United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise physician supervision requirements under the Medicare program for radiology services performed by advanced level radiographers. Specifically, with respect to a state that has established such requirements for those services, the bill aligns Medicare's requirements with state requirements. An "advanced level radiographer" is a radiographer who has obtained specified certification from either the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists or the Certification Board for Radiology Practitioner Assistants.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2016
Expand Excellence in Mental Health Act of 2016 This bill amends the Promoting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 to increase, from 8 to 24, the number of states that may be selected to participate in Medicaid demonstration programs to improve community mental health services.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2016
Combating BDS Act of 2016 This bill authorizes a state or local government to adopt and enforce measures to divest its assets from, or prohibit investment of its assets in: (1) an entity that such government determines, using credible information available to the public, engages in a commerce or investment-related boycott, divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel; or (2) an entity that owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership or control with, such an entity. Such government shall provide written notice to such an entity before applying such a measure. Such a measure by a state or local government is not preempted by any federal law or regulation. The bill applies to measures adopted by a state or local government before, on, or after the date of this Act's enactment. The bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to prohibit any person from bringing any civil, criminal, or administrative action against any registered investment company, or any officer or employee thereof, based solely upon such company divesting from, or avoiding investing in, securities issued by persons that such company determines, using credible information available to the public, engage in commerce or investment-related boycotts, divestments, or sanctions activities targeting Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2016
Commends the cooperative owners and the employees of the Farm Credit System for their continuing service in meeting the credit and financial-services needs of rural communities and agriculture.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2015
IRGC Sanctions Act This bill amends the Arms Export Control Act, the Export Administration Act of 1979, and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require congressional approval of any rescission of a determination that a country is a state sponsor of terrorism. The Trade Act of 1974 is amended to prohibit a U.S. person from knowingly engaging in any financial transaction with or transfer of funds to: Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or any IRGC subdivision; any person that is an agent, alias, front, instrumentality, or affiliate of any such entity; any person owned or controlled by such an entity or such a person; any natural person who is a representative, official, or senior member of any such entity; or any person for the purpose of avoiding a financial transaction with, or transfer of funds to, such an individual or entity, or for the benefit of such an individual or entity. The President shall exercise specified authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to carry out this Act, except that the President shall: not issue any general license authorizing, or otherwise authorize, any prohibited activity; or require any U.S. person seeking to engage in a prohibited financial transaction or transfer of funds to submit a written request to the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Congressional approval shall be required to remove any person added to the Office's list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons pursuant to this Act. A person that violates prohibited activities shall be subject to specified penalties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The President shall establish and update a watch list of persons that: meet certain criteria under this Act and are not included on the Office's list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons, and are Iranian persons that meet specified criteria under this Act and have been removed from the Office's list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons in accordance with the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The President may remove a person on the watch list under specified conditions. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is amended to require securities issuers to report to the Securities Exchange Commission any transaction prohibited by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2015
Protecting Access through Competitive-pricing Transition Act of 2015 or the PACT Act of 2015 This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to modify provisions relating to payment for durable medical equipment (DME) under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. (DME includes certain medically necessary equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, and hospital beds.) With respect to DME furnished in areas that are not competitive acquisition areas, current regulations require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) to phase in, over a two-year period, Medicare payment adjustments using information from competitive acquisition programs. (Through such programs, payment amounts for each area are determined based on competitive bids submitted by suppliers, rather than according to an established fee schedule.) The bill codifies this requirement and specifies that CMS shall adjust fee schedule amounts to the lesser of: (1) a specified percentage of the regional amount; and (2) the amount that would otherwise be determined according to the fee schedule, with specified adjustments. In determining Medicare payment adjustments for areas that are not competitive acquisition areas, CMS shall solicit stakeholder input and take into account several specified factors. CMS may not accept a bid under the competitive acquisition program unless the bidder: (1) meets applicable state licensure requirements; and (2) has submitted a cash deposit as a bond, as specified by the bill. CMS must establish a six-year market pricing demonstration project, under which auctions are conducted in eligible areas for the furnishing of market-priced DME items and services. The bill establishes project requirements related to auction design, contract terms, transparency, and monitoring.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2015
Medicare Established Provider Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a system for designating providers that represent a low risk of submitting fraudulent Medicare claims as "established providers" for purposes of applying for special treatment in the claim review process. To qualify as an established provider, a provider must demonstrate that, within a specified timeframe: (1) at least 90% of Medicare claims submitted by the provider were determined to be eligible for full or partial payment, and (2) the provider appealed at least 90% of all Medicare claims that were not initially determined to be eligible for payment. HHS may withhold payment for a Medicare claim made by an established provider only if a final determination has been made that the claim is ineligible for payment. If such a final determination is made, the provider shall repay such payment electronically and within a specified timeframe.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2015
American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 or the American SAFE Act of 2015 This bill requires that, in addition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) screening, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall take all actions necessary to ensure that each covered alien receives a background investigation before U.S. refugee admission. A "covered alien" is any alien applying for U.S. refugee admission who: is a national or resident of Iraq or Syria, has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Iraq or Syria, or has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011. A covered alien: may not be admitted as a refugee until the FBI certifies to DHS and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) that he or she has received a background investigation sufficient to determine whether the alien is a U.S. security threat; and may only be admitted to the United States after DHS, with the unanimous concurrence of the FBI and the DNI, certifies to Congress that he or she is not such a threat. The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct annual risk-based reviews of all certifications. DHS shall report monthly to Congress on the total number of admission applications for which a certification was made and the number of covered aliens for whom such a certification was not made for the preceding month. The report shall include for each covered alien for whom a certification was not made the concurrence or nonconcurrence of each person whose concurrence was required by the certification.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2015
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the period in which a corporation may carryover excess contributions for purposes of the tax deduction for charitable contributions from 5 to 20 succeeding taxable years.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2015
Directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a correction in the enrollment of S. 1356 to change the title to read "An Act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes."
