United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Office of Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal Act - Requires 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 the members of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in recognition of their superior service and major contributions during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Disapproves the President's: (1) failure to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed," as required by the Constitution, and (2) usurpation of the legislative power of Congress through the rewriting of key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Reaffirms that the preservation of the Constitution's separation of powers is essential for the protection of individual liberty and the maintenance of the rule of law.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose an additional penalty of $5,000 on any person or entity convicted of crimes relating to: (1) peonage, slavery, and trafficking in persons; (2) sexual abuse; (3) sexual exploitation and other abuse of children; (4) transportation for illegal sexual activity; or (5) human smuggling in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Establishes in the Treasury the Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund into which such penalties shall be deposited and which shall be used in FY2015-FY2019 to award grants or enhance victims' programming under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, and the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990. Allots funds to provide services for child pornography victims. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make a determination, based on credible evidence, that a covered individual (i.e., a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident) has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 to authorize the Attorney General to award block grants to develop, improve, or expand comprehensive domestic child trafficking deterrence programs to rescue and restore the lives of trafficking victims, while investigating and prosecuting offenses involving child trafficking. Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to include human trafficking and the production of child pornography within the definition of child abuse for purposes of such Act. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) increase restitution for victims of human trafficking; (2) set forth provisions for combating aggravated human trafficking racketeering; (3) allow state and local prosecutors to obtain wiretap warrants in state courts for investigations into human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and child pornography production; (4) increase penalties for offenses involving enticement into slavery, sex trafficking of children, child exploitation, and repeat sex offenders; and (5) revise the definition of the crime of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct to facilitate prosecutions of such crime. Directs the Attorney General to ensure that all task forces and working groups within the Innocence Lost National Initiative engage in activities, programs, or operations to increase the investigative capabilities of law enforcement personnel in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of persons who patronize or solicit children for sex. Requires the Attorney General to audit grants awarded under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005. Imposes limits on the use of Department of Justice (DOJ) funds for DOJ conferences involving more than $20,000.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Obamacare Taxpayer Bailout Prevention Act - Repeals the provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and administer a program of risk corridors for calendar years 2014, 2015, and 2016 under which a qualified health plan offered in the individual or small group market is required to participate in a payment adjustment system based on the ratio of the allowable costs of the plan to the plan's aggregate premiums.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Creating Access to Rehabilitation for Every Senior (CARES) Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to coverage of extended care services without regard to the three-day prior hospitalization requirement (non-post-hospital extended care services). Restricts such coverage to non-post-hospital extended care services in a qualified skilled nursing facility. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to study the cost of impact of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2013
Recognizes the suffering of Indian citizens who have been victims of religious violence. Calls for religious freedom and related human rights to be included in the United States-India Strategic Dialogue and for such issues to be raised directly with federal and state Indian government officials. Declares that the House of Representatives shares the opinion of the Department of State and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom that the Gujarat government has not adequately pursued justice for the victims of religious violence in 2002 and expresses concern regarding reports about the complicity of local officials. Commends the U.S. government for exercising its authority in 2005 under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to deny a U.S. visa to Narendra Modi on the grounds of religious freedom violations, and encourages it to review the applications of any individuals implicated in such violations under the same standard. Commends the role of India's National Human Rights Commission and the Indian Supreme Court, which has led to some convictions in Gujarat riot cases and the arrest of high-level leaders in the Gujarati administration. Calls on India to: (1) increase training on human rights and religious freedom standards and practices for police and the judiciary; and (2) empower the National Commission on Minorities with enforcement mechanisms. Calls on Gujarat and other Indian states with anti-conversion laws to repeal such legislation and ensure freedom to practice, propagate, and profess religion as enshrined in the Indian constitution. Encourages the establishment of an impartial body of interfaith religious leaders, human rights advocates, legal experts, and government officials to discuss and recommend actions to promote religious tolerance and understanding. Urges all political parties and religious organizations to publicly oppose the exploitation of religious differences and denounce harassment and violence against religious minorities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2013
Technology, Equality and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act or the TEACH Act - Directs the Access Board to develop accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional materials and related information technologies in institutions of higher education (IHEs). Requires those guidelines to: (1) include performance criteria to ensure that electronic instructional materials and related information technologies are accessible to the blind and disabled; (2) be consistent with the standards for technical and functional performance criteria issued pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and (3) be, to the extent practicable, consistent with national and international accessibility standards for those materials and technologies. Directs the Access Board to review and, as appropriate, amend the guidelines every three years to reflect technological advances or changes in electronic instructional materials and related information technologies. Deems IHEs that use electronic instructional materials and related information technologies that comply with the guidelines to be in compliance with nondiscrimination provisions under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Employee Rights Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to make it an unlawful labor practice for a labor organization or its agents to interfere with the rights of employees to organize and select representation to collectively bargain. Adds a requirement that representatives be selected by secret ballot in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by a majority of the employees in a unit. Defines "majority" for purposes of determining the majority of employees in an election to mean the majority of all employees in the unit, and not the majority of employees voting in the election. Requires the NLRB, in cases where an existing certified or voluntarily recognized bargaining unit experiences turnover, expansion, or alteration by merger of more than 50% of the unit's employees, to conduct a secret paper ballot among the unit employees: (1) between the 120th day and 110th day before the collective bargaining agreement's expiration or before the end of three years, if there is an agreement between the labor organization and the employer; or (2) within 30 days, if there is no agreement between such parties. Requires the NLRB to decide, before the election of a labor organization as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of all employees of an appropriate unit, whether such unit shall be the employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or subdivision unit. Requires the NLRB to give 14 days advance notice before a hearing when it is investigating an election petition if it has reasonable cause to believe that a question of representation affecting commerce exists. Revises the requirement that the NLRB direct an election by secret ballot, and certify its results, whenever it finds upon the record of such a hearing that a question of representation exists. Adds a requirement that the NLRB also review all post-hearing appeals before finding that such a question exists. Requires an employer to provide the NLRB a list consisting only of employee names and home addresses of all eligible voters within 7 days after an NLRB determination of the appropriate unit or following any agreement between the employer and the labor organization regarding eligible voters. Prohibits an election after the filing of a petition unless and until: (1) a hearing is conducted before a qualified hearing officer on any and all material, factual issues regarding jurisdiction, statutory coverage, appropriate unit, unit inclusion or exclusion, or eligibility of individuals; and (2) the issues are resolved by a regional Director, subject to appeal and review, or by the NLRB. Declares that election results shall not be final nor any labor organization be certified as a bargaining representative unless the NLRB has ruled on: (1) each pre-election issue not resolved before the election; and (2) the NLRB conducts a hearing and resolves each issue pertaining to the conduct or results of the election. Makes any labor organization found to have interfered with, restrained, or coerced employees in the exercise of their rights to form or join a labor organization or to refrain from forming or joining (including the filing of a decertification petition) liable for lost wages and unlawfully collected union dues and fees, if any, and an additional amount as liquated damages. Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act) to permit an election by secret ballot to be conducted through votes cast by electronic ballot cast in the privacy of a voting booth. Requires every employee in a bargaining unit represented by a labor organization, regardless of membership status, to have the same right as members to vote by secret ballot to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with, or to engage in, a strike or refusal to work of any kind against their employer. Prohibits the use of an employee's union dues for any purpose not directly related to the labor organization's collective bargaining, unless that employee authorizes such expenditure in writing. Prohibits a strike without the consent of a majority of all unit employees affected, determined by a secret ballot vote conducted by a neutral, private organization chosen by agreement between the employer and the labor organization. Requires each labor organization to make the independently verified annual audit report of its financial condition and operations available to all of its members and represented nonmembers. Makes it unlawful for a person to use force or violence, or threaten the use of force or violence, to restrain, coerce, or intimidate a person, or attempt to, in order to obtain from any person any right to represent employees, compensation, or other term or condition of employment. Subjects persons who willfully violate such prohibitions to both civil and criminal penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Transportation Empowerment Act - Declares the purposes of the Act, including returning maximum discretionary authority and fiscal responsibility to the states for all elements of the national surface transportation systems (excluding the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways). Prescribes a limitation on funding of transportation programs and projects carried out under this Act. Authorizes appropriations out of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2015-FY2019 for specified core programs under the federal-aid highway program, including: (1) metropolitan transportation planning, (2) emergency relief for highways and roads, (3) the federal lands transportation program, and (4) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) administrative expenses. Authorizes a state to transfer and use excess federal-aid highway funds for any surface transportation project (including mass transit and rail). Limits federal assistance to states for highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation to bridges on the federal-aid highway system. Repeals the authorization of federal assistance to states for historic bridges. Repeals the transportation alternatives program. Declares that, beginning with FY2014, a highway construction or improvement project shall not be considered a federal project: (1) unless and until a state expends federal funds for the construction portion of such project, (2) solely by reason of the state expenditure of federal funds before the construction phase of the project (including for any environmental document or design work), or (3) upon state reimbursement to the federal government of the federal costs of such projects. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make amounts in the HTF available for expenditure for core highway programs through FY2020. Requires the Secretary of Treasury to transfer from the HTF amounts equivalent to motorboat and aviation fuel taxes collected before October 1, 2022, to: (1) the Land and Water Conservation Fund, (2) the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, and (3) the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. Requires the Secretary to pay from the HTF into the general fund of the Treasury amounts equivalent to the floor stocks refunds made before July 1, 2023. Prescribes a motor fuel tax rate schedule for financing of core highway programs. Terminates, on September 30, 2014, the authority of the Secretary to make certain transfers to the Mass Transit Account. Directs the Secretary, on October 1, 2014, to transfer all amounts in the Mass Transit Account to the Highway Account. Authorizes appropriations out of the HTF (other than the Mass Transit Account) for FY2015-FY2019 for the highway research and development program. Directs the Secretary to allocate to the states for surface transportation projects (including mass transit and rail) any excess highway tax receipts appropriated to the HTF in FY2016-FY2019. Reduces the excise taxes imposed on: (1) gasoline from 18.3 cents to 3.7 cents, (2) diesel fuel or kerosene from 24.3 cents to 5.0 cents, and (3) diesel-water fuel emulsion from 19.7 cents to 4.1 cents. Requires credits or refunds of certain floor stocks taxes on liquids imposed before October 1, 2019. Declares that this Act shall become effective only if the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) certifies that it is deficit neutral.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2013
Health Insurance Freedom Act of 2013 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), with respect to the definition of a qualified health plan, to allow a health insurance issuer to offer coverage that: (1) provides the essential health benefits package required of a qualified health plan other than the minimum benefits required under the essential benefits and level of coverage requirements, and (2) meets federal and state benefit requirements as otherwise applied as of October 1, 2013, in the state in which the coverage is offered. Makes such coverage ineligible: (1) for the premium assistance income tax credit or PPACA cost-sharing reductions; and (2) to be treated as a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum plan or be taken into account for purposes of determining the applicable second lowest cost silver plan. Makes this Act's amendments effective as if they were included in the enactment of PPACA.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Prohibits any change from being made to the oaths required for appointment to an office in the civil service or uniformed services, enlistment in the Armed Forces or National Guard, or admission to a U.S. military service academy, except by an Act of or authorization by Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to require an entity designated by or awarded funds by a health care exchange for the operation of a Navigator program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to facilitate enrollment in health plans, or to advocate for enrolling certain populations to certify (and periodically recertify) that it has in place appropriate policies and safeguards: (1) to protect any personally identifiable information and financial information, and (2) prohibiting employment of individuals who have been convicted of identity fraud or theft offenses or a dishonesty or breach of trust felony involving insurance. Requires the Secretary to disqualify an entity in violation of such policies from eligibility for designation and receipt of funds under the exchange assistance provisions and to certify compliance with this Act to Congress annually.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
True Understanding of the Economy and Safety Act or TRUE Safety Act - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO), after the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports to Congress on an hours of service field study, to assess the methodology followed by the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) in carrying out the efficacy of the restart rule ("Hours of Service of Drivers") published on December 27, 2011, which applies to operators of commercial motor vehicles of property subject to maximum DOT driving time requirements. Requires the assessment to evaluate the extent to which that methodology meets the requirements of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) that: (1) the data collected is representative of the drivers subject to the restart rule, (2) the methodology is statistically valid, and (3) the study followed the FMCSA plan for the "Scheduling and Fatigue Recovery Project." Directs GAO to assess the Regulatory Impact Analysis that accompanied the final 2011 restart rule. Nullifies the 2011 restart rule until six months after the study report required by this Act has been submitted to Congress. Prohibits the Secretary from applying the restart rule if the conclusions of the field study completed pursuant to MAP-21 do not support or concur with the conclusions of the laboratory study on which the rule was based.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Drug Free Commercial Driver Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to modify regulations that require motor carriers to conduct preemployment, reasonable suspicion, random, and post-accident testing of commercial motor vehicle operators for controlled substances or alcohol. Allows a motor carrier to use hair testing as a method for detecting use of controlled substances by an operator, but only for preemployment testing and random testing (but the latter only if the motor carrier tested the operator at preemployment using the same method). Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue scientific and technical guidelines for hair testing of operators for use of controlled substances. Directs the Secretary to develop procedures to allow a motor carrier during the rulemaking process to apply for an exemption from current requirements to allow use of hair testing of operators for controlled substances instead of other methods of preemployment and random testing.