United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2020
This resolution expresses support for the goals of a feminist foreign policy and outlines the governmental efforts necessary to ensure that these goals are met.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2020
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act This bill provides continuing FY2021 appropriations to federal agencies through December 11, 2020, and extends several programs. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur if the FY2021 appropriations bills have not been enacted when FY2021 begins on October 1, 2020. The CR funds most programs and activities at the FY2020 levels with several exceptions that provide funding flexibility and additional appropriations to various programs. In addition, the bill extends several authorities and programs, including surface transportation programs; public health, Medicare, and Medicaid authorities and programs; several authorities related to veterans benefits; authorities to waive certain requirements for nutrition programs; the National Flood Insurance Program; the Appalachian Regional Commission; the U.S. Parole Commission; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program; and several authorities related to immigration. The bill also includes provisions that accelerate reimbursements to the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) for net realized losses to allow the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue making certain payments to farmers, prohibit USDA from using CCC funds to provide payments or support to fossil fuel refiners and importers, expand nutrition assistance programs, increase and expand U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services fees for providing premium processing services for certain immigration-related applications, and reauthorize a program that provides incentives (e.g., limitations on civil liability) for corporations to self-report antitrust violations to the Department of Justice.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2020
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act This bill provides continuing FY2021 appropriations to federal agencies through December 11, 2020, and extends several programs. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur if the FY2021 appropriations bills have not been enacted when FY2021 begins on October 1, 2020. The CR funds most programs and activities at the FY2020 levels with several exceptions that provide funding flexibility and additional appropriations to various programs. In addition, the bill extends several authorities and programs, including surface transportation programs; public health, Medicare, and Medicaid authorities and programs; several authorities related to veterans benefits; the National Flood Insurance Program; the Appalachian Regional Commission; the U.S. Parole Commission; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program; and several authorities related to immigration. The bill also includes provisions that increase and expand U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services fees for providing premium processing services for certain immigration-related applications, and reauthorize a program that provides incentives (e.g., limitations on civil liability) for corporations to self-report antitrust violations to the Department of Justice.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2020
FEMA Assistance Relief Act of 2020 This bill modifies the federal cost share of certain emergency assistance relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill provides for (1) a 100% federal cost share of assistance provided under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19 and any subsequent major disaster declaration that supersedes it; and (2) at least a 90% federal cost share of assistance provided for any emergency or major disaster declared by the President from January 1-December 31, 2020. With respect to the emergency declaration issued on March 13, 2020, the President may provide assistance for activities, costs, and purchases of states or local governments or the owners or operators of eligible private nonprofits, including, among other things backfill costs for first responders and other essential employees who are ill or quarantined; increased operating costs for essential government services due to such emergency; costs associated with maintaining alternate care facilities or related facilities currently inactive but related to future needs tied to the ongoing pandemic event; personal protective equipment and other critical supplies and services for first responders and other essential employees; and costs of procuring and distributing food to individuals affected by the pandemic through networks established by state, local, or tribal governments or other organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
This resolution supports the announcements of (1) the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain, and (2) the suspension of Israeli actions to apply sovereignty in parts of the West Bank. Further, it calls on each of these countries to encourage greater people-to-people normalization, and it calls on other Arab and Muslim countries to establish full relations with Israel. It also reaffirms the House of Representatives' support for a negotiated, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 2020
Delivering for America Act This bill prohibits the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from making changes to operations or levels of service from those that were in effect on January 1, 2020. Specifically, the USPS may not, during the period beginning on enactment of this bill and ending on the last day of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency or January 1, 2021, whichever is later, implement or approve any change to the operations or the level of service that would impede prompt, reliable, and efficient services, including changes in the nature of services that will generally affect service on a nationwide basis; revisions of service standards; closures or consolidations of post offices or reduction of facility hours; prohibitions on payment of overtime pay to USPS officers or employees; changes that would prevent the USPS from meeting its service standards or that would reduce measurements of performance concerning those standards; changes that would have the effect of delaying mail, allowing non-delivery to a delivery route, or increasing the volume of undelivered mail.
