United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
This bill requires the annual reports submitted by the Department of State to Congress concerning the U.S. plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly (WHA) held by the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, to include an account of the changes and improvements that the State Department has made to such plan following any annual meetings of the WHA at which Taiwan did not obtain such status.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to allow the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) to subject a bank holding company to enhanced supervision if: (1) the company has been identified as a global systemically important company; or (2) the risk of the company's financial distress, or the nature of the company's activities, could pose a threat to the financial stability of the United States. Currently, companies are subject to this type of oversight if they possess at least $50 billion in assets or are a nonbank financial company under the FRB's supervision. The Financial Stability Oversight Council must approve of any metrics used by the FRB in determining by regulation that a category of bank holding companies is subject to enhanced supervision. Under this bill, companies subject to enhanced supervision may be required to limit mergers and acquisitions, restrict products offered, or maintain a certain debt ratio. The FRB must publish the list of companies that have been identified as requiring enhanced supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2017
President John F. Kennedy Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of President John F. Kennedy. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, which shall be paid by Treasury to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to support the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2017
Veteran Education Empowerment Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to make grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or consortia of IHEs for the establishment, maintenance, improvement, and operation of veteran student centers. A veteran student center is a dedicated space on a campus that provides students who are veterans or members of the Armed Forces with: (1) a lounge or meeting space for themselves, their spouses or partners, and veterans in the community; (2) a centralized office for veteran services that serves as a single point of contact to coordinate veterans support services; and (3) comprehensive academic and tutoring services to veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2017
Recognizes the life and accomplishments of Liu Xiaobo. Calls for the Chinese government to release his wife and allow her to settle in a place or country of her own choosing.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Recognizes National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Recognizes the rate at which individuals are affected by eating disorders and the inadequate rate at which such individuals seek treatment. Acknowledges that eating disorders can be successfully treated and that individuals with eating disorders can and do recover.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2017
Mental Health Awareness Semipostal Stamp Act This bill directs the United States Postal Service to issue and sell, at a premium, a Mental Health Awareness Semipostal Stamp. Use of this stamp must be voluntary for postal patrons. Proceeds from the sale of this stamp must be transferred to the National Institute of Mental Health to help fund mental illness research and suicide prevention programs. The stamp must be available to the public for at least six years.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2017
Expresses support for: (1) equal rights and protections for all people, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; and (2) the designation of LGBT Equality Day on June 26 to commemorate Supreme Court decisions handed down on that day in 2003, 2013, and 2015. Acknowledges the need for further legislation to ensure that people in the United States are free from all forms of discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2017
Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2017 This bill states that it is U.S. policy to regard the prevention of genocide and other atrocity crimes as a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility. The President shall instruct the Department of State to establish a Mass Atrocities Task Force to strengthen State Department efforts and assist other agency efforts at atrocity prevention and response. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended to provide for the training of Foreign Service Officers in conflict and atrocity crimes prevention. The Director of National Intelligence is encouraged to include in his or her annual testimony to Congress on threats to U.S. national security: (1) a review of countries and regions at risk of atrocity crimes; and (2) specific countries and regions at immediate risk of atrocity crimes, including most likely pathways to violence, specific risk factors, potential perpetrators, and at-risk target groups. The bill establishes the Complex Crises Fund to enable the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to support programs and activities to prevent or respond to emerging or unforeseen foreign challenges and complex crises overseas, including potential atrocity crimes. Fund amounts may not be expended for lethal assistance or to respond to natural disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2017
This bill directs the United States Postal Service to issue and sell an Alzheimer's Disease Research Semipostal Stamp. Proceeds from the sale of the stamp must be transferred to the National Institutes of Health. The stamp must be made available to the public for six years.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2017
Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to expand training and support services for families and caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2017
Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act of 2017 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow borrowers to defer student loans while they are receiving cancer treatment and during the six months after treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2017
