United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2018
Burn Pits Accountability Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the military departments to evaluate whether each member of the Armed Forces has been (1) based or stationed where an open air burn pit was used to dispose of waste, or (2) exposed to toxic airborne chemicals. Members located where an open burn pit was used or exposed to toxic airborne chemicals must be enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless the member elects not to enroll. The evaluations must be included in periodic health assessments, physical exams conducted immediately prior to separation from active duty, and deployment assessments. DOD must share the results of the evaluations with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2018
Superfund Enhancement Act of 2018 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) reinstate the Hazardous Substance Superfund financing rate (the Superfund tax) beginning on January 1, 2018; and (2) allow certain small businesses to expense up to $10,000 of the costs for relocating a trade or business carried on in a location which is situated on, or adjacent to, a site which is on, or proposed for, the national priorities list under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. The bill also makes small businesses and individuals that are relocating from a Superfund site eligible for certain Small Business Administration disaster loans.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month. (PCOS is caused by a hormone imbalance. Symptoms can include infertility, weight gain, excess hair growth, and acne.) Recognizes the need for further research, improved treatment and care options, and a cure for PCOS. Acknowledges the struggles affecting all women and girls afflicted with PCOS.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018
Encourages the people of the United States to recognize the contributions of senior volunteers and join in the celebration of National Senior Corps Week. Supports adequately funding and growing the proven Senior Corps programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Workers Memorial Day to honor and remember workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace. Recognizes the importance of strengthening worker health and safety standards.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2018
Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2018 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Trust Fund; and (2) increase the corporate income tax rate to 24.5% to provide revenues for programs created by this bill. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture must allocate funds from the trust fund to clean water programs, drinking water programs, and water well systems. The bill amends Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize the EPA to make grants for providing technical assistance for water and sanitation infrastructure and drinking water systems to rural and small municipalities and tribal governments. The EPA must establish a grant program for repairing, replacing, or upgrading septic tanks and drainage fields. The bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to make permanent a grant program for household water well systems in rural areas. The bill revises requirements concerning the clean water state revolving fund (SRF) and the drinking water SRF. The bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the EPA to make grants to local educational agencies for: (1) infrastructure to ensure that drinking water in schools is lead free, and (2) testing drinking water in schools for lead.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2018
Climate Change Education Act This bill declares that the evidence for human-induced climate change is overwhelming and undeniable. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must establish a Climate Change Education Program to: increase the climate literacy of the United States by broadening the understanding of human-induced climate change, including possible consequences and potential solutions; apply the latest scientific and technological discoveries to provide learning opportunities to people of all ages; and help people understand and promote implementation of new technologies, programs, and incentives related to climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, and climate resilience. NOAA must also establish a grant program for climate change education.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2018
Affordable Housing Protection Act This bill requires an owner receiving low-income housing assistance for a dwelling unit that becomes uninhabitable to temporarily lease, for the unit's resident, a habitable dwelling unit in another building while the uninhabitable unit is repaired.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Homeland Procurement Reform Act or the HOPR Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) procure certain critical equipment of the quality and innovation necessary to carry out effectively their security, enforcement, and investigative missions; and (2) ensure that funds appropriated or otherwise available to its frontline operational components are used for the procurement of covered items only if they meet specified criteria (e.g., that the supplier agree to store items not assembled in the United States in a locked area, report theft of insignia before delivery to the government, destroy defective items with which the insignia is included, and maintain records of such destruction). "Frontline operational component" includes: (1) U.S. Customs and Border Protection, (2) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, (3) the Transportation Security Administration, (4) the Coast Guard, and (5) the Secret Service. "Covered items" include: (1) body armor components intended to provide ballistic protection for an individual, (2) helmets that provide head protection, (3) respiratory protection equipment, and (4) any other critical safety item as determined appropriate by DHS. The maximum uniform allowance for an agent of a frontline operational component shall be $1,200. This bill: (1) does not apply to any procurements by a vessel in foreign waters, nor in response to a situation covered by a presidential disaster declaration; and (2) applies to contracts entered into by DHS or any of its component agencies on or after October 1, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2018
Speed Warrior Outcomes, Research, Detection and Diagnosis Act of 2018 or the SWORDD Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Defense to submit to Congress a plan for the Defense Health Agency to accelerate cooperative research, development, and the fielding of breakthrough therapies for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2018
