United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019
Expanding Access to Graduate Education Act of 2019 This bill allows income-eligible graduate students who received Pell Grants during their undergraduate education to utilize their remaining Pell Grant eligibility toward their first graduate degree, subject to the existing 12-semester duration limit. Currently, Pell Grants are available only to undergraduate students.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5186 Benito Street in Montclair, California, as the "Paul Eaton Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 This bill directs various departments to assess whether political developments in Hong Kong justify changing Hong Kong's unique treatment under U.S. law. Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system. The Department of State shall report annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China to justify its unique treatment. The report shall assess whether China has eroded Hong Kong's civil liberties and rule of law as protected by Hong Kong's Basic Law. The Department of Commerce shall report annually to Congress on China's efforts to use Hong Kong to evade U.S. export controls and sanctions. The President shall provide Congress an assessment as to whether to withdraw from the U.S.-Hong Kong extradition treaty, and what actions are needed to protect U.S. citizens and national security interests, if Hong Kong (1) amends its laws to allow the rendition of individuals to countries that lack defendants' rights protections, or (2) passes a national security law. The State Department shall allow otherwise qualified Hong Kong residents to obtain visas to work or study in the United States, even if the applicant had been arrested for participating in certain nonviolent protests supporting human rights or the rule of law. The President shall report to Congress a list of individuals responsible for abducting and torturing people for exercising internationally recognized human rights in Hong Kong. The bill bars such individuals from entering the United States and imposes sanctions on them.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2019 This bill generally prohibits deceptive practices, false statements, and voter interference regarding federal elections. Specifically, the bill prohibits any person, within 60 days before an election, from communicating, causing to be communicated, or producing for communication certain information on voting, if the person (1) knows such information to be materially false, and (2) has the intent to impede or prevent another person from exercising the right to vote in an election. The bill also prohibits false statements regarding public endorsements and hindering, interfering with, or preventing voting or registering to vote. A private right of action for preventive relief is established for persons aggrieved by violations of these prohibitions. Criminal penalties are also established for violations. If the Department of Justice (DOJ) receives a credible report that materially false information has been or is being communicated in violation of these prohibitions, DOJ must communicate to the public accurate information designed to correct the materially false information.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Carbon Capture Prize Act The bill directs the Department of Energy to carry out a competition to award prizes for technology that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, including through direct carbon removal and permanent sequestration.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Ending One-Ring Scams Act of 2019 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to initiate a proceeding to protect called parties from one-ring scams. These scams generally involve illegal robocallers hanging up after one ring, with the goal of having the targeted person call them back.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Protecting Infrastructure and Promoting the Economy Act or the PIPE Act This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program for drinking water or wastewater infrastructure projects.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act This bill imposes requirements and standards related to the care of aliens in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. CBP shall conduct an initial health screening of each alien in custody to identify those with acute conditions and high-risk vulnerabilities and to provide appropriate healthcare. CBP shall conduct the screening within 12 hours of each alien's initial detention, and within 3 hours for certain priority individuals such as children, pregnant women, and those with disabilities. The bill imposes various requirements related to the services, personnel, and infrastructure for providing such screenings, such as providing interpreters, chaperones, and mental health treatment when necessary. CBP shall ensure detainees have access to drinking water, toilets, sanitation facilities, hygiene products, food, and shelter. The bill imposes certain standards relating to such requirements, such as the minimum amount of drinking water and space for each detainee. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall enter into memoranda of understanding with various emergency government relief agencies to address instances when surge capacity is necessary. The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct unannounced inspections of ports of entry, border patrol stations, and detention facilities and report the results to Congress. The Government Accountability Office shall assess CBP's management of such facilities and whether CBP and DHS processes are in compliance with this bill's requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to implement, administer, enforce, or carry out the proposed Department of Homeland Security rule entitled Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds . The rule makes aliens who are likely at any time to become a public charge and receive certain public benefits inadmissible.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2019 This bill provides for coverage under Medicare of genetic counseling services that are furnished by genetic counselors. Covered services include those services, as well as incidental services and supplies, that would otherwise be covered under Medicare if provided by a physician.