United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Supreme Court Ethics Act of 2013 - Requires the Supreme Court to promulgate a code of ethics for the Justices of the Supreme Court that shall include the five canons of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States, with any amendments or modifications that the Supreme Court determines appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Clean Ports Act of 2013 - Declares that federal preemption of state and local law relating to a price, route, or service of any motor carrier of property shall not apply to the authority of a state, local government, or the political authority of two or more states to adopt requirements for motor carriers providing services at port facilities that are reasonably related to the reduction of environmental pollution, traffic congestion, the improvement of highway safety, or the efficient utilization of such port facilities, provided adoption or enforcement of such requirements does not conflict with federal law. Declares that nothing in this Act shall limit the rights reserved to any state or political subdivision of such state under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Wireless Microphone Users Interference Protection Act of 2013 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand eligibility for specified licenses authorizing the operation of low power auxiliary stations to the owners of, and operators of events and performances at: amusement parks, arenas, convention centers, educational facilities, houses of worship, lodging facilities, museums, outdoor venues, recording studios, and theaters. Requires the FCC to: (1) expand scope of service and permissible transmission regulations to include the use of wireless microphones in rehearsals and live or recorded events and performances by such licensees, and (2) establish two safe haven channels for exclusive use by wireless microphone users. Directs the FCC to authorize owners and operators of wireless microphones to have access to TV bands databases to protect wireless microphone operations from interference. (The purpose of the TV bands database is to provide unlicensed Television Band Devices [TVBDs] with the available TV channels at the TVBD's location and to register fixed TVBDs and other locations protected from interference that are not otherwise recorded in FCC licensing databases.) Permits restaurants, as well as the persons and entities made eligible for licenses by this Act, to be registered in such databases as sites where wireless microphone operations shall be protected from interference.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Conservation Reform Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of State to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study of, and report to Congress on, U.S. international conservation programs to determine the extent to which such programs are: (1) advancing conservation in the world's most ecologically and economically important terrestrial and marine ecosystems; (2) addressing natural resource challenges; (3) advancing U.S. foreign policy priorities in areas such as security, democratization, sustainable food production, and clean water; (4) enhancing economic and wildlife conservation benefits derived from properly managed international hunting and angling tourism; and (5) addressing poaching, illegal logging, fishing, and wildlife trafficking. Directs the President: (1) to establish the Interagency Working Group on Global Conservation; and (2) through such Working Group, to establish the International Conservation Strategy to strengthen the capacity of the United States to collaborate with other countries, international organizations, the private sector, and private voluntary organizations to conserve natural resources and enhance biodiversity. Requires: (1) the Strategy to provide a comprehensive plan of action that identifies specific and measurable benchmarks, goals, and time frames; and (2) the Working Group to ensure that the Strategy is appropriate to local needs and conditions and incorporates the views of partner countries. Establishes the International Conservation Public Advisory Board to: (1) advise the Working Group on matters related to U.S. international conservation policies and programs and the implementation of the Strategy; and (2) ensure that the best scientific, policy, economic security, and business expertise are reflected in U.S. international conservation strategies and policies. Prohibits any provision in this Act from being construed as restricting, limiting, or otherwise impairing: (1) properly managed recreational hunting and angling, or (2) the ability of any foreign jurisdiction or authority to authorize regulated programs supporting wildlife for local consumption and commercialization. Urges the President to work with foreign assistance donor countries to: (1) develop a comprehensive international conservation assistance strategy consistent with the United States International Conservation Strategy, (2) identify multilateral mechanisms to coordinate international action, and (3) agree on a timetable for achieving the goals of the United States International Conservation Strategy.
