United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016
Prescription Drug and Medical Device Price Review Board Act of 2016 This bill establishes the Prescription Drug and Medical Device Price Review Board within the Food and Drug Administration. Each manufacturer of a prescription drug or medical device that is sold in the United States must submit to the board: each type of prescription drug and medical device that it sells in the United States, or in a country that is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; the price charged by the manufacturer for the drug or device; and the costs of the manufacturer to produce them. The board must establish a formula for determining whether the average manufacturer price of a prescription drug or medical device over an annual quarter is an excessive price. Manufacturers may not charge excessive prices. Individuals may petition the board to determine whether the price for a prescription drug or medical device is excessive. The board may subject violators to reduced patent terms, civil penalties, and increased Medicaid rebates. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on the sale of prescription drugs or medical devices that have excessive prices. The board must allow individuals to import from approved counties prescription drugs and devices that are comparable to prescription drugs and devices with excessive prices.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2016
Improving Care for Vulnerable Older Citizens through Workforce Advancement Act of 2016 This bill amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Administration on Aging to carry out a program awarding grants to eligible entities to carry out six separate demonstration projects that focus on care coordination and service delivery for older individuals with chronic illness or at risk of institutional placement by: (1) designing and testing new models of care coordination and service delivery that thoughtfully and effectively deploy advanced aides to improve efficiency and quality of care for frail older individuals; and (2) giving direct-care workers opportunities for career advancement through additional training, an expanded role, and increased compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2016
No Religious Registry Act This bill prohibits U.S. government officials from collecting information or utilizing a registry or database to classify on the basis of religious affiliation: (1) U.S. nationals or aliens lawfully present in the United States, or (2) aliens who apply for a visa or seek admission to the United States or on whose behalf a petition under the immigration laws is submitted. The bill also prohibits studies related to the collection of such information or the establishment or utilization of such a registry or database. Nothing in this bill may be construed to prohibit the collection of information that is provided voluntarily, including information relating to the decennial census.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016
National Observations of Hate, Assaults, and Threats to Equality Act of 2016 or the NO HATE Act of 2016 This bill requires a state or local government that receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to report hate crime information to the Department of Justice (DOJ). DOJ must reduce the JAG allocation of a state or local government state that fails to comply. The bill directs the Federal Bureau of Investigation to include hate crime information in the Uniform Crime Reports and the National Incident-Based Reporting System.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2016
Presidential Accountability Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for the President or Vice President to personally and substantially participate in official matters that affect their financial interests, unless the financial interests are held in a blind trust or the President or Vice President discloses the financial interests and receives an exemption. It imposes criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both—on a President or Vice President who commits the offense. It also authorizes civil penalties and injunctions. Additionally, a violation constitutes a high crime and misdemeanor (i.e., grounds for impeachment) under Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution. Finally, the bill prohibits the President or Vice President from entering into contracts with the U.S. government.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Medigap Consumer Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) expand guaranteed issue rights with respect to Medigap policies (Medicare supplemental health insurance policies), (2) eliminate certain limitations on Medigap policies for newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries, and (3) modify other provisions related to Medigap policies. ("Guaranteed issue" rights require that a policy be offered to any eligible applicant without regard to health status.)
