United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Accountability in Unemployment Act of 2015 Amends title III (Grants to States for Unemployment Compensation) of the Social Security Act to require state laws to deny unemployment compensation to applicants unless they undergo drug testing and test negative. Requires a retest after a 30-day waiting period for applicants who test positive for any one of several specified drugs. Denies unemployment compensation for five years to any applicant who tests positive for drugs three or more times.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2015
Expresses the sense of Congress that the tax exemption of fraternal benefit societies continues to generate significant returns to society and that the work of such societies should continue to be promoted.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2015
Native American Indian Education Act Directs the Department of Education to pay four-year Native American-serving nontribal institutions of higher education the out-of-state tuition of their Indian students if those schools are required to provide a tuition-free education, with the support of their state, to Indian students in fulfillment of a condition under which the college or state received its original grant of land and facilities from the federal government. Prohibits the amount paid to any such college from exceeding the lower of the following amounts: (1) the charges for tuition for the Indian students of that college who were non-residents of the state in which the college is located and who were enrolled in the college for academic year 2014-2015, or (2) $15 million. Treats such payments as reimbursements to such institutions from their states. Rescinds unobligated discretionary appropriations to offset the costs of this program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2015
Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue or revise medical certification regulations to ensure that an individual may operate as a pilot of a covered aircraft without regard to any medical certification or proof of health requirement otherwise applicable under federal law if the flight meets certain criteria and the individual: possesses a valid state driver's license, complies with applicable medical requirements associated with that license, is transporting five or fewer passengers, and is operating under visual or instrument flight rules. "Covered aircraft" is one that: is not authorized under federal law to carry more than six occupants, and has a maximum certificated takeoff weight of no more than 6,000 pounds. The FAA may not take enforcement action against a pilot of a covered aircraft for not holding a valid third-class medical certificate if the pilot and the flight meet such requirements, unless the FAA has published final regulations under this Act in the Federal Register. The Pilot's Bill of Rights is amended to authorize any persons adversely affected by an FAA decision to deny, suspend, or revoke a covered certificate or impose a civil penalty to file an appeal with the National Transportation Safety Board or, without further administrative review, in the U.S. district court or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. This subjects all FAA-issued certificates involving an adverse action to review. "Covered certificate" means, in addition to an airman certificate (as under current law), a design organization certificate, holder of type certificate, production certificate, airworthiness certificate, air carrier operating certificate, airport operating certificate, air agency certificate, air navigation facility certificate, or medical certificate. Requirements are prescribed or revised for FAA: failure to notify an individual who is the subject of an investigation regarding the approval, denial, suspension, modification, or revocation of a covered certificate; provision to persons holding a covered certificate of the releasable portion of an investigative report before issuing an emergency order relating to the investigation; response to a written request by a certificate-holding repair station subject to an investigation to withdraw from or settle a proceeding relating to the investigation within 30 days after receiving the request; and reexamination of airmen certificates where there are reasonable grounds to question an airman's lack of competence or believe a certificate was obtained through fraud. The FAA may not take enforcement action against an individual for violation of a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) regarding airspace system information until the FAA certifies its compliance with certain NOTAM Improvement program requirements, as amended by this Act. The FAA, upon receiving a request for a covered flight record not in its possession, shall request the record from a FAA contract tower or other FAA contractor possessing it. Any individual designated by the FAA to act as an FAA representative shall be shielded from liability in a civil action for actions performed with reasonable care in connection with related duties. The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 is amended to shield from liability a volunteer pilot that flies for a volunteer pilot nonprofit organization for public benefit an aircraft for which the volunteer was properly licensed and insured. The staff, mission coordinators, officers, and directors of the nonprofit organization shall also be shielded from liability, provided certain conditions are met.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2015
General Aviation Pilot Protection Act of 2015 Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue or revise FAA medical certification regulations to ensure that an individual may operate as a pilot of a covered aircraft without regard to any medical certification or proof of health requirement otherwise applicable under federal law if the flight meets certain criteria and the individual: (1) possesses a valid state driver's license, (2) complies with applicable medical requirements associated with that license, (3) is transporting five or fewer passengers, and (4) is operating under visual or instrument flight rules. Defines "covered aircraft" as an aircraft that: (1) is not authorized under federal law to carry more than six occupants, and (2) has a maximum certificated takeoff weight of no more than 6,000 pounds. Prohibits the Administrator from taking enforcement action against a pilot of a covered aircraft for not holding a valid third-class medical certificate if the pilot and the flight meets such requirements, unless the Administrator has published final regulations in the Federal Register.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2015
Declares that Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education, and Promotion Act of 2015 This bill directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue orders applicable to manufacturers of concrete masonry products. Any such order must provide for the establishment of a Concrete Masonry Products Board to carry out a program of promotion, research, and information regarding concrete masonry products. Manufacturers and importers shall maintain, and make available, specified records. An order must also provide that assessments be paid by concrete masonry product manufacturers with respect to concrete masonry products manufactured and marketed in the United States. Assessment rates are specified. At least 50% of the assessments paid by a manufacturer must be used to support research, education, and promotion plans and projects in support of the geographic region of the manufacturer. During the 60-day period preceding the proposed effective date of an order, the Secretary shall conduct a referendum for order approval among the manufacturers required to pay assessments under it. Referendum procedures are outlined. The bill allows petition and review of an order, and order enforcement through U.S. district courts. The Secretary: (1) may conduct appropriate investigations in order to administer this Act (with power of subpoena); and (2) must suspend or terminate any order or provision that obstructs or does not tend to effectuate the purposes of this Act, or that is not favored by persons voting in a referendum.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act or the 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 · 13 February 2015
