United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2015
Supports the designation of Darwin Day (February 12, 2016, the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin in 1809). Recognizes Charles Darwin as a worthy symbol on which to celebrate the achievements of reason, science, and the advancement of human knowledge.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2015
Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act of 2015 This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to make certain income-based subsidies available to Medicare prescription drug program beneficiaries who reside in Puerto Rico or another U.S. territory and are otherwise eligible. Current law makes such beneficiaries ineligible for premium and cost-sharing subsidies, but establishes a process for U.S. territories to apply for financial assistance with respect to the provision of Medicare prescription drugs. The bill retains a process for U.S. territories to apply for such assistance, but alters the formula by which the amount of assistance is calculated. Specifically, the bill phases in modifications to the formula that more closely align how assistance is calculated for U.S. territories with how it is calculated for the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2015
Expresses support for the designation of June 2016 as National Gun Violence Awareness Month. Calls on the people of the United States to: promote greater awareness about gun violence and gun safety; concentrate annual heightened attention to gun violence during the summer months, when gun violence typically increases; and bring citizens and community leaders together to discuss ways to make the communities safer.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2015
Declares that the House of Representatives shall: support the achievement of near zero greenhouse gas emissions nationally by January 1, 2050, through policies that shift the U.S. energy supply strategy from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy, increase energy efficiency, and implement zero waste practices to end dependence on fossil fuels and to promote climate security, jobs, universal access to clean energy, national economic competitiveness, and national security; establish a national goal of deriving 50% of electricity from renewable sources by January 1, 2030; establish policies and programs to modernize the national infrastructure, transition toward full employment with new green jobs, and build a sustainable economy, focusing on historically unemployed or underemployed communities; provide educational and job training programs, transitional financial assistance, and job opportunities for displaced fossil fuel industry workers; provide retraining and re-employment opportunities in green jobs for military veterans; provide increased funding for educational, training, and job assistance programs for rural residents and for increased emergency preparation and assistance to rural communities damaged by the adverse impacts of climate change; help the people of the United States to establish resiliency to withstand the significant impacts of climate change; establish policies that capture and store carbon currently in the atmosphere by protecting forests and improving land and agricultural practices; support trade policies that maintain American labor and environmental standards; support tax incentives that promote the growth of green jobs; ensure universal access to clean energy for moderate- and low-income families; create policies or programs that result in net positive environmental and economic benefits in impacted communities, which shall receive at least 25% of revenues committed to or generated by the implementation of carbon reducing programs; phase out subsidies for fossil fuels; establish a national goal of doubling efficiency of existing buildings from 2015 levels by January 1, 2030; and support a policy to work with international organizations and other nations to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to set a goal to achieve near zero greenhouse gas emissions by January 1, 2050, through replacing fossil fuels with 100% renewable energy, conservation, and energy efficiency.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2015
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to Simeon Saunders Booker, Jr., in recognition of his achievements in the field of journalism, including his reporting during the civil rights movement and his social and political commentary.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Fair Treatment for Families of Veterans Act This bill revises the effective date for reductions or discontinuances of Department of Veterans Affairs compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, and pensions by reason of marriage, remarriage, or death. The effective date is changed from the last day of the month before a marriage, remarriage, or death occurs to the last day of the month during which the event occurs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Supporting Working Moms Act of 2015 This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to extend the requirement that certain employers provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child to bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity employees or outside salesmen who are exempt from federal labor laws that limit the number of hours in a workweek.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Anti-hunger Empowerment Act of 2015 This bill reduces administrative requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program), authorizes funding to increase access to SNAP offices, and authorizes grants for community-based nonprofits to expand anti-hunger activities. The bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to repeal existing provisions regarding administrative costs and authorize the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pay 75% of the administrative costs for state agencies to increase the operating hours of SNAP offices, reduce wait times, accept online applications, upgrade technology, and provide a checklist of required documents. If a state agency believes that information provided by a SNAP applicant is incorrect or incomplete, the agency must notify the applicant in writing and include instructions for providing the required information. Unless the information is not provided in response to the request or it cannot be verified, a state must not require an applicant to appear in person. State agencies must not require fingerprints for any member of a household to participate in SNAP or receive benefits. USDA must report annually to Congress on the comparative progress of states in improving access to SNAP. Beyond the Soup Kitchen Grants Program Act of 2015 The Beyond the Soup Kitchen Pilot Program is established to provide grants to community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups for programs to reduce hunger, increase the use of nutrition assistance and anti-poverty programs, bolster food security, assist individuals and families to develop assets, promote economic independence, improve nutrition, and reduce obesity.