United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2014
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of a Small Business Saturday, (2) efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally, and (3) efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and their impact on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2014
Amends the federal charter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States to describe the organization as a national association of veterans (currently, an association of men) who, as soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen, served this Nation in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign soil or in hostile waters. Expands its purpose of assisting widows to that of assisting surviving spouses.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2014
Securing Access Via Excellence for Medicare Home Health Act of 2014 or the SAVE Medicare Home Health Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to the prospective payment system (PPS) for home health services, to repeal the rebasing reduction adjustment for 2014 and subsequent years required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Establishes a calendar year 2014 payment adjustment under such PPS. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a detailed analysis of the rebasing reduction in Medicare payments for home health services promulgated under the rule for home health prospective payment system rate update for calendar year 2014. Directs the Secretary to specify a home health all-cause all-condition hospital unplanned readmission measure for readmissions (for any cause) to a hospital for an individual entitled to benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) (or enrolled under Medicare part B [Supplementary Medicare Insurance]) and who is receiving post-hospital home health services. Requires this measure to be risk adjusted for potentially preventable readmission to a hospital for such an individual. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish: (1) a Medicare home health agency value-based purchasing program (HHA VBP) under which value-based incentive payments are made in a year to home health agencies, and (2) performance standards for application of the unplanned readmission measure. Directs the Secretary to develop by regulation a methodology for assessing the total performance of each home health agency based on these performance standards. Directs the Secretary to: (1) withhold from the payment rates made for each year for home health services the amount necessary so that enactment of this Act is estimated not to result in any net change in payments made for Medicare services, and (2) provide for a distribution of a portion of those withheld amounts for performance payments to home health agencies. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to review the progress of the HHA VBP and make appropriate recommendations on any improvements that should be made to the program.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2014
Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014 - Prohibits the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from: developing, finalizing, adopting, implementing, applying, administering, or enforcing the proposed rule entitled, "Definition of 'Waters of the United States' Under the Clean Water Act," issued on April 21, 2014, or the proposed guidance entitled, "Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected By the Clean Water Act," dated February 17, 2012; or using the proposed rule or proposed guidance, any successor document, or any substantially similar proposed rule or guidance as the basis for any rulemaking or decision regarding the scope or enforcement of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act). Requires the Army Corps and the EPA to withdraw the interpretive rule entitled, "Notice of Availability Regarding the Exemption from Permitting Under Section 404(f)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act to Certain Agricultural Conservation Practices," issued on April 21, 2014. Requires the Army Corps and the EPA to consult with relevant state and local officials to develop recommendations for a regulatory proposal that would identify the scope of waters covered under the Clean Water Act and the scope of waters not covered.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2014
Medicare DMEPOS Audit Improvement and Reform (AIR) Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish a Medicare Administrative Contractor Payment Outreach and Education Program for DMEPOS (durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies) suppliers. Requires each Medicare administrative contractor responsible for DMEPOS payments, in order to reduce improper payments to DMEPOS suppliers under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), to provide suppliers, physicians and practitioners who prescribe DMEPOS, and discharge planners and case managers who coordinate DMEPOS for individuals in the contractor's area with error rate reduction training as well as: a list of suppliers' most frequent payment errors and the most expensive payment errors over the last quarter, specific instructions regarding how to correct or avoid such errors in the future as well as to prevent future issues related to new audits, and a notice of all new topics that have been approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for audits. Sets forth the structure for audits of DMEPOS suppliers, requiring a contractor to give priority to activities under the DMEPOS payment outreach and education program that will reduce improper Medicare payments based on technical errors, medical necessity, and fraud. Requires annual reports to Congress on the use of recovery audit contractors under the Medicare Integrity Program to include certain information on the results of audit appeals related to DMEPOS. Requires the Secretary to: (1) increase the maximum record requests made by Medicare DMEPOS contractors in auditing claims of suppliers with a relatively high audited claims error rate for DMEPOS payments, and (2) decrease the maximum record requests for suppliers with a relatively low error rate. Directs the Secretary to limit the audit documentation review period for Medicare administrative contractors to three years.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2014
Lean and Responsive Government Act - Requires the head of each federal agency to describe the implementation of continuous process improvement in the agency's periodic update on agency performance. Defines "continuous process improvement" as a management methodology (commonly referred to as lean six sigma) that combines tools to improve process speed, reduce waste, and incorporate requirements with data driven project analysis to provide products and services with improved quality at lower cost. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) make available on the OMB website a description of the results of the government-wide implementation of continuous process improvement, and (2) appoint an expert on such process as a member of the Performance Improvement Council to advise on its implementation across agencies. Requires: (1) each agency's Chief Operating Officer to implement continuous process improvement, (2) each agency's Performance Improvement Officer to advise and assist the agency head and Chief Operating Officer in implementing such process, and (3) the head of each agency to include information on the results of continuous process improvement projects in each relevant appropriation request for the agency. Requires the Director to designate a center of excellence for continuous process improvement training from within the Department of Defense (DOD).
