United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out programs that provide adolescents with comprehensive sex education to: (1) replicate evidence-based sex education programs, (2) substantially incorporate elements of evidence-based sex education programs, or (3) create a demonstration project based on generally accepted characteristics of effective sex education programs. Sets forth provisions regarding evaluation of such programs. Requires the Secretary to establish a common set of performance measures to assess the implementation and impact of grant programs funded under this Act. Requires the Secretary to award competitive grants to: (1) institutions of higher education to enable such institutions to provide young people with comprehensive sex education with an emphasis on reducing HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, and unintended pregnancy; and (2) eligible entities to train targeted faculty and staff in order to increase effective teaching of comprehensive sex education for elementary and secondary school students. Prohibits programs funded under this Act from discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. Prohibits federal funds provided under this Act from being used for health education programs that: (1) deliberately withhold life-saving information about HIV; (2) are medically inaccurate or have been scientifically shown to be ineffective; (3) promote gender stereotypes; (4) are insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of sexually active youth or lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender youth; or (5) are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of medicine and public health. Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal a prohibition against the use of appropriations for AIDS prevention programs to provide education or information designed to promote or encourage, directly, homosexual or heterosexual activity or intravenous substance abuse. Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to repeal a prohibition against the use of authorized funds to operate a program of contraceptive distribution in schools.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Reuniting Families Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to establish the fiscal year worldwide level of employment-based immigrants at 140,000 plus: (1) the previous year's unused visas, and (2) the number of unused visas from FY1992-FY2011. Establishes the fiscal year worldwide level of family-sponsored immigrants at 480,000 plus: (1) the previous year's unused visas, and (2) the number of unused visas from FY1992-FY2011. Revises the definition of "immediate relative" to: (1) mean a child, spouse, or parent of a U.S. citizen or the child or spouse of a lawful permanent resident (and for each family member of a citizen or resident, such individual's accompanying spouse or child), except that in the case of parents such citizens shall be at least 21 years old; (2) permit a widow or widower of a U.S. citizen or resident to seek permanent resident status if married at least two years at the time of the citizen's or resident's death or, if married less than two years, by showing through a preponderance of the evidence that the marriage was entered into in good faith and not solely to obtain an immigration benefit; and (3) include an alien who was the child or parent of a U.S. citizen or resident at the time of the citizen's or resident's death if the alien files a petition within two years after such date or prior to reaching 21 years old. Increases immigration visas for: (1) unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and (2) brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. Provides an 80,640 visa allocation for the unmarried sons and daughters of permanent resident aliens. Increases annual per country (10% of annual total) and dependent area (5% of annual total) limits for employment-based and family-sponsored immigrant visas. Expands specified family-unity exceptions to unlawful presence-based inadmissibility. Provides specified relief for orphans and spouses regarding: (1) petitions for immediate relative status, (2) parole eligibility, (3) permanent resident status adjustment, and (4) processing of immigrant visas. Makes an alien inadmissible for willful misrepresentation of citizenship. (Under current law inadmissibility is based on false representation of citizenship.) Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act - Exempts children of naturalized Filipino World War II veterans from worldwide or numerical immigrant limitations. Makes a minor child of an alien fiancee/fiance or of an alien spouse of a U.S. citizen eligible for derivative K-visa status provided that the child's age is determined using such child's age at the date that the petition to classify such child's parent as a K-visa alien is filed with the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS). Authorizes the Secretary or the Attorney General to adjust the status of a finacee/fiance or alien spouse and any minor children (K-visa) to conditional permanent resident status if such alien marries the petitioner within three months after U.S. admission. Redefines "child" for purposes of titles I and II of the Act to include a stepchild under 21 years old. (Current law includes a stepchild who has not reached 18 years old at the time the marriage creating the status of stepchild occurred.) Amends INA to include a "permanent partner" within the scope of such Act. Revises provisions regarding: (1) priority date retention; (2) false claims and misrepresentations; and (3) waiver eligibility for widows, widowers, and orphans. Defines "permanent partner" as an individual 18 or older who: (1) is in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 or older in which both individuals intend a lifelong commitment; (2) is financially interdependent with the other individual; (3) is not married to, or in a permanent partnership with, anyone other than the individual; (4) is unable to contract with the other individual a marriage cognizable under this Act; and (5) is not a first, second, or third degree blood relation of the other individual. Defines "permanent partnership" as the relationship existing between two permanent partners. Defines "alien permanent partner" as the individual in a permanent partnership who is being sponsored for a visa.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the caps on Medicare outpatient rehabilitation physical therapy services and speech-language pathology services.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Access to Birth Control Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require pharmacies to comply with certain rules related to contraceptives, including: (1) providing a customer a contraceptive without delay if it is in stock; (2) immediately informing a customer if the contraceptive is not in stock and either transferring the prescription to a pharmacy that has the contraceptive in stock or expediting the ordering of the contraceptive and notifying the customer when it arrives, based on customer preference, except for pharmacies that do not ordinarily stock contraceptives in the normal course of business; and (3) ensuring that pharmacy employees do not take certain actions relating to a request for contraception, including intimidating, threatening, or harassing customers, interfering with or obstructing the delivery of services, intentionally misrepresenting or deceiving customers about the availability of contraception or its mechanism of action, breaching or threatening to breach medical confidentiality, or refusing to return a valid, lawful prescription. Provides that a pharmacy is not prohibited from refusing to provide a contraceptive to a customer if: (1) it is unlawful to dispense the contraceptive to the customer without a valid, lawful prescription and no such prescription is presented; (2) the customer is unable to pay for the contraceptive; or (3) the employee of the pharmacy refuses to provide the contraceptive on the basis of a professional clinical judgment. Provides that this Act does not preempt state law or any professional obligation of a state board that provides greater protections for customers. Sets forth civil penalties and establishes a a private cause of action for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Lena Horne Recognition Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Lena Horne in recognition of her achievements and contributions to American culture and the civil rights movement.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
