United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2017
This bill prohibits uniformed service agencies or the Department of Defense (DOD) from altering the amount of the locality-based travel and transportation per diem allowances or reimbursements to which certain uniformed service members or civilian DOD employees are entitled based on the duration of temporary duty assignments or official travel in a locality. The bill nullifies the DOD policy implemented on November 1, 2014, regarding reductions in per diem allowances based on the duration of temporary duty assignments or civilian travel. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 is amended to repeal the modifications to the flat rate per diem requirements for DOD military and civilian personnel on long-term temporary duty assignments.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2017
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the National Sea Grant College Program is: (1) important to improving the economy, health, stewardship, and preparedness of the United States; (2) an exceptional example of effective partnerships between federal, state, and local governments; and (3) a valuable investment for the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2017
21st Century Glass-Steagall Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, the Home Owner's Loan Act, the International Banking Act of 1978, the federal bankruptcy code, and other laws to: limit affiliations between an insured depository institution and any insurance company, securities entity, or swaps entity ; restrict the authority of a national banking association to purchase or sell investment securities or stock, invest in certain structured or synthetic products, control or hold an interest in financial subsidiaries, or otherwise engage in nonbanking activities; restrict the authority of a federal savings association to invest in, redeem, or hold shares or certificates issued by an open-end management investment company; limit the authority of a financial holding company to engage in nonfinancial activities; disallow certain foreign banks from engaging in nonbanking activities in the United States; repeal bankruptcy code provisions related to the contractual right to liquidate, terminate, or accelerate certain types of financial instruments; and establish various enforcement and penalty provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 April 2017
Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission Act This bill establishes a Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission to develop and execute programs and activities to commemorate the centennial of the passage and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which prohibits the federal government and states from denying U.S. citizens the right to vote on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
This bill amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to designate approximately 1,559,538 acres of land within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill amends equal pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to: (1) restrict the use of the bona fide factor defense to wage discrimination claims, (2) enhance nonretaliation provisions, (3) make it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages, and (4) increase civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs shall train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination matters. The bill directs the Department of Labor to: (1) establish and carry out a grant program for negotiation skills training for girls and women, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace is established for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. This bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2017
Recognizes and celebrates the history and contributions of the Center on Human Development and Disability at the University of Washington, in Seattle, Washington. Commends the Center on Human Development and Disability for creating more welcoming and supportive communities and for improving the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2017
Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of Larry Doby in recognition of his achievements and contributions to American major league athletics, civil rights, and the Armed Forces during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act of 2017 This bill makes it illegal to possess, buy, sell, or transport shark fins or any product containing shark fins. A person may possess a shark fin that was lawfully taken consistent with a license or permit under certain circumstances. Penalties are imposed for violations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The maximum civil penalty for each violation shall be $100,000, or the fair market value of the shark fins involved, whichever is greater.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2017
Coal Cleanup Taxpayer Protection Act This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to prohibit the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement (OSMRE) and state regulatory authorities from accepting new self-bonds for coal reclamation. Additionally, any existing self-bonds or corporate bonds utilized for coal reclamation must be converted to surety or collateral bonds. The OSMRE may approve state or federal alternative coal mining bond programs that result in no greater risk of financial liability to the federal government than a surety or collateral bond program. The bill also requires the OSMRE to issue rules establishing limitations on surety bonds to minimize the financial liability to the federal or state government.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Making Available Information Now to Strengthen Trust and Resilience and Enhance Enterprise Technology Cybersecurity Act of 2017 or the MAIN STREET Cybersecurity Act of 2017 This bill amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to consider small businesses when it facilitates and supports the development of voluntary, consensus-based, industry-led guidelines and procedures to cost-effectively reduce cyber risks to critical infrastructure. NIST must disseminate, and publish on its website, standard and method resources that small business may use voluntarily to help reduce their cybersecurity risks. The resources must be: (1) technology-neutral, (2) based on international standards to the extent possible, (3) able to vary with the nature and size of the implementing small business and the sensitivity of the data collected or stored on the information systems, and (4) consistent with the national cybersecurity awareness and education program under the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014. Other federal agencies that NIST considers appropriate must also publish the resources on their own websites.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2017
