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United States · Official source
3,388 records where Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
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
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to extend and revise a grant program for screening, counseling, and other services related to heritable disorders. Extends a grant program to evaluate the effectiveness of screening, counseling, or health care services in reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by heritable disorders in newborns and children. Expands the program to include evaluation of follow-up care for newborns and their families after screening and diagnosis. Directs the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children to provide a priority review of a human drug application with respect to a nomination to the recommended uniform screening panel. Requires the Advisory Committee to meet in person at least four times each calendar year with at least two meetings in person. Extends the clearinghouse for newborn screening information. Expands the duties of the clearinghouse to include: (1) maintaining current data on the number of conditions for which screening is conducted in each state; and (2) disseminating available evidence-informed guidelines related to diagnosis, counseling, and treatment with respect to conditions detected by newborn screening. Extends requirements for the Secretary to provide for quality assurance of laboratories involved in screening newborns and children for heritable disorders. Extends the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Newborn and Child Screening. Authorizes the Secretary to have the Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening Research Program to: (1) provide research and data for newborn conditions under review by the Advisory Committee to be added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel; and (2) conduct pilot studies on conditions recommended by the Advisory Committee to ensure that screenings are ready for nationwide implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Alicia Dawn Koehl Respect for National Cemeteries Act - Authorizes the appropriate federal official (either the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the Secretary of the Army) to reconsider a decision to inter or honor the memory of a person in the National Cemetery Administration or in Arlington National Cemetery upon receiving information that such person may have committed a federal or state capital crime but was not convicted by reason of unavailability for trial due to death or flight to avoid prosecution. Requires the appropriate federal official, upon finding, after an opportunity for a hearing, that the person committed but was not convicted of such crime, to provide notice to the individual's next of kin or other authorized person. Allows such next of kin or other person 60 days to file a notice of disagreement, which shall be decided in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe. Authorizes the appropriate federal official, when a decision becomes final, to disinter the remains or remove the memorial headstone. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs: (1) to disinter the remains of Michael LaShawn Anderson from Fort Custer National Cemetery (Michigan); (2) to notify his next of kin of the impending disinterment; and (3) upon disinterment, to relinquish the remains to the next of kin or, if the next of kin of record is unavailable, arrange for the appropriate disposition of the remains.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act - Amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2013
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
Enumerated Powers Act - Requires each Act of Congress, bill, resolution, conference report, or amendment to contain a concise explanation of the specific constitutional authority relied upon as the basis for enacting each portion of the measure. Permits a statement of constitutionality, to the extent that a measure limits or abolishes any federal activity, spending, or power overall, to cite the 9th or the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Declares that invoking one or more specified parts of the following clauses in a statement of constitutionality is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Act: (1) the enumerated spending clause; (2) the necessary and proper clause; or (3) the commerce clause for any purpose other than the regulation of the buying and selling of goods or services, or their transportation, across boundaries with foreign nations, across state lines, or with the Indian tribes. Declares that failure to comply with this requirement shall give rise to a point of order in either chamber.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2013
Designates August 16, 2013, as National Airborne Day.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2013
Designates July 26, 2013, as United States Intelligence Professionals Day. 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 2013
Community Lending Enhancement and Regulatory Relief Act of 2013 or CLEAR Relief Act of 2013 - Amends the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to exempt from its rules regarding management assessment of internal controls the following institutions which, as of the end of the preceding fiscal year, had total consolidated assets of $1 billion or less (adjusted annually according to a certain formula): (1) a bank holding company, (2) a savings and loan holding company, or (3) an insured depository institution. Declares the "Small Bank Holding Company Statement" of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) applicable to a financial institution that: (1) is otherwise subject to that policy statement, and (2) has consolidated assets of less than $5 billion. Amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to exempt from requirements governing escrow or impound accounts affecting certain consumer credit transactions any loans secured by a first lien on the principal dwelling of a consumer, if such loans are held by an insured depository institution having assets of $10 billion or less. Includes as a qualified mortgage, with respect to the presumption that a qualified residential mortgage loan meets certain minimum standards, any mortgage loan originated and retained in portfolio for at least three years by a depository institution having less than $10 billion in total assets. Requires the CFPB (which currently is merely authorized) to provide by regulation that a "qualified mortgage" includes a balloon loan extended by an insured depository institution that: (1) originates and retains balloon loans in portfolio for at least three years, and (2) together with its affiliates has less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Sportsmen's Act - Title I: Recreational Shooting - Requires a federal public land management official, in cooperation with the respective state and fish and wildlife agency, to exercise the authority of the official under law, including regarding land use planning, to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public land for hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting, except as described in this Act. Requires the heads of federal public land management agencies to exercise their discretion in a manner that supports and facilitates hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting opportunities, to the extent authorized under applicable law. Requires that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service land, excluding land on the Outer Continental Shelf, be open to hunting, recreational fishing, or recreational shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity. Permits closures or restrictions on such land for purposes including resource conservation, public safety, energy or mineral production, energy generation or transmission infrastructure, water supply facilities, national security, or compliance with other law. Allows agencies to: (1) lease or permit use of federal public land for recreational shooting ranges, and (2) designate specific land for recreational shooting activities. Excepts from such use or designation land including a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, land designated as a wilderness study area or administratively classified as wilderness eligible or suitable, and primitive or semiprimitive areas. Requires annual reports on closures of federal public lands to hunting, recreational fishing, or recreational shooting. Sets forth requirements for specified closures or significant restrictions involving 1280 or more contiguous acres of federal public land or water to hunting or recreational fishing or related activities. Instructs federal public land agencies to consult with the advisory councils specified in Executive Orders 12962 (relating to recreational fisheries) and 13443 (relating to the facilitation of hunting heritage and wildlife conservation) in carrying out this Act. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to permit individuals carrying bows and crossbows to traverse the National Park System if the traverse is: (1) for the sole purpose of hunting on adjacent land, and (2) the most direct means of access to such adjacent land. Prohibits the Secretary of the Army from promulgating or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm at a water resources development project administered by the Chief of Engineers if: (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, and (2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the state in which the project is located. Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue a permit for the importation of any polar bear part (other than an internal organ) from a polar bear taken in a sport hunt in Canada to any person who submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before May 15, 2008 (currently by February 18, 1997), when polar bears were listed as a threatened species by the Department of the Interior. Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to: (1) authorize a state to pay up to 90% of the costs of acquiring land for, expanding, or constructing a public target range; (2) authorize a state to elect to allocate 10% of a specified amount apportioned to it from the federal aid to wildlife restoration fund for such costs; (3) limit the federal share of such costs under such Act to 90%; and (4) require amounts provided for such costs under such Act to remain available for expenditure and obligation for five fiscal years. Shields the United States from any civil action or claim for money damages for injury to or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by an activity occurring at a public target range that is funded by the federal government pursuant to such Act or located on federal land, except to the extent provided under the Federal Tort Claims Act with respect to the exercise or performance of a discretionary function. Urges the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of BLM to cooperate with state and local authorities and other entities to carry out waste removal and other activities on any federal land used as a public target range to encourage its continued use for target practice or marksmanship training. Title II: Duck Stamps - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 to exempt an authorized taking of migratory birds and collection of their eggs by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska from the prohibition on taking under the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act. Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps. Sets forth state electronic duck stamp application requirements. Allows the Secretary to determine the number of new states permitted per year to participate in the electronic duck stamp program. Instructs the Secretary to require electronic stamp revenue and customer information collected by each state to be transmitted in accordance with a written agreement between the Secretary and the state. Title III: Reauthorizations - Amends the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) to reauthorize, until 15 years after this Act's enactment, the program for the completion of appraisals and satisfaction of other legal requirements for the sale or exchange of public land identified for disposal under approved land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Requires 30% (currently all) of the gross proceeds of the sale or exchange of public land under such Act to be deposited in the Federal Land Disposal Account and 70% of such proceeds to be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury and used for federal budget deficit reduction. Makes the FLTFA inapplicable to land eligible for sale under specified public land laws. Amends the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to extend through FY2017 the authorization of appropriations for allocations to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects. Title IV: Miscellaneous - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "chemical substance" for purposes of such Act: (1) any component of any pistol, revolver, firearm, shell, or cartridge the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax, including shot, bullets and other projectiles, propellants, and primers; and (2) any sport fishing equipment the sale of which is subject to federal excise tax and sport fishing equipment components. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary. Makes such a permit valid for such activities or projects that occur in areas designated for public use during public hours on all federal land and waterways administered by the Secretary for a one-year period. Allows an applicable land management agency to deny access to a film crew if: (1) there is a likelihood of resource damage that cannot be mitigated, (2) there would be an unreasonable disruption of the public use and enjoyment of the site, (3) the activity poses public health or safety risks, and (4) the filming includes the use of models or props that are not part of the land's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2013
Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to set the annual interest rate on Direct Stafford loans and Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans issued to undergraduate students at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 2.05%, but caps that rate at 8.25%. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans issued to graduate or professional students at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 3.6%, but caps that rate at 9.5%. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct PLUS loans at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 4.6%, but caps that rate at 10.5%. Limits the applicability of the preceding provisions to loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2013. Fixes the interest rate on Direct Stafford loans, Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans, and Direct PLUS loans for the period of the loan. Sets the annual interest rate on Direct Consolidation loans for which an application is received on or after July 1, 2013, at the weighted average of the interest rates on the loans consolidated, rounded to the nearest higher one-eighth of 1%. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study and report to Congress on the actual cost to the federal government of carrying out the federal student loan programs authorized under title IV of the HEA.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2013
Federal Employee Accountability Act of 2013 - Repeals provisions: (1) authorizing a federal employee representing an exclusive representative in the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement official time for such purpose during the time such employee otherwise would be in a duty status; and (2) requiring the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to determine whether any employee participating for, or on behalf of, a labor organization in any phase of proceedings before it shall be authorized official time for that purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2013
Defund Obamacare Act of 2013 - Prohibits any federal funds from being made available to carry out the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Prohibits any entitlement to benefits under such provisions from remaining in effect on and after the date of the enactment of this Act. Prohibits any payments from being awarded, owed, or made to any state, district, or territory under any such provision. Rescinds any unobligated balances available under such provisions.
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
Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to set the annual interest rate on Direct Loans at the bond equivalent rate on 91-day Treasury bills plus: (1) 1.85% for Direct Stafford Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans for undergraduate students, (2) 3.4% for Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans for graduate students, and (3) 4.4% for Direct PLUS Loans. Fixes the interest rate on such loans for the period of the loan. Sets the annual interest rate on the unpaid principle balance of Direct Consolidation Loans at the lesser of: (1) the weighted average of the interest rates on the loans consolidated, rounded to the nearest higher one-eighth of 1%; or (2) 8.25%. Makes these interest rate provisions applicable to loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2013. Requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) to provide student borrowers of title IV loans, prior to or at the time of their departure from school, with information regarding: (1) their options for loan consolidation; (2) the income-based repayment plan, including information about capped monthly payments and loan forgiveness under the plan; and (3) Direct Consolidation Loans.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2013
Wireless Tax Fairness Act of 2013 - Prohibits states or local governments from imposing any new discriminatory tax on mobile services, mobile service providers, or mobile service property (i.e., cell phones) for five years after the enactment of this Act. Defines "new discriminatory tax" as a tax imposed on mobile services, providers, or property that is not generally imposed on other types of services or property, or that is generally imposed at a lower rate, unless such tax was imposed and actually enforced prior to the date of enactment of this Act. Amends the federal judicial code to grant jurisdiction to federal district courts to grant injunctive and other appropriate relief to prevent, restrain, or terminate any acts in violation of this Act. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study of the impact of state and local taxes on mobile services, providers, or property on the costs consumers pay for mobile services.
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 · 20 June 2013
Health Care Conscience Rights Act - Amends title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to declare that nothing in such title shall require an individual to purchase individual health insurance coverage that includes coverage of an abortion or other item or service to which the individual has a moral or religious objection, or prevent an issuer from offering or issuing, to that individual, individual coverage excluding such item or service. Makes similar denials about requiring a sponsor to sponsor, purchase, or provide such coverage, or a health insurance issuer or group health plan sponsor to cover an abortion or other item or service to which the sponsor or issuer has a moral or religious objection. Denies also that such title authorizes imposition of a tax, penalty, fee, fine, or other sanction, or imposition of coverage of such an item or service, in relation to health insurance coverage or a group health plan that excludes such an item or service. Amends the Public Health Service Act to codify the prohibition against any action by the federal government and any state or local government receiving federal financial assistance to subject a health professional, a hospital, a provider-sponsored organization, a health maintenance organization, an accountable care organization, a health insurance plan, or any other kind of health care facility, organization, or plan to discrimination on the basis that the entity refuses to participate in abortion-related activities. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate the Director of the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to receive and investigate complaints alleging a violation of abortion discrimination prohibition. Creates a cause of action for the Attorney General or any person or entity adversely affected to obtain equitable or legal relief for any violation of this abortion discrimination prohibition. Allows commencement of an action to be commenced and the granting of relief without a prerequisite pursuit of administrative remedies. Allows such an action against a federal or state governmental entity.
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Forty Hours is Full Time Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the employer mandate to provide health care coverage, to: (1) modify the formula for calculating the number of full-time employees employed by an applicable large employer subject to the mandate; and (2) define a "full-time employee" as an employee who is employed on average at least 40 hours per week (currently, 30 hours).