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2015
Stopping EPA Overreach Act of 2015 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to exclude carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride pollution from the scope of that Act. The bill declares that current law does not authorize or require the regulation of climate change or global warming and nullifies certain proposed rules relating to greenhouse gas and carbon pollution emissions. Before proposing or finalizing regulations or policies, the Environmental Protection Agency must analyze the net and gross impact of those regulations and policies on employment. Regulations and policies may not take effect if they have a negative impact on employment, unless they are approved by Congress and signed by the President.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2015
State and Local Cyber Protection Act of 2015 This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) national cybersecurity and communications integration center (NCCIC) to assist state and local governments with cybersecurity by: upon request, identifying system vulnerabilities and information security protections to address unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction of information collected or maintained by, or information systems used or operated by, state or local governments or other organizations or contractors on their behalf; providing via a web portal updated resources and guidelines related to information security; coordinating through national associations to implement information security tools and policies to ensure the resiliency of state and local information systems; providing training on cybersecurity, privacy, and civil liberties; providing requested technical assistance to deploy technology that continuously diagnoses and mitigates cyber threats and to conduct threat and vulnerability assessments; coordinating vulnerability disclosures under standards developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and ensuring that state and local governments are aware of DHS resources and other federal tools to ensure the security and resiliency of federal civilian information systems. The NCCIC's privacy and civil liberties training must include: (1) reasonable limits on the receipt, retention, use, and disclosure of information associated with specific persons that is not necessary for cybersecurity purposes; (2) data integrity standards requiring the prompt removal and destruction of obsolete or erroneous names and personal information that is unrelated to the risk or incident information; and (3) safeguards and confidentiality protections for cyber threat indicators and defensive measures, including information that is proprietary or business-sensitive that may be used to identify specific persons from unauthorized access or acquisition.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2015
Crop Insurance Restoration Act This bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to repeal changes regarding the Standard Reinsurance Agreement that were enacted as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. The bill eliminates provisions that: (1) require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to renegotiate the Standard Reinsurance Agreement no later than December 31, 2016, and at least once every five years thereafter, and (2) establish an 8.9% cap on the overall rate of return for insurance providers under the agreement. (The Standard Reinsurance Agreement is an agreement between USDA and the private companies that administer the federal crop insurance program. It specifies details such as administrative and operating expense reimbursements and risk sharing between USDA and the companies in the operation of the program.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2015
Student Loan Opportunity Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to tax-exempt private activity bond financing, to: (1) eliminate the restriction on nonprofit corporations that acquire student loan notes to notes incurred under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (thus allowing such corporations to access tax-exempt financing for other types of student loans), and (2) expand the operations of such corporations to include performing student assistance related activities.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015
Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to correct the enrollment of H.R. 1735 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016) to change references to section numbers in section 1301 (Specification of Cooperative Threat Reduction Funds) of the bill. Changes references in section 1301(b) to a funding table and authorizations of appropriations that specify funding for the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Program that is available for obligation for FY2016-FY2018
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2015
Refugee Resettlement Oversight and Security Act of 2015 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require the President, after appropriate consultation with certain congressional committees, to recommend to Congress the number of refugees who may be admitted into the United States in a fiscal year. Except in the case of an unforeseen emergency refugee situation, no refugees may be admitted in a fiscal year until Congress enacts a joint resolution setting the number of refugees who may be admitted in that fiscal year. In determining an alien's admissibility on security and related grounds the Department of Homeland Security shall consult with the Director of National Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Beginning in FY2016 and ending in FY2020, the President, when considering the admission of refugees who are nationals or citizens of Iraq or Syria, shall give priority to members of a persecuted religious minority. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the effectiveness of the refugee screening process in protecting U.S. security.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2015
Synthetic Drug Control Act of 2015 This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to modify the definition of "controlled substance analogue" to mean a substance that has a similar (previously, substantially similar) chemical structure and pharmacological effect to a schedule I controlled substance. The CSA's requirements, prohibitions, and restrictions with respect to schedule I controlled substances apply to the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale (but not possession) of a controlled substance analogue. The bill amends the Controlled Substances Analogue Enforcement Act of 1986 to add certain synthetic substances to schedule I of the CSA.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2015
Social Security Beneficiary 2nd Amendment Rights Protection Act This bill amends titles II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act to prohibit any determination by the Commissioner of Social Security with respect to an individual, including one that OASDI and SSI benefits to which that individual is entitled shall be paid to a representative payee, from being considered to be a determination that the individual has been adjudicated as a mental defective to make it unlawful for the individual to engage in the shipment or transport of firearms or ammunition or receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2015
Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2015 This bill requires the Secretary of the Treasury to provide a report to Congress prior to any date on which the Secretary anticipates the public debt will reach the statutory limit. The Secretary must appear before the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee to submit a report including: the historic, current, and projected levels of the debt; the drivers and composition of future debt; and how the U.S. will meet debt obligations if the debt limit is raised. The Secretary must also provide a detailed explanation of: proposals of the President to reduce the debt and a progress report on implementing them; the impact an increased debt limit will have on future government spending, debt service, and the position of the U.S. dollar as the international reserve currency; and projections of the fiscal health and sustainability of major entitlement programs (including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid). The Department of the Treasury must make the information required by this bill available to the public on the Treasury website.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2015
Employee Rights Act Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to make it an unlawful labor practice for a labor organization or its agents to interfere with the rights of employees to organize and select representation to collectively bargain. Adds a requirement that representatives be selected by secret ballot in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by a majority of the employees in a unit. Defines "majority" for purposes of determining the majority of employees in an election to mean the majority of all employees in the unit, and not the majority of employees voting in the election. Requires the NLRB, in cases where an existing certified or voluntarily recognized bargaining unit experiences turnover, expansion, or alteration by merger of more than 50% of the unit's employees, to conduct a secret paper ballot among the unit employees: (1) between the 120th day and 110th day before the collective bargaining agreement's expiration or before the end of three years, if there is an agreement between the labor organization and the employer; or (2) within 30 days, if there is no agreement between such parties. Requires the NLRB to decide, before the election of a labor organization as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of all employees of an appropriate unit, whether such unit shall be the employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or subdivision unit. Requires the NLRB to give 14 days advance notice before a hearing when it is investigating an election petition if it has reasonable cause to believe that a question of representation affecting commerce exists. Revises the requirement that the NLRB direct an election by secret ballot, and certify its results, whenever it finds upon the record of such a hearing that a question of representation exists. Adds a requirement that the NLRB also review all post-hearing appeals before finding that such a question exists. Requires an employer to provide the NLRB a list consisting only of employee names and home addresses of all eligible voters within 7 days after an NLRB determination of the appropriate unit or following any agreement between the employer and the labor organization regarding eligible voters. Prohibits an election after the filing of a petition unless and until: (1) a hearing is conducted before a qualified hearing officer on any and all material, factual issues regarding jurisdiction, statutory coverage, appropriate unit, unit inclusion or exclusion, or eligibility of individuals; and (2) the issues are resolved by a regional Director, subject to appeal and review, or by the NLRB. Declares that election results shall not be final nor any labor organization be certified as a bargaining representative unless the NLRB has ruled on: (1) each pre-election issue not resolved before the election; and (2) the NLRB conducts a hearing and resolves each issue pertaining to the conduct or results of the election. Makes any labor organization found to have interfered with, restrained, or coerced employees in the exercise of their rights to form or join a labor organization or to refrain from forming or joining (including the filing of a decertification petition) liable for lost wages and unlawfully collected union dues and fees, if any, and an additional amount as liquated damages. Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act) to permit an election by secret ballot to be conducted through votes cast by electronic ballot cast in the privacy of a voting booth. Requires every employee in a bargaining unit represented by a labor organization, regardless of membership status, to have the same right as members to vote by secret ballot to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with, or to engage in, a strike or refusal to work of any kind against their employer. Prohibits the use of an employee's union dues for any purpose not directly related to the labor organization's collective bargaining, unless that employee authorizes such expenditure in writing. Prohibits a strike without the consent of a majority of all unit employees affected, determined by a secret ballot vote conducted by a neutral, private organization chosen by agreement between the employer and the labor organization. Requires each labor organization to make the independently verified annual audit report of its financial condition and operations available to all of its members and represented nonmembers. Makes it unlawful for a person to use force or violence, or threaten the use of force or violence, to restrain, coerce, or intimidate a person, or attempt to, in order to obtain from any person any right to represent employees, compensation, or other term or condition of employment. Subjects persons who willfully violate such prohibitions to both civil and criminal penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2015
Save Rural Hospitals Act This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to increase payments to, and modify various requirements regarding, rural health care providers under the Medicare program. Among other provisions, the bill: (1) reverses cuts to reimbursement of bad debt for critical access hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals, as well as alters certain requirements with regard to CAHs; (2) extends payment levels for low-volume hospitals and Medicare-dependent hospitals (MDHs); (3) reinstates revised diagnosis-related group payments to MDHs and sole community hospitals (SCHs), as well as reinstates hold harmless treatment for hospital outpatient services for SCHs; (4) delays the application of penalties for a rural hospital's failure to become a meaningful electronic health record user; (5) makes permanent increased Medicare payments for ground ambulance services in rural areas; (6) alters certain supervision requirements for therapeutic hospital outpatient services; (7) modifies requirements related to the use and payment of recovery audit contractors; and (8) establishes a program under which rural hospitals meeting specified requirements may be eligible for enhanced payment for qualified outpatient services. In addition, the bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to eliminate Medicare sequestration for rural hospitals. The bill also amends title XIX (Medicaid) of SSAct to extend Medicaid primary care payments. With respect to both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the bill eliminates disproportionate share hospital payment reductions for rural hospitals. The bill also amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize several competitive grant programs to assist eligible rural hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Expresses disapproval of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed to by the P5+1 and Iran on July 14, 2015. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to: (1) prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, and (2) encourage global stability and security by strongly supporting strategic regional allies.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2015
