United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
Freedom From Union Violence Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to modify provisions, commonly known as the Hobbs Act, that prohibit committing robbery or extortion in a manner which, in any way or degree, obstructs interstate commerce. Specifically, the bill exempts from the prohibition conduct that: (1) is incidental to otherwise peaceful picketing during a labor dispute; (2) consists solely of minor bodily injury, minor property damage, or threats of such minor injury or damage; and (3) is not part of a pattern of violent conduct or of a coordinated violent activity. Such exempted conduct is subject to prosecution only by state and local authorities.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2017
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of certain banks interest received on small business loans of up to $5 million. The bill applies to loans that are: (1) secured by land situated in the United States that is used or held by the small business in connection with the active conduct of a farming business, or (2) incurred in the ordinary course of the trade or business of the small business. To be eligible for the exclusion, the bank must: (1) have less than $50 billion in assets at the closing of the preceding taxable year, and (2) receive the interest before 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2017
No Back Pay for Bergdahl Act This bill amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice to deny payments or benefits to any person found guilty of desertion or attempted desertion for any period during which the person is treated as being in a missing or captive status after the date the person was first determined to be absent without authority. The Department of Defense shall use payments or benefits denied to a deserter under this bill to provide compensation to members of the Armed Forces who were wounded or injured while searching for the deserter and to representatives of members killed while searching for the deserter.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2017
This bill nullifies a rule finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on November 13, 2017, that modifies payment under Medicare for certain drugs purchased through the 340B discount program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
Current Employee Representation Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to allow an employee or group of employees to petition for a union certification election: (1) if fewer than 50% of the current bargaining unit were unit members in the last certification election, or (2) no certification election was conducted for such unit.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2017
Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2017 This bill amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to expand the scope of "covered transaction" subject to the review of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). CFIUS analyzes the national security implications of foreign investment in the United States. A covered transaction includes: any merger, acquisition, or takeover that could result in foreign control of any U.S. business, the purchase or lease of real estate located in the United States that is in close proximity to a U.S. military installation or to another U.S. government facility or property that is sensitive for reasons relating to national security, other investment in a U.S. critical technology company or U.S. critical infrastructure company, any change in a foreign investor's rights that results in foreign control of a U.S. business, the contribution of intellectual property to a foreign person, or any other transaction, transfer, agreement, or arrangement designed to evade or circumvent the authority of CFIUS. The bill revises other provisions relating to CFIUS, including the length of its review period, special hiring authority and funding, and authority to mandate reviews or take unilateral action.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2017
Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make postsecondary education courses and programs, such as apprenticeship programs, that provide credits toward a postsecondary certification, credential, or degree eligible for federal student aid funding if the programs and courses are accredited by a state that has an alternative accreditation agreement with the Department of Education. The bill terminates loan forgiveness for borrowers under the income contingent repayment options for new loans made under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. An institution that receives federal student aid funding must pay a default rate fine that is based on the default rate of loans made to its students.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2017
United Nations Voting Accountability Act of 2017 This bill prohibits giving assistance, such as various types of economic support or military training, to countries that oppose U.S. positions on more than 50 percent of the recorded votes in the most recent United Nations session. A country may be exempted if there has been a fundamental change in leadership and policies and the Department of State determines that the country will no longer oppose the U.S. position. The President may exempt a country for U.S. national security interests.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Protecting Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment Access Act of 2017 or the Protecting HOME Access Act of 2017 This bill: (1) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to delay by one year the full implementation of new Medicare payment rates for durable medical equipment, and (2) revises a Medicare budget-neutrality requirement related to oxygen. Under current law, the CMS may establish separate payment classes under Medicare for items of oxygen and related equipment only if doing so does not result in increased program expenditures. The bill provides an exception to this budget-neutrality requirement with respect to such items that are included in a competitive acquisition program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Recognizes and encourages the observance of Small Business Saturday. Supports efforts to: (1) encourage consumers to shop locally, and (2) increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of such businesses on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2017
