United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2013
Success in the Middle Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to states, based on their proportion of poor children aged 5 to 17, to: (1) implement state middle grades needs analyses and, on the basis of such analyses, improvement plans that describe what students must master to complete successfully the middle grades and succeed in academically rigorous secondary school coursework; and (2) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) or partnerships of LEAs and institutions of higher education, educational service agencies, or educational nonprofit organizations to implement a comprehensive middle school improvement plan for each eligible school. Gives priority to LEAs, or partnerships that include LEAs, that serve high proportions of poor children and children attending eligible schools. Defines "eligible schools" as those where: (1) a high proportion of middle grade students matriculate to secondary schools with graduation rates below 65%; (2) more than 25% of the students who finish grade six, or the school's earliest middle grade level, exhibit key risk factors for failure; and (3) a majority of middle grade students are not rated proficient on required state assessments in mathematics, reading, or language arts. Permits states to make subgrants to LEAs and partnerships that did not receive a competitive subgrant to assist them in applying for competitive subgrants and developing comprehensive middle school improvement plans. Provides the Secretary with funding to: (1) contract for studies that identify promising practices for, and review existing research to identify factors that might lead to, the improvement of middle grades education; (2) create a national clearinghouse in best middle grade educational practices and a national database identifying factors that facilitate or impede middle grade student achievement; (3) require certain educational field research designed to enhance the performance of middle grade schools and students; (4) create a research and development center that addresses topics pertinent to the middle grades; and (5) provide grants to entities that partner with states and LEAs to develop, adapt, or replicate effective models for turning around low-performing middle grades.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2013
Recognizes the Scaling Up Nutrition movement as a global partnership to support country-led efforts to improve maternal and child nutrition. Supports U.S. leadership to improve nutrition outcomes for pregnant and lactating women and young children. Calls on relevant federal agencies to consider developing a nutrition strategy to further coordination efforts to improve nutrition funding and outcomes across U.S. government global nutrition programs.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2013
Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures Act of 2013 or PRIME Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Prescription Drug Benefits) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prohibit sponsors of prescription drug plans (PDPs) from paying claims for prescription drugs that do not include the valid National Provider Identifier for the drug's prescriber. Requires the Secretary's annual report to Congress on the use of recovery audit contractors under the Medicare Integrity Program to: (1) describe the types and financial cost of improper payment vulnerabilities identified by recovery audit contractors and how the Secretary is addressing them, and (2) assess the effectiveness of changes made to Medicare payment policies and procedures in order to address those vulnerabilities. Requires the Secretary to address improper payment vulnerabilities in a timely manner, prioritized based on the risk to the Medicare program. Authorizes the Secretary, under recovery audit contracts under both Medicare and Medicaid (SSA title XIX), to retain a certain portion of the recovered amounts for a program management account for activities addressing problems that contribute to improper payments and fraud. Requires the Secretary, under such contracts, to retain an additional 5% of the recovered amounts to be made available to the HHS Inspector General to investigate improper payments or audit internal controls associated with Medicare or Medicaid payments. Directs the Secretary to develop a plan to revise the incentive program under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 for the reporting of fraud and abuse to encourage greater participation by individuals reporting Medicare fraud and abuse. Requires the plan to include certain recommendations for: (1) ways to enhance rewards for individuals reporting, and (2) extention of the incentive program to the Medicaid program. Amends SSA title XIX to cover the costs of equipment, salaries and benefits, and travel and training in appropriations for the Medicaid Integrity Program. Allows the Secretary to increase Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) staff whose duties consist solely of protecting the integrity of the Medicare program by a number determined necessary to carry out the Program (currently, by 100). Directs the Secretary to provide incentives for Medicare administrative contractors to reduce the improper payment error rates in their jurisdictions. Requires imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to $500,000 ($1 million in the case of a corporation), or both, for knowingly, intentionally, and with the intent to defraud purchasing, selling, distributing, or arranging for the purchase, sale, or distribution of a Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP beneficiary identification number or billing privileges under SSA titles XVIII, title XIX, or title XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program). Amends SSA title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) with respect to the Federal Parent Locator Service to give the CMS Administrator access to information in the National Directory of New Hires to determine the eligibility of an applicant for, or enrollee in, the Medicare program or an applicable state health subsidy program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Requires the Secretary to disclose to the HHS Inspector General information on individuals and their employers in the National Directory of New Hires if the HHS Inspector General gives the Secretary their names and Social Security account numbers. Restricts the use of such information to: (1) determining the eligibility of an applicant for, or enrollee in, the Medicare program or an applicable state health subsidy program; or (2) evaluating the integrity of such programs. Sets forth rules for the use and disclosure of such information by state agencies. Directs the Secretary to establish a plan to encourage and facilitate the participation of states in the Medicare-Medicaid Data Match Program (Medi-Medi Program). Revises Medi-Medi Data Match Program purposes. Amends SSA title XIX, as amended by PPACA, and XXI with respect to claims processing and detection of fraud within the Medicaid and CHIP programs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 450 Lexington Avenue in New York, New York, as the "Vincent R. Sombrotto Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Hospice Evaluation and Legitimate Payment Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the face-to-face encounter framework in hospice care. Allows a clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant, or other health professional (in addition to a hospice physician or a nurse practitioner, as under current law) to conduct the face-to-face encounter with the individual to determine continued eligibility for hospice care before the first 60-day (currently 180-day) recertification period and each subsequent recertification. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Medicare Hospital Payment Reform demonstration program to test any revisions to the methodology for determining payment rates for routine home care and other hospice care services. Sets at every three years the frequency of surveys of certified hospice programs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services for the 21st Century or the MOMS for the 21st Century Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Office on Women's Health to: (1) establish the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Promotion of Optimal Maternity Outcomes, and (2) develop and implement a consumer education campaign to promote understanding and acceptance of evidence-based maternity practices and models of care for optimal maternity outcomes among women of childbearing ages and their families. Requires the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to make publicly available and update an online bibliographic database identifying systematic reviews, including an explanation of the level and quality of evidence, for the care of childbearing women and newborns. Requires the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration to: (1) designate maternity care health professional shortage areas under the National Health Service Corps program, and (2) award planning and implementation grants to address workforce disparities for such professionals. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support the establishment of two additional Centers for Excellence on Optimal Maternity Outcomes to conduct research to improve maternity outcomes. Requires the Secretary to convene an Interprofessional Maternity Provider Education Commission to discuss and make recommendations for: (1) a consensus standard physiologic maternity care curriculum that takes into account the core competencies for basic midwifery practice and the educational objectives for physicians practicing in obstetrics and gynecology, (2) suggestions for multidisciplinary use of the consensus physiologic curriculum, (3) strategies to integrate and coordinate education across maternity care disciplines, and (4) pilot demonstrations of interprofessional educational models. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover services provided by a supervised student midwife or an intern or resident-in-training under a teaching program under certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Commuter Parity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the exclusion from gross income, for income tax purposes, of certain transportation benefits provided by an employer to an employee, to allow a monthly exclusion amount of: (1) $220 for transportation in a commuter highway vehicle from home to work and any transit pass, (2) $220 for qualified parking, and (3) $35 for qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement. Allows an annual cost-of-living adjustment to such exclusion amounts after 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2013
Engaging Students Through Service Learning Act - Amends title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish an Enhancing the Effectiveness of K-12 Education through Service Learning grant program. Directs the Secretary of Education to reserve a portion of program funds to: (1) establish a National Center for K-12 Service Learning; and (2) conduct research and evaluation activities, including a study on the effects of academic service-learning on instructional quality and the success of students in low-performing schools; and (3) assist states in developing exemplary service-learning programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants to states to: (1) support a service-learning specialist who acts as a conduit of information between the state and local level, (2) implement a statewide cascade professional development model and support local service-learning efforts, and (3) award competitive subgrants to local educational agencies. Requires subgrantees to use: (1) the service-learning model to strengthen the content area disciplines and implement key educational innovations in schools with a high percentage of underperforming youth, and (2) a cascade professional development model to bring practice to scale. Describes the cascade professional development model as one that trains high-quality professional development specialists who then train educators who are then responsible for training, mentoring, and supporting their peers.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2013
Disabled Military Child Protection Act of 2013 - Authorizes monthly annuity payments under the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to a supplemental or special needs trust established for the sole benefit of a disabled dependent child who is incapable of self-support because of mental or physical incapacity.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2013
Supports the goals and ideals of Caribbean-American Heritage Month (in the month of June). Affirms that: (1) the contributions of Caribbean-Americans are a significant part of the history, progress, and heritage of the United States; and (2) the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2013
Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to list permissible sources of dogs and cats used by research facilities to include dogs and cats obtained: (1) from a licensed dealer, (2) from a publicly owned and operated pound or shelter that meets specified requirements, (3) by donation from a person who bred and raised the dog or cat or owned it for not less than one year, or (4) from a research facility licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Sets forth additional monetary penalties for related violations. Prohibits federal facilities from purchasing or otherwise acquiring dogs or cats for exhibition purposes (currently, for research, experimentation, or exhibition purposes) except from: (1) the operator of an auction that comports with legal requirements, or (2) a person holding a valid dealer or exhibitor license. Prohibits dealers from selling or otherwise providing any research facility (currently, any individual or entity) with random source dogs or cats unless specified certification requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2013
Justice for Wards Cove Workers Act - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1991 to remove a provision excluding from application of the Act any disparate impact case filed before March 1, 1975, and decided after October 30, 1983. ( Wards Cove Packing Co. v. Atonio , 1989, held that, in cases brought under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the burden is on the plaintiff to prove an employer had no business necessity for a practice with discriminatory effects.) Applies the amendments made by the Civil Rights Act of 1991 to a case that is subject to the removed provision in the same way such amendments apply to any other case brought under the employment discrimination provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2013
Corporate Politics Transparency Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that quarterly and annual reports of an issuer, any proxy solicitation or consent or authorization in respect of any security, and the issuer's registration statement disclose total political expenditures in support of or in opposition to any candidate for federal, state, or local public office made by the issuer during the preceding six-year period. Requires such disclosures to include: (1) the name and political party affiliation of each candidate in support of whom or in opposition to whom a political expenditure was made; (2) the amount of each such expenditure; (3) the public office that such candidate was or is seeking; (4) the relevant state, city, or district; and (5) a statement of the issuer's interest in and reason for making such expenditure.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 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 congressional gold medal to Jack Nicklaus in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike such gold medal and to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the gold and bronze medals.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Promise Neighborhoods Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive, matching Promise Neighborhood Partnership grants to nonprofit organizations that partner with a local educational agency (LEA) to implement a comprehensive continuum of supports and services that engage community partners in improving the academic achievement, health and social development, and college and career readiness of children who live in distressed neighborhoods with underperforming schools. Directs the Secretary to award competitive, matching Promise School grants to LEAs that partner with nonprofit organizations, and Indian or charter schools that partner with nonprofit organizations or institutions of higher education, to implement school-centered strategies and integrated student supports that leverage community partnerships to improve student achievement and development in schools with high concentrations of low-income children. Authorizes the Secretary to renew Promise Neighborhood Partnership grants and Promise School grants if the grantees demonstrate significant success in: (1) ensuring children's school readiness; (2) improving their academic outcomes; (3) increasing their college and career readiness; and (4) improving their health, mental health, and social and emotional well-being. Requires this Act's grantees to evaluate their programs continuously and improve them based on data and outcomes. Directs the Secretary to evaluate this Act's grant programs and disseminate research on best practices for improving the academic achievement of children living in our most distressed communities. Authorizes the Secretary to award matching planning grants to entities eligible for this Act's other grants.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Promoting Health as Youth Skills In Classrooms And Life Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include health education and physical education in the definition of "core academic subjects."
