United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2019
This concurrent resolution commemorates, on December 16, 2019, the 75th anniversary of World War II's Battle of the Bulge. The resolution also recognizes the valiant efforts of the Allied Forces and expresses remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the Allied victory in the European Theater.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2019
This joint resolution rescinds the State Relief and Empowerment Waivers guidance issued on October 24, 2018, which relaxes the criteria for states to obtain waivers from certain health insurance plan coverage requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2019
This resolution (1) congratulates the United States Women's National Soccer Team for winning the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, and (2) stands in solidarity with the women of that team as they fight for equal pay.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Negro National League, a professional baseball league that was formed in response to African-American players being banned from baseball's major leagues. The design of the coins shall be emblematic of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and its mission to promote tolerance, diversity, and inclusion. All surcharges from sales of these coins shall be paid to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for educational and outreach programs and exhibits.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
New Opportunities for Value that Extend Lives Act of 2019 or the NOVEL Act of 2019 This bill establishes a process for expediting the assignment of Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes to medical products that have been designated as a breakthrough product or regenerative advanced therapy by the Food and Drug Administration; it also establishes a process for determining coverage under Medicare of such breakthrough products that have been assigned HCPCS codes.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
This bill increases from seven to nine the total number of U.S. district court judgeships for the District of Colorado. The President must appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, two additional judges for that judicial district.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2019
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2019
Freedom for Americans to Travel to Cuba Act of 2019 This bill establishes that any law, regulation, or policy that prohibits or restricts travel to or from Cuba, or transactions incident to such travel, shall have no effect. The President may not restrict or prohibit such travel or transactions unless doing so is necessary to protect (1) U.S. national security, or (2) the health and safety of U.S. citizens or legal residents.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Renewable Energy Extension Act of 2019 This bill extends the energy tax credit for certain renewable resources and the credit for residential energy efficient property for five years.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
Broadband Transparency and Accountability Act of 2019 This bill addresses how internet service providers report data on the availability of broadband across the country and how the federal government verifies and shares such data. Specifically, the bill requires providers to report to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data for each covered household in a census block showing average speed and price of broadband service; latency, or the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer; denials of service and their reason; and type of broadband technology available. Providers must also report data measuring the characteristics of broadband service as advertised and as delivered. The FCC must make the collected data available to certain governmental entities, nonprofit organizations, and researchers. Further, the bill requires the FCC to develop a searchable map of existing broadband service capability and availability.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2019
This resolution designates July 26, 2019, as United States Intelligence Professionals Day and acknowledges the courage, fidelity, sacrifice, and professionalism of the men and women of the U.S. intelligence community.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2019
Fair Elections Now Act of 2019 This bill establishes the Fair Elections Fund, which shall provide funding to Senate candidates who meet specified conditions and agree to abide by certain requirements, such as limits on types of campaign funding sources. The bill also revises provisions related to broadcasts of Senate campaign advertisements and imposes a tax on certain U.S. government contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Brand USA Extension Act This bill (1) extends funding for Brand USA, the Corporation for Travel Promotion, through FY2027; (2) raises the fee for using the electronic system for travel authorization; and (3) otherwise modifies the duties and powers of Brand USA.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Foreign Influence Reporting in Elections Act This bill requires all presidential campaign officials to report any contacts (i.e., offers of contributions or services) by foreign nationals.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to state and local educational agencies to promote media literacy and digital citizenship. Media literacy includes the ability to access relevant information, analyze media content, evaluate the accuracy of information, and make educated decisions about products and services, education, health, and wellness based on information obtained from media and digital sources. Digital citizenship includes the ability to safely, responsibly, and ethically use communication technologies and to participate in the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of life related to technology and the digital world. A state educational agency must use grant funds to carry out one or more specified activities, specifically (1) creating and supporting a media literacy advisory council, (2) assisting local educational agencies in the development of instruction in media literacy, (3) assisting local agencies in developing means of evaluating student learning in media literacy, and (4) assisting local agencies in developing or providing professional development for teachers that relates to media literacy.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Securing America's Federal Elections Act or the SAFE Act This bill addresses election security through grant programs and requirements for voting systems and paper ballots. The bill establishes requirements for voting systems, including that systems (1) use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots; (2) make a voter's marked ballot available for inspection and verification by the voter before the vote is cast; (3) ensure that individuals with disabilities are given an equivalent opportunity to vote, including with privacy and independence, in a manner that produces a voter-verified paper ballot; (4) be manufactured in the United States; and (5) meet specified cybersecurity requirements, including the prohibition of the connection of a voting system to the internet. The National Science Foundation must award grants to study, test, and develop accessible voter-verified paper ballot voting and best practices to enhance the accessibility of such voting for individuals with disabilities, for voters whose primary language is not English, and for voters with difficulties in literacy. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must award grants to states to replace certain voting systems, carry out voting system security improvements, acquire accessible ballot-marking devices for voters with disabilities, and design and print ballots. States must carry out postelection risk-limiting audits for all federal elections, funded by the EAC. The EAC must (1) establish mandatory cybersecurity requirements for systems used in federal elections, and (2) provide for the testing and certification of voting system hardware and software.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