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2016
Recognizes the celebration of Filipino American History Month as: a study of the advancement of Filipino Americans; and a time to renew efforts toward the research and examination of history and culture so as to provide an opportunity for all people of the United States to learn more about Filipino Americans, and to appreciate the historic contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2016
Veterans-Specific Education for Tomorrow's Medical Doctors Act or the VET MD Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a three-year pilot program at at least five VA medical centers to provide undergraduate students a clinical observation experience. The VA shall ensure that such program: increases the awareness, knowledge, and empathy of future medical professionals toward the medical conditions common to veterans; increases the diversity of the recruitment pool of future VA physicians; provides a diverse clinical observation experience commensurate with the standard expectations for medical school applications; and expands clinical observation opportunities for all students by encouraging students of all backgrounds to consider a career in medicine. The VA shall select undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens enrolled in an accredited science or medical program of study to participate in the program, with priority to students who resided in a health professional shortage area and who are the first in their immediate family to attend an undergraduate institution.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2016
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2016 This bill amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) and XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to indefinitely extend Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant recipients. Under current law, such coverage is limited to 36 months following a transplant.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Medicare Affordability and Enrollment Act of 2016 This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: establish an annual limit on out-of-pocket expenditures for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries; expand income-eligibility for cost-sharing and, with respect to beneficiaries consequently eligible for cost-sharing, establish a federal medical assistance percentage of 100% under Medicaid; limit the amount of coinsurance or copayment required of low-income beneficiaries; eliminate the two-year waiting period for Medicare coverage with respect to individuals with disabilities; allow beneficiaries residing in U.S. territories to be eligible for certain premium and cost-sharing subsidies available to other beneficiaries under the Medicare prescription drug benefit; and modify other provisions related to special rules for beneficiaries in Puerto Rico, income and resource determinations, and enrollment procedures. The bill also amends the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 to extend funding for specified beneficiary outreach and education activities.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2016
Recognizes the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Fulbright-Hays Programs. Congratulates Fulbright-Hays award recipients. Calls on elementary, secondary, and postsecondary teachers, scholars, and professionals around the world to seek opportunities to engage with each other and promote international goodwill and global learning.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Fair Accountability and Innovative Research Drug Pricing Act of 2016 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require manufacturers of certain drugs and biological products to report to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) price increases that result in a 10% or more increase in the price of a drug over a 12-month period. Reports are required for prescription drugs and drugs commonly administered in hospitals, except vaccines, drugs for rare conditions, and drugs with annual sales for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees of less than $1. Manufacturers that do not submit a required report are subject to a civil penalty. The Inspector General of HHS must review drug price information to determine compliance. Collected penalty funds must be used to carry out activities related to this reporting requirement and to improve consumer and provider information about drug value and drug price transparency. HHS must publish manufacturer reports, a summary of those reports, and supporting analyses.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2016
Sam Farr Peace Corps Enhancement Act This bill increases the monthly pay rate for Peace Corps volunteers. The Peace Corps shall provide initial medical care to a former volunteer for a service-related condition for 180 days after termination of service, which may be extended under specified circumstances. The bill grants the government jurisdiction over, and imposes penalties upon, persons who commit certain crimes outside of the United States against a volunteer. The bill sets forth provisions regarding the use of mefloquine and other anti-malaria drugs, including appropriate medical officer training. The Peace Corps Act is amended to authorize the designation of a position as a critical management support position if the position requires specialized technical or professional skills and knowledge of Peace Corps operations. An appointment may not exceed five years. The President shall ensure that each overseas post has appropriate medical services, including by detailing to such a post the licensed medical staff of other U.S. agencies. Each volunteer applicant shall be provided with information regarding crime and health risks and volunteer satisfaction with respect to the country in which the applicant has been invited to serve. The Office of Victim Advocacy in Peace Corps headquarters is made permanent. The bill: (1) expands membership of the Sexual Assault Advisory Council from 8 to up to 14 members, (2) requires at least one council member to have mental health field expertise, (3) extends the council through October 1, 2023, and (4) requires the council to establish an email address to permit volunteers and former volunteers to communicate directly and confidentially with the council. The President shall conduct annual volunteer surveys through September 30, 2023 (currently through September 30, 2018). The Inspector General of the Peace Corps may hire an expert, consultant, or organization without regard to certain daily salary requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