United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2013
Designates July 12, 2013, as Collector Car Appreciation Day. Recognizes that the collection and restoration of historic and classic cars is an important part of preserving the technological achievements and cultural 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
Designates September 2013 as National Child Awareness Month to: (1) promote awareness of charities benefiting children and youth-serving organizations throughout the United States, and (2) recognize efforts made by those charities and organizations on behalf of children and youth as critical contributions to the future of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2013
Amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit a veterinarian who is registered to manufacture or distribute controlled substances from being required to have a separate registration in order to transport and dispense controlled substances in the usual course of veterinary practice at a site other than such veterinarian's principal place of business or professional practice, as long as the site of transporting and dispensing is located in a state where the veterinarian is licensed to practice.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
Representation Fairness Restoration Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to revise requirements for determination by the National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) of an appropriate bargaining unit before an election of collective bargaining representation. (In effect reverses the NLRB's August 26, 2011, decision in Specialty Healthcare and Rehabilitation of Mobile and its June 22, 2011, rulemaking regarding proposed changes to procedures involving the election of collective bargaining representation.) Replaces the current restriction in the meaning of collective bargaining unit to employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or subdivision. Requires the NLRB, instead, to determine a unit as appropriate for collective bargaining if it consists of employees that share a sufficient community of interest. Specifies factors the NLRB must consider when making such determinations. Prohibits exclusion of employees from the unit unless the group's interests are sufficiently distinct from those of other employees to warrant the establishment of a separate unit.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2013
Constitutional Amendment - Grants Congress the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the U.S. flag.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2013
Lumbee Recognition Act - Extends federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, which makes its members eligible for the services and benefits provided to Indians because of their status as members of a federally recognized tribe. Deems members of the Tribe residing in Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland Counties in North Carolina to be within the delivery area for such services. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for the Tribe. Prohibits the Tribe from conducting gaming activities. Requires North Carolina to exercise jurisdiction over all criminal offenses committed, and all civil actions that arise, on North Carolina lands owned by, or held in trust for, the Lumbee Tribe or any dependent Indian community of the Tribe.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2013
Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures Act of 2013 or PRIME Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Prescription Drug Benefits) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prohibit sponsors of prescription drug plans (PDPs) from paying claims for prescription drugs that do not include the valid National Provider Identifier for the drug's prescriber. Requires the Secretary's annual report to Congress on the use of recovery audit contractors under the Medicare Integrity Program to: (1) describe the types and financial cost of improper payment vulnerabilities identified by recovery audit contractors and how the Secretary is addressing them, and (2) assess the effectiveness of changes made to Medicare payment policies and procedures in order to address those vulnerabilities. Requires the Secretary to address improper payment vulnerabilities in a timely manner, prioritized based on the risk to the Medicare program. Authorizes the Secretary, under recovery audit contracts under both Medicare and Medicaid (SSA title XIX), to retain a certain portion of the recovered amounts for a program management account for activities addressing problems that contribute to improper payments and fraud. Requires the Secretary, under such contracts, to retain an additional 5% of the recovered amounts to be made available to the HHS Inspector General to investigate improper payments or audit internal controls associated with Medicare or Medicaid payments. Directs the Secretary to develop a plan to revise the incentive program under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 for the reporting of fraud and abuse to encourage greater participation by individuals reporting Medicare fraud and abuse. Requires the plan to include certain recommendations for: (1) ways to enhance rewards for individuals reporting, and (2) extention of the incentive program to the Medicaid program. Amends SSA title XIX to cover the costs of equipment, salaries and benefits, and travel and training in appropriations for the Medicaid Integrity Program. Allows the Secretary to increase Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) staff whose duties consist solely of protecting the integrity of the Medicare program by a number determined necessary to carry out the Program (currently, by 100). Directs the Secretary to provide incentives for Medicare administrative contractors to reduce the improper payment error rates in their jurisdictions. Requires imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to $500,000 ($1 million in the case of a corporation), or both, for knowingly, intentionally, and with the intent to defraud purchasing, selling, distributing, or arranging for the purchase, sale, or distribution of a Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP beneficiary identification number or billing privileges under SSA titles XVIII, title XIX, or title XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program). Amends SSA title IV part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) with respect to the Federal Parent Locator Service to give the CMS Administrator access to information in the National Directory of New Hires to determine the eligibility of an applicant for, or enrollee in, the Medicare program or an applicable state health subsidy program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Requires the Secretary to disclose to the HHS Inspector General information on individuals and their employers in the National Directory of New Hires if the HHS Inspector General gives the Secretary their names and Social Security account numbers. Restricts the use of such information to: (1) determining the eligibility of an applicant for, or enrollee in, the Medicare program or an applicable state health subsidy program; or (2) evaluating the integrity of such programs. Sets forth rules for the use and disclosure of such information by state agencies. Directs the Secretary to establish a plan to encourage and facilitate the participation of states in the Medicare-Medicaid Data Match Program (Medi-Medi Program). Revises Medi-Medi Data Match Program purposes. Amends SSA title XIX, as amended by PPACA, and XXI with respect to claims processing and detection of fraud within the Medicaid and CHIP programs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2013
Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) make public and report biannually to Congress on international monetary policy and currency exchange rates; and (2) appear, if requested, before certain congressional committees to testify regarding such reports. Prescribes report contents, including: (1) an analysis of currency market developments and the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the currencies of major economies and trading partners of the United States, (2) a review of the economic and monetary policies of major economies and trading partners of the United States and an evaluation of how such policies impact currency exchange rates, and (3) a list of currencies designated as fundamentally misaligned currencies. Instructs the Secretary to: (1) analyze semiannually the prevailing real effective exchange rates of foreign currencies; (2) determine whether any such currency is in fundamental misalignment; and (3) designate it for priority action if the issuing country engages in specified behavior, including excessive and prolonged official or quasi-official accumulation of foreign assets for balance of payments purposes. Prescribes procedures for: (1) negotiations and consultations; and (2) actions in response to failure, including persistent failure, to adopt appropriate policies, or take identifiable action to eliminate the fundamental misalignment. Requires the Secretary, before the United States approves a proposed change in the governance arrangement of any international financial institution, to determine whether any member of the international financial institution that would benefit from the proposed change, in the form of increased voting shares or representation, has a currency designated for priority action. Requires U.S. opposition to the proposed change if the Secretary renders an affirmative determination. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930, for purposes of an antidumping investigation or review, to require an adjustment in the price used to establish export (and constructed export) prices, in the case of a fundamentally misaligned currency designated for priority action, by reducing such price by the percentage by which the domestic currency of the producer or exporter is undervalued in relation to the U.S. dollar. Requires the administering authority, upon the filing of a petition by an interested party, to initiate a countervailing duty investigation or review to determine whether currency undervaluation by the government of, or any public entity within, a foreign country is providing, directly or indirectly, a countervailable subsidy to its exporters or products. Requires the same kind of countervailing duty investigation upon the designation of a foreign currency as a fundamentally misaligned currency for priority action. Declares that the fact that such a subsidy is also provided in circumstances not involving export shall not, for that reason alone, mean it cannot be considered export contingent and actionable under a countervailing duty and antidumping duty proceeding. Declares that the amendments made by this Act shall apply to goods from Canada and Mexico. Adds as a factor the administering authority must take into account in determining whether a foreign country is a nonmarket economy country the question of whether its currency is designated, or has been designated at any time over the five years before review of any nonmarket economy status, for priority action under this Act. Establishes the Advisory Committee on International Exchange Rate Policy. Repeals the Exchange Rates and International Economic Policy Coordination Act of 1988.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
