United States · United States Congress · 2 January 2015
Ansel Adams Act - Declares that it is contrary to U.S. public policy to prohibit or restrict photography in public spaces, whether for private, news media, or commercial use. Requires a federal agency, should it seek to restrict photography of its installations or personnel, to obtain a court order that outlines the national security or other reasons for the restriction. Instructs that such court order shall allow restrictions of such photography when it may lead to the endangerment of public safety or national security. Prohibits any federal government agency from requiring fees, permits, or insurance as a condition to take still or moving images on federal lands, National Parks and Forests, and public spaces, whether for private, media, or commercial use. Prohibits federal law enforcement officers or private contractors from seizing any photographic equipment or their contents or memory cards or film nor from ordering a photographer to erase the contents of a camera or memory card or film.
United States · United States Congress · 2 January 2015
Online Market Protection Act of 2014 - Prohibits, for a five-year moratorium period beginning June 1, 2015, federal, state, and local governments from imposing statutory restrictions or regulations specifically identifying and governing the creation, use, exploitation, possession, or transfer of any algorithmic protocols governing the operation of any virtual, non-physical algorithm or computer source code-based medium for exchange (cryptocurrency). Defines cryptocurrency as a popular term encompassing code-based protocols supporting an electronic, non-physical medium for the exchange of value. Prohibits all such governmental entities, during the moratorium period, from imposing further statutory restrictions or regulations affecting Smart Contract platforms such as cryptographic escrow services, multi-signature transactions, and oracles in order to allow for the growth and facilitation of these facets of cryptological technology. Requires federal and state agencies to consider cryptocurrencies "exempt commodities" akin to gold and silver, rather than "excluded commodities" such as national fiat currencies. Declares that the Bitcoin cryptological protocol is not strictly a currency, but rather a broad multifaceted protocol which allows for myriad novel applications. Denies federal and state agencies jurisdiction over Cryptocurrency Economy Transactions or Bitcoin Economy Transactions. States it is the public policy of the United States that: until the expiration of the five-year moratorium no new statutes, regulations, or advisory opinions be passed, implemented, enforced, or issued governing the creation, use, possession or taxation of cryptocurrencies, including governing protocols, data, codes, algorithms, or other calculations; development and use of any medium of exchange which utilizes cryptographic proof of and for a transaction of cryptocurrency without the need for or reliance upon third-party intermediaries or verification will enhance the economic well-being of the American people and result in significant economic growth; production, possession or use of cryptocurrency, whether in trade, commerce, or personal non-commercial transfers, should not be disfavored or discouraged by either the federal tax code or other governmental statute or regulation; and the current guidance released by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in its Notice 2014-21 is advisory, subject to public comment, and not in final form pending the expiration of the comment period, and is less than optimal for the American people and economy. Directs the IRS to issue or revise interim regulations consistent with U.S. public policy that: virtual currencies should be treated as currency instead of property in order to foster an equitable tax treatment and prevent a tax treatment that would discourage the use of cryptocurrency; taxpayers accepting cryptocurrency in trade or commerce should be deemed to realize actual income only when cryptocurrency is monetized through conversion or exchange into dollars or any official government currency, and that fair market value should be calculated as net proceeds from the conversion; and mined or produced cryptocurrency should be taxed as income only when actual income is realized by a transfer and conversion of proceeds into dollars.
United States · United States Congress · 2 January 2015
Michelle Obama Nutritional Act - Requires the nutrition and calorie standards for food purchased under the National School Lunch Program to be the same as the nutrition and calorie standards for food purchased under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program).