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a person who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law, and who is carrying a valid, government-issued identification document containing that person's photograph and a valid permit issued by any state to carry a concealed firearm, to possess or carry a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in any other state that permits residents to carry a concealed firearm, in accordance with the restrictions of that state. Makes presentation of facially valid documents prima facie evidence that the individual has a license or permit as required.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2015 Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to repeal the prohibition against Medicare participation by physician-owned hospitals that do not have a provider agreement by August 1, 2010, which nonetheless allows their Medicare participation under a rural provider and hospital exception to a specified ownership or investment prohibition if they meet certain requirements. Amends the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA) to repeal provisions: (1) postponing from August 1, 2010, to December 31, 2010, the date by which physician-owned hospitals must have a provider agreement in order to participate in Medicare under a rural provider and hospital exception to the physician-ownership or -investment prohibition if they also meet certain requirements addressing conflicts of interest, bona fide investments, patient safety issues, and expansion limitations; and (2) modifying the expansion limitation imposed on such a rural hospital Restores related previous law amended or repealed by PPACA and HCERA as if PPACA or HCERA had not been enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Vessel Incidental Discharge Act This bill requires the Coast Guard to establish and implement enforceable uniform national standards for the regulation of discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel into navigable waters. The Coast Guard's existing rule for ballast water discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel are adopted until those performance standards are revised or a more stringent state standard is adopted. Ballast water is water taken aboard a vessel to control stability or during the operation of a vessel's ballast water treatment technology. Within two years, the Coast Guard must establish best management practices for discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel other than ballast water. By January 1, 2020, the Coast Guard must complete a feasibility review to determine whether revising ballast water performance standards will result in a scientifically demonstrable and substantial reduction in the risk of introduction or establishment of aquatic nuisance species. The Coast Guard must establish a revised standard based on the ballast water treatment technology available. Further revisions to the performance standards are to be considered every 10 years. This bill establishes a certification requirement for ballast water treatment technology. The Coast Guard may not approve a technology if it uses a biocide or generates a biocide that is a pesticide. This bill establishes a petition process for a state seeking to enforce a state or local statute or regulation related to ballast water discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel that is more stringent than federal performance standards.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2016 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2015
Supporting Academic Freedom through Regulatory Relief Act Repeals certain Department of Education (ED) regulations that for purposes of determining whether a school is eligible to participate in programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA): (1) require institutions of higher education (IHEs) and postsecondary vocational institutions (except religious schools) to be legally authorized by the state in which they are situated, (2) delineate what such legal authorization requires of states and schools, (3) impose standards and disclosure requirements on programs that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation, and (4) define "credit hour." Prohibits ED from promulgating or enforcing any regulation or rule not in effect on the date of this Act's enactment regarding: (1) the state authorization for IHEs to operate within a state, (2) the definition or application of the term "gainful employment," or (3) a teacher preparation program accountability system. Ends that prohibition when a law is enacted that extends by at least two fiscal years the authorization or duration of one or more programs under the HEA. Prohibits ED from promulgating or enforcing any regulation or rule that defines "credit hour" for any purpose under the HEA. Prohibits ED from carrying out, developing, refining, promulgating, publishing, implementing, administering, or enforcing a postsecondary institution ratings system or any other performance system to rate IHEs. Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the HEA to authorize nonprofit IHEs to make payments to third-party entities for services that include student recruitment and are based on the amount of tuition that the IHE generates from student enrollment if the third-party entity: (1) is not affiliated with the IHE, (2) does not provide incentive payments to its employees for their success in enrolling students or securing financial aid for them, (3) is not paid by the IHE solely or separately for student recruitment services, and (4) will not make student recruitment information available to any other person or entity.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act of 2015 Provides that for purposes of medical professional liability insurance or civil and criminal malpractice liability determinations, a physician or athletic trainer (covered sports medicine professional) who is authorized to practice medicine in a state (primary state) and who provides medical services to an athlete or athletic team in a state where such professional is not authorized to practice (secondary state) shall be deemed to have provided such medical services in the primary state, provided that prior to providing the covered medical services such professional has disclosed the nature and extent of such services to the entity that provides such professional with medical professional liability insurance in the primary state.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2015 Amends the federal criminal code to authorize a person who is not prohibited from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law, who is entitled and not prohibited from carrying a concealed firearm in his or her state of residence or who is carrying a valid state license or permit to carry a concealed weapon, and who is carrying a government-issued photographic identification document, to carry a concealed handgun (which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, other than a machine gun or destructive device) in any state in accordance with the restrictions of that state. Provides that in a state that allows the issuing authority for licenses or permits to carry concealed firearms to impose restrictions on the carrying of firearms by individual license or permit holders, an individual carrying a concealed handgun under this Act shall be permitted to carry it according to the same terms authorized by an unrestricted license or permit issued by such state.