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
Financial Security Credit Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income-based tax credit equal to the lesser of $500 or 50% of the total amount deposited or contributed into designated savings products in a taxable year. Defines "designated savings products" as a qualified retirement plan, a qualified tuition plan, a Coverdell education savings account, a U.S. savings bond, a certificate of deposit with a duration of at least 8 months, a savings account, or other savings product considered appropriate by the Secretary of the Treasury. Directs the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to notify individual taxpayers who may qualify for a savings product tax credit that they have the option of an electronic direct deposit of any portion of their tax refund into a designated savings product.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Declares that women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. Prohibits the United States or any state from denying or abridging equal rights under the law on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Communities United with Religious leaders for the Elimination of HIV/AIDS Act of 2013 or CURE Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, to make grants to eligible health entities (i.e., a public health agency, a health center, including a center operated by an Indian tribe or organization, a community-based organization, or a faith-based organization) for: (1) HIV/AIDS education and outreach activities, (2) HIV/AIDS prevention and access to treatment, and (3) HIV/AIDS testing activities. Grants priority to grant applications that serve one or more minority groups (i.e., American Indians [including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts], Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, Blacks, and Hispanics) with a specified HIV occurrence rate. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to make grants to eligible health entities to provide HIV testing, counseling, and referral for medical treatment to youth who are members of minority groups, are not more than age 18, are HIV positive or at risk for HIV/AIDS, including young men of racial minorities who have sex with men, and are engaged in substance abuse. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants to eligible health entities for public health intervention and prevention activities with respect to one or more minority groups, including: (1) rapid HIV testing, (2) measures and activities to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and minimize its symptoms, (3) outreach activities targeting both females and males, and (4) referrals to health and mental health resources and health organizations. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to: (1) expand and intensify HIV/AIDS prevention and education activities for minority groups, and (2) implement a national media outreach campaign that urges sexually active individuals who are members of minority groups to be tested for and know their HIV/AIDS status. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, to make grants to public or private organizations with one or more published studies on behaviors to study behavioral factors that lead to increased HIV/AIDS prevalence in minority groups.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include a condominium or housing cooperative association as an "individual" or "household" for purposes of the provision of federal disaster assistance (thus authorizing assistance for condominiums and housing cooperatives damaged by a major disaster). Requires the President to determine the maximum amount of assistance that any such association may receive under such Act for a single disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope, and Dignity Restoration Act of 2013 - Authorizes the President to provide assistance, including through international organizations, national governments, and international and local nongovernmental organizations, to address the social and health issues that lead to obstetric fistula and support treatment of obstetric fistula. Requires such assistance to promote the coordination facilitated by the International Obstetric Fistula Working Group.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) implementation of the United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (NAP) is paramount in improving the lives of women around the world and increasing global stability and prosperity, (2) Congress is committed to advancing NAP principles, and (3) the President should ensure NAP's implementation and coordinate with the international community to reaffirm global commitments to implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. States that it is U.S. policy to implement NAP. Directs the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to: (1) integrate gender goals into diplomatic and development efforts, and into agency guidance and contracting; (2) include gender in strategic and budget planning processes; and (3) review existing U.S. policies and programs on women and girls in foreign countries from a gender perspective. Directs the heads of federal departments and agencies to ensure that NAP's tenets are incorporated into all programs related to: (1) conflict prevention, (2) humanitarian and disaster response, (3) conflict mediation, (4) peacekeeping, (5) post-conflict reconstruction, (6) institution building, and (7) democracy promotion. Urges the Secretary to promote the inclusion of women in coordination and consultation with international partners. Directs the Secretary, the Administrator, the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and representatives of other federal agencies to implement NAP and ensure relevant personnel training. Directs the Secretary to facilitate the efforts of partner governments to improve women's participation in peace and security processes, conflict prevention, peace-building, transitional processes, and decision making institutions in conflict-affected environments. Directs the Secretary and the Administrator to establish guidelines for overseas U.S. personnel to consult with specified stakeholders regarding U.S. efforts to: (1) prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict; and (2) enhance the success of mediation and negotiation processes by ensuring women's meaningful participation.
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.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
End Racial Profiling Act of 2013 - Prohibits any law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. Defines "racial profiling" to mean the practice of a law enforcement agent or agency relying, to any degree, on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or religion in selecting which individual to subject to routine or spontaneous investigatory activities, or in deciding upon the scope and substance of law enforcement activity following the initial investigatory activity, except when there is trustworthy information relevant to the locality and timeframe that links a person of a particular race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or religion to an identified criminal incident or scheme. Authorizes the United States or an individual injured by racial profiling to enforce this Act in a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief. Requires: (1) federal law enforcement agencies to maintain adequate policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling and to cease existing practices that permit racial profiling; and (2) state or local governmental entities or state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies that apply for grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and the Cops on the Beat Program to certify that they maintain adequate policies and procedures for eliminating racial profiling and have eliminated any existing practices that permit or encourage racial profiling. Requires the Attorney General to issue regulations to ensure that administrative complaint procedures and independent audit programs provide an appropriate response to allegations of racial profiling by law enforcement agents or agencies. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants and contracts for the collection of data relating to racial profiling and for the development of best practices and systems to eliminate racial profiling. Requires: (1) the Attorney General to issue regulations for the collection and compilation of data on racial profiling, and (2) the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics to analyze the data collected for any statistically significant disparities. Requires the Attorney General to submit annual reports on racial profiling by law enforcement agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Captive Primate Safety Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add nonhuman primates to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" for purposes of the prohibition against the sale or purchase of such species in interstate or foreign commerce. Makes it unlawful for a person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase a live animal of any prohibited wildlife species in interstate or foreign commerce (i.e., for pet trade purposes). Modifies exceptions to such prohibition, including by making it inapplicable to a person who is: (1) a licensed and inspected person who does not allow direct contact between the public and prohibited wildlife species, and (2) transporting a single primate of the genus Cebus that was obtained from and trained by a charitable organization to assist a permanently disabled individual with a severe mobility impairment. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