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Don't Track Me Act - Declares that it is contrary to U.S. public policy to require the placement or use of any global positioning satellite (GPS), location, or distance tracking system to collect identities of vehicle owners by remote means. Prohibits the federal gasoline excise tax from being replaced or supplemented with any tax, fee, or fine based upon vehicle location or distance traveled that is determined by GPS, license plate reading cameras, or other methods of determining vehicle location, travel distance, or registration and identity data. Prohibits motor vehicles from being required to have certain devices that track or transmit location, distance, or driver identity information. Bars public funds from being used to study, implement, or require the use of any method of tracking or reporting vehicle movement or location for the purpose of taxes, user fees, traffic fines, accident investigation, or communication with other vehicles or infrastructure. Prohibits vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems for the purposes of recording or transmitting or storing for later retrieval location, registration, identity, or speed data. Allows such transmissions to be used only for momentary accident avoidance or anonymized traffic reporting. Bars federal agencies from requiring motor vehicles to have a "black box" accident data recorder that records vehicle data for longer than the last five minutes of vehicle operation. Prohibits such devices from: (1) recording audio, images, or video from inside the vehicle; or (2) broadcasting or transmitting any data except by a direct cable connection to a computer.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Fair Tax for Repatriation Act - Declares that the federal tax on U.S. corporations earning profits abroad shall be a flat 5%. Makes the Department of the Treasury responsible for administering and enforcing such tax.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2014
Flat Tax Rate Act - Imposes a federal income tax rate of 15% on all income of all U.S. citizens, regardless of annual income or current economic standing. Allows exemptions for single and joint tax return filers and for each child of a taxpayer up to the age of 18.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2014
Fifth Amendment Restoration Act of 2014 - Prohibits government seizures of private property under any federal law providing for civil asset forfeiture. Defines "property" to include real property, financial assets, and commonly held property owned by more than one person. Bars federal agencies from: (1) participating in or benefiting from any multiple-jurisdiction, equitable sharing, or shared civil asset forfeiture program with any state or local government; or (2) accepting or adopting property seized by a state or local government. Excludes from such prohibitions: (1) contraband, including illegal imports or exports, and anything the possession of which is a crime; or (2) property subject to forfeiture or seizure because the owner has first been convicted of a criminal offense.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2014
Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 - Directs the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against: Rosoboronexport; an entity owned by the government of the Russian Federation or controlled by its nationals that transfers or manufactures or sells defense articles transferred to, Syria or into the territory of a specified country without its government's consent; or a person that knowingly sponsors or provides financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, such an entity. Directs the President to impose three or more specified sanctions against a person that makes a significant investment in a special Russian crude oil project. Authorizes the President to impose additional licensing requirements or other restrictions on the export of items for Russia's energy sector. Directs the President to impose specified sanctions on Gazprom if it is withholding significant natural gas supplies from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, or further withholds significant natural gas supplies from countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, or Moldova. Sets forth sanctions against a foreign person, including executive officers of an entity, relating to: Export-Import Bank of the United States assistance, executive agency procurement, arms and dual-use item exports, U.S. property transactions, banking transactions, investing in or purchasing equity or debt instruments, and U.S. entry prohibition or visa revocation. Excludes import sanctions from the authority to block and prohibit U.S. property transactions. Authorizes the President to impose a prohibition on the opening, and a prohibition or the imposition of strict conditions on the maintaining, in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly engages in significant transactions involving sanctioned persons. Authorizes the President to provide Ukraine with defense articles, services, and training. Directs the Secretary of State (Secretary) to submit a plan to Congress to meet the need for protection of and assistance for internally displaced persons in Ukraine. Directs the President to use U.S. influence at United Nations (U.N.) voluntary agencies to support assistance for internally displaced persons in Ukraine. Urges the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to assist Ukrainian defense sector entities reorient exports from Russian Federation customers to alternative markets in the Ukrainian defense sector that have already significantly reduced exports to and cooperation with Russian defense sector entities. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to work with Ukrainian officials to develop an emergency energy assistance plan to help Ukraine address the potentially severe heating fuel and electricity shortages facing Ukraine in 2014 and 2015. Directs the Secretary to work with Ukrainian officials to increase energy security by helping Ukraine reduce its dependence on natural gas imported from the Russian Federation. Directs: the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to prioritize support for investments to increase energy efficiency, develop domestic oil and natural gas reserves, and develop renewable energy sources in Ukraine; and the President to use U.S. influence to encourage the World Bank Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and other international financial institutions to invest in and stimulate private investment in such projects. Directs the Secretary and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to: (1) strengthen democratic civil society in Ukraine, (2) support independent media outlets, and (3) counter government corruption and improve accountability. Directs the Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors to submit to Congress a plan for increasing and maintaining the quantity of Russian-language broadcasting into the countries of the former Soviet Union in order to counter Russian Federation propaganda. Directs the Secretary to: (1) improve and strengthen democratic institutions and political and civil society organizations in the Russian Federation, and (2) expand uncensored Internet and independent media access. Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) hold the Russian Federation accountable for being in violation of its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and (2) demand that the Russian Federation eliminate the military systems that constitute such violation. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed as an authorization for the use of military force.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers a tax deduction for the qualified expenses, up to $10,000 in a taxable year, of attending a private school. Includes within the definition of "qualified expenses" expenses for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and other equipment in connection with the enrollment or attendance of an individual at an elementary or secondary school at a private institutional day or residential school, including a parochial school, or a home school, that provides elementary or secondary education. Disallows any amount claimed as home school tuition.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2014
Cryptocurrency Protocol Protection and Moratorium Act or the CryptPMA - Prohibits, for a five-year moratorium period beginning June 1, 2015, federal, state, and local governments from imposing statutory restrictions or regulations specifically identifying and governing the creation, use, exploitation, possession, or transfer of any algorithmic protocols governing the operation of any virtual, non-physical algorithm or computer source code-based medium for exchange (cryptocurrency). Defines cryptocurrency as a popular term encompassing code-based protocols supporting an electronic, non-physical medium for the exchange of value. Expresses the sense of Congress that, until the expiration of the five-year moratorium, no new statutes, regulations or advisory opinions be passed, implemented, enforced, or issued governing the creation, use, possession or taxation of cryptocurrencies, including governing protocols, data, codes, algorithms, or other calculations. Expresses the sense of Congress further that: (1) development and use of any medium for exchange which possesses the characteristic of cryptographic proof of and for a transaction of cryptocurrency without the need for or reliance upon third-party intermediaries or verification is in the public interest; and (2) production, possession or use of cryptocurrency, whether in trade, commerce, or personal non-commercial transfers, should not be disfavored or discouraged by either the federal tax code or other governmental statute or regulation. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the current guidance released by the IRS in its Notice 2014-21 is advisory, subject to public comment, and not in final form pending the expiration of the comment period; and (2) less than optimal for the American people and economy. Directs the IRS to issue or revise interim regulations consistent with the sense of Congress that: virtual currencies should be treated as currency instead of property in order to foster an equitable tax treatment and prevent a tax treatment that would discourage the use of cryptocurrency; taxpayers accepting cryptocurrency in trade or commerce should be deemed to realize actual income only when cryptocurrency is monetized through conversion or exchange into dollars or any official government currency, and that fair market value should be calculated as net proceeds from the conversion; and mined or produced cryptocurrency should be taxed as income only when actual income is realized by a transfer and conversion of proceeds into dollars.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Separation of Powers Act of 2014 - Prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to any federal department or agency to: parole an alien into the United States or grant deferred action on a final order of removal for any reason other than on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons; or issue to an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States any document attesting to such alien's lawful permanent resident status or U.S. employment authorization.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Defense of Legal Workers Act of 2014 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) exclude from the definition of "unauthorized alien," with respect to the unlawful employment of aliens, any alien otherwise admitted to and lawfully present in the United States; and (2) consider an alien without lawful status to be an unauthorized alien whose employment is unlawful.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Heller Public Firearms Range Act of 2014 - Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to include the District of Columbia in the apportionment to states and U.S. territories and possessions of revenues from taxes imposed on pistols, revolvers, bows, and arrows. Revises specified payments authority to: (1) authorize the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the Mayor of the District in conducting wildlife restoration projects and hunter safety programs; (2) authorize payments to the District out of funds made available under the Act for such purposes; and (3) limit the amount of such payments to one-half of 1% of the total amount apportioned to states, territories, and possessions for any year. Requires the Secretary to use amounts in the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund (FAWRF) to make a limited grant in FY2015 to the Mayor for construction and operation of an indoor public target range for firearm users in the District. Requires the Secretary to construct and operate the target range on suitable federal land within the District using FAWRF funds and such grant amount or from other sources, if the Mayor fails to apply for the grant within 90 days after enactment of this Act or fails to construct a target range with it within one year after the enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Veterans Equal Access Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to authorize VA health care providers to: (1) provide veterans with recommendations and opinions regarding participation in their state's marijuana programs, and (2) complete forms reflecting such recommendations and opinions.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Honoring Workers' Rights Act - Redesignates the Department of Labor building located at 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., as the "Reed Larson Building."