Strengthening Social Security Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe special rules for the determination of taxable wages and self-employment income above the contribution and benefit base after 2016. Title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) is amended to: (1) increase from 90% to 95% over five years the first bend point factor used in determining the primary OASDI insurance amount; and (2) include surplus average indexed monthly earnings in the determination of such amounts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor shall prepare and publish the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers (CPI-EC) that indicates changes over time in expenditures for consumption which are typical for individuals in the United States who have attained early retirement age for purposes of an old-age, wife's, or husband's insurance benefit. The bill amends the SSAct to make the CPI-EC the applicable Consumer Price Index for computation of cost-of-living increases in OASDI benefits for such individuals. The bill revises OASDI benefits for a widow or widower to provide benefits at a level equal to at least 75% of the amount received prior to the death of a spouse. The bill prevents any decrease in the benefit level of supplemental security income recipients resulting from any increase in other social security benefits in this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
Recognizes the importance of U.S. and international assistance to the people of Lebanon in order to build Lebanon's capacity to provide services and security, and particularly to curb Hezbollah's influence. Encourages coordination between the Department of State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and humanitarian organizations to ensure that refugees from the conflict in Syria are supported so as to mitigate any destabilizing effect on their host countries. Recognizes that it is in U.S. interests to support negotiations to end the conflict in Syria, which would allow for the eventual return of the millions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and other countries. Supports full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 (calling for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon). Recognizes the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as the sole institution entrusted with the defense of Lebanon's sovereignty and supports U.S. partnerships with the LAF, particularly through the global coalition to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2016
Expresses support for the designation of National Suicide Prevention Month. Recognizes suicide as a preventable public health problem and supports declaring that suicide prevention should be a priority. Promotes awareness that suicide most often occurs when stressors exceed the current coping abilities of an individual suffering from a mental health condition.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2016
Improved Employment Outcomes for Foster Youth Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include the hiring of qualified foster care transition youth. (The WOTC permits employers who hire individuals who are members of a targeted group [e.g., qualified veterans, ex-felons, SSI recipients] to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of the wages paid to those individuals.) A "qualified foster care transition youth" is any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as: (1) not having attained age 27 as of the hiring date, and (2) as having been in foster care after attaining the younger of age 16 or the age specified in provisions of the Social Security Act related to the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2016
Supports the designation of National Estuaries Week. Acknowledges the importance of estuaries to sustaining employment in the United States and the nation's economic well-being and prosperity. Expresses the intent of the House of Representatives to continue working to understand, protect, and restore U.S. estuaries.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
America's Call To Improve Opportunities Now for National Service Act or the ACTION for National Service Act This bill amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to reestablish the Corporation for National and Community Service as an independent executive agency called the National and Community Service Administration. An individual who successfully completes a term of full-time national service shall be entitled to a national service educational award equal to twice the amount of tuition for the institution of higher education where the individual is enrolled, not to exceed twice the average in-state tuition. Current law limits the award's value to the maximum amount of a Federal Pell Grant that an individual is eligible to receive in the aggregate. Within the administration, the bill establishes an interagency working group to evaluate specified issues related to: (1) eligibility for tuition and student loan repayment assistance with regard to participation in certain national or volunteer service programs, (2) the advisability of granting federal hiring preference to certain volunteer program participants, and (3) methods for increasing the participation of seniors in national service programs. The National Service Foundation, a nonprofit corporation established by the bill, shall accept and administer gifts made in connection with the administration. The bill expresses support for the authorization of appropriations sufficient to provide, within 10 years, volunteer service opportunities for at least 1 million volunteers in full-time national service annually. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude AmeriCorps educational awards from gross income.