United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2016
No Ransom Payments Act of 2016 This bill prohibits the President from paying final judgments, awards, or compromise settlements to Iran using specified Department of Treasury funds (specified funds) until the President certifies that: (1) Iran has returned any money from such funds paid to it by the United States after January 1, 2016, (2) Iran has satisfied all outstanding judgments against it awarded to U.S. plaintiffs by U.S. courts, and (3) individuals taken hostage and held for 444 days following the U.S. Embassy seizure in Iran on November 4, 1979, have been compensated from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. The President must certify before providing or authorizing payment of any funds to Iran that: (1) the funds will not be used to support international terrorism, and (2) Iran or Iran-supported groups are not unjustly detaining U.S. citizens. The President, within 60 days after enactment of this bill, shall impose property transaction and U.S. entry sanctions against any Iranian person: involved in the kidnapping or unjust detention of a U.S. citizen on or after March 9, 2007; that engages, or attempts to engage, in an activity or transaction that materially contributes to such kidnapping or unjust detentions; and owned or controlled by such a person, acting on behalf of such a person, or providing support for such a person. The Director of National Intelligence shall report within 60 days on whether funds paid to Iran by the United States after January 1, 2016, have been used by Iran to support international terrorism. The President and U.S. government officers shall not: make a payment to a government or person to secure the release of unjustly detained U.S. citizens (a payment to assist arrested U.S. citizens is excluded from such prohibition), or use specified funds to make any payment to a state sponsor of acts of international terrorism (a specific payment or a specific payee is excluded from such prohibition if Congress has passed a joint resolution waiving the application of such prohibition).
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Indian Community Economic Enhancement Act of 2016 This bill amends the Native American Business Development, Trade Promotion, and Tourism Act of 2000 to establish duties for the Office of Native American Business Development (ONABD), including: (1) advising the Department of Commerce regarding the relationship between the United States and Indian tribes; and (2) serving as the point of contact for tribes, tribal organizations, and members of tribes regarding economic development. The ONABD, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund must coordinate to support economic development in Native American communities. CDFI Fund assistance for Native American communities provided through certain entities does not require matching funds. For purposes of financing and economic or community development, the essential governmental functions of a tribe are the same as those of a state or local government with general taxing authority. The bill establishes the Indian Economic Development Fund to provide credit subsidies for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) loan guarantee program and for certain community development financial institutions. This bill amends the Buy Indian Act, including to require the Department of Health and Human Services to use Native American labor and purchase Native American products. This bill amends the Indian Trader Act to permit the BIA, under specified conditions, to waive the requirement for persons to be licensed to engage in trade with a tribe. This bill amends the Native American Programs Act of 1974 to permit the BIA to provide financial assistance to certain community development financial institutions for Native American projects.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Condemns the attack on police officers that occurred in Dallas, Texas, on July 7, 2016. Expresses the belief that an attack upon a police officer is an affront to the rule of law and the promise of justice, domestic tranquility, common defense, and general welfare and the blessings of liberty secured by the Constitution. Offers condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were killed and expresses hope for the quick and complete recovery of those who were wounded. Applauds the bravery and dedication of the law enforcement officials, emergency medical responders, and others who offered their support and assistance. Declares that the Senate stands united against violence and hatred and in support of the police officers who work to keep the country safe.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2016
Aligning Children's Dental Coverage Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to ease restrictions on health insurance plans without pediatric dental benefits (an essential health benefit) to allow such insurance to be offered in any service area where a dental plan in the individual or small group market provides pediatric dental benefits, even if the dental plan is not offered on the health insurance exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Consumer Financial Protection Board Act of 2016 This bill amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 by requiring the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to be managed by a board of directors instead of a director and deputy director.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Back the Blue Act of 2016 This bill amends the federal criminal code by establishing mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in prison for offenders who kill, or attempt or conspire to kill, current or former U.S. judges and federal law enforcement officers. Offenders are subject to 30 years in prison or the death penalty if death results. Additionally, the bill makes it illegal to kill, or attempt or conspire to kill, current or former public safety officers or judicial officers who work for state or local governments that are federally funded if the officers were engaged in official duties or targeted on account of their duties. The penalties for crimes against federal officials are also applied for crimes against federally funded public safety officers. The bill: (1) makes it a crime to assault an individual involved in crime and juvenile delinquency control or reduction, or enforcement of the laws of states; and (2) increases penalties based on the degree of bodily injury caused by the assault and the type of weapon used. A new federal crime is established for fleeing authorities to avoid prosecution, custody, or confinement after conviction for a killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill, a federal judge or law enforcement officer, or a federally funded public safety officer. The bill expands the authority of federal and state law enforcement officers to carry firearms in federal facilities. The Department of Justice must award grants to state, local, or tribal enforcement agencies for improving their relationships with the communities they serve.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2016
