United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to designate one week per year as Buddy Check Week for the purposes of organizing outreach events and educating veterans on how to conduct peer wellness checks. The VA shall ensure that the Veterans Crisis Line has a plan for handling the potential increase in calls that may occur during such week.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Ethan's Law This bill prohibits the improper storage of firearms. It also establishes grants to assist states and Indian tribes with implementing secure gun storage laws. Specifically, the bill makes it unlawful to store or keep any firearm on the premises of a residence if (1) an individual who is under the age of 18 is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the individual's parent or guardian, or (2) an individual residing at such residence is ineligible to possess a firearm. The bill establishes penalties for violations. Further, any firearm that is improperly stored is subject to seizure and forfeiture. The bill provides an exception for an individual who (1) keeps the firearm secure using a secure gun storage or safety device or in a location that a reasonable person would believe to be secure, or (2) carries the firearm on or in close proximity to the individual's person. Additionally, the Department of Justice must award grants to states and Indian tribes to implement secure gun storage laws that are functionally identical to the requirements established by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act This bill prohibits the use of exotic or wild animals in performances of a traveling animal act, such as a circus, carnival, or parade. The prohibition does not apply to zoos, aquariums, research facilities, wildlife sanctuaries, and other entities. The prohibition also does not apply to domestic animals or farm animals.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
This concurrent resolution expresses support for efforts to ensure that all women have access to comprehensive, preventative, and affordable health care services and are able to receive unbiased information about those services.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Protect Our Refuges Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the use of neonicotinoids (a class of neuroactive insecticides that are chemically similar to nicotine) within the National Wildlife Refuge System.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Humane Retirement Act This bill requires animal care committees at entities that receive federal funds for biomedical or behavioral research to make reasonable efforts to find parties to adopt dogs and cats that have been retired from research. Prior to euthanizing, the animal care committee must assess the temperament of the dog or cat to determine whether it is suitable for adoption and, if so, make reasonable efforts to offer the dog or cat to an adopting party.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Summer Meals Act of 201 9 This bill revises provisions related to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which provides meals to children and teens in low-income areas during the summer months when school is not in session. The bill redefines areas in which poor economic conditions exist , where the SFSP may operate, as areas in which at least 40% (currently, 50%) of the children have been determined to be eligible for free or reduced price school meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs. The bill reimburses service institutions (other than school food authorities) for up to one meal and one snack per child each day during after-school hours, weekends, and school holidays during the regular school calendar. Currently, such institutions are reimbursed for meals and snacks served to children over the summer months or to children who are on vacation under a continuous school calendar. USDA may award competitive grants to service institutions to increase participation in the summer food service program for children at congregate feeding sites through innovative approaches to limited transportation and mobile meal trucks. Service institutions that are participating in the summer food service program for children may serve up to three meals, or two meals and one snack, during each day of operation. Currently, this option is reserved for camps and service institutions that serve meals primarily to migrant children.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Tax Fairness for Tribal Youth Act of 2019 This bill treats certain payments made by Indian tribal governments to children as earned income of the child for the purposes of the kiddie tax (the tax on the unearned income of children). This has the effect of exempting the payments from the tax. The bill applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings Act of 2019 or the PALS Act This bill makes a series of changes relating to health insurance coverage of screening mammography. Specifically, the bill requires that any provision of law referring to current recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) with respect to breast cancer screening mammography be administered as if (1) the provision referred to USPSTF recommendations last issued before 2009; and (2) those recommendations applied to any screening mammography modality, including any digital modality of such a procedure. This requirement shall also apply to the Veterans Health Administration's policy on mammography screening for veterans. In addition, the bill preserves Medicare coverage for screening mammography, without a requirement for coinsurance, and expands the definition of screening mammography to include any digital modality of such a procedure. Further, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may not decrease the frequency with which screening mammography may be paid by Medicare for a woman over 39 years of age. In 2009, the USPSTF updated its guidelines to recommend against routine screening mammography for women between 40 to 49 years of age and to recommend biennial, instead of annual, screening mammography for most women between 50 to 74 years of age. In 2015, through the appropriations process, a three-year moratorium was placed on implementing the guidelines; the moratorium was subsequently renewed until January 1, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Protecting LGBTQ Youth Act This bill expands programs that prevent and treat child abuse and neglect to address issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Specifically, these programs include (1) research and reporting requirements, (2) providing technical assistance, (3) grants to states and local agencies to train child-welfare personnel, and (4) community-based prevention-service grants, among others.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a zero-emission passenger vehicle standard. Specifically, the bill sets a schedule for increasing the percentage of zero-emission vehicles a vehicle manufacturer delivers for sale, culminating in a requirement to sell only zero-emission vehicles from 2040 on. The bill also requires the EPA to establish a zero-emission vehicle credit program that approves one zero-emission vehicle credit for each zero-emission vehicle delivered for sale in the United States and partial credits for qualified electric vehicles based on the estimated proportion of the mileage driven on the battery. Manufacturers that fail to meet the minimum required percentage of zero-emission vehicle sales must submit to the EPA a quantity of zero-emission vehicle credits sufficient to offset the excess. Credits may also be sold, transferred, exchanged, or retired in certain circumstances. The bill imposes civil penalties for the failure to comply with zero-emission vehicle credit standards, with collected penalties being deposited into the Highway Trust Fund. After 2040, the EPA may issue injunctions on the manufacture of passenger vehicles other than zero-emission vehicles.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
