United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2015
Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): (1) in conjunction with the Department of Defense (DOD), to identify Military Occupational Specialty Codes, Air Force Specialty Codes, Naval Enlisted Classifications and Officer Designators, and Coast Guard Competencies (qualifications) that are transferable to the requirements and duties assigned to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers; and (2) to consider hiring qualified candidates with such qualifications who are eligible for veterans recruitment appointment. Directs DHS, in conjunction with DOD, to establish a program to actively recruit members of the Armed Forces who are separating from military service to serve as CBP Officers. Requires such program to: include CBP Officer opportunities in relevant job assistance efforts under the Transition Assistance Program; place CBP officials or other relevant DHS officials at recruiting events and jobs fairs involving separating members of the Armed Forces; provide opportunities for local CBP field offices to partner with military bases in the region; conduct outreach efforts to educate members of the Armed Forces with qualifications that are transferable to CBP Officer requirements; require DOD and DHS to work cooperatively to identify shared activities and opportunities for reciprocity related to steps in hiring CBP officers with the goal of minimizing the time required to hire qualified applicants; require DOD and DHS to work cooperatively to ensure the streamlined interagency transfer of relevant background investigations and security clearances; and include other elements to ensure that separating members of the Armed Forces are aware of opportunities to fill vacant CBP Officer positions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015
Pregnancy Discrimination Amendment Act Amends provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that protect against pregnancy discrimination in the workplace to provide for women affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions to be treated the same for all employment-related purposes as any other persons who are applicants for employment with, or employees of, the same employer in work that is performed under similar working conditions and who are not so affected but are similar in their temporary ability or inability to work. Makes such treatment applicable to existing prohibited categories of employment discrimination on the basis of sex or because of sex. Prohibits this treatment from permitting a labor organization to cause an employer to commit an unlawful employment practice against an employee in violation of such provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015
Great Lakes Water Protection Act This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to prohibit a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) from discharging untreated or partially treated sewage into the Great Lakes or a tributary of the Great Lakes when the discharge is the result of the POTW intentionally diverting waste streams to bypass any portion of a treatment facility. A bypass is allowed if: (1) it is unavoidable to prevent loss of life, personal injury, or severe property damage, there is no feasible alternative, and the treatment works provides notice; or (2) it does not cause effluent (waste) limitations to be exceeded and is for essential maintenance to ensure efficient operation of the treatment facility. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must work with relevant states to create requirements for providing immediate notice to the public about discharges. The EPA must establish procedures to ensure that permits issued to POTWs under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System include requirements to comply with this bill. This bill establishes a maximum civil penalty of $100,000 per day for violations of the bill occurring on or after January 1, 2035. The penalties must be deposited into the Great Lakes Cleanup Fund, which is established by this bill. The Fund must be used for improving wastewater discharges.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2015
Cross-Border Rail Security Act of 2015 This bill directs the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to report to Congress: the number of high-risk rail shipments annually entering the United States; the status of radiation detection units at each rail crossing on the northern and southern land borders of the United States; an assessment of whether additional radiation detection equipment is necessary to ensure that all high-risk cross-border rail shipments are examined with appropriate equipment; and a plan for ensuring that all relevant CBP personnel receive adequate training and guidance on the proper use of CBP's Automated Targeting System for such shipments, the use of appropriate radiation detection equipment for shipment examination, and requirements for recording examination results. The General Accountability Office shall periodically audit CBP operations at rail crossings on such borders to ensure rail shipments are targeted, examined, and the examination results are properly documented.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2015
Affirms that the policies of aggression and ethnic cleansing implemented by Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 meet the terms of genocide. Urges the Atrocities Prevention Board, a U.S. interagency committee established by the Administration in 2012, to study the lessons of Srebrenica and issue guidance on how to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future. Encourages the United States to reaffirm its policy of supporting the independence and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, peace and stability in southeastern Europe, and the right of all people living in the region to return to their homes and enjoy the benefits of democratic institutions, as well as to know the fate of missing relatives and friends. Recognizes the achievement of the International Commission for Missing Persons in accounting for those missing in conflicts or natural disasters around the world. Welcomes the arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia of all persons indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, particularly those of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. Asserts that it is in the U.S. national interest that those individuals who are responsible for these crimes should continue to be held accountable for their actions. Honors the thousands of innocent people killed or executed at Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 1995, along with all individuals who were victimized during the conflict and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995, as well as the foreign nationals who risked and in some cases lost their lives during their defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2015