HIV Organ Policy Equity Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal the requirement that the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network adopt and use standards of quality for the acquisition and transportation of donated organs that include standards for preventing the acquisition of organs infected with the etiologic agent for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Replaces this requirement with authorization for the Network to adopt and use such standards with respect to organs infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), provided that any such standards ensure that organs infected with HIV may be transplanted only into individuals who are infected with such virus before receiving such an organ. Revises similarly the requirement that organ procurement organizations arrange for testing to prevent the acquisition of organs infected with the AIDS etiologic agent to require that they arrange for testing to identify organs infected with HIV. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and publish guidelines for the conduct of research relating to transplantation of organs from HIV-infected donors. Requires the Network to revise its standards of quality regarding HIV-infected organs and the Secretary to revise related regulations. Requires the Secretary to: (1) review annually the results of scientific research in conjunction with the Network to determine whether they warrant revision of quality standards relating to donated HIV-infected organs and to the safety of cross-strain transplantation; and (2) direct the Network, if the review so warrants, to revise its standards in a way that ensures the changes will not reduce the safety of organ transplantation. Amends the federal criminal code to declare that an organ donation does not violate the prohibition against a knowing organ donation by an HIV-infected individual if the donation is made in accordance with this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act - Considers a person a spouse, for purposes of military personnel policies and military and veterans' benefits, if the marriage of the individual is valid in the state in which 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 in which the marriage was entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Includes as a state the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. territories and possessions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2013
Opposes the International Olympic Committee's (IOC's) decision to eliminate wrestling from the Summer Olympic Games beginning in 2020. Thanks the United States Olympic Committee for its continued support of wrestling and encourages it to work actively to reverse the IOC's decision. Urges the IOC to reinstate wrestling as a core sport of the Games.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2013 or the ABLE Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt ABLE accounts to assist an individual with a disability in building an account to pay for qualified disability expenses. Defines "qualified disability expenses" to include expenses for education, including higher education expenses, a primary residence, transportation, obtaining and maintaining employment, health and wellness, and other personal support expenses. Treats a qualified ABLE program and an ABLE account in the same manner as a qualified tuition program for income tax purposes (i.e., allowing a tax exemption for such program and an exclusion from gross income of amounts attributable to a contributor to or a beneficiary of a program account). Defines "qualified ABLE program" as a program established and maintained by a state agency under which a person may make contributions to an ABLE account established to pay for qualified disability expenses. Requires amounts in ABLE accounts to be disregarded in determining eligibility for Medicaid and other means-tested federal programs. Suspends the payment of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) of the Social Security Act to an individual during any period in which such individual has excess resources attributable to an ABLE account.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Sudden Unexpected Death Data Enhancement and Awareness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants for: (1) improving state comprehensive death scene investigations for sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) and sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC), and (2) increasing the rate of comprehensive and standardized autopsies for such deaths. Requires the Director to: (1) develop national guidelines for a standard autopsy protocol for such deaths, and (2) commission a study on the benefits and appropriateness of genetic testing for infant and early childhood deaths that remain unexplained after investigation and autopsy. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) award grants for death scene investigation training specific for SUID and SUDC; (2) modify the national death case reporting system to assure that such system provides for population-based data for ages 0-4 years of age and facilitates the understanding of the root causes, rates, and trends of SUID and SUDC with respect to such ages; (3) conduct a needs assessment for investigations and determinations of such deaths; (4) develop public education and prevention programs to reduce stillbirths and address the racial and ethnic disparities in occurrence; (5) award grants for surveillance efforts on stillbirths; and (6) develop and conduct public education and prevention program aimed at reducing stillbirths. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to: (1) award grants for child death review programs and prevention strategies; (2) establish a public health awareness and education campaign on SUID and SUDC; and (3) award grants for support services to families who have experienced SUID, SUDC, or stillbirth. Requires the Secretary to establish a task force to develop a national research plan to determine the causes of, and how to prevent, stillbirths.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS). Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one-year period, beginning on January 1, 2016. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, and $5 per half-dollar clad coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National Park Foundation for projects and programs to help preserve and protect resources under the stewardship of the NPS and to promote public enjoyment and appreciation of those resources. Prohibits the surcharges paid to the Foundation from being used for land acquisition.