Restore Honor to Service Members Act - Requires appropriate military record correction boards or discharge review boards to review the discharge characterization of any former members of the Armed Forces requesting a review who were discharged because of their sexual orientation. Permits such boards to change a characterization to honorable if such characterization is any characterization except honorable. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to ensure that any such changes are carried out consistently and uniformly across the military departments using specified criteria, including that: (1) the original discharge was based on the policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell (as in effect before it was repealed pursuant to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010) or a similar earlier policy; and (2) the discharge characterization will be changed if, with respect to the original discharge, there were no aggravating circumstances, such as misconduct, that would have independently led to any discharge characterization except honorable. Prohibits "aggravating circumstances" from including: (1) an offense of sodomy committed by the member against a consenting person of the same sex; or (2) statements, consensual sexual conduct, or consensual acts relating to sexual orientation or identity, or the disclosure of such statements, conduct, or acts, that were prohibited at the time of discharge but that became permitted after such discharge. Directs the Secretary of each military department to ensure that oral historians of the department: (1) review discharges between World War II and September 2011 based on sexual orientation, and (2) receive oral testimony of individuals who personally experienced discrimination and discharge because of actual or perceived sexual orientation so that such testimony may serve as an official record of such discriminatory policies and their impact on American lives. Requires the reissuance of specified military personnel records and discharge forms in a manner that shall not reflect the sexual orientation of the member. Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice to remove from the offense of sodomy specified activity referred to as unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
CLEANER Act of 2013 or the Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act of 2013 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act, with respect to the regulation of wastes associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy, to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), within one year, to: determine whether drilling fluids, produced waters, and other wastes associated with such activities meet the criteria promulgated for the identification or listing of hazardous waste; identify or list as hazardous waste any of such energy-associated wastes that the Administrator determines meet the identification or listing criteria; and promulgate regulations regarding standards applicable to generators, transporters, and owners and operators of facilities for the treatment, storage, or disposal of wastes described under this Act (except that the Administrator may modify the requirements for such regulations to consider such wastes' special characteristics so long as the requirements protect human health and the environment). Directs the Administrator to promulgate revisions of the criteria regarding sanitary landfills and practices of open dumping for facilities that receive the energy-associated wastes described under this Act not identified as hazardous waste. Requires such revisions to: be those necessary to protect human health and the environment, allowing consideration of the practicable capability of such facilities; and include, at minimum, groundwater monitoring as necessary to detect contamination, criteria for the acceptable location of new or existing facilities, and provision for corrective action and financial assurance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
American Jobs Act of 2013 - Prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in such project are produced in the United States (Buy American). Waives such prohibition in cases where: (1) the prohibition would be inconsistent with the public interest; (2) iron, steel, and the relevant manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities of a satisfactory quality; or (3) inclusion of iron, steel, and manufactured goods produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25%. Requires all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors on federally-assisted projects to be paid wages at the locally prevailing rates (Davis-Bacon Act). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) restore the making work pay tax credit in 2014, and (2) extend the additional allowance for depreciation (bonus depreciation) for 3 years. Amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase from $2 million to $5 million through FY2014 the limit on the guarantee for contract surety bonds and on the liability for bonds obtained by fraud or misrepresentation. Directs the Secretaries of Education and the Interior (for schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education) to reserve through FY2014 appropriated amounts to provide educational assistance to outlying areas based on their respective needs. Provides for allocations to states and local educational entities for early childhood learning programs in FY2014-FY2015 at specified levels. Directs the Attorney General to carry out a competitive grant program pursuant to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 for the hiring, rehiring, or retention of career law enforcement officers. Makes appropriations to the Community Oriented Policing Stabilization Fund to carry out such program and provides for a transfer to a First Responder Stabilization Fund, from which the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) shall make competitive grants for hiring additional firefighters pursuant to the Federal Fire Prevention Control Act of 1974. Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to modernize, renovate, or repair early learning or elementary or secondary education facilities and existing facilities at community colleges. Makes specified funds available to the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) for: (1) grants-in-aid for airport planning and development and noise compatibility planning projects under the airport improvement program (AIP); (2) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Next Generation air traffic control system advancements; (3) highway and bridge restoration, repair, and construction projects and for passenger and freight rail transportation and port infrastructure projects; (4) grants for high-speed rail projects, capital investment grants for intercity passenger rail service, and grants to reduce congestion on intercity rail passenger transportation; (5) capital grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); (6) transit capital assistance grants; (7) capital projects for existing fixed guideway system modernization, replacement and repair of buses and bus-related equipment, and construction of bus-related facilities; and (8) discretionary capital investment grants for surface transportation infrastructure. Building and Upgrading Infrastructure for Long-Term Development Act - Establishes the American Infrastructure Financing Authority (AIFA) as a wholly-owned government corporation to make direct loans and loan guarantees to facilitate transportation, water, or energy infrastructure projects. Requires infrastructure projects assisted under this Act to have costs that are reasonably anticipated to equal or exceed $100 million ($25 million for rural infrastructure projects). Sets forth special requirements for infrastructure projects in rural areas. Requires the AIFA Chief Lending Officer to establish: (1) an Office of Rural Assistance to provide technical assistance in the development and financing of rural infrastructure projects, and (2) a Center for Excellence to provide such assistance to public sector borrowers in the development and financing of infrastructure projects. Establishes an Office of Special Inspector General to audit and investigate the business activities of AIFA. Makes private projects for which no public benefit is created ineligible for financial assistance. Sets forth terms for loans or loan guarantees for infrastructure projects. Requires the Chief Executive Officer of AIFA to establish and collect fees sufficient to cover all or a portion of AIFA administrative costs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2014 the exemption from the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for certain tax-exempt private activity bonds. Appropriates funds for assistance to eligible entities, including state and local governments, qualified nonprofit organizations, businesses, or eligible consortia, for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties and for stabilization of affected neighborhoods (Project Rebuild). Allows the use of funds to: (1) establish financing mechanisms for the purchase and redevelopment of such properties; (2) purchase and rehabilitate such properties; (3) establish and operate land banks for them; (4) demolish blighted structures (except public housing); and (5) redevelop abandoned, foreclosed, demolished, or vacant properties. Requires each state to receive at least $20 million of formula funds, all of which shall be used with respect to low and moderate-income individuals and families. Requires each state and local government grantee to establish procedures to create preferences for development of affordable rental housing. Allows a grantee to use up to 10% of a grant to create jobs by establishing and operating a program to maintain eligible neighborhood properties. Supporting Unemployed Workers Act of 2013 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend the emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) program until January 1, 2016. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend through December 31, 2015, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2015, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits for employees with 10 or more years of service and for employees with less than 10 years of service. Permits the use of pre-existing appropriated funds under such Act to cover the cost of additional extended unemployment benefits and the cost of current benefits. Establishes the Reemployment NOW program to facilitate the reemployment of individuals receiving emergency unemployment compensation (EUC claimants). Requires a state to submit for approval by the Secretary of Labor a plan meeting certain minimum requirements in order to be eligible for an allotment of federal funds under such program. Authorizes a state to use its allotted funds to: (1) establish a Bridge to Work program to provide EUC claimants with short-term work experience placements with eligible employers; (2) provide a wage insurance program to pay, for up to two years, an EUC claimant who obtains reemployment up to 50% of the difference between the wages received at the time of work separation and the wages received for reemployment; and (3) provide a program of enhanced reemployment services to EUC claimants, including unemployed individuals who have exhausted their EUC rights. Provides for federal financing of state short-time compensation programs. Requires the Secretary of Labor to: (1) award grants to states that enact such programs; (2) develop model legislative language for use by states in developing, enacting, and implementing such programs; and (3) report to Congress and the President on the implementation of such programs. Allows an increased work opportunity tax credit for long-term unemployed individuals (individuals who are unemployed and receiving unemployment compensation for six months or more). Pathways Back to Work Act of 2013 - Establishes programs to subsidize employment for unemployed, low-income adults, to provide summer and year-round employment opportunities to low-income youth, and for work-based training. Provides for an initial appropriation of $5 billion, with funds available for obligation by the Secretary of Labor until December 31, 2014, and for expenditure by grantees and subgrantees until September 30, 2015. Subjects activities funded under this Act to federal labor standards and nondiscrimination protections. Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2013 - Makes it an unlawful practice for certain employers to: (1) publish a job advertisement or announcement that includes provisions indicating that an individual's status as unemployed disqualifies the individual for employment or that the employer will not consider or hire an individual for employment based on such status, (2) fail or refuse to consider or hire an individual because of such status, or (3) direct or request that an employment agency take an individual's status into account to disqualify an applicant for consideration for employment or when screening or referring employees. Makes it an unlawful practice for an employment agency to commit similar acts, including to: (1) screen, or fail or refuse to consider or refer, an individual for employment because of the individual's unemployed status; or (2) limit, segregate, or classify any such individual in any manner that would limit access to job information or consideration, screening, or referral for jobs. Makes it unlawful for any employer or employment agency to: (1) interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of any right provided under this Act; or (2) fail or refuse to hire, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against an employee because such individual opposed any practice made unlawful by this Act or asserted any right under it. Prescribes enforcement authorities and legal remedies for violations of this Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for offsets against decreases in revenue by: (1) limiting tax deductions and other tax exclusions for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 ($250,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return), (2) treating income received by a partner from an investment services partnership interest as ordinary income for income tax purposes, and (3) treating all general aviation aircraft (including corporate jets) as seven-year property for depreciation purposes. Repeals, after 2013, certain tax expenditures for the oil and gas industry, including: (1) the tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs for oil and gas wells; (2) the tax deduction for tertiary injectant expenditures; (3) percentage depletion for oil and gas wells; (4) the tax deduction for income from activities relating to oil, natural gas, or any primary product thereof; (5) the exemption from limitations on passive activity losses; and (6) the tax credits for enhanced oil recovery and for producing oil and gas from marginal wells. Increases from two to seven years the period for amortizing geological and geophysical expenditures. Denies the foreign tax credit for amounts paid or accrued by a dual capacity taxpayer to a foreign country or U.S. possession. Defines "dual capacity taxpayer" as a person who is subject to a levy of a foreign country or U.S. possession and who receives a specific economic benefit from such country or possession. Sets forth a special rule for the treatment of taxes paid on foreign oil and gas income for purposes of the foreign tax credit. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm--Rudman-Hollings Act), as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011, to repeal its budget goal enforcement requirements (sequestration mandate).