United States · United States Congress · 7 August 2020
This resolution supports the designation of National Health Center Week and encourages Americans to participate in this week by visiting their local health center.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2020
Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2020 This bill authorizes the use of certain foreign assistance funds to provide comprehensive reproductive health care services in developing countries, including abortion services, training, and equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2020
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021 This bill provides FY2021 appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs. The bill provides appropriations to the State Department for Administration of Foreign Affairs, International Organizations, and International Commissions. The bill provides appropriations for Related Agencies and Related Programs, including the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the Asia Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Center for Middle Eastern-Western Dialogue Trust Fund, the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship Program, the Israeli Arab Scholarship Program, the East-West Center, and the National Endowment for Democracy. The bill provides appropriations for Other Commissions, including the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China, and the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The bill provides appropriations to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the State Department and the President for International Security Assistance, and the President and International Financial Institutions for Multilateral Assistance. The bill provides appropriations for Bilateral Economic Assistance to the President; the State Department; Independent Agencies, including the Peace Corps, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Inter-American Foundation, and the U.S. African Development Foundation; and the Department of the Treasury. The bill provides appropriations for Export and Investment Assistance to the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. The bill also includes provisions that provide emergency funding for expenses to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19); establish the People-to-People Partnership for Peace Fund to fund projects that help build the foundation for a peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians and a sustainable two-state solution; and establish the Joint Investment of Peace Initiative to support the development of the Palestinian private sector economy and increased economic cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians. The bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
Protect Access to Birth Control Act This bill nullifies interim final rules issued by the Department of Labor, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services that allow employers with religious or moral objections to be exempt from the requirement that their health insurance plans cover contraceptive services without cost-sharing.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2020
Voices for Veterans Act This bill expands the membership of the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to include veterans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. Among other responsibilities, the committee advises the Department of Veterans Affairs on the administration of benefits and provision of health care, benefits, and services to minority veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2020
Child Care for Economic Recovery Act This bill provides additional funding in FY2020 for taxpayer services, social services block grants, and infrastructure grants to improve child care safety, including needs assessments. The bill adds and modifies certain tax provisions to increase and make refundable the child and dependent care tax credit; increase the exclusion from employee income for employer-provided dependent care assistance; allow employers payroll tax credits for certain fixed expenses of child care facilities closed due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), certain employer-paid employee dependent care expenses, and the employment of workers who perform domestic service in the private home of an employer; and allow a carryover of unused benefits or contributions remaining in a dependent care flexible spending arrangement from the 2020 plan year to the 2021 plan year. The bill increases funding (1) in FY2020-FY2024 for the general child care entitlement under the Social Security Act, and (2) for child care services for the children of essential workers. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct an immediate needs assessment of the condition of child care facilities throughout the United States and authorizes HHS to award grants to acquire, construct, renovate, or improve child care facilities, including expanding facilities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2020
This resolution commemorates June 19, 1865, or Juneteenth, as the end of slavery in the United States. It also reaffirms the commitment of Congress to honor Juneteenth by supporting the enactment of policies that ensure fair and secure elections for all Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020
This resolution recognizes the historical significance and supports the continued celebration of Juneteenth Independence Day, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2020