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend and modify the tax credit for carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration. The bill modifies the credit to: allow certain new industrial facilities or equipment to qualify for the credit if construction begins before January 1, 2024; allow qualified projects to claim the credit for 12 years, beginning on the date the equipment was originally placed in service; increase the separate credit amounts, with respect to projects placed in service upon or after the enactment of this bill, that apply to captured CO2 that is: (1) disposed of in secure geological storage, and (2) used as a tertiary injectant in an enhanced oil or natural gas recovery project and disposed of in secure geological storage; expand the purposes for which captured CO2 may be used; establish separate CO2 capture thresholds based on whether the facility is an electricity generating facility or used for other purposes; specify that the 75 million metric ton cap on the CO2 that may qualify for the credit applies only to projects placed in service before the enactment of this bill; and allow the credit to be transferred from the entity that owns and uses the capture equipment to the entity that disposes of or uses the CO2.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2016 This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to establish and enforce new spending caps. The bill establishes an outlay cap (less net interest payments) for FY2017 of $3.645 trillion, less 1%. For each year from FY2018-FY2021, the bill reduces the outlay cap by 1% of the previous year's outlay cap. For FY2022 and subsequent years, total outlays may not exceed 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for that year as estimated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Beginning in FY2023, total projected outlays may not be less than the total projected outlays for the preceding year. The OMB must enforce the spending caps using a sequestration to eliminate any excess spending through automatic cuts. The bill eliminates most of the existing exemptions from sequestration, with the exception of interest payments on the debt. If the OMB projects a sequestration, the congressional budget committees may report a resolution directing congressional committees to change existing law to achieve the spending reductions necessary to meet the outlay limits. The bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to establish procedures for Congress to enforce the outlay caps established by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2016
Extends condolences to the family of Elie Wiesel, an award-winning author who helped the world understand the horrors of the Holocaust and gave a voice to those who suffered and perished in Nazi death camps. Honors Wiesel's lifelong commitment to advancing human dignity, freedom, and respect throughout the world. Expresses continued support for human rights and protection of religious liberty. Expresses admiration for Wiesel's legacy as an example and advocate of the enduring power of the human spirit in the face of evil.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2016
Taking Responsibility Using Secured Technologies Act of 2016 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should have any security clearance she holds revoked and should be denied access to classified information unless she earns the legal right to such access, and (2) any of her colleagues who demonstrated extreme carelessness in their handling of classified information should no longer have access to that information. The bill prohibits granting a security clearance to, and requires revocation of the security clearance of, any federal officer or employee who has exercised extreme carelessness in the handling of classified information. The bill also amends a provision of the federal criminal code that subjects to criminal penalties anyone entrusted with, or having lawful possession or control of, national defense information who, through gross negligence, permits that information to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed. The bill explicitly states that "gross negligence," for these purposes, includes extreme or reckless carelessness.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2016
Condemns the terrorist attack on the Pulse Orlando nightclub on June 12, 2016. Honors those who were killed and expresses hope for the recovery of those who were injured. Applauds the dedication and bravery of the law enforcement and counterterrorism officials who responded to the attack. Declares that the House of Representatives stands together with all people of the United States in the face of terror and hate. Reaffirms the commitment of the United States and its allies to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other terrorist groups at home and abroad and to address the threat posed by homegrown terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2016
Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from requiring a tax-exempt organization to include in annual returns the name, address, or other identifying information of any contributor. The bill includes exceptions for: (1) required disclosures regarding prohibited tax shelter transactions; and (2) contributions by the organization's officers, directors, or five highest compensated employees (including compensation paid by related organizations).
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2016
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of George Voinovich, former member of the Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on June 14, 2016, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Voinovich.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2016
This joint resolution declares that: Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to defining and delimiting the exemptions from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for executive, administrative, professionals, outside sales, and computer employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2016
Open Skies Treaty Compliance Assurance Act This bill prohibits funds from being obligated or expended to aid the certification or approval of any new sensor, including to carry out an initial or exhibition observation flight of an observation aircraft, for use by the Russian Federation on observation flights under the Treaty on Open Skies unless the President certifies to Congress that: the new sensor's capabilities do not exceed capabilities imposed by the treaty and safeguards are in place to prevent the sensor or any information obtained from being used in any way not permitted by the treaty; mitigation measures are in place regarding collection by such sensor of high-value U.S. assets and critical infrastructure; each covered state party has been briefed on intelligence concerns regarding upgraded sensors used under the treaty, Russian Federation war fighting doctrine, and related intelligence collection; and the Russian Federation is in compliance with all of its treaty obligations, including the obligation to permit properly notified covered state party observation flights over all of Moscow, Chechnya, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Kaliningrad. Certification is required for each sensor and platform for which the Russian Federation has requested approval under the treaty. The President may waive the requirement of Russian compliance with treaty obligations by certifying that sensor certification or approval is in U.S. national security interests. Such certification must include the date such compliance is expected and a description of U.S. efforts to achieve it. "Covered state party" means a foreign country that is a state party to the treaty and a U.S. ally.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2016
