United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
Strong Start for America's Children Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to allot matching grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies, childhood education program providers, or consortia of those entities to implement high-quality prekindergarten programs for children from low-income families. Grants are allotted to states based on each state's proportion of children who are age four and who are from families with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty level. "High-quality prekindergarten programs" are those that serve children three or four years of age and meet criteria concerning: class size; learning environments; teacher qualifications, salaries, and professional development; program monitoring; and accessibility to comprehensive health and support services. States may apply to use up to 15% of their grant for subgrants to high-quality early childhood education and care programs for infants and toddlers whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level. ED and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall develop a process to: (1) provide Head Start program services to children younger than age four in states or regions that already provide four-year-olds whose family income is at or below 200% of the poverty level with sustained access to high-quality prekindergarten programs, or (2) convert programs to serve infants and toddlers. ED shall award competitive matching grants to states to increase their capacity to offer high-quality prekindergarten programs. States must provide assurances that they will use their grant to become eligible, within three years of receiving the grant, for this Act's grants for high-quality prekindergarten programs. The bill amends the Head Start Act to direct HHS to make grants to Early Head Start agencies to partner with center-based or family child care providers, particularly those that receive support under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, to assist them in meeting program performance standards. Such partnerships may serve children through age three. The bill reauthorizes the programs providing: (1) preschool grants for special education and related services, and (2) early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The bill expresses the sense of the Senate concerning the value of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2015
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2015 Designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin, (2) Grand Staircase-Escalante, (3) Moab-La Sal Canyons, (4) Henry Mountains, (5) Glen Canyon, (6) San Juan-Anasazi, (7) Canyonlands Basin, (8) San Rafael Swell, and (9) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. Sets forth administrative requirements for: (1) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas, (2) federal reservation of water rights, (3) measurement of setbacks for roads with wilderness, (4) authorized livestock grazing, and (5) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2015
Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act Authorizes burial in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration of the remains of any individual: (1) who was naturalized pursuant to the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000 and who resided in the United States at the time of death; or (2) who the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines served with a special guerrilla unit or irregular forces operating from a base in Laos in support of the U.S. Armed Forces between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, and who, at the time of death, resided in the United States and was a U.S. citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Therapeutic Hemp Medical Access Act of 2015 Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude cannabidiol and cannabidiol-rich plants: (1) from the definition of "marihuana," and (2) from treatment as a controlled substance under such Act. Defines: (1) "cannabidiol-rich plant" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant with a tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis; (2) "cannabidiol" to mean the substance cannabidiol, as derived from a cannabidiol-rich plant; and (3) "tetrahydrocannabinol concentration" to mean the percent of the delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol content per dry weight of any part of the plant Cannabis sativa L. or per volume of weight of marihuana product, or the combined percent of the delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid in any part of the plant Cannabis sativa L., regardless of moisture content. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to restrict any activities related to the use, production, or distribution of marihuana in a state in which such activities are legal under state law.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2015
Freedom from Discrimination in Credit Act of 2015 Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to expand the categories of prohibited discrimination when extending credit to include discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity. (Currently, such discrimination in credit is prohibited only on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex or marital status, or age.) Provides for such Act to apply whether the basis for certain prohibited forms of discrimination is actual or perceived. Defines: (1) "gender identity" as the gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual with or without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth; (2) "person" as a natural person, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, trust, estate, partnership, cooperative, or association; and (3) "sexual orientation" as homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2015
Adoptive Family Relief Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare that if an immigrant visa was issued on or after March 27, 2013, for a child who has been lawfully adopted, or who is coming to the United States to be adopted, by a U.S. citizen, any statutory immigrant visa fees relating to a renewal or replacement of such visa may be waived or refunded if: the child was unable to use the original immigrant visa during the period of its validity as a direct result of extraordinary circumstances, including the denial of an exit permit; and such inability was attributable to factors beyond the control of the adopting parent or parents.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2015
Parental Bereavement Act of 2015 or the Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger Act Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to entitle an eligible employee to up to 12 workweeks of leave during any 12-month period because of the death of a son or daughter. Allows such an employee to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay. Applies the same leave entitlement to federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2015