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Harriet Tubman National Historical Parks Act - Establishes in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park System. Establishes in Auburn, New York, the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park also as a unit of the National Park System. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with certain entities for the historical preservation and interpretation of such parks. Requires the Secretary to complete a general management plan for such parks.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Riya Wilson Act - Amends title IV (Grants to States for Aid and Services to Needy Families with Children and for Child-Welfare Services) of the Social Security Act to require an approved state plan that is required in order to be eligible for federal payments for foster care and adoption assistance to provide that such state has in effect procedures that require the state child welfare agency to promptly report information on missing or abducted children to law enforcement authorities for entry into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. Amends the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require a state reporting a missing child under the age of 21 to the NCIC to: (1) require the state law enforcement agency that entered the report to include a recent photograph in information updating a record, and (2) notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of each report received relating to a child reported missing from a foster care family home or childcare institution.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Indonesian Family Refugee Protection Act - Authorizes a qualifying Indonesian citizen whose asylum claim was denied solely upon a failure to meet the one-year application filing deadline to file a motion to reopen such claim. Requires that such motion be filed during the two-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) eliminate the per country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants, and (2) increase the per country numerical limitation for family based immigrants from 7% to 15% of the total number of family-sponsored visas. Amends the Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 to eliminate the provision requiring the reduction of annual Chinese (PRC) immigrant visas to offset status adjustments under such Act. Sets forth the following transition period for employment-based second and third preference (EB-2 and EB-3) immigrant visas: (1) for FY2013, 15% of such visas allotted to natives of countries other than the two countries with the largest aggregate numbers of natives obtaining such visas in FY2011; (2) for FY2014, 10% of such visas allotted in each category to natives of countries other than the two with the largest aggregate numbers of natives obtaining such visas in FY2012; and (3) for FY2015, 10% of such visas allotted in each category to natives of countries other than the two with the largest aggregate numbers of natives obtaining such visas in FY2013. Sets forth the following per country distribution rules: (1) for transition period visas, not more than 25% of the total number of EB-2 and EB-3 visas for natives of a single country; and (2) for non-transition period visas, not more than 85% of EB-2 and EB-3 visas for natives of a single country. Provides that the amendments made by this Act will take place as if enacted on September 30, 2012, and shall apply beginning in FY2013.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Postal Service Protection Act of 2013 - Sets forth rules for the recalculation of annuities for employees of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and for the redetermination of surplus or supplemental liabilities under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Prescribes the "average pay" to be used in calculating annuities and surplus amounts. Authorizes the transfer of surplus postal retirement contributions in FY2010 to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund, the Postal Service Fund, and the Employees' Compensation Fund under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) and to USPS for payment of its debt obligations. Eliminates the requirement for pre-funding of the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund. Sets forth criteria for the closing or consolidation of postal facilities. Allows USPS to provide any nonpostal service or product in a manner consistent with the public interest. Provides for the mailing of wine and beer sent by a licensed winery or brewery in accordance with the laws of the state, territory, or district where the addressee or agent takes delivery. Establishes in USPS the position of the Chief Innovation Officer who shall have proven expertise and success in the postal and shipping industry and in innovation, marketing, technology, and management. Establishes a Postal Innovation Advisory Commission. Requires the Postmaster General to report to specified congressional committees and the Postal Regulatory Commmission on a comprehensive strategy for maximizing USPS revenue through innovative postal and nonpostal products and services. Prohibits USPS from reducing the frequency of mail delivery to fewer than six days each week or from increasing the expected delivery time for market-dominant products. Repeals the annual limitation on the percentage changes on postal rates for market-dominant products.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Violence Against Immigrant Women Act of 2013 - Amends provisions regarding violence against immigrant women in the following areas: (1) employment of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and U-visa (victims of certain crimes) nonimmigrant aliens, (2) self-petitioning, (3) protections for children and family members from traffickers and criminals, (4) recapture of unused U-visas, (5) battered spouse and family member protections, (6) asylum, (7) removal, (8) naturalization, (9) VAWA confidentiality, (10) services for trafficking victims, (11) fiancee/fiance protections and marriage broker regulation, and (12) sexual abuse in custodial settings.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2013
Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act - Establishes the Medicare for All Program to provide all individuals residing in the United States and U.S. territories with free health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, dietary and nutritional therapies, prescription drugs, emergency care, long-term care, mental health services, dental services, and vision care. Prohibits an institution from participating unless it is a public or nonprofit institution. Allows nonprofit health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that deliver care in their own facilities to participate. Gives patients the freedom to choose from participating physicians and institutions. Prohibits a private health insurer from selling health insurance coverage that duplicates the benefits provided under this Act. Allows such insurers to sell benefits that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery benefits. Sets forth methods to pay institutional providers of care and health professionals for services. Prohibits financial incentives between HMOs and physicians based on utilization. Establishes the Medicare for All Trust Fund to finance the Program with amounts deposited: (1) from existing sources of government revenues for health care, (2) by increasing personal income taxes on the top 5% income earners, (3) by instituting a modest and progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income, (4) by instituting a modest tax on unearned income, and (5) by instituting a small tax on stock and bond transactions. Transfers and appropriates to carry out this Act amounts that would have been appropriated for federal public health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Requires the Medicare for All Program to give first priority in retraining and job placement and employment transition benefits to individuals whose jobs are eliminated due to reduced administration. Requires creation of a confidential electronic patient record system. Establishes a National Board of Universal Quality and Access to provide advice on quality, access, and affordability. Requires the eventual integration of the Indian Health Service into the Program, and an evaluation of the continued independence of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health programs.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2013