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Tracking Reputations Upgrades Societal Trust Act of 2015 or the TRUST Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to include in the annual National Crime Victimization Survey statistics on the level of trust between law enforcement agencies and the residents they serve. Additionally, DOJ must submit an annual report to Congress that includes recommendations to improve levels of trust that it determines to be problematically low.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2015
Church Plan Clarification Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax treatment of church pension plans, to: (1) provide 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 one such organization provides at least 80% of the operating funds for the other organization during the recipient organization's preceding tax year and there is a degree of common management or supervision between the organizations, (2) adopt benefit accrual limitations for church defined benefit plans established before 1982, and (3) allow transfers and mergers of qualified church retirement plans. The bill also: (1) preempts any state law relating to wage, salary, or payroll payment, collection, deduction, garnishment, assignment, or withholding that would directly or indirectly prohibit or restrict the inclusion in any church plan of an automatic contribution arrangement; and (2) allows church plans and their supporting organizations to invest plan assets in a group trust (as defined by Internal Revenue Service Revenue Rulings).
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2015
Child Protection Improvements Act of 2015 This bill amends the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to direct the Department of Justice to: (1) establish policies and procedures to streamline the process of obtaining national criminal history background checks on covered individuals, and (2) establish a criminal history review program to provide covered entities with reliable and accurate information on the criminal history of a covered individual. It defines "covered entity" as any business or organization that provides, or licenses, certifies, or coordinates individuals or organizations to provide care, care placement, supervision, treatment, education, training, instruction, or recreation to vulnerable populations including elderly persons, disabled persons, and children. It defines "covered individual" as an individual who: (1) has, seeks to have, or may have unsupervised access to vulnerable populations served by a covered entity; (2) is employed by or volunteers with, or seeks to be employed by or volunteer with, a covered entity; or (3) owns or operates, or seeks to own or operate, a covered entity.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2015
No Guns for Terrorists Act of 2015 This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly sell or transfer a firearm to a known or suspected terrorist, as determined by the Department of Justice. (The Federal Bureau of Investigation administers the Terrorist Screening Center, which maintains the Terrorist Screening Database - the U.S. government's consolidated database of individuals known or reasonably suspected to be involved in terrorist activities.)
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2015
Hygiene Assistance for Families of Infants and Toddlers Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants to states to conduct demonstration projects to implement and evaluate strategies to help families address the diapering supply needs of eligible children. Title XI of the Social Security Act is amended to exempt diaper benefits from the territorial payment ceiling.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise provisions related to financial aid and educational programs for children and youths who are homeless or in foster care. With respect to a student's independence for purposes of financial aid, a financial aid administrator must: (1) in the absence of conflicting information, accept a homelessness determination made by an authorized individual; and (2) make such a determination if the student cannot get documentation from a designated authority. A student who is determined to be independent on this basis shall generally be presumed to be independent for a subsequent award year at the same institution. The bill expands the duties of the Student Loan Ombudsman to include the review and resolution of complaints regarding such determinations. To be eligible for certain federal funds, an institution must meet specified requirements related to student housing, coordination, and notice of financial assistance eligibility with respect to children and youths who are homeless or in foster care. In approving applications for entities to carry out specified programs related to higher education, the Department of Education shall require an entity to make specified assurances with respect to the participation of children and youths who are homeless or in foster care. A federal work-study agreement must prioritize employment for such students. For purposes of income-based financial aid determinations, the bill excludes from income: (1) the value of specified vouchers for education and training, and (2) direct payments made through an extended foster care program. With respect to children or youths who are homeless or in foster care, a state may not charge a tuition rate that is higher than the in-state tuition rate.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the priorities the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) uses in assigning National Health Service Corps (NHSC) members to health professional shortage areas and awarding contracts under the NHSC Loan Repayment Program. Specifically, HHS must prioritize: (1) assignment of members to areas with a high number of veterans with ailments resulting from traumatic brain injuries, and (2) awarding contracts to health professionals receiving training or trained in addressing post-traumatic stress disorder.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