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Safer American Streets Act - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT), for FY2015 and subsequent fiscal years, to withhold 10% of a state's apportionment of specified federal-aid highway program funds for any state or municipal government that employs an automated traffic enforcement system on a federal-aid highway. Prohibits: the Mayor of the District of Columbia from using an automated traffic enforcement system to detect a moving infraction, and the use of any information obtained through such a system as proof of an infraction in an administrative adjudication. Repeals title IX of the Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Support Temporary Amendment Act of 1996 (relating to automated traffic enforcement in the District of Columbia).
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2014
Directs the Secretary of State, in accordance with the Rewards for Justice program authorized under the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, to offer a reward to any individual who furnishes information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual for committing, conspiring or attempting to commit, or aiding or abetting in the commission of the kidnapping and murder of James Foley, Peter Kassig, or Steven Sotloff or the kidnapping and murder of any other U.S. citizen by a foreign terrorist organization. Limits to $5 million the total amount of rewards offered in connection with the kidnapping and murder of any such individual.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2014
Right of Return Act - Requires the following courses of action: the Secretary of State shall call for Israel to increase the standard of living of those living in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza by extending its sovereignty over those territories, and for the Palestinian Arab residents currently residing in those areas to be granted citizenship in the countries that controlled them from 1949 to 1967 and have a right of return to those countries; no funds appropriated by Congress may be obligated or expended to provide any U.S. assistance, loan guarantee, or debt relief to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as long as part of the PA unity government refuses to allow such right of return; the Secretary shall ensure that refugees are allowed to return to their host countries in accordance with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) regulations; and all U.S. assistance, loan guarantee, and debt relief that currently go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) shall instead be used to assist those who exercise their right of return.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2014
Requires a revision to the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require a certification from each person that is a prospective government contractor that such person, and any person owned or controlled by such person, is not a boycotting person (a person who refuses to do business with a country with which the United States has a fair trade agreement). Debars from eligibility for federal contracts for at least two years any person who submits a false certification.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2014
Supports the efforts by President Poroshenko and the people of Ukraine to establish a lasting peace for Ukraine that includes: full withdrawal of Russian forces from its territory, full control of its international borders, disarming of separatist and paramilitary forces in eastern Ukraine, adoption of policies to reduce the Russian Federation's ability to use energy exports and trade barriers as weapons to apply economic and political pressure, and an end to interference by the Russian Federation in Ukraine's internal affairs. Affirms the right of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and all countries to exercise their sovereign rights within their internationally recognized borders. Condemns the continuing political, economic, and military aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova and the continuing violation of their sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. States that the military intervention by the Russian Federation in Ukraine: is in breach of its obligations under the United Nations Charter and the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, and poses a threat to international peace. Calls on the Russian Federation to: reverse its illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula, end its support of the separatist forces in Crimea, and remove its military forces from that region (other than those operating in strict accordance with its 1997 agreement on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet Stationing on the Territory of Ukraine); remove its military forces from Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, and end its political, military, and economic support of separatist forces; and end violations of the September 2014 cease fire. Calls on the President to provide the government of Ukraine with necessary defense articles, services, and intelligence in order to defend its territory and sovereignty. Calls on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies and U.S. partners to suspend military cooperation with Russia. Calls on the President to cooperate with U.S. allies to: (1) refuse to recognize the Russian Federation's illegal annexation of Crimea; and (2) impose visa bans, asset freezes, and sanctions on the Russian Federation and its leadership to compel it to end its violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Urges the President, in consultation with Congress, to review the Treaty readiness of U.S. and NATO armed forces. Urges the President to hold the Russian Federation accountable for violations of its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Calls on Ukraine, the European Union (EU), and other European countries to support energy diversification initiatives to reduce the Russian Federation's ability to use energy supplies as a means of applying political and economic pressure on other countries. Calls on the President and the Department of State to develop a strategy to produce or otherwise procure and distribute news and information in the Russian language to countries with significant Russian-speaking populations. Calls upon the Russian Federation to seek a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States based on respect for the independence and sovereignty of all countries.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2014