Supports the designation of a National Animal Rescue Day/Winslow's Day to create awareness for animal rescue programs throughout the year and address the challenge of overpopulation through continued spaying and neutering.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2013
Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the muscular dystrophy research program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Expands the range of forms of muscular dystrophy included within the program. Requires the research conducted through Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers to include cardiac and pulmonary function research. Requires the Director of NIH to ensure the sharing of data between such centers. Revises the composition of the Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating Committee (MDCC) to include the Social Security Administration and the United States Administration for Community Living. Requires the MDCC to meet at least two times per year. Requires the MDCC Action Plan to provide for: (1) health economic studies to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of providing independent living resources and support to patients with various forms of muscular dystrophy, (2) studies to determine optimal clinical care interventions for adults with various forms of muscular dystrophy, and (3) the development of clinical interventions to improve the health of adults with various forms of muscular dystrophy. Requires the MDCC to develop a plan to expedite the evaluation and approval of emerging therapies and personalized medicines that have the potential to decrease fatal disease progression across the various forms of muscular dystrophy. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in carrying out epidemiological activities regarding Duchenne and other forms of muscular dystrophies, to ensure that data from different racial and ethnic populations is captured and made publicly available to investigators conducting public or private research on muscular dystrophy. Directs the Secretary to foster ongoing engagement and collaboration between the surveillance program and the research centers. Amends the Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, and Education Amendments of 2001 to authorize the Secretary to: (1) update and disseminate widely existing Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy care considerations for pediatric patients, and (2) develop and disseminate widely Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy considerations for adult patients and acute care considerations for all muscular dystrophy populations. Directs that such care considerations should build upon existing efforts currently underway for specified forms of muscular dystrophy and incorporate strategies specifically responding to the findings of the national transitions survey of minority, young adult, and adult communities of muscular dystrophy patients.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2013
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 815 County Road 23 in Tyrone, New York, as the "Specialist Christopher Scott Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2013
Commission on Americans Living Abroad Act - Establishes the Commission on Americans Living Abroad which shall conduct a study of how federal laws and policies affect U.S. citizens living abroad, including civilians and members of the Armed Forces. Terminates the Commission upon submission of a final report to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2013
Appalachian Communities Health Emergency Act or ACHE Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct or support comprehensive studies on the health impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on individuals in the surrounding communities. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), upon receipt of a report on study results, to publish a determination of whether such mining presents any health risks to individuals in those communities. Defines "mountaintop removal coal mining" as surface coal mining that uses blasting with explosives in the steep slope regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia. Prohibits issuance of an authorization for any mountaintop removal coal mining project (or expansion), under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) or the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, until and unless the Secretary publishes a determination that such mining does not present any health risk to individuals in the surrounding communities. Imposes requirements for continuous monitoring of air, noise, and water pollution and frequent monitoring of soil until a determination by the Secretary is made. Directs the President, acting through the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement of the Department of the Interior, to assess a one-time fee upon persons that conduct such mining projects, sufficient to cover the federal cost of the health studies and pollution monitoring required by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2013
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act - Makes an employee of a land management agency who served under a time-limited appointment in the competitive service eligible to compete for a permanent appointment in the agency if the original appointment was competitive, totaled a period of at least 24 months, and the employee's performance was satisfactory. Requires such an employee's appointment to a full-time position, if such a position is offered and the employee agrees to such employment, if the original position stated that there was the potential for the position to become permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2013