LNG Excise Tax Equalization Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to adjust the excise tax on liquefied natural gas to 24.3 cents per energy equivalent of a gallon of diesel.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2013
Every Child Ready for College or Career Act of 2013 - Revises and reauthorizes programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Title I: Improving Basic Programs Operated by State and Local Educational Agencies - Amends the school improvement program under part A of title I of the ESEA to eliminate the requirement that local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools make adequate yearly progress toward state academic content and achievement standards. Requires states to adopt challenging academic content and achievement standards for mathematics, reading or language arts, and science that ensure that all of their public school students graduate from high school fully prepared for postsecondary education or the workforce. Requires states to implement a set of high-quality assessments of student progress toward those standards in mathematics and reading or language arts that: (1) involve multiple measures of student achievement; (2) measure the overall performance of students in each public school and the performance of their poor, minority, disabled, and English learner subgroups; and (3) are used as the primary means of determining the yearly performance of each of their schools. Allows states to adopt alternate academic achievement standards and assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Requires states to annually: (1) identify their public schools that need improvement based on the overall performance of their students, achievement gaps between student subgroups, or graduation rates; and (2) assist their LEAs in developing and implementing appropriate improvement strategies for such schools. Includes among the assistance strategies that LEAs must develop for schools their state has identified as needing improvement: replacing the school's principal; replacing ineffective teachers; giving the school the operational flexibility needed to fully implement a comprehensive strategy to improve student achievement; providing ongoing, high-quality professional development to instructional staff; implementing strategies to recruit, place, and retain effective staff; using data to identify and implement an instructional program that is aligned with state academic standards or to inform and differentiate instruction that meets the needs of individual students; converting a school or closing and reopening the school; closing a school and enrolling it students in higher performing schools; and adopting a new governance structure for the school. Allows LEAs to give students in those schools the option to transfer to another public school in their jurisdiction, provided the option is not prohibited by state law. Eliminates the requirement that all teachers be highly qualified, requiring instead that they meet applicable state certification and licensure requirements. Authorizes states to allocate their part A grants among LEAs on the basis of the number of impoverished children enrolled in each LEA's public schools. Replaces the program under part B (Student Reading Skills Improvement Grants) with a program awarding grants to states to assist them in developing academic assessments and academic content and achievement standards. Repeals: (1) the demonstrations of innovative practices, assessment evaluation, and Close Up Fellowship programs under part E; (2) part F (Comprehensive School Reform); (3) part G (Advanced Placement Programs); and (4) part H (School Dropout Prevention) of title I of the ESEA. Eliminates fiscal maintenance of effort requirements imposed on LEAs receiving funds under part A. Title II: High-Quality Teachers and Principals - Creates a new title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) of the ESEA consisting of a part A (Fund for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning) and part B (Teacher Incentive Fund). Moves teacher liability and internet safety provisions to title IX of the ESEA. Allocates part A grants to states and, through them, subgrants to LEAs pursuant to a formula that apportions: (1) 20% of the funding to states and LEAs on the basis of their share of students aged 5-17 on the national and state level, respectively; and (2) 80% of such funding on the basis of their share of impoverished students in that age group. Requires states to use 95% of those funds for subgrants to LEAs, with the remainder being used for specified state activities. Lists the projects which the subgrants may fund, including: (1) teacher and principal recruitment, training, and retention efforts; (2) teacher and principal evaluation systems that are based in significant part on student achievement; (3) model instructional programs in the core academic subjects; (4) measures that improve students' access to school library materials, postsecondary level coursework, and extended learning opportunities; and (5) the provision of general liability insurance coverage to teachers. Requires those projects to meet certain principles of effectiveness and undergo a periodic evaluation to assess their progress in providing students with a high-quality education in the core academic subjects that improves student academic achievement. Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) provide technical assistance to part A grantees and subgrantees; (2) evaluate part A activities; and (3) award competitive matching grants to institutions of higher education or national educational organizations to provide LEAs with teachers and school leaders from nontraditional routes, professional development activities, and other services and learning opportunities. Directs the Secretary to reserve at least 10% of the funding under title II for the part B program, after reserving funds for certain national activities under part A. Authorizes the Secretary to award competitive matching grants under part B to states, LEAs, or partnerships between those entities and profit or nonprofit organizations to develop, implement, improve, or expand performance-based compensation systems for teachers and principals. Requires priority to be given to grant applicants that focus on teachers and principals serving in high-need schools. Directs the Secretary to arrange for an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of part B programs. Title III: Safe and Healthy Students - Replaces title IV (21st Century Schools) of the ESEA with a new title IV (Safe and Healthy Students) program. Moves the gun-free schools requirement and part C (Environmental Tobacco Smoke) of title IV to title IX (General Provisions) of the ESEA. Allots grants to states and, through them, subgrants to LEAs in amounts that reflect their share of impoverished children aged 5-17 on the national and state level, respectively. Requires states to use 98% of those funds for subgrants to LEAs. Requires the subgrants to be used to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive programs and activities that: (1) improve students' physical and mental health, diet, and physical fitness; (2) prevent and reduce substance abuse, school violence, and bullying; and (3) strengthen parent and community involvement in these efforts. Requires those programs and activities to meet certain principles of effectiveness and undergo a periodic evaluation to assess their progress in improving students' safety, health, and fitness. Title IV: Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools - Repeals part A (Innovative Programs), subpart 3 (Voluntary Public School Choice Programs) of part B (Public Charter Schools), and part D (Fund for the Improvement of Education) of title V (Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs) of the ESEA. Revises the program currently under subpart 1 (Charter School Programs) of part B and subsumes the program currently under subpart 2 (Credit Enhancement Initiatives to Assist Charter School Facility Acquisition, Construction, and Renovation) under that revised program. Replaces the current charter school grant program with a program awarding renewable competitive grants to states, authorized public chartering agencies, and LEAs and, through them, renewable subgrants to charter school developers to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools. Requires such grantees to use 10% of the grant funds to provide technical assistance to subgrantees and authorized public chartering agencies and to work with those agencies to improve the charter school authorization process. Makes authorized public chartering agencies, LEAs, and charter management organizations eligible to receive renewable competitive grants to open new charter schools and expand and replicate high-quality charter schools. Revises the per-pupil facilities aid program (under which the Secretary makes competitive matching grants to states to provide per-pupil financing to charter schools) to allow states to: (1) partner with organizations to provide up to 50% of the state share of funding for the program; and (2) receive more than one program grant, so long as the amount of the grant funds provided to charter schools increases with each successive grant. Directs the Secretary to conduct certain national activities that include awarding competitive grants directly to charter school developers to open, replicate, and expand charter schools in states that have not received, or are nearing the end of, a grant for that purpose. Allows charter schools to serve prekindergarten or postsecondary school students. Title V: State Innovation and Flexibility - Amends title VI (Flexibility and Accountability) of the ESEA to allow LEAs to transfer up to 100% of their allocations under titles II and IV between the two programs or into the school improvement program under part A of title I. Allows states to do the same with the amounts allotted to them under such programs for state level activities. Amends title IX (General Provisions) of the ESEA to revise the process by which states, LEAs, and Indian tribes obtain waivers of the Act's statutory and regulatory requirements. Prohibits the Secretary from imposing requirements on states, LEAs, or Indian tribes in exchange for the approval of a waiver request. Repeals the requirement that LEAs maintain their education funding at certain levels in order to receive funds under covered ESEA programs. Establishes an approval and disapproval process for state plans and LEA applications under titles II and IV of the ESEA. Title VI: Extensions of Authorizations - Reauthorizes appropriations under the ESEA and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act through FY2018.
