United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Defending State Authority Over Education Act of 2013 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit the Secretary of Education from attempting to influence, incentivize, or coerce a state to participate in a voluntary partnership with another state to develop and implement academic content and achievement standards and assessments. Prohibits the Secretary from conditioning the approval of a state's, local educational agency's (LEA's), or Indian tribe's request for a waiver of ESEA statutory or regulatory requirements on such an entity: (1) including in, or deleting from, such request, specific academic standards; (2) using specific academic assessment instruments or items; or (3) including in, or deleting from, such waiver request any criteria used to establish, implement, or improve state academic standards, academic assessments, state accountability systems, or teacher and school leader evaluation systems. Prohibits any federal officer or employee from directly or indirectly mandating, directing, or controlling a state's, LEA's, or school's specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curricula, or program of instruction, including through the placement of conditions on financial support.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2013 - Amends federal criminal code provisions relating to Federal Prison Industries (FPI) to establish government wide procurement policies for purchases from FPI based upon competitive procedures. Authorizes contract awards on a noncompetitive basis if the Attorney General determines that FPI cannot reasonably expect fair consideration to receive a contract award on a competitive basis and the contract award is necessary to maintain inmate work opportunities. Specifies conditions under which a contract award may be made to FPI using other than competitive procedures. Provides that a timely offer received from FPI to furnish a product or service to a federal agency shall be considered for award without limitation as to the dollar value of the proposed purchase, unless the contract opportunity has been reserved for competition for small businesses under the Small Business Act and its regulations. Allows FPI to exclude from its bids certain costs relating to security, educating and training inmates, and excess capital costs of machinery and inventories used in prisons. Makes decisions by a federal contracting officer regarding the award of a contract to FPI or the performance of such contract final, unless reversed on appeal. Requires federal agencies to report purchases from FPI to the Federal Procurement Data System. Requires FPI to publish and maintain a catalogue of its products and services. Imposes federal occupational, health, and safety standards on FPI with respect to its industrial operations. Revises rulemaking procedures for approving new FPI products or services. Requires the Chief Operating Officer of FPI to submit a proposal to the Board of Directors of FPI with a detailed analysis of the probable impact on the private sector of a proposed expansion of sales from such new products or services. Requires a federal agency that has a requirement for a product that is authorized for sale by FPI and is listed in its catalog to first solicit an offer from FPI and make purchases on a noncompetitive basis. Requires, subject to specified limitations, a contract award to be made on a noncompetitive basis to FPI if the contracting officer determines that: (1) the FPI product will meet the procurement requirements, (2) timely performance of the contract by FPI can be reasonably expected, and (3) the negotiated price does not exceed a fair and reasonable price. Requires that the terms and conditions of a procurement contract and the price to be paid to FPI be determined by negotiation between FPI and the federal agency making the purchase. Prohibits the negotiated price from exceeding a fair and reasonable price as determined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Prohibits the total dollar value of FPI sales to the federal government in FY2014-FY2018 from exceeding specified percentages of FPI sales for the base period. Sets limits on FPI sales within various business sectors, relating to specific products, and arising from changes in design specifications. Prohibits the use of such preferential contracting authorities on or after October 1, 2015. Requires the Attorney General to make specified findings on the effect of such percentage limitations. Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to require the head of an executive agency, before purchasing a product listed in the latest FPI catalog, to conduct market research to determine whether the FPI product is comparable to products available from the private sector that best meet the agency's needs in terms of price, quality, and time of delivery. Prohibits the head of an executive agency from entering into a contract with FPI under which an inmate would have access to sensitive or classified information. Authorizes FPI to enter into a contract with a federal contractor or subcontractor to produce products as a subcontractor or supplier, but restricts FPI products or services from a subcontractor from entering the commercial market or infringing on procurement preferences for the blind or disabled or on certain Buy America requirements. Specifies that use of FPI as a subcontractor or supplier cannot be imposed upon prospective or actual federal prime contractors or subcontractors. Requires the Board of Directors of FPI to prescribe hourly wage rates for inmates performing work for or through FPI. Requires an hourly minimum rate of $2.50 for inmates whose term of imprisonment will expire in two years or less. Requires a biannual review of inmate wage rates. Directs the Board of Directors of FPI, not later than September 30, 2014, to increase the maximum wage rate for inmates to 50% of the minimum wage rate under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, and to 100% of such wage rate not later than September 30, 2019. Limits to 80% the maximum amount of deductions from inmates' gross. Includes services furnished by such convicts or prisoners within the prohibition against the transportation or importation of goods produced by prisoners or convicts in interstate or foreign commerce. Allows for the completion of existing contracts and programs involving federal inmates who are furnishing services in commerce. Provides that nothing in this Act shall establish: (1) an entitlement of any federal prison inmate to employment in a FPI facility or any particular wage or benefit, (2) inmates as employees for purposes of any law or program, or (3) any cause of action against the United States. Establishes within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBP) the Enhanced In-Prison Educational and Vocational Assessment and Training Program to provide: (1) in-prison assessments of inmates' needs and aptitudes, (2) a full range of educational opportunities, (3) vocational training and apprenticeships, and (4) comprehensive release-readiness preparation. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years after FY2013. Expresses the sense of Congress that FPI should use some of its net earnings to accomplish the purposes of this program. Phases in the implementation of the program in all federal prisons within eight years. Amends the federal criminal code to authorize inmates with work assignments within FPI to perform work for a tax-exempt charity, religious organization, or local governmental unit or school district (eligible entities) that have an agreement with FPI. Establishes the position of Inmate Work Training Administrator to create alternative inmate work opportunities with eligible entities. Sets forth requirements for proposals by eligible entities for participation in inmate work programs, including certain representations regarding the charitable nature of the entities' work, protections for non-inmate workers, wage rates for inmates, and deductions from inmate wages. Directs the Chief Operating Officer of FPI to develop proposals to have FPI donate products and services to charitable entities that provide goods or services to low-income individuals. Establishes with the FBP the Cognitive Abilities Assessment Demonstration Program to assess the cognitive abilities and perceptual skills of inmates to prepare such inmates to return to society and reduce recidivism. Requires such demonstration program to be conducted for three consecutive fiscal years beginning during FY2014 at 12 federal correctional institutions and to be offered to 6,000 inmates who are within five years of release. Requires the Director of the FBP to offer prerelease employment assistance to inmates upon release. Authorizes private for-profit business entities to participate in work-based training and apprenticeship programs for federal prison inmates. Sets forth requirements relating to training and wage rates for inmates. Prohibits FPI from offering for commercial sale products produced or services furnished by federal inmates. Terminates authority for programs after September 30, 2020, and requires all agreements relating to programs to be performed before October 1, 2025. Requires the Attorney General to meet with officials of FPI to review inmate work-based training programs and report to specified congressional committees on program progress. Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) undertake an on-going assessment of inmate work-based training programs, (2) provide an opportunity for public comment on the scope and methodology of such assessment, and (3) make interim and final reports to Congress on such assessment. Requires the Director of FBP to be appointed by the President (currently, by the Attorney General). Revises the membership structure and terms of the Board of Directors of FPI. Permits FPI to: (1) locate more than one workshop at a federal correctional facility, and (2) operate a workshop outside a facility if all inmates working in such workshop are classified as minimum security inmates. Directs FPI to establish a cost accounting system. Directs that correctional officers or other employees of FPI who are separated from employment due to reductions in FPI revenues be: (1) eligible for appointment in the competitive civil service, (2) registered on a Bureau of Prisons reemployment priority list, and (3) given priority for appropriate positions in the Bureau of Prisons. Revises and expands FPI annual reporting requirements to Congress. Requires copies of FPI's annual reports to be made available to the public. Provides for proposed revisions to the Government wide Federal Acquisition Regulation for implementing this Act and final regulations within 180 days of enactment of this Act. Requires the Board of Directors of FPI to issue regulations defining "prison-made product," "prison-furnished service," "specific product," and "specific service." Requires the Board of Directors to use means designed to most effectively solicit public comment on proposed regulations, procedures, and policies and to conduct open meetings. Requires the Secretary of Labor to establish an inmate training wage pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. States that provisions of this Act relating to FPI bid protests are not intended to alter the protest rights of any other offeror of a federal contract bid. States that nothing in this Act is intended to modify the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (concerning procurement from persons who are blind or severely disabled).
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Diagnostic Innovation Testing and Knowledge Advancement Act of 2013 - Sets forth additional factors for the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider in determining the payment amount for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under gapfilling procedures which are used when no comparable existing test is available. Directs the Secretary to convene an independent advisory panel to inform and make recommendations to the Secretary regarding any new test. Requires the Secretary to justify publicly the basis and rate determination for any payments made under the clinical laboratory fee schedule for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests, including a detailed summary of information received regarding the additional factors considered. Requires the Secretary then, after publishing such justification, to provide for a reasonable period of reconsideration to: (1) receive any appeal of the payment determination, and (2) evaluate any additional information received regarding the justification and the factors considered. Requires the Secretary, following the period of reconsideration, to make a final payment basis and payment rate determination, providing a justification for it with an explanation of what additional information was evaluated during reconsideration and how it was taken into account. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a process for application for the assignment of a temporary national HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) code to uniquely identify a diagnostic test until a permanent national HCPCS code is available for assignment to that test, (2) analyze the process used for the gapfilling procedures used in determining payment amounts for new clinical diagnostic laboratory tests, and (3) implement improvements in the process after public notice and opportunity for comment. Applies this Act to payment basis and payment rate determinations made on or after January 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Lead Exposure Reduction Amendments Act of 2013 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "abatement" any renovation, remodeling, or other activity: (1) the primary purpose of which is to repair, restore, or remodel target housing, public buildings constructed before 1978, or commercial buildings; and (2) that incidentally results in a reduction or elimination of lead-based paint hazards. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), no later than one year prior to proposing any renovation and remodeling regulation, to study the extent to which persons engaged in such activities: (1) are exposed to lead, and (2) disturb lead and create a lead-based paint hazard. Exempts from any such regulation an emergency renovation that is carried out in response to an event that is an act of God as defined by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), that presents a risk to the public health or safety, or that threatens to cause significant damage to equipment or property if not attended to immediately. Prohibits such a regulation from requiring post-abatement clearance testing. Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations to permit an owner of a residential dwelling that is target housing, who resides in such dwelling, to authorize a contractor to forego compliance with such a regulation if the owner submits a certification stating that: (1) the renovation or remodeling project is to be carried out at such dwelling, (2) no pregnant woman or child under the age of six resides or will reside in such housing, and (3) the owner acknowledges that such contractor will be exempt from the requirements of such regulation. Prohibits the Administrator from holding a contractor responsible for a misrepresentation made by the owner of such dwelling unless the contractor has actual knowledge of such a misrepresentation. Requires the Administrator to: (1) recognize a qualifying test kit for use under such Act, and (2) suspend enforcement of any regulation relating to renovation and remodeling of target housing and commercial buildings constructed after January 1, 1960, and public buildings constructed between January 1, 1960, and January 1, 1978, until a specified period after the Administrator recognizes such a test kit.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Voter Registration Efficiency Act - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require a state motor vehicle authority to require each individual applying for a motor vehicle driver's license in the state to: (1) indicate whether the individual resides in another state or resided in another state before applying for the license, and, if so, to identify the state involved; and (2) indicate whether the individual intends for the new state to serve as the individual's residence for federal voter registration purposes. Requires the motor vehicle authority, if an individual indicates an intention for the new state to serve as the individual's residence for federal voter registration purposes, to notify the motor vehicle authority of the former state of residence, which shall notify the chief state election official of that state that the individual no longer intends for it to serve as the individual's residence for federal voter registration purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Respecting the Institution of Congress Act - Denies retirement benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) to a Member of Congress, former Member, former President, or former Vice President who is convicted of any crime that is a felony under federal or state law (currently, limited to specified felonies under federal law).