National 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center Act This bill designates the National September 11 Memorial located at the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, as a national memorial. The Department of the Interior may award a grant of not more than $25 million each fiscal year to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center Foundation, Inc., for the operation and maintenance of the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk Act of 2015 or the TAILOR Act of 2015 This bill directs the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (federal financial institutions regulatory agencies) to: take into consideration the risk profile and business models of institutions subject to regulatory action; determine the necessity, appropriateness, and impact of applying that action to such institutions; and tailor regulatory action so as to limit the burden of regulatory compliance as befits the risk profile and business model involved. The federal financial institutions regulatory agencies shall also consider: the impact that such regulatory action has upon the ability of the institution to flexibly serve evolving and diverse customer needs, the potential unintended impact of examination manuals or other regulatory directives that work in conflict with the tailoring of such regulatory action, and the underlying policy objectives of the regulatory action and statutory scheme involved. In addition, a federal financial institutions regulatory agency must disclose in every notice of a proposed and final rulemaking for a regulatory action how it has applied this Act. The Financial Institutions Examination Council shall report to Congress on the extent to which regulatory actions tailored pursuant to this Act result in differential regulation of similarly-situated institutions of diverse charter types with respect to comparable regulations. The agencies must also apply the requirements of this Act to all regulations adopted five years before the introduction of this Act and ending on the date of its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: allow taxpayers who are liable for not more than $50,000 per year in excise taxes on distilled spirits, wine, or beer to file and pay such taxes quarterly without the requirement of posting a bond covering the operations and withdrawals of such distilled spirits, wines, or beer; allow such taxpayers who reasonably expect to have a tax liability of not more than $1,000 per year and who were liable for not more than $1,000 in taxes in the preceding calendar year to file and pay such taxes annually rather than quarterly; exclude the aging period from the production period for beer, wine, or distilled spirits for purposes of determining whether a taxpayer can expense, rather than capitalize, interest costs paid or incurred during the production period; reduce excise tax rates on beer, wine, and distilled spirits produced in the United States; permit the transfer of beer between bonded facilities without payment of tax; modify the definition of "hard cider" for excise tax purposes; and exempt home distillery establishments that produce distilled spirits solely for personal or family use from excise tax and bonding requirements. Directs the Department of the Treasury to amend applicable Treasury regulations with respect to the use of wholesome products suitable for human consumption in the production of fermented beverages. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to establish funding levels in FY2016-FY2021 for the enforcement and compliance activities of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Cuban Military Transparency Act This bill prohibits a U.S. person from engaging in any financial transaction with or transfer of funds to: the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba or the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba (or any of their subdivisions); a senior member of such Ministries; any agency, instrumentality, or other entity that is more than 25% owned, or that is operated or controlled by, such a Ministry; or any individual or entity for the purpose of avoiding a prohibited financial transaction or transfer of funds that is for the benefit of that individual or entity. Such prohibitions shall not apply to: the sale to Cuba of agricultural commodities, medicines, and medical devices; a remittance to an immediate family member; assistance in furtherance of democracy-building efforts for Cuba; payments in furtherance of the lease agreement or other financial transactions necessary for maintenance and improvements of the military base at Guantanamo Bay; or customary and routine financial transactions necessary for the maintenance or regular duties of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, including outreach to the pro-democracy opposition. A person that violates or attempts to violate such prohibitions shall be subject to specified penalties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The Department of State rewards program under the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 shall include rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual responsible for or aiding in the February 1996 attack on the aircraft of U.S. persons in international waters by the Cuban military. The Attorney General shall seek to coordinate with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to pursue the location and arrest of U.S. fugitives in Cuba, including current and former members of the Cuban military.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2015
