United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2016
Food and Fuel Consumer Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends the Clean Air Act by revising the renewable fuel program, which requires transportation fuel to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuel. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must cap the total volume of ethanol blended into the transportation fuel supply at 9.7% of projected gasoline demand as determined by the Energy Information Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2016
Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 350,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of Christa McAuliffe. The design of the coins shall bear an image of and the name of Christa McAuliffe on the obverse side and a design on the reverse side that depicts the legacy of McAuliffe as a teacher. Treasury may issue the coins from January 1-December 31, 2018. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of the coins shall be paid to the FIRST robotics program for the purpose of engaging and inspiring young people, through mentor-based programs, to become leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016
No 2H2O from Iran Act This bill prohibits funds available to any federal department or agency for any fiscal year from being obligated or expended to purchase or issue a license to purchase heavy water produced in Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016
WMATA Governance Reform Act This bill prohibits the government from approving an amendment to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact unless its signatories (the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) certify that after implementation of the amended compact each signatory will appoint an absolute majority of the Board of Directors of the Authority that includes one or more of the following: a certified transit expert who has served in a senior executive capacity, or the equivalent, of a U.S. transit authority; a certified management expert who is currently serving, or has served for five or more years, in a capacity managing more than 1,000 full-time employees of a nonprofit entity or a corporation, partnership, or limited liability entity that is engaged primarily in operating activities and not investing activities; a certified financial expert who meets the standards of an audit committee financial expert under New York Stock Exchange rules; or a certified safety expert who has at least five years of experience as a chairman, director, senior investigator or equivalent position of a U.S. transportation or transit safety board. If a signatory appoints an individual who does not meet such qualifications, it shall provide the Board with an explanation of the individual's qualifications and why such qualifications will be beneficial to the Board. The Department of Transportation (DOT) shall ensure that the next three federal appointments to the Board and an absolute majority thereafter have such qualifications and include appointees who reflect the diversity of the communities in the region served. If DOT appoints an individual who does not meet such qualifications, it shall provide the Board with an explanation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2016
Main Street Fairness Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to prevent qualified business income attributed to individuals from being taxed at a higher rate than corporate income. (Under current law, business income attributed to individuals is taxed using individual income tax rates rather than the corporate tax rate.) Qualified business income is all items of income, deduction, loss, or credit properly attributable to the taxpayer from the active conduct of a trade or business, including: a partnership in which the taxpayer holds a capital or profits interest; an S corporation in which the taxpayer is a shareholder; a sole proprietorship or an entity otherwise disregarded as separate from its sole owner, in which the taxpayer is the sole owner; and a trust or estate in which the taxpayer is a beneficiary. Qualified business income does not include any item taken into account in determining net capital gain or the financial services income of partnerships.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2016
Zika Eradication and Good Government Act of 2016 This bill authorizes amounts made available to any department or agency for Ebola response and preparedness under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 to be used for Zika virus response and preparedness. No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for Zika virus response and preparedness until such amounts have been fully obligated. The President shall: (1) require all federal officials and employees responsible for insect-bourne infectious disease response and preparedness, including efforts to eradicate such disease, to cooperate by sharing best practices; and (2) report to Congress at specified intervals on the programs and activities of the federal government for Zika virus response and preparedness.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2016
Free File Act of 2016 This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to continue to operate the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Free File Program. The program must work with state government agencies to enhance and expand the use of the program, while continuing to: provide free commercial-type online individual income tax preparation and electronic filing services to the lowest 70% of taxpayers by income; provide all taxpayers (regardless of income) with a basic, online electronic fillable forms utility; and work with the private sector to provide the free tax preparation and electronic filing services. Treasury must work with the private sector through the program to identify and implement innovative new program features to improve and simplify the taxpayer's experience with completing and filing individual income tax returns. The IRS and members of the tax software and electronic industry involved in the program must support and promote improvements within the program by mutually testing, piloting, and offering innovative solutions to: simplify the tax system, reduce compliance and reporting burdens, increase tax return accuracy through financial data authentication, strengthen the tax system against fraud through cybersecurity collaboration, avoid duplication, and maximize the use of electronic technology.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2016