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2013
Amends the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to exclude appraisers of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) from the meaning of a fiduciary subject to ERISA.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Kids First Research Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate: (1) the taxpayer election to designate $3 of income tax liability for financing of presidential election campaigns, (2) the Presidential Election Campaign Fund, and (3) the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account. Redesignates the Presidential Election Campaign Fund as the 10-Year Pediatric Research Initiative Fund. Makes amounts in the Fund available only for allocation to national research institutes and national centers through the Common Fund for making grants for pediatric research under this Act. Requires deposit into the Treasury general fund of any amounts in the Pediatric Research Initiative Fund that remain unobligated on October 1, 2024. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, to allocate funds appropriated under this Act to the national research institutes and national centers for making grants for pediatric research representing important areas of emerging scientific opportunities, rising public health challenges, or knowledge gaps that deserve special emphasis and would benefit from conducting or supporting additional research that involves collaboration between two or more national research institutes or national centers, or would otherwise benefit from strategic coordination and planning. Authorizes $13 million out of the 10-Year Pediatric Research Initiative Fund for each of FY2014-FY2023 for pediatric research through the Common Fund. Requires such funds to supplement, not supplant, funds otherwise allocated by NIH for pediatric research. Prohibits the use of such amounts for any purpose other than making grants for pediatric research described in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury, or any delegate of the Secretary, from implementing or enforcing any provisions of or amendments made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Expanding Patients' Access to Quality Care Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to: (1) the limitation on certain physician referrals to hospitals in which the physician or an immediate family member has an ownership or investment interest exceeding a specified amount; and (2) the rural provider and hospital exception to the physician ownership or investment prohibition. Extends the rural provider and hospital exception to hospitals that were under construction or development as of December 30, 2010, and hospitals in financial distress. Defines "financial distress" for a cost reporting period as one in which a hospital has had an overall negative combined Medicare inpatient prospective payment system and outpatient prospective payment system operating margin for the most recent three consecutive cost reporting periods for which data are available. Eliminates the process for applying for such an exception for expansions of hospital facility capacity. Limits increases in facility capacity to those hospitals that have had a previous increase.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2013
Free Flow of Information Act of 2013 - Prohibits a federal entity (an entity or employee of the judicial or executive branch or an administrative agency of the federal government), in any matter arising under federal law, from compelling a covered person to testify or produce any document related to information obtained or created as part of engaging in journalism unless a court makes specified determinations by a preponderance of the evidence, including determinations that: (1) alternative sources have been exhausted; (2) the testimony or document sought is critical to the investigation, prosecution, or defense of a crime or the successful completion of a noncriminal matter; (3) disclosure of an information source's identity is necessary to prevent an act of terrorism, harm to national security, imminent death, significant bodily harm or to identify a person who has disclosed a trade secret, individually identifiable health information, or certain nonpublic personal information; and (4) the public interest in compelling disclosure of the information or document involved outweighs the public interest in gathering or disseminating news or information. Defines "covered person" as a person who, for financial gain or livelihood, is engaged in journalism, including a supervisor, employer, parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of such a person. Excludes from that definition foreign powers and their agents and certain designated foreign terrorist organizations. Defines "journalism" as the gathering, preparing, collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing of news or information that concerns local, national, or international events or other matters of public interest for dissemination to the public. Requires the content of compelled testimony or documents to be limited and narrowly tailored. Prohibits this Act from being construed as applying to civil defamation, slander, or libel claims or defenses under state law. Applies this Act to communications service providers with regard to testimony or any record, information, or other communication that relates to a business transaction between such providers and covered persons. Sets forth notice requirements. Permits a court to delay notice to a covered person upon determining that such notice would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of a criminal investigation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2013
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act - Prohibits the expenditure of funds authorized or appropriated by federal law or funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law (federal funds) for any abortion. (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services, except in cases involving rape, incest, or life endangerment.) Prohibits federal funds from being used for any health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. (Thus making permanent existing federal policies.) Prohibits the inclusion of abortion in any health care service furnished by a federal or District of Columbia health care facility or by any physician or other individual employed by the federal government or the District. Excludes an abortion from such prohibitions if: (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest; or (2) the woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, as certified by a physician. Applies such prohibitions to District of Columbia funds. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disqualify, for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses, any amounts paid for an abortion. Excludes from the definition of "qualified health plan" after December 31, 2013, for purposes of the refundable tax credit for premium assistance for such plans, any plan that includes coverage for abortion. Excludes from the definitions of "qualified health plan" and "health insurance coverage," for purposes of the tax credit for small employer health insurance expenses, any health plan or benefit that includes coverage for abortions. Includes any reimbursements or distributions to pay for an abortion in the gross income of participants in flexible spending arrangements under a tax-exempt cafeteria plan, Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs), and health savings accounts (HSAs). Exempts from the application of such tax provisions: (1) abortions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or in cases where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness that would, as certified by a physician, endanger her life if an abortion were not performed; and (2) the treatment of any infection, injury, disease, or disorder that was caused by or exacerbated by the performance of an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2013
