United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of door delivery for all businesses and residential customers.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2015
Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2015
Amends the Indian Reorganization Act to make it applicable to all federally recognized Indian tribes, regardless of when any tribe became recognized. (This effectively overrules the Supreme Court's decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, which held that the Secretary of the Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the Act was enacted.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2015
Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act Designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of land within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2015
Copyright and Marriage Equality Act Amends federal copyright law to revise the definition of "widow" or "widower" for purposes of provisions concerning the transfer of a copyright to an author's spouse or other next of kin following the author's death. Declares that an individual is the widow or widower of an author if the courts of the state in which the individual and the author were married (or, if the individual and the author were not married in any state but were validly married in another jurisdiction, the courts of any state) would find that the individual and the author were validly married at the time of the author's death. (Currently, only the author's surviving spouse under the law of the author's domicile at the time of death is considered a widow.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2015
Amends Rule XIV (Order and Priority of Business) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require (on the first legislative day of each month) a reading of the names of members of the Armed Forces who died in the previous month as a result of combat. Prohibits the Speaker of the House from reading the name of any such member if any family member informs the Speaker that he or she does not wish to have the name of that individual read.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015
Student Worker Exemption Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude students who are employed by an institution of higher education (IHE) and carrying a full-time academic workload at the IHE from being counted as full-time employees in calculating the IHE's shared responsibility regarding health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015
Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 to deauthorize the Ten Mile Creek Water Preserve Area Critical Restoration Project upon execution of a transfer agreement between the Secretary of the Army and the South Florida Water Management District, under which the District shall operate the transferred project as an environmental restoration project to provide water storage and water treatment options.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015
Requires the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service to report annually to Congress on the effects of gun violence on public health and the status of actions taken to address those effects.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015
Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 to authorize the Secretary of the Army to carry out the project for environmental restoration, CERP, Central Everglades Planning Project, Florida, in accordance with the plans and subject to the conditions recommended in the final report of the Chief of Engineers signed on December 23, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2015
Tar Sands Tax Loophole Elimination Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the definition of "crude oil" for purposes of the excise tax on petroleum and petroleum products to include any bitumen or bituminous mixture, any oil derived from a bitumen or bituminous mixture (tar sands), and any oil derived from kerogen-bearing sources (oil shale).
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015
Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act or the Clay Hunt SAV Act Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to arrange for an independent third party evaluation, to be conducted by September 30, 2018, and each fiscal year thereafter, of the VA's mental health care and suicide prevention programs. Directs the Secretary to survey the VA's websites and information resources to publish a website that serves as a centralized source to provide veterans with information regarding the VA's mental health care services. Requires the Secretary to carry out a three-year pilot program to repay the education loans relating to psychiatric medicine that are incurred by individuals who: are eligible to practice psychiatric medicine in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) or are enrolled in the final year of a residency program leading to a specialty qualification in psychiatric medicine; demonstrate a commitment to a long-term career as a psychiatrist in the VHA; and agree to a period of two or more years of obligated service with the VHA in the field of psychiatric medicine. Limits the loan repayment to no more than $30,000 for each year an individual performs such obligated service. Directs the Secretary to establish a three-year pilot program at not less than five Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) to assist veterans transitioning from active duty and to improve the access of veterans to mental health services. Requires the pilot program at each VISN to include: (1) a community oriented veteran peer support network carried out in partnership with an entity that has experience in peer support programs, and (2) a community outreach team for each medical center in such VISN. Authorizes the Secretary to collaborate with nonprofit mental health organizations to prevent suicide among veterans. Requires the Secretary and any such organization to exchange training sessions and best practices. Directs the Secretary to select a VA Director of Suicide Prevention Coordination to undertake any collaboration with nonprofit mental health organizations. Extends for one year combat veterans' eligibility for VA hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for illnesses that have not been medically proven to be attributable to their service, provided they: (1) were discharged or released from active duty between January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2011, and (2) did not enroll to receive such care during the five-year period of eligibility following their discharge or release.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015