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2016 This bill imposes criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly or knowingly attempts to: (1) perform an abortion knowing that the abortion is sought based on the sex, gender, color or race of the child, or the race of a parent; (2) use force or the threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion; (3) solicit or accept funds for the performance of such an abortion; or (4) transport a woman into the United States or across a state line for the purpose of obtaining such an abortion. Violations or attempted violations shall result in fines and/or imprisonment for up to five years. The bill authorizes civil actions (for verifiable money damages for injuries and punitive damages) by: (1) fathers, or maternal grandparents if the mother is an unemancipated minor, of unborn children who are the subject of an abortion performed or attempted through any of the above violations; or (2) women upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted with a knowing or attempted use of force or threat of force to intentionally injure or intimidate any person for the purpose of coercing a sex-selection or race-selection abortion. To prevent an abortion provider from performing or attempting further abortions in violation of this bill, the bill authorizes injunctive relief to be obtained by: (1) the women upon whom such an abortion is performed or attempted, (2) a maternal grandparent of the unborn child if the woman is an unemancipated minor, (3) the father of such an unborn child, or (4) the Department of Justice. Violations of this bill are deemed to be prohibited discrimination under title VI (Federally Assisted Programs) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Violators of title VI lose federal funding.) Medical or mental health professionals must report known or suspected violations to law enforcement authorities. Criminal penalties are established for a failure to so report. A woman having such an abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable. Courts must make such orders as necessary to protect the anonymity of any woman upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted if she does not give her written consent to such disclosure. In the absence of such a woman's written consent, any party, other than a public official, who brings an action must use a pseudonym. For purposes of this bill, "abortion" is defined as the act of using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to terminate the clinically diagnosable pregnancy of a woman, with knowledge that the termination by those means will, with reasonable likelihood, cause the death of the unborn child, unless the act is intended to: (1) save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child, (2) remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion, or (3) remove an ectopic pregnancy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2016
Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act or the SOAR Reauthorization Act This bill repeals the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program School Certification Requirements Act, as contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016. The Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act (SOAR) is amended to limit its focus to students in the lowest-performing Washington, DC, elementary and secondary schools. The Department of Education (ED) shall not limit the number of eligible students receiving Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) scholarships, or prevent otherwise eligible students from participating in the OSP because of: the type of school the student previously attended; whether or not the individual previously received the scholarship or participated in OSP, including one previously awarded a scholarship who did not use it; or was a member of the control group used by the Institute of Education Sciences to carry out previous OSP evaluations. An eligible nonprofit organization's application for an OSP grant must include how it will ensure: the financial viability of a participating school in which 85% or more of enrolled students receive and use an opportunity scholarship, utilization of internal fiscal and quality controls and compliance with financial reporting requirements. Priorities for the award of scholarships are modified to give priority to: students who in the preceding school year attended a low-achieving elementary or secondary school, and certain students regardless of whether they have attended a private school. OSP-participating schools must: ensure that participating students are taught core subject matter by a teacher with a baccalaureate or equivalent degree, conduct criminal background checks on school employees who have direct and unsupervised interactions with students, and comply with all requests for data and information regarding certain reporting requirements. Participating private schools must be provisionally or fully accredited or in the process of seeking accreditation. ED must make OSP funds available to eligible entities receiving a grant for administrative expenses and parental education and assistance. Previously unobligated OSP funds must be used for additional scholarships (95%) and administrative expenses (5%). The bill revises current OSP evaluation procedures. The specified authorized OSP funds that ED may withhold for noncompliance with SOAR requirements shall be differentiated based on whether the noncompliance relates to the DC public schools, to the DC public charter schools, or to both. Funds provided under this Act to support DC public charter schools may be directed to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education for transfer to subgrantee public charter schools or networks of such schools, or DC-based non-profit organizations with successful experience with them. ED and the Mayor shall revise a specified memorandum of understanding to ensure that participating schools meet fire code standards and maintain certificates of occupancy. The bill reauthorizes the OSP through FY2021.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2016
This bill allows otherwise eligible employees of a land management agency serving under a time-limited appointment in the competitive service to compete for a permanent appointment in the competitive service: (1) at such agency when the agency is accepting applications from individuals within the agency's workforce under merit promotion procedures; or (2) at any agency when the agency is accepting applications from individuals outside its own workforce under its merit promotion procedures. A former employee of a land management agency who served under a time-limited appointment and who otherwise meets applicable requirements shall be deemed a time-limited employee of the agency from which the former employee was most recently separated.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016
