United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2019
This resolution (1) recognizes the start of the inland waterway system navigation season, (2) acknowledges the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in maintaining the inland waterway system as vital to the nation's economy, (3) recognizes that more than 78% of the locks and dams operated by the Corps on the system are well beyond their 50-year design life, and (4) expresses that investment in the inland waterway system is needed and would significantly impact the competitiveness of American commodities in international markets.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2019
Strengthening Investment to Grow Manufacturing in America Act This bill provides incentives, investment, and resources for U.S. small manufacturers. Specifically, the bill increases the maximum loan guarantee rate for Small Business Association (SBA) loans to manufacturers, and it increases the limit for loans to be used for plant acquisition, construction, conversion, and expansion. The bill also eliminates guarantee fees paid by small manufacturers for loans under $350,000 and reduces the fees on loans over that amount. For acquisition and construction loans, the bill reduces the financing requirement for small manufacturers and increases the allowable debt refinancing for facility expansions. Small manufacturers are further authorized to lease a greater percentage of their facility to obtain financing. In addition, the bill authorizes discount debentures to manufacturers and provides leverage capacity in the Small Business Investment Company program for investments in small manufacturers (1) in low or moderate income areas, rural areas, or areas of high unemployment; or (2) that are veteran-, minority-, or women-owned, have demonstrated employment growth, or are vital to national security. The bill further directs the SBA to use its existing resources to provide training and education to small manufacturers on how to navigate application processes for receiving assistance from SBA programs. Lastly, the bill directs the SBA to ensure its business loan programs provide adequate support for innovative technologies in manufacturing.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2019
Complete Streets Act of 2019 This bill directs each state to establish a competitive program to provide technical assistance and grants for the design and construction of complete streets to make transit routes safer and more accessible. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish benchmarks and guidance by which states can implement complete streets programs and eligible entities can carry out complete streets policies and principles; eligible entities seeking technical assistance or funds for a complete streets program to adopt policies using complete streets principles that are approved by the state or metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) with jurisdiction over such entites; states and MPOs to certify that their complete street policies meet the minimum requirements set out by DOT; states to set aside 5% of their federal highway money to implement a complete streets program; and states and MPOs to adopt design standards for federal surface transportation projects that provide for the safe and adequate accommodation of all users of the surface transportation network, including motorized and non-motorized users, in all phases of project planning, development, and operation.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2019
Fair and Open Skies Act This bill prohibits the Department of Transportation (DOT) from issuing a foreign air carrier permit or an exemption from certain air carrier certificate requirements under the United States-European Union Air Transport Agreement of April 2007, unless DOT finds that issuing the permit or exemption would be consistent with Article 17 bis of the agreement, which provides that opportunities created by the agreement do not undermine labor standards or the labor-related rights and principles contained in the laws of the respective parties to the agreement; and imposes conditions on the permit or exemption necessary to ensure compliance with Article 17 bis . The bill modifies policy considerations relating to air carrier certificates to require DOT to consider preventing entry into U.S. markets by flag of convenience carriers (i.e., foreign air carriers established in a country other the home country of their majority owner in order to avoid regulations of the home country) and preventing the undermining of labor standards. In carrying out such air carrier certificate requirements, DOT must consider preventing entry of flag of convenience carriers into U.S. markets as being in the public interest and consistent with public convenience and necessity for safety in air transportation and air commerce. In formulating U.S. international air transportation policy relating to the elimination of discrimination and unfair competition, the Department of State and DOT must include in their considerations the undermining of labor standards.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2019
Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2019 This bill allows the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to accredited education programs to increase diversity in the physical-therapy, occupational-therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology professions. Grants may be used to provide scholarships or to support recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented groups.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2019
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Journeyman Lineman Recognition Day. (A journeyman lineman is a person who builds and maintains electrical power systems.)