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
End Sex Trafficking Act of 2013 - Amends: (1) the federal criminal code to expand the scope of prohibitions against sex trafficking to include patronizing or soliciting a commercial sex act with a victim of sex trafficking, and (2) the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to expand the definition of "sex trafficking" to include patronizing or soliciting a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act. Directs the Attorney General to ensure that all task forces and working groups within the Innocence Lost National Initiative engage in activities, programs, or operations to increase the investigative capabilities of state and local law enforcement officers in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of persons who patronize or solicit children for sex.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
FHA In-Person Servicing Improvement Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a pilot program to use authority under the National Housing Act to pay insurance benefits to compensate a mortgagee for any costs of taking loss mitigation actions providing an alternative to foreclosure of a mortgage in default or facing imminent default. Requires the Secretary to make payments to a qualified entity or entities to compensate for their costs of making in-person contact with mortgagors whose payments under covered mortgages are more than 60 days past due.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Perpetual POW/MIA Stamp Act - Directs the Postmaster General to provide for the issuance of a forever stamp that honors the sacrifices of the members of the Armed Forces who have been prisoners, missing, or unaccounted for and that depicts the National League of Families POW/MIA flag.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2013
Rape Survivor Child Custody Act - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to states that have in place a law that allows the mother of any child that was conceived through rape to seek court-ordered termination of the parental rights of her rapist with regard to that child, which the court shall grant upon clear and convincing evidence of rape. Limits such a grant to: (1) an amount that is not greater than 10% of the average of the total funding of the 3 most recent awards a state received under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program and the Sexual Assault Services Program; and (2) a 1-year term, subject to renewal for not more than 3 additional years. Requires a state that receives such a grant to use: (1) 25% of grant funds for permissible uses under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program, and (2) 75% of funds for permissible uses under the Sexual Assault Services Program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2013
Education for All Act of 2013 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to state that it is U.S. policy to work with foreign countries and international and civil society organizations to achieve universal basic education by: (1) assisting developing countries and nongovernmental and multilateral organizations to provide all children with a quality basic education, and (2) promoting education as the foundation for communities' development. Directs the President to develop a comprehensive U.S. strategy to promote quality universal basic education. Authorizes the President to provide funds and other assistance to qualifying foreign countries to create the policies, processes, and infrastructure to develop national basic quality education plans. Directs the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to designate a Coordinator of United States Government Actions to Provide Basic Education Assistance who shall have primary responsibility for the oversight and coordination of all U.S. government resources and international activities to promote quality universal basic education.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2013
Supports: (1) the resumption of discussions to find a settlement to the 39-year old division of the Republic of Cyprus based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation; and (2) the partnership between the Republic of Cyprus and Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Global Democracy Promotion Act - States that, with respect to eligibility for assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, foreign nongovernmental organizations shall not be ineligible for such assistance solely on the basis of health or medical services provided by such organizations with non-U.S. government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided and would not violate U.S. federal law if provided in the United States. Declares in addition that foreign nongovernmental organizations shall not be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving assistance under part I of such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
American Public Housing Act of 2013 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to exempt from reduction, under any sequestration ordered by the President, the following Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) accounts: Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Fund Program Account, Native American Housing Block Grants, Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Public Housing Capital Fund, Public Housing Operating Fund, and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2013
Thirteenth Amendment Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue the following coins in commemoration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution (formally abolished slavery in the United States): up to 250,000 $50 bi-metallic platinum and gold coins, up to 250,000 $20 gold coins, and up to 500,000 $1 silver coins. Requires such coins to be considered legal tender and numismatic items. Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during the calendar year beginning January 1, 2016, except that sales may be initiated, without issuance, before such date. Requires specified surcharges received by the Secretary from the sale of such coins to be paid to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Directs the Secretary to ensure that: (1) the minting and issuing of such coins will not result in any net cost to the U.S. government; and (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are disbursed to the Museum until the total cost of designing and issuing all such coins is recovered by the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2013
Amends the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act to exempt from certain registration and disclosure requirements the sale or lease of a condominium unit not already exempt from coverage under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2013
Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY2018 cancer research programs under the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008. Replaces the current pediatric cancer research and awareness grant program carried out by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with a comprehensive children's cancer biorepositories program. Authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make awards to eligible applicants to build upon existing initiatives to collect biospecimens and clinical and demographic information (including date of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and patient's gender, race, and ethnicity) for at least 90% of all children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer in Comprehensive Children's Cancer Biorepositories for the purpose of achieving a better understanding of the cause of such cancers and the effects of treatments. Permits award amounts to be used to: (1) acquire, preserve, and store high quality, donated biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic information on children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with cancer in the United States; (2) maintain a secure searchable database for scientists and qualified health care professionals to research such biospecimens and data; and (3) make available and distribute such biospecimens and data to researchers and professionals for peer-reviewed research. Revises the national childhood cancer registry grant program to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to award grants to state cancer registries to enhance and expand infrastructure to track the epidemiology of cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults. Requires a Comptroller General (GAO) report regarding the barriers to conducting pediatric studies of oncologic therapies in applications for new drugs or biological products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including recommendations to improve development and access to new therapies as well as assessments of: (1) the feasibility of requiring studies for a pediatric oncologic indication if the therapeutic target of a drug or biologic product for an adult oncologic indication is highly relevant to any pediatric cancer to which it could apply, and (2) the impact of altering the current exemption for orphan drug designations relating to rare diseases or conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should ban and prevent the importation of shark fins from sharks caught through the practice of finning. Recognizes the threat shark finning poses to sharks and condemns the practice worldwide.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Electrify Africa Act of 2013 - Directs the President to establish a multiyear strategy to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa develop an appropriate mix of power solutions to provide sufficient electricity access to people living in rural and urban areas in order to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth. Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) should: (1) prioritize where loan guarantees to African financial institutions would facilitate involvement in African power projects, and where partnerships and grants would increase access to electricity; and (2) consider providing grants to develop national, regional, and local energy and electricity policy plans, and expand electricity access to the poorest. Urges: (1) the Secretary of the Treasury to use U.S. influence at each institution in the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank to encourage power sector and electrification investments in sub-Saharan Africa, (2) the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to prioritize investment in the electricity sector of sub-Saharan Africa, and (3) the Trade and Development Agency to promote U.S. private sector participation in energy sector development projects in sub-Saharan Africa.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Child Handgun Safety Act - Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to promulgate a consumer product safety standard for handguns that requires that: (1) any handgun manufactured in the United States must be child-resistant and include a mechanism that effectively precludes an average five-year old child from operating it when it is ready to fire (effective one year after this Act's enactment date); and (2) any handgun sold, offered for sale, traded, transferred, shipped, leased, or distributed in the United States must be child-resistant as manufactured or retrofitted to be child-resistant (effective two years after such date). Includes as such a mechanism: (1) raising trigger resistance to at least a 10-pound pull, (2) altering the firing mechanism so that an average 5-year old child's hands are too small to operate the handgun, or (3) requiring a series of multiple motions in order to fire the handgun. Exempts antique firearms and firearms owned by the Department of Defense (DOD). Requires the cost of retrofitting a firearm to meet such requirement to be borne by the manufacturer if the manufacturer is operational at the time the retrofit is required, but permits the use of the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund for payments to reimburse handgun manufacturers for the costs of retrofitting required by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Amends the federal criminal code to expand the definition of "armor piercing ammunition" to include a projectile that may be used in a handgun and that is determined by the Attorney General to be capable of penetrating body armor. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) promulgate standards for the uniform testing of projectiles against the Body Armor Exemplar (body armor that the Attorney General determines meets minimum standards for the protection of law enforcement officers), taking into account variations in performance related to the type of handgun used, the length of the barrel, the amount and kind of powder used, and the projectile's design; and (2) assess and, as appropriate, modify the standards every three years or more frequently if warranted by technological advances.