United States - Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Act This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a joint United States-Israel Cybersecurity Center of Excellence based in the United States and Israel to leverage the experience, knowledge, and expertise of institutions of higher education, the private sector, and government entities in cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructure. The center may promote joint research and development, share best practices and access to American and Israeli innovation, and strengthen partnerships between the United States and Israeli entities. DHS may carry out a program to award an annual competitive prize to stimulate innovation to advance the center's mission.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016
Supports the U.S. Stimson Doctrine to not recognize territorial changes effected by force, and affirms that this policy should continue to guide U.S. foreign policy. Condemns Russia's military intervention and occupation of Georgia and its continuous illegal activities along the occupation line in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. Calls upon Russia to: (1) withdraw its recognition of Georgia's territories of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia as independent countries, (2) refrain from acts and policies that undermine Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and (3) take steps to fulfill the August 12, 2008, Ceasefire Agreement between Georgia and the Russian Federation. Urges the United States to: (1) declare that it will not recognize Russian de jure or de facto sovereignty over any part of Georgia, including Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia; (2) deepen cooperation with Georgia, including Georgia's advancement towards Euro-Atlantic integration; and (3) enhance Georgia's security through joint military training and the provision of self-defensive capabilities. Affirms that a free, united, democratic, and sovereign Georgia is in the long-term U.S. interest.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2016
Protecting Lives Using Surplus Equipment Act of 2016 This bill invalidates any regulation, rule, guidance, recommendation, or policy issued after May 15, 2015, that limits the sale or donation of excess federal property to state and local law enforcement agencies unless enacted by Congress. Additionally, it prohibits the use of federal funds to implement such regulation, rule, guidance, recommendation, or policy. Property that was recalled or seized on or after May 15, 2015, must be returned, replaced, or reissued to the state or local law enforcement agency.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2016
Conscience Protection Act of 2016 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to codify the prohibition against the federal government and state and local governments that receive federal financial assistance for health-related activities penalizing or discriminating against a health care provider based on the provider's refusal to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortion. Health care providers include health care professionals, health care facilities, social services providers, health care professional training programs, and health insurers. The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), must investigate complaints alleging discrimination based on an individual's religious belief, moral conviction, or refusal to be involved in an abortion. DOJ or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may obtain equitable or legal relief in a civil action. Administrative remedies do not need to be sought or exhausted prior to commencing an action or granting relief. Such an action may be brought against a governmental entity.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2016
Small Public Housing Agency Opportunity Act of 2016 This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to subject a small public housing agency (PHA) to the same requirements as a PHA. A small PHA is a PHA for which the sum of the number of public housing dwelling units and the number of vouchers under Section 8 (tenant-based assistance) it administers is 550 or fewer. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shall: carry out physical inspections of a small PHA public housing project at least once every three years, unless it is a troubled small PHA; determine the financial condition of a small PHA public housing program solely on the basis of the ratio of current assets to current liabilities; and determine management condition of a small PHA public housing program solely on the basis of the ratio of vacant unit months to eligible unit months. A small PHA administering Section 8 tenant-based assistance under the housing voucher program must make physical inspections of assisted units at least once every three years. HUD shall evaluate the management of a small PHA's voucher program solely on the basis of its lease-up rate or the budget utilization rate, which must be at least 90% to be acceptable. HUD shall designate a small PHA as a high-performing agency if it exceeds acceptability criteria. HUD may designate a small PHA as a troubled small PHA with respect to its public housing program or housing voucher program only if it meets certain negative criteria. HUD shall establish an appeals process for a small PHA to dispute a determination of deficiency. HUD and a troubled small PHA shall enter into a one-year corrective action agreement (renewable at HUD option) under which the small PHA must undertake actions to correct deficiencies. The bill prescribes and/or revises requirements to reduce the administrative burden on small PHAs with respect to: certain reports; community service; economic opportunities for low- and very low-income persons; exemption of a small PHA administering not more than 400 public housing dwelling units, upon request, from any asset management requirement; exemption from environmental review for a development or modernization project involving new construction if the new construction portion of the total cost does not exceed $100,000; and streamlined HUD procedures for such reviews. Small PHAs shall also be exempt from Green Physical Needs Assessment requirements for any fiscal year for which a specified circumstance occurs. HUD shall carry out a demonstration project to examine how various methods of determining rent in public housing affect the administrative burden on small PHAs and public housing residents. The bill establishes rent-setting mechanisms for demonstration project participants based on: (1) a tiered system for initial rents for extremely low-income families, very low-income families, and low-income families; (2) a certain range of gross income percentages; or (3) the existing method for establishing rents. A small PHA may elect to be paid for its utility and waste management costs under a HUD assistance formula for a period, at its discretion, of up to 20 years based on its average annual consumption during the three-year period preceding the year in which the election is made. HUD shall develop and deploy all electronic information systems necessary to accommodate full consolidated reporting by PHAs electing to operate in consortia.