Dialysis Patient Access to Integrated-care, Empowerment, Nephrologists, Treatment, and Services Demonstration Act of 2017 or the Dialysis PATIENTS Demonstration Act of 2017 This bill establishes a demonstration program for the provision of integrated care to Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Under the voluntary program, eligible participating providers may form organizations to offer ESRD integrated care models and serve as medical homes for program-eligible beneficiaries. Such a model: (1) shall cover medical and hospital services, other than hospice care, under Medicare; (2) must include benefits for transition into transplantation, palliative care, or hospice; and (3) may cover prescription drug benefits. An organization must offer at least one open network model but may also offer one or more preferred network models. An organization shall return savings achieved under the models to program-eligible beneficiaries. A beneficiary shall have the opportunity to: (1) opt out of the program, (2) make an assignment change into an open network model offered by a different organization, or (3) elect a preferred network model. The bill establishes requirements regarding: (1) benefits for program-eligible beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid benefits, (2) program quality and reporting, (2) ESRD integrated care strategy, (3) program operation and scope, (4) beneficiary notification, and (5) payment. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission must, before 2025, submit to Congress an interim report on the program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2017
Supports the goals and ideals of National Veterans Small Business Week. Celebrates the millions of people in the United States, especially veterans and their spouses, who benefit from Small Business Administration programs. Expresses appreciation for the continued service to the United States by the nation's veterans through small business ownership and entrepreneurship.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
USS Indianapolis Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the House of Representatives and the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design to the crew of the USS Indianapolis, in recognition of their perseverance, bravery, and service. Following the award of the gold medal, it shall be given to the Indiana War Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it will be displayed and made available for research. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Indiana War Memorial Museum should make the gold medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations and events associated with the USS Indianapolis.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
This bill provides that the Department of Veterans Affairs per diem payment calculation for an entity receiving homeless veterans shelter grants for a homeless veteran who has care of a minor dependent while receiving services from such entity shall be the sum of the daily cost of care for the veteran plus, for each minor dependent, an amount that equals 50% of the veteran's daily cost of care.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Securing All Livestock Equitably Act of 2017 or the SALE Act of 2017 This bill amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to require all livestock purchased by a dealer in cash sales and all inventories of, or receivables or proceeds from, such livestock to be held by the dealer in a trust until all unpaid cash sellers of the livestock have been paid. The bill exempts from the requirement any dealer whose average annual purchases of livestock do not exceed $500,000.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2017
Access to Marketplace Insurance Act This bill requires health insurers to accept, on behalf of individuals enrolled in qualified health plans, cost-sharing payments made by certain third parties (e.g., state and federal government programs) and count such payments toward annual cost-sharing limitations. (Qualified health plans are eligible for subsidies and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.)
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2017
Recognizes: (1) the sacrifices, commitment to human rights, and legal and moral case for self-determination of the residents of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; and (2) that such residents have the freedom to decide without outside coercion. Calls on the international community and domestic institutions to recognize such right.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Immigration in the National Interest Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: eliminate the diversity visa program; replace the current employment visa system with a skills-based point system; revise the worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants, including by eliminating certain family-based immigration preferences; establish a 50,000 annual limit for refugees given permanent resident status; create a nonimmigrant visa for parents of U.S. citizen children who are at least 21 years old; and establish a new visa for immigrants seeking to enter the United States to engage in a new commercial enterprise. The bill prohibits an alien from being be naturalized if his or her sponsor has not repaid the federal government for any means-tested public benefits received by the alien during the five-year period beginning on the date the alien was lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2017
Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act of 2017 This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to extend through FY2022 and make appropriations for enhanced funding for the community health centers program.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2017
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the application of Medicare competitive acquisition rates to complex, rehabilitative, manual wheelchairs and accessories. (A competitive bidding program has replaced the use of established fee schedule amounts to determine payments under Medicare for certain durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs.)
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2017
Legal Workforce Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish an employment eligibility verification system (EEVS), patterned after the E-Verify system. An employer shall attest, during the verification period and under penalty of perjury, that the employer has verified that an individual is not an unauthorized alien. An individual shall attest that he or she is a U.S. citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident, or an alien authorized to work in the United States. The bill establishes a phased-in EEVS participation deadline for different categories of employers, including agricultural employers. The bill requires reverification of certain groups of workers who have not been verified under E-verify. An employer may voluntarily reverify employees. Employment recruitment and referral are included within the scope of EEVS. The bill sets forth provisions regarding: (1) an employer utilizing a good faith defense, (2) preemption of state or local law, (3) employer penalties, and (4) worker remedies for EEVS errors. DHS shall establish programs to: (1) block the use of misused social security numbers, (2) suspend or limit the use of social security account numbers of identity fraud victims, and (3) permit parents or legal guardians to suspend or limit the use of a minor's social security account number or other identifying information. DHS shall establish at least two Identity Authentication Employment Eligibility Verification pilot programs using distinct technologies to provide employers with identity authentication and employment verification of enrolled new employees.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2017