Protecting Continuing Physical Education and Patient Care Act This bill amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act to exempt from required manufacturer transparency reporting to the Department of Health and Human Services any transfer of value to a covered recipient of peer-reviewed journals, journal reprints, journal supplements, conference reports, and medical textbooks that directly benefit patients or are intended for patient use. The bill also excludes from such mandatory reporting any indirect payment or transfer of value to a covered recipient who is a physician: for speaking at, or preparing educational materials for, an educational event for physicians or other health care professionals that does not commercially promote a covered drug, device, biological, or medical supply; or that serves the sole purpose of providing the physician with medical education, such as the tuition required to attend an educational event or any materials given physicians at such an event.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2016
Expresses the sense of the Senate that a carbon tax would be detrimental to U.S. families and businesses and is not in the best interest of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2016
Indian Health Service Accountability Act of 2016 or the IHS Accountability Act of 2016 This bill amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the Public Health Service Act, and other laws to: allow the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to remove, transfer, or demote certain employees of the Indian Health Service (IHS) based on performance or misconduct; allow HHS to establish certain incentives related to IHS employee recruitment and retention; require HHS to modify the pay system for certain IHS employees; establish requirements for IHS and its employees with respect to retaliation and other conduct; and revise other provisions regarding IHS hiring practices, liability protections, accountability, and transparency.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2016
Certainty for States and Tribes Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to reestablish the Royalty Policy Committee, which should include members representing states and Indian tribes who produce minerals on federal or tribal land. In addition, Interior must establish a State and Tribal Resources Board, a subcommittee to the Royalty Policy Committee. The board and committee must advise Interior as it formulates policies and regulations regarding mineral production on federal and tribal lands. The board can delay the issuance of a final regulation by Interior if the board determines that such regulation will have a negative state or Tribal budgetary or economic impact. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) must complete by January 15, 2019, its programmatic review of the federal coal leasing program as described in Secretarial Order 3338. Secretarial Order 3338 directed the BLM to prepare a discretionary review of the federal coal program. (Interior issued Secretarial Order 3338 on January 15, 2016.) The moratorium on the issuance of new federal coal leases by the BLM shall terminate on January 16, 2019. Additionally, the bill allows leases and modifications to be issued by the BLM for any coal leasing application currently under review. Secretarial Order 3338 prohibited approval of such leases and modifications. The bill also directs the BLM to conduct federal coal lease sales and modifications within one year after it completes an analysis of an application.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2016
Limiting Contributions to the United Nations and Affiliated Organizations that Accord the Palestine Liberation Organization the Same Standing as Member States Act This bill directs the Department of State to ensure that the use of federal funding supporting the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including the Green Climate Fund, complies with applicable federal law, including: provisions of the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 authorizing appropriations for the U.S. annual payment to the U.N. and for necessary salaries and expenses of U.S. representatives to the U.N., provisions of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 prohibiting making funds authorized under such Act available to the U.N. or any specialized agency that accords the Palestine Liberation Organization the same standing as member states, and provisions of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 prohibiting contributions to the U.N. or to any affiliated U.N. organization that grants full state membership to a group that does not have internationally recognized attributes of statehood.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2016
Tribal Law and Order Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2016 This bill amends the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act, the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, and other laws to: (1) establish, or reauthorize through FY2021 and revise, various public safety programs and services with respect to Indian communities; and (2) modify provisions, and reauthorize through FY2021 various programs, related to Indian youth and juvenile justice.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2016
Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act of 2016 This bill bars the federal government from prohibiting or restricting the production, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, or dispensing of an experimental drug, biological product, or device that is: (1) intended to treat a patient who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness; and (2) authorized by, and in accordance with, state law. The federal government may not restrict the possession or use of such a treatment by a patient certified by a physician as having exhausted all other treatment options. A producer, manufacturer, distributor, prescriber, dispenser, possessor, or user of such a treatment has no liability regarding the treatment. The outcome of production, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, dispensing, possession, or use of such a treatment may not be used by a federal agency to adversely impact review or approval of the treatment. The treatment must: (1) have successfully completed a phase 1 (initial, small scale) clinical trial; (2) remain under investigation in a clinical trial approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and (3) not be approved, licensed, or cleared for sale under the Federal Food, Drug, or Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act. Not later than 30 days after enactment of this bill, and every 30 days thereafter until implementation is complete, the FDA must report on its progress in implementing a streamlined application process for compassionate use of experimental drugs and biological products.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2016
Western Water Supply and Planning Enhancement Act of 2016 TITLE I--LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS FOR WESTERN STATES SUBJECT TO DROUGHT This bill directs the Department of the Army to: (1) submit a report including, for any state in which a county designated by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a drought disaster area during water year 2015 is located, a list of projects operated for flood control in accordance with rules prescribed under the Flood Control Act of 1944; and (2) carry out at least 15 pilot projects, including at least 6 non-federal projects, to implement revisions of water operations manuals, including flood control rule curves, based on the best available science. This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the state of Wyoming, to amend the Definite Plan Report for the Seedskadee Project authorized under the Colorado River Storage Project Act to provide for the study, design, planning, and construction activities that will enable the use of all active storage capacity of Fontenelle Dam and Reservoir. Interior is required to: (1) enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for a comprehensive study of the effectiveness and environmental impacts of saltcedar biological and mechanical control