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 2019
Honor and Remember Flag Recognition Act This bill designates the Honor and Remember Flag, created by Honor and Remember, Inc., as a national symbol to honor service members who died in the line of duty and specifies federal locations and dates for its display.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 2019
High Speed Gunfire Prevention Act This bill provides statutory authority for restrictions on the possession or transfer of bump-stock-type devices and other parts capable of converting a firearm to automatically shoot multiple rounds without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger. It also makes it a crime to import, manufacture, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive parts or accessories designed to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm without converting it to a fully automatic firearm. An individual who violates this provision is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill 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 Greg LeMond, in recognition of his contributions to the nation as an athlete, activist, role model, and community leader.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality Act of 2019 or the NO HATE Act This bill establishes various grants within the Department of Justice for states and units of local government to improve law enforcement activities to address hate crimes, including by improving the reporting of hate crime data to relevant national systems. It also allows a court to order, as a penalty for a violation of a federal hate crime statute, a defendant to participate in educational classes or community service related to the community harmed by the defendant's offense as part of a supervised release.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Increasing and Mobilizing Partnerships to Achieve Commercialization of Technologies for Energy Act or the IMPACT for Energy Act This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a nonprofit corporation named the IMPACT for Energy Foundation to channel private sector investment into commercial innovative technologies in energy. The foundation may establish one or more for-profit subsidiaries, including an impact investment fund to (1) stimulate economic development activities, and (2) attract for-profit investment partners for technology translation and commercialization activities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
The Opportunity Project Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Commerce, through collaboration between federal agency personnel, end users, and technology experts, to carry out a program, to be known as the Opportunity Project, to facilitate the development of digital products for the public. Commerce may enter into agreements with federal agencies and states or political subdivisions of states to (1) provide for participation by their employees in digital product development conducted through the project, or (2) make available employees of Commerce to assist in teaching and implementing the processes of the project for use in digital product development by such agency, state, or political subdivision. The Government Accountability Office must report on the project's effectiveness.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
This resolution recognizes and applauds the United Nations for proclaiming the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. The resolution also commends the global community of chemists for their efforts to recognize the International Year of the Periodic Table and to participate in events marking such year as an important scientific milestone and global celebration.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
Restore Honor to Service Members Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to review the discharge characterization of a service member who was discharged on the basis of sexual orientation (i.e., on the basis of Don't Ask Don't Tell or a similar policy) if the service member requests such a review. If the service member's discharge is characterized as other than honorable, and if there were no aggravating circumstances that would have independently caused the discharge to be characterized as other than honorable, then DOD must change its characterization of the discharge to honorable.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Offshore Wind Incentives for New Development Act or the Offshore WIND Act This bill allows an energy tax credit for investment in qualified offshore wind property, the construction of which begins before January 1, 2026. The bill defines "qualified offshore wind property" as an offshore facility using wind to produce electricity.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2019 This bill prohibits strikes by certain individuals and requires the issuance of rules that provide for federal minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) shall determine for each state whether the laws of such state substantially provide for each of the minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures specified by this bill, including the right of public employees and supervisory employees to self-organize, form or join a labor organization, or collectively bargain. The FLRA must issue rules and take actions to establish and administer bargaining rights and procedures for those states that do not substantially provide for them. No employers, emergency services employees, or law enforcement officers may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action that would probably result in a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. Furthermore, no labor organization may be the cause of a violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
School Food Modernization Act This bill provides for loan guarantees and grants to support healthy meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue loan guarantees to local educational agencies (LEAs), school food authorities, tribal organizations, and other eligible entities to finance infrastructure improvements or equipment purchases to facilitate their provision of healthy meals through the school meal programs. USDA must also award competitive matching grants to assist LEAs, school food authorities, and tribal organizations in purchasing the durable equipment and infrastructure they need to serve healthier meals and improve food safety. USDA must give preference under both programs to applicants that demonstrate a substantial or disproportionate need for food service infrastructure or durable equipment, and shall establish fees for the loan guarantee program. In addition, USDA must award competitive matching grants to experienced third-party training institutions to provide school food service personnel with the training and technical assistance they need to (1) meet or exceed nutrition standards under the school meal programs, and (2) improve the efficacy and efficiency of the school meal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2019
Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training Act or the ENLIST Act This bill allows the enlistment in the Armed Forces of certain aliens who have been unlawfully present in the United States. Specifically, such a person is one who (1) was unlawfully present on December 31, 2012, and has been continuously present since that date, (2) was under 15 years of age on the date of initial entry, and (3) is otherwise eligible for original enlistment in a regular military service component. The bill also establishes a process by which the status of such an alien shall be adjusted to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence. It includes conditions under which that status may be rescinded upon a separation from the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Stopping Bad Robocalls Act This bill updates various policies and regulations relating to robocalls. Specifically, the bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect consumer privacy as it relates to robocalls. The FCC must update regulations involving certain robocalls that are exempt from criminal liability to include specific requirements identifying classes of parties who may make such calls, parties who may be called, and how many times they may be called. Additionally, the bill removes the requirement that a citation be issued prior to a forfeiture penalty being imposed in cases where violations involving illegal robocalls have been intentional and where inaccurate caller identification information has been provided. The bill also implements a three-year statute of limitation for such violations requiring notice, and a four-year statute of limitation where an intentional violation has occurred. The FCC must promulgate regulations to address requirements for effective call authentication technology as well as to establish a process to streamline the ways in which a private entity may voluntarily share with FCC information relating to an illegal call or text or for calls with misleading or inaccurate caller identification information. Finally, the bill requires the FCC to ensure robocall blocking services provided on an opt-out basis are provided free of cost with transparency and redress options for consumers and callers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019
Drug Price Transparency for Medicare Patients Act of 2019 This bill provides statutory authority for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule titled "Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Regulation to Require Drug Pricing Transparency," published on May 10, 2019. The rule requires direct-to-consumer television advertisements for covered drugs and biologics under Medicare and Medicaid to include the list price of a 30-day supply or for a typical course of treatment, if the list price is at least $35 per month. The rule takes effect July 9, 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019
Nuclear Energy Leadership Act This bill addresses nuclear energy innovation. Among other things, the bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to (1) establish a long-term nuclear power purchase agreement pilot program; (2) advance the research and development of domestic advanced, affordable, and clean nuclear energy; (3) develop a 10-year strategic plan for its Office of Nuclear Energy; (4) provide for a versatile, reactor-based fast neutron source; (5) establish a program to make available high-assay, low-enriched uranium for use in commercial or noncommercial advanced nuclear reactors; and (6) provide competitive grants to develop the capability to transport high-assay, low enriched uranium. DOE, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must jointly establish a University Nuclear Leadership Program to provide financial assistance for scholarships, fellowships, and research and development projects at institutions of higher education.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Sami's Law This bill directs the Department of Transportation to withhold specified graduated percentages of a state's apportionment of certain federal-aid highway funds if the state has not enacted and is not enforcing certain transportation network company (TNC) vehicle identification laws. A "transportation network company" is an entity that uses a digital network to connect riders to drivers affiliated with the entity to transport the rider using a vehicle owned, leased, or otherwise authorized for use by the driver to a point chosen by the rider. States must require TNC drivers to display (1) a front and rear license plate; (2) a scannable quick response or similar code on the windows for riders to verify that they are entering the correct authorized vehicle; and (3) illuminated signs that are visible in both day and night, and readable from fifty feet. Drivers must also get periodic safety inspections of their ride-hailing vehicle. The bill prohibits the sale of illuminated TNC vehicle signs by any person other than a transportation network company and the display of such signs by individuals who are not authorized drivers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Restore the Harmony Way Bridge Act This bill directs the White County Bridge Commission to convey to the New Harmony River Bridge Authority and the New Harmony and Wabash River Bridge Authority, all right, title, and interest of the commission in and to the bridge and the approaches thereto across the Wabash River at or near New Harmony, Indiana, and in land underneath or adjacent to such bridge and its approaches. The Act of April 12, 1941, (creating the commission) is repealed effective on the date that the commission completes such conveyance.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing Act of 2019 This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue rules regarding transparency in primary and secondary ticket sales. Specifically, the rules must require ticket sellers to make specified disclosures to purchasers, including with respect to ancillary charges and refunds; require ticket sellers to include ancillary charges in refunds to purchasers; prohibit a primary ticket seller from restricting the ability of a purchaser to resell tickets; prohibit certain secondary ticket sales by employees of entities that are involved in hosting, promoting, performing in, or selling tickets to events; prohibit the secondary sale of a ticket for the same seat to multiple persons at the same time; and include other specified requirements and prohibitions related to ticket sales. The bill provides for enforcement of the rules by the FTC and state attorneys general. The FTC must report on its enforcement actions with respect to the ticket market.