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 · 18 December 2013
Premium Disclosure Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with respect to state health care exchanges, to revise open enrollment period requirements so that such periods commence on October 15 and end on December 7 of each calendar year after the initial open enrollment period. Prohibits modification of such dates by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Requires the Secretary to carry out activities to broadly disseminate information to qualified individuals (and those who may become qualified individuals) concerning open enrollment periods, monthly premiums, and cost-sharing requirements under qualified health plans, ensuring that such information is first made available at least 30 days prior to the initial open enrollment period.
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2013
Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2013 - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with respect to abortion coverage in qualified plans offered through a health care exchange in a state, to modify the notice rules to require that: in the case of services regarding abortions both for which public funding is prohibited and allowed, the extent of coverage shall be prominently displayed in any marketing or advertising materials, comparison tools, or summaries of benefits and coverage explanations made available by the issuer of the plan, by an exchange, or by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), including information made available through an Internet portal or exchange; and in the case of abortions for which public funding is prohibited and where the premium for the plan is disclosed, the surcharge attributable to such services, consisting of an amount equal to the actuarial value of the coverage, shall be disclosed and identified separately.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2013
American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to the American Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of their heroic military service and defense of the nation's freedom.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2013
Drinking Water Supply Assistance Act of 2013 - Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to exempt any pipe, pipe or plumbing fitting or fixture, solder, or flux that contains brass from certain prohibitions against the use of lead pipes, solder, and flux under the following conditions: a supplier of water owns the brass before enactment of this Act; the brass is used to prevent or mitigate a municipal budget deficit or an interruption in service of a public water system; and the supplier of water is otherwise in compliance with all laws and regulations, except monitoring requirements regarding lead in water. Makes the exemption inapplicable to a municipality if the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines it would result in an unreasonable risk to public health. Directs the Administrator to: (1) consult with and seek the advice of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council on potential changes to federal regulations pertaining to lead; and (2) request the Council to consider sources of lead throughout drinking water distribution systems, including through components used to reroute drinking water during distribution system repairs.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2013
Honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Extends condolences to the members of his family and his fellow citizens. Requests: (1) the Secretary of State to communicate these expressions of honor and condolence to Nelson Mandela's family and to the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, and (2) the President to identify an appropriate and lasting U.S. government program to honor Nelson Mandela's legacy.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2013
Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) report to Congress on the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage all Reclamation facilities (infrastructure assets owned by the Bureau at Bureau-owned projects) and to standardize and streamline data reporting and processes for purposes of managing such facilities, and (2) update such report biennially. Requires such report to include a detailed assessment of major repair and rehabilitation needs at all such projects and an itemized list of major repair and rehabilitation needs of individual facilities at each project.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2013
Designates November 30, 2013, as Small Business Saturday. Expresses support for efforts to: (1) encourage consumers to shop locally, and (2) increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses and the impact of such businesses on the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 21 November 2013
Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise the nutritional information that restaurants and retail food establishments must disclose. Requires the nutrient content disclosure statement on the menu or menu board to include: (1) the number of calories contained in the whole product; (2) the number of servings and number of calories per serving; or (3) the number of calories per the common unit division of the product, such as for a multi-serving item that is typically divided before presentation to the consumer. Permits such information to be provided by a remote-access menu, such as through the internet, for food establishments where the majority of orders are placed by customers who are off-premises at the time the order is placed. Defines “reasonable basis” for a restaurant or similar food establishment’s nutrient content disclosures to mean that the nutrient disclosure is within acceptable allowances for variation in nutrient content, which include variations in serving size or ingredients, and inadvertent human error in formulation of menu items. Sets forth the methods a restaurant or similar food establishment may use to determine nutritional content for disclosure, including ranges, averages, individual labeling of flavors or components, or labeling of one preset standard build (i.e., the finished version of a menu item most commonly ordered by consumers). Applies the nutritional disclosure requirements to retail food establishments that derive more than 50% of their total revenue from the sale of food.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act - Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from enforcing any federal regulation, guidance, or permit requirement regarding hydraulic fracturing (including any component of that process), relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on or under any land in any state that has regulations, guidance, or permit requirements for that activity. Requires the Secretary to recognize and defer to state regulations, permitting, and guidance, for all activities regarding hydraulic fracturing relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on federal land regardless of whether those rules are duplicative, more or less restrictive, have different requirements, or do not meet federal regulations, guidance, or permit requirements. Defines "hydraulic fracturing" as the process by which fracturing fluids (including a fracturing fluid system) are pumped into an underground geologic formation to generate fractures or cracks, thereby increasing rock permeability near the wellbore and improving production of natural gas or oil.
