United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2019
United States-Turkey Relations Review Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of State to report to Congress an assessment of Turkey. The report shall include (1) an assessment conducted with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states as to Turkey's ability and willingness to fulfill its NATO obligations, (2) a review of the bilateral U.S.-Turkey relationship, and (3) an assessment of the posture of U.S. forces in Turkey and the surrounding region.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2019
This resolution expresses Congress's opposition to the decision to end U.S. efforts to prevent Turkey's military operations against Kurdish forces in northeast Syria. It also calls on (1) Turkey to immediately cease unilateral military action in northeast Syria and respect existing agreements, (2) the United States to continue supporting Syrian Kurdish communities through military and humanitarian support and ensure that the Turkish military acts with restraint, and (3) the White House to present a clear and specific plan for the enduring defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2019
Partnering and Leveraging Assistance to Stop Trash for International Cleaner Seas Act or the PLASTICS Act This bill authorizes the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to prioritize and advance global efforts to prevent and reduce marine debris and plastic waste. The State Department and USAID are authorized to work with private-sector and nongovernmental entities to complement such efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2019
Biomedical Innovation Expansion Act of 2019 This bill expands and reauthorizes through FY2030 the National Institutes of Health innovation projects, which include the (1) All of Us Research Programs, (2) Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, (3) Cancer Moonshot research, and (4) Regenerative Medicine Innovation Project. The bill also provides new funding for antimicrobial resistance research and for the research of rare diseases or conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2019
Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to state and local educational agencies to promote media literacy and digital citizenship. Among other things, media literacy includes the ability to access relevant information, analyze media content, evaluate the accuracy of information, and make educated decisions about products and services, education, health, and wellness based on information obtained from media and digital sources. The bill defines digital citizenship as, among other things, the ability to safely, responsibly, and ethically use communication technologies and to participate in the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of life related to technology and the digital world. ED must establish a Federal Advisory Council to assist in evaluating and awarding grants and developing and making available to states and local educational agencies evidence-based model curricula and standards for media literacy education. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on media literacy and digital citizenship competencies in schools, and related issues.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2019
Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy Act or the SHIELD Act This bill establishes a duty to report election interference from foreign entities, applies existing campaign advertising requirements to online advertisements, and generally limits political spending and election interference by foreign entities. Specifically, a political committee must report certain foreign contacts involving an offer of unlawful election assistance to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Election Commission. The bill establishes criminal penalties for violations of these requirements. Existing requirements for political advertisements and electioneering communications apply to internet and digital advertisements, including requirements related to disclosures and contributions. Additionally, large online platforms must maintain a public database of certain political advertisements. The bill places limitations on political spending by foreign entities. Specifically, foreign entities may not (1) contribute to campaigns related to ballot initiatives and referenda, or (2) make disbursements for certain internet activity referring to a candidate or a political issue. A candidate is prohibited from offering to share nonpublic campaign information with certain foreign entities. The bill also prohibits (1) the dissemination of false statements regarding federal elections or public endorsement, or (2) the intentional hindering of voting or registering to vote. The bill establishes criminal penalties and a private right of action with respect to these prohibitions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2019
End Capitalization for Struggling Borrowers Act This bill prohibits the capitalization of interest on a student loan balance after forbearance or certain deferment periods. Capitalization occurs when the interest accrued on a student loan during a period of deferment or forbearance is added to the principal amount of the loan at the expiration of such period.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2019
Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2019 This bill expands the requirements for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Program. Specifically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must (1) develop a plan to ensure the provision of high quality service, (2) strengthen data-sharing agreements to facilitate the transmission of epidemiological data from the program to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and (3) implement a pilot program focused on using other communications platforms (e.g., social media and texting) for suicide prevention. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to study the program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2019
Virginia Beach Strong Act This bill confirms that cash contributions made for the exclusive benefit of the families of the dead or wounded victims of the mass shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on May 31, 2019, shall be treated as tax deductible contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2019
Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act This bill establishes an alternative formula to calculate Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits for those who receive pensions for certain non-covered employment. (The existing formula is known as the windfall elimination provision.) The alternative formula adjusts an individual's total lifetime earnings based on the proportion of covered earnings (i.e., earnings subject to Social Security payroll taxes). It applies to individuals who (1) first become eligible for benefits after 2021, (2) have earnings from non-covered service performed after 1977 and (3) have less than 30 years of coverage (i.e., years in which a beneficiary is considered to have contributed a substantial amount into the Social Security trust funds). Beneficiaries receive the higher benefit amount as calculated under the alternative method or the existing formula. In addition, the bill provides rebates for certain beneficiaries currently impacted by the existing formula. The Social Security Administration must include non-covered earnings in Social Security account statements, and the Government Accountability Office must study the availability of certain information related to retirement plans maintained by state and local governments.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act This bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development to award at least 50% of the number of scholarships under the Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program to Pakistani women for each of the calendar years 2020-2022.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
Criminalizing Abused Substance Templates Act of 2019 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly possess a pill press mold with the intent to manufacture a counterfeit substance in schedule I or II of the Controlled Substances Act. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a prison term of not more than 20 years and a fine.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
Bot Disclosure and Accountability Act of 2019 This bill requires social media providers to publicly disclose the use of any automated software program or process intended to impersonate or replicate human activity (i.e., bots) on the provider's social media website. Social media providers also must establish processes for identifying and removing automated software programs that attempt to appear as legitimate users of the site.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
Student Support Act This bill requires the Department of Education to make matching grants to states for allocation to local educational agencies (LEAs) so that additional school-based mental health and student service providers may be hired, thereby reducing the student-to-provider ratios in elementary and secondary schools to specified minimum levels recommended by the leading counseling, guidance, and mental health organizations. Grants to states and state allocations to LEAs must be made pursuant to specified formulas that take into account a state's and school district's share of children in poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2019
Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution This concurrent resolution requires the congressional budget committees to conduct an annual joint hearing to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General regarding (1) the Government Accountability Office's audit of the financial statement of the executive branch, and (2) the financial position and condition of the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2019
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should issue a commemorative stamp series honoring women veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2019
Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Energy to award grants to assist rural electric cooperatives with identifying, evaluating, designing, and demonstrating energy storage and microgrid projects that utilize energy from renewable energy sources. (A microgrid is a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources that acts as a single controllable entity and that can connect and disconnect from the grid to operate in grid-connected or island mode.)
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2019
National POW/MIA Memorial and Museum Act of 2019 This bill designates the memorial and museum that is being constructed on an approximately 26-acre area on the POW-MIA Memorial Parkway in Jacksonville, Florida, as the "National POW/MIA Memorial and Museum." The director of the memorial and museum shall submit a report to Congress that includes a budget for the memorial and museum.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2019
Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019 This bill establishes several programs and requirements relating to the prices of prescription drugs. In particular, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate prices for certain drugs (current law prohibits HHS from doing so). Specifically, HHS must negotiate maximum prices for (1) insulin products; and (2) at least 25 single source, brand-name drugs that do not have generic competition and that are among the 125 drugs that account for the greatest national spending or the 125 drugs that account for the greatest spending under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and Medicare Advantage (MA). The negotiated prices must be offered under Medicare and MA, and may also be offered under private health insurance unless the insurer opts out. The negotiated maximum price may not exceed (1) 120% of the average price in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom; or (2) if such information is not available, 85% of the U.S. average manufacturer price. Drug manufacturers that fail to comply with the bill's negotiation requirements are subject to civil and tax penalties. The bill also makes a series of additional changes to Medicare prescription drug coverage and pricing. Among other things, the bill (1) requires drug manufacturers to issue rebates to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for covered drugs that cost $100 or more and for which the average manufacturer price increases faster than inflation; and (2) reduces the annual out-of-pocket spending threshold, and eliminates beneficiary cost-sharing above this threshold, under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2019
Preparedness and Risk Management for Extreme Weather Patterns Assuring Resilience and Effectiveness Act of 2019 or the PREPARE Act of 2019 This bill directs the President to establish the Interagency Council on Extreme Weather Resilience, Preparedness, and Risk Identification and Management, which shall establish government-wide goals and provide recommendations for addressing extreme weather resilience, preparedness, and risk identification and management. Each federal agency shall submit biannually to the Office of Management and Budget and to the council a comprehensive plan that integrates consideration of extreme weather into its operations and overall mission objectives.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2019
Identifying Outputs of Generative Adversarial Networks Act or the IOGAN Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support research on generative adversarial networks. A generative adversarial network is a software system designed to be trained with authentic inputs (e.g., photographs) to generate similar, but artificial, outputs (e.g., deepfakes). Specifically, the NSF must support research on the science and ethics of material produced by generative adversarial networks and NIST must support research to accelerate the development of tools to examine the function and outputs of generative adversarial networks.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2019
Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Act of 2019 This bill provides statutory authority for the Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Fund, which finances a grant program to protect critically endangered species. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish the fund as a separate account in the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. Critically endangered species means any animal species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as either endangered or critically endangered. The term also means any other animals species categorized on such list as data deficient or under a threat category lower than endangered if Interior determines that (1) the most recent IUCN Red List assessment indicates that the population is decreasing, or (2) such species is facing new or emerging threats.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2019
This bill allows the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to consider certain property as customer property for purposes of distribution priority in the event of bankruptcy of a commodities broker. Specifically, the CFTC may provide by rule that cash, securities, or other property including trading or operating accounts of the broker and commodities held in inventory by the broker are considered customer property, but only if other customer property is insufficient to satisfy the net equity claims of public customers.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2019
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act or the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement a pilot program to assess the effectiveness of addressing post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder through a method where veterans train service dogs for veterans with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2019
Broadband Interagency Coordination Act of 2019 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the Department of Agriculture to enter into an interagency agreement to coordinate the distribution of federal funds for new broadband deployment.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2019
Placing Restrictions on Teargas Exports and Crowd Control Technology to Hong Kong Act or the PROTECT Hong Kong Act This bill directs the President to prohibit the issuance of licenses to export certain defense items and services to various forces in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong Police Force, the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department, and the Hong Kong Government Flying Service. Items subject to the prohibition include defense articles and services on the U.S. Munitions List and certain crime control and detection technology and software. The prohibition shall not take effect if the President takes certain actions, such as certifying to Congress that the prohibited exports to a covered force other than the Hong Kong Police Force are required to achieve U.S. foreign policy goals. The Department of State shall report to Congress as to items subject to the prohibition that have been exported to the Hong Kong forces covered in the bill in the last five years.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2019
Clean Industrial Technology Act of 2019 or the CIT Act of 2019 This bill provides incentives for the nonpower industrial sector to reduce nonwater greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish an industrial emissions reduction technology research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program. Under the program, DOE must award grants and fund demonstration projects to develop and evaluate technologies designed to increase (1) the industrial competitiveness of the United States, and (2) the emission reductions of nonpower industrial sectors. DOE may also enter into contracts and cooperative agreements for these purposes. In addition, DOE must establish an Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee to provide advice to DOE and the Office of Science and Technology Policy about the program. Finally, DOE must establish a technical assistance program to promote the commercial application of emission reduction technologies in nonpower industrial sectors.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2019
Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act or the Broadband DATA Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change the way broadband data is collected, verified, and reported. Specifically, the FCC must collect and disseminate granular broadband service availability data (broadband maps) from wired, fixed-wireless, satellite, and mobile broadband providers. To do this, the FCC is required to establish the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (a dataset of geocoded information for all broadband service locations, atop which broadband maps are overlaid) as the vehicle for reporting broadband service availability data. Additionally, the FCC must put forth specified requirements for service availability data collected from broadband providers, and it must create a challenge process to enable the submission of independent data challenging the accuracy of FCC broadband maps.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2019
Mapping Accuracy Promotes Services Act or the MAPS Act This bill makes it unlawful to willfully, knowingly, or recklessly submit inaccurate broadband coverage information or data (mapping data) to the Federal Communications Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 30 August 2019
This resolution calls on all leaders of the Group of Seven (a group consisting of the seven largest major advanced economies, as determined by the International Monetary Fund) to oppose Russia's readmission into the group. The resolution also condemns Russia's assaults on democratic societies worldwide and its aggressive actions in Ukraine. (Russia was disinvited from the Group of Eight in 2014 after it occupied parts of Ukraine, including the Crimea region.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 August 2019
This resolution calls on the Hong Kong government to begin negotiations with protesters to address their five central demands, including the complete withdrawal of the extradition bill that prompted the protests and the complete implementation of universal adult suffrage. It also condemns (1) the Hong Kong government's use of force against the demonstrations; (2) the government's characterizations of the protests as "riots" and attempts to blame the United States for the city's political situation; and (3) the pro-Chinese government media's targeting of Julie Eadeh, the political counselor at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, and her family. (Hong Kong is a part of China but has a mostly separate legal system, which includes protection for civil liberties including freedom from arbitrary imprisonment. Protests sprung up in opposition to the introduction of an extradition bill that critics say would allow extradition to jurisdictions that do not have such protections, in particular mainland China.)
United States · United States Congress · 20 August 2019
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to designate 9–8–8 as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental-health crisis hotline.