This bill nullifies a July 11, 2019, executive order (1) directing all federal agencies to share citizenship information with the Department of Commerce, (2) establishing an interagency working group to improve Commerce's access to citizenship-related records in other agencies, and (3) directing Commerce to strengthen efforts to obtain citizenship-related records from states.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Equity Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to refund credit risk premiums under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan program upon the satisfaction of a loan's obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2019
This resolution honors John Paul Stevens, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Specifically, the resolution commends his decades of service, acknowledges his enormous contributions, and extends sympathies to his family and friends.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Good Jobs for 21st Century Energy Act This bill establishes Department of Labor requirements and tax incentives for certified entities who construct certain clean energy, manufacturing, or energy efficiency projects. Specifically, the bill initiates prevailing wage jobs in the clean energy economy, builds clean U.S. energy infrastructure and technology, and provides incentives for workforce training and development.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2019
Trauma-Informed Modernization of Eldercare for Holocaust Survivors Act or the TIME for Holocaust Survivors Act This bill includes matters concerning Holocaust survivors in federal grants and programs that serve older adults. Specifically, the bill includes an individual's status as a Holocaust survivor within the scope of the greatest social needs for purposes of such programs. Under current law, these programs must target populations with the greatest economic and social needs. Additionally, among other activities, the Administration on Aging must establish a national center to provide resources, training, and technical assistance related to delivering services to older individuals who experience the long-term and adverse consequences of trauma. In addition, the administration may designate within it a person responsible for implementing and coordinating services for individuals who are Holocaust survivors.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2019
Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2019 This bill revises a variety of programs to encourage energy efficiency in buildings, industry, and the federal government, including by encouraging energy efficiency in residential, commercial, federal, or school buildings; energy-efficient technologies and processes for industrial applications; sustainable manufacturing; energy-efficient electric motors or transformers; or federal use of energy-efficient and energy-saving information technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2019
College Student Hunger Act of 2019 This bill expands the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). SNAP eligibility for students is expanded to include certain low-income students who (1) are employed a minimum of 10 hours per week (currently 20 hours) during the regular school year, (2) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant, (3) have an expected family contribution equal to zero, or (4) are independent. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Education to provide notification to certain students regarding their eligibility for SNAP benefits, the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an audit of the operations of the Food and Nutrition Service to examine the procedures and outreach practices used by the service to provide to states information about the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education for participation in the program, USDA to update its state outreach plan guidance, and USDA to implement projects to decrease student hunger at institutions of higher education and to reduce barriers to college students fully utilizing SNAP benefits at these institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2019
Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act This bill establishes limitations on separating alien children from parents and on detaining families, and also addresses other immigration-related matters. A child may be separated from a parent or legal guardian at or near a port of entry or U.S. border only if (1) a state court has made a relevant ruling, such as terminating the parent's rights; (2) a qualified child welfare agency official has ruled that separation is in the child's best interest; or (3) a specified official makes certain determinations, such as concluding that a child is a trafficking victim. A child may not be separated from a parent or guardian solely to deter migration or promote compliance with immigration laws. This bill establishes presumptions (1) in favor of family unity and keeping siblings together, and (2) against detention. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall (1) document all child separations, (2) develop training for officers handling separations, (3) publish guidance on how to locate a separated child, (4) periodically provide a parent or guardian information about a separated child, and (5) pay for counsel to represent unaccompanied alien children in removal proceedings. The Flores settlement (an agreement imposing conditions on the treatment of detained alien minors) and a related court holding shall apply to the detention of families. The bill also contains provisions relating to the detention of aliens, including (1) requiring medical assessments of detained children, (2) imposing health-related standards for detention facilities, and (3) requiring DHS to provide sufficient funds for alternatives to detention programs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2019
Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act This bill directs the Department of Energy to facilitate and encourage public-private partnerships in order to address and mitigate the physical security and cybersecurity risks of electric utilities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2019