efforts on increasing water supplies and improving riparian habitats, and (2) report a feasible plan to implement a tamarisk control plan as described in the Bureau of Reclamation study entitled "Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study." The bill directs Interior to: (1) fund or participate in projects to increase Colorado River System water in Lake Mead and the initial units of Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs to address the effects of historic drought conditions, and (2) report on the effectiveness of such projects by September 30, 2026. Interior (for National Forest System land) and USDA (for public land) must study, develop, and describe only the management activity or the alternative of no action in an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement for a management activity that is developed through a collaborative process, proposed by a resource advisory committee, or covered by a community wildfire protection plan, or that covers an area with a high national fire danger rating, and for which the primary purpose is: to address an insect infestation; to reduce hazardous fuel loads; to control a noxious or invasive weed; to protect a municipal water source; to maintain, enhance, or modify critical habitat to ensure protection from catastrophic disturbances; to increase water yield; or any combination thereof. A categorical exclusion to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 shall be available to the USDA or Interior to develop and carry out such a management activity on National Forest System land or public land. Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act The bill directs Interior to: (1) submit and biennially update an Asset Management Report that describes the Bureau of Reclamation's efforts to maintain all reserved works at Reclamation facilities and to standardize and streamline data reporting and processes across regions and areas for the purpose of maintaining such works, (2) coordinate with the non-federal entities responsible for the operation and maintenance of transferred works in developing reporting requirements for such report, and (3) develop and implement a categorical rating system for transferred works. The maximum amount of the federal share of the cost of the Central Valley Water Recycling Project otherwise available as of the date of enactment of this bill is reduced by $2 million. Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act The bill establishes the Bureau of Reclamation as the lead agency for purposes of coordinating all reviews, analyses, opinions, statements, permits, licenses, or other approvals or decisions (reviews) required under federal law to construct new surface water storage projects on lands administered by Interior or USDA, exclusive of any easement, right-of-way, lease, or any private holding (qualifying projects). The Bureau: (1) upon receipt of an application for a qualifying project, shall identify any federal agency that may have jurisdiction over a required review; and (2) shall notify such agency that it has been designated as a cooperating agency unless the agency notifies the Bureau that the agency has no jurisdiction or authority over the project, has no expertise or information relevant to the project or any associated review, or does not intend to submit comments other than in cooperation with the Bureau. Each cooperating agency must submit to the Bureau: (1) a timeframe for completing the agency's authorizing responsibilities, (2) all environmental review material produced in the course of carrying out activities required under federal law consistent with the project schedule, and (3) all relevant project data. A state in which a qualifying project is being considered may choose to: (1) participate as a cooperating agency; and (2) make subject to the processes of this bill all state agencies that have jurisdiction over the project, are required to conduct or issue a review, or are required to make a determination on issuing a permit, license, or approval for the project. The principal responsibilities of the Bureau under this bill are to: (1) serve as the point of contact for applicants, state agencies, Indian tribes, and others regarding proposed projects; (2) coordinate preparation of unified environmental documentation that will serve as the basis for all federal decisions necessary to authorize the use of federal lands for qualifying projects; and (3) coordinate all federal agency reviews necessary for the development and construction of qualifying projects. Authorizes Interior to accept and expend funds contributed by a non-federal public entity to expedite the evaluation of a permit of that entity related to a qualifying project or activity for a public purpose under its jurisdiction. Directs Interior to ensure that all final permit decisions are made available to the public, including on the Internet. Bureau of Reclamation Project Streamlining Act The bill requires that a surface water or water supply project feasibility study initiated after enactment of this bill shall: (1) result in the completion of a final feasibility report within three years; (2) have a maximum federal cost of $3 million; and (3) ensure that personnel from the local project area, region, and headquarters levels of the Bureau of Reclamation concurrently conduct the required review. The bill sets forth factors for extending such timeline for complex projects. Interior shall, within 90 days after the initiation of a project study: (1) initiate the process for completing reviews, including environmental reviews, required to be completed as part of such study; (2) convene a meeting of federal, tribal, and state agencies required to act; and (3) provide information that will enable required reviews and analyses to be conducted by other agencies in a thorough and timely manner. Interior must: (1) expedite the completion of any ongoing project study initiated before the enactment of this bill; and (2) proceed directly to preconstruction planning, engineering, and design of a project that it determines is justified. The bill sets forth requirements applicable to: (1) project studies initiated after enactment of this bill for which an environmental impact statement is prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); (2) other project studies initiated before enactment for which an environmental review process document is prepared under NEPA; and (3) any project study for the development of a non-federally owned and operated surface water storage project for which Interior determines there is a demonstrable federal interest and that is located in a river basin where other Bureau water projects are located, that will create additional water supplies that support Bureau water projects, or that will become integrated into the operation of Bureau water projects. Interior shall: annually prepare a list of all such studies that do not have adequate funding for study completion; develop and implement a coordinated environmental review process for the development of such studies; identify early all federal, state, and local government agencies and Indian tribes that may have jurisdiction and that may be required to act, which the federal lead agency shall invite to become participating or cooperating agencies; issue guidance regarding the use of programmatic approaches to carry out the environmental review process; and establish an electronic database and issue reporting requirements to make publicly available the status and progress with respect to compliance with applicable NEPA requirements and other action required for a project study. The bill sets forth the authorities and responsibilities of the joint lead agency, which may be a project sponsor, and the federal lead