United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Anti-Spoofing Act of 2013 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to expand the prohibition on the provision of inaccurate caller identification information (which makes it unlawful to cause a caller identification service to knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value) to persons outside the United States if the recipient is within the United States. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prescribe regulations requiring a provider of a spoofing service to verify that any person who uses the service is informed of any applicable federal or state law. Defines "spoofing service" as a service that permits a user to knowingly cause any caller identification service to transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information. Excludes from such definition a service that transmits or displays without alteration caller identification information generated by another person. Revises the definitions of "caller identification information" and "caller identification service" to include text messages by means of a telephone number and text messaging services. Expands the categories of IP-enabled voice services that are subject to such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to implement or enforce a requirement providing for the screening, testing, or treatment of airmen or air traffic controllers for sleep disorders (including obstructive sleep apnea) only if it is adopted pursuant to a rulemaking proceeding. Applies this Act only to a requirement adopted on or after November 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act of 2013 or the SHARE Act of 2013 - Title I: Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components. Title II: Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of BLM to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training. Title III: Public Lands Filming - Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary. Makes such a permit valid for such activities or projects that occur in areas designated for public use during public hours on all federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary for a 12-month period. Title IV: Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act - Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act of 2013 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person who submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before May 15, 2008 (currently by February 18, 1997), when polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior. Title V: Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act - Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act of 2013 - Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps. Sets forth state electronic duck stamp application requirements. Allows the Secretary to determine the number of new states permitted per year to participate in the electronic duck stamp program. Instructs the Secretary to require electronic stamp revenue and customer information collected by each state to be transmitted in accordance with a written agreement between the Secretary and the state. Title VI: Access to Water Resources Development Projects Act - Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of the Army from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm at a water resources development project administered by the Chief of Engineers if: (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, and (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state in which the project is located. Title VII: Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to establish the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture (USDA) on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting, and recreational shooting. (Abolishes the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council.) Title VIII: Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Declares that recreational fishing and hunting are environmentally acceptable and beneficial activities that occur and can be provided on public lands and waters without adverse effects on other uses or users. Requires a federal public land management official, in cooperation with the respective state and fish and wildlife agency, to exercise the authority of the official under law, including regarding land use planning, to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public land for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports and facilitates hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. Prohibits actions taken under this Act or actions concerning the National Wildlife Refuge System under the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 from being considered to be a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. Prohibits public land management officials from being required to consider the existence or availability of recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting opportunities on adjacent or nearby lands in the planning for or determination of which public lands are open for these activities or in the setting of levels of use for these activities on public lands, unless the combination or coordination of such opportunities would enhance the opportunities available to the public. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land, excluding land on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such land for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, protection of private property rights, or compliance with other law. Requires agencies to: (1) lease or permit use of federal public land for shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific land for recreational shooting activities. Declares that the provision of opportunities for hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and the conservation of fish and wildlife to provide sustainable use recreational opportunities on designated wilderness areas on federal public lands constitutes the measures necessary to meet the minimum requirements for the administration of such areas. Provides that such declaration does not authorize or facilitate commodity development, use, or extraction, motorized recreational access or use that is not otherwise allowed under the Wilderness Act, or permanent road construction or maintenance within designated wilderness areas. Reaffirms the provisions of the Wilderness Act that stipulate that wilderness purposes are "within and supplemental to" the purposes of the underlying federal land unit. Requires the head of each federal agency, when seeking to carry out fish and wildlife conservation programs and projects or providing fish and wildlife dependent recreation opportunities on designated wilderness areas, to implement these supplemental purposes while not impeding on the underlying conservation purpose. Prohibits such implementation from authorizing or facilitating commodity development, use or extraction, or permanent road construction or use within designated wilderness areas. Requires biennial reports on closures of federal public lands to sport hunting, recreational fishing, or shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 640 or more contiguous acres of federal public land or water to hunting or recreational fishing or related activities. Instructs federal public land agencies to consult with the advisory councils specified in Executive Orders 12962 (relating to recreational fisheries) and 13443 (relating to the facilitation of hunting heritage and wildlife conservation) in carrying out this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Debt Management Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, within 21 to 60 days before any date on which the Secretary anticipates the public debt will reach the current debt limit, to appear before specified congressional committees to provide specified information. (The debt limit was $16.699 trillion before its suspension in the Continuing Appropriations Act, FY2014 [P.L. 113-46].) Requires the Secretary to include in such appearance: a report on the state of the public debt, including (1) its historical trajectory, major drivers of the current debt and their quantities, and debt projections; and (2) how, if the debt limit is raised, the United States will meet existing debt obligations, including principal and interest; a detailed explanation of: (1) any proposal of the President to reduce the structural deficit in the short-term (the following fiscal year), medium-term (approximately 3-5 years), and long-term (approximately 10 years); (2) the impact an increased debt limit will have on future federal spending, service provision, and the status of the U.S. dollar as the international reserve currency; (3) projections of fiscal health and resilience to long-term entitlement program pressures (including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid), given the proposed measures to reduce the structural deficit and the amount of increase in the debt limit; and (4) any proposal of the President to reduce the debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio, based on current trends, with the exclusion of extreme events (i.e. military, economic, and natural catastrophes); and a detailed report on the progress of implementing all such proposals. Declares that this report shall only be delivered if a Secretary has already appeared at least once during any term of office for a particular President.