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Social Security Disability Insurance and Unemployment Benefits Double Dip Elimination Act Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to declare that for any week in whole or in part within a month that an individual is paid or determined to be eligible for unemployment compensation he or she shall be deemed to have engaged in substantial gainful activity and so be disqualified from receiving Social Security disability benefits after a certain period has elapsed. States that, for purposes of determining services rendered by an individual during a period of trial work which will not disqualify the individual for disability benefits, the individual shall be deemed to have rendered services in a month if he or she is entitled to unemployment compensation or trade adjustment assistance for that month.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Health Care Conscience Rights Act Amends title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to declare that nothing in that title requires an individual to purchase individual health insurance coverage that includes coverage of an abortion or other item or service to which the individual has a moral or religious objection, or prevent an issuer from offering coverage excluding such item or service to that individual. Denies that title I requires a health plan sponsor or a health insurance issuer to cover an item or service to which the sponsor or issuer has a moral or religious objection. Denies also that title I authorizes imposition of a tax, penalty, fee, fine, or other sanction, or imposition of coverage of such an item or service, on health insurance coverage that excludes such an item or service. Amends the Public Health Service Act to codify the prohibition against any action by the federal government and any state or local government receiving federal financial assistance to subject a health professional, or health care facility, organization, or plan to discrimination on the basis that the entity refuses to participate in abortion-related activities. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of HHS to receive and investigate complaints alleging a violation of this abortion discrimination prohibition. Creates a cause of action for the Attorney General or any person or entity adversely affected to obtain equitable or legal relief for any violation of this abortion discrimination prohibition. Allows commencement of an action and the granting of relief without a prerequisite pursuit of administrative remedies. Allows such an action against a federal or state governmental entity.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
This bill repeals a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that imposes an annual fee on a health insurance provider based on its net premium income.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union should swiftly conclude their contract negotiations with the assistance of a federal mediator; and if they do not reach a settlement and a shutdown occurs, the President should use all tools at his disposal to end the dispute, including authority under the Labor-Management Relations Act, 1947 (Taft-Hartley Act), to intervene in the matter to protect the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 350,000 $1 silver coins, and 300,000 half-dollar clad coins to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the 100 years of Boys Town, one of the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the United States. Permits issuance of such coins only between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017. Subjects all coin sales to specified surcharges, which shall be paid to Boys Town to carry out its cause of caring for and assisting children and families in underserved communities across America. Directs the Secretary to ensure that: (1) minting and issuing such coins will not result in any net cost to the federal government; and (2) no funds, including surcharges, will be disbursed to Boys Town until the total cost of designing and issuing all authorized coins is recovered by the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
Ax the Tax on Middle Class Americans' Health Plans Act This bill repeals, effective for taxable years beginning after 2017, the excise tax on the excess benefit portion of high-cost employer-sponsored health care plans (known as Cadillac plans). The reporting requirement for such plans is also repealed for calendar years beginning after 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2015
Simplifying Technical Aspects Regarding Seasonality Act of 2015 or the STARS Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt seasonal employees from the definition of "full-time employee" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide employees with minimum essential health care coverage. Defines "seasonal employee" as an employee who is employed in a position for which the customary annual employment is not more than six months and which requires performing labor or services that are ordinarily performed at certain seasons or periods of the year.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2015
Life at Conception Act Declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual comes into being. Prohibits this Act from being construed to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2015
Disapproves and nullifies the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board and published December 15, 2014, relating to representation case procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2015
Access to Professional Health Insurance Advisors Act of 2015 Amends the Public Health Service Act to exclude remuneration paid for licensed independent insurance producers from administrative costs for purposes of calculating the medical-loss ratio of a health insurance plan. Defines "independent insurance producer" to mean an insurance agent or broker, insurance consultant, benefit specialist, limited insurance representative, and any other person required to be licensed under state law to sell, solicit, negotiate, service, effect, procure, renew, or bind policies of insurance coverage or offer advice, counsel, opinions, or services related to insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters Act of 2015 or the DOTCOM Act of 2015 Prohibits the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information from relinquishing or agreeing to any proposal relating to the relinquishment of the responsibility of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) over Internet domain name system functions until the Government Accountability Office (GAO), within one year after the NTIA receives a relinquishment proposal developed in a process convened by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers at the request of the NTIA, submits a report to Congress regarding the NTIA's role with respect to the system. Requires the GAO's report to include: (1) advantages and disadvantages of such a relinquishment of the NTIA's responsibility; (2) any principles or criteria that the NTIA sets for relinquishment proposals, as well as an analysis of each proposal received by the NTIA; (3) the processes used by the NTIA and any other federal agencies for evaluating proposals; (4) any national security or network security concerns; and (5) a definition of "multistakeholder model" as used by the NTIA with respect to Internet policymaking and governance.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Stark Administrative Simplification Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to prescribe a single civil monetary penalty as an alternative sanction to those already established for compensation arrangements between a physician (or an immediate family member) and a person or entity that is in violation of the limitation on certain physician referrals (Stark Law) solely due to technical noncompliance. (The Stark law, or Stark Rule, prohibits physician referrals of certain health services for Medicare and Medicaid patients to a specified entity if the physician, or an immediate family member, has a financial relationship with that entity.) Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to accept the voluntary disclosure of a technically noncomplaint compensation arrangement by a person or entity in violation of the Stark Law under certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2015