Local and Municipal Health Care Choice Act of 2015 Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize a local government in a secondary state to provide group health coverage to its officers, employees, or retirees (and their dependents) through a local government employee health benefits pool or program authorized under the laws of a primary state. Defines: (1) "primary state" to mean the state designated by a local government employee health benefits pool or program as the state whose covered laws shall govern the pool or program in the issuance of group health coverage, and (2) "secondary state" to mean any state that is not the primary state. Makes a local government employee health benefits pool or program eligible to offer group health coverage to officials, employees, and retirees (and their dependents) of a local government located in a secondary state through an interlocal agreement with such local government, or as approved by an applicable state authority in such secondary state, unless objections are made within a specified time frame by the municipal league or association or county association located in the secondary state. Requires the covered laws of the primary state to apply to group health coverage offered by a local government employee health benefits pool or program in the primary state and in any secondary state, but only if the coverage and the pool or program comply with conditions set forth in this Act with respect to the offering of coverage in any secondary state. Defines "covered laws" as the laws, rules, regulations, agreements, and orders pertaining to: group health coverage issued by a local government employee health benefits pool or program; the offer, sale, rating, renewal, and issuance of group health coverage to local government officials, employees, and retirees or their dependents; the management, operations, and investment activities of such a pool or program; loss control and claims administration for such a pool or program with respect to liability for which the pool or program provides coverage; or the payment of applicable premium and other taxes that are levied on health insurance issuers, brokers, or policyholders under the laws of the state. Excludes from such term any law, rule, regulation, agreement, or order governing the use of care or cost management techniques. Exempts a local government pool or program that offers group health coverage in a secondary state to the officers, employees, or retirees of a local government located in such secondary state from any covered laws of the secondary state. Permits a secondary state to require such a pool or program to register with an applicable authority in such state and to comply with any state law regarding fraud and abuse or unfair claims settlement practices.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2015
First Amendment Defense Act Prohibits the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. Defines "discriminatory action" as any federal government action to discriminate against a person with such beliefs or convictions, including a federal government action to: alter the federal tax treatment of, cause any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or deny, delay, or revoke certain tax exemptions of any such person; disallow a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person; withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any federal grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status from or to such person; or withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any benefit under a federal benefit program. Requires the federal government to consider to be accredited, licensed, or certified for purposes of federal law any person who would be accredited, licensed, or certified for such purposes but for a determination that the person believes or acts in accordance with such a religious belief or moral conviction. Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government. Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action to enforce this Act against the Government Accountability Office or an establishment in the executive branch, other than the U.S. Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, that is not an executive department, military department, or government corporation. Defines "person" as any person regardless of religious affiliation, including corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2015
Capital Access for Small Business Banks Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a bank or a depository institution holding company which is an S corporation to: (1) have 500 shareholders (the current limit is 100 shareholders), and (2) issue qualified preferred bank stock. The bill makes a distribution of qualified preferred bank stock to a shareholder includible in the gross income of the shareholder and allows the bank or holding company to deduct the amount of such distribution.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2015
Federal Regulatory Certainty for Water Act This bill nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Rule signed on May 27, 2015, which describes the scope of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act). Under this bill, the Clean Water Act applies to waters of the United States that are: (1) navigable-in-fact; or (2) permanent or continuously flowing bodies of water that form geographical features commonly known as streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes that are connected to waters that are navigable-in-fact. Under this bill, the Act does not apply to: (1) waters that do not physically abut those waters of the United States through an actual and continuous surface water connection; (2) man-made or natural structures or channels through which water flows intermittently or ephemerally; or (3) wetlands (including playa lakes, prairie potholes, wet meadows, wet prairies, and vernal pools) that lack that continuous surface water connection. The aggregation of wetlands or waters may not be used to determine whether the wetlands or waters are navigable waters.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2015
American Health Care Reform Act of 2015 This bill repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective January 1, 2016. Provisions amended by repealed provisions are restored. This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an income tax standard deduction for health insurance. Provisions regarding health savings accounts (HSAs) are revised, including to raise contribution limits and to expand the products and services that may be paid for using an HSA. Group health plans may vary premiums and cost-sharing based on participation in a wellness program. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide grants to states for high risk health insurance pools. Individual health insurance coverage is governed by the laws of the state designated by the health insurance issuer. This bill amends title XI (General Provisions) of the Social Security Act to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to publish Medicare claims and payment data. This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for association health plans, which are group health plans sponsored by certain business associations. Veterans with certain service-related disabilities or who have been awarded a medal of honor must be provided access to medical services though specified entities other than the Department of Veterans Affairs. HHS must publish clinical practice guidelines. Independent medical review panels must review health care lawsuits in which the defendant alleges adherence to clinical practice guidelines. Federal courts have jurisdiction over health care lawsuits. This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to revise non-security discretionary spending limits.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2015
The segment of Interstate Route 10 between milepost 535 and milepost 545 at Kendall County, Texas, shall now be the "PFC Milton A. Lee Medal of Honor Memorial Highway."
