United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act of 2014 - Amends the General Education Provisions Act to prohibit the Secretary of Education from providing education funding to any educational agency or institution that allows school personnel to inflict corporal punishment upon a student as a form of punishment or to modify undesirable behavior. Requires each state to submit a plan to the Secretary, within 18 months of this Act's enactment and every third year thereafter, that describes how the state eliminates the use of corporal punishment in schools and makes school personnel and parents aware of its policies and procedures for doing so. Authorizes the Secretary to award three-year grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to assist them in improving school climate and culture by implementing school-wide positive behavior supports. Requires grant and subgrant funds to be used for professional training, technical assistance, research, and outreach regarding positive behavior supports. Requires LEAs to ensure that private school personnel can participate, on an equitable basis, in activities supported by such funds. Authorizes the Secretary to allocate funds to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out such activities with regard to schools operated or funded by the Department of the Interior. Directs the Secretary to conduct a national assessment to determine compliance with this Act's requirements and identify best practices regarding positive behavior support professional training programs. Gives Protection and Advocacy Systems the authority provided under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 to investigate, monitor, and enforce this Act's protections for students.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Working Families Child Care Act of 2014 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to create a supplemental state entitlement for child care assistance for families with infants or toddlers under age three. Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to enable eligible states (including Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) to improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers, especially those from low-income families. Authorizes the use of grant funds to: (1) make grants to organizations with expertise in providing child care and related technical assistance, to establish new staffed family child care networks or to operate existing staffed family child care networks or systems that offer, to eligible infant and toddler care providers, technical assistance, training, administrative support, or direct services including monitoring visits to providers; (2) support a statewide network of infant and toddler care specialists; and (3) support initiatives to improve the quality of the provider workforce. Allows the use of such funds also to: (1) develop infant and toddler components for the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System or a similar rating system, child care licensing regulations, or voluntary early learning guidelines; (2) improve the ability of parents to obtain information about high-quality infant and toddler care; or (3) assist eligible infant and toddler care providers seeking to increase their ranking on the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System or similar rating system, meet performance standards applicable to an Early Head Start agency, or become accredited by a national accrediting body.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2014
Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to preempt a state statute of repose for actions brought under state law for personal injury or property damages caused from or contributed to by exposure to any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, if the state statute provides a commencement date that is earlier than the federally required commencement date. (Currently, CERCLA preempts state statutes of limitations, which limit the amount of time a lawsuit can commence from the time the contamination is discovered. The Supreme Court ruled in CTS Corp. v. Waldburger that North Carolina's statute of repose was not preempted by CERCLA. That statute of repose limits the amount of time a lawsuit can commence to 10 years from the defendant's last action, regardless of when the contamination is discovered.)
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2014
Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014 - Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to amend regulations concerning the height and dimensions of station antenna structures to prohibit a private land use restriction from applying to amateur service communications if the restriction precludes such communications, fails to accommodate such communications, or does not constitute the minimum practicable restriction on such communications to accomplish the legitimate purpose of the private entity seeking to enforce such restriction.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2014
Charitable Automobile Red-Tape Simplification Act of 2014 or the CARS Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for charitable contributions, to modify the substantiation rules for donations of qualified vehicles (i.e., motor vehicles manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways and boats or airplanes) to require: (1) a statement with respect to such qualified vehicles and a good faith estimate of their value at the time of donation; and (2) a contemporaneous written acknowledgement of the contribution by the donee organization, with information about the donor and the qualified vehicle.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2014
Protecting American Jobs and Exports Act - Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States through FY2021. Extends through FY2021 and gradually increases (with a specified exception) the Bank's aggregate outstanding loan, guarantee, and insurance authority. Extends through FY2021 Bank authority to provide financing for the export of nonlethal defense articles or services whose primary end use will be for civilian purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2014