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day. Encourages: (1) primary care physicians and other clinicians to become actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services; (2) the media to observe this Awareness Day by educating clinicians about the important role they play in providing access to HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services and by educating clinicians and the public about the benefits of HIV testing; and (3) individuals to get tested for HIV and educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Amerasian Paternity Recognition Act of 2016 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to confer automatic citizenship on aliens residing in the United States in lawful permanent resident status: pursuant to an approved classification petition that gives preferential treatment to persons born in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, or Thailand after 1950 and before October 22, 1982, and fathered by a U.S. citizen; or who were born in Vietnam after January 1, 1962, and before January 1, 1976, and fathered by a U.S. citizen.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Putting Main Street FIRST Act or the Putting Main Street FIRST: Finishing Irresponsible Reckless Speculative Trading Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a .03% excise tax on the purchase of a security if: (1) such purchase occurs on, or is subject to the rules of, a qualified board or exchange located in the United States; or (2) the purchaser or seller is a U.S. person. A "security" includes: (1) any share of stock in a corporation, (2) any partnership or beneficial ownership interest in a partnership or trust; (3) any note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness; and (4) derivatives that meet specified criteria. The tax applies to transactions with respect to a derivative if: (1) the derivative is traded on, or is subject to the rules of, a qualified board or exchange located in the United States; or (2) any party with rights under the derivative is a U.S. person. The bill exempts from such tax: (1) initial issues of securities; (2) any note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness which is traded on or is subject to the rules of, a qualified board or exchange located in the United States, and has a fixed maturity of not more than 100 days. The tax applies to transactions by a controlled foreign corporation and must be paid by its U.S. shareholders. The bill allows an offset against such tax for contributions to certain tax-favored savings accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Recognizes: the significance of the 25th anniversary of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program; the value of having current science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers directly engaged in the policymaking process; the sacrifices made by teachers who interrupt their careers to serve as Einstein Fellows; and the contributions of Einstein Fellows. Expresses support for the continuation of the program. Encourages federal agencies and congressional offices to host Einstein Fellows and to leverage the expertise of former Einstein Fellows.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2016
Protecting Foster Youth Resources to Promote Self-Sufficiency Act This bill amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI)) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act to prohibit a state or local government agency serving as representative payee for an eligible individual in foster care under state responsibility from using any OASDI or SSI benefits to reimburse the state for: foster care maintenance payments, or other payments made by the state or political subdivision of the state to cover any cost or expense for such an individual. The state plan for foster care and adoption assistance shall require the state agency to: develop and implement procedures to ensure that such a child is screened to determine potential eligibility for OASDI and SSI benefits; assist a potentially eligible child in applying for, and (if necessary) appealing any decisions made regarding, such benefits; apply to become the child's representative payee if there is no other suitable candidate available; and develop and implement procedures to ensure that any child potentially eligible for, or receiving, OASDI or SSI benefits, is assisted with applying for such benefits. The state plan for foster care and adoption assistance shall require the state agency, regarding each foster child under state responsibility and on whose behalf the state receives OASDI or SSI benefits, to develop a plan for the child to achieve self-support after leaving foster care. A representative payee that is a state shall manage the OASDI or SSI benefits paid to it on behalf of an individual in foster care under state responsibility. Under the SSI program, any assets managed on behalf of an eligible foster child under state responsibility shall be excluded in determining the child's resources, and support and maintenance furnished in cash or in kind shall be disregarded in determining the child's income.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016
Fair Employment Protection Act of 2016 This bill sets forth employer liability standards to be applied in employee harassment claims under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Revised Statutes, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, employment discrimination laws relating to certain executive branch employees, and the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995. The bill declares that employers under such Acts are liable for the acts of any individual whose harassment of an employee has created or continued an unlawful hostile work environment if, at the time of the harassment: (1) such individual was authorized by that employer to undertake or recommend tangible employment actions affecting the employee or to direct the employee's daily work activities, or (2) the negligence of the employer led to the creation or continuation of that hostile work environment (thus modifies the liability standards provided by the Supreme Court in Vance v. Ball State University , which limited the category of supervisors for whom an employer may be held vicariously liable to those individuals who have authority to take tangible employment actions).
