United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2013
Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY2018 cancer research programs under the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008. Replaces the current pediatric cancer research and awareness grant program carried out by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with a comprehensive children's cancer biorepositories program. Authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make awards to eligible applicants to build upon existing initiatives to collect biospecimens and clinical and demographic information (including date of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and patient's gender, race, and ethnicity) for at least 90% of all children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer in Comprehensive Children's Cancer Biorepositories for the purpose of achieving a better understanding of the cause of such cancers and the effects of treatments. Permits award amounts to be used to: (1) acquire, preserve, and store high quality, donated biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic information on children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with cancer in the United States; (2) maintain a secure searchable database for scientists and qualified health care professionals to research such biospecimens and data; and (3) make available and distribute such biospecimens and data to researchers and professionals for peer-reviewed research. Revises the national childhood cancer registry grant program to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to award grants to state cancer registries to enhance and expand infrastructure to track the epidemiology of cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults. Requires a Comptroller General (GAO) report regarding the barriers to conducting pediatric studies of oncologic therapies in applications for new drugs or biological products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including recommendations to improve development and access to new therapies as well as assessments of: (1) the feasibility of requiring studies for a pediatric oncologic indication if the therapeutic target of a drug or biologic product for an adult oncologic indication is highly relevant to any pediatric cancer to which it could apply, and (2) the impact of altering the current exemption for orphan drug designations relating to rare diseases or conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Electrify Africa Act of 2013 - Directs the President to establish a multiyear strategy to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa develop an appropriate mix of power solutions to provide sufficient electricity access to people living in rural and urban areas in order to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth. Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) should: (1) prioritize where loan guarantees to African financial institutions would facilitate involvement in African power projects, and where partnerships and grants would increase access to electricity; and (2) consider providing grants to develop national, regional, and local energy and electricity policy plans, and expand electricity access to the poorest. Urges: (1) the Secretary of the Treasury to use U.S. influence at each institution in the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank to encourage power sector and electrification investments in sub-Saharan Africa, (2) the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to prioritize investment in the electricity sector of sub-Saharan Africa, and (3) the Trade and Development Agency to promote U.S. private sector participation in energy sector development projects in sub-Saharan Africa.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Computer Science Education Act of 2013 - Amends title IX (General Provisions) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to define "computer science" as the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including the study of computing principles, computer hardware and software design, computer applications, and the impact of computers on society. Makes computer science a core academic subject. Includes computer science teachers in professional development activities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Child Handgun Safety Act - Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to promulgate a consumer product safety standard for handguns that requires that: (1) any handgun manufactured in the United States must be child-resistant and include a mechanism that effectively precludes an average five-year old child from operating it when it is ready to fire (effective one year after this Act's enactment date); and (2) any handgun sold, offered for sale, traded, transferred, shipped, leased, or distributed in the United States must be child-resistant as manufactured or retrofitted to be child-resistant (effective two years after such date). Includes as such a mechanism: (1) raising trigger resistance to at least a 10-pound pull, (2) altering the firing mechanism so that an average 5-year old child's hands are too small to operate the handgun, or (3) requiring a series of multiple motions in order to fire the handgun. Exempts antique firearms and firearms owned by the Department of Defense (DOD). Requires the cost of retrofitting a firearm to meet such requirement to be borne by the manufacturer if the manufacturer is operational at the time the retrofit is required, but permits the use of the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund for payments to reimburse handgun manufacturers for the costs of retrofitting required by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Amends the federal criminal code to expand the definition of "armor piercing ammunition" to include a projectile that may be used in a handgun and that is determined by the Attorney General to be capable of penetrating body armor. Requires the Attorney General to: (1) promulgate standards for the uniform testing of projectiles against the Body Armor Exemplar (body armor that the Attorney General determines meets minimum standards for the protection of law enforcement officers), taking into account variations in performance related to the type of handgun used, the length of the barrel, the amount and kind of powder used, and the projectile's design; and (2) assess and, as appropriate, modify the standards every three years or more frequently if warranted by technological advances.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Expedited Hiring for VA Trained Psychiatrists Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to appoint a psychiatrist who completes a residency at a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility to a VHA health care position immediately after such residency, without regard to civil service or classification laws, if: (1) the psychiatrist meets the qualifications established in regulations prescribed for the position, and (2) such position has been unfilled for at least 35 days.