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Flexibility for Working Families Act - Authorizes an employee to request from an employer a temporary or permanent change in the terms or conditions of the employee's employment if the request relates to: (1) the number of hours the employee is required to work, (2) the times when the employee is required to work or be on call for work, (3) where the employee is required to work, or (4) the amount of notification the employee receives of work schedule assignments. Sets forth certain employer duties with respect to such requests. Makes it unlawful for an employer to interfere with any rights provided to an employee under this Act. Authorizes an employee to file a complaint with the Secretary of Labor for any violations of such rights. Provides for the investigation and assessment of civil penalties or the award of relief for alleged violations, including the review in federal courts of appeal of orders of the Secretary. Requires the Secretary and certain federal agency administrative officers to provide information and technical assistance to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding compliance with this Act. Requires the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor to issue guidance on compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act that provides a flexible work environment through changes in employee terms and conditions of employment provided in this Act. Applies the requirements of this Act to certain classes of employees, including employees of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Library of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Federal Adjustment in Reporting Student Credit Act of 2013 or the FAIR Student Credit Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act, with respect to the responsibilities of furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies, to provide for the removal of a previously reported default regarding a qualified education loan from a consumer report if the consumer of the loan meets the requirements of a loan rehabilitation program, where the number of consecutive on-time monthly payments are equal to the number of payments specified in a default reduction program under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Permits a consumer to obtain such rehabilitation benefits only once per loan. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to report on any hurdles borrowers experience with the private loan rehabilitation program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Applauds the U.N. General Assembly for honoring President Mandela's contribution to international peace and freedom. Recognizes the global impact of President Mandela's legacy and commitment to nonviolence, respect, and dialogue. Supports the international community's recognition of Nelson Mandela International Day. Urges all U.S. citizens to reflect on the importance of peace, tolerance, democracy, human rights, and reconciliation in honor of Nelson Mandela International Day.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Respect for Marriage Act - Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Fair Access to Co-ops for Veterans Act - Revises the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program that guarantees veterans' loans for the purchase of residential cooperative housing to remove a provision that limits to five years after a loan is guaranteed the use of loan proceeds to purchase stock or membership in a cooperative housing corporation. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that a loan used for such purchase in a corporation that has been reviewed and approved by a lender approved by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) is not denied. Authorizes the Secretary to advertise the availability of such loan guarantees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Tax Parity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) exclude from an employee's gross income employer-provided accident and health plan benefits extended to a domestic partner or non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiary eligible to receive such benefits under an employer plan (i.e., "eligible beneficiary"); (2) exempt such benefits paid to eligible beneficiaries from otherwise applicable employment and unemployment taxes; (3) allow self-employed individuals a tax deduction for the health insurance costs of their eligible beneficiaries; (4) allow tax-exempt voluntary employees' beneficiary associations to provide sick and accident benefits to the domestic partners and non-dependent, non-spouse beneficiaries of their members; (5) allow reimbursement of the medical expenses of an eligible beneficiary from a health savings account (HSA); and (6) extend tax-exempt medical benefits to the eligible beneficiaries of retired employees Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to provide guidance relating to reimbursements from a flexible spending arrangement and a health reimbursement arrangement attributable to an eligible beneficiary as defined by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Renewable Energy Parity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the energy tax credit to solar energy, fuel cell, microturbine, combined heat and power system, small wind energy, and thermal energy properties the construction of which begins before January 1, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Safe Streets Act of 2013 - Requires each state to have in effect within two years a law, or each state department of transportation and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) an explicit policy statement, that requires all federally-funded transportation projects, with certain exceptions, to accommodate the safety and convenience of all users in accordance with certain complete streets principles. Defines "complete streets principles" as federal, state, local, or regional level transportation laws, policies, or principles which ensure that the safety and convenience of all users of a transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit users, children, older individuals, motorists, freight vehicles, and individuals with disabilities, are accommodated in all phases of project planning and development. Allows such law or policy to make project-specific exemptions from such principles only if: (1) affected roadways prohibit specified users by law from using them, the cost of a compliance project would be excessively disproportionate to the need, or the population, employment densities, traffic volumes, or level of transit service around a roadway is so low that the expected roadway users will not include pedestrians, public transportation, freight vehicles, or bicyclists; and (2) all such exemptions are properly approved. Requires the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a method for evaluating compliance by state departments of transportation and MPOs with complete streets principles. Requires the Access Board to issue final standards for accessibility of new construction and alterations of pedestrian facilities for public rights-of-way. Requires the Secretary to conduct research regarding complete streets to: (1) assist states, MPOs, and local jurisdictions in developing and implementing complete streets-compliant plans, projects, procedures, policies, and training programs; and (2) establish benchmarks for, and provide technical guidance on, implementing complete streets policies and principles.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Women's Preventive Health Awareness Campaign - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) provide for the planning and implementation of a national public outreach and educational campaign to raise public awareness, including provider awarenesss, of women's preventive health; and (2) establish a national media campaign and maintain and update an appropriate Internet website as part of such campaign.