United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Fairness for Korean DMZ Veterans Act of 2017 This bill provides a presumption of herbicide exposure as the service-connected cause of certain diseases notwithstanding that there is no evidentiary record of any such disease during a veteran's service period. The bill defines a "veteran" for purposes of this bill as an individual who, during active military, naval, or air service, served in or near the Korean demilitarized zone during the period beginning on September 1, 1967, and ending on August 31, 1971. The bill specifies such a disease as: (1) a listed disease that becomes manifest, or (2) any additional disease that the Department of Veterans Affairs determines warrants a presumption of service-connection by reason of a positive association with herbicide exposure and that manifests itself within a prescribed period.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assist a veteran with a service-connected disability who is in the vocational rehabilitation and employment program to acquire necessary residential adaptations. Such assistance may not be provided if it would result in a duplication of benefits. The aggregate amount of assistance available to a veteran may not exceed $77,307. The VA may waive this limitation if necessary for a veteran's rehabilitation program. The VA shall: (1) increase assistance limits annually, and (2) submit a biennial report on the use of such waiver authority. The VA is not required to provide mortgage life insurance to an individual under the age of 70 with a service-connected disability who receives adaptive residential assistance under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to permit a VA-approved appraiser to make a housing loan appraisal based solely on information gathered by a person with whom the appraiser has entered into an agreement for such services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2017
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month. (PCOS is caused by a hormone imbalance. Symptoms can include infertility, weight gain, excess hair growth, and acne.) Recognizes the need for further research, improved treatment and care options, and a cure for PCOS. Acknowledges the struggles affecting all women and girls afflicted with PCOS.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2017
Modernization of Medical Records Access for Veterans Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out in at least one Veterans Integrated Services Network a pilot program for at least a 12-month period during which veterans enrolled in the VA's patient enrollment system will use a portable medical records storage system to store and share with VA health care providers and community health care providers records of their individual medical histories. The VA shall seek to enter into a contract, using competitive procedures, with an appropriate entity to furnish such storage system. The bill specifies system requirements, including: (1) the capability to store at least four gigabytes of electronic health records on a physical device no larger than a credit card, and (2) the capability to be used by substantially all electronic health records systems certified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on or before January 1, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2017
Puerto Rico Air Cargo Industry Empowerment Act This bill modifies foreign civil aircraft regulation with respect to air cargo in Puerto Rico. Current law prohibits foreign civil aircraft from exchanging cargo in the United States unless the aircraft is specifically authorized to do so or the exchange occurs in Alaska. This bill applies air cargo regulation to Puerto Rico in the same way that it applies to Alaska. Thus, the bill allows foreign civil aircraft to stop in Puerto Rico and exchange cargo with other air carriers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2017
This bill requires the annual reports submitted by the Department of State to Congress concerning the U.S. plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly (WHA) held by the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, to include an account of the changes and improvements that the State Department has made to such plan following any annual meetings of the WHA at which Taiwan did not obtain such status.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2017
President John F. Kennedy Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of President John F. Kennedy. The bill requires all sales of such coins to include a surcharge of $10 per coin, which shall be paid by Treasury to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to support the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2017
Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 This bill revises education and related benefits provided to veterans, service members, dependents, and survivors. The bill amends the Post-9/11 veterans' educational assistance program to: remove certain time restrictions on program use; increase assistance for reservists, guardsmen, dependents, and surviving spouses and dependents; provide full eligibility for Post-9/11 Purple Heart recipients and certain reservists and guardsmen; provide an extra academic years' worth of benefits for STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) degree candidates; establish a five-year pilot program for high technology courses; restore eligibility for service members whose school closes in the middle of a semester; authorize funding to improve claims processing; permit assistance to be used at certain institutions that are not institutions of higher education; and pro-rate the housing stipend for reservists called to active duty. The bill authorizes the Edith Nurse Rogers STEM Scholarship to help veterans complete STEM degrees. The Yellow Ribbon program is extended to Fry Scholarship recipients (surviving dependents of service members who died on active duty) and certain Purple Heart recipients. (The Yellow Ribbon program helps veterans pay for higher education tuition and fee costs not covered by the Post-9/11 program.) The bill: (1) extends the Advisory Committee on Education, (2) increases survivors' and dependents' educational assistance, and (3) extends funding for state educational program approving agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2017
