United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2017
Expresses the sense of Congress that an appropriate site in the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery should be provided for a memorial marker (to be paid for with private funds) to honor the memory of those who have been awarded or are eligible for the Korean Defense Service Medal who are missing in action or unaccounted for, or who died in-theater, if the Secretary of the Army has exclusive authority to approve the site and design of the marker.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2017
Family-Based Care Services Act of 201 7 This bill establishes a definition, under Medicaid, for "qualified therapeutic family care services." Specifically, such services are those provided for children younger than age 21 who need institution-level care but can instead be cared for in a community placement through a licensed and accredited program that: (1) provides children with certain structured daily activities, and (2) provides parents and caregivers with specialized training and consultation.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2017
School-Based Respiratory Health Management Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the conditions under which the Department of Health and Human Services, in making asthma-related grants, gives preference to a state. A preference is given to states that require elementary and secondary schools to have: (1) on the premises during operating hours at least one individual trained in the administration of rescue medications for allergies and reversible lower airway disorders, and (2) an allergies and reversible lower airway disorders management program. Currently, this preference is given to states that require schools to have on the premises an individual trained in the administration of epinephrine to a student having a severe allergic reaction. To be eligible for this preference, a state must have civil liability protections for trained individuals who administer rescue medications for allergies and reversible lower airway disorders.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2017
Sam Farr Peace Corps Enhancement Act This bill increases the monthly pay rate for Peace Corps volunteers. The Peace Corps shall provide initial medical care to a former volunteer for a service-related condition for 180 days after termination of service, which period may be extended under specified circumstances. The bill grants the government jurisdiction over, and imposes penalties upon, persons who commit certain crimes outside of the United States against a volunteer. The Peace Corps Act is amended to authorize the designation of a position as a critical management support position if the position requires specialized technical or professional skills and knowledge of Peace Corps operations. The President shall ensure that each overseas post has appropriate medical services, including by detailing to such a post the licensed medical staff of other U.S. agencies. Each volunteer applicant shall be provided with information regarding crime and health risks and volunteer satisfaction with respect to the country in which the applicant has been invited to serve. The Office of Victim Advocacy in the Peace Corps headquarters is made permanent. The bill: (1) expands membership of the Sexual Assault Advisory Council, (2) requires at least one council member to have mental health field expertise, and (3) extends the council through October 1, 2023. The President shall conduct annual volunteer surveys through September 30, 2023 (currently through September 30, 2018). The Inspector General of the Peace Corps may hire an expert, consultant, or organization without regard to certain daily salary requirements. The Peace Corps shall periodically report to Congress on volunteer access to health care benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2017
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 201 7 This bill provides for the distribution of additional Medicare-supported residency positions to certain hospitals. The bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study strategies for increasing the diversity of the health profession workforce.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2017
Free Credit Score Act of 2017 This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require nationwide consumer reporting agencies to include the consumer's credit score when furnishing a consumer with a free annual report.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2017
Foster and Homeless Youth Food Security Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to modify certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) eligibility requirements for foster care and homeless youth who are enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education. The bill applies to foster care individuals or homeless individuals who are over 17 and not over 26 years of age, and enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education. The bill exempts the individuals from: (1) certain eligibility disqualification rules that apply to students enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education, and (2) SNAP work requirements. If the individual is enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education that provides the individual with housing that lacks an individualized cooking facility, the bill also: (1) modifies the definition of "food" to permit SNAP benefits to be used for certain meals prepared and served by the institution, and (2) permits the individual to be treated as a separate household for the purpose of SNAP benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2017
This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from revising the approved Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for FY2017-FY2022. (Interior approved the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's proposed final Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for FY2017-FY2022 on January 17, 2017.)
