United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2014
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to charge an advance payment of veterans' educational assistance against the final and, if necessary, penultimate month of the recipient's entitlement to such assistance. Prohibits an individual from receiving more than one advance payment of veterans' educational assistance during any academic year.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2014
Women's Economic Bill of Rights Resolution of 2014 - Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should support efforts that guarantee: (1) equal pay for equal work; and (2) fair treatment in the workplace, including reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers. Declares that Congress should support efforts that guarantee, for women and men: (1) access to paid family and medical leave; (2) economic and retirement security; and (3) fair access to business capital, federal contracts, and a marketplace conducive to small business growth.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2014
Humane Cosmetics Act - Prohibits: (1) any entity from conducting or contracting for cosmetic animal testing in the United States, in or affecting interstate commerce, effective on the date that is one year after enactment of this Act; and (2) selling, offering for sale, or transporting in interstate commerce any cosmetic if the final product or any component was developed or manufactured using cosmetic animal testing conducted or contracted for after such date, effective three years after this Act's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2014
Community Water Enhancement Act of 2014 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in making grants under the pilot program for alternative water source projects to meet critical water supply needs, to consider the location and benefits of projects in rural communities (including whether the area is served by a public water system with fewer than 3,000 connections or is located in an area with no public water system). Includes among such projects: (1) the conjunctive management of groundwater supplies by delivery of surface water instead of groundwater, and (2) water treatment or distribution facilities if the project requires such facilities to deliver the alternative water supply. Authorizes funding for the program through FY2018.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2014
Water Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 30% of amounts paid for certified WaterSense program property (defined as any plumbing fixture or fitting that has been tested and certified in accordance with the WaterSense program of the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], a voluntary partnership program for protecting the water supply by using less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services, or an analogous successor program). Limits the lifetime dollar amount of such credit to $2,000. Terminates such credit after 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2014
Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE), acting through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, to act as the lead federal agency for coordinating and disseminating information on existing federal programs and assistance that may be used to help initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy retrofitting projects for schools. Requires the Secretary to: (1) carry out a review of existing programs and financing mechanisms available in or from appropriate federal agencies with jurisdiction over energy financing and facilitation that are currently used or may be used for such purposes; (2) establish a federal cross-departmental collaborative coordination, education, and outreach effort to streamline communication and promote available federal opportunities and assistance for such projects that enables states, local educational agencies, and schools to use existing federal opportunities more effectively and to form partnerships with governors, state energy programs, local educational, financial, and energy officials, state and local officials, nonprofit organizations, and other appropriate entities to support project initiation; (3) provide technical assistance for states, local educational agencies, and schools to help develop and finance projects that meet specified requirements; (4) develop and maintain a single online resource website with contact information for relevant technical assistance and support staff in the Office for states, local educational agencies, and schools to effectively access and use federal opportunities and assistance to develop such projects; and (5) establish a process for recognition of schools that have successfully implemented such projects and are willing to serve as resources for other local educational agencies and schools to assist initiation of similar efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2014
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a commemorative postage stamp should be issued in honor of the Buffalo Soldiers, and (2) the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee should recommend to the Postmaster General that such a stamp be issued.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act - Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to require states that classify children by disability to: (1) identify, locate, and evaluate children who have visual disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing, who are, or may be, classified in another disability category; and (2) provide special education and related services to such children, including the services provided to children classified as blind or deaf or hard of hearing. Requires states to file a written addendum to their special education plan that ensures that children in the state who have visual disabilities or who are deaf or hard of hearing are: (1) evaluated by qualified professionals, using valid and reliable assessments, regarding the special education and related services that meet their unique learning needs; and (2) provided the special education and related services that meet those needs. Specifies the minimum content of those evaluations. Requires states to ensure that they have enough qualified personnel to serve children who are visually disabled or who are deaf or hard of hearing. Allows parents and local educational agencies to include a representative of a state-operated, state-supported, or state-aided school for the deaf on a child's individualized education program (IEP) team. Requires the IEP team for each child that is blind or visually impaired or deaf or hard of hearing to provide the child with instruction that meets the child's unique learning needs and includes assistive technology proficiency, self sufficiency and interaction, and