Supplemental Security Income Equality Act This bill amends the Social Security Amendments of 1972 to extend the Supplemental Security Income program (which provides financial assistance to low-income people who are aged, blind, or disabled) to Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2017
Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to: state that the term "intimate partner" includes a dating partner and any other person subject to a protection order under state domestic or family violence law; and expand the term "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, by a current or former intimate partner. The bill makes it a crime to knowingly sell or dispose of a firearm to a person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking. It also makes it a crime for such convicted stalker to receive or possess a firearm.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Veterans Care Financial Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to work with federal agencies, states, and experts to develop and implement federal and state standards that protect individuals who are eligible for increased pension for a non-service-connected disability or death or for service on the basis of need for regular aid and attendance from dishonest, predatory, or otherwise unlawful practices. The Government Accountability Office must: (1) report standards that would be effective in protecting such individuals if the VA fails to submit such standards as required, and (2) complete a study on standards implemented under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2017
Recognizes National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Recognizes the rate at which individuals are affected by eating disorders and the inadequate rate at which such individuals seek treatment. Acknowledges that eating disorders can be successfully treated and that individuals with eating disorders can and do recover.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2017
Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) cover marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare, (2) exclude such services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system, and (3) authorize marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2017
Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act of 2017 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow borrowers to defer student loans while they are receiving cancer treatment and during the six months after treatment.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2017
National Museum of the American Latino Act This bill establishes the National Museum of the American Latino in the Smithsonian Institution. The purposes of the museum are to: (1) illuminate Latino contributions to the story of the United States; (2) provide for the collection, study, research, publication, and establishment of exhibitions and programs related to Latino life, art, history, and culture; and (3) provide for collaboration with Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers and other museums and educational institutions in the United States and abroad to promote the study and appreciation of Latino life, art, history, culture, and its impact on society in the United States. The bill establishes a Board of Trustees for the museum to advise and assist the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian on all matters related to the administration and preservation of the museum. The Director of the museum shall manage the museum and may carry out educational and liaison programs in support of its goals. The Board of Regents shall designate a site for the museum and is authorized to design and construct it.
United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2017
Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Improvements Act of 2017 This bill amends the Small Business Act to require: the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) annual report on the Small Business Information and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to be submitted by December 31, and each federal agency required to establish an SBIR program to submit its annual report on such program by March 30. The bill requires (current law authorizes) the Department of Defense (DOD), for any contract under the Commercial Readiness Program with a value of at least $100 million, to: establish goals for the transition of Phase III technologies in subcontracting plans, and require a prime contractor to report the number and dollar amount of contacts entered into for Phase III SBIR or STTR projects. The bill authorizes all agencies participating in the SBIR program, during FY2018-FY2022, to provide SBIR Phase II awards for a project to a small business concern without regard to whether such concern was provided a Phase I award for such project. The bill changes the temporary pilot program that a covered agency may establish for the allocation of SBIR and STTR program funds for awards for technology development, testing, evaluation, and commercialization assistance for SBIR and STTR phase II technologies, or to support the progress of research, research and development, and commercialization conducted under such programs to phase III, to a permanent Civilian Agency Commercialization Readiness Program. The bill extends until September 30, 2022, the deadline until which the SBA shall allow each agency required to conduct an SBIR program to use not more than 3% of program funds for administrative, oversight, and contract processing costs.