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![Official portrait of Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b000711_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
9,405 records where Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2013
Authorizes expenditures by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for the 113th Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2013
School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to asthma-related grants for child health services, to give an additional preference to a state that allows self-administration of asthma and anaphylaxis medication and makes a certification concerning the adequacy of the state's civil liability protection law to protect trained school personnel who may administer epinephrine to a student reasonably believed to be having an anaphylactic reaction. Requires elementary and secondary schools in such a state to: (1) permit trained personnel to administer epinephrine to a student reasonably believed to be having such a reaction, (2) maintain a supply of epinephrine in a secure location that is easily accessible to trained personnel for such treatment, and (3) have in place a plan for having on the school premises during operating hours one or more designated personnel trained in administration of epinephrine.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2013
Saracini Aviation Safety Act of 2013 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue an order to require: (1) the installation of secondary barriers, other than the cockpit door, to prevent access to the flight deck of each commercial aircraft; (2) such barriers on an aircraft with a cockpit door to remain locked while the aircraft is in flight and the cockpit door separating the flight deck and the passenger area is open; and (3) such barriers on an aircraft without a cockpit door to remain locked as determined by the pilot in command.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Captive Primate Safety Act - Amends the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add nonhuman primates to the definition of "prohibited wildlife species" for purposes of the prohibition against the sale or purchase of such species in interstate or foreign commerce. Makes it unlawful for a person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase a live animal of any prohibited wildlife species in interstate or foreign commerce (i.e., for pet trade purposes). Modifies exceptions to such prohibition, including by making it inapplicable to a person who is: (1) a licensed and inspected person who does not allow direct contact between the public and prohibited wildlife species, and (2) transporting a single primate of the genus Cebus that was obtained from and trained by a charitable organization to assist a permanently disabled individual with a severe mobility impairment. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2013 - Amends the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, to: (1) conduct forest management activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin in a manner that helps achieve and maintain the environmental threshold carrying capacities established by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (Agency) and attains multiple ecosystem benefits, unless the attainment of such benefits would excessively increase the project's cost in relation to the additional benefits gained; (2) establish post-project ground condition criteria for ground disturbance caused by forest management activities; and (3) provide for monitoring to ascertain the attainment of such conditions. Requires the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit to: (1) manage vehicular parking and traffic in the Unit, and (2) support the attainment of the environmental threshold carrying capacities. Withdraws federal land located in the Unit from: (1) all forms of entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing. Exempts a land conveyance from withdrawal if carried out under the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act or the Santini-Burton Act. Requires the Chair of the Lake Tahoe Federal Interagency Partnership to submit to Congress a prioritized list of all Environmental Improvement Program projects for the Basin. Authorizes the Secretary, the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out or provide financial assistance to specified projects and projects included in the prioritized list that have been subject to environmental review and approval under federal and state law and the Tahoe Regional Planning Compact. Requires the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to deploy strategies consistent with the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species into the Lake Tahoe Basin. Requires the Secretary, the Administrator, the Agency, California, Nevada, and the Tahoe Science Consortium to implement a Lake Tahoe Basin Program that includes: (1) developing and updating an integrated multiagency programmatic assessment and monitoring plan and evaluating the effectiveness of the Agency's Environmental Improvement Program, and (2) providing support to governments in reducing pollutants that contribute to the loss of lake clarity.