agency in the environmental review process, including: (1) the preparation and use of environmental documents; (2) establishing a plan for coordinating public and agency participation; (3) working with cooperating and participating agencies to identify and resolve issues that could delay process completion or result in the denial of any approval required for the project study; and (4) establishing, upon request, memoranda of agreement with the project sponsor, Indian tribes, and state and local governments to carry out the early coordination activities. A federal lead agency shall serve in that capacity for the entirety of all non-federal projects that will be integrated into a larger system owned, operated, or administered by the Bureau. Interior, upon determining that a project can be expedited by a non-federal sponsor and that there is a demonstrable federal interest in expediting the project, shall advance it as a non-federal project. A federal jurisdictional agency must complete any required approval or decision for the environmental review process on an expeditious basis. Funds shall be reduced for such an agency that fails to render such a decision by a specified deadline. Interior shall: (1) survey the use by the Bureau of categorical exclusions in projects since 2005 and propose a new categorical exclusion for a category of activities if merited, and (2) establish a program to measure and report on progress made toward improving and expediting the planning and environmental review process. The bill requires Interior to develop and submit annually a Report to Congress on Future Water Project Development that identifies: (1) the costs and benefits of, the non-federal interests associated with, and the support for project reports, proposed project studies, and proposed modifications to authorized water projects and project studies that are related to the missions and authorities of the Bureau, that require specific congressional authorization, that have not been congressionally authorized, that have not been included in any previous annual report, and that, if authorized, could be carried out by the Bureau; and (2) any project study that was expedited under this bill. TITLE II--PROTECTING EXISTING WATER RIGHTS Water Rights Protection Act The bill prohibits USDA or Interior from conditioning or withholding an action to issue, renew, amend, or extend any permit, approval, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement on: the transfer of any state water right to the United States or any other designee; the acquisition of a state water right in the name of the United States; limiting the date, time, quantity, location of diversion or pumping, or place of use of a state water right beyond any applicability limitations under state water law; so limiting a state water right based on jurisdiction over groundwater resources, unless the limitation imposes no greater restriction to a state water right than an applicable state law governing groundwater resources; or the modification of the terms and conditions of groundwater withdrawal, guidance and reporting procedures, and conservation and source protection measures established by a state. In developing any rule, policy, directive, or management plan relating to such an action, Interior or the USDA: (1) shall recognize the long-standing authority of the states relating to groundwater and coordinate with the states to ensure that any such rule, policy, directive, or management plan is consistent with, and imposes no greater restriction or regulatory requirement than, applicable state groundwater law; and (2) shall not assert any connection between surface and groundwater that is inconsistent with such a connection recognized by state water laws or adversely affect any authority of a state in adjudicating water rights, any definition established by a state with respect to the term "beneficial use," "priority of water rights," or "terms of use," or any other right or obligation of a state established under state law. TITLE III-- COMPLETING AND MAINTAINING RURAL WATER SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE Irrigation Rehabilitation and Renovation for Indian Tribal Governments and Their Economies Act or the IRRIGATE Act This bill establishes the Indian Irrigation Fund, from which Interior may make expenditures to carry out this Act. The Department of the Treasury shall deposit into such Fund for each of FY2017-FY2038 specified amounts of revenues that would otherwise be deposited in the reclamation fund established by the Reclamation Act of 1902. The Fund shall terminate on September 30, 2038, and the unexpended and unobligated balance shall be transferred to the reclamation fund. Interior shall establish a program to address the deferred maintenance and water storage needs of Indian irrigation projects that: (1) create risks to public or employee safety or natural or cultural resources, and (2) unduly impede the management and efficiency of the Indian irrigation program. Interior shall use or transfer specified amounts in the Fund to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for each of FY2017-FY2038 to carry out maintenance, repair, replacement, and water storage construction activities for Indian irrigation projects in the western United States that are owned by the federal government and managed and operated by the BIA and that have deferred maintenance documented. Such amounts shall not be: (1) subject to reimbursement by the owners of the land served by the Indian irrigation projects; or (2) assessed as debts or liens against the land served by such projects. Interior shall submit to Congress: (1) programmatic goals to carry out this Act that would enable the completion of repairing, replacing, modernizing, or performing maintenance on projects as expeditiously as possible, facilitate or improve the BIA's ability to carry out its mission in operating a project, ensure that the results of government-to-government consultation with the Indian tribe that has jurisdiction over the land on which an eligible project is located are addressed, and facilitate the construction of new water storage using non-federal contributions to address tribal, regional, and watershed-level supply needs; and (2) funding prioritization criteria to serve as a methodology for distributing funds under this Act. Such criteria to take into account: the extent to which deferred maintenance of projects threatens public or employee safety or health, natural or cultural resources, or the BIA's ability to operate the project; the methodology of the rehabilitation priority index; the potential economic benefits of the expenditures on job creation and general economic development in the affected tribal communities; and the ability of the qualifying project to address tribal, regional, and watershed level water supply needs. Interior shall: (1) complete a study that evaluates options for improving programmatic and project management and performance of irrigation projects managed and operated by the BIA, and (2) submit status reports biennially on progress made and deficiencies remaining regarding addressing the deferred maintenance needs of Indian irrigation projects. Interior shall ensure that, for each of FY2017-FY2038, each eligible Indian irrigation project that has critical maintenance needs receives funding. Clean Water for Rural Communities Act The bill authorizes Interior to carry out water supply projects in Montana and North Dakota entitled: (1) the "Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System" in accordance with the Dry-Redwater Regional Water System Feasibility Study, which received funding from the Bureau of Reclamation on September 1, 2010; and (2) the "Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System" in