Winnebago Land Transfer Act of 2017 This bill takes specified federal land in Iowa into trust for the benefit of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. The land becomes part of the tribe's reservation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Protect Interstate Commerce Act This bill prohibits a state or local government from imposing a standard or condition on the production or manufacture of agricultural products sold or offered for sale in interstate commerce if: (1) the production or manufacture occurs in another state, and (2) the standard or condition adds to standards or conditions applicable under federal law and the laws of the state or locality in which the production or manufacture occurs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Fairness for Korean DMZ Veterans Act of 2017 This bill provides a presumption of herbicide exposure as the service-connected cause of certain diseases notwithstanding that there is no evidentiary record of any such disease during a veteran's service period. The bill defines a "veteran" for purposes of this bill as an individual who, during active military, naval, or air service, served in or near the Korean demilitarized zone during the period beginning on September 1, 1967, and ending on August 31, 1971. The bill specifies such a disease as: (1) a listed disease that becomes manifest, or (2) any additional disease that the Department of Veterans Affairs determines warrants a presumption of service-connection by reason of a positive association with herbicide exposure and that manifests itself within a prescribed period.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Census Accuracy Act of 2017 This bill requires any questionnaire used in the decennial census to determine the total population by states to include: (1) a checkbox or other similar option for a respondent to indicate whether he or she is a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, is lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, is an alien who otherwise has lawful status under the immigration laws, or is none of these; and (2) a question regarding which federal program or legal provision accorded the respondent such status.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Rightsizing Pension Premiums Act of 2017 This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to: (1) modify the formula that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) uses to calculate the funded percentage of single-employer pension plans, and (2) reduce single-employer PBGC premiums for pension plans that are sponsored by certain small employers or have specified PBGC funded percentages. The bill also prohibits the budget effects of provisions that change PBGC premiums from being counted for the purposes of determining budget points of order for legislation in the House or the Senate. (The PBGC is a federal agency that insures the benefits of private sector, defined benefit pension plans. The PBGC is financed by insurance premiums paid by sponsors of the plans, investment income, assets from pension plans taken over by the PBGC, and recoveries from the companies formerly responsible for the plans.)
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2017
This bill amends the federal judicial code to specify that U.S. district courts have jurisdiction on the basis of diversity of citizenship if at least one adverse party does not share the same citizenship as another adverse party.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2017
Modernization of Medical Records Access for Veterans Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out in at least one Veterans Integrated Services Network a pilot program for at least a 12-month period during which veterans enrolled in the VA's patient enrollment system will use a portable medical records storage system to store and share with VA health care providers and community health care providers records of their individual medical histories. The VA shall seek to enter into a contract, using competitive procedures, with an appropriate entity to furnish such storage system. The bill specifies system requirements, including: (1) the capability to store at least four gigabytes of electronic health records on a physical device no larger than a credit card, and (2) the capability to be used by substantially all electronic health records systems certified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on or before January 1, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2017
Ending the Sanctuary Capitol Policy Act of 2017 This bill authorizes U.S. Capitol Police officers, in the performance of official duties, to make arrests and otherwise enforce immigration laws within the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2017
State Sanctions Against Iranian Terrorism Act This bill amends the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 to specify that a state may, in addition to limiting investment in Iran's energy sector, prohibit or limit any person from engaging in specified investment activities in Iran. A state may also enter into interstate compacts to prohibit or limit such financial activities. Enforcement of such measures may include the imposition of disclosure and transparency requirements. The description of "investment activities" is revised to: (1) reduce the threshold for financial involvement from $20 million to $10 million; and (2) include, in addition to the energy sector, involvement in a business enterprise in Iran, including an entity owned or controlled by the Iranian government. The bill declares that a state or local government measure authorized pursuant to the bill is: (1) authorized and not preempted by any federal law or regulation, or any policy, agreement, or exercise of waiver authority of the executive branch; and (2) is consistent with U.S. federal policy, including U.S. foreign policy. A state or local government may enforce a measure adopted before the enactment of this bill that: (1) provides for the divestment of state or local assets from, or prohibits the investment of those assets in, any person that engages in investment activities in Iran or other business activities in Iran identified in the measure; or (2) prohibits or limits any person from engaging in investment activities in Iran. State and local government authority to divest from certain companies that invest in Iran shall not terminate pursuant to a presidential certification if Congress, not later than 60 days after the date on which the President submits such certification, enacts a joint resolution disapproving such certification.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2017