Veterans Appeals Assistance and Improvement Act of 2015 This bill directs the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to establish a financial assistance program to provide legal and other assistance without charge for veterans and other persons seeking Court review who are unable to afford legal representation costs. (Programs include case screening and referral, training for attorney and related personnel, and facilitation of pro bono representation by members of the bar and law school clinical and other programs.) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) shall establish a financial assistance program to provide legal and other assistance without charge to veterans and other persons seeking review by the Board of Veterans' Appeals who are unable to afford legal representation costs. The Court and the VA shall each carry out such programs through an interagency agreement with the Legal Services Corporation. The Corporation may receive a reimbursable payment from the Court or VA for providing such financial assistance. Funds may not be used for the payment of attorney's fees. VA shall provide for the expeditious treatment by the Board of any claim that: (1) is remanded to VA by the Court, or (2) has been pending before the Board for eight years or more. The Government Accountability Office shall review the processing of appeals of VA decisions regarding service-connected disability and dependency and indemnity compensation claims.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2015
Military Families Credit Reporting Act This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act with respect to an item of adverse information about an active duty military consumer. Declares that, if the action or inaction that gave rise to the item occurred while the consumer was an active duty military consumer, then: (1) the consumer may provide appropriate proof, including official orders, to a consumer reporting agency that the consumer was an active duty military consumer at the time the action or inaction occurred; and (2) any consumer report made by the agency including that item of information shall clearly and conspicuously disclose that the consumer was an active duty military consumer when the action or inaction that gave rise to the item occurred. Requires the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to prepare and make publicly available a model form that allows a consumer to: (1) notify a consumer reporting agency that the consumer is an active duty military consumer, and (2) provide the consumer's contact information for communicating with the consumer while he or she is an active duty military consumer. Requires a consumer reporting agency to notify promptly an active duty military consumer whenever it receives an item of adverse information about him or her, along with a description of the item and the method by which the consumer can dispute the validity of the item. Requires an agency also to use any separate contact information an active duty military consumer has given it for all communications while the individual is an active duty military consumer. Declares the sense of Congress that any person making use of a consumer report containing an item of adverse information that occurred while the consumer was an active duty military consumer should take that fact into account when evaluating the consumer's creditworthiness. Requires a consumer reporting agency, with respect to an item of information under dispute by an active duty military consumer, to include in the consumer's file that he or she was an active duty military consumer at the time the action or inaction that gave rise to the disputed item occurred, and indicate this fact in each consumer report that includes the disputed item.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2015
Protecting America's Paper for Recycling Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for producing electricity from renewable resources, to exclude from the definition of "municipal solid waste" solid waste that is collected as part of a system that includes materials recovery and that commingles commonly recycled paper with other solid waste that is not commonly recycled at any point from the time of collection through materials recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2015
Community Access Preservation Act Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require certain cable system operators, with channel capacity for public, educational, or governmental (PEG) use that is designated by a franchising authority under existing code provisions or required to be provided under this Act, to: (1) carry PEG-use signals to subscribers without material degradation and without altering or removing content or data; (2) provide viewable signals to every cable subscriber without additional service or equipment charges; and (3) provide to the appropriate local government subdivision (LGS), free of charge, any transmission services and the use of any transmission facilities necessary to meet such requirements. Directs such cable system operators, upon request by the appropriate LGS, to provide for: (1) the transmission of such signals in high definition format or better; and (2) the programming schedules of such signals to be present and updated on the electronic program guide of the cable operator, with the same functionality as television broadcast stations in the applicable designated market area, through the cable operator directly or through a third party vendor. Requires a cable operator in a state adopting applicable franchising legislation that becomes effective after May 31, 2005, to: (1) owe any LGS in which the operator provides cable service during a year beginning after enactment of this Act an LGS-determined amount for such year, within specified limits, notwithstanding requirements relating to support for cable system PEG use in such state legislation; and (2) provide a certain number of channels for PEG use in an LGS, notwithstanding requirements relating to the number of PEG-use cable channels in such state legislation. Defines "local government subdivision" (referred to above as an LGS) as a franchising authority deriving its power to grant a franchise from state or local law or an entity considered such a franchising authority as of the day before the effective date of such state legislation relating to support. Specifies forms of support as cash payments, in-kind support, and free services provided by the cable system operator, or its predecessor, to the LGS for the cable system's PEG use. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) LGS or state enforcement, and (2) nonbinding mediation and court proceedings concerning disputed support amounts. Revises the definition of "franchise fee" including by striking a provision prohibiting such a fee from including (in the case of a franchise granted after the enactment of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984) capital costs that the franchise requires the cable operator to incur for PEG access facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2015
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to apply limitations on Reid vapor pressure (a measure of gasoline's volatility) applicable to gasoline blended with 10% ethanol (E10) to gasoline blended with more than 10% ethanol. Limitations on Reid vapor pressure are placed on gasoline during the summer ozone season.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2015
Eliminates the time limit for ratification of the equal rights amendment (prohibits discrimination on account of sex) proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972. Declares that such amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2015
Thanks the teachers of the United States and promotes the teaching profession by encouraging students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to participate in National Teacher Appreciation Week.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2015
Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2015 or the NEWS Act of 2015 This bill requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish either a Committee or a Subcommittee on the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability (NEWS) under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The Secretary of Energy (DOE) and Secretary of the Interior must serve as co-chairs. The term "energy-water nexus" means the links between: (1) the water needed to produce energy; and (2) the energy needed to transport, reclaim, and treat water and wastewater. The NEWS Committee or Subcommittee shall: serve as a forum for developing common federal goals and plans on energy-water nexus research, development, and demonstration activities; issue a strategic plan on the priorities and objectives of those activities; promote coordination of the related activities of federal departments and agencies; coordinate and develop capabilities and methodologies for data collection, management, and dissemination of information related to those activities from and to other federal departments and agencies; promote information exchange between federal departments and agencies; and review its activities, relevance, and effectiveness 10 years after it is established and report on the results of the review. The Office of Management and Budget must submit a report that displays for each agency that carries out or supports basic and applied research, development, and demonstration activities to advance energy-water nexus-related science and technologies: (1) the budget proposed in the President's budget request for the upcoming fiscal year, (2) expenditures and obligations for the prior fiscal year, and (3) estimated expenditures and obligations for the current fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2015
John Rainey Memorial Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem equine (horses and other members of the equidae family) parts to be an unsafe food additive or animal drug. Prohibits the knowing sale or transport of equines or equine parts in interstate or foreign commerce for purposes of human consumption.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2015
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend to all domestic corporations, including S corporations, provisions allowing deferral of tax on gain from the sale of employer securities to an S corporation-sponsored employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Directs the Department of the Treasury to establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations. Amends the Small Business Act to define "ESOP business concern" and allow such a concern to continue to qualify for loans, preferences, and other programs under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2015
Supports the designation of May 2015 as National Foster Care Month and recognizes it as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children face in the foster care system.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2015 Amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to: authorize appropriations for such Act for FY2016-FY2020; include as one of the purposes of such Act the support of a trauma-informed continuum of programs to address the needs of at-risk youth and youth who come into contact with the justice system; require states to implement plans to ensure fairness and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the detention of juveniles; enhance requirements for separating juveniles from sight or sound contact with adult lock-ups; terminate, three years after the enactment of this Act, the authority of a court to issue an order detaining juveniles who have not been charged with adult criminal offenses (status offenders) in secure detention or correctional facilities; include the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; require the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to report annually on policies and procedures to eliminate dangerous practices and unreasonable use of restraints in the detention of juveniles and on criteria for identifying evidence-based and promising programs for delinquency prevention; provide for the allocation of grant funding to states based on the most recent census data; expand requirements for state plans for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention to include community-based alternatives to the detention of juveniles in correctional facilities, enhanced mental health and substance abuse screening, and a description of the use of funds for reentry into the community of juveniles after release; require the OJJDP to establish a uniform method of data collection and technology for evaluating data on juvenile recidivism on an annual basis; and provide training and technical assistance to states and local governments for achieving compliance with the requirements of this Act. Amends the Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs Act of 2002 to include mentoring programs in delinquency prevention grant programs. Requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct and report on: (1) a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the performance of the OJJDP; and (2) a comprehensive audit and evaluation of selected grant recipients, including a review of internal controls to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse of funds. Requires the OJJDP to conduct a biennial programmatic and financial review of all grants awarded to states and Indian tribes under this Act to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse by grantees. Requires states, as a condition of receiving juvenile accountability block grants, to provide assurances of compliance with the core requirements of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 applicable to the detention and confinement of juveniles.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2015 This bill reauthorizes through December 31, 2019, provisions requiring the U.S. Postal Service to issue a special postage stamp for first-class mail that costs more than the regular first-class stamp to raise funds for breast cancer research. Agencies receiving these funds from the Postal Service must use them on breast cancer research.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Raise the Wage Act This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $8.00 an hour on January 1, 2016, or, if later, on the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act; (2) $9.00 an hour after one year; (3) $10.00 an hour after two years; (4) $11.00 an hour after three years; (5) $12.00 an hour after four years; and (6) the amount the Secretary of Labor determines (based on increases in the median hourly wage of all employees) after five years, and annually thereafter. The federal minimum wage for tipped employees shall increase to $3.15 an hour for one year on January 1, 2016, or the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act, whichever is later. Subsequent annual adjustments of the wage increase, according to a specified formula, shall ensure that it remains equal to the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees. Employers must notify their employees of the right to retain any received tips. The separate minimum wage requirements for tipped employees shall end, effective one day after the hourly wage established for them under this Act takes effect. The Secretary must publish any increase in the minimum wage in the Federal Register and on the Department of Labor's website 60 days before it takes effect.