Respect for Marriage Act Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2015
No Budget, No Pay Act Prohibits the payment of any pay to any Member of Congress (excluding the Vice President): (1) if both houses of Congress have not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget for a fiscal year before October 1 of that fiscal year and have not passed all the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year by such date, or (2) until both houses of Congress approve such a budget resolution and pass all such appropriations bills. Prohibits any retroactive pay for such a period.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Veteran's I.D. Card Act Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to issue a veteran's identification card to any veteran who requests such card and is neither entitled to military retired pay nor enrolled in the VA system of patient enrollment. Requires such card, among other things, to: (1) display their name and photograph, and (2) serve as proof that the veteran honorably served in the Armed Forces and has a DD-214 form or other official document in their personnel file that describes their military service. Directs the Secretary to charge a card fee. States that such card shall not serve as proof of entitlement to any benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on medical device manufacturers and importers.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Directs the Secretary of Defense to require state or local law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, or emergency management agencies that purchase surplus military equipment to demonstrate, as a condition of the sale, that agency personnel have been certified, trained, or licensed in the proper operation of such equipment. Prohibits the Secretary from transferring or donating excess Department of Defense personal property to law enforcement or firefighting agencies unless the recipient agency demonstrates that personnel have received such certification, training, or licensing.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Close the Floodgates Act Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended by the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, to repeal certain limits on separate contributions by persons or multicandidate political committees to political committees of a national political party which are not the authorized political committees of any candidate. Specifies those contributions used to defray expenses for: a presidential nominating convention; the construction, purchase, renovation, operation, and furnishing of party headquarters buildings; and the preparation for and the conduct of election recounts, contests, and other legal proceedings.
United States · United States Congress · 6 January 2015
Flood Insurance Premium Parity Act of 2015 Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to prohibit the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from estimating reduced (subsidized) risk premium rates for flood insurance for residential property that is neither the primary residence of an individual (as under current law) nor the secondary residence of the property owner. Directs FEMA to establish standards for a residential property to qualify as a secondary residence eligible for subsidized risk flood insurance premium rates that: (1) require the owner to occupy the property for an appropriate minimum period of time each year, and (2) limit subsidized risk premium rates to but a single property of the owner. Repeals the prohibition against estimating subsidized risk premium rates for business property (thus qualifying business property for such rates). Requires FEMA, when developing guidance and rate tables necessary to implement this Act, to consult with Write Your Own companies, which are participating property and casualty insurance companies that write and service standard flood insurance policies in cooperation with FEMA. Write Your Own companies shall have between six and eight months following issuance of final guidance and rate tables to implement the changes required by them. Directs FEMA to refund directly to insureds any flood insurance premiums collected in excess of the rates required under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Financial Institution Customer Protection Act of 2014 - Prohibits a federal banking agency from suggesting, requesting, or ordering a depository institution to terminate a specific customer account, or otherwise restrict or discourage it from entering into or maintaining a banking relationship with a specific customer, unless: (1) the agency has a material reason to do so, and (2) the reason is not based solely on reputation risk. Prescribes requirements for notice from the federal banking agency to the depository institution about such a customer account restriction or termination; but states that notice to the customer is not required. Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to revise requirements for summoning witnesses and requiring production of books or other records the Attorney General deems relevant or material to a civil investigation in contemplation of a civil proceeding which may result in civil penalties for specified violations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Congratulates congresswomen Frederica S. Wilson and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on their induction into the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Hall of Fame. Commends them for their outstanding service to our country.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2014