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Families for Foster Youth Stamp Act of 2013 - Requires the United States Postal Service, for a period of at least four years, to provide for the issuance and sale of a semipostal in order to increase funding for effective programs targeted at improving permanency outcomes for youth in foster care. Divides the amount received from such sales equally between: (1) programs and activities under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 that specifically target improvement in permanency outcomes for youth in foster care through adoption, guardianship, or kinship care; and (2) the program for state courts to assess and improve handling of proceedings relating to foster care and adoption.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Charitable Pension Flexibility Act of 2013 - Amends the Pension Protection Act of 2006, as amended by the Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010, to allow the sponsor of a multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan to elect for a plan to cease to be treated as an eligible charity plan for plan years beginning after December 31, 2013. Permits revocation of such an election, however, only with the consent of the Secretary of the Treasury. Allows a plan sponsor also to elect to apply specified requirements with respect to the shortfall amortization base in minimum funding standards for such plans.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Families Flying Together Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to issue regulations directing each air carrier to: (1) establish a policy to ensure that a family that purchases tickets for a flight is seated together during that flight, and (2) make the policy available to the public on the air carrier's website. Defines "family" to mean a grouping of individuals that, at a minimum, includes: (1) a child age 12 years or younger; and (2) an individual age 18 years or older and responsible for accompanying that child, including a parent or legal guardian of that child.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Verifying Authority and Legality In Drug Compounding Act of 2013 or VALID Compounding Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the regulation of compounding drugs. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and maintain a list of bulk substances from which drug products may be compounded that specifies any limitation on compounding of the substance and the particular medical need that is met by placing such substance on the list. Requires the Secretary to receive and consider petitions from any person identifying a substance that should be added to or removed from the list. Sets forth requirements for such petitions. Requires the Secretary also to develop and maintain a list of drug products that should not be compounded. Allows a pharmacy to compound drugs which are not for an identified individual patient based on the receipt of a prescription order if the pharmacy registers with the Secretary and agrees to comply with any condition of operation or limitation of activity the Secretary specifies. Sets forth information that must be included in any such registration. Authorizes the compounding of a drug that is a copy of a commercially available drug product if: (1) the drug is on the drug shortage list with notice given to the Secretary by the pharmacy, or (2) the drug product is necessary to protect public health and well-being. Requires the pharmacy to demonstrate to the Secretary that controls will be used that are comparable to elements required for safe use for a drug subject to a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy. Requires the Secretary to establish standards, processes, and procedures for high-risk sterile compounding. Establishes requirements related to inspections, labeling, and adverse event reporting for compounded drugs. Requires the Secretary to assess an annual establishment fee from compounding pharmacies and a reinspection fee for any pharmacy subject to a reinspection in a fiscal year. Sets forth a methodology for setting such fees and requires reduced fees for small businesses (pharmacies with $1 million or less in annual sales). States that the requirements of this Act do not preempt any non-federal requirement that is in addition to, and compatible with, such requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Access to Substance Abuse Treatment Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to: (1) increase the availability of treatment for abuse of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), and phencyclidine (PCP); (2) provide vouchers to individuals in underserved populations for authorized services related to such treatment; and (3) establish programs to provide for and coordinate the provision of wrap-around services, such as medical services, job training services, and housing assistance, to individuals re-entering the community after successfully receiving treatment for abuse of such substances. Revises the grant program to provide residential substance abuse treatment to pregnant and postpartum women to: (1) make caregiver parents eligible for such program, (2) make Indian tribes and tribal organizations eligible for grants, and (3) set forth the priority for allocation of grants. Requires the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse to conduct research on the effectiveness of the use of agonist and antagonist drugs to reduce the problems associated with stimulant abuse, including cocaine and methamphetamine abuse. Requires the Secretary to seek to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to complete a literature review on the effectiveness of agonist and antagonist drugs for the treatment of stimulant abuse, including cocaine and methamphetamine abuse. Requires the Comptroller General to study: (1) the impact of the programs authorized by this Act on the effectiveness and availability of treatment for abuse of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and phencyclidine; (2) how the level of federal funding available for such treatment compares to the amount necessary to provide adequate treatment; and (3) the impact of effective treatment on cost savings due to the reduced need for criminal justice and other services. Declares that this Act shall not be construed to increase the amount of appropriations that are authorized to be approved for any fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Half in Ten Act of 2013 - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a Federal Interagency Working Group on Reducing Poverty, which shall develop a National Strategy to reduce the number of persons living in poverty in America in half within 10 years after release of the 2012 Census report on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 to extend from December 31, 2014, through December 31, 2024, the Terrorism Risk Insurance program. Extends to September 30, 2027, the deadline by which the Secretary of the Treasury is required to collect all mandatory premiums for any act of terrorism occurring on or after January 1, 2012. Requires reports in 2017, 2020, and 2023 on the findings of the President's Working Group on Financial Markets pursuant to an ongoing analysis regarding the long-term availability and affordability of (market conditions for) terrorism risk insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Hurricane Sandy Tax Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide tax benefits for individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy, including: an exemption from the gross income limitation for deducting casualty losses attributable to Hurricane Sandy; expensing allowances for Hurricane Sandy disaster expenses, disaster assistance property, and environmental remediation expenses; treatment of losses attributable to Hurricane Sandy as net operating losses; suspension of mortgage revenue bond requirements for residences located in the Hurricane Sandy disaster area; an increased charitable tax deduction for Hurricane Sandy disaster relief contributions; a special allocation of the new markets tax credit for investments in community development entities serving the disaster area; special adjustments to the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit for individuals living in the disaster area; a work opportunity tax credit for hiring employees residing in the Hurricane Sandy disaster area; authorization for issuance of Hurricane Sandy bonds to finance disaster relief projects; an additional allocation of low-income housing credits in states affected by Hurricane Sandy; and an exemption from the 10% penalty for premature distributions from a retirement plan to individuals residing in the Hurricane Sandy disaster area.