United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2017
Recognizes: (1) the achievements of the players, coaches, fans, and staff whose dedication has helped the Minnesota Lynx win the 2017 Women's National Basketball Association Championship; and (2) the Twin Cities area and Minnesota for supporting women's professional basketball.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2017
Accurate Income Measure Act of 2017 or the AIM Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to revise gainful employment regulations that require career training programs to meet minimum thresholds with respect to the debt-to-income rates of their graduates. Specifically, the bill requires ED to ensure that those regulations account for estimated underreporting of earned income by graduates of career training programs in cosmetology and related personal grooming arts, holistic health, or massage therapy. Cosmetology, holistic health, and massage therapy career training programs may appeal a zone or failing debt-to-earning rate by submitting alternative earnings data based on the most current Bureau of Labor Statistics earnings data for the Standard Occupational Classification code. Until the date on which ED issues adjustments to its gainful employment regulations, the bill: (1) exempts those programs from the regulations, (2) bans ED from publishing final debt-to-earnings rates for those programs, (3) exempts institutions of higher education that provide those programs from a requirement to report the rates on consumer disclosures relating to gainful employment, and (4) prohibits ED from making those programs ineligible for federal financial aid funds due to the application of the regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
Community-Based Independence for Seniors Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a Community-Based Institutional Special Needs Plan demonstration program through which up to five eligible Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations shall provide home and community-based care to eligible Medicare beneficiaries. For purposes of the demonstration program, an eligible Medicare beneficiary is ineligible for Medicaid and unable to perform two or more activities of daily living. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall establish payment rates for eligible MA plans under the demonstration program. Such payment rates are capped but shall be in addition to payments otherwise made to MA organizations with respect to such plans. The CMS shall also: (1) help to educate eligible Medicare beneficiaries on the availability of the program, and (2) provide for program evaluation by an independent third party.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2017
Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2017 This bill directs the President to establish a five-year strategy to accelerate progress toward ending preventable child and maternal deaths within a generation and ensure healthy and productive lives for women and children. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shall: (1) identify target countries with the greatest need and the highest burden of preventable child and maternal deaths, and (2) designate a current USAID employee serving in the Senior Executive Service or at the level of a Deputy Assistant Administrator or higher to serve concurrently as the Senior Coordinator for Child and Maternal Survival.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2017
This bill amends the federal criminal code to prohibit certain conduct with respect to any part or combination of parts that is designed and functions to increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but does not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun. Specifically, it makes it a crime to manufacture, possess, or transfer such device: (1) in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or (2) that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. An individual who knowingly violates the prohibition is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. Additionally, the U.S. Sentencing Commission must review and amend the sentencing guidelines and policy statements to provide an enhanced penalty if the device has been: (1) used, carried, or possessed during or in relation to a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime; or (2) unlawfully smuggled into or from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2017
Internet of Medical Things Resilience Partnership Act of 2017 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration to establish a working group in order to develop recommendations on improving the security and resilience of networked medical devices.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2017
Access to Marketplace Insurance Act This bill requires health insurers to accept, on behalf of individuals enrolled in qualified health plans, cost-sharing payments made by certain third parties (e.g., state and federal government programs) and count such payments toward annual cost-sharing limitations. (Qualified health plans are eligible for subsidies and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.)
