of exclusion outweigh the benefits of including the area, unless the failure to designate the area as critical habitat will result in the extinction of the species. Requires the appropriate Secretary to make available for public comment with any proposed rule to designate a critical habitat a draft analysis that: (1) examines the incremental and cumulative economic effects of all actions to protect the species and its habitat upon each state and locality that is affected by the proposed designation; (2) includes consideration of economic effects on possible uses of land and property values, employment, revenues available for state and local governments, and the provision of water, power, or other public services; and (3) assesses those effects on a quantitative and qualitative basis.
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