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2014
Charitable Automobile Red-Tape Simplification Act of 2014 or the CARS Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for charitable contributions, to modify the substantiation rules for donations of qualified vehicles (i.e., motor vehicles manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways and boats or airplanes) to require: (1) a statement with respect to such qualified vehicles and a good faith estimate of their value at the time of donation; and (2) a contemporaneous written acknowledgement of the contribution by the donee organization, with information about the donor and the qualified vehicle.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2014
Transparency in Education Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Education from issuing a final rule or implementing a proposed rule affecting the determination as to whether a postsecondary career education program provides training that leads to gainful employment in a recognized occupation, which is required if it is to participate in a program under title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), until 90 days after: the Secretary publishes a complete data analysis on the impact of such proposed rule on all postsecondary education programs and students at all categories of institutions of higher education that participate in a program under title IV of the HEA, that analysis is published in a format similar to the Gainful Employment 2012 Informational Rate Calculations published by the Department of Education, and the Comptroller General (GAO) issues a report that reviews such data analysis for accuracy and completeness.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: students and families should maintain the right and responsibility of determining where to enroll for postsecondary education; the federal government, in conjunction with states and accreditors, has a responsibility and the tools to ensure that the significant taxpayer funds that are invested in student aid each year are appropriately spent; the federal government could play a positive role in making information regarding postsecondary education available to prospective students; the Administration should work collaboratively with the higher education community to make that information more consumer friendly and accessible to students and their families; and the Administration's proposal to rate postsecondary institutions through an oversimplified federal rating system will lead to less choice, diversity, and innovation and should be rejected.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2014
Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise Medicare payments for dialysis services provided to individuals with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and acute kidney injury. Extends the time period when a private health insurer, in determining benefits, cannot consider a group health insurance enrollee's ESRD or entitlement to Medicare coverage due to ESRD. Makes individuals with ESRD eligible for Medicare Advantage. Allows dialysis facilities to provide kidney disease education services and allows physician assistants, nurse practitioners, or clinical nurse specialists to refer individuals to those services. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an ESRD Care Coordination program to provide higher Medicare payments to nephrologists, dialysis facilities, and other providers that reduce spending on ESRD by being part of a coordinated care organization. Amends the Public Health Service Act to include dialysis as a service provided by the National Health Service Corps in health professional shortage areas. Makes nephrologists and non-physician practitioners who provide dialysis eligible for the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program and Loan Repayment Program. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to submit a report identifying gaps in chronic kidney disease research and comparing research funding to expenditures on disease treatment. Requires HHS to study the causes of kidney disease and efforts to treat kidney disease in disproportionately affected minority populations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Extension Act of 2014 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to extend the rural community hospital demonstration program from five through 10 years.