age appropriate career education. Requires states to ensure that a full continuum of alternative placements is available to meet the needs of disabled children for special education and related services. Treats states' closure of special schools serving children who are blind or deaf as a reduction of their financial support for special education and related services for purposes of the prohibition against reducing their level of financial support for such services from one fiscal year to the next. Directs the Secretary of Education, within one year of this Act's enactment and periodically thereafter, to review, update, and publish policy guidance concerning the provision of special education and related services to students who are visually disabled or who are deaf or hard of hearing. Includes teachers of infants and toddlers with sensory disabilities as qualified providers of early intervention services. Provides that the natural environments in which early intervention services are to be provided for infants and toddlers with sensory disabilities include any environment where services meeting their unique needs are available, including those where the child's language is the primary language and mode of communication. Requires the individualized family service plan for an infant or toddler who is deaf or hard of hearing to include: (1) an ongoing language and communication assessment, (2) language and communication development goals commensurate with the child's cognitive abilities, and (3) the language and communication access that will be provided to the child. Authorizes grants for training special education personnel to be used in preparing individuals to be qualified teachers and early intervention specialists for deaf and hard of hearing children. Establishes within the Department of Education a national program named the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence, which is to be administered by a consortium composed of nonprofit organizations and at least one institution of higher education (IHE) with specified experience in the education of the visually impaired. Authorizes the Center to: conduct or fund original quantitative and qualitative research and disseminate that research; conduct or fund in-person and on-line continuing education opportunities for teachers of the visually impaired and related services personnel and to prepare and disseminate supporting materials; conduct or fund in-person or online enrichment projects for students with visual disabilities; fund the establishment of programs within IHEs to prepare teachers of the visually impaired to provide expert instruction to visually impaired students who also have additional disabilities; and enter into agreements or grants with nonprofit organizations to carry out authorized activities that are not otherwise directly conducted by the Center.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a congressional gold medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such medal at a price sufficient to cover the costs of such medals.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the Freedom Riders in recognition of their contribution to civil rights, which inspired a movement to equality in interstate travel. Requires such medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display and research. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Freedom Riders.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week to increase understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers. Recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2014
Honoring Our Fallen TSA Officers Act - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include within the definition of "public safety officers," in order for them to receive death benefits under the Act, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees who are performing their official duties related to protecting the nation's transportation systems.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2014
Government By the People Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow a refundable credit of 50% of qualified congressional House campaign contributions paid or incurred during the taxable year (contributions of cash by an individual to a House candidate or a political committee established and maintained by a national political party if the contribution is not prohibited under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 [FECA], to be known as "My Voice Federal" contributions). Directs the Government by the People Oversight Commission, established by this Act, to launch a pilot program under which it shall select three eligible states to operate a voucher pilot program. Requires a state under a voucher pilot program to provide each qualified individual during the election cycle, upon his or her request, with a "My Voice Voucher" worth $50 (in either paper or electronic form), which will be assigned a routing number. Authorizes the individual, using the assigned routing number, to submit the My Voice Voucher, in either electronic or paper form, to qualified federal election candidates, allocating a portion of its value in $5 increments. Requires the Commission to pay any candidate who transmits a My Voice Voucher that portion of its value which the individual allocated to the candidate. Considers this transaction a contribution by the individual to the candidate for purposes of FECA. Requires a state operating a voucher pilot program also to permit an individual to revoke a My Voice Voucher within two days after submitting it to a candidate. Requires such a state to establish a commission or designate an existing entity to oversee and implement the program in the state, except that no such commission or entity may be composed of elected officials. Amends FECA with respect to: benefits for participating House of Representatives candidates; Federal Election Commission (FEC) payments to such candidates; candidate use of payments; qualified small dollar contributions, expenditures, and fundraising requirements; certification of participating candidates; campaign administration; prevention of the unnecessary spending of public funds; establishment of the Freedom From Influence Fund in the Treasury and of a Government by the People Oversight Commission in the FEC; remittal of unspent funds to the Freedom From Influence Fund after an election; eligibility of participating candidates for additional payments; civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements; a Commission action appeals process; and contributions and expenditures by multicandidate and political party political committees on behalf of participating candidates. Prohibits a certified participating candidate's authorized committee from establishing a joint fundraising committee with any political committee other than another