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2013
Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to provide additional energy conservation standards applicable to grid-enabled water heaters (those intended for use as part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program). Requires annual reports from: (1) manufacturers of such water heaters regarding the quantity of the products shipped each year, and (2) utilities and other demand response and thermal storage program operators regarding the quantity of products activated for their programs. Requires the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to publish analyses of data collected from such reports and to establish procedures to prevent product diversion if sales of the products exceed by at least 15% the quantity activated for use in the demand response and thermal storage programs annually. Maintains the standards and publication procedures established by this Act until the Secretary determines that such water heaters do not require a separate efficiency requirement. Requires the Secretary to consider the impact of EPCA electric water heater standards on thermal storage and demand response programs, including on energy savings, electric bills, electric reliability, integration of renewable resources, and the environment. Makes unlawful, with respect to grid-enabled water heaters not used as part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program, the knowing and repeated distribution of activation keys, enabling of full operation of the products, or removing or making illegible their labels.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Self-Insurance Protection Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the definition of "health insurance coverage" a stop loss policy obtained by a self-insured health plan or a plan sponsor of a group health plan that self-insures the health risks of its plan participants to reimburse the plan or sponsor for losses incurred in providing health or medical benefits to such plan participants in excess of a predetermined level set forth in the stop loss policy.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2013
Union Tax Fairness Act of 2013 - Requires that the payments to an applicable reinsurance entity for any plan year beginning in the three-year period beginning January 1, 2014, required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be applied equally to all health insurance issuers and third party administrators (on behalf of group health plans). Prohibits such payments from being waived on behalf of any such issuer, administrator, or group health plan.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
Employee Rights Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to make it an unlawful labor practice for a labor organization or its agents to interfere with the rights of employees to organize and select representation to collectively bargain. Adds a requirement that representatives be selected by secret ballot in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by a majority of the employees in a unit. Defines "majority" for purposes of determining the majority of employees in an election to mean the majority of all employees in the unit, and not the majority of employees voting in the election. Requires the NLRB, in cases where an existing certified or voluntarily recognized bargaining unit experiences turnover, expansion, or alteration by merger of more than 50% of the unit's employees, to conduct a secret paper ballot among the unit employees: (1) between the 120th day and 110th day before the collective bargaining agreement's expiration or before the end of three years, if there is an agreement between the labor organization and the employer; or (2) within 30 days, if there is no agreement between such parties. Requires the NLRB to decide, before the election of a labor organization as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of all employees of an appropriate unit, whether such unit shall be the employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or subdivision unit. Requires the NLRB to give 14 days advance notice before a hearing when it is investigating an election petition if it has reasonable cause to believe that a question of representation affecting commerce exists. Revises the requirement that the NLRB direct an election by secret ballot, and certify its results, whenever it finds upon the record of such a hearing that a question of representation exists. Adds a requirement that the NLRB also review all post-hearing appeals before finding that such a question exists. Requires an employer to provide the NLRB a list consisting only of employee names and home addresses of all eligible voters within 7 days after an NLRB determination of the appropriate unit or following any agreement between the employer and the labor organization regarding eligible voters. Prohibits an election after the filing of a petition unless and until: (1) a hearing is conducted before a qualified hearing officer on any and all material, factual issues regarding jurisdiction, statutory coverage, appropriate unit, unit inclusion or exclusion, or eligibility of individuals; and (2) the issues are resolved by a regional Director, subject to appeal and review, or by the NLRB. Declares that election results shall not be final nor any labor organization be certified as a bargaining representative unless the NLRB has ruled on: (1) each pre-election issue not resolved before the election; and (2) the NLRB conducts a hearing and resolves each issue pertaining to the conduct or results of the election. Makes any labor organization found to have interfered with, restrained, or coerced employees in the