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 787 State Route 17M in Monroe, New York, as the "National Clandestine Service of the Central Intelligence Agency NCS Officer Gregg David Wenzel Memorial Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require each state educational agency (SEA) that receives funds under that Act to: (1) require criminal background checks for each school employee that include searches of the criminal registry or repository for each state in which the employee has resided, the child abuse and neglect registries and databases of such states, the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Sex Offender Registry; (2) prohibit the employment of an individual who refuses to consent to, or who makes false statements in connection with, a background check or who has been convicted of one of specified felonies or of a violent or sexual crime against a minor; (3) require an SEA or a local educational agency to report to local law enforcement whenever background check information indicates that a sexual predator has applied for employment; (4) require background checks to be repeated or updated in accordance with state law or local educational policy but not less than every five years; and (5) provide each school employee who has had a background check with a copy of, and a timely process to appeal, the results. Allows an SEA to maintain an inventory of all the information from background checks conducted on school employees in the state.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Retirement Plan Simplification and Enhancement Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to repeal the 10% cap on the qualified percentage of an employee's compensation as the standard for an employer's contribution to an automatic cash or deferred contribution arrangement under the alternative method for meeting nondiscrimination requirements. Prescribes criteria for an alternative method for qualified secure deferral arrangements (under a qualified profit-sharing or stock bonus plan, a rural cooperative plan, or a "pre-ERISA" money purchase plan established before enactment of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [ERISA]) to meet the nondiscrimination requirement that the actual deferral percentage for eligible highly compensated employees for the plan year bears a relationship, meeting specified criteria, to the actual deferral percentage for all other eligible employees for the preceding plan year. Allows an eligible employer a secure deferral arrangement credit against the income tax of 10% of all contributions under a secure deferral arrangement made during the plan year by or on behalf of employees other than highly compensated employees. Revises the period of service requirements for a qualified cash or deferred arrangement to cover long-term part-time employees working at least 3 consecutive 12-month periods during each of which the employee has at least 500 hours of service. Requires separate application of the rules for a top-heavy defined benefit plan (whose the present value of the accrued benefits [PVAB] for the highly-paid key employees exceeds 60% of the PVAB for all employees) to any defined contribution plan covering part-time employees who do not meet age and service requirements. Revises the tax credit for an applicable percentage of up to $2,000 of an individual's qualified retirement savings contributions for the taxable year. Doubles the credit if the taxpayer consents that the Secretary pay it into a designated retirement account. Limits contributions to $500, with annual increases up to $1,500 (adjusted for inflation) after 2023. Amends title VII (Administration) of the Social Security Act to direct the Commissioner of Social Security to prepare: (1) a financial reference handbook for distribution to an individual applying for the first time for benefits under title II (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI), and (2) a retirement readiness checklist for inclusion in an individual's annual Social Security account statement. Amends the IRC to allow adoption of a qualified plan by the due date (including extensions) for filing the federal income tax return for the employer's taxable year. Revises the dollar limitation on the tax credit for small employer pension plan startup costs for each of the first three credit years to allow the greater of $500 or the lesser of: (1) $5,000; or (2) $250 for each employee eligible to participate in the eligible employer plan who is not a highly compensated employee. Directs the Secretaries of the Treasury and of Labor to prescribe administrative guidance establishing conditions allowing the use of a multiple employer plan. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the feasibility and desirability of extending the application of spousal consent requirements to defined contribution plans to which they do not currently apply. Amends ERISA to authorize an employee benefit plan to allow a named fiduciary, or a fiduciary designated by a named fiduciary, to appoint an annuity administrator for an individual account plan. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to issue final regulations stating that any specified age or service condition (or combination of such conditions) with respect to a lifetime income investment under a defined contribution plan shall be disregarded in determining whether the lifetime income investment is currently available for distribution to the employee. Amends the IRC to allow an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to be invested in a life insurance contract rolled over to an IRA from a qualified retirement plan if the contract provides only incidental death benefits. Declares that a trust forming part of a defined contribution plan shall not be treated as failing to constitute a qualified trust solely by reason of allowing after a certain date as portable lifetime income options: (1) qualified distributions of a lifetime income investment, or (2) distributions of a lifetime income investment in the form of a qualified plan distribution annuity contract. Requires the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to establish a Lost Pension Plan Registry database to record: (1) any change in a pension plan's name, (2) any change in the name or address of the plan administrator, (3) the termination of the plan, or (4) the merger or consolidation of the plan with any other plan or its division into two or more plans. Requires publication of the Registry on the PBGC website. Exempts from mandatory minimum plan distributions an employee whose aggregate retirement savings do not exceed $100,000. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to modify the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System to correct plan loan, minimum distribution, and other errors. Amends the IRC to allow matching contributions or nonelective contributions (safe harbor contributions) to satisfy certain requirements even though they are funded in whole or in part by forfeitures. Amends ERISA to specify the meaning of a substantial cessation of operations by an employer with respect to liability for termination of single-employer plans under a distress termination or a termination by a corporation. Amends the IRC to declare that an organization otherwise eligible to participate in a church plan shall not be aggregated with another such organization and treated as a single employer with it unless: (1) one organization provides directly or indirectly at least 80% of the operating funds for the other one during the recipient's preceding tax year, and (2) there is a degree of common management or supervision between the organizations. Preempts any state law relating to wage, salary, or payroll payment, collection, deduction, garnishment, assignment, or withholding which would directly or indirectly prohibit or restrict the inclusion in any church plan of an automatic contribution arrangement. Excludes from gross income for income tax purposes amounts attributable to transfers of and mergers of church plans that are maintained by the same church or convention or association of churches. Allows church plans and their supporting organizations to invest plan assets in a group trust (as defined by Internal Revenue Service Revenue Rulings). Revises the prohibition against discrimination in favor of highly compensated employees by contributions or benefits provided under qualified pension, profit-sharing, and stock bonus plans. Extends certain protections to older, longer service participants in defined benefit plans. Requires the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the PBGC to review and report to the appropriate congressional committees on the reporting and disclosure requirements of ERISA applicable to pension plans and of the IRC applicable to qualified retirement plans. Directs the Secretaries of Labor and of the Treasury to adopt final regulations allowing, but not requiring, a plan to consolidate into a single notice two or more of the notices required by ERISA, the IRC, and related regulations. Directs the Secretary of Labor to modify specified regulations under ERISA to allow, but not require, a plan administrator, in the case of a designated investment alternative that contains a mix of asset classes, to use as a benchmark a blend of different broad-based securities market indices if the blend meets certain criteria. Amends the IRC to treat as an eligible rollover distribution any direct trustee-to-trustee transfer of a portion of a distribution from a deceased employee's eligible retirement plan to a plan or annuity of a designated beneficiary who is not the employee's surviving spouse. Revises the meaning of "eligible deferred compensation plan" to eliminate the requirement that the deferral agreement be entered into before the first day of the month in which the compensation will be deferred. Requires only that the agreement be entered into before the compensation is currently available to the individual in question. Amends both the IRC and ERISA to require a plan administrator to account separately for 50% of plan benefits and not distribute them during a 90-day segregation period (which may be extended) if the administrator is notified by a participant's spouse or former spouse that benefits payable to the participant are a subject of a pending domestic relations action. Amends ERISA to authorize the Secretary to assess a civil penalty against any plan administrator of up to $100 a day from the date of the administrator's failure or refusal to provide required information to prospective alternative payees (or a representative or the Secretary) under a domestic relations order. Amends the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (RRA) to eliminate for widows, surviving divorced wives, or surviving divorced mothers of a deceased railroad employee eligible for annuities the requirement of a current connection with the railroad industry. Permits divorced spouses, widows, and widowers of a deceased railroad employee to marry after age 60 without penalty for annuity purposes under RRA. Repeals the requirement that, in order to treat the disposable retired pay of a retired Armed Forces member as property of the member and his or her spouse, a court have jurisdiction over the member by reason of: (1) his or her residence, other than because of military assignment, in the court's territorial jurisdiction; (2) his or her domicile in the court's territorial jurisdiction; or (3) his or her consent to the court's jurisdiction. Requires the Secretary concerned to make child support, alimony, or property settlement payments to a spouse or former spouse of a retired member of the Armed Forces, if the member's disposable retired pay is reduced for specified reasons including a waiver in order to receive active duty or military reserve compensation, in the amount of the lesser of: (1) the amount payable under the final court order from the disposable retired pay (determined without regard to such reductions), or (2) 100% of the disposable retired pay (determined after such reductions). Entitles to specified survivor annuities under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) widows, widowers, and former spouses of federal employees who die after separation from the service but before establishing a valid claim for a deferred annuity. Requires payments to a federal employee's former spouse of certain retirement benefits under CSRS or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) according to the terms of a court decree, court order, property settlement, or similar process. Amends the IRC to establish in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) an Office of the Participant and Plan Sponsor Advocate.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Foster Youth Higher Education Opportunities Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to inform students who indicate on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form that they are or were in the foster care system of their potential eligibility for federal student aid, including the specific federal programs under which they may be eligible for assistance. Requires the Secretary to provide foster youth with that same information on the Department of Education's website.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to take certain actions regarding eating disorder research, including to: (1) implement a scientifically justified budget for research on eating disorders, (2) coordinate and evaluate NIH research activities and programs, (3) expand NIH research on eating disorders, (4) establish a task force on eating disorder research, and (5) provide for centers of excellence for research on eating disorders. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) provide for the collection, analysis, and reporting of epidemiological data on eating disorders; (2) establish a Center of Eating Disorders Epidemiology to collect and analyze information on eating disorders; and (3) establish a CDC clearinghouse for the collection and storage of data generated under this Act. Sets forth requirements for providing education and training on eating disorders, including: (1) developing and implementing a training program for health professionals on eating disorders; (2) establishing the Task Force on Eating Disorders Prevention in Educational Institutions to develop and provide training on eating disorders identification and prevention for students, faculty, coaches, and staff in schools; and (3) conducting public service announcements. Amends the PHSA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to also provide coverage for eating disorders. Applies such requirement to coverage offered under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to expand coverage for eating disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to award grants for patient advocacy to help individuals with eating disorders obtain adequate health care services and insurance coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Look-back Elimination Act of 2013 - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to eliminate the requirement that, to be eligible for foster care maintenance payments, a child would have been eligible for aid under the former Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program (predecessor of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] program under part A of SSA title IV) at the time of removal from the home. Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the AFDC eligibility requirement for federal foster care and adoption assistance benefits should be eliminated and replaced with income eligibility standards that are based on modern, balanced criteria that treat all children equally; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) should collaborate with Members of Congress and child welfare advocates in developing any modification standards.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Earned Income Tax Credit Improvement and Simplification Act 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the earned income tax credit, to: (1) make permanent the increase in the rate of such credit for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children and the reduction in the amount of the marriage penalty for such credit; (2) allow such credit for an individual with no qualifying children who has attained the age of 21 but not 25 and is not a full-time student, and whose qualifying children do not have valid social security numbers; (3) revise eligibility rules relating to married individuals living apart and qualifying children claimed by another family member; and (4) repeal the denial of such credit for taxpayers with excess investment income.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Assets for Independence Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Assets for Independence Act, which provides for demonstration projects designed to provide individuals and families of limited means with an incentive to save a portion of their earned income and thereby accumulate assets, increase their economic self-sufficiency, and stabilize such families and the communities in which they live. Expresses the sense of Congress that a qualified entity conducting a demonstration project under the Act should, to the maximum extent practicable, increase: (1) the rate at which it matches contributions by participating individuals, or (2) the number of such participating individuals. States that multiple households may share a single residence. Specifies public housing agencies and tribally designated housing entities as entities qualified to participate in a demonstration project. Repeals the requirement that state or local government or other public agencies apply jointly with a tax-exempt not-for-profit charitable organization or collaborate with certain kinds of local community-based organizations. Includes among postsecondary educational expenses any expenses for preparatory courses, room and board, and transportation. Revises requirements for: (1) applications for new and renewals of existing projects; (2) limitations on uses of the Reserve Fund; and (3) the adjusted gross household income eligibility test, requiring regulations for transfers from one project to another for individuals who move because of major disasters or emergencies, to find employment, or to a community where no project is available. Revises requirements for deposits by qualified entities in the individual development accounts (IDAs) of participating individuals to: (1) increase maximum deposits per individual and per household; (2) facilitate withdrawal of funds from an IDA, with formal approval, during the year following the end of a demonstration project; and (3) require disposal of funds remaining in an IDA at the end of that year. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of Community Services, to make every effort, 90 days after terminating the authority of one qualified entity to operate a demonstration project, to identify another qualified entity (or entities), in the same or a different community, willing and able to conduct one or more demonstration projects. Specifies criteria for giving priority consideration to candidate entities. Revises requirements for contracting with independent research organizations to evaluate demonstration projects. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) use certain funds to cover the necessary costs of training for a qualified entity conducting a demonstration project, including costs of travel, accommodations, and meals; and (2) waive any requirement of the Act in certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2013
Password Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to subject to a fine any employer who knowingly and intentionally: (1) compels or coerces any person to provide the employer with a password or similar information to access a protected computer not owned by such employer; or (2) discharges, disciplines, discriminates, or threatens to take such actions, against any person who fails to authorize access to such computer, has filed a complaint or instituted a proceeding regarding such action, or testified or is about to testify in any such proceeding. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of a court of competent jurisdiction to grant equitable relief in a civil action, if the court believes that the information sought to be obtained is relevant to protecting the intellectual property, a trade secret, or confidential business information of the party seeking relief. Exempts an employer's actions from such prohibition if: (1) the employer discharges or disciplines an individual for good cause; (2) the employer complies with federal or state laws or regulations governing brokers, dealers, and investment advisers; (3) a state enacts a law that specifically waives such prohibition with respect to a particular class of state or agency employees and the employer's action relates to an employee in such class; or (4) an executive agency, military department, or other executive branch entity specifically waives the prohibition with respect to a particular class of employees who may have access to classified information.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2013
Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Diagnosis Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an Interagency Pulmonary Hypertension Coordinating Committee to make recommendations on, and coordinate, all efforts within HHS concerning pulmonary hypertension. Requires the Committee to: (1) develop and update annually a summary of pulmonary hypertension advances in medical research and treatment development and improvement, early and accurate diagnosis, appropriate and timely intervention, transplantation, and access to care and therapies for patients; (2) monitor federal activities respecting pulmonary hypertension; (3) make recommendations regarding appropriate changes to such activities as well as stakeholder participation in decisions relating to pulmonary hypertension; and (4) develop and update annually a comprehensive strategic plan to cooperatively improve health outcomes for pulmonary hypertension patients.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2013
Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to eligible entities to establish pilot programs to develop, study, or evaluate model systems for monitoring and caring for childhood cancer survivors. Requires the Secretary to convene a Workforce Development Collaborative on Medical and Psychosocial Care for Pediatric Cancer to establish a plan to meet specified objectives relating to medical and psychosocial care workforce development, including: (1) disseminating to health care educators information relevant to providing medical and psychosocial services to persons with pediatric cancers, (2) adapting curricula for continuing education of the existing workforce, and (3) strengthening the emphasis on psychosocial health care in educational accreditation standards and professional licensing and certification. Reauthorizes and expands the National Cancer Institute's pediatric cancer research and awareness program to include research on: (1) pediatric cancer survivors within minority or other medically underserved populations, (2) health disparities in pediatric cancer survivorship outcomes, and (3) follow-up care for pediatric cancer survivors. Requires the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to establish and operate a clinic for comprehensive long-term follow-up services for pediatric cancer survivors.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2013
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of an International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Encourages: (1) health care providers to offer culturally and clinically competent care to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) community; (2) schools to support the creation of gay-straight alliances to achieve safer learning environments; (3) individuals to learn about national resources for those who identify as LGBT; and (4) the federal government, states, international funding organizations, and U.S. bilateral and multilateral aid efforts to prioritize the health and human rights of LGBT people.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2013
Expresses support for the observance of National Asian American and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Recognizes the importance of: (1) culturally and linguistically competent services as a core element in reducing HIV/AIDS rates in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities; and (2) addressing the gaps in research and data in order to fully understand the HIV/AIDS epidemic in such communities. Recognizes the people across the United States infected and affected by HIV/AIDS who are commemorating this day and who work to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2013
Recognizes the important contributions that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has made in regulating international trade in endangered species and protecting endangered species worldwide. Recognizes the increasing importance of the Convention in addressing effects of trade on species, while taking into account multiple and compounding threats on species and ecosystems such as over-exploitation, habitat loss, invasive species, disease, and the effects of climate change. Applauds the Convention's recent leadership in reaffirming strong protections for the African elephant, sharks, and other endangered species. Urges: (1) renewed, expanded, and accelerated commitments to the Convention by all Parties to ensure the Convention's contribution to species conservation; (2) the U.S. delegation to the Convention to utilize international cooperation to encourage other Parties to the Convention to collaborate effectively to curb excessive exploitation of species for international trade; and (3) the Convention to adopt stronger protections for the polar bear, sharks, bluefin tuna, and other endangered species at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties in South Africa in 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Native American Psychiatric and Mental Health Care Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award a five-year grant to one department of psychiatry in, or one non-profit entity affiliated with, an accredited medical school in this country to carry out a demonstration program to recruit, train, deploy, and professionally support psychiatric physicians who agree to provide primary and specialty health care services in Indian health programs for at least two years. Requires the grantee to: (1) create a nationally-replicable workforce model that identifies and incorporates best practices for carrying out such activities, and (2) provide participating psychiatric physicians with up to one year of supplemental clinical and cultural competency training that enables them to provide primary and specialty health care services in Indian health programs. Requires participating psychiatric physicians to: (1) be licensed or eligible for licensure to practice in the state to which they will be deployed; and (2) demonstrate a commitment, beyond the one year of training and two years of deployment, to a career as a specialty care or primary care physician providing mental health services in Indian health programs. Gives a preference to psychiatric physicians who are American Indians or Alaska Natives. Directs the Secretary to make a repayment, under the Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program, of the educational loans of participating psychiatric physicians for each year of their deployment to an Indian health program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Foster Children Opportunity Act - Amends part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to require state plans for foster care and adoption assistance to have procedures to assist alien children in the child welfare system achieve special immigrant juvenile status and lawful permanent resident status before exiting foster care. Requires case plans to include documentation of the steps the state child welfare agency is taking in assisting children obtain lawful immigrant status before exiting foster care. Requires a permanency hearing to determine whether a petition for special immigrant juvenile status or lawful permanent resident status has been filed on behalf of an alien foster child and, if it has not been filed, whether it is in the child's best interest to have such a petition filed or to have immigration counsel appointed. Authorizes the use of court improvement program grant funds to educate and train child welfare and court staff to assist alien children in achieving special immigrant juvenile status, lawful permanent resident status, and other forms of relief under immigration law. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), on the request of a child welfare agency, to provide technical assistance in carrying out this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to and contract with qualified non-profit or other community-based service providers to perform the assistance. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to make an exception to the five-year limited eligibility of qualified aliens for federal means-tested public benefits for individuals who have obtained special immigrant juvenile status. Makes a similar exception for such individuals with respect to the limited eligibility of qualified aliens for certain Federal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Services Act - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate rules to prohibit, as an unfair and deceptive act or practice, a person from advertising with the intent to deceptively create the impression that: (1) such person is a provider of abortion services if such person does not provide such services, or (2) such person is not a provider of abortion services if such person does provide such services. Defines "abortion services" as providing surgical and non-surgical procedures to terminate a pregnancy, or providing referrals for such procedures. Sets forth the enforcement authority of the FTC, including with respect to nonprofit organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2013 - Requires: (1) there to be an independent anti-doping organization with responsibility for ensuring the integrity and safety of horse races that are the subject of interstate off-track wagers, and (2) the independent anti-doping organization designated pursuant to the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 to serve as such organization. Sets forth as the duties of such organization: (1) developing, publishing, and maintaining rules regarding