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Community Parks Revitalization Act - Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a community revitalization program of federal grants to eligible local governments located within standard metropolitan statistical areas for various park and recreation purposes, including grants for rehabilitation and construction, innovation and recreation programming, and recovery action programs. Authorizes the Secretary to designate local governments not located in standard metropolitan statistical areas to receive such grants under a partial eligibility waiver. Prescribes requirements, including matching requirements, for rehabilitation and construction and for innovation and recreation grants. Limits to 10% the use of funds appropriated for rehabilitation and construction grants for acquisition of land or interests in land. Allows a recipient, at its discretion, to transfer a grant in whole or in part to private nonprofit agencies for recreational areas and facilities they own or operate which offer recreational opportunities to the general population. Requires an applicant, for project approval, to submit to the Secretary evidence of its commitment to ongoing planning, rehabilitation, service, operation, and maintenance programs for its park and recreation systems, expressed in a five-year local park and recreation recovery action program. Prescribes requirements for the five-year park and recreation recovery action program under an at-risk youth recreation grant. Authorizes the Secretary to increase federal rehabilitation and construction, innovation, and at-risk youth recreation grants to a state under this Act by an additional match of up to 15% (but not more than 15%) of total project or program cost. Limits the aggregate amount of the grant and the additional grant amounts to 85% percent of total project or program cost. Prohibits the conversion, without HUD approval, of any property improved or developed with assistance under this Act for uses other than for public recreation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2013
Rabbi Arthur Schneier Congressional Gold Medal Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to Rabbi Arthur Schneier in recognition of his pioneering role in promoting religious freedom and human rights throughout the world.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
World War I American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) mint and issue $1 silver coins in commemoration of the centennial of America's involvement in World War I, and (2) hold a competition and provide compensation for its winner to design the obverse and reverse of the coins. Requires the design of such coins to be emblematic of the centennial of America's involvement in World War I. Permits the Secretary to issue such coins only during calendar year 2018. Subjects the coin sales to a surcharge of $10 per coin, payable by the Secretary to the World War I Centennial Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013
Children's Act for Responsible Employment of 2013 or CARE Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to define "oppressive child labor," for purposes of the Act's child labor prohibitions, as the employment of any employee who is: (1) 16 or 17 in any occupation found by the Secretary of Labor to be particularly hazardous for their employment or detrimental to their health or well-being; (2) 14 or 15, unless the employment is confined to periods which do not interfere with the employee's schooling, health, or well-being; or (3) under 14. Revises the Act's exemptions to make the restrictions on oppressive child labor inapplicable to the following: (1) employment in agriculture of an employee under age 18 by his or her parent, or by a person standing in the place of the parent, on a farm owned by the parent or person (current law uses an age- and consent-based scheme); and (2) employment of an employee under age 16 by a parent, or a person standing in place of a parent, other than in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, or any other employment the Secretary finds to be particularly hazardous for the employment of children age 16 or 17 or detrimental to their health or well-being. (Current law applies the child labor restrictions to particularly hazardous agricultural employment, except where the child is employed by a parent or a person standing in place of the parent on a farm owned or operated by such person). Eliminates any waiver of such prohibitions for hand-harvesting of certain crops. Increases civil and establishes criminal penalties for child labor violations. Directs the Secretary to revise federal child labor regulations to prohibit the employment of children under age 18 in duties involving the handling of pesticides.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2013
Wireless Tax Fairness Act of 2013 - Prohibits states or local governments from imposing any new discriminatory tax on mobile services, mobile service providers, or mobile service property (i.e., cell phones) for five years after the enactment of this Act. Defines "new discriminatory tax" as a tax imposed on mobile services, providers, or property that is not generally imposed on other types of services or property, or that is generally imposed at a lower rate, unless such tax was imposed and actually enforced prior to the date of enactment of this Act. Amends the federal judicial code to grant jurisdiction to federal district courts to grant injunctive and other appropriate relief to prevent, restrain, or terminate any acts in violation of this Act. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study of the impact of state and local taxes on mobile services, providers, or property on the costs consumers pay for mobile services.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 450 Lexington Avenue in New York, New York, as the "Vincent R. Sombrotto Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Human Trafficking Prioritization Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking of the Department of State will be more effective in carrying out duties mandated by Congress in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, and can do so without an increase in either personnel or budget, if: (1) the Office status is changed to that of a Bureau within the Department; and (2) the Office is headed by an Assistant Secretary with direct access to the Secretary of State, rather than an Ambassador-at-Large. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to change the status of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking to that of the Bureau to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary of State.