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2017
This bill requires the Joint Committee on the Library to enter into an agreement to obtain a statue or bust of Eli Wiesel. The Joint Committee may authorize the Architect of the Capitol to enter into the agreement and related contracts. The Joint Committee shall place the statue or bust in a suitable permanent location in the U.S. Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Supports: (1) the goals and values of the 49th anniversary of the enactment of the Fair Housing Act and the 29th anniversary of the enactment of the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, and (2) activities to celebrate the historical milestones represented by such anniversaries.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a pilot program to award grants for providing nonprofit buildings with energy-efficiency materials. The bill reduces the authorization of appropriations for the zero net energy commercial buildings initiative for FY2018.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for At-Risk Youth Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the work opportunity tax credit, to: change the credit for summer youth employees to a credit for youth employees who will be employed for not more than 20 hours per week during any period between September 16 and April 30 in which the individual is regularly attending any secondary school, increase the amount of the credit for youth employees, and expand the credit to include at-risk youth. An "at-risk youth" is any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as: having attained age 16 but not age 25 on the hiring date, having not regularly attended specified schools or been employed during the six-month period preceding the hiring date, and not readily employable by reason of lacking a sufficient number of basic skills. The term also includes individuals who have been certified as having attained the age of 16 but not age 21 on the hiring date and as an eligible foster child who was in foster care during the 12-month period ending on the hiring date. The bill also extends until December 31, 2019, the designation period for certain tax-favored empowerment zones.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Creating Pathways for Youth Employment Act This bill amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to authorize the Department of Labor to make available the following amounts for youth employment programs: up to $1.5 billion to provide youth ages 14-24 with subsidized summer employment opportunities, and up to $2 billion to provide them with subsidized year-round employment opportunities. Labor must award, on a competitive basis: one-year planning and three-year implementation grants out of the subsidized summer employment opportunities funding, and similar grants out of the subsidized year-round employment opportunities funding. To be eligible to receive these grants, an entity must be a state, local government, Indian tribe or tribal organization, or community-based organization that meets certain partnership requirements of this bill. Labor shall establish performance measures to carry out annual reviews of each grant recipient.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017
Access to Contraception for Women Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2017 This bill expands the TRICARE health care program to entitle additional female beneficiaries and dependents to care related to the prevention of pregnancy. (Currently, such care is limited to certain female members of the uniformed service or a reserve component performing active duty or certain servicewomen performing inactive-duty training.) Cost-sharing may not be imposed or collected for such pregnancy prevention care, including for any method of contraception provided through a facility of the uniformed services, the TRICARE retail pharmacy program, or the national mail-order pharmacy program. Such pregnancy prevention care shall include: (1) all methods of contraception approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), (2) contraceptive care, (3) sterilization procedures, and (4) patient education and counseling. The Department of Defense shall establish a uniform standard curriculum to be used in family planning education programs for all men and women members of the Armed Forces. Every military treatment facility, upon request, shall provide emergency contraception, information about FDA-approved methods of emergency contraception, and notification of confidentiality rights to any woman who: (1) states, or is accompanied by another individual who states, that the woman is a victim of sexual assault; or (2) is reasonably believed to be a survivor of sexual assault.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017
Atlantic Seismic Airgun Protection Act This bill amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit conducting geological or geophysical activities in support of oil, gas, or methane hydrate exploration and development on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. The geological and geophysical activities are described in a final programmatic environmental impact statement by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entitled "Atlantic OCS Proposed Geological and Geophysical Activities, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Planning Areas."
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017
Flags of Convenience Don't Fly Here Act This bill bars the Department of Transportation (DOT) from issuing a foreign air carrier permit or an exemption from certain air carrier certificate requirements to a person to provide foreign air transportation under the United States-European Union Air Transport Agreement of April, 2007, in a proceeding in which the applicability of Article 17 bis of such Agreement has been raised by an interested person, unless DOT: finds that issuing the permit or exemption would be consistent with the intent set forth in Article 17 bis of the agreement, that opportunities created by the agreement do not undermine labor standards or the labor-related rights and principles contained in the laws of the respective parties to the agreement; and imposes conditions on the permit or exemption necessary to ensure that the person complies with the intent of Article 17 bis . In carrying out such air carrier certificate requirements, DOT shall consider preventing entry of flag of convenience carriers into U.S. markets as being in the public interest and consistent with public convenience and necessity for safety in air transportation and air commerce. In formulating U.S. international air transportation policy, the Department of State and DOT shall develop a negotiating policy emphasizing the greatest degree of competition for a well-functioning air transportation system that eliminates specified discriminatory and unfair competitive practices faced by U.S. airlines in foreign air transportation, to include erosion of labor standards associated with flag of convenience carriers. A "flag of convenience carrier" is defined as a foreign air carrier that is established in a country other than the home country of its majority owner or owners in order to avoid the home country's regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2017