Family Coverage Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury have the administrative authority, within their respective jurisdictions, to apply the affordability provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act so as to expand access to affordable health insurance coverage for working families without further legislation. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the affordability requirement for the tax credit for health care premium assistance to provide that an employee is eligible for premium assistance if his or her required contribution to an employer-sponsored health care plan does not exceed 9.5% of family household income.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2014
Route to Opportunity And Development Act of 2014 or the ROAD Act of 2014 - Amends the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, as amended, to revise the high priority Raleigh-Norfolk Corridor of the National Highway System between Raleigh, North Carolina, and Norfolk, Virginia, to include Rocky Mount, Williamston, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014
Reducing Barriers for Veterans Education Act of 2014 - Makes an individual who is eligible for educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance program eligible for assistance with the fees for applying to institutions of higher education (IHEs). Sets the amount of such assistance payable to an individual at the lesser of: (1) the total application fees charged to the individual by the IHEs, or (2) $750.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014
Healthy Kids Outdoors Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue one cooperative agreement per state to eligible entities to implement and update a five-year Healthy Kids Outdoors State Strategy for encouraging Americans, especially children, youth, and families, to be physically active outdoors. Requires eligible entities to provide a 25% match of the funding that they receive under this Act through in-kind contributions or cash. Directs the President to issue a national strategy for encouraging Americans to be physically active outdoors. Directs the Secretary and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to carry out a study of national significance on the health impacts of the strategies under this Act. Requires the Secretary to provide technical assistance to grantees and to disseminate best practices that emerge from the state strategies funded by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2014
Social Security and Marriage Equality Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act with respect to the determination of a valid marriage to account for marriages in jurisdictions other than a state. Authorizes the courts of any state to find that an OASDI benefit applicant and an insured individual were validly married in a jurisdiction other than a state at the time the applicant files a benefit application or, if the insured individual is dead, at the time the individual died.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2014
Recognizes National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children in the foster care system face. Encourages Congress to implement policy to minimize the number of children entering the foster care system, to improve the lives of children in the foster care system, and to maximize the number of children exiting foster care to the protection of safe, loving, and permanent families. Supports the designation of National Foster Care Month.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Strengthening Mental Health in Our Communities Act of 2014 - Establishes the White House Office of Mental Health Policy to monitor federal mental health activities and develop a National Strategy for Mental Health, a comprehensive plan to provide services to individuals with mental illness. Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY 2019 various mental health grant programs, including programs for youth suicide prevention, homeless individuals, and diverting individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system. Replaces youth interagency research, training, and technical assistance centers with a suicide prevention technical assistance center and authorizes the center through FY2019. Revises and extends through FY2019 grant programs to provide: (1) comprehensive community mental health services for children with serious emotional disturbances, and (2) for continued operation of the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI). Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to create a national media public service campaign to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Directs SAMHSA to award grants to states to create a Web-based acute psychiatric bed registry to facilitate the placement and treatment of individuals in psychiatric crisis. Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require coverage of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs. Eliminates Medicare's 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services. Expands Medicare coverage to include marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services. Authorizes through FY2019 additional appropriations for National Health Service Corps scholarships and loan repayments to ensure an adequate supply of behavioral and mental health professionals. Native American Psychiatric and Mental Health Care Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary to award one grant to a medical school to recruit and train psychiatric physicians for Indian health programs. Makes participating physicians eligible for the Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program. Adds occupational therapists to the National Health Service Corps to address shortages in health professional shortage areas. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct or support research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of serious mental illness and violence associated with mental illness. Allows the Director of the National Institutes of Health to establish a Youth Mental Health Research Network to conduct or support youth mental health research and intervention services. Revises and extends through FY2019 a program for children dealing with violence. Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to extend through FY2019 collaboration program grants and expand assistance to veterans and inmates with mental illness. Applies Medicaid, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage incentives for implementation of electronic health records to specified mental health professionals and facilities. Requires the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to provide individuals enlisting in the Armed Forces with a mental health assessment to be used as a baseline for subsequent assessments. Directs DOD to furnish needed care for mental illness to any veteran who served on active duty in a combat zone. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a pilot program for repaying student loans in exchange for service as a psychiatrist in the Veterans Health Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program to refinance the unpaid principal, accrued unpaid interest, and late charges on: (1) the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (DLs) of qualified borrowers if the DLs were first disbursed or (in the case of Direct Consolidation Loans) applied for before July 1, 2013, and (2) the Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) of qualified borrowers as DLs. (FFELs were not disbursed after June 30, 2010.) Refinances the FFELs as Federal Direct Stafford, Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, or Consolidated Loans depending on the categorization of the FFEL as a Stafford, Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, or Consolidated Loan. Sets the interest rate on the refinanced loans, other than the Federal Direct Consolidation Loans, at the rate for the 12 months beginning on July 1, 2013, applicable to the DL's categorization and, in the case of Stafford Loans, applicable to a loan issued to an undergraduate student or a loan issued to a graduate student. Sets the interest on refinanced Consolidation Loans at the rate on Federal Direct PLUS Loans for the 12-month period beginning on July 1, 2013. Fixes the interest rate on such loans for the period of such loans. Directs the Secretary to establish eligibility requirements based on a borrower's income or debt-to-income ratio that take into consideration providing access to refinancing for borrowers with the greatest financial need. Imposes an administrative fee on the borrowers of such reissued loans that is based on the unpaid principal, and accrued unpaid interest and late charges, of their original loan. Requires the Secretary to establish a program to refinance the unpaid principal, accrued unpaid interest, and late charges on private education loans as Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loans if the private education loans were first disbursed to qualified borrowers before July 1, 2013, and were for their own postsecondary educational expenses. Sets the interest rate on Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loans at the rate applicable for the 12 months beginning on July 1, 2013, to: (1) Direct Stafford and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans issued to undergraduates if the private education loan was issued for undergraduate expenses, (2) Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans issued to graduate or professional students if the private education loan was issued for graduate or professional studies, or (3) Direct PLUS Loans if the private education loan was issued for undergraduate and graduate or professional studies. Fixes the interest rate on such loans for the period of such loans. Directs the Secretary to establish eligibility requirements based on a borrower's income or debt-to-income ratio that take into consideration providing access to refinancing for borrowers with the greatest financial need. Requires qualified borrowers of such loans to undergo loan counseling before their private education loan is refinanced. Imposes an origination fee on the borrowers of Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loans. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million to pay a minimum tax rate of 30% of the excess of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income over the taxpayer's modified charitable contribution deduction for the taxable year (tentative fair share tax). Establishes the amount of such tax as the excess (if any) of the tentative fair share tax over the excess of: (1) the sum of the taxpayer's regular tax liability, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) amount, and the payroll tax for the taxable year; over (2) certain tax credits. Provides for a phase-in of such tax. Requires an inflation adjustment to the $1 million income threshold for taxable years beginning after 2015. Requires the Secretary to terminate this Act's refinancing programs when the net cost of carrying out the programs is equal to the Secretary's estimate of the amount of additional revenue generated during the 10-year period beginning on the date of this Act's enactment due to the fair share tax.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2014 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct any prescription drug plan that has in its network one or more pharmacies located in a health professional shortage area, in a medically underserved area, or among a medically underserved population, and that provides a reduction in coinsurance or copayments for covered part D drugs, to extend to any pharmacy located in that area, or among that population, the option to be an in-network pharmacy under terms and conditions comparable to those the plan has agreed upon with other in-network pharmacies located in the area or among that population.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Peace Corps Equity Act of 2014 - Amends the Peace Corps Act to subject abortion service coverage by the Peace Corps for volunteers to the same limitations that apply to Peace Corps employees regarding coverage of abortion services. States that such restriction shall not be construed to limit medical evacuation coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Supports the people of Nigeria, especially the parents and families of the girls abducted by Boko Haram in Borno state. Condemns Boko Haram for its attacks on civilian targets, including schools, mosques, churches, villages, and agricultural centers. Encourages the government of Nigeria to strengthen efforts to protect children seeking an education and to hold those who conduct such attacks accountable. Commends U.S. efforts to hold terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram accountable, and supports U.S. offers to assist in the search for the abducted girls. Encourages the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USDA) to continue supporting initiatives that promote the human rights of women and girls in Nigeria.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Thanks and promotes the teaching profession by encouraging students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to participate in teacher appreciation events during National Teacher Day.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2014