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet-collection, and Online Monitoring Act or the USA FREEDOM Act - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to set forth additional requirements for obtaining orders for business records in counterterrorism investigations, including requiring that the records sought pertain to a foreign power, an agent of a foreign power, or an individual in contact with, or known to a suspected agent of, a foreign power. Requires additional information if the applicant is seeking a nondisclosure requirement in connection with such request. Allows the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to apply for renewals of nondisclosure requirements. Authorizes the Attorney General (AG) to require the production of call data records by the provider of a wire or electronic communication service. Amends the USA PATRIOT Improvements and Reauthorization Act of 2005 to require the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Justice (DOJ), for 2010 through 2013, to report on an examination of the minimization procedures (procedures designed to minimize the acquisition and retention of information and to prohibit its unauthorized dissemination) used in relation to business records orders. Imposes additional requirements on the authorized use of pen registers and trap and trace devices (devices for recording incoming and outgoing telephone numbers), including that: (1) the information sought must pertain to a foreign power, agent thereof, or individual in contact with or known to such an agent; and (2) the application must contain a statement of proposed minimization procedures. Requires audits of the effectiveness and use of such devices. Prohibits the searching of collections of communications of U.S. persons, except: (1) under an order or authorization for electronic surveillance or physical search, (2) with the consent of such person, or (3) under a reasonable belief that the life or safety of the person is threatened and the information is sought to assist that person. Limits the collection of wholly domestic communications of a U.S. person to those communications: (1) to which any party is a target of the acquisition; or (2) that contain an identifier of a target of an acquisition, only if the communications are acquired to protect against international terrorism or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Prohibits receiving into evidence any information obtained in an acquisition against any U.S. person for which a deficiency in the procedures for acquiring such information is identified by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court). Authorizes the FISA Court, if the government corrects any deficiencies so identified, to permit the use or disclosure of information acquired before the correction under such minimization procedures as the FISA Court shall establish. Repeals on June 1, 2015, FISA procedures regarding the targeting of non-U.S. persons located outside the United States in order to acquire foreign intelligence information. Requires reviews of surveillance targeting and minimization procedures by the IG of the Intelligence Community (IC), including mandatory review with respect to the privacy rights of U.S. persons. Establishes within the judicial branch an Office of the Special Advocate to participate in proceedings before the FISA Court and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, request reconsiderations of FISA Court decisions, and participate in appeals and reviews. Requires the Special Advocate to vigorously advocate in support of legal interpretations that protect individual privacy and civil liberties. Requires the Attorney General to publicly disclose specified information in connection with FISA Court or FISA Court of Review decisions appealed by the Special Advocate. Requires the release of as much information regarding the facts and analysis in such decisions as is consistent with legitimate national security concerns. Authorizes the FBI Director to request from a communication service provider the name, address, length of service, and local and long distance billing records of a person as part of a national security investigation only if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the information sought pertains to a foreign power, an agent of a foreign power, or an individual in contact with, or known to a suspected agent of, a foreign power. Provides similar requirements with respect to an FBI request for information from financial institutions and consumer reporting agencies. Revises provisions prohibiting the disclosure of the receipt of a national security letter by such providers, institutions, and agencies to except disclosure to: (1) those persons to whom disclosure is necessary to comply with the request, (2) an attorney in order to obtain legal advice or assistance regarding the request, or (3) other persons as permitted by the FBI. Includes under such prohibition (with the same exceptions) national security letters issued in connection with the investigation of persons with access to classified information. Allows affected communications providers, financial institutions, and consumer reporting agencies to seek judicial review of requests for information. Requires the DOJ IG to report results of audits of national security letters issued during 2010 through 2013. Amends provisions of FISA, the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978, the National Security Act of 1947, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) concerning national security letters to, effective June 1, 2015, make such provisions read as they read on October 25, 2001. Allows electronic service providers to publicly report on information provided under FISA orders and national security letters. Exempts such providers from liability with respect to such reports. Revises requirements concerning government reporting on the use of FISA orders and national security letters. Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to remove the AG as a required intermediary for subpoenas in connection with authorized activities of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act - Authorizes burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration of the remains of any individual: (1) who was naturalized pursuant to the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000 and who resided in the United States at the time of death; or (2) who the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines served with a special guerrilla unit or irregular forces operating from a base in Laos in support of the U.S. Armed Forces between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, and who, at the time of death, resided in the United States and was a U.S. citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to delay until 2016 the imposition of the annual fee on health insurance providers. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to issue guidance directing covered entities to return any amounts collected from consumers or other sources that were attributed to the annual fee that was scheduled to be imposed for 2014 and 2015.
United States · United States Congress · 29 October 2013
Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a final rule to advance the safety and continued development of small airplanes by reorganizing the certification requirements to streamline the approval of safety advancements. Requires the final rule to meet certain consensus-based standards and FAA Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee objectives, including: (1) establishment of a regulatory regime for small airplane safety; (2) the establishment of broad, outcome-driven objectives that will spur small plane innovation and technology adoption; (3) the replacement of current, prescriptive requirements under Part 23 with performance-based regulations; and (4) the use of FAA-accepted consensus standards to clarify how Part 23 safety objectives may be met using specific small plane safety designs and technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013 - Permits a health insurance issuer that has in effect health insurance coverage in the individual market as of January 1, 2013, to continue offering such coverage for sale during 2014 outside of a health care exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Treats such coverage as a grandfathered health plan for purposes of an individual meeting the requirement to maintain minimum essential health coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act - Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) allow licensed firearms importers, manufacturers, dealers, or collectors (licensees) to sell or deliver any firearm (currently, rifles or shotguns) to a resident of a state other than the state in which the licensee is located or temporarily located if the licensee meets with the purchaser to complete the sale or delivery and the transaction complies with the laws of the state in which the transfer is conducted and the purchaser's state of residence; and (2) eliminate the requirement that a licensee must conduct business at a gun show only in the state that is specified on the licensee's license. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the sale or other disposition of a firearm or ammunition: (1) between licensed firearms dealers at any location in any state; or (2) by a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to an unlicensed person at a temporary location in any state. Amends definitions for federal firearms provisions to: (1) revise the definition of a "member of the Armed Forces on active duty" to include a member (or member's spouse) who is a resident of the state in which such person maintains legal residence or in which the member maintains a place of abode from which the member commutes each day to the permanent duty station; and (2) provide that an officer or employee of the United States (other than a member of the Armed Forces) stationed outside the United States for a period exceeding one year, or a spouse residing with such an officer or employee, is a resident of the state in which the person maintains legal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Provide Access and Retain Continuity Act or the PARC Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into agreements with, and provide reimbursement to, states to conduct activities determined to have a direct economic impact on tourism, mining, timber, or general transportation in the state that are otherwise not being conducted by the federal government during a partial shutdown of the federal government due to a lapse in appropriations. Requires the Secretary to approve or deny a petition for such an agreement not later than 90 days after receiving it and deems such petition approved if the Secretary does not act on it within the 90-day period.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2013
Veterans' Independent Living Enhancement Act - Repeals provisions that: (1) prohibit the initiation of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs providing independent living services and assistance for greater than 2,700 veterans in each fiscal year; and (2) require giving first priority under such programs to veterans for whom the reasonable feasibility of achieving a vocational goal is precluded solely as a result of disability.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Taxpayer Transparency Act of 2013 - Requires each communication funded by a federal agency for advertising or educational purposes to clearly state: (1) in the case of a printed communication, including mass mailings, signs, and billboards, that the communication is printed and published at taxpayer expense; and (2) in the case of a communication transmitted through radio, television, or the Internet, that the communication is produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense. Requires any such printed communication, including e-mails, to be of sufficient size to be clearly readable, to be set apart from the other contents of the communication, and to be printed with a reasonable degree of color contrast between the background and the printed statement. Exempts from such requirements: (1) information in a solicitation for offers for a federal contract; and (2) advertisements for employment opportunities, not including advertising materials developed for use in recruiting and retaining personnel for the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2013
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in Bay Pines, Florida, as the "C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center."