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2017
Housing for Survivors of Sex Trafficking Act This bill amends the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to include sex trafficking victims as eligible participants in the transitional housing assistance grant program. The bill permits a grant recipient to condition the receipt of benefits or the provision of housing on a program participant's involvement in certain activities, including confidential counseling and evaluations, as necessary to ensure the accurate placement of the victim in the program.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2017
Simplifying Technical Aspects Regarding Seasonality Act of 2017 or the STARS Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude seasonal employees from the definition of "full-time employee" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide employees with minimum essential health care coverage. The bill defines a "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.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Air Ambulance Quality and Accountability Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to modify standards and payment for air-ambulance services under the Medicare Program. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall establish minimum standards that must be met by air-ambulance suppliers and providers as a condition of their participation in Medicare. These standards must address: (1) scope of practice, training, and clinical capability; (2) medical equipment and vehicle attributes; (3) documentation; (4) medical direction and oversight; (5) reporting of specified events; (6) patient safety and infection control; (7) clinical quality-management and performance-improvement programs; and (8) particular populations. An air-ambulance provider or supplier that is accredited by an HHS-approved organization shall be deemed to be in compliance with these standards. HHS must establish an air-ambulance quality-reporting and performance program under which Medicare payment is determined according to a specified performance-based formula. Performance measures shall address patient safety, clinical quality, and over-triage. An air-ambulance provider or supplier must, subject to suspension of payment under Medicare, annually submit specified cost data to HHS. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission shall report to Congress on whether changes should be made with regard to reimbursement of air-ambulance providers and suppliers under Medicare.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Save American Workers Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to change the definition of "full-time employee" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide minimum essential health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from an employee who is employed on average at least 30 hours of service a week to an employee who is employed on average at least 40 hours of service a week.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2017
Supports the designation of Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month. (Pulmonary fibrosis is scarring of the lungs that causes breathing problems.) Expresses continued support for: (1) more robust and accelerated research to develop more effective treatments for pulmonary fibrosis and to ultimately find a cure for the disease, (2) federal efforts to ease administrative burdens on those suffering from pulmonary fibrosis and their families and caregivers, and (3) swift and efficient federal evaluation and approval of new treatments for pulmonary fibrosis. Recognizes the ongoing courage and contributions of individuals with pulmonary fibrosis who participate in clinical trials. Commends the dedication of those working to improve the quality of life of individuals with pulmonary fibrosis and the families and caregivers of those individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2017
Protecting the American Process for Election Results Act or the PAPER Act This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to report to Congress on best practices for ensuring the cybersecurity of federal elections and for auditing election results. The commission shall make grants to each eligible state to implement (1) such best practices, or (2) the recommendations from a Department of Homeland Security Risk and Vulnerability Assessment of the state's election system.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2017
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prohibit the application of Medicare competitive acquisition rates to complex, rehabilitative, manual wheelchairs and accessories. (A competitive bidding program has replaced the use of established fee schedule amounts to determine payments under Medicare for certain durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs.)
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2017
Humanitarian Firefighter Relief Act This bill amends the Tariff Act of 1930 and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to grant duty-free treatment of donated fire-fighting and rescue and relief equipment and supplies imported by or on behalf of a qualified tax-exempt nonprofit charitable organization for purposes of the inspection and subsequent donation and export of those items to countries and organizations in need.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2017
Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment Act or the Military SAVE Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), through the Office of Community Care, to carry out a three-year pilot program of hospital care and medical services for eligible veterans at non-VA health care providers to treat physical and psychological injuries or illnesses that, in the judgment of a VA mental health professional, resulted from sexual assault or battery or sexual harassment while the veteran was serving on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training. The program shall be carried out at not more than five locations, at least one of which shall be a rural location, based upon criteria including: (1) distance from a military installation, (2) city size, and (3) rates of sexual assault and rape. An eligible veteran may elect to participate in the pilot program. The VA may not restrict a participant's ability to choose the non-VA health care provider. The bill: (1) sets forth payment provisions for current and new non-VA providers, and (2) provides for program data collection and analysis.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2017