Nazi Social Security Benefits Termination Act of 2014 - Makes any participant in Nazi persecution ineligible for: (1) Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits under title II of the Social Security Act (SSA), and (2) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits under SSA title XVI. Requires the Attorney General (AG), as soon as practicable after determining that an individual is a participant in Nazi persecution, to notify the Commissioner of Social Security of the individual's identity and residence. Directs the AG, in cooperation with the Commissioner, to report to Congress specified information regarding such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Fairness in Student Loan Repayment Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to make available to borrowers of Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) the following loan repayment options and benefits that are made available to borrowers of William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (DLs): standard repayment plans, graduated repayment plans, extended repayment plans, income contingent repayment plans, income-based repayment plans, or alternative repayment plans that the Secretary deems appropriate; the loan deferments that are made available to certain borrowers who are still in school, unemployed, performing specified military service, or facing an economic hardship; payments of interest on behalf of military personnel; the repayment plan for public service employees; and the non-accrual of interest on the loans of active duty military personnel. Directs the Secretary to pay to FFEL holders the principal, interest, or special allowance payments needed to apply these options and benefits to FFEL borrowers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Veteran Education Empowerment Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to award four-year grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) to establish, maintain, and improve a veteran student center. Requires grantees to be IHEs that: have a population of at least 15,000 students, of which at least 1% are veterans or members of the Armed Forces; are located in a region or community that has a significant veteran population; carry out programs or activities that assist veterans in the local community; and present a sustainability plan demonstrating that their veteran student center will be maintained and will continue to operate after the grant ends. Defines a "veteran student center" as a dedicated space on a campus that provides students who are veterans or members of the Armed Forces with: (1) a lounge or meeting space for such students and veterans in the community, and (2) a centralized office for veteran services that is staffed by trained employees and volunteers. Requires that office to provide such students with assistance in: transitioning from the military to student life, transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce, networking with other students, understanding and obtaining the federal and state benefits for which they may be eligible, and understanding how to succeed in the IHE.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Copyright and Marriage Equality Act - Amends federal copyright law to revise the definition of "widow" or "widower" for purposes of provisions concerning the transfer of a copyright to an author's spouse or other next of kin following the author's death. Declares that an individual is the widow or widower of an author if the courts of the state in which the individual and the author were married (or, if the individual and the author were not married in any state but were validly married in another jurisdiction, the courts of any state) would find that the individual and the author were validly married at the time of the author's death. (Currently, only the author's surviving spouse under the law of the author's domicile at the time of death is considered a widow.)
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Authorizes funding for environmental restoration activities of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) in Florida as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan if the Army Corps of Engineers gives approval by December 30, 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to implement security measures in the electronic tax return filing process designed to prevent tax refund fraud from being perpetrated through electronic identity theft, including the use of security questions that allow for electronic matching of the answers to establish the taxpayer's identity.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Fiscal Responsibility Using Government Accountability Laws Act of 2014 or the FRUGAL Act - Requires the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to analyze the extent to which taxpayers are reporting existing foreign accounts and are circumventing or properly utilizing offshore voluntary disclosure initiatives and programs. Requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to: (1) increase educational outreach concerning taxpayer offshore tax obligations, and (2) report to Congress on closing offshore tax loopholes and increasing revenue collection from offshore sources. Requires the Federal Acquisition Regulation to be revised to include guidelines for federal agencies to use reverse auctions, an electronic auction in which offerors compete by submitting bids or revised bids for a contract, task, or delivery order until the award is made to the offeror with the lowest bid. States that the guidelines should ensure that reverse auctions uphold high quality standards and that small businesses can continue to participate in the procurement process. Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to develop and implement a plan to reduce spending on coin inventory management.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Cut REDTAPE Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt a new small business, including an incorporated business, from the additional tax imposed for underpayment of estimated income tax, if such business's gross receipts for the calendar year do not exceed $1 million.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Inspector General Vacancy Act of 2014 - Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to provide that if the President does not nominate an Inspector General within 180 days after a vacancy occurs in that position, the individual serving as interim Inspector General shall be deemed to be appointed, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Honors the contribution that Gibraltar has made to advancing U.S. security interests in the Mediterranean region since 1801. States that the views and rights of Gibraltarians should always be imperative in any discussion of Gibraltar's status as a British Overseas Territory.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2014