Justice in Policing Act of 2020 This bill addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. It includes measures to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct, to enhance transparency and data collection, and to eliminate discriminatory policing practices. The bill facilitates federal enforcement of constitutional violations (e.g., excessive use of force) by state and local law enforcement. Among other things, it does the following: lowers the criminal intent standard—from willful to knowing or reckless—to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution, limits qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer or state correctional officer, and authorizes the Department of Justice to issue subpoenas in investigations of police departments for a pattern or practice of discrimination. The bill also creates a national registry—the National Police Misconduct Registry—to compile data on complaints and records of police misconduct. It establishes a framework to prohibit racial profiling at the federal, state, and local levels. The bill establishes new requirements for law enforcement officers and agencies, including to report data on use-of-force incidents, to obtain training on implicit bias and racial profiling, and to wear body cameras.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020
This concurrent resolution (1) affirms, on the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first slave ship, the U.S. debt of remembrance not only to those who lived through the injustices of slavery but also to their descendants; and (2) proposes a U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation to properly acknowledge, memorialize, and be a catalyst for progress, including toward permanently eliminating persistent racial inequities.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
This resolution condemns acts of brutality, racial profiling, and the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers. It also calls for the end of militarized policing practices. The resolution supports strengthening efforts to promote accountability for individual law enforcement officers and police departments. Finally, it calls for the adoption of sound and unbiased law enforcement policies at all levels of government.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2020
Child Care Is Essential Act This bill establishes and provides $50 billion in appropriations for the Child Care Stabilization Fund to award grants to child care providers during and after the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill establishes the fund within the existing Department of Health and Human Services Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, and the grants must be administered by the existing CCDBG lead agencies of states, tribes, or territories. Child care providers that are currently open or temporarily closed due to COVID-19 are eligible to receive grant awards, which are based on the provider's operating costs before the COVID-19 public health emergency and adjusted to account for the increased costs of providing child care as a result of COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2020
Cash Refunds for Coronavirus Cancellations Act of 2020 This bill requires air carriers and ticket agents to offer full cash refunds for all cancelled tickets during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period, regardless of whether the air carrier cancelled an entire flight or the passengers cancelled their individual tickets. The bill permits air carriers and tickets agents to offer alternative forms of compensation, including credit, or vouchers, provided that such offer is valid indefinitely and the offer includes a clear and conspicuous notice of the passenger's right to a cash refund. Additionally, the bill provides that passengers who received an alternative form of compensation prior to the enactment of this bill, but have not used it, may request a cash refund to replace the alternative compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2020
Black History is American History Act This bill requires entities (e.g., institutions of higher education, libraries, and museums), in order to be eligible for certain grants administered by the Department of Education (ED), to include Black history in their teaching of American history. It also requires Black history to be included in tests administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Specifically, the bill mandates the inclusion of Black history as a required component of American history for such entities to be eligible for American History and Civics Academies' competitive grants. These grants support the establishment of (1) Presidential Academies for Teachers of American History and Civics, which offer workshops to teachers of American history and civics to strengthen their knowledge and prepare them to teach in these subjects; and (2) Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics, which support high school students in developing an understanding of these subjects. (Currently, Black history is not a required component of American history for either academy.) In addition, ED must give priority to grant applicants that align their activities with programs and resources of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The bill also requires the inclusion of Black history in tests administered by the NAEP, which measures student academic achievement in various subjects.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act or the HEROES Act This bill responds to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak and its impact on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. Among other things, the bill provides FY2020 emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies; provides payments and other assistance to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; provides additional direct payments of up to $1,200 per individual; expands paid sick days, family and medical leave, unemployment compensation, nutrition and food assistance programs, housing assistance, and payments to farmers; modifies and expands the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides loans and grants to small businesses and nonprofit organizations; establishes a fund to award grants for employers to provide pandemic premium pay for essential workers; expands several tax credits and deductions; provides funding and establishes requirements for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing; eliminates cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments; extends and expands the moratorium on certain evictions and foreclosures; and requires employers to develop and implement infectious disease exposure control plans. The bill also modifies or expands a wide range of other programs and policies, including those regarding Medicare and Medicaid, health insurance, broadband service, medical product supplies, immigration, student loans and financial aid, the federal workforce, prisons, veterans benefits, consumer protection requirements, the U.S. Postal Service, federal elections, aviation and railroad workers, and pension and retirement plans.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2020