Bridge to a Clean Energy Future Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various tax credits and deductions relating to energy and to repeal certain tax preferences for oil and gas activities. TITLE I--EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF ENERGY TAX PROVISIONS This title extends through 2016: the tax credit for nonbusiness energy property; the tax credit for new qualified fuel cell motor vehicles; the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures; the tax credit for second generation biofuel production; the tax credits for biodiesel and renewable diesel used as fuel; excise tax credits for alcohol used as fuel and biodiesel mixtures; the tax credit for the production of electricity from renewable resources; the tax credit for energy-efficient new homes; the special depreciation allowance for second generation biofuel plant property; the tax deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings; tax deferral rules for sales or dispositions of qualified electric facilities; and excise tax credits for alternative fuels and alternative fuel mixtures. The title also revises the income and excise tax credits for biodiesel fuels to allow an increased credit for small biodiesel producers. TITLE II--ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS This title amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the energy tax credit to solar energy, fuel cell, microturbine, combined heat and power system, small wind energy, and thermal energy properties the construction of which begins before January 1, 2017; (2) modify capacity limitations for combined heat and power system property; (3) allow an energy tax credit for waste heat to power property; (4) define "qualified small wind energy property" for purposes of the energy tax credit; (5) allow renewable and alternative fuel projects to operate as publicly-traded partnerships; and (6) permit additional allocations of qualifying advanced energy project tax credits. TITLE III--ENDING OIL AND GAS TAX SUBSIDIES The title modifies or eliminates oil and gas tax subsidies by: increasing to seven years the amortization period for geological and geophysical expenditures; repealing after 2015 the tax credits for producing oil and gas from marginal wells and for enhanced oil recovery; repealing after 2015 the tax deduction for the intangible drilling and development costs of oil and gas wells; repealing percentage depletion for oil and gas wells and the tax deduction for tertiary injectants; repealing the exception to passive loss rules for interests in oil and gas properties; repealing the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities involving oil and gas; prohibiting the use of the last-in, first-out (LIFO) accounting method for major integrated oil companies; and limiting the foreign tax credit for dual capacity taxpayers (i.e., taxpayers who are subject to a levy of a foreign country or U.S. possession and who receive specific economic benefits from such country or possession).
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act or the POWER Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exclude from the definition of "immigrant" a nonimmigrant alien who files a petition for U visa status (set aside for victims of crimes and their immediate family members) if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines that the alien: has suffered abuse or harm as a result of having been a victim of criminal activity; has suffered substantial abuse or harm related to specified labor or employment violations related to a workplace claim (workplace violation); is a victim of specified criminal activity and would suffer extreme hardship upon removal; has suffered a workplace violation and would suffer extreme hardship upon removal; has been helpful in a workplace violation investigation; or has filed, is a material witness in, or is likely to be helpful in the investigation of, a workplace claim and reasonably fears or has been the victim of an action involving force, physical restraint, retaliation, or abuse of the immigration or other legal process by the employer. DHS may permit an alien to remain and work temporarily in the United States if the alien: (1) has filed for relief as a victim of crime or of violations of labor or employment laws or regulations; (2) has filed, or is a material witness to, a workplace claim; and (3) has been helpful in a federal, state, or local law enforcement action related to the claim. The bill sets forth workplace claim procedural requirements and protections in an enforcement action leading to a removal proceeding. The bill establishes exceptions to a stay of removal or other specified relief where DHS establishes that: (1) the alien has been convicted of a felony, or (2) a workplace claim was filed in bad faith with intent to delay or avoid the alien's removal.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act of 2015 This bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit taking, importing, or exporting the killer whale (orcinus orca) species, or any product that contains that species, for public display purposes. The bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit any person from artificially inseminating or breeding that species for exhibition purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
Authorizes the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center on December 9, 2015, for a ceremony to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the period in which a corporation may carryover excess contributions for purposes of the tax deduction for charitable contributions from 5 to 20 succeeding taxable years.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations should be declared an existential threat to the human rights and security of the Nigerian people and their regional neighbors; the global strategy for ending the suffering and creating solutions for displaced persons in Africa includes a Victims of Terror Protection Fund, which should provide humanitarian assistance to Boko Haram victims; military technical assistance be provided to Nigeria and its neighbors; and the Victims of Terror Support Fund should be modeled after the cases of Khazakhstan and Equatorial Guinea where prior kleptocracy initiatives have been created to benefit communities and victims in need of support.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
