United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2014
Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014 - Revises a variety of existing programs to expand access to, and opportunities for, hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. Reauthorizes the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act. Gives the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to permit states to issue temporary electronic duck stamps (federal licenses required for hunting migratory waterfowl). Exempts components of firearms and ammunition and sport fishing equipment and its components (such as lead sinkers) from regulations of chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Increases the proportion of funding from the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act that states may use for public target ranges. Requires the Secretary to issue permits for the importation of polar bear parts taken in sports hunts in Canada before May 15, 2008 (when the species was listed as threatened). Revises standards for determining what a baited area is for purposes of the prohibition on taking migratory game birds. Directs federal public land management officials to facilitate hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on federal public land. Makes land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the Forest Service open for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting unless the managing agency acts to close the lands. Allocates funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for priority projects that secure public access to federal public lands that have significantly restricted access for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2014
Stop Corporate Inversions Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to revise rules for the taxation of inverted corporations (i.e., U.S. corporations that acquire foreign companies to reincorporate in a foreign jurisdiction with income tax rates lower than the United States) to provide that during the period beginning after May 8, 2014, and before May 9, 2016, a foreign corporation that acquires the properties of a U.S. corporation or partnership shall be treated as an inverted corporation and thus subject to U.S. taxation if, after such acquisition: (1) it holds more than 50% of the stock of the new entity (expanded affiliated group), or (2) the management or control of the new entity occurs primarily within the United States and the new entity has significant domestic business activities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2014
Supporting College Success Through Dual Enrollment Act - Directs the Secretary of Education to make matching grants to states to promote moderate- to low-income student participation in dual-enrollment programs. Defines a "dual enrollment program" as a program through which a secondary school student takes courses offered through an institution of higher education (IHE) while enrolled in secondary school for which the student earns both secondary and postsecondary school credit. Allots the grant funds to states based on each participating state's share of residents: (1) aged 5 through 17 who are living below the poverty line, and (2) aged 15 through 44 who are living below the poverty line. Requires grant applicants to assure the Secretary that every local educational agency (LEA) in the state will form a partnership with one or more two-year or four-year degree granting IHEs to coordinate dual enrollment programs under which the IHE: (1) is responsible for administering the dual enrollment program, with the LEA's cooperation; and (2) determines the curriculum, standards, and instructors to be used in the dual enrollment program. Requires states to use the grants to: cover the costs for moderate- to low-income secondary student participation in dual enrollment programs, provide counseling and support services for students and families regarding dual enrollment programs, create credit-bearing or noncredit-bearing courses to ensure that low-income and first generation college students have the skills to succeed in postsecondary education, encourage students and schools in small communities to participate in dual-enrollment programs, or engage in other activities that are approved by the Secretary and promote moderate- to low-income student participation in dual-enrollment programs. Requires states to focus such activities on dual enrollment programs offered through secondary schools that: are in high poverty areas, serve a large number or percentage of students from populations underrepresented in higher education, have a high dropout rate, have a low percentage of graduates who enter postsecondary education, are in an area of the state with low postsecondary education aspiration and attainment rates, or are small schools whose academic offerings are limited by scale. Directs the Secretary to ensure that a student's participation in dual enrollment programs has no negative effect on their eligibility for financial aid under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2014
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 (VA) 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 2014
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Harlan Mathews, a former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on May 13, 2014, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Mathews.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2014
International Violence Against Women Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of State to establish an Office of Global Women's Issues which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. Directs the Ambassador-at-Large to coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender integration and advancing the status of women and girls in U.S. foreign policy. Establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) a Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall direct USAID activities, policies, programs, and funding relating to gender equality and women's empowerment. Directs the Ambassador-at-Large to develop or update annually for six years a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Authorizes the Secretary and the Administrator of USAID to provide assistance to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2014
Social Security and Marriage Equality Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act with respect to the determination of a valid marriage to account for marriages in jurisdictions other than a state. Authorizes the courts of any state to find that an OASDI benefit applicant and an insured individual were validly married in a jurisdiction other than a state at the time the applicant files a benefit application or, if the insured individual is dead, at the time the individual died.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
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 · 6 May 2014
Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program to refinance the unpaid principal, accrued unpaid interest, and late charges on: (1) the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (DLs) of qualified borrowers if the DLs were first disbursed or (in the case of Direct Consolidation Loans) applied for before July 1, 2013, and (2) the Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) of qualified borrowers as DLs. (FFELs were not disbursed after June 30, 2010.) Refinances the FFELs as Federal Direct Stafford, Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, or Consolidated Loans depending on the categorization of the FFEL as a Stafford, Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, or Consolidated Loan. Sets the interest rate on the refinanced loans, other than the Federal Direct Consolidation Loans, at the rate for the 12 months beginning on July 1, 2013, applicable to the DL's categorization and, in the case of Stafford Loans, applicable to a loan issued to an undergraduate student or a loan issued to a graduate student. Sets the interest on refinanced Consolidation Loans at the rate on Federal Direct PLUS Loans for the 12-month period beginning on July 1, 2013. Fixes the interest rate on such loans for the period of such loans. Directs the Secretary to establish