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Veteran Spouses Equal Treatment Act - Amends the definition of "spouse" for purposes of veterans' benefits provisions to require an individual to be considered a spouse if the marriage of the individual is valid in the state in which the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place in which the marriage was entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Includes as a state the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. territories and possessions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2013 - Establishes the National Infrastructure Development Bank as a wholly owned government corporation. Makes the Bank's Board of Directors responsible for monitoring and overseeing energy, environmental, telecommunications, and transportation infrastructure projects. Authorizes the Board to: (1) make senior and subordinated direct loans and loan guarantees to assist in the financing or refinancing of an infrastructure project, (2) issue public benefit bonds and provide financing to infrastructure projects, and (3) pay an interest subsidy to the issuer of American Infrastructure Bonds. Requires the Board to establish an Executive Committee, headed by the chief executive officer, to establish requirements and make recommendations for project proposals to be considered for financial assistance. Requires the Bank to establish a Risk Management Committee, headed by the chief risk officer, which shall: (1) create financial, credit, and operational risk management guidelines for the Bank; (2) set guidelines to ensure diversification of lending activities by both geographic region and infrastructure project type; (3) create conforming standards for all financial assistance provided by the Bank; (4) monitor financial, credit, and operational exposure of the Bank; (5) provide financial recommendations to the Board; and (6) ensure that the aggregate amount of interest subsidies provided for American Infrastructure Bonds in a given calendar year do not exceed 28% of interest payable under all such Bonds. Requires the Bank to establish an audit committee, headed by a chief compliance officer, to be responsible for auditing and accounting activities. Requires the Board to approve criteria established by the Executive Committee, with public input, for determining project eligibility for financial assistance. Sets forth criteria to be considered by the Board for each type of infrastructure project. Requires the Executive Committee to conduct an analysis that considers the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs of each project under consideration, prioritizing projects that contribute to economic growth, lead to job creation, and are of regional or national significance. Requires any financial assistance for an infrastructure project to be repayable from dedicated revenue sources that also secure the infrastructure project obligations. Limits the amount of assistance under this Act to 50% of reasonably anticipated project costs. Exempts all bonds issued by the Bank, and the interest on or credits with respect to such bonds, from state or local government taxation. Sets forth requirements regarding compliance of assisted projects with wage rate, domestic content, and buy American statutes. Requires the Board to establish an American Infrastructure Bond program. Establishes in the Treasury the National Infrastructure Development Bank Trust Fund into which an amount estimated to equal the tax receipts attributable to interest payable under such Bonds is to be appropriated.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Calls on China (PRC) to end the practice of organ harvesting from prisoners, and particularly from Falun Gong prisoners of conscience and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups. Calls for a Department of State investigation into organ transplant practices in China, and for the prosecution of those found to have engaged in such practices. Demands an end to the persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual practice by the Communist Party of China and the release of all Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience. Recommends that: (1) the Department issue a travel warning for U.S. citizens traveling to China for organ transplants informing them that the organ source for their operation may be a prisoner of conscience; and (2) the U.S. government condemn organ transplantation abuses in China, ban the entry of those who have participated in such activities, and prosecute such individuals should they be found on U.S. soil.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Extends a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program of counseling and care and services for veterans for sexual trauma that occurred during active duty or active duty for training to veterans who experienced such trauma during inactive duty training.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Helping Veterans Exposed to Toxic Chemicals Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish within the Department of Defense (DOD) three centers of excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to exposure to open burn pits and other environmental exposures. Requires the Secretary to select for such centers entities that: (1) are equipped with the specialized equipment needed to study, diagnose, and treat health conditions relating to such exposure; (2) have a publication track record of post-deployment health exposures among veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan; (3) have collaborated with a geosciences department that has a medical geology division; (4) have developed animal models and in vitro models of dust immunology and lung injury from Iraq and Afghanistan; and (5) have expertise in allergy and immunology, pulmonary diseases, and industrial and management engineering. Directs the Secretary to ensure that the centers collaborate with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), institutions of higher education, and other appropriate public and private entities to carry out specified responsibilities, including to: (1) implement the comprehensive plan and strategy for DOD for the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to such exposure; and (2) provide for dissemination within DOD of best practices for the treatment of such conditions and the training of health professionals. Requires the center to have access to and make use of the data accumulated by the burn pits registry established under the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise conditions of and limitations on payment for home health care services. Allows payment for home health services to Medicare beneficiaries by: (1) a nurse practitioner, (2) a clinical nurse specialist working in collaboration with a physician in accordance with state law, (3) a certified nurse-midwife, or (4) a physician assistant under a physician's supervision.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Respect for Marriage Act - Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