authorized committee of the candidate. Prohibits a certified participating candidate from establishing, financing, maintaining, or controlling a leadership PAC (political action committee). Prohibits use of contributions by a participating candidate for any purposes other than an election campaign. Revises bundler disclosure requirements to repeal a specified exception and so require disclosure of persons who provided bundled contributions to the reporting committee. Amends FECA to empower the FEC to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action to enforce the Act. Requires all political committee designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed: (1) directly with the FEC; and (2) in electronic form accessible by computers. Reduces from 48 hours to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to set a station's lowest unit price for preemptible use as the charge for a broadcast by the national committee of a political party for an affiliated candidate. Authorizes the FEC to revoke a broadcast station license or construction permit only for at least three willful failures to allow reasonable access to, or to permit purchase of reasonable amounts of time for the use of, a broadcasting station or cable system by a legally qualified candidate for federal office. Amends the IRC to allow tax payers to designate that a specified portion of any overpayment of tax be contributed to the Freedom From Influence Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2014
Fixing Operations of Reservoirs to Encompass Climatic and Atmospheric Science Trends Act or the FORECAST Act - Requires the Secretary of the Army, not later than one year after a request of a non-federal sponsor of a reservoir, to review operation of such reservoir, including the water control manual and rule curves, using improved weather forecasts and run-off forecasting methods, including the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction System of the National Weather Service and the Hydrometeorology Testbed program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Requires the Secretary to determine if a change in operations will improve core functions of the Army Corps of Engineers, including: (1) reducing risks to human life, public safety, property; (2) reducing the need for future disaster relief; (3) improving local water storage capability and reliability in coordination with the non-federal sponsor and other water users; (4) restoring, protecting, or mitigating the impacts of a water resources development project on the environment; or (5) improving fish species habitat or population within the boundaries and downstream of a water resources project. Requires that if the Secretary determines from results of the review that using improved weather and run-off forecasting methods improves one or more core functions of the Corps at a reservoir, the Secretary shall incorporate such changes in its operation and update the water control manual.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2014
Honors the victims of the genocide in Cambodia that took place from April 1975 through January 1979, and supports efforts to pursue justice for its victims.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2014
Recognizes the difficult challenges Black veterans faced when returning home after serving in the Armed Forces, their heroic military sacrifices, and their patriotism in fighting for equal rights and for the dignity of a people and a nation. Recognizes the need for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue to work to eliminate any health and benefit disparities for minority veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 - Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with respect to the requirement that a federal court retain jurisdiction for an appropriate period to prevent commencement of new devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Expands the types of violations triggering the authority of a court to retain such jurisdiction to include certain violations of the Act as well as violations of any federal voting rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group. Excludes from the list of violations triggering jurisdiction retention authority any voting qualification or prerequisite which results in a denial or abridgement of the right to vote that is based on the imposition of a requirement that an individual provide a photo identification as a condition of receiving a ballot for voting in a federal, state, or local election. Revises requirements for determining which states and political subdivisions are covered or not covered by criteria for declaratory judgments that they have not used devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Subjects to the requirements for making such a determination any state (and all of its political subdivisions) during a calendar if 5 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 15 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself (as opposed to a political subdivision within it). Specifies application of such new coverage requirements to any specific political subdivision if: (1) 3 or more voting rights violations occurred in it during the previous 15 calendar years; or (2) 1 or more voting rights violations occurred in it during the previous 15 calendar years and the subdivision had persistent, extremely low minority turnout during that period. Provides that, if a state obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a device to deny or abridge the right to vote, the requirements for a new declaratory judgment generally will not apply, unless the new coverage requirements of this Act apply to the state solely on the basis of voting rights violations occurring after the declaratory judgment was issued. Prescribes transparency requirements, including reasonable public notice, regarding any changes to: (1) voting prerequisites, standards, or procedures; (2) polling place resources; or (3) demographics and electoral districts. Modifies authority to assign observers, including authorizing the assignment of observers to enforce bilingual election requirements. Revises requirements for injunctive relief, including its scope and the persons authorized to seek relief as well as the grounds for granting it.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Recognizes the significance of the anniversary of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program. Acknowledges the value of 40 years of participation by the AAAS's Science and Technology Policy Fellows. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to support the use of science in governmental decisionmaking through such program.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2014