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2019 This bill establishes restrictions on businesses that relocate call centers or redirect customer service calls to locations outside the United States. Specifically, a business must notify the Department of Labor that it intends to move its customer service call center overseas and Labor must maintain a publicly available list of such businesses. Subject to narrow exceptions, a business appearing on such list is ineligible to receive federal grants or guaranteed loans for five years after the business is added to the list. Further, agencies must condition the awarding of government contracts on the requirement that any call center activity pursuant to the contract must be performed in the United States. Additionally, the bill requires call center employees to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each call initiated or received, unless all employees of the business participating in the communication are located in the United States, among other exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act This bill makes permanent, beginning in FY2020, funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The President shall annually submit to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2019
Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment Act or the EFFORT Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation to support merit-reviewed and competitively awarded research on the science of opioid addiction.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2019
75th Anniversary of the End of World War II Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 coins, 500,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The coins shall be emblematic of the sacrifices made by millions of people of the United States 75 years ago in bringing an end to World War II. The design on each coin shall represent the World War II Victory Medal, which was awarded to all 16 million U.S. military personnel who served from December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946. The bill requires all sales of such coins include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the congressionally designated National WWII Museum to fund its educational mission of telling the story of the U.S. experience in World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2019
This concurrent resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. The resolution also honors the bravery and skill of the crew of Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins; and commends the efforts of all individuals of the United States who contributed to the achievement of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
This bill directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to continue to sell the Alzheimer's disease semipostal stamp for an additional six years. The USPS must continue to transfer proceeds from the sale of the stamp to the National Institutes of Health to fund medical research relating to Alzheimer's disease.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Challenges & Prizes for Climate Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a Climate Solutions Challenges program. Under the program, DOE must carry out competitions that award cash and other incentives for climate and energy solutions, such as capturing carbon and converting the carbon into a beneficial use, achieving transformative increases in energy efficiency, achieving implementation or grid integration of advanced energy storage technology, providing approaches to mitigating or adapting to the effects of climate change, or providing data analytics on the climate and related phenomena.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2019
Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019 This bill authorizes and establishes procedures for federal courts to issue extreme risk protection orders. An extreme risk protection order is a federal court order that prohibits a person from purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm or ammunition. A family or household member, or a law enforcement officer, may petition for an extreme risk protection order with respect to an individual who poses a risk to themselves or others. The bill also expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from purchasing, shipping, transporting, possessing, or receiving a firearm or ammunition. Specifically, it adds, as a new category, persons who are subject to an extreme risk protection order.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2019
Ticks: Identify, Control, and Knockout Act or the TICK Act This bill establishes the Office of Oversight and Coordination for Vector-Borne Diseases within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The office must develop a national strategy to address, and coordinate the federal response to, Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne diseases. The office must support research initiatives, tick- and disease-surveillance programs, and diagnostic-testing development, among other activities. HHS must also award grants to support the establishment of Regional Centers of Excellence in Tick and Vector-Borne Diseases. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must form cooperative agreements with state, local, and tribal health departments to address such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2019
Safe And Friendly for the Environment Streets Act or the SAFE Streets Act This bill requires state and local transportation agencies to dedicate certain funds under the highway safety improvement program to areas with vulnerable user fatality rates over 1.5 fatalities per 100,000 people. The bill defines a "vulnerable user" as a pedestrian, bicyclist, disabled individual, or an individual using a mobility device, e.g., a wheelchair or walker.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2019
Breaking Barriers for Women Veterans Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement changes to better serve women veterans. Among other requirements, the VA must retrofit its existing medical facilities to support the provision of care to women veterans. Additionally, the VA must ensure its medical facilities have at least one full-time or part-time women's health provider. The bill also requires the VA to establish a training module for community providers that is specific to women veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Better Energy Storage Technology Act or the BEST Act This bill addresses grid-scale energy storage systems. The bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish within its Office of Electricity a research, development, and demonstration program for grid-scale energy storage systems. DOE must enter into agreements to carry out not more than five demonstration projects and develop a 10-year strategic plan and cost targets for grid-scale energy storage systems.