accordance with the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System Feasibility Report. Interior shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority (DRWA) and the Central Montana Regional Water Authority to provide federal assistance for the planning, design, and construction of such water systems. The bill sets forth the federal share of such costs and the authorized uses of federal funds, which exclude operation, maintenance, or replacement of the Water Systems. The Western Area Power Administration shall make available to the Dry-Redwater System a quantity of power (up to one and a half megawatt capacity) required to meet the system's pumping and incidental operation requirements between May 1 and October 31 of each year: (1) from the water intake facilities; and (2) through all pumping stations, water treatment facilities, reservoirs, storage tanks, and pipelines up to the point of delivery of water to all storage reservoirs and tanks and each entity that distributes water at retail to individual users. The Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System shall be eligible to receive such power only if it: (1) operates on a nonprofit basis, and (2) is constructed pursuant to Interior's cooperative agreement with the DRWA. The DRWA shall be responsible for: (1) charges for additional power needed to meet pumping requirements, (2) the costs of non-federal transmission and distribution system delivery and service arrangements, and (3) funding any upgrades to the transmission system owned by the Western Area Power Administration Basin Electric Power District and the Heartland Consumers Power District required to deliver power to the system. TITLE IV--OFFSET Accelerated Revenue, Repayment, and Surface Water Storage Enhancement Act This title requires Interior, upon request from a water users association, to convert certain water service contracts between the United States and the association to allow for prepayment of repayment contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2016
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Robert F. Bennett, former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on May 9, 2016, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Bennett.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2016
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Conrad Ray Burns, former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on May 9, 2016, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Burns.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2016
Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act or the ECHO Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration, to study technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models and the ability of those models to improve patient care and provider education. (Such models connect specialists to primary care providers through videoconferencing to facilitate case-based learning, dissemination of best practices, and evaluation of outcomes.) The Government Accountability Office must report on such models and HHS support for such models.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2016
Recognizes 4-H as a vital organization for training the next generation for national leadership, congratulates the National 4-H Council on its "Grow True Leaders" campaign, and supports the council's efforts to grow and diversify the 4-H program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2016
Expresses the sense of Congress that: a durable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process can only come through direct, bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians; the U.N. cannot be a truly neutral arbiter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and the United States should veto any U.N. Security Council resolution that inserts the Security Council into the peace process, unilaterally recognizes a Palestinian state, makes declarations concerning Israeli controlled territories, or dictates terms and a time line for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2016
This joint resolution disapproves and nullifies a Department of Labor rule published on April 8, 2016, relating to the definition of the term "fiduciary" and the conflict of interest rule with respect to retirement investment advice. (The rule defines who is a fiduciary with respect to pension and retirement plans. Under current law, a person who provides investment advice has a fiduciary obligation that requires the person to provide advice in the sole interest of plan participants and beneficiaries. The rule changes the definition of "investment advice" to treat people who provide investment advice to pension and retirement plans for a fee or other compensation as fiduciaries in a wider array of advice relationships.)
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2016
Designates April 2016 as Financial Literacy Month to raise public awareness about the importance of personal financial education in the United States and the serious consequences that may result from a lack of understanding about personal finances.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2016
This bill prohibits the use of any amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for any federal department or agency to: (1) close or abandon U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; (2) relinquish control of Guantanamo to Cuba; (3) implement a material modification to the 1934 Treaty Between the United States of America and Cuba that constructively closes Guantanamo; or (4) transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the United States, its territories, or possessions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee who is or was held by the Department of Defense (DOD) at Guantanamo on or after January 20, 2009, and who is not a U.S. citizen or a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. Prior to the transfer or release of any such individual, DOD shall make available to the public a specified notice of such intended action.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2016
Agriculture Students EARN Act or the Agriculture Students Encourage, Acknowledge, Reward, Nurture Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of a student farmer up to $5,000 of the gain from the sale or exchange of personal property (including livestock, crops, and agricultural mechanics or shop products) produced or raised by the student farmer. A student farmer is an individual who is under 19 years of age and is enrolled in: (1) a program established by the National FFA Organization; (2) a 4-H Club or other program established by 4-H; or (3) a student agriculture program that is under the direction or guidance of an agricultural educator, advisor, or club leader. To qualify for the exclusion, the production and sale or exchange of the property must be supervised by one of the specified agriculture programs. The sale or exchange must also occur during qualified public entertainment or convention and trade show activities.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2016
Recovering Erroneous Credits from Outlaws and Unlawful Persons Act of 2016 or the RECOUP Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the full recapture of advance payments of refundable tax credits for health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, if the payments were made to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States or are incarcerated. The bill also specifies that the premiums of certain incarcerated individuals for whom a taxpayer is allowed a deduction for a personal exemption (including the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or dependents) must be excluded from calculations of premium assistance credit amounts.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2016