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
Improving the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Rate Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the the minimum low-income housing tax credit rate for new buildings that are not federally subsidized, and (2) establish a minimum 4% low-income housing tax rate for existing buildings that are not federally subsidized.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Expresses appreciation to David Schiappa and his family. Commends him for his outstanding and faithful service to the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2013 or the PAST Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act (HPA) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to prescribe regulatory requirements for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to license, train, assign, and oversee persons who are to be hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions and are qualified to detect and diagnose sore horses or otherwise inspect horses at such events. (The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.) Prohibits issuing a license to any person unless such person is free from conflicts of interest. Requires the Secretary, in issuing such licenses, to give a preference to persons who are licensed or accredited veterinarians. Replaces the current horse inspector appointment process under which the management of a horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction appoints inspectors with a new process requiring the Secretary to assign USDA-licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire such inspectors. Requires the Secretary to publish on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's website information on violations of such Act. Directs the Secretary to disqualify a horse the Secretary determines is sore for specified minimum time periods that increase after the first, second, and third instance. Prohibits a person in any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction from: (1) showing or exhibiting any horse that is sore; (2) entering any horse that is sore for the purpose of showing or exhibiting the horse; (3) selling, auctioning, or offering for sale any horse that is sore; (4) causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, auctioning, or offering for sale the horse; and (5) allowing any such activity with respect to a horse that is sore by the owner of that horse. Expands a list of activities designated as unlawful conduct under such Act to include a prohibition on showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse with: (1) an action device; or (2) a weighted shoe, pad, wedge, hoof band, or other device or material if it is constructed to artificially alter the gait of such horses and is not strictly protective or therapeutic. Defines "action device" as any boot, collar, chain, roller, or other device that encircles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg of a horse in a manner that it can: (1) rotate around the leg or slide up and down the leg, so as to cause friction; or (2) strike the hoof, coronet band, fetlock joint, or pastern of the horse. Excludes from such term soft rubber or soft leather bell boots or quarter boots that are used as protective devices. Increases the maximum criminal penalties and maximum civil liability penalties for certain HPA violations. Expands the categories of activities the Secretary may disqualify a violator of such Act from participating in to include: (1) transporting or arranging for the transportation of a horse to or from a show, exhibition, sale, or auction; (2) personally giving instructions to an exhibitor; or (3) being knowingly present in a warm-up area, inspection area, or other area that spectators are not permitted. Permits the Secretary to permanently disqualify a person with at least three violations after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Designates September 2013 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that steps should be taken to: (1) raise awareness about prostate cancer screening and treatment; (2) increase research funding to a level commensurate with the burden of prostate cancer; and (3) improve access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2013
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2013
World War II Merchant Mariner Service Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to accept additional documentation for verifying that an individual performed honorable service as a coastwise merchant seaman during the period beginning on December 7, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946, for purposes of eligibility for veterans' benefits under the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977. Requires such documentation to include Social Security Administration (SSA) records and validated testimony in the case of the absence of Coast Guard shipping or discharge forms, ship logbooks, documents, or other official employment records. Requires the Secretary, when determining whether to recognize service allegedly performed during such period, to recognize masters of seagoing vessels or other command officers who were authorized to document an individual for purposes of hiring for or discharging from the merchant marine. Considers any service so recognized as active-duty service for purposes of veterans' burial benefits. Makes such veterans eligible for any appropriate military medals, ribbons, and decorations. Requires the Secretary to verify that an individual performed such service under honorable conditions without regard to their sex, age, or disability during the service period.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2013
Crime Gun Tracing Act of 2013 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct the Attorney General, in awarding public safety and community policing (COPS ON THE BEAT) grants, to give preferential consideration to an applicant that has reported all firearms recovered during the previous 12 months at a crime scene or during the course of a criminal investigation to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), or to a state agency that reports such firearms to the Bureau, for the purpose of tracing. Requires each application for a COPS grant to specify: (1) whether the applicant recovered any firearms at a crime scene or during the course of a criminal investigation during the 12 months before the submission of the application; (2) the number of such firearms recovered; (3) the number of such firearms reported to the Bureau, or to a state agency that reports such firearms to the Bureau, for tracing; and (4) the reason why any such firearms were not so reported.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Protecting Our Youth from Dangerous Synthetic Drugs Act of 2013 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to include in the definition of a "controlled substance analogue" a substance designated as such by the Controlled Substance Analogue Committee (established by this Act). Directs the Attorney General to establish such Committee as an interagency committee headed by the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and comprised of scientific experts in the fields of chemistry and pharmacology from DEA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and any other federal agency determined by the Attorney General to be appropriate. Requires the Committee to designate, and establish and maintain a list of, controlled substance analogues determined to be similar to a schedule I or II controlled substance in either chemical structure or predictive effect on the body in such a manner as to make it likely that the substance will, or can be reasonably expected to, have a potential for abuse. Directs the Administrator to publish a description of each designation made by the Committee. Amends the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to prohibit the importation of any controlled substance analogue except pursuant to such notification or declaration as the Attorney General may prescribe. Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and, if appropriate, amend the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements to ensure that they provide adequate penalties for any offense involving the unlawful manufacturing, importing, exporting, or trafficking of controlled substance analogues and similar offenses.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Songwriters Tax Simplification Reauthorization Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax deduction for depreciation, to make permanent the taxpayer election to amortize over a five-year period expenses incurred in creating or acquiring a musical composition or any copyright with respect to such composition.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2013
21st Century Glass-Steagall Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to prohibit an insured depository institution from: (1) being or becoming an affiliate of any insurance company, securities entity, or swaps entity; (2) being in common ownership or control with any insurance company, securities entity, or swaps entity; or (3) engaging in any activity that would cause the insured depository institution to qualify as an insurance company, securities entity, or swaps entity. Prohibits any individual who is an officer, director, partner, or employee of any securities entity, insurance company, or swaps entity, except in specified circumstances, from serving simultaneously as an officer, director, employee, or other institution-affiliated party of any insured depository institution. Makes certain technical and conforming amendments to the Banking Act of 1933 and the Revised Statutes of the United States to limit the business of national banks to receiving deposits, extending credit, discounting and negotiating evidences of debt, loaning money on personal security, engaging in coin and bullion exchange, and investing in investment securities. Limits the purchase and sale of investment securities and stock by a national banking association to the accounts of customers, but in no case for its own account. Prohibits an association from underwriting any issue of securities or stock. Prohibits a national banking association from investing in structured or synthetic products, defined as financial instruments in which a return is calculated based on the value of, or by reference to the performance of, a security, commodity, swap, other asset, or an entity, or any index or basket composed of such items. Amends the Home Owners' Loan Act to repeal the authority of federal savings associations to invest in, redeem, or hold shares or certificates issued by any open-end management investment company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) if their portfolios are restricted by the management company's investment policy solely to investments that a federal savings association by law or regulation may deal in. Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 with respect to prohibitions against bank holding company ownership or control of voting share interests in nonbanking organizations. Revises exemptions from such prohibitions in the case of nonbanking organizations thewhose activities are so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident to them. Specifies activities of a nonbanking organization that shall not be considered closely related to banking, and so disqualify a bank holding company from owning or controlling voting share interests in such an organization. Includes among such nonbanking activities: (1) serving as an investment advisor to an investment company, (2) agency transactional services for customer investments, (3) investment transactions as principal, and (4) management consulting and counseling activities. Exempts from application of the prohibitions against nonbanking activities, with respect to a bank holding company, the purchase, as an end user, of swaps to hedge against certain exposures, including changes in either interest rates or in the value of currency. Prohibits a bank holding company from engaging in the business of a securities or a swaps entity, including: (1) dealing or making markets in securities, repurchase agreements, exchange traded and over-the-counter swaps, and structured or synthetic products; (2) engaging in proprietary trading; (3) owning, sponsoring, or investing in a hedge fund, or private equity fund, or any other fund which exhibits the characteristics of a fund that takes on proprietary trading activities or positions; (4) holding ineligible securities or derivatives; and (5) engaging in either market-making or prime brokerage activities. Requires the appropriate federal regulatory agency to pursue certain actions to enforce this Act. Amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 to repeal provisions (of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) that: (1) permit a financial holding company to engage in activities that are either financial in nature or constitute expanded financial activities, (2) prescribe corrective actions for financial holding companies that fail to meet certain requirements, (4) authorize certain financial holding companies to retain limited nonfinancial activities and affiliations, and (5) authorize certain financial holding companies to own or control shares of a company engaged in activities related to the trading, sale, or investment in commodities and underlying physical properties that were not previously permissible for bank holding companies. Amends the Revised Statutes of the United States to repeal the authority of national banks to control or hold an interest in financial subsidiaries. Amends the International Banking Act of 1978 to repeal the permission granted certain foreign banks to continue to engage in nonbanking activities in the United States. Revises bankruptcy law to repeal the prohibition against staying, avoiding, or limiting the exercise of a contractual right of financial entities to either liquidate, terminate, or accelerate the following financial instruments: a securities contract, a repurchase agreement, a swap agreement, a master netting agreement, and across contracts. Repeals requirements for the timing of damage measurement in connection with such financial instruments, including commodity contracts and forward contracts.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2013
Revitalizing the Economy of Fisheries in the Pacific Act or the REFI Pacific Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce (upon receipt of such assurances as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United States) to issue a loan to refinance the existing debt obligation funding the fishing capacity reduction program for the West Coast groundfish fishery implemented under the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003. Requires such loan to have a maturity that expires 45 years after the date of issuance. Permits the Secretary to extend the loan under specified conditions if there is an outstanding balance after such period. Prohibits the fee with respect to such loan from exceeding 3% of the ex-vessel value of the harvest from each fishery for which the loan is issued. Sets forth requirements for direct loan interest rates, subloans, and the calculation of the ex-vessel landing fee to be collected for payment of such loan.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2013