exercise of their rights to form or join a labor organization or to refrain from forming or joining (including the filing of a decertification petition) liable for lost wages and unlawfully collected union dues and fees, if any, and an additional amount as liquated damages. Amends the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act) to permit an election by secret ballot to be conducted through votes cast by electronic ballot cast in the privacy of a voting booth. Requires every employee in a bargaining unit represented by a labor organization, regardless of membership status, to have the same right as members to vote by secret ballot to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with, or to engage in, a strike or refusal to work of any kind against their employer. Prohibits the use of an employee's union dues for any purpose not directly related to the labor organization's collective bargaining, unless that employee authorizes such expenditure in writing. Prohibits a strike without the consent of a majority of all unit employees affected, determined by a secret ballot vote conducted by a neutral, private organization chosen by agreement between the employer and the labor organization. Requires each labor organization to make the independently verified annual audit report of its financial condition and operations available to all of its members and represented nonmembers. Makes it unlawful for a person to use force or violence, or threaten the use of force or violence, to restrain, coerce, or intimidate a person, or attempt to, in order to obtain from any person any right to represent employees, compensation, or other term or condition of employment. Subjects persons who willfully violate such prohibitions to both civil and criminal penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2013
State Health Care Choice Act - Authorizes a state to limit the application of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) with respect to health insurance coverage within that state by enacting a law that: (1) expresses the intent of the state to opt out of one or more of the provisions of PPACA, (2) contains a list of the provisions that will not apply to the state, and (3) either expresses the state's intent to continue to administer health coverage-related laws as in effect in the state on March 23, 2010, or provides for the implementation of related state laws enacted after such date. Sets forth provisions that may be made inapplicable within a state, including provisions related to health coverage, essential health benefits, health insurance exchanges, alternative health plans established by states, individual and employer health coverage requirements, interoperable protocols for enrollment in federal and state health and human service programs, and expansion of Medicaid coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2013
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit any person from performing or attempting to perform an abortion except in conformity with this Act's requirements. Requires the physician to first determine the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child, or reasonably rely upon such a determination made by another physician, by making inquiries of the pregnant woman and performing such medical examinations and tests as a reasonably prudent physician would consider necessary. Prohibits the abortion from being performed if the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 weeks or greater, except: (1) where necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, excluding psychological or emotional conditions; or (2) where the pregnancy is the result of rape, or the result of incest against a minor, if the rape has been reported at any time prior to the abortion to an appropriate law enforcement agency, or if the incest has been reported at any time prior to the abortion to an appropriate law enforcement agency or to a government agency legally authorized to act on reports of child abuse or neglect. Permits a physician to terminate a pregnancy under such an exception only in the manner that provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive, unless that manner would pose a greater risk than other available methods would pose of the death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, excluding psychological or emotional conditions, of the pregnant woman. Subjects individuals who violate this Act to a fine, imprisonment for not more than five years, or both. Bars prosecution of a woman upon whom an abortion is performed in violation of this Act for violating or conspiring to violate this Act. Defines "abortion" to mean the use or prescription of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance or device to intentionally kill an unborn child or to intentionally terminate a pregnancy with an intention other than: (1) after viability, to produce a live birth and preserve the life and health of the child; or (2) to remove a dead unborn child.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2013
Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to: (1) disclose to a consumer all information (and their sources) held by the CFPB with respect to that consumer, including any person or other federal department or agency to which the CFPB disclosed the information; and (2) truncate in the disclosure the first five digits of the consumer's Social Security number (or similar identification number), if the consumer so requests and the CFPB has received appropriate proof of the requester's identity. Permits consumers to request such a disclosure: (1) online, with a link prominently displayed on the CFPB website; (2) via U.S. mail; and (3) via a toll-free telephone number.
