United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2018
Recognizes the National Center for Coastal Resilience as a partnership among Old Dominion University, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the College of William & Mary.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2018
GI Bill Transfer Extension Act This bill provides that a veteran who meets the length of U.S. Armed Forces service necessary to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance benefits to a dependent spouse, child, or both may transfer unused benefits to such persons for up to 15 years after discharge or release from the Armed Forces. (Currently, a qualified individual may only transfer such benefits during military service.) The Department of Defense may not limit eligibility for such benefits based on a maximum number of active service years. The bill makes these provisions retroactive to August 1, 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2018
GI Bill Transfer Extension Act This bill provides that a veteran who meets the length of U.S. Armed Forces service necessary to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance benefits to a dependent spouse, child, or both may transfer unused benefits to such persons for up to 15 years after discharge or release from the Armed Forces. (Currently, a qualified individual may only transfer such benefits during military service.) The bill makes these provisions retroactive to January 1, 2009. The Department of Defense may not limit eligibility for such benefits based on a maximum number of active service years.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2018
Full Military Honors Act of 2018 This bill provides full military honors for the funeral of an eligible veteran who: is first interred or inurned in Arlington National Cemetery on or after enactment of this bill, was awarded the medal of honor or the prisoner-of-war medal, and is not entitled to full military honors because of such veteran's grade.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2018
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 301 East Third Street in Farmville, Virginia, as the "Barbara Rose Johns Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2018
Marijuana Data Collection Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and relevant state agencies, to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences in order to study the effects of marijuana legalization in states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal or non-medicinal use.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2018
Affirms that Congress should pass all defense-related appropriations for a fiscal year before the fiscal year begins because continuing resolutions erode military readiness and pose an unacceptable risk to national security.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2018
Puerto Rico Admission Act of 2018 This bill establishes a process to enable the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico to be admitted into the Union as a state.
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2018
Bill Mulder and Ryan Larkin Posttraumatic Growth Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a two-year pilot program to study the effectiveness of nonprofit post-traumatic growth programs to determine: (1) the outcomes of such programs in contrast to traditional models of mental health care, (2) the possible integration of such nonprofit programs into VA mental health care programs, and (3) the budgetary impact of such integration. Veterans who are at risk of suicide and not participating in traditional mental health treatment are eligible for such program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2018
Permanent Tax Relief for Working Families Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the modifications to the child tax credit that were included in P.L. 115-97 (commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act). (The provisions increased the amounts of the credit and created a nonrefundable credit for a taxpayer's dependents who are not qualifying children. Under current law, the provisions are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2018
Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act or the MOST Act This bill establishes several requirements for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and alters requirements under Medicare and Medicare Advantage, related to pain management and opioid use. For example, the bill requires certified opioid treatment program services to be covered under Medicare. Additionally, among other requirements, the CMS must review payments under Medicare for opioid and non-opioid pain management procedures, specifically with respect to ambulatory outpatient surgical procedures and hospital outpatient department services. The CMS must ensure that there are no payment incentives for using opioids instead of non-opioid alternatives and must make revisions accordingly. The bill also requires payment under Medicare to federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics that have health care practitioners who are newly certified to provide medication-assisted treatment (e.g., buprenorphine).
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018
Special Operations Forces Tax Cut Act of 2018 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the exclusion from gross income for certain combat zone compensation of members of the Armed Forces, to expand the provision to include compensation for service outside of a combat zone by members of the Armed Forces assigned to special operations forces in support of operations to combat terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018
Medical Cannabis Research Act of 2018 This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish a new, separate registration process for manufacturers of cannabis for research. The Drug Enforcement Administration must assess whether there is an adequate and uninterrupted supply of research cannabis and register additional manufacturers.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2018
Pathway to Parenting Act of 2018 This bill amends the federal criminal code to establish requirements for the treatment of prisoners. It directs the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to place prisoners as close to their children as possible, provide videoconferencing free of charge, and provide trauma-informed care to prisoners diagnosed with trauma. Additionally, with respect to prisoners who are primary caretaker parents, the BOP must provide parenting classes, allow visitation from family members, and establish a pilot program to allow overnight visits from family members. The bill allows a prisoner who is pregnant or a primary caretaker parent to participate in a residential substance abuse treatment program, even if the individual failed to disclose a substance abuse problem. Finally, it establishes a pilot program to provide prenatal care to female prisoners.
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 · 18 April 2018
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Barbara Rose Johns in recognition of her achievements and contributions to the nation and civil rights.
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2018
Stephen Michael Gleason Congressional Gold Medal Act 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 Stephen Michael Gleason.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2018
I mproving Veterans Access to Congressional Services Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to permit a Member of Congress to use a VA facility to meet with constituents during normal business hours.