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to private activity bond financing for first-time farmers, to: (1) increase from $450,000 to $509,600 (adjusted annually for inflation) the amount of bond proceeds that may be used by a first-time farmer to acquire land for farming purposes, (2) repeal the limitation on the use of bond proceeds for used farm equipment, and (3) modify the definition of "substantial farmland" to determine farm size by reference to the average (instead of median) size of a farm in the county in which the farm is located.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2014
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 - Department of Transportation Appropriations Act, 2015 - Makes appropriations for FY2015 to the Department of Transportation (DOT). Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2015 - Makes appropriations for FY2015 to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Makes appropriations for FY2015 to: (1) the Access Board, (2) the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), (3) the Office of Inspector General for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), (4) the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), (5) the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, and (6) the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. Specifies certain uses and limits on or prohibitions against the use of funds appropriated by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2014
Affirms that all children deserve a safe, loving, and permanent family. Recognizes the importance of ensuring that international adoptions of all children are conducted in an ethical and transparent manner. Expresses concern over the impact on children and families caused by the suspension of exit permit issuance within the Democratic Republic of Congo. Requests that the Congolese government resume processing adoption cases and issuing exit permits, prioritize the processing of intercountry adoptions which were initiated before the suspension, and expedite the adoption processing of medically fragile children. Encourages continued cooperation between the Department of State and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to improve the intercountry adoption process and ensure the welfare of all children adopted from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2014
Recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children in the foster care system face. Encourages Congress to implement policy to minimize the number of children entering the foster care system, to improve the lives of children in the foster care system, and to maximize the number of children exiting foster care to the protection of safe, loving, and permanent families. Supports the designation of National Foster Care Month.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2014
Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act of 2014 - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act concerning establishment of minimum leverage and minimum risk-based capital requirements on a consolidated basis for a depository institution holding company or a nonbank financial company supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board). States that federal banking agencies shall not be required to subject any person to such minimum capital requirements, to the extent that such person either: (1) acts in its capacity as a regulated insurance entity regulated by a state insurance regulator, or (2) is a regulated foreign subsidiary engaged in the business of insurance (including a regulated foreign affiliate of such subsidiary). Exempts from any requirement to prepare holding company financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles any Board-supervised depository institution holding company or nonbank financial company that is also a person regulated by a state insurance regulator or a regulated foreign subsidiary (or a regulated foreign affiliate) that files its holding company financial statements using only Statutory Accounting Principles in accordance with state law.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2014
Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2014 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish premarket notification requirements for a bioengineered organism intended for a food use or application. Defines “bioengineered organism” to mean a plant or any part of a plant which contains genetic material that has been modified through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques when such modification could not otherwise be obtained using conventional breeding techniques. Sets forth exceptions if: (1) the bioengineered organism is used for development or testing conducted to generate data and information that could be used in a premarket biotechnology notification or other regulatory submission; (2) a processing aid or enzyme produced from the bioengineered organism is intended to be used to produce food; or (3) food produced from, containing, or consisting of the bioengineered organism is intended to be fed to an animal from which food is intended to be produced or derived. Directs the developer of a bioengineered organism to submit a premarket biotechnology notification to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) at least 210 days before the organism is first introduced into interstate commerce for a food use or application. Requires such notification to include: (1) the basis for the determination that food produced from, containing, or consisting of that bioengineered organism is as safe for use by humans or animals as comparable marketed foods without the bioengineered organism, and (2) whether any other federal agency is conducting or has conducted any review of the bioengineered organism and the status or conclusions of any such review. Requires the Secretary to determine whether such food is as safe as food made without the bioengineered organism. Requires public disclosure of the premarket notification. Authorizes the Secretary to require the label of such food to disclose a material difference between food produced from, containing, or consisting of a bioengineered organism and its comparable marketed food, as necessary to protect health and safety or to prevent the label or labeling of such food from being false or misleading. Makes these requirements applicable 30 days after enactment of this Act, regardless of whether relevant regulations or guidance have been finalized or issued. Preempts any state or local requirement respecting a bioengineered organism intended for a food use or application, or food produced from, containing, or consisting of a bioengineered organism. Sets forth standards for any food label that contains claims that bioengineering was or was not used in the production of the food. Preempts any state and local labeling requirements with respect to bioengineered food. Requires the Secretary to issue regulations setting standards for a natural claim on food labels. Preempts any state or local regulations that are not identical to the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2014
