United States · United States Congress · 2 January 2019
This resolution urges the President to work with allies to lead a multinational freedom of navigation operation in the Black Sea to push back against excessive Russian claims of sovereignty. It also calls for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to enhance allied maritime presence and capabilities in the Black Sea and for European governments to cancel the Nord Stream 2 pipeline due to its threat to European energy security. The resolution also urges the President to provide additional security assistance to Ukraine and states that the President is required by statute to impose mandatory sanctions on Russia.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2018
Effective Apprenticeships to Rebuild National Skills Act or the EARNS Act This bill (1) establishes in the Department of Labor an Office of Apprenticeship and a National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships, (2) provides for federal recognition of state apprenticeship agencies, (3) establishes a process and standards for the national apprenticeship system, (4) directs Labor to provide for evaluations of programs and activities and research on best practices in covered apprenticeship programs, and (5) sets up a grant program to modernize and expand apprenticeship programs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2018
Authorizes the Senate Legal Counsel to represent the Senate in Texas v. United States , including to intervene as a party in the matter and related proceedings, and to defend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2018
Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2018 This bill repeals the 96-hour physician-certification requirement for inpatient critical access hospital services under Medicare. Under current law, as a condition for Medicare payment for such services, a physician must certify that a patient may reasonably be expected to be discharged or transferred to a hospital within 96 hours after admission to the critical access hospital.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2018
Data Care Act of 2018 This bill imposes various duties on online service providers with respect to to their handling of user data, including duties to (1) reasonably secure sensitive data from unauthorized access, (2) refrain from using such data in a way that will result in reasonably foreseeable harm to the end user, and (3) not disclose individual identifying data to another party unless that party is also bound by the duties established in this bill. The bill authorizes the Federal Trade Commission and specified state officials to take enforcement actions with respect to breaches of such duties.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2018
Cancer Drug Coverage Act of 2018 This bill requires health plans that cover anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable cost sharing for patient-administered anticancer medications. This requirement applies to medications that are (1) approved by the Food and Drug Administration; (2) medically necessary for the cancer treatment; and (3) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration. To comply with this requirement, health plans may not, with respect to anticancer medications (1) change or replace benefits to increase out-of-pocket costs, (2) reclassify benefits to increase costs, or (3) apply more restrictive limitations to orally administered medications than to intravenously administered or injected medications.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2018
Declares that the Senate: (1) notes with deep sorrow and solemn mourning the death of former President George H.W. Bush, (2) extends heartfelt sympathy to former President George W. Bush and the entire family of former President George H.W. Bush, and (3) honors and expresses deep appreciation for former President George H.W. Bush's outstanding and important service to his country. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 5, 2018, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of former President George H.W. Bush.
United States · United States Congress · 28 November 2018
21st Century American Service Act This bill directs the Corporation for National and Community Service to develop and implement a program to ensure that each applicant to a voluntary civilian national service program has the opportunity to serve. The bill also increases living allowances provided by such service programs and excludes various allowances, including AmeriCorps educational awards, from gross income for taxation purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 27 November 2018
Strongly condemns Russia's actions against Ukraine in the Kerch Strait, including the attack and seizure of Ukrainian naval ships and sailors. Calls on Russia to release the sailors and ships and to stop its harassment of ships in the strait. Calls on the President to express his administration's opposition to Russia's attack at every opportunity, and affirms the Department of State's declaration that it is U.S. policy to never recognize Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea. Urges the international community to unite in opposition to Russia's actions in the strait.
United States · United States Congress · 27 November 2018
Recognizes and accepts the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the special report on the impacts of global warming and the findings of the U.S. Global Change Research Program in the Fourth National Climate Assessment report. Expresses the sense that immediate action by Congress and the Administration is needed to reduce greenhouse gases.
United States · United States Congress · 26 November 2018
Designates December 3, 2018, as National Phenylketonuria Awareness Day. (Phenylketonuria or PKU is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder that can cause intellectual disability and other neurological problems.)