Reaffirms: (1) the bipartisan commitment of the United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of refugees; and (2) the goals of World Refugee Day. Recognizes those who have risked their lives to provide life-saving assistance and to help protect people displaced by conflict. Calls upon the U.S. government to: uphold its international leadership role in responding to displacement crises with humanitarian assistance for, and protection of, the most vulnerable populations; work in partnership with the international community to find solutions to existing conflicts and to prevent new conflicts; continue to support the efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and to advance the work of nongovernmental organizations to protect refugees regardless of their country of origin or religious beliefs; and continue to mitigate, through humanitarian and development support, the burden placed on frontline refugee host countries that absorb the majority of the world's refugees.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Permanence Act of 2017 This bill directs the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to establish a Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Matching Grant Program to provide matching funds for the development, expansion, or continuation of tax preparation programs to assist low-income taxpayers and members of underserved populations. Unless otherwise provided by a specific appropriation, the IRS may not allocate more than $30 million per fiscal year (exclusive of costs of administering the program) for the program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
Restore Honor to Service Members Act This bill requires appropriate military record correction boards or discharge review boards to review the discharge characterization of any former members of the Armed Forces requesting a review who were discharged because of their sexual orientation. Such boards to change a characterization to honorable if such characterization is any characterization except honorable. The Department of Defense (DOD) shall ensure that any such changes are carried out consistently and uniformly across the military departments using specified criteria, including that: (1) the original discharge was based on the policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell (as in effect before it was repealed pursuant to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010) or a similar earlier policy; and (2) the discharge characterization will be changed if, with respect to the original discharge, there were no aggravating circumstances that would have independently led to any discharge characterization except honorable. The bill prohibits "aggravating circumstances" from including: (1) an offense of sodomy committed by the member against a consenting person of the same sex; or (2) statements, consensual sexual conduct, or consensual acts relating to sexual orientation or identity, or the disclosure of such statements, conduct, or acts, that were prohibited at the time of discharge but that became permitted after such discharge. Each military department shall ensure that oral historians of the department: (1) review discharges between World War II and September 2011 based on sexual orientation, and (2) receive oral testimony of individuals who personally experienced discrimination and discharge because of actual or perceived sexual orientation so that such testimony may serve as an official record of such discriminatory policies and their impact on American lives. Specified military personnel records and discharge forms must be reissued in a manner that shall not reflect the sexual orientation of the member.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover medically necessary cranial prostheses (e.g., wigs) as durable medical equipment under the Medicare program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
National Museum of the American Latino Act This bill establishes the National Museum of the American Latino in the Smithsonian Institution. The purposes of the museum are to: (1) illuminate Latino contributions to the story of the United States; (2) provide for the collection, study, research, publication, and establishment of exhibitions and programs related to Latino life, art, history, and culture; and (3) provide for collaboration with Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers and other museums and educational institutions in the United States and abroad to promote the study and appreciation of Latino life, art, history, culture, and its impact on society in the United States. The bill establishes a Board of Trustees for the museum to advise and assist the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian on all matters related to the administration and preservation of the museum. The Director of the museum shall manage the museum and may carry out educational and liaison programs in support of its goals. The Board of Regents shall designate a site for the museum and is authorized to design and construct it.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2017
Open Fuel Act of 2017 This bill requires each fleet of a manufacturer of passenger automobiles (including light-duty motor vehicles) to be comprised of at least: 50% qualified vehicles in model year 2020, and 80% qualified vehicles in model year 2021 and each subsequent year. A "qualified vehicle" is: a vehicle that operates on natural gas, hydrogen, or biodiesel; a flexible fuel vehicle capable of operating on gasoline, E85, and M85; a plug-in electric drive vehicle; or a vehicle propelled solely by fuel cell or by something other than an internal combustion engine. The bill authorizes: (1) a manufacturer to request an exemption from such requirement for specified models, lines, and types of automobiles; and (2) the Department of Transportation to grant such an exemption upon determining that unavoidable events prevent the manufacturer from meeting its required production volume of qualified automobiles.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2017
Expresses that the House of Representatives: remembers the victims, their families, the survivors, and the community one year since the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States; acknowledges the scars are still fresh and the community is still recovering from this tragedy; offers support to the brave men and women of the emergency response teams, law enforcement agencies who responded to the scene of the shooting, and the medical personnel who treated victims and survivors; acknowledges the threat of homegrown terrorists and will work together to ensure such a tragedy is not repeated; stands united together against terrorism and hatred, and will not permit prejudice, violence, and fear to diminish the U.S. ideals of compassion, liberty, equality, and freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2017