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act This bill declares that the proposed or the final rule of the Department of Labor entitled "Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees" shall cease to have any force or effect. The rule revises the "white collar" exemption of executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees from minimum wage and maximum hour, or overtime, requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). If the proposed rule is a final rule on the date of enactment of this bill: Labor shall not enforce it based on conduct occurring before that enactment date, an employee shall not have any right of action against an employer for the employer's failure to comply with the final rule at any time before that enactment date, any regulations that were amended by the final rule shall be restored and revived as if the final rule had never taken effect, and nothing in this bill shall be construed to create a right of action for an employer against an employee for the recoupment of any payments made to the employee before the enactment of this bill that were in compliance with that final rule. Labor may promulgate any substantially similar rule only if it has completed certain required actions; but the rule shall not contain any automatic updates to the salary threshold for purposes of exemptions to minimum wage and maximum hour requirements under the FLSA. The requirement that definitions applicable for such exemptions be defined and delimited from time to time by Labor regulations shall be construed to: require Labor to issue a new rule through notice and comment rulemaking for each change in any salary threshold it has proposed; and exclude any rule that would result in changes to any salary threshold for multiple time periods, including through any automatic updating procedure. Labor may not promulgate any final rule that includes any revision to duties tests for exemption from minimum wage and maximum hours requirements unless specific regulatory text for the provision was proposed in the proposed rule.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016
Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016 This bill modifies the scope of judicial review of agency actions to authorize courts reviewing agency actions to decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions and rules.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2016
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), through the Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, to carry out a five-year pilot program under which the VA shall provide service dogs and veterinary health insurance to certain veterans who: (1) served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001; and (2) were diagnosed with, and continue to suffer from, post-traumatic stress disorder. The provision of a service dog shall be done in addition to other types of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and shall not replace established treatment modalities.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2016
Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act This bill establishes a three-year reauthorization, rescission, and termination schedule for unauthorized programs funded through the annual appropriations process. The schedule applies to programs included in the Congressional Budget Office's annual report listing programs that are funded through the appropriations process and have an authorization of appropriations that has either expired or will expire during the year. After a program's authorization has expired, the bill limits the program's funding in the first year to 90% of the funds provided in the expiring year, reduces the limit to 85% for the second and third years, and terminates the program at the end of the third year. The bill enforces the limits by rescinding any funds that exceed the limit. The Office of Management and Budget must reduce discretionary spending limits by the amount of any rescissions. Programs that are reauthorized during the three-year period are exempt from the limits, rescissions, and termination if the reauthorization includes a provision limiting the authorization of appropriations period to no more than three years. The bill establishes the Spending and Accountability Commission to recommend a reauthorization schedule for discretionary spending programs and review all mandatory spending programs. The commission may recommend legislation to replace the funding limits and rescissions required by this bill with reductions in mandatory spending. The commission's reauthorization schedule must limit reauthorizations to three years, include the funding limits and rescissions established by this bill, and establish a mechanism for replacing the limitations and rescissions with reductions to mandatory spending programs. The House of Representatives must consider the proposal using expedited legislative procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2016
Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 or the RPM Act of 2016 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to allow the modification of a vehicle's air emission controls if the vehicle is used solely for competition.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2016
Thoroughly Investigating Retaliation Against Whistleblowers Act This bill amends the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 to reauthorize through FY2020 the Office of Special Counsel (official appointed by the President to protect federal employees, former employees, and applicants for employment from prohibited personnel practices). The Office of Special Counsel shall have access to any record or other information of any agency under its jurisdiction. The bill: (1) extends from 15 to 45 days the period for the review by the Office of Special Counsel of a disclosed prohibited practice, (2) requires an agency to provide a detailed explanation of any failure to take action to address information about a prohibited practice transmitted to it by the Special Counsel, and (3) requires an agency that reports agency action proposed as a result of its investigation of such information to submit a supplemental report within 180 days on whether such proposed action has been taken and, if not, why not. The Office of Special Counsel may terminate an investigation of a prohibited practice if: (1) it involves an allegation that has been previously made by the same person, (2) the Office does not have jurisdiction to investigate such allegation, or (3) the person should have known of the alleged prohibited personnel practice earlier than three years before the Special Counsel received the allegation. The bill expands the annual reporting requirements of the Office of Special Counsel. The Office of Special Counsel shall design and establish a survey pilot program in FY2017-FY2018 of individuals who have filed a complaint or disclosure with the Office. Penalties for violations of the Hatch Act may include a combination of the disciplinary actions and the civil penalty prescribed under current law.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2016