United States · United States Congress · 30 April 2015
Expresses support for the designation of the week of May 3 through May 9, 2015, as Public Service Recognition Week. Commends public servants, government employees, and members of the uniformed services for their public service and honors those who have given their lives in service. Calls upon a new generation to consider a career in public service as an honorable profession. Encourages efforts to promote public service careers at all levels of government.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Arbitration Fairness Act of 2015 Declares that no predispute arbitration agreement shall be valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute. Declares, further, that the validity and enforceability of an agreement to arbitrate shall be determined by a court, under federal law, rather than an arbitrator, irrespective of whether the party resisting arbitration challenges the arbitration agreement specifically or in conjunction with other terms of the contract containing such agreement. Exempts from this Act arbitration provisions in a contract between an employer and a labor organization or between labor organizations. Denies to any such arbitration provision, however, the effect of waiving the right of an employee to seek judicial enforcement of a right arising under the U.S. Constitution, a state constitution, a federal or state statute, or related public policy.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require each Medicare participating hospital to implement a hospital-wide staffing plan for nursing services furnished in the hospital. Requires the plan to require that an appropriate number of registered nurses provide direct patient care in each unit and on each shift of the hospital to ensure staffing levels that: (1) address the unique characteristics of the patients and hospital units; and (2) result in the delivery of safe, quality patient care consistent with specified requirements. Requires each participating hospital to establish a hospital nurse staffing committee which shall implement such plan. Specifies civil monetary and other penalties for violation of the requirements of this Act. Sets forth whistleblower protections against discrimination and retaliation involving patients or employees of the hospital for their grievances, complaints, or involvement in investigations relating to such plan.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2015
Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the $1 million limitation on the deductibility of employee compensation, to: (1) extend such limitation to any individual who is a current or former officer, director, or employee of a publicly-held corporation; (2) eliminate the exemption from such limitation for compensation payable on a commission basis or upon the attainment of a performance goal; and (3) make such limitation applicable to all publicly-held corporations that are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission to register securities and provide periodic reports to their investors.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
Truth in Settlements Act of 2015 Sets forth new requirements for the public disclosure of any covered settlement agreement entered into by a federal executive agency. Defines "covered settlement agreement" as a settlement agreement (including a consent decree) that: (1) is entered into by an executive agency, (2) relates to an alleged violation of federal civil or criminal law, and (3) requires the payment of not less than $1 million by one or more non-federal persons (entities not within the federal government). Requires the head of each executive agency to make publicly available on the agency website a list of each covered settlement agreement entered into by the agency, which shall include: (1) the names of the parties to the settlement agreement and the date of such agreement; (2) a description of the claims that were settled under the agreement; (3) the amount each party to the agreement is obligated to pay under the terms of the agreement and the total amounts required to be paid; and (4) for each settling party, the amount the settling party is obligated to pay that has been expressly specified as a civil penalty or fine and as not deductible for tax purposes. Requires: (1) such information to remain publicly available for not less than 5 years, beginning on the date of the agreement; and (2) a copy of a covered settlement agreement to remain publicly available for a period of not less than 1 year, beginning on the date of the agreement, or for not less than 5 years for an agreement under which a non-federal person is required to pay not less than $50 million. Limits the disclosure of provisions of a covered settlement agreement that are subject to a confidentiality agreement. Requires the issuer of securities subject to reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to describe in required reports any claim of a tax deduction relating to a payment under a covered settlement agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act Directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to publish a national strategy to significantly increase the role of volunteers and partners in trail maintenance. Requires the strategy to: (1) augment and support the capabilities of federal employees to carry out or contribute to trail maintenance; (2) provide opportunities for volunteers and partners to carry out trail maintenance in each region of the Forest Service; (3) address the barriers to increased volunteerism and partnerships; (4) prioritize increased volunteerism and partnerships in those regions with the most severe trail maintenance needs, and where backlogs are jeopardizing access to national forest lands; and (5) aim to increase trail maintenance by volunteers and partners by 100% within 5 years. Directs USDA to study opportunities to improve trail maintenance by addressing opportunities to use fire crews in trail maintenance activities. Deems a volunteer with a partner organization to be considered a federal employee for the purposes of civil claims relating to damage to, or loss of, personal property of a volunteer incident to volunteer services. Sets forth provisions for the selection of priority areas for increased trail maintenance accomplishments. Directs USDA to establish a pilot program to offset all or part of the land use fee for outfitting and guiding permits.