High School Football Safety Study Act This bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to: (1) conduct a study to more precisely identify the causes of deaths related to high school football and to develop recommendations to prevent such deaths, and (2) submit to Congress and publish on the public website of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality a report on the study's results.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Identity Theft and Tax Fraud Prevention Act of 2015 This bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to: (1) establish a plan to reduce the administrative time required to process and resolve cases of identity theft in connection with tax returns and refunds to no more than 90 days, on average; (2) ensure that taxpayers who have been adversely affected by identity theft have a single point of contact at the IRS; (3) issue a personal identification number to any individual requesting protection from identity theft-related fraud after such individual's true identity has been established and verified; (4) implement a program to prevent the processing of a tax return by an identity thief; and (5) issue regulations that restrict the delivery or deposit of multiple tax refunds to the same individual account or mailing address in the same tax year The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Health Information Technology Policy Committee to develop, incorporate, and report on a plan to provide for a reliable nationwide health information technology infrastructure that does not use a Social Security account number for data matching, coordination of benefits, billing, and research purposes. The bill amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the display, sale, or purchase of Social Security account numbers without the consent of the account holder. The bill: (1) imposes restrictions on the use of prepaid debit cards for tax refunds; (2) imposes criminal penalties for obtaining a Social Security number for purposes of locating or identifying an individual with the intent to physically injure, harm, or use the identity of an individual for any illegal purpose; (3) provides for civil remedies to enjoin and recover losses from violations of this Act; and (4) sets forth civil penalties for such violations. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) require notification to a taxpayer if there has been an unauthorized use of such taxpayer's identity or if a person has been criminally charged for such unauthorized use; (2) impose a criminal penalty for willful misappropriation of another person's taxpayer identity; (3) increase the civil and criminal penalties for unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information by paid tax return preparers; (4) allow the use of an identifying number, instead of a Social Security account number, for an employee on a W-2 form; and (5) impose a penalty on tax return preparers who fail to verify the identity of a taxpayer who is filing a tax return or claiming a refund. The IRS may transfer appropriated funds to be used solely to prevent, detect, and resolve potential cases of tax fraud. The IRS must: (1) establish in the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS the position of Local Law Enforcement Liaison to coordinate the investigation of tax-related identity theft and fraud with state and local law enforcement agencies, (2) establish a program to verify the identity of any individual opening an e-Services account with the IRS, and (3) report to Congress on options for creating a tax system that reduces burdens on taxpayers and decreases tax fraud through real-time information matching. The bill grants the Department of the Treasury: (1) enhanced authority to regulate and sanction paid tax return preparers, and (2) access to information in the National Directory of New Hires for purposes of administering the tax code.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Education Relief and Restoration Act of 2015 This bill declares that, if a veteran is forced to discontinue a course as a result of a a permanent school closure and did not receive credit or lost training time toward completion of the education program, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance payments shall not, for a specified period of time, be: charged against the individual's entitlement to educational assistance, or counted against the aggregate period for which such assistance may be provided. The bill applies to courses and programs of education discontinued beginning with FY2015. The VA may continue to pay educational assistance and subsistence allowances to eligible veterans and eligible persons enrolled in specified courses for up to 4 weeks in any 12-month period when schools are temporarily closed under an established policy based on an executive order of the President or due to an emergency situation. The VA may also continue to pay a monthly housing stipend following a permanent school closure, but only until the earlier of: (1) the date of the end of the term, quarter, or semester during which the school closure occurred; and (2) the date that is four months after the school closure.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Family Cord Blood Banking Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat the cost of private umbilical cord blood or tissue, or placental blood or tissue, banking services as a medical care expense for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
VA Health Center Management Stability and Improvement Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and implement a plan to hire a director for each VA medical center without a permanent director. Hiring priority shall be given to medical centers that have not had a permanent director for the longest periods.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Physician Assistant Higher Education Modernization Act of 2015 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to assist qualified individuals in receiving the education and training needed to become a physician assistant. Students enrolled in physician assistant education programs are eligible for increased scholarship opportunities, increased unsubsidized loan limits, and loan forgiveness programs for those who serve in areas of national need upon graduation. The bill provides educational institutions with the resources to keep up with the demand for new physician assistants. The Department of Education (ED) must: provide Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions with grants to fund physician assistant studies, prioritize the awarding of grants for physician assistant education programs that will benefit Hispanics and low-income students, and provide grants to prepare certified physician assistants to become faculty members in physician assistant education programs. In addition, ED is authorized to award grants for the improvement of technology in physician assistant education programs. ED may also create and expand physician assistant education programs at institutions in rural areas.