Freedom From Foreign Influence Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue promptly permits allowing energy resources exploration and extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2014
Authorizes the Speaker of the House of Representatives to initiate or intervene in civil actions on behalf of the House of Representatives in a federal court of competent jurisdiction to seek any appropriate relief regarding the failure of the President, the head of any department or agency, or any other executive branch officer or employee to act in a manner consistent with that official's duties under the Constitution and laws of the United States regarding immigration laws or laws pertaining to illegal aliens, undocumented immigrants, or non-American citizens. Directs the Speaker notify the House of a decision to initiate or intervene in any such civil action. States that the Office of the General Counsel of the House shall represent the House in any such civil action, and may employ outside counsel and other experts.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2014
Stockman Effect Act - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the impact that a shift in the Earth's magnetic field could have on the weather.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2014
Report the Costs Act - Requires the annual reports of federal agency chief financial officers to include the cost of multilingual services provided or performed by federal agencies, including the cost of hiring interpreters and producing materials in a language other than English. Requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) include in its financial status management reports a Multilingual Services Expense Report, and (2) issue guidance for agency chief financial officers in compiling reports on the cost of multilingual services.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2014
Ebola Response Act of 2014 - Requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prohibit any individual from entering the United States for 30 days following the individual's presence in a country experiencing an Ebola outbreak. Directs DHS and HHS to ensure that individuals who are nationals of or have recently been in a country experiencing an Ebola outbreak are certified by a medical professional as testing negative for Ebola and having a normal body temperature before they enter the United States and submit to 21 days of monitoring for Ebola symptoms. Allows the President to exempt officials, employees, and contractors of the Department of State and the Department of Defense (DOD) from the requirements of this Act if there are sufficient measures in place to protect against the transmission of Ebola by these individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2014
Stop Ebola Act - Prohibits: (1) a consular officer from issuing an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa to any alien who is a citizen or national of a country designated by the World Health Organization as having widespread and intense transmissions under the World Health Organization Ebola Response Roadmap; and (2) an alien from being admitted into the United States if the alien's journey to the United States originated in, or included transit through, any such country.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2014
States that crude oil produced within the jurisdiction of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq shall, upon entering U.S. jurisdiction, be deemed to be owned exclusively by the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq or by any person that purchased such crude oil from the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq. Authorizes the President to provide defense articles and defense services directly to the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2014
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) there should be a referendum by the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq to determine whether Kurdistan should become an independent country, and (2) the U.S. government should recognize the results of such a referendum.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Eliminate Dogmatic Interference by Bureaucratic Lunch Extremists Act or the EDIBLE Act - Prohibits the federal government from issuing or enforcing requirements for elementary or secondary schools with respect to food for which there is or will be a cost not covered by the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Travel and Resource Access Including Local Stakeholders Act - Requires the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as a condition on the preparation of an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for a proposed access travel management action, to consult with affected counties for the purpose of incorporating their needs, uses, and input. Prohibits the Secretary from implementing such an action until the Secretary: (1) complies with such consultation requirement, and (2) obtains the concurrence of each affected county. Defines an "access travel management action" as a BLM action that will alter public access to public lands, including any change in access to mining claims or access using motorized vehicles or nonmotorized means resulting from the decommissioning of a road or trail, a change in the status of a road as open or closed, or a change in road densities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2014