501(c)(4) Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax exemption for civic leagues or organizations operated for the promotion of social welfare, to prohibit such entities from participating or intervening (including the publishing or distributing of statements) in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require alignment of updates for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services under a revised prospective payment system (PPS) with updates for hospital outpatient department (OPD) services. Revises requirements for the reporting and applying of quality measure data by ASCs and hospital OPDs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an ASC value-based purchasing program under which each ASC that the Secretary determines meets (or exceeds) performance standards established, with respect to selected quality measures, for the performance period for a calendar year is eligible for shared savings in the form of a payment increase determined according to a specified formula. Revises requirements for the composition of the expert outside advisory panel the Secretary is required to consult during the annual review of the clinical integrity of the groups and payment weights in the PPS for hospital OPD services. Requires the panel to include suppliers subject to the PPS as well as at least one ASC representative. Requires the Secretary, when excluding from a final rule updating ASC lists a procedure whose inclusion was requested during the public comment period, to cite in the final rule specific criteria based on which the procedure was excluded. Requires the Secretary also to identify the peer reviewed research or the evidence upon which the exclusion is based if certain of those criteria are cited for it. Prohibits the Secretary from using or citing as a criterion or a basis for an exclusion that the procedure can only be reported using a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) unlisted surgical procedure code.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Labor to promulgate an interim final standard on safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention to prevent musculoskeletal disorders for direct-care registered nurses and all other health care workers that requires the use of engineering and safety controls to handle patients through the use of mechanical technology and devices where feasible. Requires, however, the use of alternative controls and measures, including trained, designated lift teams, where such technology and devices are not feasible, in order to minimize the risk of injury to nurses and health care workers. Includes among the requirements of a final standard that health care employers: (1) develop and implement a safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention program; (2) train their workers on safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention; and (3) post a uniform notice that explains the standard, procedures to report patient handling-related injuries, and workers' rights under this Act. Requires the Secretary to conduct unscheduled inspections to ensure compliance with the standard. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to apply the safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention standard to hospitals receiving Medicare funds.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Planning Actively for Cancer Treatment (PACT) Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of cancer care planning and coordination services.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Renewable Energy Parity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the energy tax credit to solar energy, fuel cell, microturbine, combined heat and power system, small wind energy, and thermal energy properties the construction of which begins before January 1, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Artist-Museum Partnership Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow taxpayers who create literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly compositions or similar property a fair market value (determined at the time of contribution) tax deduction for contributions of such properties, the copyrights thereon, or both, to certain tax-exempt organizations, if such properties are properly appraised and are donated no sooner than 18 months after their creation. Limits the amount of such deduction based upon the donor's artistic adjusted gross income, as defined by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Safe Streets Act of 2013 - Requires each state to have in effect within two years a law, or each state department of transportation and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) an explicit policy statement, that requires all federally-funded transportation projects, with certain exceptions, to accommodate the safety and convenience of all users in accordance with certain complete streets principles. Defines "complete streets principles" as federal, state, local, or regional level transportation laws, policies, or principles which ensure that the safety and convenience of all users of a transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit users, children, older individuals, motorists, freight vehicles, and individuals with disabilities, are accommodated in all phases of project planning and development. Allows such law or policy to make project-specific exemptions from such principles only if: (1) affected roadways prohibit specified users by law from using them, the cost of a compliance project would be excessively disproportionate to the need, or the population, employment densities, traffic volumes, or level of transit service around a roadway is so low that the expected roadway users will not include pedestrians, public transportation, freight vehicles, or bicyclists; and (2) all such exemptions are properly approved. Requires the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to establish a method for evaluating compliance by state departments of transportation and MPOs with complete streets principles. Requires the Access Board to issue final standards for accessibility of new construction and alterations of pedestrian facilities for public rights-of-way. Requires the Secretary to conduct research regarding complete streets to: (1) assist states, MPOs, and local jurisdictions in developing and implementing complete streets-compliant plans, projects, procedures, policies, and training programs; and (2) establish benchmarks for, and provide technical guidance on, implementing complete streets policies and principles.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Protect Overnight Delivery Act - Repeals the service standards for market-dominant products implemented by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on July 1, 2012, and directs USPS to reinstate the service standards that were in effect on December 31, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Locality Pay Equity Act - Prohibits the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from defining more than one local wage area for prevailing rate employees within a pay locality, except with respect to the pay locality designated as "Rest of United States." Requires the Director of OPM to ensure that this Act shall not reduce any rate of basic pay for any individual who is serving as a prevailing rate employee.