substances, methods, and treatments that may and may not be administered to a horse participating in such a race; (2) implementing programing relating to anti-doping education, research, testing, and adjudication to prevent any horse participating in such a race from racing under the effect of any prohibited substance, method, or treatment; and (3) excluding from participation in any such race any person who is determined to have violated such a rule or who is subject to a suspension from horse racing activities by any state racing commission. Prescribes conditions under which such organization may: (1) suspend the period a person is excluded from participation; and (2) permit the use of furosemide by a horse participating in such a race during the two-year period following enactment of this Act. Permits a host racing association to conduct a horse race that is the subject of an interstate off-track wager, and permits an interstate off-track wager to be accepted by an off-track betting system, only if consent is obtained from such organization. Requires such organization to ensure that all costs incurred in carrying out its duties are defrayed pursuant to agreements for such consent.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Every Child Deserves a Family Act - Prohibits an entity that receives federal assistance and is involved in adoption or foster care placements from discriminating against prospective adoptive or foster parents solely on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identification, or marital status or on the basis of the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child involved. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in order to ensure compliance with, and ensure understanding of the legal, practice, and culture changes required by this Act in making foster care and adoption placement decisions, to provide specified technical assistance to all entities covered by this Act. Requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of whether states have substantially complied with this Act in eliminating policies, practices, or statutes that deny adoption rights on the basis of these criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support Act of 2013 or VETS Act of 2013 - Allows a health care professional who is authorized to provide health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and who is a licensed professional to practice at any location in any state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. commonwealth, territory, or possession, regardless of where the professional or patient is located, if the professional is using telemedicine to provide treatment. Allows such treatment regardless of whether such professional or patient is located in a facility owned by the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Food Aid Reform Act - Amends the Food for Peace Act to treat provision of agricultural commodities as one form only of emergency assistance. Repeals the authorization for nonemergency assistance and support for eligible organizations as well as requirements for generation and use of currencies by private voluntary organizations and cooperatives. Extends the Food Aid Consultative Group through FY2018. Repeals the duty of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to evaluate monetization programs. Repeals the requirement that agricultural commodities under the Act be produced in the United States. Extends through FY2018 the authorizastion for agreements to finance sales to provide emergency assistance. Exempts emergency and private assistance activities under title II of such Act from requirements for: (1) exports financed by the U.S. government; and (2) cargoes procured, furnished, or financed by the U.S. government.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to prohibit any person from importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, purchasing in interstate or foreign commerce, breeding, or possessing any prohibited wildlife species (current law prohibits importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing such a species in interstate or foreign commerce). Includes among exemptions to such prohibition the breeding transportation, or possession of such species by authorized persons. Defines "breeding" as facilitating the propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent the propagation or reproduction, of a prohibited wildlife species or other animal. Removes from the list of persons authorized to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, purchase, breed, or possess such species a person that is licensed or registered, and inspected, by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) or any other federal agency with respect to such species. Includes in such list: an institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) or certified related facilities that coordinate with an AZA Species Survival Plan for breeding of species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; a wildlife sanctuary that cares for such species, is a tax exempt corporation, does not commercially trade in or propagate such species, does not allow direct contact between the public and animals, and does not allow the transportation and display of such species off-site; a person that is in possession of animals of such species that were born before the date of this Act's enactment and that are registered with APHIS within 180 days after such regulations are promulgated; and a traveling circus that regularly travels in interstate commerce to conduct performances featuring live prohibited wildlife species and multiple trained human entertainers, that does not allow members of the public to be in direct contact with or unsafe proximity to a prohibited wildlife species of any age, and that, during the three years preceding this Act's enactment, has not been determined by the Secretary of Agriculture to have violated the Animal Welfare Act by reason of jeopardizing the health and well-being of a prohibited wildlife species. Establishes civil and criminal penalties and forfeiture requirements for violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act - Authorizes the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico to provide for a ratification vote on the admission of Puerto Rico as a state of the United States on an equal footing with the several states in all respects. Requires (if a majority of votes cast in the ratification vote are for the admission of Puerto Rico as a state): (1) the President to submit to Congress legislation to admit Puerto Rico as a state, and (2) Congress to act, through legislation, to admit Puerto Rico as a state.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2013
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act - Declares it an unlawful employment practice for employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and other specified entities to: (1) fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations related to the pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions of job applicants or employees, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on such an entity's business operation; (2) deny employment opportunities based on the need of the entity to make such reasonable accommodations; (3) require such job applicants or employees to accept an accommodation that they choose not to accept; or (4) require such employees to take leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to their known limitations. Sets forth enforcement procedures and remedies under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and the rights and protections extended to presidential offices. Directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to issue regulations to carry out this Act, including the identification of reasonable accommodations addressing known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000053_200.jpg)