United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2013 or the ABLE Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, including higher education expenses, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS). Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one-year period, beginning on January 1, 2016. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, and $5 per half-dollar clad coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National Park Foundation for projects and programs to help preserve and protect resources under the stewardship of the NPS and to promote public enjoyment and appreciation of those resources. Prohibits the surcharges paid to the Foundation from being used for land acquisition.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Harriet Tubman National Historical Parks Act - Establishes in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System. Establishes in Auburn, New York, the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park also as a unit of the National Park System. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with certain entities for the historical preservation and interpretation of such parks. Requires the Secretary to complete a general management plan for such parks.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the large employer health insurance coverage mandate to part-time employees (as well as full-time employees, currently covered). Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to make an employee eligible for coverage under such Act if that employee has been employed for at least 12 months by a covered employer with respect to whom such leave is requested. (Eliminates the requirement, under current law, that the employee have served at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period before the leave request.) Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require that certain employees working at less than full-time under participation, vesting, and accrual rules governing pension plans be treated as meeting full-time year-of-service criteria. Qualifies such workers for group health plans. Extends ERISA coverage to certain individuals whose services are leased or contracted for.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Postal Service Protection Act of 2013 - Sets forth rules for the recalculation of annuities for employees of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and for the redetermination of surplus or supplemental liabilities under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Prescribes the "average pay" to be used in calculating annuities and surplus amounts. Authorizes the transfer of surplus postal retirement contributions in FY2010 to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund, the Postal Service Fund, and the Employees' Compensation Fund under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) and to USPS for payment of its debt obligations. Eliminates the requirement for pre-funding of the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund. Sets forth criteria for the closing or consolidation of postal facilities. Allows USPS to provide any nonpostal service or product in a manner consistent with the public interest. Provides for the mailing of wine and beer sent by a licensed winery or brewery in accordance with the laws of the state, territory, or district where the addressee or agent takes delivery. Establishes in USPS the position of the Chief Innovation Officer who shall have proven expertise and success in the postal and shipping industry and in innovation, marketing, technology, and management. Establishes a Postal Innovation Advisory Commission. Requires the Postmaster General to report to specified congressional committees and the Postal Regulatory Commmission on a comprehensive strategy for maximizing USPS revenue through innovative postal and nonpostal products and services. Prohibits USPS from reducing the frequency of mail delivery to fewer than six days each week or from increasing the expected delivery time for market-dominant products. Repeals the annual limitation on the percentage changes on postal rates for market-dominant products.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. Requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with at least one relevant community-based entity that clearly states the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires grantees to comply with the health information privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2013
Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the muscular dystrophy research program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Expands the range of forms of muscular dystrophy included within the program. Requires the research conducted through Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers to include cardiac and pulmonary function research. Requires the Director of NIH to ensure the sharing of data between such centers. Revises the composition of the Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating Committee (MDCC) to include the Social Security Administration and the United States Administration for Community Living. Requires the MDCC to meet at least two times per year. Requires the MDCC Action Plan to provide for: (1) health economic studies to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of providing independent living resources and support to patients with various forms of muscular dystrophy, (2) studies to determine optimal clinical care interventions for adults with various forms of muscular dystrophy, and (3) the development of clinical interventions to improve the health of adults with various forms of muscular dystrophy. Requires the MDCC to develop a plan to expedite the evaluation and approval of emerging therapies and personalized medicines that have the potential to decrease fatal disease progression across the various forms of muscular dystrophy. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in carrying out epidemiological activities regarding Duchenne and other forms of muscular dystrophies, to ensure that data from different racial and ethnic populations is captured and made publicly available to investigators conducting public or private research on muscular dystrophy. Directs the Secretary to foster ongoing engagement and collaboration between the surveillance program and the research centers. Amends the Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, and Education Amendments of 2001 to authorize the Secretary to: (1) update and disseminate widely existing Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy care considerations for pediatric patients, and (2) develop and disseminate widely Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy considerations for adult patients and acute care considerations for all muscular dystrophy populations. Directs that such care considerations should build upon existing efforts currently underway for specified forms of muscular dystrophy and incorporate strategies specifically responding to the findings of the national transitions survey of minority, young adult, and adult communities of muscular dystrophy patients.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2013
Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act of 2013 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require amounts received through FY2020 (currently, through FY2010) from leases under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to be available to the Secretary of the Interior to spend in such amounts as are provided in advance appropriations acts for implementing such Acts. Requires the Secretary of Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to each establish a wind and solar leasing pilot program under which lease sales are conducted on covered public lands administered by the Secretary concerned to carry out wind and solar energy projects. Requires the Secretaries to jointly determine as to whether to expand the pilot program to apply to all covered public lands. Defines "covered land" to mean land that is: (1) public land administered by the Secretary of the Interior, or National Forest System land administered by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (2) not excluded from development of solar or wind energy under a final land use plan established under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, a final land and resource management plan established under the National Forest Management Act of 1976, or federal law. Establishes in the Treasury the Renewable Energy Resource Conservation Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior for use in regions impacted by the development of wind or solar energy on public lands. Requires Fund amounts to be used in those regions for: (1) the protection and restoration of important fish and wildlife habitat; and (2) the assurance and improvement of access to federal lands and waters for hunting, fishing, and other forms of outdoor recreation. Requires the Secretaries to determine the feasibility of carrying out a mitigation banking program on federal lands administered by the Secretaries to fully offset the impacts of wind or solar energy on such lands.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2013
American Heroes COLA Act - Requires that, whenever there is an increase in benefit amounts payable under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) shall increase by the same percentage the amounts payable as veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled adult children, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2013
Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase, as of December 1, 2013, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Requires each such increase to be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2013
Border Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2013 - Establishes the United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Commission, which shall review and examine cross-border trade policies, strategies, and programs with Mexico. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a grants program to develop and expand trusted shipper programs for small- and medium-sized businesses to facilitate border commerce. Authorizes appropriations for FY2014 to: (1) the General Services Administration (GSA) for planning, management, and construction of United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) owned land border ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border and for the installation of renewable energy retrofits at such ports of entry; (2) the International Boundary and Water Commission for planning, management, and construction of the International Outfall Interceptor and the Nogales Wash Channel; (3) the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) for improvements to existing transportation and supporting infrastructure along the border, for construction of highways and related safety and enforcement facilities related to international trade with Mexico, and for international coordination of transportation planning, programming, and border operations with Mexico; and (4) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for integrated fixed towers, remote video cameras, hand-held devices, mobile systems, and other technologies in Arizona. Requires the DHS Secretary: (1) during FY2014, to increase the number of full-time active duty CBP officers, agriculture specialists, and border security support personnel for such ports of entry, with priority to the Tucson Sector; and (2) to develop and annually update a Southwest Border Strategy for Security and Prosperity to facilitate trade and maintain operational control over such ports of entry. Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a grants program to develop and revitalize small businesses located along the border. Prohibits an executive agency from awarding a contract unless 30% of the labor for the performance of the contract is performed by a local subcontractor, with exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2013
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2013 - Includes as part of the Republic of Vietnam its territorial seas for purposes of the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure by veterans to certain herbicide agents while in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2013
Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise requirements for payments for physician's services to eliminate the sustainable growth rate system from the formula for determination of the fee schedules for such services. Sets at 0.0 the 2014 update to the single conversion factor in such formula. Establishes updates for separate primary care and other service categories beginning January 1, 2015, as well as separate conversion factors and separate updates through 2018 for each service category. Directs the Secretary, through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, to: (1) expand testing of each innovative payment and service delivery model in at least three geographic regions; and (2) include analysis of average implementation costs, per physician, in evaluations of models in phase 1 testing. Specifies as such a model, subject to testing, payment for outpatient therapy services and speech language pathology services on the basis of a treatment session, an episode of care, or other bundled payment methodology as a model to be tested during phase 1 testing. Directs the Comptroller General to study the evaluations of each model tested. Directs the Secretary to release to the public a comprehensive list of such health care delivery models identified as likely to: (1) reduce spending without reducing quality of care, or (2) improve the quality of patient care without increasing spending. Requires the Secretary to inform physicians, nurse practitioners, group practices, and institutions employing Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) providers on how best to transition to alternative health care delivery and payment models aimed at improving the coordination, quality, and efficiency of health care. Freezes the physician fee schedule for 2019 by requiring 0.0 updates to the relevant conversion factors. Directs the Secretary to: (1) contract and agree with regional extension centers to provide guidance and assistance on how physicians may transition to implementation of alternative health care delivery models identified as represernting best practices; and (2) make certain funding available to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Care Technology to award grants and incentive payments under a competitive process to regional extension centers and other qualified entities for such activities. Requires the Office to: (1) establish a process for the competitive selection of regional extension centers (and other qualified entities) in the third quarter of 2015, and (2) authorize the initial distribution of funds to such centers and entities. Prescribes updates to conversion factors for 2020-2023, but freezes them again beginning in 2024. Requires the Secretary to consider certain factors in determining the growth rates to be recognized beginning with 2020 for alternative payment and delivery models. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the impact on spending and on access to services under Medicare resulting from changes to the Medicare delivery and payments systems, including those made by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Pascua Yaqui Tribe Trust Land Act - Holds in trust for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to approximately 10 acres of federal land generally depicted as parcel A, and approximately 10 acres of federal land generally depicted as parcel B, on the map titled "PYT Land Department," dated January 15, 2013. Makes that conveyance effective on the day after the date on which: (1) the Tucson Unified School District relinquishes all right, title, and interest to the parcel B land; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior approves and records the lease agreement between the Tribe and the District for the construction and operation of a regional transportation facility located on the Tribe's restricted land. Prohibits gaming on the lands held in trust under this Act. Prohibits the forfeiture or abandonment of any water rights that are appurtenant to such lands.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial Act - Authorizes the National Desert Storm Memorial Association to establish a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia to commemorate and honor those who, as members of the Armed Forces, served on active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield. Prohibits the use of federal funds to pay any expense to establish the commemorative work.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Parental Bereavement Act of 2013 or Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger Act - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to entitle an eligible employee to up to 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month period because of the death of a son or daughter. Allows such an employee to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay. Applies the same leave entitlement to federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act or the Small BREW Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the rate of the excise tax on beer produced within or imported into the United States for brewers who produce not more than 6 million barrels of beer a year.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Patients' Access to Treatments Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish cost-sharing limits for health plans that cover prescription drugs and use a formulary or other tiered cost-sharing structure. Prohibits such a health plan from imposing cost-sharing requirements, including co-payment and co-insurance, applicable to prescription drugs in a specialty drug tier that exceed the dollar amount of cost-sharing requirements applicable to prescription drugs in a non-preferred brand drug tier. Applies the non-preferred brand drug tier for which beneficiary cost-sharing is lowest, if a formulary used by the health plan contains more than one non-preferred brand drug tier. Defines: (1) "non-preferred brand drug tier" as a category of prescription drugs within a tier in a formulary for which beneficiary cost-sharing is greater than tiers for generic drugs or preferred brand drugs, and that are not included within a specialty drug tier; and (2) "specialty drug tier" as a category of prescription drugs within a tier in a formulary for which beneficiary cost-sharing is greater than tiers for generic drugs, preferred brand drugs, or non-preferred drugs in the plan's formulary.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), for purposes of the educational assistance programs administered by the Secretary, to disapprove courses of education provided by public institutions of higher education that do not charge tuition and fees for veterans at the same rate that is charged for in-state residents, regardless of the veteran's state of residence.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to commemorate the lives of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley (children who lost their lives in the September 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, an incident recognized as a catalyst for the civil rights movement). Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals, with amounts received from the sale to be deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Makes such defense inapplicable where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner [ sic ] of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Fort McClellan Health Registry Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain a special record to be known as the Fort McClellan Health Registry containing the name of each individual who, while serving in the Armed Forces, was stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama, during the period beginning on January 1, 1935, and ending on May 20, 1999, and who: (1) applies for care or services from the VA; (2) files a claim for compensation on the basis of any disability which may be associated with such service; (3) dies and is survived by a spouse, child, or parent who files a claim for dependency and indemnity compensation on the basis of such service; (4) requests a health examination from the VA; or (5) receives such health examination and requests inclusion in the Registry. Requires the Secretary, upon request, to provide such health examination, as well as consultation and counseling with respect to examination results. Directs the Secretary to: (1) notify individuals in the Registry of significant developments in research on the health consequences of potential exposure to a toxic substance or environmental hazard related to service at Fort McClellan; and (2) carry out appropriate outreach activities with respect to such health examinations, consultation, and counseling.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act of 2013 - Repeals sections of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care (PPACA) (and restores provisions of law amended by such sections) related to the establishment of an Independent Payment Advisory Board to develop and submit detailed proposals to reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending to the President for Congress to consider.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Congressional Halt in Pay Increases and Cut Congressional Pay Act - Amends the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 to provide that, as of the beginning of the first applicable pay period commencing after the next regularly scheduled general election for federal office following the enactment of this Act, the annual rate of pay for Members of Congress shall be equal to the annual rate of pay for that position as of the date on which that general election is held, reduced by 10%. (Thus eliminates the automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress, and reduces their compensation by 10%.