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2017 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 Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl in recognition of his acts of valor during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Save Our Seas Act of 2017 or the SOS Act of 2017 This bill amends the Marine Debris Act to revise the Marine Debris Program to require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to work with: (1) other agencies to address both land- and sea-based sources of marine debris, and (2) the Department of State and other agencies to promote international action to reduce the incidence of marine debris. The bill also revises the program by allowing NOAA to make sums available for assisting in the cleanup and response required by severe marine debris events. NOAA must prioritize assistance for activities that respond to a severe marine debris event in: (1) a rural or remote community, or (2) a habitat of national concern. The bill urges the President to: (1) work with foreign countries that contribute the most to the global marine debris problem in order to find a solution to the problem; (2) study issues related to marine debris, including the economic impacts of marine debris; and (3) encourage the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to consider the impact of marine debris in relevant future trade agreements. The Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee must expand to include a senior official from the State Department or from the Department of the Interior. This bill reauthorizes for FY2018-FY2022: (1) the Marine Debris Program, (2) an information clearinghouse on marine debris, and (3) enforcement of laws about discarded marine debris from ships.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act of 2017 This bill amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a pay system for health care professionals employed by Indian Health Service (IHS) that is competitive with the salary of health care professionals employed by the Veterans Health Administration. HHS may establish incentives related to IHS employee recruitment and retention by providing relocation costs and rental assistance to employees under certain circumstances. In addition, IHS must: centralize its credentialing system for licensed health professionals seeking to provide health care services at its facilities, establish standards to measure the timeliness of health care services in its facilities, implement an annual mandatory program that provides cultural training for certain IHS employees and contractors, and establish a demonstration project to provide additional staffing resources to understaffed IHS facilities. Liability protections are given to certain health care professionals who volunteer at IHS facilities. The bill expands the IHS student loan repayment program to include loan repayments for degrees related to health administration. HHS may: (1) directly hire candidates to positions within IHS; and (2) remove, transfer, or demote certain IHS employees based on performance or misconduct. HHS must establish a tribal consultation policy for IHS. The bill establishes: (1) whistle blower protections for IHS employees, and (2) requirements concerning IHS fiscal accountability and transparency.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2017
Veteran Overmedication Prevention Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to review the deaths of all covered veterans who died by suicide during the last five years, regardless of whether information relating to such deaths has been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A "covered veteran" is any veteran who received VA hospital care or medical services during the five-year period preceding the veteran's death. The review shall include: the total numbers of veterans who died by suicide, violent death, or accidental death; the percentage of such veterans with combat experience or related trauma; each veteran's age, gender, race, and ethnicity; a list of medications and substances prescribed to such veterans; a summary of medical diagnoses that led to such prescriptions in cases of anxiety and depressive disorders; the number of instances in which such a veteran was concurrently on multiple prescribed medications; the number of such veterans who were not taking any prescribed medication; the percentage of such veterans treated for anxiety or depressive disorders who received a non-medication first-line treatment compared to the percentage who received medication only; descriptions of how the VA determines and updates clinical practice guidelines for prescribing medications and of VA efforts to maintain appropriate staffing levels for mental health professionals; an analysis of VA's use of systematically measuring pain scores during clinical encounters and how that relates to the number of veterans concurrently on multiple prescribed medications; identification of VA medical facilities with markedly high prescription rates and suicide rates for treated veterans; an analysis of VA programs that collaborate with state Medicaid agencies and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; an analysis of VA medical center collaboration with medical examiners' offices or local jurisdictions to determine veteran mortality and cause of death; identification of a best practice model to collect and share veteran death certificate data; a description of how data relating to death certificates of veterans is collected, determined, and reported by the VA; an assessment of any apparent patterns based on the review; and recommendations to improve the safety and well-being of veterans. The VA shall ensure that such data is compiled in a manner that allows it to be analyzed across all data fields for purposes of informing and updating VA clinical practice guidelines.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2017