Condemns the government of Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. Urges the President and the Department of State to: (1) condemn the Iranian government's continued violation of human rights and demand the immediate release of prisoners held solely on account of their religion, and (2) impose sanctions on Iranian officials and other individuals directly responsible for serious human rights abuses.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2017
Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act of 2017 or the VETS Act of 2017 This bill allows a licensed health care professional of the Department of Veterans Affairs to practice his or her profession using telemedicine at any location in any state, regardless of where the professional or patient is located.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2017
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2017 This bill prohibits sexual orientation or gender identity conversion therapy from being provided in exchange for monetary compensation. It bars advertisements for such therapy that claim to: (1) change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, (2) eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender, or (3) be harmless or without risk. Individuals or entities shall not assist or facilitate a conversion therapy if they receive monetary compensation from any source in connection with providing such therapies. These prohibitions are inapplicable to practices or treatments that do not seek to change sexual orientation or gender identity if they provide: (1) assistance to an individual undergoing a gender transition; or (2) acceptance, support, and understanding of clients or facilitation of clients' coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, including sexual orientation-neutral interventions to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices. The Federal Trade Commission and states are provided authority to enforce against violations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2017
Partner with Korea Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to create an E-4 treaty trader visa category for up to 15,000 nationals of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) each fiscal year who are coming to the United States solely to perform specialty occupation services and with respect to whom the Department of Labor has certified to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State that the intending employer has filed an attestation concerning U.S. worker protections with the Department of Labor.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Protecting the Rights of IndiViduals Against Technological Exploitation Act or the PRIVATE Act This bill amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice to prohibit a person from knowingly and wrongfully broadcasting or distributing an intimate visual image of a private area of another individual who is at least 18 years old, who is identifiable from the image or from information displayed in connection with the image, and who does not explicitly consent, if the person knows or reasonably should have known that: the image was made under circumstances in which the individual depicted retained a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding any broadcast or distribution of such image; and the broadcast or distribution of the intimate visual image is likely to cause harm, harassment, intimidation, emotional distress, or financial loss for the individual depicted or to harm substantially the depicted individual's health, safety, business, calling, career, financial condition, reputation, or personal relationships. The perpetrator of such offense is guilty of wrongful distribution of intimate visual images and shall by punished as a court-martial may direct.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act This bill designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin, (2) Grand Staircase-Escalante, (3) Moab-La Sal Canyons, (4) Henry Mountains, (5) Glen Canyon, (6) San Juan-Anasazi, (7) Canyonlands Basin, (8) San Rafael Swell, and (9) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. The bill sets forth administrative requirements for: (1) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas, (2) federal reservation of water rights, (3) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness, (4) authorized livestock grazing, and (5) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Education Relief and Restoration Act of 2017 This bill declares that, if a veteran is forced to discontinue a course as a result of a a permanent school closure and did not receive credit or lost training time toward completion of the education program, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance payments shall not, for a specified period of time, be: charged against the individual's entitlement to educational assistance, or counted against the aggregate period for which such assistance may be provided. The bill applies to courses and programs of education discontinued beginning with FY2015. The VA may continue to pay educational assistance and subsistence allowances to eligible veterans and eligible persons enrolled in specified courses for up to 4 weeks in any 12-month period when schools are temporarily closed under an established policy based on an executive order of the President or due to an emergency situation. The VA may also continue to pay a monthly housing stipend following a permanent school closure, but only until the earlier of: (1) the date of the end of the term, quarter, or semester during which the school closure occurred; and (2) the date that is four months after the school closure.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Community College Energy Training Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE), in coordination with the Departments of Labor and Agriculture (USDA), to create a joint program under which the Departments award grants to community colleges to provide workforce training and education in sustainable energy industries and practices, such as: (1) clean energy; (2) high-performance green building construction, design, and redevelopment; (3) sustainable energy technologies; (4) water, energy, and resource conservation; (5) recycling and waste reduction; and (6) sustainable agriculture and farming. DOE, Labor, and USDA must: ensure that at least one-half of the grant funds are awarded to community colleges with existing sustainability programs leading to certificates, credentials, or degrees in such industries or practices; and give priority to community colleges that plan to use the grant to carry out programs developed and maintained through consultation with such industries and practices.