Combating Prescription Drug Abuse Act - Establishes the Combating Prescription Drug Abuse Commission, whose duties shall be to: (1) review and report to Congress on federal initiatives regarding efforts to prevent and reduce prescription drug abuse, (2) identify gaps and opportunities regarding the safe use of prescription drugs with the potential for diversion and abuse, and (3) make recommendations on specific ways to reduce diversion and abuse of prescription drugs. Requires the report to describe Commission efforts to prevent or reduce drug diversion and abuse to ensure that patients continue to have access to medications and include specific recommendations for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other federal and state agencies concerning prescription drug monitoring and abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2013 - Amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to revise the membership requirements for the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia. Requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, acting through the Task Force, to: (1) establish and maintain a national harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program, and (2) develop and submit to Congress a comprehensive research plan and action strategy to address marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia. Establishes additional Task Force functions, including: (1) expediting the interagency review process; and (2) promoting the development of new technologies for predicting, monitoring, and mitigating harmful algal bloom and hypoxia conditions. Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to have primary responsibility in administering the Program. Establishes the Under Secretary's duties, including administering merit-based, competitive grant funding to: (1) maintain and enhance baseline monitoring programs established by the Program, (2) support the Program's projects, and (3) address the research and management needs and the Action Strategy's priorities. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) research the ecology and impacts of freshwater harmful algal blooms; (2) forecast and monitor event response to freshwater harmful algal blooms in lakes, rivers, estuaries, and reservoirs; and (3) ensure that activities carried under this Act focus on new approaches to addressing freshwater harmful algal blooms and are not duplicative of existing research and development programs authorized by this Act or any other law. Requires the collection of monitoring and observation data under this Act to comply with all data standards and protocols developed pursuant to the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009. Requires the Administrator, through the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, to report to appropriate congressional committees and the President on the progress made by activities directed by the Task Force and carried out or funded by EPA and other state and federal partners toward attainment of the goals of the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008 within 12 months after this Act's enactment and biennially thereafter. Requires the Task Force to: (1) submit within 18 months to Congress and the President an integrated assessment that examines the causes, consequences, and approaches to reduce hypoxia and harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes; and (2) develop and submit to Congress a plan, based on such assessment, for reducing, mitigating, and controlling such hypoxia and blooms.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Keep Student Loans Affordable Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the 3.4% interest rate on Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2013, to Direct Stafford loans first disbursed to undergraduate students between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2014. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify rules for required distributions from tax-exempt pension plans to an employee who dies before such employee's entire interest is distributed to require such interest to be distributed within five years after the death of such employee, subject to exceptions for an eligible designated beneficiary and surviving spouse of such employee. Defines "eligible designated beneficiary" to include a disabled or chronically-ill individual. Exempts from such modification a binding annuity contract in effect on the enactment date of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require an applicant for approval of a new animal drug that is a medically important antimicrobial to demonstrate that there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the nontherapeutic use of the drug. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to refuse approval if the applicant fails to make such a demonstration. Defines “medically important antimicrobial” as a drug intended for use in food-producing animals and composed wholly or partly of: (1) any kind of specified antibiotics, including penicillin and tetracycline; or (2) a drug from an antimicrobial class that is listed on the World Health Organization’s list of critically important antimicrobials. Requires the Secretary to withdraw approval for the nontherapeutic use in food-producing animals of a medically important antimicrobial marketed for human use unless the Secretary makes a final written determination that, based on either the application holder's demonstration or an HHS risk analysis, there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health due to the development of antimicrobial resistance attributable to the drug's nontherapeutic use. Requires the Secretary to rescind approval of an exemption for investigational use of, or of approval of a new drug application for, a medically important antimicrobial for its nontherapeutic use in a food-producing animal two years after the exemption is granted or the application for approval is submitted. Exempts from this requirement any drugs for which there has been found a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health. Prohibits the administration of a medically important antimicrobial (including by means of animal feed) to a food-producing animal for nonroutine disease control unless there is a significant risk that a disease or infection present on the premises will be transmitted to the food-producing animal. Requires the administration of the antimicrobial to be: (1) necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission; (2) for the shortest duration possible to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission; and (3) at a scale no greater than the barn, house, or pen level and to the fewest animals possible to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY2018 cancer research programs under the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008. Replaces the current pediatric cancer research and awareness grant program carried out by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with a comprehensive children's cancer biorepositories program. Authorizes the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make awards to eligible applicants