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Protecting Adoption Act - Amends part B (Child and Family Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and maintain an automated National Responsible Father Registry. Requires the Registry to: (1) contain specified kinds of information sufficient to identify a possible father, and (2) provide a mechanism for men to register such identifying information directly with the Registry. Limits access to Registry information to eligible parties, including: (1) public and licensed private adoption or child placement agencies, (2) licensed attorneys representing a party in a planned or pending adoption or in the termination of rights of one or more possible fathers, (3) state agencies or entities responsible for the placement of children, and (4) state courts. Directs the Secretary to establish a nationwide campaign designed to inform possible fathers, unwed mothers, possible adoptive parents, and eligible parties of the National Registry, the advantages of possible fathers registering either in the National Registry or State Responsible Father Registries, or both, the rights and responsibilities of such parties with regard to a proceeding, and the role of such Registries in a proceeding. Directs the Secretary to use all reasonable efforts to encourage states to enter into agreements to establish automated State Responsible Father Registries and centers that make registration forms easily accessible to possible fathers. Authorizes the Secretary to make a grant to a state to establish a State Registry or modify an existing one to meet the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Adoption Promotion Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that any pregnancy options counseling funded through training grants for personnel to carry out family planning service programs under such Act: (1) includes adoption counseling, and (2) is provided by individuals who are licensed social workers or counselors in the states in which they practice and who have knowledge and experience in adoption practice. Requires that any training provided to an individual with respect to family planning include training on the adoption process. Requires research in the biomedical, contraceptive development, behavioral, and program implementation fields related to family planning and population funded under such Act to include: (1) the collection of data on the number of pregnancy tests administered to individuals served by family planning service programs and the results of those tests; and (2) the evaluation of the quality, consistency, and outcomes of pregnancy options counseling.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Protecting Habitat Homeownership Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to exempt residential mortgage loans originated by non-profit low-income housing providers from certain minimum loan standards as well as appraisal, servicing, and billing requirements. Defines "non-profit low-income housing provider" as a tax-exempt charitable organization that does not engage in the business of a loan originator or mortgage broker but does make residential mortgage loans: (1) to promote or facilitate homeownership for poor or low-income, disabled, or other disadvantaged persons or families; and (2) at interest rates lower than the bank prime loan rate; or (3) that are, after adjusting for inflation, no-interest loans or loans with interest rates significantly below the interest rates for loans for purchase of single-family housing generally available in the market. Prescribes additional requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Transportation Empowerment Act - Declares the purposes of the Act, including returning maximum discretionary authority and fiscal responsibility to the states for all elements of the national surface transportation systems (excluding the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways). Prescribes a limitation on funding of transportation programs and projects carried out under this Act. Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2015-FY2019 for specified core programs under the federal-aid highway program, including: (1) metropolitan transportation planning, (2) emergency relief for highways and roads, (3) the federal lands transportation program, and (4) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) administrative expenses. Authorizes a state to transfer and use excess federal-aid highway funds for any surface transportation project (including mass transit and rail). Limits federal assistance to states for highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation to bridges on the federal-aid highway system. Repeals the authorization of federal assistance to states for historic bridges. Repeals the transportation alternatives program. Declares that, beginning with FY2014, a highway construction or improvement project shall not be considered a federal project: (1) unless and until a state expends federal funds for the construction portion of such project, (2) solely by reason of the state expenditure of federal funds before the construction phase of the project (including for any environmental document or design work), or (3) upon state reimbursement to the federal government of the federal costs of such projects. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make amounts in the HTF available for expenditure for core highway programs through FY2020. Requires the Secretary of Treasury to transfer from the HTF amounts equivalent to motorboat and aviation fuel taxes collected before October 1, 2022, to: (1) the Land and Water Conservation Fund, (2) the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, and (3) the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Requires the Secretary to pay from the HTF into the general fund of the Treasury amounts equivalent to the floor stocks refunds made before July 1, 2023. Prescribes a motor fuel tax rate schedule for financing of core highway programs. Terminates, on September 30, 2014, the authority of the Secretary to make certain transfers to the Mass Transit Account. Directs the Secretary, on October 1, 2014, to transfer all amounts in the Mass Transit Account to the Highway Account. Authorizes appropriations out of the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2015-FY2019 for the highway research and development program. Directs the Secretary to allocate to the states for surface transportation projects (including mass transit and rail) any excess highway tax receipts appropriated to the HTF in FY2016-FY2019. Reduces the excise taxes imposed on: (1) gasoline from 18.3 cents to 3.7 cents, (2) diesel fuel or kerosene from 24.3 cents to 5.0 cents, and (3) diesel-water fuel emulsion from 19.7 cents to 4.1 cents. Requires credits or refunds of certain floor stocks taxes on liquids imposed before October 1, 2019. Declares that this Act shall become effective only if the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) certifies that it is deficit neutral.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Teacher Tax Deduction Enhancement Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend until 2020 the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school educators (i.e., teachers, instructors, counselors, principals, or aides); (2) increase to $500 the allowable amount of such deduction for full-time educators (working at least 900 hours during the school year); and (3) allow such tax deduction for educators in preschool programs.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2013
Commends the Patriot Guard Riders and all of the other volunteers involved in shielding the mourning family and friends of a fallen member of the Armed Forces from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors. Recognizes the sacrifices that veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and their families have made, and continue to make, on behalf of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Prohibits any change from being made to the oaths required for appointment to an office in the civil service or uniformed services, enlistment in the Armed Forces or National Guard, or admission to a U.S. military service academy, except by an Act of or authorization by Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Medicare Part D Patient Safety and Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish a safe pharmacy access program under which a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor (or a Medicare Advantage (MA) organization offering an MA-PD plan) shall have in place procedures designed to prevent fraud and abuse in the dispensing of certain controlled substances under Medicare part D. Allows a PDP sponsor to suspend payments and clean claim notifications to a pharmacy pending an investigation of a credible allegation of fraud against the pharmacy, unless the Secretary determines there is a good cause not to suspend payments. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), under contracts entered into under the Medicare integrity program with Medicare drug integrity contractors (MEDICs), to authorize such MEDICs to obtain prescription and medical records directly from entities such as pharmacies, PDPs, and physicians. Requires a MEDIC to acknowledge receipt of a PDP sponsor referral of information for investigation, report back to the sponsor the investigation results within 45 days, and share them with appropriate agencies. Requires electronic transmission (e-prescribing) of prescriptions for certain covered Medicare part D controlled substances.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