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2015 or the PAST Act This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to establish a new system for inspecting horses for soring, revise penalties for violations of the Act, and modify enforcement procedures. The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions to detect and diagnose sore horses. A license may not be issued to a person with conflicts of interest, and USDA must give preference to veterinarians. USDA may revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. USDA must assign licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. An inspector must issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of violations. USDA must publish information on violations of this bill and disqualify a horse that is sore. The bill prohibits a person in any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning the horse. The bill prohibits the use of specified devices on a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse at a show, exhibition, sale, or auction. The bill increases the maximum criminal and civil liability penalties for certain violations. USDA may disqualify violators from specified activities related to horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2015
National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2015 Establishes the National Criminal Justice Commission. Directs the Commission to: (1) undertake a comprehensive review of all areas of the criminal justice system, including federal, state, local, and tribal governments' criminal justice costs, practices, and policies; (2) submit to the President and Congress recommendations for changes in federal oversight, policies, practices, and laws designed to prevent, deter, and reduce crime and violence, reduce recidivism, improve cost-effectiveness, and ensure the interests of justice at every step of the criminal justice system; and (3) disseminate to the federal government and to state, local, and tribal governments a report that details its findings and supplemental guidance regarding the criminal justice system at all levels of government. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Commission should work toward unanimously supported findings and supplemental guidance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Benefits) of the Social Security Act to direct the Social Security Administration (SSA) to: (1) provide information on all deceased individuals that is furnished to or maintained by SSA, subject to appropriate safeguards against unauthorized use or disclosure, to federal or state agencies providing benefits or administering a federal program; and (2) provide for the use of such information by federal agencies to operate the Do Not Pay working system and to carry out tax administration or debt collection duties. Directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to analyze and report to Congress on potential alternative sources of death data maintained by non-federal sources. Amends the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012 to require the OMB to: (1) issue guidance to agencies that operate or maintain a database of information relating to beneficiaries, annuity recipients, or other purposes for which improved data matching with databases would be relevant and necessary; (2) develop a plan to assist states and local agencies, and Indian Tribes and tribal organizations, to provide information, in an electronic format, to the federal government on the deaths of individuals; and (3) submit to Congress a plan to improve data matching with the federal government on the death of individuals who are benefit recipients and an annual report on the implementation of such requirements. Directs the SSA to submit a plan to ensure the accuracy and completeness of death data of individuals who are not eligible for or receiving social security benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Condemns the government of Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. Calls on the government of Iran to release the 7 imprisoned Baha'i leaders, the 12 imprisoned Baha'i educators, and all other prisoners held on account of their religion. Urges the President and the Secretary of State to utilize available authorities, including the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, to impose sanctions on officials of the government of Iran and other individuals directly responsible for serious human rights abuses, including abuses against the Baha'i community.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2015 Expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill on active duty prior to September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001). Expands services to caregivers of veterans under such program to include child care services, financial planning services, and legal services. Terminates the support program for caregivers of covered veterans on October 1, 2020, except that any caregiver activities carried out on September 30, 2020, shall be continued on and after October 1, 2020. Authorizes the transfer of entitlement to post 9/11 education assistance to family members by veterans who are retired for a physical disability or who are seriously injured veterans in need of family caregiver services, without regard to length-of-service requirements. Authorizes the VA Secretary to pay monthly special compensation to seriously injured or ill veterans in need of personal care services and to their caregivers. Authorizes flexible work schedules or telework for federal employees