This bill restricts military construction authority used in the event of a declaration of war or a declaration by the President of a national emergency. It limits to $250 million the amount that may be expended for military construction projects in the event of a national emergency declaration for its duration. Additionally, any appropriated funds used must be otherwise not executable. It restricts authority to waive or disregard a requirement that would otherwise apply to such a construction project. The bill requires any decision to undertake such a project to congressional notification requirements that include an explanation of why the use of the Armed Forces is required to respond to a national emergency, how a project supports the needs of members of the Armed Forces, estimates of construction costs, determinations to waive or disregard other law affecting construction authority, and reference to projects that would be subject to cancellation or deferment in order to provide construction funds to address such an emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2019
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2019 This bill addresses harassment at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Harassment includes certain conduct undertaken through technological means that limits a student's ability to benefit from the IHE's programs, or creates a hostile or abusive educational environment at the school. Specifically, the bill requires each IHE to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment on the basis of a student's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, and a sex stereotype), disability, or religion. In addition, the Department of Education may award grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to (1) prevent the harassment of students; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; or (3) educate and train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act This bill prohibits employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for job applicants or employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Specifically, the bill declares that it is an unlawful employment practice to (1) fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations of such job applicants or employees, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on an entity's business operation; (2) deny employment opportunities based on the need of the entity to make such reasonable accommodations to an applicant or employee; (3) require such job applicants or employees to accept an accommodation that they do not want, if such accommodation is unnecessary to perform the job; (4) require such employees to take paid or unpaid leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to their known limitations; or (5) take adverse action in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment against an employee requesting or using such reasonable accommodations. The bill sets forth enforcement procedures and remedies under various statutes that cover different types of employees in relation to such unlawful employment practices. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must provide examples of reasonable accommodations that shall be provided to affected job applicants or employees unless the employer can demonstrate that doing so would impose an undue hardship. The bill prohibits state immunity under the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution from an action for a violation of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2019 This bill addresses the storage and disposal of nuclear waste. Among other things, the bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to initiate a program to consolidate and temporarily store commercial spent nuclear fuel during the development, construction, and operation of a permanent nuclear waste repository; addresses federal land withdrawal and related management issues, including the permanent withdrawal of specific federal land for repository use by DOE; updates the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing process and conditions for the permanent repository; limits activities relating to developing a separate defense waste repository used for storing high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel derived from the atomic energy defense activities of DOE; authorizes DOE to enter into agreements to provide benefits to state, local, and tribal governments that might host or be affected by facilities related to storing nuclear waste; revises the method by which DOE funds its nuclear waste management activities though the collection and usage of the Nuclear Waste Fund; creates an Office of Spent Nuclear Fuel within DOE; and requires DOE to establish a Stranded Nuclear Waste Task Force to study existing resources and funding for communities that contain stranded nuclear waste and develop economic adjustment plans for such communities.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Methane Waste Prevention Act of 2019 This bill addresses methane emissions from oil and gas operations. (Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil.) The bill provides statutory authority for the Environmental Protection Agency rule titled Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources , published on June 3, 2016. The bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish specified requirements for reducing and preventing the waste of natural gas, including by venting, flaring, and fugitive releases, from all oil and gas operations; and measuring and reporting the production and disposition of all gas subject to the mineral leasing laws, all such gas produced, consumed on site, or lost through venting, flaring, or fugitive releases. All such requirements shall include consistent enforcement mechanisms for any operations not in compliance with them.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Disarm Hate Act The bill expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm. Specifically, it prohibits firearm sale or transfer to and receipt, possession, shipment, or transport by a person (1) who has been convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime, or (2) who has received an enhanced hate crime misdemeanor sentence.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act This bill allows two borrowers, who had previously received a joint consolidation loan for their student debt under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, to submit a joint application to sever their consolidated loan. One borrower may submit a separate application in the event that the individual is experiencing domestic or economic abuse from the other individual borrower, or is unable to reasonably reach or access the loan information of the other borrower.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2019