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 · 3 June 2013
Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2013 - Reauthorizes the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 through FY2019. Revises the Act to allow a joint interagency office, designated by the governor, to serve as the lead agency for a state desiring to receive a community services programs child care and development block grant. Increases from two to three years the period that must be covered by a state child care and development plan. Revises and expands plan requirements to include, among others, compliance with state and local health and safety requirements, compliance with child abuse reporting requirements, protection for working parents, and coordination with other programs. Prescribes early learning and developmental guidelines. Authorizes a state to use funds to establish or support a system of local or regional child care resource and referral organizations. Requires a state receiving funds under such Act to carry out at least two of specified activities affecting the quality of child care. Requires states receiving grant funds under such Act to carry out criminal background checks for child care staff members of child care providers. Makes ineligible for employment by a licensed, regulated, or registered child care provider any individual who: (1) refuses to consent to a criminal background check, (2) knowingly makes a materially false statement in connection with such a background check, (3) is registered or is required to be registered on a state sex offender registry or the National Sex Offender Registry, or (4) has been convicted of one or more specified felonies. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to operate a national toll-free hotline and website. Defines "child with a disability" as one under age 13 who is eligible for early intervention services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Jack Nicklaus in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike such gold medal and to strike and sell duplicate bronze medals at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the gold and bronze medals.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2013
Supports: (1) freedom, human rights, civil liberties, free elections, and rule of law in Iran; and (2) the people of Iran in their peaceful calls for a democratic government. Condemns the widespread human rights violations of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to: (1) hold free and fair elections; (2) end arbitrary detention, torture, and other forms of harassment against media professionals, human rights defenders, and opposition figures; (3) lift legislative restrictions on freedom of assembly, association, and expression; (4) allow the Internet to remain free and open; and (5) allow international election monitors to be present for the June 14, 2013, election. Urges the President, the Secretary of State, and other world leaders to: (1) support the universal rights and freedoms of the people of Iran, (2) support policies that preserve open access to the Internet in Iran, and (3) condemn elections that are not free and fair and do not meet international standards.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Chemical Safety Improvement Act - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to establish an evaluative framework for chemical risk assessment and management. Declares that it is the policy of the United States that: (1) this Act should protect the health of people and the environment from the unmanaged risks of chemicals; (2) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should have the appropriate hazard, use, and exposure information necessary to make safety determinations and the resources and tools necessary to implement TSCA; (3) the Administrator should have the authority to share confidential business information with states; and (4) adequate information should be available with respect to the effect of and exposure to chemicals on health and the environment and the development of such test data and information should be the primary responsibility of those who manufacture or process such chemicals. Replaces current chemical testing requirements for determining whether chemicals present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment with a framework for: (1) making a determination on whether a chemical meets the safety standard established by this Act; and (2) determining the relevance, quality, and reliability of related data and information. Requires such framework to integrate information from multiple sources. Defines “safety standard” as a standard that ensures that no unreasonable risk of harm to human health or the environment will result from exposure to a chemical substance. Directs the Administrator to require submitters of any health and safety study of chemicals to disclose funding sources of any funding used for the study. Requires the Administrator, within a year, to establish a risk-based screening process for identifying existing chemicals that are a high priority for a safety assessment and determination and a low priority for a safety assessment and determination. Directs the Administrator, in implementing the process, to: (1) only consider active chemicals as either high-priority or low-priority chemicals, and (2) only consider inactive chemicals if the Administrator determines that they have not been subject to regulatory or other enforceable action by the Administrator to ban or phase out the chemical and that they demonstrate high hazard and high exposure. Requires the Administrator to complete the prioritization screening process for all active chemicals in a timely manner. Authorizes the Administrator to screen categories or classes of chemicals to ensure an efficient prioritization screening process to allow for timely and adequate safety assessments and determinations. Requires the Administrator, from time to time, to publish a list of chemicals being considered in the prioritization screening process and request the submission of data on the chemicals. Requires the Administrator to publish for public comment a proposed screening process and establish criteria for determining whether a substance is a high or low priority. Requires such proposal to contain an initial list of chemicals that includes those substances prioritized by the Administrator before this Act’s enactment and for which assessments or safety determinations have not been completed. Authorizes the Administrator to defer a prioritization screening decision for a chemical for a reasonable period to allow for the submission and evaluation of additional information. Requires the Administrator to determine the order for performing safety assessments on high-priority chemicals. Prohibits the Administrator from performing a safety assessment on low-priority chemicals. Requires the Administrator to: (1) publish and keep current a list of both high- and low-priority chemicals, and (2) remove a high-priority chemical from the list when a safety determination for the chemical is published. Prohibits a decision by the Administrator to prioritize a chemical from affecting the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, or disposal of the chemical substance, or regulation of those activities. Requires the Administrator to make a prioritized screening decision for a chemical within 180 days of receiving a recommendation and relevant information from a state that an active chemical be identified as a priority. Prohibits decisions to prioritize a chemical by the Administrator from being considered to be a final agency action and from being subject to judicial review. Authorizes the Administrator to require the development of new test data for a chemical if the agency promulgates a rule, enters into a testing consent agreement, or issues an order based on a determination that additional data are needed to perform a safety assessment, make a safety determination, or meet the testing needs of the implementing authority under another federal statute. Requires the Administrator to develop a tiered testing framework. Requires tier one to include both a screening level exposure assessment and screening tests for hazards. Requires, if the Administrator determines that additional testing is necessary, tier two to include an exposure assessment. Requires the Administrator to minimize the use of animals in testing of chemicals. Directs the Administrator to make available to the public all testing consent agreements and orders and all data and information the Administrator requires to be developed by manufacturers and processors of chemicals, except data protected as confidential business information. Establishes notice requirements, including requiring manufacturers and processors to submit notice to the Administrator for the manufacture or processing of a chemical for a significant new use. Directs the Administrator to prohibit the manufacture of a chemical and the manufacture or processing of a chemical for a significant new use if the Administrator determines that the chemical will not likely meet the safety standard. Requires the Administrator to provide an opportunity for additional data to be submitted if the Administrator determines more data is needed in order to conduct a review of a notice to manufacture a new chemical or manufacture or process a chemical for a significant new use. Requires the Administrator to: (1) conduct a safety assessment of each high-priority chemical, (2) establish requirements for risk management of such chemicals based on the assessment’s results, and (3) base such assessment solely on considerations of risk to human health and the environment. Requires the Administrator, as soon as possible after the safety assessment is completed for a high-priority chemical, to determine whether the chemical meets the safety standard under the intended conditions of use of the chemical. Requires the Administrator, after determining that a chemical does not meet the safety standard under the intended conditions of use, to promulgate a rule establishing necessary restrictions, including if appropriate a ban or phase out of the manufacture, processing, or use of the chemical substance. Requires the Administrator, after making such a determination, to consider and publish a statement on the: (1) availability of technically