United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 This bill extends access to Department of Defense commissaries and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) facilities to Purple Heart recipients, veterans with a service-connected disability, Medal of Honor recipients, former prisoners of war, and veteran caregivers. (Commissaries are grocery/department stores on military installations that sell food and some household items. MWR facilities offer a range of services on bases including libraries, outdoor recreation, dining, golf courses, and sports and fitness centers.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act This bill sets forth requirements and limitations with respect to the removal from office of a special counsel appointed by the Attorney General, or of another official appointed by the Attorney General who exercises a similar degree of independence from the Department of Justice (DOJ) chain of command. Specifically, a special counsel or other appointed official: may only be removed by the Attorney General or the most senior Senate-confirmed DOJ official, in certain circumstances; may only be removed for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause; must be provided written notice that specifies the reason for removal; and may file an action to challenge the removal not later than 10 days after notice was provided.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Reduce Unemployment for Veterans of All Ages Act of 2018 This bill makes all veterans with qualifying employment handicaps or service-connected disabilities eligible for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs by eliminating the 12-year period of program eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Pink Tax Repeal Act This bill prohibits product manufacturers or service providers from selling substantially similar products at different prices based on the gender of the intended purchaser. If, for example, the only difference between two products is the color, they are substantially similar.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Never Again Education Act This bill authorizes the Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund for the Department of Education (ED) to: (1) award grants to eligible entities to carry out Holocaust education programs, and (2) conduct periodic regional workshops to provide teachers with technical assistance on how to incorporate Holocaust education within state and local education standards. The fund may accept donations and in-kind contributions. ED shall: (1) create and maintain a Holocaust education program website containing resources for middle grades and high schools; and (2) establish the Holocaust Education Advisory Board to advise on developing application criteria for the fund's grants, advise on content for the Holocaust education program website, and lead efforts to solicit donations for the fund.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Recognizes the significance of Equal Pay Day to illustrate the disparity between wages paid to men and women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about March 23, 2018, to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period of such lapse as soon as practicable after such lapse ends.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
Debt-Free College Act This bill requires the Department of Education to: (1) award grants for state-federal partnerships that provide debt-free college for students at certain institutions of higher education, and (2) allow federal financial aid for higher education to be given to dreamer students (students who entered the country when they were under the age of 16 and who meet certain educational criteria) or students convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2018
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2018 This bill prohibits discrimination, under a federally assisted program, against public school students on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. The bill authorizes federal departments and agencies to terminate the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating this prohibition. An aggrieved individual may assert a violation of this bill in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2018
Appalachia Opportunity Grants Act of 2018 This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Department of Agriculture to award grants for units of local government in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States to convene groups of public and private entities to collaborate in carrying out regional projects to accomplish positive economic and community impacts in the region. A regional project carried out by a collaborative group must: (1) involve at least two municipalities that share a border; and (2) complete a specific activity that has a goal of job creation, expansion of the capacity of post-secondary education, growth of tourism, improving public health, or upgrading regional infrastructure.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2018
CARA 2.0 Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes through FY2023 and revises several programs relating to opioid- and substance-use disorder prevention and treatment, including awareness campaigns and training programs for first responders; the bill also establishes several requirements relating to opioid prescribing practices, such as an initial three-day supply limit for certain opioids.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2018
Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act This bill makes veterans who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for any mental illness through the Department of Veterans Affairs, notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the mental illness is attributable to such service.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2018
Condemns the attack in the United Kingdom on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer, and his daughter Yulia on March 4, 2018. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States stands in firm partnership with the United Kingdom, and (2) Russian aggression across all domains should not be accepted.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2018
Offshore Wind Jobs and Opportunity Act This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to award offshore wind career training grants to eligible entities (i.e., institutions of higher education or labor organizations) to develop, offer, or improve educational or career training programs that provide skills that are useful for employment in the offshore wind industry.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2018
Safe Equitable Campus Resources and Education Act of 2018 or the Secure Act of 2018 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to address the needs of individuals with disabilities, such as their needs if a campus is evacuated or their needs if they are victims of sex offenses, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking incidents.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2018