United States Optimal Use of Trade to Develop Outerwear and Outdoor Recreation Act or the U.S. OUTDOOR Act This bill amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide for the duty-free treatment of certain recreational performance outerwear.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2017
Free File Permanence Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to continue to operate the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Free File Program. The program must work with state government agencies to enhance and expand the use of the program, while continuing to: provide free commercial-type online individual income tax preparation and electronic filing services to the lowest 70% of taxpayers by income; provide all taxpayers (regardless of income) with a basic, online electronic fillable forms utility; and work with the private sector to provide the free tax preparation and electronic filing services. Treasury must work with the private sector through the program to identify and implement innovative new program features to improve and simplify the taxpayer's experience with completing and filing individual income tax returns. The IRS and members of the tax software and electronic industry involved in the program must support and promote improvements within the program by mutually testing, piloting, and offering innovative solutions to: simplify the tax system, reduce compliance and reporting burdens, increase tax return accuracy through financial data authentication, strengthen the tax system against fraud through cybersecurity collaboration, avoid duplication, and maximize the use of electronic technology. The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee must report annually to Congress regarding the program, including website statistics, cybersecurity standards, demographic information, marketing and education efforts, simplifications and innovations, and state and local participation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2017
Local Coverage Determination Clarification Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the process by which Medicare administrative contractors (MACs) issue and reconsider local coverage determinations (LCDs) that: (1) are new, (2) restrict or substantively revise existing LCDs, or (3) are otherwise specified in regulation. (MACs are private insurers that process Medicare claims within specified geographic areas.) Before such an LCD may take effect, the MAC issuing the determination must, with respect to each geographic area to which the determination applies: publish online a proposed version of the determination and other specified, related information; convene one or more public meetings to review the draft determination, receive comments, and secure the advice of an expert panel; post online a record of the minutes from each such meeting; provide a period for submission of written public comments; and post online specified information related to the rationale for the final determination. Upon the filing of an applicable request by an interested party with regard to the reconsideration of a specified LCD, the MAC that issued the determination shall: provide specified information related to whether the determination failed to correctly apply qualifying relevant evidence, exceeds the scope of its intended purpose, fails to apply as intended, or is otherwise erroneous; preserve the determination, modify the determination, or rescind the determination in part; and make publicly available a written description of such action. An interested party may appeal a reconsideration decision to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS shall appoint a Medicare Reviews and Appeals Ombudsman to carry out specified duties with regard to LCDs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Healthcare Outcomes Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to replace the existing methodology for calculating Medicare payment adjustments for subsection (d) hospitals based on outcomes in readmissions and complications with a new methodology based on value-based outcomes in those and other areas. (In general, a "subsection (d) hospital" is an acute care hospital that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system.) Specifically, the bill: (1) establishes a methodology for determining a hospital's financial impact attributable to complications, readmissions, return emergency room visits, and post-acute care episode expenditures; and (2) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to select methodologies for identifying potentially avoidable outcomes in those categories. Subject to both a ceiling and a floor, among other specified refinements, a hospital's payment adjustment factor for an applicable prospective period shall be based on the ratio of that financial impact to the aggregate amount of standardized payments made to the hospital with respect to that period. The CMS must ensure budget neutrality with respect to application of the payment adjustment factor across all subsection (d) hospitals. The CMS shall regularly report to hospitals and to the public on each hospital's performance with regard to potentially avoidable outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act This bill aligns federal privacy standards for substance use disorder patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Savannah Hope Stillbirth Child Tax Credit Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the child tax credit, to allow an additional $2,000 refundable tax credit for each birth by the taxpayer of a stillborn child during the taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2017
Save Local Business Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide that a person may be considered a joint employer in relation to an employee only if such person directly, actually, and immediately, and not in a limited and routine manner, exercises significant control over the essential terms and conditions of employment (including hiring employees, discharging employees, determining individual employee rates of pay and benefits, day-to-day supervision of employees, assigning individual work schedules, positions, and tasks, and administering employee discipline).