United States · United States Congress · 31 October 2013
Water Rights Protection Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) from: (1) conditioning the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy agreement on the transfer or relinquishment of any water right directly to the United States, in whole or in part, granted under state law, by federal or state adjudication, decree, or other judgment, or pursuant to any interstate water compact and such Secretaries; and (2) requiring any water user to apply for a water right in the name of the United States under state law as a condition of such a land use or occupancy agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Accuracy for Adoptees Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require that a certificate of citizenship or other federal document issued, or requested to be amended, reflect the child's name and date of birth as indicated on a state court order, birth certificate, certificate of foreign birth, certificate of birth abroad, or similar state vital records document issued by the child's U.S. state of residence after the child has been adopted or readopted in that state.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2013
Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to authorize private employers to provide compensatory time off to private employees at a rate of 1 1/2 hours per hour of employment for which overtime compensation is required. Authorizes an employer to provide compensatory time only if it is in accordance with an applicable collective bargaining agreement or, in the absence of such an agreement, an agreement between the employer and employee. Prohibits an employee from accruing more than 160 hours of compensatory time. Requires an employee's employer to provide monetary compensation, after the end of a calendar year, for any unused compensatory time off accrued during the preceding year. Requires an employer to give employees 30-day notice before discontinuing compensatory time off. Prohibits an employer from intimidating, threatening, or coercing an employee in order to: (1) interfere with the employee's right to request or not to request compensatory time off in lieu of payment of monetary overtime compensation, or (2) require an employee to use such compensatory time. Makes an employer who violates such requirements liable to the affected employee in the amount of the compensation rate for each hour of compensatory time accrued, plus an additional equal amount as liquidated damages, reduced for each hour of compensatory time used. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report to Congress every three years on: (1) the extent to which employers provide compensatory time off and employees opt to receive it; (2) the number of complaints filed by an employee with the Secretary of Labor alleging a violation of the requirements as well as enforcement actions commenced by the Secretary on behalf of an aggrieved employee; (3) the disposition of such complaints and actions; and (4) any unpaid wages, damages, penalties, injunctive relief, or other remedies sought by the Secretary in connection with such actions.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2013
Exchange Information Disclosure Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to expand reporting requirements related to health care exchanges. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish reports weekly through March 31, 2015, on: (1) consumer interactions with healthcare.gov or subsequent sites and any efforts undertaken to remedy problems that impact taxpayers and consumers, (2) calls to the federal customer service call center, including the number of calls received by the call center, problems identified by users, and referrals of those calls; (3) all navigators and certified application counselors that have been trained and certified by health care exchanges; and (4) all agents and brokers who have been trained and certified by the federal health care exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2013
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Rod Grams, former Member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on October 9, 2013, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Grams.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2013
Offers: (1) condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the innocent victims killed or wounded during the violence that took place at the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, 2013; and (2) support and hope for all the individuals who were wounded and discomforted by the mass shooting. Recognizes the difficult healing and recovery process that lies ahead for the affected communities. Honors the courageous and professional service of: (1) the uniformed men and women of the Navy and other members of the U.S. Armed Forces; (2) all civilian employees who provide support for the Armed Forces; and (3) the law enforcement personnel, emergency responders, and medical professionals who responded to and assisted victims of that shooting. Remains committed to preventing the occurrence of similar tragedies.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2013
Trust But Verify Act or the PIN Act - Prohibits an American Health Benefit Exchange (established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) from offering health insurance coverage through the Exchange until the Comptroller General (GAO) certifies to Congress that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and any related federal agencies involved in the administration of such Exchanges, have implemented all appropriate actions necessary to safeguard the personal health and financial information of enrollees and to protect against fraud and abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should establish a joint select committee to investigate and report on the attack on the U.S. diplomatic facility and American personnel in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2013
Fairness for American Families Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), to delay until 2015 the requirement that individuals maintain minimal essential health care coverage. Authority for Mandate Delay Act - Amends PPACA to delay until 2015 enforcement of requirements that large employers offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential coverage. Delays the effective date of related reporting requirements for such employers and for providers of minimum essential coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2013
Union Bailout Prevention Act of 2013 - Declares that no refundable premium assistance tax credits (subsidies) for coverage under a qualified health plan under the Internal Revenue Code, or reductions in cost-sharing under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), shall be permitted with respect to an individual for health insurance coverage provided pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement involving one or more employers (Taft-Hartley plan). Amends PPACA to exclude Taft-Hartley plans from the meaning of "qualified health plan."
