United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Requests the President, and directs the Attorney General, to transmit to the House of Representatives within 14 days after adoption of this resolution copies of any document or other communication in their possession that refers or relates to: any meeting or communication between Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III and any representative of the Russian government; the Attorney General's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 10, 2017, his written response to Senator Patrick Leahy's letter of January 17, 2017, his letter of March 6, 2017, to such committee, his preparation for confirmation hearings before such committee with respect to contact between President Trump's campaign and any Russian government representative, and his recusal from any investigation related to the 2016 presidential election and the implementation of that recusal; the application of provisions regarding grounds for appointing a Special Counsel to any case involving the 2016 presidential election or any related matter; and any meeting between any employee of President Trump's campaign or transition team and any Russian government representative, including any meeting that involved Donald J. Trump, Michael Flynn, Jared Kushner, Carter Page, J.D. Gordon, Richard Burt, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, or Michael Cohen.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2017 This bill amends the Fair Housing Act (FHA) under the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to add sexual orientation and gender identity as classes protected against discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing. (Currently, the FHA prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.) The bill defines: (1) "gender identity" as gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth; and (2) "sexual orientation" as homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality. The bill also extends prohibitions against housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, handicap, familial status, or national origin to include discrimination based on: (1) an individual's association with another person who is a member of such a protected class; and (2) a perception or belief, even if inaccurate, that an individual is a member of such a protected class.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Gun Violence Research Act This bill amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 to eliminate the prohibition on the Department of Health and Human Services using federal funds to advocate or promote gun control.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act This bill amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the use or possession of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The bill imposes on persons who possess or use such traps in the System: (1) for a first offense, a civil fine of up to $500 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used; and (2) for subsequent offenses, a civil fine of up to $1,000 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used, imprisonment for up to 180 days, or both such a civil fine and imprisonment. The bill makes any body-gripping traps that are possessed or used in violation of this bill, and any wildlife captured by the use of such traps, including the pelts and raw fur, subject to civil forfeiture. Persons found to be in violation of such prohibition shall pay all associated court costs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) establish a program to permit eligible deported noncitizen veterans to enter the United States as, and to permit eligible noncitizen veterans in the United States to adjust their status to that of, a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence; and (2) cancel the removal of eligible noncitizen veterans and allow them to similarly adjust their status. An "eligible" veteran is a veteran who: (1) was not ordered removed, or removed, from the United States due to a criminal conviction for a crime of violence or for a crime that endangers U.S. national security for which the noncitizen served at least five years' imprisonment; and (2) is not inadmissible to, or deportable from, the United States due to such a conviction. DHS may waive such eligibility requirements for humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, due to exceptional service in the U.S. Armed Forces, or if such waiver otherwise is in the public interest. A noncitizen veteran or service member shall not be removed from the United States unless he or she has a criminal conviction for a crime of violence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for naturalization through service in the U.S. Armed Forces, except that: (1) the grounds on which the noncitizen was ordered removed from, or rendered inadmissible to or deportable from, the United States shall be disregarded when determining whether the noncitizen is a person of good moral character; and (2) any period of absence from the United States due to the noncitizen having been removed or being inadmissible shall be disregarded when determining if the noncitizen satisfies any requirement relating to continuous residence or physical presence. A noncitizen who has obtained the status of a noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence under this bill shall be eligible for all military and veterans benefits for which the individual would have been eligible if he or she had never been been removed from, or voluntarily departed, the United States. DHS shall: (1) identify cases involving service members and veterans at risk of removal from the United States, and (2) annotate all DHS immigration and naturalization records relating to any noncitizen involved and afford an opportunity to track the outcome.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2017 This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit people from knowingly slaughtering a dog or cat for human consumption. In addition, the bill prohibits people from knowingly transporting, possessing, buying, selling, or donating: (1) a dog or cat to be slaughtered for human consumption, or (2) dog or cat parts for human consumption. The bill subjects a violator to imprisonment for up to a year, a fine, or both. The bill applies to conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Commission on the Removal of Mexican-Americans to Mexico This bill establishes the Commission on the Removal of Mexican-Americans to Mexico, which shall: (1) review the facts and circumstances surrounding the 1929-1941 removal of certain U.S. citizens and permanent legal residents to Mexico and the impact of such actions on such individuals, their families, and the Mexican-American community; (2) review federal, state, and local government directives that required such removal and any other related information; and (3) report its findings, conclusions, and any recommendations for legislative actions.