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Condemns: (1) any threat to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, freedom, and democracy of the Baltic States; and (2) the ongoing violation of the Helsinki principles by the Russian Federation with respect to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Supports: (1) keeping in effect U.S. sanctions imposed against Russia relating to Crimea until Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea has been restored and sanctions relating to the Donbas until the Minsk agreements are fully implemented; (2) keeping the door to North Atlantic Treaty Organization membership open to those countries that are eligible to join the alliance and that meet all the necessary requirements for membership; and (3) the democratic aspirations of the people of all countries concerned, including Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) considers it to be essential for the United States to maintain and increase political, economic, and security support for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe; and (2) appreciates the spirit of friendship of such countries, their commitment to collective security, and their contributions to peace operations around the globe. Calls for continued support to the United States European Reassurance Initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Ukraine Cybersecurity Cooperation Act of 2017 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of State should take the following actions, commensurate with U.S. interests, to help Ukraine improve its cybersecurity: (1) provide Ukraine necessary support to increase most advanced security protection on government computers, particularly systems that defend Ukraine's critical infrastructure; (2) provide Ukraine support to reduce reliance on Russian technology; and (3) help Ukraine to build capacity, expand cyber security information sharing, and cooperate in international response efforts. The State Department shall: (1) report to Congress on the status of U.S.-Ukraine cybersecurity cooperation, and (2) pursue regional cooperation to address shared cyber challenges.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Recognizes: (1) the importance of U.S. assistance to build Lebanon's capacity to provide services and security for Lebanese citizens; (2) the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as the sole institution entrusted with the defense of Lebanon's sovereignty; and (3) that it is in U.S. interests to support negotiations to end the conflict in Syria, which would allow for the eventual return of the millions of Syrian refugees to Syria. Encourages coordination between the Department of State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and humanitarian organizations to ensure that refugees from the conflict in Syria are supported so as to mitigate any destabilizing effects on their host countries. Supports: (1) the establishment of safe zones in Syria and in the surrounding region in which Syrian nationals displaced from their homeland can await firm settlement; (2) strengthening U.S. partnerships with the LAF, particularly through the global coalition to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS); and (3) full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 calling for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity Act This bill establishes in the legislative branch an Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity to determine whether the President is mentally or physically unable to discharge the powers and duties of office. The commission: (1) within 72 hours after Congress adopts a concurrent resolution directing it to do so, shall conduct a medical examination to determine if the President is temporarily or permanently impaired by physical illness or disability, mental illness, mental deficiency, or alcohol or drug use to the extent that he or she lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to execute the powers and duties of the office of President; and (2) within 72 hours after completing the examination, shall report its findings and conclusions to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate. Any refusal by the President to undergo such examination shall be taken into consideration by the commission in reaching a conclusion.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Recognizes that National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month provides an opportunity for sexual violence education and sexual assault prevention, treatment, and prosecution. Calls for: (1) acknowledging survivors and commending volunteers and professionals who assist them; (2) recognizing and applauding national and community organizations and private sector supporters; and (3) recognizing and applauding public safety, law enforcement, and health professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
African American Civil Rights Network Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish within the National Park Service (NPS) a U.S. Civil Rights Network that encompasses: (1) all NPS units and programs that relate to the African American civil rights movement during the period from 1939 through 1968; (2) other federal, state, local, and privately owned properties that relate to the African American civil rights movement and that are included in, or eligible for, the National Register of Historic Places; and (3) other governmental and nongovernmental facilities and programs of an educational, research, or interpretive nature that are directly related to such movement. In carrying out the Network, Interior must: (1) review civil rights movement studies and reports that may already be underway or completed, such as the Civil Rights Framework Study; (2) produce and disseminate educational materials, such as handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, or electronic information; (3) provide technical assistance; and (4) adopt an official, uniform symbol or device for the Network and issue regulations for the symbol's use.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Election Infrastructure and Security Promotion Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to: (1) designate voting systems used in the United States as critical infrastructure; (2) include threats of compromise, disruption, or destruction of voting systems in national planning scenarios; and (3) conduct a campaign to proactively educate local election officials about the designation of voting systems as critical infrastructure and election officials at all levels of government of voting system threats. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shall develop standards for ensuring the operational security of the voting systems used in elections for federal office. This bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require a state, in operating the voting system, to comply with applicable standards developed by NIST for ensuring the operational security of voting systems. The testing and certification of voting systems hardware and software shall test whether voting systems are in compliance with applicable NIST standards for ensuring the operational security of voting systems. NIST shall develop standards for ensuring that the process by which ballots are counted in elections for federal office is transparent and permits voters to verify that votes in such elections are counted correctly. States shall comply with applicable NIST standards, in operating the voting system, for ensuring that the process by which ballots are counted in elections for federal office is transparent and permits voters to verify that votes in such elections are counted correctly. The National Science Foundation