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2016
Equal Employment Opportunity Restoration Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal judicial code to permit one or more members of a group seeking relief for discriminatory employment practices under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, equal rights laws under the Revised Statutes, or the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 to sue on behalf of all members of the group if the representative party shows, by a reasonable inference, that: (1) members of the group are so numerous that their joinder is impracticable; (2) claims of the representative party are typical of the claims of the group the representative party seeks to represent and the representative party and the representative party's counsel will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the group; and (3) members of the group are, or have been, subject to an employment practice that has adversely affected or is adversely affecting a significant portion of the group's members. (Thus, it establishes a new standard for employees bringing group actions for certain employment discrimination, notwithstanding the Supreme Court decision in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes , which required "convincing proof of a companywide discriminatory pay and promotion policy" as a prerequisite to class certification.) A representative party may challenge a subjective employment practice covered by any of the above-referenced employment statutes in a group action filed under this bill to the same extent as the party may challenge any other employment practice covered by such a statute in such an action. A "subjective employment practice" is defined as: (1) an employer's policy of leaving personnel decisions to the unguided discretion of supervisors, managers, and other employees with authority to make such personnel decisions; or (2) an employment practice combining such a subjective employment practice with other types of personnel decisions. The bill prohibits the fact that individual supervisors, managers, or other employees with authority to make personnel decisions may exercise discretion in different ways in applying a subjective employment practice under such a statute from precluding a representative party from filing a corresponding group action. Representative parties may elect to proceed in a group action under this bill or in a class action under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
Honors the life, work, and legacy of Elie Wiesel. Extends the deepest sympathies of the House of Representatives to the members of Wiesel's family. Reaffirms Wiesel's efforts to preserve the memory of those who perished and prevent the recurrence of another Holocaust, to combat hate and intolerance, and to never forget and also learn from the lessons of history.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2016
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2016
Underwater Student Borrowers Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of student loan indebtedness, to: (1) include indebtedness discharged due to income-contingent and income-based repayment plans, the death or disability of the borrower, or the closing of an educational institution; and (2) revise the definition of "student loan" to mean a loan made by any lender, including a loan for the refinancing of an existing loan.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2016
Plymouth 400th Commemoration Commission Act of 2016 This bill establishes the Plymouth 400th Commemoration Commission to: assist in the planning, development, and implementation of programs and activities to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the voyage of Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts; facilitate such activities throughout the United States; encourage civic, military, historical, educational, religious, economic, and other organizations to organize and participate in commemoration activities to expand the understanding and appreciation of the significance of the founding and early history of Plymouth Colony; coordinate and facilitate for the public scholarly research and publications regarding, and interpretation of, the cultures present in 17th Century Plymouth Colony, including the English colonists and the indigenous Wampanoag tribes; and ensure that the 400th anniversary of Plymouth provides a lasting legacy and long-term public benefit by assisting in the development of appropriate programs and facilities. The commission shall: (1) prepare a strategic plan and an annual performance plan; and (2) submit a final report by December 31, 2021, that includes a summary of its activities, a final accounting of its funds, and its findings or recommendations. The commission shall terminate on December 31, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2016
Plymouth 400th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to issue up to 100,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the landing and settlement of Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, the signing of the Mayflower Compact, and the role of the indigenous Wampanoag tribes in the realization of the settlement. These coins may be issued only during a two-year period beginning January 1, 2020. Sales of such coins shall include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury as follows: 50% to Plymouth 400, Inc., to support the its work to develop, implement, and provide oversight for the commemorations surrounding the events of 2020-2021 and to be distributed, at the organization's discretion, to local historical preservation and cultural organizations to support their work in educating the public about the settlement of 1620 and their continued existence for the benefit of future generations; 15% to Plimoth Plantation to support its effort to maintain the replica of the 1627 Plantation, the Mayflower II, and the replica of the Wampanoag Village; 15% to a Wampanoag tribal organization to continue programs to educate people about the life of the Wampanoag people prior to the Plymouth settlement and their interactions with the settlers; 10% to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants to support the continued restoration of the main facility in Plymouth, to provide funding for its research library at that site, and for educational purposes; and 10% to the Pilgrim Society to continue its work in displaying the story of the settlement and settlement artifacts.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2016
Price Relief, Innovation, and Competition for Essential Drugs Act or the PRICED Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to allow biosimilars to be marketed seven years after the reference brand name biological product is licensed. Currently, brand name biological products are provided a 12-year marketing exclusivity period. This shortened marketing exclusivity period applies only to biological products licensed by the Food and Drug Administration after enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016