Taxpayer Nondiscrimination and Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to establish penalties for misconduct against a taxpayer by an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee during the performance of official duties, specifically including a violation of the protections and guarantees afforded under the First Amendment of the Constitution to political speech and political expression.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Federal Repeal of Expensive Exchanges Act or the FREE Act - Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) providing for: (1) a health insurance premium assistance tax credit and advance payments for credit amounts, (2) reductions in out-of-pocket health care expenses for certain low income taxpayers (cost-sharing) and advance payments of cost-sharing amounts, (3) the individual mandate to purchase health care coverage under PPACA, and (4) the employer mandate to provide health care coverage to employees under PPACA and the reporting requirements with respect to such mandate.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Mother's Day Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 400,000 $1 coins emblematic of the 100th anniversary of President Wilson's proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. Authorizes the Secretary to issue such coins beginning on January 1, 2014, except that the Secretary may initiate sales of such coins, without issuance, before such date. Terminates such minting authority after December 31, 2014. Requires coin sales to include a $10 surcharge per coin, with distribution of one-half of such surcharges to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and one-half to the National Osteoporosis Foundation for the purpose of furthering research.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2013
Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2013 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to require: (1) biennial (instead of annual) budget resolutions, (2) biennial appropriations Acts, and (3) biennial government strategic and performance plans. Defines the budget biennium as the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. Makes conforming amendments to the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), and the CBA.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2013
Baseline Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to revise the formula for establishing the budget baseline. Revises the annual baseline, for any fiscal year, to mean a projection of current-year levels of new budget authority (as under current law), outlays (as under current law), or receipts (instead of revenues) and the surplus or deficit (as under current law) for the current year, the budget year, and the ensuing nine outyears based on laws enacted through the applicable date. Includes estimates for direct spending in the baseline calculation formula for the budget year and each outyear. Revises the formula for calculating the baseline for discretionary spending for the budget year and each outyear to eliminate adjustments for: (1) expiring multiyear subsidized housing contracts; (2) administrative expenses of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, the Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, the Unemployment Trust Fund, and the Railroad Retirement account; (3) offsets to federal employees' annual pay; and (4) certain inflators used to adjust budgetary resources in the Act. Requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to report to the congressional budget committees, on or before July 1 of each year, the Long-Term Budget Outlook for: (1) the fiscal year commencing on October 1 of that year, and (2) at least the ensuing 40 fiscal years.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2013
Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2013 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to require the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to prepare for each major bill or resolution reported by any congressional committee (except the congressional appropriations committees), as a supplement to CBO cost estimates, a macroeconomic impact analysis of the budgetary effects of such legislation for the 10-fiscal year period beginning with the first fiscal year for which such estimate was prepared and each of the next three 10-fiscal year periods. Defines "major bill or resolution" as any bill or resolution whose budgetary effects, for any fiscal year in the period for which a CBO cost estimate is prepared, is estimated to be greater than .25% of the current projected U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) for that fiscal year. Requires the analysis to describe: (1) the potential economic impact of the bill or resolution on major economic variables, including real GDP, business investment, the capital stock, employment, interest rates, and labor supply; and (2) the potential fiscal effects of the measure, including any estimates of revenue increases or decreases resulting from changes in GDP. Requires the analysis (or a technical appendix to it) to specify the economic and econometric models used, sources of data, relevant data transformations, as well as any explanation necessary to make the models comprehensible to academic and public policy analysts.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2013
Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act of 2013 - Amends the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (CBICA) to authorize the President to propose the rescission (line item veto) of all or any dollar amount of funding provided by any enacted bill or joint resolution. Sets forth requirements for the President's transmittal to Congress of a special message regarding the proposed rescission. Authorizes the President, except for his deferral of budget authority provided in CBICA, to withhold such rescinded funding temporarily from obligation, but only once per proposed rescission. Dedicates the rescinded funds solely to deficit reduction or increase of a surplus. Provides for adjustment of: (1) committee allocations resulting from such rescission, and (2) applicable limits under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) revised downward by the amount of such rescissions. Sets forth procedures for expedited congressional consideration of a proposed rescission. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require the House Committee on the Budget, whenever an approval bill passes the House of Representatives, to reduce the applicable committee allocations immediately by the total amount of reductions in budget authority and in outlays resulting from such approval. Terminates on December 15, 2015, the amendments made by this Act, with restoration of the provisions of part B of CBICA as in effect immediately before the enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2013
Legally Binding Budget Act of 2013 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (CBA) to require joint budget resolutions signed by the President instead of the concurrent resolutions now required (which do not have to be signed by the President). Revises accordingly the congressional procedures for considering joint budget resolutions. Prohibits the consideration of budget-related legislation before the joint budget resolution becomes law. Requires the joint budget resolution to set forth appropriate levels for the fiscal year beginning on October 1 of such year and for at least each of the four ensuing fiscal years for the public debt limit for display purposes only. Permits revisions of joint budget resolutions already enacted. Makes a conforming amendment to the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Makes it out of order in both chambers to consider any joint budget resolution, amendment, or conference report that contains certain matter prohibited by the CBA, particularly inclusion in the surplus or deficit totals of any outlays and revenue totals of the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program under title II of the Social Security Act. Considers the joint budget resolution as enforceable upon enactment or 15 days following presentment to the President, whichever occurs earlier. (Thus creates an automatic standing order upon a presidential veto of a joint budget resolution.) Makes conforming amendments to: (1) the Rules of the House of Representatives, and (2) the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act).