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Supports the goals of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Honors those working domestically and internationally to eliminate violence against women and girls. Encourages the President to: address the needs of women and girls experiencing violence through funding for participatory survivor-led programs; prioritize protections for women and children in fragile and conflict zones; address increased rates of violence against marginalized women due to race, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, and socioeconomic status; and increase opportunities for women and girls worldwide, including opportunities for education and economic participation.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Housing Our Heroes Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin a three-year pilot grant program to assess the feasibility of awarding grants to eligible entities to purchase and renovate abandoned homes for homeless veterans. Eligible entities are: (1) veterans service agencies and organizations, (2) homeless organizations, and (3) other nongovernmental organizations. The Veterans Homelessness Grant Fund is established in the Treasury. The VA shall give grant priority to communities with the greatest need of homeless services, and may give grant priority to achieve geographic grant distribution.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Veterans' STEM Education Program This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay an additional appropriate amount, beyond other educational assistance, to each individual entitled to post-9/11 educational assistance who is pursuing a program of education with a STEM focus (science, technology, engineering, and math). Information on such additional payments must be included in a currently required annual VA educational assistance report.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Physician Assistant Education Public Health Initiatives Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enter into contracts to repay the student loans of physician assistants who agree to serve as: (1) faculty members for physician assistant education programs; or (2) physician assistants in health professional shortage areas, in medically underserved areas, or at health centers serving medically underserved populations. The bill extends through FY2021 programs that: (1) award grants to health professional schools to provide need-based scholarships, (2) repay the student loans of health professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds who agree to serve as faculty members at health professional schools, (3) support fellowships to increase the number of underrepresented minority faculty members at health professional schools, and (4) award grants to health professional schools to assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Support provided by HHS for the development, operation, expansion, and improvement of primary care training programs is revised and extended through FY2021. HHS must award grants to nonprofit organizations to increase research on physician assistant education.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Recognizes the 109th anniversary of the founding of the American Jewish Committee. Honors the American Jewish Committee for its efforts regarding human rights worldwide, interfaith dialogue, and the defense of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2015
Gun Violence Research Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to specifically include injuries from gun violence as a research subject for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nothing in the CDC's research authorization may be construed to authorize support for advocacy or promotion of gun control. The CDC must improve the National Violent Death Reporting System, particularly through the voluntary participation of additional states. Nothing in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act may be construed to prohibit a health care provider from discussing guns or gun safety with a patient or reporting a patient's threat of violence.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015
Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to revise several provisions related to the child and adult care food program. Under current law: (1) an institution that provides child or day care under the program may be reimbursed for up to two meals and one supplement per day per child; and (2) a family or group day care home sponsoring organization may receive the same maximum reimbursement, but only with respect to a child maintained in a child care setting for at least eight hours per day. The bill eliminates this distinction between institutions and sponsoring organizations, and increases maximum reimbursement for both to: (1) two meals and one supplement or one meal and two supplements per day per child; or (2) three meals and one supplement or two meals and two supplements per day per child, for each child maintained in a child care setting for at least eight hours per day. A determination of a for-profit day care center's eligibility to participate in the program shall be in effect for six months. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must issue guidance and, as appropriate, regulations to assist in ensuring a fair and effective process for the identification, review, and correction of serious program deficiencies. USDA shall establish an advisory committee to examine the feasibility of reducing unnecessary or duplicative paperwork for those participating or seeking to participate in the program.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015
Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2015 This bill amends the federal criminal code to prohibit a person from possessing a firearm without a valid license. It prohibits transferring or receiving a handgun or a semiautomatic firearm that can accept a detachable ammunition feeding device unless the recipient presents a valid, verified firearms license and the dealer records a tracking authorization number. It prescribes firearms transfer reporting and record keeping requirements. DOJ must establish and maintain a federal record of sale system. Additionally, it prohibits: (1) transferring a firearm to any person other than a licensee, unless the transfer is processed through a licensed dealer in accordance with national instant criminal background check system requirements, with exceptions; (2) a licensed manufacturer or dealer from failing to comply with reporting and record keeping requirements of this Act; (3) failing to report the loss or theft of the firearm to DOJ within 72 hours; (4) failing to report to DOJ an address change within 60 days; or (5) keeping a loaded firearm, or an unloaded firearm and ammunition for the firearm, knowingly or recklessly disregarding the risk that a child is capable of gaining access, if a child uses the firearm and causes death or serious bodily injury. It prescribes criminal penalties for violations of firearms provisions. DOJ must: (1) establish and maintain a firearm injury information clearinghouse, (2) conduct continuing studies and investigations of firearm-related deaths and injuries, (3) collect and maintain current production and sales figures of each licensed manufacturer, and (4) study the efficacy of smart gun technology (i.e., technology that prevents an unauthorized person from using a firearm) in the prevention of unintended deaths.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015
Charitable Automobile Red-Tape Simplification Act of 2015 or the CARS Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for charitable contributions, to modify the substantiation rules for donations of qualified vehicles (i.e., motor vehicles manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways and boats or airplanes) with a claimed value exceeding $500 but not $2,500, to require: (1) a statement with respect to such qualified vehicles and a good faith estimate of their value at the time of donation; and (2) a contemporaneous written acknowledgement of the contribution by the donee organization, with information about the donor and the qualified vehicle.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2015
Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act This bill includes veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands during the period January 1, 1977-December 31, 1980, as radiation exposed veterans for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs presumption of service-connection for specified cancers.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2015
Community College to Career Fund Act This bill amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to direct the Department of Labor to award competitive grants to eligible community colleges, four-year public institutions of higher education, tribal colleges or universities, private or nonprofit two-year institutions of higher education in specified U.S. territories, or a consortium of any of them, in partnership with employers or an employer or industry partnership representing multiple employers, in order to develop, offer, improve, and provide educational or career training programs for workers. The governor of the state in which at least one of these entities is located shall establish criteria for an educational or career training program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential for which an eligible entity submits a grant proposal.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a working families agenda is established to: raise the minimum wage, strengthen workers' right to organize, and protect workers from misclassification; provide workers with paid sick days, paid family leave, flexible and stable schedules, access to high-quality early learning opportunities, and affordable child care; and strengthen the law guaranteeing equal pay for equal work, ensure specified rights for pregnant workers, and ensure workers have explicit protections from discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Declares the sense of the House furthermore that hearings and votes should be held on specified House bills, including H.R. 2150, the Raise the Wage Act, and H.R. 1439, the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act).
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2015
Disaster Assistance Equity Act of 2015 This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to modify the definition of "private nonprofit facility" to include any facilities (including roads, bridges, sewer systems, and other critical community infrastructure) owned or operated by a common interest community that provide essential services of a governmental nature. The bill also defines additional terms under such Act, including "condominium" and "housing cooperative." "Common interest community" is defined as: (1) any nonprofit mandatory membership organization comprised of owners of real estate (other than a condominium or housing cooperative) described in a declaration or created pursuant to a covenant or other applicable law with respect to which a person, by virtue of the person's ownership of a unit, is obligated to pay for a share of real estate taxes, insurance premiums, maintenance or improvement of, or services or other expenses related to, common elements, other units, or any other real estate other than the unit described in the declaration; and (2) a condominium project that is comprised entirely of detached single family units or that is comprised of four or more multi-unit housing structures and that owns or operates facilities that provide essential services of a governmental nature. The bill amends such Act to provide that for purposes of the provision of federal disaster assistance with respect to residential elements that are the legal responsibility of an association for a condominium or housing cooperative, the terms "individual" or "household" include the association. The President must determine the maximum amount of assistance that any such association may receive under such Act for a single disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2015
Commemorates the life of Yitzhak Rabin and extends deepest sympathy and condolences to his family and the people of Israel on the 20th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's death. Supports the close ties and special relationship between the people and governments of the United States and Israel. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to the process of building a just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians based on two states for two peoples. Calls on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to quell the current outbreak of terrorism and violence, and to resume work toward a negotiated two-state solution.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2015
Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for the rehabilitation of buildings and historic structures, to: (1) allow an increased 30% credit, up to $750,000, for projects with rehabilitation expenditures not exceeding $3.75 million, for which no credit was allowed in either of the 2 prior taxable years (smaller projects); (2) allow the transfer of tax credit amounts for smaller projects; (3) treat a building as substantially rehabilitated if rehabilitation expenditures exceed the greater of 50% of the adjusted basis of the building or $5,000 (currently, the greater of the adjusted basis of the building or $5,000); (4) exempt from tax the proceeds of a state historic tax; and (5) set forth special rules for the tax treatment of tax-exempt use property and functionally-related historic structures.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2015
Fairness in Incarcerated Representation Act This bill requires the Department of Commerce, beginning with the 2020 decennial census, to attribute an individual who is incarcerated in a state, federal, county, or municipal correctional center as of the date on which such census is taken to such individual's last place of residence before incarceration.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2015
Foreign Affairs Inclusion Reporting Act or the FAIR Act This bill directs the Department of State to report to Congress within 180 days and quadrennially thereafter on State Department efforts to promote equal opportunity for all American employees in direct hire and personal service contractors status, particularly Foreign Service employees. Beginning in FY2016, the State Department shall: (1) increase by 10 the number of fellows selected for the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program, and (2) increase by 10 the number of fellows selected for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program. The State Department is urged to provide oversight to the employment, retention, and promotion of underrepresented groups to promote a diverse ethnic representation among mid- and senior-level career professionals through programs such as: (1) the International Career Advancement Program, (2) Seminar XXI at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for International Studies, and (3) other international leadership programs. The State Department is also urged to review past programs designed to increase minority representation in international affairs positions, including: (1) the Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program, and (2) the Institute for International Public Policy Fellowship Program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2015
This bill requires: the Department of State and the Department of Defense to develop jointly and submit to Congress a five-year strategy to help Nigeria, members of the Multinational Joint Task Force to Combat Boko Haram, and relevant partners to counter Boko Haram, and to assist Nigeria and its neighbors to address legitimate grievances of vulnerable populations in areas affected by Boko Haram; and the Director of National Intelligence to assess the willingness and capability Nigeria and regional partners to implement such strategy. It is the sense of Congress that lack of economic opportunity and access to education, justice, and other social services contributes to Boko Haram's ability to radicalize and recruit individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2015
Reducing Gun Violence in our Neighborhoods Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose an additional tax of $100 on the sale of a firearm by a manufacturer, producer, or importer. Firearm purchases by federal, state, and local governments for law enforcement purposes are exempt from the additional tax. The bill establishes the Gun Violence Reduction and Mental Health Counseling Trust Fund at the Department of the Treasury. It transfers revenues from the additional tax into the trust fund to support the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant program and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. The Department of Justice (DOJ) must establish and newly manufactured firearms must meet a national standard for incorporating passive identification capability into all firearms sold in the United States. Passive identification capability means technology that: (1) enables identification by a mobile or fixed reading device, and (2) does not transmit an electronic monitoring or tracking signal. DOJ's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives must establish the National Database of Lost and Stolen Firearms. This bill amends the federal criminal code to require a gun owner to report a lost or stolen firearm to local law enforcement authorities within 48 hours of discovery. Local law enforcement authorities must transmit the report to the national database within seven days.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2015
Land-Grant Opportunity Act This bill amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to modify the formula that the Department of Agriculture uses to distribute funds for land-grant colleges and universities to provide additional funding for certain historically black colleges and universities.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2015
Improving School Nutrition Training Act This bill amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to add requirements regarding the availability of training that the Department of Agriculture provides under current law for local food service personnel. The training must be scheduled primarily during paid working hours, offered in-person when appropriate, and incorporate hands-on training techniques. If the training is scheduled outside of working hours, food service personnel must be informed about the necessity of scheduling the program and compensated for attending the program. Personnel may not be penalized for failing to attend a program outside of working hours.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2015
Nutrition Education Act This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require a local educational agency that participates in a school lunch or breakfast program to require each student to receive 50 hours of nutrition education per school year. Such instruction must be consistent with applicable school meal program requirements as well as meet certain other standards with respect to content and delivery.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2015
This bill designates the federal building located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest in the District of Columbia (commonly known as the J. Edgar Hoover Federal Building) as the "Federal Bureau of Investigation Building."
![Official portrait of Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000053_200.jpg)