Sympathizes with the families of women and children victimized by sexual and other forms of gender-based violence in Haiti. Urges treatment of the issue of violence against women and children as a priority for U.S. humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Calls on the government of Haiti to: (1) address the needs of vulnerable children who are in situations of sexual exploitation or forced labor, and (2) implement the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued in response to increased levels of sexual violence in camps for internally displaced persons. Supports Haiti, especially the Ministry of Women's Affairs, in its efforts to assess and renew its five-year gender protection plan. Supports passage of Haiti's first comprehensive law on the prevention, punishment, and elimination of gender-based violence.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Transition toward Excellence, Achievement and Mobility through Education Act of 2013 or TEAM-Education Act of 2013 - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to allow states to use special education grant funds to contract with entities that have the experience to assist disabled children in accomplishing the transition objectives outlined in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Conditions a state's eligibility for such grant funds on its having a plan to coordinate state efforts to transition disabled youth into adulthood. Requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide a disabled child and his or her parents, when the child's secondary education ends, with a comprehensive record of the child's work experiences and skills that would be relevant to prospective employers, post-secondary education programs, career placement services, and mentors. Requires IEPs, after a child attains age 14, to describe: (1) the transition services to be provided to assist the child in reaching postsecondary goals, and (2) the training the child will receive to empower the child to act on his or her own behalf. (Currently, IEPs are to address postsecondary goals and transition services when children turn 16.) Requires an IEP team: (1) to include a representative of the state intellectual and developmental disabilities agency after a disabled child attains age 14, if the child is expected to be eligible to receive certain adult services upon reaching adulthood; (2) to consider the transition services necessary to assist the child to attain postsecondary education, integrated employment, independent living, and community participation; (3) at the request of a 14 year old disabled child, to take certain steps to enable his or her parents to advocate at IEP team meetings on the child's behalf; and (4) after the child attains age 14, to evaluate the progress made in meeting, and discuss any additional services that may be needed to meet, the child's transition objectives. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to provide grants to states to assist LEAs in establishing transition service coordinators.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Transition toward Excellence, Achievement, and Mobility through Employment Act of 2013 or TEAM-Employment Act of 2013 - Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to extend from 18 to 48 months the length of time a designated state unit may provide supported employment services, including: (1) activities related to customized employment, or (2) a set of activities implemented during the search for employment leading to an integrated employment outcome for an individual with a disability. Authorizes the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the Department of Education to make up to ten grants to or contracts with eligible entities to pay all or part of the cost of special demonstration programs that expand and improve rehabilitation, employment, and other services for adults and youths with disabilities. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to provide, for FY2014-FY2018, grants to eligible entities to carry out certain activities to help youths between the ages of 14 and 26 with significant disabilities to transition to adulthood. Includes among such activities development and provision of: (1) innovative and effective practices through person-centered planning processes for attaining integrated employment experiences, including customized employment, supported employment services, and employment experiences after school, on weekends, and in the summer months; (2) certain educational-, work-, and family-related objectives and activities based upon the highest expectations of such youths; (3) appropriate and effective curricula and the deployment of professionals with expertise to provide training to school personnel to assist such youths to obtain integrated employment at the greater of minimum or competitive wages; and (4) assistance to such youths and their families to help determine appropriate services under federal and state programs. Limits an eligible entity to one grant or contract during a five-year period. Prohibits the use of grant funds for activities that result in such youths being placed in facility-based segregated services as an employment outcome or post-secondary outcome. Establishes a National Coordination Center on Systems Change and Transformation in the Transition of Youths with Significant Disabilities into Adulthood.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Uniting American Families Act of 2013 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include a "permanent partner" within the scope of such Act. Defines a "permanent partner" as an individual 18 or older who: (1) is in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 or older in which both individuals intend a lifelong commitment; (2) is financially interdependent with the other individual; (3) is not married to, or in a permanent partnership with, anyone other than the individual; (4) is unable to contract with the other individual a marriage cognizable under this Act; and (5) is not a first, second, or third degree blood relation of the other individual. Defines: (1) "permanent partnership" as the relationship existing between two permanent partners, and (2) "alien permanent partner" as the individual in a permanent partnership who is being sponsored for a visa.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Jane's Law - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or a prison term of up to two years on any person who travels in interstate or foreign commerce to evade compliance with a court-ordered property distribution in a divorce proceeding involving more than $5,000. Requires payment of restitution equal to the total unpaid property distribution from any person convicted of evading payment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Reauthorization Act or STOP Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program to reduce underage drinking for FY2014-FY2018. Revises reporting requirements for state programs on underage drinking. Specifies additional requirements for the development of the national media campaign to prevent underage drinking. Directs the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to make grants to professional pediatric provider organizations to increase effective practices, including the screening of children and adolescents for alcohol use, to reduce the prevalence of alcohol use among individuals under the age of 21, including college students. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect data and conduct or support new research on underage drinking that improves and conducts public health surveillance of alcohol use and alcohol-related conditions in states among individuals between age 18 and 20 by increasing the use of surveys, such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, to monitor binge and excessive drinking and related harms.