Personalize Your Care Act 2.0 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish several new programs and requirements related to end-of-life care and advance care planning. The bill establishes a demonstration program to test the use of advanced illness management and early use of palliative care under Medicare. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must make grants to eligible entities for the purpose of developing, expanding, and enhancing programs for orders for life-sustaining treatment. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall adopt standards for electronic health records with respect to providing one-click access to specified advance care planning documentation. Under Medicare, an advance directive shall be portable across state lines and may be presumed valid regardless of where it was executed. In the absence of a validly executed advance directive, any authentic expression of a person's wishes with regard to health care shall be honored. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on the portability, electronic storage, use, and barriers to use of advance directives. The bill applies specified quality measures to end-of-life care under Medicare. CMS must report annually on specified information related to Medicare decedents. HHS shall award grants to increase public awareness of advance care planning. In addition, HHS shall award grants to eligible entities for the development and implementation of training and education programs related to advance care planning, hospice care, and palliative care. HHS must establish an advisory committee on advance care planning.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2016
Max Cleland Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2016 This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Joseph Maxwell "Max" Cleland.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Family and Medical Leave Act Protections for Part-time Workers Act of 2016 This bill amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to make an employee eligible for coverage if that employee has been employed for at least 12 months by a covered employer from whom the leave is requested. The bill repeals the current requirement that the employee have served at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period before the leave request.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to prohibit the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement (OSMRE) and state regulatory authorities from accepting new self-bonds for coal reclamation. Additionally, any existing self-bonds or corporate bonds utilized for coal reclamation must be converted to surety or collateral bonds. The OSMRE may approve state or federal alternative coal mining bond programs that result in no greater risk of financial liability to the federal government than a surety or collateral bond program. The bill also requires the OSMRE to issue rules establishing limitations on surety bonds to minimize the financial liability to the federal or state government.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2016
Supports: (1) India's inclusion as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, and (2) the Obama administration's work with U.N. members to effect such inclusion.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2016
Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act This bill prohibits funds from being made available to Honduras for the police and military (including for equipment and training), and directs the Department of the Treasury to vote against multilateral loans to Honduras for its police and military, until the Department of States certifies that the government of Honduras has: prosecuted members of the military and police for human rights violations and ensured that such violations have ceased; established the rule of law and guaranteed a judicial system capable of bringing to justice members of the police and military who have committed human rights abuses; established that it protects the rights of trade unionists, journalists, human rights defenders, government critics, and civil society activists to operate without interference; withdrawn the military from domestic policing; and brought to trial and obtained verdicts against those who ordered and carried out the attack on Felix Molina and the killings of Berta Caceres, Joel Palacios Lino, Elvis Armando Garcia, and over 100 small-farmer activists in the Aguan Valley.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016
Protecting America's Health Measures Act This bill amends the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 to revise the principal U.S. negotiating objectives regarding foreign investment to require any trade agreement between the United States and a foreign country to include a stipulation that, if the United States elects to deny the benefits of any dispute settlement claim relating to a U.S. law or other measure considered appropriate to ensure that investment activity in its territory is undertaken in a manner sensitive to U.S. human health objectives, then that claim shall be dismissible in any arbitration proceeding.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2016
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Reform Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make certain amounts in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund available, without appropriation, for expenditures to pay: 100% of the eligible operations and maintenance costs of specified portions of the Saint Lawrence Seaway as well as those assigned to commercial navigation of all U.S. harbors and inland harbors; rebates of certain tolls or charges on the Seaway; and all expenses of administration relating to harbor maintenance tax incurred by the Department of the Treasury, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Commerce. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 is amended to: require allocation to certain donor ports and energy transfer ports of at least 20% of amounts made available each fiscal year from the Trust Fund, and authorize the Department of the Army to make the allocations equally between these kinds of ports. A "donor port" is a port, subject to the harbor maintenance fee, located in a state in which more than 2 million cargo containers were unloaded from or loaded on to vessels in FY2012, whose total amount of collected harbor maintenance taxes comes to less than $15 million annually, and which received less than 25% of the total amount of harbor maintenance taxes collected at that port in the previous five fiscal years. An "energy transfer port" is one, also subject to the harbor maintenance fee, through which more than 40 million tons of cargo were transported in FY2012, and at which energy commodities constituted more than 25% of all commercial activity by tonnage in that fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2016
Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care. With respect to such care, the bill establishes special payment rules, limitations, and coinsurance requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2016
Daniel J. Evans Olympic National Park Wilderness Act This bill amends the Washington Park Wilderness Act of 1988 to redesignate the Olympic Wilderness as the "Daniel J. Evans Wilderness."