to build upon existing initiatives to collect biospecimens and clinical and demographic information (including date of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and patient's gender, race, and ethnicity) for at least 90% of all children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer in Comprehensive Children's Cancer Biorepositories for the purpose of achieving a better understanding of the cause of such cancers and the effects of treatments. Permits award amounts to be used to: (1) acquire, preserve, and store high quality, donated biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic information on children, adolescents, and young adults diagnosed with cancer in the United States; (2) maintain a secure searchable database for scientists and qualified health care professionals to research such biospecimens and data; and (3) make available and distribute such biospecimens and data to researchers and professionals for peer-reviewed research. Revises the national childhood cancer registry grant program to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to award grants to state cancer registries to enhance and expand infrastructure to track the epidemiology of cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults. Requires a Comptroller General (GAO) report regarding the barriers to conducting pediatric studies of oncologic therapies in applications for new drugs or biological products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including recommendations to improve development and access to new therapies as well as assessments of: (1) the feasibility of requiring studies for a pediatric oncologic indication if the therapeutic target of a drug or biologic product for an adult oncologic indication is highly relevant to any pediatric cancer to which it could apply, and (2) the impact of altering the current exemption for orphan drug designations relating to rare diseases or conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to: (1) redesignate the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking as the Bureau to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, and (2) provide for an Assistant Secretary to head the Bureau.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2013
Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act of 2013 or HOME Act of 2013 - Amends the Fair Housing Act, with respect to prohibited discrimination in housing sales and rentals, residential real estate-related transactions, and brokerage services, to specify that the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin basis of discrimination may be actual or perceived. Adds to the list of prohibited actual or perceived bases sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, and source of income. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1968, with respect to prohibited intimidation, interference, or injury of individuals, to specify that the race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin basis of discrimination may be actual or perceived. Adds also to the list of prohibited actual or perceived bases sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or source of income. Redefines "discriminatory housing practice" to specify that the definition: (1) applies regardless of whether the discriminatory practices occur pre- or post-acquisition; and (2) includes a failure to comply with administrative requirements of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including related regulations, in a manner affirmatively to further nondiscrimination policies. Redefines "familial status" to include individuals (under age 18) residing with: (1) a foster parent or another person having lawful physical custody of such individuals; or (2) anyone standing in loco parentis of such individuals (currently, the designee of such parent or other person having such custody, with the parent's or other person's written permission). Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act to grant the Attorney General pre-litigation subpoena power if there is reason to believe that any person may be in possession, custody, or control of any documentary material or information relevant to an investigation under the respective Act. Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to prohibit discrimination against credit applicants on the basis of actual or perceived race or color, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. States that discrimination against a person because of a handicap includes the failure, in connection with a real estate-related transaction, to make reasonable accommodations for such persons. Revises the limitations on filing complaints and commencing civil actions by certain individuals alleging discriminatory housing practices to deem that the failure to design and construct a dwelling that meets requirements for reasonable modifications for handicapped persons shall continue (and with it the alleged discriminatory housing practice) until such time as the dwelling conforms to them.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Respect for Marriage Act - Amends the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal a provision that prohibited a state, territory, possession, or Indian tribe from being required to recognize any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other state, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a same sex marriage. Amends the federal rules of construction added by such Act concerning the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse" to provide that, for purposes of any federal law in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual's marriage is valid in the state where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any state, if the marriage is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a state. Removes the definition of "spouse" (currently, a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife).
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable William Dodd Hathaway, former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns June 26, 2013, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Hathaway.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2013
Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act - Authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the Pechanga Settlement Agreement, entered into by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, the Rancho California Water District (RCWD), the Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), and the United States. Ratifies, confirms, and declares valid the Tribal Water Right which shall be held in trust by the United States on behalf of the Band and its allottees. States that the Band shall: (1) have the authority to use, allocate, and lease the Tribal Water Right; and (2) enact a Pechanga Water Code. Authorizes the waiver of claims by the Band and the United States regarding: (1) Santa Margarita River Watershed water rights, (2) subsidence damage to lands within the Reservation, and (3) the negotiation or execution of the Pechanga Settlement Agreement or this Act. Requires the Band and the United States to waive such claims against the RCWD and EMWD. Establishes in the Treasury the Pechanga Settlement Fund. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to use amounts from designated accounts of that Fund to fulfill the Band's obligations under the Recycled Water Infrastructure Agreement and the ESAA Capacity Agreement, both entered into by the Band, RCWD, and United States. (The ESSA Capacity Agreement deals with the delivery of potable water that the Band receives from the EMWD and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California pursuant to an Extension of Service Area Agreement with those entities.) Repeals this Act and voids any related agreements on the later of May 1, 2030, or the day after an alternative date agreed to by the Band and the Secretary, if the Secretary does not publish a statement of findings required under this Act by April 30, 2030. Returns any appropriations and unobligated amounts to the general fund of the Treasury.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2013