Veterans Increased Choice for Transplanted Organs and Recovery Act of 2017 or the VICTOR Act of 2017 This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to include among veterans eligible to receive hospital care and medical services through agreements with the Department of Defense, the Indian Health Service, federally-qualified health centers, or health care providers that participate in the Medicare program a veteran who: (1) requires an organ transplant, (2) lives more than 100 miles from a Department of Veterans Affairs transplant center, and (3) is seeking such care and services related to a required organ transplant at a transplant center that is located within 100 miles of such veteran's residence and operated by such an entity.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2017
Small Business Payment for Performance Act of 2017 This bill amends the Small Business Act to allow a small business performing a construction contract awarded by a federal agency to submit a request for an equitable adjustment to the agency's contracting officer if such officer directs a change in the terms of the contract performance without the agreement of the small business. The agency must provide to the small business an interim partial payment of at least 50% of the estimated amount required to cover additional costs resulting from such change. Such small business shall pay to a first tier subcontractor or supplier the portion of such payment that is attributable to the increased costs of performance incurred by such subcontractor or supplier due to such change.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2017
Commemorates the service, dedication, and sacrifice of our armed service members and their families who served at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on its 75th anniversary. Recognizes the fighting force of the I Marine Expeditionary Force, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Logistics Group, Marine Corps Installation-West, 1st Marine Raider Battalion, Wounded Warriors Battalion-West, Marine Corps Air Station at Munn Field, Marine Aircraft Group 39, Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego's Weapons & Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps School of Infantry-West, Marine Corps and Army Reserve Forces, the Navy's Assault Craft Unit 5, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, and 1st Dental Battalion. Commends the members of the Armed Forces who deployed from Camp Pendleton to fight in World War II and the Korean, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2017
American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue commemorative coins in recognition and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the American Legion. Surcharges received from the sale of these coins shall be paid to the American Legion for costs related to promoting the importance of: (1) caring for those who have served, and those who are still serving, in the Armed Forces; and (2) maintaining patriotic values, strong families, and assistance for at-risk children.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2017
Puerto Rico Medicare Part B Equality Act of 2017 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to automatically enroll eligible residents of Puerto Rico in Medicare's medical insurance program. Under current law, automatic enrollment applies to eligible residents of the United States, excluding Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2017
Earned Income Tax Credit Equity for Puerto Rico Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make citizens of Puerto Rico eligible for the federal earned income tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2017
Puerto Rico Small Business Assistance Act of 2017 This bill amends the Small Business Act regarding small businesses that have their principal office in Puerto Rico, including to temporarily: increase the total amount of loans outstanding and committed to any microloan intermediary if at least 20% of the intermediary's loans are made to such businesses; waive the Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan Program's limit on an intermediary's spending on technical assistance for prospective borrowers if 25% of the intermediary's loans are made to these businesses; reduce or eliminate SBA fees on certain loans to such businesses; and give federal contract preference to such businesses, transfer specified technology or surplus property to them, and provide subcontracting incentives for their protege firms. The SBA shall establish: (1) a Veteran Business Outreach Center in Puerto Rico, and (2) a temporary Federal and State Technology (FAST) grant program to provide assistance to Puerto Rico businesses. The SBA district office in Puerto Rico must temporarily report annually to Congress and the SBA on its activities in Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2017
Puerto Rico Task Force Economic Empowerment Act of 2017 Puerto Rico Opportunity, Small Business Prosperity, and Economic Revitalization Act of 2017 This bill amends the Small Business Act to modify requirements for the microloan program for Puerto Rico small businesses and increase access to capital for such program. The Small Business Administration shall establish: (1) a Veteran Business Outreach Center in Puerto Rico, and (2) a temporary Federal and State Technology (FAST) grant program to provide assistance to Puerto Rico businesses. The bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to apply the oversight requirements of that Act to investment companies in U.S. territories. The bill includes Puerto Rico in the Department of Labor reemployment demonstration projects grant program. For FY2018, Labor may transfer funding to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for feasibility studies of the Puerto Rico economy. The bill amends Social Security Act provisions affecting hospitals in Puerto Rico and health care and prescription drug coverage in U.S. territories. The Office of National Drug Control Policy shall develop a publicly available Caribbean Border Counternarcotics Strategy, with emphasis on the borders of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2017