Combating BDS Act of 2017 This bill allows a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, prohibit investment of its assets in, or restrict contracting with: (1) an entity that engages in a commerce- or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel; or (2) an entity that owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership or control with such an entity. Such measures are not preempted by federal law. A state or local government that seeks to adopt or enforce such measures shall comply with specified requirements related to notice, timing, and opportunity for comment. In addition, the bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to prohibit a person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against a registered investment company based solely upon that company's divestment from securities issued by a person that engages in a commerce- or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2017
Voices for Veterans Act This bill: (1) expands the membership of the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to include veterans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and (2) extend the Commission through December 31, 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2017
Humane Cosmetics Act This bill prohibits testing cosmetics on animals, effective on the date that is one year after enactment of this bill. No cosmetic may be sold or transported if the final product or any component was developed or manufactured using animal testing after that date, effective three years after enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2017 This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl in recognition of his acts of valor during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 to require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct and update at least once every seven years an ocean acidification coastal community vulnerability assessment with a corresponding public report. The assessment must identify: (1) U.S. coastal communities that are most dependent on coastal and ocean resources that may be impacted by ocean acidification; (2) the nature of those communities' social and economic vulnerabilities; (3) impacts from changes in ocean and coastal marine resources that are not managed by the federal government; and (4) key knowledge gaps where research could be devoted to better understand the possible ocean acidification impacts, risks, threats, and possible adaptation strategies for the communities. In carrying out the ocean acidification coastal community vulnerability assessment, NOAA must collaborate with state and local government entities that are conducting or have completed vulnerability assessments, strategic research planning, or other similar activities related to ocean acidification and its impacts on coastal communities. NOAA's ocean acidification program is expanded to include an ongoing mechanism that allows affected industry members, coastal stakeholders, non-federal resource managers, and outside scientific experts not employed by the federal government to provide input on research, data, and monitoring necessary to support on-the-ground management, decision making, and adaptation related to ocean acidification and its impacts. The strategic plan for ocean acidification research and monitoring developed by the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council must make recommendations for research to address the key knowledge gaps identified in the community vulnerability assessment report.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act of 2017 This bill states that it shall be U.S. policy to prevent Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or any affiliate or successor from accessing its international support networks. The President shall report to Congress for up to three years identifying foreign persons, agencies, or instrumentalities that knowingly and materially assist any such organization. The President shall impose two or more of the following sanctions on an identified person, agency, or instrumentality, including the denial of: (1) Export-Import guarantees, credit, or insurance; (2) defense article sales or services; (3) munitions export licenses; (4) exports of goods or technology controlled for national security reasons; and (5) loans or credit of more than $10 million. The President shall: (1) periodically report to Congress identifying each foreign government that provides support for acts of terrorism or material support to any such organization; (2) impose on an identified government a one-year suspension of U.S. assistance, international loans or technical assistance, and munitions exports; (3) prohibit such government's transactions in foreign exchanges that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction; and (4) prohibit credit or payment transfers between financial institutions that involve any interest of such a government and that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction. The President shall report to Congress regarding countries: (1) that support any such organization, or in which Hamas maintains important portions of its financial, fund raising, or money laundering networks; and (2) that are or are not taking adequate steps to counter such activities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to the U.S.-Canadian partnership. Supports: (1) stronger trade relations with Canada and the creation of more American jobs, and (2) an increased focus on energy security through greater energy infrastructure integration. Encourages greater security collaboration in the areas of defense, border security, cyber-security, and Arctic security.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Venezuela Humanitarian Assistance and Defense of Democratic Governance Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of State to work through nongovernmental organizations to provide public health commodities, basic food commodities, and related technical assistance to Venezuela. The State Department shall submit a multi-year strategy to Congress that: (1) describes how the United States will secure international support for the provision of humanitarian assistance to Venezuela, and (2) identifies governments that will provide financial and technical assistance. The President shall use U.S. influence to place the humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela on the United Nations Security Council agenda and to secure a statement urging the Venezuelan government to allow the delivery of humanitarian relief. If the government of Venezuela refuses to allow such delivery, the President shall use U.S. influence to secure a U.N. Security Council resolution: (1) directing the government of Venezuela to allow access for humanitarian agencies; and (2) calling on such government to allow the delivery of food and medicine, end human rights violations, agree to free elections, cease violence, and