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Commonsense Contractor Compensation Act of 2013 - Prohibits civilian or defense contracts from allowing compensation of contractor and subcontractor employees to exceed the rate of compensation payable to the Vice-President (currently, $230,700). Allows an exception to such limitation for scientists, engineers, or other specialists who are needed to ensure that an executive agency has continued access to needed skills and capabilities. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to report to specified congressional committees on contractor compensation, including the number of contractor employees hired in the preceding fiscal year who are exempt from the limitation on compensation imposed by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Community Parks Revitalization Act - Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a community revitalization program of federal grants to eligible local governments located within standard metropolitan statistical areas for various park and recreation purposes, including grants for rehabilitation and construction, innovation and recreation programming, and recovery action programs. Authorizes the Secretary to designate local governments not located in standard metropolitan statistical areas to receive such grants under a partial eligibility waiver. Prescribes requirements, including matching requirements, for rehabilitation and construction and for innovation and recreation grants. Limits to 10% the use of funds appropriated for rehabilitation and construction grants for acquisition of land or interests in land. Allows a recipient, at its discretion, to transfer a grant in whole or in part to private nonprofit agencies for recreational areas and facilities they own or operate which offer recreational opportunities to the general population. Requires an applicant, for project approval, to submit to the Secretary evidence of its commitment to ongoing planning, rehabilitation, service, operation, and maintenance programs for its park and recreation systems, expressed in a five-year local park and recreation recovery action program. Prescribes requirements for the five-year park and recreation recovery action program under an at-risk youth recreation grant. Authorizes the Secretary to increase federal rehabilitation and construction, innovation, and at-risk youth recreation grants to a state under this Act by an additional match of up to 15% (but not more than 15%) of total project or program cost. Limits the aggregate amount of the grant and the additional grant amounts to 85% percent of total project or program cost. Prohibits the conversion, without HUD approval, of any property improved or developed with assistance under this Act for uses other than for public recreation.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to include information on the coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity in the "Medicare and You Handbook." Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to allow other physicians, registered dietitians, certified diabetes educators, and instructors trained and certified by the National Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Coach Training program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide, and be independently reimbursed for, intensive behavioral therapy for obesity furnished outside of the primary care setting, so long as any such nonphysician provider or instructor furnishing the therapy must communicate any recommendation or treatment plan for an individual to the individual's primary care physicians or practitioner. Authorizes the Secretary to cover under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) medication for treatment of obesity or for weight loss management for an overweight individual with one or more comorbidities.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2013
Limiting Internet and Blanket Electronic Review of Telecommunications and Email Act or the LIBERT-E Act - Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) (as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act) to require the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in applications for court orders requiring the production of tangible things (commonly referred to as business records, including books, records, papers, documents, and other items) for an investigation to obtain foreign intelligence information not concerning a U.S. person or to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities, to include a statement of specific and articulable facts showing reasonable grounds to believe that such things are relevant and material to an authorized investigation. (Currently, a general statement of facts must only show that the tangible things are relevant to an authorized investigation.) Requires that the items sought pertain only to an individual that is the subject of such investigation. Removes a list of production items currently designated as presumptively relevant. Requires a judge approving the release of such tangible things to enter orders directing the applicant to notify each person required to produce items of the right to challenge the legality of a production or nondisclosure order as well as the procedures for filing a petition for such a challenge. Removes a requirement that a judge considering a petition to modify or set aside a nondisclosure order treat as conclusive a certification by the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, an Assistant Attorney General, or the FBI Director that disclosure may endanger national security or interfere with diplomatic relations. Directs the Attorney General to make available to all Members of Congress information currently provided to House and Senate intelligence and judiciary committees, including the number of persons targeted for FISA orders, the number of times the Attorney General has authorized such information to be used in a criminal proceeding, and copies of applications, pleadings, orders, and decisions in matters before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. Requires unclassified summaries of significant decisions, orders, or opinions of such Courts to be made available to the public. Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and inspectors general of each element of the intelligence community authorized to acquire information pursuant to specified FISA orders to jointly report to Congress on the impact of such acquisitions on the privacy interests of U.S. persons. Requires the DOJ Inspector General to make such report available to the public, with any redactions limited to those necessary to protect properly classified information. Requires assessments and reviews regarding guidelines for targeting certain persons located outside the United States and minimization procedures to be submitted in unclassified form, with a classified annex permitted.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2013
Honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses during National Small Business Week. Applauds the efforts and achievements of small business owners and their employees. Recognizes the work of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Recognizes the importance of ensuring that: (1) guaranteed loans, including microloans and venture capital, are made available to all qualified small businesses; (2) management assistance programs delivered by SBA resource partners are provided with the federal resources necessary to provide invaluable counseling services to entrepreneurs; (3) SBA small business disaster assistance is provided in a timely and efficient manner; (4) affordable Internet access is available to all people in the United States so that small businesses can utilize such access; (5) regulatory relief is provided to small businesses through the reduction of duplicative or unnecessary regulatory requirements; and (6) leveling the playing field for small business contracting opportunities remains a primary focus.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
Grants for Renewable Energy Education for the Nation Act or GREEN Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to partnerships of local educational agencies (LEAs), postsecondary institutions, and clean and renewable energy industry representatives to develop programs of study focused on emerging careers and jobs in the fields of clean and renewable energy. Requires a priority be given to grant applications that: (1) use online learning or other innovative methods to deliver a program of study to individuals outside the partnership, and (2) focus on low-performing students and special populations. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to LEAs and postsecondary institutions to promote development of career and technical educational facilities that are energy efficient and use renewable energy practices.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013
Next STEP Act of 2013 - Amends the Small Business Act to provide for the permanent establishment of the three-year pilot State Trade and Export Promotion Grant Program originally established under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. Requires the Associate Administrator for International Trade within the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish and maintain a public website of information concerning the Program. Sets forth expanded reporting requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013
Adoption Tax Credit Tribal Parity Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow Indian tribes to make the determination that a child is a child with special needs for purposes of the adoption tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2013
Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures Act of 2013 or PRIME Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Prescription Drug Benefits) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prohibit sponsors of prescription drug plans (PDPs) from paying claims for prescription drugs that do not include the valid National Provider Identifier for the drug's prescriber. Requires the Secretary's annual report to Congress on the use of recovery audit contractors under the Medicare Integrity Program to: (1) describe the types and financial cost of improper payment vulnerabilities identified by recovery audit contractors and how the Secretary is addressing them, and (2) assess the effectiveness of changes made to Medicare payment policies and procedures in order to address those vulnerabilities. Requires the Secretary to address improper payment vulnerabilities in a timely manner, prioritized based on the risk to the Medicare program. Authorizes the Secretary, under recovery audit contracts under both Medicare and Medicaid (SSA title XIX), to retain a certain portion of the recovered amounts for a program management account for activities addressing problems that contribute to improper payments and fraud. Requires the Secretary, under such contracts, to retain an additional 5% of the recovered amounts to be made available to the HHS Inspector General to investigate improper payments or audit internal controls associated with Medicare or Medicaid payments. Directs the Secretary to develop a plan to revise the incentive program under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 for the reporting of fraud and abuse to encourage greater participation by individuals reporting Medicare fraud and abuse. Requires the plan to include certain recommendations for: (1) ways to enhance rewards for individuals reporting, and (2) extention of the incentive program to the Medicaid program. Amends SSA title XIX to cover the costs of equipment, salaries and benefits, and travel and training in appropriations for the Medicaid Integrity Program. Allows the Secretary to increase Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) staff whose duties consist solely of protecting the integrity of the Medicare program by a number determined necessary to carry out the Program (currently, by 100). Directs the Secretary to provide incentives for Medicare administrative contractors to reduce the improper payment error rates in their jurisdictions. Requires imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to $500,000 ($1 million in the case of a corporation), or both, for knowingly, intentionally, and with the intent to defraud purchasing, selling, distributing, or arranging for the purchase, sale, or distribution of a Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP beneficiary identification number or billing privileges under SSA titles XVIII, title XIX, or title XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program). Amends SSA title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) with respect to the Federal Parent Locator Service to give the CMS Administrator access to information in the National Directory of New Hires to determine the eligibility of an applicant for, or enrollee in, the Medicare program or an applicable state health subsidy program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Requires the Secretary to disclose to the HHS Inspector General information on individuals and their employers in the National Directory of New Hires if the HHS Inspector General gives the Secretary their names and Social Security account numbers. Restricts the use of such information to: (1) determining the eligibility of an applicant for, or enrollee in, the Medicare program or an applicable state health subsidy program; or (2) evaluating the integrity of such programs. Sets forth rules for the use and disclosure of such information by state agencies. Directs the Secretary to establish a plan to encourage and facilitate the participation of states in the Medicare-Medicaid Data Match Program (Medi-Medi Program). Revises Medi-Medi Data Match Program purposes. Amends SSA title XIX, as amended by PPACA, and XXI with respect to claims processing and detection of fraud within the Medicaid and CHIP programs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Human Trafficking Prioritization Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking of the Department of State will be more effective in carrying out duties mandated by Congress in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, and can do so without an increase in either personnel or budget, if: (1) the Office status is changed to that of a Bureau within the Department; and (2) the Office is headed by an Assistant Secretary with direct access to the Secretary of State, rather than an Ambassador-at-Large. Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to change the status of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking to that of the Bureau to Combat Trafficking in Persons, which shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary of State.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Save Our Soldiers' Lungs Act - Includes within the definition of "covered waste" for purposes of the Department of Defense (DOD) prohibition against disposal of certain waste in open-air burn pits: tires; treated wood; batteries; plastics, except insignificant amounts of plastic remaining after a good-faith effort to remove or recover plastic materials from the solid waste stream; munitions and explosives; compressed gas cylinders, unless empty with valves removed; fuel containers, unless completely evacuated of contents; aerosol cans; polychlorinated biphenyls; petroleum, oils, and lubricants products (other than waste fuel for initial combustion); asbestos; mercury; foam tent material; and any item containing any of such materials.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY2018 and revise a program to combat antimicrobial resistance. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to direct the Assistant Secretary of Health to establish the Antimicrobial Resistance Office. Requires the Secretary to establish the Public Health Antimicrobial Advisory Board to advise the Director of the Office (Director). Requires the Director to update the Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance within one year. Requires the Antimicrobial Resistance Task Force to review, discuss, and further develop the Action Plan. Authorizes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consult with the Director of the Antimicrobial Resistance Office concerning the pending application of any new human or animal antimicrobial drugs. Requires the Public Health Antimicrobial Advisory Board to make recommendations to the Secretary and the Antimicrobial Resistance Office regarding issues such as research priorities and implementation of the Action Plan. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop an antimicrobial resistance strategic research plan. Gives the Director of the Antimicrobial Resistance Office direct authority over specified antimicrobial resistance activities of the Secretary. Revises demonstration programs to require the Secretary to award grants to promote the uptake and measurement of antimicrobial stewardship programs in health care facilities. Defines "antimicrobial stewardship" to mean coordinated interventions designed to improve and measure the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) pilot and test health care quality measures to help providers, facilities, and health systems measure and benchmark appropriate antimicrobial use; (2) develop methods to help providers, facilities, and health systems measure and improve antimicrobial use; (3) establish at least 10 Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Laboratory Network sites; (4) work with state health departments to support regional prevention collaboratives designed to interrupt and prevent the transmission of significant antibiotic resistant pathogens being transmitted across health care settings in a geographic region. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to establish a Clinical Trials Network on Antibacterial Resistance and a Leadership Group for the Network. Requires the Director of the CDC to: (1) work with various entities to obtain reliable and comparable human antimicrobial drug consumption data by state or metropolitan area, (2) intensify and expand efforts to collect antimicrobial resistance data, (3) report on key trends and major issues related to antimicrobial resistance and use in the United States. Requires the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to work with the Director of the CDC to determine how best antimicrobial use, susceptibility, and resistance data can be incorporated into meaningful use reports.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2013
Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Animal Welfare Act to list permissible sources of dogs and cats used by research facilities to include dogs and cats obtained: (1) from a licensed dealer, (2) from a publicly owned and operated pound or shelter that meets specified requirements, (3) by donation from a person who bred and raised the dog or cat or owned it for not less than one year, or (4) from a research facility licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Sets forth additional monetary penalties for related violations. Prohibits federal facilities from purchasing or otherwise acquiring dogs or cats for exhibition purposes (currently, for research, experimentation, or exhibition purposes) except from: (1) the operator of an auction that comports with legal requirements, or (2) a person holding a valid dealer or exhibitor license. Prohibits dealers from selling or otherwise providing any research facility (currently, any individual or entity) with random source dogs or cats unless specified certification requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2013
Sunshine on Government Act of 2013 - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in consultation with the Executive Chair of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, to create a separate website with a distinct URL, apart from the OMB website about the reports issued by each Office of Inspector General. Requires such website to include: (1) a general description of the role of the Office of Inspector General, (2) a description of the types of reports issued by the Office of Inspector General, (3) a list of each federal agency that has an Office of Inspector General, and (4) a link to a website containing Inspector General reports.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2013
