United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2014
National Commission on the Structure of the Army Act of 2014 - Establishes the National Commission on the Structure of the Army to undertake a comprehensive study of the structure of the Army to determine: (1) the proper force mixture of the active component and reserve component, and (2) how the structure should be modified to best fulfill mission requirements in a manner consistent with available resources. Directs the Commission to give particular consideration to evaluating a structure that: (1) meets current and anticipated requirements of the combatant commands; (3) achieves a cost-efficiency balance between the regular and reserve components, with a focus on fully burdened and lifecycle cost of Army personnel; (3) ensures that the regular and reserve components have the capacity needed to support homeland defense and disaster assistance missions in the United States; (4) provides for sufficient numbers of regular members of the Army to provide a base of trained personnel from which the personnel of the reserve components could be recruited; (5) maintains a peacetime rotation force to support operational tempo goals of 1:2 for regular members and 1:5 for members of the reserve components; and (6) maximizes and appropriately balances affordability, efficiency, effectiveness, capability, and readiness. Prohibits the use of any funds made available for FY2015 for the Army to: (1) divest, retire, or transfer, or prepare to divest, retire, or transfer, any aircraft of the Army assigned to units of the Army National Guard as of January 15, 2014; or (2) reduce personnel below the authorized end strength levels of 350,000 for the Army National Guard as of September 30, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2014
Pullman National Historical Park Act - Establishes the Pullman National Historical Park in Illinois as a unit of the National Park System to: (1) preserve and interpret for the benefit of future generations the significant labor, industrial, civil rights, and social history of the Park, the significant architectural structures in the Park, and the role of the Pullman community in the creation of the first national Labor Day holiday in the world; (2) coordinate preservation, protection, and interpretation efforts of the Park by the federal government, the state of Illinois, units of local government, and private and nonprofit organizations; and (3) coordinate appropriate management options necessary to ensure the protection, preservation, and interpretation of the many significant aspects of the Park. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to complete a general management plan for the Park.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act of 2014 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to eliminate the exemption of certain foreign medical schools from the prohibition on foreign medical schools participating in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program, unless: at least 60% of those enrolled in, and at least 60% of the graduates of, the foreign medical school during the preceding year were not citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States or were not in the United States with the intention of becoming citizens or permanent residents; and at least 75% of students or graduates of the medical school located outside the United States or Canada who took the examinations administered by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates in the preceding year received a passing score. Preserves the Direct Loan eligibility of students who were enrolled at schools excepted from that prohibition on or before the date of this Act's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Child Protection Improvements Act of 2013 - Amends the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to direct the Attorney General to: (1) establish policies and procedures to streamline the process of obtaining state and national criminal history background checks on covered individuals, and (2) establish a criminal history review program to provide covered entities with reliable and accurate information on the criminal history of a covered individual. Defines "covered entity" as any business or organization that provides, or licenses, certifies, or coordinates individuals or organizations to provide, care, care placement, supervision, treatment, education, training, instruction, or recreation to children. Defines "covered individual" as an individual who: (1) has, seeks to have, or may have unsupervised access to vulnerable populations (i.e., elderly, disabled, and children) served by a covered entity; (2) is employed by or volunteers with, or seeks to be employed by or volunteer with, a covered entity; or (3) owns or operates, or seeks to own or operate, a covered entity.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 - Amends the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with respect to the requirement that a federal court retain jurisdiction for an appropriate period to prevent commencement of new devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Expands the types of violations triggering the authority of a court to retain such jurisdiction to include certain violations of the Act as well as violations of any federal voting rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group. Excludes from the list of violations triggering jurisdiction retention authority any voting qualification or prerequisite which results in a denial or abridgement of the right to vote that is based on the imposition of a requirement that an individual provide a photo identification as a condition of receiving a ballot for voting in a federal, state, or local election. Revises requirements for determining which states and political subdivisions are covered or not covered by criteria for declaratory judgments that they have not used devices to deny or abridge the right to vote. Subjects to the requirements for making such a determination any state (and all of its political subdivisions) during a calendar if 5 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 15 years, at least one of which was committed by the state itself (as opposed to a political subdivision within it). Specifies application of such new coverage requirements to any specific political subdivision if: (1) 3 or more voting rights violations occurred in it during the previous 15 calendar years; or (2) 1 or more voting rights violations occurred in it during the previous 15 calendar years and the subdivision had persistent, extremely low minority turnout during that period. Provides that, if a state obtains a declaratory judgment that it has not used a device to deny or abridge the right to vote, the requirements for a new declaratory judgment generally will not apply, unless the new coverage requirements of this Act apply to the state solely on the basis of voting rights violations occurring after the declaratory judgment was issued. Prescribes transparency requirements, including reasonable public notice, regarding any changes to: (1) voting prerequisites, standards, or procedures; (2) polling place resources; or (3) demographics and electoral districts. Modifies authority to assign observers, including authorizing the assignment of observers to enforce bilingual election requirements. Revises requirements for injunctive relief, including its scope and the persons authorized to seek relief as well as the grounds for granting it.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Recognizes the significance of the anniversary of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program. Acknowledges the value of 40 years of participation by the AAAS's Science and Technology Policy Fellows. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to support the use of science in governmental decisionmaking through such program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2014