Safeguarding Classrooms Hurt by ObamaCare's Obligatory Levies Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude any elementary or secondary school, state or local educational agency, and institution of higher education from the definition of "applicable large employer" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide health care coverage for employees. Directs the Secretary of Education to study and report on the impact of the employer health insurance mandate on educational agencies and institutions before and after the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2015
Email Privacy Act Amends the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 to prohibit a provider of remote computing service or electronic communication service to the public from knowingly divulging to a governmental entity the contents of any communication that is in electronic storage or otherwise maintained by the provider, subject to exceptions. Revises provisions under which the government may require a provider to disclose the contents of such communications. Eliminates the different requirements applicable under current law depending on whether such communications were: (1) stored for fewer than, or more than, 180 days by an electronic communication service; or (2) held by an electronic communication service as opposed to a remote computing service. Requires the government to obtain a warrant from a court before requiring providers to disclose the content of such communications regardless of how long the communication has been held in electronic storage by an electronic communication service or whether the information is sought from an electronic communication service or a remote computing service Requires a law enforcement agency, within 10 days after receiving the contents of a customer's communication, or a governmental entity, within 3 days, to provide a customer whose communications were disclosed by the provider a copy of the warrant and a notice that such information was requested by, and supplied to, the government entity. Allows the government to request delays of such notifications. Prohibits disclosure requirements that apply to providers from being construed to limit the government's authority to use an administrative or civil discovery subpoena to require: (1) an originator or recipient of an electronic communication to disclose the contents of such communication, or (2) an entity that provides electronic communication services to its employees or agents to disclose the contents of an electronic communication to or from such employee or agent if the communication is on an electronic communications system owned or operated by the entity. Allows the government to apply for an order directing a provider, for a specified period, to refrain from notifying any other person that the provider has been required to disclose communications or records. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress regarding disclosures of customer communications and records under provisions: (1) as in effect before the enactment of this Act, and (2) as amended by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2015
Prevent Targeting at the IRS Act Amends the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 to expand existing grounds for termination of the employment of an Internal Revenue Service employee to include performing, delaying, or failing to perform (or threatening to perform, delay, or fail to perform) any official action (including any audit) with respect to a taxpayer for purpose of extracting personal gain or benefit or for a political purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2015
Government Employee Accountability Act Sets forth guidelines for placing career employees of the Senior Executive Service (SES) on investigative leave. Defines "investigative leave" as a temporary absence without duty for disciplinary reasons, of a period not greater than 90 days. Authorizes a federal agency to: (1) place an SES employee on investigative leave, without loss of pay and without charge to annual or sick leave, only for misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or misappropriation of funds; (2) place such employee on leave without pay if such employee's conduct is flagrant and such employee intentionally engaged in such conduct; or (3) remove such employee if such employee acted in a manner that endangers the interest of the agency mission and the removal is deemed necessary or advisable in the interests of the United States. Requires an agency head to periodically review the investigation into the conduct of an SES employee placed on investigative leave and take certain actions with respect to such employee at the end of a period of investigative leave, including removal, suspension without pay, or reinstatement to duty. Grants an employee placed on investigative leave certain rights, including: (1) advance written notice of, and the right to answer, charges; (2) the right to be represented by an attorney; and (3) the right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Includes misappropriation of funds as a ground in suspending or reinstating an SES employee or placing such employee in another civil service position.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2015
Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for railroad track maintenance, to: (1) expand the types of maintenance expenditures eligible for such credit, and (2) extend such credit through 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2015
Default Prevention Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to continue to borrow to pay the principal and interest on certain obligations if the debt of the United States exceeds the statutory limit. If the debt limit is exceeded, Treasury is required to issue obligations solely for the payment of the principal and interest on debt held by the public or the Social Security trust funds. The bill prohibits Treasury from using obligations issued under this Act to compensate Members of Congress. If Treasury exercises authority provided by this Act, a report must be submitted to Congress including an accounting of: (1) the principal on mature obligations and interest that is due or accrued, and (2) obligations issued under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2015
Student Success Act Authorizes FY2016-FY2021 appropriations for the programs under titles I, II, III, IV, and V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by this Act. Expresses the sense of Congress that states and local educational agencies (LEAs) should maintain the rights and responsibilities of determining educational curriculum, programs of instruction, and assessments. TITLE I--AID TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES Replaces title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the ESEA with a new title I (Aid to Local Educational Agencies). Amends the education accountability requirements under part A of title I of the ESEA and places them in a new subpart 1 (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies) under part A (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the ESEA. Eliminates the requirement that LEAs and schools make adequate yearly progress toward state academic performance standards or be subject to specified improvements, corrective action, or restructuring. Requires states to adopt academic content and achievement standards for mathematics, reading or language arts, and science that ensure that all their public school students graduate from high school fully prepared for postsecondary education or the workforce. Requires states to implement a set of high-quality assessments