Surface and Maritime Transportation Security Act This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to: (1) assess, and implement a risk-based security strategy to address, the vulnerabilities of and risks to surface transportation and maritime transportation systems; (2) develop a management oversight strategy that identifies the parties responsible for implementing the security strategy; and (3) submit a report that describes a risk-based budget and resource allocation plan for surface transportation sectors that reflects the security strategy. The TSA shall establish the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee to make recommendations pertaining to surface transportation security. In addition, the bill: directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand the TSA's explosives detection canine team program, requires the Government Accountability Office to study specified matters related to surface transportation, expands the permissible uses of railroad security improvement grants, requires the TSA to issue a decision on the use of a passenger vetting system by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), requires the TSA to establish a program to promote surface transportation security through the training of surface transportation operators and frontline employees, expands the transportation security card program to allow individuals subject to credentialing or a background check to apply for a transportation security card, and requires DHS to evaluate cargo-container scanning technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 This bill directs the Departments of State, Defense, and Treasury and the Director of National Intelligence to submit a strategy every two years for deterring conventional and asymmetric Iranian activities that threaten the United States and key allies in the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond. The President shall impose asset blocking and U.S. exclusion sanctions against any person that materially contributes to: (1) Iran's ballistic missile or weapons of mass destruction programs, or (2) the sale or transfer to Iran of specified military equipment or the provision of related technical or financial assistance. The President shall impose against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated foreign persons sanctions with respect to blocking property of, and prohibiting transactions with, foreign persons who commit or support terrorism. The President may impose asset blocking sanctions against any person identified by the State Department as responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights committed against certain individuals in Iran. The bill requires specified existing sanctions against persons for materially contributing to Iran's ballistic missile program or for supporting Iran's acts of international terrorism to continue until 90 days after the President certifies that such activities ceased during the immediately preceding three-month period. The bill exempts certain humanitarian and national security activities from sanctions. The President may temporarily waive the imposition or continuation of sanctions under specified circumstances. The bill sets forth reporting requirements with respect to: (1) persons contributing to Iran's ballistic missile program, (2) U.S.-European Union sanctions coordination, (3) U.S. citizens detained by Iran, and (4) each use of the waiver authority.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area Act This bill establishes the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area in the state of Washington. The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust is designated as the local coordinating entity for the heritage area, which shall prepare and submit a management plan for it.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Phase III Act of 2017 This bill expands the purposes of the Yakima River Basin Water Conservation Program to include: protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife and the recovery and maintenance of self-sustaining harvestable populations of fish and other aquatic life, both anadromous and resident species, throughout their historic distribution range in the Yakima River Basin; improving the reliability of municipal, industrial, and domestic water supply and use purposes, especially during drought years; implementation of the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan to realize water savings of not less than 85,000 acre feet, in addition to the 165,000 acre feet of water savings targeted through the Basin Conservation Program, as authorized on October 31, 1994; encouraging an increase in the use of water transfers, leasing, markets, and other voluntary transactions among public and private entities to enhance water management in the Yakima River Basin; improving the resilience of the ecosystems, economies, and communities in the Basin as they face drought and other changes; and authorizing and implementing the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan as Phase III of the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project. The bill defines "Integrated Plan" and "Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Plan" as the plan and activities authorized by the Yakima River Basin Enhancement Project Phase III Act of 2015 to be carried out in cooperation with, and in addition to, activities of the state of Washington and the Yakama Nation. The bill directs the Conservation Advisory Group to provide recommendations to advance the purposes and programs of the Yakima River Basin Enhancement Project. Federal and state governments may fund up to the 17.5% of the local cost share of the Basin Conservation Program in exchange for the long-term use of the conserved water. The bill also allows water acquisition efforts to continue as needed to