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to designate and operate centers of Alzheimer's disease research, education, and clinical activities in at least three VA health care facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2018
Tip Income Protection (TIP) Act of 2018 This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with respect to the definition of wage to provide that except in the case of the pooling of tips, all tips received by any employee, including an employee that is not a tipped employee, shall be the property of, and retained by, the employee, including in the case of an employer that pays a tipped employee a cash wage that equals or exceeds the minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2018
Supports the efforts of the United Bid Committee to bring the 2026 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup competition to Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2018
Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to expand the categories of prohibited persons (i.e., persons who are prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm or ammunition) to include the following: (1) persons convicted of a crime of violence in the most recent 10-year period; (2) persons under age 25 who have been adjudicated as having committed an offense that would have been a crime of violence if committed by an adult; (3) persons convicted, during a consecutive 3-year period in the most recent 10-year period, of two separate offenses involving drug or alcohol possession or distribution; and (4) persons convicted of stalking.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2018
Undo Sabotage and Expand Affordability of Health Insurance Act of 2018 This bill makes a series of changes relating to health insurance coverage, costs, and funding mechanisms. Among other things, the bill expands requirements relating to coverage of preexisting conditions to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and also establishes a national reinsurance program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2018
Firearm Safety Act of 2018 This bill amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to allow the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue safety standards for firearms and firearm components.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2018
United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2018 This bill extends Military Financing Program grants for Israel through FY2023. The Department of Defense shall conduct a joint assessment with Israel regarding: (1) precision guided munitions needed by Israel in a sustained armed confrontation with Hezbollah and other armed groups and terrorist organizations, and (2) related U.S. assistance and resupply planning. The President may utilize the Special Defense Acquisition Fund to transfer precision guided munitions and related defense articles and services to reserve stocks for Israel. Authorities for loan guarantees and the war reserves stockpile for Israel are extended through FY2023. The Department of Homeland Security shall establish a seven-year grant program with Israel to support: (1) cybersecurity research and development, and (2) commercialization of cybersecurity technology. The U.S. Agency for International Development may enter into memoranda of understanding with Israel to advance common goals on energy, agriculture and food security, democracy, economic growth, education, and health. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shall continue to work with the Israel Space Agency to pursue peaceful space exploration and science initiatives. The President may enter into a cooperative project agreement with Israel to carry out research and joint production of defense articles and services to detect and destroy unmanned aerial vehicles (i.e., drones) that threaten the United States or Israel. The bill states that it is U.S. policy to ensure that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2018
Close Tax Loopholes That Outsource American Jobs Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the tax deduction for a portion of a domestic corporation's foreign-derived intangible income and global intangible low-taxed income.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2018
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 · 27 February 2018
Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2018 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to create a loan repayment program for individuals who complete a period of service in a substance use disorder treatment job in a mental health professional shortage area or a county where the drug overdose death rate is higher than the national average. The substance use disorder treatment job must be a full-time position where the primary intent and function is the direct care of patients with or in recovery from a substance use disorder. Individuals must enter into an agreement of service of up to six years with the Health Resources and Services Administration. The repayment program shall pay one-sixth of the principal and interest on any eligible loan for each year of service; the maximum total amount of repayment by the program is $250,000 per individual.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
Recovery Home Certification Act of 2018 This bill requires the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery to establish model criteria for recovery homes and award grants to states that establish and operate recovery homes based on such model criteria. The bill also makes it unlawful to make or receive payments for referrals to recovery homes or clinical treatment facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission entitled "Restoring Internet Freedom." The rule published on February 22, 2018: (1) restores the classification of broadband Internet access service as a lightly-regulated "information service"; (2) reinstates private mobile service classification of mobile broadband Internet access service; (3) requires Internet service providers to disclose information about their network management practices, performance characteristics, and commercial terms of service; and (4) eliminates the Internet Conduct Standard and the bright-line rules.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