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Cancer Drug Coverage Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require group and individual health plans that cover anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable cost sharing for patient-administered anticancer medications. This requirement applies to medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is prescribed based on a finding by the treating physician that the medication is medically necessary for cancer treatment and is clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration. To comply with this requirement, health plans may not, for anticancer medications: (1) change or replace benefits to increase out-of-pocket costs; (2) reclassify benefits to increase costs; or (3) apply more restrictive limitations to orally administered medications than to intravenously administered or injected medications.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2017
Animal Welfare Accountability and Transparency Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to maintain and publicly disclose records relating to the administration of the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act, including specified details regarding inspections, enforcement actions, regulations, registrations, and licenses under the two laws. Within 90 days of the enactment of this bill, USDA must make the records available to the public in an online searchable database in a machine-readable format on its website. The bill also amends the Internal Revenue Code to require a taxpayer who has been convicted or assessed civil penalties for violating certain provisions of the Animal Welfare Act or the Horse Protection Act to use the alternative depreciation system that increases the number of years over which property is depreciated. The taxpayer must use the system for any property placed in service during the five-year period beginning with the year in which the period for seeking judicial review of a civil penalty has lapsed or in which there has been a final judgment entered with respect to the violation, whichever is earlier.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program under which HHS may make grants to states for the purpose of: (1) reviewing pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated deaths (maternal deaths); (2) establishing and sustaining a maternal mortality review committee to review relevant information; (3) ensuring that the state department of health develops a plan for ongoing health care provider education in order to improve the quality of maternal care, disseminate findings, and implement recommendations; (4) disseminating a case abstraction form to aid information collection for HHS review and preserve its uniformity; and (5) providing for the public disclosure of information included in state reports. The bill defines "pregnancy-associated death" as the death of a woman while pregnant or during the one-year period following the date of the end of pregnancy, irrespective of the cause of death. It defines "pregnancy-related death" as the death of a woman while pregnant or during the one-year period following the date of the end of pregnancy, irrespective of the pregnancy's duration, from any cause related to, or aggravated by, the pregnancy or its management, excluding any accidental or incidental cause. States shall develop procedures for mandatory reporting to their departments of health by health facilities and professionals concerning maternal deaths and for voluntary reporting of such deaths by family members. States shall investigate each case and prepare a case summary for each case, to be reviewed by the committee and included in applicable reports. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to direct HHS to take specified steps to eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Scientific Integrity Act This bill requires, subject to Freedom of Information Act disclosure restrictions and privacy requirements, federal agencies that fund or conduct scientific research to: (1) promote and maximize the communication and open exchange of scientific data and findings to other agencies, policymakers, and the public; and (2) prevent the suppression or distortion of such data and findings. The bill amends the America COMPETES Act to require federal agencies that fund or conduct scientific research to develop and enforce a scientific integrity policy and submit it to Congress and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). A scientific integrity policy must, at a minimum, ensure that scientific conclusions are not made based on political considerations. It must be made available to the public on agency websites and be disseminated to each new agency employee and contractor. Agencies must also develop and require training on the policy for its employees and contractors. The OSTP shall enter into an agrement with the National Academy of Public Administration to study the appropriateness of scientific integrity policies.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act or the SMASH Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend through FY2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants for mosquito control programs. The grant program is expanded so that grants may be used to address emerging, infectious mosquito-borne diseases and to improve existing control programs. The CDC must give preference to applicants that have: (1) a public health emergency due to a mosquito-borne disease, or (2) a control program that is consistent with existing state preparedness plans. The requirement for matching funds may be waived if the area covered by a grant applicant has an extreme need due to the size or density of the human population, the size or density of the mosquito population, or the severity of the mosquito-borne disease. CDC grants to help public health agencies improve surveillance and response activities are extended through FY2023. The Government Accountability Office must report on the surveillance and control of mosquito-borne infectious diseases in the United States and territories.