Reward and Encourage New Business Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from $5,000 to $10,000 the maximum amount of the tax deduction for business start-up expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before April 1, 2014. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until March 31, 2014, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and September 30, 2014, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to March 31, 2014, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through the first quarter of FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through March 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits. Makes a change in application of a certain requirement (nonreduction rule) to a state that has: (1) entered a federal-state EUC agreement, under which the federal government would reimburse the state's unemployment compensation agency making EUC payments to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment compensation under state or federal law and meet specified other criteria; and (2) enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. (Under the nonreduction rule such an agreement does not apply with respect to a state whose method for computing regular unemployment compensation under state law has been modified to make the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010, less than what would have been paid before June 2, 2010.) Declares that the nonreduction rule shall not apply to a state which has enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. Allows such a state, however, to enter into a subsequent federal-state EUC agreement on or after enactment of this Act if, taking into account this inapplicability of the nonreduction rule, it would otherwise meet the requirements for an EUC agreement. (Thus allows such a subsequent EUC agreement to permit payment of less than the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 December 2013
Repeals a provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2013
American Unemployed Worker Investment Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a small business employer (i.e., an employer that employs more than 10 but fewer than 25 full-time employees throughout the taxable year) a work opportunity tax credit for hiring a qualified unemployment compensation recipient. Allows the first $10,000 of wages paid to such a recipient to be taken in account for purposes of such credit. Defines "qualified unemployment compensation recipient" as any individual who is certified as: (1) not being a student for at least six months during the one-year period ending on the hiring date, (2) being in receipt of unemployment compensation on the hiring date, and (3) having a hiring date during the two-year period which begins on the enactment of this Act. Denies such credit unless: (1) the qualified unemployment compensation recipient is employed for not less than 35 hours per week for not less than 1 year, and (2) the number of full-time employees of the employer receiving such credit is increased by 1 for at least 1 year.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Antibiotic Development to Advance Patient Treatment Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to approve the use of an antibacterial or antifungal drug that is intended for treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease or condition to treat a limited population of patients for which there is an unmet medical need. Requires the labeling of such drugs to prominently include in the prescribing information the statement that the drug is indicated for use in a limited and specific population of patients. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to license those antibacterial or antifungal drugs as biological products. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) monitor the use of antibacterial and antifungal drugs, (2) monitor changes in bacterial and fungal resistance to drugs, and (3) make the information derived from such monitoring available to the public. Amends the FFDCA to direct the Secretary: (1) to identify upon approval, and subsequently update, susceptibility test interpretive criteria for antibacterial drugs by relying upon preclinical and clinical data, Bayesian and pharmacometric statistical methodologies, and such other confirmatory evidence the Secretary deems necessary; (2) on a quarterly basis, to evaluate new or updated criteria published by a nationally or internationally recognized standard development organization; and (3) to publish on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) website a notice adopting, declining to adopt, or partially adopting such new or updated criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Igniting American Research Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for increasing research expenditures, to: (1) extend such credit through 2014; (2) increase the rate of the alternative simplified research tax credit to 20% and make such credit permanent; (3) allow a 20% research tax credit for payments to a tax-exempt biotechnology research consortium for biotechnology research; and (4) modify the requirements relating to the eligibility of an energy research consortium for the tax credit to require at least 3 unrelated persons (currently, 5 unrelated persons) to make payments to such a consortium for energy research.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Child Care Access and Refundability Expansion Act or the Child CARE Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for dependent care expenses, to: (1) make such credit refundable, (2) deny such credit to nonresident aliens, and (3) allow an annual cost-of-living adjustment after 2013 to the amounts used to determine an income-based reduction in the amount of such credit.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Broadening Opportunities Through Education Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to states that make school attendance compulsory through age 17. Requires states to use their grant to improve their secondary school programs, such as by: establishing or expanding work-based programs that integrate academic and career-based skills; implementing an early warning system that helps high schools and their feeder middle schools identify and assist struggling students; establishing grade and school transition programs and supports; personalizing the school experience and increasing student engagement through service-learning and experiential, work-based, and other learning opportunities; providing extended-learning opportunities by the school day, week, or year; and increasing student supports through activities such as student advisories, counseling, and one-to-one mentoring.