COVID-19 Cost Share Adjustment Relief Act of 2020 This bill provides for a 100% federal cost share of assistance provided under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and any subsequent major disaster declaration that supersedes it. The President may provide assistance for activities, costs, and purchases of states or local governments or the owners or operators of eligible private nonprofits, including, among other things backfill costs for first responders and other essential employees who are ill or quarantined, increased operating costs for essential government services due to such emergency, medical equipment and public health costs, and costs associated with maintaining alternate care facilities or related facilities currently inactive but related to future needs tied to the ongoing pandemic event.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2020
Congressional Power of the Purse Act This bill modifies the budget and appropriations process to establish various requirements for federal agencies, add several new disclosure and reporting requirements, and expand congressional oversight authorities. Among other changes, the bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to release funding to agencies at least 90 days before the funding expires; certain presidential emergency declarations to expire within 30 days unless Congress approves the declaration; federal agencies to make various reports, documents, and legal opinions available to Congress and the public; and federal agencies to respond to certain Government Accountability Office requests within 20 days unless the request includes a different deadline.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2020
This resolution supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gay people in schools). It requests that the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the National Day of Silence. The bill encourages each state, city, and local educational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act This bill responds to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak and its impact on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. The bill provides FY2020 supplemental appropriations for federal agencies to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. The supplemental appropriations are designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. In addition, the bill expands paid sick days, family and medical leave, unemployment compensation, and food assistance programs; provides economic assistance payments of up to $1,500 per individual; eliminates cost-sharing (e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments) for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines; requires health care facilities to implement a comprehensive infectious disease exposure control plan to protect health care workers; provides grants, loans, and other assistance to hospitals, small businesses, state and local governments, elementary and secondary schools, institutions of higher education, and airports; expands or establishes various tax credits; and establishes requirements for early voting and absentee voting. The bill also modifies or expands a wide range of other programs and policies, including those regarding Medicare and Medicaid, medical product supplies, housing, student loans and financial aid, the federal workforce, veterans benefits environmental and consumer protection requirements, the U.S. Postal Service, aviation workers and the airline industry, and pension and retirement plans.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2020
Families First Coronavirus Response Act This bill responds to the coronavirus outbreak by providing paid sick leave and free coronavirus testing, expanding food assistance and unemployment benefits, and requiring employers to provide additional protections for health care workers. Specifically, the bill provides FY2020 supplemental appropriations to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for nutrition and food assistance programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); and nutrition assistance grants for U.S. territories. The bill also provides FY2020 appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for nutrition programs that assist the elderly. The supplemental appropriations provided by the bill are designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. The bill modifies USDA food assistance and nutrition programs to allow certain waivers to requirements for the school meal programs, suspend the work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program), and allow states to request waivers to provide certain emergency SNAP benefits. In addition, the bill requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue an emergency temporary standard that requires certain employers to develop and implement a comprehensive infectious disease exposure control plan to protect health care workers. The bill also includes provisions that establish a federal emergency paid leave benefits program to provide payments to employees taking unpaid leave due to the coronavirus outbreak, expand unemployment benefits and provide grants to states for processing and paying claims, require employers to provide paid sick leave to employees, establish requirements for providing coronavirus diagnostic testing at no cost to consumers, treat personal respiratory protective devices as covered countermeasures that are eligible for certain liability protections, and temporarily increase the Medicaid federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP).