Cyber Ready Workforce Act This bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants to workforce intermediaries (entities that facilitate the establishment of registered apprenticeship programs and that may partner with a business or community-based organization, or specified other partners) to support the establishment, implementation, and expansion of such programs in cybersecurity.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2019
529 Opening Paths To Invest in Our Nation's Students Act or the 529 OPTIONS Act This bill allows tax-free distributions from qualified tuition programs (known as 529 plans) to be used for certain expenses associated with registered apprenticeship programs. The bill expands the definition of "qualified higher education expenses" for which tax-free distributions are allowed to include (1) books, supplies, and equipment required for the enrollment or attendance of a designated beneficiary in an apprenticeship program registered and certified with the Department of Labor; (2) child care at a licensed day care center, and transportation, in connection with such enrollment or attendance; and (3) costs associated with obtaining an industry certification or other credential in connection with an apprenticeship program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Purple Heart Freedom to Work Act This bill increases the monthly income limit that is used to determine whether certain Purple Heart recipients are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Specifically, when making such determinations with respect to Purple Heart recipients who are entitled to SSDI benefits based on combat-related injuries, the Social Security Administration must use the limit that applies to individuals who are blind rather than the lower limit that applies to other SSDI recipients. In addition, the bill phases out SSDI benefits for these Purple Heart recipients, with benefits reduced by $1 for every $4 of earnings in excess of the limit.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2019 This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit conduct, including bullying and harassment, that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive to (1) limit students' ability to participate in, or benefit from, school programs; or (2) create a hostile or abusive educational environment that adversely affects students' education. LEAs shall also provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct, and report on, an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics shall collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2019
Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act This bill adds requirements regarding the availability of training that the Department of Agriculture provides under current law for local food service personnel in schools. The training must be scheduled primarily during regular, paid working hours; offered in-person whenever appropriate; and incorporate hands-on training techniques. If the training is scheduled outside of working hours, food service personnel must be informed about the necessity of scheduling the program and compensated for attending the program. Personnel may not be penalized for failing to attend a program outside of working hours.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2019 This bill establishes an Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence. Among other things, the advisory council must assess the needs of victims of gun violence and disseminate information about resources available to help victims of gun violence.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2019
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution prohibits construction of the Constitution as forbidding Congress or the states from (1) imposing reasonable content-neutral limitations on private campaign contributions or independent election expenditures; or (2) enacting systems of public campaign financing, including those designed to restrict the influence of private wealth by offsetting campaign spending or independent expenditures with increased public funding.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2019
This resolution celebrates the 100th anniversary of the passage and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, providing for women's suffrage. The resolution also reaffirms the desire of Congress to continue strengthening democratic participation.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019 This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act and related labor laws to extend protections to union workers. Specifically, it revises the definition of "employee" and "supervisor" to prevent employers from classifying employees as exempt from labor law protections, expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of or discrimination against workers who participate in strikes, makes it an unfair labor practice to require or coerce employees to attend employer meetings designed to discourage union membership, permits workers to participate in collective or class action litigation, allows injunctions against employers engaging in unfair labor practices involving discharge or serious economic harm to an employee, expands penalties for labor law violations, including interference with the National Labor Relations Board or causing serious economic harm to an employee, and allows any person to bring a civil action for harm caused by labor law violations or unfair labor practices.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Securing American Nonprofit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2019 This bill establishes in the Department of Homeland Security a Nonprofit Security Grant Program, under which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shall make grants to eligible nonprofit organizations (tax-exempt organizations and those determined to be at risk of a terrorist attack) for target hardening and other security enhancements to protect against terrorist attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Chemical Poisons Reduction Act of 2019 or Canyon's Law This bill prohibits the use of sodium fluoroacetate (i.e., Compound 1080) and sodium cyanide in a predator control device. It imposes criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to two years, or both—on a violator. A predator control device is a dispenser, livestock collar, or gas cartridge that propels, releases, or emits sodium fluoroacetate or sodium cyanide for wildlife management or animal control purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2019 This bill bars the Department of Agriculture from allowing the construction of roads, the reconstruction of roads, or logging in an inventoried roadless area where those activities are prohibited by the Roadless Rule (i.e., certain federal regulations relating to roadless area management).