Corporate Politics Transparency Act - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require that quarterly and annual reports of an issuer, any proxy solicitation or consent or authorization in respect of any security, and the issuer's registration statement disclose total political expenditures in support of or in opposition to any candidate for federal, state, or local public office made by the issuer during the preceding six-year period. Requires such disclosures to include: (1) the name and political party affiliation of each candidate in support of whom or in opposition to whom a political expenditure was made; (2) the amount of each such expenditure; (3) the public office that such candidate was or is seeking; (4) the relevant state, city, or district; and (5) a statement of the issuer's interest in and reason for making such expenditure.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 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 congressional gold medal to Jack Nicklaus in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike such gold medal and to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the gold and bronze medals.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Defense Base Act Insurance Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Defense Base Act (the Act) to require satisfaction through the Government Defense Base Act self-insurance program of insurance and benefits requirements imposed on defense contractors with respect to on-job injuries. Directs the Secretaries of Defense (DOD) and Labor to jointly: (1) develop and execute an implementation strategy for a self-insurance program for insurance required by the Act, and (2) report to Congress on such strategy and on the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Charitable Pension Flexibility Act of 2013 - Amends the Pension Protection Act of 2006, as amended by the Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010, to allow the sponsor of a multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan to elect for a plan to cease to be treated as an eligible charity plan for plan years beginning after December 31, 2013. Permits revocation of such an election, however, only with the consent of the Secretary of the Treasury. Allows a plan sponsor also to elect to apply specified requirements with respect to the shortfall amortization base in minimum funding standards for such plans.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Rural Economic Vitalization Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) or the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) accept and terminate any grazing permit or lease that is waived by a grazing permittee or lessee; and (2) not issue any new grazing permit or lease within the grazing allotment covered by the retired permit or lease, and ensure a permanent end to livestock grazing on such allotment. Directs the appropriate Secretary, if a grazing allotment covered by a waived permit or lease is also covered by another permit or lease that is not waived, to reduce the level of commercial livestock grazing on the grazing allotment to reflect such waiver. Deems a permittee or lessee who waives a grazing permit or lease to have waived any claim to all range developments on the associated grazing allotment.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Access to Substance Abuse Treatment Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to: (1) increase the availability of treatment for abuse of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), and phencyclidine (PCP); (2) provide vouchers to individuals in underserved populations for authorized services related to such treatment; and (3) establish programs to provide for and coordinate the provision of wrap-around services, such as medical services, job training services, and housing assistance, to individuals re-entering the community after successfully receiving treatment for abuse of such substances. Revises the grant program to provide residential substance abuse treatment to pregnant and postpartum women to: (1) make caregiver parents eligible for such program, (2) make Indian tribes and tribal organizations eligible for grants, and (3) set forth the priority for allocation of grants. Requires the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse to conduct research on the effectiveness of the use of agonist and antagonist drugs to reduce the problems associated with stimulant abuse, including cocaine and methamphetamine abuse. Requires the Secretary to seek to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to complete a literature review on the effectiveness of agonist and antagonist drugs for the treatment of stimulant abuse, including cocaine and methamphetamine abuse. Requires the Comptroller General to study: (1) the impact of the programs authorized by this Act on the effectiveness and availability of treatment for abuse of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and phencyclidine; (2) how the level of federal funding available for such treatment compares to the amount necessary to provide adequate treatment; and (3) the impact of effective treatment on cost savings due to the reduced need for criminal justice and other services. Declares that this Act shall not be construed to increase the amount of appropriations that are authorized to be approved for any fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Flood Insurance Implementation Reform Act of 2013 - Delays until three years after enactment of this Act the requirement of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (Biggert-Waters) that any property located in an area participating in the national flood insurance program have the risk premium rate charged for flood insurance on the property adjusted to accurately reflect its current risk of flood. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to delay until five years after enactment of Biggert-Waters the prohibition against provision to prospective insureds of flood insurance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at (subsidy) rates less than full actuarial estimates for property purchased after enactment of Biggert-Waters. Prohibits FEMA, when determining whether a community has made adequate progress on flood protection improvement systems, from counting federal funding or participation in such efforts. Makes flood insurance available at certain special flood hazard area rates to riverine and coastal levees located in a community which FEMA has determined to be in the process of restoring a flood protection system previously accredited on a Flood Insurance Rate Map as providing 100-year frequency flood protection but which no longer does so. Requires such rates to apply without regard to the level of federal funding or participation. Amends Biggert-Waters to authorize FEMA to to use other funds in addition to those specified in that Act to carry out a specified affordability study. Requires FEMA, upon notice to certain congressional committees that it cannot submit the report on that study by the current deadline, to specify in such notice an alternative method of gathering the requisite information and subsequently to submit the information so gathered. Directs FEMA to: (1) identify, review, update, maintain and publish National Flood Insurance rate maps pertaining to areas protected by non-structural flood mitigation features; and (2) work with states, local communities, and property owners to identify such areas and features.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Pay As You Rate Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), prior to adjudicating a claim which requires decisions with respect to two or more disabilities, to make interim payments based on any disability for which the Secretary has already made a decision. Requires the Secretary, upon claim adjudication, to pay the benefits awarded less the amount of the interim payments.