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![Official portrait of Rep. Rahall, Nick J., II [D-WV-3]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000011_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
6,943 records where Rep. Rahall, Nick J., II [D-WV-3] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Recognizes the importance of Christmas symbols and traditions. Disapproves of attempts to ban references to Christmas. Expresses support for the use of these symbols and traditions by those who celebrate Christmas.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Servicemembers and Veterans Prescription Drug Safety Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) and the Attorney General (AG) to jointly carry out a program under which a member of the Armed Forces (member), an individual receiving or entitled to military retired or retainer pay, a dependent-beneficiary of a member, or any person lawfully entitled to dispose of the property of any of such individuals may deliver a personal-use controlled substance (the prescription medication of a deceased individual) for disposal at a facility to be specified by the Secretary and the AG. Requires the Secretary and AG, in implementing the program, to develop appropriate guidelines and procedures to prevent the diversion, misuse, theft, or loss of such delivered substances. Directs the Secretary and the AG to jointly carry out a program under which a veteran, a veteran's spouse or dependent, a person in receipt of medical services at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility, or any person lawfully entitled to dispose of the property of any of such individuals may deliver such a controlled substance for disposal at a specified facility, subject to the same guidelines and procedures with respect to such delivered substances.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Keep the EPA Honest Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from proposing any standard of performance under the Clean Air Act for carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units before finalizing and publishing a standard of performance for such emissions from new fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax exclusion for benefits paid to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical providers by states and local governments, to: (1) increase the amount of benefits excludible; and (2) make such tax exclusion available for taxable years beginning in 2014, 2015, or 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Two-Midnight Rule Delay Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from enforcing the two-midnight rule to a hospital for which payment is made under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for admissions occurring before October 1, 2014. (The two-midnight rule allows Medicare coverage of only hospital stays for which a physician admits to a hospital a beneficiary expected to require care that crosses two midnights, but generally denies coverage of care expected to require less than a two-midnight stay.) Applies such prohibition to Medicare review contracts. Prohibits Medicare review contractors from denying a claim for inpartient hospital services furnished by a hospital, or inpatient critical access hospital services furnished by a critical access hospital, for discharges occurring before October 1, 2014: (1) for medical necessity due to the length of an inpatient stay in such hospital or due to a determination that the services could have been provided on an outpatient basis; or (2) for requirements for orders, certifications, or recertifications, and associated documentation relating to such matters. Prohibits the Secretary from increasing the sample of claims selected for prepayment review under the Medicare Probe and Educate program above the number and type established by the Secretary as of November 4, 2013. Directs the Secretary to develop: (1) a Medicare hospital payment methodology for short inpatient hospital stays; (2) general equivalency maps to link the relevant International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10 codes (used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient procedures) to relevant Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, and the relevant CPT codes to relevant ICD-10 codes, in order to permit comparison of inpatient hospital services and hospital outpatient department servives; and (3) a second crosswalk between Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes for inpatient hospital services and Ambulatory Payment Class codes for outpatient hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Congratulates Pope Francis on his election and recognizes his inspirational statements and actions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2013
Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a qualified emergency services volunteer shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for the purpose of shared responsibility requirements for employers with respect to health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Defines "qualified emergency services volunteer" as a bona fide volunteer performing fire fighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a single congressional gold medal in commemoration of the Monuments Men (men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives [MFA] Section under the Allied Armies during World War II) in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following the War. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Monuments Men and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to cover marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), particularly those provided in rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and in hospice programs. Amends Medicare part E (Miscellaneous) to exclude such services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system. Authorizes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2013
Transportation Reports Elimination Act of 2013 - Eliminates certain mandatory reports to specified congressional committees from the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) on: (1) Airport Improvement Project grants, (2) Pipeline Safety Information Grants to Communities, (3) the pilot program for innovative financing of air traffic control equipment (under the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act), and (4) the application of new aircraft and aircraft engine standards or technologies to reduce aircraft noise levels (under the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century). Eliminates certain mandatory Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports with respect to the Air Traffic Services Committee and the establishment of an Air Defense Identification Zone (under the Vision 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act). Eliminates mandatory reports to specified congressional committees from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding Great Lakes Management, the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (under the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act of 1992), and the research program respecting ocean dumping and other methods of waste disposal (under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972). Requires the annual marine safety report to Congress of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to identify: (1) the number of civilian and military Coast Guard personnel assigned to marine safety positions; and (2) marine safety positions that are understaffed for purposes of facilitating the marine safety strategy and achieving its goals. Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to submit an annual Maritime Transportation Security report to specified congressional committees that includes: (1) a summary of security standards established and the level of compliance with them, and steps taken to ensure compliance, by ports, terminals, vessel operators, and shippers; and (2) the number of security zones established for vessels containing especially hazardous cargo, and the number of such vessels provided a waterborne security escort. Requires such report also to assess any additional vessels, personnel, infrastructure, or other resources that may be necessary to provide waterborne escorts to such vessels. Postpones till certain dates in 2014 the DOT Secretary's first biennial reports to specified congressional committees on infrastructure investment needs and the financial performance of projects receiving, or which have already received, infrastructure finance assistance. Changes from March to July, starting July 2014, the deadline for the biennial DOT public mass transportation system reports to Congress. Repeals the requirement that the Comptroller General (GAO) evaluation and audit of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) be conducted at least annually. Requires the DOT Secretary and the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to include the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in their quarterly briefings to Congress on any memorandum of agreement between them for coordination of their roles and responsibilities in providing assistance for public transportation. Revises the requirement for biennial reports to specified congressional committees on state progress in implementing projects to improve railway-highway crossings to make them (paperless) reports to the public on the DOT website. Requires the same shift to paperless reports to the public on the DOT website with respect to mandatory annual or biennial reports concerning: (1) the national bridge and tunnel inventory; (2) the surface transportation project delivery program; (3) highway safety programs; (4) in-vehicle alcohol detection device research; (5) the National Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Program Plan; (6) research, technology, and education advisory committee recommendations; (7) high-risk rural roads best practices; and (8)a specified comparison of the completion times of categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements for federal-aid highway projects among specified time periods. Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to require publication also on the DOT website of national ferry database updates.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