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2019 This bill establishes restrictions on businesses that relocate call centers or redirect customer service calls to locations outside the United States. Specifically, a business must notify the Department of Labor that it intends to move its customer service call center overseas and Labor must maintain a publicly available list of such businesses. Subject to narrow exceptions, a business appearing on such list is ineligible to receive federal grants or guaranteed loans for five years after the business is added to the list. Further, agencies must condition the awarding of government contracts on the requirement that any call center activity pursuant to the contract must be performed in the United States. Additionally, the bill requires call center employees to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each call initiated or received, unless all employees of the business participating in the communication are located in the United States, among other exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act This bill makes permanent, beginning in FY2020, funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The President shall annually submit to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Transportation Emergency Relief Funds Availability Act This bill revises the treatment of deadlines for federal-aid highways and public transportation projects emergency relief funds awarded by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The bill repeals the current two-year deadline for emergency relief projects to advance to the construction obligation stage. DOT must allow up to six years for projects funded through an emergency relief program to advance to construction. The new six-year deadline starts following the date on which a disaster was declared by a state's governor or the President.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student aid programs to share contact information for suicide prevention resources with students. If IHEs distribute student identification cards, then they must include on the cards phone numbers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line, and a campus mental-health center or program. If IHEs do not create such cards, then they must publish the numbers on the IHEs' websites.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
This resolution recognizes the contributions of the Montagnard indigenous tribespeople who fought loyally and bravely alongside U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War and who continue to suffer persecution in Vietnam. The resolution condemns Vietnamese suppression of basic human rights and civil liberties and urges that the Montagnard tribespeople be provided access to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for resettlement in the United States and in other countries.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2019
Mental Health Parity Compliance Act This bill revises the mental health parity rules to require private health insurance plans that offer both medical and mental health coverage to prepare a comparative analysis of nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs). (NQTLs are limitations on the scope or duration of benefits for treatment, such as preauthorization requirements.) The comparative analysis must be available for the Department of Health and Human Services upon request and must include (1) a description of the NQTL and the specific services to which it applies, (2) the factors used to determine when the NQTL will apply, and (3) a description of how the NQTLs applicable to mental health or substance use disorder benefits are comparable to, and no more stringent than, the NQTLs applicable to medical or surgical benefits, among other information.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2019
CECL Consumer Impact and Study Bill of 2019 This bill directs the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal financial regulators to report on the implementation of the Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL) accounting standard and its impact on credit availability, capital requirements, financial institutions, and nonfinancial institutions. Required compliance with the CECL standard is delayed until one year after submission of this report.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2019
Improving Legal Services for Female Veterans Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a partnership with at least one nongovernmental organization to provide legal services to women veterans. The partnership must focus on the 10 highest unmet needs of women veterans as identified by the Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups (CHALENG) survey.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2019
Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment Act or the EFFORT Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation to support merit-reviewed and competitively awarded research on the science of opioid addiction.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2019
75th Anniversary of the End of World War II Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 coins, 500,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The coins shall be emblematic of the sacrifices made by millions of people of the United States 75 years ago in bringing an end to World War II. The design on each coin shall represent the World War II Victory Medal, which was awarded to all 16 million U.S. military personnel who served from December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946. The bill requires all sales of such coins include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the congressionally designated National WWII Museum to fund its educational mission of telling the story of the U.S. experience in World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8520 Michigan Avenue in Whittier, California, as the "Jose Ramos Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a pilot program to award grants to nonprofit organizations for energy-efficiency materials to install in nonprofit buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Every Child Deserves a Family Act This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or religion in the provision of child welfare programs and services by entities receiving federal funding. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide technical assistance to help states follow this requirement, including (1) guidance for bringing state laws into compliance, (2) developing training to increase cultural competency related to social identity, and (3) training for judges and attorneys involved in child welfare cases, among other supports. Additionally, HHS must establish the National Resource Center on Safety, Well-Being, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ Children and Youth Involved with Child Welfare Services to provide training, technical assistance, and guidance to applicable state and local agencies and service providers. Further, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act may not be the basis for challenging the application or enforcement of this bill. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on states' compliance with the requirements of the bill no later than three years after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2019 This bill establishes several prohibitions, requirements, and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, the bill prohibits MA plans from instituting additional prior authorization requirements for surgeries (including related items) that are furnished to a patient during other surgeries for which prior authorization was not required or was already received. Additionally, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Performing Artist Tax Parity Act of 2019 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the above-the-line deduction of expenses of performing artist employees, to increase to $100,000 ($200,000 for joint returns) the adjusted gross income limitation for calculating the phaseout of the deduction. The increased amount is adjusted for inflation for taxable years beginning after 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
