Rep. Hinojosa, Ruben [D-TX-15]

An amendment numbered 1 printed in Part C of House Report 109-603 to improve the availability of information and resources for individuals with low literacy.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment numbered 4 printed in the Congressional Record to increase the funding (by transfer) for education grants programs for Hispanic-serving Institutions by $855,000.

United States · United States Congress

Amendment increases funding for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service by $2.5 million for use against specialty crop pests and reduces funding for the Office of the Secretary by a similar amount.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment numbered 21 printed in the Congressional Record to permit the director, at the request of a State, to waive the requirement that homebuyers attend in-person financial management counseling before receiving affordable housing grants, and allows the homebuyers to receive the counseling through alternate forms such as online, or over the phone.

United States · United States Congress

Amendment allows the USDA to assess a nominal fee (maximum of $50) per loan under the Section 502 single family guaranteed home loan program in order to fund needed technological improvements and investments into the guaranteed underwriting system.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment numbered 3 printed in the Congressional Record to designate $10,000,000 for the United States Section of the International Boundary Water Commission, United States and Mexico.

United States · United States Congress

An amendment comprised of the following amendments offered en bloc: Amendments Nos. 3, 8, 20, 14 and 15 printed in House Report 110-523 to: 1.) authorize discretion currently exercised by the Secretary of Education to reserve for competitive grants to Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities for construction, maintenance, or renovation of campus facilities a percentage of funds appropriated for Tribal Colleges and Universities under Title III of the Higher Education Act; and 2.) to prevent interest from accruing for active duty service members and qualifying National Guard members for the duration of their activation up to 60 months when serving in a combat zone; and 3.) to ensure that competitive Sustainability Planning Grants explicitly provide for `greenhouse gas emissions reductions' to reduce the, threat of global warming and adds an eligibility requirement to FIPSE to ensure that institutions meet current energy efficiency standards. Additionally, includes a sense of Congress that the Federal Perkins Loan Program, which provides low-interest loans to help needy students finance a degree in higher education, should remain a campus-based aid program and to support increased funds to provide more low-income students with options; and 4.) to make a technical correction to the Graduat e Assistance in Areas of National Need.(GAANN) program to clarify Congressional intent that a Masters Degree level institution or program is eligible to be the lead recipient of a grant under the GAANN program; and 5.) to prohibit a state from charging members of the armed forces who are on active duty for more than 30 days and whose domicile or permanent duty station is in such state, and such members' dependents, more than the in-state tuition for attending a public institution of higher education (IHE) in that state. Provides that, even if such members' permanent duty station is subsequently changed to a location outside the state, they or their dependents must continue to be charged no more than the in-state tuition if they remain continuously emolled at such IHE in the state.

United States · United States Congress

Innovations to Recruit and Retain Excellent Teachers Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016

Innovations to Recruit and Retain Excellent Teachers Act This bill establishes a teacher support grant program through which the Department of Education (ED) shall award grants to educational agencies on a competitive basis. If funds for the program are authorized above a specified amount with respect to a given fiscal year, ED shall also award grants on a formula basis. A grantee that is a state education agency (SEA) shall use the grant funds to: (1) make subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), (2) provide technical assistance, (3) reduce bureaucratic barriers, and (4) conduct program evaluation. In awarding subgrants, an SEA must give priority to LEAs that: (1) serve a high proportion of low-income students, (2) have either a teacher shortage or a high proportion of schools identified for support and improvement, and (3) demonstrate the capacity to carry out program activities. An LEA shall use grant or subgrant funds to carry out a teacher support program in the elementary and secondary schools that it serves. The program must strengthen teaching careers by: (1) collaboratively reforming and improving compensation structures, (2) creating opportunities for personalized professional learning and enhancement for teachers, (3) creating leadership pathways, (4) using strategies such as innovative scheduling to support teacher improvement, and (5) implementing teacher-led initiatives. In addition, the program must carry out specified activities to strengthen teacher selection or induction. The bill establishes requirements for grant applications, program evaluation, and reporting.