Cancer Drug Coverage Parity Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require a group or individual health plan that covers anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable coverage for anticancer medications administered by a patient. A plan may apply to patient-administered anticancer medications only the cost-sharing and limitations that apply to anticancer medications administered by a health care provider. These requirements apply to medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is prescribed based on a finding by the treating physician that the medication is medically necessary for cancer treatment and is clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration. To comply with these requirements, health plans may not, for anticancer medications: (1) change or replace benefits to increase out-of-pocket costs; (2) reclassify benefits to increase costs; or (3) apply more restrictive limitations to orally administered medications than to intravenously administered or injected medications.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2015
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, half-dollar clad, and proof silver coins in recognition and celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon. Treasury may issue coins minted under this Act for only a one-year period, beginning January 1, 2019. All sales of coins minted under this Act shall include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, $5 per half-dollar clad coin, and $50 per proof silver coin. All of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins shall be paid as follows: one-half to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum's "Destination Moon" exhibit; one-quarter to the Astronauts Memorial Foundation; and one-quarter to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, to aid its missions by providing college scholarships for the very best and brightest students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2015
Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2015 This bill creates the position of Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders to take over the responsibilities of the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Mental health programs are extended and training regarding mental health is expanded. SAMHSA must establish the National Mental Health Policy Laboratory and the Interagency Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the National Institute of Mental Health to translate evidence-based interventions and the best available science into systems of care. Certain mental health care professional volunteers are provided liability protection. Pediatric mental health subspecialists are eligible for National Health Service Corps programs. An underserved population of children or a site for training in child psychiatry can be designated as a health professional shortage area. The protected health information of an individual with a serious mental illness may be disclosed to a caregiver under certain conditions. This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to conditionally expand coverage of mental health services. Part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the SSAct is amended to require coverage of antidepressants and antipsychotics. If it will not increase Medicare spending, Medicare's 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services is eliminated. Health information technology activities and incentives are expanded to include certain mental health and substance abuse professionals and facilities. This bill restricts the lobbying and counseling activities of protection and advocacy systems for individuals with mental illness. These systems must focus on safeguarding the rights of individuals with mental illness to be free from abuse and neglect.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2015
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude services rendered by bona-fide volunteers providing firefighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services to a state or local government or a tax-exempt charitable organization from the category of services usually rendered by an employee of an applicable large employer subject to the mandate to provide minimum essential health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), thus exempting such employers from PPACA requirements with respect to such volunteers. The bill defines "bona fide volunteer" as an employee of any government entity and any tax-exempt charitable organization whose only compensation is in the form of: (1) reimbursement for (or reasonable allowance for) reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of volunteer services, or (2) reasonable benefits (including length-of-service awards) and nominal fees customarily paid by similar entities for the services of volunteers.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2015
Power Efficiency and Resiliency Act or the POWER Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a 30% energy tax credit for combined heat and power system property and increase the capacity limitations for such property, (2) extend until December 31, 2018, the placed-in-service deadline for such property, and (3) allow a 30% energy tax credit for waste heat to power property (property comprising a system generating electricity through the recovery of a qualified waste heat resource) placed in service before January 1, 2019. Includes within the definition of "qualified waste heat resource": (1) exhaust heat or flared gas from any industrial process; (2) waste gas or industrial tail gas that would otherwise be flared, incinerated, or vented; and (3) a pressure drop in any gas for an industrial or commercial process. Excludes from such definition any heat resource from a process the primary purpose of which is the generation of electricity utilizing a fossil fuel or nuclear energy.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2015
Authorizes the printing as a House document of the 25th edition of the pocket version of the U.S. Constitution. Prescribes requirements in each chamber for distribution of copies of the printed document for their respective use.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2015