GI Education Benefit Fairness Act - Expands the definition of "children," for purposes of provisions allowing members or former members of the uniformed services who served on active duty for specified periods beginning on or after September 11, 2001, to transfer their entitlement to educational assistance, to mean an unmarried person who: (1) is placed in the legal custody of a member or former member by court order for at least 12 consecutive months, (2) has not attained the age of 21, (3) has not attained the age of 23 and is enrolled in a full-time course of study at an institution of higher learning, (4) is incapable of self support due to a mental or physical incapacity that occurred while such person was a dependent of the member or former member, (5) is dependent on the member or former member for over one-half of his or her support, (6) resides with the member or former member unless separated due to military service or institutionalization for a disability or incapacitation, and (7) is not a dependent of a member or former member under any other provision defining dependent.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to direct the U.S. Executive Director at each multilateral development bank to: (1) disregard the document entitled "Guidance for U.S. Positions on MDBs Engaging with Developing Countries on Coal-Fired Power Generation" and any other document issued subsequently by the Secretary that sets forth policies, strategies, procedures, or positions substantially similar to those set forth in that document; and (2) not use U.S. influence to propose, advance, or implement any policy, strategy, procedure, or position set forth in that document.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2013 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before January 1, 2015. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until December 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 June 30, 2015, 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 December 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 FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Makes it out of order in the House of Representatives to consider a concurrent resolution providing for adjournment unless the House has adopted a conference report on S.Con.Res. 8, establishing a budget for the federal government, by December 13, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish preclearance facilities, conduct preclearance operations, or provide customs services outside of the United States to prevent terrorists, terrorist instruments, and other national security threats from gaining access to the United States. Declares such requirements shall not apply to any preclearance facility that was in operation outside of the United States before enactment of this Act. Declares that any preclearance facility located, preclearance operations conducted, or customs services provided at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, or Doha International Airport in Qatar shall not be considered to have been in operation, conducted, or provided before enactment of this Act. Prohibits such facility, operations, or services from being established, conducted, or provided at any of such airports on or after such enactment. Requires the Secretary, not later than 180 days before entering into any agreement to establish a preclearance facility, conduct preclearance operations, or provide customs services outside of the United States, to: (1) notify Congress and the General Accountability Office (GAO) of the intent to establish such facility, conduct such operations, or provide such services; as well as (2) assess any impacts on passengers traveling to the United States, or economic or security impacts on the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Rural Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act - Amends appropriations authorities for veterans' benefits to provide advanced appropriations for information technology relating to medical services, support, compliance, and facilities of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include, as a component of VHA health-care personnel education and training programs, education and training of marriage and family therapists as well as licensed professional mental health counselors. Amends the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 to require the Secretary, through VA medical centers, to provide mental health services, including outpatient care, to the immediate families of certain veterans returning from Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress regarding telemedicine services (the use by a health care provider of telecommunications to assist in the diagnosis or treatment of a patient's medical condition) for veterans, including updates on VA teleconsultation and telemedicine initiatives, training, and partnerships with primary care providers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Caregivers Expansion and Improvement Act of 2013 - Extends to all veterans with a serious service-connected injury the eligibility to participate in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program of comprehensive assistance to family caregivers of such veterans. (Under current law, such eligibility is limited to those veterans who incurred such an injury on or after September 11, 2001.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
VOW to Hire Heroes Extension Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend through 2017 the work opportunity tax credit for hiring a qualified veteran (defined as an unemployed veteran who is certified as being a member of a family receiving food stamp assistance and who is entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability), (2) revise tax credit eligibility requirements for documenting the status of veterans and their receipt of unemployment compensation, and (3) extend the payroll tax offset for such credit to certain for-profit employers. Directs the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, to make annual reports on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this Act in increasing the employment of veterans. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to pay: (1) each U.S. possession (i.e., American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) with a mirror code tax system amounts equal to the loss to such possession due to this Act; and (2) each U.S. possession without such a tax system an amount estimated to equal the loss to such possession that would have occurred due to this Act if such a tax system had been in effect in that possession.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Prohibits the risk premium rates for flood insurance coverage made available under the National Flood Insurance Program from being increased from such rates in effect as of September 30, 2013, until: (1) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) completes a first comprehensive review and updating of all flood insurance rate maps for such Program pursuant to the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, and (2) the Chief of Engineers reviews and certifies that such updated rate maps accurately reflect all flood mitigation and flood control projects completed within the affected watershed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Directs the Administrator to refund to insureds any premiums for flood insurance coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program collected in excess of the rates required under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from: (1) increasing flood insurance risk premium rates to reflect the current risk of flood for certain property located in specified areas subject to a certain mandatory premium adjustment, or (2) reducing such subsidies for any property not insured by the flood insurance program as of July 6, 2012, or any policy that has lapsed in coverage as a result of the policyholder's deliberate choice (Pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map or pre-FIRM properties). Sets forth expiration dates for such prohibitions. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (NFIA) to prohibit the Administrator from providing flood insurance to prospective insureds at rates less than those estimated for any property purchased after the expiration of such six-month period (currently, any property purchased after July 6, 2012). Directs FEMA to: (1) restore during such six-month period specified estimated risk premium rate subsidies for flood insurance for pre-FIRM properties and properties purchased after such six-month period, and (2) submit to certain congressional committees a draft affordability framework addressing the affordability of flood insurance sold under the National Flood Insurance Program. Prescribes procedures for expedited congressional consideration of legislation on FEMA affordability authorities. Permits FEMA to enter into an agreement with another federal agency either to: (1) complete the affordability study, or (2) prepare the draft affordability framework. Directs FEMA submit to certain congressional committees the affordability study and report. Amends NFIA to authorize FEMA to reimburse homeowners for successful map appeals. Makes any community that has made adequate progress on the construction (as under current law) or reconstruction (new) of a flood protection system which will afford flood protection for the one-hundred year frequency flood eligible for flood insurance at premium rates not exceeding those which would apply if such flood protection system had been completed. Revises guidelines governing availability of flood insurance in communities restoring disaccredited flood protection systems to include riverine and coastal levees. Requires FEMA to: (1) rate a covered structure using the elevation difference between the floodproofed elevation of the covered structure and the adjusted base flood elevation of the covered structure; and (2) designate a Flood Insurance Advocate to advocate for the fair treatment of policy holders under the National Flood Insurance Program and property owners in the mapping of flood hazards, the identification of risks from flood, and the implementation of measures to minimize the risk of flood.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to delay until 2016 the imposition of the annual fee on health insurance providers. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue guidance directing covered entities to return any amounts collected from consumers or other sources that were attributed to the annual fee that was scheduled to be imposed for 2014 and 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) allow licensed firearms importers, manufacturers, dealers, or collectors (licensees) to sell or deliver any firearm (currently, rifles or shotguns) to a resident of a state other than the state in which the licensee is located or temporarily located if the licensee meets with the purchaser to complete the sale or delivery and the transaction complies with the laws of the state in which the transfer is conducted and the purchaser's state of residence; and (2) eliminate the requirement that a licensee must conduct business at a gun show only in the state that is specified on the licensee's license. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition: (1) between licensed firearms dealers at any location in any state; or (2) by a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to an unlicensed person at a temporary location in any state. Amends definitions for federal firearms provisions to: (1) revise the definition of a "member of the Armed Forces on active duty" to include a member (or member's spouse) who is a resident of the state in which such person maintains legal residence or in which the member maintains a place of abode from which the member commutes each day to the permanent duty station; and (2) provide that an officer or employee of the United States (other than a member of the Armed Forces) stationed outside the United States for a period exceeding one year, or a spouse residing with such an officer or employee, is a resident of the state in which the person maintains legal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
FEMA Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Title I: Reauthorization of FEMA and Modernization of Integrated Public Alert and Warning System - Amends the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 to authorize appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for FY2014-FY2016 for management and administration. Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2013 - Directs the Administrator of FEMA to modernize and implement the integrated public alert and warning system of the United States to ensure that the President is able, under all conditions, to alert governmental authorities and the civilian population in areas endangered by disasters, including by: establishing common alerting and warning protocols, standards, terminology, and operating procedures for such system; including in such system the capability to adapt the distribution and content of communications on the basis of geographic location, risks, or personal user preferences and to alert individuals with disabilities and individuals with access and functional needs; ensuring that training, tests, and exercises are conducted for such system; establishing and integrating into the National Incident Management System a comprehensive and periodic training program to instruct and educate federal, state, tribal, and local government officials in the use of the Common Alerting Protocol enabled Emergency Alert System; conducting nationwide tests of the system at least every three years; and ensuring that the system is resilient, secure, and can withstand acts of terrorism and other external attacks. Requires the system to: incorporate multiple communications technologies, be designed to incorporate future technologies for communicating directly with the public to provide alerts to the largest portion of the affected population feasible and to improve the ability of remote areas to receive alerts, promote local and regional partnerships to enhance community preparedness and response, provide redundant alert mechanisms, and protect individual privacy. Directs the Administrator to submit to specified congressional committees a detailed plan to implement the system, including a time line, a spending plan, and recommendations for any additional authority necessary. Directs the FEMA Administrator to establish the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for the system. Title II: Stafford Act and Other Programs - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) to direct the Administrator to: continue to administer the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System, provide for a national network of standardized search and rescue resources to assist states and local governments in responding to hazards, designate task forces to participate in the System, enter into an agreement with the state or local government sponsoring a task force (sponsoring agency) with respect to participation, and maintain such management and other technical teams as necessary to administer the System. Authorizes the Administrator to appoint a System member for a period of federal service to participate in sponsored or sanctioned exercises, pre incident staging, major disaster and emergency response activities, and training events. Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish and maintain an advisory committee to provide expert recommendations to assist the Administrator in administering the System; (2) enter into an annual preparedness cooperative agreement with each sponsoring agency for training and exercises, equipment acquisition and maintenance, and medical monitoring required for responder safety and health; and (3) enter into response cooperative agreements under which the Administrator agrees to reimburse sponsoring agencies for costs incurred in responding to a major disaster or emergency. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the System for FY2014-FY2016. Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to provide for implementation of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Makes states and the Administrator of the Compact eligible to receive such grants. Requires grants to be used to: (1) carry out recommendations identified in the Compact after-action reports for the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons; (2) administer Compact operations on behalf of states that have enacted it; (3) continue coordination with FEMA, appropriate federal agencies, states and local governments, and their respective national organizations; and (4) assist with credentialing emergency response providers and the typing of emergency response resources. Requires the FEMA Administrator to consult with the Compact Administrator to ensure effective coordination of efforts in responding to requests for assistance. Authorizes appropriations for Compact grants for FY2014-FY2016.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in Bay Pines, Florida, as the "C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center."