PACE Pilot Act of 2014 - Amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, and Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to waive applicable general and Medicaid requirements of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for Elderly (PACE) in order to conduct demonstration projects through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovations (CMMI) that involve PACE. Prohibits the Secretary, however, as part of a CMMI demonstration, from waiving: (1) the requirement to offer items and services under Medicare without limitations, and (2) certain requirements regarding enrollment in and disenrollment from PACE programs. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary should use waiver authority under this Act to provide, in a budget neutral manner, PACE programs with increased operational flexibility to support their ability to improve and innovate and to reduce technical and administrative barriers that have hindered enrollment.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2014
Reaffirms that it is U.S. policy to support the Republic of Moldova's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. Supports the Strategic Dialogue as a means to strengthen relations between the Republic of Moldova and the United States and enhance the democratic, economic, rule of law, and security reforms being implemented by the Republic of Moldova. Encourages the President and the Department of State to enhance U.S. cooperation with the government of Moldova and civil society organizations. Affirms the Republic of Moldova's sovereign right to determine its own partnerships free of external coercion and affirms Moldova's right to associate with the European Union (EU) or any regional organization. Calls upon the Government of Russia to: (1) withdraw its military forces from within the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Moldova, (2) refrain from economic threats, and (3) cease actions that support separatist movements in Moldova. Supports confidence-building measures between the government of Moldova and the authorities in the Transnistria region in order to secure a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Affirms that lasting stability and security in Europe is a key U.S. priority that can only be achieved if the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all European countries is respected.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2014
Stand By Every Ad Act of 2014 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the identification of funding and authorizing sources in communications expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate (as under current law) or which consist of the functional equivalent of express advocacy. Prescribes special rules for express advocacy radio and television communications which are not authorized by a candidate, an authorized political committee of a candidate, or its agents. Requires individual disclosure statements about the head of the entity paying for the communication and about any other person that disbursed funds to the entity to finance the communication. Requires disclosure of such identifying information within paid audio and video communications made through the Internet or e-mail. Applies such disclosure requirements to prerecorded telephone calls.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2014
World War I Memorial Act of 2014 - Designates the Liberty Memorial of Kansas City at America's National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, as the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Redesignates Pershing Park in the District of Columbia as the National World War I Memorial (Memorial). Authorizes the World War I Centennial Commission (Commission) to plan, develop, and execute ceremonies to recognize the above designation and redesignation and to enhance the General Pershing Commemorative Work by constructing appropriate sculptural and other elements on the Memorial. Amends the World War I Centennial Commission Act to: (1) allow for completion of construction at the Memorial after termination of the Commission, and (2) revise provisions concerning Commission members and pay rates. Prohibits any federal funds from being obligated or expended for the designation, establishment, or enhancement of a memorial or commemorative work by the Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2014
Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2014 - Prohibits a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle (except a vehicle operated exclusively on rail or rails) containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another. Sets forth civil penalties for persons who knowingly violate such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2014
Clean Energy Victory Bond Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue, and promote the purchase of, Clean Energy Victory Bonds to pay for the energy-related tax benefits extended by this Act. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: extend through 2022 the tax credit for investment in solar energy property, geothermal heat pumps, fuel cell property, microturbine property, combined heat and power system property, and small wind energy property; allow an energy tax credit for investment in offshore wind facilities placed in service before January 1, 2021; extend through 2022 the tax credit for residential energy efficiency improvements; extend through 2022 the placed-in-service requirement for wind facilities and other renewable energy facilities for purposes of the tax credit for producing electricity from renewable resources; extend through 2022 the tax credit for nonbusiness residential energy property; allow a new tax credit, through 2022, for home energy efficiency improvements that increase energy efficiency by at least 20%; extend through 2022 the tax credit for new energy efficient homes; and increase, and extend through 2022, the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a voluntary voucher program, through 2017, for the purchase of plug-in electric vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 - States that it shall be U.S. policy to: (1) prevent Hezbollah's global logistics and financial network from operating in order to curtail funding of its domestic and international activities; and (2) utilize diplomatic, legislative, and executive avenues to combat Hezbollah's criminal activities in order to block that organization's ability to fund its global terrorist activities. Directs the President to report to Congress: (1) a list of satellite, broadcast, or other providers that knowingly transmit the content of al-Manar TV; and (2) the identity of those providers that have or have not been sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13224. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prohibit or impose strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly: (1) facilitates the activities of Hezbollah or its agents, instrumentalities, affiliates, or successors; (2) facilitates the activities of a person acting on behalf of or owned or controlled by an agent, instrumentality, affiliate, or successor; (3) engages in money laundering to carry out such an activity; (4) facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services to carry out such an activity, including services that involve a transaction of gold, silver, platinum, or other precious metals; or (5) facilitates any of these activities, conspires to facilitate or participate in such an activity, or is owned or controlled by a foreign financial institution that knowingly engages in such an activity. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe reporting, information sharing, and due diligence requirements for domestic financial institutions that maintain a correspondent account or payable-through account in the United States for a foreign financial institution. Authorizes the Secretary to waive such requirements if in the U.S. national security interests, and with congressional notification. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to identify to Congress every 180 days each foreign central bank that carries out an activity prohibited under this Act. Sets forth penalty requirements for specified violations under this Act. Directs the President to designate Hezbollah as: (1) a significant foreign narcotics trafficker if Hezbollah meets meets the criteria set forth under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and (2) a significant transnational criminal organization if Hezbollah meets the criteria set forth under specified executive orders and statutes. Requires the President to report to Congress which of these criteria the President determines that Hezbollah has not met, if it does not. Directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress regarding Hezbollah's involvement in the trade in rough diamonds outside of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. Declares that nothing in this Act shall apply to authorized U.S. intelligence activities. States that any requirement of this Act shall cease to be in effect 30 days after the President certifies to Congress that Hezbollah: (1) is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist organization; (2) is no longer listed in the Annex to Executive Order 13224 (blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit or support terrorism); and (3) poses no significant threat to U.S. national security, interests, or allies.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2014 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (SAA, 2008) to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before June 1, 2014. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until May 31, 2014, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and November 30, 2014, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to May 31, 2014, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the SAA, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through the first five months of FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Requires the provision of such activities to an individual, at a minimum, within a time period after he or she begins to receive Tier-1 EUC benefits, and if applicable, again within a time period after he or she begins to receive Tier-3 EUC benefits. Requires the Secretary of Labor to determine appropriate time periods. Specifies the purposes of the activities, namely to: better link the unemployed with the overall workforce system by bringing individuals receiving unemployment insurance benefits in for personalized assessments and referrals to reemployment services; and provide them with early access to specific strategies that can help get them back into the workforce faster, including through: (1) the development of a reemployment plan, (2) provision of access to relevant labor market information, (3) provision of access to information about industry-recognized credentials that are regionally relevant or nationally portable, (4) provision of referrals to reemployment services and training, and (5) an assessment of the individual's on-going eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through May 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits. Makes a change in application of a certain requirement (nonreduction rule) to a state that has entered a federal-state EUC agreement, under which the federal government would reimburse the state's unemployment compensation agency making EUC payments to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment compensation under state or federal law and meet specified other criteria. (Under the nonreduction rule such an agreement does not apply with respect to a state whose method for computing regular unemployment compensation under state law has been modified to make the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010, less than what would have been paid before June 2, 2010.) Declares that the nonreduction rule shall not apply to a state which has enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. Allows a state whose agreement was terminated, however, to enter into a subsequent federal-state EUC agreement on or after enactment of this Act if, taking into account this inapplicability of the nonreduction rule, it would otherwise meet the requirements for an EUC agreement. (Thus allows such a subsequent EUC agreement to permit payment of less than the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010.) Prohibits the use of federal funds to: (1) make payments of unemployment compensation to any individual whose adjusted gross income in the preceding year was at least $1 million, or (2) determine whether or not this prohibition applies to an individual. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to: study the use of work suitability requirements to strengthen them to ensure that unemployment insurance benefits are being provided to individuals who are actively looking for work and truly want to return to the labor force; and brief Congress on the ongoing study, including preliminary recommendations for appropriate legislation and administrative action. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code to revise the applicable percentages for determining minimum funding standards for single-employer defined benefit pension plans (funding stabilization). Exempts plans providing accelerated benefit distributions from the application of such standards. Amends ERISA, with respect to pension insurance premiums paid by a designated payor (i.e., the contributing sponsor or plan administrator for a single employer pension plan and the plan administrator for the multiemployer plan) to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Allows a designated payor to elect to prepay, during any plan year, the applicable PBGC flat dollar insurance premium due for up to five consecutive subsequent plan years specified in the election. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend through FY2024 the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to collect customs user fees for the processing of certain merchandise. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a bona fide volunteer providing firefighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services to a state or local government or tax-exempt organization shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for purposes of the employer mandate to provide minimum essential health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Excludes services rendered as a bona fide volunteer to any governmental entity and any tax-exempt organization (specified employer) from the determination of the number of full-time employees of an employer for purposes of such mandate. Defines "bona fide volunteer" as an employee whose only compensation from a specified employer is in the form of: (1) reimbursement for (or reasonable allowance for) reasonable expenses incurred in the performances of volunteer services; or (2) reasonable benefits and nominal fees, customarily paid in connection with the performance of volunteer services.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Action for Dental Health Act 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to obtain portable or mobile dental equipment and to pay for appropriate operational costs for the provision of free dental services to underserved populations that are delivered in a manner consistent with state licensing laws. Directs the Secretary to award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to collaborate with state, county, or local public officials and other stakeholders in order to develop and implement initiatives to: (1) improve oral health education and dental disease prevention; (2) reduce barriers in a manner that increases dental provider participation in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); (3) make the health care delivery system providing dental services under Medicaid or CHIP more accessible and efficient by taking actions necessary to facilitate the establishment of dental homes; (4) address geographic, language, cultural, and similar barriers in the provision of dental services; and (5) reduce the use of emergency departments for dental services more appropriately delivered in a dental primary care setting.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Designates the facility of the Grandfather Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service located at 109 Lawing Drive in Nebo, North Carolina, as the "Jason Crisp Forest Service Building."
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Eliminates the time limit for ratification of the equal rights amendment (prohibits discrimination on account of sex) proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972. Declares that such amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2014
Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act of 2014 or the FAIR Act - Increases the rates of basic pay for federal employees under the General Schedule and for prevailing rate employees by 3.3 % for 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2014
Declares that Congress supports the conservation of the nation's natural resources and working lands. Expresses the sense of Congress that voluntary, incentive-based, private land conservation, provided in partnership with local conservation districts, is necessary to sustain natural resources, meet the needs of a growing population, and ensure safe, abundant, and adequate resources for current and future generations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2014
Fair Employment Protection Act of 2014 - Sets forth employer liability standards to be applied in employee harassment claims under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Revised Statutes, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, employment discrimination laws relating to certain executive branch employees, and the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995. Declares employers under such Acts liable for the acts of any individual whose harassment of an employee has created or continued an unlawful hostile work environment if, at the time of the harassment: (1) such individual was authorized by that employer to undertake or recommend tangible employment actions affecting the employee or to direct the employee's daily work activities, or (2) the negligence of the employer led to the creation or continuation of that hostile work environment (thus modifies the liability standards provided by the Supreme Court in Vance v. Ball State University , which limited the category of supervisors for whom an employer may be held vicariously liable to those individuals who have authority to take tangible employment actions).