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2017
Furthering Access to Coordinated Treatment for Seniors Act of 2017 or the FACTS Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors to access certain Medicare claims data. Specifically, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must establish a process for PDP sponsors to request, beginning in plan year 2020, standardized extracts of claims data for Medicare hospital and medical services. PDP sponsors may use such data: (1) to optimize therapeutic outcomes through improved medication use, (2) to improve care coordination so as to prevent adverse health outcomes, or (3) for any other purpose determined appropriate by the CMS. PDP sponsors may not, however, use such data: (1) to inform coverage determinations; (2) to conduct retroactive reviews of medically accepted indications determinations; (3) to direct enrollment changes; (4) to inform marketing of benefits; or (5) for certain other purposes affecting the security of personal health information, as determined by the CMS.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2017
Family-Owned Business Multiemployer Pension Correction Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to establish a program to limit the liability of retail employers who do not employ more than 100 employees who are multiemployer pension plan participants (covered small employer) for withdrawing from a multiemployer pension plan to begin making contributions to a collectively bargained plan. A covered small employer is not eligible for such benefit unless Treasury determines that the affected multiemployer plan liabilities do not exceed 1% of total plan liabilities during a specified 3-year period.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2017
Megan Rondini Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services to designate a hospital as a "SAFE-ready facility" if the hospital: (1) employs or contracts with a sexual-assault forensic examiner, or (2) uses a telemedicine system of such examiners. Subject to civil penalties, and as a condition of participation in the Medicare program, a hospital that has an emergency department but is not designated as a SAFE-ready facility must meet certain requirements. Specifically, with respect to an individual who comes to the hospital's emergency department for treatment relating to sexual assault, the hospital must (regardless of whether the individual is eligible for Medicare): inform the individual that the hospital is not a SAFE-ready facility; provide the name and location of the nearest SAFE-ready facility; inform the individual that the individual may elect either to receive treatment at the hospital or to be stabilized and transferred to the nearest SAFE-ready facility; and if the individual elects to be transferred, obtain the individual's written consent for the transfer, contact the nearest SAFE-ready facility to confirm that a sexual-assault forensic examiner or telemedicine system is available, and stabilize and transfer the individual. In addition, a hospital with an emergency department must develop and implement a plan to train relevant personnel on sexual-assault forensic-evidence collection.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2017
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a test for determining if a service provider should be classified as an independent contractor rather than as an employee for tax purposes. If the requirements of the test are met, the provider may not be treated as an employee, the recipient or any payor may not be treated as an employer, and compensation for the service may not be treated as paid or received with respect to employment. The factors of the test include: the relationship between the parties (i.e., the provider incurs expenses or risks income fluctuations; does not work exclusively for a single recipient; performs the service for a particular amount of time, to achieve a specific result, or to complete a specific task; or is a sales person compensated primarily on a commission basis); the place of business or ownership of the equipment (i.e., the provider has a principal place of business, which can be home or mobile-based, or bears financial responsibility for the equipment used to provide the service); and the services are performed under a written contract that meets certain requirements (i.e., specifies that the provider is not an employee, the recipient will satisfy reporting requirements, and that the provider is responsible for taxes on the compensation). The bill also sets forth: (1) reporting requirements for service recipients who meet the requirements of the test, and (2) procedures for the reclassification of employment status by the Internal Revenue Service.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2017
Expresses the sense of Congress that: child safety is the first priority of custody and parenting adjudications, and courts should resolve safety risks and claims of family violence before assessing other best interest factors; quasi-scientific evidence should be admitted by courts only when it meets admissibility standards for scientific evidence; evidence from court-affiliated or appointed fee-paid professionals regarding adult or child abuse allegations in custody cases should be considered only when the professional possesses documented expertise and experience in the relevant types of abuse, trauma, and the behaviors of victims and perpetrators; states should define required standards of expertise and experience for appointed fee-paid professionals who provide evidence to the court on behaviors of abuse victims and perpetrators, specify requirements for the contents of such professional reports, and require courts to find that any appointed professionals meet those standards; states should consider models under which court-appointed professionals are paid directly by the courts, with potential reimbursement by the parties after due consideration of the parties' financial circumstances; and Congress should schedule hearings on family courts' practices with regard to children's safety and civil rights.