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to implement security measures in the electronic tax return filing process designed to prevent tax refund fraud from being perpetrated through electronic identity theft, including the use of security questions that allow for electronic matching of the answers to establish the taxpayer's identity.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2014
ATF Elimination Act - Rescinds the hiring authority of the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Requires the Director, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to jointly develop and submit a plan for winding up the affairs of ATF that, without compromising core functions, eliminates and reduces duplicative, unnecessary functions or waste. Requires the Director of the FBI to transmit to the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) a report that specifies the property to be transferred to the FBI pursuant to this Act that the Director has determined will not be needed by the FBI. Abolishes ATF. Transfers ATF functions relating to the investigation and enforcement of: (1) criminal and regulatory violations of the federal firearms, explosives, and arson laws, and the investigation of violent crime and domestic terrorism to the Attorney General, who shall delegate them to the FBI; and (2) criminal and regulatory violations of the federal alcohol and tobacco smuggling laws to the Attorney General, who shall delegate them to the DEA. Transfers: (1) the contracts, liabilities, records, property, and other assets and interests associated with such transferred functions to the Attorney General for appropriate allocation; and (2) personnel employed in connection with the transferred functions to the Attorney General.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2014
Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2014 or the SAFE for America Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the diversity immigrant program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2014
James Boulet National Language Act of 2014 - Amends federal law to: (1) make English the official language of the United States, (2) require that official U.S. government functions be conducted in English, and (3) require the U.S. government to preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States. Declares that, unless specifically stated in applicable law, no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the U.S. government or any of its officials or representatives act, communicate, perform or provide services, or materials in any language other than English. Makes exceptions to these requirements the use of a language other than English for: (1) religious purposes, (2) language training for international communication, or (3) school programs designed to encourage students to learn foreign languages. Amends the the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to repeal bilingual voting and related voting qualification requirements. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that all public naturalization ceremonies in which the oath of allegiance is administered be conducted solely in the English language.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2014
Designates the U.S. Postal Service facility located at 16281 U.S. Highway 59 in Moscow, Texas, as the "Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya Memorial Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2014
Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to allow expedited review of an application for the registration of a pesticide or an amendment to a currently registered pesticide if use of the pesticide proposed is reasonably expected to improve the health of managed pollinator bees (bees raised and housed in a managed hive or other appropriate housing and used for honey production, managed pollination of crops, or breeding for commercial purposes), including by managing resistance to parasitic pests of managed pollinator bees. Requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to report on the extent and scope of the threat to the health of managed pollinator bees from: (1) pathological factors, including the species of parasitic mite known as Varroa mite (Varroa destructor), other arthropod pests, and fungal, microbial, and viral diseases; and (2) environmental factors, including the habitat, forage, beekeeper practices and husbandry, and nutritional needs of managed pollinator bees. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to report on: (1) the availability of pesticides for management of parasitic pests that adversely impact the health of managed pollinator bees; and (2) EPA efforts to expedite approvals of new products to control parasitic pests of managed pollinator bees, including products to mitigate resistance to available products.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2014
Stop Funding Terrorism Act - Prohibits any direct U.S. assistance, loan guarantee, or debt relief to the Palestinian Authority (PA) or any affiliated governing entity or leadership organization. States that such prohibition shall have no effect for a fiscal year if the President certifies to Congress that the PA has: formally recognized Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and publicly recognized the state of Israel, renounced terrorism and purged all individuals with terrorist ties from the security services, terminated funding of anti-American and anti-Israel incitement, publicly pledged to not engage in war with Israel, and honored previous diplomatic agreements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2014
Bringing Awareness and Knowledge to Exempt Schools Against Legislative Encroachment Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) from applying the rule entitled "National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program: Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010" to food sold as a fundraiser that takes place on the grounds of a school. (The rule requires the Secretary to set nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools that are not foods sold under the school lunch and breakfast programs.)