Preventing Overreach Within the Executive Rulemaking System Act of 2016 or the POWERS Act of 2016 This bill prohibits publication or service of a rule for 60 days following the date of the publication of the notice of proposed rulemaking for such rule. If, during such period, a House or Senate committee that has jurisdiction over the provision of law authorizing the rule submits written data, views, or arguments to the agency, it shall, within 10 days, publish a response in the Federal Register. (The period beginning on the date of such submission and ending on the date of such publication shall not count as part of the 60-day period during which publication or service of the rule is prohibited.) The 10-day response requirement shall not apply to a subsequent committee submission if the agency: (1) determines that such subsequent submission fails to address the content of such response or raises issues that were not raised in the initial submission or the response, and (2) notifies the committee of such determination.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act or the BRACE Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax credit for railroad track maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2016
Authorizes the Speaker of the House of Representatives to initiate or intervene in civil actions on behalf of the House of Representatives in a federal court of competent jurisdiction to seek any appropriate relief regarding the failure of the President, the head of any department or agency, or any other executive branch officer or employee to act in a manner consistent with that official's duties under the Constitution and laws of the United States regarding the transfer of any individual detained at Guantanamo. Directs the Speaker to notify the House of a decision to initiate or intervene in any such civil action. States that the Office of the General Counsel of the House shall represent the House in any such civil action, and may employ outside counsel and other experts. Defines "individual detained at Guantanamo" as any individual located at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as of October 1, 2009, who: is not a U.S. citizen or a member of the Armed Forces; and is in the custody or under the control of the Department of Defense, or otherwise under detention at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2016
United States Commission on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries Act of 2016 This bill establishes the United States Commission on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to investigate and address any practices on the part of OPEC that prevent or reduce competition in the global oil market. The Commission shall be composed of a bipartisan group of 16 experts on energy and related matters chosen by the leadership of both parties in Congress and appointed by the President. All members of the Commission must be U.S. citizens. The bill requires the Commission to: determine whether the anti-competitive behavior of OPEC is designed to disadvantage U.S. oil producers; assess the impact of OPEC's policies on U.S. economic and energy security interests; assess how federal agencies are working to alleviate the potential negative impacts of OPEC's behavior; and produce policy recommendations for tax, trade, defense, diplomacy, and other areas where OPEC's behavior is found to cause adverse impacts. The Commission must submit a report of its findings and recommendations to Congress and the President within 12 months. The Commission shall terminate within 90 days after submission of its report. On receipt of the Commission's report, the President will have 90 days to submit Congress a proposal to implement or respond to the recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2016
SNAP Empowerment and Accountability Act of 2016 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to permit states to use drug test results for determining eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award grants to states to treat individuals who test positive. The bill increases from $20 to $50 the amount of annual benefits received under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 or a similar energy assistance program which qualifies a SNAP applicant to use a standard utility allowance to document heating and cooling costs for calculating benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2016
Resist Executive Amnesty on Defense Installations Act or the READI Act This bill prohibits the use of a military installation to house any alien unlawfully present in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2016
PLO Accountability Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress concerning the participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the peace process and adherence to diplomatic agreements with Israel, PA support for an International Criminal Court investigation of Israel, and the presence of a PLO office in Washington, DC. The Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 is amended to authorize the President to waive for up to six months the prohibition against establishment or maintenance of a PLO office, headquarters, premises, or other facilities within U.S. jurisdiction, if the President certifies to Congress that the Palestinians have entered into a final negotiated peace agreement with, and have ceased hostilities against, Israel or that: the Palestinians have not, on or after April 1, 2015, obtained state standing in the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof outside an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians; the Palestinians have officially ceased to be members of the ICC and have withdrawn from the Rome Statute; any ICC investigation against Israel initiated by, or on behalf of, the Palestinians has been withdrawn and terminated; the PLO and the PA no longer provide financial awards or salaries to Palestinians imprisoned in Israel for terrorist attacks, or to their families; and the PLO and the PA no longer engage in a pattern of incitement against the United States or Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2016