provide water to be used by the Yakima Project Manager for instream flow purposes and to allow voluntary water acquisitions to provide improved instream flows for anadromous and resident fish and other aquatic life. The bill increases funding for: (1) the Wapato Irrigation Project, (2) development of additional storage capacity at Lake Cle Elum, (3) the Interim Comprehensive Basin Operating Plan, and (4) environmental compliance activities in the Yakima River. The Yakima Indian Nation is redesignated as the Yakama Nation. The Department of the Interior may conduct studies to evaluate measures to further Yakima Project purposes on tributaries to the Yakima River. The bill directs Interior to: implement the Integrated Plan as Phase III of the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, subject to feasibility studies, environmental reviews, cost-benefit analyses, and available appropriations; implement an initial development phase of the Integrated Plan and develop plans for the intermediate and final development phases of the Integrated Plan; complete upstream and downstream fish passage facilities at Cle Elum Reservoir and another Yakima Project reservoir; negotiate long-term agreements for a pump plan and associated facilities to access and deliver inactive storage at Kachess Reservoir and a conveyance system to allow water transfers from Keechelus Reservoir to Kachess Reservoir ("K to K Pipeline"); participate in, provide funding for, and accept non-federal financing for water conservation projects intended to conserve 85,000 acre feet of water and for aquifer storage and recovery projects; conduct studies, feasibility analyses and environmental reviews of fish passage, water supply, conservation, habitat restoration projects, and other alternatives for the initial and future phases of the Integrated Plan; coordinate with and assist the state of Washington in implementing a robust water market to enhance water management in the Yakima River Basin; enter into cooperative agreements with, or make grants to, the Yakama Nation, the state of Washington, or other entities subject to a 50% non-federal cost-sharing requirement; and retain authority and discretion over the management of project supplies to optimize operational use and flexibility to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and treaty rights of the Yakama Nation. Interior, in conjunction with the state of Washington and in consultation with the Yakama Nation, must submit to specified congressional committees, not later than five years after the enactment of this bill, a progress report on the development and implementation of the Integrated Plan.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2017
Israel Anti-Boycott Act This bill declares that Congress: (1) opposes the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution of March 24, 2016, which urges countries to pressure companies to divest from, or break contracts with, Israel; and (2) encourages full implementation of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 through enhanced, governmentwide, coordinated U.S.-Israel scientific and technological cooperation in civilian areas. The bill amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 to declare that it shall be U.S. policy to oppose: requests by foreign countries to impose restrictive practices or boycotts against other countries friendly to the United States or against U.S. persons; and restrictive trade practices or boycotts fostered or imposed by an international governmental organization, or requests to impose such practices or boycotts, against Israel. The bill prohibits any U.S. person engaged interstate or foreign commerce from supporting: any request by a foreign country to impose any boycott against a country that is friendly to the United States and that is not itself the object of any form of boycott pursuant to United States law or regulation, or any boycott fostered or imposed by any international governmental organization against Israel or any request by any international governmental organization to impose such a boycott. The bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to include as a reason for the Export-Import Bank to deny credit applications for the export of goods and services between the United States and foreign countries, opposition to policies and actions that are politically motivated and are intended to penalize or otherwise limit commercial relations specifically with citizens or residents of Israel, entities organized under the laws of Israel, or the government of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
National Landslide Preparedness Act This bill: (1) directs the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to establish a National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program to identify and understand landslide hazards and risks, reduce losses from landslides, protect communities at risk of landslide hazards, and help improve communication and emergency preparedness; and (2) establishes the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Landslide Hazards to oversee the program. The USGS shall: develop and publish a national strategy for landslide hazards and risk reduction in the United States; develop and maintain a publicly accessible national landslide hazard and risk inventory database; disseminate landslide planning and risk reduction materials; expand the early warning system for flash floods and debris flow; establish emergency response procedures for the rapid deployment of federal scientists, equipment, and services to areas impacted by a significant landslide event; support emergency response efforts and improve the safety of emergency responders establish the Advisory Committee on Landslides; and advance the identification, mapping, research, and monitoring of subsidence and groundwater resource accounting. The USGS may provide competitive grants to state, local, and tribal governments to research, map, assess, and collect data on landslide hazards. The National Science Foundation shall ensure that landslide research grants are provided on a competitive basis to advance the goals and priorities of the national strategy. The USGS shall establish the 3D Elevation Program and the 3D Elevation Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee. The program shall: provide 3D elevation data coverage for the United States; coordinate and facilitate the collection, dissemination, and use of 3D elevation data among federal agencies and non-federal entities; produce standard, publicly accessible 3D elevation data products for the United States; and promote the collection, dissemination, and use of 3D elevation data among federal, state, local, and tribal governments, communities, institutions of higher education, and the private sector. The USGS may make grants and enter into cooperative agreements to facilitate the improvement of nationwide coverage of 3D elevation data.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2017