eligibility requirements based on a borrower's income or debt-to-income ratio that take into consideration providing access to refinancing for borrowers with the greatest financial need. Imposes an administrative fee on the borrowers of such reissued loans that is based on the unpaid principal, and accrued unpaid interest and late charges, of their original loan. Requires the Secretary to establish a program to refinance the unpaid principal, accrued unpaid interest, and late charges on private education loans as Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loans if the private education loans were first disbursed to qualified borrowers before July 1, 2013, and were for their own postsecondary educational expenses. Sets the interest rate on Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loans at the rate applicable for the 12 months beginning on July 1, 2013, to: (1) Direct Stafford and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans issued to undergraduates if the private education loan was issued for undergraduate expenses, (2) Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans issued to graduate or professional students if the private education loan was issued for graduate or professional studies, or (3) Direct PLUS Loans if the private education loan was issued for undergraduate and graduate or professional studies. Fixes the interest rate on such loans for the period of such loans. Directs the Secretary to establish eligibility requirements based on a borrower's income or debt-to-income ratio that take into consideration providing access to refinancing for borrowers with the greatest financial need. Requires qualified borrowers of such loans to undergo loan counseling before their private education loan is refinanced. Imposes an origination fee on the borrowers of Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loans. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require an individual taxpayer whose adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million to pay a minimum tax rate of 30% of the excess of the taxpayer's adjusted gross income over the taxpayer's modified charitable contribution deduction for the taxable year (tentative fair share tax). Establishes the amount of such tax as the excess (if any) of the tentative fair share tax over the excess of: (1) the sum of the taxpayer's regular tax liability, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) amount, and the payroll tax for the taxable year; over (2) certain tax credits. Provides for a phase-in of such tax. Requires an inflation adjustment to the $1 million income threshold for taxable years beginning after 2015. Requires the Secretary to terminate this Act's refinancing programs when the net cost of carrying out the programs is equal to the Secretary's estimate of the amount of additional revenue generated during the 10-year period beginning on the date of this Act's enactment due to the fair share tax.
United States · United States Congress · 6 May 2014
Peace Corps Equity Act of 2014 - Amends the Peace Corps Act to subject abortion service coverage by the Peace Corps for volunteers to the same limitations that apply to Peace Corps employees regarding coverage of abortion services. States that such restriction shall not be construed to limit medical evacuation coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2014
Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act of 2014 - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act concerning establishment of minimum leverage and minimum risk-based capital requirements on a consolidated basis for a depository institution holding company or a nonbank financial company supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. States that federal banking agencies shall not be required to subject any person to such minimum capital requirements, to the extent that such person either: (1) acts in its capacity as a regulated insurance entity regulated by a state insurance regulator, or (2) is a regulated foreign subsidiary engaged in the business of insurance (including a regulated foreign affiliate of such subsidiary). Exempts from any requirement to prepare holding company financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles any Board-supervised depository institution holding company or nonbank financial company that is also a person regulated by a state insurance regulator or a regulated foreign subsidiary (or a regulated foreign affiliate) that files its holding company financial statements using only Statutory Accounting Principles in accordance with state law.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2014 - Amends the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 to extend the Terrorism Insurance Program through December 31, 2021. Decreases the federal share of the compensation for insured losses of an insurer during each Program year after enactment of this Act by 1% until that share equals 80% of that portion of the amount of such insured losses that exceeds the applicable insurer deductible for such Program year. Increases the insurance marketplace aggregate retention amount under such Program (currently $27.5 billion) by $2 billion per calendar year after enactment of this Act until such amount equals $37.5 billion.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014 - Amends the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (TPA) to revise qualifications requirements for members of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Travel Promotion. Revises requirements for the Corporation's annual report to the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to require a description of and rationales for: (1) the Corporation's efforts to focus on specific countries and populations, and (2) its combination of media channels employed in meeting the promotional objectives of its marketing campaign. Directs the Corporation and the Secretary (or their designees) to meet biannually to review procedures to determine the fair market value of goods and services received by the Corporation from non-federal sources. Reduces from 80% to 75% the percentage of the fair market value of those goods and services the Corporation may receive from non-federal sources each fiscal year, increasing from 20% to 25% the federal matching rate. Includes U.S. territories among the states and the District of Columbia whose benefit the Corporation's international travel promotion plan must ensure. Extends the TPA and the Corporation through FY2020. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend through FY2020 also the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to charge a fee for use of the electronic travel authorization system to determine, in advance, an alien's eligibility to travel to the United States. Amends the TPA to require the Corporation to establish performance metrics to: (1) measure the impact of its marketing efforts, and (2) demonstrate any cost or benefit to the U.S. economy. Requires the Corporation to report to Congress actions it has taken in response to any recommendations the Government Accountability Office (GAO) might make to it. Requires the Corporation to: (1) establish a competitive procurement process, and (2) certify in its annual report to Congress that any contracts it has entered into were in compliance with that process.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2014
Minimum Wage Fairness Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $8.20 an hour beginning on the first day of the sixth month after the enactment of this Act, (2) $9.15 an hour beginning one year after the date of such initial increase, (3) $10.10 an hour beginning two years after such date, and (4) the amount determined by the Secretary of Labor (based on increases in the Consumer Price Index) beginning three years after such date and annually thereafter. Increases the federal minimum wage for tipped employees to $3.00 an hour for one year beginning on the first day of the sixth month after the enactment of this Act. Provides a formula for subsequent annual adjustments of the minimum wage for tipped employees until it equals 70% of the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees. Directs the Secretary of Labor, 60 days before any increase in the minimum wage, to publish it in the Federal Register and on the Department of Labor's website. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through taxable years beginning before 2017: (1) the increase to $500,000 of the expensing allowance for business assets, including computer software; and (2) the treatment of qualified real property (i.e., leasehold improvement property, restaurant property, and retail improvement property) as depreciable business property.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Paycheck Fairness Act - Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Makes such defense inapplicable where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner [ sic ] of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2014
