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![Official portrait of Rep. Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_nj_9_pascrell_bill_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
5,283 records where Rep. Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-9] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020
This resolution recognizes the historical significance and supports the continued celebration of Juneteenth Independence Day, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020
Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed To Survive Act of 2020 or the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020 This bill temporarily establishes and provides funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, from which the Department of the Treasury shall make grants to eligible food and beverage purveyors to cover specified costs. The amount of such a grant shall be reduced by the amount of (1) any emergency grant received for an economic injury disaster loan, or (2) any paycheck protection loan amount forgiven under the Paycheck Protection Program established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). For the grant program's initial period, Treasury must (1) prioritize awarding grants to marginalized and underrepresented communities, and (2) only award grants to eligible food and beverage purveyors with annual revenues of less than $1.5 million.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020
Outpatient Therapy Modernization and Stabilization Act This bill modifies payment and funding for certain outpatient therapy services under Medicare. Among other things, the bill specifically includes physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other specified practitioners who are enrolled as Medicare suppliers as eligible suppliers who may receive COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) relief funds under the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. The bill also permanently allows physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists to provide telehealth services under Medicare, and includes specified therapy services as eligible Medicare telehealth services. (Currently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is authorized to waive requirements for Medicare telehealth services during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19, and it has done so to allow all providers that are otherwise eligible to furnish in-person services under Medicare to also furnish telehealth services.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020
COVID-19 Memorial Quilt Act of 2020 This bill directs the Smithsonian Institution and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to jointly carry out a project to be known as the "COVID-19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project" to honor and remember Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The bill establishes the Congressional Advisory Panel on Honoring Victims of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The panel shall develop and submit a plan to carry out the memorial quilt project.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020
Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act or the INVEST in America Act This bill addresses provisions related to federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Among other provisions, the bill extends FY2020 enacted levels through FY2021 for federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs; reauthorizes for FY2022-FY2025 several surface transportation programs, including the federal-aid highway program, transit programs, highway safety, motor carrier safety, and rail programs; addresses climate change, including strategies to reduce the climate change impacts of the surface transportation system and conduct a vulnerability assessment to identify opportunities to enhance the resilience of the surface transportation system and ensure the efficient use of federal resources; revises Buy America procurement requirements for highways, mass transit, and rail; establishes a rebuild rural grant program to improve the safety, state of good repair, and connectivity of transportation infrastructure in rural communities; implements new safety requirements across all transportation modes; and directs DOT to establish a pilot program to demonstrate a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee to restore and maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and achieve and maintain a state of good repair in the surface transportation system.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2020
Justice in Policing Act of 2020 This bill addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. It includes measures to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct, to enhance transparency and data collection, and to eliminate discriminatory policing practices. The bill facilitates federal enforcement of constitutional violations (e.g., excessive use of force) by state and local law enforcement. Among other things, it does the following: lowers the criminal intent standard—from willful to knowing or reckless—to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution, limits qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer or state correctional officer, and authorizes the Department of Justice to issue subpoenas in investigations of police departments for a pattern or practice of discrimination. The bill also creates a national registry—the National Police Misconduct Registry—to compile data on complaints and records of police misconduct. It establishes a framework to prohibit racial profiling at the federal, state, and local levels. The bill establishes new requirements for law enforcement officers and agencies, including to report data on use-of-force incidents, to obtain training on implicit bias and racial profiling, and to wear body cameras.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2020