Honors military caregivers of members of the Armed Forces and veterans for their service and sacrifice to the United States. Encourages the people of the United States to show support to military families and the sacrifices endured by those families in service to the United States. Recognizes the daisy as the flower for military caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of 2015 or the SHARE Act This bill revises a variety of existing programs to expand access to, and opportunities for, hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act Components of firearms and ammunition and sport fishing equipment and its components (such as lead sinkers) are exempted from regulations of chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The authority of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to regulate the use of ammunition and fishing tackle based on its lead content is limited. Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act is amended to: (1) increase the proportion of funding from the Act that states may use for acquiring land for public target ranges, and (2) delay by 10 years until 2026 the date after which interest from the wildlife conservation and restoration fund is available for apportionment. Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act of 2015 Interior must issue permits to allow a hunter to import polar bear parts (other than internal organs) if the bear was legally harvested in Canada from an approved population before the May 15, 2008, listing of the polar bear as threatened. Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act of 2015 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may not prohibit individuals from possessing a firearm in public areas of a water resources development project. Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act Federal public land management officials must facilitate hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on certain federal public land. Hunter and Farmer Protection Act The bill revises standards for determining what a baited area is for purposes of the prohibition on taking migratory game birds. The National Park Service (NPS) may not prohibit individuals from transporting bows and crossbows if certain requirements are met. The NPS may establish hunter access corridors. Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2015 This bill revises the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act to extend the authority provided to Interior under the Act. African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act of 2015 This bill revises and reauthorizes the African Elephant Conservation Act through FY2020. This bill provides special rules to expand access to federal land and waterways for film crews of five people or fewer.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
21st Century Cures Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through FY2018. The NIH Innovation Fund is established to fund a strategic plan, early stage investigators, and high-risk, high-reward research. The NIH may require scientific data to be shared if the research is fully funded by the NIH. The NIH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must implement a system that allows further research on clinical trial data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must expand surveillance of neurological diseases. The Council for 21st Century Cures is established to accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of innovative cures, treatments, and preventive measures. The Department of Health and Human Services must monitor the use of antibacterial and antifungal drugs and resistance to these drugs. Requirements are established for interoperability and certification of health information technology. Practices that discourage the exchange of electronic health information are prohibited. This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the drug approval process, including by: (1) allowing patient experience data to be considered in the risk-benefit assessment of a new drug, (2) requiring the FDA to qualify drug development tools, (3) allowing the FDA to rely upon data previously submitted for a different purpose to expedite the development of certain drugs, and (4) establishing a streamlined data review program for approval of a drug for an additional indication. Manufacturers and distributors of investigational drugs for serious conditions must publish their policies on compassionate use requests. The marketing exclusivity period is extended by six months for a drug approved for a new indication that is a rare disease or condition. The priority review voucher program for rare pediatric diseases is revised and extended. The FDA must: (1) establish a program for priority review of breakthrough medical devices, (2) identify types of devices that do not require a report preceding introduction, and (3) rely on a third-party to determine the safety and effectiveness of changes to medical devices. Regarding medical devices, this bill defines “valid scientific evidence” and makes changes to classification panels and the humanitarian device exemption. “Health software” is defined and, with certain exceptions, exempted from FDA regulations. This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to: (1) increase certain payments for new antimicrobial drugs, (2) establish a payment methodology for certain medical devices, and (3) publish online estimated payments for certain outpatient items and services. A pharmaceutical and technology ombudsman within the CMS must respond to complaints from manufacturers of medical products. Medicare prescription drug plan sponsors may limit the access of certain beneficiaries to frequently abused drugs. This bill amends the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to allow exported controlled substances to be re-exported within the European Economic Area.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2015
Nutritious Options for Meals Act of 2015 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to apply nutritional standards for the Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to foods purchased for USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program), with the addition of lean meat and poultry. Foods purchased for SNAP must be of the kind prescribed by USDA in implementing WIC requirements that: (1) food contain nutrients determined by nutritional research to be lacking in the diets of pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, or children; or (2) food promote the health of the population served by the program. Examples of foods acceptable under the bill include vegetables, fruits, milk, juice, breakfast cereal, cheese, eggs, yogurt, peanut butter, legumes, whole grain bread, and lean meat or poultry.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2015
Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 2015 Prohibits the wages or other remuneration earned by an employee who performs employment duties in more than one state from being subject to income tax in any state other than: (1) the state of the employee's residence, and (2) the state within which the employee is present and performing employment duties for more than 30 days during the calendar year. Exempts employers from withholding of tax and information reporting requirements for employees not subject to income tax under this Act. Allows an employer, for purposes of determining penalties related to employer withholding or reporting requirements, to rely on an employee's annual determination of the time such employee will spend working in a state in the absence of fraud or collusion by such employee. Exempts from the definition of "employee" for purposes of this Act professional athletes, professional entertainers, and public figures who are persons of prominence who perform services for wages or other remuneration on a per-event basis.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2015
Recognizes the significance of the establishment of Fort Michilimackinac and its importance to the people of Michigan and the United States on the occasion of its tricentennial.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Advancing Research for Hydrocephalus Act of 2015 Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to: (1) enhance and expand infrastructure and activities to track the epidemiology of hydrocephalus (a condition in which fluid accumulates in the brain); and (2) incorporate information obtained through those activities into a National Hydrocephalus Surveillance System. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that the System facilitates further research on hydrocephalus. Requires HHS to provide for the collection and storage of information on hydrocephalus, including the incidence, prevalence, and other information, to the extent practicable. Requires HHS to: (1) make information and analysis in the System available to the public, including researchers; and (2) ensure that privacy and security protections applicable to the System are at least as stringent as the protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2015
Data Security Act of 2015 Requires individuals, corporations, or other non-government entities that access, maintain, communicate, or handle sensitive financial account information or nonpublic personal information to implement an information security program and to notify consumers, federal law enforcement, appropriate administrative agencies, payment card networks, and consumer reporting agencies of certain data breaches of unencrypted sensitive information likely to cause identity theft or fraudulent transactions on consumer financial accounts. Directs entities to require their third-party service providers by contract to implement appropriate safeguards for sensitive information. Allows an entity to delay notifications upon the request of a law enforcement agency. Provides special notification procedures for: (1) third-party service providers that maintain data in electronic form on behalf of another entity, and (2) certain electronic data carriers. Allows financial institutions to communicate with account holders regarding breaches at third-party entities with access to their account information. Sets forth alternative compliance procedures for: (1) financial institutions and affiliates under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and (2) entities complying with certain health record privacy laws. Requires this Act to be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, or a state insurance authority depending on the type of entity handling the sensitive information. Prohibits certain state laws from being imposed for information security and breach notification purposes. Sets forth requirements concerning the application of this Act to entities regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2015
Renovate and Enhance Veterans' Meeting Halls and Posts Act of 2015 or REVAMP Act of 2015 Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to make competitive grants to eligible veterans service organizations for: (1) repairs or rehabilitation of their existing facilities, and (2) acquiring or upgrading computers and technology for such facilities. Defines "eligible veterans service organization" as: (1) a tax-exempt entity organized on a local or area basis; and (2) a tax-exempt local or area chapter, post, or other unit of a national, regional, statewide, or other larger entity of which local or area chapters, posts, or units are members (but not any such national, regional, statewide, or other larger entity itself). Prohibits an eligible veterans service organization from receiving such grant amounts, for any single fiscal year, in an amount exceeding the lesser of: (1) the aggregate cost of the proposed activities and uses for which the grant amounts will be used, or (2) $200,000. Makes a grant recipient ineligible to receive another such grant for any of the five succeeding fiscal years. Prohibits the use of such grants for construction or acquisition of a new facility.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Medicare Audit Improvement Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) with respect to the practices of recovery audit contractors (RACs) under the Medicare program fin identifying underpayments and overpayments and recouping overpayments. Incentive payments to a RAC for recovery activities are prohibited for FY2015 and subsequent fiscal years. Payments for recovery activities shall be reduced, according to a sliding scale established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to any RAC with a complex audit denial rate at the end of a fiscal year, determined pursuant to a specified formula, that is .1% or greater. The one-year timely filing limit for certain rebilled SSAct title XVIII part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) claims is eliminated, extending the deadline for the rebill to 180 days after final denial of the claim. A determination of whether inpatient hospital services or inpatient critical access hospital services furnished to an individual are reasonable and necessary shall now be based solely on information available to the admitting physician at the time of the inpatient admission of the individual for such services, as documented in the medical record.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