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Expresses serious concern about the public health threat posed by polio. Implores various entities to act with haste and dedication to eradicate polio by 2018. Calls upon the executive branch to provide the necessary resources to end the scourge of polio, including closely monitoring laboratory stocks of the polio virus.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Women's History Month. Recognizes and honors the women and organizations in the United States that have fought for and continue to promote the teaching of women's history.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to revise the requirements for calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits. The bill increases the minimum SNAP benefit and requires benefits to be calculated using a low-cost food plan. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must determine the requirements for the low-cost food plan, which is the diet required to feed a family of four, consisting of: a man and a woman 19-50 years of age, a child 6-8 years of age, and a child 9-11 years of age. USDA must make adjustments to the plan to account for household size, changes in the cost of the diet, and the costs of food in specified areas. The bill revises the amounts authorized for nutrition assistance block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa and requires the amounts to be modified based on adjustments to the low-cost food plan. The bill modifies the requirements for calculating household income to determine SNAP eligibility by: (1) authorizing a standard medical expense deduction for households containing an elderly or disabled member, and (2) eliminating the cap on the deduction for excess shelter expenses. The bill exempts from SNAP work requirements able-bodied adults without dependents who are not offered a position in a SNAP Employment and Training Program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for admission into the United States of the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. The Commonwealth shall be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the other states. The Mayor of the District of Columbia shall issue a proclamation for the first elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth shall consist of all Washington, DC territory as of enactment of this bill, with specified exclusions for federal buildings and monuments. The Commonwealth may not impose taxes on federal property except as Congress permits. The bill applies current DC laws to the Commonwealth and continues pending judicial proceedings. The bill maintains: (1) DC as the seat of the federal government, and (2) the federal government's authority over military lands and specified other property. The bill provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution repealing the Twenty-Third Amendment to the Constitution (which provides for the appointment of electors for President and Vice President).
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2017
Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act or the BEST Practices Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD), by no later than: (1) October 1, 2020, to complete the development, testing, and validation of human-based training methods for training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment of combat trauma injuries, with the goal of replacing live animal-based training methods; and (2) October 1, 2022, to use only use human-based training methods for such purposes. No animals may be used in such training after the latter date. DOD shall submit an annual report to Congress regarding the development and implementation of the human-based training methods.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2017
American Food for American Schools Act of 2017 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require school food authorities (SFAs) to request a waiver from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase foreign commodities or products for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). SFAs may purchase foreign commodities or products without a waiver if the commodities or products are not produced or available domestically. (Under current law, Buy American provisions require SFAs to purchase, to the maximum extent practicable, domestic commodities or products for the NSLP. There are limited exceptions which permit the purchase of foreign products in circumstances when using domestic products is truly not practicable. If an SFA uses an exception, there is no requirement to request a waiver to purchase a foreign product or commodity, but the SFA must keep documentation justifying the exception.) USDA may not grant a waiver for an SFA to purchase foreign commodities or products unless: (1) the commodities or products are not produced domestically in sufficient amounts or of satisfactory quality, (2) the domestic commodities or products would be significantly higher in price than foreign commodities or products, and (3) the SFA agrees to make the waiver publicly available on its website and email a notification of the waiver to parents or guardians of students who will be served the foreign commodity or product purchased pursuant to the waiver.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 coins, 400,000 $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins in recognition and celebration of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The coins shall be in the shape of a dome, and the design on the common reverse of the coins shall depict a basketball. Treasury shall hold a competition to determine the design of the common obverse of the coins, which shall be emblematic of the game of basketball. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include specified surcharges, which shall be paid by Treasury to the Hall to fund an endowment for increased operations and educational programming.