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Youth Sports Concussion Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress concerning the reduction of sports-related concussions in youth and completion of the National Academies' report on such injuries. Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to review the National Academies' report within five months after the report is completed. Authorizes the CPSC to make recommendations to protective equipment manufacturers regarding whether voluntary standards should be adopted to: (1) reduce the risk of sports-related injury for youth athletes wearing protective equipment, (2) improve the safety of reconditioned protective equipment, and (3) modify protective equipment warning labels. Permits the CPSC to initiate the promulgation of a consumer product safety rule if no voluntary standard is adopted within a one-year period. Makes it unlawful to sell or offer for sale in interstate commerce, or import into the United States for such purposes, athletic sporting equipment for which the seller or importer makes any false or misleading claim with respect to the safety benefits of such item. Requires violations to be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Sets forth the enforcement authority of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Authorizes the FTC to promulgate regulations to carry out this Act. Authorizes states to bring civil actions in federal court to obtain injunctive relief on behalf of state residents unless a civil or administrative action has already been instituted by the FTC. Allows the FTC to intervene and appeal in state actions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Earned Income Tax Credit Improvement and Simplification Act 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the earned income tax credit, to: (1) make permanent the increase in the rate of such credit for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children and the reduction in the amount of the marriage penalty for such credit; (2) allow such credit for an individual with no qualifying children who has attained the age of 21 but not 25 and is not a full-time student, and whose qualifying children do not have valid social security numbers; (3) revise eligibility rules relating to married individuals living apart and qualifying children claimed by another family member; and (4) repeal the denial of such credit for taxpayers with excess investment income.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2013
Password Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to subject to a fine any employer who knowingly and intentionally: (1) compels or coerces any person to provide the employer with a password or similar information to access a protected computer not owned by such employer; or (2) discharges, disciplines, discriminates, or threatens to take such actions, against any person who fails to authorize access to such computer, has filed a complaint or instituted a proceeding regarding such action, or testified or is about to testify in any such proceeding. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of a court of competent jurisdiction to grant equitable relief in a civil action, if the court believes that the information sought to be obtained is relevant to protecting the intellectual property, a trade secret, or confidential business information of the party seeking relief. Exempts an employer's actions from such prohibition if: (1) the employer discharges or disciplines an individual for good cause; (2) the employer complies with federal or state laws or regulations governing brokers, dealers, and investment advisers; (3) a state enacts a law that specifically waives such prohibition with respect to a particular class of state or agency employees and the employer's action relates to an employee in such class; or (4) an executive agency, military department, or other executive branch entity specifically waives the prohibition with respect to a particular class of employees who may have access to classified information.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2013
Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Diagnosis Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an Interagency Pulmonary Hypertension Coordinating Committee to make recommendations on, and coordinate, all efforts within HHS concerning pulmonary hypertension. Requires the Committee to: (1) develop and update annually a summary of pulmonary hypertension advances in medical research and treatment development and improvement, early and accurate diagnosis, appropriate and timely intervention, transplantation, and access to care and therapies for patients; (2) monitor federal activities respecting pulmonary hypertension; (3) make recommendations regarding appropriate changes to such activities as well as stakeholder participation in decisions relating to pulmonary hypertension; and (4) develop and update annually a comprehensive strategic plan to cooperatively improve health outcomes for pulmonary hypertension patients.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2013
Veteran Employment Transition Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) revise the definition of "qualified veteran" for purposes of the work opportunity tax credit to include recently discharged veterans, and (2) make permanent the work opportunity tax credit for qualified veterans. Requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Guard to inform military personnel who are discharged or released from active duty of the work opportunity tax credit and provide them with documentation relating to eligibility for and use of such credit. Requires the Secretaries of Labor, Veterans Affairs, and Defense to enter into an agreement to govern the coordination of veteran job training services. Requires the Secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs to prepare reports on the veteran job training programs of their respective departments. Amends the DOD pilot program for assessing the feasibility and advisability of permitting enlisted personnel to obtain civilian credentialing or licensing for skills required for military occupational specialties to require the designation as military occupational specialties of the MOS 31B Military Police, MOS 15Q AC-Air Traffic Controller, and the MOS 12M Fire Protection, in addition to not fewer than three and not more than five additional military occupational specialties. Amends the Small Business Act to direct the head of each executive department to submit an annual report to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) containing the percentage of the total value of all prime contracts awarded by the executive department during the preceding one-year period to small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans.
![Official portrait of Rep. Shea-Porter, Carol [D-NH-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001170_200.jpg)