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act or the ACE Kids Act This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to establish a state Medicaid option to provide for medical assistance with respect to coordinated care provided through a health home (i.e., a designated provider or team of health-care professionals) for children with medically complex conditions. A state shall make payments for such health-home services regardless of whether they are provided through a fee-for-service or managed-care system. For an initial period of eight fiscal-year quarters, the federal matching rate applicable to such payments shall be increased by 20 percentage points, not to exceed 90%. A state that exercises this option shall specify its methodology for determining payment and evaluating quality of care, in accordance with requirements established by the bill. In addition, the state must meet specified requirements regarding hospital referrals, out-of-state providers, education and outreach, data collection, and reporting. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must issue guidance on best practices for using out-of-state providers to provide care to children with medically complex conditions. The Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Payment and Access Commission must report to Congress and to the Department of Health and Human Services on specified matters related to children with medically complex conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Knowledgeable Innovators and Worthy Investors Act or the KIWI Act This bill makes New Zealand nationals eligible to enter the United States as nonimmigrant traders and investors as provided for under the Immigration and Nationality Act if New Zealand provides reciprocal nonimmigrant treatment to U.S. nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Bob Dole Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Bob Dole in recognition for his service to the nation as a soldier, legislator, and statesman.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2017
Expresses support for the designation of National Ectodermal Dysplasias Week. (Ectodermal dysplasias are a group of genetic conditions that commonly affect the hair, nails, teeth, and sweat glands.) Encourages Americans to become more informed about ectodermal dysplasias and the role of treatment in improving quality of life.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to allow the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) to subject a bank holding company to enhanced supervision if: (1) the company has been identified as a global systemically important company; or (2) the risk of the company's financial distress, or the nature of the company's activities, could pose a threat to the financial stability of the United States. Currently, companies are subject to this type of oversight if they possess at least $50 billion in assets or are a nonbank financial company under the FRB's supervision. The Financial Stability Oversight Council must approve of any metrics used by the FRB in determining by regulation that a category of bank holding companies is subject to enhanced supervision. Under this bill, companies subject to enhanced supervision may be required to limit mergers and acquisitions, restrict products offered, or maintain a certain debt ratio. The FRB must publish the list of companies that have been identified as requiring enhanced supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Wounded Officers Recovery Act of 2017 This bill authorizes the Capitol Police Board to make payments from the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund to employees of the U.S. Capitol Police who have sustained serious line-of-duty injuries. The board is required to issue specific regulations governing the fund's use for making such payments. These regulations shall ensure that the payments are in addition to, and do not otherwise affect, other forms of compensation payable to the employee, including worker's compensation benefits. The bill requires amounts received by the board in response to the shooting incident at the practice for the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity on June 14, 2017, to be deposited into the fund.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2017
President John F. Kennedy Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of President John F. Kennedy. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, which shall be paid by Treasury to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to support the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Investing in Student Achievement Act of 2017 or the ISA Act of 2017 This bill provides for income-share agreements whereby a student agrees to pay a percentage of future income, for a specified period of time, in exchange for funds to pay for educational expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2017
Empowering Employees through Stock Ownership Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an employee to elect to defer, for income tax purposes, income attributable to certain stock transferred to the employee by an employer. The employee may defer the inclusion of income from the stock until the year that includes the earliest of the dates on which: the stock becomes transferable; the employee becomes an excluded employee; stock of the corporation becomes readily tradable on an established securities market; seven years have passed after the rights of the employee in the stock are transferable or are not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, whichever occurs earlier; or the employee revokes the election with respect to the stock. The stock must meet specified requirements and be transferred to the employee from an eligible corporation in connection with the performance of services as an employee. A corporation is eligible if: (1) no stock of the corporation or a predecessor is readily tradable on an established securities market during any preceding year; and (2) it has a written plan under which at least 80% of certain employees are granted stock options, or restricted stock units, with the same rights and privileges to receive qualified stock. Employees are excluded if they: (1) are a 1% owner, the chief executive officer, or the chief financial officer of the corporation or have been at any time during the 10 preceding calendar years; (2) are a family member of the specified individuals; or (3) have been one of the four highest compensated officers of the corporation during any of the 10 preceding taxable years.