and economically feasible alternatives for the chemical under the intended conditions of use; (2) risks posed by those alternatives as compared to those of the chemical; (3) economic and social costs and benefits of the proposed regulatory action and options considered, and of potential alternatives; and (4) economic and social benefits and costs of the chemical, alternatives, and any necessary restrictions on the chemical or alternatives. Authorizes the Administrator to exempt the use of a chemical from restrictions for specified reasons, such as exemptions for national security and significant disruption in the national economy, without having to provide clear and convincing evidence for such exemption as currently required under TSCA. Authorizes the Administrator to commence a civil action for: (1) seizure of an imminently hazardous chemical or any article containing the chemical; and (2) relief against any person who manufactures, processes, distributes in commerce, uses, or disposes of an imminently hazardous or any article containing the chemical. Requires the Administrator to promulgate rules requiring the reporting of information known or reasonably ascertainable by the person making the report so that the Administrator has the information necessary to carry out testing of chemicals and safety assessment and determinations. Requires the Administrator to make publicly available a candidate list of active chemicals. Directs the Administrator to issue a rule requiring manufacturers and processors to notify the Administrator that they have manufactured or processed a chemical on such candidate list or on the current inventory list compiled under TSCA for a nonexempt commercial purpose during the last five years. Requires the Administrator to designate chemicals as active or inactive based on the notifications received in response to such rule. Requires the Administrator to designate a chemical as active if it: (1) has been manufactured or processed for a nonexempt commercial purpose at any point during the last five years, (2) is added to the inventory list after this Act’s enactment, (3) is the subject of a notice received by the Administrator stating that a person intends to manufacture or process a chemical designated as inactive, or (4) is reported under the TSCA chemical data reporting requirements after this Act’s enactment. Requires the Administrator to designate a chemical as inactive if it has not been manufactured or processed for a nonexempt commercial purpose in the last five years. Directs: (1) any person who intends to manufacture or process for a nonexempt commercial purpose a chemical designated as an inactive to notify the Administrator before the chemical is manufactured or processed, and (2) the Administrator to then designate the chemical as active and review its priority for a safety assessment. Requires the Administrator to make available to the public specified information about chemicals on the list that designates chemicals as active or inactive. Authorizes any person to submit to the Administrator data reasonably supporting the conclusion that a chemical does not present a substantial risk of injury to health and the environment. Prohibits exempting from TSCA requirements those chemicals manufactured for export if they are new chemicals unlikely to meet the safety standard or existing chemicals that do not meet the safety standard. Requires a person to notify the Administrator if that person is exporting a new chemical not likely to meet the safety standard under the intended conditions of use, an existing chemical that does not meet the safety standard under the intended conditions of use, or a chemical for which the United States is obligated by treaty to provide export notification. Requires the Administrator to: (1) submit to the government of each country to which a chemical is exported a notice that information can be obtained from the Administrator about the substance, and (2) provide notice that satisfies the U.S. obligation under the applicable treaty if the chemical is covered by treaty. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to refuse entry into the customs territory of the United States any chemical if: (1) the Administrator has determined that the chemical does not meet the safety standard under the intended conditions of use of the chemical substance, or (2) the chemical is in violation of a rule or order in effect under TSCA. Establishes exemptions to such rule and notice requirements concerning imports. Revises provisions concerning protection of confidential business information from chemical disclosure requirements, including by: (1) identifying information not protected from disclosure, (2) requiring written documentation justifying why information qualifies for protection from disclosure, and (3) authorizing disclosure of information if the disclosure is necessary to protect human health or the environment. Revises provisions concerning federal preemption, including by preempting new state prohibitions or restrictions for any high-priority and low-priority chemical.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 350,000 $1 silver coins, and 300,000 half-dollar clad coins to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town. Requires the design of the coins to be emblematic of the 100 years of Boys Town, one of the largest nonprofit child care agencies in the United States. Permits issuance of such coins only between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2013
Preserve the Waters of the United States Act - Prohibits the Secretary of the Army and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from: (1) finalizing the proposed guidance described in the notice of availability and request for comments entitled "EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Guidance Regarding Identification of Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act"; or (2) using such guidance, or any substantially similar guidance, as the basis for any decision regarding the scope of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) or any rulemaking. Provides that the use of such guidance as the basis for any rule shall be grounds for vacation of such rule.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2013
Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to set the interest rate on Direct Loans, for any 12-month period beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30, at the bond equivalent rate of 10-year Treasury bills auctioned at the final auction held prior to such June 1, plus 3%. Makes: (1) that formula applicable to Direct Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2013, and (2) the rate set on such loans applicable for the life of the loans. Requires any savings to the federal government that result from this Act's amendment to be used for deficit reduction.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2013
Designates the week of May 12-May 18, 2013, as National Police Week. Expresses support for law enforcement officers across the United States for their efforts to build safer and more secure communities, recognizes their selfless acts of bravery, and honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Recognizes the need to ensure that law enforcement officers have the equipment, training, and resources necessary to protect their health and safety while they are protecting the public.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Iran Sanctions Implementation Act of 2013 - Directs the President to designate any appropriate area of federal land, including any necessary for transportation of the oil produced there to market, as an Iranian Oil Replacement Zone. Requires the President to keep making such designations until the total daily production of oil from all the Zones reaches 1.25 million barrels per day. Subjects each Zone (including each portion of a multi-state Zone) to the rules and regulations of the state in which it is located. Exempts any such designation from judicial review, including review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Preventing an Unrealistic FMAP Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to repeal amendments by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with respect to increased federal medical percentages (FMAPs, or federal matching amounts) for: (1) newly eligible mandatory individuals, and (2) certain states.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2013
Drug Supply Chain Security Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish requirements to facilitate the tracing of drug products through the pharmaceutical supply distribution chain. Provides requirements of standards for the exchange of transaction documentation, to be established by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to establish processes to: (1) provide waivers of requirements, including for undue economic hardship or emergency medical reasons; (2) provide exceptions to requirements relating to product identifiers if a product is packaged without sufficient space to bear the information; and (3) determine other products or transactions that should be exempt from the requirements of this section. Permits certain requirements of this Act applicable to manufacturers, repackagers, wholesale distributors, third-party logistics providers, and dispensers to be enforced without further regulations or guidance from the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to finalize guidance within two years specifying whether and under what circumstances a product that is not labeled with a product identifier, and that is in the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain when applicable requirements go into effect, shall be exempted from such requirements. Exempts products that entered the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain before the date that is one year after enactment of this Act from requirements related to transaction documentation. Requires drug manufacturers to provide transaction documentation before, or at the time of, each transfer of ownership of a product or transfer of possession to a third-party logistics provider for subsequent transfer of ownership. Requires a wholesale distributor, dispenser, or repackager to provide to the subsequent purchaser transaction documentation for the product. Prohibits a wholesale distributor, dispenser, or