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide support for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. These centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees, social work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may provide support to schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs for training physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must: (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development; (2) support entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) support advanced practice nurses, social workers, physician assistants, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a nurse assistant to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2017
Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act This bill authorizes the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to assess sanitation and safety conditions on land set aside to provide Columbia River Treaty tribes access to traditional fishing grounds. The bill applies to land held by the United States for the benefit of the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The BIA may enter into contracts with tribes or tribal organizations to improve sanitation, safety conditions, and access to electricity, sewer, and water infrastructure on this land.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2017
Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act or the PACT Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to revise and expand provisions with respect to animal crushing. It retains existing criminal offenses that prohibit knowingly creating or distributing an animal crush video using interstate commerce. The bill also adds a new provision to criminalize an intentional act of animal crushing. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to seven years, or both. It provides additional exceptions for conduct, or a video of conduct, including conduct that is: (1) medical or scientific research, (2) necessary to protect the life or property of a person, (3) performed as part of euthanizing an animal, or (4) unintentional.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2017
Healthy Families Act This bill requires certain employers, who employ 15 or more employees for each working day during 20 or more workweeks a year, to permit each employee to earn at least 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. The bill authorizes small employers with fewer than 15 employees to provide the same paid sick time, but allows them to opt out. Any small employer that opts out shall provide at least 56 hours of unpaid sick time to each employee per calendar year. The bill declares that an employer shall not be required to permit an employee to earn more than 56 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer chooses to set a higher limit. Employees may use such time to: (1) meet their own medical needs; (2) care for the medical needs of certain family members (including a domestic partner or the domestic partner's parent or child); or (3) seek medical attention, assist a related person, take legal action, or engage in other specified activities relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The bill prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee's exercise of such rights. The Commissioner of Labor Statistics must compile information annually on paid sick time and the Comptroller General shall study related matters. The bill declares that nothing in this bill shall be construed to discourage employers from adopting or retaining more generous leave policies. The Department of Labor shall exercise certain investigative and enforcement authority for employees covered by this bill, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, or the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991. The same authority is granted to the Library of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, the Office of Compliance, and the Merit Systems Protection Board for employees under their jurisdictions. The bill authorizes civil actions by employees, individuals, or their representatives for damages or equitable relief against employers who violate this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2017
Jury Access for Capable Citizens and Equality in Service Selection Act of 2017 or the Jury ACCESS Act This bill amends the federal judicial code to prohibit the exclusion of citizens from service as a grand or petit juror in U.S. district courts or the Court of International Trade on account of sexual orientation or gender identity (thereby expanding the current prohibition against exclusion on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status).
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2017
Maritime Washington National Heritage Area Act This bill establishes the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area in the state of Washington. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation shall be the local coordinating entity for the area and shall prepare and submit a management plan for it.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2017
This bill amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow a service member to terminate a commercial mobile, telephone exchange, Internet access, or multichannel video programming service contract at any time after the date the service member receives military orders to relocate for at least 90 days to a location that does not support such service contract. (Currently, such provision applies to a cellular telephone service or telephone exchange service contract.) A service member shall return any provider-owned consumer premises equipment to the service provider not later than 10 days after the service is disconnected.