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2014
Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2014 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states for: (1) mandatory reporting to the state department of health by health care providers and other entities of pregnancy-related deaths; (2) establishment of a state maternal mortality review committee on pregnancy-related deaths occurring within such state; (3) implementation and use of the comprehensive case abstraction form by such committee to preserve the uniformity of the information collected; (4) annual public disclosure of committee findings; and (5) collect, analyze, and report to the Secretary cases of maternal morbidity. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to: (1) organize a national workshop to identify definitions for severe maternal morbidity and make recommendations for a research plan to identify and monitor such morbidity in the United States; and (2) develop uniform definitions of severe maternal morbidity, a research plan, and possible data collection protocols to assist states in identifying and monitoring such cases. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to carry out specified research and demonstration activities to eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2014
Lake Berryessa Recreation Enhancement Act of 2014 - Transfers the administrative jurisdiction over specified water and land that is within or adjacent to Lake Berryessa in California from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for administration as the Lake Berryessa Recreation Area. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to act in accordance with any existing agreement with any organization for the management of campgrounds and marinas located in the Area. Authorizes the Secretary to develop a management plan for the Area as a new document or by adopting the recreational use plan adopted by the Bureau of Reclamation on June 2, 2006. Declares that, nothing in this Act or any subsequent management plan shall impair the ability of the Bureau of Reclamation and its managing partners to operate, maintain, or manage Monticello Dam, Lake Berryessa, and other Solano Project facilities in accordance with that project's authorized purposes. Requires the Commissioner of Reclamation to continue to administer and operate the Dam and any power facility related to it. Authorizes the Secretary to establish, modify, charge, and collect recreation or concession fees at the Area in accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Permits the Secretary to retain such fees for purposes of managing the Area.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2014
West Hunter Street Baptist Church Study Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the historic West Hunter Street Baptist Church located at 775 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, S.W., Atlanta, Georgia, to evaluate the national significance of the Church and to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating such area as a unit of the National Park System.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2014
Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014 - Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE), acting through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, to act as the lead federal agency for coordinating and disseminating information on existing federal programs and assistance that may be used to help initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy retrofitting projects for schools. Requires the Secretary to: (1) carry out a review of existing programs and financing mechanisms available in or from appropriate federal agencies with jurisdiction over energy financing and facilitation that are currently used or may be used for such purposes; (2) establish a federal cross-departmental collaborative coordination, education, and outreach effort to streamline communication and promote available federal opportunities and assistance for such projects that enables states, local educational agencies, and schools to use existing federal opportunities more effectively and to form partnerships with governors, state energy programs, local educational, financial, and energy officials, state and local officials, nonprofit organizations, and other appropriate entities to support project initiation; (3) provide technical assistance for states, local educational agencies, and schools to help develop and finance projects that meet specified requirements; (4) develop and maintain a single online resource website with contact information for relevant technical assistance and support staff in the Office for states, local educational agencies, and schools to effectively access and use federal opportunities and assistance to develop such projects; and (5) establish a process for recognition of schools that have successfully implemented such projects and are willing to serve as resources for other local educational agencies and schools to assist initiation of similar efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2014
States that it should be the policy of the U.S. government to encourage and facilitate the following efforts concerning Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia: entry by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) into negotiations with the World Health Organization to develop a Global Alzheimer's and Dementia Action Plan; involvement of all other nations that have adopted national Alzheimer's and/or dementia plans or strategies; development of the foundation for a Global Alzheimer's Fund that would provide resources to support implementation of specific strategies of the Global Plan and assignment of a high-level person to lead and coordinate initiatives; investigation by the G8 nations of systems to monitor and provide care to persons with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in developing countries to help build care delivery capacity; investigation by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of the foreign aid implications of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia and inform Congress of the need for possible changes to health care-related foreign assistance; and encouragement and facilitation of partnerships with the private sector, such as the current partnership between the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and 10 pharmaceutical companies to identify new approaches to treat Alzheimer's and other medical conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2014
Recognizes the significance of the Smith-Lever Act which established the Cooperative Extension System. Honors the university faculty and local educators who provide educational programs to help people, families, youth, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. Thanks the volunteers who promote excellence for 4-H Clubs, the Master Gardeners program, the Family and Consumer Sciences program, and other Cooperative Extension System programs. Encourages continued collaboration and cooperation among federal, state, and local governments to assure the sustainability of the Cooperative Extension System.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2014