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2015
Promoting Access, Competition, and Equity Act of 2015 or the PACE Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to ease application criteria and procedures for physician-owned hospitals to expand their facilities. Under current law, expansion of physician-owned hospitals is subject to certain limitations, such as those regarding the extent and frequency of expansion and requiring community output. The bill suspends these limitations with respect to applications for expansion filed before October 1, 2019. Following the end of this suspension period, hospitals with consistently high quality ratings are included among those hospitals that may apply to expand their facilities. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may not alter the methodology for computing a hospital's quality rating before October 1, 2019. With respect to hospitals under development as of March 23, 2010, the bill extends to May 1, 2015, the date by which a hospital may qualify for an exception to the ownership or investment prohibition on physician self-referrals. The bill also: (1) exempts physician-owned hospitals from specified documentation and coding adjustments, and (2) extends reductions in certain inflationary increases associated with Medicare payments for inpatient hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2015
This bill amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to repeal country of origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and chicken. Country of origin labeling requirements are administered by the Department of Agriculture and require a retailer to inform consumers of the country of origin of a covered commodity.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2015
Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 2015 Prohibits the wages or other remuneration earned by an employee who performs employment duties in more than one state from being subject to income tax in any state other than: (1) the state of the employee's residence, and (2) the state within which the employee is present and performing employment duties for more than 30 days during the calendar year. Exempts employers from withholding of tax and information reporting requirements for employees not subject to income tax under this Act. Allows an employer, for purposes of determining penalties related to employer withholding or reporting requirements, to rely on an employee's annual determination of the time such employee will spend working in a state in the absence of fraud or collusion by such employee. Exempts from the definition of "employee" for purposes of this Act professional athletes, professional entertainers, and public figures who are persons of prominence who perform services for wages or other remuneration on a per-event basis.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 Amends the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 to expand liability protections to volunteer nonprofit organizations for harm caused by an act or omission of a volunteer on behalf of the organization. Prohibits such liability protections from applying if the organization: (1) would be liable under laws governing the direct or vicarious liability of organizations, and (2) expressly authorized the specific conduct constituting the act or omission. Bars such an organization from liability for harm caused by the organization, or a volunteer acting on its behalf, if the act or omission was at the request of, or pursuant to an authorization by, a state, the United States, or another governmental subdivision, provided that: (1) the requesting or authorizing governmental entity would have been immune either from suit or from liability in damages if it had engaged in the acts or omissions itself or through employees or independent contractors; or (2) the governmental employee, agent, or contractor would have been immune either from suit or from liability in damages by virtue of immunity extended to individual governmental actors. Prohibits punitive damages from being awarded against a volunteer nonprofit organization for the actions of a volunteer within the scope of the volunteer's responsibilities to the organization unless the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the organization itself expressly authorized the volunteer's action with a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement Act of 2015 Makes permanent the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to transport individuals to and from VA facilities in connection with vocational rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, or care. Treats Vet Centers (centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans) as VA facilities for purposes of providing payment of actual expenses of travel or allowance for travel to or from a VA facility. Amends the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 to reauthorize through FY2020 a grant program to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2015
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should initiate preparatory work to begin negotiations to enter into a free trade agreement with Tunisia.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Red River Private Property Protection Act Declares that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of the Department of the Interior disclaims any right, title, and interest to certain lands along a stretch of the Red River between Texas and Oklahoma (the affected area) located south of the South Bank boundary line. Directs the BLM, in identifying the current South Bank boundary line along the affected area, to commission a new survey that: (1) adheres to the gradient boundary survey method, (2) spans the entire length of the affected area, (3) is conducted by Licensed State Land Surveyors chosen by the Texas General Land Office, and (4) is completed within two years of enactment of this Act. Requires submission of the survey to the Texas General Land Office for approval. Permits a private property owner who holds, right, title, or interest in the affected area, after the survey is completed and approved, to appeal public domain claims by the BLM to an Administrative Law Judge. Instructs the BLM to: ensure that no parcels of land in the affected area are treated as federal land for the purpose of any resource management plan until the survey has been completed and approved and the parcel is no longer subject to further appeal, and, subsequently, offer any remaining identified federal lands for disposal by competitive sale for at least fair market value. Requires the BLM to submit to Congress a list of identified federal lands that have not been sold and the reasons why.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans Act Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use its authority to employ certain personnel without regard to civil service or classification laws, rules, or regulations to employ physicians on a without compensation basis in any practice area or specialty for which: (1) the average waiting time for veterans seeking an appointment with a physician exceeds the VA's waiting time goals, or (2) the VA medical facility where the physician will be employed has demonstrated staffing shortages. Requires each VA medical facility to have a volunteer coordinator who: (1) seeks to establish relationships with medical associations serving the area, (2) recruits physicians for uncompensated employment at the facility, and (3) serves as the initial point of contact for physicians seeking uncompensated employment at the facility. Conditions an uncompensated physician's receipt of a credential or privilege to practice medicine in a VA facility on the physician's commitment to serve at least 40 hours in the facility during the ensuing one-year period. Requires the VA to decide whether to grant an uncompensated physician's request for a credential or privilege to practice medicine in the VA facility within 60 days. Requires the director of a VA medical facility to approve, and accept the uncompensated services of, any physician who has made the requisite service commitment and receives a credential or privilege to practice medicine in such facility. Requires the VA to submit annual reports on physicians employed on a without compensation basis. Prohibits any physician employed on such basis from being considered in determining whether there is a staffing shortage throughout the VA with respect to a particular occupation.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