United States · United States Congress · 13 March 2017
Native American Business Incubators Program Act This bill requires the Department of the Interior to establish a grant program in the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development for establishing and operating business incubators that serve Native American communities. A business incubator is an organization that: (1) provides physical workspace and facilities resources to startups and established businesses, and (2) is designed to accelerate the growth and success of businesses through a variety of business support resources and services. Grant applicants may be institutions of higher education, private nonprofits, Native American tribes, or tribal nonprofits. Interior must facilitate the establishment of relationships between grant recipients and educational institutions serving Native American communities.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2017
Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017 This bill expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill on active duty prior to September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001). Services to caregivers of veterans under such program are expanded to include child care services, financial planning services, and legal services. The bill terminates the support program for caregivers of covered veterans on October 1, 2022, except that any caregiver activities carried out on September 30, 2022, shall be continued on and after October 1, 2022. The bill authorizes the transfer of entitlement to post 9/11 education assistance to family members by veterans who are retired for a physical disability or who are seriously injured veterans in need of family caregiver services, without regard to length-of-service requirements. The VA is authorized to pay monthly special compensation to seriously injured or ill veterans in need of personal care services and to their caregivers. Flexible work schedules or telework are authorized for federal employees who are caregivers of veterans. The Public Health Service Act is amended to designate a veteran participating in the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers as an adult with a special need for purposes of the lifespan respite care program. An interagency working group is established in the executive branch to review and report on policies relating to the caregivers of veterans and members of the Armed Forces. The VA shall provide for studies on members of the Armed Forces who commenced service after September 11, 2001, and veterans who have incurred a serious injury or illness, including a mental health injury, and their caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act This bill amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to make permanent the authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Funds deposited into the LWCF may be spent without being subject to the appropriations process. These funds are in addition to amounts made available by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 or otherwise appropriated from the LWCF. The President shall submit to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds provided by this bill. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures. At least 1.5% of the annual authorized funds shall be used for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Methow Headwaters Protection Act This bill withdraws approximately 340,079 acres of federal land and interests in land located within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in the state of Washington from: entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and disposition under the mineral leasing and geothermal leasing laws. Any land or interest in land within the Proposed Withdrawal area acquired by the United States shall, upon acquisition, be immediately withdrawn in accordance with this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
This bill directs the Department of Commerce to complete a study on gaps in the coverage of the Next Generation Weather Radar of the National Weather Service (NEXRAD). Commerce shall identify areas in the United States with limited or no NEXRAD coverage below 6,000 feet above ground level of the surrounding terrain. For those areas identified, Commerce shall also: identify the key weather effects for which prediction would improve with improved radar detection; identify additional sources of observations for high impact weather available and operational for such areas, including Terminal Doppler Weather Radar, air surveillance radars of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and cooperative network observers; and assess the feasibility and advisability of efforts to integrate and upgrade federal radar capabilities in such areas that are not owned or controlled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including radar capabilities of the FAA and the Department of Defense. In addition, under such study Commerce shall: assess the feasibility and advisability of incorporating state-operated and other nonfederal radars into the operations of the National Weather Service (NWS); and identify options to improve radar coverage in all of the areas identified as having limited or no NEXRAD coverage. After completing the study, Commerce shall submit a plan for improving radar coverage in the identified areas by integrating and upgrading additional observation solutions to improve hazardous weather detection and forecasting. Commerce shall seek third-party reviews on scientific methodology related to, and the feasibility and advisability of, implementing the plan to improve radar coverage, including the extent to which warning and forecast services of the NWS would be improved by additional NEXRAD coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2017