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to advance the safety and continued development of small airplanes by reorganizing the certification requirements to streamline the approval of safety advancements. Requires the Administrator to issue a final rule meeting certain consensus-based standards and FAA Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee objectives, including to: (1) create a regulatory regime for small airplane safety; (2) set broad, outcome-driven objectives that will spur small plane innovation and technology adoption; (3) replace current, prescriptive requirements contained in FAA rules with performance-based regulations; and (4) use FAA-accepted consensus standards to clarify how Part 23 safety objectives may be met by specific small plane safety designs and technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with respect to the Coast Guard, or any of the military departments to investigate allegations of retaliatory personnel actions taken in response to making protected communications to such Inspector General regarding alleged instances of rape, sexual assault, or other forms of sexual misconduct in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
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 any governmental entity the contents of any communication that is in electronic storage or otherwise maintained by the provider. Revises provisions under which the government may require, pursuant to a warrant, the disclosure by such a provider of the contents of such communications. Eliminates the different requirements applicable under current law depending on whether such communications were stored for fewer than, or more than, 180 days. 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 the customer a copy of the warrant and a notice that such information was requested by, and supplied to, the government entity. Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of a governmental entity to use an administrative or civil discovery subpoena to: (1) require an originator or recipient of an electronic communication to disclose the contents of such communication to the governmental entity; or (2) require an entity that provides electronic communication services to employees or agents of the entity to disclose the contents of an electronic communication to or from such employee or agent to a governmental entity if the communication is held, stored, or maintained on an electronic communications system owned or operated by the entity. Authorizes a governmental entity that is: (1) seeking a warrant for the contents of communications to include in the application a request for an order delaying the notification required for up to 180 days, in the case of a law enforcement agency, or up to 90 days, in the case of any other governmental entity; and (2) obtaining the contents of a communication, or information or records, to apply to a court for an order directing a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service to which a warrant, order, subpoena, or other directive is directed not to notify any other person of the existence of the directive for up to 180 days, in the case of of a law enforcement agency, or up to 90 days, in the case of any other governmental entity. Provides for extensions. Requires service providers, after such extension, to provide the government three business days' notice of their intent to inform a customer or subscriber that the provider has disclosed the individual's electronic communications information to the government. Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress by September 30, 2015, regarding the disclosure by electronic communication service providers of customer communications and records, including an analysis and evaluation of such disclosure under provisions: (1) as in effect before the enactment of this Act, and (2) as amended by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) from providing grants or funds to a state, county, town, or township, Indian tribe, municipal, or other local government for use in any program to check helmet usage or create checkpoints for a motorcycle driver or passenger. Repeals the authority of the Secretary to make grants to states that have a law which makes it unlawful for any individual on an operating motorcycle to be without a motorcycle helmet. Revises grant eligibility requirements to eliminate the requirement that states achieve a certain rate of compliance with such law.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2013
Coal Jobs Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act or CWA) to revise the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or a state acting pursuant to an equivalent approved state program (permitting authority) to base a determination on approving a new or renewed permit covering discharges from a structure only on compliance with regulations issued by such permitting authority. Prohibits such permitting authority from basing such determination on the extent of the permit applicant's adherence to guidance issued by the Administrator, including: (1) the comprehensive guidance issued by the Administrator and dated April 1, 2010, (2) the proposed guidance entitled "Draft Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act" and dated April 28, 2011, and (3) the final guidance proposed by the Administrator and dated July 21, 2011. Authorizes an applicant, if the permitting authority does not approve or deny an application for a new permit within 270 days after the date of receipt of an application, to operate as if the application were approved. Prohibits the Administrator from disapproving or withdrawing approval of a state permit program under NPDES based on: (1) the failure of such program to incorporate or comply with such guidance, or (2) the implementation of a water quality standard that has been adopted by the state and approved by the Administrator. Establishes environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for permits to discharge dredged or fill material into navigable waters. Removes the authority of the EPA to prohibit the specification, or restrict the use, of an area as a disposal site for discharges of dredged or fill materials into waters of the United States once the Army Corps of Engineers has issued a permit for the discharge. Requires the EPA, before issuing a regulation, policy statement, guidance, response to a petition, or other requirement, or implementing a new or substantially altered program under the CWA, to analyze the impact of such action on employment levels or economic activity in each state. Prohibits the Secretary of the Army and the Administrator from: (1) finalizing, adopting, implementing, administering, or enforcing the proposed guidance described in the notice of availability and request for comments entitled "EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Guidance Regarding Identification of Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act"; or (2) using such Guidance, or any substantially similar guidance made publicly available on or after December 3, 2008, as the basis for any decision regarding the scope of the CWA or any rulemaking. Provides that the use of such guidance as the basis for any rule shall be grounds for vacating such rule. Prohibits the Administrator from: (1) promulgating a revised or new water quality standard for a pollutant when the Administrator has approved a state water quality standard for such pollutant unless the state concurs with the Administrator's determination that the revised or new standard is necessary to meet CWA requirements; or (2) taking action to supersede a state's determination that a discharge will comply with effluent limitations, water quality standards, controls on the discharge of pollutants, and toxic and pretreatment effluent standards under the CWA. Authorizes states to disregard, accept, or modify the Administrator's disagreement with, and recommendations for, a state's identification of: (1) waters as areas with insufficient controls, and (2) pollutants suitable for maximum daily load measurement.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2013
Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act - Requires federal public land management officials to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public lands, including National Monuments, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, or lands administratively classified as wilderness eligible or suitable and primitive or semi-primitive areas, for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting, except as limited by: (1) statutory authority that authorizes or withholds action for reasons of national security, public safety, or resource conservation; (2) any other federal statute that specifically precludes recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting on specific federal public lands or waters; and (3) discretionary limitations on recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting determined to be necessary and reasonable. Requires Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service lands, excluding lands on the Outer Continental Shelf, to be open to recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting unless the managing agency acts to close such lands to such activity for purposes of resource conservation, public safety, energy production, water supply facilities, or national security. Requires the heads of federal agencies to use their authorities to: (1) lease their lands or permit use of their lands for shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific lands for recreational shooting activities. Sets forth requirements for a permanent or temporary withdrawal, change of classification, or change of management status that effectively closes or significantly restricts 640 or more contiguous acres of federal public lands for fishing or hunting or related activities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2013
Equitable Access to Care and Health Act or the EACH Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to minimum essential health care coverage requirements added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to allow an additional religious exemption from such requirements for individuals whose sincerely held religious beliefs would cause them to object to medical health care provided under such coverage. Defines "medical health care" to mean voluntary health treatment by or supervised by a medical doctor that would be covered under minimum essential coverage that: (1) includes voluntary acute care treatment at hospital emergency rooms, walk-in clinics, or similar facilities; and (2) excludes treatment not administered or supervised by a medical doctor, physical examinations or treatment required by law or third parties, and vaccinations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2013
District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit any person from performing or attempting to perform an abortion within the District of Columbia except in conformity with this Act's requirements. Requires the physician to first make a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child, or reasonably rely upon such a determination made by another physician, by making inquiries of the pregnant woman and performing such medical examinations and tests as a reasonably prudent physician would consider necessary. Prohibits the abortion from being performed if the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 weeks or greater. Makes an exception where necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, excluding psychological or emotional conditions. Permits a physician to terminate a pregnancy under such exception only in the manner which provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive, unless termination of the pregnancy in that manner would pose a greater risk of the death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions, of the pregnant woman than would other available methods. Prescribes penalties for violations. Bars prosecution of a woman upon whom an abortion is performed in violation of this Act, but authorizes such a woman or the father or maternal grandparent of the unborn child to obtain appropriate relief through a civil action. Provides for injunctive relief to prevent violations. Sets forth specified privacy protections in court proceedings for the woman upon whom an abortion has been performed. Requires any physician who performs an abortion within the District to report it to the Department of Health of the District of Columbia, which shall issue annual public reports.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2013
Partner with Korea Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to create an E-4 treaty trader visa category for up to 15,000 nationals of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) each fiscal year who are coming to the United States solely to perform specialty occupation services and with respect to whom the Secretary of Labor has certified to the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Secretary of State that the intending employer has filed an attestation concerning U.S. worker protections with the Secretary of Labor.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal in honor of the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, in recognition of its pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and many acts of valor in the face of adversity. Requires the medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) for display. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with the 65th Infantry Regiment, including locations in Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Kids First Research Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate: (1) the taxpayer election to designate $3 of income tax liability for financing of presidential election campaigns, (2) the Presidential Election Campaign Fund, and (3) the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account. Redesignates the Presidential Election Campaign Fund as the 10-Year Pediatric Research Initiative Fund. Makes amounts in the Fund available only for allocation to national research institutes and national centers through the Common Fund for making grants for pediatric research under this Act. Requires deposit into the Treasury general fund of any amounts in the Pediatric Research Initiative Fund that remain unobligated on October 1, 2024. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, to allocate funds appropriated under this Act to the national research institutes and national centers for making grants for pediatric research representing important areas of emerging scientific opportunities, rising public health challenges, or knowledge gaps that deserve special emphasis and would benefit from conducting or supporting additional research that involves collaboration between two or more national research institutes or national centers, or would otherwise benefit from strategic coordination and planning. Authorizes $13 million out of the 10-Year Pediatric Research Initiative Fund for each of FY2014-FY2023 for pediatric research through the Common Fund. Requires such funds to supplement, not supplant, funds otherwise allocated by NIH for pediatric research. Prohibits the use of such amounts for any purpose other than making grants for pediatric research described in this Act. Requires the Director of NIH, before continuing any health economics research grant, project, or activity, to report to Congress on the justification for such research, including the reason for giving it priority over research on pediatric diseases and disorders. Prohibits the Director from initiating any health economics research grant, project, or activity until the Director has submitted the report outlining the justification and a federal law has been enacted authorizing NIH to use funding specifically for health economics research.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2013