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 123 South 9th Street in De Pere, Wisconsin, as the "Corporal Justin D. Ross Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2014
Declares that the Senate: (1) has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Jeremiah Andrew Denton, Jr., former Member of the Senate; (2) honors the legacy and service of the former Senator and retired Rear Admiral for his life of loyalty, duty, integrity, and moral sincerity; (3) extends its deepest condolences and sympathy to his family and friends who have lost an inspiring leader and confidant; (4) honors the dauntless valor of Senator Denton, beloved son of Alabama, for his dedication and life of selfless service to the people of the United States; (5) recognizes that Senator Denton was a champion for humanitarian aid and international assistance programs through his legislative work and initiatives; (6) reiterates his resolute character as a paragon of bravery who lived a life of honor guided by his values and commitment to the defense of the United States; and (7) expresses admiration and profound respect for his legacy as a truly courageous and inspirational leader. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on March 31, 2014, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect for the memory of Senator Denton.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2014 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each institution of higher education (IHE) participating in a title IV program (except a foreign school) to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment that includes: (1) a prohibition of harassment of students by other students, faculty, and staff; (2) a description of its programs to prevent harassment; (3) a description of the procedures that students should follow if harassment occurs; and (4) a description of the procedures it will follow once an incident of harassment has been reported. Defines "harassment" to include 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. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive 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; and (3) train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs. Directs the Secretary to publish a report of best practices for combating harassment at IHEs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2014
Acknowledges that section 3 of the Expatriation Act of 1907 (revoking the U.S. citizenship of women who married foreign nationals) is incompatible with and antithetical to the core principle that all persons, regardless of gender, race, religion, or ethnicity are created equal. Expresses sympathy and regret to the descendants of individuals whose citizenship was revoked, who suffered injustice and inequality, and who were deprived of constitutional protections accorded to all U.S. citizens. Reaffirms the commitment to preserving civil rights and constitutional protections for all people of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 26 March 2014
21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow married taxpayers with at least one qualifying child under the age of 12 an income-based tax deduction equal to 20% of the lesser of $60,000 or the earned income of the spouse with the lower amount of earned income; (2) increase the amount of the earned income tax credit for taxpayers with no qualifying children; (3) increase the penalty for tax return preparers who fail to comply with due diligence requirements for determining eligibility for the earned income tax credit; (4) extend the limitation on the tax deduction for employee remuneration to current or former officers, directors, or employees of a publicly-held corporation; and (5) include in subpart F income (income of controlled foreign corporations the tax on which may not be deferred) low-taxed cross-border income (gross income of a controlled foreign corporation except income that was derived in the home country of such corporation or was subject to an effective rate of income tax imposed by a foreign country in excess of 15%).
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2014
Commonsense Medicare SGR Repeal and Beneficiary Access Improvement Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) end and remove sustainable growth rate (SGR) methodology from the determination of annual conversion factors in the formula for payment for physicians' services; (2) freeze the update to the single conversion factor at 0.5% for 2014 through 2018 and at 0.00% for 2019 through 2023, and (3) establish an update of 1% for health professionals participating in alternative payment models (APMs) and an update of 0.5% for all other health professionals after 2023. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to report to Congress on the relationship between: (1) physician and other health professional utilization and expenditures (and their rate of increase) of items and services for which Medicare payment is made, and (2) total utilization and expenditures (and their rate of increase) under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance), B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), and D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program). Requires a separate report on the 2014-2018 update to physicians' services under Medicare Revises and consolidates components of the three specified existing performance incentive programs into a merit-based incentive payment (MIP) system the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is directed to establish, under which MIP-eligible professionals (excluding most APM participants) receive annual payment increases or decreases based on their performance. Requires specified incentive payments to eligible APM participants. Directs the Secretary to make available on the Physician Compare website certain information, including information regarding the performance of MIP-eligible professionals. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to evaluate the VBP program. Requires the Secretary to study the application of federal fraud prevention laws related to APMs. Directs the Secretary to draft a plan for development of quality measures to assess professionals, including non-patient-facing professionals. Requires the Secretary to establish new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes for chronic care management services. Directs the Secretary to conduct an education and outreach campaign to inform professionals who furnish items and services under Medicare part B and part B enrollees of the benefits of chronic care management services. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) collect and use information on the resources directly or indirectly related to physicians' services in the determination of relative values under the fee schedule; and (2) establish or adjust practice expense relative values using cost, charge, or other data from suppliers or service providers. Revises and expands factors for identification of potentially misvalued codes. Sets an annual target for relative value adjustments for misvalued services. Phases-in significant relative value unit (RVU) reductions. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to promote the use of appropriate use evidence-based criteria for applicable imaging services furnished in an applicable setting by ordering professionals and furnishing professionals. Expands the kinds of uses of Medicare data available to qualified entities for quality improvement activities. Directs the Secretary to provide Medicare data to qualified clinical data registries to facilitate quality improvement or patient safety. Allows continuing renewals of any two-year period for which a physician or practitioner opts out of the Medicare claims process under a private contract with a beneficiary. Declares it a national objective to achieve widespread exchange of health information through interoperable certified electronic health records (EHR) technology nationwide by December 31, 2017. Directs the Secretary to establish related metrics. Requires meaningful EHR professionals and hospitals to demonstrate that they have not knowingly and willfully taken any action to limit or restrict the compatibility or interoperability of the certified EHR technology. Directs GAO to study specified telehealth and remote patient monitoring services. Modifies extensions and other requirements pertaining to the work geographic adjustment as well as Medicare payment for therapy services and ambulance services. Revises requirements for: (1) the Medicare-dependent hospital (MDH) program, (2) the Medicare inpatient hospital payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals, as well as (3) specialized Medicare Advantage (MA) plans for special needs individuals. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to extend the qualifying individual (QI) program, the transitional medical assistance (TMA) program, and express lane program eligibility. Amends SSA title XI with respect to continue funding for pediatric quality measures. Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend certain special diabetes programs. Extends the abstinence education grant program, the personal responsibility education program, and family-to-family health information centers. Extends the health workforce demonstration project for low-income individuals under SSA title XX. Requires each Medicare administrative contractor to establish an improper payment outreach and education program to give service providers and suppliers information on payment errors with a view to reducing improper Medicare payments. Revises requirements for a Medicaid fraud control unit's authority to investigate and prosecute complaints of abuse and neglect of patients in home and community-based settings. Authorizes the HHS Inspector General to receive and retain 3% of all amounts collected pursuant to civil debt collection and administrative enforcement actions related to false claims or frauds involving the Medicare or Medicaid program. Requires valid prescriber National Provider Identifiers on pharmacy claims against prescription drug plans (PDPs). Directs the Secretary to establish a Commission on Improving Patient Directed Health Care. Expands the definition of inpatient hospital services for certain cancer hospitals. Directs the Secretary to provide for the development of one or more quality measures under Medicare to accurately communicate the existence and provide for the transfer of patient health information and patient care preferences when an individual transitions from a hospital to return home or move to other post-acute care settings. Specifies that the minimum level of supervision with respect to outpatient therapeutic critical access hospital services shall be general supervision unless the Secretary specifies otherwise for a particular service. Requires state licensure of bidding entities under the competitive acquisition program for certain durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). Recognizes attending physician assistants as attending physicians to serve hospice patients under Medicare. Directs the Secretary to conduct remote patient monitoring pilot projects. Requires the Secretary to establish a Community-Based Institutional Special Needs Plan demonstration project to prevent and delay institutionalization under Medicaid among targeted low-income Medicare beneficiaries. Directs the Secretary to implement a strategic plan to increase the usefulness of data about Medicaid programs reported by states to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Includes podiatrists as physicians under the Medicaid program. Modifies Medicare requirements for inclusion of diabetic shoes under medical and other health services. Directs the Secretary to: (1) publish criteria for a clinic to be certified by a state as a certified community behavioral health clinic, (2) award states planning grants to develop proposals to participate in time-limited related demonstration programs, and (3) select states to participate in such programs. Requires the Secretary to report annually to Congress on payment adjustments to disproportionate share hospitals (DSHs) in order to provide Congress with information relevant to determining an appropriate level of overall funding for such adjustments during and after a certain period in which aggregate reductions in DSH allotments to states are required. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) with respect to enforcing discretionary spending limits under a sequestration to specify diminishing maximum levels of budget authority designated for any of FY2016-2021 as emergency requirements for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO)/Global War on Terrorism. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the annual adjustments to the statutory limits on discretionary spending should be reserved for programs and activities in budget functions 050 (National Defense) and 150 (International Affairs) necessary to meet OCO needs, and (2) the requirements for designating OCO funding provided for under that Act should remain fully in effect. Expresses the sense of the Congress that savings from any reductions in annual adjustments to discretionary spending should be reserved for deficit reduction only. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to modify or eliminate any point of order that would otherwise be available against legislation that establishes or modifies any limit or adjustment to a limit on discretionary spending.
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2014
Early Warning Reporting System Improvement Act of 2014 - Revises early warning reporting requirements for manufacturers of motor vehicles regarding possible defects of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to require a manufacturer in cases where the defect has caused a fatality to provide certain additional information as part of its report to the Secretary. Requires that information to be publicly disclosed and entered into the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) early warning reporting database. Directs the Secretary to: (1) take specified actions to improve public accessibility to information on NHTSA's public vehicle safety databases; and (2) give public notice via the internet of all inspections or investigations conducted by the Secretary to enforce a motor vehicle safety requirement or order, or that are related to a motor vehicle accident due to a possible defect.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2014
Fair Employment Protection Act of 2014 - Sets forth employer liability standards to be applied in employee harassment claims under specified provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Revised Statutes, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, employment discrimination laws relating to certain executive branch employees, and the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995. Declares employers under such Acts liable for the acts of any individual whose harassment of an employee has created or continued an unlawful hostile work environment if, at the time of the harassment: (1) such individual was authorized by that employer to undertake or recommend tangible employment actions affecting the employee or to direct the employee's daily work activities, or (2) the negligence of the employer led to the creation or continuation of that hostile work environment (thus modifies the liability standards provided by the Supreme Court in Vance v. Ball State University , which limited the category of supervisors for whom an employer may be held vicariously liable to those individuals who have authority to take tangible employment actions).