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Protecting the Rights Of Towns against federal Eforcement contrary to Constitutional Tenets for Immigration Act of 2017 or the PROTECT Immigration Act of 2017 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that the authority to inquire about or verify immigration or citizenship status and to investigate, apprehend, arrest, or detain an individual for a violation of such Act is restricted to immigration officers and authorized employees of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and subject to limits set forth in other provisions of law. DHS authority to enter into written agreements with a state or state subdivision to perform immigration-related investigations, apprehensions, or detentions of aliens in the United States is eliminated. The bill exempts from the restriction under this bill DOJ authority to enter into other state and local agreements: (1) in the event of an actual or imminent mass influx of aliens representing urgent circumstances; and (2) with respect to immigration-related detentions in non-federal facilities, including personnel and facilities construction. The bill also exempts from such restriction state and local enforcement authority to arrest and detain certain previously-deported illegal aliens who have been convicted of a felony.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2017
Burial Rights for America's Veterans' Efforts Act of 2017 or the BRAVE Act of 2017 This bill increases the amounts payable through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for: (1) burial and funeral expenses of certain veterans, and (2) such expenses in connection with a veteran's death due to a service-connected disability. The VA shall increase such amounts each fiscal year by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2017
Social Security Fairness Act of 2017 This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to repeal the "government pension offset" and the "windfall elimination provision." Under current law, those provisions reduce OASDI benefits for individuals who receive a pension based on earnings in government employment that was not covered under the Social Security program.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2017
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day, and (2) the efforts of the Department of Health and Human Services and the entire medical community to educate people about heart valve disease.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine Act of 2017 or the FAST Act of 2017 This bill specifies that, under Medicare, telehealth services include telehealth-eligible stroke services provided to an individual soon after the onset of acute-stroke symptoms. Certain originating-site requirements applicable to telehealth services under Medicare shall not apply with respect to such stroke services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to revise the list of permissible sources of dogs and cats used by research facilities to include dogs and cats obtained: (1) from a licensed dealer, (2) from a publicly owned and operated pound or shelter that meets specified requirements, (3) by donation from a person who bred and raised the dog or cat or owned it for not less than one year, or (4) from a research facility licensed by the Department of Agriculture. The requirements pertaining to sources apply to dogs and cats obtained through sales, donations, or offers. Monetary penalties are established for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Recognizes the historical significance of February 19, 1942, the date Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Roosevelt, restricting the freedom of Japanese Americans, German Americans, and Italian Americans, and legal resident aliens through required identification cards, travel restrictions, seizure of personal property, and incarceration. Expresses support for the goals of the Japanese American, German American, and Italian American communities in recognizing a National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness of such events.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Redistricting Reform Act of 2017 This bill prohibits a state that has been redistricted after an apportionment of Members of the House of Representatives based on the results of the census from being redistricted again until after the next apportionment, unless the state is ordered by a court to conduct redistricting in order to comply with the Constitution or the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Redistricting must be conducted in accordance with a plan established by a state independent redistricting commission or, if such a plan is not established, in accordance with a redistricting plan established by a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. This bill sets forth provisions relating to: (1) the establishment and procedures of state independent redistricting commissions, including requirements for commissions to hold their meetings in public and maintain a public website; (2) the development and publication of preliminary redistricting plans; (3) the establishment of a redistricting plan by a three-judge panel and redistricting conducted under a federal court order; and (4) Election Assistance Commission payments to states for carrying out redistricting. This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to bring a civil action to enforce this bill. The action must be given expedited consideration.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to supervise cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2017 This bill amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the five-month waiting period for disability insurance benefits for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a progressive neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord). Under current law, individuals must wait five months after becoming disabled before their disability insurance benefit payments can begin.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Hygiene Assistance for Families of Infants and Toddlers Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Administration for Children and Familes of the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to states or local governments, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, or nonprofit organizations to conduct demonstration projects to help low-income families address the diapering needs of their children.