Katherine's Lung Cancer Early Detection and Survival Act of 2020 This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover, without cost sharing, screenings for the detection of lung cancer for individuals 40 years of age and older without regard to such individual's smoking history.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020
Great American Outdoors Act This bill establishes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to support deferred maintenance projects on federal lands. For FY2021-FY2025, there shall be deposited into the fund an amount equal to 50% of all federal revenues from the development of oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy on federal lands and waters. Deposited amounts must not exceed $1.9 billion for any fiscal year. The fund must be used for priority deferred maintenance projects in specified systems that are administered by the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Government Accountability Office must report on the effect of the fund in reducing the backlog of priority deferred maintenance projects for the specified agencies. Additionally, the bill makes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanent. The President shall annually report to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2020
Child Care Is Essential Act This bill establishes and provides $50 billion in appropriations for the Child Care Stabilization Fund to award grants to child care providers during and after the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill establishes the fund within the existing Department of Health and Human Services Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, and the grants must be administered by the existing CCDBG lead agencies of states, tribes, or territories. Child care providers that are currently open or temporarily closed due to COVID-19 are eligible to receive grant awards, which are based on the provider's operating costs before the COVID-19 public health emergency and adjusted to account for the increased costs of providing child care as a result of COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2020
Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 This bill modifies provisions related to the forgiveness of loans made to small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program implemented in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill establishes a minimum maturity of five years for a paycheck protection loan that has a remaining balance after the application of forgiveness. The bill also extends the covered period during which the recipient of a paycheck protection loan may use such funds for certain expenses while remaining eligible for forgiveness of the loan. Further, the bill prohibits the Small Business Administration from limiting the non-payroll portion of a forgivable covered loan amount. Currently, only 25% of a paycheck protection loan may be allocated to non-payroll expenses such as rent and utilities. The bill extends the period of time in which an employer may rehire or eliminate a reduction in employment, salary, or wages that would otherwise reduce the forgivable amount of a paycheck protection loan. However, the forgivable amount must be determined without regard to a reduction in the number of employees if the recipient is (1) unable to rehire an employee, (2) able to demonstrate an inability to hire a similarly qualified employee, or (3) able to demonstrate an inability to return to the same level of business activity. Lastly, the bill eliminates a provision that makes a paycheck protection loan recipient who has such indebtedness forgiven ineligible to defer payroll tax payments.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2020
H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2020 This bill modifies requirements related to H-1B (specialty occupation) and L-1 (intracompany transfers) nonimmigrant visas and contains related provisions. Provisions relating to H-1B visas include requiring the Department of Labor to review petitions for indicators of fraud or misrepresentation of material fact; requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize certain petitions, with top priority for workers with advanced degrees in science, technology, or engineering; requiring an H-1B worker to possess at minimum a bachelor's degree to meet specialty occupation requirements (currently, relevant experience may be used instead); and prohibiting an alien classifiable in certain H-1B categories from obtaining a B-1 (temporary business visitor) visa. Provisions relating to L-1 visas include requiring a waiver from Labor for an L-1 worker to be primarily stationed with an employer other than the petitioning employer; prohibiting an alien from receiving an L-1 visa to open or be employed in a new office if the alien has received two or more such visas in the last two years; and increasing the L-1 worker minimum wage to the highest of certain amounts, such as the median wage for the worker's occupational classification in the area of employment (currently, an L-1 worker must be paid at least the higher of the federal or state minimum wage). In regards to both visas, the bill (1) expands the authority of DHS and Labor to take various enforcement actions, and (2) directs DHS to conduct annual audits of a certain percentage of employers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2020
Bring Jobs Home Act This bill (1) grants business taxpayers a tax credit for up to 20% of insourcing expenses incurred for eliminating a business located outside the United States and relocating it within the United States, and (2) denies a tax deduction for outsourcing expenses incurred in relocating a U.S. business outside the United States. The bill requires an increase in the taxpayer's employment of full-time employees in the United States in order to claim the tax credit for insourcing expenses. The bill eliminates the temporary suspension (for taxable years 2018 through 2025) of the tax deduction for moving expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2020
This resolution recognizes the importance of the Islamic faith and expresses deep respect for Muslims in the United States and worldwide in honor of Eid al-Fitr (the conclusion of Ramadan).