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of a Small Business Saturday, (2) efforts to encourage consumers to shop locally, and (3) efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and their impact on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2014
Great Lakes and Fresh Water Algal Bloom Information Act - Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create an online database of research and information on the causes and corrective actions being taken with regard to algal blooms in the Great Lakes, their tributaries, and other surface fresh waters. Requires NOAA to include relevant chemical, physical, and biological data that have been collected by an accredited university, association or organization, research group, federal agency, state, or local government in the United States or Canada. Declares that this Act does not grant NOAA any new authority, including the authority to require submission of data.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2014
Fueling America's Future Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax treatment of zero carbon emission refueling property, to: (1) exempt the tax credit for such property from the limitation applicable to the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property tax credit; (2) extend through December 31, 2024, the termination date of the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property tax credit allowed for zero carbon emission refueling property; and (3) exclude from gross income, for income tax purposes, income derived from the operation of zero carbon emission refueling property placed in service prior to 2025. Defines "zero carbon emission fuel" as any fuel that does not emit carbon when used as a fuel to propel a motor vehicle.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2014
Child Support Assistance Act of 2014 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act, with respect to the permissible purposes of consumer reports, to authorize a consumer reporting agency to furnish a consumer report in response to a request by the head of a state or local child support enforcement agency (or an authorized state or local government official), if the requester certifies that the report is needed for enforcing a child support order, award, agreement, or judgment. Repeals: (1) the requirement for 10 days' prior notice to a consumer whose report is requested, and (2) the authorization for any consumer reporting agency to furnish a report to an agency administering a state plan for child and spousal support in order to set an initial or modified child support award.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2014
Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to require state or local law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, or emergency management agencies that purchase surplus military equipment to demonstrate, as a condition of the sale, that agency personnel have been certified, trained, or licensed in the proper operation of such equipment. Prohibits the Secretary from transferring or donating excess DOD personal property to law enforcement or firefighting agencies unless the recipient agency demonstrates that personnel have received such certification, training, or licensing.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2014
Reforming CFPB Indirect Auto Financing Guidance Act - Declares without force or effect Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Bulletin 2013-02 (Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act), published March 21, 2013. Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the CFPB, when proposing and issuing guidance primarily related to indirect auto financing, to: provide for a public notice and comment period before issuing the guidance in final form; make publicly available all information relied on by the CFPB; redact any information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act; consult with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Department of Justice (DOJ); and study the costs and impacts of the guidance to consumers and women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2014
National POW/MIA Remembrance Act of 2014 - Directs the Architect of the Capitol to: (1) enter into an agreement to obtain a chair featuring the logo of the National League of POW/MIA Families, and (2) place it on the Capitol grounds in a suitable permanent location within two years after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of door delivery for all businesses and residential customers.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
National Silver Alert Act of 2014 - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a national Silver Alert communications network within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist regional and local search efforts for missing seniors; (2) ensure that, when feasible, the network is able to operate in coordination with the AMBER Alert communications network; and (3) designate an individual of DOJ to serve as the Silver Alert Coordinator to coordinate the network with states. Defines "missing senior" as any individual who is reported as missing to or by a law enforcement agency and who meets state requirements for designation as a missing senior. Directs the Coordinator to: (1) establish minimum standards for the issuance and dissemination of alerts issued through the network; and (2) make available to states, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other concerned entities network training and information.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Directs the Commissioner of Social Security to pay the fees charged by any governmental authority associated with obtaining the birth certificate or state residence identification card in order to obtain a replacement Social Security card for certain victims of domestic violence residing in a shelter and their dependents.