United States · United States Congress · 20 August 2019
This bill adds child development and early learning to the list of community services in which undergraduate, graduate, and professional students may participate under a federal work-study program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 August 2019
Student Loan Disclosure Transparency Act of 2019 This bill requires a lender disbursing a loan that is insured or guaranteed by the federal government to make certain disclosures. Specifically, prior to disbursement, the lender making such loan must disclose the (1) principal amount, interest rate, and number of required monthly payments to be made on the loan; (2) estimated balance owed by the borrower; and (3) estimated aggregate amount the borrower will pay. Prior to repayment, the lender must disclose the projected total of interest charges that the borrower will pay on the loan, as well as projections of the borrower's monthly repayment amount. Lastly, the lender must disclose certain specified information monthly, including the (1) original principal amount of each of the borrower's loans, separately and in the aggregate; (2) current balance on each loan and on all loans in the aggregate; (3) interest rate on each loan and the total amount the borrower has paid in interest; and (4) a description of each fee the borrower has been charged for the preceding installment period. The Department of Education must obtain feedback from individuals and report on the usefulness and effectiveness of such disclosures.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2019
GI Bill Planning Act of 2019 This bill updates the Montgomery GI Bill program. Specifically, the bill extends the period of time under which an election must be made for entitlement to educational assistance under the program. Additionally, the bill phases the program out on September 30, 2029.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2019
Improving Benefits for Underserved Veterans Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to publish a report regarding veterans who receive VA benefits, including those who receive benefits under the Transition Assistance Program. Information in the report must be disaggregated by sex and minority group member status.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2019
This resolution recognizes the contributions and sacrifices made by Sikh Americans and expresses respect for all Sikhs who practice their faith. The resolution also recognizes the historical, cultural, and religious significance of Guru Nanak's 550th birthday. Additionally, the resolution recognizes the discrimination Sikh Americans have faced.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2019
Green Jobs and Opportunity Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to address current and future workforce shortages within the clean energy technology sector. Labor must monitor trends and shortages within the sector, recommend ways to prepare the workforce to meet the demands of a clean energy economy, and provide grants to establish training programs for occupations or fields of work with such shortages. Labor must also establish a National Advisory Committee on the Clean Energy Technology Workforce to provide advice on preparing the workforce to transition to a clean energy economy.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2019 This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to make financing available for the construction and deployment of broadband infrastructure through a broadband infrastructure finance and innovation program. Specifically, the bill provides a means for communities and public-private partnerships to apply for low-interest secured loans, lines of credit, or loan guarantees to finance broadband infrastructure investments.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Negro National League, a professional baseball league that was formed in response to African-American players being banned from baseball's major leagues. The design of the coins shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion. All surcharges from sales of these coins shall be paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to fund educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill revises and reauthorizes through FY2024 the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The bill expands the goals of ARPA-E to include the development of energy technologies that (1) provide transformative solutions to improve the management, clean-up, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel; and (2) improve the resilience, reliability, and security of infrastructure to produce, deliver, and store energy. The bill also authorizes DOE to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate how well ARPA-E is achieving its goals and missions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Afghan Women's Inclusion in Negotiations Act This bill requires the Department of State to report on the participation of Afghan women in the Afghan peace process and a strategy for U.S. post-conflict engagement in Afghanistan. Specifically, the State Department must report on (1) the participation of Afghan women in negotiations and dialogue related to the Afghan peace process and the protection of their rights and gains; and (2) the actions of the State Department to consult with and train local women-led civil society organizations and to advocate for their inclusion and participation in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and post-conflict reconciliation. The State Department must also develop a strategy for U.S. post-conflict engagement in Afghanistan to support the implementation of commitments for women and girls' inclusion and empowerment, as well as to protect and promote basic human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Safe from the Start Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of State to direct U.S. foreign assistance to address humanitarian crises in a manner that aims to prevent and respond to gender-based violence at the onset of an emergency. Specifically, the State Department shall focus on (1) preventing gender-based violence, (2) protecting survivors of humanitarian crises from the onset of the emergency, (3) promoting standards and activities to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, and (4) advancing and empowering survivors and at-risk individuals. Activities shall include improving access to post-sexual-assault medical and mental health services and ensuring such services are available to hard-to-reach populations. The State Department may provide support to local and international organizations to achieve its goals.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Stop Supporting Foreign Interference in Our Democracy Act This bill provides statutory authority for the prohibition against a person knowingly providing substantial assistance regarding illegal political spending by a foreign national.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
This bill prohibits the imposition of a death penalty sentence for a violation of federal law. A person sentenced to death before enactment of this bill must be resentenced.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Clean School Bus Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the Clean School Bus Grant Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Under the program, DOE must award grants for the replacement of existing school buses with electric buses.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Portable Benefits for Independent Workers Pilot Program Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to award grants for FY2020, on a competitive basis, to states, local governments, or nonprofit organizations to support broad innovation and experimentation with respect to portable benefits. Portable benefits are work-related benefits that are provided to workers who are not traditional full-time employees in a manner that allows the worker to maintain the benefits upon changing jobs. The grants must be used for (1) the evaluation, or improvement to the design or implementation, of existing models or approaches for providing portable benefits; or (2) the design, implementation, and evaluation of new models or approaches for providing such benefits. The grants may not be used for a model or approach that provides only retirement-related benefits. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate and report to Congress on the outcome of the grants awarded pursuant to this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
This resolution commends the Global Fund to Fight AIDS and its partners for their contributions to ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The resolution also affirms previous U.S. commitments to provide 33% of the fund's budget, including for the Sixth Global Fund Replenishment, as demonstrated by legislation passed by the House of Representatives.
![Official portrait of Rep. Spanberger, Abigail Davis [D-VA-7]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001209_200.jpg)