Community Lending Enhancement and Regulatory Relief Act of 2013 or CLEAR Relief Act of 2013 - Directs the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) to publish in the Federal Register proposed revisions to the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement on the Assessment of Financial and Managerial Factors that: (1) apply the policy to bank holding companies having pro forma consolidated assets of less than $5 billion (adjusted annually), no engagement in nonbanking activities involving significant leverage, and no significant amount of outstanding debt; and (2) increase from 1.1 to 3.1 the debt-to-equity ratio allowable for a small bank holding company in order to retain its eligibility both to pay a corporate dividend and to implement expedited processing procedures under Regulation Y of the Board. Amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to require the Board to exempt from certain escrow or impound requirements a loan secured by a first lien on a consumer's principal dwelling if the loan is held by a creditor with assets of $10 billion or less. Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to exempt from its annual privacy policy notice requirement any financial institution which: (1) provides nonpublic personal information only in accordance with specified requirements, and (2) has not changed its policies and practices regarding disclosures of nonpublic personal information from those disclosed in the most recent disclosure sent to consumers. Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to conduct cost-benefit analyses of certain new or amended generally accepted accounting principles. Requires the SEC to determine, as a prerequisite to recognition of such new or amended principles, whether the benefits to investors significantly outweigh the costs. Amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt community banks having total assets on a consolidated basis of $10 billion or less from mandatory annual management assessment of internal controls. Amends TILA to: (1) add to the definition of a qualified residential mortgage loan that it is originated and retained in a portfolio for at least three years by a creditor having less than $10 billion total assets, and (2) redefine a balloon loan that is a "qualified mortgage" to specify a balloon loan extended by a creditor that originates and retains balloon loans in a portfolio for at least three years, and, together with all affiliates, has total assets of $10 billion or less. Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to provide either exemptions or adjustments from the mortgage loan servicing and escrow account administration requirements of the Act for servicers of 20,000 or fewer mortgage loans. Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to require federal financial institutions regulatory agencies to establish a $250,000 threshold level at or below which a certified or licensed appraiser is not required to perform appraisals in connection with federally related transactions. Declares that, if an order to request for the transfer of funds (entry) is received via an automate clearing house, a receiving depository financial institution shall not be required to verify that the entry is not a prohibited transaction if the originating depository financial institution has warranted its compliance with the sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control in connection with the entry.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Medicare DMEPOS Market Pricing Program Act of 2013 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish a market pricing program for durable medical equipment (DME), prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) as a replacement for the competitive acquisition program, which is terminated as of December 31, 2013. Terminates contracts awarded before enactment of this Act on July 1, 2013. Prescribes requirements for transitional payments for items and services, including payments for diabetic supplies and off-the-shelf orthotics, in areas designated for rounds 1 and 2 of the erstwhile phase-in of the competitive acquistion program, as well as during the initial two-year period of the market pricing program. Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct market-priced auctions in eligible auction areas throughout the United States for the furnishing of market priced items and services, (2) establish an auction design through a specified process and meeting certain requirements, and (3) ensure that the first auction will be conducted for all eligible auction areas not later than 14 months after contracting with an auction expert. Directs the Secretary to: (1) select a combination of two categories of items and services for each auction, (2) establish a lead product for each product category, (3) establish for each market priced item and service a clearing price equal to the highest cost bid that will meet capacity targets in the market area, (4) award a contract to any entity in an auction's eligible market area whose bid is at or below the clearing price, and (5) monitor the performance of suppliers that are awarded a contract to ensure their compliance with certain requirements. Requires the Secretary, through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, to contract with an auction expert and a market monitor to assist in the design, development, implementation, and functioning of the auction. Requires the market monitor, on an ongoing basis, also to monitor suppliers and the effects of the market pricing program. Rescinds unobligated balances of all discretionary appropriations for each fiscal year (except those for accounts, programs, projects and activities operated by the Department of Defense [DOD] or the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA]) in an amount necessary to make this Act budget neutral for such fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2013
Cutting Costly Codes Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from implementing, administering, or enforcing specified regulations insofar as they would replace International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 with ICD-10 as a standard for code sets for appropriate data elements for financial and administrative transactions involving the electronic exchange of health information. (The ICD is a health care classification system of diagnostic codes for classifying diseases.)