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2020
Black History is American History Act This bill requires entities (e.g., institutions of higher education, libraries, and museums), in order to be eligible for certain grants administered by the Department of Education (ED), to include Black history in their teaching of American history. It also requires Black history to be included in tests administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Specifically, the bill mandates the inclusion of Black history as a required component of American history for such entities to be eligible for American History and Civics Academies' competitive grants. These grants support the establishment of (1) Presidential Academies for Teachers of American History and Civics, which offer workshops to teachers of American history and civics to strengthen their knowledge and prepare them to teach in these subjects; and (2) Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics, which support high school students in developing an understanding of these subjects. (Currently, Black history is not a required component of American history for either academy.) In addition, ED must give priority to grant applicants that align their activities with programs and resources of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The bill also requires the inclusion of Black history in tests administered by the NAEP, which measures student academic achievement in various subjects.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act of 2020 This bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award additional grants under the Emergency Solutions Grant program to provide rental assistance for short-term and medium-term housing to homeless individuals or families, or those who are at risk of homelessness, and expands eligibility for such additional assistance. For assistance provided under the bill, the term at risk of homelessness shall include individuals and families that have an income below 80% of the median income for the area (rather than 30% of the area median income, as under current law). Rental assistance provided under the bill shall generally be limited to 120% of the HUD-established fair market rent for the area, whereas currently rental assistance under the program is generally limited to 100% of an area's fair market rent. Such assistance may not be conditioned on any prerequisite activities, such as receiving treatment. HUD may, with some limitations, waive requirements or establish alternative requirements related to such assistance if doing so is necessary to respond to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payments Improvement Act of 2020 This bill establishes and otherwise modifies requirements for the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The program provides Medicare payments in advance to eligible providers experiencing claims or cash flow disruptions, such as during national emergencies; the program was specifically expanded in response to COVID-19 to encompass more types of providers, subject to certain recoupment and repayment provisions. Under the current program, recoupment of advance payments (through claims offsets) begins up to four months after the payment is made. Additionally, certain hospitals have one year to repay the full amount; other types of providers have seven months. Repayments made after this period are subject to the prevailing interest rate set by the Department of the Treasury (generally around 10% in FY2020). The bill delays recoupment for one year and caps the recoupment at 25% of a claim. The bill also gives all providers up to two years for full repayment and caps the interest rate at 1%. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may waive repayment entirely upon a demonstration of extreme hardship, among other factors. The bill also requires the CMS to continue to make the program available to providers of Medicare medical services for the duration of the public health emergency. (The CMS suspended the program for such providers on April 26, 2020.)
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Expanding Medical Partnerships with Israel to Lessen Dependence on China Act or the EMPIL-DOC Act This bill authorizes a bilateral grant program with Israel to develop health technologies, with an emphasis on the use of technology, personalized medicine, and data in relation to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Technologies to be developed through this program include, among others, artificial intelligence, respiratory assist devices, and diagnostic tests. In addition, the program conditions funding on a matching contribution from the government of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
Clean Water for All Act This bill nullifies the 2020 rule titled The Navigable Waters Protection Rule: Definition of "Waters of the United States," which describes the bodies of water that fall under federal jurisdiction and the scope of the Clean Water Act. The 2020 rule replaces the 2015 Clean Water Rule, which includes a broader definition of waters of the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers must promulgate a regulation defining waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act. The EPA and the Corps must ensure that such definition includes categories of water bodies that affect the physical, chemical, or biological integrity of traditionally navigable and interstate waters, based on the best available scientific evidence. In addition, the EPA and the Corps must ensure that implementation of the Clean Water Act using such definition will prevent any degradation of surface water quality, increased contaminant levels in drinking water sources, increased flooding-related risks to human life or property, or disproportionate adverse impacts on minority or low-income populations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
Security After Sandy Act This bill cancels and waives certain debts owed to the United States. The bill cancels repayment for all uncollected amounts owed with respect to community disaster loans made by the federal government between January 1, 2006, and January 1, 2020, with respect to any major disaster declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Small Business Administration shall waive a debt owed to the United States related to such assistance provided to an individual or household if (1) such debt owed is a result of an unauthorized use of funds for such assistance, and (2) the use of funds related to the same recovery for which the assistance was provided. Such debt may not be waived if it involves fraud by the debtor.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