who are caregivers of veterans. Amends the Public Health Service Act to designate a veteran participating in the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers as an adult with a special need for purposes of the lifespan respite care program. Establishes in the executive branch an interagency working group to review and report on policies relating to the caregivers of veterans and members of the Armed Forces. Directs the Secretary to provide for studies on members of the Armed Forces who commenced service after September 11, 2001, and veterans who have incurred a serious injury or illness, including a mental health injury, and their caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Medicare Drug Savings Act of 2015 Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to require drug manufacturers to pay the Secretary of Health and Human Services drug rebates for rebate eligible (low-income) individuals. Excludes from Medicare coverage as a part D drug any drug or biological manufactured by a manufacturer that has not entered into and have in effect a rebate agreement with the Secretary. Requires a rebate agreement to require a drug or biological manufacturer to provide to the Secretary a rebate, determined according to a specified formula, for each rebate period ending after December 31, 2015, for any covered Medicare part D drug dispensed after that date to any rebate eligible individual for which payment was made by a prescription drug plan sponsor or MedicareAdvantage organization for such period. Specifies a formula for determination of Medicaid rebate amounts for such drugs or biologicals. Amends SSAct title XIX (Medicaid) to exclude any amounts paid under a rebate agreement from the determination of best price and average manufacturer price under the Medicaid program.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
National Scenic Trails Parity Act Amends the National Trails System Act to require the North Country, Ice Age, and New England National Scenic Trails to be administered as units of the National Park System.
United States · United States Congress · 23 April 2015
Complete America's Great Trails Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for the fair market value of any National Scenic Trail conservation contribution. Requires the Department of the Interior to study and report on the efficacy of such tax credit in completing, extending, and increasing the number of National Scenic Trails and the feasibility and cost of making such credit refundable and transferable.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2015
End Racial Profiling Act of 2015 Prohibits any law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. Grants the United States or an individual injured by racial profiling the right to obtain declaratory or injunctive relief. Requires federal law enforcement agencies to maintain adequate policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling and to cease existing practices that permit racial profiling. Requires state or local governmental entities or state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies that apply for grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and the Cops on the Beat Program to certify that they maintain adequate policies and procedures for eliminating racial profiling and have eliminated any existing practices that permit or encourage racial profiling. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants and contracts for the collection of data relating to racial profiling and for the development of best practices and systems to eliminate racial profiling. Requires the Attorney General to issue regulations for the collection and compilation of data on racial profiling and for the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2015
Agricultural Export Expansion Act of 2015 This bill amends the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 to permit a person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to provide payment or financing for sales of agricultural commodities to Cuba or to an individual or entity in Cuba.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2015
Invest in American Jobs Act of 2015 Revises Buy American requirements with respect to federal-aid highways, capital investment grants to support intercity passenger rail service (rail grants), and Amtrak, particularly the handling of waiver requests. Revises similar Buy American requirements with respect to public transportation, particularly rolling stock. Requires the cost of rolling stock components and subcomponents produced in the United States to increase from 60% in FY2015 by 10% annual increments up to 100% for FY2019 and ensuing fiscal years. Revises waiver requirements as well to mirror those for federal-aid highways. Applies the rail grant Buy American requirements under this Act to recipients of rail loans and loan guarantees with respect to railroad rehabilitation and improvement. Prescribes Buy American requirements for procurement of a facility or equipment under federal aviation programs similar to those for rolling stock. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to report annually to Congress on: (1) each project for which a waiver of Buy American requirements was issued; and (2) the country of origin and product specifications for steel, iron, or manufactured goods acquired pursuant to each waiver. Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to prescribe Buy American requirements for steel, iron, and manufactured goods used in the construction of a public water system. Adds similar Buy American requirements to the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, with respect to economic development programs, and to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, with respect to the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Amends the Truman-Hobbs Act to prescribe Buy American requirements for steel, iron, and manufactured goods used in the alteration of a bridge over U.S. navigable waters.