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2014
Regenerative Medicine Promotion Act of 2014 - Requires the Comptroller General to submit to Congress a report identifying all ongoing federal programs and activities regarding regenerative medicine. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Regenerative Medicine Coordinating Council, which shall: prepare a national strategy to support research into regenerative medicine and enable the development of drugs, biological products, medical devices, and biomaterials for use in regenerative medicine; develop national goals for regenerative medicine research and product development; prepare a plan specifying priorities for research into regenerative medicine; identify sources of funding for research into regenerative medicine and areas where such funding is inadequate or duplicative; make recommendations regarding federal policies to support development and marketing of regenerative medicine products; develop consensus standards regarding scientific issues critical to regulator approval of regenerative medicine products; and determine the need for establishing centers of excellence or consortia to further advance regenerative medicine. Directs the Council to: (1) adopt procedures to ensure the receipt of public input; and (2) submit an annual report on its activities to Congress, the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs (FDA).
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2014
Public Safety and Economic Security Communications Act of 2014 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require an intermediate provider that offers the capability to transmit certain voice communications and signaling information from one destination to another, and that charges a rate to any other entity (including an affiliated entity) for the transmission, to: (1) register with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and (2) comply with service quality standards to be established by the FCC. Defines "intermediate provider" as any entity that: (1) carries or processes traffic that is generated from the placement of a call from a connection using a North American Numbering Plan resource or a call placed to a connection using such a numbering resource, and (2) does not itself originate or terminate such traffic in the context of the carriage or processing. Prohibits certain long-distance voice service providers (including local exchange carriers, interexchange carriers, commercial mobile radio services, interconnected voice over Internet Protocol [VoIP] services, and certain non-interconnected VoIP services) from using an intermediate provider to transmit voice communications and signals unless the intermediate provider is so registered. Directs the FCC, in promulgating rules for such standards, to: (1) ensure the integrity of the transmission of voice communications to all customers in the United States, (2) prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination among areas of the United States in the delivery of such voice communications, and (3) make a registry of intermediate providers publicly available on the FCC website.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2014
Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through Transportation Act of 2014 or HHEATT Act of 2014 - Declares that a covered emergency exemption from federal motor carrier safety regulations issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shall remain in effect until May 31, 2014, unless the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) determines that the emergency for which the exemption was provided ended before that date. Defines "covered emergency exemption" as one issued or extended between February 5, 2014, and the date of enactment of this Act to effect regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations directly assisting the delivery of propane and home heating fuels. States that nothing in this Act may be construed to prohibit the FMCSA from issuing or extending a covered emergency exemption beyond May 31, 2014.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2014
Two-Midnight Rule Coordination and Improvement Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop appropriate criteria with regard to the two-midnight rule for payment under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for a short inpatient hospital stay. (The two-midnight rule allows Medicare coverage of only hospital stays for which a physician admits to a hospital a beneficiary expected to require care that crosses two midnights, but generally denies coverage of care expected to require less than a two-midnight stay.) Requires the criteria developed by the Secretary to: (1) account for medical necessity and the appropriateness of an inpatient stay that is less than the two-midnight benchmark, and (2) be developed in consultation with interested stakeholders. Directs the Secretary to develop a budget-neutral Medicare payment methodology for hospitals for short inpatient hospital stays. Allows the methodology to be: (1) a reduced payment amount than would otherwise apply to inpatient hospital services if paid for under the Medicare prospective payment schedule, or (2) an alternative payment methodology. Directs the Secretary to develop: (1) general equivalency maps to link the relevant International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10 codes (used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient procedures) to relevant Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, and the relevant CPT codes to relevant ICD-10 codes, in order to permit comparison of inpatient hospital services and hospital outpatient department services; and (2) a second crosswalk between Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes for inpatient hospital services and Ambulatory Payment Class (APC) codes for outpatient hospital services. Prohibits the Secretary from enforcing the two-midnight rule for admissions occurring: (1) before October 1, 2014; and (2) on or after that date until October 1, 2015, or the new two-midnight rule criteria are implemented, if sooner (applicable date). Prohibits a Medicare review contractor from denying a claim for inpatient hospital services furnished by a hospital, or inpatient critical access hospital services furnished by a critical access hospital, on the basis of the two-midnight rule for discharges occurring before the applicable date for: (1) medical necessity due to the length of an inpatient stay in such hospital or due to a determination that the services could have been provided on an outpatient basis; or (2) requirements for orders, certifications, or recertifications, and associated documentation relating to such matters. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to preclude the Secretary from continuing the conduct by Medicare administrative contractors of the Medicare Probe and Educate program for hospital admissions during the delayed enforcement of the two-midnight rule. Prohibits the Secretary from increasing the sample of claims selected for prepayment review under the Medicare Probe and Educate program above the number and type established by the Secretary as of November 4, 2013, such as 10 claims for most hospitals and 25 claims for large hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2014
American Royalties Too Act of 2014 - 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 · 26 February 2014
Recognizes Black History Month as an opportunity to reflect on U.S. history and recognize the contributions of African Americans. Calls for the United States to: (1) honor the contribution of pioneers who helped to ensure its legacy; and (2) move forward as "one Nation . . . indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2014