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Long-Term Unemployed Hiring Incentive Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow through December 31, 2016, a work opportunity tax credit for hiring a qualified long-term unemployed individual. Defines "qualified long-term unemployed individual" as any individual certified by the designated local agency as: (1) having exhausted, as of the hiring date, all rights to regular compensation under federal or state law; (2) having no rights to regular compensation with respect to the most recent week ending before the hiring date; and (3) not receiving compensation under the unemployment compensation law of Canada.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act of 2013 - Establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration (SSA), to be headed by the Deputy Commissioner of SSA. Entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for each month beginning on the first day of the first month in which the individual meets the criteria specified below and ending 365 days later (benefit period), not to exceed 60 qualified caregiving days per period. Qualifies for such a benefit payment any individual who: is insured for disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act at the time his or her application is filed; has earned income from employment during the 12 months before filing it; has filed an application for a FMLI benefit in accordance with this Act; and was engaged in qualified caregiving, or anticipates being so engaged, during the 90-day period before the application is filed or within 30 days after. Defines "qualified caregiving" as any activity engaged in by an individual, other than regular employment, for a reason for which an eligible employee would be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). Prescribes a formula for determination of an individual's monthly FMLI benefit payment, as well as for the maximum and the minimum monthly benefit amounts. Requires a FMLI benefit payment to be coordinated with any periodic benefits received from temporary disability insurance or family leave insurance programs under any state law or plan, local government, or an instrumentality of two or more states. Prescribes criteria that makes an individual ineligible for a FMLI benefit payment. Specifies prohibited acts by an employer, and penalties for violations. Establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund in the Treasury. Requires FMLI benefit payments to be made only from this Fund. Prohibits the use of amounts from the Social Security Trust Fund or appropriated to the SSA to administer Social Security programs for FMLI benefits or administration. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on every individual and employer, all self-employment income, and every railroad employee, employee representative, or railroad employer to finance the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund in the Treasury for FMLI benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
Recognizes the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the celebration of Human Rights Day. Supports the ideals of human rights and reaffirms the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Encourages all nations to continue working towards freedom, peace, and security which can be achieved only through democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the fight against breast cancer. Instructs the Secretary to select the design for the coins based upon the winning design from a juried, compensated design competition following certain specifications. Restricts the period of coin issuance to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2018. Requires all sales of such coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin. Prescribes a surcharge distribution formula.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
States that the House of Representatives has learned with profound sorrow of the death of Nelson Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa. Tenders its sympathies to the members of his family and his fellow citizens. Honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Mandela and for his friendship to the United States. Requests the Secretary of State to communicate these expressions of sentiment to Nelson Mandela's family and to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Requests that when the House adjourns today it do so as a mark of respect to the memory of Nelson Mandela.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a single congressional gold medal in commemoration of the Monuments Men (men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives [MFA] Section under the Allied Armies during World War II) in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following the War. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Monuments Men and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
GI Education Benefit Fairness Act - Expands the definition of "children," for purposes of provisions allowing members or former members of the uniformed services who served on active duty for specified periods beginning on or after September 11, 2001, to transfer their entitlement to educational assistance, to mean an unmarried person who: (1) is placed in the legal custody of a member or former member by court order for at least 12 consecutive months, (2) has not attained the age of 21, (3) has not attained the age of 23 and is enrolled in a full-time course of study at an institution of higher learning, (4) is incapable of self support due to a mental or physical incapacity that occurred while such person was a dependent of the member or former member, (5) is dependent on the member or former member for over one-half of his or her support, (6) resides with the member or former member unless separated due to military service or institutionalization for a disability or incapacitation, and (7) is not a dependent of a member or former member under any other provision defining dependent.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Humane Care for Primates Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promulgate a final rule revising federal regulations regarding the importation of nonhuman primates (i.e. chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, macaques, and numerous other species) to expand the categories of uses for which nonhuman primates may be imported and distributed to include live nonhuman primates imported into the United States by a certified primate sanctuary for purposes of providing lifetime shelter and care. Requires such rule to establish a process for the certification of facilities as primate sanctuaries for purposes of the importation, shelter, and care of nonhuman primates.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Revitalize Our Cities Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016 the period for designating an empowerment zone (an area in which tax incentives are allowed to increase investment and employment). Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to designate, prior to January 1, 2015, 20 additional empowerment zones in urban areas in which the average unemployment rate and the average rate of residential and commercial foreclosures are each higher than that of the state within which the area is located for the period beginning January 1, 2009, and ending with the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Honors the legacy of Congressman Leo J. Ryan for his lifelong commitment to objective fact-finding and for his extraordinary commitment to advancing freedom and basic human rights at home and abroad. Honors his bravery, including his team members', and now-Congresswoman Jackie Speier's, for undertaking a dangerous yet essential fact-finding mission in Guyana. Extends condolences to all those affected by the Jonestown tragedy. Reiterates continued support for the safety of all government officials traveling on behalf of the United States on fact-finding missions. Calls upon the Speaker of the House of Representatives to establish protocols for memorializing Members who die in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Rural Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act - Amends appropriations authorities for veterans' benefits to provide advanced appropriations for information technology relating to medical services, support, compliance, and facilities of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include, as a component of VHA health-care personnel education and training programs, education and training of marriage and family therapists as well as licensed professional mental health counselors. Amends the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 to require the Secretary, through VA medical centers, to provide mental health services, including outpatient care, to the immediate families of certain veterans returning from Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress regarding telemedicine services (the use by a health care provider of telecommunications to assist in the diagnosis or treatment of a patient's medical condition) for veterans, including updates on VA teleconsultation and telemedicine initiatives, training, and partnerships with primary care providers.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Revises the highway safety improvement program. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), under the highway safety improvement program, to establish performance measures for states to use to assess significant reductions in the number of serious injuries and fatalities (as under current law) specifically for both motorized and nonmotorized transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Strong Start for America's Children Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to allot matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs), childhood education program providers, or consortia of those entities to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families. Allots grants to states based on each state's proportion of children who are age four and who are from families with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty level. Defines "high-quality prekindergarten programs" as those that: serve children who are three or four by the eligibility determination date or have attained the legal age for state-funded prekindergarten; require staff to have high qualifications, which for teachers include specified alternative requirements that all involve possessing a bachelor's degree; maintain an evidence-based maximum class size and child-to-instructional staff ratio; offer a full-day program; provide developmentally appropriate, evidence-based curricula and learning environments that are aligned with state early learning and development standards; offer teachers salaries comparable to those earned by kindergarten through grade twelve teachers; provide for ongoing monitoring and program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement; offer accessible comprehensive services for children, including specified minimum services; provide high-quality professional development for all staff; meet education performance standards under the Head Start Act; and maintain evidence-based health and safety standards. Conditions states' grant eligibility on demonstrating to the Secretary that they: (1) have or will establish early learning and development standards, (2) have or will develop the ability to link prekindergarten data with their elementary and secondary school data, (3) offer state-funded kindergarten for children, and (4) have established a State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. Allows states to reserve up to 20% of their grant funds over the first four years of their grant for prekindergarten quality improvement activities, including support for teachers seeking a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education or a closely-related field. Authorizes states to apply to the appropriate Secretary to use up to 15% of their grant for subgrants to high-quality early childhood education and care programs for infants and toddlers whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level. Requires state to develop, implement, and make publicly available performance measures and targets for their grant activities. Prohibits state grantees from requiring any child to participate in any federal, state, local, or private early childhood education program. Limits the use of assessments funded by the grant program. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a process to provide Head Start program services to children who are younger than age four in states or regions that provide four-year-olds whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level with sustained access to high-quality prekindergarten programs. Directs the Secretary to award competitive, matching, capacity-building grants to states that assure the Secretary that they will use their grant to become eligible, within three years of receiving the grant, for this Act's grants for high-quality prekindergarten programs. Amends the Head Start Act to direct the Secretary of HHS to make grants to Early Head Start agencies to partner with center-based or family child care providers, particularly those that receive support under the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 1990 (CCDBGA), to assist those providers in meeting applicable Head Start and Early Head Start program performance standards. Authorizes those partnerships to serve children through age three. Directs the Secretary of HHS to give Early Head Start program grant priority to Early Head Start agencies that agree to enter into such partnerships with center-based or family child care providers. Amends the CCDBGA to require states to: (1) ensure that the funding they receive for child care services under the Community