SAFE Transitional Licensing Act of 2015 This bill amends the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 to provide a temporary license of 120 days for registered loan originators: (1) moving from a financial institution to a state-licensed non-bank originator, or (2) moving interstate to a state-licensed loan originator in another state. Any person registering a registered loan originator with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry shall be subject to this Act and to applicable state law to the same extent as if that registered loan originator was licensed and registered as a state-licensed loan originator.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Iran should release all detained U.S. citizens and provide any information it possesses regarding any U.S. citizens who have disappeared within its borders.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
Equitable Access to Care and Health Act or the EACH Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the religious conscience exemption under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to exempt individuals who rely solely on a religious method of healing and for whom the acceptance of medical health services would be inconsistent with their religious beliefs from the requirement to purchase and maintain minimum essential health care coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
Authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds, the rotunda of the Capitol, and Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center on Thursday, September 24, 2015 for official congressional events surrounding the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the U.S. Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the nutritional information that restaurants and retail food establishments must disclose. The nutrient content disclosure statement on the menu or menu board must include: (1) the number of calories contained in the whole menu item; (2) the number of servings and number of calories per serving; or (3) the number of calories per common unit of the item, such as for a multi-serving item that is typically divided before presentation to the consumer. Nutritional information may be provided solely by a remote-access menu (e.g., an Internet menu) for food establishments where the majority of orders are placed by customers who are off-premises. Establishments with self-serve food may comply with the requirements for restaurants or place signs with nutritional information adjacent to each food item. An establishment’s nutrient content disclosures have a “reasonable basis” if they are within acceptable allowances for variation, including variations in serving size or ingredients and inadvertent human error in formulation. Establishments with standard menu items that come in different flavors, varieties, or combinations, that are listed as a single menu item can determine and disclose nutritional information using specified methods or methods allowed by the Food and Drug Administration. Regulations pursuant to this Act or the clause amended by this Act cannot take effect earlier than two years after final regulations are promulgated pursuant to this Act. Nutritional information disclosure requirements apply to establishments that derive more than 50% of their total revenue from the sale of food.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Stop EPA Overregulation of Rural Americans This bill nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency rule entitled, "Standards of Performance for New Residential Wood Heaters, New Residential Hydronic Heaters and Forced-Air Furnaces," published on March 16, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act of 2015 This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to an eligible entity for sequential intercept mapping and implementation for: mental health and criminal justice stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of the flow of individuals with mental illnesses through the criminal justice system, and identify opportunities for improved responses, including emergency and crisis services, specialized police-based responses, and community and post-prison supervision; and hiring and training personnel, identifying target populations, and providing services to reduce recidivism. The Attorney General is authorized to award grants for: veterans treatment court programs involving collaboration among criminal justice, veterans, and mental health and substance abuse agencies; peer to peer services or programs for qualified veterans; practices that identify and provide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, and transitional services to such veterans who have been incarcerated; and training programs to teach criminal justice, law enforcement, corrections, mental health, and substance abuse personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving such veterans. The Attorney General is authorized to award grants to enhance correctional facility capabilities to: identify and screen for mentally ill inmates; assess and provide the clinical, medical, and social needs of inmates and appropriate treatment and services that address mental health and substance abuse needs; and develop and implement post-release transition plans. Adult and juvenile criminal/mental health collaboration program grants may be used to establish multidisciplinary teams that coordinate and implement community-based crisis responses and long-term plans for frequent users of crisis services. Collaboration grant accountability requirements are established. The Attorney General is authorized to make grants for programs that teach law enforcement personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving persons with mental health disorders or co-occuring mental health and substance abuse disorders. The Attorney General is directed to provide direction for programs that offer specialized training to federal first responders and tactical units in order to identify and respond to incidents involving individuals who have a mental illness. The definition of "preliminarily qualified offender" is revised for purposes of collaboration program grants to: include, in the case of a veterans treatment court program, an adult or juvenile accused of an offense who has been diagnosed with, or manifests signs of, mental illness or a substance abuse disorder; remove a requirement that the person be accused of a nonviolent offense; require a person to be unanimously approved for participation; and disqualify a person who has been charged with or convicted of a sex offense or murder or assault with intent to murder.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from providing grants or funds to a state, county, town, or township, Indian tribe, municipal, or other local government for use in any program to check helmet usage or create checkpoints for a motorcycle driver or passenger. Repeals the authority of the Secretary to make grants to states that have a law which makes it unlawful for any individual on an operating motorcycle to be without a motorcycle helmet. Revises grant eligibility requirements to eliminate the requirement that states achieve a certain rate of compliance with such law.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2015
Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to select a VA medical center to serve as the national center for research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of the biological children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces that are related to such exposure. Requires: (1) the Department of Defense (DOD) or the head of a federal agency to make available to the VA for review records held by DOD, an Armed Force, or that federal agency that might assist the VA in making determinations regarding individuals and descendents afflicted with a health condition as a result of such exposure; (2) the VA and DOD or such agency head to jointly establish a mechanism for the availability and review of records by the VA; and (3) the national center to employ at least one licensed clinical social worker to coordinate access of individuals to appropriate social and health care programs and to handle case management. Establishes an Advisory Board to oversee and assess the national center and to advise the VA regarding the center's work. Directs DOD to declassify documents (other than documents that would materially and immediately threaten national security) related to any known incident in which at least 100 members of the Armed Forces were exposed to a toxic substance that resulted in at least one case of an associated disability. Directs the VA to conduct a national outreach and education campaign directed toward members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their family members to communicate information on: (1) incidents of exposure of members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances, health conditions resulting from such exposure, and the potential long-term effects; and (2) the national center. Requires DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services to assist the VA in implementing such campaign.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2015
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Fund indefinitely and index appropriations to the medical care component of the consumer price index for urban consumers. Makes funding available for: a quality assurance program for services delivered by health care providers, the WTC Program annual report, WTC Health Program Steering Committees, and contracts with Clinical Centers of Excellence. Amends the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to make individuals (or relatives of deceased individuals) who were injured or killed in the rescue and recovery efforts after the aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, eligible for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Allows individuals to file claims for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 anytime after regulations are updated based on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. Removes the cap on payments under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Adds the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and World Trade Center Health Program Fund to the list of accounts that are not subject to budget sequestration.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015 This bill amends subtitle D (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act to establish a permit program for coal combustion residuals (coal ash) that states may elect to administer. The program outlines the criteria that a state must use if it chooses to adopt and enforce a permit program regulating the management and disposal of coal ash generated by electric utilities and independent power producers. The program applies to the disposal of coal ash into landfills or surface impoundments, sand or gravel pits, quarries, or lateral expansions of the structures. The structural criteria concern: (1) design, location, and integrity; (2) financial assurance; (3) groundwater and surface water protections; (4) closure procedures; and (5) air quality with respect to fugitive dust. A state that chooses to adopt a coal ash program is given sole enforcement authority. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must implement a program for a state if: (1) a state's program fails to meet those criteria, or (2) a state does not implement a program. A coal ash permit program implemented by the EPA shall not apply to the utilization, placement, and storage of coal ash at surface or underground coal mining and reclamation operations. The bill revises implementation of the EPA rule governing the disposal of coal ash, entitled "Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System; Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities." The rule may be implemented only through the permit program established by the bill. The agency implementing the permit program must ensure that certain information concerning the program is publicly available.