Expresses concern about the disappearance of David Sneddon in Yunnan Province, China, in August 2004. Directs the Department of State and the intelligence community to continue joint investigations, coordinate investigations with the governments of China, Japan, and South Korea, and solicit information from regional affairs and law enforcement experts on plausible explanations for David Sneddon's disappearance. Encourages the State Department and the intelligence community to work with foreign governments known to have diplomatic influence with North Korea to better investigate the possibility of North Korea's involvement in David Sneddon's disappearance, and to seek his recovery. Requests the State Department and the intelligence community to continue to work with and inform Congress and David Sneddon's family on efforts to resolve David's disappearance.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2016
Combating BDS Act of 2016 This bill authorizes a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, or prohibit investment of its assets in: (1) an entity that such government determines, using credible information available to the public, engages in a commerce or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel; or (2) an entity that owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership or control with, such an entity. Such government shall provide written notice to such an entity before applying such a measure. Such a measure by a state or local government is not preempted by any federal law or regulation. The bill applies to measures adopted by a state or local government before, on, or after the date of this Act's enactment. The bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to prohibit any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against any registered investment company, or any officer or employee thereof, based solely upon such company divesting from, or avoiding investing in, securities issued by persons that such company determines, using credible information available to the public, engage in commerce or investment-related boycotts, divestments, or sanctions activities targeting Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2016
This bill designates as "Liu Xiaobo Plaza" the area between the intersections of International Drive Northwest and Van Ness Street Northwest and International Drive Northwest and International Place Northwest in Washington, DC.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2016
State Sanctions Against Iranian Terrorism Act This bill amends the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 to specify that a state may, in addition to limiting investment in Iran's energy sector, prohibit or limit any person from engaging in specified investment activities in Iran. A state may also enter into interstate compacts to prohibit or limit such financial activities. Enforcement of such measures may include the imposition of disclosure and transparency requirements. The description of "investment activities" is revised to: (1) reduce the threshold for financial involvement from $20 million to $10 million; and (2) include, in addition to the energy sector, involvement in a business enterprise in Iran, including an entity owned or controlled by the Iranian government. The bill declares that a state or local government measure authorized pursuant to the Act is: (1) authorized and not preempted by any federal law or regulation, or any policy, agreement, or exercise of waiver authority of the executive branch; and (2) is consistent with U.S. federal policy, including U.S. foreign policy. A state or local government may enforce a measure adopted before the enactment of this Act that: (1) provides for the divestment of state or local assets from, or prohibits the investment of those assets in, any person that engages in investment activities in Iran or other business activities in Iran identified in the measure; or (2) prohibits or limits any person from engaging in investment activities in Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2016
Educational Freedom Accounts Act This bill requires the District of Columbia to provide education savings accounts for children who are eligible to receive a free public education in the District, but whose parents choose not to enroll them in a public school or home schooling. To receive an account, a child must be either entering kindergarten or prekindergarten or have been enrolled in a public school in the District during the previous year. The Chief Financial Officer of the District must award a contract to a tax-exempt entity based in the District to administer the program. The District must fund the accounts with amounts that are adjusted based on the family's income and range from 80% to 90% of the funds that the District of Columbia Public School System would otherwise spend on the child. Upon the direction of a parent, the administering entity must distribute the funds for educational expenses, including: tuition at a nonpublic school or for distance education, tutoring, curricula or online courses, special education, individual courses or extracurricular activities at a public school within the District, dual credit courses that qualify for both secondary and postsecondary education credit, examinations, transportation to and from a provider, contributions to qualified tuition programs (529 plans) or Coverdell education savings accounts, or other educational expenses approved by the administering entity. At the end of the contract period, any remaining balances must be returned to the District.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2016
Commends the cooperative owners and the employees of the Farm Credit System for their continuing service in meeting the credit and financial-services needs of rural communities and agriculture.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2016
Article I Consolidated Appropriations Amendments, 2016 This bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 to restrict federal agencies from using appropriations for certain activities. The bill includes restrictions that affect policy and regulations in areas, including: tobacco products, greenhouse gas emissions, fisheries, exports to Cuba, endangered species, water and air quality, hydraulic fracturing, limits on truck size, housing discrimination, fiduciary standards for providing investment advice for pension and retirement plans, determinations of tax-exempt status, the funding source for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, immigration, and the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The bill authorizes a land exchange between Alaska and the Department of the Interior to construct a road between the cities of King Cove and Cold Bay to provide access to emergency medical services using the airport in Cold Bay. Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act The bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act and includes other provisions to bar states and local subdivisions from receiving certain federal funds if they prohibit state or local law enforcement officials from engaging in certain activities related to the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2016