Services Block Grant Act and the program of block grants for social services under the Social Security Act is subject to the requirements and limitations of the CCDBGA; (2) provide children with assistance under the CCDBGA for at least 12 months before redetermining their eligibility, provided their family income does not exceed 85% of the state median income for their family size; and (3) use the CCDBGA's funding to supplement, not supplant, other public funding for child care services and activities. Authorizes the Secretary of HHS to: (1) reserve a specified amount of Child Care and Development Block Grant program funds, in fiscal years in which program funding exceeds a specified amount, for formula grants to states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to improve the quality of child care programs and services; and (2) carry out demonstration and pilot projects designed to develop and implement strategies and practices useful in supporting the needs of low-income families in-need of, or receiving, child care services. Reauthorizes appropriations under the Child Care and Development Block Grant program for FY2014-FY2023. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the need for Congress to continue providing resources to the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program to support the work of states in helping at-risk families voluntarily receive home visits from nurses and social workers.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Women's Health Protection Act of 2013 - Makes the following limitations and requirements concerning abortion services unlawful and prohibits their imposition or application by any government: a requirement that a medical professional perform specific tests or follow specific medical procedures, unless generally required in the case of medically comparable procedures; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to delegate tasks, other than one applicable to medically comparable procedures; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to prescribe or dispense drugs based on her or his good-faith medical judgment, other than one generally applicable; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to provide abortion services via telemedicine, other than one generally applicable; a requirement or limitation concerning the physical plant, equipment, staffing, or hospital transfer arrangements of facilities where abortions are performed, or the credentials, hospital privileges, or status of personnel at such facilities that is not otherwise imposed where medically comparable procedures are performed; a requirement that, prior to obtaining an abortion, a woman make medically unnecessary visits to the provider of abortion services or to any individual or entity that does not provide such services; and a requirement or limitation that prohibits or restricts medical training for abortion procedures, other than one generally applicable to medically comparable procedures. Makes unlawful a measure or action that restricts the provision of abortion services, or the facilities that provide them, that is similar to any of those described above if it singles out abortion services or make abortion services more difficult to access and does not significantly advance women's health or the safety of abortion services. Provides standards for the making of a prima facie case in a civil action challenging such restrictions and factors to be considered by a court in determining whether a measure or action impedes access to abortion services. Makes the following other restrictions on the performance of abortion unlawful and prohibits their imposition or application by any government: a prohibition or ban prior to fetal viability; a prohibition after fetal viability when, in the good-faith medical judgment of the treating physician, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the woman's life or health; a restriction that limits a woman's ability to obtain an immediate abortion when a health care professional believes, based on good-faith medical judgment, that delay would pose a risk to the woman's health; and a prohibition or restriction on obtaining an abortion prior to fetal viability based on a woman's reasons or perceived reasons or that requires her to state her reasons before obtaining an abortion prior to fetal viability. Requires courts to liberally construe the provisions of this Act. Authorizes the Attorney General or an individual or entity aggrieved by (or a health facility or medical professional adversely affected by) a violation of this Act, to commence a civil action for injunctive relief. Preempts any provision enacted by a state or subdivision having the force of law that conflicts with any provision of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2013
Mourns with the people of the Philippines and all of the countries affected by the horrific loss of life caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013. Expresses deepest condolences to the victims' families. Applauds the prompt commitments of support and humanitarian efforts by the international community, relief agencies, and private citizens. Commends the United States for providing $20 million of immediate humanitarian assistance and urges the United States to continue to provide recovery and reconstruction assistance to the Philippines. Reaffirms the friendship between the United States and the Philippines. Urges the United States to: (1) coordinate with the international community and humanitarian agents in prioritizing the protection of women and girls in the disaster's aftermath, and (2) continue to work with the Philippines to strengthen local and national disaster risk reduction and mitigation strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Veterans' Entry to Apprenticeship Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to treat a pre-apprenticeship program as a program of apprenticeship, for purposes of providing educational assistance, if such pre-apprenticeship program: (1) is recognized under or compliant with relevant state standards for a postsecondary pre-apprenticeship program, or (2) is in a state that does not require such standards and the curriculum of the program is approved by a sponsor who certifies that the program will prepare an individual with skills and competencies needed to enroll in a registered apprenticeship program and the pre-apprenticeship program maintains conduct and attendance policies in accordance with such sponsor. Requires that a covered individual enrolled in a pre-apprenticeship program receive the same amount and kind of educational assistance the individual would receive if the individual were enrolled in a program of apprenticeship, with an exception of specified housing assistance if the individual is not paid as part of such pre-apprenticeship program. .