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal in honor of President Shimon Peres of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2013 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to National Forest System lands, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands, to implement authorized wildfire prevention projects in at-risk forests and on threatened and endangered species habitat in a manner that focuses on surface, ladder, and canopy fuels reduction activities. Requires projects carried out on threatened and endangered species habitat to: (1) provide enhanced protection from wildfire, including catastrophic wildfire, for the endangered species, threatened species, or their habitat; and (2) comply with applicable recovery plan guidelines. Requires projects carried out in at-risk forests to move the federal land from condition class II or III toward condition class I, as those classes were developed by the Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station in a specified general technical report. Permits use in a project of: (1) domestic livestock grazing to reduce surface fuel loads and to recover burned areas; and (2) timber harvesting and thinning to reduce ladder and canopy fuel loads for the prevention of wildfire, including catastrophic wildfires. Directs the Secretaries to review public petitions for, and make determinations with respect to, the designation of federal lands as at-risk forests or as threatened and endangered species habitats. Requires notice in the Federal Register of proposed projects and final designated projects and permits public comment on projects as specified. Instructs the Secretaries to prepare an environmental assessment for projects that include timber harvesting or grazing. Instructs the Secretaries to research what impact any listing of a species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 would have on both forage and timber forest fuel loads. Requires endangered species recovery plans and critical habitat determinations to include a wildfire risk assessment analysis.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Exchange Verification of Eligibility to Receive Income-Related Funds for Individuals or the Requiring E-VERIFI Act - Declares that no premium tax credits or reductions in cost-sharing for the purchase of qualified health benefit plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) shall be permitted until the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) certifies to Congress that there is in place a program that successfully and consistently verifies, consistent with PPACA requirements, the household income and coverage requirements of individuals applying for such credits and cost-sharing reductions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
National Health Service Corps Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the definition of "primary health services" for purposes of the National Health Service Corps to include optometry health services. Includes optometrists within: (1) the fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, (2) the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, and (3) the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2013 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) to establish the aggregate outlay (outlay cap) (less net interest payments) for FY2014 at $3.233 billion, less 1%. Reduces the outlay cap for FY2015 by 1% of the outlay cap for FY2014. Requires the outlay cap for FY2016 and each subsequent fiscal year to be 19% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for that fiscal year as estimated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prohibits the outlay caps from being less than those for the preceding fiscal year for FY2017 and any ensuing fiscal year. Requires a sequestration by OMB within 45 days after the beginning of a fiscal year to eliminate any excess outlay amount. Prescribes requirements for Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and OMB sequestration preview reports and an OMB final sequestration report, accompanied by a presidential order detailing uniform spending reductions equal to the excess outlay amount. Requires congressional budget committees to report a resolution directing the committees of their respective chambers to change existing law to achieve the spending reductions outlined in the OMB August 20 report to meet the outlay limits, if a sequestration is projected. States that if, after November 14, a bill resulting in outlays for the current fiscal year is enacted that causes excess outlays, the excess outlays for the next fiscal year shall be increased by the amount or amounts of that breach. Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make it out of order in both chambers to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, or conference report that includes any provision that would cause the most recently reported, current outlay cap to be exceeded. Prescribes procedures for waiver or suspension of this rule.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
States that: (1) the federal government should take no action to redeem, assume, or guarantee any state debt; and (2) the Secretary of the Treasury should report to Congress any negotiations to engage in actions that would result in an outlay of federal funds on behalf of state creditors.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Enumerated Powers Act - Requires each Act of Congress, bill, resolution, conference report, or amendment to contain a concise explanation of the specific constitutional authority relied upon as the basis for enacting each portion of the measure. Permits a statement of constitutionality, to the extent that a measure limits or abolishes any federal activity, spending, or power overall, to cite the 9th or the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Declares that invoking one or more specified parts of the following clauses in a statement of constitutionality is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Act: (1) the enumerated spending clause; (2) the necessary and proper clause; or (3) the commerce clause for any purpose other than the regulation of the buying and selling of goods or services, or their transportation, across boundaries with foreign nations, across state lines, or with the Indian tribes. Declares that failure to comply with this requirement shall give rise to a point of order in either chamber.