Promoting Responsible Opioid Prescribing Act of 2016 or the PROP Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to exclude certain pain-related measures for purposes of calculating incentive payments under the value-based purchasing program (VBP). (VBP is a program that links hospital payments to the quality of care provided.) Specifically, VPB measures shall not include measures based on a patient's assessment of: (1) the patient's need for pain medicine during a hospital stay; (2) how often, during the stay, the patient's pain was well controlled; or (3) how often, during the stay, hospital staff did everything they could to help manage the patient's pain.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Dam Repairs and Improvements for Tribes Act of 2016 or the DRIFT Act of 2016 This bill requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to establish a program to address the deferred maintenance needs of certain Indian dams that create risks to safety, natural resources, or cultural resources and impede the management and efficiency of Indian dams. The High-Hazard Indian Dam Safety Deferred Maintenance Fund and the Low-Hazard Indian Dam Safety Deferred Maintenance Fund are established to pay for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of such dams. The funds are terminated at the end of FY2037. The BIA must: develop programmatic goals and prioritization criteria before expending funds; prioritize dams that serve more than one tribe or highly populated Indian communities; consult with landowners served by a dam before expending funds, except in emergencies; ensure that, each year, every dam in need of critical maintenance receives funding; request that tribes report on dams on their land; report on each dam under BIA jurisdiction; and establish a flood plain management pilot program to provide guidance to tribes on best practices for the mitigation and prevention of floods. The Department of the Interior must establish a Tribal Safety of Dams Committee. The bill amends the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 to revise the tribal partnership program, including to permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide assistance for any activity relating to the feasibility, planning, design, or construction of a water resources development project. The bill amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 to extend to tribes the waiver of cost-sharing requirements for studies and projects.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act of 2016 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a bid ceiling for durable medical equipment (such as wheelchairs) under Medicare's competitive acquisition program, through which rates are set according to a bidding process rather than by an established fee schedule. Specifically, the bid ceiling for such an item shall not be less than the fee schedule amount that would otherwise be determined. Under current law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must use payment information from competitive acquisition programs to make payment adjustments for areas outside of such programs. The bill requires CMS, in making these adjustments, to account for stakeholder input. In addition, CMS must account for a comparison of competitive acquisition areas and other areas with respect to the following factors: average travel distance and cost associated with furnishing items and services, barriers to access, average delivery time, average volume of items and services furnished by suppliers, and number of suppliers. In addition, CMS shall delay by 15 months the full implementation of new Medicare payment rates for durable medical equipment. On a monthly basis, CMS must publish on its website the results of the monitoring of health outcomes and Medicare beneficiaries' access to durable medical equipment. The bill accelerates the applicability, from January 1, 2019, to October 1, 2018, of provisions of current law that limit federal Medicaid reimbursement to states for durable medical equipment to Medicare payment rates.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act This bill declares that the proposed or the final rule of the Department of Labor entitled "Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees" shall cease to have any force or effect. The rule revises the "white collar" exemption of executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees from minimum wage and maximum hour, or overtime, requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). If the proposed rule is a final rule on the date of enactment of this bill: Labor shall not enforce it based on conduct occurring before that enactment date, an employee shall not have any right of action against an employer for the employer's failure to comply with the final rule at any time before that enactment date, any regulations that were amended by the final rule shall be restored and revived as if the final rule had never taken effect, and nothing in this bill shall be construed to create a right of action for an employer against an employee for the recoupment of any payments made to the employee before the enactment of this bill that were in compliance with that final rule. Labor may promulgate any substantially similar rule only if it has completed certain required actions; but the rule shall not contain any automatic updates to the salary threshold for purposes of exemptions to minimum wage and maximum hour requirements under the FLSA. The requirement that definitions applicable for such exemptions be defined and delimited from time to time by Labor regulations shall be construed to: require Labor to issue a new rule through notice and comment rulemaking for each change in any salary threshold it has proposed; and exclude any rule that would result in changes to any salary threshold for multiple time periods, including through any automatic updating procedure. Labor may not promulgate any final rule that includes any revision to duties tests for exemption from minimum wage and maximum hours requirements unless specific regulatory text for the provision was proposed in the proposed rule.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Iran Ballistic Missile Sanctions Act of 2016 This bill amends the Iran-Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act of 1992 to cover ballistic missile or related technology. The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 is amended to: (1) extend the Act through December 31, 2031, and (2) require sanctions on Iran and related entities and persons for actions to acquire or develop ballistic missiles and launch technology. The Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 is amended to direct the President to report to Congress biannually on: (1) identified persons that have knowingly aided Iran in developing its ballistic missile program, and (2) Iran-North Korea ballistic missile cooperation. The President shall block and prohibit all transactions in property and property interests in the United States of any identified person. An identified person, with certain exceptions, shall be excluded from U.S. entry. The President shall prohibit the opening and prohibit or impose strict conditions on the maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates a significant financial transaction for an identified person. The President shall block and prohibit all transactions in property and property interests in the United States of: any entity owned in part by the Aerospace Industries Organization, the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, or the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group, or collectively