FDA Deeming Authority Clarification Act of 2015 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise premarket review and reporting requirements for products deemed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be tobacco products. A product is not subject to premarket review by the FDA if it is introduced to market before that type of product is deemed a tobacco product. A person introducing a tobacco product that is substantially similar to a marketed product less than 21 months after that type of product is deemed a tobacco product must submit a report to the FDA on the similar product not later than 21 months after that type of product is deemed a tobacco product. (A report is required at least 90 days prior to introduction of a tobacco product that is substantially similar to a marketed product if that type of product has been deemed a tobacco product for 21 months or more.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Employee Bonus Protection Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exclude from the regular rate at which an employee is employed (and at which overtime compensation is calculated) any sums paid in recognition of services performed during a given period if the payments are made to reward an employee or group of employees for meeting or exceeding the productivity, quality, efficiency, or sales goals specified in writing in a gainsharing plan, incentive bonus plan, commission plan, or performance contingent bonus plan and made available to the employees. The amount of the payments made under the plan (and excluded from calculation of overtime compensation) must be: based upon a formula stated in the plan, and established and maintained in good faith for the purpose of distributing to employees additional remuneration over and above the wages and salaries that are not dependent upon the existence of the plan or payments made pursuant to it.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
VA Accountability Act of 2015 This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to remove or demote a VA employee based on performance or misconduct. The VA may also remove such individual from the civil service or demote the individual through a reduction in grade or annual pay rate. An employee shall have the right to an appeal before the Merit Systems Protection Board within seven days of removal or demotion. An administrative judge shall have to make a final decision within 45 days of such appeal or the original decision becomes final. The VA may not remove or demote an employee without the approval of the Special Counsel if the individual seeks corrective action from the Office of Special Counsel based on an alleged prohibited personnel practice. The appointment of an individual to a permanent position within the competitive service or as a career appointee within the Senior Executive Service shall become final after an 18-month probationary period, which the Secretary may extend. Final appointment to a permanent hire shall be made by the employee's supervisor. The Government Accountability Office shall study the amount of time spent by VA employees carrying out labor organizing activities and the amount of Department space used for such activities.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use the Secretary's existing authority to furnish health care to veterans at non-VA facilities to provide health care at non-VA facilities to veterans who reside more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA medical facility providing the care they seek.
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2015
Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow businesses with average annual gross receipts of not more than $50 million that prevail in an administrative or court proceeding involving the determination, collection, or refund of tax, interest, or penalty to recover their costs incurred in such proceedings; (2) increase the amount of civil damages against Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officers or employees for reckless, intentional, or negligent disregard of internal revenue laws and extend from two to five years the period for bringing a claim for damages; (3) increase the penalties against federal officers or employees for unlawful acts in connection with internal revenue laws and for unauthorized disclosures or inspections of tax returns; and (4) allow a taxpayer whose interest abatement claim does not exceed $50,000 to elect to bring a small tax case petition in U.S. Tax Court. Prohibits ex parte communications between officers in the IRS Office of Appeals and other IRS employees with respect to matters pending before such officers and employees. Authorizes new alternative dispute resolution procedures for taxpayer disputes with the IRS. Extends to three years: (1) the period in which taxpayer property that has been wrongfully levied upon may be returned, and (2) the period for bringing suit against the United States for a wrongful tax levy. Authorizes the waiver of the fee for establishing an installment agreement for payment of tax for certain low-income taxpayers who agree to make electronic debit payments. Allows a taxpayer seeking review of a claim for innocent spouse relief or of a collection case in U.S. Tax Court a 60-day suspension of the period for filing a petition for such review when the U.S. Bankruptcy Court has issued an automatic stay in a bankruptcy case involving the taxpayer's claim. Allows de novo review in U.S. Tax Court of any determination by the IRS with respect to a claim for equitable innocent spouse relief. Prohibits the IRS Office of Appeals from considering or deciding any new issue in an internal appeal that is not within the scope of the initial determination made in a taxpayer's case. Prohibits the imposition of a tax lien against a taxpayer's principal residence unless a written determination is made that all other property of the taxpayer, if sold, is insufficient to pay the tax liability and the lien will not create an economic hardship for the taxpayer. Requires the termination of an IRS employee for disproportionate scrutiny of an organization applying for tax-exempt status based on the ideology expressed in the name or purpose of the organization. Authorizes a court to issue a declaratory judgment with respect to the initial or continuing classification of a tax-exempt social welfare organization. Requires the Inspector General for Tax Administration of the Department of the Treasury to: (1) review any IRS criteria for selection of tax returns for examination or audit, assessment or collection of deficiencies, criminal investigation or referral, refunds for amounts paid, or any heightened scrutiny or review to determine whether such criteria discriminates against taxpayers on the basis of race, religion, or political ideology; and (2) consult with the IRS on recommended amendments to such criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 This bill authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation. The bill authorizes appropriations to DOD for: (1) Procurement, including aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, space procurement, and other procurement; (2) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation; (3) Operation and Maintenance; (4) Working Capital Funds; (5) the Joint Urgent Operational Needs Fund; (6) Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction; (7) Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities; (8) the Defense Inspector General; (9) the Defense Health Program; (10) the Armed Forces Retirement Home; (11) Overseas Contingency Operations and; (12) Military Construction. The bill also authorizes the FY2016 personnel strength for active duty and reserve forces and sets forth policies regarding military personnel, compensation and other personnel benefits, acquisition policy and management, DOD organization and management, financial matters, naval vessels and shipyards, civilian personnel matters, and matters relating to foreign nations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2015