State Flexibility for Family First Transitions Act This bill provides states with the option to extend by two years a child-welfare demonstration project scheduled to end in FY2019. A state extending a demonstration project shall provide a plan to the Department of Health and Human Services specifying how the project will transition by FY2021 to comply with provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 relating to childcare institutions, foster family homes, and assessment standards for qualified residential-treatment programs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2019
Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019 This bill authorizes and establishes procedures for federal courts to issue extreme risk protection orders. An extreme risk protection order is a federal court order that prohibits a person from purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm or ammunition. A family or household member, or a law enforcement officer, may petition for an extreme risk protection order with respect to an individual who poses a risk to themselves or others. The bill also expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from purchasing, shipping, transporting, possessing, or receiving a firearm or ammunition. Specifically, it adds, as a new category, persons who are subject to an extreme risk protection order.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2019
Expanding Access to Retirement Savings for Caregivers Act This bill allows an individual to make annual catch up contributions to a retirement account before reaching age 50 if the individual leaves the workforce to provide dependent cares services. Specifically, the individual must have been unemployed, and have had no earned income, as a result of providing care to (1) a dependent under the age of 13, or (2) a spouse physically or mentally incapable of self-care.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2019
Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2019 This bill revises provisions of the low-income housing tax credit and renames it as the affordable housing credit . The bill increases the per capita dollar amount of the credit and its minimum ceiling amount beginning in 2019 and extends the inflation adjustment for such amounts. The bill modifies tenant income eligibility requirements and the average income formula for determining such income. It also revises rules for student occupancy of rental units and tenant voucher payments and prohibits any refusal to rent to victims of domestic abuse. The bill further modifies the credit to establish a 4% minimum credit rate for certain housing projects, repeal the qualified census tract population cap, prohibit local approval and contribution requirements, increase the credit for certain projects designated to serve extremely low-income households, increase the credit for certain bond-financed projects designated by state agencies, eliminate the basis reduction for properties that receive certain energy-related tax benefits, and increase the population cap for difficult development areas (i.e., areas with high construction, land, and utility costs relative to area median gross income). The bill also includes Indian and rural areas as difficult development areas and modifies other requirements relating to casualty losses, acquisition credits, and foreclosures.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2019
Safe And Friendly for the Environment Streets Act or the SAFE Streets Act This bill requires state and local transportation agencies to dedicate certain funds under the highway safety improvement program to areas with vulnerable user fatality rates over 1.5 fatalities per 100,000 people. The bill defines a "vulnerable user" as a pedestrian, bicyclist, disabled individual, or an individual using a mobility device, e.g., a wheelchair or walker.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 13308 Midland Road in Poway, California, as the "Ray Chavez Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Quiet Communities Act of 2019 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to reestablish an Office of Noise Abatement and Control to promote the development of local noise control programs, carry out research, and develop and disseminate educational materials, among other duties.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Spent Fuel Prioritization Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Energy to prioritize the acceptance of high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel from decommissioned nuclear power reactors located in areas with large populations and a high seismic hazard.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Women's Health Protection Act of 2019 This bill prohibits state or local governments from imposing certain restrictions on access to abortion services. Specifically, state or local government may not require unnecessary tests or procedures in connection with the provision of abortion services, the same health care provider who provides abortion services to perform such tests or procedures, providers to offer medically inaccurate information to patients before or during abortion services, providers to refrain from prescribing certain drugs, certain hospital facility transfer agreements, one or more medically unnecessary in-person visits, or patients to disclose the reason for seeking abortion services. The bill also prohibits limitations or requirements that both single out and impede access to abortion services based on a number of factors (e.g., restrictions that are reasonably likely to decrease the availability of abortion services in a state). A state or local government also may not prohibit abortions prior to fetal viability nor prohibit abortions after fetal viability in cases where the health care provider determines that continuing the pregnancy poses a risk to the patient's life or health. Additionally, the Department of Justice, individuals, or health care providers may bring a lawsuit to prospectively enjoin a limitation or restriction that is prohibited by this bill. The bill further requires the government defending such a limitation or restriction to show that (1) it significantly advances the safety of abortion services or patient health, and (2) such advancement cannot be met by a less-restrictive measure.