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Transition toward Excellence, Achievement, and Mobility through Empowerment Act of 2013 or the TEAM-Empowerment Act of 2013 - Amends the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award competitive grants to states for the development and implementation of an individual transition plan (ITP) for each individual with a developmental disability in the state who is transitioning from secondary school into adulthood. Requires ITPs to assist the developmentally disabled achieve integrated employment, postsecondary education, independent living, and community engagement. Requires each grantee to establish a transition planning and services (TPS) administrative unit within its intellectual and developmental disabilities agency to develop, and assist in the implementation of, ITPs. Requires that unit to offer strategies, training, and information to the developmentally disabled and their families that facilitates their participation in the transition process. States that ITPs are to: (1) apply until an individual's 26th birthday; (2) be reviewed annually and updated as needed; (3) be developed during in-person meetings that include the individual and his or her family; and (4) address the individual's needs in the areas of postsecondary education, career preparation and work-based learning, development and leadership, connecting activities, and family involvement and supports. Requires the TPS administrative unit to use transition brokers to: (1) facilitate coordination among state agencies in the development of ITPs; and (2) assist the developmentally disabled, consistent with their ITPs, in navigating the complex system of supports and services available through federal and state programs.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2013 - Allows federal employees to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay available for either the: (1) birth of a child, or (2) placement of a child with the employee for either adoption or foster care. Makes available (subject to specified requirements) for any of the 12 weeks of leave an employee is entitled to for such purposes: (1) four administrative weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth or placement involved, and (2) any accumulated annual or sick leave. Authorizes the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to promulgate regulations to increase the amount of paid parental leave available to such an employee to a total of eight administrative workweeks, based on the consideration of: (1) the benefits to the federal government, including enhanced recruitment and employee retention; (2) the cost to the government; (3) trends in the private sector and in state and local governments; (4) the federal government's role as a model employer; and (5) the impact of increased paid parental leave on lower-income and economically disadvantaged employees and their children. Amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow the same substitution for covered congressional employees, Government Accountability Office (GAO) employees, and Library of Congress employees. Counts certain service by an employee of the executive branch, Congress, GAO, or the Library of Congress while on active duty as a member of the National Guard or Reserves as service for that branch or agency for purposes of determining such employee's eligibility to take or substitute leave as provided under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2013
Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 Reauthorization Act of 2013 or the TRIA Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 to extend the Terrorism Insurance Program until December 31, 2019 (under current law the Program expires on December 31, 2014). Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to collect all required terrorism loss risk-spreading premiums for any act of terrorism that occurs on or after January 1, 2012, by September 30, 2024 (currently, by September 30, 2017).
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) participating in a title IV program (except a foreign school) to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment that includes: (1) a prohibition of harassment of students by other students, faculty, and staff; (2) a description of its programs to prevent harassment; (3) a description of the procedures that students should follow if harassment occurs; and (4) a description of the procedures it will follow once an incident of harassment has been reported. Defines "harassment" to include certain conduct undertaken through technological means that limits a student's ability to benefit from the IHE's programs, or creates a hostile or abusive educational environment at the school. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to: (1) prevent the harassment of students; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; and (3) train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs. Directs the Secretary to publish a report of best practices for combating harassment at IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Visa Waiver Program Enhanced Security and Reform Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding the visa waiver program to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to designate any country as a program country; (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate; and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress: (1) an evaluation of the security risks of aliens who enter the United States without an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization verification, and (2) a description of any improvements needed to minimize the number of aliens who enter the United States without such verification.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
National Nurse Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the position of National Nurse for Public Health within the Office of the Surgeon General. Requires the individual serving as the National Nurse for Public Health to serve also as the Chief Nurse Officer of the Public Health Service. Includes among the duties of such position providing leadership and coordination of Public Health Service nursing professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and other agencies of the Public Health Service, conducting media campaigns, and providing guidance and leadership for activities that will increase public safety and emergency preparedness. Requires the National Nurse for Public Health to: (1) participate in identification of national health priorities, (2) encourage volunteerism of nurses and strengthen the relationship between government agencies and health-related national organizations, and (3) promote the dissemination of evidence-based practice in educating the public on health promotion and disease prevention activities.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
High School Data Transparency Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to direct coeducational elementary and secondary schools that participate in any ESEA program to: (1) report annually certain information on equality in their school athletic programs to the Commissioner for Educational Statistics; and (2) make such information available, upon request, to their students, potential students, and the public. Directs the Commissioner to ensure that such data are posted on the Department of Education's Web site within a reasonable period of time.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit any person, in or affecting interstate commerce: (1) from purchasing, attempting to purchase, or transferring a firearm, with intent to deliver the firearm to another person who the transferor knows or has reasonable cause to believe is prohibited from possessing a firearm; (2) in purchasing, attempting to purchase, or transferring a firearm, from intentionally providing false or misleading material information on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) firearms transaction record form; or (3) knowingly directing, promoting, or facilitating such a violation. Authorizes an enhanced penalty for the organization or supervision of such conduct. Makes exceptions for a firearm that is lawfully acquired: (1) to be given to another person not prohibited from possessing it under federal or state law as a gift; or (2) by a court-appointed trustee, receiver, or conservator on behalf of an estate or creditor, to carry out a bequest, or in an acquisition by intestate succession. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements applicable to persons convicted of offenses under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2013