shall establish an election technology innovation research and development program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2017 This bill expands Department of Defense (DOD) sexual trauma counseling and treatment to include: (1) cyber harassment of a sexual nature, and (2) members of the Armed Forces on active duty for training or inactive duty training. The bill sets forth the standard of proof, which may be rebutted, in the case of a veteran who claims that a covered mental health condition was incurred in or aggravated by military sexual trauma during active service. The reasons for granting or denying service-connection in each case shall be recorded in full. DOD shall ensure that: (1) in a compensation claim for post-traumatic stress disorder based on sexual assault, battery, cyber harassment, or harassment experienced during active military service, non-DOD evidence may corroborate the veteran's account of such assault, battery, or harassment; and (2) behavior changes may be considered as corroborating evidence. DOD shall: (1) report annually through 2027 on submitted claims to identify and track the consistency of decisions across regional offices, (2) inform members of the Armed Forces of their eligibility for services at Vet Centers, and (3) ensure that Sexual Assault Response Coordinators advise members of the Armed Forces who report instances of military sexual trauma about their eligibility for Vet Center services.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2017 This bill allows coverage, under Medicare, of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity furnished by providers other than primary care physicians and practitioners. Additionally, it allows coverage under Medicare's prescription drug benefit of drugs used for the treatment of obesity or for weight loss management for individuals who are overweight.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Social Security 2100 Act This bill increases various Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits and related taxes. The bill increases the primary insurance amount (e.g., the amount a Social Security beneficiary receives if the beneficiary begins receiving benefits at normal retirement age) by increasing the percentage of the beneficiary's average indexed monthly earnings used to calculate the amount. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shall publish a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers, which the Social Security Administration (SSA) shall use to calculate cost-of-living adjustments to benefits. Currently, the SSA uses a price index for wage earners to make such adjustments. The bill increases the minimum benefit amount for individuals who worked for more than 10 years by creating an alternative minimum benefit. A qualifying beneficiary shall receive that alternative minimum if it is higher than the standard calculated benefit amount. The bill increases the income threshold that a beneficiary must reach before Social Security benefits are taxable. Increased benefits from this bill shall not count as income when determining an individual's eligibility or benefit amounts for (1) Medicaid, (2) the Children's Health Insurance Program, or (3) the Supplemental Security Income program. Income above $400,000 shall be included when calculating Social Security benefits and taxes. The bill also increases rates for the payroll and self-employment taxes that fund OASDI. The bill establishes the Social Security Trust Fund, which replaces the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit conduct, including bullying and harassment, that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to: (1) limit students' ability to participate in, or benefit from, school programs; or (2) create a hostile or abusive educational environment that adversely affects students' education. LEAs shall also provide: (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics shall collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act This bill provides a permanent appropriation for the payment of death gratuities and related benefits to survivors of deceased members of the uniformed services during a period of lapsed appropriations. The bill provides the appropriations at the rate and under the conditions provided for the most recent fiscal year for which an Act making appropriations for the uniformed services has been enacted. The appropriations are provided during a period of lapsed appropriations, in which appropriations are unavailable due to the absence of the timely enactment of an Act or joint resolution providing appropriations or continuing appropriations for the death gratuity and related benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Recognizes the dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the United States of the 11 African-American soldiers of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion of the U.S. Army who were massacred in Wereth, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, 1944. Calls on the Senate Armed Services Committee to correct the omission of such massacre in the 1949 report of its subcommittee and appropriately recognize the Wereth 11.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Protecting Data at the Border Act This bill prohibits a governmental entity from: (1) accessing the digital contents of electronic equipment belonging to, or in the possession of, a U.S. person (person) at the border without a valid warrant; or (2) denying a person's U.S. entry or exit based on the person's refusal to disclose an access credential or in order to determine whether such person will consensually provide an access credential, access, or online account information. A border officer may access the digital contents of electronic equipment without a warrant if the officer determines that an emergency situation exists. The officer must subsequently apply for a warrant within seven days, and if such warrant is not granted: (1) digital content copies must be destroyed, (2) digital contents or information may not be disclosed, and (3) the person shall be notified of such destruction. A governmental entity may not make or retain a copy of the digital contents of electronic equipment, an online account, or online account information without probable cause to believe that such information contains evidence of, or constitutes the fruits of, a crime. Unlawfully accessed information: (1) must be destroyed and the person notified of its destruction; (2) may not be disclosed; and (3) may not be received in evidence in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding. A governmental entity shall keep a record of each instance in which it obtains access to an individual's digital information. A governmental entity may not seize electronic equipment belonging to, or in the possession of, a person at the border without probable cause to believe that such equipment contains information relevant to a felony.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Stop AIDS in Prison Act of 2017 This bill directs the Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to provide HIV testing, treatment, and prevention for federal inmates in prison and upon reentry. It amends the federal criminal code: to require an HIV test for each convicted federal offender sentenced to prison for any length of time regardless of risk factors, unless the individual declines; to make the HIV test part of the routine health screening conducted at intake; and to require a pre-release HIV test, unless the individual declines.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act This bill designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of land within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