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2013
Security Before Access Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to patient navigator services, to require recipients of grants for the development and operation of demonstration programs to implement procedures developed under this Act to protect the privacy of personally identifiable information (PII). Requires procedures specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to include at least those that: require for access to PII relating to an individual the express written consent of that individual; condition access by a certified application counselor, health insurance navigator, or non-navigator assistance personnel upon a criminal background and fingerprint check; and require the meeting of educational and licensure requirements that are identical or comparable to those currently applicable to health insurance agents and brokers within the state in which they seek to assist consumers. Prohibits a grant recipient from collecting PII until the Comptroller General (GAO) certifies to Congress that HHS and any other relevant federal agencies have implemented all appropriate and necessary actions to safeguard the information of individuals seeking enrollment in a health plan through a health insurance Exchange and to protect them from fraud and abuse. Provides procedures for development of guidance concerning liability, determinations of liable parties, and determinations of whether entities described in this Act are required to obtain professional liability coverage. Imposes criminal penalties for unauthorized access, including under the Internal Revenue Code in cases involving consumer tax return information. Requires the Secretary to permanently disqualify an individual with a criminal background or otherwise in violation of this Act from any further involvement in consumer assistance activities required under the patient navigator provisions or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Allows the disqualification and rescission of federal and Exchange-generated funds from the entity that employs or contracts with such an individual. Relieves consumers from responsibility for failure to meet a requirement under PPACA for obtaining qualified health insurance coverage through an Exchange unless the Secretary has demonstrated with reasonable certainty that effective and comprehensive PII protection is in place prior to any consumer disclosure for health insurance enrollment purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2013
Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 - Makes continuing appropriations for FY2014. Appropriates amounts for continuing projects or activities that were conducted in FY2013 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available in: the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division A of P.L. 113-6); the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division B of P.L. 113-6); the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013 (division C of P.L. 113-6); the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2013 (division D of P.L. 113-6); the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division E of P.L. 113-6); and the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (division F of P.L. 113-6). Requires the rate for operations for each account to be calculated to reflect the full amount of any reduction required in FY2013 pursuant to: any provision of division G of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6); and the presidential sequestration order dated March 1, 2013, except as attributable to budget authority made available by: (1) the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 (P.L. 112-175); or (2) the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-2). Bars the use of Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations or funds made available or authority granted in this joint resolution for: (1) the new production of items not funded for production in FY2013 or prior years; (2) the increase in production rates above those sustained with FY2013 funds; (3) the initiation, resumption, or continuation of specified projects, activities, or operations for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were not available during FY2013; or (4) the initiation of multi-year procurements utilizing advance procurement funding for economic order quantity procurement unless specifically appropriated later. Provides funding under this joint resolution until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment of an appropriation for any project or activity provided for in it, (2) enactment of the applicable appropriations Act for FY2014 without any provision for such project or activity, or (3) December 15, 2013. Declares that this joint resolution shall be implemented so that only the most limited funding action permitted shall be taken in order to provide for continuation of projects and activities. Continues funding through December 15, 2013, at the FY2013 level, for entitlements and other mandatory payments whose budget authority was provided in FY2013 appropriations Acts, as well as for activities under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. Authorizes amounts made available under this joint resolution for civilian personnel compensation and benefits in each department and agency to be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to avoid furloughs, consistent with the applicable FY2013 appropriations Act. Prohibits use of this authority until after the department or agency has taken all necessary actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related administrative expenses. Continues designation of each amount incorporated by reference in this joint resolution that was previously designated by Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism or for disaster relief, respectively. Applies to funds made available under this joint resolution for FY2014 certain requirements and prohibitions of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013, namely: the requirement that the head of any executive branch department, agency, board, commission, or office funded by this or any other appropriations Act report annually to the Inspector General (IG) (or senior ethics official for any federal entity without an IG) regarding the costs and contracting procedures related to each conference held by any such entity during FY2014 for which the cost to the federal government was more than $100,000; the requirement that the head of any federal entity, within 15 days of any conference it held for which the cost was over $20,000, notify the IG or the senior ethics official of the date, location, and number of employees attending such conference; the prohibition against the use of federal grants or contracts by an executive branch agency to defray the costs of such a conference not directly and programmatically related to the purpose for which the grant or contract was awarded, such as a conference held in connection with planning, training, assessment, review, or other routine purposes related to a project funded by the grant or contract; and the prohibition against the use of federal funds for travel and conference activities that are not in compliance with OMB Memorandum M-12-12 dated May 11, 2012. Delays until 2015 the implementation of provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Public Health Service Act relating to: (1) basic health programs for low-income individuals not eligible for Medicaid, (2) the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP Exchange), and (3) limitations on cost-sharing under group health plans. Amends the Food for Peace Act to extend through December 15, 2013, authority for agreements to finance sales or to provide other assistance. Allows amounts made available for the "Department of Commerce--National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)--Procurement, Acquisition and Construction" to be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to maintain the planned launch schedules for the Joint Polar Satellite System and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system. Continues through the earlier of December 15, 2013, or the enactment of an authorization of FY2014 appropriations for Department of Defense (DOD) military activities, the DOD Secretary's authority to provide logistic support, supplies, and services for foreign forces, including the national military forces of Uganda, participating in operations to mitigate and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army. Delays until December 31, 2014, the implementation of PPACA and title I and subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, except for provisions of those Acts relating to the children's health insurance program under the Social Security Act, pre-existing conditions exclusions, and dependent care coverage for individuals up to 26 years of age. Extends through December 15, 2013, specified federal law relating to Appalachian regional development. Authorizes the District of Columbia to expend local funds for certain programs and activities. Provides funding for "The Judiciary--Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services--Defender Services" at a specified rate for operations. Continues through December 15, 2013, the requirement that the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) issue interim final regulations establishing risk-based performance standards for the security of chemical facilities. Continues through December 15, 2013, the authority of the United States Secret Service to use appropriated funds and proceeds from undercover investigative operations for specified purposes. Delays until 2015: (1) the employer mandate to provide health care coverage for employees under PPACA, and (2) PPACA reporting requirements for employers and insurance providers. Continues through December 15, 2013, the DHS Secretary's authority to carry out a pilot program for: (1) basic, applied, and advanced research and development projects for response to existing or emerging terrorist threats; and (2) defense prototype projects. Requires any amounts made available pursuant to this joint resolution for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of DHS for salaries and expenses and for Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of DHS for salaries and expenses to be obligated at a rate for necessary operations to respectively sustain: the staffing levels of CBP Officers, equivalent to the staffing levels achieved on September 30, 2013, and comply with specified requirements of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6); border security operations, including sustaining the operation of Tethered Aerostat Radar Systems; and the staffing levels of ICE agents, equivalent to the staffing levels achieved on September 30, 2013, and comply with specified requirements of P.L. 113-6. Requires