Patients' Access to Treatments Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish cost-sharing limits for health plans that cover prescription drugs and use a formulary or other tiered cost-sharing structure. Prohibits such a health plan from imposing cost-sharing requirements, including co-payment and co-insurance, applicable to prescription drugs in a specialty drug tier that exceed the dollar amount of cost-sharing requirements applicable to prescription drugs in a non-preferred brand drug tier. Applies the non-preferred brand drug tier for which beneficiary cost-sharing is lowest, if a formulary used by the health plan contains more than one non-preferred brand drug tier. Defines: (1) "non-preferred brand drug tier" as a category of prescription drugs within a tier in a formulary for which beneficiary cost-sharing is greater than tiers for generic drugs or preferred brand drugs, and that are not included within a specialty drug tier; and (2) "specialty drug tier" as a category of prescription drugs within a tier in a formulary for which beneficiary cost-sharing is greater than tiers for generic drugs, preferred brand drugs, or non-preferred drugs in the plan's formulary.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2013
Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to ban the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon, including: a semiautomatic rifle that can accept a detachable magazine and has any one of the following characteristics: (1) a pistol grip; (2) a forward grip; (3) a folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; (4) a grenade or rocket launcher; (5) a barrel shroud; or (6) a threaded barrel; a semiautomatic rife or pistol with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds; a semiautomatic pistol that can accept a detachable magazine and has any one of the following characteristics: (1) a threaded barrel, (2) a second pistol grip, (3) a barrel shroud; (4) the capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip, or (5) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; a semiautomatic shotgun that has any one of the following characteristics: (1) a folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; (2) a pistol grip; (3) a fixed magazine that can accept more than five rounds; (4) the ability to accept a detachable magazine; (5) a forward grip; or (6) a grenade or rocket launcher; a shotgun with a revolving cylinder; firearms that are specifically listed as prohibited by this Act and copies, duplicates, variants, or altered facsimiles with the capability of any such weapon; all belt-fed semiautomatic firearms; any combination of parts from which any such prohibited firearm can be assembled; and the frame or receiver of a prohibited rifle or shotgun. Excludes from such ban any semiautomatic assault weapon that: (1) is lawfully possessed on the date of enactment of this Act (grandfathered weapon); (2) is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (3) has been rendered permanently inoperable; (4) is an antique firearm; or (5) is used for law enforcement or security purposes or for testing or experimentation authorized by the Attorney General. Identifies, by make and model, firearms that are specifically exempted from the ban imposed by this Act. Requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain a record of the make, model, and date of manufacture of any semiautomatic assault weapon which the Attorney General is made aware has been used in relation to a crime under federal or state law. Makes it unlawful to: (1) import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a large capacity ammunition feeding device (generally, a device that can accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition); or (2) store or keep any grandfathered semiautomatic weapon that may become accessible by an individual who is prohibited from receiving or possessing such a weapon. Requires identification markings (i.e., serial number and the date of manufacture) on semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices. Provides for the seizure and forfeiture of prohibited large capacity ammunition feeding devices. Makes it unlawful for an unlicensed individual to transfer a grandfathered semiautomatic weapon to another unlicensed individual, unless a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer: (1) has first taken custody of the weapon for the purpose of complying with existing background check requirements; and (2) upon taking custody, complies with all firearms requirements as if the licensee were transferring the weapon from the licensee's inventory to the unlicensed transferee. Sets forth exceptions. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to allow the use of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to pay compensation to individuals who surrender semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2013
Gun Transparency and Accountability (Gun TRAC) Act of 2013 - Declares that the contents of the Firearms Trace System database maintained by the National Trace Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) shall not be immune from legal process, shall be subject to subpoena or other discovery, shall be admissible as evidence, and may be used, relied on, or disclosed on the same basis as other information in a civil action in any state or federal court or in an administrative proceeding. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) prohibit national instant criminal background check system records from being destroyed until after 90 days after the system assigns and provides a firearms licensee with a unique identification number for the transfer, (2) set forth penalties for the willful violation of an inventory reporting order by a firearms licensee, and (3) prohibit the Attorney General from accepting an application for a federal firearms license from a person whose license has been revoked. Amends the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012, to repeal provisions that prohibit appropriated funds from being used: (1) for any background check system that does not require the destruction of any identifying information submitted for a transferee within 24 hours after the system advises a licensee that the transferee's receipt of a firearm is not prohibited; or (2) to promulgate or implement any rule requiring a physical inventory of any firearms business.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the United States Postal Service should issue a postage stamp honoring the holiday of Diwali, and (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to commemorate the lives of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley (children who lost their lives in the September 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, an incident recognized as a catalyst for the civil rights movement). Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medals, with amounts received from the sale to be deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Makes such defense inapplicable where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner [ sic ] of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act of 2013 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any person from knowingly attending an animal fighting venture or causing a minor (a person under the age of 18) to attend such a venture. Subjects any person who: (1) knowingly attends such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to a year for each violation, and (2) knowingly causes a minor to attend such venture to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to three years for each violation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