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Allied Nations Travel Modernization Act of 2019 This bill allows a country to qualify for the Visa Waiver Program by having a low rate of visa overstays by its nationals and making certain commitments to defense spending as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). A country may qualify or maintain qualification for the Visa Waiver Program if (1) the nationals of that country did not overstay their U.S. nonimmigrant visas at a rate higher than 2% during the last two fiscal years, (2) the country is a signatory to the Wales Summit Declaration and has committed for the last two fiscal years sufficient resources to meet its obligations under the declaration, and (3) the Department of State has not in the last fiscal year issued any travel advisory to that country other than exercise normal precautions . The Wales Summit Declaration is a NATO document in which signatories agree to certain commitments, including certain minimum levels on annual defense spending.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Sgt. Brandon Ketchum Never Again Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish inpatient psychiatric care upon request by a covered veteran at (1) the VA facility that is closest to where the veteran resides and that has the capacity and capability to provide such care, or (2) at a non-VA facility if the VA facility lacks such capacity or capability. A covered veteran is a veteran who is enrolled in the VA health care system and is entitled to inpatient psychiatric care.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Quiet Communities Act of 2019 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to reestablish an Office of Noise Abatement and Control to promote the development of local noise control programs, carry out research, and develop and disseminate educational materials, among other duties.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2019 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2019 This bill expands prohibitions and requires additional disclosures related to political spending. Specifically, foreign nationals are further restricted regarding their involvement in election related activity, including by prohibiting their participation in the decision-making process regarding an election expenditure. Existing foreign money prohibitions are expanded to prohibit disbursements for paid internet or digital communications. The Federal Election Commission must perform an audit after each election cycle to determine the incidence of illicit foreign money. In general, organizations making political expenditures must disclose donors who have contributed $10,000 or more during an election cycle. Certain of these organizations, including corporations, must also disclose their beneficial owners. The bill requires organizations to provide additional disclosures on certain political ads, including the donors who contributed the most money to that organization in the last year.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Extinction Prevention Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of the Interior to provide financial assistance for the conservation of butterflies and moths in North America; plant species in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands; freshwater mussels in the United States; and bony fish found in desert ecosystems in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Among other things, the bill establishes the North America Butterfly Conservation Fund, the Pacific Islands Plant Conservation Fund, the Freshwater Mussels Conservation Fund, and the Southwest Desert Fish Conservation Fund. In selecting projects for assistance, Interior must prioritize projects that conserve threatened and endangered species.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Chief Manufacturing Officer Act This bill directs the President to appoint a United States Chief Manufacturing Officer who shall (1) coordinate manufacturing-related policies and activities across agencies; and (2) create and submit a national manufacturing srategy to develop the manufacturing sector, encourage economic growth, and promote the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Save the State and Local Tax Deduction for Middle Class Families Act of 2019 This bill increases the limit on the tax deduction for certain state and local taxes, which is currently $10,000 per year. The bill increases the limit to $15,000 (twice the amount in the case of a joint return) and requires the new limit to be adjusted for inflation after 2019. The bill also increases the income tax rate for corporations to an amount that the Department of the Treasury determines is required to cover the reduction in revenue resulting from the increased tax deduction allowed by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2019
Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2019 This bill deems certain service performed before July 1, 1946, in the organized military forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts, to be active military service for purposes of eligibility for veterans benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In determining eligibility under this bill, the VA must take into account any relevant service documentation, including documentation other than the Missouri List (certain military service records).
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Protecting America's First Responders Act This bill revises the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program. That program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty. Specifically, it revises the payment amount of disability benefits for claims pending more than one year. The amount must be based on the date of the adjudication of such claim rather than the date of the injury. It also increases the interim benefit payment amount and adjusts it based on the Consumer Price Index. Additionally, the payment amount of death benefits must be the greater of (1) the amount payable as of the date of the public safety officer's death, or (2) the amount payable based on the date of the adjudication of the claim. Currently, such amount is based only on the date of death. Next, the bill includes within the definition of firefighter for purposes of benefits an individual whose primary duty during an emergency response is to secure the scene or manage traffic. Further, the bill allows applicants who were denied benefits in the previous three years to reapply for benefits. The Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Department of Justice (DOJ) must use all available investigative tools, including subpoenas, to (1) expedite the processing of a claimant's eligibility for a death, disability, or education benefit; and (2) obtain necessary information from third parties (e.g., public agencies). Finally, DOJ must provide retroactive educational assistance to eligible survivors of public safety officer.