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Voter Empowerment Act of 2013 - Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2013 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) to require each state to make available official public websites for online voter registration. Authorizes automated voter registration of certain individuals and establishes other initiatives to promote voter registration, such as same day registration and voter registration of individuals under 18 years of age. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit hindering, interfering with, or preventing voter registration. Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to establish requirements for states to promote access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities, including a single office for providing related information. Directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to make grants to eligible states to conduct pilot programs enabling individuals with disabilities to register to vote and vote privately and independently at their own residences (including by telephone). Amends HAVA to reauthorize the program of grants to state and local governments to assure voting access for individuals with disabilities. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit state or local election officials from preventing an individual from registering or voting in any federal election (voter caging), or from permitting a formal challenge under state law to an individual's registration status or eligibility to vote, if the basis for such decision is evidence consisting of: (1) a voter caging document or voter caging list, (2) an unverified match list, (3) an error or omission on voter application or registration documents that is not material to an individual's eligibility to vote, or (4) any other evidence so designated by the Commission. Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a person, including an election official, from knowingly and willfully attempting to or depriving or defrauding the residents of a state of their free and fair exercise of the right to vote by the communication of election-related information that is known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent. Increases the penalty for voter intimidation. Declares that the right of an individual U.S. citizen to vote in any federal election shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless he or she is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution at the time of the election. Prescribes enforcement of this right by public or private civil action. Requires each state to notify in writing any individual convicted of a criminal offense under state law, upon release from state custody or upon sentence to probation, that he or she has the right to vote in a federal election and so may register to vote. Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2013 - Amends HAVA to revise requirements for the audit capacity of voting systems, particularly those for a permanent paper record. Requires the voting system to require the use of an individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballot of the voter's vote that shall be marked and made available for inspection by the voter before the voter's vote is cast and counted, and which shall be counted by hand or read by an optical character recognition device or other counting device. Requires the voting system to provide the voter with an opportunity to correct any system-made error in the voter-verified paper ballot before it is permanently preserved. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make grants to eligible entities to study, test, and develop accessible ballot voting, verification, and casting mechanisms and devices and best practices to enhance the accessibility of paper ballot voting and verification mechanisms for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. Prescribes requirements for: (1) publication of poll tapes, (2) treatment of ballots cast at early voting sites and of absentee ballots, and (3) the counting of provisional ballots that will be treated as votes. Prescribes laboratory conflict-of-interest requirements and prohibitions. Requires the NSF Director to make grants to eligible entities to conduct research on the development of election-dedicated voting system software. Requires each state, except when the winning candidate had no opponent or received 80% or more of the votes, to administer audits of federal election results, without advance notice to the precincts selected, consisting of random hand counts of the voter-verified paper ballots. Requires the Election Auditor of a state, as soon as practicable after the completion of an audit, to submit the results to EAC for publication. Prohibits certification of the results of any election until completion of audits. Amends HAVA to: (1) add requirements for counting provisional ballots, (2) require each state to allow early voting and facilitate the ability of voters to vote by mail. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend the guarantee of voting residency to family members of absent military personnel. Amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act with respect to pre-election reports on availability and transmission of absentee ballots. Revises the 45-day absentee ballot transmission rule. Permits use of a single absentee ballot application for subsequent elections. Entitles to leave a federal employee who serves as a poll worker. Directs the EAC to: (1) make a grant to each eligible state for poll-worker recruitment and training, and (2) develop materials for a model state poll worker training program. Amends HAVA to make available to any person aggrieved by a violation of uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements the option to file a complaint with the Attorney General or pursue a private right of action to enforce such requirements. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it unlawful for a chief state election administration official, unless he or she or a family member is a candidate, to take an active part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which such official has supervisory authority. Amends NVRA to treat universities as voter registration agencies. Amends HAVA to establish minimum notification requirements on behalf of voters affected by polling place changes. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) coordinate the establishment of a state-based response system for responding to questions and complaints from individuals voting or seeking to vote, or registering to vote or seeking to, in federal elections; (2) establish and operate a toll-free telephone service to connect directly to such response system; and (3) appoint a Voter Hotline Task Force. Makes requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and HAVA applicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Amends HAVA to: (1) reauthorize and extend the EAC, and (2) repeal its exemption from certain government contracting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2013