Critical Access Hospital Relief Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the 96-hour physician certification requirement for inpatient critical access hospital services under which 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 · 24 February 2014
Keeping All Students Safe Act - Requires each state educational agency and local educational agency (LEA) that receives federal funds to prohibit school personnel, contractors, and resource officers from subjecting students to: (1) seclusion, (2) mechanical or chemical restraint, (3) aversive behavioral intervention that compromises student health and safety, or (4) physical restraint that is life-threatening or contraindicated based on the student's health or disability status. Excludes from the definition of "seclusion" time outs that involve the separation of a student from the group, in a non-locked setting, for the purpose of calming. Allows physical restraint only when: (1) the student's behavior poses an immediate danger of serious physical harm to the student or others; (2) the restraint does not interfere with the student's ability to communicate; and (3) the restraint occurs after less restrictive interventions have proven ineffective in stopping the danger, except in certain emergencies when immediate restraint is necessary. Requires school personnel imposing physical restraint to: (1) be trained and certified by a state-approved crisis intervention training program, though others may impose such restraint in certain instances when trained personnel are not immediately available; and (2) engage in continuous face-to-face monitoring of the restrained student. Requires: the parents of a physically restrained student to be notified on the day such restraint occurs; a debriefing session to be held as soon as practicable in which the person who imposed the restraint, the immediate adult witnesses, a school administrator, a school mental health professional, and at least one of the student's family members participate; the affected student to be given an opportunity to discuss the event with a trusted adult who will communicate the student's perspective to the debriefing session group; and the state educational agency, the LEA, local law enforcement, and any protection and advocacy system serving an affected student to be notified within 24 hours of any death or bodily injury that occurs in conjunction with efforts to control a student's behavior. Authorizes a student to file a civil action seeking relief from the use of seclusion or restraint on the student in violation of this Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to states and, through them, competitive subgrants to LEAs to: (1) establish, implement, and enforce policies and procedures to meet this Act's requirements; (2) improve their capacity to collect and analyze data related to physical restraint; and (3) implement school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports. Requires states to allow private school personnel to participate, on an equitable basis, in activities supported by such grants and subgrants.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2014
Ashland Breakwater Light Transfer Act - Adjusts the boundary of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin to include the Ashland Harbor Breakwater Light Addition at the end of the breakwater on Chequamegon Bay, Wisconsin. Declares that Congress does not intend for the designation of that property to create a protective perimeter or buffer zone around its boundary. Permits retention of rights to use a portion of Lakeshore land and facilities by: (1) the Army Corps of Engineers for breakwater maintenance, and (2) the Coast Guard for federal aids to navigation. Directs the National Park Service (NPS), Coast Guard, and Army Corps of Engineers to cooperate in their operations so as to not lower the standards evolved for the operation of NPS units, federal aids to navigation, and harbor maintenance under federal law respecting the Lakeshore. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into agreements with the city of Ashland, the county of Ashland, and the county of Bayfield, Wisconsin, for the purpose of cooperative law enforcement and emergency services within the boundaries of the Lakeshore.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2014
Fair Elections Now Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) with respect to: (1) eligibility and qualifying contribution requirements and benefits of fair elections financing of Senate election campaigns, (2) establishment of a Fair Elections Fund, (3) eligibility for Fund allocations, (4) contribution and expenditure requirements, (5) a public debate requirement, (6) certification of whether or not a federal election candidate is a participating candidate, (7) benefits for participating candidates, (8) 600% matching payments to candidates for certain small dollar contributions, (9) political advertising vouchers, (10) establishment of a Fair Elections Oversight Board, (11) civil penalties for violation of contribution and expenditure requirements, (12) prohibition of joint fundraising committees with any political committee other than a candidate's authorized committee, and (13) an exception to a specified limitation on coordinated expenditures by political party committees with participating candidates for any expenditure from a qualified political party-participating candidate coordinated expenditure fund. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) prohibit the preemption of the use of a broadcasting station by a legally qualified Senate candidate who has purchased and paid for such use, (2) revise Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to revoke licenses for broadcasting stations who fail to provide access to Senate candidates, and (3) revise the formula for determining reduced broadcast rates for participating candidates in certain circumstances. Directs the FCC to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish a standardized form to be used by broadcasting stations to record and report the purchase of advertising time by or on behalf of a candidate for nomination for election, or for election, to federal elective office. Amends FECA to: (1) empower the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to appeal a civil action; (2) require all designations, statements, and reports required to be filed under FECA to be filed directly with the FEC, and in computer-accessible electronic form; and (3) reduce from 48 to 24 hours after their receipt the deadline for the FEC to make designations, statements, reports, or notifications available to the public in the FEC office and on the Internet. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit in the amount of 50% of the qualified My Voice Federal Senate campaign contributions paid or incurred by the taxpayer during the taxable year. Limits such credit to a maximum $50 (twice such amount in the case of a joint return). Prohibits any such credit to any taxpayer who made aggregate contribuitons in excess of $300 during the taxable year to any single federal Senate candidate or to any political committee established and maintained by a national party. Imposes an excise tax on any payment made pursuant to a U.S. government contract to any person that is not a state or local government, a foreign nation, or a tax-exempt organization and that has contracts with the U.S. government in excess of $10 million. Sets the rate of such tax imposed on any payment to a qualified person under any such contract at 0.50% of the amount paid and limits the aggregate annual amount of tax so imposed for any calendar year to not more than $500,000. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the tax revenues raised by this Act should be used for the financing of a Fair Elections Fund and the public financing of Senate elections.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2014