United States · United States Congress · 20 February 2018
Ashanti Alert Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a national communications network—the Ashanti Alert communications network—to support regional and local search efforts for missing adults. The Ashanti Alert communications network must operate in coordination with the AMBER Alert communications network (i.e., the communications network that supports search efforts for abducted children).
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 · 14 February 2018
Creating Real and Useful Middle-Class Benefits and Savings (CRUMBS) Act of 2018 This bill excludes up to $2,500 of bonus income received by an employee in 2018 from being considered taxable earnings for the purpose of determining an employee's federal tax liability. The bill defines a "bonus" as wages paid in addition to the compensation ordinarily given, required, optioned, or obligated under an employment contract.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2018
Civil Defense Accountability Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to report to Congress regarding current notification protocols for ballistic missile threats. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must conduct, and report on, a study to identify best practices of at least 13 states, including Hawaii, Alaska, California, Washington, and other states bordering or not bordering on an ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, regarding civil defense emergencies. The bill requires key officials (defined to include the heads of DOD, FEMA, and the FCC) to submit to Congress and make publicly available unclassified reports on the actions of their respective departments or agencies regarding the ballistic missile false alarm that occurred on January 13, 2018, in Hawaii. Each report shall include recommendations for corrective actions to diminish the possibility of another ballistic missile false alarm. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must submit to Congress and publish online a report regarding the ability of HHS and health care providers to respond to attacks in the United States with biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear weapons. HHS must (1) develop and implement a public outreach program in coordination with state and local governments regarding recommendations in such report for improving readiness in responding to such attacks, and (2) consider the report's recommendations when issuing grants under the Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreement and the Hospital Preparedness Program.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2018
Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 or the STOP School Violence Act of 2018 This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to revise and reauthorize through FY2028 the Secure Our Schools grant program. This grant program provides grants to states, local governments, and Indian tribes to improve security, including the placement and use of metal detectors and other deterrent measures, at schools and on school grounds.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2018
Permanent Tax Cuts for Americans Act This bill makes permanent the provisions of subtitle A (Individual Tax Reform) and subtitle B (Alternative Minimum Tax) of P.L. 115-97 (commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) that are currently scheduled to terminate on December 31, 2025.
United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2018
Celebrates the 325th anniversary of the College of William and Mary's Royal Charter and congratulates W. Taylor Reveley, III, on his retirement after a decade of service as the college's president.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2018
Pay Our Protectors Not Our Politicians Act of 2018 This bill provides FY2018 appropriations for military pay during any period in which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2018 are not in effect. The appropriations provided by this bill are available until the earlier of: (1) the enactment into law of specified appropriations legislation, or (2) January 1, 2019. The bill provides continuing appropriations for pay and allowances of: members of the Armed Forces, including reserve components, who perform active service; members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who perform inactive-duty training; civilian personnel or contractors of the Department of Defense (and the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] in the case of the Coast Guard) who are providing support to members of the Armed Forces; and DHS employees who are performing national security activities. It also provides continuing appropriations for payments related to: death gratuities, funeral and burial expenses, authorized funeral travel and travel related to the dignified transfer of remains and unit memorial services, and the temporary continuation of a basic allowance of housing for dependents of members dying on active duty. The bill also prohibits Members of Congress from being paid when a government shutdown is in effect during the 116th and succeeding Congresses. During the 115th Congress, congressional pay must be withheld during a government shutdown and released at the end of the Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2018
Transparent Health Care Pricing Act of 2018 This bill requires entities that offer or furnish health care related products or services to the public to disclose the price for those products and services at the point of purchase and on the Internet. The entities must disclose all prices, including wholesale, retail, and discounted prices, that are accepted as payment in full for products and services furnished to individual consumers. The Department of Health and Human Services may investigate and impose civil penalties on entities that fail to comply with this requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2017
Open Internet Preservation Act This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 by prohibiting broadband internet access service providers from: (1) blocking lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices; and (2) impairing or degrading lawful internet traffic on the basis of internet content, application, or service, or use of a non-harmful device. These prohibitions do not prevent providers from offering specialized services that are offered over the same network and may share network capacity with the broadband internet access service. The bill allows broadband internet access services to be eligible for federal universal service support funding.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2017
National Centers of Excellence in Coastal Flood Research and Education Act This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to designate public colleges and universities as National Centers of Excellence in Coastal Flood Research and Education. The purposes of such designations are to: (1) recognize those institutions of higher education that have exhibited national leadership in research and education in coastal flooding, and (2) identify such centers as sources for expert advice and guidance for federal agencies engaged in coastal flooding research and education issues and projects. NOAA shall require the designated public colleges or universities to enter into an agreement with NOAA to: (1) collaborate on federal flood-related issues with federal agencies; and (2) collaborate and share with specified entities best practices on regional, state, and locally specific flooding and flood-related issues.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2017
This bill provides that if the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is unable to locate any next of kin of a deceased World War I veteran who is eligible for a VA headstone or marker, or would be eligible except for the date of such individual's death, a private cemetery may request the VA to furnish a headstone or marker for the grave or a medallion or other device to signify the individual's veteran status.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2017
Settlement Tax Deductions are Over for Predators Act or the STOP Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to deny a trade or business expense deduction for any amount paid or incurred on account of a judgment or settlement originating from, or to require the non-disclosure of or otherwise prevent, a claim or accusation of sexual abuse or sexual harassment (including unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature).