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) to add or expand definitions of several terms used in such Act. Modifies or expands grant conditions under such Act, including requirements relating to: (1) nondisclosure of personally identifying information or other client information, (2) information sharing between grantees and subgrantees, (3) civil rights and nondiscrimination, (4) audits, and (5) nonprofit organizations. Requires the Office on Violence Against Women of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a biennial conferral process with state and tribal coalitions, technical assistance providers, and other key stakeholders on the administration of grants and related matters. Requires the Attorney General to authorize in writing expenditures for DOJ conferences that exceed $20,000. Title I: Enhancing Judicial and Law Enforcement Tools to Combat Violence Against Women - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 for grants to: (1) combat violent crime against women (STOP grants); and (2) encourage governmental entities to implement policies, training programs, and best practices for recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of domestic violence and violent sex crimes. Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to expand the availability of competent pro bono legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and to authorize appropriations for such assistance for FY2014-FY2018. Revises the grant programs for supporting families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to such families and to train court personnel in assisting such families. Extends through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for: (1) the training of probation and parole officers to manage sex offenders, and (2) the Court-Appointed Special Advocate program. Amends the federal criminal code with respect to the crime of stalking to prohibit the use of any interactive computer or electronic communication service to stalk victims. Revises and reauthorizes through FY2018 the grant program for outreach strategies targeted at adult or youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations. Title II: Improving Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking - Amends VAWA to extend through FY2018 grant programs to: (1) assist states, Indian tribes, and U.S. territories to establish, maintain, and expand rape crisis centers and other programs to assist victims of sexual assault; and (2) assist victims of domestic violence and other sexual assault crimes in rural areas. Amends the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 to extend through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for grants to end violence against women with disabilities. Amends VAWA to authorize appropriations through FY2018 for the grant program to end elder abuse, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, exploitation, and neglect, and to provide training for law enforcement agencies to better serve victims of abuse in later life. Directs the Attorney General in awarding grants to end elder abuse to give priority to proposals for serving culturally specific and underserved populations. Title III: Services, Protection, and Justice for Young Victims of Violence - Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) include tribal or territorial sexual assault coalitions in the grant program for rape prevention and education, and (2) extend through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for grants for rape prevention and education programs conducted by rape crisis centers. Establishes a minimum allocation of grant funding for states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and each U.S. territory. Amends VAWA to replace certain grant programs for the protection of young victims of violent crimes with a program requiring the Attorney General, in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Secretary of Education, to award grants to enhance the safety of youth and children who are victims of, or exposed to, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and to prevent future violence. Amends the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 to revise, expand, and reauthorize through FY2018 the grant program for combating violent crimes on college campuses. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand requirements for the disclosure of campus security policies and crime statistics by institutions of higher education to require education programs to: (1) promote the awareness of rape and other violent sex crimes, (2) require disclosure of disciplinary proceedings involving rape and other violent sex crimes and the standard of evidence that will govern such proceedings, and (3) establish procedures for the protection of the confidentiality of crime victims. Title IV: Violence Reduction Practices - Amends the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 to authorize appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 for grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to academic institutions and organizations to conduct research that examines best practices for reducing and preventing violence against women and children. Amends VAWA to authorize the Attorney General, in consultation with the HHS Secretary and the Secretary of Education, to award grants to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by taking a comprehensive approach that focuses on youth, children exposed to violence, and men as leaders and influencers of social norms (SMART Prevention grants). Title V: Strengthening the Healthcare System's Response to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize, revise, and consolidate grant programs that address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Permits grant funds to be used for the development, expansion, and implementation of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs. Revises requirements for training and education grants. Title VI: Safe Homes for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking - Amends VAWA with respect to housing protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Revises eligibility requirements for transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to specify that any victims are eligible and extends the authorization of appropriations for such grants, but at decreased levels, for FY2014-FY2018. Extends the authorization of appropriations, but also at decreased levels, for FY2014-FY2018 for: (1) collaborative grants to increase the long-term stability of victims, and (2) grants to combat violence against women in public and assisted housing. Title VII: Economic Security for Victims of Violence - Amends VAWA to extend through FY2018 the authorization of appropriations for the grant program to establish and operate a national resource center on workplace responses to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence. Title VIII: Protection of Battered Immigrants - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) expand the definition of nonimmigrant U-visa (victims of certain crimes) to include victims of stalking; (2) make a child of an alien who was a self-petitioner under VAWA eligible for lawful permanent resident status under such alien's petition; (3) exclude from the public charge bar to admission an alien who is a VAWA self-petitioner, a U-visa applicant, or a battered spouse or child; (4) extend the conditions under which the hardship waiver of the two-year waiting period for permanent resident status may be granted to a battered alien spouse; and (5) expand the scope of criminal-related information that must be disclosed by a U.S. citizen petitioning for a nonimmigrant K-visa (alien fiancee or fiance); Amends the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 to require DHS to: (1) conduct a background check of the National Crime Information Center's Protection Order Database on each K-visa petitioner, and (2) include any appropriate information in the criminal background information provided to the alien fiance/fiancee. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to authorize the DHS Secretary (in addition to the Attorney General) to disclose information relating to aliens who are victims of domestic violence to law enforcement officials for law enforcement purposes in a manner that protects the confidentiality of such information. Authorizes the Attorney General and the Secretaries of Homeland Security and State to disclose such information to national security officials to be used solely for a national security purpose. Requires the Attorney General and the Secretaries of Homeland Security and State to provide guidance to officers and employees of their respective departments regarding such disclosures of information. Title IX: Safety for Indian Women - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) include sex trafficking as a target of the grants to Indian tribal governments to combat violent crime against Indian women, and (2) expand the purposes for which the Attorney General may award domestic violence and sexual assault prevention grants to Indian tribal coalitions. Amends the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 to include the Secretary of the Interior, in addition to the HHS Secretary and the Attorney General, as a participant in consultations with Indian tribes regarding the administration of tribal funds and programs, enhancement of Indian women's safety, and federal response to violent crimes against Indian women. Gives Indian tribes criminal jurisdiction over domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protective orders that occur on their lands. Makes that jurisdiction concurrent with federal and state jurisdiction. Requires Indian tribes prosecuting crimes of violence to: (1) prove that the defendant has requisite ties to the Indian tribe; (2) provide defendants the right to an impartial jury trial; and (3) notify a defendant of his or her rights, including the right to file a writ of habeas corpus in federal court. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) increase maximum penalties for assault convictions; and (2) impose criminal penalties on individuals who commit an assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner and who assault such spouse or partner by strangling or suffocating. Reauthorizes appropriations for the national tribal sex offender registry and the tribal protection order registry for FY2014-FY2018. Title X: Safer Act - Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2013 or the SAFER Act of 2013 - Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to authorize the Attorney General to make Debbie Smith grants under such Act to states or local governments to: (1) conduct audits of samples of sexual assault evidence that are awaiting testing, provided such governments submit an audit plan that includes a good-faith estimate of the number of such samples; and (2) ensure that the collection and processing of DNA evidence by law enforcement agencies from crimes is carried out in an appropriate and timely manner and in accordance with specified protocols and practices. Requires not less than 5% but not more than 7% of Debbie Smith grant funds distributed in FY2014-FY2017 to be awarded for such purposes if sufficient applications to justify such amounts are received by the Attorney General, provided such awards do not decrease funds for other distribution requirements. Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to: (1) develop and publish a description of protocols and practices for the accurate, timely, and effective collection and processing of DNA evidence, which shall address appropriate steps in the investigation of cases that might involve DNA evidence; and (2) make available technical assistance and training to support states and local governments in adopting and implementing such protocols and practices. Requires the Attorney General to submit to Congress an annual report on: (1) grants awarded to states and local governments, (2) the number of deadline extensions granted by the Attorney General, and (3) the processing status of the samples of sexual assault evidence identified in Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reports. Requires, for each fiscal year through FY2018, that not less than 75% of Debbie Smith grant amounts be awarded to carry out for inclusion in the Combined DNA Index System DNA analyses of samples collected under applicable legal authority and of samples collected from crime scenes and to increase the capacity of state or local government laboratories to carry out DNA analyses. Requires the DOJ Inspector General to conduct audits of grant recipients to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Sunsets specified provisions of this Act regarding Debbie Smith grants for auditing sexual assault evidence backlogs on December 31, 2018. Title XI: Other Matters - Amends the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act to allow a prisoner in federal custody to bring a suit against the United States for a mental or emotional injury if such injury resulted from the commission of a sexual act (currently, requires a prior showing of a physical injury). Amends the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 to direct the DHS Secretary to publish a final rule adopting national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of rapes and sexual assaults in detention facilities against aliens detained for a violation of U.S. immigration law. Requires the HHS Secretary to publish a similar final rule for the protection of unaccompanied alien children in custodial facilities. Amends the Communications Act of 1934, with respect to obscene or harassing telephone calls, to: (1) remove the intent to annoy requirement in the definition of such crime; and (2) include any specific person as an intended victim of such crime (currently, any person at the called number or who receives the communication). Amends VAWA to extend through FY2018 the grant programs for: (1) improving and implementing processes for entering data on stalking and domestic violence into crime information databases, and (2) appointing victim/witness counselors for the prosecution of sex crimes and domestic violence crimes. Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to authorize appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 for child abuse and neglect technical assistance and training programs for judicial personnel and attorneys practicing in juvenile and family courts.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2013
Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of two gold medals to the First Special Service Force (a joint American-Canadian volunteer unit), collectively, in recognition of their World War II service. Directs one such gold medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution and the other to the First Special Service Force Association in Helena, Montana. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates with proceeds deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund. Declares that medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes of specified coins and currency provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 January 2013