American Opportunity Student Tax Relief Act of 2020 This bill increases the dollar amounts of the American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning tax credits for taxable years beginning in 2020 and increases the refundable portions of such credits. It also expands the tax exclusion for Pell Grants and makes such expanded exclusion retroactive to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2019. The bill also allows a tax exclusion beginning in 2020 for any emergency financial aid grant amount received by a student in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
Public Health Emergency Shelter Act of 2020 This bill authorizes additional grants under the Emergency Solutions Grants program to assist individuals and families experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness and to otherwise address needs arising from the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
COVID - 19 Hate Crimes Act This bill requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice to facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) hate crimes and reports of COVID-19 hate crimes. It defines COVID-19 hate crime as a violent crime that is motivated by two things: (1) the actual or perceived characteristic (e.g., race) of any person, and (2) the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19 of any person because of that characteristic. The designated officer or employee must periodically report on the status of each case reviewed.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2020
COVID-19 Cost Share Adjustment Relief Act of 2020 This bill provides for a 100% federal cost share of assistance provided under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and any subsequent major disaster declaration that supersedes it. The President may provide assistance for activities, costs, and purchases of states or local governments or the owners or operators of eligible private nonprofits, including, among other things backfill costs for first responders and other essential employees who are ill or quarantined, increased operating costs for essential government services due to such emergency, medical equipment and public health costs, and costs associated with maintaining alternate care facilities or related facilities currently inactive but related to future needs tied to the ongoing pandemic event.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2020
This resolution supports the designation of an Arab American Heritage Month.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2020
This resolution recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world, acknowledges the onset of Ramadan (the holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal for Muslims), and expresses respect to Muslims in the United States and throughout the world on this occasion.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2020
This resolution recognizes Turkish National Sovereignty and Children's Day. The resolution expresses support for democracy in Turkey and commends the contributions of Turkish Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2020
Coverage for COVID-19 Treatment Act of 2020 This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover, without any cost-sharing requirement, medically necessary services for individuals who have been diagnosed with, or are presumed to have, COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury must, not later than one week after this bill is enacted, jointly issue guidance specifying the applicable services. Further, HHS must reimburse insurance plans for the cost-sharing amount for such services that would otherwise have been required. The bill provides funding for this reimbursement.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2020
COVID-19 Every Worker Protection Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Labor to promulgate both an emergency temporary occupational safety or health standard and a permanent standard to protect certain employees from occupational exposure to the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19). These standards apply to health care sector employees, paramedic and emergency medical services employees, and other employees identified as having an elevated risk for exposure. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must collect and make public information regarding employee exposure in these occupations and provide guidance to further protect such employees.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2020
Access to Credit for Small Businesses Impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis Act of 2020 This bill temporarily provides credit unions with an exception to limits on outstanding member business loans. Specifically, for a three-year period, loans used for recovery from the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency do not count towards this limit.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2020
Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act of 2020 This bill creates a presumption that certain public safety officers who contract COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and were on duty during the 45-day period prior to the diagnosis are eligible for certain benefits payable when public safety officers are injured or killed in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2020
Mobilizing America to Help Act This bill directs the President to make Peace Corps volunteers available to the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a declared emergency period resulting from the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2020
This resolution calls on all public officials to condemn and denounce anti-Asian sentiment, racism, discrimination, and religious intolerance related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and calls on federal law enforcement officials, working with state and local officials, to take specified steps. It calls on federal officials to expeditiously investigate and document all credible reports of hate crimes and incidents and threats against the Asian-American community and prosecute perpetrators. The resolution recommits U.S. leadership to (1) prioritize language access and inclusivity in communication practices, and (2) combat misinformation and discrimination that put Asian Americans at risk.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