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2013
Census Reform Act of 2013 - Repeals various census programs of the Department of Commerce, including: (1) the collection and publication of agricultural statistics; (2) the census of manufactures, mineral industries, and other businesses; (3) the mid-decade census, and (4) the census of governments. Repeals the authority of the Secretary of Commerce to conduct any surveys, sampling, or questionnaires other than those necessary to conduct the decennial census of population. Repeals the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997. Prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from carrying out any activities required to be conducted in 2013 under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2013
Farming Flexibility Act of 2013 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to consider mung beans and pulse crops as covered commodities whose planting on base acres is prohibited unless the commodity, if planted, is destroyed before harvest. Provides that: (1) as of crop year 2014 producers on a farm may reduce the base acres for any covered commodity for a crop year by one acre for each acre used for the production of fruits or vegetables (other than potatoes) for processing; (2) such acres devoted to fruits or vegetables shall be included in base acres for the covered commodity for the subsequent crop year unless the producers on the farm make the election to produce fruits and vegetables for the subsequent crop year; and (3) if a farm's base acres are recalculated the production of fruits or vegetables shall be considered to be the same as the planting, prevented planting, or production of a covered commodity.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Buffett Rule Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers to donate an amount (not less than $1), in addition to any tax owed, which shall be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury and transferred to an account used to reduce the public debt. Requires such donation to be designated on a taxpayer's income tax return at the time such return is filed.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Congressional Oversight to Start Taxpayer Savings Resolution or COST Savings Resolution - Amends Rule X (Organization of Committees) of the Rules of the House of Representatives to require each standing committee (except the Committee on Appropriations) with the proper jurisdiction, after the Comptroller General reports annually to Congress on federal programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives with duplicative goals and activities, to conduct hearings on the report's recommendations for consolidation and elimination of the program or agency.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit a veterinarian who is registered to manufacture or distribute controlled substances from being required to have a separate registration in order to transport and dispense controlled substances in the usual course of veterinary practice at a site other than such veterinarian's principal place of business or professional practice, as long as the dispensing site is located in a state where the veterinarian is licensed to practice.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009: (1) was a "bill for raising revenue" as those words were intended to be understood in article I, section 7, clause 1 of the Constitution; and (2) did not originate in the House of Representatives.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2013 - Defines a "covered civil action" as a civil action seeking to compel agency action and alleging that an agency is unlawfully withholding or unreasonably delaying an agency action relating to a regulatory action that would affect: (1) the rights of private persons other than the person bringing the action; or (2) a state, local, or tribal government. Defines a "covered consent decree" or a "covered settlement agreement" as: (1) a consent decree or settlement agreement entered into a covered civil action, and (2) any other consent decree or settlement agreement that requires agency action relating to such a regulatory action that affects the rights of such persons or governments. Requires an agency against which a covered civil action is brought to publish the notice of intent to sue and the complaint in a readily accessible manner, including by making such notice and complaint available online not later than 15 days after receiving service of such notice or complaint Requires an agency seeking to enter a covered consent decree or settlement agreement to publish such decree or agreement in the Federal Register and online not later than 60 days before it is filed with the court. Provides for public comment and public hearings on such decree or agreement. Requires the Attorney General or an agency head, if an agency is litigating a matter independently, to certify to the court that the Attorney General or the agency head approves of: (1) any proposed covered consent decree that includes terms that convert into a nondiscretionary duty a discretionary authority of an agency to propose, promulgate, revise, or amend regulations, commit an agency to expend funds that have not been appropriated and budgeted or to seek a particular appropriation or budget authorization, divest an agency of discretion committed to it by statute or the Constitution, or otherwise afford any relief that the court could not enter under its own authority; or (2) any proposed covered settlement agreement that includes terms that provide a remedy for a failure by the agency to comply with the terms of the agreement other than the revival of the civil action resolved by the agreement, interfere with the authority of an agency to revise, amend, or issue rules, or commit the agency to expend funds that have not been appropriated and budgeted or to exercise in a particular way discretion which was committed to the agency by statute or the Constitution. Requires a court to grant de novo review of a covered consent decree or settlement agreement if an agency files a motion to modify such decree or agreement on the basis that its terms are no longer fully in the public interest due to the agency's obligations to fulfill other duties or due to changed facts and circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Pest Free Food Supply Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw the proposed order published in the January 19, 2011, Federal Register that would phase out the authorized fluoride tolerances for the pesticide sulfuryl fluoride (resulting in the substance no longer meeting the safety standard under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act).
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Recognizes the independence of Israel as a significant event in providing refuge and a national homeland for the Jewish people and in establishing a democracy in the Middle East. Commends the bipartisan commitment of successive U.S. administrations and Congresses since 1948 to stand by Israel. Asserts the commitment of Congress to stand with Israel during times of uncertainty and reaffirms its bipartisan support for the alliance and friendship between the United States and Israel. Supports Israel's right to exist as a democratic, Jewish state and to defend itself and its people. Congratulates the United States and Israel for the strengthening of bilateral relations during the past decade in the fields of defense, diplomacy, and homeland security. Congratulates the people of Israel as they celebrate the 65th anniversary of Israel's independence.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 - 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.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) which apply such grants to their collegiate housing property.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Educational Opportunities Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers a tax credit for charitable contributions to a scholarship granting organization. Allows a maximum credit amount of $4,500 ($2,250 for a married individual filing a separate return). Defines "scholarship granting organization" as a tax-exempt entity whose exclusive purpose is to provide scholarships for the tuition and other expenses of elementary and secondary school students from low income households (i.e., household income not exceeding 250% of federal poverty guidelines). Allows corporate taxpayers a tax credit, up to $100,000, for contributions to a scholarship granting organization. Imposes a penalty on scholarship granting organizations that fail to distribute at least 90% of their total receipts for elementary and secondary school expenses in a taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2013
Accountability in Unemployment Act of 2013 - 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 · 20 March 2013
Flexibility to Farm Act - Permits the chief executive of a state to exempt farmers in the state from a requirement of a covered federal environmental law by determining that such requirement is unduly burdensome. Requires the chief executive to solicit and accept public comments for at least 90 days before finalizing any such determination. Defines "covered federal environmental law" to mean the Clean Air Act insofar as it applies to emissions of air pollutants other than those resulting from the combustion of fossil fuel and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act).
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2013
Auto Enroll Repeal Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to repeal the requirement that employers with more than 200 full-time employees that offer enrollment in one or more health benefits plans enroll automatically all new full-time employees in one of those plans.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rokita, Todd [R-IN-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_in_4_rokita_todd_200.jpg)