Africa Counter Terrorism Initiative Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to develop, submit to Congress, and implement within one year after enactment of this Act a plan to transfer the headquarters of AFRICOM from Stuttgart, Germany, to a location in the continental United States. Requires the plan to provide for: (1) the 65th Air Base Wing to be an AFRICOM asset; (2) AFRICOM permanent assets to be located at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal; (3) the transfer of U.S. assets at Lajes Field from United States European Command to AFRICOM for purposes of being the forward operating location, logistical hub, and location of AFRICOM assets; and (4) the relocation of the Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response (SP-MAGTF CR) from Moron Air Base, Spain, to Lajes Field. Directs the Secretary to conduct a review of the Agreement on Cooperation and Defense Between the United States and Portugal, signed at Lisbon on June 1, 1995, to ensure that such Agreement accurately reflects and accounts for such plan. Requires Lajes Field to continue operating 24 hours a day, at or above its 2012 levels of readiness, effective until at least the date of completion of the 2018 quadrennial defense review.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) prevent Hezbollah's global logistics and financial network from operating in order to curtail funding of its domestic and international activities; and (2) utilize diplomatic, legislative, and executive avenues to combat Hezbollah's criminal activities in order to block that organization's ability to fund its global terrorist activities. Directs the President to report to Congress: (1) a list of satellite, broadcast, or other providers that knowingly transmit the content of al-Manar TV; and (2) the identity of those providers that have or have not been sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly: (1) facilitates the activities of Hezbollah or its agents, instrumentalities, affiliates, or successors; (2) facilitates the activities of a person acting on behalf of or owned or controlled by an agent, instrumentality, affiliate, or successor; (3) engages in money laundering to carry out such an activity; (4) facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services to carry out such an activity, including services that involve a transaction of gold, silver, platinum, or other precious metals; or (5) facilitates any of these activities, conspires to facilitate or participate in such an activity, or is owned or controlled by a foreign financial institution that knowingly engages in such an activity. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe reporting, information sharing, and due diligence requirements for domestic financial institutions that maintain a correspondent account or payable-through account in the United States for a foreign financial institution. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such requirements if in the U.S. national security interests, and with congressional notification. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to identify to Congress every 180 days each foreign central bank that carries out an activity prohibited under this Act. Sets forth penalty requirements for specified violations under this Act. Directs the President to designate Hezbollah as: (1) a significant foreign narcotics trafficker if Hezbollah meets meets the criteria set forth under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and (2) a significant transnational criminal organization if Hezbollah meets the criteria set forth under specified executive orders and statutes. Requires the President to report to Congress which of these criteria the President determines that Hezbollah has not met, if it does not. Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress regarding Hezbollah's involvement in the trade in rough diamonds outside of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. Declares that nothing in this Act shall apply to authorized U.S. intelligence activities. States that any requirement of this Act shall cease to be in effect 30 days after the President certifies to Congress that Hezbollah: (1) is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist organization; (2) is no longer listed in the Annex to Executive Order 13224 (blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit or support terrorism); and (3) poses no significant threat to U.S. national security, interests, or allies.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Small Business Advisory Board Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish a Small Business Advisory Board to: (1) advise and consult with the Bureau in the exercise of the Bureau's functions under the federal consumer financial laws applicable to eligible financial products or services; and (2) provide information on emerging practices of small businesses that provide eligible financial products or services, including regional trends, concerns, and other relevant information. Requires the Director to appoint at least 12 members to such Board.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2014
New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the new markets tax credit, (2) provide for an inflation adjustment to the limitation amount for such credit after 2013, and (3) allow an offset against the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for such credit (determined with respect to qualified equity investments initially made after the enactment of this Act).