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2013
Makes appropriations, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of applicable corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds, for the Department of Energy (DOE) for FY2014, and for other purposes, such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate for operations as provided for FY2013 under the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (division B of P.L. 112-74), for continuing projects or activities (including the costs of direct loans and loan guarantees) that are not otherwise specifically provided for in this joint resolution, that were conducted in FY2013, and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available by such Act under the heading "Fossil Energy Research and Development." Requires the rate of operations to be calculated to reflect the full amount of any reduction required in FY2013 pursuant to: (1) the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6), and (2) the presidential sequestration order dated March 1, 2013, except as attributable to budget authority made available by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-2). Makes appropriations and funds made available and authority granted under this joint resolution available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or activity provided for in this joint resolution, (2) enactment into law of the applicable appropriations Act for FY2014 without any provision for such project or activity, or (3) September 30, 2014. Requires implementation of this joint resolution so that only the most limited funding action be taken in order to provide for continuation of projects and activities. Authorizes amounts made available for civilian personnel compensation and benefits to be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to avoid furloughs, consistent with the applicable appropriations Act for FY2013, except that such authority shall not be used until after the agency has taken all necessary actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related administrative expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2013
Mine Safety and Health Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 - Makes appropriations, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and out of applicable corporate or other revenues, receipts, and funds, for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for FY2014, and for other purposes, such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate for operations as provided in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (division F of P.L. 112-74) as amended by the Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (division F of P.L. 113-6), for continuing projects or activities of MSHA that are not otherwise specifically provided for in this joint resolution, that were conducted in FY2013, and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 under the heading "Mine Safety and Health Administration." Requires the rate of operations to be calculated to reflect the full amount of any reduction required in FY2013 pursuant to: (1) the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6); and (2) the presidential sequestration order dated March 1, 2013, except as attributable to budget authority made available by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-2). Makes appropriations and funds made available and authority granted under this joint resolution available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or activity provided for in this joint resolution, (2) enactment into law of the applicable appropriations Act for FY2014 without any provision for such project or activity, or (3) December 15, 2013. Requires implementation of this joint resolution so that only the most limited funding action be taken in order to provide for continuation of projects and activities. Authorizes amounts made available for personnel compensation and benefits to be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to avoid furloughs, consistent with the applicable appropriations Act for FY2013, except that such authority shall not be used until after the agency has taken all necessary actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related administrative expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should hold public listening sessions on rulemaking targeting carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants in each of the 15 states with the highest percentage of electricity generated by coal in 2012 (West Virginia, Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Montana, and Wisconsin); and (2) such sessions should be held at a time and place that would maximize the ability of individuals to participate.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2013
Support Our Armed Forces Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) all Department of Defense (DOD) and Coast Guard civilian employees, including military technicians (dual status), and all defense contractor employees provide vital support to the Armed Forces; and (2) all members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who perform inactive-duty training or annual training during a government shutdown should be paid for performing such duty, just as other members of the Armed Forces who perform active service will be paid. Amends the Pay Our Military Act (P.L. 113-39) to make FY2014 continuing appropriations for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2014 are not in effect to provide for: pay and allowances to members of the Armed Forces, including reserve components, who perform inactive-duty training or annual training (under such Act only members performing active service) during such period; pay and allowances to all civilian personnel of DOD (and the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] in the case of the Coast Guard), including military technicians (dual status), non-dual status technicians, and federally-reimbursed state civilian employees supporting the National Guard (under such Act only personnel whom the Secretary concerned determines are providing support to members of the Armed Forces performing active service); and compensation to all employees of DOD and DHS contractors who are performing activities under a contract with DOD, or DHS in the case of the Coast Guard (under such Act only contractors whom the Secretary concerned determines are providing support to members of the Armed Forces performing active service).