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to implement a demonstration project providing competitive, 4-year grants to at least 10 secondary schools that have a 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate of 60% or lower, for the provision of additional school counselors and counselor resources. Expresses the sense of Congress that grantees should provide one additional counselor for every 250 students at risk. Requires the additional school counselors to serve primarily students identified as being at risk of not graduating in four years. Makes grantees that demonstrate progress in improving their graduation rates eligible for subsequent grants.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Small Business Relief and Job Creation Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow small business employers whose gross receipts in the preceding taxable year did not exceed $20 million or who did not employ more than 100 full-time employees during the preceding taxable year a work opportunity tax credit for hiring unemployed individuals as full-time employees (at least 30 hours per week) during 2014 or 2015. Doubles the rate of such credit for employers located in counties with high unemployment rates.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from: (1) increasing flood insurance risk premium rates to reflect the current risk of flood for certain property located in specified areas subject to a certain mandatory premium adjustment, or (2) reducing such subsidies for any property not insured by the flood insurance program as of July 6, 2012, or any policy that has lapsed in coverage as a result of the policyholder's deliberate choice (Pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map or pre-FIRM properties). Sets forth expiration dates for such prohibitions. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (NFIA) to prohibit the Administrator from providing flood insurance to prospective insureds at rates less than those estimated for any property purchased after the expiration of such six-month period (currently, any property purchased after July 6, 2012). Directs FEMA to: (1) restore during such six-month period specified estimated risk premium rate subsidies for flood insurance for pre-FIRM properties and properties purchased after such six-month period, and (2) submit to certain congressional committees a draft affordability framework addressing the affordability of flood insurance sold under the National Flood Insurance Program. Prescribes procedures for expedited congressional consideration of legislation on FEMA affordability authorities. Permits FEMA to enter into an agreement with another federal agency either to: (1) complete the affordability study, or (2) prepare the draft affordability framework. Directs FEMA submit to certain congressional committees the affordability study and report. Amends NFIA to authorize FEMA to reimburse homeowners for successful map appeals. Makes any community that has made adequate progress on the construction (as under current law) or reconstruction (new) of a flood protection system which will afford flood protection for the one-hundred year frequency flood eligible for flood insurance at premium rates not exceeding those which would apply if such flood protection system had been completed. Revises guidelines governing availability of flood insurance in communities restoring disaccredited flood protection systems to include riverine and coastal levees. Requires FEMA to: (1) rate a covered structure using the elevation difference between the floodproofed elevation of the covered structure and the adjusted base flood elevation of the covered structure; and (2) designate a Flood Insurance Advocate to advocate for the fair treatment of policy holders under the National Flood Insurance Program and property owners in the mapping of flood hazards, the identification of risks from flood, and the implementation of measures to minimize the risk of flood.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act - Authorizes burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration of the remains of any individual: (1) who was naturalized pursuant to the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000 and who resided in the United States at the time of death; or (2) who the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines served with a special guerrilla unit or irregular forces operating from a base in Laos in support of the U.S. Armed Forces between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, and who, at the time of death, resided in the United States and was a U.S. citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2018 the work opportunity tax credit for qualified veterans (defined as veterans who are members of families receiving supplemental nutrition assistance or who are entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability and have been unemployed for a certain period of time).
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Reimburse Educators who Pay for Academic Year Supplies Act of 2013 or the REPAY Supplies Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the deduction from gross income (above-the-line deduction) for the classroom-related expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Agricultural Structures Building Act of 2013 - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to allow local variances for certain agricultural structures (such as any agricultural product processing facility, agricultural product storage facility, shed, farmhouse, barn, or other structure which has as its primary purpose supporting the agricultural industry). Prohibits certain land use and control measures from being deemed inadequate or inconsistent with land management criteria for participation in the flood insurance program because such measures authorize granting a variance for an agricultural structure located in an area having special flood hazards. Prohibits the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from either suspending a community from participation in the national flood insurance program, or placing it on probation, because its land use and control measures provide for such a variance. Defines such variance as one granted by an appropriate official of the community from compliance with such land use and control measures and permits repair and restoration of such structure to its pre-damaged condition without elevation of the structure. Requires the official to have made specified determinations as a prerequisite to granting such a variance, including that: (1) in the case of new construction, the agricultural structure is subject to base flood elevations of at least three feet; and (2) in the case of existing structures, it is not practicable to elevate the repaired or expanded structure to the base flood elevation. Requires the chargeable flood insurance premium rates for an agricultural structure granted such a variance to be the rates that otherwise would apply to such structure if it had been repaired, expanded, or constructed before the establishment of the special flood hazard area.
![Official portrait of Rep. McNerney, Jerry [D-CA-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001166_200.jpg)