Enhancing State Energy Security Planning and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Energy to provide financial assistance to states for the development, implementation, review, and revision of a state energy security plan that assesses the state's existing circumstances and proposes methods to strengthen the ability of the state to have a reliable, secure, and resilient energy infrastructure. A state energy security plan must contain specified content, including a risk assessment of energy infrastructure and cross-sector interdependencies and a risk mitigation approach to enhance reliability and end-use resilience. The plan must address potential hazards to each energy sector or system, including physical threats and cybersecurity threats.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2019
Protecting Sensitive Locations Act This bill prohibits immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a sensitive location unless there are exigent circumstances or if written prior approval has been obtained from certain officials. Sensitive locations include health care facilities; schools and school bus stops; places that provide assistance for people such as children, pregnant women, and abuse victims; places that provide disaster or emergency services; places of worship; courthouses and lawyers' offices; and public assistance offices. The prohibition shall apply to Department of Homeland Security officers and agents, as well as state employees pursuing immigration enforcement actions. If an enforcement action is carried out in violation of this prohibition (1) no information resulting from the action may be entered into the record in a resulting removal proceeding, and (2) the affected alien may move to immediately terminate such a proceeding. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall annually report to Congress about enforcement actions taken at sensitive locations in the preceding year.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2019
Climate Risk Disclosure Act of 2019 This bill directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require an issuer of securities to annually disclose information regarding climate change-related risks posed to the issuer, including an issuer's strategies and actions to mitigate these risks. Among other things, issuers must (1) report their direct and indirect greenhouse-gas emissions, (2) disclose their fossil fuel-related assets, and (3) establish standards regarding the social cost of carbon.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2019
Never Again Education Act This bill creates the Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund for the Department of Education (ED) to (1) award grants to eligible entities to carry out Holocaust education programs, and (2) conduct periodic regional workshops to provide teachers with technical assistance on how to incorporate Holocaust education within state and local education standards. The fund may accept donations and in-kind contributions. ED shall (1) create and maintain a Holocaust education program website containing resources for middle grades and high schools; and (2) establish the Holocaust Education Advisory Board to advise on developing application criteria for the fund's grants, to advise on content for the Holocaust education program website, and to lead efforts to solicit donations for the fund.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2019
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take a series of actions relating to palliative-care training. Specifically, HHS must provide support for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. The centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced-education nursing degrees, social-work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician-assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may provide support to medical schools, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical-education programs for training physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development, (2) support entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center, (3) support individuals in specified fields who are pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields, and (4) award grants to nursing programs to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2019
Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2019 This bill removes the requirement that a health care practitioner apply for a separate waiver through the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispense certain narcotic drugs (e.g., buprenorphine) for maintenance or detoxification treatment (i.e., substance use disorder treatment). Further, a community health aide or community health practitioner may dispense certain narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment without registering with the DEA if the drug is prescribed by a health care practitioner through telemedicine. It preempts state laws related to licensure for this activity. The bill also directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to conduct a national campaign to educate health care practitioners and encourage them to integrate substance use disorder treatment into their practices.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2019
Organ Procurement Optimization Act of 2019 This bill revises the procedures that organ procurement agencies must follow for hospitals to receive reimbursement through Medicare or Medicaid for payments made to such agencies. In addition to the existing requirements, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may reimburse a hospital only if the organ procurement agency relies on standardized, objective, verifiable performance metrics, which must be established through administrative rulemaking within one year of the bill's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality Act of 2019 or the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act This bill establishes various grants within the Department of Justice for states and units of local government to improve law enforcement activities to address hate crimes, including by improving the reporting of hate crime data to relevant national systems. It also allows a court to order, as a penalty for a violation of a federal hate crime statute, a defendant to participate in educational classes or community service related to the community harmed by the defendant's offense as part of a supervised release.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Restoring Local Control Over Public Infrastructure Act of 2019 This bill nullifies rules issued by the Federal Communications Commission that revoke state and local authority to regulate telecommunications equipment deployment and to determine the amount of payment for the use of such equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2019 This bill prohibits commercial conversion therapy, which is a practice or treatment designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity or otherwise change behaviors, thoughts, or expressions related to gender or sexual attraction. This prohibition does not apply to treatment that assists an individual undergoing a gender transition or facilitates identity exploration and development.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Willie O'Ree, in recognition of his contributions and commitment to hockey, inclusion, and recreational opportunity.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2019
This resolution recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and commends the bravery and resiliency of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community in the face of violence and discrimination, past and present. The resolution also condemns violence and discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community and recommits the House of Representatives to securing justice, equality, and well-being for LGBTQ people.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