True Understanding of the Economy and Safety Act or TRUE Safety Act - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO), after the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports to Congress on an hours of service field study, to assess the methodology followed by the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) in carrying out the efficacy of the restart rule ("Hours of Service of Drivers") published on December 27, 2011, which applies to operators of commercial motor vehicles of property subject to maximum DOT driving time requirements. Requires the assessment to evaluate the extent to which that methodology meets the requirements of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) that: (1) the data collected is representative of the drivers subject to the restart rule, (2) the methodology is statistically valid, and (3) the study followed the FMCSA plan for the "Scheduling and Fatigue Recovery Project." Directs GAO to assess the Regulatory Impact Analysis that accompanied the final 2011 restart rule. Nullifies the 2011 restart rule until six months after the study report required by this Act has been submitted to Congress. Prohibits the Secretary from applying the restart rule if the conclusions of the field study completed pursuant to MAP-21 do not support or concur with the conclusions of the laboratory study on which the rule was based.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet-collection, and Online Monitoring Act or the USA FREEDOM Act - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to set forth additional requirements for obtaining orders for business records in counterterrorism investigations, including requiring that the records sought pertain to a foreign power, an agent of a foreign power, or an individual in contact with, or known to a suspected agent of, a foreign power. Requires additional information if the applicant is seeking a nondisclosure requirement in connection with such request. Allows the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to apply for renewals of nondisclosure requirements. Authorizes the Attorney General (AG) to require the production of call data records by the provider of a wire or electronic communication service. Amends the USA PATRIOT Improvements and Reauthorization Act of 2005 to require the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Justice (DOJ), for 2010 through 2013, to report on an examination of the minimization procedures (procedures designed to minimize the acquisition and retention of information and to prohibit its unauthorized dissemination) used in relation to business records orders. Imposes additional requirements on the authorized use of pen registers and trap and trace devices (devices for recording incoming and outgoing telephone numbers), including that: (1) the information sought must pertain to a foreign power, agent thereof, or individual in contact with or known to such an agent; and (2) the application must contain a statement of proposed minimization procedures. Requires audits of the effectiveness and use of such devices. Prohibits the searching of collections of communications of U.S. persons, except: (1) under an order or authorization for electronic surveillance or physical search, (2) with the consent of such person, or (3) under a reasonable belief that the life or safety of the person is threatened and the information is sought to assist that person. Limits the collection of wholly domestic communications of a U.S. person to those communications: (1) to which any party is a target of the acquisition; or (2) that contain an identifier of a target of an acquisition, only if the communications are acquired to protect against international terrorism or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Prohibits receiving into evidence any information obtained in an acquisition against any U.S. person for which a deficiency in the procedures for acquiring such information is identified by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court). Authorizes the FISA Court, if the government corrects any deficiencies so identified, to permit the use or disclosure of information acquired before the correction under such minimization procedures as the FISA Court shall establish. Repeals on June 1, 2015, FISA procedures regarding the targeting of non-U.S. persons located outside the United States in order to acquire foreign intelligence information. Requires reviews of surveillance targeting and minimization procedures by the IG of the Intelligence Community (IC), including mandatory review with respect to the privacy rights of U.S. persons. Establishes within the judicial branch an Office of the Special Advocate to participate in proceedings before the FISA Court and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, request reconsiderations of FISA Court decisions, and participate in appeals and reviews. Requires the Special Advocate to vigorously advocate in support of legal interpretations that protect individual privacy and civil liberties. Requires the Attorney General to publicly disclose specified information in connection with FISA Court or FISA Court of Review decisions appealed by the Special Advocate. Requires the release of as much information regarding the facts and analysis in such decisions as is consistent with legitimate national security concerns. Authorizes the FBI Director to request from a communication service provider the name, address, length of service, and local and long distance billing records of a person as part of a national security investigation only if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the information sought pertains to a foreign power, an agent of a foreign power, or an individual in contact with, or known to a suspected agent of, a foreign power. Provides similar requirements with respect to an FBI request for information from financial institutions and consumer reporting agencies. Revises provisions prohibiting the disclosure of the receipt of a national security letter by such providers, institutions, and agencies to except disclosure to: (1) those persons to whom disclosure is necessary to comply with the request, (2) an attorney in order to obtain legal advice or assistance regarding the request, or (3) other persons as permitted by the FBI. Includes under such prohibition (with the same exceptions) national security letters issued in connection with the investigation of persons with access to classified information. Allows affected communications providers, financial institutions, and consumer reporting agencies to seek judicial review of requests for information. Requires the DOJ IG to report results of audits of national security letters issued during 2010 through 2013. Amends provisions of FISA, the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978, the National Security Act of 1947, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) concerning national security letters to, effective June 1, 2015, make such provisions read as they read on October 25, 2001. Allows electronic service providers to publicly report on information provided under FISA orders and national security letters. Exempts such providers from liability with respect to such reports. Revises requirements concerning government reporting on the use of FISA orders and national security letters. Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to remove the AG as a required intermediary for subpoenas in connection with authorized activities of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from: (1) increasing flood insurance risk premium rates to reflect the current risk of flood for certain property located in specified areas subject to a certain mandatory premium adjustment, or (2) reducing such subsidies for any property not insured by the flood insurance program as of July 6, 2012, or any policy that has lapsed in coverage as a result of the policyholder's deliberate choice (Pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map or pre-FIRM properties). Sets forth expiration dates for such prohibitions. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (NFIA) to prohibit the Administrator from providing flood insurance to prospective insureds at rates less than those estimated for any property purchased after the expiration of such six-month period (currently, any property purchased after July 6, 2012). Directs FEMA to: (1) restore during such six-month period specified estimated risk premium rate subsidies for flood insurance for pre-FIRM properties and properties purchased after such six-month period, and (2) submit to certain congressional committees a draft affordability framework addressing the affordability of flood insurance sold under the National Flood Insurance Program. Prescribes procedures for expedited congressional consideration of legislation on FEMA affordability authorities. Permits FEMA to enter into an agreement with another federal agency either to: (1) complete the affordability study, or (2) prepare the draft affordability framework. Directs FEMA submit to certain congressional committees the affordability study and report. Amends NFIA to authorize FEMA to reimburse homeowners for successful map appeals. Makes any community that has made adequate progress on the construction (as under current law) or reconstruction (new) of a flood protection system which will afford flood protection for the one-hundred year frequency flood eligible for flood insurance at premium rates not exceeding those which would apply if such flood protection system had been completed. Revises guidelines governing availability of flood insurance in communities restoring disaccredited flood protection systems to include riverine and coastal levees. Requires FEMA to: (1) rate a covered structure using the elevation difference between the floodproofed elevation of the covered structure and the adjusted base flood elevation of the covered structure; and (2) designate a Flood Insurance Advocate to advocate for the fair treatment of policy holders under the National Flood Insurance Program and property owners in the mapping of flood hazards, the identification of risks from flood, and the implementation of measures to minimize the risk of flood.