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017 This bill amends the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to initiate a program to consolidate and temporarily store commercial spent nuclear fuel during the development, construction, and operation of a permanent nuclear waste repository. The bill addresses federal land withdrawal and related management issues, including the permanent withdrawal of specific federal land for repository use by DOE, updating the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing process and conditions for the repository, and limiting activities relating to developing a separate defense waste repository used for storing high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel derived from the atomic energy defense activities of DOE. DOE may enter into agreements to provide benefits to state, local, and Tribal governments that might host or be affected by facilities related to storing nuclear waste. The bill revises the method by which DOE funds its nuclear waste management activities though the collection and usage of the Nuclear Waste Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2017
Philanthropic Enterprise Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt the holdings of a private foundation in any business enterprise that meets specified requirements relating to exclusive ownership, minimum distribution of net operating income for the charitable purpose (all profits to charity distribution requirement), and independent operation (not controlled by a substantial contributor or family members) from the excise taxes on excess business holdings.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2017 This bill states that it is U.S. policy to regard the prevention of genocide and other atrocity crimes as a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility. The President shall instruct the Department of State to establish a Mass Atrocities Task Force to strengthen State Department efforts and assist other agency efforts at atrocity prevention and response. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended to provide for the training of Foreign Service Officers in conflict and atrocity crimes prevention. The Director of National Intelligence is encouraged to include in his or her annual testimony to Congress on threats to U.S. national security: (1) a review of countries and regions at risk of atrocity crimes; and (2) specific countries and regions at immediate risk of atrocity crimes, including most likely pathways to violence, specific risk factors, potential perpetrators, and at-risk target groups. The bill establishes the Complex Crises Fund to enable the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to support programs and activities to prevent or respond to emerging or unforeseen foreign challenges and complex crises overseas, including potential atrocity crimes. Fund amounts may not be expended for lethal assistance or to respond to natural disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Calls for an end to the dog and cat meat industry. Urges the governments of China, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, India, and all other nations to: (1) adopt and enforce laws banning the dog and cat meat trade, (2) increase efforts to prevent any leather or fur byproducts of such trade from entering international markets, and (3) use their food safety laws to crack down on the sale of dog and cat meat. Affirms the U.S. commitment to the protection of animals and to advancing the progress of animal protection around the world. Urges executive branch officials to include the dog and cat meat trade on the agenda for discussion with the officials of countries that have a dog or cat meat industry.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2017
Road to Recovery Act This bill provides for coverage, under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, of inpatient services in a residential substance use disorder treatment facility with respect to an individual under 65 years of age.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2017
Affordable Retirement Advice for Savers Act This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to modify requirements related to fiduciaries and the provision of investment advice for pension and retirement plans. (Under current law, a person who provides investment advice has a fiduciary obligation that requires the person to provide advice in the sole interest of plan participants and beneficiaries.) The bill nullifies several regulations that are commonly referred to as "the fiduciary rule" and broadened the types of investment advice that impose a fiduciary obligation with respect to the plans. The bill defines "investment advice" as a recommendation that relates to: the advisability of acquiring, holding, disposing, or exchanging any moneys or other property of a plan by the plan, participants, or beneficiaries, including any recommendation regarding whether to take a distribution of benefits from the plan or any recommendation relating to a rollover or distribution from such plan; the management of moneys or other property of the plan, including recommendations relating to the management of plan assets to be rolled over or otherwise distributed from the plan; or the advisability of retaining or ceasing to retain a person who would receive a fee or other compensation for providing investment advice. Investment advice must be rendered pursuant to either: (1) a written acknowledgment of the obligation of the advisor to comply with fiduciary standards; or (2) a mutual agreement, arrangement, or understanding that may include limitations on scope, timing, and responsibility to provide ongoing monitoring or advice services. The bill establishes exemptions to the prohibited transactions rules under ERISA and the IRC for advice that meets certain requirements for reasonable compensation, disclosures, and recommendations that are in the best interest of the plan or recipient of the advice.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2017