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Act This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program for increasing the resilience of publicly owned treatment works (i.e., clean water infrastructure) to natural disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2019
Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act This bill treats certain military survivor benefits that are received by children as earned income of the child for the purposes of the kiddie tax (the tax on the unearned income of children). This has the effect of exempting the benefits from such tax.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans to report on and make recommendations regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for medical treatment and therapy for veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Full Utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Act This bill provides a discretionary spending limit adjustment for full utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to ensure that funds are used to support navigation and maintain federally authorized harbors. The bill makes certain amounts in the trust fund available, without appropriation, to pay 100% of the eligible operations and maintenance costs of specified portions of the Saint Lawrence Seaway (a system of locks, canals, and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes); and up to 100% of the eligible operations and maintenance costs assigned to commercial navigation of all U.S. harbors and inland harbors. The discretionary spending adjustment in a given fiscal year may not exceed the amount within the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund on the last day of the fiscal year that is two years prior to such fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019 or the CASE Act of 2019 This bill creates the Copyright Claims Board, a body within the U.S. Copyright Office, to decide copyright disputes. Damages awarded by the board are capped at $30,000. Participation in board proceedings is voluntary with an opt-out procedure for defendants, and parties may choose instead to have a dispute heard in court. If the parties agree to have their dispute heard by the board, they shall forego the right to be heard before a court and the right to a jury trial. Board proceedings shall have no effect on class actions. The board shall be authorized to hear copyright infringement claims, actions for a declaration of noninfringement, claims that a party knowingly sent false takedown notices, and related counterclaims. The bill provides for various procedures, including with respect to requests for information from the other party and requests for the board to reconsider a decision. The board may issue monetary awards based on actual or statutory damages. The parties shall bear their own attorneys' fees and costs except where there is bad faith misconduct. A board's final determination precludes relitigating the claims in court or at the board. Parties may challenge a board decision in federal district court only if (1) the decision was a result of fraud, corruption, or other misconduct; (2) the board exceeded its authority or failed to render a final determination; or (3) in a default ruling or failure to prosecute, the default or failure was excusable.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Medicare for America Act of 2019 This bill establishes several health insurance programs and otherwise modifies certain requirements relating to health care coverage, costs, and services. In particular, the bill establishes a national health insurance program to be administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Among other requirements, the program must (1) cover all U.S. residents; (2) cover specified items and services, including hospital services, prescription drugs, dental services, and home- and community-based long-term care; and (3) be fully implemented in 2023. HHS must also offer a transitional public health option that provides certain minimum coverage through health insurance exchanges in 2021 and 2022. The bill also makes a series of other changes to health care and tax provisions. For example, the bill (1) allows federal funds to be used for abortions; (2) sunsets a specified tax reform law that, among other things, repealed the penalty for failing to maintain minimum essential health coverage; and (3) prohibits excessive prices for prescription drugs and medical devices, as determined by a newly established federal regulatory board.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Protecting Immigrants From Legal Exploitation Act of 2019 This bill establishes that certain acts of immigration-related fraud shall be punished by fines, imprisonment, or both. The bill provides for such punishment for a person who knowingly or recklessly executes a scheme or artifice in a matter arising under immigration law to (1) defraud any person; or (2) obtain anything of value from any person through false pretenses, representations, or promises. A person who knowingly and falsely represents that such person is an attorney or accredited representative in any matter arising under immigration law shall be subject to such punishment. The Department of Justice (DOJ) may seek civil injunctions to stop an immigration service provider from further engaging in fraudulent conduct or willfully misrepresenting the provider's authority to provide representation in immigration matters. An alien who left the United States based on erroneous advice from a person engaged in immigration practitioner fraud or the unauthorized practice of law shall not be barred from reentering the country. An alien may withdraw an application for immigration benefits that was prepared or submitted by an individual engaging in immigration practitioner fraud or the unauthorized practice of law, if the alien had no prior knowledge of the individual's fraudulent or unauthorized status. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of State, and DOJ shall develop procedures for allowing such an alien to submit corrected filings. DHS and DOJ shall establish a program to provide grants to eligible nonprofit organizations to provide direct legal services to aliens.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Puppy Protection Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to expand standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals to include new requirements for commercial dog dealers. Specifically, the standards must require dog dealers to provide to dogs adequate housing, exercise, and veterinary care; appropriate and nutritious food; continuous access to potable water; and meaningful socialization with humans and compatible dogs for at least 30 minutes each day. The standards must also include requirements for breeders to use safe breeding practices and make all reasonable efforts to find humane placement for retired breeding dogs.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act of 2019 This bill applies to yardmaster employees the limitations on duty hours and the restrictions on communications to employees during their off-duty hours that are currently applicable to train employees. (A "yardmaster employee" means an individual responsible for supervising and coordinating the control of trains and engines operating within a rail yard.)