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Condemns: (1) all forms of anti-Semitism and rejects attempts to justify anti-Jewish hatred or violent attacks as an acceptable expression of disapproval over political events, and (2) the comparison of Israel to Nazis perpetrating a Holocaust or genocide. Applauds those foreign leaders, especially in France, Italy, and Germany, who have condemned anti-Semitic acts, and calls on those who have yet to take firm action against anti-Semitism in their countries to do so. Reaffirms support for the mandate of the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Supports Holocaust educational programs at home and abroad. Urges the Secretary of State to: maintain the fight against anti-Semitism as a U.S. foreign policy priority, urge governments to ensure that adequate laws are in place to punish anti-Semitic violence and hate crimes as well as establish mechanisms to investigate and punish perpetrators, continue U.S. reporting on anti-Semitism as a human rights and religious freedom issue, provide training for diplomatic and law enforcement personnel posted abroad to report on anti-Semitic incidents, deepen engagement with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and support its specialized efforts to monitor and address anti-Semitism, and oppose efforts to prevent any individual from exercising his or her religion without fear of prosecution or violence.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the current outbreak of Ebola in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia is an international health crisis and is the largest and most widespread outbreak of the disease ever recorded. Calls on all nations to immediately provide additional resources to help affected nations address current and future public health crises. Requests development of a global health security plan to respond to disease outbreaks. Urges the prioritization of the elimination of Ebola as a public health threat.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to reauthorize and revise the National Estuary Program for FY2014-FY2018. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make competitive awards to address urgent and challenging issues that threaten the economic and ecological well-being of coastal areas, including: extensive seagrass habitat losses, recurring harmful algae blooms, unusual marine mammal mortalities, invasive exotic species, jellyfish proliferation limiting community access to water during peak tourism seasons, flooding which may be related to sea level rise or wetland degradation or loss, or low dissolved oxygen conditions in estuarine waters. Requires the EPA to give priority to national estuary programs that are not part of the Geographic Programs as described in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Indian River Lagoon Nutrient Removal Assistance Act of 2014 - Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish an Indian River Lagoon Nutrient Removal Assistance Grant Program to assist projects related to the protection and restoration of the Indian River Lagoon in Florida. Directs the EPA to issue regulations regarding grant selection criteria that prioritize projects that: (1) produce the greatest nutrient load reductions, (2) result in the greatest environmental benefits to the Lagoon, and (3) advance the goals and objectives of the comprehensive and management plan for the Indian River Lagoon approved under the National Estuary program of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act). Requires the EPA to issue regulations to increase by 5% each civil penalty amount established for a violation of the Clean Water Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish an Indian River Lagoon Nutrient Removal Assistance Trust Fund for the Program. Requires an amount equal to the increase in civil penalties to be transferred to the Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2014
Student Worker Exemption Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude students who are employed by an institution of higher education (IHE) and carrying a full-time academic workload at the IHE from being counted as full-time employees in calculating the IHE's shared responsibility regarding health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2014
Emergency Iron Dome Replenishment Act - Authorizes the President, through the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and the Secretary of State, to provide assistance to Israel for the procurement, maintenance, and sustainment of the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2014
English Learning and Innovation Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award renewable, competitive grants to states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and public charter schools or charter school management organizations to carry out activities that result in English learners becoming proficient in English so that they can access the knowledge needed to meet state academic content standards and be ready for postsecondary education and careers (innovation grants). Includes among those activities: (1) improving instructional programs, including through the use of dual-language or bilingual education; (2) ensuring that English learners are taught by effective teachers at schools administered by effective principals; (3) increasing the ability of the families of English learners to engage in their child's education and development; and (4) expanding best practices to other schools or LEAs. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive capacity building grants to states and LEAs that have experienced a significant increase in English learners for use in building their capacity to provide quality instruction to English learners and their parents and become competitive in applying for an innovation grant. Directs the Secretary to establish indicators to measure the success of this Act's grant programs. Requires this Act's grantees to: (1) develop, and submit for the Secretary's approval, quantifiable benchmarks for evaluating their grant activities; and (2) provide the Secretary with an annual report on their progress toward those benchmarks.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2014
Simplifying Technical Aspects Regarding Seasonality Act of 2014 or the STARS Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt seasonal employees from the definition of "full-time employee" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide employees with minimum essential health care coverage. Defines "seasonal employee" as an employee who is employed in a position for which the customary annual employment is not more than six months and which requires performing labor or services that are ordinarily performed at certain seasons or periods of the year.
![Official portrait of Rep. Murphy, Patrick [D-FL-18]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001191_200.jpg)