Lymphedema Treatment Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to cover certain lymphedema compression treatment items as durable medical equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2014
Superfund Reinvestment Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to authorize the use of amounts in the Hazardous Substance Superfund for environmental cleanup costs authorized by such Act. Provides that receipts and disbursements of the Hazardous Substance Superfund: (1) shall not be counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus, for purposes of the President's budget, the congressional budget, the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, or the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010; (2) shall be exempt from any general budget limitations; and (3) shall be available only for the purposes specified in CERCLA. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reinstate through December 31, 2023, the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate and the corporate environmental income tax and extend the borrowing authority of the Superfund through 2023.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2014
State Transportation and Infrastructure Financing Innovation Act (STIFIA) - Revises and reauthorizes the state infrastructure bank program for FY2013 and FY2014.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2014
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. Limits the minting of such coins to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2017. Prescribes surcharges for coin sales, which shall be paid to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc., to help finance the construction of a new building and renovation of existing National Purple Heart Hall of Honor facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2014
Oil and Gas Leasing Inflation Adjustment Act - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to increase from $2 per acre to $4 per acre the national minimum acceptable bid for oil and gas leases. Increases from $2 per acre to $5 per acre the minimum acceptable bid for a tar sand lease. Increases the annual rental of a lease from $1.50 per acre to $3 per acre for the first through the fifth year of the lease. Increases the annual lease rental from $2 per acre to $4 per acre for each year after such fifth year. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to make a cost-of-living adjustment of such dollar amounts at least once every four years and to publish each one in the Federal Register.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2014
Reward and Encourage New Business Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from $5,000 to $10,000 the maximum amount of the tax deduction for business start-up expenditures.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2014
Older Americans Act Reauthorization of 2014 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to reauthorize through FY2018 appropriations for: (1) the Administration on Aging, including the Eldercare Locator Service and pension counseling and information programs; (2) grants for state and community programs on aging; (3) grants and contracts for educational activities; (4) Older American community service employment programs; and (5) grants for Native Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before April 1, 2014. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until March 31, 2014, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and September 30, 2014, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to March 31, 2014, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through the first quarter of FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through March 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits. Makes a change in application of a certain requirement (nonreduction rule) to a state that has: (1) entered a federal-state EUC agreement, under which the federal government would reimburse the state's unemployment compensation agency making EUC payments to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment compensation under state or federal law and meet specified other criteria; and (2) enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. (Under the nonreduction rule such an agreement does not apply with respect to a state whose method for computing regular unemployment compensation under state law has been modified to make the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010, less than what would have been paid before June 2, 2010.) Declares that the nonreduction rule shall not apply to a state which has enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. Allows such a state, however, to enter into a subsequent federal-state EUC agreement on or after enactment of this Act if, taking into account this inapplicability of the nonreduction rule, it would otherwise meet the requirements for an EUC agreement. (Thus allows such a subsequent EUC agreement to permit payment of less than the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2014
Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the Medicare durable medical equipment face-to-face encounter documentation requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 23 December 2013