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Exchange Information Disclosure Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to expand reporting requirements related to health care exchanges. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish reports weekly through March 31, 2015, on: (1) consumer interactions with healthcare.gov or subsequent sites and any efforts undertaken to remedy problems that impact taxpayers and consumers, (2) calls to the federal customer service call center, including the number of calls received by the call center, problems identified by users, and referrals of those calls; (3) all navigators and certified application counselors that have been trained and certified by health care exchanges; and (4) all agents and brokers who have been trained and certified by the federal health care exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to delay until 2016 the imposition of the annual fee on health insurance providers. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue guidance directing covered entities to return any amounts collected from consumers or other sources that were attributed to the annual fee that was scheduled to be imposed for 2014 and 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Defense of Environment and Property Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to redefine "navigable waters" to specify that included territorial seas are those that are: (1) navigable-in-fact; or (2) permanent or continuously flowing bodies of water that form geographical features commonly known as streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes that are connected to waters that are navigable-in-fact. Excludes from such term: (1) waters that do not physically abut navigable waters and lack a continuous surface water connection to navigable waters; (2) man-made or natural structures or channels through which water flows intermittently or ephemerally, or that periodically provide drainage for rainfall; or (3) wetlands without a continuous surface connection to bodies of water that are waters of the United States. Prohibits activities carried out by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the Army Corps of Engineers from impinging upon states' power over land and water use. Prohibits: (1) aggregation of such excluded wetlands or waters from being used to determine or assert federal jurisdiction, and (2) wetlands without a continuous surface connection to bodies of water that are waters of the United States from being considered to be under federal jurisdiction. Authorizes states or individual property owners to obtain judicial review of jurisdictional determinations by the Administrator or the Secretary of the Army that would affect their ability to plan the development and use of land and water resources within 30 days after such a determination. Considers groundwater to be state water. Prohibits groundwater from being considered in determining or asserting federal jurisdiction over isolated or other waters. Prohibits the Administrator from using a significant nexus test to determine federal jurisdiction over navigable waters and waters of the United States. Nullifies: (1) the Corps' rule entitled "Final Rule for Regulatory Programs of the Corps of Engineers," (2) EPA's proposed rule entitled "Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Clean Water Act Regulatory Definition of 'Waters of the United States,'" (3) the guidance document entitled "Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Following the U.S. Supreme Court's Decision in Rapanos v. United States & Carabell v. United States (relating to the definition of waters under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act), and (4) any subsequent regulation or guidance issued by federal agencies that defines or interprets the term "navigable waters." Prohibits the Corps and EPA from promulgating rules or issuing guidance that expands or interprets the definition of navigable waters unless expressly authorized by Congress. Sets forth provisions requiring federal agencies to obtain consent of private property owners prior to entering their land to collect information about navigable waters. Requires federal agencies that issue regulations that relate to the definition of navigable waters or waters of the United States and diminish the fair market value or economic viability of a property to pay the affected property owner an amount equal to twice the value of the loss. Gives no force or effect to such regulation until landowners with such claims have been compensated.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Fairness for Lost Coverage Act of 2013 - Prohibits any of the 12 months beginning with the first month of an applicable individual's loss of health insurance coverage from being taken into account in applying the Internal Revenue Code requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage. Defines "applicable individual" as an individual who: (1) has coverage (whether as a principal or a dependent of another individual) under an employer-sponsored health plan or individual health insurance coverage for the last month of a plan year beginning during 2013, and (2) loses such coverage beginning with the first month of the subsequent plan year because of the plan's or coverage's termination and not because of any termination or change of the individual's employment, the individual's failure to pay premiums, or any other reasons within the individual's control.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013 - Permits a health insurance issuer that has in effect health insurance coverage in the individual market as of January 1, 2013, to continue offering such coverage for sale during 2014 outside of a health care exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Treats such coverage as a grandfathered health plan for purposes of an individual meeting the requirement to maintain minimum essential health coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) allow licensed firearms importers, manufacturers, dealers, or collectors (licensees) to sell or deliver any firearm (currently, rifles or shotguns) to a resident of a state other than the state in which the licensee is located or temporarily located if the licensee meets with the purchaser to complete the sale or delivery and the transaction complies with the laws of the state in which the transfer is conducted and the purchaser's state of residence; and (2) eliminate the requirement that a licensee must conduct business at a gun show only in the state that is specified on the licensee's license. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition: (1) between licensed firearms dealers at any location in any state; or (2) by a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to an unlicensed person at a temporary location in any state. Amends definitions for federal firearms provisions to: (1) revise the definition of a "member of the Armed Forces on active duty" to include a member (or member's spouse) who is a resident of the state in which such person maintains legal residence or in which the member maintains a place of abode from which the member commutes each day to the permanent duty station; and (2) provide that an officer or employee of the United States (other than a member of the Armed Forces) stationed outside the United States for a period exceeding one year, or a spouse residing with such an officer or employee, is a resident of the state in which the person maintains legal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Provide Access and Retain Continuity Act or the PARC Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into agreements with, and provide reimbursement to, states to conduct activities determined to have a direct economic impact on tourism, mining, timber, or general transportation in the state that are otherwise not being conducted by the federal government during a partial shutdown of the federal government due to a lapse in appropriations. Requires the Secretary to approve or deny a petition for such an agreement not later than 90 days after receiving it and deems such petition approved if the Secretary does not act on it within the 90-day period.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Taxpayer Transparency Act of 2013 - Requires each communication funded by a federal agency for advertising or educational purposes to clearly state: (1) in the case of a printed communication, including mass mailings, signs, and billboards, that the communication is printed and published at taxpayer expense; and (2) in the case of a communication transmitted through radio, television, or the Internet, that the communication is produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense. Requires any such printed communication, including e-mails, to be of sufficient size to be clearly readable, to be set apart from the other contents of the communication, and to be printed with a reasonable degree of color contrast between the background and the printed statement. Exempts from such requirements: (1) information in a solicitation for offers for a federal contract; and (2) advertisements for employment opportunities, not including advertising materials developed for use in recruiting and retaining personnel for the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in Bay Pines, Florida, as the "C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center."