Restore Honor to Service Members Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to review the discharge characterization of a service member who was discharged on the basis of sexual orientation (i.e., on the basis of Don't Ask Don't Tell or a similar policy) if the service member requests such a review. If the service member's discharge is characterized as other than honorable, and if there were no aggravating circumstances that would have independently caused the discharge to be characterized as other than honorable, then DOD must change its characterization of the discharge to honorable.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Fair Maps Act of 2019 This bill prohibits a state from establishing a congressional districting plan that unduly favors or disfavors a political party. Any eligible voter from the state may sue to invalidate such a districting plan. The bill also establishes certain required and permissible criteria for states to consider when establishing or altering congressional district boundaries, as well as criteria that states are prohibited from considering when devising districting plans. Furthermore, a state that has an approved remedial districting plan may not be redistricted again until after the next apportionment of Representatives unless a court requires the state to conduct such subsequent redistricting to comply with the U.S. Constitution, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the state's constitution, or the terms or conditions of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2019 This bill prohibits strikes by certain individuals and requires the issuance of rules that provide for federal minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) shall determine for each state whether the laws of such state substantially provide for each of the minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures specified by this bill, including the right of public employees and supervisory employees to self-organize, form or join a labor organization, or collectively bargain. The FLRA must issue rules and take actions to establish and administer bargaining rights and procedures for those states that do not substantially provide for them. No employers, emergency services employees, or law enforcement officers may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action that would probably result in a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. Furthermore, no labor organization may be the cause of a violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
SHELTER Act This bill allows a tax credit to individuals and businesses for disaster mitigation expenditures. The allowable amount of such credit is 25% of the mitigation expenditures, up to $5,000 in any taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Save Affordable Housing Act of 2019 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the low-income housing tax credit, to repeal the qualified contract option for a building that received its allocation of housing credit dollar amount before January 1, 2019, or received before that date, a determination from the bond issuer or housing credit agency of its eligibility to receive an allocation of a housing credit dollar amount. Under current law, properties subject to the low-income housing tax credit are subject to a 30-year affordability period, during which the value of properties is set at a below market rate. The qualified contract option allows property owners, in some cases, to convert to market rate after 15 years.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2019 This bill provides federal worker's compensation to firefighters who contract certain illnesses as a result of their service. Specifically, the bill provides that (1) heart disease, lung disease, and specified cancers of federal employees employed in fire protection activities for at least 5 years is presumed to be proximately caused by such employment if the employee is diagnosed with the disease within 10 years of their employment in fire protection activities; and (2) the disability or death of the employee due to such disease is presumed to result from personal injury sustained in the performance of duty. These presumptions also apply to fire protection employees who contract any uncommon infectious disease, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis A, B, or C, or the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). An employee in fire protection activities is a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous material worker, who (1) is trained in fire suppression; (2) has the legal authority and responsibility to engage in fire suppression; (3) is engaged in the prevention, control, and extinguishment of fires or response to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk; and (4) performs such activities as a primary responsibility. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must examine the implementation of this bill and appropriate scientific and medical data related to the health risks of firefighting.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
This resolution (1) recognizes the increase in educational opportunities, including in sports, for women and girls since the passage of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; and (2) encourages the Department of Education and Department of Justice to ensure that students have a safe learning environment by working to ensure that schools prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Refund Equality Act of 2019 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act of 2019 This bill revises the Summer Food Service Program to direct the Department of Agriculture to establish electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and off-site consumption as two alternative delivery options for certain children through schools and service institutions in the program. These options shall be available to a child only if (1) the child lives in a rural area or outside of an area in which poor economic conditions exist, and (2) the child is eligible for a free or reduced price lunch and breakfast. In the case of off-site consumption, the option is also available if the summer program is available to the child at a congregate feeding site but (1) the site is closed due to extreme weather conditions, (2) violence or other public safety concerns in the area prevent the child from traveling safely to the site, (3) the site is open not more than four days a week, or (4) the site provides only one meal per day. A state may not operate the EBT card option and the off-site consumption option simultaneously in the same area. Each state desiring to participate in the summer food service program shall include in its annual management and administration plan the state's plans for using one or both of these alternative delivery options.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
This resolution recognizes June 2019 as Immigrant Heritage Month in honor of the accomplishments of immigrants and their children in shaping the history and culture of the United States.
![Official portrait of Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001267_200.jpg)