Recreation Not Red-Tape Act This bill amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service to review the process for the issuance and renewal of special recreation permits, including for cross-jurisdictional trips, with respect to outfitters and guides. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall: (1) coordinate with states to allow the purchase of federal and state recreation passes at federal and state facilities in the same transaction, and (2) sell National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes, and make payment of entrance and standard amenity recreation fees available, through federal websites. Interior and USDA should work with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that service members and veterans have access to outdoor recreation and to outdoor-related volunteer and wellness programs. The Forest Service, BLM, and National Park Service may develop management plans for extending the recreation season or increasing recreation use during the offseason. The Forest Service and BLM shall evaluate land managers based on the achievement of applicable agency recreational and tourism goals. The Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Department of Transportation shall consider how land and water management decisions can enhance recreation opportunities and the recreation economy. The bill amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to establish the Ski Area Fee Retention Account. A specified portion of rental charges for ski area permits on a Forest Service unit shall be deposited in such account, and a specified portion of such amounts shall be available to such unit for ski area administration, improvements, and visitor services. The bill establishes a National Recreation Area System to be comprised of existing National Recreation Areas and new units designated after enactment of this bill. Interior and USDA shall: (1) develop initiatives to enhance private-sector volunteer programs, actively promote private-sector volunteer opportunities, and provide outreach and coordination to the private sector to carry out projects and programs for the stewardship of federal land; and (2) establish an interagency trail management plan under which federal land management agencies shall coordinate so that trails that cross jurisdictional boundaries between those agencies are uniformly managed and maintained.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a special counsel should be appointed by the Department of Justice to investigate: then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch directing Comey to refer to the investigation into the handling of classified data and use of an unauthorized email server by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a matter, rather than a criminal investigation; Comey's leaks to Columbia University law professor Daniel Richman regarding conversations between Lynch and President Trump and how the leaked information was released to lead to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller; the propriety and consequence of immunity deals given to Cheryl Mills, Heather Samuelson, John Bentel, and potentially others by the FBI during the criminal investigation into Clinton's conduct; Comey's decision to usurp Lynch's authority in announcing that criminal charges would not be brought against Clinton regarding her use of a private email server and handling of classified information; Comey's knowledge and impressions of any ex-parte conversation between Lynch and former President Bill Clinton on June 27, 2016, at a Phoenix airport on a private jet; Comey's knowledge of the company Fusion GPS and its creation of a dossier on Donald Trump; any potential leaks by Comey to author Michael Schmidt dating back to 1993; Comey's knowledge of the purchase of a majority stake in Uranium One by Rosatom; Comey's refusal to investigate Hillary Clinton regarding selling access to the Department of State through Clinton Foundation donations, Huma Abedin's dual employment at such entities simultaneously, or utilization of the State Department to further paid speaking opportunities for her husband; any collusion between Comey and Robert Mueller; whether Comey had any knowledge of efforts made by any federal agency to monitor communications of then-candidate Donald Trump, to assess Comey's knowledge about the unmasking of individuals on Donald Trump's campaign team, transition team, or both, to assess the role that former National Security Adviser Susan Rice played in the unmasking of such individuals, or to reveal the purpose served by unmasking any individuals serving on the staff of Donald Trump; and whether Comey had any knowledge of the dissemination of unredacted information to various intelligence agencies and of any attempts to use surveillance of Donald Trump to damage the credibility of his campaign, presidency, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2017
Ensuring Access to Air Ambulance Services Act of 2017 This bill makes a series of changes relating to payment of air ambulance services under Medicare, including by establishing certain cost-reporting requirements for providers.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Knowledgeable Innovators and Worthy Investors Act or the KIWI Act This bill makes New Zealand nationals eligible to enter the United States as nonimmigrant traders and investors as provided for under the Immigration and Nationality Act if New Zealand provides reciprocal nonimmigrant treatment to U.S. nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
This bill requires the annual reports submitted by the Department of State to Congress concerning the U.S. plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly (WHA) held by the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, to include an account of the changes and improvements that the State Department has made to such plan following any annual meetings of the WHA at which Taiwan did not obtain such status.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2017
ELD Extension Act of 2017 This bill delays for an additional two years the effective date of regulations implementing the requirement that a commercial motor vehicle involved in interstate commerce and operated by a driver subject to federal hours of service (HOS) and record of duty status regulations be equipped with an electronic logging device to improve vehicle operator compliance with HOS regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2017
Refund Rights for Taxpayers Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the statute of limitations for making a claim for a credit or refund for the overpayment of any tax, and (2) shorten the statute of limitations for a collection after the assessment of any tax. (Under current law, the statute of limitations for making a claim for a credit or refund is three years from the time the return was filed or two years from the time the tax was paid, whichever period expires later. If no return was filed by the taxpayer, the limit is two years from the time the tax was paid.) The bill extends this limit to seven years from the later of the time the return was filed or the tax was paid or, if no return was filed, seven years from the time the tax was paid. With respect to the statute of limitations for a collection after the assessment of any tax, the bill decreases the limit from 10 years to 7 years after the assessment of the tax.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2017
Urges the courts of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland and the European Court of Human Rights to allow Charles William Gard and Constance Rhoda Keely Yates to pursue innovative medical care for their son, Charles Matthew William Gard, in any country where such care may be available.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2017