by a group of individual investors in such groups; or any person that controls or is a board member of such an entity. The Department of the Treasury shall submit to Congress a list of entities (and their officers) in which the Aerospace Industries Organization, the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group, or any agent or affiliate has a specified minimum ownership interest. The President shall: certify to Congress biannually that each person listed in an annex of certain United Nations Security Council Resolutions is not involved with the development of or transfer to Iran of ballistic missiles, related technology, or components; but issue sanctions on any persons involved in those activities and prohibit associated financial transactions in the United States. The President shall report to Congress: (1) biannually a list of sectors of the Iranian economy involved with the development of or transfer to Iran of ballistic missiles or technology; and (2) annually a list of all foreign persons involved with the development of ballistic missiles, technology, or components in those sectors, namely: automotive, chemical, computer science, construction, electronic, energy, metallurgy, mining, petrochemical, research (including universities and research institutions), and telecommunications. The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 is amended to cover the acquisition or development of ballistic missiles, capabilities, and launch technology. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is amended to require each issuer of securities to disclose to the Securities and Exchange Commission whether it knowingly engaged in any activity involving sectors of Iran that support its ballistic missile program for which sanctions may be imposed.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2016
Congratulates the University of Wyoming men's Nordic ski team for winning the 2016 United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association national championship. Commends the athletes, coaches, parents, and staff of the University of Wyoming Nordic ski teams for their hard work and dedication. Recognizes the students, alumni, and loyal fans that supported the University of Wyoming men's Nordic ski team on its journey to win another national title.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2016
Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to allow two or more employers to be considered joint employers for purposes of the Act only if each shares and exercises control over essential terms and conditions of employment and such control over these matters is actual, direct, and immediate.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2016
Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 or the RPM Act of 2016 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to allow the modification of a vehicle's air emission controls if the vehicle is used solely for competition.
United States · United States Congress · 29 February 2016
Designates February 29, 2016, as Rare Disease Day. Expresses support for a national and global commitment to developing new treatments, diagnostics, and cures for rare diseases and disorders.
United States · United States Congress · 25 February 2016
Reforming American Indian Standards of Education Act of 2016 or the RAISE Act of 2016 This bill replaces the Bureau of Indian Education with the Indian Education Agency. Functions, authorities, and personnel of the Department of the Interior related to Indian education are transferred to the agency. Regulations promulgated by the agency are not subject to review or approval by Interior. The agency must give preference in hiring to members of Indian tribes. The agency must annually report on its activities, the effectiveness of this bill, and recommendations for legislation to improve the agency.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2016
Acknowledges the lifetime of service of Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Commends his 29-year tenure on the Court and extends sympathy to his family and friends on his death.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2016
Treating Small Airports with Fairness Act of 2016 This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to conduct, and provide all necessary staff and equipment for, security screening at any airport that lost commercial air service on or after January 1, 2013, if the airport operator submits: (1) a request for the TSA to conduct such screening, and (2) written confirmation of a commitment from a commercial air carrier that it desires to resume service at the airport within one year. The TSA shall ensure that the process of implementing security screening at such an airport is complete by the later of: (1) 90 days after the operator of the airport submits a request, or (2) the date on which the carrier intends to resume service.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Health Savings Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the taxation of health savings accounts (HSAs), to: rename high deductible health plans as HSA-qualified health plans; allow spouses who have both attained age 55 to make increased catch-up contributions to the same HSA; make Medicare Part A (hospital insurance benefits) beneficiaries eligible to participate in an HSA; allow individuals eligible for hospital care or medical services under a medical care program of the Indian Health Service or of a tribal organization to participate in an HSA; allow individuals eligible to receive medical benefits under certain TRICARE plans to participate in an HSA; allow members of a health care sharing ministry to participate in an HSA; allow individuals who receive primary care services in exchange for a fixed periodic fee or payment, or who receive health care benefits from an onsite medical clinic of an employer, to participate in an HSA; include amounts paid for prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines or drugs as "qualified medical expenses" for which distributions from an HSA or an Archer Medical Savings Account may be used; and allow HSA distributions to be used to purchase health insurance coverage. The bill amends the federal bankruptcy code to exempt HSAs from creditor claims in bankruptcy. The bill amends the Social Security Act to reauthorize the use of Medicaid health opportunity accounts. The bill allows a medical care tax deduction for: (1) exercise equipment, physical fitness programs, and membership at a fitness facility; (2) nutritional and dietary supplements; and (3) periodic fees paid to a primary care physician and amounts paid for pre-paid primary care services.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2016
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Marlow Cook, former member of the U.S. Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on February 4, 2016, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Senator Cook.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2016
Congratulates the Farm Credit System (FCS) on its 100th anniversary and commends the service of the cooperative owners and employees of the FCS in helping to meet the credit and financial services needs of rural communities and agriculture. (The FCS is a network of borrower-owned lending institutions that operates as a government-sponsored enterprise to provide credit and other services to agricultural producers and farmer-owned agricultural and aquatic cooperatives. It also makes loans for agricultural processing and marketing activities, rural housing, farm-related businesses, rural utilities, and companies involved in international agricultural trade.)
![Official portrait of Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001261_200.jpg)