the DHS Secretary to notify congressional appropriations committees on each use of such authority. Appropriates additional funding for FY2014 for wildland fire management programs of the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, to remain available until expended for urgent wildland fire suppression activities. Continues through December 15, 2013, the authority of the Forest Service to: enter into up to 28 contracts with private persons (of which Region One of the Forest Service shall have authority to enter into 9) to perform services to achieve land management goals for national forests that meet local and rural community needs; and apply the value of timber or other forest products removed as an offset against the cost of services received under a contract. Extends through December 15, 2013, activities authorized by part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) in the manner authorized for FY2013. Makes appropriations for such purpose. Excludes from this extension, however, activities otherwise authorized for: (1) the Contingency Fund for State Welfare Programs in the Treasury; and (2) funding of certain TANF research, evaluations, national studies, and demonstrations. Applies to funds made available under this joint resolution for FY2014 certain authority granted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration of the Department of Labor in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (CAA-2012) to: (1) collect and retain up to $2.499 million (currently, only retain up to $1.499 million) from fees collected for approval and certification of equipment, materials, and explosives for use in mines; and (2) use the funds for such activities. Applies to funds made available under this joint resolution for FY2014 the treatment of funds for low-income home energy assistance payments for FY2012 under the CAA-2012 which requires that all but a specified portion of such funds be allocated as though the total appropriation for such payments for FY2012 was less than $1.975 billion. Provides funding for "Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)--Administration for Children and Families--Refugee and Entrant Assistance" at a specified rate for operations. Allows obligation of such amounts up to a rate for operations necessary to maintain program operations at the FY2013 level to accommodate increased demand. Authorizes, during the period covered by this joint resolution, any unobligated amounts available in the "Nonrecurring expenses fund" established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 to be transferred to the HHS Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for an additional amount for FY2014, to remain available until expended, for expenses necessary: to support advanced research and development pursuant to the Public Health Service Act, and other administrative expenses of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency; for procuring security countermeasures; or to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic and other emerging infectious diseases, including activities such as the development and purchase of vaccine, antivirals, necessary medical supplies, diagnostics, and other surveillance tools. Allows products purchased with amounts made available by this joint resolution for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to be, at the discretion of the HHS Secretary, deposited in the Strategic National Stockpile. Provides funding for "Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)--Departmental Administration--General Operating Expenses, Veterans Benefits Administration" at a specified rate for operations. Amends PPACA to extend the requirement for participation in an American Health Benefit Exchange (a state health insurance exchange created by PPACA) to the President, Vice-President, executive branch political appointees, and employees of congressional committees and leadership offices of Congress (currently, this requirement applies to Members of Congress and congressional staff). Prohibits any government contribution to or subsidy for the health insurance coverage of such officials and employees. Continues through December 15, 2013, the authority of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 to waive or alter certain project-based assistance requirements for owners of certain properties assisted under the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965, the National Housing Act, or section 8 (voucher program) of the United States Housing Act of 1937. (Makes such owners, under specified conditions, eligible for conversion of tenant-based vouchers to project-based vouchers.) Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, until December 15, 2014, to issue obligations to pay principal and interest on obligations of the United States held by the public or by the Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and Disability Insurance Trust Fund, in the event that the debt of the United States reaches the statutory limit. Prohibits the issuance of obligations to pay compensation for Members of Congress. Requires the Secretary to submit a weekly report to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee on the principal and interest that is due or accrued and any obligations issued by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that tax reform should: (1) jointly address corporate and pass-through entities in a fiscally responsible manner, and (2) reduce the current tax rate differences between corporate and pass-through entities while maintaining adequate forms of organization for businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2013
Government Shutdown Fairness Act - Requires a reduction in the annual rate of pay of a Member of Congress during a government shutdown equal to the product of 1 day's worth of pay under such annual rate and the number of 24-hour periods during which the government shutdown is in effect. Makes such reduction applicable to days occurring after the date of the general election for federal office held in November 2014. Requires any amount of pay of a Member of Congress in the 113th Congress that is reduced due to a government shutdown to be held in escrow until the last day of the 113th Congress and released for payment to Members at that time.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2013
Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act or RAISE Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to declare that neither its prohibition against interference by an employer with employees' right to bargain collectively, nor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement entered into between employees and an employer after enactment of this Act, shall prohibit an employer from paying an employee higher wages, pay, or other compensation than the agreement provides for.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
American Health Care Reform Act of 2013 - Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of their enactment. Restores or revives provisions amended or repealed by such Act or such health care provisions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow an income tax standard deduction for a specified percentage of an individual's health insurance costs, regardless of whether or not the taxpayer itemizes other deductions. Excludes the amount of such a deduction from employment taxes. Allows a taxpayer, for earned income credit purposes, to exclude from earned income any employer contributions to a qualified accident or health plan. Allows double additional contributions to a health savings account (HSA) if both spouses are age 55 or older and one spouse is not an account beneficiary. Prescribes special rules for HSA coverage eligibility for certain individuals: (1) participating in a Medicare Advantage Medical Savings Account (MSA), (2) receiving periodic hospital care or medical services for a service-connected disability, (3) eligible for Indian Health Service assistance, or (4) eligible for TRICARE coverage. Prescribes requirements for interaction of health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements with HSAs. Prohibits the payment of health insurance premiums from HSAs, with certain exceptions. Prescribes circumstances in which certain medical expenses incurred before establishment of an HSA may still be qualified expenses. Prescribes requirements for protection of any HSA in a bankruptcy proceeding. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to authorize additional health opportunity account demonstration programs. Treats membership in a health care sharing ministry as coverage under a high deductible health plan. Renames high deductible health plans as HSA qualified plans. Allows payments from an HSA for: (1) direct primary care service arrangements, (2) certain exercise equipment and physical fitness programs, (3) certain nutritional and dietary supplements, and (4) periodic fees paid to a primary care physician for the right to receive medical services on an as-needed basis. Increases the maximum limit on contributions to an HSA to match deductible and out-of-pocket expenses limitations. Prescribes requirements for establishment of child health savings accounts, for which an income tax deduction shall be allowed a taxpayer equal to the aggregate cash amount paid into the account during the taxable year. Amends the IRC to include in gross income any distributions from an HSA for an abortion. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), and the IRC to authorize premium and cost-sharing variances in group health plans based on certain financial incentives for participation (or lack of it) in a standards-based wellness program. Amends the PHSA to direct the Secretary to provide a grant of up to $5 million to each state for the costs of creation and initial operation of a qualified high risk pool if it has not created such a pool as of September 1, 2013. Limits participation in such a pool to U.S. citizens and nationals. Declares that the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) shall apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with conditions of this Act. Prohibits a health insurance issuer from offering, selling, or issuing individual health insurance coverage in a secondary state if its insurance commissioner does not use a risk-based capital formula for determining capital and surplus requirements for all health insurance issuers. Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to declare that nothing in it shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance (including the business of dental insurance). Amends SSA title XI (General Provisions) to require the Secretary to make available to the public Medicare claims and payment data, including data on payments made to any provider of services or supplier. Authorizes a state to establish a Health Plan and Provider Portal website to standardize information on: (1) health insurance plans available in the state, and (2) price and quality information on health care providers (including physicians, hospitals, and other health care institutions). Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with the doctor-patient relationship or the practice of medicine. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to eliminate the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Amends ERISA to prescribe requirements for establishment and governance of association health plans, which are group health plans meeting certain ERISA certification criteria whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations. Limits the commencement of a health care lawsuit, except in certain cases including fraud or intentional concealment, to three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers, or through the use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first. Limits to $250,000 the amount of noneconomic damages in such a lawsuit, but allows a claim for the full amount of any economic damages. Requires the court, in any health care lawsuit, to supervise the arrangements for payment of damages to protect against conflicts of interest that may have the effect of reducing the amount of damages awarded that are actually paid to claimants. Specifies criteria for the award of punitive damages, limited to the greater of $250,000 or double the amount of economic damages. Preempts state law with respect to health care lawsuits. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) require any health plan to provide coverage of or access to abortion services; or (2) allow the Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Labor, or any other federal or non-federal person or entity in implementing this Act to require coverage of, or access to, abortion services. Prohibits the use of funds authorized or appropriated by this Act to pay for any abortion or to cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes abortion coverage, except: (1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest; or (2) in the case where a pregnant female suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the female in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Modernizing Our Drug & Diagnostics Evaluation and Regulatory Network Cures Act of 2013 or MODDERN Cures Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish the Advanced Diagnostics Education Council to recommend standard terms and definitions related to innovative diagnostics for use by patients, physicians, health care providers, payers, and policy makers; and (2) publish a guide regarding such terms and definitions. Sets forth additional factors for the Secretary to consider in determining the payment amount for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under gap filling procedures which are used when no comparable existing test is available. Extends the exclusivity period for a medicine if the diagnostic test related to such drug has been determined by the Secretary to have been developed by, or with the participation of, the manufacturer or sponsor of the medicine, and use of the diagnostic tests provides for or improves: (1) the identification of a patient population for the medicine; or (2) the determination of the most appropriate treatment option for a patient population with the medicine. Establishes a dormant therapy designation for medicine that addresses unmet medical needs. Gives such medicine 15 years of data exclusivity under which no drug can be approved by relying on the approval or licensure of the dormant therapy. Directs the Secretary to arrange with the Institute of Medicine (or, if it declines, another appropriate entity) to study intellectual property laws and their impact on therapy and diagnostic development in order to formulate recommendations on how to facilitate the clinical evaluation and development of therapies currently available on the market for new potential indications.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act - Directs: (1) the Secretary of the military department concerned to award the Purple Heart to members of the Armed Forces (members) who were killed or wounded in the attack at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009; and (2) the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to award the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom to civilian employees and contractors of DOD who were killed or wounded in such attack. Deems, for purposes of all applicable federal benefit laws, regulations, and policies: (1) such members to have been killed or wounded in a combat zone as the result of an enemy act; and (2) such employees to have been killed or wounded by hostile action while serving with the Armed Forces in a contingency operation and to have been killed or wounded in a terrorist attack. Excludes any member whose death or wound was the result of willful misconduct. Applies such provisions to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other psychological injuries that were a a result of such attack.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to implement or enforce a requirement providing for the screening, testing, or treatment of individuals operating commercial motor vehicles for sleep disorders (including obstructive sleep apnea) only if it is adopted pursuant to a rulemaking proceeding. Applies this Act only to a requirement adopted on or after September 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Stability, Security, and Fairness Resolution of 2013 - Makes continuing appropriations for FY2014. Appropriates amounts for continuing operations, projects, or activities which were conducted in FY2013 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available in: the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division A of P.L. 113-6); the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (division B of P.L. 113-6); and The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (division F of P.L. 113-6). Requires the rate for operations for each account to be calculated to reflect the full amount of any reduction required in FY2013 pursuant to: section 3004 of division G of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6), if any; and the sequestration order issued to enforce a specified budget goal pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). (The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act was amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011 to revise the discretionary spending limits and reduce the discretionary appropriations and direct spending specified in the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act unless a joint committee bill achieving an amount greater than $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction would be enacted by January 15, 2012.) Provides funding under this joint resolution through FY2014, unless otherwise provided for in this division or in the applicable appropriations Act. Authorizes continuation of other specified activities (including those for entitlements and other mandatory payments) through such fiscal year. Enacts the following bills into law: H.R. 2216 (Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014), as engrossed by the House of Representatives on June 4, 2013; H.R. 2217 (Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2014), as engrossed by the House on June 6, 2013; and H.R. 2397 (Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014), as engrossed by the House on July 24, 2013. Amends the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act to reduce the discretionary category in new budget authority for FY2014 from $1.066 trillion to $967.473 million. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), if for FY2014 the amount of new budget authority provided by this joint resolution exceeds such discretionary spending limits, to increase the applicable percentage of 0% by the amount necessary to eliminate the excess of the limit. Rescinds the applicable 0%, subject to such requirement, of: the budget authority provided (or obligation limit imposed) for FY2014 for any discretionary account in section 101 of this joint resolution, the budget authority provided in any advance appropriation for FY2014 for any discretionary account (excluding any account funded under section 111 of this joint resolution) in any prior fiscal year appropriation Act, and the contract authority provided in FY2014 for any program subject to limitation incorporated or otherwise contained in section 101 of this joint resolution. Exempts: amounts designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT) or for disaster relief; or the amount made available by this joint resolution for "Social Security Administration, Limitation on Administrative Expenses" for continuing disability reviews under titles II (Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance [OASDI] Benefits) and XVI (Grants to States for Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled) of the Social Security Act (SSA), and for the cost associated with conducting redeterminations of eligibility under SSA title XVI. Prohibits, during any fiscal year, the use of federal funds to carryout: (1) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA); or (2) certain PPACA related requirements in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Rescinds any funds provided by PPACA, its title, or subtitle for FY2014. Delays: the obligation of any PPACA funds for FY2015 until January 1, 2015; and implementation of PPACA, its related requirements in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or amendments made by either Act until December 31, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Recognizes the achievements of Harley-Davidson Motor Company as it and others commemorate and celebrate its 110th anniversary. Recognizes the great impact that Harley-Davidson has had on the business, social, and cultural landscape and lives of the U.S. people and citizens of all nations as a quintessential icon of Americana. Congratulates the Harley-Davidson Motor Company for this achievement and trusts that it will continue as a leading force for innovative business practices and products that will continue to provide enjoyment, transportation, and delight for generations to come.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Declares that the federal excise tax on new tractor trailer trucks, heavy duty trucks, and certain truck trailers should not be increased and that Congress should review the detrimental impacts of such tax in considering future transportation policy.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2013
Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 - Title I: Program Reforms and Streamlining - Revises requirements for feasibility studies under the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 to: (1) limit the duration of any feasibility study to 3 years; (2) limit the cost of any such study to $3 million; and (3) require personnel of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to conduct concurrent reviews of feasibility studies (currently, sequential reviews are permitted). Requires the Secretary of the Army, not later than 90 days after the initiation of a feasibility study, to initiate federally-mandated reviews, including environmental reviews. Amends the WRDA of 2000 to authorize the Secretary to accept and expend funds contributed by a public utility company to expedite the evaluation of a permit for a water resources project or activity under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army. Amends the WRDA of 2007 to designate the Corps as the federal lead agency in the environmental review process (i.e., preparation of an environmental impact statement, environmental assessment, categorical exclusion, or other document under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [NEPA]) for a water resources project study. Requires the Corps to: (1) facilitate the expeditious resolution of the environmental review process and complete documents required by NEPA, (2) conduct concurrent environmental reviews, and (3) establish a plan for coordinating public and agency participation in and comment on the environmental review process for a project. Repeals requirements for: (1) a reconnaissance study by the Corps prior to initiating a feasibility study, and (2) review of the cost effectiveness of the design of each water resources project that has a total cost in excess of $10 million. Requires the Secretary to establish a process for the review of section 14 applications. Defines a "section 14 application" as an application for the temporary occupation or use of a public work or the alteration or permanent occupation or use of a public work. Authorizes a non-federal interest (i.e., a sponsor for a water resources project, including federally-recognized Indian tribes and nonprofit entities) to: (1) provide funds to the Corps to carry out feasibility studies and to carry out authorized federal water resources development projects, and (2) make contributions to the operation and maintenance of the inland navigation facilities. Extends the authority of the Secretary to carry out water-related planning activities and studies in Indian country in FY2014-FY2023. Directs the Secretary to establish a pilot program to evaluate the cost effectiveness and project delivery efficiency of allowing non-federal interests to carry out at least 15 authorized water resources development projects for coastal harbor improvement, channel improvement, inland navigation, flood damage reduction, and hurricane and storm damage reduction. Requires the Secretary to submit annual reports to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on feasibility studies under this Act and on proposed modifications to an authorized water resources development project or feasibility study. Requires the President, as part of the President's annual budget submission to Congress, to identify and recommend Corps construction projects for which Congress should provide funding at the full level authorized for such projects. Requires the Corps, as part of such budget process, to report on the prioritization of federal action for the next fiscal year to mitigate for fish and wildlife losses due to Corps water resources projects in the Missouri River Basin. Directs the Secretary to make specific project recommendations relating to flood and storm damage reduction activities under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a locally preferred plan that provides a higher level of flood protection and is funded by non-federal interests; (2) evaluate alternatives to ensure safety of affected communities and the resiliency of water resources development projects to future flooding and storm events; and (3) establish procedures for providing the public and governmental entities, including Indian tribes, with timely information regarding expected water levels and preparedness actions. Amends the WRDA of 1974 to authorize the Secretary to provide technical assistance to states to encourage state programs for levee safety. Requires the Secretary to establish federal guidelines relating to levee safety. Requires the Secretary to: (1) undertake a comprehensive review of Corps policy on vegetation management for levees, and (2) report on the use of electronic commerce in federal procurement. Amends the WRDA of 1992 to require the Secretary to consider the beneficial use of dredged material in a manner that contributes to the maintenance of sediment resources in the nearby costal system. Directs the Secretary to encourage: (1) advanced modeling technologies, including 3-dimensional digital modeling, for activities related to water resources development projects and studies; (2) corrosion prevention activities at water resources development projects; and (3) the use of durable, resilient, and sustainable material and practices in carrying out Corps activities. Requires the Secretary to conduct an assessment of the management practices, priorities, and authorized purposes at Corps reservoirs in arid regions. Expresses the sense of Congress that Congress should consider a water resources development bill not less than once every Congress. Title II: Navigation Improvements - Subtitle A: Ports - Authorizes the Secretary, for any fiscal year in which specified target appropriations are met, to use up to 5% of the total amount made available from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for eligible operations and maintenance costs described in the WRDA of 1986 for that fiscal year for expanded uses of such Trust Fund. Amends the WRDA of 1986 to direct the Secretary to: (1) assess the operation and maintenance needs of harbors used for commercial navigation and fishing and other purposes; (2) make expenditures to pay for operation and maintenance costs of the harbors, based on an equitable allocation of funds among all such harbors, regardless of the size or tonnage throughput of the harbor; (3) allocate, in each of FY2015-2016, not less than 10% of the total amount of the expenditures to pay for operation and maintenance costs of emerging harbors (those that transit less than 1 million tons of commerce annually); and (4) manage and allocate funding for all individually authorized projects in the Great Lakes Navigation System as components of a single, comprehensive system, recognizing the interdependence of the projects. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into an agreement with a non-federal interest to maintain a navigation project for a harbor or inland harbor (federally authorized harbor) in accordance with the WRDA of 1986. Amends the WRDA of 2007 to direct the Secretary to consolidate deep draft navigation expertise within the Corps into a deep draft navigation planning center of expertise. Authorizes the Secretary, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to reopen the Cape Arundel Disposal Site in Maine as an alternative dredged material disposal site. Subtitle B: Inland Waterways - Directs the Secretary, for certain projects for navigation infrastructure of the inland and intracoastal waterways, to utilize certified project managers, utilize risk-based cost estimates, evaluate early contractor involvement acquisition procedures, review the use of fully funded contracts or continuing contracts, identify best management practices to speed project delivery, and develop a portfolio of standard design for inland navigation locks. Directs the Secretary to develop and submit a 20-year investment strategy for making capital investments on the inland and intracoastal waterways. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to prepare a report on the efficiency of collecting the fuel tax for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. Directs the Secretary to study methods of financing the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, including issuance of tax-exempt bonds and imposing user fees, and to consider the feasibility of fees and revenues from alternative sources. Directs the Secretary to conduct an inland waterways stakeholder roundtable to provide for a review and evaluation of alternative approaches to: (1) address the financial needs of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, and (2) support the water infrastructure needs of the Inland Waterways System. Requires 25% of the cost of construction for the Olmsted Project (a navigation project for Locks 52 and 53 on the Lower Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky) to be paid from amounts appropriated from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. Expresses the sense of Congress that the appropriation for the Project should not be less than $150 million for each fiscal year until construction of the Project is completed. Requires the Secretary to submit to Congress an annual financial plan for any inland waterways project that has an estimated total cost of $500 million or more. Directs the Secretary, at least 90 days before carrying out a proposed modification to the operation of a lock at a project for navigation on the inland waterways, to: (1) provide notice of the proposed modification in the Federal Register, and (2) accept public comments on the proposed modification. Directs the Secretary to assess the operation and maintenance needs of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Directs the Secretary to study and report on the impact of closing the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minnesota on the economy and the environment. Provides for the closure of such facility if the annual average tonnage moving through it during the preceding 5 years was not more than 1.5 million tons. Authorizes the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to: (1) design and construct one or more hydroelectric generating facilities at the W.D. Mayo Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River, Oklahoma; and (2) market the electricity generated from any such facility. Title III: Deauthorizations and Backlog Prevention - Directs the Secretary to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and publish in the Federal Register, a report that lists each authorized water resources development project, or separable element of a project, authorized for construction before November 8, 2007: (1) for which construction was not initiated before the enactment of this Act or for which no funds were obligated for construction of the project during the 5-year period ending on July 1, 2013; and (2) that has an estimated cost to complete of at least $12 billion. Directs the Secretary to conduct an assessment of all properties under the control of the Corps of Engineers and develop an inventory of the properties that are not needed for its missions. Provides that a water resources development project, or separable element of such project, shall not be authorized for construction by this Act after the last day of the seven-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act unless during that period funds have been obligated for construction of such project. Deauthorizes projects for flood protection, navigation, shoreline protection, and other improvement at specified locations in California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, and Wisconsin. Provides for land conveyances in Oklahoma and Washington. Title IV: Water Resources Infrastructure - Authorizes specified final feasibility studies for water resources development and conservation and other purposes, including regarding: (1) navigation in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia; (2) flood risk management in Kansas, California, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Kentucky; (3) hurricane and storm damage risk reduction in North Carolina and California; (4) hurricane and storm damage risk reduction and environmental restoration in Mississippi; and (5) environmental restoration in Maryland, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, and North Carolina. Modifies projects for: (1) navigation at Miami Harbor, Miami-Dade County, Florida, and at the Lower Ohio River, Illinois and Kentucky; and (2) flood control at Little Calumet River Basin (Cady Marsh Ditch), Indiana.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2013