of student progress toward those standards that measure the overall performance of students in each public school and the performance of their poor, minority, disabled, and English learner subgroups. Allows states to adopt alternate academic achievement standards and assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Allows states to measure student growth toward those standards and to develop and administer computer adaptive assessments that measure student proficiency against, and growth toward, the standards for the student's grade level. Requires education accountability efforts to include school improvement systems that require LEAs to implement interventions that address weaknesses in low-performing schools. Prohibits the Secretary of Education from attempting to influence or coerce: (1) state adoption of the Common Core State Standards, any other standards common to a significant number of states, or assessments tied to such standards; or (2) state participation in any voluntary partnership with another state to develop and implement academic assessments and standards. Amends school-wide programs that allow LEAs to consolidate educational funds to upgrade the entire educational program of schools in order to eliminate the requirement that such schools serve a high proportion of low-income families. Allows nonprofit and for-profit external providers to deliver school wide reform strategies and elements of Targeted Assistance programs, which direct school improvement funds toward the children in a school that are failing or most at risk of failing. Repeals provisions that established deadlines by which teachers in basic programs operated by LEAs must be highly qualified. Requires states to designate an ombudsman to ensure that private school children receive educational services and benefits that are equitable to those received by public school children under subpart 1. Authorizes states, to the extent permitted by state law, to allocate title I grant funds among their LEAs on the basis of the number of impoverished children enrolled in the public schools served by each LEA. Strikes parts B (Student Reading Skills Improvement Grants), F (Comprehensive School Reform), G (Advanced Placement Programs), and H (School Dropout Prevention) of title I of the ESEA. Amends part C of the current title I and transfers it to a new subpart 2 (Education of Migratory Children) under part A of the ESEA. Amends part D of the current title I and transfers it to a new subpart 3 (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk) under part A. Amends part A of title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) and transfers it to a new subpart 4 (English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement) under part A. Changes the current references to "limited English proficient students" to "English learners." Amends requirements for the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs under part C of title III and transfers them to subpart 4 under part A. Amends part B (Rural Education Initiative) of title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) and transfers it to a new subpart 5 (Rural Education Achievement Program) under part A. Gives states and LEAs flexibility in transferring funds among the programs under part A of title I. Removes maintenance of effort requirements that require states and LEAs to maintain their education funding at certain levels in order to be eligible for federal education funds. Amends part E (National Assessment) of title I and transfers it to a new part B of title I of the ESEA. Repeals the Demonstrations of Innovative Practices grant program and the Close Up Fellowship program. Amends part I (General Provisions) of title I and transfers it to a new part C of title I of the ESEA. TITLE II--TEACHER PREPARATION AND EFFECTIVENESS Replaces title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the ESEA with a new title II (Teacher Preparation and Effectiveness). Directs the Secretary, under part A (Supporting Effective Instruction) of title II, to make formula grants to states and, through them, subgrants to LEAs that LEAs may use to: develop and implement a teacher evaluation system; implement a statewide teacher evaluation system their state is implementing; train school leaders or other individuals to evaluate teachers or school leaders; implement a statewide school leader evaluation system their state is implementing; develop and implement a school leader evaluation system if a statewide system is not being implemented; provide training to teachers and school leaders that is evidence-based, job-embedded, and continuous; partner with public or private organizations to develop and implement the teacher evaluation system or administer professional development; carry out activities under part B of title II; or reduce class size. Directs the Secretary, under part B (Teacher and School Leader Flexible Grant) of title II, to make formula grants to states and, through them, competitive matching subgrants to LEAs, institutions of higher education, and business or nonprofit entities to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive programs and activities that may include: initiatives to assist in recruiting, hiring, and retaining highly effective teachers and school leaders; support for the establishment or expansion of teacher or school leader preparation academies; the recruitment of qualified individuals from other fields; model instructional programs; evidence-based, job embedded, continuous professional development for teachers and school leaders; programs that are based on the current science of learning; and recruiting and training teachers to teach dual credit, dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate postsecondary-level courses to secondary school students. Preserves the teacher liability protection provisions under part C (Innovation for Teacher Quality) of title II, but eliminates the other programs under part C. Replaces part D (Enhancing Education through Technology) of title II with a new part D (General Provisions). Requires LEAs receiving grants under title II to notify parents of the availability of the results of the evaluations of their children's teachers. Treats charter schools as LEAs under title II. TITLE III--PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT AND LOCAL FLEXIBILITY Replaces title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) of the ESEA with a new title III (Parental Engagement and Local Flexibility). Amends subparts 1 (Charter School Programs) and 2 (Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation) of part B of title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs) and moves them to a new subpart 1 (Charter School Program) under part A (Parental Engagement) of title III. Replaces the current charter school grant program with a program awarding grants to state entities and, through them, subgrants to charter school developers to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools. Allows charter schools to serve prekindergarten or postsecondary school students. Amends part C of title V of the ESEA and transfers it to a new subpart 2 (Magnet Schools Assistance) of part A of title III. Establishes a subpart 3 (Family Engagement in Education Programs) of part A of title III. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to statewide organizations to establish Statewide Family Engagement Centers that provide comprehensive training and technical assistance to states, LEA, schools, and organizations that support family engagement in education. Establishes a part B (Local Academic Flexible Grant) of title III under which the Secretary shall allot funds to states for: (1) state activities that include developing state educational assessments and standards; (2) competitive grants to LEAs, community-based organizations, and businesses to improve student academic achievement through student support programs; and (3) competitive matching grants to nongovernmental entities to improve academic achievement. TITLE IV--IMPACT AID Replaces title IV (21st Century Schools) with the Impact Aid program currently under title VIII of the ESEA. (The Impact Aid program compensates LEAs for the financial burden of federal activities affecting their areas.) Amends the Impact Aid program to alter methods used and considerations made in determining whether LEAs are eligible for Impact Aid payments, as well as formulae used in determining the amounts they are owed. Amends the Impact Aid Improvement Act of 2012 to make amendments that Act made to the Impact Aid program permanent, including the requirement that the Secretary complete Impact Aid payments to eligible LEAs within three fiscal years of their appropriation. TITLE V--THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S TRUST RESPONSIBILITY TO AMERICAN INDIAN, ALASKA NATIVE, AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN EDUCATION Revises the programs currently under title VII (Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native Education) of the ESEA and places them under parts A (Indian Education), B (Alaska Native Education), and C (Native Hawaiian Education) of a new title V. Establishes a new program under subpart 3 (National Activities) of part A requiring the Secretary to award grants to states, LEAs, and Indian entities for: (1) Native American language programs, and (2) Native American language restoration programs. Omits from that subpart programs: (1) funding in-service training for teachers of Indian children, (2) awarding fellowships to Indian students, (3) establishing two centers for gifted and talented Indian students and demonstration projects addressing the needs of such students, and (4) supporting the improvement of educational opportunities for adult Indians. Amends the Alaska Native Educational Equity, Support, and Assistance Act under part B to limit Alaska Native education grant activities to those provided specifically in the context of elementary and secondary education. Amends the Native Hawaiian Education Act under part C to revise the duties and composition of the Native Hawaiian Education Council. Includes charter schools as eligible recipients of Native Hawaiian Education program grants. Removes the provision of scholarships for undergraduate or graduate studies from the list of authorized grant activities. TITLE VI--GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR THE ACT Replaces title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the ESEA with a new title VI (General Provisions). Amends title IX (General Provisions) and transfers it to the new title VI. Requires the Secretary to establish a multi-disciplinary peer review team to review requests for waivers of statutory or regulatory requirements under the ESEA. Prohibits the Secretary from imposing new or additional requirements that are not specified in the ESEA on states, LEAs, or Indian tribes in exchange for the receipt of a waiver. Prohibits states from considering payments under the ESEA, other than under title IV, in determining an LEA's eligibility for state aid or the amount of that aid. Prohibits the federal government from mandating, directing, incentivizing, or controlling a state's, LEA's, or school's specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curricula, or program of instruction. Prohibits any state that opts out of receiving funds, or that has not been awarded funds, under one or more of the ESEA's programs from being required to carry out program requirements. Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) imposing any requirements or exercising any authority over school administration not explicitly authorized under the ESEA, (2) issuing any regulations or non-regulatory guidance without first consulting with local stakeholders and fairly addressing their concerns, or (3) denying any LEA the right to object to any administrative requirement. Establishes requirements regarding the peer review panels used under the ESEA to review program applications. Prohibits federal employees from participating in, or working to influence, the peer review process. Makes a state or LEA ineligible for ESEA funds if it: (1) employs an individual who refuses to consent to, or makes a false statement in, a criminal background check, who is required to register as a sex offender, or who has been convicted of one of specified felonies; or (2) knowingly facilitates the transfer of an employee it knows or has probable cause to believe has engaged in sexual misconduct with a student. Prohibits the Secretary from: (1) forcing a state to satisfy any requirement imposed as a condition of receiving assistance under an ESEA grant program, or (2) releasing assistance to a state under an ESEA grant program unless the state's legislature has expressly approved the program. Prohibits ESEA funds that are not allocated to a state due to the state's failure to affirmatively agree to their receipt from being reallocated among the other states. Expresses the intent of the Congress regarding the authority of states to control public education and the authority of parents to control their children's education. Places the gun-free school requirements in part A (Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities) of title IV of the ESEA in the new title VI. TITLE VII--HOMELESS EDUCATION Amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act's program of grants to states and, through them, subgrants to LEAs for the education of homeless youth. Includes amendments that: (1) require student-centered factors to be considered before an LEA places a homeless youth in a school, (2) require schools to enroll homeless youth immediately despite missed application or enrollment deadlines, (3) protect the privacy of information about a homeless youth's living situation, and (4) focus on the identification of homeless youth. Authorizes appropriations for that program for FY2016-FY2021. TITLE VIII--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) confidentiality agreements between LEAs or schools and suspected child sex abusers should be prohibited, (2) the practice of transferring employees after suspected or proven sexual misconduct should stop, (3) states should require LEAs and schools to report sexual conduct between an employee and a minor to law enforcement, and (4) Congress should work to protect children and stop these unacceptable practices in our schools.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2015
Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2015 Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt traditional large and premium cigars from regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and from user fees assessed on tobacco products by the FDA.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2015
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Protection Act This bill prohibits the President from modifying, terminating, abandoning, or transferring the lease with the government of Cuba by which the United States acquired 45 square miles of land and waters that currently contain Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, unless: (1) the President notifies Congress of the proposed lease change, and (2) afterwards Congress enacts a law authorizing the change.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2015
Equitable Access to Care and Health Act or the EACH Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the religious conscience exemption under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to exempt individuals who rely solely on a religious method of healing and for whom the acceptance of medical health services would be inconsistent with their religious beliefs from the requirement to purchase and maintain minimum essential health care coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2015