Government Neutrality in Contracting Act This bill directs the head of any federal agency that awards or obligates funds for any construction contract, or that awards grants, provides financial assistance, or enters into cooperative agreements for construction projects, to ensure that bid specifications, project agreements, or other controlling documents do not: (1) require or prohibit a bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor from entering into, or adhering to, agreements with a labor organization, with respect to that construction project or another related construction project; or (2) otherwise discriminate against or give preference to such a party because it did or did not become a signatory or otherwise adhere to such an agreement. The bill also allows exemptions to this rule to avert an imminent threat to public health or safety or to serve national security, as well as additional exemptions for certain projects meeting specified criteria. The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council shall amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement this Act with respect to the applicable federal contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2015
Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax-exempt charitable or educational organizations to make collegiate housing and infrastructure improvement grants to certain tax-exempt social clubs (e.g., college fraternities and sororities) which apply such grants to their collegiate housing property.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2015
Alternative Fuel Tax Parity Act This bill equalizes the excise tax on liquefied petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas by establishing a rate of 18.3 cents per energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline for liquefied petroleum gas and 24.3 cents per energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel for liquefied natural gas. The bill also expands the alternative fuel excise tax credit to include liquefied natural gas used in a motor vehicle or motorboat or sold for use as a fuel in aviation.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2015
Agile Acquisition to Retain Technological Edge Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that all stakeholders in the acquisition system of the Department of Defense (DOD), including Congress and industry, should be: (1) successful, (2) proactive, (3) agile, (4) transparent, and (5) innovative. Authority is permanently extended for: (1) funding the DOD Acquisition Workforce Development Fund, and (2) expedited hiring for acquisition workforce positions. A dual-track career path is established that permits officers and enlisted personnel to gain experience in a primary career in combat arms and a secondary career in the acquisition field. DOD is required to: provide mandatory training for members of the armed forces and DOD employees responsible for specified procurement-related market research, and contract for an independent comprehensive study of strategic planning related to the defense acquisition workforce. Each major defense acquisition program and each major system approved by a Milestone Decision Authority shall have an acquisition strategy, including a risk management and mitigation strategy, for which the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics shall be responsible. The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 is amended to repeal the provision regarding prototyping requirements for major defense acquisition programs. The Under Secretary shall: (1) complete an examination of the decision authority related to acquisition of services, and (2) develop guidance to improve capabilities and processes related to oversight and management of services contracts. Defense business system requirements are revised. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 is amended to eliminate the pilot program designation of the mentor-protege program. The Small Business Act is amended to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to implement the plan to improve the quality of data reported on bundled or consolidated contracts in the federal procurement data system by the first day of FY2017. The Secretary of Defense shall direct the Defense Business Board to review DOD regulations and practices related to government access to and use of intellectual property rights of private sector firms. The Secretary of each military department shall expend specified amounts of the respective military department's extramural budget for small business innovative research (SBIR) for FY2018 and each subsequent fiscal year. The authorization of appropriations under the Ike Skeleton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 is extended through FY2020 for the defense research and development rapid innovation program. The Director of Operational Test Evaluation shall consider the potential for increases in program cost estimates or delays in schedule estimates in the implementation of policies, procedures, and activities related to operational test and evaluation, and shall ensure that operational test and evaluation activities do not unnecessarily increase program costs or impede program schedules. The Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps shall review their current individual defense acquisitions authorities with respect to development of DOD requirements, acquisition processes, and associated budget practices. The SBA Administrator is added to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council. The Secretary of Defense shall: contract for an independent study of factors leading to the filing of bid protests, and designate an individual within DOD to make commercial item determinations for DOD procurement purposes. A contracting officer may consider evidence provided by an offeror of recent purchase prices paid by the government for identical or similar commercial items in establishing price reasonableness on a subsequent purchase if the contracting officer is satisfied that the prices previously paid remain a valid reference. Thresholds are raised for: (1) simplified acquisition, (2) micro purchases, (3) special emergency procurement both inside and outside the United States, and (4) the small business reservation. The rounding method is revised for making inflation adjustments to acquisition-related dollar thresholds. The requirement for stand-alone manpower estimates for major defense acquisition programs is repealed.
![Official portrait of Rep. Thornberry, Mac [R-TX-13]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/t000238_200.jpg)