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 This bill requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw, within 30 days, the proposed rule, "Definition of 'Waters of the United States' Under the Clean Water Act," dated April 21, 2014, describing the water bodies that fall under the scope of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), as well as any final rule based on the proposed rule. The Army Corps and the EPA must develop a new proposed rule to define the term, "waters of the United States" as used in that Act. In developing the new rule, the Army Corps and the EPA must meet requirements concerning consultation with states and localities enumerated in this bill. The new rule must specifically identify those waters covered and not covered by the Clean Water Act and incorporate the areas and issues where consensus was reached by the interested parties. The Army Corps and the EPA must prepare a report with details about the new proposed rule and its development, including: (1) explanations of how the rule addresses public comments filed on certain related rules and reports and addresses recommendations provided in the consultation process; and (2) comprehensive regulatory and economic impact analyses of how the rule will impact interested parties and each program under the Clean Water Act. The Army Corps and the EPA must: (1) publish the report, a description of the areas and issues where consensus was reached with the state and local officials consulted, and the new proposed rule; and (2) make them available for public review and comment for at least 180 days.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that: the Canadian government should not allow a permanent nuclear waste repository to be built within the Great Lakes Basin, the President and the Secretary of State should take appropriate action to work with the Canadian government to prevent a permanent nuclear waste repository from being built there, and the President and the Secretary should work together with their Canadian government counterparts on a safe and responsible solution for the long-term storage of nuclear waste.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment Act or the Military SAVE Act This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to make eligible for treatment in a non-Department of Veterans Affairs entity any veteran who was the victim of a sexual trauma which occurred while the veteran was serving on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act of 2015 Requires the head of each federal agency to encourage the use of remanufactured vehicle components to mantain federal vehicles if using such components reduces the cost, while maintaining the quality, of such vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
DHS IT Duplication Reduction Act of 2015 Directs the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report on the number of information technology systems at DHS, the number that are duplicative, and a strategy for reducing such duplicative systems, including an assessment of potential cost savings.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Border Security Technology Accountability Act of 2015 Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require each border security technology acquisition program of the Department of Homeland Security with a significant lifecycle cost estimate to: (1) have written documentation demonstrating that each such program has an acquisition program baseline approved by the relevant acquisition decision authority; and (2) demonstrate that each such program is meeting agreed-upon cost, schedule, and performance thresholds, in compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Directs: (1) the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to ensure that border security technology acquisition program managers adhere to relevant internal control standards identified by the Government Accountability Office; and (2) CBP to provide information to assist the Under Secretary in monitoring proper program management of such acquisition programs. Requires the Under Secretary, in coordination with CBP, to submit a plan for testing and evaluation, as well as the use of independent verification and validation resources, for border security technology so that new border security technologies are evaluated through a series of assessments, processes, and audits to ensure the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the developer of a bioengineered organism intended as food to submit a premarket biotechnology notification to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A “bioengineered organism” (commonly called a “genetically modified organism” or “GMO”) is a plant or part of a plant that has been modified through recombinant DNA techniques in a way that could not be obtained using conventional breeding techniques. The premarket notification must include the developer’s determination that food from, containing, or consisting of the GMO (GMO food) is as safe as a comparable non-GMO food. For the GMO to be sold as food, the FDA must not object to the developer’s determination. If the FDA determines that there is a material difference between a GMO food and a comparable non-GMO food, the FDA can specify labeling that informs consumers of the difference. A food label can only claim that a food is non-GMO if the ingredients are subject to certain supply chain process controls. No food label can suggest that non-GMO foods are safer than GMO foods. A food can be labeled as non-GMO even if it is produced with a GMO processing aid or enzyme or derived from animals fed GMO feed or given GMO drugs. The FDA must allow, but not require, GMO food to be labeled as GMO. The FDA must regulate the use of “natural” on food labels. This bill amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to require the Agricultural Marketing Service to establish a program to certify non-GMO food. This bill preempts state and local restrictions on GMOs or GMO food and labeling requirements for GMOs, GMO food, non-GMO food, or “natural” food.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
DHS FOIA Efficiency Act of 2015 Directs the Chief FOIA Officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to finalize and issue an updated regulation implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which shall include: (1) public guidance on procedures to be followed when making requests for DHS rules, opinions, orders, records, or proceedings; (2) updated guidance to the DHS components responsible for processing such requests; and (3) detailed information on fees and costs associated with, and the appeals process for, such requests. Requires such Officer to: (1) identify the total annual cost to DHS of implementing FOIA, (2) develop guidance on reporting standards related to costs of processing requests, (3) identify and eliminate unnecessary and duplicative actions taken by DHS in processing requests, and (4) develop a plan to automate the processing of requests. Requires the Chief Privacy Officer of DHS to update and issue guidance to the heads of each of the relevant DHS components regarding the goal of reducing the backlog in processing requests by 50% between FY2015 and FY2018. Directs the Chief FOIA Officer to include: (1) in each semiannual privacy report submitted under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 the total costs to DHS of meeting FOIA requirements for the period covered by the report and an assessment of progress made toward meeting the backlog goals, and (2) in the second semiannual privacy report for FY2016 a description of any cost savings identified and the automation plan developed.