College for All Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish a grant program to eliminate tuition and required fees: (1) for all students at community colleges and two-year tribal colleges and universities, and (2) for working- and middle-class students at four-year public institutions of higher education (IHEs). Additionally, the bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the HEA to: reauthorize the Federal TRIO Programs, the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (i.e., GEAR UP), and the Federal Work Study Program for FY2018-FY2027; eliminate existing base guarantees of Federal Work Study funds to IHEs and require funds to be allocated based solely on the aggregate need of the institution's students; modify the interest rate formulas for federal student loans to revise applicable rates on new loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2017; and allow student loan borrowers to modify interest rates on outstanding federal student loans to current rates. Finally, it directs the Department of Education to use any excess revenue generated by the Federal Direct Loan program to carry out the Federal Pell Grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Police Training and Independent Review Act of 2017 This bill requires a state that receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to train law enforcement officers on diversity and sensitivity. The Department of Justice (DOJ) may reduce by up to 20% the JAG allocation of a state that fails to comply. Additionally, the bill requires a state or local government that receives JAG funding to have in effect a law requiring the appointment of an independent prosecutor to investigate and prosecute an offense involving the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer that results in a death or injury. DOJ must reduce by 20% the JAG allocation of a state or local government that fails to comply.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill amends equal pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to: (1) restrict the use of the bona fide factor defense to wage discrimination claims, (2) enhance nonretaliation prohibitions, (3) make it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages, and (4) increase civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs shall train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. The bill directs the Department of Labor to: (1) establish and carry out a grant program for negotiation skills training for girls and women, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace is established for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. The bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Commemorates the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sermon titled "Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence." Encourages the U.S. government to conduct foreign policy in a manner consistent with the vision delineated in that speech.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Recognizes that the intent of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 included the presumption that veterans who served in the Armed Forces in the bays, harbors, and territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, served in Vietnam for all purposes under the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Expresses the intent that such veterans who served in those areas and other areas exposed to Agent Orange who have been diagnosed with connected medical conditions should be equally recognized for such exposure through equitable benefits and coverage as those who served in the inland rivers and on the Vietnamese land mass. Calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs to review its policy that excludes presumptive coverage for Agent Orange exposure for such veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to specify that communications decency provisions protecting providers or users of interactive computer services from liability for the private blocking or screening of offensive material shall not be construed to impair the enforcement of, or limit availability of victim restitution or civil remedies under, state or federal criminal or civil laws relating to sexual exploitation of children or sex trafficking. The bill amends the federal criminal code to specify that the violation for benefiting from "participation in a venture" engaged in sex trafficking of children, or by force, fraud, or coercion, includes knowing or reckless conduct by any person or entity and by any means that furthers or in any way aids or abets the violation. A provider of an interactive computer service that publishes information provided by an information content provider with reckless disregard that the information is in furtherance of a sex trafficking offense shall be subject to a criminal fine or imprisonment for not more than 20 years.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2017 This bill allows Medicare payment for home health services ordered by a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Congressional Leadership In Mitigating Administration Threats to the Earth Act or the CLIMATE Act This bill nullifies the Executive Order entitled "Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth" that was released on March 28, 2017. No federal funds may be used to implement or enforce the order. The bill takes effect on March 28, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2017 or the PAST Act This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to establish a new system for inspecting horses for soring, revise penalties for violations of the Act, and modify enforcement procedures. The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions to detect and diagnose sore horses. A license may not be issued to a person with conflicts of interest, and USDA must give preference to veterinarians. USDA may revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. USDA must assign licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. An inspector must issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of violations. USDA must publish information on violations of this bill and disqualify a horse that is sore. The bill prohibits a person in any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning the horse. The bill prohibits the use of specified devices on a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse at a show, exhibition, sale, or auction. The bill increases the maximum criminal and civil liability penalties for certain violations. USDA may disqualify violators from specified activities related to horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions.
![Official portrait of Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000515_200.jpg)