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Expresses support for the designation of National Obesity Care Week. Encourages open communication to break barriers of misunderstanding and stigma regarding obesity and to improve the lives of individuals affected by obesity and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Inclusive Prosperity Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose an excise tax on the transfer of ownership in certain securities (covered transaction), including any share of stock in a corporation, any partnership or beneficial interest in a partnership or trust, any note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (excluding tax-exempt municipal bonds), or derivative financial instruments; (2) impose a penalty on taxpayers who fail to include a covered transaction on their tax return or information statement; and (3) allow an individual taxpayer whose modified adjusted gross income does not exceed $50,000 ($75,000 for married taxpayers filing joint returns) a tax credit for the amount of tax paid on covered transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Declares that Congress supports efforts to: increase diversity and inclusion in the technology sector; eliminate barriers faced by people of color and other underrepresented groups when breaking into the technology sector; ensure all students have access to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education for a 21st century economy; strengthen investments in and collaborations with minority-serving educational institutions to sustain a pipeline of diverse STEAM graduates ready to enter the technology sector; and improve data collection, disaggregation, and dissemination of information for greater understanding and transparency of diversity in STEAM education and across the workforce.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2017
Weekend Voting Act This bill amends the Revised Statutes of the United States to change the timing for regularly scheduled elections for the House of Representatives, Senate, and electors of the President and Vice President to the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November. Each state shall by law establish the hours of operation for polling places. This bill expresses the sense of Congress that the holding of elections over a weekend should be carried out in a manner which does not interfere with religious practices and should result in cost savings to the taxpayer.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2017
Military Hunger Prevention Act This bill excludes the value of a housing allowance for a member of a uniformed service from any income, assets, or resources calculation for determining eligibility for any federal program issuing benefits for nutrition assistance (including the family subsistence supplemental allowance program).
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2017
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment granting every U.S. citizen of legal voting age the fundamental right to vote in any public election held in the jurisdiction in which the citizen resides.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2017
Expresses support for efforts to build on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by ensuring that individuals have access to a public health insurance option.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2017
Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act of 2017 or the STOP Act of 2017 This bill amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to make the Postmaster General the consignee (i.e., the entity financially responsible for the receipt of a shipment) for merchandise, excluding documents, imported through the mail into the United States. The Postmaster General must designate licensed customs brokers to file required documents or information for such shipments. The bill amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to impose a customs user fee on postal shipments or any other item valued at $2,000 or less arriving at an international mail facility. The bill amends the Trade Act of 2002 to direct the Department of the Treasury to require the Postmaster General to provide for the advanced electronic transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection of certain information for all postal shipments made by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), including postal shipments it receives from foreign postal operators. The Postmaster General: shall be liable for civil penalties for postal shipment violations committed by a foreign postal operator or the USPS; may be directly or indirectly responsible for discrepancies resulting from omissions made or false information provided by a foreign postal operator or the USPS; and shall ensure that all costs and penalties associated with complying with this bill are recouped from foreign shippers, foreign postal operators, or U.S. ultimate consignees.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2017
Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2017 This bill waives Medicare coinsurance requirements with respect to colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of the code billed for a resulting diagnosis or procedure.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2017
This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide an individual in any removal, exclusion, or deportation proceeding or inspection (excluding primary inspections as defined by Department of Homeland Security policies) with a right to representation (at no expense to the government) by counsel of such individual's choosing, including remote counseling if counsel cannot personally meet with the individual. A person held or detained at a port of entry may not submit a valid Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status or Withdrawal of Application for Admission if such person has been denied access to counsel. The bill extends the right to be accompanied, represented, and advised by counsel or other qualified representative before a government agency to any person subject to a proceeding, examination, holding, or detention. The holding or detention of individuals at a port of entry or at any holding or detention facility overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shall: (1) be limited to the briefest term and the least restrictive conditions practicable, (2) be consistent with the rationale for such holding or detention; and (3) shall include access to food, water, and rest room facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2017
Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2017 This bill allows federal employees to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay for either the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care. It makes available for any of the 12 weeks of leave an employee is entitled to for such purposes: (1) six administrative weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth or placement involved, and (2) any accumulated annual or sick leave. The Office of Personnel Management may promulgate regulations to increase the amount of paid parental leave available to such an employee to a total of 12 administrative workweeks. Such regulations must consider certain factors, including benefit and cost to the federal government. The bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to allow the same substitution for covered congressional employees, Government Accountability Office (GAO) employees, and Library of Congress employees. Service in the National Guard or the Reserves by employees of the executive branch, Congress, the GAO, or the Library of Congress shall count as service for purposes of determining eligibility to take or substitute leave as allowed under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2017
Directs the Department of Justice to transmit to the House of Representatives copies of any of its documents, records, memos, correspondence, or other communications that refer or relate to: (1) any criminal or counterintelligence investigation targeting President Donald J. Trump, National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Carter Page, Roger Stone, or any employee of the Executive Office of the President (EOP); (2) any investment by any foreign government or agent of a foreign government in any entity owned in whole or in part by President Trump; (3) President Trump's proposal to maintain an interest in his business holdings, while turning over day-to-day operations of those interests to his sons; (4) President Trump's plan to donate the profits of any foreign government's use of his hotels to the Treasury; (5) the Foreign Emoluments Clause in the U.S. Constitution as it may pertain to President Trump or any EOP employee; and (6) select federal statutes governing conflicts of interest as they may pertain to President Trump or any EOP employee.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2017 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to extend through FY2022 support for nursing workforce programs and grants. Eligibility for advanced nursing education grants is expanded to include education programs for clinical nurse leaders and all combined registered nurse and graduate degree programs. (Clinical nurse leaders are advanced generalist clinicians who apply research and coordinate care in order to improve outcomes for patients.) To be eligible for these grants, clinical nurse specialist programs must provide registered nurses with full-time clinical nurse specialist education that qualifies the nurses to provide a full range of care. Programs for loan repayment and scholarships for nurses, loans for nursing faculty, and geriatric care education are extended through FY2022. Grants for increasing nursing workforce diversity are also extended through FY2022. Nurse education, practice, and quality grants are extended through FY2022 and eligibility is expanded to include nurse-managed health clinics. Grants for nursing career ladder programs are expanded to: (1) promote career advancement for individuals to become registered nurses or advanced education nurses; and (2) support internships and residency programs to encourage mentoring and the development of specialties.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Special Priority on Aircrafts and Coverage Equity Act of 2017 or SPACE-A This bill directs the Department of Defense to provide transportation on scheduled and unscheduled military flights within the continental United States and on scheduled overseas flights on a space-available basis for veterans with a service-connected, permanent disability rated as total on the same basis as such transportation is provided to members of the Armed Forces entitled to retired or retainer pay.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act or the FAMILY Act This bill establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration (SSA). The bill entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for each month beginning on the first day of the month in which the individual meets the criteria specified below and ending 365 days later (benefit period), not to exceed 60 qualified caregiving days per period. An individual qualifies for such a benefit payment if such individual: is insured for disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act at the time an application is filed; has earned income from employment during the 12 months before filing it; and was engaged in qualified caregiving (any activity for which the individual would be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993), or anticipates being so engaged, during the 90-day period before the application is filed or within 30 days after. The bill prescribes a formula for determination of an individual's monthly benefit, as well as for the maximum and minimum amounts. An FMLI benefit payment shall be coordinated with any periodic benefits received under a state or local temporary disability insurance or family leave program. The bill prescribes criteria that make an individual ineligible for an FMLI benefit payment and specifies prohibited acts by an employer and penalties for violations. The bill establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund. FMLI benefit payments shall be made only from this fund. No amounts from the Social Security Trust Funds or appropriated to the SSA to administer Social Security programs may be used for FMLI benefits or administration. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose a tax on every individual and employer, all self-employment income, and every railroad employee, employee representative, or railroad employer to finance the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund for FMLI benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2017
Lymphedema Treatment Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover certain lymphedema compression treatment items as durable medical equipment under Medicare. (Lymphedema is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling that is caused when the lymphatic system is damaged or blocked.)
![Official portrait of Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000486_200.jpg)