Ensuring Coverage in Public Health Emergencies Act of 2020 This bill requires private health insurance plans to provide a 30-day special enrollment period for eligible individuals after a public health emergency is declared. An employee who is eligible but not enrolled may enroll in an employer-provided group health plan during the special enrollment period. The bill also requires such plans to cover services related to the disease or condition resulting in the public health emergency including, if applicable, vaccines, diagnostic testing, and treatment and care for the disease or condition. Such coverage does not require a positive diagnosis of the disease or condition and cost sharing must be comparable to similar services covered outside the circumstance of a public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
Emergency Social Security Benefits Improvement Act This bill makes changes to Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits, including by (1) modifying funding formulas, (2) extending eligibility for certain benefits, and (3) increasing income thresholds used to determine the percentage of OASDI benefits subject to federal income tax. Changes to funding formulas include (1) increasing the primary insurance amount, and (2) establishing new methods to calculate benefits for individuals with lifetime low earnings and for widows and widowers. In addition, children of a deceased, disabled, or retired worker remain eligible for benefits through age 22 if they are full-time students. Under current law, they receive benefits through age 18. The bill also extends dependent child benefits to specified family members other than grandparents or step-grandparents, including in cases where a court grants custody of the dependent child to an eligible family member. To receive benefits under current law, either both parents must be disabled or deceased or a grandparent or step-grandparent must legally adopt the dependent child.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
This resolution calls on the President to (1) use all relevant authorities of the Defense Production Act to direct the domestic production of supplies to address COVID-19 (i.e., the coronavirus disease 2019), and (2) share specified information regarding the use of such authorities with Congress. (The Defense Production Act confers upon the President a broad set of authorities to influence domestic industry in order to provide essential materials and goods needed for the national defense.) The resolution also states that Congress stands ready to make additional appropriations available for this effort.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2020
Medicare Wage Index Parity Act of 2020 This bill provides statutory authority for, and extends, a specified methodology used to calculate the minimum Medicare hospital wage index for all-urban states.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2020
Retirement Parity for Student Loans Act This bill allows certain employer-sponsored retirement plans to make matching contributions for an employee's student loan payments as if the loan payments were salary reduction contributions to the retirement plan.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2020
1921 Silver Dollar Coin Anniversary Act The Department of the Treasury shall mint and issue $1 coins in recognition of the 100th anniversary of completion of coinage of the Morgan dollar and the 100th anniversary of commencement of coinage of the Peace dollar. Treasury may issue such coins beginning on January 1, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2020
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act This bill imposes various restrictions related to China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region, including by prohibiting certain imports from Xinjiang and imposing sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations there. Goods manufactured or produced in Xinjiang shall not be entitled to entry into the United States unless Customs and Border Protection (1) determines that the goods were not manufactured by convict labor, forced labor, or indentured labor under penal sanctions; and (2) reports such a determination to Congress and to the public. The President shall periodically report to Congress a list of foreign entities and individuals knowingly facilitating (1) the forced labor of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang; and (2) efforts to contravene U.S. laws regarding the importation of forced labor goods from Xinjiang. The President shall impose property-blocking sanctions on the listed individuals and entities and impose visa-blocking sanctions on the listed individuals. Securities issuers required to file annual or quarterly reports with the Securities Exchange Commission shall disclose in such reports certain information related to Xinjiang, including instances where the issuer knowingly (1) engaged in activities with an entity helping to create mass surveillance systems in Xinjiang, (2) engaged in activities with an entity running or building detention facilities for Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, or (3) acquired a significant amount of textiles produced in Xinjiang. After being notified of such a disclosure, the President shall determine whether to investigate if sanctions or criminal charges are warranted.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Paid Sick Days for Public Health Emergencies and Personal and Family Care Act This bill expands the availability of paid sick time by requiring employers with at least one employee to provide a minimum amount of accrued paid sick time per work week and additional paid sick time in the event of a public-health emergency such as the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19). Specifically, the bill requires employers to grant at least 1 hour of accrued paid sick time to each employee for every 30 hours worked, up to a minimum of 56 hours, or 7 days, of paid sick time per year. Accrued paid sick time may be used for, among other reasons, an absence from work that is taken (1) due to a medical condition or illness or for the diagnosis, care, or prevention thereof; (2) to care for a child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, or other close relative with a medical condition or illness, or for the diagnosis or prevention thereof; (3) during a public-health emergency when the employee's workplace has been closed or the employee has been exposed to a communicable disease and may pose a risk to others; or (4) to care for a child or close relative during such public-health emergency, if such relative has been exposed to a communicable disease or the child's school has been closed. Further, employees are immediately entitled to up to 14 days of additional paid sick time if a public-health emergency is declared. This additional paid sick time may be used during the public-health emergency for the same purposes as accrued paid sick time.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2020