No Budget, No Pay Act - Prohibits the payment of any pay to any Member of Congress (excluding the Vice President): (1) if both houses of Congress have not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget for a fiscal year before October 1 of that fiscal year and have not passed all the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year by such date, or (2) until both houses of Congress approve such a budget resolution and pass all such appropriations bills. Prohibits any retroactive pay for such a period.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2013
Stolen Valor Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to rewrite provisions relating to fraudulent claims about military service to subject to a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both an individual who, with intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit, fraudulently holds himself or herself out to be a recipient of: a Congressional Medal of Honor, a distinguished-service cross, a Navy cross, an Air Force cross, a silver star, a Purple Heart, a Combat Infantryman's Badge, a Combat Action Badge, a Combat Medical Badge, a Combat Action Ribbon, a Combat Action Medal, or any replacement or duplicate medal for such medal as authorized by law.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2013
Mental Health First Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to award grants to initiate and sustain mental health first aid training programs. Requires such a program to include: (1) core live training courses on the skills, resources, and knowledge necessary to assist individuals in crisis to connect with appropriate local mental health care services; (2) training on mental health resources, including the location of community mental health centers in the state and local community; and (3) training on action plans and protocols for referral to such resources. Sets forth the categories of individuals to be trained under the program, including emergency services personnel and other first responders, police officers and law enforcement personnel, teachers and school administrators, human resources professionals, faith community leaders, nurses and other primary care personnel, students enrolled in school, parents of students, veterans, and other individuals, audiences or training populations as appropriate. Requires such programs to train individuals to accomplish: (1) safe de-escalation of crisis situations, (2) recognition of the signs and symptoms of mental illness, and (3) timely referral to mental health services in the early stages of developing mental disorders. Requires the Secretary, in awarding grants, to: (1) ensure that grants are equitably distributed among the geographical regions of the United States, and (2) pay particular attention to the mental health training needs of populations and target audiences residing in rural areas.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2013
Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to provide transportation on scheduled and unscheduled military flights within the United States and on scheduled overseas flights on a space-available basis for veterans with a service-connected, permanent disability rated as total.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2013
Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act - Repeals certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military retired pay or who would be entitled to retired pay except for being under 60 years of age. Prohibits requiring repayment of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund. Repeals the optional authority of (and instead requires) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member's dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse. Directs the Secretary concerned to restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to a surviving child or children of a member.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2013
Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) to prohibit an insured depository institution from being an affiliate of any broker or dealer, investment adviser, investment company, or any other person or entity engaged principally in the issue, flotation, underwriting, public sale, or distribution of stocks, bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities. Prohibits officers, directors and employees of securities firms from simultaneous service on the boards of depository institutions, except in specified circumstances. Requires any such individual serving as an officer, director, employee, or other institution-affiliated party of any insured depository institution to terminate such service as soon as practicable after enactment of this Act. Requires an insured depository institution to wind-down in an orderly manner and terminate any affiliation prohibited by this Act. Amends the Banking Act of 1933 (Glass-Steagall Act) to expand its prohibition against the transaction of banking activities by securities firms. Declares that Congress ratifies the interpretation by the Supreme Court of specified statutory language in the case of Investment Company Institute v. Camp ( ICI ) regarding permissible activities of banks and securities firms. Declares that the reasoning of the Court in that case shall continue to apply to the limitations placed upon security affiliations under the FDIA as enacted by this Act. Prohibits a federal banking agency or federal court from issuing an interpretation regarding such security affiliations that is narrower than that of the Court in ICI . Makes technical and conforming changes to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Revised Statutes of the United States, and specified federal law. Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Comptroller of the Currency, or another appropriate federal banking agency to report to Congress a detailed description of the basis for its decision each time it makes a determination or grants an extension concerning an affiliation between insured depository institutions and investment banks or securities firms.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Malala Yousufzai in recognition of her devoted service to education, justice, and equality in Pakistan.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2010
Former Bennett Freeze Area Development Act - Requires the Commissioner of the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation (ONHIR), by request of the Navajo Nation or the Hopi Tribe by tribal resolution, to enter into a self-determination contract or contracts with the requesting Indian tribe to plan, conduct, and administer programs, functions, services, or activities, including construction programs administered by the Commissioner that pertain directly to the requesting Indian tribe. Establishes the Former Bennett Freeze Area Rehabilitation Trust Fund in the Treasury. Makes amounts in the Fund available to the Navajo Nation solely for purposes which will contribute to the continuing rehabilitation and improvement of the economic, housing, infrastructure, health, educational, and social condition of families, and Navajo communities, that have been affected by the former Bennett Freeze. Authorizes the Commissioner to carry out a rehabilitation program to redress the effects of federal development restrictions (Bennett Freeze) in the western portion of the Navajo Reservation, limited to housing construction and renovation, infrastructure improvements, and economic development initiatives. Repeals requirements that: (1) the United States be reimbursed for funds appropriated to the Navajo Rehabilitation Trust Fund before its termination; and (2) the income derived by the Navajo Tribe from the surface and mineral estates of certain lands located in New Mexico acquired for the Tribe's benefit be used to reimburse the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury. Reauthorizes the Fund. Grants the Navajo Nation the right to negotiate and approve an Accommodation Agreement with the Hopi Tribe for any Navajo head of household residing on Hopi Partitioned Land that has not otherwise entered into such Agreement but intends to remain on the Land. Amends the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996 to grant any Navajo family that has entered into an Accommodation Agreement the right to: (1) relinquish that Agreement at any time up until the closure of the ONHIR; and after such relinquishment (2) receive the full relocation benefits to which the family would otherwise have been entitled had the family not signed such Agreement, including relocation housing, counseling, and other services.