Supports the goals of International Women's Day. Recognizes that the empowerment of women is linked to a country's potential to generate economic growth, sustainable democracy, and inclusive security. Recognizes individuals in the United States and around the world, including women human rights defenders and civil society leaders, who have worked to ensure that women are guaranteed equality and basic human rights. Recognizes the unique cultural, historical, and religious differences throughout the world and urges the U.S. government to act with respect and understanding toward legitimate differences when promoting any policies. Reaffirms the commitment to: (1) end discrimination and violence against women and girls, and ensure their safety and welfare; (2) pursue policies that guarantee the basic human rights of women and girls worldwide; and (3) promote women's participation in every aspect of society and community. Supports sustainable global development that seeks to achieve gender equality.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 201 7 This bill prohibits the wages or other remuneration earned by an employee who performs employment duties in more than one state from being subject to income tax in any state other than: (1) the state of the employee's residence, and (2) the state within which the employee is present and performing employment duties for more than 30 days during the calendar year. The bill exempts employers from state income tax withholding and information reporting requirements for employees not subject to income tax in the state under this bill. For the purposes of determining penalties related to an employer's state income tax withholding or reporting requirements, an employer may rely on an employee's annual determination of the time expected to be spent working in a state in the absence of fraud or collusion by such employee. For the purposes of this bill, the term "employee" excludes: professional athletes; professional entertainers; production employees who perform services in connection with certain film, television, or other commercial video productions; and public figures who are persons of prominence who perform services for wages or other remuneration on a per-event basis.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
This bill prohibits any federal agency funds, resources, or fees from being used to implement or enforce Executive Order 13780, entitled "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States." Among the order's major provisions are restrictions on the entry of nationals from six countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) and additional limitations on refugee admissions to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the low-income housing credit, to rename the credit "the affordable housing credit" and make several modifications to the credit. The bill increases state allocations for the credit and modifies the cost-of-living adjustments. It also revises tenant eligibility requirements, with respect to: the average income test, income eligibility for rural projects, increased tenant income, student occupancy rules, and tenant voucher payments that are taken into account as rent. The bill revises various requirements to: establish a 4% minimum credit rate for certain projects, permit relocation costs to be taken into account as rehabilitation expenditures, repeal the qualified census tract population cap, require housing credit agencies to make certain determinations regarding community revitalization plans, prohibit local approval and contribution requirements, increase the credit for certain projects designated to serve extremely low-income households, increase the credit for certain bond-financed projects designated by state agencies, increase the population cap for difficult development areas, and eliminate the basis reduction for affordable housing properties that are allowed the credit and receive certain energy-related tax credits and deductions. The bill also modifies requirements regarding the reconstruction or replacement period after a casualty loss, rights related to building purchases, the prohibition on claiming acquisition credits for properties placed in service in the previous 10 years, foreclosures, and projects that assist Native Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2017
Timber Innovation Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA), acting through the Research and Development and the State and Private Forestry deputy areas of the Forest Service, to conduct performance-driven research and development, education, and technical assistance to facilitate the use of innovative wood products in wood building construction in the United States. Such activities shall give priority to: (1) improving the commercialization of such products, (2) analyzing the safety of tall wood building materials, (3) calculating and reducing the life cycle environmental footprint of tall wood building construction, and (4) analyzing the potential implications of the use of innovative wood products in building construction on wildlife. "Tall wood building" means a building designed to be over 85 feet high and constructed with large panelized wood construction, including cross-laminated timber, nail laminated timber, glue laminated timber, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber. USDA shall carry out an annual competition for FY2017-FY2021 for a tall wood building design, or other innovative wood product demonstration, in accordance with the requirements for prize competitions carried out under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980. The Forest Service, in carrying out a wood innovation grant program, may make grants to advance the use of innovative wood products, with priority to grant proposals that include the use or retrofitting of existing sawmill facilities in counties where the average annual unemployment rate exceeded the national average by more than 1% in the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Women's Health Protection Act of 2017 This bill prohibits any government from imposing on abortion services: a requirement that a medical professional perform specific tests or medical procedures; a requirement that the same clinician