Repeals a provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Military Retirement Restoration Act - Repeals the provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat a foreign corporation managed and controlled, directly or indirectly, primarily in the United States as a domestic corporation for U.S. tax purposes if the stock of such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market or the aggregate gross assets of such corporation during the taxable year or any preceding taxable year is $50 million or more.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Repeals the provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Exempts from the reduction in the cost-of-living adjustment of retired pay of members of the Armed Forces under the age of 62 enacted by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 the retired pay of any member or former member who is: (1) retired, (2) eligible for combat-related special compensation, or (3) entitled to concurrent payment of retired pay and veterans' disability compensation. Makes such reduction in the cost-of-living adjustment inapplicable to percentage increases allowed for annuities under survivor benefit plans based on retired or retainer pay.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2013 - Repeals death penalty provisions for a wide range of homicide-related offenses under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the federal criminal code, the Controlled Substances Act, and other statutes relating to aircraft hijacking, espionage and treason, and offenses punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Prohibits the sentencing to death or execution of any person for any violation of federal law after the enactment of this Act. Commutes death penalties imposed prior to the enactment of this Act to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Servicemembers and Veterans Prescription Drug Safety Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) and the Attorney General (AG) to jointly carry out a program under which a member of the Armed Forces (member), an individual receiving or entitled to military retired or retainer pay, a dependent-beneficiary of a member, or any person lawfully entitled to dispose of the property of any of such individuals may deliver a personal-use controlled substance (the prescription medication of a deceased individual) for disposal at a facility to be specified by the Secretary and the AG. Requires the Secretary and AG, in implementing the program, to develop appropriate guidelines and procedures to prevent the diversion, misuse, theft, or loss of such delivered substances. Directs the Secretary and the AG to jointly carry out a program under which a veteran, a veteran's spouse or dependent, a person in receipt of medical services at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility, or any person lawfully entitled to dispose of the property of any of such individuals may deliver such a controlled substance for disposal at a specified facility, subject to the same guidelines and procedures with respect to such delivered substances.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Coverage Protection Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in the case of an individual who enrolls in a qualified health plan offered through a health care exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) before February 1, 2014, to require the issuer of the plan to treat such individual as enrolled as of December 23, 2013, if the individual: attests, not later than January 31, 2014, to making reasonable, good-faith attempts to successfully enroll in such a plan through an exchange before December 23, 2013, or was initially determined through an exchange to be eligible to enroll in a Medicaid plan but is not eligible to so enroll in such a plan and, because of the incorrect eligibility determination, was subsequently unable to enroll in a qualified plan before December 23, 2013; and pays, not later than January 31, 2014, the monthly premiums for the plan in which such individual enrolls for January and February 2014, taking into account the amount of any premium assistance made available under the Internal Revenue Code. Counts coverage provided under a qualified plan for January and February 2014 under this Act as coverage under such a plan by or through an exchange for such months for all purposes, including premium assistance, PPACA cost-sharing reductions, and the requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage. Directs the Secretary to require a health insurance issuer that offers a qualified plan through an exchange to: allow in-network providers in the plan to treat a receipt of payment of premiums by an individual enrolled for January or February 2014 who has not received a health insurance card from the issuer in the same manner as if such receipt were such a health insurance card issued for services furnished during such month; and notify such in-network providers of that policy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Antibiotic Development to Advance Patient Treatment Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to approve the use of an antibacterial or antifungal drug that is intended for treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease or condition to treat a limited population of patients for which there is an unmet medical need. Requires the labeling of such drugs to prominently include in the prescribing information the statement that the drug is indicated for use in a limited and specific population of patients. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to license those antibacterial or antifungal drugs as biological products. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) monitor the use of antibacterial and antifungal drugs, (2) monitor changes in bacterial and fungal resistance to drugs, and (3) make the information derived from such monitoring available to the public. Amends the FFDCA to direct the Secretary: (1) to identify upon approval, and subsequently update, susceptibility test interpretive criteria for antibacterial drugs by relying upon preclinical and clinical data, Bayesian and pharmacometric statistical methodologies, and such other confirmatory evidence the Secretary deems necessary; (2) on a quarterly basis, to evaluate new or updated criteria published by a nationally or internationally recognized standard development organization; and (3) to publish on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) website a notice adopting, declining to adopt, or partially adopting such new or updated criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Igniting American Research Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for increasing research expenditures, to: (1) extend such credit through 2014; (2) increase the rate of the alternative simplified research tax credit to 20% and make such credit permanent; (3) allow a 20% research tax credit for payments to a tax-exempt biotechnology research consortium for biotechnology research; and (4) modify the requirements relating to the eligibility of an energy research consortium for the tax credit to require at least 3 unrelated persons (currently, 5 unrelated persons) to make payments to such a consortium for energy research.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax exclusion for benefits paid to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical providers by states and local governments, to: (1) increase the amount of benefits excludible; and (2) make such tax exclusion available for taxable years beginning in 2014, 2015, or 2016.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Long-Term Unemployed Hiring Incentive Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow through December 31, 2016, a work opportunity tax credit for hiring a qualified long-term unemployed individual. Defines "qualified long-term unemployed individual" as any individual certified by the designated local agency as: (1) having exhausted, as of the hiring date, all rights to regular compensation under federal or state law; (2) having no rights to regular compensation with respect to the most recent week ending before the hiring date; and (3) not receiving compensation under the unemployment compensation law of Canada.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2013
Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act of 2013 - Establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration (SSA), to be headed by the Deputy Commissioner of SSA. Entitles every individual to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) benefit payment for each month beginning on the first day of the first 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. Qualifies for such a benefit payment any individual who: is insured for disability insurance benefits under the Social Security Act at the time his or her application is filed; has earned income from employment during the 12 months before filing it; has filed an application for a FMLI benefit in accordance with this Act; and was engaged in qualified caregiving, or anticipates being so engaged, during the 90-day period before the application is filed or within 30 days after. Defines "qualified caregiving" as any activity engaged in by an individual, other than regular employment, for a reason for which an eligible employee would be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). Prescribes a formula for determination of an individual's monthly FMLI benefit payment, as well as for the maximum and the minimum monthly benefit amounts. Requires a FMLI benefit payment to be coordinated with any periodic benefits received from temporary disability insurance or family leave insurance programs under any state law or plan, local government, or an instrumentality of two or more states. Prescribes criteria that makes an individual ineligible for a FMLI benefit payment. Specifies prohibited acts by an employer, and penalties for violations. Establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund in the Treasury. Requires FMLI benefit payments to be made only from this Fund. Prohibits the use of amounts from the Social Security Trust Fund or appropriated to the SSA to administer Social Security programs for FMLI benefits or administration. 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 in the Treasury for FMLI benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act of 2013 - Prohibits, as an unfair and deceptive act or practice and an unfair method of competition in or affecting interstate commerce, any person from being a party to any agreement resolving or settling a patent infringement claim in which: (1) an abbreviated new drug (generic) application filer receives anything of value; and (2) such filer agrees not to research, develop, manufacture, market or sell the generic drug. Excludes a resolution or settlement that includes no more than: (1) the right to market the generic drug before the expiration of the patent or other exclusivity period, or (2) the waiver of a patent infringement claim for damages. Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to exempt agreements in furtherance of market competition and for the benefit of consumers. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem an applicant to have forfeited market exclusivity if the applicant enters into an agreement that violates this Act. Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to revise reporting requirements related to agreements between a generic drug applicant and a brand name drug company to include: (1) a description of the subject matter of other agreements between the parties; and (2) a certification that the materials filed represent the complete, final, and exclusive agreement between the parties.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Medicare CGM Coverage Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to cover continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS) (including a transmitter, receiver, sensors, and test strips required for use) as durable medical equipment (DME).
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Building Community Financial Institutions' Capacity to Combat Money Laundering Act - Establishes the BSA Compliance Fund. Requires deposit into the Fund of: (1) 25% of all civil money penalties imposed upon domestic financial institutions for violations related to mandatory reports and recordkeeping on monetary instruments transactions, and (2) 25% of any civil fine paid by a domestic financial institution for violations of other federal law with respect to actions for which a civil money penalty is also imposed for prohibited monetary transactions. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) use the Fund to make grants to community financial institutions with under $10 billion in assets to improve their compliance with statutory requirements governing reports and recordkeeping on monetary instruments transactions, and (2) give grant priority to institutions located in counties that have 20% or more of residents living below the federal poverty line.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Two-Midnight Rule Delay Act of 2013 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from enforcing the two-midnight rule to a hospital for which payment is made under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for admissions occurring before October 1, 2014. (The two-midnight rule allows Medicare coverage of only hospital stays for which a physician admits to a hospital a beneficiary expected to require care that crosses two midnights, but generally denies coverage of care expected to require less than a two-midnight stay.) Applies such prohibition to Medicare review contracts. Prohibits Medicare review contractors from denying a claim for inpartient hospital services furnished by a hospital, or inpatient critical access hospital services furnished by a critical access hospital, for discharges occurring before October 1, 2014: (1) for medical necessity due to the length of an inpatient stay in such hospital or due to a determination that the services could have been provided on an outpatient basis; or (2) for requirements for orders, certifications, or recertifications, and associated documentation relating to such matters. Prohibits the Secretary from increasing the sample of claims selected for prepayment review under the Medicare Probe and Educate program above the number and type established by the Secretary as of November 4, 2013. Directs the Secretary to develop: (1) a Medicare hospital payment methodology for short inpatient hospital stays; (2) general equivalency maps to link the relevant International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10 codes (used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient procedures) to relevant Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, and the relevant CPT codes to relevant ICD-10 codes, in order to permit comparison of inpatient hospital services and hospital outpatient department servives; and (3) a second crosswalk between Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes for inpatient hospital services and Ambulatory Payment Class codes for outpatient hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the fight against breast cancer. Instructs the Secretary to select the design for the coins based upon the winning design from a juried, compensated design competition following certain specifications. Restricts the period of coin issuance to the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2018. Requires all sales of such coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin. Prescribes a surcharge distribution formula.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