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2014
Reaffirms U.S. support for the peaceful resolution of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Reaffirms support for freedom of navigation and overflight and condemns coercive actions or the use of force to impede these freedoms in international maritime domains and airspace. Urges China to refrain from implementing the declared East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone which is contrary to freedom of overflight in international airspace, and to refrain from taking similar provocative actions elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. Urges the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), U.S. allies and partners, and all claimants to fairly resolve these outstanding disputes, including through developing a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. Supports continued U.S. operations to support freedom of navigation in international waters and air space in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Encourages continued U.S. efforts to strengthen regional partnerships to build capacity for maritime domain awareness in support of freedom of navigation, maintenance of peace and stability, and respect for principles of international law.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2014
Expresses the belief that: (1) a united, secure, and prosperous United Kingdom is important for U.S. national security priorities; and (2) diplomatic, economic, and military cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom is essential to U.S. national security Expresses deep friendship toward the Scottish people, and respects the right of the Scottish people to make their decision regarding their status in the September 18, 2014, referendum. Expresses a firm commitment to cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom toward a more peaceful and prosperous world.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2014
Fairness for Farmers Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude nonimmigrant agricultural seasonal workers from the definition of "full-time employee" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide employees with minimum essential health care coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Safely Exacting Cautious Useful Rules for Immigration This Year (SECURITY) Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) (Secretary) to submit to Congress a plan to achieve operational control of the international land and maritime borders of the United States. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a plan to construct and finish within 10 years double-layered reinforced fencing on the southern border. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to: (1) deploy at least an additional 10,000 members of the National Guard for border control activities along the U.S.-Mexico border until the Secretary certifies that the federal government has achieved operational control of the southern border, and (2) provide funds to the governor of a state who submits a qualifying state border control activities plan. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand the grounds for extending an alien's removal (and detention) period beyond 90 days. Directs the Secretary to establish an administrative review process (for aliens who are not subject to mandatory detention) to determine whether and how to release aliens who have received, and attempted to comply with, a final order of removal but have been unable to be returned by the United States to their country of origin. Establishes visa, trade, and foreign assistance sanctions against a country that refuses or unreasonably delays U.S. repatriation of an alien who is a citizen, national, subject, or resident of that country. Authorizes the Secretary to designate groups as criminal street gangs. Requires detention for anyone found inadmissible or deportable for criminal street gang membership. Bars individuals found inadmissible or deportable for such membership from withholding of removal, asylum, or temporary protected status. Requires annual reports to Congress regarding: (1) the number, if any, of additional immigration judges needed to process the backlog of removal cases; and (2) the number, if any, of additional detention beds and detention space needed to hold criminal aliens and aliens without lawful presence or lawful status. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to expand the identification requirements for the child tax credit to require taxpayers to provide valid identification numbers on their tax returns in addition to the names and identification numbers of each qualifying child. States that any alien who is an illegal entrant or who is in possession of invalid entry documents and who gains lawful status pursuant to an Act of Congress, or lawful status or lawful presence pursuant to an executive order or policy directive shall not be qualified for public benefits. Taxes at a 10% rate monetary remittances sent from U.S. senders to recipients in any of the top ten remittance recipient nations. Prohibits a federal agency or instrumentality from using federal funding or resources to: (1) adjudicate any new or previously denied application of any alien requesting consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals, as authorized by executive memorandum on August 15, 2012; or (2) authorize any alien to work in the United States who was not lawfully admitted into the United States and who is not in lawful U.S. status on the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2014
Affirms that: (1) private equity plays an important role in growing and strengthening U.S. businesses throughout all sectors of the economy and in every state and congressional district, and (2) has fostered significant investment in the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2014