Designates Thursday, February 13, 2014, as $2.13 Day. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the cash wage that an employer is required to pay a tipped employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) should be increased to 70% of the federal minimum wage for a FLSA covered nonexempt employee.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2014
Quality Foster Care Services Act of 2014 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend medical assistance coverage to therapeutic foster care services. Requires a qualified therapeutic foster care program to be state-licensed and provide: (1) foster care children under 21 with structured daily activities, including the development of age-appropriate social, communication and behavioral skills, trauma-informed and gender-responsive services, crisis intervention and crisis support services, medication monitoring, counseling, and case management; and (2) foster care parents with specialized training and consultation in the management of children with mental illness, trauma, other emotional or behavioral disorders, medically fragile conditions, or developmental disabilities, and specific additional training on the needs of each child provided such services.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2014
Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014 - Amends federal veterans provisions to revise or add provisions concerning medical services and other benefits provided to veterans and/or their dependents through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) relating to the following areas: survivor and dependent matters, including benefits for children of certain veterans born with spina bifida; education matters, including the approval of courses for purposes of the All-Volunteer Force and the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance programs; the expansion and extension of certain health care benefits, including immunizations, chiropractic care, treatment for traumatic brain injury, and wellness promotion; health care administration, including extension of the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Program, and complementary and alternative medicine; mental health care, including an education program and peer support program for family members and caregivers of veterans with mental health disorders; dental care eligibility and expansion, including a program of education to promote dental health in veterans; health care related to sexual trauma, including appropriate counseling and treatment and a screening mechanism to detect incidents of domestic abuse; reproductive treatment and services, including fertility counseling as well as adoption assistance for severely wounded veterans; major medical facility leases; veterans' employment training and related services; veterans' employment, including within the federal government and as first responders; career transition services; employment and reemployment rights of members of the Armed Forces after active duty service; small business matters, including contracting and subcontracting participation goals with federal departments and agencies; administrative matters, including regional support centers for Veterans Integrated Service Networks; the revision of claims based on military sexual trauma as well as claims for dependency and indemnity compensation; jurisdictional matters, including with respect to the Board of Veterans' Appeals and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; the revision of certain rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, including protections with respect to the expiration of professional licenses, a prohibition on the denial of credit or the termination of residential leases due to military service, and the temporary protection of surviving spouses under mortgage foreclosures; and outreach and miscellaneous matters, including: (1) repeal of the provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62, and (2) the accounting for discretionary accounts designated for overseas contingency operations/global war on terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2014
Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2014 or NEWS Act of 2014 - Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish either Committee on Energy-Water Nexus for Sustainability or the Subcommittee on Energy-Water Nexus for Sustainability under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), co-chaired by the Secretary of Energy (DOE) and Secretary of the Interior. Defines "energy-water nexus" as the link between: (1) energy efficiency and the quantity of water needed to produce fuels and energy; and (2) the quantity of energy needed to transport, reclaim, and treat water. Requires the Committee or Subcommittee to: (1) serve as a forum for developing common federal goals and plans on energy-water nexus issues; (2) promote coordination of the related activities of all federal departments and agencies; (3) coordinate and develop capabilities for data collection, categorization, and dissemination of data from and to other federal departments and agencies; and (4) engage in information exchange between federal departments and agencies. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), by 30 days after the President submits the budget of the U.S. Government each year, to submit to specified congressional committees an interagency budget crosscut report that: (1) displays the budget proposed, including any interagency or intra-agency transfer, for each of the federal agencies that carry out energy-water nexus projects for the upcoming fiscal year; (2) identifies all federal and state expenditures since 2011 on energy-water nexus projects; and (3) lists all energy-water nexus projects to be undertaken in the upcoming fiscal year, with the federal portion of funds for those projects.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2014
Recognizes January 2014 as National Blood Donor Month. Acknowledges the important role of volunteer blood donors in protecting the health and emergency preparedness security of the United States. Recognizes the need to promote a safe, stable blood supply and to increase volunteer participation of blood donors. Endorses efforts to update blood donation policies in a safe and scientifically sound manner. Recognizes the roles of America's Blood Centers, AABB, and the American Red Cross in ensuring the safety of the blood supply and delivering lifesaving blood and blood products to health providers and patients.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2014
Repeals a provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Native Language Immersion Student Achievement Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to schools and private or tribal nonprofit organizations to develop and maintain, or improve and expand, programs that support the use by schools, from the prekindergarten through postsecondary level, of Native American languages as their primary language of instruction. Requires grant applicants to present the Secretary with specified assurances and demonstrations that the schools they will support have the capacity to provide education primarily through a Native American language. Requires grantees to: support Native American language education and development; develop or refine instructional curricula for the schools they support, including distinctive teaching materials and activities; fund training opportunities for school staff that strengthen the overall language and academic goals of their schools; and engage in other activities that promote Native American language education and development.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Restore Honor to Service Members Act - Requires appropriate military record correction boards or discharge review boards to review the discharge characterization of any former members of the Armed Forces requesting a review who were discharged because of their sexual orientation. Permits such boards to change a characterization to honorable if such characterization is any characterization except honorable. Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to ensure that any such changes are carried out consistently and uniformly across the military departments using specified criteria, including that: (1) the original discharge was based on the policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell (as in effect before it was repealed pursuant to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010) or a similar earlier policy; and (2) the discharge characterization will be changed if, with respect to the original discharge, there were no aggravating circumstances, such as misconduct, that would have independently led to any discharge characterization except honorable. Prohibits "aggravating circumstances" from including: (1) an offense of sodomy committed by the member against a consenting person of the same sex; or (2) statements, consensual sexual conduct, or consensual acts relating to sexual orientation or identity, or the disclosure of such statements, conduct, or acts, that were prohibited at the time of discharge but that became permitted after such discharge. Directs the Secretary of each military department to ensure that oral historians of the department: (1) review discharges between World War II and September 2011 based on sexual orientation, and (2) receive oral testimony of individuals who personally experienced discrimination and discharge because of actual or perceived sexual orientation so that such testimony may serve as an official record of such discriminatory policies and their impact on American lives. Requires the reissuance of specified military personnel records and discharge forms in a manner that shall not reflect the sexual orientation of the member.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Grants for Renewable Energy Education for the Nation Act or GREEN Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants to partnerships of local educational agencies (LEAs), postsecondary institutions, and clean and renewable energy industry representatives to develop programs of study focused on emerging careers and jobs in the fields of clean and renewable energy. Requires a priority be given to grant applications that: (1) use online learning or other innovative methods to deliver a program of study to individuals outside the partnership, and (2) focus on low-performing students and special populations. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive grants to LEAs and postsecondary institutions to promote development of career and technical educational facilities that are energy efficient and use renewable energy practices.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2014
Designates January 2014 as National Mentoring Month. Recognizes those who are already serving as mentors and encourages others to volunteer as mentors. Expresses support for: (1) the goals of mentoring to increase educational achievement, reduce juvenile delinquency, and improve life outcomes for mentees; and (2) the creation and expansion of quality mentoring programs across the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2013 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), with regard to sequestration adjustments, to require any adjustments in enacted appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior for a fiscal year, to be the amount of additional new budget authority provided for wildfire suppression operations in the appropriations Act, but not to exceed $2.689 billion in such authority in each of FY2014-FY2021. Defines "additional new budget authority" as the amount specified in an appropriations Act for a fiscal year to pay for wildfire suppression operations, but only to the extent such authority exceeds 70% of the average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years. Prescribes requirements for any request by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture for supplemental appropriations necessary for wildfire suppression operations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2013
Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013 - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a single congressional gold medal in commemoration of the Monuments Men (men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives [MFA] Section under the Allied Armies during World War II) in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following the War. Requires the Medal's display at the Smithsonian Institution. Expresses the sense of Congress that the medal should be made available for display elsewhere, particularly at locations associated with the Monuments Men and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Permits the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2013
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before April 1, 2014. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until March 31, 2014, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and September 30, 2014, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to March 31, 2014, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through the first quarter of FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through March 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits. Makes a change in application of a certain requirement (nonreduction rule) to a state that has entered a federal-state EUC agreement, under which the federal government would reimburse the state's unemployment compensation agency making EUC payments to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment compensation under state or federal law and meet specified other criteria. (Under the nonreduction rule such an agreement does not apply with respect to a state whose method for computing regular unemployment compensation under state law has been modified to make the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010, less than what would have been paid before June 2, 2010.) Declares that the nonreduction rule shall not apply to a state which has enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. Allows a state whose agreement was terminated, however, to enter into a subsequent federal-state EUC agreement on or after enactment of this Act if, taking into account this inapplicability of the nonreduction rule, it would otherwise meet the requirements for an EUC agreement. (Thus allows such a subsequent EUC agreement to permit payment of less than the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2013
Military Retirement Restoration Act - Repeals the provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces under age 62. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat a foreign corporation managed and controlled, directly or indirectly, primarily in the United States as a domestic corporation for U.S. tax purposes if the stock of such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market or the aggregate gross assets of such corporation during the taxable year or any preceding taxable year is $50 million or more.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2013
Equal Employment for All Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit a current or prospective employer from using a consumer report or an investigative consumer report, or from causing one to be procured, for either employment purposes or for making an adverse action, if the report contains information that bears upon the consumer's creditworthiness, credit standing, or credit capacity. Makes exceptions to such prohibition when: (1) the consumer applies for, or currently holds, employment that requires a national security clearance; or (2) a consumer report is otherwise required by law.
![Official portrait of Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001230_200.jpg)