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2017
Congressional Accountability and Hush Fund Elimination Act This bill amends the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) to (1) prohibit the use of public funds for payments of awards and settlements resulting from violation of certain CAA rights and protections if the violation consists of sexual harassment or sexual assault, (2) prohibit an imposition of a nondisclosure agreement as a prerequisite for CAA procedures to consider the violation, and (3) permit an individual to publicize any information relating to such a prior award or settlement if it was conditioned on a nondisclosure agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2017
Directs the Committee on House Administration to issue regulations requiring Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives to complete a training program on workplace rights and responsibilities, including anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, during each congressional session. Requires Members, officers, or employees to certify completion of such training within 90 days after a congressional session begins or within 90 days after beginning service during a session. (Sets forth a special rule requiring such training to be completed within 180 days after the beginning of the second session of the 115th Congress.) Directs the committee to issue regulations requiring that each House employing office post in a prominent location in its office and in each Member's congressional district office a statement of rights and protections provided to House employees under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, including procedures for responding to and adjudicating allegations of violations of such rights and protections.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2017
Free Flow of Information Act of 2017 This bill establishes conditions under which a journalist may be compelled to produce documents or provide testimony in a matter arising under federal law.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2017
This bill nullifies a rule finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on November 13, 2017, that modifies payment under Medicare for certain drugs purchased through the 340B discount program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2017
Domestic Violence Loophole Closure Act This bill requires military departments to submit to the Department of Justice for inclusion in the national instant criminal background check system identifying information on each member of the Armed Forces who: (1) has been convicted of domestic violence offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), or (2) has entered into a plea agreement accepting liability for such an offense. The bill amends the federal criminal code to extend the prohibition on possession and transportation of firearms and ammunition by individuals convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence to individuals convicted of similar offenses under the UCMJ.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2017
Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act or the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award cooperative agreements to state and local health departments to expand activities related to Alzheimer's disease, including activities involving early detection, support for caregivers, and public awareness.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2017
Protecting Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment Access Act of 2017 or the Protecting HOME Access Act of 2017 This bill: (1) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to delay by one year the full implementation of new Medicare payment rates for durable medical equipment, and (2) revises a Medicare budget-neutrality requirement related to oxygen. Under current law, the CMS may establish separate payment classes under Medicare for items of oxygen and related equipment only if doing so does not result in increased program expenditures. The bill provides an exception to this budget-neutrality requirement with respect to such items that are included in a competitive acquisition program.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2017
USS Indianapolis Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the House of Representatives and the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design to the crew of the USS Indianapolis, in recognition of their perseverance, bravery, and service. Following the award of the gold medal, it shall be given to the Indiana War Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it will be displayed and made available for research. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Indiana War Memorial Museum should make the gold medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at other locations and events associated with the USS Indianapolis.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2017
Access to Marketplace Insurance Act This bill requires health insurers to accept, on behalf of individuals enrolled in qualified health plans, cost-sharing payments made by certain third parties (e.g., state and federal government programs) and count such payments toward annual cost-sharing limitations. (Qualified health plans are eligible for subsidies and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.)
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2017
Professional Pell Education Learning or the PROPEL Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow federal Pell Grants to be utilized at educational programs that consist of vocational or technical training, flight training, apprenticeship, or other on-job training. In addition, the bill modifies the eligibility requirements under the Federal Pell Grant program for the vocational and training programs, including allowing such programs to be unaccredited.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2017
Save American Workers Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to change the definition of "full-time employee" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide minimum essential health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act from an employee who is employed on average at least 30 hours of service a week to an employee who is employed on average at least 40 hours of service a week.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2017
Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Act This bill adjusts the method of determining the average pay of a federal firefighter by adding one-half of a firefighter's basic hourly rate multiplied by the number of overtime hours included as part of such firefighter's regular tour of duty for purposes of computing retirement and annuity benefits.