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Alzheimer's Accountability Act of 2014 - Amends the National Alzheimer's Project Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for each fiscal year through FY2025, to submit to the President for review and transmittal to Congress, after reasonable opportunity for comment (but without change) by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services, an annual budget estimate (including regarding personnel needs) for the NIH initiatives under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to require that no investigative hearing take place until at least 14 days after the filing of an election petition regarding collective bargaining representation when the NLRB has reasonable cause to believe that the petition raises a question of representation affecting commerce. Requires such hearings to be non-adversarial, and the hearing officer, in collaboration with the parties, to identify any relevant and material pre-election issues. Requires the NLRB, in cases where it finds that a question of representation exists, to: (1) direct an election by secret ballot as soon as practicable but not before 35 calendar days after the filing of the election petition; and (2) certify election results only after it has ruled on each pre-election issue not resolved before the election and any additional issue pertaining to the conduct or results of that election.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Employee Privacy Protection Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to require the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), not earlier than seven days after it makes a final determination of the appropriate bargaining unit in a proposed election regarding collective bargaining representation, to acquire from the employer a list of all employees eligible to vote in the election, which shall: (1) be made available to all parties, and (2) include the employees' names as well as one additional form of personal contact information (such as telephone number, email address, or mailing address) chosen by the employee in writing.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2014
Declares that Congress supports the conservation of the nation's natural resources and working lands. Expresses the sense of Congress that voluntary, incentive-based, private land conservation, provided in partnership with local conservation districts, is necessary to sustain natural resources, meet the needs of a growing population, and ensure safe, abundant, and adequate resources for current and future generations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2014
Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act of 2014 or the SAVE Act of 2014 - Prohibits knowingly benefitting financially from, receiving anything of value from, or distributing advertising that offers a commercial sex act in a manner that violates federal criminal code prohibitions against sex trafficking of children or of any person by force, fraud, or coercion. Subjects violators to a fine, imprisonment of up to five years, or both. Grants U.S. courts extra-territorial jurisdiction over such an offense if an alleged offender is a U.S. national or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence or if an alleged offender is present in the United States, irrespective of the offender's nationality.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2014
Voluntary Certification Program Act of 2014 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rely on voluntary programs for certifying manufacturer compliance with energy conservation performance standards for air conditioning, furnace, boiler, heat pump, and water heater products. Sets forth required characteristics of such certification programs.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2014
Funeral Rule Improvement Act of 2014 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to revise funeral industry regulations concerning funeral providers and services. Revises the definition of "funeral provider" to: (1) include trusts (currently, only persons, partnerships, or corporations), and (2) apply to the sale of funeral or burial goods or services to the public (currently, such definition is limited to entities that sell both funeral goods and funeral services). Excludes from such definition: (1) religious denominations, middle judicatories, houses of worship, or similar religious organizations; (2) states or political subdivisions; (3) cemeteries with 25 or fewer burials per year; and (4) certain non-profit cemetery companies and burial or cremation corporations exempt from taxation under the Internal Revenue Code. Amends the definition of "funeral services" to define "funeral or burial services" as any services that are sold or offered for sale directly to the public for use in connection with: (1) the care and preparation of deceased human remains for burial, cremation, or other final disposition; or (2) the arrangement, supervision, or carrying out the funeral ceremony or final disposition of deceased human bodies.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2014
Farmer Identity Protection Act - Prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or any EPA contractor or cooperator, from disclosing the information of any owner, operator, or employee of a livestock operation provided to EPA by a livestock producer or a state agency in accordance with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) or any other law, including: (1) names; (2) telephone numbers; (3) e-mail addresses; (4) physical addresses; (5) global positioning system coordinates; or (6) other information regarding the location of the owner, operator, livestock, or employee. Prescribes criteria for such a disclosure, however, in a statistical or aggregate form without specifically identifying information.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2014
Roth Accounts for Youth Savings Act of 2014 or the RAYS Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to Roth individual retirement accounts (Roth IRAs), to allow dependents of a taxpayer to establish a Roth IRA (Roth Account for Youth). Disregards any amount in a Roth Account for Youth for purposes of determining elibility for benefits or assistance for a means-tested federal benefit program.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) remove any individual from the Senior Executive Service upon determining that such individual's performance warrants such removal, and (2) remove such individual from federal service or transfer the individual to a General Schedule position at any grade the Secretary deems appropriate. Requires: (1) the Secretary to notify the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees within 30 days after removing such an individual, and (2) such removal to be done in the same manner as the removal of a professional staff member employed by a Member of Congress. .