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2013
Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2013 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with respect to abortion coverage in qualified plans offered through a Health Benefit Exchange, to modify the notice rules to require that: in the case of services regarding abortions both for which public funding is prohibited and allowed, the extent of coverage shall be prominently displayed in any marketing or advertising materials, comparison tools, or summary of benefits and coverage explanation made available by the issuer of the plan, by an Exchange, or by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), including information made available through an Internet portal or Exchange; and in the case of abortions for which public funding is prohibited and where the premium for the plan is disclosed, the surcharge attributable to such services, consisting of an amount equal to the actuarial value of the coverage, shall be disclosed and identified separately.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2013
Fallen Heroes and Families Assistance Act - Amends the Pay Our Military Act (P.L. 113-39) to make FY2014 appropriations, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2014 are not in effect, for such sums as are necessary to continue programs and activities concerning: payment of death gratuities to certain survivors of deceased military service members, including for the death of members on active duty or inactive duty training, the death of members after discharge or release from duty or training, members and employees dying outside the United States while assigned to intelligence duties, and other eligible survivors; payment of pay and allowances due a member of the Armed Forces and unpaid at the time of the member's death; payment of authorized funeral and burial expenses, including authorized funeral travel and travel related to the dignified transfer of remains and unit memorial services; and continuation of a basic allowance of housing for certain dependents of members dying on active duty.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2013
Department of Defense Survivor Benefits Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 - Makes appropriations, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for death gratuities and related benefits for survivors of deceased military service members of the Department of Defense (DOD) for FY2014, and for other purposes, such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate for operations as provided for FY2013 in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013 (division C of P.L. 113-6), for "Operation and Maintenance" and "Military Personnel" accounts for continuing the following projects and activities that are not otherwise specifically provided for in this joint resolution or the Pay Our Military Act (P.L. 113-39), and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available by the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013: payment of death gratuities to certain survivors of deceased military service members, including for the death of members on active duty or inactive duty training, the death of members after discharge or release from duty or training, members and employees dying outside the United States while assigned to intelligence duties, and other eligible survivors; funeral and burial expenses; authorized funeral travel and travel related to the dignified transfer of remains and unit memorial services; and temporary continuation of a basic allowance of housing for certain dependents of members dying on active duty. Requires the rate of operations to be calculated to reflect the full amount of any reduction required in FY2013 pursuant to: (1) the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6), and (2) the presidential sequestration order dated March 1, 2013, except as attributable to budget authority made available by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-2). Makes appropriations and funds made available and authority granted under this joint resolution available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or activity provided for in this joint resolution, (2) enactment into law of the applicable appropriations Act for FY2014 without any provision for such project or activity, or (3) December 15, 2013. Requires implementation of this joint resolution so that only the most limited funding action be taken in order to provide for continuation of projects and activities. Expresses the sense of Congress that this joint resolution may also be referred to as the Honoring the Families of Fallen Soldiers Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should hold public listening sessions on rulemaking targeting carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants in each of the 15 states with the highest percentage of electricity generated by coal in 2012 (West Virginia, Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Montana, and Wisconsin); and (2) such sessions should be held at a time and place that would maximize the ability of individuals to participate.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to: (1) disclose to a consumer all information (and their sources) held by the CFPB with respect to that consumer, including any person or other federal department or agency to which the CFPB disclosed the information; and (2) truncate in the disclosure the first five digits of the consumer's Social Security number (or similar identification number), if the consumer so requests and the CFPB has received appropriate proof of the requester's identity. Permits consumers to request such a disclosure: (1) online, with a link prominently displayed on the CFPB website; (2) via U.S. mail; and (3) via a toll-free telephone number.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Disapproves the rule submitted by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on September 20, 2013, relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act or RAISE Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to declare that neither its prohibition against interference by an employer with employees' right to bargain collectively, nor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement entered into between employees and an employer after enactment of this Act, shall prohibit an employer from paying an employee higher wages, pay, or other compensation than the agreement provides for.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2013 - Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the United Nations (U.N.) on a wide variety of issues, including to shift the funding mechanism for the regular budget of the U.N. from an assessed to a voluntary basis. Withholds up to 50% of nonvoluntary U.S. contributions to the regular budget of the U.N. unless the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that 80% of the total regular budget of the U.N. is apportioned on a voluntary basis. Requires the annual congressional budget justification to include a detailed itemized request in support of the U.S. contribution to the regular budget of the U.N. Sets forth requirements for the Secretary of State with respect to oversight of U.S. contributions to the U.N. and their use by U.N. entities. Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of a U.S. contribution to any U.N. entity unless the entity has provided the Secretary with a transparency certification and is in compliance with it. Prohibits the use of funds made available: (1) for international organizations for any purpose other than an assessed U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; (2) for international organizations and programs for any purpose other than a voluntary U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; and (3) for international peacekeeping activities for any purpose other than a U.S. contribution to U.N. peacekeeping activities, to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), or to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Directs the Secretary to withhold from the regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount of U.S. overpayments to the U.N. States that it is U.S. policy to oppose any proposals on expansion of the U.N. Security Council that would: (1) diminish U.S. influence on the Security Council, or (2) include veto rights for new Security Council members. Expresses the sense of Congress that any U.N. definition of terrorism should not be used to undermine peaceful, pro-freedom, pro-democracy movements against authoritarian rule. Directs the Secretary to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to ensure: (1) Taiwan's participation in relevant U.N. entities, and (2) that no representative of a country designated as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 shall preside as chair or president of any U.N. entity. Directs the Secretary to withhold U.S. contributions from any U.N. entity that recognizes a Palestinian state or upgrades the status of the Palestinian observer mission at the U.N., the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Authority (PA), or any other Palestinian administrative organization or governing entity before achievement of a final peace agreement with Israel. Provides that until the Secretary makes a specified certification to Congress: (1) the Secretary shall withhold from a U.S. contribution to a regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), (2) the Secretary shall not make a voluntary contribution to UNHRC, and (3) the United States shall not run for a UNHRC seat. Directs the Secretary to withhold from a U.S. contribution to a regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for: (1) the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; and (2) any other U.N. Special Procedures used to display bias against the United States or Israel or to provide support for any member state which is subject to U.N. Security Council sanctions, under a Security Council-mandated human rights investigation, has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, or is a country of particular concern for religious freedom. States that it is U.S. policy to oppose any legitimization of the Goldstone Report and to lead a diplomatic campaign supporting its revocation. Directs the Secretary to withhold from the U.S. contribution to the regular budget of the U.N. an amount that is equal to the percentage of such contribution that would be or has been expended by the U.N. for any part of the Goldstone Report process. Prohibits funds from being used for U.S. participation in any part of the Durban III process. Withholds U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) or to any successor or related entity unless the Secretary makes specified certifications to Congress. Prohibits any U.S. contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from being used to support Technical Cooperation program assistance to any country, including North Korea, that: (1) has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism; or (2) is in breach of, or under investigation for breach of, obligations regarding its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or any relevant U.N. Security Council resolution. Directs the Secretary to withhold from the U.S. voluntary contribution to the IAEA an amount proportional to that spent by the IAEA in 2007-2008 on Technical Cooperation program assistance to such countries. Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the IAEA to make Iran and Syria ineligible to receive any nuclear material, technology, equipment, or assistance from any member state. Sets forth U.S. policy regarding reform of U.N. peacekeeping operations. Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to oppose the creation of new, or expansion of existing, U.N. peacekeeping operations until the Secretary certifies to Congress that specified peacekeeping reforms have been adopted by the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations or the General Assembly.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Marriage and Religious Freedom Act - Prohibits the federal government from taking an adverse action against a person on the basis that such person acts in accordance with a religious belief that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. Defines "adverse action" as any federal government action to discriminate against such person, including: (1) denying or revoking certain tax exemptions or disallowing a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person; (2) denying or excluding such person from receiving any federal grant, contract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status; or (3) denying or withholding any benefit under a federal benefit program. Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government. Authorizes the Attorney General (DOJ) to bring actions to enforce this Act. Specifies that the term "person" includes any person regardless of religious affiliation, as well as corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
American Health Care Reform Act of 2013 - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of their enactment. Restores or revives provisions amended or repealed by such Act or such health care provisions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow an income tax standard deduction for a specified percentage of an individual's health insurance costs, regardless of whether or not the taxpayer itemizes other deductions. Excludes the amount of such a deduction from employment taxes. Allows a taxpayer, for earned income credit purposes, to exclude from earned income any employer contributions to a qualified accident or health plan. Allows double additional contributions to a health savings account (HSA) if both spouses are age 55 or older and one spouse is not an account beneficiary. Prescribes special rules for HSA coverage eligibility for certain individuals: (1) participating in a Medicare Advantage Medical Savings Account (MSA), (2) receiving periodic hospital care or medical services for a service-connected disability, (3) eligible for Indian Health Service assistance, or (4) eligible for TRICARE coverage. Prescribes requirements for interaction of health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements with HSAs. Prohibits the payment of health insurance premiums from HSAs, with certain exceptions. Prescribes circumstances in which certain medical expenses incurred before establishment of an HSA may still be qualified expenses. Prescribes requirements for protection of any HSA in a bankruptcy proceeding. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize additional health opportunity account demonstration programs. Treats membership in a health care sharing ministry as coverage under a high deductible health plan. Renames high deductible health plans as HSA qualified plans. Allows payments from an HSA for: (1) direct primary care service arrangements, (2) certain exercise equipment and physical fitness programs, (3) certain nutritional and dietary supplements, and (4) periodic fees paid to a primary care physician for the right to receive medical services on an as-needed basis. Increases the maximum limit on contributions to an HSA to match deductible and out-of-pocket expenses limitations. Prescribes requirements for establishment of child health savings accounts, for which an income tax deduction shall be allowed a taxpayer equal to the aggregate cash amount paid into the account during the taxable year. Amends the IRC to include in gross income any distributions from an HSA for an abortion. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), and the IRC to authorize premium and cost-sharing variances in group health plans based on certain financial incentives for participation (or lack of it) in a standards-based wellness program. Amends the PHSA to direct the Secretary to provide a grant of up to $5 million to each state for the costs of creation and initial operation of a qualified high risk pool if it has not created such a pool as of September 1, 2013. Limits participation in such a pool to U.S. citizens and nationals. Declares that the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) shall apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with conditions of this Act. Prohibits a health insurance issuer from offering, selling, or issuing individual health insurance coverage in a secondary state if its insurance commissioner does not use a risk-based capital formula for determining capital and surplus requirements for all health insurance issuers. Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to declare that nothing in it shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance (including the business of dental insurance). Amends SSA title XI (General Provisions) to require the Secretary to make available to the public Medicare claims and payment data, including data on payments made to any provider of services or supplier. Authorizes a state to establish a Health Plan and Provider Portal website to standardize information on: (1) health insurance plans available in the state, and (2) price and quality information on health care providers (including physicians, hospitals, and other health care institutions). Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with the doctor-patient relationship or the practice of medicine. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to eliminate the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Amends ERISA to prescribe requirements for establishment and governance of association health plans, which are group health plans meeting certain ERISA certification criteria whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations. Limits the commencement of a health care lawsuit, except in certain cases including fraud or intentional concealment, to three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers, or through the use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first. Limits to $250,000 the amount of noneconomic damages in such a lawsuit, but allows a claim for the full amount of any economic damages. Requires the court, in any health care lawsuit, to supervise the arrangements for payment of damages to protect against conflicts of interest that may have the effect of reducing the amount of damages awarded that are actually paid to claimants. Specifies criteria for the award of punitive damages, limited to the greater of $250,000 or double the amount of economic damages. Preempts state law with respect to health care lawsuits. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) require any health plan to provide coverage of or access to abortion services; or (2) allow the Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, or any other federal or non-federal person or entity in implementing this Act to require coverage of, or access to, abortion services. Prohibits the use of funds authorized or appropriated by this Act to pay for any abortion or to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes abortion coverage, except: (1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest; or (2) in the case where a pregnant female suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the female in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Reorganization Plan Codification and Complements Act - Codifies and expands the Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1980 governing the administration of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Identifies approval of the distribution of appropriated funds according to programs and purposes proposed by the Executive Director for Operations, in addition to functions concerned with policy formulation, rule making, and orders and adjudications, as functions that remain vested in the Commission. Revises provisions of such Reorganization Act relating to: (1) the appointment and replacement of NRC officers and employees, (2) the role of the NRC Chairman, (3) the scope of the emergency authority of the NRC Chairman, and (4) NRC reporting procedures. Sets forth NRC policy with respect to: (1) certification of documents transmitted to Congress, (2) time limits for review of Atomic Safety and Licensing Board decisions and actions, (3) allegations of wrongdoing on the part of the NRC Chairman, and (4) approval of international travel requests by NRC members.