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to annually submit to specified congressional committees a list of ongoing and completed projects that federally funded research and development centers within DHS have been tasked to complete.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters Consolidation Accountability Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in coordination with the General Services Administration (GSA), to submit a report on the DHS headquarters consolidation project within the National Capital Region, including: a current list of the components and offices proposed to be included; a comprehensive assessment of the real property needed by DHS in the Region to carry out its mission to secure the homeland and defend against terrorism; an analysis of the difference between the current and needed capital assets and facilities of DHS; a current plan for construction of the headquarters consolidation at the St. Elizabeth's campus that includes the estimated costs and schedule for the current plan and the estimated costs savings of reducing the scope of the project and increasing the use of existing capacity developed under the project; a current plan for the leased portfolio of DHS in the Region that includes the total rentable square feet, number of personnel, and proposed utilization rates, the replacement and consolidation plan for leased space, and the costs and benefits of leasing and construction alternatives; and a detailed list of alternatives considered by DHS during the plan's development, including their costs and benefits. Directs DHS, in coordination with GSA, to complete the update of the cost and schedule estimates for the portions of the project that are not yet complete based on the information contained in the report. Directs the Comptroller General to review the update, evaluate the quality and reliability of such estimates, and report on the results.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
DHS Paid Administrative Leave Accountability Act of 2015 Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the head of each component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), on a quarterly basis, to submit to the Chief Human Capital Officer of DHS (the Chief): (1) the number of employees who had been on administrative leave, or any other type of paid non-duty status without charge to leave, for personnel matters for six consecutive months or longer; and (2) the total cost to the component associated with such leave and paid non-duty status for the quarter. Requires the Chief to: (1) monitor the number of such employees and the associated costs, (2) determine appropriate actions to be taken by DHS to resolve any personnel matter expeditiously or to eliminate or reduce the use of such leave and paid non-duty status in addressing any personnel matter, (3) develop and implement a department-wide policy in accordance with existing federal guidance specifically related to the use of such leave or paid non-duty status for personnel matters, and (4) submit a report after each calendar quarter of 2016-2018 on the number of DHS employees on such leave or paid non-duty status for personnel matters for six consecutive months or longer.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
State Partnership Program Enhancement Act of 2015 Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 to revise and extend indefinitely the authority of the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish exchange programs for members of the National Guard under the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP). (Currently, the authority is scheduled to terminate on September 30, 2016.) Authorizes DOD, with the concurrence of the Department of State, to establish such programs for exchanges of members of the National Guard of a state or territory and the military forces or security forces or other government organizations of a foreign country to support the national interests and security cooperation goals and objectives of the United States as defined by the current and evolving national global strategic policies of the United States. (Currently, the primary function of the SPP is disaster and emergency response.) Directs DOD, with the concurrence of the State Department, to establish procedures for SPP planning, programming, budgeting, accounting, and performance metrics. Requires the National Guard Bureau to: (1) maintain a list of core competencies of the National Guard to support SPP activities, and (2) designate a director for each state and territory. Requires DOD to coordinate SPP regulations with combatant commanders to ensure that program activities meet theater security cooperation objectives. Requires the State Department to coordinate such regulations with relevant chiefs of mission to meet diplomatic objectives. Establishes the National Guard State Partnership Program Fund in the Treasury, into which appropriated amounts shall be credited and transferred for program activity uses, including payment of costs for personnel, training, operations, and equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2015 This bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Congressional Budget Impoundment and Control Act of 1974, and the Rules of the House of Representatives to change the process for the President's budget submission, congressional budget resolutions, appropriations bills, and government strategic and performance plans from the current annual process to a biennial process, in which a biennium is the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. The House Budget Committee must use the second session of each Congress to study issues with long-term budgetary and economic implications. The bill creates a point of order in the House and Senate against authorizations of appropriations that do not include specific authorizations covering at least each fiscal year in one or more bienniums.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2015
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer's Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover comprehensive Alzheimer's disease care planning services.
![Official portrait of Rep. Miller, Candice S. [R-MI-10]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001150_200.jpg)