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Paid Sick Days for Public Health Emergencies and Personal and Family Care Act This bill expands the availability of paid sick time by requiring employers with at least one employee to provide a minimum amount of accrued paid sick time per work week and additional paid sick time in the event of a public-health emergency such as the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19). Specifically, the bill requires employers to grant at least 1 hour of accrued paid sick time to each employee for every 30 hours worked, up to a minimum of 56 hours, or 7 days, of paid sick time per year. Accrued paid sick time may be used for, among other reasons, an absence from work that is taken (1) due to a medical condition or illness or for the diagnosis, care, or prevention thereof; (2) to care for a child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, or other close relative with a medical condition or illness, or for the diagnosis or prevention thereof; (3) during a public-health emergency when the employee's workplace has been closed or the employee has been exposed to a communicable disease and may pose a risk to others; or (4) to care for a child or close relative during such public-health emergency, if such relative has been exposed to a communicable disease or the child's school has been closed. Further, employees are immediately entitled to up to 14 days of additional paid sick time if a public-health emergency is declared. This additional paid sick time may be used during the public-health emergency for the same purposes as accrued paid sick time.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
This bill requires the Architect of the Capitol to remove the bust of Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney from the Old Supreme Court Chamber of the U.S. Capitol to replace it with a bust of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall that must be obtained by the Joint Committee on the Library. Chief Justice Taney authored the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision that declared African Americans were not U.S. citizens and could not sue in federal courts.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2020
Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 This bill provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. Within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the bill provides FY2020 supplemental appropriations for the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. In addition, the bill provides supplemental appropriations for the Small Business Administration, the Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The supplemental appropriations are designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. The programs funded by the bill address issues such as developing, manufacturing, and procuring vaccines and other medical supplies; grants for state, local, and tribal public health agencies and organizations; loans for affected small businesses; evacuations and emergency preparedness activities at U.S. embassies and other State Department facilities; and humanitarian assistance and support for health systems in the affected countries. The bill also allows HHS to temporarily waive certain Medicare restrictions and requirements regarding telehealth services during the coronavirus public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2020
This resolution reaffirms the longstanding alliance between the United States and Europe and recognizes the need for these entities to cooperatively combat anti-Semitism. The resolution encourages European governments and organizations to employ all necessary measures to address anti-Semitism.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2020
Small Business Child Care Investment Act This bill deems certain nonprofit child care providers to be small business concerns so that they may participate in loan programs administered by the Small Business Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2020
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief and Puerto Rico Disaster Tax Relief Act, 2020 This bill provides FY2020 supplemental appropriations and expands tax credits to respond to recent natural disasters and emergencies that affected Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. The funding provided by this bill is designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. The bill provides $4.67 billion in FY2020 supplemental appropriations for programs within the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, the Federal Highway Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Agriculture. The programs address issues such as cybersecurity, energy security, and emergency response; the electric grid; the educational needs of individuals affected by natural disasters and emergencies; repairs to roads affected by natural disasters and emergencies; community development; and disaster nutrition assistance. The bill also expands tax credits and modifies related requirements that affect the residents of Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. The bill includes provisions regarding the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit, the low-income housing tax credit, the new markets tax credit, the amount of distilled spirits excise taxes covered over (paid) to the treasuries of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and an employee retention tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2020
This resolution commemorates the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp and honors survivors of the Holocaust, as well as members of the Allied forces who liberated Auschwitz. The resolution urges the United States to improve efforts to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry and intolerance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2020
This resolution recognizes the cultural and historical significance of the Lunar New Year. The resolution expresses, in observance of this Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rat, the deepest respect of the House of Representatives for Asian Americans and all individuals throughout the world who celebrate this significant occasion. The resolution wishes Asian Americans and all individuals who observe this holiday a happy and prosperous new year.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2020
Protecting Community Television Act This bill revises the definition of a franchise fee that is paid by a cable operator or cable subscriber to encompass only a tax, fee, or other monetary assessment that is imposed by a franchising authority or other governmental entity.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2020
Sensible, Timely Relief for America's Nuclear Districts' Economic Development Act of 2020 or the STRANDED Act of 2020 This bill addresses communities affected by stranded nuclear waste. The bill defines stranded nuclear waste as nuclear waste or spent nuclear fuel stored in dry casks or spent fuel pools at the site of an eligible civilian nuclear power plant. Specifically, the bill provides a first-time homebuyer tax credit for homeownership in nuclear affected communities; directs the Economic Development Administration to establish a competitive prize competition to award prizes to affected communities for proposals to carry out alternatives to nuclear facilities, generating sites, and waste sites; and provides grants to nuclear-affected communities to offset the economic and social impacts of stranded nuclear waste on such communities, and to support such communities that are facing decreased tax revenues or assessed valuation as a result of decommissioning a civilian nuclear power plant.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2020