Creating Hope and Opportunity for Individuals and Communities through Education Act or the CHOICE Act Amends the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to: (1) require the Secretary of Education to use funds appropriated under the Act that are carried over from one fiscal year to the next to provide opportunity scholarships to eligible students who have not yet received them; and (2) include among the eligibility criteria for such a scholarship a requirement that a student in the District of Columbia is enrolled, or will be enrolled for the next school year, in a public or private elementary or secondary school. (Opportunity scholarships are provided to low-income students in the District of Columbia to enable them to attend the District of Columbia private elementary or secondary school of their choice.) Amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to allow states that have established a program allowing the parents of disabled children to use public or private funds to send their children to a private school to use their allocation of special education funds to supplement those funds. Authorizes grants for the improvement of special education services to be used for the planning, design, and initial implementation, during a period of up to three years, of state programs that allow the parents of a disabled child to make a genuine independent choice of the appropriate public or private school for their child. Sets forth requirements for those programs, including that they: (1) permit parents to receive state funds to pay some or all of the costs of their disabled child's attendance at the selected school, or (2) permit persons to receive a state tax credit for donations to an entity that provides funds to enable parents to pay some or all of the costs of their disabled child's attendance at that school. Directs the Secretary of Defense to carry out a five-year pilot program to award scholarships to enable military dependent students who live on military installations to attend the public or private elementary or secondary schools their parents choose rather than those assigned to them. Requires the Secretary of Defense to select at least five military installations to participate in the program and choose those where military students would most benefit from expanded education options. Directs the Secretary of Defense to use a random process to select scholarship recipients if more students apply for the scholarships than can be accommodated. Requires the Secretary of Education to return to the Treasury specified amounts made available for Department of Education salaries and expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2015
Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2015 This bill prohibits the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from: developing, finalizing, adopting, implementing, applying, administering, or enforcing the proposed rule entitled, "Definition of 'Waters of the United States' Under the Clean Water Act," issued on April 21, 2014, or the proposed guidance entitled, "Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected By the Clean Water Act," dated February 17, 2012; or using the proposed rule or proposed guidance, any successor document, or any substantially similar proposed rule or guidance as the basis for any rulemaking or decision regarding the scope or enforcement of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act). The Army Corps and the EPA must withdraw the interpretive rule entitled, "Notice of Availability Regarding the Exemption from Permitting Under Section 404(f)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act to Certain Agricultural Conservation Practices," issued on April 21, 2014. The Army Corps and the EPA are required to consult with relevant state and local officials to develop recommendations for a regulatory proposal that would identify the scope of waters covered under the Clean Water Act and the scope of waters not covered.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2015
Enhancing Educational Opportunities for all Students Act Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow a state educational agency to allocate grant funds among local educational agencies based on the number of eligible children (children age 5 to 17 from a family with an income below the poverty level) enrolled in the public schools and the state-accredited private schools within each local agency's geographic jurisdiction. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow payment of home school expenses from Coverdell education savings accounts; (2) remove the dollar limitation on contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts and require such accounts to provide adequate safeguards to prevent contributions from exceeding the amount necessary to provide for the qualified education expenses of the account beneficiary; and (3) allow tax-exempt qualified tuition programs (529 tuition programs) to pay qualified pre-kindergarten, elementary, and secondary education expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2015
Litigation Oversight Act of 2015 Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to approve or disapprove by majority vote whether the EEOC shall commence or intervene in litigation involving: (1) multiple plaintiffs, or (2) an allegation of systemic discrimination or a pattern or practice of discrimination. Provides EEOC members with the power to require the EEOC to approve or disapprove by majority vote whether the EEOC commences or intervenes in any litigation. Requires the EEOC, within 30 days after commencing or intervening in litigation pursuant to such an approval, to post on its public website: (1) information regarding the case, including the allegations and causes of action; and (2) each Commissioner's vote on commencing or intervening in the litigation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2015
EEOC Transparency and Accountability Act Directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to provide information on its public website regarding each case brought in court by the EEOC after a judgment is made with respect to any cause of action. Requires such information to include: (1) instances in which the EEOC was ordered to pay fees and costs; (2) cases in which a sanction was imposed on the EEOC; (3) the total number of charges of an alleged unlawful employment practice filed under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and (4) cases of systemic discrimination, including pattern or practice discrimination. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit the EEOC from bringing a suit unless it exhausts its obligation to engage in an informal conciliation and certifies that conciliation is at impasse. Makes the determination as to whether the EEOC has engaged in a bona fide conciliation subject to judicial review. Directs the EEOC Inspector General to notify Congress of any sanctions, fees, or costs imposed on the EEOC by a court. Requires the Inspector General to investigate such cases and the EEOC to report to Congress regarding the steps being taken to reduce such instances.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2015
Certainty in Enforcement Act of 2015 Amends equal employment opportunity requirements under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to deem an employer's, labor organization's, employment agency's, or joint labor management committee's consideration or use of credit or criminal records or information, as mandated by federal, state, or local law, to be job related and consistent with business necessity. Declares that such use of credit or criminal records shall not be the basis of liability under any theory of disparate impact. (Currently, an unlawful employment practice based on disparate impact is established if a complaining party demonstrates that a respondent uses a particular employment practice that causes a disparate impact on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and the respondent fails to demonstrate that the challenged practice is job related for the position in question and consistent with business necessity.)