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Expresses the sense of Congress that completion of the Keystone XL pipeline is in the national interest of the United States and its construction will promote: (1) sound investment in the infrastructure of the United States, and (2) energy security in North America and generate an increase in private sector jobs that will benefit both the region surrounding the Keystone XL pipeline and the United States as a whole.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Federal Permitting Improvement Act of 2013 - Establishes the Federal Permitting Improvement Council to be chaired by a Federal Chief Permitting Officer (Federal CPO) who is an officer of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Requires the Federal CPO to: (1) establish an inventory of covered projects for which the review or authorization of the head of any federal agency is pending, (2) develop nonbinding performance schedules for reviews and authorizations of each category of covered projects, and (3) maintain an online database, to be known as the Permitting Dashboard, to track the status of federal reviews and authorizations for any covered project. Defines "covered project" as any construction activity that requires authorization or review by a federal agency and that: (1) involves renewable or conventional energy production, electricity transmission, surface transportation, aviation, ports and waterways, water resource projects, broadband, manufacturing, or any other sector as determined by the Federal CPO; and (2) is likely to require an initial investment of more than $25 million. Requires an agency with principal responsibility for review and authorization of a covered project (lead agency) to establish: (1) a plan for coordinating public and agency participation in, and completion of, any required federal review and authorization for a covered project and submit such plan to the Federal CPO; (2) a permitting timetable that includes intermediate and final deadlines for agency action on any federal review or authorization required for a project; and (3) a process for consultation with participating agencies early in the approval process to identify and address key issues of concern. Grants the consent of Congress for three or more contiguous states to enter into an interstate compact establishing regional infrastructure development agencies to facilitate authorization and review of covered projects. Requires agencies to complete environmental reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for covered projects in a timely, coordinated, and environmentally responsible manner. Reduces the statute of limitations for judicial review of any authorization issued by an agency for a covered project from 6 years to 150 days after a notice is published in the Federal Register that authorization for a covered project is final. Requires a court, in issuing injunctive relief, to consider the potential for significant job losses or other economic harm from an order or injunction.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Community Lending Enhancement and Regulatory Relief Act of 2013 or CLEAR Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt from its rules regarding management assessment of internal controls the following institutions which, as of the end of the preceding fiscal year, had total consolidated assets of $1 billion or less (adjusted annually according to a certain formula): (1) a bank holding company, (2) a savings and loan holding company, or (3) an insured depository institution. Declares the "Small Bank Holding Company Statement" of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) applicable to a financial institution that: (1) is otherwise subject to that policy statement, and (2) has consolidated assets of less than $5 billion. Amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to exempt from requirements governing escrow or impound accounts affecting certain consumer credit transactions any loans secured by a first lien on the principal dwelling of a consumer, if such loans are held by an insured depository institution having assets of $10 billion or less. Includes as a qualified mortgage, with respect to the presumption that a qualified residential mortgage loan meets certain minimum standards, any mortgage loan originated and retained in portfolio for at least three years by a depository institution having less than $10 billion in total assets. Requires the CFPB (which currently is merely authorized) to provide by regulation that a "qualified mortgage" includes a balloon loan extended by an insured depository institution that: (1) originates and retains balloon loans in portfolio for at least three years, and (2) together with its affiliates has less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (Act) to allow Indian housing block grant recipients to use income that is realized from program income without restriction. Applies tribal prevailing wage laws to the administration of all federal funding for projects funded in part under that Act. Deems compliance with the environmental review requirements of the Indian housing block grant projects to satisfy any other federal environmental review requirements imposed on agencies involved in the projects. Reauthorizes appropriations for the block grants through FY2018. Makes an exception to the requirement that housing assisted under the Act remain affordable for the useful life of the property if: (1) a family or household member subsequently takes over ownership of a unit, or (2) certain limited improvements are made to a privately owned unit. Allows rental housing made available to a current tenant for conversion to a homebuyer or lease-purchase unit to be purchased by the tenant if the unit is made available for occupancy by a low-income family at the time of initial occupancy. Applies lease termination notification requirements to any project or program funded in part under the Act. Repeals a program allowing Indian tribes to use a portion of the block grants for housing activities wholly self-determined by the Indian tribe. Prohibits affordable housing that is developed, acquired, or assisted under the block grant program from exceeding by more than 20% the total development cost maximum cost for all housing assisted under an affordable housing activity, without the approval of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to authorize the Secretary to implement a rental assistance and supportive housing demonstration program, in conjunction with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), for the benefit of Indian veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness and who are residing on or near Indian lands. Amends the Act to clarify that the 50-year limit on the lease of trust or Indian restricted lands for housing purposes does not affect any authority to lease those lands that is conferred pursuant to any other law in effect before, on, or after the enactment of that limit. Reauthorizes appropriations, through FY2018, for the provision of training and technical assistance to Indian housing authorities and tribally designated housing entities. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to give a preference in the allocation of low-income tax credits to projects which are located in Indian areas and for which the entity applying for the credit is: (1) an Indian tribe or tribally designated housing entity, (2) wholly owned or controlled by an Indian tribe or tribally designated housing entity, or (3) a subrecipient of funding under the Act. Amends the Act to treat a tribally designated housing entity as a community-based development organization for purposes of the Indian Community Development Block Grant program. Repeals the provision of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2008 that prohibits the use of funds under that Act for the benefit of the Cherokee Nation unless the Temporary Order and Temporary Injunction issued on May 14, 2007, by the District Court of the Cherokee Nation remains in effect or there is a settlement agreement which ends litigation among the adverse parties. Reauthorizes the Native Hawaiian Homeownership Act through FY2018. Allows all funds provided under a grant made pursuant to this Act to be used to meet matching or cost participation requirements under any other federal or nonfederal program.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Cabin Fee Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to set an annual fee in accordance with this Act for the issuance of a special use permit for the use and occupancy of National Forest System land for recreational residence purposes. Requires the Secretary to: (1) complete the current appraisal cycle for such residences within two years after enactment of this Act, and (2) assess an interim annual fee for them according to a specified formula. Specifies the annual fee for each of 11 fee tiers, requiring annual adjustments to reflect the Implicit Price Deflator for the Gross Domestic Product of the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce. Requires the Secretary to report after ten years on: (1) these annual fees in order to ensure that they reflect fair value for the use of System land, and (2) any recommendations to modify the fee system. Directs the Secretary to establish a transfer fee of $1,200 for the issuance of a new recreational residence permit due to a change in ownership of the recreational residence. Permits the Secretary, beginning in FY2023, to: (1) retain and expend any fees collected under this Act (including interim annual fees), and (2) use them to administer the recreational residence program and other recreation programs carried out on System land. Repeals the Cabin User Fees Fairness Act of 2000, effective on the date of the annual permit fees are first assessed under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Sportsmen's Act - Title I: Recreational Shooting - Requires a federal public land management official, in cooperation with the respective state and fish and wildlife agency, to exercise the authority of the official under law, including regarding land use planning, to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public land for hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports and facilitates hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land, excluding land on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to hunting, recreational fishing, or recreational shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such land for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, or compliance with other law. Allows agencies to: (1) lease or permit use of federal public land for recreational shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific land for recreational shooting activities. Excepts from such use or designation land including a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, land designated as a wilderness study area or administratively classified as wilderness eligible or suitable, and primitive or semiprimitive areas. Requires annual reports on closures of federal public lands to hunting, recreational fishing, or recreational shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 1280 or more contiguous acres of federal public land or water to hunting or recreational fishing or related activities. Instructs federal public land agencies to consult with the advisory councils specified in Executive Orders 12962 (relating to recreational fisheries) and 13443 (relating to the facilitation of hunting heritage and wildlife conservation) in carrying out this Act. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to permit individuals carrying bows and crossbows to traverse the National Park System if the traverse is: (1) for the sole purpose of hunting on adjacent land, and (2) the most direct means of access to such adjacent land. Prohibits the Secretary of the Army from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm at a water resources development project administered by the Chief of Engineers if: (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, and (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state in which the project is located. Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person who submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before May 15, 2008 (currently by February 18, 1997), when polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior. Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of BLM to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training. Title II: Duck Stamps - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 to exempt an authorized taking of migratory birds and collection of their eggs by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska from the prohibition on taking under the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act. Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps. Sets forth state electronic duck stamp application requirements. Allows the Secretary to determine the number of new states permitted per year to participate in the electronic duck stamp program. Instructs the Secretary to require electronic stamp revenue and customer information collected by each state to be transmitted in accordance with a written agreement between the Secretary and the state. Title III: Reauthorizations - Amends the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) to reauthorize, until 15 years after this Act's enactment, the program for the completion of appraisals and satisfaction of other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of public land identified for disposal under approved land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Requires 30% (currently all) of the gross proceeds of the sale or exchange of public land under such Act to be deposited in the Federal Land Disposal Account and 70% of such proceeds to be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury and used for federal budget deficit reduction. Makes the FLTFA inapplicable to land eligible for sale under specified public land laws. Amends the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to extend through FY2017 the authorization of appropriations for allocations to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects. Title IV: Miscellaneous - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary. Makes such a permit valid for such activities or projects that occur in areas designated for public use during public hours on all federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary for a one-year period. Allows an applicable land management agency to deny access to a film crew if: (1) there is a likelihood of resource damage that cannot be mitigated, (2) there would be an unreasonable disruption of the public use and enjoyment of the site, (3) the activity poses public health or safety risks, and (4) the filming includes the use of models or props that are not part of the land's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
National Energy Tax Repeal Act - Prohibits the head of a federal agency from promulgating any regulation relating to power sector carbon pollution standards or any substantially similar regulation on or after June 25, 2013, unless that regulation is explicitly authorized by an Act of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2013
Federal Employee Accountability Act of 2013 - Repeals provisions: (1) authorizing a federal employee representing an exclusive representative in the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement official time for such purpose during the time such employee otherwise would be in a duty status; and (2) requiring the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to determine whether any employee participating for, or on behalf of, a labor organization in any phase of proceedings before it shall be authorized official time for that purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2013
Expedited Disability Insurance Payments for Terminally Ill Individuals Act of 2013 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to prescribe formulae for payment of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits over a period of 24 consecutive calendar months for individuals determined to be under a disability upon submission of a diagnosis of a terminal illness.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
Stewardship Contracting Reauthorization and Improvement Act - Amends the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to authorize the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), until September 30, 2023, to enter into stewardship contracting projects with private persons or other public or private entities to perform services to achieve land management goals for the national forests and public lands that meet local and rural community needs. States that the land management goals of a project may include: (1) road and trail maintenance or obliteration to restore or maintain water quality; (2) soil productivity, habitat for wildlife and fisheries, or other resource values; (3) setting of prescribed fires to improve the composition, structure, condition, and health of stands or to improve wildlife habitat; (4) removing vegetation or other activities to promote healthy forest stands, reduce fire hazards, or achieve other land management objectives; (5) watershed restoration and maintenance; (6) restoration and maintenance of wildlife and fish; or (7) control of noxious and exotic weeds and reestablishing native plant species.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to cooperative and small employer charity pension plans (CSEC plans), to: (1) define such plans as defined benefit plans maintained by multiple employers, all of whom are tax-exempt charitable organizations; (2) exempt CSEC plans from existing funding standards and allow such plans to establish minimum funding standards and special rules with respect to the valuation of plan assets, required contributions, and liquidity requirements; (3) require specified notices to CSEC plan participants on the effect of CSEC plan rules on plan funding and on total contributions made by participating employers; (4) allow pension plan sponsors to elect out of treatment of their plans as a CSEC plan in plan years beginning after December 31, 2013; (4) establish a flat premium level for insurance coverage of CSEC plans; and (5) require the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to make sponsors of existing CSEC plans aware of the changes to ERISA made by this Act and the assistance available through the Participant and Plan Sponsor Advocate established by ERISA.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2013
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection-Inspector General Reform Act of 2013 or CFPB-IG Act of 2013 - Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to repeal the authority of the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to appoint the Inspector General of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Requires the CFPB Inspector General to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
![Official portrait of Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001261_200.jpg)