Military Spouse Employment Act of 2018 This bill expands authorities, programs, services, and benefits for military spouses and their families. Specifically, the bill: expands the authority for noncompetitive appointments of military spouses by federal agencies to include spouses of active duty military personnel or disabled or deceased personnel, requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to ensure that military spouses are aware of the My Career Advancement Account program and their eligibility to participate in it, facilitates child care services for military families, expands the period of availability of the Military OneSource Program for retired and discharged members of the Armed Forces and their immediate families, and provides transition assistance for military spouses. DOD must report to Congress on: methods to increase its participation in defense contracts that provide employment for military spouses; public-private partnerships to support and enhance the health, safety, welfare, and morale of military families; small businesses activities of military spouses on military installations; and an assessment of the effects of frequent changes of duty stations on employment stability of military spouses.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
This bill removes the prohibition on TRICARE Standard eligibility for members of the Selected Reserve of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who are enrolled or eligible to enroll in the federal health benefits program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
Partnerships for Progress and Prosperity Act or the P3 Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education for the improvement of students' education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Each grantee shall partner with an employer in a STEM field to: assist students in obtaining internships or apprenticeships, develop STEM coursework curricula and metrics, carry out dual-credit courses, provide tutoring and mentoring, enable students and teachers to attend STEM events outside of the classroom, provide after-school and summer STEM programs, and purchase educational materials or equipment to facilitate STEM instruction. In awarding grants under the program, ED shall give special consideration to applicants that: promote in-classroom engagement between STEM professionals and students; use technology-based materials and content; pair mentors and tutors with students struggling to meet curriculum benchmarks; in the case of LEA applicants, serve schools in which most students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch; and propose to use grant funds to target interventions for populations that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. Each grantee shall provide matching funds equal to 50% of the grant amount.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
Stopping Foreign Businesses Sanctuary Act of 2018 This bill authorizes federal and state courts to exercise jurisdiction over certain foreign entities that conduct commercial activities in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the taxation of the foreign-source income of domestic corporations, to: eliminate an exemption for certain returns from tangible investments made overseas, eliminate deductions for a domestic corporation's foreign-derived intangible income and global intangible low-taxed income, repeal a provision that excludes foreign oil and gas extraction income from the tested income of a controlled foreign corporation, limit the tax deduction for the interest expenses of a U.S. corporation that is a member of a financial reporting group (i.e., a group that prepares consolidated financial statements according to generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards), modify the rules for the taxation of inverted corporations (U.S. corporations that acquire foreign companies to reincorporate in a foreign jurisdiction with income tax rates lower than the United States), and treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2018
Assault Weapons Ban of 2018 This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is: (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. Additionally, the bill does not prohibit, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The legislation amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to require law enforcement agencies to be notified when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a grandfathered SAW. It also amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to allow a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2018
Expresses support for the designation of National African American Women Engineers Day and for the goal of increasing the number of African American women in engineering.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2018
Supports the goals and ideals of Engineers Week to increase understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers. Recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2018
Reserve Component Benefits Parity Act of 2018 This bill makes reserve component members who are deployed to support pre-planned operations of a combatant command eligible for: (1) non-reduction in pay while serving in the uniformed services or National Guard, (2) consideration of active duty service to reduce the age for retired pay ; and (3) the high-deployment allowance for lengthy or numerous deployments and frequent mobilizations.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2018
Election Security Act This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to establish grant programs to support (1) states' compliance with certain voting system security requirements, including the use of voting systems that require individual paper ballots marked by hand; (2) states' audits of federal election results (i.e., manual counts of paper ballots); and (3) research and development directed at improving the security and reliability of election infrastructure. The bill also (1) requires the President to develop a national strategy to protect against attacks on U.S. democratic institutions, and (2) establishes the National Commission to Protect U.S. Democratic Institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2018
Commonsense Legislation Ensuring Accountability by Reporting Access of Non-Cleared Employees to Secrets Act or the CLEARANCES Act This bill requires the President to submit quarterly reports to Congress on security clearance information with respect to individuals working in the White House or in the Executive Office of the President.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2018
Supports the designation of Career and Technical Education Month to celebrate career and technical education (CTE) and the goals and ideals of such month. Recognizes the importance of CTE in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce. Encourages educators, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals, administrators, and parents to promote CTE as a respected option for students.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2018
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about February 8, 2018, to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period of such lapse as soon as practicable after such lapse ends.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2018