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2016
LGBT Data Inclusion Act This bill requires federal agencies that collect information through a survey that includes demographic data (where subjects self-report information or a proxy provides information about the subject or responds for all persons in a household) to establish data standards that require: a determination of which existing data sets exclude information about sexual orientation and gender identity; an identification, and a use, of appropriate methods to include questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in surveys that facilitate categorization and voluntary participation and that preserve privacy and confidentiality; and a routine assessment of needed changes in survey methods related to asking such questions. Agencies that publish reports relying on survey demographic data must include information on sexual orientation and gender identity. Individuals shall not be: (1) required by this bill to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to an agency; or (2) subjected to fines or penalties for refusing to answer, or providing a false answer to, any survey question regarding gender identity or sexual orientation. Nothing in this bill shall be construed to permit the use of such collected information in a manner that would adversely affect an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2016
Condemns the Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, China, because it: (1) is a spectacle of extreme animal cruelty, (2) is a commercial activity not grounded in Chinese history, (3) is opposed by a majority of the Chinese people, and (4) threatens global public health. Urges: the government of China and the Yulin authorities to ban the killing and eating of dogs as part of Yulin's festival and to enforce China's food safety laws regulating the processing and sale of animal products and the 2011 Agriculture Ministry of China Regulation on the Quarantine of Dogs at the Place of Origin requiring one certificate for one dog on trans-provincial transport trucks, and the National People's Congress of China to enact an animal anticruelty law that bans the dog meat trade. Affirms the commitment of the United States to the protection of animals and to the progress of animal protection.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2016
Creating Higher Education Affordability Necessary to Compete Economically Act or the Middle Class CHANCE Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify provisions related to the Federal Pell Grant program. Specifically, it increases the maximum Federal Pell Grant award for academic year 2017-2018 and adjusts it in subsequent award years to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index. Additionally, the bill increases from one to two the number of Pell Grants an eligible student may receive in a single award year (i.e., it restores year-round Pell Grants). An eligible student is a student who: (1) has already received one Pell Grant for an award year, (2) is enrolled in an eligible program for an additional payment period (e.g., a summer term) during the same award year, (3) is enrolled on at least a part-time basis, and (4) has completed a full-time course load prior to receiving an additional Pell Grant. A student's total amount of Pell Grants must not exceed 150% of the maximum Pell Grant for that award year. Also, any period during which a student receives an additional Pell Grant counts toward that student's lifetime Pell Grant eligibility period. Finally, the bill increases from 12 to 15 semesters a student's lifetime Federal Pell Grant eligibility period.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016
Consortia-Led Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Networks Act This bill requires the Department of Commerce to carry out a grant program for establishing consortia to enhance U.S. economic, environmental, and energy security by promoting domestic research, development, manufacture, and deployment of clean technologies and advanced manufacturing processes. Clean technology means technologies, production processes, or methodologies that: produce energy from renewable energy sources; transmit, distribute, or store energy more efficiently; enhance energy efficiency for buildings and industry; enable the development of a Smart Grid (an evolving electric power network that utilizes new information technology systems, including those that enable customers to reduce or shift their power use during peak demand periods); produce an advanced or sustainable material with energy or energy efficiency applications; improve energy efficiency for transportation; or enhance water security through improved water management, conservation, distribution, or end use applications.
![Official portrait of Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m000404_200.jpg)