release all political prisoners. The State Department shall work: (1) with the Organization of American States to ensure international observation that contributes to free and transparent electoral processes in Venezuela, and (2) to defend internationally recognized human rights for the people of Venezuela, support the efforts of independent media outlets to share information beyond the limited channels made available by the Venezuelan government, facilitate open access to the Internet, and combat government corruption. The State Department shall report to Congress regarding: (1) the involvement in corruption of senior Venezuelan officials, including members of the National Electoral Council, the judicial system, and government security forces; and (2) Russian cooperation with the government and armed forces of Venezuela. The bill amends the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014 to: (1) direct the President to impose sanctions on any current or former official of the Venezuela government who is determined to have perpetrated significant acts of public corruption or actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions, and (2) extend the requirement to impose sanctions under such Act until December 31, 2022.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Expresses appreciation to the European Union (EU) for the progress made in countering Hizballah since the EU designated Hizballah's military wing as a terrorist organization. Supports: (1) U.S.-EU cooperation in thwarting Hizballah's criminal and terrorist activities; and (2) transcontinental efforts within Europe to share intelligence information among police and security services to facilitate greater cooperation in tracking, apprehending, and prosecuting terrorists, foreign fighters, and potential offenders. Encourages the EU, in tandem with the United States, to implement sanctions against Hizballah-affiliated terrorists. Urges the EU to designate Hizballah as a terrorist organization and increase pressure on the group, including through: better cross-border cooperation among EU members, issuing arrest warrants against Hizballah members and supporters, freezing Hizballah's assets, and prohibiting fund raising activities in support of Hizballah.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
United States-Israel Agriculture Strategic Partnership Act This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture to establish a program for cooperative research and development in agriculture with the government of Israel. The purpose of the program is to establish a framework to enhance the collaboration between the United States and Israel in research and development activities relating to agriculture, including between public and private entities. The bill also authorizes the Department of State to establish a binational task force to provide guidance and oversight with respect to the cooperative research and development program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Match Veterans to Student Loan Protections Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the federal student loan discharge process for a veteran who has a total and permanent disability. Specifically, it directs the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a computer matching program for ED to identify the borrowers who: (1) have been assigned a service-connected disability rating of 100% by the VA, or (2) are unemployable due to a service-connected condition. ED must notify such borrowers of their eligibility for federal student loan discharge and provide simple instructions for applying.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2017
United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Extension Act This bill amends the United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015 to extend Jordan's inclusion among the countries eligible for certain streamlined defense sales until December 31, 2022. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the governments of the United States and Jordan should negotiate a new Memorandum of Understanding through FY2022 to enhance Jordan's military capacity and local economy. The President is authorized to establish and operate an enterprise fund to provide assistance to Jordan. The fund's authority to provide assistance shall terminate on the earlier of December 31, 2022, or the date on which the fund is liquidated in accordance with this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2017
Every Child Deserves a Family Act This bill prohibits adoption or foster care placement entities that receive federal assistance from using the sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status of a prospective adoptive or foster parent, or from using the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child, to: (1) deny a person the opportunity to become an adoptive or foster parent; (2) delay or deny the placement of a child for adoption or into foster care; or (3) require different or additional screenings or procedures for adoptive or foster placement decisions, including whether to seek the termination of birth parent rights or to make a child legally available for adoptive placement. This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish guidance on legal compliance with the requirements of this bill and to assist entities with casework practices, recruitment efforts, and cultural competency training. This bill allows HHS to withhold payments under part B (Child and Family Services) or part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act from states that fail to comply with the requirements of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2017
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the rights to peacefully assemble and freely express one's views are essential to American democracy; and (2) the United States should take steps to strengthen free press and civil society freedoms in countries such as Turkey. Calls for: (1) any Turkish security official who directed or participated in efforts by Turkish security forces to suppress peaceful protests outside of the Turkish Ambassador's residence in Washington, DC on May 16, 2017, to be charged and prosecuted under U.S. law; (2) the Secret Service and the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State to review such incident and confirm with the Turkish National Police the standards expected by visiting security details; (3) the State Department to request the waiver of immunity of any Turkish security detail official who engaged in assault in the United States prior to such individual's release from custody; and (4) the State Department to review its security procedures to mitigate the likelihood of such an incident in the future. Declares that U.S. respect for free speech requires U.S. officials to speak out against such incidents.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2017