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) achievement of a two-state solution that enhances stability and security in the Middle East can ensure Israel's survival as a secure Jewish and democratic state and fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own; and (2) while the United States remains indispensable to any viable effort to achieve that goal, only the Israelis and the Palestinians can make the choices necessary to end their conflict. Commends Secretary of State Kerry for his efforts with Israeli, Palestinian, and other Arab leaders to advance a negotiated two-state solution. Supports a U.S. diplomatic initiative to facilitate direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, with the support of other Arab states and the international community, to reach an agreement to end their conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Disapproves the rule submitted by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on September 20, 2013, relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" under the Clean Air Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2013
States congressional opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule establishing new source performance standards to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Elder Protection and Abuse Prevention Act - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Aging to: (1) ensure that all programs funded under such Act include appropriate training in elder abuse prevention and the provision of services that address elder justice and exploitation, and (2) update periodically the need for and benefit of such training related to prevention of abuse, neglect, and exploitation (including financial exploitation) of older adults. Makes it a duty and function of the Administration on Aging to: (1) establish priority information and assistance services for older individuals; (2) ensure full collaboration between all governmental information and assistance systems that serve older individuals; and (3) develop a National Eldercare Locator Service, with a nationwide toll free number. Directs the Assistant Secretary, by grant or contract with a national nonprofit entity, to establish a National Adult Protective Services Resources Center to improve the capacity of state and local adult protective services programs to: (1) respond effectively to abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults, including home care consumers and residents of long-term care facilities; and (2) coordinate with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Requires each area plan to provide that the area agency on aging: (1) increases public awareness of elder abuse and financial exploitation, and removes barriers to elder abuse education, prevention, investigation, and treatment; (2) coordinates elder justice activities of the area agency on aging, community health centers, other public agencies, and nonprofit private organizations; (3) develops standardized, coordinated, and reporting protocols with respect to elder abuse; and (4) reports instances of elder abuse. Directs the Assistant Secretary to make grants to states under approved state plans for elder abuse and neglect screening. Requires a state operating a nutrition project to encourage individuals who distribute nutrition services to distribute information on diabetes, elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and the annual Medicare wellness exam. Requires a state, an area agency on aging, a nonprofit organization, or a tribal organization that receives a grant for an older individuals' protection from violence project to use it to research and replicate successful models of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation prevention and training. Directs the Assistant Secretary to award grants and enter into contracts with eligible organizations to carry out projects to engage volunteers over 50 years of age in providing support and information to older adults (and their families or caretakers) who have experienced or are at risk of elder abuse. Allows a state to use funds under the National Family Caregiver Support Program to support the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2013
Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 - Title I: Program Reforms and Streamlining - Revises requirements for feasibility studies under the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 to: (1) limit the duration of any feasibility study to 3 years; (2) limit the cost of any such study to $3 million; and (3) require personnel of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to conduct concurrent reviews of feasibility studies (currently, sequential reviews are permitted). Requires the Secretary of the Army, not later than 90 days after the initiation of a feasibility study, to initiate federally-mandated reviews, including environmental reviews. Amends the WRDA of 2000 to authorize the Secretary to accept and expend funds contributed by a public utility company to expedite the evaluation of a permit for a water resources project or activity under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army. Amends the WRDA of 2007 to designate the Corps as the federal lead agency in the environmental review process (i.e., preparation of an environmental impact statement, environmental assessment, categorical exclusion, or other document under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [NEPA]) for a water resources project study. Requires the Corps to: (1) facilitate the expeditious resolution of the environmental review process and complete documents required by NEPA, (2) conduct concurrent environmental reviews, and (3) establish a plan for coordinating public and agency participation in and comment on the environmental review process for a project. Repeals requirements for: (1) a reconnaissance study by the Corps prior to initiating a feasibility study, and (2) review of the cost effectiveness of the design of each water resources project that has a total cost in excess of $10 million. Requires the Secretary to establish a process for the review of section 14 applications. Defines a "section 14 application" as an application for the temporary occupation or use of a public work or the alteration or permanent occupation or use of a public work. Authorizes a non-federal interest (i.e., a sponsor for a water resources project, including federally-recognized Indian tribes and nonprofit entities) to: (1) provide funds to the Corps to carry out feasibility studies and to carry out authorized federal water resources development projects, and (2) make contributions to the operation and maintenance of the inland navigation facilities. Extends the authority of the Secretary to carry out water-related planning activities and studies in Indian country in FY2014-FY2023. Directs the Secretary to establish a pilot program to evaluate the cost effectiveness and project delivery efficiency of allowing non-federal interests to carry out at least 15 authorized water resources development projects for coastal harbor improvement, channel improvement, inland navigation, flood damage reduction, and hurricane and storm damage reduction. Requires the Secretary to submit annual reports to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on feasibility studies under this Act and on proposed modifications to an authorized water resources development project or feasibility study. Requires the President, as part of the President's annual budget submission to Congress, to identify and recommend Corps construction projects for which Congress should provide funding at the full level authorized for such projects. Requires the Corps, as part of such budget process, to report on the prioritization of federal action for the next fiscal year to mitigate for fish and wildlife losses due to Corps water resources projects in the Missouri River Basin. Directs the Secretary to make specific project recommendations relating to flood and storm damage reduction activities under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a locally preferred plan that provides a higher level of flood protection and is funded by non-federal interests; (2) evaluate alternatives to ensure safety of affected communities and the resiliency of water resources development projects to future flooding and storm events; and (3) establish procedures for providing the public and governmental entities, including Indian tribes, with timely information regarding expected water levels and preparedness actions. Amends the WRDA of 1974 to authorize the Secretary to provide technical assistance to states to encourage state programs for levee safety. Requires the Secretary to establish federal guidelines relating to levee safety. Requires the Secretary to: (1) undertake a comprehensive review of Corps policy on vegetation management for levees, and (2) report on the use of electronic commerce in federal procurement. Amends the WRDA of 1992 to require the Secretary to consider the beneficial use of dredged material in a manner that contributes to the maintenance of sediment resources in the nearby costal system. Directs the Secretary to encourage: (1) advanced modeling technologies, including 3-dimensional digital modeling, for activities related to water resources development projects and studies; (2) corrosion prevention activities at water resources development projects; and (3) the use of durable, resilient, and sustainable material and practices in carrying out Corps activities. Requires the Secretary to conduct an assessment of the management practices, priorities, and authorized purposes at Corps reservoirs in arid regions. Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should consider a water resources development bill not less than once every Congress. Title II: Navigation Improvements - Subtitle A: Ports - Authorizes the Secretary, for any fiscal year in which specified target appropriations are met, to use up to 5% of the total amount made available from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for eligible operations and maintenance costs described in the WRDA of 1986 for that fiscal year for expanded uses of such Trust Fund. Amends the WRDA of 1986 to direct the Secretary to: (1) assess the operation and maintenance needs of harbors used for commercial navigation and fishing and other purposes; (2) make expenditures to pay for operation and maintenance costs of the harbors, based on an equitable allocation of funds among all such harbors, regardless of the size or tonnage throughput of the harbor; (3) allocate, in each of FY2015-2016, not less than 10% of the total amount of the expenditures to pay for operation and maintenance costs of emerging harbors (those that transit less than 1 million tons of commerce annually); and (4) manage and allocate funding for all individually authorized projects in the Great Lakes Navigation System as components of a single, comprehensive system, recognizing the interdependence of the projects. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into an agreement with a non-federal interest to maintain a navigation project for a harbor or inland harbor (federally authorized harbor) in accordance with the WRDA of 1986. Amends the WRDA of 2007 to direct the Secretary to consolidate deep draft navigation expertise within the Corps into a deep draft navigation planning center of expertise. Authorizes the Secretary, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to reopen the Cape Arundel Disposal Site in Maine as an alternative dredged material disposal site. Subtitle B: Inland Waterways - Directs the Secretary, for certain projects for navigation infrastructure of the inland and intracoastal waterways, to utilize certified project managers, utilize risk-based cost estimates, evaluate early contractor involvement acquisition procedures, review the use of fully funded contracts or continuing contracts, identify best management practices to speed project delivery, and develop a portfolio of standard design for inland navigation locks. Directs the Secretary to develop and submit a 20-year investment strategy for making capital investments on the inland and intracoastal waterways. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to prepare a report on the efficiency of collecting the fuel tax for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. Directs the Secretary to study methods of financing the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, including issuance of tax-exempt bonds and imposing user fees, and to consider the feasibility of fees and revenues from alternative sources. Directs the Secretary to conduct an inland waterways stakeholder roundtable to provide for a review and evaluation of alternative approaches to: (1) address the financial needs of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, and (2) support the water infrastructure needs of the Inland Waterways System. Requires 25% of the cost of construction for the Olmsted Project (a navigation project for Locks 52 and 53 on the Lower Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky) to be paid from amounts appropriated from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. Expresses the sense of Congress that the appropriation for the Project should not be less than $150 million for each fiscal year until construction of the Project is completed. Requires the Secretary to submit to Congress an annual financial plan for any inland waterways project that has an estimated total cost of $500 million or more. Directs the Secretary, at least 90 days before carrying out a proposed modification to the operation of a lock at a project for navigation on the inland waterways, to: (1) provide notice of the proposed modification in the Federal Register, and (2) accept public comments on the proposed modification. Directs the Secretary to assess the operation and maintenance needs of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Directs the Secretary to study and report on the impact of closing the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minnesota on the economy and the environment. Provides for the closure of such facility if the annual average tonnage moving through it during the preceding 5 years was not more than 1.5 million tons. Authorizes the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to: (1) design and construct one or more hydroelectric generating facilities at the W.D. Mayo Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River, Oklahoma; and (2) market the electricity generated from any such facility. Title III: Deauthorizations and Backlog Prevention - Directs the Secretary to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and publish in the Federal Register, a report that lists each authorized water resources development project, or separable element of a project, authorized for construction before November 8, 2007: (1) for which construction was not initiated before the enactment of this Act or for which no funds were obligated for construction of the project during the 5-year period ending on July 1, 2013; and (2) that has an estimated cost to complete of at least $12 billion. Directs the Secretary to conduct an assessment of all properties under the control of the Corps of Engineers and develop an inventory of the properties that are not needed for its missions. Provides that a water resources development project, or separable element of such project, shall not be authorized for construction by this Act after the last day of the seven-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act unless during that period funds have been obligated for construction of such project. Deauthorizes projects for flood protection, navigation, shoreline protection, and other improvement at specified locations in California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, and Wisconsin. Provides for land conveyances in Oklahoma and Washington. Title IV: Water Resources Infrastructure - Authorizes specified final feasibility studies for water resources development and conservation and other purposes, including regarding: (1) navigation in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia; (2) flood risk management in Kansas, California, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Kentucky; (3) hurricane and storm damage risk reduction in North Carolina and California; (4) hurricane and storm damage risk reduction and environmental restoration in Mississippi; and (5) environmental restoration in Maryland, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, and North Carolina. Modifies projects for: (1) navigation at Miami Harbor, Miami-Dade County, Florida, and at the Lower Ohio River, Illinois and Kentucky; and (2) flood control at Little Calumet River Basin (Cady Marsh Ditch), Indiana.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Forty Hours is Full Time Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the employer mandate to provide health care coverage, to: (1) modify the formula for calculating the number of full-time employees employed by an applicable large employer subject to the mandate; and (2) define a "full-time employee" as an employee who is employed on average at least 40 hours per week (currently, 30 hours).