Deborah Sampson Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a three-year pilot program to assess the feasibility of peer-to-peer assistance for women veterans who are separating or newly separated from the Armed Forces), with emphasis placed on women who suffered service-related sexual trauma or who are at risk of becoming homeless. Additionally, the VA shall: expand the women veterans call center to include a text messaging capability; establish a partnership with at least one nongovernmental organization to provide legal services to women veterans based upon their 10 highest unmet needs; retrofit VA medical facilities with fixtures, materials, and other outfitting measures to support the care of women veterans; ensure that each VA medical facility has at least one full-time or part-time women's health primary care provider; expand to 14 days VA post-delivery care services for women veterans who are receiving maternity care in a VA or VA-contracted facility; ensure that the women veteran manager program is supported at each VA medical center with a program manager and an ombudsman; collect, analyze, and publish data on each VA service or benefit program and disaggregate such data by sex and minority status; and publish an Internet website that serves as a centralized information source for women veterans' benefits and services. The bill makes funds available for: (1) primary care and emergency care clinicians' participation in the women veterans health care mini-residency program, and (2) organizations that focus on providing assistance to women veterans and their families. The bill: (1) provides for reintegration and readjustment services to veterans and family members in group retreat settings, and (2) expresses the sense of Congress that the VA's motto should be more inclusive.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2017
This bill amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow a service member to terminate a commercial mobile, telephone exchange, Internet access, or multichannel video programming service contract at any time after the date the service member receives military orders to relocate for at least 90 days to a location that does not support such service contract. (Currently, such provision applies to a cellular telephone service or telephone exchange service contract.) A service member shall return any provider-owned consumer premises equipment to the service provider not later than 10 days after the service is disconnected.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2017
Protecting Girls' Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act or the Protecting Girls' Access to Education Act This bill urges the consideration of the educational needs of vulnerable women and girls in designing, implementing, and evaluating U.S. foreign assistance policies and programs. The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) may advance programs that: provide safe, primary and secondary education for displaced children; build the capacity of institutions in countries hosting displaced people to prevent displaced children from facing educational discrimination; and help increase the access of displaced children, especially girls, to educational, economic, and entrepreneurial opportunities. The State Department and USAID may: coordinate with multilateral organizations to work with foreign governments to collect relevant data, disaggregated by age and gender, on the ability of displaced people to access education and participate in economic activity; and work with domestic and foreign private sector and civil society organizations to promote safe, primary and secondary education for displaced children.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2017
Improving the Treatment of the U.S. Territories Under Federal Health Programs Act of 2017 This bill alters provisions under Medicaid, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage relating to U.S. territories, including payment calculations and enrollment periods.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2017
Calls on the government of Iran to: (1) release Siamak Namazi, Baquer Namazi, Karan Vafadari, Afarin Niasari, Nizar Zakka, and any other U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident alien, or foreign national being held in Iran; and (2) fulfill its promises to assist in locating and returning Robert Levinson. Encourages the President to: (1) take meaningful action to secure the release of such individuals if Iran does not do so, and (2) make the release of U.S. citizens and legal permanent resident aliens held hostage by the Iranian government the highest of priorities. Requests the United States and its allies whose nationals have been detained to consider establishing a multinational task force to secure the release of the detainees.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2017
Distribution and Promotion of Rights and Knowledge Act of 2017 or the DPRK Act of 2017 This bill amends the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 to authorize the President, through the Department of State, to: (1) distribute or provide grants to distribute information receiving devices, electronically readable devices, and other informational sources into North Korea; and (2) establish a grant program, which may involve public-private partnerships, to develop and/or distribute new products or methods to allow North Koreans easier access to outside information. The Broadcasting Board of Governors may broadcast American, Korean, Chinese, and other popular music, television, movies, and popular cultural references as part of its programming. The Board shall broadcast to North Korea in the Korean language information on rights, laws, and freedoms afforded through the North Korean Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and any other applicable treaties or international agreements to which North Korea is bound.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2017