This bill expands existing requirements relating to supply shortages of life-saving drugs to also apply to life-saving medical devices. Generally, a manufacturer must (1) notify the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of supply interruptions in certain circumstances, (2) provide for the expedited review of a new device that may mitigate the shortage, and (3) allow the FDA to authorize the importation of the device for emergency medical care.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2020
Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Law Enforcement Training Act or the TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act This bill requires the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to consult with relevant agencies to establish crisis intervention training tools for first responders to address individuals with traumatic brain injuries, acquired brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The BJA must ensure that at least one police department designated as a Law Enforcement Mental Health Learning Site utilizes the tools and that such tools are part of the Police-Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit. Additionally, the bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study and report about the prevalence and incidence of concussions among first responders.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2020
Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act of 2020 This bill requires the National Tracing Center within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to establish and maintain an electronic, searchable database of records related to certain firearms transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2020
Supporting Athletes, Families and Educators to Protect the Lives of Athletic Youth Act of 2020 or the SAFE PLAY Act of 2020 This bill directs several agencies to undertake specified activities and expand surveillance related to cardiac conditions, concussions, and heat-related illnesses among young athletes. The bill also establishes requirements for schools with respect to concussions and excessive heat. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must (1) develop information for schools, childcare centers, and others on high-risk cardiac conditions in children, adolescents, and young adults; and (2) incorporate questions about cardiac conditions in an existing school-based health survey. In addition, the CDC must develop guidelines for emergency action plans for youth athletics programs, and the Food and Drug Administration may issue guidelines related to youth consumption of energy drinks. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must award matching grants to local educational agencies for automated external defibrillator and cardiopulmonary resuscitation trainings. The Department of Education, in consultation with HHS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, must develop public education materials focused on the health risks of exposure to extreme heat and humidity, and public schools must develop action plans for athletic activities during periods of excessive heat or humidity. The bill establishes minimum requirements for elementary and secondary schools related to concussions, including but not limited to (1) implementing a standard plan for concussion safety and management, and (2) ensuring students returning to academics after a concussion receive certain services and supports.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2020
This resolution expresses support for the enactment of the Older Americans Bill of Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2020
This bill provides for the liquidation or reliquidation of certain entries of products of European Union countries exported to the United States on or before October 9, 2019, and entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, during the 120-day period beginning on October 18, 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2020
Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the legacy of Harriet Tubman as an abolitionist. The Secretary may issue coins under this bill only during the period of January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid to Project Legacy in Brooklyn, New York, for the purpose of accomplishing and advancing its mission.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2020
2019 ESOP Fairness Act This bill allows certain over-the-counter securities to be treated as publicly traded employer securities for purposes of the diversification requirements for employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2020
Fair and Honest Advance Cost Estimate for Patients Act of 2020 This bill requires health care providers and private health insurance plans to provide certain estimates for the costs of services that are scheduled three or more business days in advance. Specifically, providers must inquire whether an individual scheduling such service is enrolled in a health plan, including a government health care program, and intends to seek benefits for the service under the plan. Within a specified time period prior to administering such service, the provider must submit to the individual’s plan, or to the individual if the individual is not enrolled in a plan, an estimate of expected charges for the service. Providers are subject to a maximum fine of $10,000 for each failure to provide such an estimate. Within a specified time period after receiving an estimate from a provider for a service, private health insurance plans must provide the plan holder with specified benefits information that includes but is not limited to the provider's estimated charge, whether the provider is in-network, the plan's estimated share of the amount, the plan holder's estimated cost-sharing amount, and the estimated amount remaining to meet the plan holder's deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2020
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act This bill designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin, (2) Grand Staircase-Escalante, (3) Moab-La Sal Canyons, (4) Henry Mountains, (5) Glen Canyon, (6) San Juan-Anasazi, (7) Canyonlands Basin, (8) San Rafael Swell, and (9) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. The bill sets forth administrative requirements for (1) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas, (2) federal reservation of water rights, (3) measurement of setbacks for roads with adjacent wilderness, (4) authorized livestock grazing, and (5) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.