This concurrent resolution directs the President to terminate the use of U.S. Armed Forces in hostilities against Iran unless (1) Congress has declared war or specifically authorized such use in statute, or (2) such use is necessary and appropriate to defend against an imminent armed attack upon the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2020
Crude by Rail Volatility Standard Act This bill establishes a maximum volatility standard for crude oil. Specifically, the bill prohibits the transportation by rail of crude oil with Reid vapor pressure (a measure of gasoline's volatility) of more than 9.5 pounds per square inch (the maximum volatility set by the New York Mercantile Exchange for crude oil futures contracts), and directs the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to finalize a rule setting a maximum volatility standard for crude oil and other hazardous materials transported by rail.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2020
This bill authorizes the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor to Doris Miller in light of his acts of valor as a member of the U.S. Navy during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2019
This resolution recognizes and honors Smokey Bear's 75 years of service to the United States. The resolution also expresses support for Smokey Bear's commitment to preventing unwanted human-caused wildfires and promoting forest health. Finally, the resolution encourages the Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council to explore ways Smokey Bear's message can be modernized to reflect current science and differentiate between unwanted human-caused wildfires and beneficial natural and prescribed fires.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2019
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 599 East Genesse Street in Fayetteville, New York, as the "George H. Bacel Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2019
This concurrent resolution directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make specified corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 1865 (Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020).
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2019
This concurrent resolution directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 1158 (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020) to amend the title of the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2019
Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act This bill increases the tax deduction for state and local taxes in 2019 to $20,000 for persons filing a joint tax return. It eliminates the current $10,000 cap on the deduction in 2020 and 2021. The bill increases the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6% beginning in 2020, and reduces the dollar amount at which the increased tax rate begins.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2019
This resolution expresses disapproval for the President's notification to the United Nations of his intent to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement and commends the entities that have expressed their support for the Paris Agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 2019
International Violence Against Women Act of 2019 This bill provides for a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The bill establishes in the Department of State an Office of Global Women's Issues, which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. The Ambassador-at-Large shall (1) coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in foreign policy, and (2) develop or update periodically a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The bill establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development the position of Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall direct policies, programs, and funding regarding gender equality and women's empowerment. The bill requires that U.S. assistance made available for humanitarian relief, conflict mitigation, and post-conflict reconstruction prevents and responds to violence against women and girls. The Department of State shall also identify incidents that occur during armed conflict and implement emergency responses.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2019
100% Clean Economy Act of 2019 This bill establishes requirements to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Specifically, the bill sets a national goal of achieving a 100% clean economy (i.e., economy-wide, net-zero greenhouse gas emissions) by no later than 2050. Each federal agency must develop and implement a plan to rapidly achieve the national goal. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must monitor, evaluate, and report on the progress of the United States in achieving the national goal. In addition, the EPA must establish the Clean Economy Federal Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the EPA on one or more interim greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals for the United States to achieve before achieving the national goal. After obtaining the committee's recommendations, the EPA must recommend to Congress one or more interim goals.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2019
This concurrent resolution directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 3055 (Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019) to (1) amend the title, and (2) make a technical correction to section 1703.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2019
Humane Cosmetics Act of 2019 This bill generally prohibits animal testing in the evaluation of cosmetic products, and it prohibits the sale or transport of cosmetics developed using animal testing. These prohibitions begin one year after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2019
Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the use or possession of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The bill imposes on persons who possess or use such traps in the system (1) for a first offense, a civil fine of up to $500 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used; and (2) for subsequent offenses, a civil fine of up to $1,000 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used, imprisonment for up to 180 days, or both such a civil fine and imprisonment. The bill makes any body-gripping traps that are possessed or used in violation of this bill, and any wildlife captured by the use of such traps, including the pelts and raw fur, subject to civil forfeiture. Persons found to be in violation of such prohibition shall pay all associated court costs.
![Official portrait of Rep. Lowey, Nita M. [D-NY-17]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/l000480_200.jpg)