Chinese American World War II Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to make appropriate arrangements for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the Chinese American Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. The medal shall be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution, which is urged to make the medal available for display at other locations associated with such veterans or with World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2017
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 in commemoration of Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith in recognition of their contributions to the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2017
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act of 2017 or the PAWS Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a five-year pilot program under which it provides grants to eligible nonprofit organizations to provide service dogs to veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after completing other evidence-based treatment. An organization that receives a grant shall provide for each participating service dog and veteran: coverage by a commercially available veterinary health insurance policy, hardware clinically determined to be required by the dog to perform the tasks necessary to assist the veteran, payments for travel expenses to obtain the dog, and travel expenses required to obtain a replacement service dog. To be eligible for a grant, an organization must: (1) agree to cover all costs in excess of the grant amount to guarantee such benefits, (2) be certified by Assistance Dogs International, (3) provide one-on-one training for each service dog and recipient for 30 hours or more over 90 days or more, and (4) provide an in-house residential facility or other accommodations nearby in which service dog recipients stay for a minimum of 10 days while receiving at least 30 hours of training. The VA shall develop metrics to measure the improvement in psychosocial function and therapeutic compliance and changes independence on prescription narcotics and psychotropic medication of veterans participating in the program. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on the methodology used for the pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2017
Samish Indian Nation Land Conveyance Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to take into trust for the benefit of the Samish Indian Nation specified land owned by the tribe in Skagit County and San Juan County, Washington. Gaming is prohibited on this land.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2017
Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 This bill revises the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability claims appeals system. The bill permits a veteran to appeal within one year by: (1) requesting a review of the agency of original jurisdiction's (AOJ) decision by a higher-level adjudicator within AOJ using the same evidentiary record; (2) filing a supplemental claim with a regional office that includes the opportunity to submit additional evidence and have a hearing; or (3) appealing directly to the Board of Veterans' Appeals, with the opportunity to select an expedited review to submit new evidence but without a hearing, or to select a review with the option to submit new evidence and request a hearing. A veteran may: (1) maintain the original effective date of a claim if he or she submits new and relevant evidence within one year of the most recent decision, and (2) retain the services of attorneys and accredited agents who charge a fee when the AOJ provides notice of the original decision. The VA's statutory duty to assist a veteran terminates after the original decision. The bill: (1) requires the VA to issue decision notification letters, (2) permits certain veterans who initiated an appeal prior to the bill's effective date to opt-in to the modernized appeals system, (3) authorizes the VA to conduct a pilot program to test such system, and (4) requires the VA, prior to full implementation, to certify to Congress that it has sufficient resources and personnel to carry out the legacy and modernized appeals systems.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2017
Medicaid and CHIP Territory Transparency and Information Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to publish on its website, and periodically update, specified information related to federal expenditures under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in each of the U.S. territories.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2017
Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a five-year pilot program to assess the effectiveness of addressing veterans' post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms through the therapeutic medium of training service dogs for veterans with disabilities. The VA shall: seek to enter into contracts with non-government entities that are certified in the training and handling of service dogs and that are located in close proximity to at least three but not more than five VA medical centers, provide such entities access to a training area in a VA facility that would be appropriate for use in educating veterans with mental health conditions in service dog training and handling, administer the program through the Center for Compassionate Innovation of the Veterans Health Administration in collaboration with the Recreation Therapy Service under the direction of a certified recreational therapist, and establish a director of therapeutic service dog training. Veterans may participate in the program in conjunction with the VA's compensated work therapy program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2017
Celebrates the contributions of small businesses and entrepreneurs in every U.S. community. Supports the designation of National Small Business Week. Recognizes the importance of creating policies which promote an environment in which small businesses may succeed. Supports efforts to: (1) encourage consumers to utilize small businesses, and (2) increase awareness of the value of small businesses and their impact on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017
Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire at least 50 Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists, place each one at an eligible VA medical center, and ensure that each one serves as part of a justice team in a veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court. An eligible VA medical center is one that: complies with all VA guidelines and regulations for placement of a specialist; works with a veteran with active, ongoing, or recent contact with some component of a local criminal justice system; maintains an affiliation with one or more veterans treatment courts or other veteran-focused courts; and either routinely provides specialists, or establishes a VA-approved plan to provide specialists, to serve as part of a justice team in such a court. The VA shall prioritize the placement of specialists at eligible VA medical centers that have an affiliation with such a court that: (1) was established after the date of this bill's enactment, or (2) was established before such date and is not fully staffed with specialists.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2017
Venezuelan Refugee Assistance Act This bill provides for the status adjustment to permanent resident of a qualifying Venezuelan national who: (1) was physically present in the United States on January 1, 2013, (2) has been physically present in the United States for at least one year and is physically present in the United States on the date the status adjustment application is filed, (3) has not been convicted of specified crimes and was never involved in the persecution of others, and (4) applies for adjustment before January 1, 2021. Derivative adjustment of status is provided for the spouse, child, or certain unmarried sons or daughters of such alien.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2017
Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act of 2017 or the VETS Act of 2017 This bill allows a licensed health care professional of the Department of Veterans Affairs to practice his or her profession using telemedicine at any location in any state, regardless of where the professional or patient is located.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Microloan Modernization Act of 2017 This bill amends the Small Business Act to repeal the "25/75" rule under the Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan Program (assisting low-income individuals to start and operate a small business) that permits SBA-designated microloan intermediary lenders to expend up to 25% of the intensive marketing, management, and technical assistance grant funds they receive from the SBA to provide information and technical assistance to small business concerns that are their prospective borrowers. The total amount of loans outstanding and committed to any particular intermediary (excluding outstanding grants) from the SBA business loan and investment fund shall be increased from $5 million to $6 million for the remaining years of the intermediary's participation in the program. The SBA shall: compare the operations of a representative sample of eligible intermediaries that participate in the microloan program and of eligible intermediaries that do not, study the reasons why the latter do not participate, recommend how to encourage increased participation by intermediaries in the microloan program, and recommend how to decrease the associated costs for intermediary participation. The Government Accountability Office shall evaluate: SBA oversight of the microloan program, including oversight of participating intermediaries; and the specific processes the SBA uses to ensure program compliance by participating intermediaries and overall microloan program performance.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
Condemns the decisions by the Venezuelan Supreme Court on March 28, 2017, and March 29, 2017, stripping the opposition legislators of their parliamentary immunity, seizing power from the National Assembly, and nullifying all legislative actions. Recognizes the decision by such court on April 1, 2017, to restore the opposition legislators' parliamentary immunity and the National Assembly's legislative powers. Urges the government of Venezuela to heed the calls of the international community to: (1) hold free, fair, and open elections; (2) release all political prisoners, including U.S. citizens; and (3) immediately accept international humanitarian assistance only through nongovernmental organizations. Calls for Organization of American States (OAS) member states to continue all efforts, including the consideration of a potential suspension of Venezuela from the OAS, if such government fails to take such actions. Encourages the President of the United States to prioritize a resolution of the political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, including through bilateral, targeted sanctions against individuals in the Venezuelan government responsible for the deterioration of democratic institutions and the rule of law.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the limitation on the amount of distilled spirits excise taxes covered over (paid) to the treasuries of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2017 This bill amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide that the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism shall have the rank of ambassador and be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Special Envoy shall: (1) be a person of recognized distinction in the field of combating anti-Semitism or religious freedom; (2) serve as the primary advisor to, and coordinate efforts across, the U.S. government relating to monitoring and combating anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement in foreign countries; and (3) report directly to the Secretary of State.
![Official portrait of Rescom. González-Colón, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/g000582_200.jpg)