United States · United States Congress · 21 April 2015
Expresses support for efforts to: ensure that all students have access to debt-free higher education upon graduation from public institutions of higher education; provide support to states to make increased investments in higher education that will result in lower tuition and costs for students; increase financial aid to help students afford attending college without taking on debt; encourage innovation by states and institutions of higher education to cut costs for students and make college more affordable by increasing efficiency and enabling speedy and less-costly degree completion; and reduce the burden of existing student loan debt.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2015
Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to: (1) make permanent the reduction in the income threshold (from $10,000 to $3,000) for determining the refundable portion of the child tax credit, (2) eliminate the inflation adjustment to such amount, and (3) allow an annual inflation adjustment after 2014 to the $1,000 maximum credit amount and the adjusted gross income threshold amounts used to reduce the allowable amount of such credit. Modifies the earned income tax credit to: (1) make permanent the increase in the rate of such credit for taxpayers with three or more children, (2) increase the credit for taxpayers with no qualifying children, (3) reduce from 25 to 21 the qualifying age for such credit, (4) revise eligibility rules relating to married individuals living apart and qualifying children claimed by another family member, and (5) repeal the denial of such credit for taxpayers with excess investment income.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2015 Establishes in the executive branch a Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. Directs the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of the data inventory, data infrastructure, and statistical protocols related to federal policymaking and the statistical and programmatic agencies responsible for maintaining that data to: determine the optimal arrangement for which administrative data on federal programs and tax expenditures and related data series may be integrated and made available to facilitate program evaluation, continuous improvement, policy-relevant research, and cost-benefit analyses by qualified researchers and institutions; make recommendations on how data infrastructure and protocols should be modified to best fulfill those objectives; and make recommendations on how best to incorporate outcomes measurement, institutionalize randomized controlled trials, and rigorous impact analysis into program design. Requires the Commission to consider if and how to create a clearinghouse for program and survey data. Terminates the Commission not later than 18 months after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
Repeals certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military retired pay or would be entitled to such pay, except for being under 60 years of age. Prohibits recoupment by the Secretary of Defense of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund. Repeals the optional authority of (and instead requires) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member's dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse. Directs the Secretary concerned to restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to a surviving child or children of a member.
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2015
American Royalties Too Act of 2015 Expands copyright owners' exclusive rights, in the case of a work of visual art, to include the right to collect or authorize the collection of a royalty if the work is sold by a person other than the author for at least $5,000 in an auction. Defines "auction" as a public sale of visual art to the highest bidder run by an entity that sold at least $1 million of works of visual art during the previous year. Revises the term "work of visual art" to make requirements for photographs consistent with requirements for paintings, drawings, and prints. (Currently, a photograph must be a still photographic image produced for exhibition purposes only.) Limits the amount of such a royalty to the lesser of: (1) 5% of the purchase price; or (2) $35,000, subject to cost-of-living adjustments. Directs entities conducting such auctions to collect and pay the royalties to a visual artists' copyright collecting society. Requires the collecting society, at least four times each year, to distribute the appropriate royalties (minus administrative expenses) to authors or successor copyright owners. Requires an author of a work of visual art, in order to be eligible to receive such a royalty, to: (1) be a citizen of, or domiciled in, the United States or a country that provides resale royalty rights; or (2) have first created the work in the United States or a country that provides such royalty rights. Establishes a copyright infringement offense for the failure to pay such a royalty. Subjects infringers to: (1) statutory damages, and (2) liability for the full royalty. Prohibits the sale, assignment, or waiver of the right to collect such a royalty, subject to exceptions for works made for hire and transfers of copyright ownership. Directs the Register of Copyrights to issue regulations governing visual artists' copyright collecting societies.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2015
Grace Period Restoration Act of 2015 Amends federal patent law to revise the one-year grace period under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) that prohibits certain pre-filing disclosures made during the year preceding the effective filing date of a claimed invention from being considered prior art that would make the claim ineligible for a patent based on lack of novelty or obvious subject matter grounds. (A disclosure that is prior art generally means that a patent cannot be issued for a claimed invention because the invention was already patented, described in a printed publication, in public use, on sale, available to the public, or described in an issued patent or a previously filed application.) Prohibits an inventor's or any other person's pre-filing disclosure from barring the patentability of certain claims based on lack of novelty or obvious subject matter grounds if, before such disclosure and within the one-year period before the filing date, the claimed invention was already publicly disclosed in a printed publication by the inventor, a joint inventor, or another who obtained the claimed invention from the inventor or a joint inventor. Allows an inventor who discloses an invention in a printed publication in such a manner in the year before filing a patent claim for the invention to remain entitled to the patent, regardless of any subsequent disclosures by third parties. Excludes certain disclosures from being considered prior art under the revised grace period. Requires the amendments made by this Act to take effect as if enacted as part of the AIA.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2015