Supports the goals of World Refugee Day. Reaffirms the Senate's commitment to the protection, well-being, and self-reliance of refugee women and girls and their families in U.S. humanitarian policy, programs, and diplomacy and recognizes the work of the United States Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to this end. Reiterates the importance of targeted programs for refugee women and girls that prevent and respond to gender-based violence, support self-reliance, and promote leadership skills. Recognizes the work of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department of State, the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), nongovernmental organizations, advocacy groups, and communities across the United States in resettling refugees in the United States. Celebrates the contributions that refugee women and girls make to their families and communities.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2013
Prohibits any person, except with written permission from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, from using the phrases "GI Bill" and "Post-9/11 GI Bill" in connection with any promotion, goods, services, or commercial activity in a manner that reasonably and falsely suggests that such use is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Commonsense Contractor Compensation Act of 2013 - Prohibits civilian or defense contracts from allowing compensation of contractor and subcontractor employees to exceed the annual amount payable under the aggregate limitation established by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (currently, $230,700). Allows an exception to such limitation for scientists, engineers, or other specialists who are needed to ensure that an executive agency has continued access to needed skills and capabilities. Requires the Director of OMB to report to specified congressional committees on contractor compensation, including the number of contractor employees hired in the preceding fiscal year who are exempt from the limitation on compensation imposed by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Recognizes the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day (June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved African Americans were free) and supports the continued nationwide celebration of such Day to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the United States. Recognizes that the observance of the end of slavery is a part of the history and heritage of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Real Estate Investment and Jobs Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from 5% to 10% the allowable ownership interest in real estate investment trust (REIT) stock for purposes of tax exemptions allowed by the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act relating to foreign investment in United States real property interests.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal in honor of the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, in recognition of its pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and many acts of valor in the face of adversity. Requires the medal to be given to the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) for display. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian shall make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with the 65th Infantry Regiment, including locations in Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Grants Congress and the states the power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in-kind equivalents with respect to federal and state elections, respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
Freedom from Discrimination in Credit Act of 2013 - Amends the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to prohibit discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity when extending credit. Defines: (1) "gender identity" as the gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual with or without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth; (2) "person" as a natural person, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, trust, estate, partnership, cooperative, or association; and (3) "sexual orientation" as homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
National Park Service 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS). Authorizes the issuance of coins under this Act only for a one-year period, beginning on January 1, 2016. Requires all sales of coins minted under this Act to include a surcharge of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin, and $5 per half-dollar clad coin. Requires all of the surcharges received from the sale of such coins to be paid to the National Park Foundation for projects and programs to help preserve and protect resources under the stewardship of the NPS and to promote public enjoyment and appreciation of those resources. Prohibits the surcharges paid to the Foundation from being used for land acquisition.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2013
Pay Your Bills or Lose Your Pay Act of 2013 - Requires the appropriate payroll administrator of each house of Congress to deposit in an escrow account all mandatory payments for compensation of Members of Congress serving in that house during a specified period beginning when the federal government is unable to make payments or meet obligations because the public debt has been reached. Requires release of such payments to those Members only upon the earlier of: (1) the date on which both chambers present a bill to the President to increase the public debt, or (2) the last day of the 113th Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2013
Prescribe A Book Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of Pediatric Early Literacy Programs, through which: (1) health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer parents developmentally appropriate recommendations and strategies for doing so; (2) health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and (3) volunteers in health care facility waiting areas read to children and show parents the techniques and pleasures of sharing books. Requires that the books provided to children under the programs be obtained at a discount.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2013