States that the House of Representatives has learned with profound sorrow of the death of Nelson Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa. Tenders its sympathies to the members of his family and his fellow citizens. Honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Mandela and for his friendship to the United States. Requests the Secretary of State to communicate these expressions of sentiment to Nelson Mandela's family and to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Requests that when the House adjourns today it do so as a mark of respect to the memory of Nelson Mandela.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a single congressional gold medal in commemoration of the Monuments Men (men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives [MFA] Section under the Allied Armies during World War II) in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following the War. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Monuments Men and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Medical Foods Equity Act of 2013 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare), XIX (Medicaid), and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of medically necessary food and food modified to be low protein formulated to be consumed or administered under the supervision of a qualified medical provider, for the treatment of conditions as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (the Advisory Committee), and the medical equipment and supplies necessary to administer such food. Provides coverage under the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE and Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHBP) programs for such health benefits. Defines "medically necessary food" as a food formulated to be consumed or administered through the gastrointestinal tract orally or by tube under the supervision of a physician and intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on recognized scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation. Includes nutritionally modified counterparts of traditional foods and other forms of foods such as formulas, pills, capsules, and bars. Provides Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP prescription drug coverage of pharmacological doses of vitamins and amino acids used for the treatment of inborn errors of metabolism, for the treatment of conditions as recommended by the Advisory Committee, and as prescribed by a qualified medical provider. Provides similar coverage of such items under the TRICARE and FEHBP programs, without regard to the age of the patient.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of any Department of Defense (DOD) funds to retire, prepare to retire, or place in storage any A-10 aircraft until: (1) the Secretary of the Air Force certifies that the F-35A aircraft has achieved full operational capability and Block 4A capabilities and that a sufficient number of F-35A aircraft exists in the Air Force inventory to replace the A-10 aircraft in order to meet close air support capability requirements of the combatant commands; and (2) the Comptroller General submits a report that assesses whether each such certification is comprehensive, fully supported, and sufficiently detailed and that identifies any shortcomings, limitations, or other reportable matters that affect the quality or findings of any such certification.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2013
Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to cover marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), particularly those provided in rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and in hospice programs. Amends Medicare part E (Miscellaneous) to exclude such services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system. Authorizes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2013
Renewable Electricity Standard Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to require a retail electric supplier to submit to the Secretary of Energy (DOE) for 2014 and thereafter one or more of the following: (1) specified federal renewable energy credits, (2) certification of the renewable energy generated and electricity savings, and (3) specified alternative compliance payments. Prescribes, for 2014 through 2039, a schedule of graduated annual percentages of a retail electric supplier's base amount that shall be generated from renewable energy resources (increasing from 6% in 2014 to 25% in 2025). Directs the Secretary to establish a program to: (1) verify and issue federal renewable energy credits to generators of renewable energy; (2) track the sale, exchange, and retirement of the credits; and (3) enforce the federal renewable energy credits program. Directs the Secretary to issue a generator of electric energy one federal renewable energy credit for each kilowatt hour of electric energy generated by the use of a renewable energy resource at an eligible facility. Prescribes rules for federal renewable energy credit trading and for borrowing and repayment of federal renewable energy credits. Provides that this Act does not diminish the authority of a state or its political subdivision to: (1) adopt or enforce any law (including regulations) respecting renewable energy, or (2) regulate the acquisition and disposition of federal renewable energy credits by retail electric suppliers. Permits an electric utility that has sales of electric energy subject to rate regulation to recover the full cost of renewable energy obtained to comply with this Act. Establishes in the Treasury a state renewable energy account for a grant program for promoting renewable energy production and providing energy assistance and weatherization services to low-income consumers.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2013
Jobs for Heroes Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the work opportunity tax credit, to: (1) revise the definition of "qualified veteran" to expand the eligibility of veterans for such credit, (2) allow such credit for the hiring of a qualified member of the Ready Reserve or National Guard, and (3) make such credit permanent. Revises the tax credit for differential wage payments made by employers on behalf of Members of the Uniformed Services to: (1) extend eligibility for such credit to an employer without regard to the size of such employer's workforce, and (2) make such credit permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2013