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Renewable Fuel Utilization, Expansion, and Leadership Act or the REFUEL Act - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a renewable and alternative energy infrastructure competitive grant program. Makes eligible for such grants projects that are: (1) for new infrastructure or retrofitting existing infrastructure for the dispensing of covered renewable or alternative energy for retail consumption, and (2) capable of dispensing fuel containing an amount of covered renewable or alternative energy that is higher than ordinarily found in commerce. Requires that priority be given to projects in rural areas and that entities receiving grants provide at least a 30% match of federal funds. Dedicates to the grant program 1% of amounts received as royalties for production of oil from oil and gas leases under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. Defines "covered renewable or alternative energy" as renewable energy, energy intended for use in electric vehicle charging, and hydrogen and fuel cells.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Access to Hearing Healthcare Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the definition of Medicare-covered audiology (hearing and balance assessment) services provided by a qualified and legally authorized audiologist to state that such services are covered without regard to any requirement that: (1) the individual receiving them be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or (2) such services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other health practitioner. Includes audiology services as medical services, as so redefined, under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2014
SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) end and remove sustainable growth rate (SGR) methodology from the determination of annual conversion factors in the formula for payment for physicians' services, (2) establish an update to the single conversion factor for 2014 through 2018 of 0.5%, (3) freeze the update to the single conversion factor at 0.00% for 2019 through 2023, and (4) establish an update of 1% for health professionals participating in alternative payment models (APMs) and an update of 0.5% for all other health professionals after 2023. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to report to Congress on the relationship between: (1) physician and other health professional utilization and expenditures (and their rate of increase) of items and services for which Medicare payment is made; and (2) total utilization and expenditures (and their rate of increase) under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance), B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), and D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program). Directs MEDPAC to report to Congress on: (1) the payment update for professional services applied under Medicare for 2014 through 2018; (2) the effect of such update on the efficiency, economy, and quality of care provided under such program; (3) the effect of such update on ensuring a sufficient number of providers to maintain access to care by Medicare beneficiaries; and (4) recommendations for any future payment updates for professional services under such program to ensure adequate access to care is maintained for Medicare beneficiaries Revises and consolidates components of the three specified existing performance incentive programs into a merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is directed to establish, under which MIPS-eligible professionals (excluding most Alternative Payment Model [APM] participants) receive annual payment increases or decreases based on their performance. Applies the MIPS program to payments for items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2018. Requires specified incentive payments to be made to eligible partial qualifying APM participants. Directs the Secretary to make available on the Physician Compare website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) certain information, including information regarding the performance of MIPS-eligible professionals. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate the MIPS program. Requires GAO to submit to Congress a report that: (1) compares the similarities and differences in the use of quality measures under the original Medicare fee-for-service programs, the Medicare Advantage (MA) program under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice), selected state Medicaid programs, and private payer arrangements; and (2) make recommendations on how to reduce the administrative burden involved in applying such quality measures. Directs GAO to report to Congress on: (1) whether entities that pool financial risk for physician services can play a role in supporting physician practices in assuming financial risk for treatment of patients; and (2) the transition to an APM of professionals in rural areas, health professional shortage areas, or medically underserved areas. Establishes the Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the Secretary on physician-focused payment models. Requires the Secretary to study: (1) the application of federal fraud prevention laws related to APMs; (2) the effect of individuals' socioeconomic status on quality and resource use outcome measures for individuals under Medicare; and (3) the impact of risk factors, race, health literacy, limited English proficiency (LEP), and patient activation, on quality and resource use outcome measures under Medicare. Directs the Secretary to: (1) post on the CMS Internet website a draft plan for the development of quality measures to assess professionals, (2) establish new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes for chronic care management services, and (3) conduct an education and outreach campaign to inform professionals who furnish items and services under Medicare part B and Medicare part B enrollees of the benefits of chronic care management services. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) collect and use information on the resources directly or indirectly related to physicians' services in the determination of relative values under the Medicare physician fee schedule; and (2) establish or adjust practice expense relative values using cost, charge, or other data from suppliers or service providers. Revises and expands factors for identification of potentially misvalued codes. Sets an annual target for relative value adjustments for misvalued services. Phases-in of significant relative value unit (RVU) reductions. Directs GAO to study the processes used by the Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) to make recommendations to the Secretary regarding relative values for specific services under the Medicare physician fee schedule. Makes Metropolitan Statistical Areas in California fee schedule areas for Medicare payments. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to promote the use of appropriate use criteria for certain imaging services furnished by ordering professionals and furnishing professionals, and (2) make publicly available on the CMS Physician Compare website specified information with respect to eligible professionals. Expands the kinds and uses of data available to qualified entities for quality improvement activities. Directs the Secretary to provide Medicare data to qualified clinical data registries to facilitate quality improvement or patient safety. Permits continuing automatic extensions of a Medicare physician and practitioner election to opt-out of the Medicare physician payment system into private contracts. Directs the Secretary to: (1) make publicly available through an appropriate publicly accessible website information on the number and characteristics of opt-out physicians and practitioners; and (2) report to Congress recommendations to amend existing fraud and abuse laws, through exceptions, safe harbors, or other narrowly targeted provisions, to permit gainsharing or similar arrangements between physicians and hospitals that improve care while reducing waste and increasing efficiency. Declares it a national objective to achieve widespread exchange of health information through interoperable certified electronic health record (EHR) technology nationwide by December 31, 2017, as a consequence of a significant federal investment in the implementation of health information technology through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR programs. Directs the Secretary to study the feasibility of establishing mechanisms that includes aggregated results of surveys of meaningful EHR users on the functionality of certified EHR products to enable such users to compare directly the functionality and other features of such products. Requires GAO studies on the use of telehealth under federal programs and on remote patient monitoring services.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2014
Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2014 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), with regard to sequestration adjustments, to require any adjustments in enacted appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior for a fiscal year, to be the amount of additional new budget authority provided for wildfire suppression operations in the appropriations Act, but not to exceed $2.689 billion in such authority in each of FY2014-FY2021. Defines "additional new budget authority" as the amount specified in an appropriations Act for a fiscal year to pay for wildfire suppression operations, but only to the extent such authority exceeds 70% of the average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years. Prescribes requirements for any request by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture for supplemental appropriations necessary for wildfire suppression operations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2014
Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the 96-hour physician certification requirement for inpatient critical access hospital services under which a physician must certify that a patient may reasonably be expected to be discharged or transferred to a hospital within 96 hours after admission to the critical access hospital.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2014
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a bona fide volunteer providing firefighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services to a state or local government or a tax-exempt organization shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for purposes of the employer mandate to provide health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2014
National Commission on the Structure of the Army Act of 2014 - Establishes the National Commission on the Structure of the Army to undertake a comprehensive study of the structure of the Army to determine: (1) the proper force mixture of the active component and reserve component, and (2) how the structure should be modified to best fulfill mission requirements in a manner consistent with available resources. Directs the Commission to give particular consideration to evaluating a structure that: (1) meets current and anticipated requirements of the combatant commands; (3) achieves a cost-efficiency balance between the regular and reserve components, with a focus on fully burdened and lifecycle cost of Army personnel; (3) ensures that the regular and reserve components have the capacity needed to support homeland defense and disaster assistance missions in the United States; (4) provides for sufficient numbers of regular members of the Army to provide a base of trained personnel from which the personnel of the reserve components could be recruited; (5) maintains a peacetime rotation force to support operational tempo goals of 1:2 for regular members and 1:5 for members of the reserve components; and (6) maximizes and appropriately balances affordability, efficiency, effectiveness, capability, and readiness. Prohibits the use of any funds made available for FY2015 for the Army to: (1) divest, retire, or transfer, or prepare to divest, retire, or transfer, any aircraft of the Army assigned to units of the Army National Guard as of January 15, 2014; or (2) reduce personnel below the authorized end strength levels of 350,000 for the Army National Guard as of September 30, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2014
Lymphedema Treatment Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to cover certain lymphedema compression treatment items as durable medical equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Provides that for purposes of medical professional liability insurance or civil and criminal malpractice liability determinations, a physician or athletic trainer (covered sports medicine professional) who is authorized to practice medicine in a state (primary state) and who provides medical services to an athlete or athletic team in a state where such professional is not authorized to practice (secondary state) shall be deemed to have provided such medical services in the primary state, provided that prior to providing the covered medical services such professional has disclosed the nature and extent of such services to the entity that provides such professional with medical professional liability insurance in the primary state.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
America's Agricultural Heritage Partnership Reauthorization Act - Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 reauthorize the America's Agricultural Heritage Partnership (located in Iowa).