repackager from accepting ownership of a product unless the previous owner before, or at the time of, the transaction provides such transaction documentation. Prohibits a third-party logistics provider from accepting possession of a product unless such documentation is provided. Requires the manufacturer, wholesale distributor, dispenser, repackager, or third-party logistics provider to maintain the transaction documentation for each transaction (or, for a third-party logistics provider, each transfer of possession) for at least six years. Requires a manufacturer, wholesale distributor, dispenser, repackager, or third-party logistics provider, in the event of a recall or for the purpose of investigating a suspect product or an illegitimate product, to provide within 24 hours (or, for a dispenser, within two business days), or in such other reasonable time as determined by the Secretary, the applicable transaction documentation upon request by the Secretary or other appropriate federal or state official. Requires a manufacturer within four years (for repackagers, within five years) to affix or imprint a product identifier to each package and homogenous case of a product intended to be introduced in a transaction into commerce. Requires a manufacturer and repackager to maintain product identifier information for at least six years from the date of transaction. Allows a wholesale distributor, dispenser, repackager, or third-party logistics provider to engage in transactions involving a product, or accept possession of a product, only if the product has a product identifier. Sets the effective date of this requirement for repackagers at five years after enactment, with later effective dates for the other entities. Requires the trading partners of a manufacturer, wholesale distributor, dispenser, repackager, or third-party logistics provider to be authorized trading partners (i.e., properly registered or licensed by the state). Requires a manufacturer, wholesale distributor, dispenser, repackager, or third-party logistics provider to have systems in place to: (1) quarantine a suspect product; (2) promptly conduct an investigation to determine whether the product is an illegitimate product or, for a third-party logistics provider, notify the owner of the need to conduct such an investigation; and (3) for manufacturers, beginning four years after enactment, verify the product at the package level, including the standardized numerical identifier. Requires entities to maintain records of such activities for six years. Requires a manufacturer, wholesale distributor, dispenser, or repackager, upon a determination that a product in its possession or control is an illegitimate product, to: (1) quarantine the product (except that this does not apply to dispensers), (2) remove the product from the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain, (3) take reasonable and appropriate steps to assist a trading partner to remove such product from the supply chain, (4) retain a sample of the product for further physical examination or laboratory analysis, and (5) notify the Secretary and all immediate trading partners within 24 hours. Requires a third-party logistics provider, upon such a determination, to promptly notify the owner of the need to remove the product from the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain, promptly transfer possession of the product to the owner, and notify the Secretary within 24 hours. Requires a manufacturer to notify the Secretary and immediate trading partners within 24 hours if the manufacturer has reason to believe that there is a high risk that a product in the trading partner’s possession is an illegitimate product. Requires a manufacturer or repackager to respond within 24 hours or in other reasonable time as determined by the Secretary after receiving a verification request from an authorized repackager, wholesale distributor, or dispenser whether the product identifier corresponds to the product identifier it affixed or imprinted. Requires the manufacturer, wholesale distributor, or repackager to verify the product identifier of a returned product that it intends to further distribute. Allows the wholesale distributor to accept a returned product from a dispenser and distribute it without the transaction history for the next six years. Permits a wholesale distributor, beginning six years after enactment, to accept a returned product from a dispenser only if the wholesale distributor can associate the returned product with the transaction information and transaction statement associated with that product. Allows a dispenser or repackager to return a product to the trading partner from which the dispenser purchased the product without providing the transaction documentation. Authorizes a dispenser to enter into an agreement under which a third party confidentially maintains transaction documentation on the dispenser's behalf. Exempts a wholesale distributor that does not physically handle or store products from the provisions of this Act, except the notification requirements related to illegitimate products, provided the transaction documentation is given to the dispenser by the manufacturer, repackager, or other wholesale distributor that distributes the product. Establishes package level requirements for the interoperable, electronic tracing of products that shall go into effect 10 years after enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary to provide alternative methods of compliance with such requirements, including establishing a time line for compliance by small businesses. Directs the Secretary to enter into a contract with a consulting firm to conduct a technology and software assessment that looks at the feasibility of dispensers conducting interoperable, electronic tracing of products at the package level. Sets forth guidance documents to be issued by the Secretary related to suspect and illegitimate products, secure tracing at the package level, and the interoperable standards necessary to enhance the security of the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain. Requires the Secretary to establish pilot projects to explore and evaluate methods to enhance the safety and security of the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain. Requires wholesale distributors operating in a state without licensure requirements to be licensed by the Secretary. Requires wholesale distributors to be licensed by the state into which the drug is distributed if the state requires it. Establishes annual reporting requirements for wholesale distributors. Requires the Secretary to establish a database of licensed wholesale distributors. Authorizes the Secretary to collect fees for licensure. Requires third-party logistics providers to obtain a license from the Secretary, but not a license as a wholesale distributor if the entity never assumes an ownership interest in the products it handles. Requires the Secretary to establish minimum standards, terms, and conditions for the state or federal licensing of wholesale distributors. Lists the requirements for such minimum standards. Prohibits a third-party logistics provider in any state from conducting activities unless each facility of the provider is: (1) licensed by the state from which the drug is distributed by the provider and the state into which the drug is distributed, or (2) licensed by the Secretary if the state has not established a licensure requirement. Establishes annual reporting requirements for the facilities of a third-party logistics provider. Authorizes the Secretary to assess licensure fees. Requires the Secretary to establish minimum requirements for the licensure of third-party logistics providers. Preempts state or local government requirements for tracing products through the distribution system which are inconsistent with, more stringent than, or in addition to, any requirements under this Act, or which are inconsistent with any waiver, exception, exemption, or restriction under this Act. Prohibits any state or or local government from establishing or continuing any standards, requirements, or regulations with respect to the licensing of wholesale prescription drug distributors or third-party logistics providers that are less stringent than the standards under this Act. Prohibits a state from regulating a third-party logistics providers as a wholesale distributor. Deems a drug to be misbranded if it does not contain a product identifier as required by this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2013
Veterans' Educational Transition Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to disapprove, for purposes of the all-volunteer force or post-9/11 educational assistance program, a course of education provided by a public institution of higher education if such institution charges veterans who are living in the state of such institution while taking such course tuition and fees at a rate higher than that charged to residents of such state, regardless of the veteran's regular state of residence. Provides that it shall not be grounds for such disapproval if the institution requires the veteran to demonstrate an intent to establish residency in such state in order to be charged the in-state rates.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2013