Stop Harming Our Kids Resolution of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that sexual orientation change efforts directed at minors are discredited and ineffective, have no legitimate therapeutic purpose, and are dangerous and harmful. Encourages states to protect minors from efforts that promote or promise to change sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, based on the premise that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or gender nonconforming is a mental illness or developmental disorder that can or should be cured. Defines "sexual orientation change efforts" as any practice by a licensed mental health provider, health care provider, or counselor seeking or purporting to impose change of an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Excludes from such definition counseling that does not seek to change sexual orientation or gender identity or expression if such counseling provides: (1) acceptance, support, and understanding of a person; (2) coping, social support, and identity exploration and development; (3) developmentally appropriate counseling for a person seeking to transition from one gender to another; or (4) sexual orientation- and gender identity-neutral interventions to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Prohibits any prevailing rate employee in a federal agency, between January 1 and September 30, 2014, from being paid an amount exceeding specified limits resulting from an applicable wage survey adjustment. Prohibits the percentage increase in wages paid to a prevailing wage employee in FY2014 from being less than the percentage increase in the basic pay of other federal employees in the same pay locality.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
International Violence Against Women Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of State to establish an Office of Global Women's Issues which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. Directs the Ambassador-at-Large to coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender integration and advancing the status of women and girls in U.S. foreign policy. Establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) a Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall direct USAID activities, policies, programs, and funding relating to gender equality and women's empowerment. Directs the Ambassador-at-Large to develop or update annually for six years a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Authorizes the Secretary and the Administrator of USAID to provide assistance to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Humane Care for Primates Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promulgate a final rule revising federal regulations regarding the importation of nonhuman primates (i.e. chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, macaques, and numerous other species) to expand the categories of uses for which nonhuman primates may be imported and distributed to include live nonhuman primates imported into the United States by a certified primate sanctuary for purposes of providing lifetime shelter and care. Requires such rule to establish a process for the certification of facilities as primate sanctuaries for purposes of the importation, shelter, and care of nonhuman primates.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2013 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before January 1, 2015. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until December 31, 2014, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and June 30, 2015, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to December 31, 2014, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through December 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Permanently Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2013 - Amends the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 to repeal its sunset date December 31, 2012 (thus making the Act permanent). Establishes a private right of action to enforce compliance with such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Makes it out of order in the House of Representatives to consider a concurrent resolution providing for adjournment unless the House has adopted a conference report on S.Con.Res. 8, establishing a budget for the federal government, by December 13, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose an additional penalty of $5,000 on any person or entity convicted of crimes relating to: (1) peonage, slavery, and trafficking in persons; (2) sexual abuse; (3) sexual exploitation and other abuse of children; (4) transportation for illegal sexual activity; or (5) human smuggling in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Establishes in the Treasury the Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund into which such penalties shall be deposited and which shall be used in FY2015-FY2019 to award grants or enhance victims' programming under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, and the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990. Allots funds to provide services for child pornography victims. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make a determination, based on credible evidence, that a covered individual (i.e., a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident) has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 to authorize the Attorney General to award block grants to develop, improve, or expand comprehensive domestic child trafficking deterrence programs to rescue and restore the lives of trafficking victims, while investigating and prosecuting offenses involving child trafficking. Amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to include human trafficking and the production of child pornography within the definition of child abuse for purposes of such Act. Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) increase restitution for victims of human trafficking; (2) set forth provisions for combating aggravated human trafficking racketeering; (3) allow state and local prosecutors to obtain wiretap warrants in state courts for investigations into human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and child pornography production; (4) increase penalties for offenses involving enticement into slavery, sex trafficking of children, child exploitation, and repeat sex offenders; and (5) revise the definition of the crime of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct to facilitate prosecutions of such crime. Directs the Attorney General to ensure that all task forces and working groups within the Innocence Lost National Initiative engage in activities, programs, or operations to increase the investigative capabilities of law enforcement personnel in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of persons who patronize or solicit children for sex. Requires the Attorney General to audit grants awarded under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005. Imposes limits on the use of Department of Justice (DOJ) funds for DOJ conferences involving more than $20,000.
![Official portrait of Rep. Shea-Porter, Carol [D-NH-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001170_200.jpg)