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Mental Health Awareness Month to remove the stigma associated with mental illness and to place emphasis on scientific findings regarding mental health recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
Ocean Acidification Research Partnerships Act This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide grants for collaborative research projects on ocean acidification developed and conducted through partnerships between the seafood industry and the academic community. NOAA must prioritize projects that (1) address ecosystems and communities vulnerable to the impacts of ocean acidification, (2) demonstrate support from local stakeholders, or (3) utilize seafood industry assets as research and monitoring platforms. NOAA may provide grants to a partnership in which a marine-dependent industry is substituted for the seafood industry.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2019
What You Can Do For Your Country Act This bill revises the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, including by allowing borrowers with loans under the Federal Family Education Loan program to be eligible for the PSLF program, allowing borrowers to receive loan forgiveness on half of their total loans after satisfying 60 qualifying payment obligations, revising provisions related to loan consolidation, revising the types of payments that count toward qualifying payment obligations, defining full-time employment as 30 hours per week, requiring the Department of Education (ED) to provide certain notices to borrowers, revising the process for certification of employment, requiring ED to establish a database of qualifying employers, providing a process for borrowers to satisfy past monthly payment obligations, requiring lenders to provide to ED necessary borrower repayment history information, and requiring ED to establish a dispute resolution process.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
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 Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services shall establish and carry out specified grant programs and a scholarship program, including a grant program to promote the understanding of the Latin American diaspora in the United States. 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 April 2019
Women's Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 400,000 $1 silver coins that are emblematic of the women who played a vital role in rallying support for the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Such coins may be issued during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2020. All surcharges received from the sales of such coins shall be paid to the American Women's History Initiative of the Smithsonian Institution.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish standards for facilities holding aliens in its custody, phases out using non-DHS facilities for such purposes, and contains other related provisions. The standards shall comply with the American Bar Association's Civil Immigration Detention Standards. The DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) shall conduct periodic unannounced inspections of each facility and shall take various actions against noncompliant facilities, including imposing fines, cancelling contracts, and closing facilities. DHS shall report to Congress any death of an alien in its custody within 24 hours and conduct an investigation within 30 days that identifies policy changes that could reduce the likelihood of such a death. DHS is prohibited from entering into contracts for third parties to operate detention facilities and shall terminate existing contracts within three years of the bill's enactment. The bill establishes that OIG facility inspection reports and contracts for an outside entity to operate a detention facility are records available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. DHS shall maintain certain information relating to detained aliens, including the alien's location and whether the alien was separated from family. The bill provides for various requirements and procedures related to detaining aliens, including (1) prohibiting DHS from detaining children, (2) imposing a presumption that an alien should be released, and (3) establishing that aliens in custody shall be subject to the least restrictive conditions. The bill also abolishes mandatory detention for asylum seekers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
This resolution expresses support for (1) the goals and values of the 51st anniversary of the enactment of the Fair Housing Act and the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, and (2) activities to celebrate the historical milestones represented by such anniversaries.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
Ensuring Access to Quality Complex Rehabilitation Technology Act of 2019 This bill establishes a specific benefit category (i.e., classification) for complex rehabilitation technology items under Medicare. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must set payment for such items in accordance with a specified methodology that includes certain clinical conditions and quality standards. The bill also excludes such items from Medicare's competitive acquisition program (in which rates are set through a competitive bidding program rather than by an established fee schedule). The bill defines complex rehabilitation technology item to include complex rehabilitation manual and power wheelchairs, specialized seating and positioning items, and adaptive equipment such as standing frames and gait trainers, including associated accessories.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2019
Homes for Our Heroes Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report to Congress regarding public housing agencies for which vouchers for rental assistance were allocated. Additionally, the bill requires the VA to report on the medical centers of the VA to which funds were provided for case managers under the supported housing program, as well as other relevant information involving case management funding. This bill also requires HUD and the VA to conduct a study to identify barriers to carrying out the supported housing program.
![Official portrait of Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/115_rp_ca_24_carbajal_salud_200.jpg)