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to reauthorize the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) through FY2021. SCAAP provides payments to state, local, and tribal governments to offset the costs of incarcerating certain undocumented criminal aliens. It expands the definition of “undocumented criminal alien” to include an alien who has been charged with a felony or two or more misdemeanors. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Justice to reimburse a state, local, or tribal government for incarceration costs and medical expenses of a criminal alien whose immigration status cannot be verified by the Department of Homeland Security. (Currently, a criminal alien with lawful immigration status does not meet the criteria for SCAAP reimbursement.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2017
Condemns violence against religious minorities in the People's Republic of China and any actions that limit their free expression and practice of faith. Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to promoting religious freedom and tolerance around the world and helping to provide protection and relief to religious minorities facing persecution and violence. Calls on the Chinese government to uphold the Chinese Constitution in addition to the internationally recognized human right to freedom from religious persecution and to end all forms of violence and discrimination against religious minorities. Urges the President to take appropriate actions to promote religious freedom of religious minorities in China, using the powers provided under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to provide that a modification of a stationary source results in an increase in air pollution only when the maximum achievable hourly emissions rate from the source is higher than: (1) the rate of the source as it was originally designed, and (2) the rate that was actually achieved during the 10 years before the change.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Food Stamp Integrity Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to revise the rules for disqualifying individuals from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). The bill permanently disqualifies individuals who have been found guilty of offenses or misconduct, including: fraud or misrepresentation with respect to SNAP; the trading of a controlled substance, firearms, ammunition, or explosives for benefits; terrorism; defrauding the federal government, a state, or a unit of local government; obtaining cash by destroying food purchased with benefits and collecting deposits for containers; or selling food purchased with benefits. An individual who is delinquent in paying child support may not receive benefits unless a court allowed a payment delay or the individual is complying with a payment plan. If a household requests a third replacement Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card in a one-year period, a state may: (1) require the head of the household to appear in person for an interview before issuing an additional card, and (2) terminate participation of the household for one year if a fifth card is requested in a one-year period. The bill modifies the work requirements and eliminates certain exemptions and waivers from the requirements. If an able-bodied adult without dependents fails to meet the work requirements for 3 months in a 48-month period (36 months under current law), they are ineligible for SNAP for the remainder of the 48-month period, or until they comply.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Hearing Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code: (1) to remove silencers from the list of firearms subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act (NFA), and (2) to specify that a person who lawfully acquires or possesses a silencer under provisions of the federal criminal code meets the registration and licensing requirements of the NFA. Additionally, the bill amends the federal criminal code: to preempt state or local laws that tax or regulate firearm silencers, to exclude a muffler or silencer from the list of firearms subject to regulation, to eliminate mandatory minimum prison terms for a crime of violence or drug trafficking offense in which a defendant uses or carries a firearm equipped with a silencer, and to permit active and retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed silencer.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to exclude energy efficiency projects, pollution control projects, and reliability projects from the new source review process (requiring stationary sources of air pollution to get approval before construction or modification).
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Condemns the persecution of Christians around the world. Calls on: (1) discriminatory regimes to cease their persecution of Christians and religious minorities, and (2) the President and the heads of the governments of all democratic countries to uphold the right to religious freedom and condemn the persecution of Christians.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2017
Justin Smith Morrill Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Justin Smith Morrill, a United States Senator from Vermont, for his lasting contributions to higher education opportunity for all Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Representatives to be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by counting the number of U.S. citizens in each state.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Reform Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to modify the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) work requirements that apply to able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). The bill modifies the work requirements to: terminate the authority of the Department of Agriculture to waive the requirements, upon the request of a state agency, for individuals residing in an area that has an unemployment rate of over 10% or does not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for the individuals; shorten from three months to one month the time limit for receiving benefits in a three-year period without meeting the requirements; decrease from 15% to 5% the portion of ABAWDs that a state may exempt from the requirements; allow participation in a supervised job search to satisfy the requirements; require states receiving SNAP funds to provide ABAWDs with opportunities to participate in a work program, a workfare program, or a supervised job search; and reduce SNAP allotments for states that fail to comply with requirements regarding eligibility disqualifications. The bill also modifies the congressional declaration of policy to specify that the purpose of SNAP is to increase employment, to encourage healthy marriage, and to promote prosperous self-sufficiency (maintaining an income above the poverty level without services and benefits from the federal government).
![Official portrait of Rep. King, Steve [R-IA-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000362_200.jpg)