Special Counsel Transparency Act of 2018 This bill establishes reporting requirements with respect to a special counsel appointed under Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations. Specifically, it establishes these requirements: a special counsel must report periodically on the status of an investigation; a special counsel who is removed from office must report on the status of an investigation, as of the date of dismissal; and DOJ must report on the status of an investigation following the removal of a special counsel.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2018
Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act of 2018 This bill establishes the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Program for the appointment of individuals who are graduates of accredited law schools to serve as congressional clerks in the Senate or House of Representatives. The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the House Committee on House Administration must each select at least six individuals for a one-year term to serve for a clerkship with an office in their respective chambers. The committees shall ensure that congressional clerks selected under this bill are apportioned equally between majority and minority party offices.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2018
VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety of certain forms of cannabis and cannabis delivery for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system diagnosed with conditions such as chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder. Collected data shall be preserved in a manner that facilitates further research.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Housing Victims of Major Disasters Act of 2018 This bill makes a family eligible for housing assistance in connection with a major disaster, including Hurricane Maria of 2017, if it: (1) is occupying an otherwise unused or uninhabited property located in the area for which the major disaster was declared but does not have documented ownership rights to, and is not renting, the property; or (2) is renting a property located in the area for which the major disaster was declared but does not have a written lease for such rental. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall consider a wide range of evidence in determining the eligibility of a family for housing assistance. FEMA shall enter into agreements with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to implement a Disaster Housing Assistance Program to provide temporary rental assistance to families displaced by any major disaster during 2017, and shall consult on the implementation of the program for future disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 This bill extends access to Department of Defense commissaries and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) facilities to Purple Heart recipients, veterans with a service-connected disability, Medal of Honor recipients, former prisoners of war, and veteran caregivers. (Commissaries are grocery/department stores on military installations that sell food and some household items. MWR facilities offer a range of services on bases including libraries, outdoor recreation, dining, golf courses, and sports and fitness centers.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2018
Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act This bill sets forth requirements and limitations with respect to the removal from office of a special counsel appointed by the Attorney General, or of another official appointed by the Attorney General who exercises a similar degree of independence from the Department of Justice (DOJ) chain of command. Specifically, a special counsel or other appointed official: may only be removed by the Attorney General or the most senior Senate-confirmed DOJ official, in certain circumstances; may only be removed for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause; must be provided written notice that specifies the reason for removal; and may file an action to challenge the removal not later than 10 days after notice was provided.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2018
Recognizes the significance of Equal Pay Day to illustrate the disparity between wages paid to men and women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about March 23, 2018, to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period of such lapse as soon as practicable after such lapse ends.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2018
Federal Retirement Fairness Act This bill modifies the federal civilian service that is creditable service under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Specifically, it allows service as a temporary or intermittent employee performed after December 1, 1988, to be creditable under FERS if an employee or Member deposits a certain amount into the retirement fund.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2018
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2018 This bill prohibits discrimination, under a federally assisted program, against public school students on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. The bill authorizes federal departments and agencies to terminate the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating this prohibition. An aggrieved individual may assert a violation of this bill in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2018
2020 Census Improving Data and Enhanced Accuracy Act or the 2020 Census IDEA Act This bill prohibits the Department of Commerce, in the 2020 decennial census and each decennial census thereafter, from: (1) implementing any major operational design that has not been researched, studied, and tested for at least three years before the date on which the applicable census occurs; or (2) including on the questionnaire for the census any subject, type of information, or question that was not submitted to Congress. The Government Accountability Office must certify to Congress that the subjects, types of information, and questions to be included in a decennial census have been adequately researched, studied, and tested to the same degree as in previous decennial censuses.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2018
Rural Housing Preservation Act of 2018 This bill authorizes rental assistance to low-income tenants of certain multifamily public housing in rural areas and otherwise revises provisions related to low-income housing.