Condemns the violence and persecution in Chechnya. Calls on: Chechen officials to cease the abduction, detention, and torture of individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation and hold accountable those involved in perpetrating such abuses; the government of the Russian Federation to protect the human rights of all its citizens, condemn the violence and persecution, investigate such crimes in Chechnya, and hold accountable those involved in perpetrating such abuses; and the U.S. government to continue to condemn the violence and persecution in Chechnya and demand the release of individuals wrongfully detained. Affirms that the rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression and freedom from extrajudicial detention and violence are universal human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2017
Gun Violence Restraining Order Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the sale, transfer to, receipt of, or possession of a firearm by a person who is subject to a gun violence prevention order. A gun violence prevention order is a court order that prohibits an individual from owning, purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm. The bill authorizes the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to make grants to states that have in effect legislation that: (1) authorizes a family member, or a law enforcement officer, to apply for a gun violence prevention order against an individual who may pose a significant risk to themselves or others; (2) authorizes a law enforcement officer to temporarily seize firearms from that individual, subject to a warrant; and (3) requires law enforcement agencies to comply with certain requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2017
National Park Service Legacy Act of 2017 This bill: (1) establishes the National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund, and (2) requires specified amounts of federal mineral revenues that are not otherwise credited, covered, or deposited pursuant to federal law to be deposited into such fund each fiscal year through FY2047. Amounts in the fund shall be used for meeting high-priority deferred maintenance needs of the National Park Service (NPS) as follows: 20% shall be allocated to transportation-related projects that may be eligible for funding made available to the NPS through the federal lands transportation program or any similar federal land highway program administered by the Department of Transportation; and 80% shall be allocated for the repair and rehabilitation of assets for certain projects that are not eligible for funding under such programs, including historic assets, nonhistoric assets related to visitor access, health and safety, and recreation, and visitor facilities, water and utility systems, and employee housing. No fund amounts may be used by the NPS to acquire land or to supplant discretionary funding made available for annually recurring facility operations and maintenance needs. As part of its annual budget submission, the NPS shall submit a prioritized list of deferred maintenance projects proposed to be funded by such fund during the fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2017
Medical Nutrition Equity Act of 2017 This bill provides for coverage, under Medicare, Medicaid, other specified federal health-care programs, and private health insurance, of foods and vitamins that are medically necessary for the management of certain digestive and metabolic disorders and conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2017
Huntington's Disease Parity Act of 2017 This bill amends title II (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to waive, for individuals diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage. Current law generally applies this waiting period to individuals deemed eligible for OASDI benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2017
Reef Assassin Act This bill directs the Department of Commerce to issue regulations under which a participating state may allow individuals to exchange 100 lionfish for one tag that authorizes recreational or commercial fishing for covered species. (Covered species are red snapper, gag grouper, triggerfish, and amberjack.)
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2017
Reaffirms a strong commitment to a U.S.-Mexico partnership based on mutual respect and the promotion of shared democratic values. Supports: (1) continued bilateral cooperation through the High Level Economic Dialogue on issues related to the economic well-being and security of both countries; (2) continued engagement with Mexico to tackle regional issues and work together in international fora; and (3) efforts by the Mexican government to strengthen the rule of law, reduce corruption, and advance civil and human rights. Encourages continued security cooperation between the United States and Mexican law enforcement agencies and militaries.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2017
American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue commemorative coins in recognition and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Legion. Surcharges received from the sale of these coins shall be paid to the American Legion for costs related to promoting the importance of: (1) caring for those who have served, and those who are still serving, in the Armed Forces; and (2) maintaining patriotic values, strong families, and assistance for at-risk children.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2017
Expresses the sense of Congress that: the atrocities committed by totalitarian regimes under the banner of communism should be recognized and condemned, the contributions of dissidents in the fight against communist oppression should be recognized and celebrated, and federal agencies and institutions should support the establishment of a prospective museum to memorialize the victims of communism.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2017
Stop Online Booking Scams Act of 2017 This bill prohibits third-party online hotel reservation sellers from charging a consumer's credit card or financial accounts in an Internet transaction for a hotel unless they disclose: (1) a description of the offered good or service, the cost, and other material terms before the conclusion of the transaction; (2) that the third-party seller is not affiliated with the hotel owner or an entity that provides the hotel services or accommodations; (3) that the third-party seller is not an exhibition organizer, a meeting planner, or the official housing bureau for an event at the hotel; and (4) the brand identity of the third party online or over the phone. The bill provides authority to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and states to enforce against violations. The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that the FTC should revise its website to make it easier for consumers and businesses to report complaints of deceptive practices with respect to online booking of hotel reservations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2017
Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2017 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the Federal Perkins Loans program through September 30, 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2017
Seismic Moratorium Act This bill prohibits conducting geological or geophysical activities in support of oil or gas exploration and development in any area located within a specified exclusive economic zone located off the coastline of Florida. This moratorium shall only be terminated if the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determines that the reasonably foreseeable impacts of such activities are minimal to individuals or populations of marine mammals, sea turtles, or fish. These geological and geophysical activities are described in the final programmatic environmental impact statement of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled "Atlantic OCS Proposed Geological and Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas," which was completed in February 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2017
Protecting Girls' Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act or the Protecting Girls' Access to Education Act This bill urges the consideration of the educational needs of vulnerable women and girls in designing, implementing, and evaluating U.S. foreign assistance policies and programs. The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) may advance programs that: provide safe, primary and secondary education for displaced children; build the capacity of institutions in countries hosting displaced people to prevent displaced children from facing educational discrimination; and help increase the access of displaced children, especially girls, to educational, economic, and entrepreneurial opportunities. The State Department and USAID may: coordinate with multilateral organizations to work with foreign governments to collect relevant data, disaggregated by age and gender, on the ability of displaced people to access education and participate in economic activity; and work with domestic and foreign private sector and civil society organizations to promote safe, primary and secondary education for displaced children.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2017
Everglades Flow Increases Rely on Storage and Treatment Act or the Everglades FIRST Act This bill directs the Department of the Army to expedite completion of the reports for the following projects in Florida and to expedite completion of construction of the projects it determines are feasible: Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservoirs, Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project, Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project, and Western Everglades Restoration Project.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2017
Calls on the government of Iran to: (1) release Siamak Namazi, Baquer Namazi, Karan Vafadari, Afarin Niasari, Nizar Zakka, and any other U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident alien, or foreign national being held in Iran; and (2) fulfill its promises to assist in locating and returning Robert Levinson. Encourages the President to: (1) take meaningful action to secure the release of such individuals if Iran does not do so, and (2) make the release of U.S. citizens and legal permanent resident aliens held hostage by the Iranian government the highest of priorities. Requests the United States and its allies whose nationals have been detained to consider establishing a multinational task force to secure the release of the detainees.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2017
PLO Accountability Act of 2017 This bill amends the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987 to authorize the President to waive for up to six months the prohibition against establishment or maintenance of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) offices, headquarters, premises, or other facilities within U.S. jurisdiction if the President certifies to Congress that the Palestinians have entered into a final negotiated peace agreement with, and have ceased hostilities against, Israel or that: the Palestinians have not, on or after January 1, 2017, obtained state standing in the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof outside an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians; the Palestinians have officially ceased to be International Criminal Court (ICC) members and have withdrawn from the Rome Statute of the ICC; any ICC investigation against Israel initiated by, or on behalf of, the Palestinians has been withdrawn and terminated; the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA) no longer provide financial awards, payments, salaries, or benefits to Palestinians who have committed terrorist attacks, their families, or the families of those who died committing acts of terrorism; and the PLO and the PA have ceased to engage in a pattern of incitement against the United States or Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2017
This bill amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to repeal the deferral until sale of the duty on large yachts imported for sale at U.S. boat shows. Any used yacht with a valid U.S. cruising license, instead, may enter, may be offered for sale in, and may remain in, the U.S. customs territory without the payment of duty, but subject to certain conditions. If the used yacht, while in the U.S. customs territory, is sold to a U.S. resident: entry of the used yacht shall be completed and duty shall be deposited with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within 15 days after completion of the sale, and by the same deadline any yacht broker or dealer involved in the sale must collect and remit that duty to the CBP. The duty on the sale of that yacht shall be: calculated at the applicable rate under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, and based upon the yacht's value at the time of sale. No posting of bond for this duty may be required upon the used yacht's entry into the U.S. customs territory.
![Official portrait of Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-27]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000435_200.jpg)