James Madison Congressional Accountability Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to extend the requirement for participation in the American Health Benefit Exchange (a state health insurance exchange created by PPACA) to the President, Vice-President, executive branch political appointees, and employees of congressional committees and leadership offices of Congress (currently, this requirement applies to Members of Congress and their staff). Prohibits any government contribution to or subsidy for the health insurance coverage of such officials and employees.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Medicare Common Access Card Act of 2013 - Establishes a pilot program under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act in order to utilize smart card technology for Medicare beneficiary and provider identification cards.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
No Bailouts for State and local Governments Act - Prohibits the use of federal funds to purchase or guarantee obligations of, issue lines of credit to, or provide direct or indirect grants-in-aid to any state, municipal, local, or county government which, on or after January 1, 2013, has filed for bankruptcy, has defaulted on its obligations, is at risk of defaulting, or is likely to default, without such federal assistance if such purchase, guarantee, extension of credit, or grant is made to assist the government in: (1) avoiding defaulting on the payment of principal or interest due on an obligation of the government, or (2) curing such a default. Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from using, directly or indirectly, general fund revenues or borrowed funds to purchase or guarantee, for the same purposes, any asset or obligation of any such state, municipal, local, or county government. Prohibits the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from: (1) providing or extending to, or authorizing with respect to, such a state, municipal, local, or county government, or other entity with taxing authority or bonding authority, for the same purposes, any funds, loan guarantees, credits, or any other financial instrument or other authority, including bond purchases; or (2) otherwise assisting such a government entity, for the same purposes, under any Board authority. Waives the application of this Act for federal assistance provided in response to a natural disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2014 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2013
Condemns: (1) the attack that occurred at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin on August 5, 2012; and (2) intolerance, including religious and racial discrimination, and calls for continued vigilance against violence. Honors the memory of Suveg Singh Khattra, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Ranjit Singh, Sita Singh, Paramjit Kaur, and Prakash Singh, who died in the attack. Applauds the bravery of Lieutenant Brian Murphy and other first responders who prevented the gunman from taking more lives and treated wounded individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Intergenerational Financial Obligations Reform Act or INFORM Act - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide certain information on any legislation or resolution considered in either chamber which would impact revenues or mandatory spending by greater than 0.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) over the following 10-fiscal-year period, and upon request by the Chairmen or Ranking Members of the congressional budget committees. Requires such information to comprise: a fiscal gap and generational accounting analysis, including any change in the analysis relative to the baseline; and the federal deficit, at current spending levels, in the fiscal year that is 75 years after the fiscal year in which the legislation is being considered, as well as the stock of the debt in that 75th year. Requires: (1) CBO to produce an annual fiscal gap and generational accounting analysis within its annual "Long-Term Budget Outlook" and post it on the CBO public website, and (2) the Comptroller General to produce a separate similar analysis within its annual "Long-Term Fiscal Outlook" and post it on the General Accountability Office (GAO) public website. Requires the President's budget submission to Congress to include: a fiscal gap and generational accounting analysis of the full budget proposal; the same kind of analysis of specific policy changes that would impact revenues or mandatory spending by greater than 0.5% of GDP over the following 10-fiscal year period; and the federal deficit, at current spending levels, in the fiscal year that is 75 years after the fiscal year in which the legislation is being considered, as well as the stock of the debt in that 75th year.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the initial U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Water and Development Strategy is a significant accomplishment and improves USAID's capacity to provide sustainable and effective water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance; and (2) the Secretary of State, through the Special Advisor for Water Resources, should develop a Global Water Resources Strategy relating to U.S. foreign policy water objectives. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct: (1) the Administrator to designate a Global Water Coordinator to coordinate and oversee water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance; and (2) the Secretary of State to designate a Special Advisor for Water Resources to coordinate and oversee policy relating to water, hygiene, and sanitation assistance. Sets forth principles to ensure that water, sanitation, and hygiene projects carried out under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 achieve maximum impact. Amends the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 to direct: (1) the President, through the Secretary, to develop a strategy every five years to further the U.S. foreign policy objective to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries; and (2) the Administrator, through the Global Water Coordinator, to develop a complementary strategy to further the U.S. foreign assistance objective to provide affordable and equitable drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Coal Healthcare and Pensions Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to address potential shortages in the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan for payment of health care benefits to retired coal miners by expanding the eligible uses of interest transferable to the plan from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, and supplemental payments from the General Fund of the Treasury. Requires calculation of such amount by taking into account only those beneficiaries who are actually enrolled in the plan as of enactment of this Act, as well as those retirees whose health benefits, payable directly by an employer in the bituminous coal industry under a coal wage agreement as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding commenced in 2012, would be denied or reduced. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer to the trustees of the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan a certain additional amount of funds, to pay pension benefits required under that plan, if the $490 million limitation on certain transfers to the UMWA Combined Benefit Fund and distributions to states and Indian tribes exceeds the aggregate amount required to be transferred to them. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to prescribe a special rule that employer contributions to an employees' trust or annuity benefit plan providing supplemental benefits solely to participants in a pension plan are neither deductible nor nondeductible as such from the employer's gross income. Subjects such contributions, on the other hand, to deduction as an allowable trade or business expense. Treats a trust holding the assets of such a pension benefit plan as a tax-exempt organization. Excludes from taxable wages any payments made to, or on behalf of, an employee or his or her beneficiary under such a plan.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
No Health Care for Life for Congress Act of 2013 - Discontinues eligibility of former Members of Congress for enrollment and continued coverage for them or their dependents in a health benefits plan under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) if the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is repealed. Applies this requirement only to coverage derived by virtue of service as a former Member.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Health Equity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the tax deduction allowed to self-employed individuals for health insurance costs; (2) allow a new tax deduction for the health care insurance costs of a taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, and dependents; and (3) expand the tax deduction for medical expenses to include costs for a membership in a fitness program or athletic club, fitness equipment, or weight loss program up to $1,200 in a taxable year and allow tax-free reimbursements for such expenses up to $1,200 a year under flexible spending arrangements and health reimbursement arrangements.
![Official portrait of Rep. Ribble, Reid J. [R-WI-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000587_200.jpg)