State Health Flexibility Act of 2016 This bill amends the Social Security Act (SSAct) to replace federal requirements for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) with health care block grants to states. A state may use block grant funds to: (1) provide health care services to indigent individuals; (2) fund risk adjustment mechanisms for the purpose of subsidizing the cost of private health insurance for the high-risk population; and (3) support other welfare-related programs, as specified by the bill. In addition to repealing titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (CHIP) of the SSAct, the bill repeals: (1) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and (2) the Health Care and Educational Reconciliation Act of 2010. With respect to an alien not lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States, a state may use grant funds to provide only emergency health care services, as specified by the bill. A state shall contract with an approved auditing entity for annual audits of its grant fund expenditures. The bill limits the authority of any federal agency to supervise a state's use of funds received under the block grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2016
Faster Care for Veterans Act of 2016 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin an 18-month pilot program in at least three Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) under which veterans use an Internet website to schedule and confirm appointments at VA medical facilities. The pilot program's duration may be extended and the number of VISNs may be increased.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2016
Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that any executive order, memoranda, proclamation, or signing statement issued by the President that infringes on the powers and duties of Congress under article I, section 8 of the Constitution or the Second Amendment, or that would require the expenditure of federal funds not specifically appropriated for such executive action, is advisory only and has no force or effect unless enacted as law. The bill nullifies any such executive action and prohibits the use of appropriated funds to promulgate or enforce any such action. The following persons may bring a civil action in an appropriate U.S. district court to challenge the validity of any such executive action: (1) any Member or either or both chambers of Congress, (2) the highest governmental official of any state or political subdivision if the challenged action infringes on a power of such state under any congressional enactment or relevant treaty, and (3) any person aggrieved of the challenged executive action with respect to a liberty or property interest adversely affected directly by the executive action.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2015
Arm All Pilots Act of 2015 This bill revises requirements for the federal flight deck officer program. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall designate additional training facilities for: firearms training and recurrent training for federal flight deck officers, and initial firearm training and certification of pilots seeking to be deputized as federal flight deck officers. DHS (formerly, the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security of the Department of Transportation) shall: require officers, but no less than once every six months, to requalify to carry firearms on domestic flights; and permit officers to requalify at certified private or government-owned gun ranges. DHS may require certain limitations on initial and recurrent training for such officers. The bill revises the authority of federal flight deck officers to carry firearms on domestic and foreign flights. DHS may not establish medical or physical standards for a pilot to become a federal flight deck officer inconsistent with or more stringent than Federal Aviation Administration requirements for issuance of a first- or second-class airman medical certificate. A pilot deputized as a federal flight deck officer may move from inactive to active status after completing one recurrent training program. DHS shall allow officers to be screened through the Transportation Security Administration's Known Crew Member program when entering an airport sterile area. Each air carrier certifying to DHS that it has a pilot deputized as a federal flight deck officer on all its flights shall receive a refund of up to 10% of security service fees collected from passengers on flights operated by that air carrier. DHS shall revise certain federal regulations to classify information about deputized pilots as sensitive security information.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2015
Fraud Reduction and Data Analytics Act of 2015 This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish guidelines for federal agencies to establish financial and administrative controls to identify and assess fraud risks and design and implement control activities in order to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud, including improper payments. The guidelines shall incorporate the leading practices identified in the report published by the Government Accountability Office on July 28, 2015, entitled "Framework for Managing Fraud Risks in Federal Programs." The financial and administrative controls shall include: conducting an evaluation of fraud risks and using a risk-based approach to design and implement financial and administrative control activities to mitigate identified fraud risks; collecting and analyzing data from reporting mechanisms on detected fraud to monitor fraud trends and using that data and information to continuously improve fraud prevention controls; and using the results of monitoring, evaluation, audits, and investigations to improve fraud prevention, detection, and response. Each agency shall submit as part of its annual financial report a report on its progress in: implementing such financial and administrative controls, the fraud risk principle in the Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, and OMB Circular A-123 leading practices for managing fraud risk; identifying risks and vulnerabilities to fraud; and establishing steps to curb fraud. The OMB must establish a working group to: (1) improve the sharing of financial and administrative controls and other best practices and techniques for detecting, preventing, and responding to fraud and the sharing and development of data analytics techniques; and (2) submit a plan for a federal interagency library of data analytics and data sets for use by agencies and Offices of Inspectors General to facilitate the detection, prevention, and recovery of fraud.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2015