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that installment payment of taxes on deferred foreign income shall not prevent a credit or refund of overpayments of tax or an increase in estimated taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2019 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2019 This bill expands prohibitions and requires additional disclosures related to political spending. Specifically, foreign nationals are further restricted regarding their involvement in election related activity, including by prohibiting their participation in the decision-making process regarding an election expenditure. Existing foreign money prohibitions are expanded to prohibit disbursements for paid internet or digital communications. The Federal Election Commission must perform an audit after each election cycle to determine the incidence of illicit foreign money. In general, organizations making political expenditures must disclose donors who have contributed $10,000 or more during an election cycle. Certain of these organizations, including corporations, must also disclose their beneficial owners. The bill requires organizations to provide additional disclosures on certain political ads, including the donors who contributed the most money to that organization in the last year.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
State and Local General Sales Tax Protection Act This bill restricts the source of revenue for airport spending to local fuel excise taxes. (Under current Federal Aviation Administration policy, state and local governments must also use general sales taxes collected on aviation fuel for airport spending.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
This resolution recognizes the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States. The resolution also recognizes that the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution Act of 2019 or the SHIELD Act of 2019 This bill establishes a new criminal offense related to the distribution of intimate visual depictions. Specifically, it makes it a crime to knowingly distribute (or intentionally threaten to distribute) an intimate visual depiction of an individual (1) with knowledge of or reckless disregard for the individual's lack of consent and reasonable expectation of privacy, and (2) without a reasonable belief that distributing the depiction touches a matter of public concern. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2019 or the AFTER Act of 2019 This bill requires federal research facilities to facilitate the adoption or nonlaboratory placement of certain warm-blooded animals (e.g., dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits) with animal rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, or individuals. In order to be adopted or placed, the animals must (1) no longer be needed for research; (2) be suitable for release; (3) not be birds, rats, or mice.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Promoting Grid Storage Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish certain programs for energy storage. DOE must establish a program for the research of energy storage systems, components, and materials. DOE must also establish a technical assistance and grant program for (1) disseminating information and providing technical assistance directly to nonprofit or for-profit entities so those entities can identify, evaluate, plan, and design energy storage systems; and (2) making grants to those entities so that they may contract to obtain technical assistance to identify, evaluate, plan, and design energy storage systems. The bill provides for the establishment of a competitive grant program for pilot energy storage systems.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Boater Protection from Laser Pointers Act This bill prohibits causing the beam of a laser pointer to strike a vessel operating on the waters of the United States unless it involves the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security acting in an official capacity for the purpose of research, development, operations, testing, or training.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Enhancing the Strength and Capacity of America's Primary Evacuation routes Act or the ESCAPE Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to (1) establish criteria for eligible entities to identify mass evacuation routes, (2) establish a competitive grant program to provide grants for resilience projects that strengthen and protect evacuation routes that are essential for providing and supporting mass evacuations caused by emergency events, and (3) provide grants to resilience projects that ensure the ability of the evacuation route to provide safe passage during a mass evacuation and reduce the risk of damage to evacuation routes as a result of future emergency events.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Parity Enforcement Act of 2019 This bill provides authority for the Department of Labor to enforce the parity requirements for group health plans with respect to the coverage of mental health and substance use disorder benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2019
AUMF Clarification Act This bill expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress has not authorized the use of military force against Iran. It further specifies that no previous authorization for the use of military force against anyone associated with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, may be construed to provide authorization for the use of such force against Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Protecting America's First Responders Act This bill revises the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program. That program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty. Specifically, it revises the payment amount of disability benefits for claims pending more than one year. The amount must be based on the date of the adjudication of such claim rather than the date of the injury. It also increases the interim benefit payment amount and adjusts it based on the Consumer Price Index. Additionally, the payment amount of death benefits must be the greater of (1) the amount payable as of the date of the public safety officer's death, or (2) the amount payable based on the date of the adjudication of the claim. Currently, such amount is based only on the date of death. Next, the bill includes within the definition of firefighter for purposes of benefits an individual whose primary duty during an emergency response is to secure the scene or manage traffic. Further, the bill allows applicants who were denied benefits in the previous three years to reapply for benefits. The Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Department of Justice (DOJ) must use all available investigative tools, including subpoenas, to (1) expedite the processing of a claimant's eligibility for a death, disability, or education benefit; and (2) obtain necessary information from third parties (e.g., public agencies). Finally, DOJ must provide retroactive educational assistance to eligible survivors of public safety officer.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rouda, Harley [D-CA-48]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000616_200.jpg)