United States · United States Congress · 20 March 2018
No Disrupting Accountability Act or the NDA Act This bill states that a nondisclosure agreement based on an individual's employment in the Executive Office of the President or the White House may not be enforced against the individual for disclosing information, in violation of the nondisclosure agreement, about wrongdoing.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2018
CARA 2.0 Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes through FY2023 and revises several programs relating to opioid- and substance-use disorder prevention and treatment, including awareness campaigns and training programs for first responders; the bill also establishes several requirements relating to opioid prescribing practices, such as an initial three-day supply limit for certain opioids.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2018
This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from requiring a veteran's surviving spouse to return payments of dependent's compensation or of a pension as a married veteran for the month in which the veteran dies.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2018
Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act of 2018 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to modify requirements for tax-favored retirement savings accounts, employer-provided retirement plans, and retirement benefits for federal judges. With respect to employer-provided plans, the bill modifies requirements regarding: multiple employer plans, automatic enrollment and nonelective contributions, loans, terminating or transferring plans, reporting and disclosure rules, nondiscrimination rules, selecting lifetime income providers, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation premiums. The bill also increases the tax credit for small employer pension plan startup costs and allows a tax credit for small employers that establish retirement plans that include automatic enrollment. With respect to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), the bill: treats taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments as compensation, repeals the maximum age for traditional IRA contributions, and permits any IRA to be a shareholder of any S corporation that is a bank. The bill makes several modifications to retirement benefits for magistrate judges of the U.S. Tax Court and other federal judges. The bill also modifies various tax provisions to: reinstate and increase the tax exclusion for benefits provided to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders, revise the required distribution rules for pension plans, increase penalties for failing to file tax or retirement plan returns, and require the Internal Revenue Service to share returns and return information with U.S. Customs Border Protection to administer the heavy vehicle use tax.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2018
Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act This bill requires any country that seeks to import shark products into the United States to obtain a certification from the Department of Commerce that the country has a regulatory program in effect to provide for the conservation and management of sharks, including measures to prohibit the removal of any of the fins of a shark (including the tail). Commerce must revise its regulations to include rays and skates as species that are subject to the Seafood Traceability Program. (The Seafood Traceability Program has data reporting and recordkeeping requirements at the time of entry for imported fish or fish products entered into U.S. commerce.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2018
Expresses support for the designation of a National Animal Rescue Day to create awareness for animal rescue programs throughout the year and address the challenge of overpopulation through continued spaying and neutering.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2018
Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2018 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to grant automatic citizenship to all qualifying children adopted by a U.S. citizen parent. (Currently, an adopted child must have been under 18 years old as of February 27, 2001, in order to qualify for automatic citizenship.) An individual born outside of the United States who was adopted by a U.S. citizen parent shall automatically become a U.S. citizen when the following conditions have been fulfilled: the individual was adopted by a U.S. citizen before the individual reached age 18, the individual was physically present in the United States in the citizen parent's legal custody pursuant to a lawful admission before the individual reached age 18, the individual never acquired U.S. citizenship before the enactment of this bill, and the individual was lawfully residing in the United States on the date of enactment of this bill. An individual who meets such criteria, except for lawfully residing in the United States on the date of enactment of this bill, shall automatically become a U.S. citizen on the date on which the individual is physically present in the United States pursuant to a lawful admission. A visa may not be issued to such an individual unless: the individual was subjected to a criminal background check, and the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State coordinated with law enforcement agencies to ensure that appropriate action is taken regarding any unresolved criminal activity. Automatic citizenship may not be granted to an individual who was deported for an offense that involved the use of physical force against another person.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2018
Directing Implementation of Sanctions and Accountability for Russian Mischief Act or the DISARM Act This bill directs the President to impose property-blocking and U.S. entry sanctions against certain senior Russian foreign political figures or oligarchs and parastatal entities (and associated individuals) not currently subject to sanctions.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2018
Tip Income Protection (TIP) Act of 2018 This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 with respect to the definition of wage to provide that except in the case of the pooling of tips, all tips received by any employee, including an employee that is not a tipped employee, shall be the property of, and retained by, the employee, including in the case of an employer that pays a tipped employee a cash wage that equals or exceeds the minimum wage.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2018
Undo Sabotage and Expand Affordability of Health Insurance Act of 2018 This bill makes a series of changes relating to health insurance coverage, costs, and funding mechanisms. Among other things, the bill expands requirements relating to coverage of preexisting conditions to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and also establishes a national reinsurance program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2018
Getting Involved in Researching, Learning, and Studying of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Act or the GIRLS STEM Act This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a program to: (1) encourage the interest of female students in careers requiring science, mathematics, engineering, or technology (STEM) skills; and (2) prepare female students to pursue credentials needed to pursue a career in a STEM field. The Department of Education may provide grants to eligible local educational agencies to enable elementary and secondary schools to implement the program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2018