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2018
First Step Act This bill amends various provisions of law and sets forth new provisions: to require the Department of Justice to establish and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to implement a risk and needs assessment system; to modify the computation of good time credit; to allow federal correctional officers to securely store and carry concealed firearms on BOP premises outside the security perimeter of a prison; to limit the use of restraints on federal prisoners who are pregnant or in postpartum recovery; to reduce mandatory minimum prison terms for certain nonviolent repeat drug offenses; to broaden the existing safety valve to permit a sentence below the mandatory minimum for certain nonviolent, cooperative drug offenders with a limited criminal history; to make the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive; to require prisoners to be placed within 500 miles of their primary residence; to require low-risk prisoners to be placed on home confinement for the maximum amount of time permitted; to reauthorize through FY2022 and modify eligibility for an elderly offender early release pilot program; to require the BOP to help prisoners obtain identification documents prior to release, to incorporate de-escalation procedures into training programs, and to make tampons and sanitary napkins available free of charge; to authorize Federal Prison Industries to sell products to additional markets; to require probation and pretrial services officers to perform court-directed supervision of sex offenders conditionally released from civil commitment; to require the BOP to establish pilot programs on youth mentorship and service to abandoned, rescued, or vulnerable animals; and to limit juvenile solitary confinement.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2018
Access to Capital Creates Economic Strength and Supports Rural America Act or the ACCESS Rural America Act This bill increases the shareholder registration threshold for issuers receiving support through federal universal service support mechanisms, which provide communication services to underserved areas.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2018
Designates November 15, 2018, as National GIS Day. Encourages the continued use of geographic information system (GIS) technology to learn, address societal challenges, and drive economic growth.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2018
Condemns: (1) the anti-Semitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018, in which 11 innocent people were killed and 6 were injured, and (2) rising anti-Semitism. Honors the memory of the victims and expresses the hope that their memory may be a blessing to their families and community. Reaffirms the commitment of the United States to condemn anti-Semitism, protect the right of people in the United States to freely exercise their religious beliefs, and ensure their safety and security.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2018
Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act This bill directs the Department of Defense to provide chiropractic health care services and benefits through the TRICARE program to uniformed service members who are not on active duty and to uniformed service retirees. (Active duty members of the uniformed services are currently eligible for chiropractic services and benefits through the Chiropractic Health Care Program.)
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2018
Restoring Justice for Workers Act This bill prohibits predispute arbitration agreements that require arbitration of an employment dispute. It allows a postdispute arbitration agreement if the employee enters into it voluntarily without coercion and is informed in writing of rights and protections under such agreement. An employer may not retaliate against an employee for refusing to enter into an agreement for arbitrating an employment dispute. The bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it an unfair labor practice to interfere with the right of an employee to collectively litigate employment disputes.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2018
Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act This bill funds through FY2090 the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Additionally, the bill modifies the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF): to allow claims to be filed until October 2089, to require VCF policies and procedures to be reassessed at least once every five years (currently, at least once annually), to require claimants to be paid for the amount by which a claim was reduced on the basis of insufficient funding, to remove the cap on noneconomic damages in special circumstances, and to adjust the annual limit on economic loss compensation for inflation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 October 2018
Affordable Loans for Any Student Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise requirements concerning repayment options for student loan borrowers. For instance, the bill terminates interest capitalization and origination fees for Federal Direct Loans, provides assistance to low-income borrowers or borrowers who are delinquent on loan payments, and replaces the existing income-based repayment plans with two new plans. Under the new plans, borrowers may choose: (1) a fixed repayment plan with equal monthly payments paid over a period of 10 years; or (2) an income-based repayment plan with monthly payments equal to 10% percent of their income above a poverty level. The income-based plan is capped at 20 years of payments. The bill also revises requirements concerning student loan disclosures and student loan counseling for borrowers.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2018
Condemns the persecution of religious minorities in China. Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to religious freedom and tolerance and to protecting religious minorities facing persecution.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2018
Reducing Costs for Out-of-Network Services Act of 2018 This bill prohibits health insurers and providers from charging individuals who have health insurance above a certain rate for out-of-network services; providers may also not charge uninsured individuals above a certain rate. States must select the applicable rates from specified options.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2018
Central America Reform and Enforcement Act This bill requires the Deaprtment of State to submit to Congress the United States Strategy for Engagement in Central America, a seven-year strategy to advance reforms in Central American countries that address the factors driving migration to the United States. The bill sets forth elements of such strategy, including strengthening the rule of law, combatting corruption, and confronting and countering violence and crime perpetrated by armed criminal gangs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2018
Recognizes: (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15, 2018, through October 15, 2018; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2018
Maximizing Outcomes for Moms through Medicaid Improvement and Enhancement of Services Act or the MOMMIES Act This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) relating to maternal health, including by expanding eligibility for coverage from 60 days to one year after the last day of pregnancy.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2018
Connecting Opportunities through Mobility Metrics and Unlocking Transportation Efficiencies Act or the COMMUTE Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to carry out an accessibility data pilot program. The purpose of the pilot program is to develop or make available an accessibility data set for states and metropolitan or rural planning organizations to improve their transportation planning by measuring the level of access to important destinations such as jobs, health care facilities, child care services, educational and workforce training facilities, affordable housing, and food sources.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2018
Emergency Medical Services for Children Program Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 the Emergency Medical Services for Children grant program. The program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration and focuses on improving emergency health care for children who are seriously ill or injured.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2018