Combating BDS Act of 2017 This bill allows a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, prohibit investment of its assets in, or restrict contracting with: (1) an entity that engages in a commerce- or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel; or (2) an entity that owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership or control with such an entity. Such measures are not preempted by federal law. A state or local government that seeks to adopt or enforce such measures shall comply with specified requirements related to notice, timing, and opportunity for comment. In addition, the bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to prohibit a person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against a registered investment company based solely upon that company's divestment from securities issued by a person that engages in a commerce- or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2017
Research and Experimentation Advances Competitiveness at Home Act or the REACH Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for increasing research activities (known as the research and experimentation tax credit), to: increase the alternative simplified credit rate to match the rate of the regular credit; allow taxpayers to use reasonable estimation techniques in lieu of contemporaneous accounting to measure employee hours per business component; allow employees engaging in the direct supervision or direct support of research activities which constitute qualified research to be included in the research expense calculation without regard to the employee's position or management level; allow the credit to be used for research related to the adaptation of an existing business component to a particular customer's requirement or need, cost reduction, or obsolescence mitigation; and allow taxpayers to make an election for a reduced credit (in order to be allowed a full deduction for research expenses) on an amended tax return.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2017 This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl in recognition of his acts of valor during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Stopping Trained in America Ph.D.s From Leaving the Economy Act of 2017 or the STAPLE Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from: (1) direct numerical limitations aliens who have earned a Ph.D. degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from a U.S. institution of higher education and who have an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to such degree; and (2) H-1B visa (specialty occupation) numerical limitations aliens who have a U.S. STEM Ph.D. and with respect to whom the petitioning employer requires such an education.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
GSP Footwear Act of 2017 This bill amends the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize the President to designate certain footwear as eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). The President shall include in the next six annual reports to Congress regarding the status of internationally recognized worker rights within a GSP eligible beneficiary developing country a study on the state of the U.S. footwear manufacturing industry for the preceding year. In conducting any study of the probable economic effect of providing duty-free treatment under the GSP to such footwear, the U.S. Trade Representative shall request the U.S. International Trade Commission to examine current domestic production of like or directly competitive footwear articles and to identify any such articles where domestic commercial production is likely to occur within the next year.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Horseracing Integrity Act of 2017 This bill establishes the Horseracing Anti-Doping and Medication Control Authority as an independent non-profit corporation with responsibility for developing and administering an anti-doping and medication control program for: (1) Thoroughbred, Quarter, and Standardbred horses that participate in horse races that have a substantial relation to interstate commerce, (2) such horse races, and (3) the personnel engaged in the care, training, or racing of such horses. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all horse racing anti-doping and medication control matters. The Authority and such FTC jurisdiction shall terminate if an interstate compact providing for services consistent with such program is established within five years after the program takes effect. The Authority may enter into agreements with state racing commissions to implement the program within their jurisdictions. Program elements shall include: anti-doping and medication control rules, lists of permitted and prohibited substances and methods, a prohibition on the administration of any such substance within 24 hours of a horse's next racing start, and testing and laboratory standards. The Authority shall: develop, maintain, and publish such lists; establish a list of anti-doping and medication control rule violations applicable to either covered horses or persons; establish standards and the process for laboratory accreditation and sample testing; and promulgate rules for anti-doping and medication control results management, for the disciplinary process for violation results management, and for imposing sanctions for violations. The bill sets forth civil enforcement provisions. Activities under this bill are funded by an assessment placed on state racing commissions based on the calculation of cost per racing starter.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act This bill directs the Department of Labor to implement a program to: (1) train and periodically retrain relevant Labor personnel to detect and assist law enforcement in preventing human trafficking during the course of their primary roles and responsibilities, and (2) ensure that such personnel regularly receive current information on matters related to the detection of human trafficking. Labor shall report annually to Congress regarding the effectiveness of the training, the number of Labor employees who have completed such training, and the number of of human trafficking cases referred to Labor personnel.
![Official portrait of Rep. Paulsen, Erik [R-MN-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000594_200.jpg)