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to create an exception to the mandatory 30-day waiting period for new flood insurance coverage to take effect under the National Flood Insurance Program. Exempts from the waiting period the purchase of flood insurance coverage for which the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) waives the period because of an occurrence that has caused the area covered by the insurance to be more susceptible to flooding than before the occurrence. Specifies in particular property located in an area that, because of a wildfire beginning on June 20, 2010, became more susceptible to flooding than before the wildfire. Allows the Secretary to apply the waiver retroactively. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure that flood insurance coverage of such a covered property takes effect on the date that all obligations for coverage (including completion of the application and payment of any initial premiums owed) were satisfactorily completed.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2010
Collectible Firearms Protection Act - Amends the Arms Export Control Act to allow the importation of certain firearms listed as curios or relics into the United States by a licensed importer without the requirement of an authorization from or payment to the Department of State or the Department of Defense upon certification to the Attorney General that such firearms are lawfully possessed under the laws of the exporting country.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2010
Celebrates the 60th anniversary of the enactment of the Impact Aid program (which compensates local educational agencies for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their areas) as Impact Aid Recognition Day. Recognizes the importance of the program in ensuring that federally connected children receive a high-quality public education.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2010
Celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the National Conference of Catholic Charities, now called Catholic Charities USA. Honors Catholic Charities USA for being a national leader in the efforts to fight poverty and to strengthen the United States in times of need and crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Seniors Protection Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to disburse a $250 payment to recipients of Social Security, SSI (Supplemental Security Income under title XVI of the Social Security Act), railroad retirement benefits, and veterans disability compensation or pension benefits if no cost-of-living adjustment is payable in 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2010
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to convey all interest of the United States in and to two parcels of land within the boundaries of the Coconino National Forest, Arizona, that contain private improvements that landowners developed based upon an erroneous survey conducted in May 1960, to the person or legal entity representing the majority of those landowners. Requires such person or legal entity to pay the Secretary a specified amount as consideration for the conveyance of such parcels. Sets forth requirements for the use of such consideration. Revokes public orders withdrawing any of the federal land specified above from appropriation or disposal under the public land laws to the extent necessary to permit conveyance of such land.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2010
Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 - Revises provisions concerning the post-9/11 veterans' educational assistance program to, among other things: (1) revise definitions concerning eligibility, and include certain National Guard service as service qualifying for such assistance; (2) revise assistance amounts (including monthly stipends), and types of approved programs of education; (3) allow the pursuit of educational programs at institutions other than institutions of higher learning, including on-job training and apprenticeships, flight training, and correspondence courses; (4) provide an assistance amount for programs of education pursued while on active duty; (5) repeal the limit on the use of such assistance for the payment of only one licensing or certification test; (6) allow an individual entitled to supplemental educational assistance to transfer such entitlement to the post-9/11 program; (7) bar the duplication of benefits under other educational assistance programs; (8) increase the amount of the reporting fee paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to an educational institution for providing information concerning an individual's enrollment in a program of education; (9) extend to certain National Guard and reserve personnel members eligibility to receive public-private contributions for additional educational assistance; (10) reauthorize through 2016 the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education; and (11) revise cost-of-living adjustments under the Montgomery GI Bill educational assistance program. Provides an alternate subsistence allowance amount for veterans entitled to such allowance due to service-connected disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2010
Veterans' Disability Claims Efficiency Act of 2010 - Allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), in the case of a disability claim with multiple conditions, to assign an interim disability rating for the condition(s) that can be assigned without further development and to continue development of the remaining condition(s). Requires an interim disability rating to remain in effect unless the Secretary later assigns an increased rating for such condition. Prohibits the continuation of such rating if the rating was based on fraud or the condition improves. Directs the Secretary to establish a process for the rapid identification of initial claims for disability compensation that should, in adjudication, receive priority in the order of review. Requires the Secretary to identify whether claims have the potential of being adjudicated quickly, the claims qualify for priority treatment, and a temporary disability rating could be assigned for such claims. Authorizes the Secretary to provide priority based on the effect such priority would have on a claimant.
![Official portrait of Rep. Kirkpatrick, Ann [D-AZ-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000368_200.jpg)