This joint resolution nullifies a Department of the Treasury rule (Rev. Proc. 2018-38) that modifies the requirements for information returns filed by certain tax-exempt organizations. The Treasury rule exempts certain tax-exempt organizations that are not 501(c)(3) organizations from the requirement to report the names and addresses of their contributors on returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The organizations must continue to collect and keep the information to make it available to the IRS upon request.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2018
Designates September 2018 as National Workforce Development Month. Expresses support for federal initiatives to promote workforce development. Acknowledges that workforce development plays a crucial role in supporting workers and growing the economy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2018
Designates September 2018 as National Kinship Care Month. Encourages Congress, states, local governments, and community organizations to: (1) continue working to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families, and (2) support the communities working together to lift them up. Honors the commitment and dedication of kinship caregivers and advocates.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2018
Strengthening Minority-Serving Institutions Act of 2018 This bill permanently extends mandatory funding programs for historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions and increases the authorized funding levels for such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2018
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2650 North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the "Vel R. Phillips Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2018
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the federal government and is not subject to privatization in whole or in part.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2018
Measuring Real Income Growth Act of 2018 This bill requires the Bureau of Economic Analysis to include estimates pertaining to various income groups in its gross domestic product analyses. Such analyses shall include estimates pertaining to each of the 10 deciles of income as discreet groups and the highest 1% of income as a group.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2018
Women's Pension Protection Act of 201 8 This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to: (1) extend spousal consent requirements that currently apply to defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution pension plans, and (2) allow certain long-term part-time workers to participate in pension plans that include either a qualified cash or deferred arrangement or a salary reduction agreement. Financial product or service providers who sell retirement financial products or services must provide purchasers of their products or services an easily accessible link to the website of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to obtain information relating to retirement planning or later life economic security. The Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor shall award grants to certain community-based organizations to: (1) improve the financial literacy of women who are working age or in retirement, and (2) assist low-income women and victims of domestic violence in obtaining qualified domestic relations orders and the benefits they are entitled to through the orders.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2018
Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2018 This bill removes drug conviction questions form the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and encourages institutions of higher education to remove criminal and juvenile justice questions from their admission applications.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2018
Designates the week beginning September 9, 2018, as National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week. Commends direct support professionals for being integral to long-term support and services for individuals with disabilities. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the successful implementation of the public policies affecting individuals with disabilities depends on the dedication of direct support professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2018
Affordable Medications Act This bill alters various provisions relating to prescription-drug pricing and affordability, including drug manufacturer reporting requirements, Medicare price negotiation, and drug exclusivity periods.
United States · United States Congress · 28 August 2018
This joint resolution nullifies a rule by the Department of Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services regarding short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans. Short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans are plans that may only offer coverage for a limited amount of time under law and that are exempt from the market requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (e.g., coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions). The rule increases the maximum authorized duration of such plans from less than 3 months (including renewals) to an initial maximum duration of less than 12 months (with a total duration of up to 36 months, including renewals). The rule takes effect October 2, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 27 August 2018
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable John Sidney McCain, III, a Senator from Arizona. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on August 27, 2018, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator.
United States · United States Congress · 23 August 2018
Play by the Rules Act of 2018 This bill amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to subject to antidumping and countervailing duties certain merchandise from nonmarket economies that would otherwise be exempt.
United States · United States Congress · 23 August 2018
Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require private health insurance plans to cover diagnosis and treatment services for congenital anomalies and birth defects, including reconstructive services and prosthetics.
United States · United States Congress · 22 August 2018
Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies Act or the Maternal CARE Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to health professional training programs for training that addresses implicit bias (e.g., racial bias) in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration must award grants to up to 10 states for pregnancy medical home programs that reduce adverse maternal health outcomes and racial disparities. Among other requirements, such programs must prioritize the care of Medicaid enrollees. The National Academy of Medicine must make recommendations for incorporating bias recognition in clinical skills tests at medical schools.
United States · United States Congress · 21 August 2018
Fair Trade with China Enforcement Act This bill revises trade, finance, and tax provisions with respect to China. The bill directs the Department of Commerce to prohibit the export of certain U.S. technology and intellectual property to China. The bill amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to place a shareholder cap on Chinese investments in certain U.S. corporations. Federal agencies are prohibited from using or procuring telecommunications equipment or services from Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation, or any other entity reasonably believed to be owned or controlled by China. The bill amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require the U.S. Trade Representative to list certain Chinese products that receive support pursuant to China's Made in China 2025 policy. The bill amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to expedite the countervailing duty process (i.e., the imposition of duties to offset a subsidy by a foreign government) for products on such a list. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal certain reduced withholding rates for residents of China, and (2) tax income received by China from certain U.S. investments.
![Official portrait of Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001230_200.jpg)