District of Columbia House Equal Representation Act of 2013 - Treats the District of Columbia as a state for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives. Applies to the District in the same manner as it applies to a state the federal law providing for the 15th and subsequent decennial censuses and for apportionment of Representatives in Congress. Modifies the formula regarding the number of presidential electors to subject it to the 23rd amendment to the Constitution in the case of the District. Increases membership of the House from 435 to 436 Members. Provides for a reapportionment of Members resulting from such increase. Repeals provisions of: (1) the District of Columbia Delegate Act establishing the office of District of Columbia Delegate to the House of Representatives, and (2) the District of Columbia Statehood Constitution Convention Initiative of 1979 providing for election of a Representative for the District. Makes conforming amendments to the District of Columbia Elections Code of 1955. Sets forth procedures for expedited judicial review of any action brought to challenge the constitutionality of any provision of this Act or any amendment made by it.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
District of Columbia House Equal Representation Act of 2013 - Treats the District of Columbia as a state for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. Prescribes requirements for classification of Senators for the District. Applies to the District in the same manner as it applies to a state the federal law providing for the 15th and subsequent decennial censuses and for apportionment of Representatives in Congress. Modifies the formula regarding the number of presidential electors to subject it to the 23rd amendment to the Constitution in the case of the District. Increases membership of the House from 435 to 436 Members. Provides for a reapportionment of Members resulting from such increase. Repeals provisions of: (1) the District of Columbia Delegate Act establishing the office of District of Columbia Delegate to the House of Representatives, and (2) the District of Columbia Statehood Constitution Convention Initiative of 1979 providing for election of a Senator and Representative for the District. Makes conforming amendments to the District of Columbia Elections Code of 1955. Sets forth procedures for expedited judicial review of any action brought to challenge the constitutionality of any provision of this Act or any amendment made by it.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2013 or the SAFER Act of 2013 - Amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to authorize the Attorney General to make Debbie Smith grants under such Act to states or local governments to: (1) conduct audits of samples of sexual assault evidence that are awaiting testing; and (2) ensure that the collection and processing of DNA evidence by law enforcement agencies from crimes is carried out in an appropriate and timely manner and in accordance with specified protocols and practices. Requires not less than 5% but not more than 7% of Debbie Smith grant funds distributed in FY2014-FY2017 to be awarded for such audits if sufficient applications to justify such amounts are received by the Attorney General, provided such award doesn't decrease funds for other distribution requirements. Authorizes the Attorney General to award such a grant to a state or local government for auditing sexual assault evidence backlogs only if the recipient submits a plan for performing the audit and includes a good-faith estimate of the number of such samples. Sets forth provisions regarding grant conditions, including requirements that: (1) the government complete the audit within one year, assign a unique numeric or alphanumeric identifier to each sample awaiting testing, and identify any statutory deadlines for prosecuting a perpetrator to which a sample relates; and (2) the chief law enforcement officer of the state or local government be the individual responsible for compliance with reporting requirements. Requires a grant recipient, at least every 60 days for 12 months after completing an initial count of the samples awaiting testing, to submit a report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the number of samples: (1) that such government has determined should undergo testing, (2) that such government has determined should not undergo testing, (3) that have been submitted for testing, and (4) for which testing has been completed. Directs the Attorney General to publish such reports and to ensure that any information published does not include information that might lead to the identification of the individuals involved. Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to: (1) develop and publish a description of protocols and practices appropriate for the accurate, timely, and effective collection and processing of DNA evidence; and (2) make available technical assistance and training to support states and local governments in adopting and implementing such protocols and practices. Requires the Attorney General, to submit to Congress an annual report that: (1) lists the states and local governments awarded grants and the amount received by each, (2) states the number of audit deadline extensions granted by the Attorney General, and (3) summarizes the processing status of the samples of sexual assault evidence identified in Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reports. Requires, for each fiscal year through FY2018, that not less than 75% of Debbie Smith grant amounts be awarded to: (1) carry out, for inclusion in the Combined DNA Index System, DNA analyses of samples collected under applicable legal authority and of samples collected from crime scenes; and (2) increase the capacity of state or local government laboratories to carry out DNA analyses. Requires the DOJ Inspector General to conduct audits of all grants under this Act to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse by grantees. Makes a grant recipient found to have an unresolved audit finding ineligible to receive grants under this Act for two fiscal years. Directs the Attorney General to give priority in awarding grants to eligible entities that, during the three prior fiscal years, did not have an unresolved audit finding showing a violation of a DOJ grant program. Prohibits the Attorney General from awarding a grant under this Act to a nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying tax on certain unrelated business income. Limits the use of amounts authorized to be appropriated under this Act for DOJ salaries and administrative expenses, for conferences, or for lobbying any representative of a government regarding the award of grant funding. Sunsets specified provisions of this Act regarding Debbie Smith grants for auditing sexual assault evidence backlogs on December 31, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2013
Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act of 2013 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit a state from imposing additional conditions or requirements on the eligibility of an individual to cast a vote in federal elections by mail, except to the extent that it imposes a deadline for requesting the ballot and returning it to the appropriate state or local election official.
![Official portrait of Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_ny_12_maloney_carolyn_200.jpg)