Fair Housing for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016

Fair Housing for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors Act of 2016 This bill amends the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination against or regarding survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault in: the sale or rental of housing and related activities, residential real estate-related transactions, and the provision of real estate brokerage services. This bill declares that nothing in the Act shall prohibit federal, state, or local government or other assistance or a preference program designed to assist or benefit domestic violence or sexual assault survivors in seeking, securing, or maintaining dwellings, shelters or any other form of housing. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 is amended to prohibit intimidation in fair housing tranactions regarding survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault.

Supporting the inclusion and meaningful engagement of Latinos in environmental protection and conservation efforts.

United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016

Recognizes the role of Latinos in protecting and preserving U.S. land, water, and wildlife. Supports the engagement of Latinos in environmental protection and conservation efforts.

Academic Success Centers and Education Networks for Dreamers (ASCEND) Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2016

Academic Success Centers and Education Networks for Dreamers (ASCEND) Act This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to not-for-profit institutions of higher education to develop programs that support Dreamer students in successfully completing postsecondary education. A "Dreamer student" is an individual who is a beneficiary of, or eligible for, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrating the heritage and culture of Latinos in the United States and the immense contributions of Latinos and Latinas to the United States.

United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016

Recognizes the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Esteems the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.

Computer Science for All Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016

Computer Science for All Act of 2016 This bill establishes a program through which the Department of Education (ED) shall award grants to states, local educational agencies, and eligible tribal schools to serve as models for national replication of computer education expansion efforts. A grant application shall include specified plans that demonstrate the applicant's ability to carry out an ambitious expansion effort for all students, including traditionally underrepresented students. A grant recipient shall use the grant funds to: train teachers to teach computer science; expand access to high-quality learning materials and online learning options; create plans for expanding overall access to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) classes; utilize computer science as a catalyst for increased interest in STEAM more broadly; reduce course equity gaps for all students; and ensure additional support and resources. A grantee may also use grant funds to: build effective regional collaborations, recruit and hire instructional personnel, prepare for effectively sustaining project activities after the grant period ends, and disseminate information about effective practices. At least semi-annually, a grantee must report to ED on specified data related to the number of students served through program activities.

Expressing the sense of Congress that a day should be designated as "National Voting Rights Act Mobilization Day".

United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016

Expresses the sense of Congress that a National Voting Rights Act Mobilization Day should be designated to remind all Americans of the critical role that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 continues to play in protecting the right to vote, and to be an occasion for them to voice their support for this landmark civil rights law.

SIMPLE Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016

Streamlining Income-driven, Manageable Payments on Loans for Education Act or the SIMPLE Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise the process for enrolling a borrower in federal student loan repayment plans when the borrower is delinquent on payments for student loans under the Direct Loan program. Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) may use the tax information of certain delinquent borrowers for purposes of calculating their income-driven repayment plan options. ED must notify those borrowers about their delinquency and repayment plan options. ED must also establish and implement procedures for automatically recertifying the income of certain delinquent borrowers for the purpose of determining their repayment obligations.

National Flood Insurance Program Debt Forgiveness Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016

National Flood Insurance Program Debt Forgiveness Act of 2016 This bill cancels all indebtedness outstanding as of September 30, 2016, of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under any notes or other obligations issued pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 and the Federal Flood Insurance Act of 1956. Such cancelled indebtedness may be treated as a public debt of the United States and is designated as an emergency pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.

Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016

Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act of 2016 This bill amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA) to modify and reauthorize juvenile justice programs and activities. Specifically, it: revises and reauthorizes through FY2022 programs and activities under title II of the JJDPA, including the State Formula Grant Program and the activities of the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); revises and expands the purpose areas of the JJDPA; expands membership on the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to include the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Secretary of the Interior; expands requirements for the OJJDP's annual report on juveniles in custody; modifies the required components of a state's juvenile justice and prevention plan; modifies the four core requirements with which a state must comply to receive a full allocation of funds under the State Formula Grant Program; and repeals the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Block Grant program. The bill revises, restructures, and reauthorizes through FY2022 programs under title V of the JJDPA, including the Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Program. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate the OJJDP's performance and audit selected grant recipients. The bill subjects juvenile justice grants to accountability provisions.

Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016

Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) establish a program to permit eligible deported noncitizen veterans to enter the United States as, and to permit eligible noncitizen veterans in the United States to adjust their status to that of, a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence; and (2) cancel the removal of eligible noncitizen veterans and allow them to similarly adjust their status. An "eligible" veteran is a veteran who: (1) was not ordered removed, or removed, from the United States due to a criminal conviction for a crime of violence or for a crime that endangers U.S. national security for which the noncitizen served at least five years' imprisonment; and (2) is not inadmissible to, or deportable from, the United States due to such a conviction. DHS may waive such eligibility requirements for humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, due to exceptional service in the U.S. Armed Forces, or if such waiver otherwise is in the public interest. A noncitizen veteran or service member shall not be removed from the United States unless he or she has a criminal conviction for a crime of violence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for naturalization through service in the U.S. Armed Forces, except that: (1) the grounds on which the noncitizen was ordered removed from, or rendered inadmissible to or deportable from, the United States shall be disregarded when determining whether the noncitizen is a person of good moral character; and (2) any period of absence from the United States due to the noncitizen having been removed or being inadmissible shall be disregarded when determining if the noncitizen satisfies any requirement relating to continuous residence or physical presence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for all military and veterans benefits for which the individual would have been eligible if he or she had never been been removed from, or voluntarily departed, the United States. DHS shall: (1) identify cases involving service members and veterans at risk of removal from the United States, and (2) annotate all DHS immigration and naturalization records relating to any noncitizen involved and afford an opportunity to track the outcome.

Underwater Student Borrowers Act

United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2016

Underwater Student Borrowers Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of student loan indebtedness, to: (1) include indebtedness discharged due to income-contingent and income-based repayment plans, the death or disability of the borrower, or the closing of an educational institution; and (2) revise the definition of "student loan" to mean a loan made by any lender, including a loan for the refinancing of an existing loan.

To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 810 N US Highway 83 in Zapata, Texas, as the "Zapata Veterans Post Office".

United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2016

Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 810 N US Highway 83 in Zapata, Texas, as the "Zapata Veterans Post Office."

Highly Rural Veteran Transportation Program Extension Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016

Highly Rural Veteran Transportation Program Extension Act This bill amends the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 to reauthorize through FY2020 a grant program to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas.

Poll Tax Prohibition Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016

Poll Tax Prohibition Act of 2016 This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit requiring: an individual to present a piece of information that has an associated cost as a condition of voting in a federal election, or an individual wishing to vote by mail to include a piece of identification (or a copy of one) that has an associated cost.

Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016

Simplifying the Application for Student Aid Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to use tax information from the second preceding tax year (the "prior, prior year") to determine a student's financial aid eligibility. It requires data sharing between ED and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), pursuant to taxpayer consent. The bill revises the annual adjustment percentage calculation used to determine the total maximum Federal Pell Grant award by measuring inflation over the most recent fiscal year instead of calendar year. ED must develop and maintain a consumer-tested technology tool to allow a federal financial aid applicant to complete and submit electronic forms (e.g., the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) using a mobile device. Additionally, ED must make every effort to use IRS data to automatically populate the electronic forms with tax return information.

Accessing Higher Education Opportunities Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2016

Accessing Higher Education Opportunities Act This bill amends title V (Developing Institutions) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand grant activities under the Hispanic Serving Institutions program to include: (1) support programs that facilitate student advancement to doctoral degree programs in health care occupations, and (2) developing or expanding access to dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high school programs.