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act - Prohibits the expenditure of funds authorized or appropriated by federal law or funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law (federal funds) for any abortion. Prohibits federal funds from being used for any health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services and plans receiving federal funds must keep federal funds segregated from any funds for abortion services.) Prohibits the inclusion of abortion in any health care service furnished by a federal or District of Columbia health care facility or by any physician or other individual employed by the federal government or the District. Excludes an abortion from such prohibitions if: (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest; or (2) the woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, as certified by a physician. Applies such prohibitions to District of Columbia funds. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to disqualify, for purposes of the tax deduction for medical expenses, any amounts paid for an abortion. Excludes from the definition of "qualified health plan" after December 31, 2013, for purposes of the refundable tax credit for premium assistance for such plans, any plan that includes coverage for abortion. Excludes from the definitions of "qualified health plan" and "health insurance coverage," for purposes of the tax credit for small employer health insurance expenses, any health plan or benefit that includes coverage for abortions. Includes any reimbursements or distributions to pay for an abortion in the gross income of participants in flexible spending arrangements under a tax-exempt cafeteria plan, Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs), and health savings accounts (HSAs). Exempts from the application of such tax provisions: (1) abortions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or in cases where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness that would, as certified by a physician, endanger her life if an abortion were not performed; and (2) the treatment of any infection, injury, disease, or disorder that was caused by or exacerbated by the performance of an abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Oilheat Efficiency, Renewable Fuel Research and Jobs Training Act of 2013 - Amends the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 to: (1) require the National Oilheat Research Alliance to provide the Secretary of Energy (DOE) with a list of qualified nominees for Alliance membership, and (2) revise membership criteria. Includes among Alliance functions research to: (1) develop renewable fuels; and (2) examine the compatibility of different renewable fuels with oilheat fuel utilization equipment, with priority given to research on the development and use of advanced biofuels. Changes the Alliance's proposed budget from annual to biennial. Limits the current assessment rate of 2/10 of 1 cent per gallon of oilheat fuel (currently, of No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate) to calendar years 2013 and 2014. Requires subsequent annual assessment rates to be sufficient to cover the costs of Alliance plans and programs. Limits those assessments, however, to a change of no more than 1/2 of 1 cent per gallon of oilheat fuel. Prohibits any assessment increase unless: (1) it is approved by 3/4 of Alliance members voting at a regularly scheduled meeting, and (2) the Alliance notifies certain congressional committees of the proposed increase at least 90 days before the meeting. Prohibits such assessments from being passed through to, or otherwise required to be paid by, residential consumers of oilheat fuel. Requires a qualified state association to deposit funds received under this Act in an account separate from its other funds. Directs the Alliance to ensure that specified percentages of assessments collected for each calendar year are used by qualified state associations or the Alliance to: (1) conduct research, development, and demonstration activities relating to oilheat fuel, including development of energy-efficient heating and the transition and facilitation of the entry of energy-efficient heating systems into the marketplace; and (2) develop consumer education materials. Directs the Alliance to require that at least 20% of the demonstration cost or commercial application program be provided by a source other than the Alliance. Directs the Alliance to ensure that heating system conversion assistance is coordinated with administrators of a specified low-income home energy assistance program and with the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons. Repeals: (1) the requirement for an annual analysis of oilheat price changes relative to other energy sources (market survey); as well as (2) the restriction of Association activities to research and development, training, and safety matters if in any year the five-year average price composite index of consumer grade oilheat exceeds a certain amount. Prohibits the use of funds derived from assessments collected by the Alliance for lobbying purposes. Directs the Secretary of Commerce, in the event of noncompliance with this Act by the Alliance, a qualified state association, or any other person or entity, to notify Congress and the Alliance website. Extends the sunset date for the National Oilheat Research Alliance program to 19 years after the date on which it was established.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2013
Congratulates the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of charter schools across the country for their ongoing contributions to education and our public school system. Supports the ideals and goals of the 14th annual National Charter Schools Week (May 5-May 11, 2013).
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2013
Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase, as of December 1, 2013, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Requires each such increase to be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2013
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress and states should gather information about and correct: (1) abusive, unsanitary, and illegal abortion practices; and (2) the interstate referral of women and girls to facilities engaged in dangerous or illegal second- and third-trimester procedures. Declares that Congress has the responsibility to: (1) investigate, and conduct hearings on, abortions performed near, at, or after viability and public policies regarding such abortions; and (2) evaluate the extent to which such abortions involve violations of the natural right to life of infants who are born alive or are capable of being born alive and therefore are entitled to equal protection under the law. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) there is a compelling government interest in protecting the lives of unborn children beginning at least from the stage at which substantial medical evidence indicates that they are capable of feeling pain, which is separate from the compelling governmental interest in protecting the lives of unborn children beginning at the stage of viability, and neither governmental interest is intended to replace the other; and (2) governmental review of public policies and outcomes relating to these issues is long overdue and is an urgent priority that must be addressed.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit any person from performing or attempting to perform an abortion within the District of Columbia except in conformity with this Act's requirements. Requires the physician to first make a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child, or reasonably rely upon such a determination made by another physician, by making inquiries of the pregnant woman and performing such medical examinations and tests as a reasonably prudent physician would consider necessary. Prohibits the abortion from being performed if the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 weeks or greater. Makes an exception where necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, excluding psychological or emotional conditions. Permits a physician to terminate a pregnancy under such exception only in the manner which provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive, unless termination of the pregnancy in that manner would pose a greater risk of the death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions, of the pregnant woman than would other available methods. Prescribes penalties for violations. Bars prosecution of a woman upon whom an abortion is performed in violation of this Act, but authorizes such a woman or the father or maternal grandparent of the unborn child to obtain appropriate relief through a civil action. Provides for injunctive relief to prevent violations. Sets forth specified privacy protections in court proceedings for the woman upon whom an abortion has been performed. Requires any physician who performs an abortion within the District to report it to the Department of Health of the District of Columbia, which shall issue annual public reports.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2013
Combating Military Sexual Assault Act of 2013 - Directs each military department Secretary to implement a program providing a Special Victims' Counsel (Counsel) to a victim of a sexual assault committed by a member of the Armed Forces (member). Outlines Counsel qualifications and duties, including providing advice and assistance in connection with criminal and civil legal matters related to the assault. Allows a member or member dependent who is a victim of an assault by another member to receive Counsel assistance. Requires such victim to be informed of the availability of such assistance at the time the victim originally seeks assistance from a sexual response coordinator or sexual assault victim advocate, a military criminal investigator, a victim/witness liaison, a trial counsel, health care providers, or any other personnel designated by the Secretary concerned. Makes such assistance available regardless of whether the victim elects unrestricted or restricted (confidential) reporting of the incident. Provides additional duties of the Director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office within the Department of Defense (DOD), including: (1) providing guidance and assistance for the military departments in addressing matters relating to sexual assault prevention and response, (2) acting as liaison between DOD and other federal and state agencies on sexual assault prevention and response programs, and (3) overseeing development of program guidance and joint planning objectives in support of such program. Requires the Director to also collect and maintain data of the military departments concerning sexual assault prevention and response. Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to provide for disposition and other requirements in connection with charges of rape or sexual assault, and to provide for victims' rights under such actions (including the right to a Counsel). Adds new provisions to the UCMJ concerning the commission of a sexual act upon, or abusive sexual contact with, a member by a military instructor. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 to require the National Guard of each state and territory to ensure that a sexual assault response coordinator is available at all times to its members.