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the Freedom Riders in recognition of their contribution to civil rights, which inspired a movement to equality in interstate travel. Requires such medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display and research. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Freedom Riders.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2014
Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2014 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), with regard to sequestration adjustments, to require any adjustments in enacted appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior for a fiscal year, to be the amount of additional new budget authority provided for wildfire suppression operations in the appropriations Act, but not to exceed $2.689 billion in such authority in each of FY2014-FY2021. Defines "additional new budget authority" as the amount specified in an appropriations Act for a fiscal year to pay for wildfire suppression operations, but only to the extent such authority exceeds 70% of the average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years. Prescribes requirements for any request by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture for supplemental appropriations necessary for wildfire suppression operations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2014
Honors the contributions of school counselors to the success of students in our elementary and secondary schools. Encourages the observation of National School Counseling Week with ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the crucial role school counselors play in preparing students for fulfilling lives as contributing members of society.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2014
Wounded Veterans Recreation Act - Amends the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to require the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, which is made available for the lifetime of the passholder without charge to any U.S. citizen or person domiciled in the United States who has been medically determined to be permanently disabled, to be made available to any veteran with a service-connected disability.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2014
New Opportunities for Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Financing Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a pilot program to make loans and loan guarantees to eligible entities to carry out bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects. Prescribes project eligibility requirements. Requires the Secretary to ensure that at least 25% of funds provided under this Act are used to support projects in low-income communities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2014
Lymphedema Treatment Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to cover certain lymphedema compression treatment items as durable medical equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2014
Superfund Reinvestment Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to authorize the use of amounts in the Hazardous Substance Superfund for environmental cleanup costs authorized by such Act. Provides that receipts and disbursements of the Hazardous Substance Superfund: (1) shall not be counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus, for purposes of the President's budget, the congressional budget, the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, or the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010; (2) shall be exempt from any general budget limitations; and (3) shall be available only for the purposes specified in CERCLA. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reinstate through December 31, 2023, the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate and the corporate environmental income tax and extend the borrowing authority of the Superfund through 2023.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2014
Intelligence Budget Transparency Act of 2014 - Requires the President's annual federal budget submission to include the total dollar amount proposed for intelligence or intelligence related activities of each element of the government engaged in such activities in the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and the estimated appropriation required for each of the ensuing four fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before April 1, 2014. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until March 31, 2014, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and September 30, 2014, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to March 31, 2014, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through the first quarter of FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through March 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits. Makes a change in application of a certain requirement (nonreduction rule) to a state that has: (1) entered a federal-state EUC agreement, under which the federal government would reimburse the state's unemployment compensation agency making EUC payments to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment compensation under state or federal law and meet specified other criteria; and (2) enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. (Under the nonreduction rule such an agreement does not apply with respect to a state whose method for computing regular unemployment compensation under state law has been modified to make the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010, less than what would have been paid before June 2, 2010.) Declares that the nonreduction rule shall not apply to a state which has enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. Allows such a state, however, to enter into a subsequent federal-state EUC agreement on or after enactment of this Act if, taking into account this inapplicability of the nonreduction rule, it would otherwise meet the requirements for an EUC agreement. (Thus allows such a subsequent EUC agreement to permit payment of less than the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010.)
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Military Retirement Restoration Act - Repeals the provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat a foreign corporation managed and controlled, directly or indirectly, primarily in the United States as a domestic corporation for U.S. tax purposes if the stock of such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market or the aggregate gross assets of such corporation during the taxable year or any preceding taxable year is $50 million or more.
![Official portrait of Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000523_200.jpg)