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2015
Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act of 2015 or the FAIR Act This bill modifies general rules governing civil forfeiture proceedings to: (1) ensure that a person contesting a civil forfeiture has legal representation without regard to whether the property subject to forfeiture is being used by such person as a primary residence; (2) increase the federal government's burden of proof in civil forfeiture proceedings to clear and convincing evidence; (3) require the government, in addition to showing a substantial connection between the seized property and an offense, to establish by clear and convincing evidence that the owner of any interest in the seized property used the property with intent to facilitate the offense or knowingly consented or was willfully blind to the use of the property by another in connection with the offense; and (4) expand the proportionality criteria used by a court to determine whether a civil forfeiture was constitutionally excessive. To remove incentives for carrying out civil forfeitures, the bill requires proceeds from the disposition of seized property to be deposited into the General Fund of the Treasury, rather than to Department of Justice accounts for law enforcement activities. The bill adds a scienter requirement (i.e., a knowing violation) to the prohibition against structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements. The bill requires: (1) a court to conduct a probable cause hearing to determine if there is a violation of the prohibition against structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements involving a monetary instrument and to return such instrument if probable cause is not established, and (2) the Attorney General to specify in reports to Congress and the public on forfeitures the amounts received from criminal and civil forfeitures.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2015
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use the Secretary's existing authority to furnish health care to veterans at non-VA facilities to provide health care at non-VA facilities to veterans who reside more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA medical facility providing the care they seek.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2015
Federal Exchange Data Breach Notification Act of 2015 This bill requires a health insurance exchange to notify each individual whose personal information is known to have been acquired or accessed as a result of a breach of security of any system maintained by the exchange as soon as possible but not later than 60 days after discovery of the breach. A violation of this requirement is an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015
Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015 Amends the National Labor Relations Act to provide that any enterprise or institution owned and operated by an Indian tribe and located on its lands is not considered an employer (thus excluding such enterprises or institutions from coverage by such Act).
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015
Working Families Flexibility Act of 2015 Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to authorize private employers to provide compensatory time off to private employees at a rate of 1 1/2 hours per hour of employment for which overtime compensation is required. Authorizes an employer to provide compensatory time only if it is in accordance with an applicable collective bargaining agreement or, in the absence of such an agreement, an agreement between the employer and employee. Prohibits an employee from accruing more than 160 hours of compensatory time. Requires an employee's employer to provide monetary compensation, after the end of a calendar year, for any unused compensatory time off accrued during the preceding year. Requires an employer to give employees 30-day notice before discontinuing compensatory time off. Prohibits an employer from intimidating, threatening, or coercing an employee in order to: (1) interfere with the employee's right to request or not to request compensatory time off in lieu of payment of monetary overtime compensation, or (2) require an employee to use such compensatory time. Makes an employer who violates such requirements liable to the affected employee in the amount of the compensation rate for each hour of compensatory time accrued, plus an additional equal amount as liquidated damages, reduced for each hour of compensatory time used. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress every three years on: (1) the extent to which employers provide compensatory time off and employees opt to receive it; (2) the number of complaints filed by an employee with the Secretary of Labor alleging a violation of the requirements as well as enforcement actions commenced by the Secretary on behalf of an aggrieved employee; (3) the disposition of such complaints and actions; and (4) any unpaid wages, damages, penalties, injunctive relief, or other remedies sought by the Secretary in connection with such actions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015
Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2015 Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to declare that nothing in that Act modifies, impairs, or supersedes the operation of antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance, including the business of dental insurance. Applies prohibitions against using unfair methods of competition to the business of health insurance without regard to whether the business is for profit.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rokita, Todd [R-IN-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_in_4_rokita_todd_200.jpg)