Calls on: (1) the government of Ukraine to release former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko from imprisonment in light of the April 2013 European Court of Human Rights verdict, and (2) European Union (EU) members to include Ms. Tymoshenko's release as an important criterion for signing an association agreement with Ukraine at the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in Lithuania. Expresses the Senate's concern that the politically motivated imprisonment of Ms. Tymoshenko detracts from Ukraine's otherwise strong relationship with Europe, the United States, and the community of democracies.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Sensible Accounting to Value Energy Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop and issue guidelines for all federal mortgage agencies (including the Federal National Mortgage Association [Fannie Mae], the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation [Freddie Mac], and any affiliates) to implement enhanced loan eligibility requirements, for use when testing the ability of a loan applicant to repay a covered loan, that account for the expected energy cost savings for a loan applicant at a subject property. Directs the Secretary to issue guidelines for how covered agencies shall determine: (1) the maximum permitted loan amount based on the value of the property for all covered loans made on properties with an energy efficiency report, and (2) the estimated energy savings for properties with such a report. Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to require standards for the performance of real estate appraisals in connection with federally related transactions to require at a minimum that state certified and licensed appraisers have timely access, where practicable, to information from the property owner and the lender that may be relevant in developing an opinion of value regarding the energy- and water-saving improvements or features of a property. Applies the requirement of state certified appraisers to transactions involving any real property on which the appraiser makes adjustments using an energy efficiency report. Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory group on the implementation of the enhanced energy efficiency underwriting criteria established in this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2013
Servicemembers and Veterans Prescription Drug Safety Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Defense (Secretary) and the Attorney General (AG) to jointly carry out a program under which a member of the Armed Forces (member), an individual receiving or entitled to military retired or retainer pay, a dependent-beneficiary of a member, or any person lawfully entitled to dispose of the property of any of such individuals may deliver a personal-use controlled substance (the prescription medication of a deceased individual) for disposal at a facility to be specified by the Secretary and the AG. Requires the Secretary and AG, in implementing the program, to develop appropriate guidelines and procedures to prevent the diversion, misuse, theft, or loss of such delivered substances. Directs the Secretary and the AG to jointly carry out a program under which a veteran, a veteran's spouse or dependent, a person in receipt of medical services at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility, or any person lawfully entitled to dispose of the property of any of such individuals may deliver such a controlled substance for disposal at a specified facility, subject to the same guidelines and procedures with respect to such delivered substances.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2013
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct made unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Authorizes the Attorney General to institute a civil action in any appropriate U.S. district court for a violation of this Act. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2013
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg, a Senator from New Jersey. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on June 4, 2013, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Senator.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
End Racial Profiling Act of 2013 - Prohibits any law enforcement agent or agency from engaging in racial profiling. Grants the United States or an individual injured by racial profiling the right to obtain declaratory or injunctive relief. Requires federal law enforcement agencies to maintain adequate policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling and to cease existing practices that permit racial profiling. Requires state or local governmental entities or state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies that apply for grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and the Cops on the Beat Program to certify that they maintain adequate policies and procedures for eliminating racial profiling and have eliminated any existing practices that permit or encourage racial profiling. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants and contracts for the collection of data relating to racial profiling and for the development of best practices and systems to eliminate racial profiling. Requires the Attorney General to issue regulations for the collection and compilation of data on racial profiling and for the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Older Americans Act Amendments of 2013 - Reauthorizes the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) and funding for its programs for FY2014-FY2018. Revises OAA to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) individuals, HIV-positive individuals, individuals with Alzheimer's disease, veterans, and Holocaust survivors, among others, within the status of greatest social need caused by noneconomic factors. Requires the Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (in the Administration on Aging [AOA] of the Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]) to collect, analyze, and report on best practices related to screening for elder abuse. Requires the Assistant Secretary for Aging of the AOA to assist states with the development of the Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights and Plan for Enforcement (required by this Act). Requires the AOA to work with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Secretary of Labor to identify and address personnel shortages in the field of aging. Establishes an Advisory Committee to Assess, Coordinate, and Improve Legal Assistance Activities to study the legal services activities assistance system for older individuals. Requires the Secretary of Labor, through the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to revise, improve, and report to Congress on the Experimental Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E). Amends OAA to express the sense of the Senate that the amount appropriated under OAA for FY2014 and each subsequent year should be at least $2.675 billion (reflecting a 12% increase over FY2010 levels). Authorizes states to enter into cooperative arrangements with Federally Qualified Health Centers for services for the elderly. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2014-FY2018 for supportive services, congregate nutrition services, home-delivered nutrition services, disease prevention and health promotion services, and family caregiver support. Requires area agencies on aging (AAAs) to develop area plans that provide for modernization of multipurpose senior centers, including a plan to use the skills and services of older adults in paid and unpaid work at such centers. Requires AAA area plans also to: (1) include evidence-based behavioral health services, chronic self-care management programs, and falls prevention programs; (2) describe efforts to increase public awareness of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (3) describe outreach efforts to veterans and coordination of services under OAA with those provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Requires a state plan, among other things, to: (1) assure an adequately funded State Long-Term Care Ombudsman programprovided with adequate funding; and (2) provide legal assistance through an integrated legal assistance delivery system; and (3) describe efforts for outreach to veterans eligible for OAA services under the Act. Increases from 185% to 200% of the poverty line the self-declared income level of individuals who may be solicited for voluntary contributions for certain services they receive. Includes among supportive services covered by grants to states evidence-based chronic condition self-care management, evidence-based falls prevention programs, screening for elder abuse and neglect, and falls prevention screening. Requires the meals provided under a state nutrition project to be adjusted and appropriately funded, to the maximum extent practicable, to meet any special health-related or other dietary needs of program participants, including needs based on religious, cultural, or ethnic requirements. Declares that older adults should receive the clinical preventive services covered under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. Revises caregiver and care recipient requirements for the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to make grants to states to assess the needs of family caregivers for targeted support services. Requires the services of AAAs or AAA contractors to include Ombudsman efforts to support family and caregiver councils in long-term care facilities, as well as facilitate and support the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. Directs the Assistant Secretary to award grants to carry out or establish: (1) projects to support and promote modern multipurpose senior center models which yield multiservice, multigenerational centers for older individuals, their families, and others to gain needed skills, resources, and connections for continuum of care and quality of life; and (2) a demonstration program on care coordination and service delivery redesign for older individuals with chronic illness or at risk of institutional placement. Directs the HHS Secretary to award competitive grants to or contract with eligible entities to fund the employment costs of professionals who will: (1) coordinate with the provision of medically recommended dental care to eligible individuals by volunteer dentists; and (2) verify the medical, dental, and financial needs of individuals who may be eligible for free medically recommended dental care. Directs the Secretary to award a grant to or enter into a cooperative agreement with a public or private nonprofit entity to establish a National Resource Center on Family Caregiving. Revises the purposes of the Older American Community Service Employment Program to further the goal of economic security, grow local economies, and improve the quality of life of local communities. Directs the Assistant Secretary and the Secretary of Labor to study the feasibility of transferring the Senior Community Service Employment Program to the AOA from the Department of Labor. Reauthorizes funding for grants for Native Americans for FY2014-FY2018. Requires the Assistant Secretary to ensure that education and public awareness activities under OAA title XI (Allotments for Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection Activities) are fully integrated with OAA programs. Authorizes appropriations for the State Home Care Ombudsman Program, and authorizes the Assistant Secretary to award competitive grants to states for such programs. Requires a state to have a Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights and a Plan for Enforcement. Requires the state Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights to address a home care consumer's right to: (1) basic safety; (2) information access; (3) choice, participation, and self-determination; and (4) redress of grievances. Revises requirements for: (1) state long-term care ombudsman programs; (2) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (3) state legal assistance development. Amends OAA to require state agencies to carry out a Home Care Ombudsman Program within the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Amends the Public Health Service Act to include geriatrics and gerontology as primary health services.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Mobile Device Theft Deterrence Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly: (1) removing, obliterating, tampering with, or altering a mobile device identification number; or (2) using, producing, trafficking in, having control or custody of, or possessing hardware or software, knowing it has been configured to engage in such conduct. Exempts the manufacturer of a mobile device, a person that engineers, tests, repairs, or refurbishes a mobile device, or a person that implements technologies for the purpose of protecting the security and privacy of mobile device end users while allowing the transmission of the mobile device identification number to service providers, unless such manufacturer or person knows that the mobile device or part involved is stolen.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Every Child Deserves a Family Act - Prohibits an entity that receives federal assistance and is involved in adoption or foster care placements from discriminating against prospective adoptive or foster parents solely on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identification, or marital status or on the basis of the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child involved. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in order to ensure compliance with, and ensure understanding of the legal, practice, and culture changes required by this Act in making foster care and adoption placement decisions, to provide specified technical assistance to all entities covered by this Act. Requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study of whether states have substantially complied with this Act in eliminating policies, practices, or statutes that deny adoption rights on the basis of these criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) all telephone service providers must appropriately complete calls to all areas of the United States regardless of the technology used by such providers; (2) no entity may unreasonably discriminate against telephone users in rural areas; and (3) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should pursue violators of FCC rules, impose enforcement actions to discourage such uncompleted calls and unreasonable discrimination, and establish a definitive solution to discrimination against telephone users in rural areas.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Federal Reserve Independence Act - Amends the Federal Reserve Act regarding class A membership on the board of directors of a Federal Reserve Bank to require the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board) to designate members from among persons who are not employed in any capacity by a stockholding bank. Requires the Federal Reserve Board to designate the class B members of such board of directors (class B members represent the public). Prohibits employees of any Federal Reserve Board-regulated entity from serving on the board of directors of any Reserve Bank. Prohibits any employee of the Federal Reserve System or any board member of a Reserve Bank from owning stock or investing in any company regulated by the Federal Reserve Board. Directs the Comptroller General to report annually to Congress to ensure implementation of this Act.