Building U.S. Infrastructure by Leveraging Demands for Skills or the BUILDS Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to award implementation or renewal grants, for up to three years and on a competitive basis, to eligible industry or sector partnerships to achieve certain strategic objectives with respect to targeted infrastructure industries (e.g., transportation, construction, energy, information technology, or utilities industries). Such strategic objectives must include: recruiting key stakeholders in the targeted infrastructure industries; identifying the training needs of multiple businesses in such industries; facilitating actions that lead to economies of scale by aggregating multiple businesses' training and education needs; helping grant recipients who provide career and technical education and training in aligning curricula, entrance requirements, and programs to the targeted infrastructure's needs and required credentials; providing information on grant activities to state agencies to enable them to inform unemployment compensation recipients of employment and training opportunities; and helping partner businesses to attract potential workers from a diverse jobseeker base.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2018
Keep Our Pets Safe Act of 2018 This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit a person from knowingly confining a common household pet in an enclosed space if the confinement could harm or kill the pet through exposure to excessive heat or cold, lack of ventilation, or lack of water. A common household pet is a domesticated animal (e.g., dog, cat, bird, rodent, rabbit, fish, or turtle) that is traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes. The bill specifies the applicable criminal penalty—a prison term of up to one year, a fine, or both—for a person who violates this prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2018
Civil Defense Accountability Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to report to Congress regarding current notification protocols for ballistic missile threats. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must conduct, and report on, a study to identify best practices of at least 13 states, including Hawaii, Alaska, California, Washington, and other states bordering or not bordering on an ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, regarding civil defense emergencies. The bill requires key officials (defined to include the heads of DOD, FEMA, and the FCC) to submit to Congress and make publicly available unclassified reports on the actions of their respective departments or agencies regarding the ballistic missile false alarm that occurred on January 13, 2018, in Hawaii. Each report shall include recommendations for corrective actions to diminish the possibility of another ballistic missile false alarm. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must submit to Congress and publish online a report regarding the ability of HHS and health care providers to respond to attacks in the United States with biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear weapons. HHS must (1) develop and implement a public outreach program in coordination with state and local governments regarding recommendations in such report for improving readiness in responding to such attacks, and (2) consider the report's recommendations when issuing grants under the Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreement and the Hospital Preparedness Program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2018
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to revise administrative and judicial dispute resolution procedures for initiating, investigating, and resolving claims by employees alleging that employing offices have violated their CAA rights and protections, including protections against sexual harassment. The bill revises CAA provisions, including to: eliminate CAA counseling and mediation requirements before an employee may file a claim with the Office of Compliance (OOC) alleging the violation; require current and former Members of Congress to reimburse the Treasury if an employee receives an award or settlement for the Member's alleged act of discrimination or retaliation; require referral to congressional ethics committees of final disposition of claims alleging CAA violations by Members of Congress and senior staff of employing offices; require non-congressional legislative offices that violate CAA requirements to reimburse the Treasury for resulting award or settlement payments; and extend CAA nondiscrimination requirements and remedies to Library of Congress employees and uncompensated legislative branch interns, detailees, and fellows. The bill applies CAA rights and protections to the China Review Commission, the Congressional-Executive China Commission, the Helsinki Commission, the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development, and their employees. Non-congressional CAA employing offices must develop programs to train and educate employees about their CAA rights and protections and available procedures to consider alleged CAA violations. The bill renames the OOC the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2018
Requires each employing office of the House of Representatives to adopt an anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy. Establishes the House Office of Employee Advocacy (OEA) to: (1) provide legal assistance to House employees regarding Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) procedures, including those applicable to civil actions; and (2) operate an employee hotline. Prohibits the OEA from: (1) accepting awards of litigation expenses or costs under CAA hearings or civil actions, and (2) providing assistance to an employee after the individual files a civil action. Requires House offices to certify that payroll actions are not connected to CAA awards and settlements, and that the Member's Representational Allowance is not being used for CAA awards or settlements. Amends Rule XXIII (Code of Official Conduct) of the Rules of the House to prohibit: (1) a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House from committing sexual harassment against an individual or engaging in unwelcome sexual advances; and (2) sexual relationships between Members and employees (except between married individuals). Bars the House Office of Congressional Ethics from initiating or continuing any investigation of an allegation of violation under CAA rights and protections, or making any recommendations regarding such an allegation, if the employee initiates proceedings with respect to the alleged violation under CAA administrative and judicial dispute-resolution procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2018
Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 or the STOP School Violence Act of 2018 This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to revise and reauthorize through FY2028 the Secure Our Schools grant program. This grant program provides grants to states, local governments, and Indian tribes to improve security, including the placement and use of metal detectors and other deterrent measures, at schools and on school grounds.