who performs a patient's abortion also perform additional tests, services or procedures; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to prescribe or dispense drugs or provide services via telemedicine; a requirement or limitation concerning the physical plant, equipment, staffing, or hospital transfer arrangements of facilities where abortions are performed, or the credentials, hospital privileges, or status of personnel at those facilities; a requirement that, prior to obtaining an abortion, a patient make medically unnecessary in-person visits to any individual or entity; a limitation on medical training for abortion procedures; a prohibition prior to fetal viability, including a prohibition on a particular abortion procedure; a prohibition after fetal viability when continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the woman's life or health; a restriction on a woman's ability to obtain an immediate abortion when a delay would pose a risk to the woman's health; or a restriction on obtaining an abortion prior to fetal viability based on a woman's reasons or perceived reasons or that requires her to state her reasons before obtaining an abortion. A measure or action that is similar to a requirement or limitation listed above is prohibited if it singles out abortion services or makes abortion services more difficult to access and does not significantly advance women's health or the safety of abortion services.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Animal Welfare Accountability and Transparency Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to maintain and publicly disclose records relating to the administration of the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act, including specified details regarding inspections, enforcement actions, regulations, registrations, and licenses under the two laws. Within 90 days of the enactment of this bill, USDA must make the records available to the public in an online searchable database in a machine-readable format on its website. The bill also amends the Internal Revenue Code to require a taxpayer who has been convicted or assessed civil penalties for violating certain provisions of the Animal Welfare Act or the Horse Protection Act to use the alternative depreciation system that increases the number of years over which property is depreciated. The taxpayer must use the system for any property placed in service during the five-year period beginning with the year in which the period for seeking judicial review of a civil penalty has lapsed or in which there has been a final judgment entered with respect to the violation, whichever is earlier.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2017
Lymphedema Treatment Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover certain lymphedema compression treatment items as durable medical equipment under Medicare. (Lymphedema is a condition of localized fluid retention and tissue swelling that is caused when the lymphatic system is damaged or blocked.)
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2017
Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2017 This bill waives Medicare coinsurance requirements with respect to colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of the code billed for a resulting diagnosis or procedure.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2017
Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to promulgate regulations within 180 days permitting wholesalers, pharmacies, and individuals to import certain prescription drugs from Canada. The FDA, within two years, may permit the importation of prescription drugs from other countries. The bill establishes a process for certifying foreign sellers—a licensed foreign pharmacy or foreign wholesale distributor.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2017 This bill allows Medicare payment for home health services ordered by a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2017
Recognizes the historical significance of: (1) February 19, 1942, as the date on which President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which restricted the freedom of Japanese Americans; and (2) February 19, 1976, as the date on which President Gerald Ford issued Presidential Proclamation 4417, which formally terminated such executive order. Expresses support for the goals of the Japanese American community in recognizing a National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness about the unjust measures taken to restrict the freedom of Japanese Americans during World War II. Expresses the sense that: (1) such Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of upholding justice and civil liberties for all people of the United States and to oppose hate, xenophobia, and bigotry; and (2) policies that discriminate against any individual based on the actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion of that individual would be a repetition of the mistakes of Executive Order 9066 and contrary to U.S. values. Recognizes the positive contributions that people of every race, ethnicity, religion, and national origin have made to the United States. Confirms the dedication of the Senate to the rights and dignity of all people of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act of 2017 or the ACE Kids Act of 2017 This bill allows a state Medicaid program or child health plan to provide coordinated care through enhanced pediatric health homes (EPHHs) for children who have complex medical conditions. Pursuant to an agreement with a state, an EPHH offers: (1) comprehensive pediatric care management, (2) care coordination and health promotion, (3) comprehensive transitional care, (4) patient and family support, (5) referrals to community and social support services, (6) the use of health information technology to link services, and (7) coordination of access to the full range of pediatric specialty and subspecialty medical services. In general, an EPHH must enroll any eligible child who requests enrollment. A child who opts to enroll shall have the option to disenroll from the EPHH and instead receive covered services under the state Medicaid program or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Each state shall develop a methodology for payment to EPHHs under the state plan. The bill establishes requirements related to data collection and quality assurance. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall issue guidance to states on best practices for ensuring that children with complex medical conditions receive prompt care from out-of-state providers when medically necessary. The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission must report to Congress and the CMS on specified information related to children with complex medical conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for the rehabilitation of buildings and historic structures, to: (1) allow an increased 30% credit, up to $750,000, for projects with rehabilitation expenditures not exceeding $3.75 million, for which no credit was allowed in either of the two immediately preceding taxable years (small projects); (2) allow the transfer of tax credit amounts for small projects; (3) treat a building as substantially rehabilitated if rehabilitation expenditures exceed the greater of 50% of the adjusted basis of the building or $5,000 (currently, the greater of the adjusted basis of the building or $5,000); (4) reduce the required basis adjustment from 100% of the credit to 50% of the amount of the credit; and (5) limit the application of disqualified lease rules to tax-exempt use property.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017 This bill includes as part of the Republic of Vietnam its territorial seas for purposes of the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure by veterans to certain herbicide agents while in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
End Racial and Religious Profiling Act of 2017 or ERRPA This bill prohibits racial profiling by a federal, state, local, or tribal law enforcement agency or agent. The term "racial profiling" includes the practice of relying on actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identify, or sexual orientation in making a routine or spontaneous law enforcement decision. The Department of Justice (DOJ), or an individual injured by racial profiling, may bring a civil action to enforce the prohibition. The bill requires federal law enforcement agencies to maintain policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling, including training on racial profiling issues, the collection of data, and procedures for handling complaints. Additionally, a state or unit of local government that receives grant funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program or Community Oriented Policing Services program must maintain policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling, including training on racial profiling issues, the collection of data, and participation in an administrative complaint procedure or independent audit program. DOJ must withhold or reduce grant funds from a state or unit of local government that fails to comply. The bill authorizes grants to develop and implement: (1) programs to collect data on the percentage of stops and searches in which a law enforcement officer finds drugs, a gun, or something else that leads to an arrest; and (2) best practice devices and systems to eliminate racial profiling. DOJ must report annually on racial profiling by law enforcement agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2017
Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the tax credit for railroad track maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2017
Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2017 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop and maintain a voluntary registry of firefighters to collect history and occupational information that can be linked to existing data in state cancer registries. The registry must be used to improve monitoring of cancer among firefighters and to collect and publish epidemiological information regarding cancer among firefighters. The CDC should seek to include specified information in the registry, including the number and type of fire incidents attended by an individual. To collect information for the registry, the CDC may incorporate questions into existing public health surveys, questionnaires, and other databases. The CDC must: (1) develop a strategy to maximize participation in the registry; (2) develop guidance for states and firefighting agencies regarding the registry; (3) encourage inclusion in the registry of data on minority, female, and volunteer firefighters; and (4) seek feedback on the registry from nonfederal experts. The CDC must develop a process for making registry data available for research without a fee if findings or publications from the research are made public or available to stakeholders.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2017
Keeping Our Manufacturers from Being Unfairly taxed while Championing Health Act or KOMBUCHA This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt the production of kombucha for consumption or sale from excise taxes imposed on alcoholic beverages. Kombucha is a beverage that: (1) is fermented solely by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast; (2) contains not more than 1.25% of alcohol by volume; (3) is sold or offered for sale as kombucha; and (4) is derived from sugar, malt or malt substitute, tea, or coffee, and not more than 20% other wholesome ingredients.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2017
New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the new markets tax credit, (2) provide for an inflation adjustment to the limitation amount for such credit after 2016, and (3) allow an offset against the alternative minimum tax for such credit (determined with respect to qualified equity investments initially made after 2016).
![Official portrait of Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c000127_200.jpg)