Discouraging Frivolous Lawsuits Act This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to revise requirements concerning citizen suits. Litigation costs (including reasonable attorney and expert witness fees) must be awarded to the prevailing party, thus the bill removes a court's discretion to award the fees. A prevailing party is defined as the party that prevails on more than half of the claims at issue. The bill repeals the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deny or restrict the use of any area as a disposal site for dredged or fill material when the discharge of such materials would have an unacceptable adverse effect on municipal water supplies, shellfish beds and fishery areas, wildlife, or recreational areas. Current law requires compensatory mitigation to replace the loss of aquatic resource functions in a watershed when a permit to discharge dredged or fill materials into navigable waters has unavoidable impacts on aquatic resources. This bill prohibits government entities from carrying out compensatory mitigation in excess of existing regulatory requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Guantanamo Transfer Prevention Act This bill prohibits the President from using Department of Defense (DOD) funds to transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who is not a U.S. citizen or member of the U.S. Armed Forces and is or was held on or after January 20, 2009, at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by DOD. Any contravening action by the President shall be without legal effect. No amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for DOD for FY2016 may be used to: (1) close or abandon Guantanamo, (2) relinquish control of Guantanamo to Cuba, or (3) implement a material modification to the Treaty Between the United States of America and Cuba signed at Washington, DC, on May 29, 1934, that constructively closes Guantanamo.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Condemns the November 12, 2015, terrorist attacks in Beirut, Lebanon, that resulted in the loss of at least 43 lives. Expresses condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed or injured in the attacks and expresses sympathies to those injured. Supports the government of Lebanon's efforts to bring to justice those involved in these terrorist attacks. Expresses readiness to continue assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces and people of Lebanon to respond to the growing terrorist threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and to provide continued support to refugee populations within Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Expresses the sense of Congress that: the President should submit to the Senate for advice and consent the climate change agreement proposed for adoption at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-21), and Congress should refuse to consider any budget resolutions and appropriations language that include funding for the Green Climate Fund until COP-21 emissions commitments are submitted to the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2015
Declares that, in the case of a governor requesting that Syrian refugees not be resettled in his or her state (whether temporarily or permanently), no federal official should take any adverse action against, or withhold funds from, the state, and no federal official should take any other action to persuade or entice the governor to reverse such request.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 or the American SAFE Act of 2015 This bill requires that, in addition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) screening, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall take all actions necessary to ensure that each covered alien receives a background investigation before U.S. refugee admission. A "covered alien" is any alien applying for U.S. refugee admission who: is a national or resident of Iraq or Syria, has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Iraq or Syria, or has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011. A covered alien: may not be admitted as a refugee until the FBI certifies to DHS and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) that he or she has received a background investigation sufficient to determine whether the alien is a U.S. security threat; and may only be admitted to the United States after DHS, with the unanimous concurrence of the FBI and the DNI, certifies to Congress that he or she is not such a threat. The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct annual risk-based reviews of all certifications. DHS shall report monthly to Congress on the total number of admission applications for which a certification was made and the number of covered aliens for whom such a certification was not made for the preceding month. The report shall include for each covered alien for whom a certification was not made the concurrence or nonconcurrence of each person whose concurrence was required by the certification.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 or the American SAFE Act of 2015 This bill prohibits a covered refugee from being admitted to the United States until the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certifies to Congress that such individual is not a security threat to the United States. The Inspector General of DHS shall review 20% of all such certifications each fiscal year. The term "covered refugee" is defined as any alien applying for refugee status who is: (1) a national or resident of Iraq or Syria, or (2) present in Iraq or Syria at any time while the application for refugee status is pending. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall take actions to ensure that each covered refugee receives a thorough background investigation prior to admission. A covered refugee may not be admitted until the FBI certifies that such covered refugee has received such an investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
Condemns the terrorist attacks in Paris, France, on November 13, 2015, that resulted in the loss of at least 129 lives. Expresses condolences to the families and friends of those individuals who were killed, and sympathy to those individuals who were injured. Supports the government of France's efforts to bring to justice all those involved with the planning and execution of these terrorist attacks. Expresses concern about the flow of foreign fighters to and from the Middle East and West and North Africa and the threat these individuals pose upon their return to their local communities. Expresses the House's readiness to assist the government and people of France to respond to the growing terrorist threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its terrorist affiliates.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
This bill designates the building utilized as a U.S. courthouse located at 150 Reade Circle in Greenville, North Carolina, as the "Judge Randy D. Doub United States Courthouse" during the period in which the building is so utilized.
![Official portrait of Rep. Meadows, Mark [R-NC-11]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001187_200.jpg)