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Fund indefinitely and index appropriations to the medical care component of the consumer price index for urban consumers. Makes funding available for: a quality assurance program for services delivered by health care providers, the WTC Program annual report, WTC Health Program Steering Committees, and contracts with Clinical Centers of Excellence. Amends the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to make individuals (or relatives of deceased individuals) who were injured or killed in the rescue and recovery efforts after the aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, eligible for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Allows individuals to file claims for compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 anytime after regulations are updated based on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. Removes the cap on payments under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Adds the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and World Trade Center Health Program Fund to the list of accounts that are not subject to budget sequestration.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2015
Women on the Twenty Act This bill amends the Federal Reserve Act to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to convene a panel of private citizens to advise and make recommendations regarding the likeness of a woman to appear on the face of $20 federal reserve notes. Requires the Secretary and the panel to consider and weigh input from the American people.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to select a VA medical center to serve as the national center for research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of the biological children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces that are related to such exposure. Requires: (1) the Department of Defense (DOD) or the head of a federal agency to make available to the VA for review records held by DOD, an Armed Force, or that federal agency that might assist the VA in making determinations regarding individuals and descendents afflicted with a health condition as a result of such exposure; (2) the VA and DOD or such agency head to jointly establish a mechanism for the availability and review of records by the VA; and (3) the national center to employ at least one licensed clinical social worker to coordinate access of individuals to appropriate social and health care programs and to handle case management. Establishes an Advisory Board to oversee and assess the national center and to advise the VA regarding the center's work. Directs DOD to declassify documents (other than documents that would materially and immediately threaten national security) related to any known incident in which at least 100 members of the Armed Forces were exposed to a toxic substance that resulted in at least one case of an associated disability. Directs the VA to conduct a national outreach and education campaign directed toward members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their family members to communicate information on: (1) incidents of exposure of members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances, health conditions resulting from such exposure, and the potential long-term effects; and (2) the national center. Requires DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services to assist the VA in implementing such campaign.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
Afterschool and Workforce Readiness Act Amends part A (Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund) of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to define a "workforce critical subject" as an academic or career and technical education subject, such as: any subject found in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields; any other subject identified by a state as being critical to the state's current and emerging workforce needs. Requires a state's application for a grant under part A to recruit, train, and retain highly qualified teachers and principals to describe all of the subjects the state identifies as workforce critical subjects. Amends part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers) of title IV of the ESEA to require states that receive a part B allotment to consider, in evaluating subgrant applications, the likelihood that a subgrant applicant's community learning center will help secondary school students achieve career competencies, complete internships or apprenticeships, or participate in work-based learning opportunities. (Subgrants are awarded on a competitive basis to local educational agencies, community-based organizations, and other public or private entities to establish or expand before school, after school, and summer recess community learning center programs.) Authorizes subgrantees to establish community learning center programs that partner with in-demand fields of the local workforce or build career competencies and career readiness.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2015
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that: the Canadian government should not allow a permanent nuclear waste repository to be built within the Great Lakes Basin, the President and the Secretary of State should take appropriate action to work with the Canadian government to prevent a permanent nuclear waste repository from being built there, and the President and the Secretary should work together with their Canadian government counterparts on a safe and responsible solution for the long-term storage of nuclear waste.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2015
Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act of 2015 Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to make permanent the authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund(LWCF). Permits funds deposited into the LWCF to be spent without being subject to the appropriations process. Provides that the funds are in addition to amounts made available by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 or otherwise appropriated from the LWCF. Directs the President to submit to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds provided by this bill. Permits Congress to provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures. Requires at least 1.5% of the annual authorized funds to be used for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.
![Official portrait of Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001230_200.jpg)