Making the Education of Nurses Dependable for Schools Act or the MEND Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), for any reimbursements to providers under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for the costs of nursing and allied health education activities, to apply the regulation establishing the payment methodology for such reimbursements by treating a provider as meeting the requirements: for consideration as operating an approved nursing or allied health education program if the provider or a wholly owned subsidiary educational institution singly or collectively meets all such requirements; and for payment for certain nonprovider-operated programs at wholly owned subsidiary educational institutions if the provider meets all such requirements except that the transfer of a nursing or allied health education program to that wholly owned subsidiary educational institution to meet accreditation standards occurred after October 1, 2003. Defines "wholly owned subsidiary educational institution" as one that: (1) is organized as a legal entity distinct from the provider, (2) has the provider as its sole owner or sole member, and (3) is organized in the same state in which the provider is organized or registered to do business.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2014
Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2014 - Amends the federal criminal code to require the government to include in any notice required to be sent in a nonjudicial civil forfeiture proceeding under a civil forfeiture statute that the person receiving the notice may be able to obtain free or reduced rate legal representation. Requires the government, in a suit or action brought under any civil forfeiture statute for the civil forfeiture of property, to prove that the property is subject to forfeiture by clear and convincing evidence (currently, by a preponderance of the evidence). Provides that where a prima facie case is made for an innocent owner defense, the government has the burden of proving that the claimant knew or reasonably should have known that the property was involved in the illegal conduct giving rise to the forfeiture (currently, the claimant has the burden of proving that the claimant is an innocent owner). Places the burden on the government to show that the property owner should have had knowledge of the criminal activity by demonstrating that the property owner did not: (1) give timely notice to law enforcement of information that led the person to know the conduct giving rise to a forfeiture occurred; and (2) in a timely fashion, revoke or attempt to revoke permission for those engaging in such conduct to use the property or take reasonable actions in consultation with law enforcement to discourage or prevent the illegal use of the property. Directs the court, in determining whether the forfeiture was constitutionally excessive, to consider such factors as the seriousness of the offense, the extent of the nexus of the property to the offense, the range of sentences available for the offense giving rise to forfeiture, the fair market value of the property, and the hardship to the property owner and dependents (currently, the court is required to compare the forfeiture to the gravity of the offense giving rise to the forfeiture). Requires the Attorney General to: (1) specify, in the annual report on the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund, deposits from each type of forfeiture, identifying which funds were obtained from criminal forfeitures and which were obtained from civil forfeitures; and (2) assure that any equitable sharing between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and a local or state law enforcement agency was not initiated for the purpose of circumventing any state law that prohibits civil forfeiture or limits use or disposition of property obtained via civil forfeiture by state or local agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2014
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission Reform Act - Modifies the membership of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission. Requires each appointment to the Commission to be made in consultation with the Eisenhower Foundation, a public foundation located in Abilene, Kansas. Terminates the membership of the present Commission on the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2014 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Muslim Brotherhood has met the criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization, and (2) the Secretary of State should so designate it. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress the reasons why if he does not designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization within 60 days. Directs the President to subject to sanctions any person in the United States or subject to U.S. jurisdiction who knowingly provides material support or resources to the Muslim Brotherhood or its affiliates, associated groups, or agents. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing any visa to, and directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to deny U.S. entry to, any member or representative of the Muslim Brotherhood or its affiliates, associated groups, or agents. Requires any U.S. financial institution that knowingly has possession of or control over funds in which the Muslim Brotherhood or its affiliates, associated groups, or agents have an interest to: (1) retain possession of or control over the funds, and (2) report the funds to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2014
Personal Information Notification Act - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish and oversee policies and procedures that require a federal agency to send a written notification to any individual whose personally identifying information has been accessed by a private entity, not later than 30 days after such information was accessed. Permits the Director to obtain the information necessary for contacting such individual from sources including a driver's license and voter information, but not from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the National Security Agency (NSA).
![Official portrait of Rep. Stockman, Steve [R-TX-36]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s000937_200.jpg)