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Modernizing Our Drug & Diagnostics Evaluation and Regulatory Network Cures Act of 2013 or MODDERN Cures Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish the Advanced Diagnostics Education Council to recommend standard terms and definitions related to innovative diagnostics for use by patients, physicians, health care providers, payers, and policy makers; and (2) publish a guide regarding such terms and definitions. Sets forth additional factors for the Secretary to consider in determining the payment amount for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under gap filling procedures which are used when no comparable existing test is available. Extends the exclusivity period for a medicine if the diagnostic test related to such drug has been determined by the Secretary to have been developed by, or with the participation of, the manufacturer or sponsor of the medicine, and use of the diagnostic tests provides for or improves: (1) the identification of a patient population for the medicine; or (2) the determination of the most appropriate treatment option for a patient population with the medicine. Establishes a dormant therapy designation for medicine that addresses unmet medical needs. Gives such medicine 15 years of data exclusivity under which no drug can be approved by relying on the approval or licensure of the dormant therapy. Directs the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine (or, if it declines, another appropriate entity) to study intellectual property laws and their impact on therapy and diagnostic development in order to formulate recommendations on how to facilitate the clinical evaluation and development of therapies currently available on the market for new potential indications.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act - Directs: (1) the Secretary of the military department concerned to award the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces (members) who were killed or wounded in the attack at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009; and (2) the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to award the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom to civilian employees and contractors of DOD who were killed or wounded in such attack. Deems, for purposes of all applicable federal benefit laws, regulations, and policies: (1) such members to have been killed or wounded in a combat zone as the result of an enemy act; and (2) such employees to have been killed or wounded by hostile action while serving with the Armed Forces in a contingency operation and to have been killed or wounded in a terrorist attack. Excludes any member whose death or wound was the result of willful misconduct. Applies such provisions to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other psychological injuries that were a a result of such attack.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to implement or enforce a requirement providing for the screening, testing, or treatment of individuals operating commercial motor vehicles for sleep disorders (including obstructive sleep apnea) only if it is adopted pursuant to a rulemaking proceeding. Applies this Act only to a requirement adopted on or after September 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Modernizing Our Drug & Diagnostics Evaluation and Regulatory Network Cures Act of 2013 or MODDERN Cures Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish the Advanced Diagnostics Education Council to recommend standard terms and definitions related to innovative diagnostics for use by patients, physicians, health care providers, payers, and policy makers; and (2) publish a guide regarding such terms and definitions. Sets forth additional factors for the Secretary to consider in determining the payment amount for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under gap filling procedures which are used when no comparable existing test is available. Extends the exclusivity period for a medicine if the diagnostic test related to such drug has been determined by the Secretary to have been developed by, or with the participation of, the manufacturer or sponsor of the medicine, and use of the diagnostic tests provides for or improves: (1) the identification of a patient population for the medicine; or (2) the determination of the most appropriate treatment option for a patient population with the medicine. Establishes a dormant therapy designation for medicine that addresses unmet medical needs. Gives such medicine 15 years of data exclusivity under which no drug can be approved by relying on the approval or licensure of the dormant therapy. Directs the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine (or, if it declines, another appropriate entity) to study intellectual property laws and their impact on therapy and diagnostic development in order to formulate recommendations on how to facilitate the clinical evaluation and development of therapies currently available on the market for new potential indications.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2013
TELEmedicine for MEDicare Act of 2013 or TELE-MED Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to permit certain Medicare providers licensed in a state to provide telemedicine services to Medicare beneficiaries in a different state.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2013 - Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) a Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program. Includes among Program purposes to: (1) improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and increase domestic production; (2) stimulate U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing research, innovation, and technology; and (3) accelerate the development of an advanced manufacturing workforce. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a network of centers for manufacturing innovation, to be known as the Network for Manufacturing Innovation; and (2) award financial assistance to assist in planning, establishing, or supporting such centers. Directs the Secretary to establish within NIST the National Office of the Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program to: (1) oversee the Program, (2) develop and periodically update a strategic plan for the Program, (3) establish a clearinghouse of public information related to Program activities, and (4) act as a convener of the Network. Requires the Secretary to ensure that the Office incorporates the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership into Program planning to ensure that the results of the Program reach small- and medium-sized entities. Establishes in the Treasury a Network for Manufacturing Innovation Fund for carrying out the Program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Energy Security and Employment Act - Amends the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to repeal the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in certain areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Retains the authority of the Secretary of Defense to designate national defense areas on the outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Deems the Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2010-2015, issued by the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), to be the final oil and gas leasing program for FY2013-FY2018 under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA). Considers the Secretary to have issued a final environmental impact statement for such program in accordance with specified law. Terminates the Five Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017. Amends the OCSLA to direct the Secretary to share OCS receipts with states and local governments according to a specified allocation formula composed of bonus bids and royalties to adjacent states, including states that: (1) have a coastline point within 300 miles of the center of the leased tract; and (2) allow leasing within at least 25% of the portion of each state's Adjacent Zone that is within 75 miles of the coastline. Prescribes payment of allocations to: (1) certain states and coastal county-equivalent political subdivisions, and (2) coastal municipal political subdivisions. Permits payment of such funds to be used as matching funds for other federal programs. Directs the Secretary to establish and implement a competitive oil and gas leasing program for the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas resources on the Coastal Plain within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 to repeal the prohibition against leasing or other development leading to production of oil and gas from ANWR. States that the "Final Legislative Environmental Impact Statement" (April 1987) on the Coastal Plain prepared by the Secretary satisfies the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 regarding prelease activities under this Act, including actions authorized to be taken by the Secretary regarding regulations for the establishment of a leasing program before the first lease sale is conducted. States the Secretary shall not be required to identify nonleasing alternative courses of action, nor to analyze the environmental effects of those courses of action. Authorizes the Secretary to designate and exclude from leasing up to 45,000 acres of the Coastal Plain as a special area, and 4,000 acres in the Sadlerochit Spring area as another special area, requiring special management and regulatory protection. Prohibits surface occupancy of a special area if the Secretary leases all or a portion of it for oil and gas exploration, development, or production. Authorizes lease terms to permit horizontal drilling technology from sites on lease tracts located outside the special area. Prohibits the Secretary from closing land within the Coastal Plain to oil and gas leasing, exploration, development, or production except in accordance with this Act. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for lease sales to any person qualified to obtain a lease for oil and gas deposits, at a minimum of 200,000 acres for the first lease sale. Permits lease sales conducted through an Internet leasing program. Prescribes lease sales, terms and conditions, including a timetable for lease sales. Provides for expedited judicial review. Directs the Secretary to: (1) issue rights-of-way and easements across the Coastal Plain for oil and gas transportation, (2) convey to the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation specified surface estate of land in accordance with a certain agreement, and (3) convey to the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation a certain subsurface estate. Amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 to repeal the prohibition on the use of funds for either a commercial oil shale leasing program or for oil shale lease sales. Directs the Secretary to open lands for leasing of oil shale resources. Prescribes a standard for judicial review governing energy projects, including a limitation upon injunctive and prospective relief. Establishes: (1) the Office of the Federal Oil and Gas Permit Coordinator, and (2) regional offices to coordinate review of federal permits for oil and gas projects on federal lands onshore and on the OCS. Prohibits both the President and the head of a federal department or agency from promulgating regulations providing for the control of emissions of a greenhouse gas, enforce or implement any law or regulation that provides for the control of emissions of a greenhouse gas, take action relating to or take into consideration the climate effects of emissions of a greenhouse gas, consider climate effects in implementing or enforcing any law or condition or deny any approval based upon climate effects. Precludes the Secretary of Transportation from exercising any authority regarding greenhouse gases. Retains specified requirements governing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Nullifies certain rules and actions taken by EPA before the date of enactment of this Act to regulate greenhouse gases for effects relating to atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and climate change. Amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit EPA from granting any state request for a waiver of standards to control emissions of greenhouse gas air pollutants from new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines of model year 2017. Deems stricken from a state implementation plan any designation of greenhouse gases as pollutants subject to regulation or as regulated pollutants, or otherwise authorizing or requiring limitations on the emission of greenhouse gases under state law. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the prohibition against federal procurement of alternative or synthetic fuel unless the contract specifies that the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and combustion of the fuel supplied must be less than or equal to such emissions from the equivalent conventional fuel produced from conventional petroleum sources. Amends the Clean Air Act to: (1) prohibit any state from prescribing or attempting to enforce any control or prohibition regarding any characteristic or component of either a fuel or fuel additive in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine, (2) require the use of conventional gasoline in a motor vehicle throughout the United States, and (3) repeal certain requirements for oxygenated gasoline. Requires EPA, upon the request of a state governor or the governing body of an Indian tribe, to enter into a streamlined refinery permitting agreement. Requires EPA to conduct a research and demonstration program to evaluate the air quality benefits of ultra-clean Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuel, including diesel and jet fuel.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
One In, Two Out Act - Prohibits a federal agency from: (1) issuing a new rule unless such agency has repealed two or more existing rules that impose a cost or responsibility on a nongovernmental person or state or local government and that are, to the extent practicable, related to the new rule; or (2) issuing a major rule (generally, a rule that has an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more) unless such agency has repealed two or more rules that are related to such major rule and the cost of the new major rule is less than or equal to the cost of the rules being repealed. Requires any rule that is repealed to be published in the Federal Register.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
IRS Health Records Privacy Act of 2013 - Prohibits any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from inspecting protected health information of any individual (defined as individually identifiable health information transmitted by or maintained in electronic or other form or medium, except for information contained in certain education and employment records) except to the extent that such health information directly relates to a criminal violation of the internal revenue laws. Provides for civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to notify any individual whose protected health information has been inspected in violation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
No Bailouts for State and local Governments Act - Prohibits the use of federal funds to purchase or guarantee obligations of, issue lines of credit to, or provide direct or indirect grants-in-aid to any state, municipal, local, or county government which, on or after January 1, 2013, has filed for bankruptcy, has defaulted on its obligations, is at risk of defaulting, or is likely to default, without such federal assistance if such purchase, guarantee, extension of credit, or grant is made to assist the government in: (1) avoiding defaulting on the payment of principal or interest due on an obligation of the government, or (2) curing such a default. Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from using, directly or indirectly, general fund revenues or borrowed funds to purchase or guarantee, for the same purposes, any asset or obligation of any such state, municipal, local, or county government. Prohibits the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from: (1) providing or extending to, or authorizing with respect to, such a state, municipal, local, or county government, or other entity with taxing authority or bonding authority, for the same purposes, any funds, loan guarantees, credits, or any other financial instrument or other authority, including bond purchases; or (2) otherwise assisting such a government entity, for the same purposes, under any Board authority. Waives the application of this Act for federal assistance provided in response to a natural disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a person who is carrying a valid, government-issued identification document containing that person's photograph and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state, and who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law, to possess or carry a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state in accordance with the restrictions of that state.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue in commemoration of the United States Coast Guard: (1) $5 gold coins, (2) $1 silver coins, and (3) half-dollar clad coins. Requires the design of such coins to be emblematic of the traditions, history, and heritage of the Coast Guard, and its role in securing our nation since 1790. Prescribes design requirements. Restricts the issuance of such coins to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2017. Prescribes the sale price of the coins and coin surcharges. Requires such surcharges to be paid by the Secretary to the National Coast Guard Museum Foundation to help finance the design and construction of the National Coast Guard Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Tornado Family Safety Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to allow Small Business Administration (SBA) physical disaster loans to be used for the construction of safe rooms or similar storm shelters designed to protect property and occupants from tornadoes or other natural disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 350,000 $1 silver coins, and 300,000 half dollar clad coins to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the 100 years of Boys Town, one of the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the United States. Permits issuance of such coins only between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018.
![Official portrait of Rep. Long, Billy [R-MO-7]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000576_200.jpg)