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a person who is carrying a valid, government-issued identification document containing that person's photograph and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state, and who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law, to possess or carry a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state in accordance with the restrictions of that state.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Domestic Energy Production Protection Act of 2013 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to submit for analysis by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) a proposed rule or guidance under the Clean Air Act that may reduce the level of energy output in a specified sector before such a rule or guidance may take effect. Defines "specified sector" as one of the nine sectors of energy production listed in the document entitled "Annual Energy Outlook 2013: With Projections to 2040," published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in April 2013. Requires the Administrator of OIRA (Administrator), within 90 days of receiving the proposed rule or guidance, to conduct an analysis to determine if such rule or guidance, individually or when combined with another final rule or guidance issued by EPA, will reduce the level of energy output in a specified sector below the level of the prior year. Requires such analysis to include the potential impact of the rule or guidance on energy output in such sectors and any potential job losses over a period of 10 years. Requires the Administrator to report to Congress after making a determination that a proposed rule or guidance would reduce such energy output. Prohibits such rule or guidance that is the subject of a report from taking effect unless Congress enacts a joint resolution approving it. Establishes a process for approving a rule or guidance by a joint resolution. Removes rules promulgated pursuant to this Act from the established process for review of agency rulemaking, if a rulemaking will reduce energy output. Defines "energy output" as the level of production for a year, measured in quadrillion Btu, as calculated and included in such document.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2013 - Requires a business enterprise that employs 50 or more employees, excluding part-time employees, or 50 or more employees who in the aggregate work at least 1,500 hours per week, exclusive of overtime, in a call center to notify the Secretary of Labor at least 120 days before relocating such center outside of the United States. Subjects violators to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 a day. Directs the Secretary to establish, maintain, and make publicly available a list of all such employers that relocate a call center. Authorizes the Secretary to remove from the list an employer that has relocated the call center from a location outside the United States to a location inside the United States. Requires such an employer to remain on the list for up to three years after each relocation. Makes such an employer ineligible for federal grants or federal guaranteed loans for five years after being added to the list, except where the employer demonstrates that a lack of such loan or grant would threaten national security, result in substantial job loss in the United States, or harm the environment. Requires the head of federal or state executive agency or military department, when awarding a civilian or defense-related contract, to give preference to a U.S. employer that does not appear on the list. Requires a business entity that initiates or receives a customer service communication to require each of its employees or agents participating in the communication to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each such communication unless all involved employees or agents are located in the United States. Exempts any communication: (1) initiated by a consumer if the consumer knows or reasonably should know that the employee or agent is located outside the United States, or (2) related to the provision of emergency services. Requires such a business entity, upon request, to transfer a customer to a customer service agent who is physically located in the United States. Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to exclude certain classes or types of business entities or customer services communications from the requirements of this Act under exceptionally compelling circumstances. Sets forth enforcement provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act - Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to back-date to September 11, 2001, the period of active duty or performed active service, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations, for which members of Ready Reserve components of the armed forces shall receive credit in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Coal Healthcare and Pensions Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to address potential shortages in the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan for payment of health care benefits to retired coal miners by expanding the eligible uses of interest transferable to the plan from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, and supplemental payments from the General Fund of the Treasury. Requires calculation of such amount by taking into account only those beneficiaries who are actually enrolled in the plan as of enactment of this Act, as well as those retirees whose health benefits, payable directly by an employer in the bituminous coal industry under a coal wage agreement as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding commenced in 2012, would be denied or reduced. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to the trustees of the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan a certain additional amount of funds, to pay pension benefits required under that plan, if the $490 million limitation on certain transfers to the UMWA Combined Benefit Fund and distributions to states and Indian tribes exceeds the aggregate amount required to be transferred to them. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe a special rule that employer contributions to an employees' trust or annuity benefit plan providing supplemental benefits solely to participants in a pension plan are neither deductible nor nondeductible as such from the employer's gross income. Subjects such contributions, on the other hand, to deduction as an allowable trade or business expense. Treats a trust holding the assets of such a pension benefit plan as a tax-exempt organization. Excludes from taxable wages any payments made to, or on behalf of, an employee or his or her beneficiary under such a plan.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include as a health care provider behavioral and mental health professionals, substance abuse professionals, psychiatric hospitals, certain community mental health centers, and residential or outpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), with respect to incentives for meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHR) technology under the pay schedule for physician's services, to include as additional eligible professionals clinical psychologists providing qualified psychologist services. Subjects any additional eligible professionals, including those under a MedicareAdvantage (MA) plan, to reductions in incentive payments after a certain date for failure to be a meaningful EHR user. Makes inpatient psychiatric hospitals eligible for payment for inpatient hospital services. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to treat as Medicaid providers: (1) public and certain private hospitals that are principally psychiatric hospitals, (2) certain community mental health centers, and (3) certain residential or outpatient mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities. Makes eligible professionals under the Medicaid program certain clinical psychologists providing qualified psychologist services. Authorizes a covered entity to submit to a patient safety organization information on electronic health record (EHR)-related adverse events with respect to certified EHR technology. Specifies covered entities as certain EHR users, health information exchange entities, and health care professionals who use EHR technology. Defines an EHR-related adverse event as a defect, malfunction, or error in the certified health information technology or EHR used by a provider, or in the input or output of data maintained through such technology or record, that results or could reasonably result in harm to a patient. Limits electronic discovery (e-discovery) in any health care lawsuit against a covered entity relating to an Reallotted adverse event involving certified EHR technology to information: (1) related to that event, and (2) from the period in which the event occurred. Prohibits a claimant from commencing a lawsuit more than three years after the manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers, or should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first. Requires tolling of this limitation, however, to the extent that the claimant is able to prove: (1) fraud; (2) intentional concealment; or (3) the presence of a foreign body, with no therapeutic or diagnostic purpose or effect, in the injured person. Subjects each party to such a lawsuit which is not a covered entity to proportionate liability only. Allows punitive damages against a covered entity only upon proof by clear and convincing evidence that the entity acted with reckless disregard for the claimant's health or safety. Shields covered entities, employees, agents, and representatives from civil liability for libel or slander arising from information or entries made in certified EHR technology, or transferred to another eligible provider, if the information, entries, or transfer were made in good faith and without malice.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
United States Coast Guard Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue in commemoration of the United States Coast Guard: (1) $5 gold coins, (2) $1 silver coins, and (3) half-dollar clad coins. Requires the design of such coins to be emblematic of the traditions, history, and heritage of the Coast Guard, and its role in securing our nation since 1790. Prescribes design requirements. Restricts the issuance of such coins to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2017. Prescribes the sale price of the coins and coin surcharges. Requires such surcharges to be paid by the Secretary to the National Coast Guard Museum Foundation to help finance the design and construction of the National Coast Guard Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 350,000 $1 silver coins, and 300,000 half dollar clad coins to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the 100 years of Boys Town, one of the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the United States. Permits issuance of such coins only between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
Guard and Reserve Equal Access to Health Act - Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide a physical examination to each member of a reserve component who: (1) will not otherwise receive one through that department, and (2) elects to receive such examination. Requires the Secretary concerned to: (1) provide such examination during the 90-day period before such member's scheduled date of separation, and (2) provide such member with a record of the examination. Prohibits a member from being entitled to transitional health care benefits through their department solely by reason of being provided such examination.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2013 - Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, that limit payments for medications from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements to only prescription drugs or insulin (thus allowing distributions from such accounts for over-the-counter drugs).
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Perpetual POW/MIA Stamp Act - Directs the Postmaster General to provide for the issuance of a forever stamp that honors the sacrifices of the members of the Armed Forces who have been prisoners, missing, or unaccounted for and that depicts the National League of Families POW/MIA flag.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act of 2013 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to exclude from creditable wages and self-employment income any wages earned for services by aliens performed in the United States, and self-employment income derived from a trade or business conducted in the United States, while the alien was not authorized to be so employed or to perform a function or service in such a trade or business.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Honors each scout, venturer, volunteer, and staff member from across the United States celebrating the 2013 National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2013
Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation Act or the LEARN Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to states to develop or improve a comprehensive plan to improve the literacy of children from birth through grade 12. Directs the Secretary to award grants to states to implement their comprehensive literacy plans for such children through: competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or early learning programs for specified activities that support early language and literacy development in children from birth through kindergarten entry; competitive subgrants to LEAs that have the highest numbers or percentages of disadvantaged students and students reading or writing below grade level for specified activities to improve the literacy of students in kindergarten through grade 12, including the provision of family literacy services; and additional state activities that include providing technical assistance to subgrantees, coordinating literacy programs and resources throughout the state, disseminating information on promising literacy programs, and enhancing the credentials of literacy instructors. Allots implementation grants to states on the basis of each state's share of disadvantaged students. Requires the Secretary to: (1) perform a five-year national evaluation of the implementation and effect of the literacy initiatives supported by this Act, and (2) provide technical assistance and information on literacy instruction to educational entities. Authorizes the Secretary to withhold this Act's funding from states and subgrantees, and states to withhold funding from subgrantees, whose initiatives are not making significant progress in improving student literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2013
Public Buildings Savings and Reform Act of 2013 - Sets forth new requirements for the purchase or lease of federal office space, for limiting rental costs for such space, and for suspending the construction of new courthouses. Requires that the acquisition in FY2014-2017 of new federal office space through lease or purchase be offset by the elimination of at least a corresponding amount of space. Prohibits the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) from increasing the size or amount of its real property inventory as compared to the FY2012 real property baseline, except for space offsets specifically identified or for emergency or national security purposes. Requires the Administrator to include in the prospectus submitted to Congress for a proposed federal building a justification for such space. Requires the Inspector General of GSA to review the Public Buildings Service (PBS) internship program, recent graduate program, and similar programs and report on costs associated with each program and related matters. Suspends the payment of any bonus, performance award, or similar expenditure for Senior Executive Service (SES) employees until the Administrator reports to Congress on the PBS system for awarding bonuses and performance awards. Requires the Administrator to report on: (1) leases of federal office space, (2) conferences to be hosted by PBS, (3) PBS administrative expenses, (4) utilization rates of owned and leased public buildings, (5) any increase or decrease of 5% or more in the cost of public projects, and (6) PBS acquisition activities that conserve existing resources and reduce costs.