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), during a specified extension period, to extend the therapy supervision nonenforcement instruction (the enforcement instruction on supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals, as extended for calendar year 2013 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). Directs the Secretary to study the impact (including the economic impact and the impact upon hospital staffing needs, if any) on critical access hospitals and small rural hospitals of not extending the therapy supervision nonenforcement instruction.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax exclusion for benefits paid to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical providers by states and local governments, to: (1) increase the amount of benefits excludible; and (2) make such tax exclusion available for taxable years beginning in 2014, 2015, or 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Directs the United States to: (1) take all necessary and appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the residents of Camp Liberty/Hurriya in Iraq; (2) provide all necessary and appropriate assistance to the United Nations (U.N.) High Commissioner for Refugees to process refugee applications by the residents of Camp Liberty/Hurriya and to secure their safe resettlement outside of Iraq; and (3) admit the residents of Camp Liberty/Hurriya as refugees in the United States and not delay or bar such resettlement because any such resident is or has been a member of, or supports or has supported, organizations or groups that were subject to the Secretary of State's decision of September 21, 2012. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress on U.S. efforts to guard the safety of Camp Liberty/Hurriya residents and secure their orderly resettlement.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Two-Midnight Rule Delay Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from enforcing the two-midnight rule to a hospital for which payment is made under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for admissions occurring before October 1, 2014. (The two-midnight rule allows Medicare coverage of only hospital stays for which a physician admits to a hospital a beneficiary expected to require care that crosses two midnights, but generally denies coverage of care expected to require less than a two-midnight stay.) Applies such prohibition to Medicare review contracts. Prohibits Medicare review contractors from denying a claim for inpartient hospital services furnished by a hospital, or inpatient critical access hospital services furnished by a critical access hospital, for discharges occurring before October 1, 2014: (1) for medical necessity due to the length of an inpatient stay in such hospital or due to a determination that the services could have been provided on an outpatient basis; or (2) for requirements for orders, certifications, or recertifications, and associated documentation relating to such matters. Prohibits the Secretary from increasing the sample of claims selected for prepayment review under the Medicare Probe and Educate program above the number and type established by the Secretary as of November 4, 2013. Directs the Secretary to develop: (1) a Medicare hospital payment methodology for short inpatient hospital stays; (2) general equivalency maps to link the relevant International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10 codes (used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient procedures) to relevant Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, and the relevant CPT codes to relevant ICD-10 codes, in order to permit comparison of inpatient hospital services and hospital outpatient department servives; and (3) a second crosswalk between Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes for inpatient hospital services and Ambulatory Payment Class codes for outpatient hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a qualified emergency services volunteer shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for the purpose of shared responsibility requirements for employers with respect to health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Defines "qualified emergency services volunteer" as a bona fide volunteer performing fire fighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
School Nutrition Fairness Act - Requires official White House meals and meals served at White House or Department of Agriculture (USDA) cafeterias to comply with the nutrition requirements for meals served under the school lunch and breakfast programs. Defines an "official meal" as a lunch or dinner served at an official White House function and funded by annual appropriation Acts.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a single congressional gold medal in commemoration of the Monuments Men (men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives [MFA] Section under the Allied Armies during World War II) in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following the War. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Monuments Men and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
![Official portrait of Rep. Latham, Tom [R-IA-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000111_200.jpg)