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Women's History Month. Recognizes and honors the women and organizations in the United States that have fought for and continue to promote the teaching of women's history.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill amends the Global Food Security Act of 2016 to revise policy objectives and to: (1) extend through FY2021 the program to carry out those portions of the global food security strategy that relate to the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and (2) expand requirements for reporting by the President regarding strategy implementation. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to extend through FY2021 the assistance program for international disaster relief and rehabilitation, including the set-aside for the emergency food security program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2018 This bill amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) identify and assess the importation, sale, and uses of, and exposures to, asbestos; and (2) impose requirements that permanently eliminate the possibility of human or environmental exposure to asbestos. The bill allows the President to exempt any use of asbestos from the requirements if: (1) the use is necessary to protect national security interests, (2) no reasonable alternative to the asbestos use exists for the intended purpose, and (3) the use of asbestos will not result in an unreasonable risk to health or the environment.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
Federal Opioid Response Fairness Act of 2018 This bill amends the 21st Century Cures Act to alter the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration opioid grant program for states. Specifically, the bill alters the criteria for the award of grants by prioritizing states with a comparatively high prevalence of opioid-disorder adverse health effects and per capita overdose mortality rates. The bill also establishes a minimum amount for each grant.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2018
This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission entitled "Restoring Internet Freedom." The rule published on February 22, 2018: (1) restores the classification of broadband Internet access service as a lightly-regulated "information service"; (2) reinstates private mobile service classification of mobile broadband Internet access service; (3) requires Internet service providers to disclose information about their network management practices, performance characteristics, and commercial terms of service; and (4) eliminates the Internet Conduct Standard and the bright-line rules.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2018
Assault Weapons Ban of 2018 This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is: (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. Additionally, the bill does not prohibit, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The legislation amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to require law enforcement agencies to be notified when a prohibited person attempts to purchase a grandfathered SAW. It also amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to allow a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2018
Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act of 2018 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the annual numerical limit on nonimmigrant U visas (victims of crime who are willing to assist law enforcement in investigations and prosecutions). The Department of Homeland Security shall grant work authorizations to aliens with a pending application for a nonimmigrant U visa or a T visa (victims of trafficking in persons who are willing to assist law enforcement in investigations and prosecutions). The bill prohibits, with specified exceptions, the following nonimmigrants from being considered inadmissible or subject to removal or deportation until there is a final denial of status application: a U or T visa applicant, a battered spouse seeking employment authorization, a battered spouse or child seeking permanent resident status, an alien seeking temporary protected status (TPS), or a self-petitioning alien seeking protections under the Violence Against Women Act.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2018
Shellfish Aquaculture Improvement Act of 2018 This bill limits recovery for certain injuries sustained by an aquaculture worker if state workers' compensation is available to such individual. (An aquaculture worker is an individual employed by commercial enterprises involved in the controlled cultivation and harvest of aquatic plants and animals, including the cleaning, processing or canning of fish and fish products, the cultivation and harvesting of shellfish, and the controlled growing and harvesting of other aquatic species.)
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2018
International Violence Against Women Act of 2018 This bill provides for a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The bill establishes in the Department of State an Office of Global Women's Issues which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. The Ambassador-at-Large shall: (1) coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in foreign policy, and (2) develop or update periodically a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The bill establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development the position of Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall direct policies, programs, and funding regarding gender equality and women's empowerment. The bill requires that U.S. assistance made available for humanitarian relief, conflict mitigation, and post-conflict reconstruction prevents and responds to violence against women and girls. The Department of State shall also identify incidents that occur during armed conflict and implement emergency responses.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2018
Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2018 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend the registration of members of the nitro group of neonicotinoid insecticides that are registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act for specified uses. Registration for such uses is suspended until the EPA determines that the insecticides will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators. The determination must be based on: an evaluation of the published and peer-reviewed scientific evidence, and a completed field study that evaluates residues, chronic low-dose exposure, and cumulative effects of multiple chemical exposures. For purposes of protecting and ensuring the long-term viability of native bees and other pollinators, the Department of the Interior must monitor and report on the health and population status of native bees.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2018
Election Security Act This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to establish grant programs to support (1) states' compliance with certain voting system security requirements, including the use of voting systems that require individual paper ballots marked by hand; (2) states' audits of federal election results (i.e., manual counts of paper ballots); and (3) research and development directed at improving the security and reliability of election infrastructure. The bill also (1) requires the President to develop a national strategy to protect against attacks on U.S. democratic institutions, and (2) establishes the National Commission to Protect U.S. Democratic Institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2018
Jessie's Law This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and disseminate best practices for health care providers and state agencies regarding the display of a patient's history of opioid addiction in the patient's medical records. In doing so, HHS must identify: (1) the circumstances under which information provided by a patient to a health care provider should, upon patient request, be displayed in the patient's medical records; (2) what constitutes a patient request; and (3) the process and methods by which the information should be displayed.
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2018
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King in recognition of her courageous and groundbreaking leadership advancing equal rights for women and the LGBT community in athletics, education, and our society.
![Official portrait of Rep. Shea-Porter, Carol [D-NH-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001170_200.jpg)